So here I sit. It is now officially October 2nd. Softball playoffs are in full swing. My twin girls are in Regionals and it’s raining cats and dogs. I tell ya, it’s a welcome distraction. Right now I have many irons in the fire and the first installment of the new Monster Squad saga is just a day away. To say that I’m a bit nervous would be an understatement. I can’t help but wonder if the new storyline will hold to people’s expectations. I’m hoping that they’ll exceed them, but you never really can tell.
Things have evolved a bit for the squads. Unlike the previous saga that takes place back to back, this new story takes place six months down the road. The dust has settled, things have calmed down and of course, things happened during that time that set the tone for this new storyline.
Questions that went unanswered in MS4 will slowly start being addressed. People have asked what happened with Mitchell and the blonde haired girl? Why would Laura so suddenly act like she can’t wait to get away? Why…well…you know what? Not everything will get answered in MS5, so I’m not going to start here. Some won’t be addressed until 6. Or 7. Or…at all? Yes, I read a lot of the reviews and the constructive criticisms I took to heart and have tried to apply to my writing. I’ve also tried to apply all of the lessons that my editor has taught me. I know I have a lot more to learn. Heck, I still consider myself ‘the new guy’ so I am always looking to learn. Anything that can help me hone my craft and provide you, the reader, with a better experience, I intend to employ.
This last quarter will be a hectic one. MS3 coming out on the 3rd. Whispers being repackaged and coming out in an exciting new box set in time for Halloween. Forneus Corson coming out in November.
MS6 was originally slated for March, but it looks like it’s being bumped to New Years and Caldera (originally slated for New Years) will most likely come out some time between now and January. Early December maybe? I’ll leave that up to Todd. All in all, very exciting and a very busy time of year.
For those of you who follow my Facebook page, you noticed we had to rework Caldera’s cover. Although I really liked the original artwork, while the story was on hold, somebody else came out with another book with an almost identical cover. It happens. Sometimes more often than we’d like. But rather than cause confusion (both authors run in the same circles), I felt it best to just have a new cover created. Enter Jeffrey Kosh to save the day. I gave him a brief overview of the story and he put his creative genius to work. I got a brand new cover that captures the story even better than the original.
Now, I’ll admit, at first I was pretty upset and needed to vent. My inner five-year-old needed to throw a hissy fit. So, I did what any grown man who tends to behave like a toddler does… I went to my room (a Facebook group that I belong to) and threw a tantrum. Once I got it out of my system, I was feeling much better. I actually woke up today intending to delete the thread and call it done. But who should stumble upon it? Yeah… the other author. He took it all in good fun though. Luckily, he’s a better person than I am and didn’t take offense.
So, there you have it. What’s been happening lately, what’s in the works and what’s planned for the near future. For those keeping score, MS7 is nearing the halfway mark and I try to do as much as I can every night. Whether it’s a single line or a complete chapter. But, as we all know by now, things in this business can be very fluid and I’ve learned to go with the flow. Things happen and they can happen quickly. So these plans are all tentative. I still like to share them as we make them to give you something to look forward to. Meanwhile, I need to get ready to head back to the ballfield…and get back to writing. As of now…I’ve got little to nothing to fall back on. All of my reserves will be out there. Which, in some ways, is a good thing. In others…it’s a bit scary. No time to dilly dally…nose to the grindstone and all that.
Until tomorrow my monsters…until tomorrow. 😉
Heath Stallcup Author 