So, I thought it might be nice if I popped in here and wrote a real live post for a change. The nice folks who allow me to repost their blogs are a godsend for folks like me who really aren’t all that great at keeping up a blog. However, it isn’t fair to leave people hanging as to what is going on with me and my writing.

The biggie is that book three is getting near completion in terms of its first draft. I finished up the last big fight scene about a week ago, and I’m now finishing up the last story-line which will funnel into the dramatic (I  hope!) ending. As usual, I have determined that I have written way too much for one book, so I will be stripping out one (maybe two) story-lines and shifting them off to a fourth volume. Yes, I have determined that there is enough material for a fourth book. However, rest assured that the ordeal with the Dragon Queen will be concluded in book three.

With the conclusion of the first draft imminent, I have some additional items I need to seriously start futzing with. One, and this is a bit embarrassing, I still have not settled on a title. Obviously, it will follow the pattern of the first two books and be “Exile’s”, well, something. I have a page of possible words to use, but none of them jump out as “the” word to use.

That brings me to my next item. I’m looking at turning my author page on Facebook into a group. It is my understanding that groups can do things like run polls. I thought it might be fun to set up a poll with possible titles and see what you guys think. Along with that, I’m not completely settled on who to feature on the cover. I know the dominant color will be red, and I know that one of the characters will be Foxfire. I’m leaning toward Kela as the second character, but I may run a poll to see if a different character might be more popular.

The final piece of work which must be completed before the book actually shows up in the store is the back copy. This will also serve as the copy for Amazon to lure in potential readers. Since my first book, I have learned that I’m doing copy writing all wrong. I’ve taken a few online courses and read a book now on how to do it, so I’m hoping I’ll do a better job this time around. Once I get the third book out I will go back and update the copy for the first two books, but that is something for later. Right now my focus must remain on completing volume three before all of us die of old age.

I hope this information proves to be good news for everyone out there. Completing this update will allow me to check off one of the to-do items on my list as book three nears completion. I appreciate everyone’s patience, and am crossing my fingers that the wait will prove worthwhile.

Cheers!