Delayed demon hunting
In case you are curious, yes, there will be a third Ki-Chan: Demon Hunter book, but I do not have a timetable for it's release. Why is that? Don't I usually have a new one ready by now? Well let's take a look at what has happened since Book #2 was in production.
April-May 2017:
My husband went to the hospital several times. We had a malignant breed of rose that overtook our home. He breathed in the pollen while walking our dog and his lips blew up. He went into anaphylactic shock and now needs an EPI pen. On top of that, our racist neighbors kept sending attack dogs into our yard to chase me. Their dogs tried to eat my dog and the sheriff refused to help, telling me it was up to me to shoot their dogs. Ah. Nope. No thanks. Not a dog killer.
June 2017:
I moved from London, Kentucky to Bourbonnais, Illinois. I had a pair of true friends come to help after the moving company I hired left behind a ton of stuff, stole money and then broke half of our belongings. This was the move from hell. I would spend long hours on the phone to the moving company, the people who were supposed to come out, the insurance company, and all I got was nowhere. I got screwed by doing my own packing, which was the main reason why the insurance company left me high and dry. And then my dog got sick, and I had to change out her food.
July 2017:
Freak wind storm blew off the siding to my new home, revealing it isn't new, it's actually from 1987. The storm also blew a hole in one of the rooms, which led to a mold problem I ended up cleaning on my own with my husband a few months later when the people I hired bailed. I detect a pattern here.
August-September 2017:
While dealing with new issues with my new home, I spent most of this time finalizing Ki-Chan's second book. I also spent time doing side jobs to pay for repairs to my home.
October 2017:
Over a week ahead of schedule, Amazon releases Ki-Chan: Demon Hunter Book #2... right in the middle of the #MeToo scandal. Since my book deals with a succubus who is sexually harassing Tige, I had a major anxiety attack. I did not want people to think I was trying to capitalize on other people's incredibly serious situations, but early feedback from men and women was very positive. A few people read the book and decided that Ti-Chan constantly speaking out was just enough of a story to give them the courage to speak against people who had touched them or harassed them. This is what I wanted people to take from the book, that sexual harassment does not know gender, and that regardless, we need to change this rape happy society we live in. I just didn't think the damn thing would be so relevant, considering a bulk of the premise comes from dreams I had as a child.
November 2017:
I did my first ever book singing! The staff at Barnes and Noble in Bourbonnais, Illinois was so polite and so helpful. I really miss this store. It was a pre-Christmas event where I was one of three authors signing books in various places throughout the store. Where was I placed? Oh, right in front of every religious book known to man, which was across from the sci-fi books. I got to be a part of several (unwarranted, I assure you) discussions about religion and aliens from skeptical new readers, and I welcomed every question. This was where I had a good time though. You see, someone had read the passage about The Creator being an alien, and they asked me where I took the idea. So I showed them the Bible and the Torah, both of which open with the line "First, there was nothing, and then God created the Earth." Fun fact, if you created the Earth, that means you were not born on it, and therefore, you are an alien. At first, people balked at the word "alien" like it was some sort of negative term, so I defended the word. There isn't anything wrong with being an alien, either in the extraterrestrial sense or in the immigration sense. After all, wasn't Mary an alien when she went to Egypt? This changed a few minds towards the positive, and suddenly "alien" was no longer a bad word. I really appreciate the chance to open someone's mind to something new. I find it sparks imagination in some.
December 2017:
Oh just everything happened all at once. First, my grandfather's cousin died unexpectedly. She and I were close, and just like me, she was a graphic designer. Losing Pam was incredibly hard on me, but no sooner did I get that dreaded phone call did my life flip upside down. My car started acting up, we got hit by the first of several blizzards, I ended up stranded in Indiana for a week and when I finally came home at the end of the month, my new home had started exploding... litterally.
January 2018:
My plumbing sploded. My sewage pipe had backed up from having not been taken care of by the previous home owner, and after one fateful evening where I had gone to wash my hands, the pipe burst, sending all of the years worth of backed up poop blasting through my sinks, my tubs and both toilets. All of the dishes in my sink got totaled, everything in the main bathroom got destroyed, bottles of shampoo had to be replaced, and the less I say about the toothbrushes, the better. And just as I was starting to clean up the mess, our heater died, and every heater repairman and plumber in a 50 mile radius bailed on me. I finally had to find a service from two counties away to come and save my exploding home, but I had to wait until the roads were cleared from a third blizzard. Then the city came to re-work all of the water pipes and the electrical. In the snow. Where I had spilling sewage. Then my husband got hurt at work and had to spend time in a wheelchair and then on crutches. And as if this wasn't enough to make me cry, I had a bad falling out with an ex friend, who is now stalking me. I will not reveal this person's name, what happened, or speak badly of them, in fact, I wish them well, but seriously, please leave me alone.
February 2018:
I moved in the middle of a whiteout blizzard, almost wrecking the car, selling my house at a major loss, to someone who specializes in fixing lemon houses. Knowing it went to someone who enjoys renovations instead of my idea of just saying screw this and setting it ablaze to keep warm, makes me feel like I did something right. Whiteout conditions are not fun to drive through, less so when your winterized tires turn out to be not so winter proof, and even with the high beams you can't even see two inches in front of you. But I moved to Michigan City Indiana to be close to my mom, and while as of this writing I am still not 100% unpacked, I have fallen for the charms of this city.
March 2018:
Briefly worked for the local newspaper. I'm not naming names here, but it was a fun job until we had a sudden change in management. I would have stayed if not for the fact that my car kept dying en route to the tasks they set up for me, and for the fact that they lost my personal information. Identity theft is not fun, boys and girls.
April 2018:
Got the car partially fixed, just in time for my dog to get sick. What's that? Dog treat recalls? Oh yummy! But after trial and error (and shots) our new vet revealed to me that my dog is actually a few years younger. So instead of a (she had a birthday this past Tuesday) 14 year old Maltese, it seems my little Zoey is only 9.
May-August 2018:
I was invited to write for the short story anthologies Summer Solstice and 42 and Beyond, so I took the rare chances and started right away. Thing is? Both are PG-13/Ages 13+/Young Adult stories. I am so used to writing for adults that I never thought about teenagers before, so to say I was nervous was an understatement. I plowed through a few stories for both, and I am hoping you will like them. To grab your copies, click here. Of course while I was writing, I kept having to go to the urgent care clinic. I suffer from severe eczema, and this summer, I had flare ups so bad, my eyes swole and looked like baby butts. As with my migraines, I have my good days, my bad days, and my tell-my-mom-I-loved-her days. Turns out, the triggers were my neighbor's cats, my other neighbor's flowers, and my brand new mattress actually being a used one despite how many times I said I wanted a new one to the clerk having black mold spores throughout. Yay. Well they replaced it for free, so no ill will. But this did lead to several steroid shots, so now there's no way I can ever train to be a wrestler in the post steroid millennium. (Just kidding, wrestling would hurt. Screw everyone who says it's the F word, there's nothing fake about broken bones.)
September 2018:
I started working for IPW Illiana Pro Wrestling! I do graphics and a little bit of everything while my husband wrestles as John Wulfstorm. Look for them on Facebook, they do a lot of family friendly shows in Dolton, Illinois. You can usually find me at the merchandise table at shows!
October 2018:
I have a business trip at the end of the month, and I am already battling more facial eczema. The paperbacks for both anthologies have been delayed, but the Kindle versions are live as of this writing.
For this entire last year and six months, I have had very little time to work on the third Ki-Chan book, so I do not yet have a timetable. But I can tell you that the next book will have a stronger focus on Ki-Chan's friends, while the fourth book will focus on Ki-Chan's relationship evolving.
Because I am incredibly behind, I will not be taking any more short story gigs for the rest of the year, unless it is something I am confident will not take too much time away from Ki-Chan. I also need to restructure my personal schedule, as I have not had any rest in a very long time.
I am still taking requests for art, but I am asking my customers to please give me at least 4-6 weeks so I am not rushed and I don't make major mistakes with your work.
June 2017:
I moved from London, Kentucky to Bourbonnais, Illinois. I had a pair of true friends come to help after the moving company I hired left behind a ton of stuff, stole money and then broke half of our belongings. This was the move from hell. I would spend long hours on the phone to the moving company, the people who were supposed to come out, the insurance company, and all I got was nowhere. I got screwed by doing my own packing, which was the main reason why the insurance company left me high and dry. And then my dog got sick, and I had to change out her food.
July 2017:
Freak wind storm blew off the siding to my new home, revealing it isn't new, it's actually from 1987. The storm also blew a hole in one of the rooms, which led to a mold problem I ended up cleaning on my own with my husband a few months later when the people I hired bailed. I detect a pattern here.
August-September 2017:
While dealing with new issues with my new home, I spent most of this time finalizing Ki-Chan's second book. I also spent time doing side jobs to pay for repairs to my home.
October 2017:
Over a week ahead of schedule, Amazon releases Ki-Chan: Demon Hunter Book #2... right in the middle of the #MeToo scandal. Since my book deals with a succubus who is sexually harassing Tige, I had a major anxiety attack. I did not want people to think I was trying to capitalize on other people's incredibly serious situations, but early feedback from men and women was very positive. A few people read the book and decided that Ti-Chan constantly speaking out was just enough of a story to give them the courage to speak against people who had touched them or harassed them. This is what I wanted people to take from the book, that sexual harassment does not know gender, and that regardless, we need to change this rape happy society we live in. I just didn't think the damn thing would be so relevant, considering a bulk of the premise comes from dreams I had as a child.
November 2017:
I did my first ever book singing! The staff at Barnes and Noble in Bourbonnais, Illinois was so polite and so helpful. I really miss this store. It was a pre-Christmas event where I was one of three authors signing books in various places throughout the store. Where was I placed? Oh, right in front of every religious book known to man, which was across from the sci-fi books. I got to be a part of several (unwarranted, I assure you) discussions about religion and aliens from skeptical new readers, and I welcomed every question. This was where I had a good time though. You see, someone had read the passage about The Creator being an alien, and they asked me where I took the idea. So I showed them the Bible and the Torah, both of which open with the line "First, there was nothing, and then God created the Earth." Fun fact, if you created the Earth, that means you were not born on it, and therefore, you are an alien. At first, people balked at the word "alien" like it was some sort of negative term, so I defended the word. There isn't anything wrong with being an alien, either in the extraterrestrial sense or in the immigration sense. After all, wasn't Mary an alien when she went to Egypt? This changed a few minds towards the positive, and suddenly "alien" was no longer a bad word. I really appreciate the chance to open someone's mind to something new. I find it sparks imagination in some.
December 2017:
Oh just everything happened all at once. First, my grandfather's cousin died unexpectedly. She and I were close, and just like me, she was a graphic designer. Losing Pam was incredibly hard on me, but no sooner did I get that dreaded phone call did my life flip upside down. My car started acting up, we got hit by the first of several blizzards, I ended up stranded in Indiana for a week and when I finally came home at the end of the month, my new home had started exploding... litterally.
January 2018:
My plumbing sploded. My sewage pipe had backed up from having not been taken care of by the previous home owner, and after one fateful evening where I had gone to wash my hands, the pipe burst, sending all of the years worth of backed up poop blasting through my sinks, my tubs and both toilets. All of the dishes in my sink got totaled, everything in the main bathroom got destroyed, bottles of shampoo had to be replaced, and the less I say about the toothbrushes, the better. And just as I was starting to clean up the mess, our heater died, and every heater repairman and plumber in a 50 mile radius bailed on me. I finally had to find a service from two counties away to come and save my exploding home, but I had to wait until the roads were cleared from a third blizzard. Then the city came to re-work all of the water pipes and the electrical. In the snow. Where I had spilling sewage. Then my husband got hurt at work and had to spend time in a wheelchair and then on crutches. And as if this wasn't enough to make me cry, I had a bad falling out with an ex friend, who is now stalking me. I will not reveal this person's name, what happened, or speak badly of them, in fact, I wish them well, but seriously, please leave me alone.
February 2018:
I moved in the middle of a whiteout blizzard, almost wrecking the car, selling my house at a major loss, to someone who specializes in fixing lemon houses. Knowing it went to someone who enjoys renovations instead of my idea of just saying screw this and setting it ablaze to keep warm, makes me feel like I did something right. Whiteout conditions are not fun to drive through, less so when your winterized tires turn out to be not so winter proof, and even with the high beams you can't even see two inches in front of you. But I moved to Michigan City Indiana to be close to my mom, and while as of this writing I am still not 100% unpacked, I have fallen for the charms of this city.
March 2018:
Briefly worked for the local newspaper. I'm not naming names here, but it was a fun job until we had a sudden change in management. I would have stayed if not for the fact that my car kept dying en route to the tasks they set up for me, and for the fact that they lost my personal information. Identity theft is not fun, boys and girls.
April 2018:
Got the car partially fixed, just in time for my dog to get sick. What's that? Dog treat recalls? Oh yummy! But after trial and error (and shots) our new vet revealed to me that my dog is actually a few years younger. So instead of a (she had a birthday this past Tuesday) 14 year old Maltese, it seems my little Zoey is only 9.
May-August 2018:
I was invited to write for the short story anthologies Summer Solstice and 42 and Beyond, so I took the rare chances and started right away. Thing is? Both are PG-13/Ages 13+/Young Adult stories. I am so used to writing for adults that I never thought about teenagers before, so to say I was nervous was an understatement. I plowed through a few stories for both, and I am hoping you will like them. To grab your copies, click here. Of course while I was writing, I kept having to go to the urgent care clinic. I suffer from severe eczema, and this summer, I had flare ups so bad, my eyes swole and looked like baby butts. As with my migraines, I have my good days, my bad days, and my tell-my-mom-I-loved-her days. Turns out, the triggers were my neighbor's cats, my other neighbor's flowers, and my brand new mattress actually being a used one despite how many times I said I wanted a new one to the clerk having black mold spores throughout. Yay. Well they replaced it for free, so no ill will. But this did lead to several steroid shots, so now there's no way I can ever train to be a wrestler in the post steroid millennium. (Just kidding, wrestling would hurt. Screw everyone who says it's the F word, there's nothing fake about broken bones.)
September 2018:
I started working for IPW Illiana Pro Wrestling! I do graphics and a little bit of everything while my husband wrestles as John Wulfstorm. Look for them on Facebook, they do a lot of family friendly shows in Dolton, Illinois. You can usually find me at the merchandise table at shows!
October 2018:
I have a business trip at the end of the month, and I am already battling more facial eczema. The paperbacks for both anthologies have been delayed, but the Kindle versions are live as of this writing.
For this entire last year and six months, I have had very little time to work on the third Ki-Chan book, so I do not yet have a timetable. But I can tell you that the next book will have a stronger focus on Ki-Chan's friends, while the fourth book will focus on Ki-Chan's relationship evolving.
Because I am incredibly behind, I will not be taking any more short story gigs for the rest of the year, unless it is something I am confident will not take too much time away from Ki-Chan. I also need to restructure my personal schedule, as I have not had any rest in a very long time.
I am still taking requests for art, but I am asking my customers to please give me at least 4-6 weeks so I am not rushed and I don't make major mistakes with your work.
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