I can't believe it's March already. I hope March started well for all of you. To me, it feels like the new year has just started, and I've just sent The Shadow Sacrifice out into the world. So, without further ado, here is the March Urban Fantasy Author's Update.
What am I currently working on?
My biggest news is that the ninth book of the Shadow Enforcer series is done and off to my editor! At about 135K words, it's as long as book six of the series, and I hope you'll enjoy it just as much.
So, what should you expect from the ninth installment of the Shadow Enforcer?
1. As always, the story revolves around two immortal brothers, Damian and Cole. Of course, things are not what they appear to be, and there are more questions than answers. But the main question is... Can Damian and Cole figure out what's going on fast enough to win the war?
2. In this next installment, the conflict with the brothers' mortal enemy comes to a breaking point, and this time, the stakes are higher than ever. The story moves at breakneck pace, and our heroes barely have time to breathe and assess the situation.
3. A new character appears in this story. However, he's such an unorthodox person that no one can figure out whether he is friend or foe.
I love writing characters who are not just good or evil but treading a narrow line between the Light and the Darkness. They make the story interesting, don't you agree?
Ask The Author
Question: How long does it take you to write a book?
Answer: My books are relatively long for the Urban Fantasy genre - about 120K words average. Usually, it takes me around two to three months to finish the first draft, depending on the book and the circumstances. Some of the stories come easier and some are harder to write. And let's face it... Sometimes the outside world affects our writing as well.
I do self-editing while I am writing, and once I complete the 1st draft, I do four more rounds of editing, including professional editing, before the book is ready to be published.
To be honest, I never pay attention to how long it takes me to write a book. I have a general idea on when I would like to publish it, but I never set hard deadlines and just focus on writing the kind of story that my readers would enjoy.
Away from the Author’s Desk
I live my life surrounded by computer monitors. Usually, I have four of them staring at me every day for about ten to twelve hours (or maybe it's me who's staring at them 😉 ? )
Anyway, I finally stepped away from my computer and took a long-anticipated trip to the Florida Keys. Besides taking some time off, the goal of this trip was to start research for my next novel. As you probably guessed, the story is going to be set in Florida, in Key West or thereabouts.
There is quite a bit of preparation that I do before writing every novel: research, character outlining, plot outlining, etc. But right now, I can't wait to be done with all the preparations and jump into writing the next adventure.
As always, thank you so much for your continued support!
Happy reading!
N.M. Thorn
Enter the Salamanderverse, where magic and ancient myths are real, and things are not what they appear to be.
If you haven't done it yet, you can download "The Burns Path”, a prequel to the Fire Salamander Chronicles Urban Fantasy series, for FREE on my website.
The events of this 49,000-word novella occur before the Burns Fire, and it can be read as a standalone book.