Book 3 Update
Dear Friend,
Another Book 3 Update at your fingertips!
How long you have waited for this current Book 3 Update, and I’m happy to finally be punching my fingerpads against the keys to bring you this exciting news!
It’s quick. It’s sweet. It’s here!
What’s the news?
By the grace of God, He answered my prayer, for which I’m so grateful! I’m now making quick work of these edits, and I am SO excited about it!
Read on to find out what exactly has been happening in the past 4 weeks.
But first, let me give you a quick recap of what exactly occurred during the first 4-6 months of this year.
What did I accomplish in the first 4 months of 2025?
Basically, nothing!
Self-doubt set in really hard regarding Chapter One, as you already know from my previous Book 3 Update.
What did I do?
I spent the first 4 months of this year revamping my opening chapter of Book 3 only to have my editor kindly tell me the bad news that I had “lost my voice” in the rewrite. My emotions swung between being devastated and relieved all at the same time.
All that effort felt like such a waste of my time! Well…I guess it was! And yet, I was so relieved because I really liked my original version of Chapter One after everything was said and done. Self-doubt doesn’t end; no matter which book you’re in the process of completing!
(If you’re a writer, I plan on having a Bonus Tip on this coming soon; so make sure you check out The Writer’s Nook!).
What did I learn?
My main takeaways from this experience are:
- Never give in to self-doubt!
- Stay true to myself: as a writer and creator.
- Believe that what I have to share and the way I share it is everything it’s meant to be and shouldn’t be changed.
Once I had settled this in my mind, reframed my thinking, and wholeheartedly embraced who I am as a writer all over again, then I felt confident with the progression of my story. It’s a lot of pressure to create something that remains consistently enjoyable throughout a series. And since I love this Book 3 so much, I can’t support anything less than amazing. Well, that’s all subjective. I leave it to my editor. If she’s enjoying and being taken in by the story, then I feel more comfortable with the fact that I believe you will, too!
What else did I accomplish?
In the last 4 weeks in particular, this is what happened:
- Answered prayer!
- In June, I accomplished more in 3 weeks than I did in the first 5 months of this year!
- In that time, I triple edited Chapters 3-31, read them aloud and edited them, and placed corrections in computer.
- Since that time, more has happened, but I will leave that for another post because it’s too cool to recount here. It did reinforce within me the truth that God’s timing is perfect, even when I still chafe at the bit and impatience overtakes me. I can’t wait to share my reason why in my next Book 3 Update!
What’s next?
Simply and sweetly:
- It’s back to the original for Chapter One!
- I plan on reading this chapter aloud and placing final edits soon!
- I’m also hoping to place 2 additional chapters I was able to review with my editor in the computer. And then start the nitty gritty of copy editing, spell check names, etc.
Conclusion:
While this editing process is going way slower than I wish, I know it’s for a reason. God’s timing is perfect, even though at times it feels the opposite from a human standpoint. But seen from a spiritual one, His timing never fails, and it’s upon this that I’m relying, despite the fact that I’m rather freaking out inside.
In the meantime, I’m trying to focus on just enjoying this last segment. It’s definitely a bittersweet journey, but one I’m more excited to close than I thought. Partly because I can’t wait for you to read it, and partly because there’s so much anticipation behind it. It’s a bit thrilling to think all 3 volumes will be side by side in the near future!
What’s left to do?
My editor only has about 19 chapters left! (I told you! This is a long one!). We have 7 we need to review together. So far, we’re making good headway on the 7. Ooo, I just realized in sharing this that I have some other news to tell you about my edits! It’s so thrilling to think about! But again, I’ll share that in the next Book 3 Update!
wait! Is there a pub date yet?!
I want so badly to give you a specific date, but I don’t have any strong hope that it will be before the year is out!
I want this final leg of Finockt’s journey to be the best it possibly can be. And I promise, it will be worth the wait! Especially when it comes to the romance! Cue the blushing and googly eyes. Haha. Okay, maybe eliminate this latter one…yea, no googly eyes, just giddiness and blushing. That’s cool.
Bottom line: it’s all coming together really well, and I’m beyond thankful for all your prayers regarding this. Without them, this wouldn’t be moving half so smoothly. So, please know that I am always grateful and appreciative of your prayers on my behalf.
Before I go…
Did you notice?
I reverted back to using my original photos of “Finockt” for this Book 3 update of my YA medieval Christian fantasy trilogy, In the Shadow of Emerald Fire! 🔥 I love this picture of her, and it seems only fitting to come full circle and end with the photos I used in the beginning. I can’t wait to show you the next one!
New to my books?
Check out why I write what I do here. Then see each book description by visiting The Lost King’s Daughter page and its subsequent volume, The Heir. Book 3 is in the final editing stages!
Or puchase them on Amazon or my website.
Looking for a Library option?
Find Book 1-The Lost King’s Daughter at Dayton-Metro, New Carlisle, Arcanum, and Wabash-Carnegie in Indiana! Find Book 2-The Heir at Dayton-Metro and Arcanum!
Until next time, dear Friend, I hope you enjoyed this super quick Book 3 Update and that you’re eagerly looking forward to the next one! I can’t wait to share it with you, too! Until then, God bless and happy reading xoxo
