Saturday, August 1, 2026
Friday, July 31, 2026
Thursday, July 30, 2026
Wednesday, July 29, 2026
It's done
I finished book 24 of Starfire Angels: Forgotten Worlds last night.
Today, I started a read-through. There are a couple of details I want to insert, but I need to find the right locations to insert those.
I also realized that something I thought I needed as a final scene wasn't needed. In fact, I had given myself a much better way to present the information in one of the scenes and am using that happy accident to cut out an unnecessary POV character.
It came together better than I had expected.
Once I'm done with this, I'm diving into edits on Book 22 and trying to find the right cover image for Book 24.
Once that's published, I'll reread Book 23 and work on the description. Then I'll start writing Book 25. And after finishing that final book of the series, I'll be editing books 23, 24, and 25 back-to-back. I expect to publish those 6-8 weeks apart starting late spring 2027 through the summer. That means in approximately one year, this will be complete!
On a side note, I've added all these books and the Dark Angel Chronicles books to spotlightonindie.com, where you can access them from my profile there. I still need to add the Revelations books. All the information from my website is there, along with more detailed information for each book. Give it a look and be sure to share the URL with others!
Saturday, July 25, 2026
Dill, rhubarb, and peas... gardening update
The garden has been coming into production.
The rhubarb started in late May already, once the flowering waned. I learned that the flowers have to be pulled out by the base or they hinder stalk production. The plant I kept after pulling out two others a couple of years ago is like a weed, and, unfortunately, the aphids and grasshoppers love it when I don't thin it often enough. Every three weeks is too long between pickings for this thing. I'm the only one in the house that likes rhubarb treats, so one is enough. Even with this plant, I'm often sharing with people I know who like it. I hate to waste too much and already toss out many thin stalks just to thin this monstrous plant.
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| After only three weeks since the last picking! All this is from one rhubarb plant. |
The peas are slowing production, nearing the end of their cycle. I've picked and shelled over 20 cups worth that have been packed and frozen in single-serve snack bags (since I'm the only one in our house that likes peas). Never mind what I've eaten over the past week. I'm pea'd out. You can get sick of fresh-from-the-garden peas.
Never mind the dill. As long as I keep the bindweed off that, it flourishes. I picked and cut two stalks this morning and, from those alone, have way more dill for a friend than she could possibly use. There's still more than we need for pickles growing. And the dill is starting to seed, so that'll reseed for spring.
Green onions I had planted last summer in the raised bed from seeds never grew sufficiently then but came back this year as full onions and have also gone to seed, so I've been collecting those seeds for next year. It would seem green onions (and probably all onions) require two years for full development from seeds, but I could be wrong. That's just my experience with onions.
Hubby's pepper plants are starting to produce. A couple plants started early, but the rest are blooming now also.
Cucumbers have started producing. Only one plant came up this year, so I don't know if we'll have enough to give away like we usually do.
And the corn is tassled out. The ears should be ready for picking by early September. We'll cook and freeze like we usually do, after enjoying some corn on the cob.
I can't leave out the grapes! We'll have more grapes this year than we could possibly eat. It's unfortunate that they're so small and the seeds take up so much of the fruit. Otherwise, I'd probably have enough to make jelly/jam (need to learn how). We just have to watch for the sphinx moth larva--big ugly things that would destroy the plants.
I'm updating all this because this morning, before the heat wave of the day sets in, I came home from mass (church) and went right to the garden to pick dill, rhubarb, and peas. The rhubarb is cleaned and drying before I cut and freeze it all; and the peas picked this morning are next, to be shelled and frozen with the rest. It's only been a week since I picked the first peas, and the plants are already slowing production.
It's already been a productive year for our garden, but our pumpkin plant appears to not want to grow this year. Not much we can do about it now. We'll be all right, though. We still have pureed pumpkin from last year in the freezer.
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Last of all, Book 24 of Starfire Angels: Forgotten Worlds has just the few short scenes left outside the main characters, about one chapter's worth of writing. I will finish in the next week and then start editing Book 22.
God bless!
Friday, July 24, 2026
Wednesday, July 22, 2026
Tuesday, July 21, 2026
Forgotten Worlds book 24 update
Nearly there!
Book 24 is past the climax, if you can call it that. The whole book is like a build up to Book 25, so the climax in this feels small by comparison to what I have planned for 25, a bit like they need to be taken together as one book split into two but each does have their respective arcs.
All that said, book 24 is over 45K words and I have just a couple short scenes and the end of the current scene to finish. I should be within 3,000 words of the end, but I won't know until it's done done. One way or another, I intend to keep this first draft under 50K words.
Whatever comes, the main story is done and I'm in the denouement and stinger lead into book 25 (as if this whole series hasn't been that, but when the time comes, you'll understand... it's a doozy!)
It will be done by the end of July and I can finally start editing Book 22 for a planned early September release (barring any interruptions).
I can't believe I'm so close to the end.
Stay tuned and keep reading!
Monday, July 20, 2026
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