Protestants Are Finally Admitting Catholics Were Right About ..... (video title)

The Jezebel Spirit, Tithing and Blessing, and the Power of Praying Parents (video title)

I did not expect this!

Book 24 is revealing much more than I expected!

While the battle to save the universe is revving up, the history of the Starfire is also. THE END IS THE BEGINNING is such a perfect title for this!

I have just discovered how to tie this into a piece in CRYSTAL TOMB! Mind. Blown! I did not expect that, but it's perfect! I thought I would need to work around those events, but I had forgotten the details, which fit precisely for what I needed in this. If you never read CT, you won't miss anything. This will just put a different twist on some of the details there.

Sorry I can't reveal more, but that would give away too many spoilers.

At least the writing is progressing. I had some slow down last week in writing the first battle scenes, but tonight was incredibly productive when switching POV characters and focusing on the Starfire. The story is 15,500 words so far, or a third done.

That's all I have for a quick update.

Thanks for reading!

Spiritual Mediocrity | FORWARD BOLDLY (video title)

Happy Mother's Day!

The years go too fast. In that sentiment, here are some songs to enjoy...

The Angels and the Ascension: What We Didn't Know - Explaining the Faith with Fr. Chris Alar (video title)

Is the Bible Sufficient? | Dr. John Bergsma (video title)

St. Joseph (video)

 

How God Tests the Soul Before Granting Divine Intimacy | St. Catherine of Siena (video title)

short update on writing

It's been eight days since I last reported on the status of Book 24 of Starfire Angels: Forgotten Worlds. I'm happy to say that It appears that I've been making decent progress, even if I missed a day or two of writing.

The word count went from 6,600 words to now 10,500 words, and I'm happy with this opening. It's the right place in the overall series for what I'm doing in this. It's bringing the complete Starfire Angels series back to the beginning beginning before the big finale. THE END IS THE BEGINNING is a very appropriate title, and it's looking like that's going to stick.

The final book will be quite the battle of heightened stakes and perfect for the series, and it will end.

So, Book 24 is around 1/4 written and making steady progress.

Stay tuned!

Spiritual Preparation for Death

 

St. Michael the Archangel... in Starfire Angels

I've mentioned previously that I have a devotion to St. Michael. Fr. Ripperger explains it here pretty concisely. It's probably obvious that I have a special interest in angels (Starfire Angels), with my fictional aliens that look like our impression of angels having a mechanism for similar abilities, but they're nothing like the real angels, who are beings of pure spirit, not flesh and blood.

Minor Forgotten Worlds spoilers below

Because of my devotion to St. Michael, I found a way to include him in Book 22 of Starfire Angels: Forgotten Worlds, although I don't identify him by name. In the setting of the story, what I personally refer to as the St. Michael door will be thought to be an Inari and Issa. That door also has a modified-for-the-series portion of the St. Michael prayer. Those who know will recognize it and the changes I made to accommodate the setting.

It's no coincidence that, after writing that, I started having more trouble writing the series--St. Michael is the archangel who was assigned to cast Lucifer (Satan) into hell. Fr. Ripperger and other exorcists (restating what has been written by church fathers from the early centuries) have said that demons can affect our imaginations (to stop us from doing what is right and/or lead us to what is wrong (i.e. graphic sex scenes, glorifying witchcraft and murder, etc.)). They can affect our mental faculties in multiple ways. I've had to increase my prayer life to finish this series, but God has given me the best of ideas as a result! God turns all things for the good of our souls. I just had to struggle a bit and learn to rely on God for the right inspiration, not myself.

And then there's the name of the baby finally revealed in Book 21, where I honored another great archangel. St. Gabriel is the archangel who delivered the news to the Blessed Virgin Mary that she would be the mother of God, months after having delivered the message to Zachariah that he would have a son who would be named John (the Baptist). I felt that this name would best fit the series for naming styles and what that baby represents in the story. I added Seldar to that because of the name of affection given to his mother by the baby's father in the story and what I created as a meaning for that word in the fictional language.

And on that note, I've come full circle to the video above, which was created and published by Gabi After Hours. Gabi is the nickname of Gabriel Castillo, the man who created and manages the channel, which has many more great videos. I highly recommend you check it out. He even interviewed Jordan Peterson's wife about her conversion and miraculous cancer recovery.

God bless!

ps--Book 24 is over 6,600 words presently. Making good progress!

space opera communications systems

Something has been bothering me for some time with space opera communications systems, especially those that seem instantaneous across interstellar space. It’s just not possible! However, it wouldn’t make the stories as interesting without some way to instantly communicate across those vast distances.

I used my knowledge of networking and communications system to come up with a system for the communications network in my space opera Starfire Angels: Forgotten Worlds but didn’t feel the need to explain it through most of the series, except to mention a network of communications beacons across the galaxy, including space stations, a system valuable to every space-faring race. To not have it would mean signals that take lifetimes to cross the vastness of space. These beacons act like network switches and more. However, early on, I also made it known that hyperspace could cause interference in such communications. I knew there was something more to this, but I could never explain it and just let it be as long as readers could accept that it just works that way in my universe without further details.

The communications beacon network provides similar locating to how our cellphone tower pinging works for determining the area where a cell phone is generally located. Primarily, it works similar to how data packets flow in the real world, by changing the headers and trailers of data packets in the network of beacons and the tables updated through the network to identify which beacons are closest to each end of a data stream. In this way, a ship can be generally known where it’s located, and I used this to pull some comms tricks with my characters early in the series and a little in later places, doing things like locking out the locations in the data headers to hide the beacons through which the data traveled or using ciphers that act like our VPNs act.

I don’t go into details about the system unless there is a small piece to explain for these fun little ways of using it in the plot of a given story. It’s just a part of the worldbuilding/setting, a tool used by the characters, but it’s the little details that make everything feel more plausible.

As I’m writing the first draft of Book 24, I’ve finally been inspired and know the piece that was missing. I’ve added a brief explanation of how the system provides nearly instantaneous communications even across the galaxy and why they can have some interference when a ship is in hyperspace while accessing this network. Readers may or may not care, but it’s always bothered me that I didn’t have that explanation. It turns out the beacons access something similar to hyperspace and are massive for the equipment to do this across the vast expanse of space.

I won’t go into the specific technology, but I will say that my explanation for instant communications will make sense in the setting.

I know we like to just accept instant communications, since that’s what we get on our little third rock from the sun, but it really would not happen that way in space. If you understood the intricacies of high-speed broadband communications, you’d realize that this little handwavium of science fiction is a detail often overlooked for convenience. I wanted to finally close that gap with a tool that I think adds a new layer to the setting, something designed specifically for my world based on real-world telecommunications networks and which I could exploit in the series. I could never have conceived of this if not for working in this industry.

And in the second-to-last book of the series, that final piece of this communications network will be revealed.

Thanks for reading!

A Real Dragon Slayer? (video)

The work begins again

I've started writing Book 24. I have 2500 words on it, nearly a complete first chapter. This is the second-to-last book of the series.

I also have a tentative/working title from a title of a composition of the music that I listen to while writing - The End is the Beginning. It fits with what I have planned for the story, but it's only a working title. I'll see if the story takes any detours that warrant a different title. For what I have planned, it couldn't have a more appropriate match than the name of the Two Steps From Hell album that includes this composition and this title, and the music fits well too. 😁

For now, this is where I am, the (relative) calm before the storm (aka the series climax).

Thanks for reading.

Horse time

It's been a while since I've done this, so here's some horse pics to brighten your spring. (Btw, I was wearing a lot of that coat on me today. It's shedding season.)

Grass is starting to grow here, so the geldings were wandering out to the grass. Unfortunately, the hay this late in the season isn't the best. Buddy has a hay cough that was bad today. That, or he has something else going on, but it's not a virus or anything like that.

In other news, I also re-covered one of my books, one that doesn't get much attention--When Angels Cry--probably because it's just a side book to the Starfire Angels: Dark Angel Chronicles and not part of the main series. Anyway, here's the new cover to look for:

One more done... and a cover reveal

I finished Book 23.

I agonized over the stinger scene for that, in coordination with the one at the end of Book 22, all weekend, considering how it would work with the final two books of the series in a way that isn't detracting and could be resolved within the remaining books. The Paxons in Starfire Angels: Forgotten Worlds never play fair and always play to win power through every wily conniving way they can. I wanted to bring that to the forefront, because I can't ignore that issue that was being set up. I just wasn't sure exactly how it would play out.

Supreme Commander Soren Draksten has an ego that won't let him look like a fool, and he certainly isn't. As I did with L'Ni in Book 21, I had to come up with something that added an extra layer of complexity to the story while revealing his intelligence in this, because he won't lose face. Losing his own offspring to a culture of "breeders" is a stain he can't get out, but he's going to try... by making the other side look dirty. Yes, he's a bit vindictive, but he loves power.

Anyway, I could have started a whole new storyline and continued this series in that direction, and it could still continue in that, but that's not my end game. My goal is to wrap it all up in Book 25. While this plot thread could potentially be continued in a new direction, I don't want to start something big now. I wanted to add that layer without it being too big; just enough to make sense for the series and add conflict and difficulties for the heroes and heroines. It's hard to really say much without giving things away.

Let's just say it was a long weekend of pondering this issue and finally settling on the simpler route. Although it is a big deal, it's nothing that can't be resolved in the final two books.

NOW, I can start writing Book 24, including weaving in that new thread from the stingers of Books 22 and 23.

And this weekend, I finally found an image that fit Book 23, so the cover is done and uploaded to my website:

Thanks for reading!

Disproving the Multiverse | Dr. John Bergsma (video title)... and why I won't go there in my writing

There are two reasons I had Vel, the dimensional portals researcher of the series, state in Book 15 of Starfire Angels: Forgotten Worlds that other universes don't exist:

1. I hate the theory. There are so many problems with it and I'm sick of all of sci-fi seeming to incorporate it as the latest storytelling fad.
2. I didn't want any possibility of resetting my story. This increases the stakes. No time travel. No multiverses. They only get one chance to save the universe.

God bless!

Satanists think they’ll be VIP in hell! Catholic exorcist explains. (video title)

Every Time You Meet Someone, This Is Happening (Padre Pio) (video title)

Because I love angels...

This is a very good explanation, and it gives me hope that those who have cut off communication with me are still receiving the messages through their angels from the grace of God from my prayers.

Exorcist Fr. Chad Ripperger: Possessed Politicians, Occult Activity, and Speaking to Satan Himself (video title)

The final two books of Starfire Angels: Forgotten Worlds

Yesterday, I received the grace of plotting out the courses of Books 24 and 25 of Starfire Angels: Forgotten Worlds. Before that, I knew what had to be in them, but I didn't have the full stories. Yesterday's creativity was bursting, and I outlined the plots with those points in them and more. The Lord was good in that and also the incredible consolations he provided for the Lord's Supper (Holy Thursday) mass.

I have just one scene to write for Book 23 - the stinger scene - and that book will be done (at around 48K words). I'll search for a cover image for Book 23 and jump right into writing Book 24, which is going to be a format different than the others. Book 23 gave me much more than I had expected to create a pre-climax mini-climax to the series in Book 24 (before the big climax in Book 25) like I haven't done before. Book 24 will actually be two stories running in parallel.

I know that sounds confusing, but Armor was worse and only one story interweaving two timelines.

Book 24 is also going to focus on a variety of other characters, which really emphasizes one of the big themes concluding in Book 25 and tying a nice big bow on everything when all the plot threads wrap up.

I prayed for creativity for the final two books and received in abundance everything I needed for a perfect conclusion to the series. The Lord is good!

God bless!

Writing update and a note to new readers

I have a quick update on the writing and a note for any new readers picking up the ebook boxed sets of Starfire Angels: Forgotten Worlds.

I've been plugging away on Book 23 again and it is finally coming to a conclusion. It should be less than 50,000 words, unlike 21 and 22. The length creep is read in a series. I see it in many, but I try to keep these between 40K-50K words, or half the doorstopper length of most modern novels. By SFWA standards, they are novels, but short novels. Some have gotten a bit longer, however.

I should have this finished soon, and then I'll start writing Book 24.

For those new to the series, it is planned as 25 books, so there will be one more boxed set (Collection 5) by the time it's done. Also, I write two books ahead of what I publish, except that Book 23 was taking so long that I had to interrupt the first draft to edit Book 21.

I expect to release Book 22 in the fall/winter of this year and the final three books in 2027, along with the final boxed set. Those new to the series will only have another year and a half or so to wait for the final books. The first book in the series was published originally in 2019, so you're coming in near the end and don't have the wait that those who have been with it since the beginning.

I appreciate the support of all readers, especially those who have had the patience to stick with me all these years waiting on each book.

Thank you for reading!

Catholic Mass 101: Learn Every Part of the Mass and What It Means (w/ Fr. Mike Schmitz) (video title)

A bit of a real-life urban fantasy story: The Rosary vs. Ouija board (video)

Reality can be more frightening than fiction. 

Hell Explained by Catholic Tradition | Judgment, Eternal Punishment, and the Soul ~ Fr. Ripperger (video title)

Back on track

That break to edit and publish Book 21 was exactly what I needed!

It has yet to fail... taking a break from writing when the gears of creativity get stuck.

Dropping the writing on Book 23 to edit Book 21 of Starfire Angels: Forgotten Worlds was exactly what I needed to get those gears grinding again. I've been back at it for the last week, and the transformation is complete. All the rewriting that was making it take forever was laying down the tracks to take it forward.

However, I was still having trouble before stepping away. Now, coming back to it after the editing and publication of Book 21 took my mind off Book 23 enough to allow me a fresh perspective. That distance allowed my mind to be able to let go of the wrong ideas and better develop what worked. The last remnants of the original opening are gone and the story has a strong opening hook. It isn't immediate action but more subdued that way, although it's coming. You can't have one of these books without lots of sci-fi action!

I can't wait to share this one--and I say that about all of them--but this answers a LOT of questions in the setup to the finale, which will be a two-parter, although in complete episodes. It's a bit hard to explain how that works, but you'll have to trust me that it will work.

I'm presently working my way to where I left off, rewriting where I need to make it all blend seamlessly, and will end Book 23 with a much stronger plot that I had originally, one that meets my standards for the series. I'm quite happy with it now, if you couldn't tell.

Once I'm done with this, I'll jump right into writing Book 24.

And I've also added a description for Book 22 to the series listing on this blog and to my website. You can check it out to see what comes next. 

Finally, I've added the latest omnibus as an ebook and am working on the paperback. (I noticed some issues with copying and pasting from Word to Pages, which is where I set up the paperback and will now be going through the first three collections in paperback to clean up any similar issues in those. 😩)

That's it for now.

(The plan is that by the end of 2027, the whole series will be published.)

Thanks for reading!

He Thought Catholics Were Wrong About Everything...Until He Encountered the Truth (video title)

Responding to Claims that Modesty is for "Controlling Women" w/ Catherine Rose (video title)

Awakenings through the Holy Spirit... eye opening experience!

Always be prepared! The Holy Spirit is moving over the earth. Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart is reaching out to people to draw them closer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

For the first time since I started wearing it as my only jewelry besides my wedding ring, someone asked about my necklace this morning. My hygienist at the dentist office commented on how pretty it is—my gold Miraculous Medal.

I jumped at the chance to give her a quick explanation of the symbolism of the medal and the Blessed Virgin Mary’s role in bringing souls closer to her son, Jesus Christ. She seemed enthused by it and said she was feeling drawn into religion, but, alas, I didn’t have my regular blessed medals to give her one.

Every morning I say Fr. Reehil’s permission prayer. This was one of those very clear graces as an opportunity to serve the Lord, and I pray the Lord continues to stir her heart to draw her closer to Christ!

Around the outside of the Miraculous Medal are the words "O, Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee" - a simple prayer to recite in times of need.

-----------------------

Permission Prayer:

Lord, I give you permission today to use me in any way you desire, and I ask you to give me the grace to see your hand in action so I can give you all the glory.

Few Are Chosen? Death and Judgment Explained | Fr. Ripperger on the Last Four Things (video title)

If you wonder why I post so many videos, it's because I need these myself every day to keep me on track, so I don't slack off in my own faith and practice of it. More than that, we all need to stay on the narrow path to heaven. 

It is done!

After much difficulty writing Book 23, I had to jump into edits on Book 21. I'm sorry to keep readers waiting so long.

I finished edits this past weekend and uploaded the book. While it's still being disseminated to some retailers, you can find it now on Amazon, Kobo, Smashwords, and a few other online stores and libraries. I'll send out my newsletter announcement when I have Apple and Barnes and Noble links.

Now that this is done, I'll go back to writing Book 23 and right into Book 24. I can't believe I have just over two more books left to write and this series will be complete!

Nya's worst nightmare has materialized—the Issan have the Ethalian research for creating portals and are working to adapt it to free their god. However, Alric has inspired L'Ni with an idea to create a code to delete all the research. The problem is infecting the Issan computer systems. That can only be done from the inside.

L'Ni has laid out a detailed plan only he fully knows, and the time has come to put it into motion. Nya isn't happy when she discovers too late what that plan entails—he must submit himself to an Inquisitor. Whatever he knows could be exposed, possibly compromising all their work. However, if he doesn't try, the Issan will have all they need to build the ultimate weapon.

Despite his meticulous planning, L'Ni missed one detail, one that could ruin everything…

____________________

In other news, I'll also get to work on the next print edition -- Starfire Angels: Forgotten Worlds Collection 4 (Books 16-20). I'll get this formatted and set up this month to add to the other three print editions. The biggest problem I see with this is that these books have been getting longer and longer and the pages are limited for print format, so I may have to change formatting slightly to keep 5-book collections for the final two.

And I still have my horse. I trimmed his hooves yesterday and am sore today. It was beautiful here yesterday--in the mid-60's for highs! A perfect day for trimming, and he was past due. Here he is playing with his feed bucket. He hates when it gets low and he can't quite get the last few bits in it. He's almost like a cat who sees the bottom of his food bowl and acts like it's empty.

Mary Is Converting Muslims | Fr. Jason Charron (video title)

Why Exorcisms Are on the Rise & How to Protect Your Family w/ Fr. Dan Reehil (video title)

Reality is weirder than fiction...

The weirdest thing happened at church this evening. (One of the parishes in town has a 5:15 pm weekday mass that I attend.)

Two of my characters walked into real life! Raea and Elis

Okay, so they weren't exact matches, but I had to fight to keep my attention on mass when I saw this young couple who couldn’t have been older than preschoolers when I wrote the first Starfire Angels book. The young woman had long brown hair and the man had black wavy, shortish hair. He wasn’t tall and skinny like my dark angel of the books, but close enough to make me question what reality I was in.

I posted this on Substack and had a comment about my characters going to mass. That isn't much different than the Dark Angel Chronicles books, however. As I replied, "One of them does in the books too. In the series, an old Catholic widow provides a home for the young man while he’s on earth and knows his secret, and he drives her to mass and helps her like an adopted son."

--------------

In other news, Book 21 of Forgotten Worlds is almost done! I thought it was done until I started noticing I was still making cuts, so I decided to read it one more time to make sure I don't leave any mistakes. All the major edits are done. This is the final round. I can't do more.

Within the next week, I will publish this one and get back to writing.

Thanks for reading.

God bless!

The Grace of the Transfiguration | 2nd Sunday of Lent | Fr. Dan Reehil (video title)

 

My Son Was Possessed for 3 Years…How a Priest Saved His Soul (video title)

Lying: This Will Surprise You! Explaining the Faith with Fr. Chris Alar (video title)

Where is Confession in the Bible? (videos)

Arm Yourself With Scripture (video)

 

In listening to this, he mentions at one point how Jesus's 40 days of fasting in the desert reflects the 40 days that Moses was on the mountain and the 40 years that the Jews wandered the wilderness with Moses. He also forgot the 40 weeks of pregnancy. Once you begin to see the connections in the Bible, more start to jump out, but it's also fun to search for them.

God is the greatest storyteller! All the prefigurements in the OT are what we in the modern world refer to as "Chekov's gun" were technques created by God. Start searching and you'll be amazed and awakened to why the Catholic church's teachings are the fullest truth.

And here's another great homily for Lent by another great YouTube priest:

Why Every Christian Should Be Catholic (video title)

 

A greeting for the day

I cut up some potatoes to boil for mashed potatoes as a part of a late lunch and found this friendly greeting:

Book 21 of Starfire Angels: Forgotten Worlds is getting the hammering it deserves, so the story makes sense. I just have to resolve a small timeline glitch, or I think there's a glitch. After that, barring the discovery of any major issues, it goes into final copyedits. This weekend will be a busy one for me. I have a whole round of edits before that final round. Last night, I just started the third of (what I hope will be) four rounds of edits. As I posted yesterday, I expect it'll only be a couple more weeks before it's finished.

In the meantime, Mr. Potato says "Smile! It's Friday!" (That is a real picture, not AI or altered in anyway. I cut it just right under an eye and a bit of rot starting.)

Thanks for reading!

Update on editing Book 21

I will be starting the third round of edits on Book 21 tonight.

Why tonight and not now? I had a busy day, and I'm about to leave for a bit. I go to a weekday mass at a local church with a late afternoon/early evening mass time. It breaks up my day, but I manage. I'd rather be close to Christ than the world, and nothing could keep me from the Holy Eucharist, the Break of life aka body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ, Son of God.

Anyway, I'll be diving back in for the next round of edits starting tonight, after I return from daily mass. I've ironed out a lot of issues, but there are a couple more I need to resolve. I gave myself a break after a massively busy week for work.

It is a complicated book, and I hope readers don't get lost in the flashbacks, some dated and some brief recaps from previous books. And it big time moves the plot forward from the big revelation of Book 20.

Probably just a couple of weeks to go!

Coming SOON!

Thank you for your patience!

She Fell for Satan's Lie and Wants to Do Whatever She Wants... What the Exorcists Said (video title)

A Protestant's View On Becoming Catholic (video title)

 

The Real St. Valentine & the Meaning of Commitment (video)

 

Strong Female Characters Are Just Toxic Men (video title)

 Someone else has said it very well! I am not alone in my opinions.

While she is more lenient about sex in books, she also doesn't seem to recognize that this feeds the demons of lust and is mortal sin. You do not get into heaven by reading titillating stories. There's a reason celibacy (outside of the marriage bed of one man + one woman in the sacrament of marriage for life) contributes to sanctification (aka holiness).

Atheist Eye Surgeon Finds Christ (video title)

 

Immersed in edits... finalizing Book 21, and other writing updates

At this point, I am immersed in the editing process of Book 21 of Starfire Angels: Forgotten Worlds. I've made my first pass read-through and noted the first issues that jumped to the forefront. Now, the big edits happen. It'll take a few more passes, but it'll be refined and polished nicely before being published.

Regular readers of this blog will remember that I had a lot of trouble writing this one (although not nearly as much difficulty as writing Book 23). It's a complicated book advancing the present timeline while using flashbacks of the setup to the present timeline at key points. Because it's an interrogation, there are also a few short flashbacks from scenes in previous books and some scenes that would have happened in previous books but weren't in those books, because they were unimportant to those plots but are important to this plot.

L'Ni is a very intelligent character. As a former Inquisitor, he would have to be; along with unwavering devotion to their god, incredible intelligence and skills of perception are requirements to be chosen for the position. They're trained on interrogation techniques and how to stimulate memories to break the most disciplined mind. Hence, the drugs to loosen the victim's inhibitions and having to know exactly how to mix them for the results desired. The Issan Inquisitors have the primary task of rooting out dissidents in their own culture but also act as interrogators for any need. L'Ni had a natural aptitude for the duty and was trained in the techniques, refining those natural tendencies that made him one of the best. However, while that gives him an advantage in knowing what to expect, even he can be overcome.

Showing his planning as a way of revealing the immense acuity of his mind in using his knowledge of what would happen and how he planned his own interrogation to go the way he wants was a tricky writing test for me. The story turned out better than I expected, but it's not perfect. I did a lot of editing while writing, but it still needs a lot of work.

I have a busy month overall and this book is actually the longest, if not one of the longest, of the books in the series. I can't say it will be done by the end of the month, but I will be working to get it published sooner than later. I will also jump back and forth to writing on Book 23, but my main focus is now on editing Book 21.

In the meantime, I finally have the perfect cover for Book 22, which has been updated. The cover image is nearly exactly what I pictured in the book, and I won't have to do any updating of the description of the setting. I like that! 😊

So, while Book 21 will be published later than I wanted, it is coming soon. The good part is that it should be easier to jump into writing book 24, since I'll maintain the flow from finishing book 23. So close to the end! I can't believe this journey is nearly done. (Book 23 will answer some big questions and connect a bunch of dots from the first two books of the series. I was amazed with what came out in the writing so far and still have something more I want to include at the end.) A bit over two more books to write and the series will be complete.

At some point, I also need to format the next omnibus edition, Starfire Angels: Forgotten Worlds Collection 4 (Books 16-20). I'll get to that when I have time. Formatting print is an all-day, time-consuming process. Book 21 editing is my biggest priority.

Thanks for reading!

7 Levels of Spiritual Warfare + Our Lady’s Warning for Our Times ~ Fr Ripperger

 

Whether you’re a person looking to grow in virtue or a writer wanting to understand demons for ideas for writing, Fr. Chad Ripperger is one of the most popular exorcists of our day for a good reason. His lectures are very engaging but bear a lot of hard truths. Unfortunately, he’s so popular that there are a number of fake AI versions on unauthorized channels misleading people. This is pretty much the only authorized channel for his lectures.

He speaks from experience.

https://youtu.be/QM2uY5-3V8s?si=ZOlUkGU-1rPsgVtD

ps—He talks about consecrating one’s property, which I’ve done, and I had some amazing protection experiences this past summer of wild weather. We were threatened with tornadoes and/or hail several times, and as soon as I’d start praying the rosary and as long as I continued, the hail and tornadoes went around us. Otherwise, the weather would turn right back on us.

Hollywood and Bargaining with Lucifer for fame, wealth and power. Catholic Exorcist Explains (video title)

 

facepalm time...

Just when I start the first round to begin editing book 21, I get the ideas I need for continuing in book 23.

I've been going back and forth since the weekend.

Some days, my muse is confused.

I'll see how this plays out.

Also, at some point, I need to redo the cover image of Book 22.

The one thing you can be sure of with writing is that it's never boring. Agonizing. Frustrating. Even despairing. But never boring.

That's all I can say.

Hi Ho, Hi Ho. Back to work I go!

1-in-4 Americans? A Chief Exorcist's Warning and Guidance w/Msgr Rossetti (video)

The Dark Ages: History's Greatest Lie (video title)

The Theological Virtue of Hope Explained | On Faith, Grace, and Salvation~ Fr. Ripperger (video title)

time for a change

I have decided that I need to set aside Book 23 of Forgotten Worlds where it's at (close to the end, as in right before the climax). This is tough one to write! I have been fighting it since the beginning and going back and forth. It's slowly evolved into what will be a good book. However, it's taking far too much time and I want to get book 21 out.

It's a bit like the AI tools I've been playing with to try to put together scenes for a movie-like trailer or series intro (haven't decided what style yet). I created some good clips so far, but I really need to focus on character references to create more. So, I'm working on that now and it's eating up my time. Just when I think I have a picture I like, I tweak one detail and the AI changes something else. 😫 It's coming along, but sometimes it eats up a whole day. (I have great models of L'Ni and Nik!) When that's done, I can also do a whole new character collection. AI has come a long ways since I first played with Midjourney.

So, I'm going to jump into edits for Book 21 now and get that out sooner than later. It's easier to edit than to write while I'm getting these character images as I want them. I need to take editing in pieces to keep my mind fresh while writing requires a more steady focus, so this is the best combination.

Besides that, when I publish book 21, I can go back to finish 23 and jump right into 24. That should make the transition easier... should (usually, but these final three books are a bigger challenge than anything else).

Thanks for reading.

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Thank you

Not just for reading the books and for your patience, but for any prayers offered for Dargo.

He's been slowly eating a little at a time for the last few days. Tonight, he ate a normal amount of food and has been taking his thyroid medicine in his food again. However, that food has been anything we can get him to eat. With his IBD, that may not be able to continue, but we'll take what improvement we can get for now as long as he's eating.

He didn't have a fever, so we can only guess what the problem might have been. Pray that he continues to improve, and thank you for any prayers that have been or may be offered.

St. Francis, we ask your intercession for Dargo's health. Please pray for us.

God bless!

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Saying good-bye... again

This will likely be our last Caturday as a household of four cats. My old Siamese has been declining for the last year. I didn't expect him to hit 15 years, but that passed a bit over three months ago. While we've been doing all we can to help him, the light has been dimming from his eyes as kitty dementia has been setting in, and he has been fussier and fussier about the limited food he can tolerate with his IBD. Nevertheless, he has held together, and, despite his sleeping all day every day for the last week, he's been taking his usual place on my bed when it's my night Rosary time; he's been my prayer buddy for all the years since I started the Rosary, and he still remembers and enjoys that part of our routine, the only routine he's been keeping.

Dargo is at the end of his life (we've been through this once before with our first cat, who lived to be 16). At this point, all we can do is make him comfortable and hope that he passes at home. It's not illness or his thyroid issue, teeth problems, or IBD this time. It's old age catching up to him. I believe Bilbo was sent to adopt us to ease this transition; the two are very different yet so much alike in how they love laps and snuggles under the covers that it's uncanny. (No wonder they became good friends in the nearly fourteen months since Bilbo became part of our household.)

I took this a few weeks ago of the two snuggling together.

This pic that I took about two weeks ago was one of the last best pics of our two big boys, synchronized sleeping on the bed while our sheets were in the wash.

We've done all we can for him. Although I expected this to come a while ago, it's still not easy. He's been a momma's boy all his life (since we got him at about 8 weeks old). Bilbo is a daddy's boy but snuggles with me when he can't have his preferred human. He's a bigger boy, though, and not Dargo.

I don't know how many days we have left with Dargo, but we'll make him as comfortable as we can.

God bless!

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Excellent writing advice

This is a series of posts from X that I found to be very well said. Although I already know it (easier said than done), it's points worth repeating:

The first pages of your novel have a simple but incredibly important job:

Give the reader NO CHOICE but to keep reading.

But is your opening hitting the mark?

Here are the four key elements every strong opening includes:

— Alyssa Matesic (@AlyssaMatesic) January 8, 2026

(four more posts in this thread... follow it for some great tips.)

 

small update

Book 23 is progressing well. I still deal with the usual hiccups of worrying about the quality, oscillating back and forth between "it stinks worse than a latrine after taco Tuesday" and "it's the holy grail of the series!"

That's normal.

And it is growing. I'm learning something new about the origins of the Feri. I knew and I've revealed enough, but I wanted to give it something more, a more complete picture. There was just speculation among Nya and her friends in Book 20 in the brief stop at the beginning of that book. This completes the picture, but I need to find the real gem hidden within it and bring that out for you.

That's all I'll say, except that the book is over 30K words now and things are about to really heat up. Also, if I encounter any more trouble in drafting this, I'll set this aside to edit and publish Book 21. That needs some major rewrites, and I'm in the right mindset in the struggle to make 23 a good story to deal with those issues. Whether I follow my usual pattern of finishing one book before publishing a previously written but next-to-be-released book or not is the only question. 😕

Thanks for reading!

ps- after writing this, I had a great writing session that gave me another breakthrough. The title ANGELS AND HERETICS is going to be perfect!

A site for indie science fiction and fantasy

Spotlight on Indie SFF is doing some good things.

Check out the latest and sign up for the newsletter to learn what's new in the indie science fiction and fantasy books (including mine):

I am a part of this and trying to support other indie authors as much as I can.

You can also find more at the Based Book Sale at basedbooksale.substack.com. I joined Substack to be a part of this again, since I have books permanently free or 99c to qualify for participation in the sales. I think I'm repeating myself on this, since I did share the video I made for the Black Friday sale. The BBS isn't just for speculative fiction, however. ANY indie book that is based in content qualifies, so romance and other genres are also accepted. However, the majority of books in the sale tend to be science fiction and fantasy.

Anyway, I wanted to share this, because the latest video on Spotlight on Indie SFF is fun to watch.

Tell your friends and share the love of indie books!

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Happy New Year!

ID 385314395 © Ekaterina Pereslavtseva | Dreamstime.com

May 2026 bring you closer to God and His love forever!

The Lord bless you and keep you;

the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you;

the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.

~ Numbers 6:24-26