Books I'll be publishing in the next few months

Posted on August 23, 2013 (Subscribe to Blog)

I'm putting myself on the line here, but here's my plan for the rest of 2013...

Publish FRACTURED (BOOK 1) in September 2013

Yes, the collaborative sci-fi/fantasy novel by Brian Clopper and myself is finished. I'm currently doing a final read on my Kindle (and I'm sure Brian is too) and of course I've picked up one or two words I'd like to change or delete, but otherwise it's ready to go. So look for this in September. I'll let y'all know the launch date. See here for details about the book.

Edit, beta read, and publish QUINCY'S CURSE in October 2013

This is written and I have a slew of minor edits as noted by two beta readers. Once I've put those right, I'll send this out for further beta reading around mid-September. Look for a post about this if you're interested in beta reading. This book features a vaguely traditional fantasy setting but is a fairly light read, good for all ages. It's about a boy named Quincy Flack who is cursed with bouts of good and bad luck, which can turn a great day into a terrible one and vice versa. What I love about this novel is the way each chapter is told from a different point of view as the boy and his friend, Megan, make their way across country and meet various colorful characters. It was fun to write and I think works quite well. But only readers can confirm that!

Write, edit, beta read, and publish VALLEY OF MONSTERS in December 2013

The first draft of the seventh book in the Island of Fog series is about 63% done. It's flying by! Of course, then I have a lot of editing to do. But still, it's coming along nicely and I'm confident it will be ready to go well before Christmas. I'm a little bit amazed at how well separate plot threads are coming together so seamlessly. I had only a rough summary with this one, and have been writing fairly organically, but I'm not sure I could have planned it any better. I must be getting pretty good at this lark.

So those are the three main projects for this year. But I have other things I'd like to slip in as well, including:

WONDERSTORMS
A short one-off tale for Brian Clopper's "Wonderstorms" project, which involves various other authors as well. This is such a unique idea and I'm glad to be part of it. I just need to write and polish my story in the next month.

ISLAND OF FOG WEBISODES
A number of short, chapter-length Island of Fog stories featuring not Hal but his friends and foes. These are the "webisodes" I've been promising for decades. I really need to get stuck into them, because I also have a bigger plan afoot for the series as a whole...

FREQUENCY SERIES
The first in a new series of sci-fi and fantasy novels in which our intrepid heroes (two 12-year-old boys and a slightly older girl) get tangled up in weird and wonderful adventures. Though the characters will remain the same throughout the series, the stories will be one-offs, and the overall order that you read them won't matter too much. I want this series to be accessible whichever book you start with. To this end, I plan to write Book 1 as a full novel, then include a super-compressed 1-page version in the front of every subsequent novel the way that many sci-fi TV shows do a quick "what this is all about" during the opening credits. "Frequency" is a working title for the series and may change. The first novel will be SLEEP WRITER, focusing on the girl who writes weird messages in her sleep.

This should all keep me busy for the rest of the year.

Comment by SUSAN BRONKHORST on Friday, August 23, 2013...

BETA READER VOLUNTEER HERE!! 🙋 Regardless, can't wait till copies are ready!!

Comment by BRIAN B. on Friday, August 23, 2013...

Sign me up. How do you find time for all this writing?! Methinks you're borrowing from the day job! Or is this now your new new occupation? ;-)

Comment by KEITH ROBINSON on Friday, August 23, 2013...

Hehe. Thanks, both of you! You're both added to the (early) beta list for Quincy's Curse.

And Brian, this writing lark might possibly be eating into my day job... or rather, my day job is a little slow these days so I'm making up the time with writing. Which I'm okay with.

Comment by ROGER ESCHBACHER on Saturday, August 24, 2013...

Very impressive! I don't know how you do it. I admit to feeling lazy by comparison and just a tad envious. Perhaps a future post detailing how you budget your time when the day job is in full swing?

Comment by KEITH ROBINSON on Saturday, August 24, 2013...

That's an idea, Roger... although it's quite simple: my job as a website designer isn't really in full swing anymore! It keeps me going, but now that my books are earning, I'm spending more time on writing and marketing and making up the shortfall. It's a move in the right direction as far as I'm concerned. Finally I can justify writing instead of getting on with my work! Seriously, I never turn down work, and always have website-related stuff to do, but I don't fret over finding more; I just fill in the gap with writing and marketing.

I suppose this is like going from a full-time job down to a part-time job and having more time for my hobby! :-)

Comment by CYNDY on Sunday, August 25, 2013...

Hi!

Bet I could be a unique Beta reader for you! I'm a 62 year old woman, retired psychologist, and have been recommending your books to all my friend's children (specially boys who "don't like to read") for several years. ALWAYS looking for pre and teen fiction with well-developed female characters. Follow "hipiers" and found you!

I began reading Piers Anthony's Xanth the year Chameleon was published, and my sons (now 22, and 27) read all those volumes and still recommend them to friends.

The quality of YA fiction has increased dramatically-your volumes significantly raising the bar from "Cherry Ames, Student Nurse" one of the few series available to me, (until,finally, Tolkein was published in the U.S.)
Thanks so much for this well thought-out series, containing underlying parallels with current world affairs and conficts which can initiate spirited debate amoung young readers who are, of course our future policy makers. I'll be waiting for your next volume!

5 stars!!!

Comment by KEITH ROBINSON on Sunday, August 25, 2013...

I'm adding you to the beta list, Cyndy! Quincy's Curse will be ready sometime in September, so I'll email you then. Thanks for your kind words, and for recommending my books to your friends' children! :-)

Comment by WIFEY on Monday, August 26, 2013...

Brian B. I can confirm that in addition to all that writing and his day job he also manages to get our little household out the door in the morning and fed in the evening. He ferries kids wherever they need to be and does it on less sleep than I do. This leaves me with only one conclusion. He has a time turner.... you know... like Hermione's? This is just a hunch and is a bit far fetched I admit but it is the only explanation I can come up with.

Comment by NICOLA on Wednesday, August 28, 2013...

Hi Keith,
Just discovered your website, blog and books today - so inspiring. I'd love to write young adult fantasies and am currently working as an digital publishing agent for a self-publishing press in Australia (Vivid Publishing). I'd be very happy to be one of your Beta readers. Have started Island of Fog today and loving it. Have never grown out of kids books, this is one I'd have enjoyed as a youngster too and wish I'd known about when my son (a reluctant reader) was a bit younger.
Will email you my contact details.

Comment by KEITH ROBINSON on Wednesday, August 28, 2013...

Welcome, Nicola! I've received your email and contact details, and will add you to the beta list for Quincy's Curse in September. Thanks for jumping on board the Fog series! :-)

Comment by HAKEEM ALRUDHAN on Saturday, August 31, 2013...

I would love to beta read QUINCY'S CURSE. I thought FRACTURED was awesome, and that was before it was published. Can't wait for all your new books to come out, especially the VALLEY OF MONSTERS.

Comment by KEITH ROBINSON on Monday, September 2, 2013...

Thanks, Hakeem. On the list. :-)

Comment by SABREEN on Monday, September 2, 2013...

Hi Im Sabreen , Hakeems sister.I would like to beta read this book too, please!

Comment by NEIL on Tuesday, September 3, 2013...

Hi Keith,

Primary school teacher here, 'stumbled' onto your series through tcea.com's recomendation for Island of Fog bk1 being free and have now read the whole series, via my 14yr old niece' recommendation :)

Please sign me up as a beta reader too... Very cool light hearted stories with YA age appropriate detailed scripting and 'fleshed out' characters without needing to make them gritty/dark like many others seem to do these days..

Cheers!
Neil

Comment by KEITH ROBINSON on Tuesday, September 3, 2013...

Sabreen and Neil, you're both now on the beta list. Thanks! Good to hear your daughter got you onto the books, Neil. :-) I went to tcea.com but couldn't find anything about the books. Is that the correct web address?

Comment by MARTI B. on Wednesday, September 4, 2013...

Hey Keith! I would love to be a beta reader for Quincy's curse! Also, if you need one for Valley of Monsters, I'm your girl! I love the Island of Fog series!

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