Letter to My Readers: The Fire Sacraments, Book III

Been wanting to write a short letter to my readers for a while now. At last I seem to have the calm and clarity of mind to pull it off.

First of all, I cherish you, and thank you for the countless messages of support—and the purchases—that have made this strange, bookish epic passion project of mine viable through all the ups and downs of recent years.

Out of respect for you, I also want to be transparent about my progress. Bad news first: Book III, Siege, is not finished yet. For reasons I only partly comprehend, the first third of the draft was an astonishing struggle.

Contributing factors are easy to point to—health issues, pandemic cabin-fever, a kind of paralyzing dread about the state of the world. But the overall problem’s still elusive. For some months in late 2021, I just felt wrecked. Not blocked, thank the Gods. I’ve never once felt blocked as a writer; there’s always story enough in my mind for ten times the page count I envision. The hard times for me are more like a river overflowing its banks. Knocking out bridges. Wiping towns off the map.

The good news: I’m moving A LOT faster now. And more importantly, it’s all coming together. If you’ve ever worked on a project of great challenge and complexity, perhaps you know that feeling: agonizing effort becomes ecstatic effort, and no matter how exhausted you are, there’s a certain glide to your step.

That feeling is back. Book III feels like it’s growing into exactly the sort of grand, symphonic conclusion I’ve always dreamed it would be.

I won’t speculate on a pub date just yet; some guesses are too foolish to hazard. I’ll just repeat the promise I always make to myself and my readers alike. I am swinging for the fences, for a book and a trilogy worthy of your patience and your investment, for a story that will endure in your imagination and your heart.

Love, peace, gratitude—

Rob