I had a dream…well, more like  a daydream filled with hope. I had a goal to publish the third book of this series, Wings of The Warrior: The Huntress Chronicles III  on October 31, 2018.

You know…twenty-two days from now?!

Unfortunately, what I did not plan on was the effect this book was going to have on me. It’s hard to explain without giving away the plot of the third book, but the emotional toll that writing this story has taken me by surprise.

I didn’t realize when I wrote out the chapter outlines just how much more darker this book was than perhaps I had originally planned. I’ve been following my outline, but like most stories, I am a slave to the organic nature of storytelling which occurs when you start the writing process. No matter how many hours that you have spent planning your book, sometimes it can take on a life of its own.

The story has evolved into something so much more than I had originally thought. When you have to visualize and then write violence and insanity, it wears on your soul. I am physically exhausted after writing almost every chapter. It has been cathartic though in a strange, twisted way.

But it has been a slow process. I wish I could churn this book out in a few weeks, but that is not going to happen. Not only is it a strain on me, but I am not rushing to finish a book just to meet a deadline. My readers deserve more than that and as a writer, I want this story to be the best that I can produce.

There’s also a set-up factor involved as well. I have stated previously that this is just the start of a nine book series and I have to sprinkle in those little seeds (That’s a huge hint by the way for the next series title!) for my readers and get them excited for what is to come.

I suppose I am writing this blog post more for myself than anyone else. I don’t know why this book is pulling me apart at the emotional seams.  Maybe because it’s not really from my main character’s point of view (another hint) and I have to describe what is happening from entirely different prospective, but it also has to make the reader aware of what is going on with the heroine.

Does that make sense?

As I sit here now, almost three-fourths of the way through Wings of The Warrior, I have realized that this series has put me through the wringer. I have experienced every type of emotion writing these three books and I don’t regret that one bit.

I hope that my readers enjoy this story because I am putting my heart and soul into this one. It’s all laid out there for the world to read. I’ve always said that I write for myself. I am amazed and grateful when people write and compliment me. Your kind words mean the world to me and I assure you, I am writing this book as quickly as possible.

I am now shooting for a Thanksgiving weekend release and I promise, pinky swear, that I will try and update the blog more!

~Shannon