In this post:
- 2019: The Year of Balls-to-the-Wall
- 2020: Maintaining the Momentum
- Release Date for Kari Hunter book 2, The Necromancer’s Knives
- Free Serial for Newsletter Subscribers
- Kari Hunter Book 3
2019: The Year of Balls-to-the-Wall
It was an incredible year for me. You probably didn’t know that because I didn’t say anything about it. But 2019 was a game-changer.
The year started in a way I didn’t expect, when my friend and writing compadre, Candice Bundy, said to me, “I have so much writing to accomplish. What would happen if I gave my maximum effort for three months?”
My overly cautious self immediately responded, “Whoa, crazy lady. Slow your roll. No one could sustain a balls-to-the-wall speed for three months. Three weeks, maybe. You could probably do a lot in three weeks.”
And that’s when the proverbial light bulb clicked on above my head. I realized I could do a lot in three weeks, too.
I’ve talked about my journey as an author and a writer, as well as some of my setbacks. For years, I’ve struggled to finish the sequel to The Fourth Channel, to no avail. As of 2018, I’d started going in the right direction, but everything still felt stalled. I needed to turn this boat around and start producing some books, fast. By 2019, I’d tried everything — every trick, every method, every tip. So far, nothing worked. Trying maximum effort for three weeks?
I had nothing to lose.
And so, the balls-to-the-wall three-week stint began. (Well, Candice called it “maximum effort” time, because she’s a freaking lady. I went with “balls-to-the-wall” because I’m, you know, me.)
During those three weeks, a weird thing happened. I realized that I’d had this preconceived notion of what I was capable of: with my time, my ability, and my talent. The balls-to-the-wall weeks threw off every idea I’d ever had about my limitations. Within three weeks I learned that I was capable of more than I’d thought, and the limits I’d put on myself had held me back.
The official balls-to-the-wall stint started in January 2019 and it never stopped. The whole year was balls-to-the-wall.
In mid-2019, I released a second edition of The Fourth Channel with a revised opening that contained new content.
In November 2019, I finished the second book in the Kari Hunter series, The Necromancer’s Knives.
And then I started working on new stories.
2020 Releases
I’m very excited about what I learned and accomplished in 2019, and I’m excited to bring that forward into 2020. Here’s what YOU, my amazing readers and friends (reader friends?) will get in 2020:
The second Kari Hunter book, The Necromancer’s Knives. I’ve sent this off for copy edits and proofreading, and it will be available in March 2020. If you’re a newsletter subscriber, you’ll receive an exclusive sneak peek of the book this coming Friday! (To sign up for my newsletter, click here!)
But wait, there’s more.
This year, I also started writing a novella from Mikelis Priedis’s point of view. This story takes place 10 years before The Fourth Channel. It’s been a blast writing from Mikelis’s point of view. He’s so different from Kari. Surly. Snappy. Paranoid. Gets stalked by crazy voodoo masters, but only on Fridays.
This story will be sent to my newsletter subscribers as an exclusive and free monthly serial. When the serial has run its course, I’ll release it on Amazon. (Are you seeing a pattern yet? Please sign up for my newsletter. Ha!)
Lastly, you’ll be happy to know that I’ve already started working on the third Kari Hunter book. I can’t say much about the story right now, as everything would be massive spoilers for the second book. However, I’m very excited about the direction in which this series is going. The world of Kari Hunter is expanding in ways that I never imagined — and I’m thrilled. I’ll share more about this book soon.
I promise that you’ll hear from me a lot more this year:
My blog will feature project updates and information on upcoming book releases.
Newsletter subscribers will receive notifications on book releases, exclusive sneak peeks on coming books, and free stories, like the Mikelis Priedis novella.
Also, I love staying in touch with you. Feel free to connect with me on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
I’m excited to see what challenges and stories 2020 will reveal.
Let’s embrace it together.
Until next time,
Jen
Jen Kirchner 