Fifth Annual State of the Empire
STEEL JUSTICE brings us the sixth adventure in the series
I promised a brand-new book last year, and I am pleased to announce that I am delivering on that goal! Steel Justice is the penultimate book in the Steel Empires series, and I had so much fun writing this story. In my continuing trend of writing different types of books within this overall urban fantasy series, I had the crazy idea to tackle a murder mystery. As in all the best writing stories, nothing beyond that first impulse went as planned.
I researched writing mysteries and thrillers and learned plotting techniques that I applied to the original outline for this book. I was also excited to finally feature Kane as a significant point of view character. However, he and Toria had a mind of their own (as all the most fun characters do), revealing that they might be accomplished mercenaries, but were not quite cut out for private detective work. Luckily, I surrounded them with dynamic supporting characters (including a few familiar faces from earlier books) who contributed to a quirky mystery story that also featured a puzzle of a very different sort. I hope readers have as much fun reading this one as I had writing it.
Speaking of writing, I’m hard at work on the final* book in the Steel Empires, called Steel Legacy. We’ll be returning to Limani and facing the biggest threats yet. On the one hand, I’m significantly further behind schedule than I’d prefer to be for this project. On the other, this book contains the biggest story scope I’ve attempted so far, and I’d rather take the extra time to make it the best it can be. Following the pattern established in the series so far, the main points of view are Victory and Toria. But this story is big enough that you’ll also get scenes from Kane, Archer, Mikelos, Asaron, and even Gray.
*You don’t really think that I’d be done with Limani, do you? Don’t worry: I have many ideas on the backburner that exist in the same world once this seven-book arc is completed.
Outside of writing, my reading habit currently outweighs the time spent playing video games. I post book reviews on my blog multiple times a week that you can subscribe to for all sorts of recommendations. Additional books not featured there always get a few sentences on Goodreads. My reading tastes have been all over the place, and I have already far exceeded my original reading goal for the year. The spouse continues to indulge my LEGO addiction, and all three of my Siamese cats are happy and healthy. I now work from home full-time and am pleased with my day job—especially the freedom of a commute that is the length of a hallway.
The end of an era might be in sight for the Steel Empires series, but I also feel like I’m just getting started when it comes to my writing career as a whole. Thank you so much to everyone who has been part of the ride so far, and I hope to provide you with many more stories to read in the future. Once I finish book 7, of course.
Order STEEL JUSTICE from RDSP and it will come signed by the author
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