Isn’t life fun?
So, The Business of War, Death’s Handmaiden 7, will be out next month (or maybe late this month). No problem there.
I was planning to start a new series after that, but some things have come up and working on it would be harder than I’d like, so I’m going to do the 8th Death’s Handmaiden instead. It may be a little slow to produce, unfortunately.
Basically, my father isn’t doing too well and I’m having to take some time to look after him. I can work from his home, just not as effectively. That’s going to slow things down. Hopefully, this will be resolved one way or another by the time I’m ready to publish DH8, but we’ll have to see how it all goes.
Interestingly and sort of topically, Dad was ten when the D-Day landings happened (he just had his 90th birthday). Obviously, he was a bit too young to be on the beaches of Normandy, but he remembers bombers flying overhead on their way to Newcastle (it’s in the north-east of England, if you want to look it up) while the Nazis were attacking the major cities back in the war. No one was really bothered about that stuff, he said, until an aircraft attacked an anti-aircraft emplacement on a hill near the village he grew up in. I remember there still being an air-raid shelter in the back garden of my grandparents’ house when I was growing up, and that’s where Dad sheltered when the war got a bit too close. His memory of more modern stuff is getting a bit shaky, but he still remembers things from back then.
Anyway, enough of that. I’ll get back to the writing. Look forward to DH7 in a few weeks.
Witches and Ray-Guns 
Damn, sorry to hear about the problems with your dad. I hope it works out well. As a huge fan of Death’s Handmaiden, I’m not exactly sad to hear you’re going to go right into dh8 next!
I’m really looking forward to dh7!
You do what you need to do. Family is important! You have our support.
Sorry to hear your dad’s not doing well. Best of luck to you and him as you work through things. Looking forward to whatever you publish in whatever order you get them to us. A new book is always a welcome treat! 🙂
Very much looking forward to DH7 and am pleasantly surprised to ear the good news on DH8. However, I emphasize with the reasons for it. My wife just went through issues with her father last Jan and her mother the year before.
You have my sympathies. Life happens until it doesn’t. I’m 70 so I’m a tad closer to that than I would like to be.
Very much looking forward to DH7 and am pleasantly surprised to ear the good news on DH8. However, I emphasize with the reasons for it. My wife just went through issues with her father last Jan and her mother the year before.
You have my sympathies. Life happens until it doesn’t. I’m 70 so I’m a tad closer to that than I would like to be.
Very much looking forward to DH7 and am pleasantly surprised to ear the good news on DH8. However, I emphasize with the reasons for it. My wife just went through issues with her father last Jan and her mother the year before.
You have my sympathies. Life happens until it doesn’t. I’m 70 so I’m a tad closer to that than I would like to be.
Very much looking forward to DH7 and am pleasantly surprised to ear the good news on DH8. However, I emphasize with the reasons for it. My wife just went through issues with her father last Jan and her mother the year before.
You have my sympathies. Life happens until it doesn’t. I’m 70 so I’m a tad closer to that than I would like to be.
Very much looking forward to DH7 and am pleasantly surprised to ear the good news on DH8. However, I emphasize with the reasons for it. My wife just went through issues with her father last Jan and her mother the year before.
You have my sympathies. Life happens until it doesn’t. I’m 70 so I’m a tad closer to that than I would like to be.
Sorry about the dupes. Using Firefox on Linux Mint.
Thanks for understanding, guys.
My sympathies as well. I think the main difference between fantasy and reality is that the real world isn’t fair, and we don’t always get problems we can fix. Some pain we only endure.
Anyway, looking forward to the next DH. Its a good universe, I like the Clan Worlds idea, I like the magic/science system. I think there’s plenty of drama (and Cheesecake) in the series yet.
Well, I did just start the 8th book with a shower scene…
Nice! Of course that begs the question of who is in that shower. Hmm. I’m going to guess Nava, Suki, and Mel? I know! Mel and Fawn! j/k. 😆
Well need to read dh7 first anyway….can hardly wait!
Don’t worry about how fast you write take care of your dad. I lost mine when I was 11 and wish I could have heard his stories.
He went into the army and landed in Normandy about a month into D-Day. He was a BAR gunner and got the all expense paid tour of Europe. France, Belgium,German and ended up in Czechoslovakia. He was wounded at the Battle of the Bulge ending up with two purple hearts and a bronze star.
As a kid he was just my dad who worked in a steel mill all his life. From the stories I have been told he was a very brave man. I so wish I could have had more time. One thing he did pass on was that it is normal to be scared out of your mind but to never panic. That tidbit has saved me a number of times.
Good luck to your dad. He is part of a disappearing era. Take notes.
Family should always come first. I know all about that, having been a caregiver for my own mother until she passed.
In a perfect world, there would be no need to break yourself in half or put yourself in debt or screw up your health to take care of family, but instead? We have the world we live in.
Good luck and godspeed.
Got it and read it. Just finished. Very well done but it took me all night.
Huh, I didn’t get much sleep last night either.
Understand, I am also used to “Programmer’s Hours. Yes, I got my 6 hours 😉 I am now really looking forward to DH8.
best of the series so far. I love all the twist turns and even new and old mysteries. Can’t wait for the next one.
hope your dad is doing OK.
Can’t wait to read DH 8… 🙂
Have read DH 7 a dozen times already 😉
Love the unexpected plot twists…
On a sidenote : I stumbled on some of your older artwork on deviantart…maybe an idea for a future story? (I’m talking about Niten/Nitoichi from City of Heroes). The artwork alone seems very inspiring…
Also : it seems that ‘City of Heroes’ is back online as of january this year 🙂
Hope your dad is doing ok.
Merry Christmas to you. Here is hoping things will be brighter in 2025.
Happy Christmas. 2025 better be better. 🙂
Indeed, I certainly hope your 2025 is better. I hope 2025 is better for all of us. I hope you don’t mind me asking a question here, but I noticed that in The Business of War, dh7, there was no mention of Melissa or Suki still being 2nd Lt. In the junior officer program, unless I missed it. Did that go away? Was it just temporary?
Mycroft
Indeed, I certainly hope your 2025 is better. I hope 2025 is better for all of us. I hope you don’t mind me asking a question here, but I noticed that in The Business of War, dh7, there was no mention of Melissa or Suki still being 2nd Lt. In the junior officer program, unless I missed it. Did that go away? Was it just temporary?
Mycroft
They’re still junior officers. Whether they remain as such is another matter, especially after the events of book 8 (coming soon). I won’t spoil it further, however.
No, no, please don’t. I am anxiously awaiting DH8. So, thank you for the response. I’m glad I didn’t actually miss something. I do sometimes….it’s part of getting older…..apparently. sigh…
Mycroft
No, no, please don’t. I am anxiously awaiting DH8. So, thank you for the response. I’m glad I didn’t actually miss something. I do sometimes….it’s part of getting older…..apparently. sigh…
Mycroft
Yeah, getting older sucks.