Whoa! March really snuck up on me. Not just because February is shorter, but rather life got busy. Starting a new role at a new company in the tech industry in your mid-fifties isn't a walk in the park. I'm on an emotional rollercoaster that goes from feeling like I know some specific thing better than most people, to dawning realizations that I have no idea how some other thing works and fear of when the new folks will realize how ignorant I am. Arrogance, fear, humility, once in a while excitement about something new--it's a lot.

And I don't have time to work on all the non-work stuff that needs attention. An outside pipe burst during the last freeze, and it's waiting for me to fix it (not a critical pipe... it can wait for a bit), our ice maker in our fridge stopped working (I ordered parts), we've got work on multiple cars that needs to happen.

I should probably restart the blood pressure medicine I stopped using when I retired.

Secrets of Deara continues to improve. Right now I'm working on getting the timeline cleaner. This story is like Bones, where I march forward in time without hops back to the past. It takes place over a few weeks, and moving through the gaps smoothly has always proved tricky for me. I'm kinda glad for the opportunity to improve that skill.

After that I have a couple of passes to clean up some character issues--I imagine those will go relatively quickly, but I've been surprised before.

And that's really it. I'll send it for editing, await feedback, tackle any changes, and kick it out the door.

Here's an early version of the cover for Secrets. I need to write the blurb. You'll probably get it in the next newsletter.

I'm getting hammered on reviews lately. Let me share a few. These were for Mother of Trees... they're the two most recent. "Too much description". Oddly, the most common feedback I get from professional writers/editors is that I don't spend enough time describing the scene before I jump into the action.

I'm doing a little better with Guardian of The Palace. Perhaps funny story--I've been criticized a lot for the saluting in GoTP, and the irony is that I have a lot of friends in the military but I was too embarrassed about writing fantasy to ask them to look it over. That was about four or five years ago... I wouldn't hesitate to ask now. We all grow and learn. Sometimes I consider rewriting The Guardian League. I could undoubtedly write a better story now. But I would rather spend my time writing something new.

Still, what do you think?

Go back and rewrite The Guardian League

Yes, that would be awesome!

No, I want to know what happens to Elliah... I mean, I know what happens to Elliah, because Thaumatropic Roots is a prequel, but I must know HOW it happens.

Finally, just for fun, here's midjourney-generated images of Illiara and Beldroth, just for fun. I can't use them in ads or I would be misrepresenting what the books are really about. 🤣

All books by Steven J. Morris

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Dauntless

The Dauntless Saga Book 1

by Tom Atwood Jr

Kacey Alexander is the typical high school graduate until she receives a chest as part of her inheritance. She looks inside and finds out that her late mother was a Sentinel, a member of an ancient order of Mages, each one dedicated to protecting humans from the forces of Darkness.

She refuses to accept this until her own powers emerge, protecting and healing her body from harm. She finds herself trapped between opposing forces, each one determined to use her to take over her city. She gathers an unlikely alliance: a gruff, older sentinel, a Dark Fey warrior, and a young woman who can control the weather. They gather to face the mercenary Pyrus and his shadowy employer.

Kacey must learn to cast aside her fears to become the warrior she was born to be and stop the men who seek to destroy her city.

Claire Beckett and the Transfer of Power

by Molly Chase

My new ability could get me killed.

I’m Claire Beckett, the newest detective in Crescent City. And I can see runes around dead bodies. Life would be perfect if I didn’t have to deal with the werewolf mayor and finding out that my mother lied to me about her ties to this place.

Bodies are dropping throughout the city, similar to a group of cold cases I’ve found. The killer’s ready to kill again and if history has anything to do with it, he’ll continue to hunt until he’s had his revenge.

But the more we keep digging, connections to both me and my partner amp up the need to find this killer and get him behind bars before the city begins to panic.