OUR NEW HOPE is officially set to be released on July 8th, 2017. In less than two months, you can join Hope once again on her journey of self-discovery and in her mission of protecting her people from annihilation. Are you excited? I know I am! Want to know what's going to happen? Check back next week for a synopsis!

It's also worth celebrating that Otep Shamaya gave me permission to quote her song, Stay, provided that I give her author credit. I've emailed my publisher and her credit will be included on the legal/disclaimer page opposite the title page. Of course, it's also discussed who Otep is and that she wrote the song while it's happening in the book. I'm beyond elated. I'm well past being over the moon--I'm out dancing around Pluto, doing the moonwalk in the cold, dark reaches of space. In my supreme joy over her permission, I've decided to dedicate my book to her. Afterall, she is my heroin(e). Otep is my drug, my balm, my savior, my addiction, and the cure for my disease. I bear her mark, on my body as well as my soul, so I'm joyful beyond description that I can share this small piece of her work fused with a small piece of my work.

But you are probably wondering--where is the cover? Why haven't we seen it? So.... the whole art department at my publisher was out sick for about two weeks. This was right at the beginning of me freaking out about a change in my release date, and begging for it to be changed again. The art dept is now back at work, but two weeks behind, trying to catch up, and also trying to fit in my cover design as soon as they can. As soon as I've approved of a cover, I will share it properly--on a special release blog, as well as on Facebook.

As far as the change in the release, scroll down to a couple months ago to the blog about a possible delay for Our New Hope. She's doing better now, and the editor is expected to come back to work soon. But illness beyond anyone's control caused company-wide delays in the release of books. Most authors did not have an issue with this, but I did. I begged to have my book moved up to be released in time for ThrillerFest. They came through for me and I'm comfortable announcing an official release date.

In that vein, I will do my best, but I might not keep up with regular blog posts while I finish my edits, then try to finish writing the third book so that it can be submitted before I go to ThrillerFest. I'm going to try to write ahead and schedule some posts for every Wednesday like I've been doing. My ultimate goal is to post mostly book reviews throughout most of June, July, and August. If I have time after finishing my edits, I'm looking into posting a book review for every single day I'm at ThrillerFest in July. For that week of daily posts, I will be featuring books from my fellow ITW authors, such as Lee Child, Heather Graham, Jon Land, Radha Vatsal, Charlaine Harris, and Bob Bickford.

So, keep checking back because I'll still be around, posting book reviews, updates on Our New Hope as they happen, and maybe a few ranting tales. Don't forget to sign up for my newsletter. Like the blog, it will become better and more regular as I get more subscribers.