I’ve been writing Across the Blue Line for a few months now and although progress is being made, it’s been slow. The outline of the story I want to tell is firm and I love it, but the actual writing feels like I’m not fully taking advantage of what should be an awesome tale. There are some very strong parts to the book to be sure but there are also areas that need to be punched up.

I get this feeling at some point with nearly every novel I write but I’m encountering more uncertainty with this one for some reason. I’m worried that I’m not giving enough of the spotlight to some main characters while attempting to develop others. The Chetellx, for instance, are not coming together the way I had envisioned. I want them to be in the story but there just doesn’t seem to be room with a cast that’s already quite large. Aoife Covington (a personal favorite) feels like she’s been pushed aside and I refuse to let that happen.

All of these feelings combine to form a dread that I am leaving something on the table. There is quite a bit of tension in this novel and I’m worried that I’m not bringing it out like I should be.

The only book release schedule I follow is the one I announce on this blog. Although I do feel a strong commitment to my readers when I set a date, I also realize the deadline is ultimately my own.  I know the book should be absolutely fantastic if I can just get the words out, but it’s time to pivot.

I am taking a step back and tabling Across the Blue Line. I feel like I’m pushing it too hard and I don’t want to see the story suffer because of that. For the next couple weeks, I am going to start a different story set in the same TCOTU galaxy but with a different cast of characters. Where Across the Blue Line is such an incredibly “high-stakes” novel, this new story will be much more humble.  Eventually my readers get both.

In a couple of weeks, I will reassess and decide which novel will be the better product for 2017. My main goal is to tell a great story every time, not to push out a series that I struggle to write and people struggle to read. Where’s the fun in that?

For fans excited about Across the Blue Line, please trust me when I say that you’ll be reading it either this year or next. The finale of The Parasite Initiative series (that is, the third book) will follow the year after Across the Blue Line is released. Please also believe me that when you read it, you’ll know that I’ve given it my best effort and didn’t compromise the quality of the story because of a deadline.