What’s in Store

A few months ago, I confessed that I wasn’t going to be able to write a fifth Full Throttle book that would be of the quality you’ve come to expect. Many of you were incredibly gracious and supportive. Some expressed confidence that I’d come up with another idea. Others asked me what I planned to work on next. Now that I’ve had a few months to do some plotting and writing, I’d like to tell you a little about that project.

For fans of The McCall Initiative, it will come as no surprise that I’m working on Season 2. This season is going to be somewhat different. For one thing, instead of multiple short episodes, I have five full-length books planned. For another, I’ll be giving the series a slight genre twist. The first season was billed as dystopian and read more like action-adventure or thriller. Season 2 is going to be like a futuristic YA version of The West Wing. Readers of the entire first season will understand why that is. Those who are diehard Full Throttle fans might be disappointed. If that’s the case, you should know that there’s a connection between the books. I provided a hint about that in Episode 5, but I’ll come right out and hit readers over the head with it in the first book of Season 2.

I don’t have an expected release date at this point. I’ve written about a third of the story, and it looks like it’s going to be a longer book than I’d initially anticipated. Furthermore, while I set out to create a sequel (that is, I’ve written it under the assumption that the reader would be able to recall earlier incidents with short reminders), I’m now realizing that my genre shift opens up the series to a whole new audience. That means I need to go back and make some adjustments to earlier chapters, adding details to anchor those new readers who won’t have read Season 1. This is going to take some finesse, and (more importantly to all of you) some time.

I could give you an estimate of when I think I’ll be finished, but after six years of setting, chasing, and (mostly) missing deadlines, I’m tired of being under that incredible level of stress. I decided last spring that I’m just not going to flog myself that way anymore. The books will be done when they’re done. I know none of you expects me to spend every spare second writing—to forego vacations, weekends, and all sorts of other respites—but that’s what I’ve been expecting of myself these past six years. And honestly, it’s a hard habit to break. When I’m not writing, I feel guilty, not to mention a little afraid that if I lose my momentum, I’ll never get it back.

While I’m not going to commit beyond the release date I posted at the end of Season 1 (sometime before 2063), I will try to keep you better informed of where I am in the process. Thank you for supporting me and my characters all these years. I hope to have a book to you before too long that will make the wait worthwhile.

If you enjoy my books and want to make it easier for me to write them, please consider one of the following: