Here’s a brief update on the progress of “Crucible of Heroes,” the first book in the “Sanctum of the Archmage” series (which I’m currently writing for release as a Kindle book).

Not entirely surprisingly, I’ve already had to adjust my plans for the outline of the first installment. Fortunately the reasons are all good ones: I’m writing too much, and I’ve got too many ideas, to realistically fit all of it into one introductory novella. So naturally, of course, I’ve now re-organized it into two introductory novellas. The more I got into writing, the more I realized that was needed, and that there was too much to the back-story for me to cover properly in the space allotted allowed by a short first book.

I think it works better that way anyhow, since it was essentially going to be telling two different stories (the Fall of Lannamon, and the introduction to The Sight). Instead, now, the first two books will now tell each of those stories in more detail. And since they should both be roughly of the same length that I’d originally intended for “Crucible,” the re-structuring shouldn’t significantly delay completion and release of the first one.

Now that I’ve had a chance to to work through most of the (expected) kinks in settling into a writing style and a routine, the work is picking up pace. The first of seven planned chapters is nearly done (and I favor long chapters, so that’s more than it sounds like. ;)). It introduces Robin (Randia), Orion, and the royal family, and sets up Diana for her appearance in Chapter 2. And it offers a glimpse into the extraordinary events that were taking place in the Kingdom of Carlissa at the beginning of the saga, which help frame and set the context for what comes afterward…