Friends,
It’s been a while, hasn’t it? I’m pleased to report that while my attempts at circumventing the globe in a hot air balloon, accompanied only by a capuchin monkey I named “Rodrigo”, and a small AI powered toaster (for high tea above the Arctic Circle, of course) failed miserably, I have made some progress in life.
For instance, I now have two young spawns born from my loins, both of whom are the light of my life.
A funny thing happens when you have kids. First, the obvious, all your time now goes into ensuring they do not die by, and this is true, falling headfirst into a half-filled bathtub in an attempt to retrieve a pen that they just tossed in. Secondly, and this is perhaps a more unknown issue, all creative juices are zapped. I mean, gonezo. Done. Finito. Your desire to do anything creative is hampered entirely by the towering wave of hormones that continuously plows its way through your system. You can sit down with all the ideas in the world and not a single word can be written. It’s utter bollocks.
That being said, the last several years haven’t been spent in vain. The draft of The Code Book 3: Blood of the Beast, is essentially done, although there are a few changes I’d like to make that I’ll speak about in a different post. The draft for The Code Book 4: Insert a Name Here, is also almost done. Books 5 to 9 are plotted out with relatively certainty. All that is left to write them, and that should be the easy part, right? Right?
Other funny things can happen while you are starting a family. You can realize your communication with your spouse has to change. You can come to terms with the fact that your messy lifestyle is no longer acceptable. You may become crushed under a pile of freshly-laundered tea towels. You may lose your job. You might take up Improv and realize you’ve just wasted the last 35 years of your life not trying to make people laugh of purpose. You might suddenly understand what a parental instinct is.
That last item is really what has held up Book 3 more than anything. It is the first ‘finale’ of the Trilogy of Trilogies, and has always involved Natalia coming to terms with the actions of her parents, while lightly exploring their own motivations from the perspective of parents. And that has been difficult to comprehend. On quiet nights, when both my boys are soft and warm and in need of cuddles before bed, I will lay there with them, watching as sleep overtakes their tiny faces, and wonder how any parent could ever hate their child, or abandon them to forces unknown? I’ve asked myself what I wouldn’t do for my sons, and the answer is unequivocally: Nothing. I would storm through the fires of Hell to protect them if need be, and so in writing The Blood of the Beast I’ve spent an inordinate amount of time reflecting on the choices of Amy and Marcus and trying to understand every step they made, either in the previous books, or in my own head. It became imperative that their choices were defined as not only agents of the SOI, but also as parents. The stress of balancing the two had to become a primary motivation, and I feel like after all this time, I finally have them where I want them.
Now, I can’t say for sure when it will be published. I am hoping this summer. I keep pushing back the date. Self-publishing can be a pricey endeavor and certain circumstances and the general state of the economy and job market have made it a bit of a trickier door to open this time around. All that being said, it is also my intention to republish Between Fire and Pines and The Skeletal Bird with some long-overdue changes alongside The Blood of the Beast. I hope that those of you who started this journey with me far too long ago will humor me a bit longer and welcome this new book into the world when the time finally comes.
While you wait patiently, you can also become jazzed, because the state of the world (and our poor, abused neighbour, United States of America, who seems to be in a toxic relationship and is trying to get us to join in as a thruple) has provided plenty of inspiration for more open letters. Some will be funny. Many will be scathing. And there is a solid chance at least one of them will be referring to some sort of baby product that let me down in my hour of need.
Future writings will be accompanied with a “Buy me a Coffee” option, which is essentially a way in which fans can help support their favorite creatives in their endeavors. Not to say I’m anyone’s favorite. My younger son learning to say “Daddy” first has proved that in a very hurtful way. New work will be released whether or not you choose to donate. I’m just doing my best to play catch-up with this new reality of parenthood-single-income-disability-what-has-happened-to-this-world-oh-god.
Until we meet again,
Kathleen
The Code Series 