When I am between writing books, I am undisciplined and often don’t write fiction for far too long. I’ve found that the stories in my head have to marinate for a time, and once they become so loud that it takes effort to clear them from my mind, then it’s time to write.
What do I mention this? Because that’s happening at the moment with the sixth book in the Tixie Chronicles. The fifth book, The Plant of Death, is nearly done with the final editor (or is she done with it?) so it should be released in September or October 2025 – possibly through a Kickstarter.
When the store starts to get loud in my mind, it’s time to write. The sixth book in this series is doing just that. I plant to complete a first draft by late this year or early 2026.
The Plant of Death clocks in at around 55,000 words and includes artwork by Cecily Eiferle, a local artist. I’ve stayed clear of AI for art and writing and plan to continue to do so.
I will update progress on the sixth book here on occasion, a la Brandon Sanderson. Stay tuned!
Here are some books I’ve read lately that are in a similar genre as the Tixie Chronicles:
Jack Zulu and the Wayfinders Key – This is a wild fantasy novel by S.D. Smith and his teenage son J.S. Smith. The protagonist, Jack Zulu, is a 12 year old biracial boy in small town West Virginia in the 1980’s. The vibe of the book is excellent, blending 80’s nostalgia, West Virginia local lore, and epic fantasy. This is the first in a series of at least 3 books at the moment. It’s worth a read.
The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis – What can one say about this classic, except that the characters in this book will forever in my mind look like the actors in the movie that’s on Disney+. It remains a profound book that still doesn’t take itself too seriously.
The Day Girl and the Night Boy by George MacDonald – This is a wonderful novella fairy tale by MacDonald, and I loved it. I might be working on a project related to it at a future date….
The Light Princess by George MacDonald – This is another novella or short story by MacDonald. It seems lighthearted and fun and then you realize it’s about sacrificial love and those who take it for granted. It’s beautiful and has a great ending.
The Silver Branch by Rosemary Sutcliff – I discovered Rosemary Sutcliff on Audible several years ago, where I listened to her excellent book The Shining Company. The Silver Branch is part of a trilogy about later stage Roman Britain. The battle scenes in it are superb, and the overarching story, of different characters over many years, is interesting. I don’t know many other books about that time period. Another of her books, The Lantern Bearers, is an amazing story of people maintaining knowledge and memory as civilizations collapse. And it’s a kid’s book too – and excellent.
Unrelated to children’s literature (I think?) – I recently finished The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway and my gosh that man could write. The prose is sparse but precise and it does take itself seriously. But I would recommend it. The audio book on Audible, narrated by Donald Sutherland, is excellent.