The finalization of the Ophiuchus Flinched art was the big item this week. That deliverable triggered a handful of admin tasks to get the book’s metadata updated on various platforms and the Amazon product page prepped to start taking pre-orders. Once the typography is set on the paperback cover, I’ll begin the process of finalizing and proofing the print edition. After that, Tales of Ciel Book 2 is officially out of my hands. Nothing to do but wait for the reviews.

I did manage to get some writing and revision done on top of the admin work. The first draft of The Divine Heretic Book 2: What Lies Between is about 80% finished. I took this one right up to the start of the novel’s climax, which seemed like a logical place to break (briefly). We’re in such a good place with this one, that we moved the publication date up to May 2026. Series artist Aicel Escalada is very prolific. We’ve actually already finalized the art, so once the manuscript is edited, revised, polished, and proofed, I’ll be able to send it right out the door. If you end up loving Seven Days of Mercy, you won’t have to wait long for the follow-up.

I took a pause on What Lies Between because Tales of Ciel Book 3: The Mark of Cain is currently slated for publication on April 21, 2026. Ideally, that means this one needs to be prepped for pre-orders by the end of January. I needed to spend some time with the polish draft, and that’s what I did. I’m pleased to report that the polish is about 80% finished. With a little luck, I’ll knock out that last 20% this week while I’m traveling for the holidays and I can send the manuscript off to be proofread. The proofing process doesn’t usually take more than a couple weeks, but this one is a bit longer than Ardent Wings and Ophiuchus Flinched. The polish draft is likely to land around 140,000 words, so I want to build enough time into the schedule that the proofreader won’t feel rushed.

With a little luck, I’ll have the bulk of December to really focus on What Lies Between. Then I can start fresh in 2026 with a long-awaited return to the universe of The Compact Cycle.