Nearly April 2024

Hello all. Happy spring to everyone, I do hope the pollen in your area is better than mine. It’s a sinus nightmare here.

Thank you for being patient. I feel I have a bit of explaining to do, so this update is going to be a bit longer usual. I understand that it’s not exactly groovy to ghost my readers.


BOOK 2 & OTHER WRITINGS

The biggest reason I’ve had nothing to say during these long months has to do with the sequel to Ahvram’s story, Void, book 2, the next installment, another fun term for a second book in a series. I had originally intended to have Void out by November/December of 2023, obviously as we sit well into spring and 1 day before April 2024, that hasn’t happened.

To make a complicated story simple, my editor ended up being in a situation where they consistently could not get to my manuscript but would promise to get to it next. They were supposed to begin towards the end of fall 2023, however as the start date approached I was told they were unable to start just yet, and the date would move. We went back and forth in conversation constantly, and in February, they admitted they didn’t have the capacity for my manuscript and handed it off to another editor. This new one has promised they are working on Void, and hopefully I have it in April/May.

I understand this is a disappointment to those wanting to read Void. Personally, it has been devastating for my creativity. Since fall I have been shying away from writing because I have been far too upset to continue Ahvram’s story. Part of me wants to simply publish Void as it is, but I want it to be polished and for my usual bad writing habits to be corrected before it’s released into the world.

Happily, I have found myself in a better place creatively recently, and I have returned to working on the series.

All that is to say, I am hoping to have Void out sooner versus later, and I will endeavor to keep updating here. Until then, thank you for sticking with me, and thank you to those who have reached out regarding my stories. You have no idea how much you mean to me.

Thank you~

February Update

Hello all! I hope your first few months of 2022 have been treating you well.


NULL book two has officially entered its first editing draft. For reference, NULL took 7-10 rounds of editing by myself, and then 2-3 with a professional editor. So we’ve just started down a long road with this story. However, I’ll not leave you guys wanting. Here is a snippet from Chapter 2:

From below there was no way to tell if Hector was here or not. It had been hours since the meeting with the queen, and the chance that he had come back was relatively high. Or, he could have gone home early.
Sometimes shoes only get in the way. Tzulie said in the back of his head.
In a second his shoes were off and tucked under his arm. Sliding his feet carefully over each step, he silently made his way upwards. As soon as he could see the floor of the third level Ahvram looked to Hector’s door. If he weren’t so focused on being stealthy, he would have cursed. There was light emanating from under the door. Hector was in. Ahvram halted his ascent and started weighing his options.
He wasn’t here to work on his experiment, which was a bonus.
But Hector had told him to go rest, which was a penalty.
He needed a book from this floor to help him with the queen’s new mission. Good reason to be here.
But he could easily get it in the morning. Another reason to be in bed.
In a move that would make both Tzulie and the Hawke smack Ahvram upside the head, he looked away from his target and to the ground. It was just a moment as he tried to think, and he leaned a bit heavier on the railing of the staircase—
And it groaned. Loudly. Because metal and wood tended to do that.

New Short Story: Little Mina

Click here to read my most recent entry into the NYC Midnight Short Story competition. The competition gives 3 parameters in their prompt: genre – a thriller, setting – a sleepover, and a character who is an exercise fan. I think this story came out more horror than thriller, but I hope you enjoy it!


Ask the Author Questions

Want to learn more about NULL? Have any questions about me and my writing process? Send in your question and you may see it answered in the next update!

“How do Wildlanders get their pledge animals/nicknames? 🙂from Bon

Most Wildlanders pick their pledge animals, though there are similar animals in families. For instance, the Hawke has a sister named the Sparrow. If a Wildlander doesn’t feel especially connected to one animal, the Elders will have that person meditate and go through rituals to find their pledge animal.

HECTOR I HAVE A BURNING QUESTION PLS: Pet a dog, pet a cat or pet Ahvram?from Bon

This took at least 4 different attempts.
Author/Artist’s Note: You know I love the question when I draw an answer.

Hector smiles knowingly, but instead says, “A cat is always good company.”

January Update

Welcome to the monthly update. Let’s get going with all the good news!


We’ve officially sold 135 copies of NULL! That doesn’t even begin to count the numbers of people who have read the novel in Kindle Unlimited.

Thank you to everyone who’s read the story. A crazy strong bear hug from Hawke for those who have reviewed and rated the novel on Amazon and/or GoodReads. A sweet and gentle hug from Hector to everyone who’s recommended the book to anyone they know. My undying gratitude for all of the above.


NULL book 2 is officially moving into the second draft. If you’re a fan of the Wildlanders, you’re going to love book 2.

The first NULL NOVELLA is halfway through draft one. Here’s the premise:

Tzulie has a problem: a thief who's able to lift everything from a given shop without disturbing any enchantments. To combat the growing issue, she enlists the help of Ahvram and Dominic in tracking down the thief. The next robbery leaves no evidence, but adds the shopkeeper's body. Now it's a race against time to find the thief before they can do more damage.

FANART

Cecily by Patty

I love fanart! If you have any, please send your images to rayewritesstories@gmail.com


Thank you guys for everything. See you soon!

-Raye