Update: And Sorry About the Hiatus

Above: Mt. Fuji surrounded by the stunning red and gold foliage of Japanese maple trees. This photo was taken from the steps of Chureito Pagoda, a famous 5-storied pagoda in Fujiyoshida, Japan. The mountaintop had received its first snowfall a week or so before we arrived, adding to its beauty.

November 19, 2025

When I sat down to write this blog, I realized I haven’t written since September 22. That alone surprised me. I try to update at least once a month, for your benefit as well as mine. But the last eight weeks have been some of my most productive all year, and time got away from me.

So, let’s get right to it.

Updates

The Way of the Wielder, Book Four: To give you an idea of just how productive I’ve been, in my last update, this story was at 124k words. I’m pleased to announce that, as of October 28, it’s at 186k—and the first draft is COMPLETE!

I wrote 51k words in October alone, which is the most I’ve ever written in one month. By the time I got to the final battle sequence, the story was flowing out of me. Add that to the fact that I’ve been thinking about the final two chapters for several years, and I found myself typing “The End” before I knew what hit me.

Vacation: “But you finished that on October 28,” I hear you asking. “What have you been doing since then?”

Well, we took a two-week vacation… in Japan! It’s a beautiful country, with rich history and thought-provoking cultural practices that called to me in ways I can’t explain. I’m still processing it all, and plan to write a blog post about it in the coming weeks. Until then, enjoy the photo I took of Mt. Fuji, above (which, admittedly, is one of the best photos I took on the whole trip).

Now, back to writing.

What Happens Now

Typing “The End” on that first draft was incredibly bittersweet, but my work on this project is far from over. The release date is tentatively March 24, 2026, and there are many steps to complete between now and then.

Step One: Reread the Series

My father-in-law once said to me, “But you’ve been with this story for so long, I imagine you know it all by heart.” That’s true, in a way. I remember every plot point, every character flaw, and every snarky bit of dialogue. But I don’t remember every detail.

So, in order to avoid missing anything, I’m rereading the first three books. As I go, I’m noting things I know are mentioned in book four. Things like minor character names, references of foreshadowing, and the flaws of the main antagonist.

I’m also finding minor errors. Despite having my books professionally edited, passing them through ARC readers, and completing my own proofreading, I’m still finding errors. If you’ve seen these, I apologize. I try my best to catch everything in order to ensure a seamless reading experience for you, but alas, I’m only human. (I’ll be uploading updated manuscripts to Amazon soon.)

Step Two: Self-Editing

Authors fall into one of two categories: they either overwrite, or underwrite. I definitely fall into the former. I anticipate shaving off 10-15k in draft two, although if I can get it below 170k (to align with the rest of the series), that would be better.

Fortunately, I have an idea of where I can begin with this. Considering there were long stretches where I didn’t write (because of my mother’s death in April, and then prepping two books for release in July), I know I repeated descriptions and conversations early on. There’s also one character arc that’s unnecessary.

I’ll begin self-editing in December, and hope to have that completed by New Year’s Day. Stay tuned for an update on that, because that’s likely when I’ll announce the title!

Step Three: Professional Editing and Cover Art

I’m excited to, again, work with Kim (my cover artist) and Hannah (my editor) on this book! I scheduled Kim back in June for a January 16 start date, and will contact Hannah in the coming weeks. Consistency is important across a series—doubly so with the final book. I can’t wait to see what Kim comes up with this time, and I look forward to Hannah’s reactions.

If all goes according to schedule, I’ll have the cover by mid-February, and can reveal it a month before release.

Step Four: Compiling and Formatting

This is a relatively quick step for me, but it’s something that needs to be done prior to setting up any preorder links on Amazon. I anticipate this happening in late-February, so stay tuned!

Step Five: Marketing

I shudder thinking about this step. Not because I don’t like it (although, I don’t love it), but because I need to rethink how I market. With this being the final book in the series, I need to shift from an individual book release to a series completion marketing plan. I may seek outside help for this, but for now, I’m letting some ideas simmer on the backburner.

Step Six: Release

As I mentioned, I anticipate releasing this book on March 24, 2026, just under 18 weeks from now. That feels very far away, but with everything that needs to get done, it’ll fly by. I’m excited to build up the hype for this final installment, and can’t wait to share it with you all!

In addition to what’s mentioned above, I also need to mentally prepare myself to say goodbye to this series. I’m not against the idea of novellas or other side stories (in fact, I already have a few in mind), but this main series arc will be complete. It’s one that’s close to my heart in many ways, so to say it will be emotional is an understatement.

Fortunately, I already have my next project ready to edit. And trust me, you’re going to love it.

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That’s all for now. Thanks for reading! Be well, and stay creative.

~Sarah