When I don’t post for a while, it means I’ve been busy. Over the last few months I have been working furiously on The Leviticus Enforcer.  I am really happy with where the story is at this point.  No target publication date yet (I am not going to rush things this time) but stay tuned.

I recently finished the third draft of that book and found my thoughts turning back to The Inheritance.  I am the the first to admit that the book was an abysmal failure and responsibility for that rests squarely on my shoulders.  The problems with that book have nagged at me for months and when the third draft of The Leviticus Enforcer was done, I thought maybe a bit of a polish might make The Inheritance more readable.  I opened the manuscript file, which I hadn’t looked at in months, and started going through it.

At that point I realized just how much it really sucked.  I cannot believe I was stupid enough to put it out in that condition.  Since I can’t seem to let go of it, I decided that a complete rewrite was in order. I have some new ideas to improve the story and am completely re-doing the prose.  It sounds like a daunting task but I actually think it won’t take too long.  This new version will be tighter and more focused. 

What does that mean for those of you who were kind enough to buy the book? Those who bought the e-book will be able to download the new version for free.  Those who bought the print edition are another matter.  I can’t afford to replace your copies for free (and I wish I could) but if you contact me I will get you a coupon code to download the new e-book. 

For those of you who read the free preview of the original and wisely decided not to buy it, I am going to start giving the book away for free.  I have a few reasons for this.  First, I feel as though I owe it to readers for putting out such a sub-standard book in the first place.  Second, in many ways The Inheritance is an experiment.  The day may come when I mess around with it again.  Third, I hope the new version will interest enough people that they buy The Leviticus Enforcer when the time comes.

Now to the future.  I currently have plans for six more books in the Port Mason series.  Some will feature my private investigator, Steve Bennett, and others will not.  Two of the story ideas were inspired by my recent participation in Springfield’s Citizens Police Academy.  That, by the way, was an amazing experience.  If you have something like that wherever you live, I highly recommend participating. You won’t just learn about law enforcement equipment and procedures, you’ll learn a lot about the men and women who put themselves in harm’s way on a daily basis.

For what it’s worth, here is the current publishing plan.  It is subject to change at any time.

The Leviticus Enforcer

The Blue Wall (formerly The Justice Brigade)

The Mayor

Secrets

Rookie Year

Wealth and Power (Sequel to The Inheritance)

The Coldest Case

That’s the plan.  Now I just have to find the time to write all these books!