August 2024 Update! (Patreon)

Good evening, everyone! C. H. Darkstrider here with the latest update! This update has been a long time coming, as a lot has happened since the last one! There will be a few things stated which will explain why things have gone the way they have. But also, within is the roadmap for what lies ahead for my stories! So, without any further ado, let’s get into it!

Firstly, I just want to deal with the elephant in the room about this update being free and available for everyone out there to read and listen to. Considering that I now have a sizable following of watchers on my pages, I thought it would be nice for them to hear about what’s going on with my stories and my process.

While I do have a Twitter/X account, I find that not many of my readers are over there seeing the updates I’m posting. Not to mention that said app is becoming more and more volatile these days, which is why I haven’t posted much there lately. So, as a way of updating all of my readers, both paid and free, I have decided to make this update and all future updates free for all to hear and know. Plus, it spares me from the nonsense of Twitter/X and getting caught in a crossfire over there!

The next item of business is a more personal one. As some may have guessed, life has thrown me a few curves that came out of nowhere! I won’t say what exactly the situation is, but just know that it concerns both sides of the family and includes sadness, grief, worry and anxiety. The past several months haven’t been easy and much of the time I earmarked for writing has been appropriated by such events.

There’s also the fact that life has been popping off a lot more than anticipated. Many things have happened that required my direct attention and involvement. Such things cannot be ignored or fobbed off, as they are important life events that should not be missed. If I were to miss them, then I wouldn’t hear the end of it and, as any family man knows, that is not a position you would wish to be in.

This is the reason why things have been slow, and chapters have been delayed. I’m trying my best to stay on top of things, but it’s not easy, even with the ability to generate ideas like I do. One thing I am thankful for is the fact that I do not suffer from writer’s block like most other writers do. My ideas are constantly flowing, and the desire to write is there. It’s just a matter of getting life to align with my plans is all.

Next on the list is the roadmap for my stories as they are. I will give a brief synopsis of each story and the direction they are going, so everyone has some idea of when some things will be happening. There will be no spoilers for story beats, of course, but hopefully, it will alleviate some concerns that people have been voicing.

Project Prometheus; The crew is on the verge of having everything they need to get the Perseus online and ready to travel through the galaxy. But getting the last few bits will be… troublesome, along with other issues that will complicate the crew’s mission. On top of certain factions, trying to take the Darkstrider from our crew among other… piratey things.

Gaia’s Champion; The Gaians and their allies are in the business of gathering more allies and rebuilding the weapons they need to fight Carman. Some of these allies will be… unconventional, but their mission heads ever forward. The Sons are far from done, not to mention specific fundamentalist and supremacist groups will rise to threaten everything they are trying to build.

Tales of the Wastelander; Things continue to hurtle at a breakneck pace for our heroes in D’troi, as people and events continue to keep them off balance. They adapt as best they can, but in the end, there are things that will happen that even they can’t predict. There will be blood on the ground and what exactly that means is anyone’s guess. Samara and her crew have not been forgotten, as there is a plan for her and the people she travels with. But, as any musician will tell you when it comes to music, it’s all a matter of timing.

I also have some other ideas that I have been toying with as far as story directions are concerned. There are even a few new ideas that are extremely good that I know need to be written out! What these ideas are and what they will entail are… SPOILERS! Though there is much I want to talk about, there is also a good deal that I need to keep under my hat for now. Just know that when these ideas are ready to come out, they will be something you did not expect!

The fourth and final thing I want to bring up is my other stories and the release of the more mundane tale in Second Chances. I know it’s a departure from my usual stories and the vibe I put out there. But I wanted to try my hand at something different this time, as I feel I need to put my feet on the ground from time to time.

That doesn’t mean that I am ignoring my other stories in Wings of Fire, Return of the Blood Reaver, Beyond Sight or even my series of shorts, Walking on the Darkside. It’s merely a matter of pulling in enough time to get them all done as intended. If there was any one currency I wish I could have in absolute abundance and could buy back, it would be time.

I also want to be sure that my stories all stay at the same quality level that you have all come to expect from me as a writer. If there is one thing I refuse to do, it’s push myself too hard, ‘stay on schedule’ with my stories, and deliver something that is absolute garbage. I would rather take the extra time, go over everything I can, then release it to you, my readers, as something that is worthy of your time.

There’s also the fact that I’m trying to cast a wider net in finding a bigger audience with differing stories. You see, I have been at this for well over seven years now and am still a working writer. I didn’t expect to ascend like a rocket when I first got into writing. But things taking so long for me to even get to the halfway mark isn’t what I expected either. So, I don’t think I can be faulted for trying to reach a broader audience in this genre.

Well, that about does it for this update, as I need to get back to work and get caught up on that which I have fallen behind on. Here’s hoping that I can manage to get back on track and knock out everything I want to get done by the year’s end! Thank you all for sticking with me through thick and thin, because without your support, I would not be here, doing what I do for you all! Stay safe and happy reading everyone! Cheers!