FitzDuncan's Fortune will be released on 30 July. The final pre-publication review came in and was positive, as were the others. The purpose of these is to make sure the book is as good as I hoped and to mine them for "blurbs" to use on the back cover of the paperback and hardbound versions. As with the revised FitzDuncan cover, the artwork is supplied by the talented Thea Magerand. Reviews are found at: https://www.selfpublishingreview.com/2022/07/review-fitzduncans-fortune-by-john-spearman/, https://featheredquill.com/fitzduncans-fortune/, and https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/fitzduncans-fortune
In terms of writing, I just finished something new. It's set in the Halberd universe, but three hundred and fifty years earlier. The story begins with how the Inter-Planetary Commonwealth was formed. One of the more common questions/complaints I have received from readers pertains to the inability to suspend disbelief in terms of how a conglomeration of American-settled planets would end up part of a British-style governmental structure.
How this came to pass was always a part of my thinking in establishing the Halberd setting. I put it on paper after finishing the series, originally intending on sharing it in some way with readers to clear up the confusion/angst. It sat, lonely and forlorn, in my files since I had not figured out how to publish it. A couple of months ago, I took another look at it and this time it flowed into another story arc. The origin of the Commonwealth flows into a tale that concerns one of the early heroes of the Commonwealth. If it meets with the same favorable reception as the other Halberd books, there will be a sequel or two. It was great fun to write and includes something new (for me). At this point, I only want to tease, so won't share any further details. We'll most likely be looking at a December publication.
There will be another Sandy Pike book but it will be more in the nature of a spin-off. Sandy's role will be minor and the focus will be on characters introduced in the previous three books. I am just beginning to write so this will take a bit of time.
There will be another FitzDuncan book after the upcoming release. I have some ideas of where I want to take his story but they are hazy and indistinct. By the time I set pen to paper, they may change quite a bit.
Finally, I traveled to my old hometown of Hudson, Ohio for a book signing at The Learned Owl bookstore. The folks at The Learned Owl are as nice as can be. Traffic was not what I hoped but it was a gorgeous day--not necessarily a shopping day. I signed and sold some books, so ended the day better than I started. I also was able to eat at Swenson's Drive-In while in the area--the best cheeseburgers in the entire world. The rest of the story is that my windshield got dinged and I got stuck behind a massive double accident for two hours on the way there. Leaving for home, I discovered my car battery was dead. AAA came and gave me a jump but when I needed to stop for gas, I needed another. My dad always said, "Experience is what you get when you were hoping for something else." I'll chalk this journey up to "experience."
