Here it is again – November. For novel writers around the world this is known as NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writers’ Month). As a self-proclaimed procrastinator, I have come to value the event to keep me on task and write. In fact, both Battle Cries and Hero’s Dawn were written during November 2013 and 2014 respectively. Now for the next big challenge – Storm Front. Yes, that’s the title for Book Four. And this year it truly feels like facing a storm.

Every book has its challenges. With Battle Cries, it was essentially taking the last two chapters of the original Night Hawk (Book One) and expanding it into a full 133,000-word novel. With Hero’s Dawn, trying to hold an engaging action series together while developing political drama proved particularly difficult. Now it’s time to ramp it up while holding together all the pieces that have been building thus far… Yes, I know where the story is going, but that doesn’t make it easier.

I’ve learned that while some things become easier as you go along – character development, world building, cultures (most of which are now set in place and don’t have to be invented), other challenges arise. For me, I’ve found Battle Cries set the bar at a rather high level, making the books coming after it particularly difficult. There’s a real trick to balancing action, intrigue, humor and realistic progression of the characters’ lives, a trick I am learning but refuse to admit complete mastery of. Hopefully I have enough prowess to move forward while keeping my audience engaged. So if you’re thinking, “I think I’ll write a series. How hard can it be?” my response is *burst of laughter resulting from knowing otherwise*. However, it can and is frequently done, so wish me luck as I dive into the storm.

Oh, and if this isn’t enough of a challenge, a March 1^st publication deadline throws a bit of hurricane winds into the mix… Onward!