If you’ve been a fan of Epic long enough, then you no doubt have experienced more than a few moments of, “man, these books take forever to come out.” It’s true! A bolt of lightning behind the keyboard, I am not. The truth of the matter is, I’ve gotten a lot faster lately. Though it isn’t evident by the things you’ve seen me publish, I’ve juggled several projects over the past couple of years in addition to Epic, none of which have seen the light of day just yet but all of which have been monstrously time consuming. So even though it may seem like I’m in a neck-and-neck race with molasses, I’ve actually been working hard—just not on things that are quite ready to be seen. With that said, though, I would be remiss if I didn’t touch a little bit on Epic 6: The Devil You Don’t, which is going to push past its Winter release date into “To Be Determined” territory. And yes, the delay in E6 is also related to other things I have going on.
As we speak, I am knee-deep into the three largest projects I’ve ever undertaken. Larger than Epic. Larger than the Dawn of Destiny audiobook. Larger than anything I have ever attempted. And not only are all three of these projects are very, very long term, but they’re also happening simultaneously. Unlike the previously-mentioned projects I’ve had going on behind the scenes, these three, I can actually talk about.
In fact, I’m thrilled to.
These are my three boys, ages six, three, and one. They are boundless energy. Cacophonies of noise. Super-sport tricycle motors. Most importantly, they are the three littlest-biggest loves of my life.
The season of life that I’m in doesn’t allow me to spend as much time purely on writing as I’ve been able to in the past. This is something I’m okay with, because I know it won’t be long until those three little tykes are packing up and making the long drives to college, waving out of their truck windows at Mom and Dad in the rear view mirror. These are precious years that will be gone in the blink of an eye, and I don’t want to miss any more of them than I absolutely have to. And it’s for this reason that I’m asking…for patience.
Writing is important to me. Incredibly important. It’s what I was born to do and I can’t imagine ever not doing it. Epic 6 gets worked on all the time, and it’s making awesome, awesome progress. But there are many days when I’m faced with the option of either spending time writing or spending time with my wife and boys. I choose the latter 100% of the time. The truth is, I just have far less time to write than I’ve had in the past. And…I’m okay with this. I would never want to be a father who shoos away his kids to tap on the keyboard. What I’m trying to learn now is how to take maximum advantage of the time I do have. I don’t write every day. I can’t. But I write when I’m able, and I make as much progress as I can in those periods of serenity. It’s a balancing act that I’ve far from mastered, but I’m getting there.
Epic 6: The Devil You Don’t, is coming. So are some other projects, both that I’ve done and that I’ve set my sights to do. But please be patient as I play ringmaster to this three-ring family circus! I say it with every release, and the same holds true for E6: it will be worth the wait. I have some great teases for the book just waiting to get shown/released…I’m just holding off on them until a little more progress is made.
I’ve gotten a lot of great feedback from you guys lately, particularly from those of you I met at Wizard World New Orleans! Keep that coming—getting those positive messages energizes me and helps me take maximum advantage of the free time I do have. Nothing gets my fingers flying like chatting with someone about something they loved in the books. I have more events lined up, so I hope to see all of you guys again, soon!
You guys are amazing, and I cherish every single one of you. Keep reading and keep rocking! The wait will be over before you know it.
God bless,
Lee