Merlinscribe: The Journal of James P. Mallory

First of all, a happy 2025 to everyone.

Deliverance of Dragons is wending its way through the proofing process, wherein the author(s) discover they gave multiple chapters the same title, the same moonturn, and often forgot their calendars completely. Fortunately our copyeditor is a very patient man, and has uncomplainingly caught all our mistakes. Any mistakes remaining are entirely mine: feel free to point them out since we might be able to fix them in the mm paperback.

Once we're past this, copyediting and proofing are done. I'm very excited about getting the book on-press. And then it will be May, and we will all have copies in our hands.

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The link above goes to a thumbnail of the cover. I'm sorry the image is so small; I cannot think of any way to embiggen it. But: News! Tor did not ask for a revision cycle, so I have done the copyedit (in which the CE wonders whether Vieliessar would actually LIE to anyone, and the author falls about laughing) and we're still on track for a May release.

I have just turned in a book to Tor. It is the first book in THE MOON IN HIDING series, set in the same universe as THE HOUSE OF THE FOUR WINDS but a few centuries earlier. I think you'll like it; a bit of THE PRINCESS BRIDE, a bit of BEST IN SHOW...

Tor is probably still reeling from having the 1100 page behemoth dropped on it, so I've heard nothing about the latest book yet. I'll pass on whatever I hear.

I am pleased to announce that Book Three now has a title and a publication date.

Dragon Prophecy #3: Deliverance of Dragons: The Art of War will be published by Tor Books on May 27, 2025.

I know it's fifteen months from now, but a regular revision-and-production cycle is about 12 months, so we're pretty much in the groove. I haven't seen any revision requests yet, and much as I hope they will bow to my greatness and publish it as it stands, I'm not holding my breath on that. And the longer they delay in asking for revisions, the more I'll have to scramble. We'll see.

Hey, at least it's news, right?

I would like to announce that on Monday the completed book, whatever its final title turns out to be, was turned in to my agent, who will turn it in to my editor.

There will be a revision cycle, then a production cycle, then the book will be scheduled. It could be as short as a year, or as long as... well, let's don't jinx this. There can be some insane holdups when a book misses its delivery date. It's like cogs in a machine, really.

Here is your Christmas surprise: S. has okayed the ending "since you like it so much", so we can bang our way through the rest of the book once we get hold of a Jabberwock, some pruning shears, a plum cake, and a copy of Perry Como's Holiday Hits.

The earliest the book will hit the streets is 2024, but I could be wrong about that...

Onward! We all know what I've been doing (writing), except for December when I was laid up by 'flu or the latest vax. Better the vax than the 'rona, I think.

Fortunately I'd bought my gifts many months ago. Unfortunately, the same did not hold true of my cards. And so you see me here scrambling with what ought to be serene and leisurely updates (and aren't). But I thought you would like to know that DP3 is closer to being done and in editorial hands.

Where they will instantly ask for cuts. The msp will run 800 pages or more.

Best to you all, happiness, and good cheer.

James

No news from Tor, alas. I'm starting this new thread because otherwise things get tangled, even though I do see them. I am entering the last 50,000 words of the book. Here's a taste:



______________________________________________________________________




"Are you mad?" the voice from the darkness demanded, sounding astonished. "Do you not know I could destroy you in an eyeblink? Why aren't you afraid of me?"

("Because we can't see you," muttered Runacar.)

"Destruction is easy," Vieliessar said. "My people spent many years waging war upon our own kind. We covered the ground with the dead from our wars, and killing was our pleasure and sport. We thought ourselves masters of the world until the Endarkened came. They kill as easily as they breathe, and we have no force that can withstand them. If I had known I would have to argue with Leutric's weapon, I think I would not have bothered to come."

"'Weapon'," the voice said, sounding insulted. "You do not even know what I am." Suddenly the cloud of Silverlight above Vieliessar's head flared brighter than flame, vanished, and the chamber walls began to give off a bright blue-green glow.

"I, Children of Stars, am a dragon."

#

My new editor has been ignoring me. Sound familiar? So anyway, Misty and I have decided just to go straight ahead and finish the book and hand it over. I expect to turn it in by the end of summer, if all goes well on this end. Maybe she'll be thrilled and delighted and put it immediately into production. I wouldn't hold my breath, though.

Wish the news was better.



Meanwhile, there's a new/old deleted scene from TO LIGHT A CANDLE over at the Library:
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Dear Friends:

This is not an email I wanted to write. But I have always promised I would keep you "in the loop", as it were, and not simply retreat into a mystifying silence when things happened.

So.

About a month ago, around the time I was expecting my revision letter for The Art of War, what I got instead was an email from my agent that Tor was rejecting the book. This is a fairly rare occurrence, especially for the ninth book in a series. They said they required major changes before they would consider accepting the book.

Since they would not specify what these changes should be, aside from "a better ending", there is a bit of a scramble going on, especially when working within the constraints of eight previous books of lore and canon.

I have one in mind, and it should certainly work, since Ancaladar told Vestakia about it all the way back in the first trilogy, but right now you know as much as I do about the state of play. Negotiations, as they say, are ongoing.

I am currently, and off my own bat, revising the manuscript so that I can add on the sort of ending Tor may be thinking of. As it stands right now, The Art of War is more like a book report on the book I actually wanted to write—and I have to find room for another rather large chunk of story. Somehow.

I am very sorry. I did not expect anything like this to happen, and I apologize.

TL;DR: The Art of War will not be out this year because editor.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Brothers and Sisters, Comrades and Friends....

The book is finished.

It's done, complete, and as much of the story as fits into 200K words is told. I am now doing a last read-through, checking for glitches, making sure I've fixed everything my first readers pointed out, and all that sort of thing. I will be delivering it to Tor in January, since there is absolutely no reason to deliver anything in December, and then...

We wait.

Well, actually, *you* wait. *I* will be off writing another book set in the "One Dozen Daughters" universe, though not, alas, the sequel to "House of the Four Winds". The title is KINGDOM AND CROWN (at the moment) and it's set about two hundred years earlier.

The war is over. The Queen is dead. The Lord Protector who rules the land has outlawed magic. But the Queen's daughter has survived...

It should be fun. And at least I will stop thinking in Old Elvish for a while.

Everyone have a Joyous Solstice, Happy December, Glorious Sol Invictus, and suchlike. I will post updates when I get them, but based on past experience, there's going to be nothing much but the sound of keyboard clicks for several months to come.

Stay safe, everyone.