June News 2025
June 4, 2025
Hello to one and all. If you are new to this monthly newsletter, you may have realized that I'm not too keen on writing one. I submit to you Exhibit A, which is my January newsletter. I'm afraid I suffer from Idontwanttoitis. It can be a debilitating illness if left unchecked. But summer is upon us, and I could not be happier. I love the sticky heat of summer. Anyway, here's the news!
A bad knee has hobbled me, but thankfully, I don't have to run for a living. My doctors were at odds over the reason for my knee trouble, but it has finally been confirmed. I have arthritis. Those who know, know. Those who do not know, you will. All is well, though. Nothing a couple of injections of chicken fat can't fix. I'm not really sure it's chicken fat, but that's what the doc said people call it. As long as it smells delicious and makes my knee feel better, I don't care.
As for book three in the Leroy Cutter series, Sons of Men, I'm moving along, and the story is really taking shape. As you may recall, the first draft was approximately 135,000 words. Thriller novels are usually around 70-80,000 words. Needless to say, I have my work cut out for me, but I enjoy it... kind of. I'm joking. I really do enjoy the entire process. The trick is not to anticipate the ending. That's fine if you're reading, but when writing, if you anticipate the ending, you rush the story. At least, I do anyway. At this pace, however, the final draft will not be completed until the fall of 2025, which would allow for publishing the book in late 2026, if all goes well. In the meantime, I have some exciting news about what comes after Cutter.
I'll be taking a break from the Leroy Cutter series for a while after Sons of Men. Hear me out! No need to get worked up. I have a good reason. I'll be starting a new series that spans from the last days of World War II to the Reagan era during the Cold War. This new, three-book series will be a historical sci-fi horror thriller, with additional genre labels you may want to apply or see fit. That's not true. I don't necessarily think in terms of genre when writing. All I'm thinking is, write a great story and keep the pages turning. But historical sci-fi horror thriller is as close to the idea as it can be. The first two books are outlined, and the character arcs have been created. All that is left are the chapter breakdowns. So, when the time comes, I'll be ready to put pen to paper right out of the gate. There is a title for the series, but as you know, I prefer not to reveal titles until the first draft is completed, so you'll have to wait a while.
That's it from the writing dungeon. Enjoy your summer or winter, depending on where in the world you are right now. Here's a special shoutout to my U.K. readers. Thank you for accepting Leroy Cutter's story and buying my books. The Sinful peaked at number two for four weeks in late 2023 on Amazon's top ten in the U.K. Tell your mates, loves, lads, and lassies all about The Sinful and Into the Marrow. Someday, I hope to make it over to your island for a pint or two or twenty!
Cheers to all!
GW