Oh, dear. Has it really been so terribly long since Bookish Bits last graced this site? Over three years. Oh, my. Well, time to remedy that distressing reality with a fresh installment and some bookish news. No time for moping, let’s jump in and get started!
Where has the time gone?
Since the publication of Grimbriar in 2023 I have been wandering in the wilderness a bit. I wrote a small novella called Stoneguard in 2024 which I hope to publish at some point. While it is part of The Swordspeaker Saga world, it takes place many centuries before the present conflict. Then I began the first draft of Mountainfall, book 4 in the Swordspeaker Saga, in 2025. That took me all the way into 2026 to finish.
But finished it is! And off to the capable hands of my editor.
I think this story will catch a few readers by surprise. The lore of the glaives is a developing thing and sometimes what you think you know about them is not what they turn out to be, let’s just say that.
There are some wonderful elements to this story, and it flows very well. Yet there is a sense of doom to this story, that no matter how hard they try, their enemy is always one step ahead of them.
The good news is, you won’t have to wait long to read it. The current release date is December 1, 2026, but I’m hopeful we’ll be able to beat that.
The book is currently available for preorder (ebook format) at a discount on Amazon.
A Swift release?
While I have yet to start on book 5, the plan is to start writing it as soon as the proofs are back for Mountainfall. For various reasons, I am feeling the need to get this one out much quicker.
The book is called Swiftlight but more than that I can’t really share at the moment.
I actually have the ambitious goal of getting out both books 5 and 6 in 2027. I feel bad for the 3 year delay between Grimbriar and Mountainfall, but I thank all the readers who have been patiently waiting for me to finish this series.
May the next few months will be full of Swordspeaker goodness for all of us.
Lorehaven
In other bookish news, I was recently contacted by the owner of lorehaven.com to ensure that the listings for my books there were up to date. Since I do not believe I’ve mentioned this site before, I thought I’d take the opportunity here.
Lorehaven is a book review and book catalog of sorts at its most basic level. Visitors can discover fantasy and sci-fi books there written from a Christian worldview. I encourage you to take a look.
But Lorehaven goes beyond just featuring books. They have a podcast, a discord, monthly reads, and articles about ways Christians can engage with the arts and commentary on how that interplay works itself out in an industry steeped in secular perspectives.
I wish them all the best with their endeavors!
Silmaril Awards
And finally, September is upon us and that means it’s once again time for the Silmaril Awards. This will be the 11th year of these fantasy character awards (the Fantasy Oscars) and I am once again hosting.
This year we have a few new hosts, as well as a new category, Most Rakish Rogue. We’ll see what sort of rogue’s gallery we can assemble or if those characters prove so stealthy we won’t be able to find them.
I’ll be hosting the Most Epic Hero and I can’t wait. That award is a particular favorite.
Check back here and on the Silmaril Awards website on September 7th, the official kickoff of this year’s awards.
Until next time, I’ll see you…between the pages.
Delightful bookish bits!