The Joy of PTSD, and Other Updates

Hey everyone - this isn't a chapter update, more of a frank admission.

At risk of being overly personal, I've been dealing with some shit. The long and short of it is that current (US political) events are triggering some bad, bad headnoise, PTSD from my rather rough and unpleasant childhood. It has made focusing and following through on repetitive tasks  - chores, journaling, updating websites/social media - extremely difficult. I won't get into details, but we're talking visual/auditory flashbacks... pretty intense stuff that is causing depression and intense insomnia.

Some of you may also know that the US immigration service, USCIS, is basically log-jammed right now. Wait times for essential paperwork and interviews is currently sitting at 44 months - roughly 3.6 years. I was supposed to have a vital interview in December *2018*, and am still waiting. This has left me in a precarious situation with my immigration status that is also weighing on me. I'm having to wade through a mountain of governmental red tape on top of dealing with flashbacks/insomnia/etc. Sadly, I'm not the only LitRPG author having to deal with this. Some of my peers are suffering through this uncertainty as well, wondering if they or their families will be deported due to this bureaucratic nightmare.

The good news is that Spear of Destiny is being written. Brute Force is paused while I deal with immigration, but Archemi #5 is in its second draft. I may have to extend the deadline on it. Please forgive me if I do not update very much through October: I will begin posting chapters as soon as I have the mental processing power to do so.

The other good news is that hardcovers are now available. If you've been a $10+ patron for 3 months or more, I will be sending you a free set of the first three books - Dragon Seed, Trial by Fire, and Kingdom Come - to thank you for your patronage. I will message you with a form to fill out. I'm not sure how long it will take (I have to order them from the fancy book printer Ingram), but they will be in your hands before Christmas.

Anyone I owe paperback copies of Warsinger to will get them, also before Christmas. Also signed :)

I'm doing my best to take care of myself and power through. Archemi and you fans both mean the world to me - so thank you, and apologies for the radio silence. I'm about 40K words into Spear of Destiny, and look forward to being able to share it with you. Because who wouldn't be proud of scintillating dialogue like this:

 The rage that had ignited when he’d creeped on Karalti was now at a constant rolling boil. “You’re fucked in the head.”

“And you’re stalling for time.” The big man cocked his right hand near the pommel of the broadsword sheathed on his hip. “You know why I’m here.”

“Sure I do,” I said. “Prices are as follows: handjob only, fifty bucks. If you want me to slap you in the face and call you a bitch while I do it, that’s an extra twenty.”

The curious light drained from Ororgael’s eyes, leaving them flat and hard. 

“Sorry about the surcharge, man. I have sensitive hands,” I continued. “Either way, you need to provide the lotion and take me to dinner at least once. None of that McDonalds trash, either. I mean something classy, like barbeque.”