Update on The Labyrinth of Flame

Sometimes I think the universe particularly enjoys messing with a writer trying to finish a book.  I'd intended to make a really big push in August so I could finish my revision of The Labyrinth of Flame by summer's end...only to get a nasty flare-up of carpal tunnel syndrome that meant I had to limit my hours at the keyboard.  Thankfully, a week away from the computer for a family vacation to the Tetons & Yellowstone was a huge help for my wrists, plus my company fixed up my office workstation and bought me a spiffy new chair so I can be properly ergonomic at the day job.  I'm still typing with wrist braces but I think (I hope!) I've got the carpal tunnel under control.

So. I'm not done with the revision yet, but I'm pushing ever closer.  My son just started kindergarten, which gives me two new 5-hour chunks of writing time every week (since I told my boss I wasn't increasing my day job hours until I finish the book).  I can't even tell you how wonderful it is to have solid chunks of time like that.  It's so much easier to be productive when I can really dig into writing rather than doing it in stolen snatches of time.  As an extra bonus, I'm not exhausted like I am when I write at night after my son goes to bed!

Best of all, I'm close enough to finishing to firm up my plans for publication.  The Labyrinth of Flame kickstarter will happen in mid-February.  That'll give me time to finish the revision and get feedback on the completed book from beta-readers, so I can have it as close to publication-ready as possible before the kickstarter begins.

In even more exciting news, artist David Palumbo finished the cover art for the book, and I love it!  Think it might be my favorite of the series.  Designer Martha Wade is working on the cover now, adding title and cover copy and all that good stuff.  As soon as she's done, I'll be stampeding to the internet to show off Labyrinth's awesome cover - so stay tuned for that later this month.

The one sad piece of news is that I won't be attending the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers' Colorado Gold conference this weekend.  I need that time for working on revision.  I'm pretty bummed, since I adore this conference (it's where I first met my agent and critique group).  I've gone every year since my first time in 2008, and I always have a wonderful time.  But I tell myself I will have an even more wonderful time next year with the Shattered Sigil trilogy fully complete and in readers' hands.

I will still be attending MileHiCon in Denver on Oct 24-26, and World Fantasy in DC on Nov 6-9.  (If I'm lucky, I'll even have the revision done before WFC.  Fingers crossed!)

Edited to add: I decided to give those of you on my Labyrinth of Flame mailing list a sneak preview of the cover art, as a thanks for your interest and support.  If you haven't signed up for the mailing list and would like to, email me at courtney (at) courtneyschafer (dot) com.