Monthly Newsletter
Transmission Update: Building What Comes Next
Operation Emberlight, Monthly Transmission
Status: Development Continues
Clearance: Subscriber Network
Citizens of the Resistance,
Another busy month behind the scenes.
I have good news, frustrating news, and the kind of news that only makes sense if you’ve ever tried to build a story while simultaneously realizing that the story you’re writing is becoming much larger than the one you originally imagined.
Let’s start with the obvious:
A Trickster’s War 2 is moving forward. Not as quickly as I would like. But still heading in that direction. I am currently working through chapter nine of A Trickster’s War 2. That probably sounds further along than it feels. The reason is revisions. I have been going back through the manuscript repeatedly, making sure the story I’m building now actually connects with the story that came before it. Some of the work has required me to stop, rethink scenes, reconsider character motivations, and occasionally tear apart something I thought was finished.
It’s frustrating, but also necessary. Book Two is becoming a deeper story than I initially anticipated.
One area receiving the most attention is the relationship between Mace and Lena. Lena has become an increasingly important part of the story, and I’m spending considerable time making sure both characters develop distinct personalities rather than simply serving the needs of the plot. Their relationship matters quite a bit.
So does Mace’s relationship with other characters and the influence those relationships continue to have on who he becomes. The challenge is finding the right balance. How much of the past should influence the present? How much should remain buried, and how do those relationships shape the decisions Mace makes without turning the story into an explanation of itself?
Those are some of the questions I’m wrestling with right now, and, honestly, that’s where a lot of the rewriting is happening.
The Readers Are Getting Involved
One of the best developments this month has been working with my ARC readers. Two readers in particular have been going through A Trickster’s War 2, and their feedback has been incredibly valuable. They’re not simply telling me whether they like the story. They’re catching details, they’re pointing out areas that need clarification, and they’re reacting to character interactions. They help me see where the manuscript is working and where it isn’t. That kind of feedback is invaluable when you’re buried inside a manuscript for months at a time.
It’s also encouraging to hear that readers who enjoyed the first book are particularly interested in seeing more personality and character development, especially from Lena. That’s exactly the kind of feedback I need as I shape Book Two.
The series Antagonist has been especially hard to develop. I can’t reveal too much yet, but I can say this: General Malrick’s history with Mace will matter. Not because they are related; they aren’t. Their connection comes from somewhere else, and that history is becoming increasingly important to the larger story. I’m deliberately keeping the details under wraps for now.
Some things are better discovered on the page.
Right now, I’m looking toward an early 2027 release, potentially in the spring. That’s not a firm release date. It’s more a target.
I’d rather take the extra time needed to produce the book I actually want to release than rush it just to hit an arbitrary deadline. The first book established the world. Book Two needs to build on it. That takes a lot of time.
The Manga Project Continues
The Christian Shonen-inspired manga project I’m developing with Graphene Cloud Services continues to move forward as well. The artwork is currently in the black-and-white lining stage, and seeing the project begin to take visual form has been incredibly exciting.
Artistic collaboration has been one of the highlights of this entire process. The attention to detail, professionalism, and care being put into the work have been fantastic.
Plenty is still under wraps, but I’m looking forward to eventually showing more of what we’re building. For now, you’ll have to stay tuned.
The Short Fiction Continues
My short fiction continues to receive some fantastic responses on Royal Road and Reedsy, and I’m still working with Reedsy contests as opportunities arise.
One story I’m particularly proud of is “1 Hour for a Lifetime.”
The response to that story has been especially encouraging, and it has now been submitted to KSquare Magazine for consideration.
Another piece, “The Cloths We Leave Behind,” is also part of the growing body of short fiction I’m developing. These smaller stories have become an important part of my writing process. They give me a chance to experiment with different characters, different tones, and different ideas. Sometimes a short story is where an idea gets to breathe before it becomes something larger.
The VTuber project is still waiting and hasn’t disappeared. It has simply been intentionally parked for the moment. The concept is still there, and the work already done remains part of the larger vision, but I don’t want to launch something simply because I can. I want to make sure the scripts, structure, and supporting work are ready before I move forward. That means working with Nox to determine how best to structure the project and what the first shows should actually look like. For now, the VTuber remains on standby.
Sometimes knowing when not to launch something is just as important as knowing when to launch it.
I am trying to build more than a book, and one of the strangest things about this journey has been realizing that A Trickster’s War is no longer simply a novel. It’s becoming a creative ecosystem. There is the original novel. There is Book Two. There are short stories. There is a developing manga project. There is the VTuber concept. There are the Resistance Files, the ongoing rebrand, and the visual identity that people have started to become part of along the way.
That last part may be the most important because none of this happens in isolation.
A Personal Note… I don’t always talk about the personal side of this journey. But this month, I want to acknowledge something in light of the issues happening in this day and age.
My family has been incredibly supportive throughout this entire process.
Some of them still tell me they’re waiting for the audiobook before they’ll read A Trickster’s War, which I find both hilarious and slightly insulting.
But they’ve been there. They’ve supported me through the changes, the setbacks, the long nights, the revisions, everything that comes with building something new, and I’m proud of that.
I’m also proud that I kept going. Writing these books has not always been easy. There have been plenty of moments when walking away would have been easier. But every time I hear from someone who connected with one of my stories, every time a reader catches something I didn’t expect them to catch, and every time someone tells me they are looking forward to Book Two…
It reminds me why I’m doing this.
Looking Ahead
So where does that leave us?
- A Trickster’s War 2 — Chapter Nine and moving forward.
- ARC readers — providing invaluable feedback.
- General Malrick — still waiting in the shadows.
- The manga project — still taking shape.
- Short fiction — continuing to find readers and opportunities.
- Reedsy contests — still part of the journey.
- VTuber project — intentionally parked while the foundation is developed.
And somewhere in the middle of it all, I’m still working a full-time job and trying to find enough hours in the day to keep the entire operation moving.
It’s not always fast, but it is moving, and that’s what matters.
Final Transmission
The hardest part of writing a second book isn’t always putting words on the page. Sometimes it’s knowing when those words aren’t right yet. Sometimes it’s stepping backward so you can move forward. Sometimes, it’s realizing that a character needs more room to breathe, or it’s having someone else read your work and point out something you couldn’t see because you were standing too close to it.
That’s where I am right now. Building, rebuilding, revising, learning, and pushing the story forward one page at a time.
Thank you for following the journey. Thank you for reading the stories, and thank you to everyone who has taken the time to tell me what they think.
Book Two is coming.
The story isn’t finished yet… and neither is the Resistance.
— C.J. Riley
The Voice of the Resistance
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Light still cuts through the dark. Sometimes, you just have to keep the signal alive.
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