Hi folks. I know a lot of you are wondering when my new series is coming out. Okay, I’ve been way too optimistic in the past on time estimates, so I’m not going to do that this time. Taking everything into account, I would say I’m probably going to release it sometime in mid to late February.

I’m 90% through the first draft, so all I have left is to finish the climax and ending, run through it a couple of times in an editing phase, and upload it to Amazon. One of the reasons it took so long is because I tried something new this time. I usually write by the seat of my pants, with a short, one-page plot.

This time, I outlined the whole series in one shot—in detail. Not just the first book, but all three books. (Yes, it’s going to be a trilogy.) The reason I’m doing a trilogy this time is because the series is about three sisters running a cattle ranch in Oklahoma (post World War II), after their parents have passed away. Each book will highlight one particular sister’s story.

If there is a demand for additional books in the series, I can always add those in later on. For now however, it is a trilogy telling the drama/romance tales of each sister, one at a time. Each book will be a standalone, but it would probably be best if read in order to get the full effect of the whole series.

So not only do I have all three books plotted in detail, I have all three covers completed as well. (Yes, I design my covers too.) I know graphical design is better left to the pros, but I seem to have a knack for it. If you’re an aspiring writer and want to design your own covers, I have one piece of advice for you. Keep it simple.

Now, as you can see, even though it took me a while to get going, the subsequent books should be written quite fast. Since I’m a reader myself, I know the feeling when you read a book you love, then have to wait a long time for the next in the series to come out. This way, I’m hoping to avoid that long wait.

So if the first book in the series is almost done, why am I projecting a mid to late February release? It’s because I’m not home in South Florida at the moment. If you’ve been following me on social media, you know that I’m visiting a dear friend in Europe right now. Athens, Greece to be exact. Even though I am getting work done, it is kind of slow-going.

Also, you may be wondering why I’m playing it so close to the vest as far as what this new series is called, and what the books are titled. Rest assured, I have it all worked out, but I’d rather not say anything just yet. It’s not that I’m trying to keep you in the dark. I’m just playing it safe in case I decide to change things around, last minute.

Thanks, love you all — G.C. Riley