I finished the second draft of The War God’s Son late Friday night. Sometimes projects need a third or more drafts before I dare show them to First Reader, but in this case I can’t think of anything else the book needs, so once I have it printed out the manuscript goes to First Reader for one of the more perilous phases of the project. Yes, I know, but First Reader is Old School, and wants a physical object to tear into. You can’t scribble or hack through paragraphs in phosphors…well, actually you can, but it’s just not as satisfying. So there will be a paper copy, which I will—hopefully—convert back into a finished book once she’s had her way with it. This, naturally, will not happen overnight. So right now I’ve got a little free time–by which I mean writing time not already spoken for–and thus my next problem.
I need to decide how to spend that time. I left the sequel to Black Kath’s Daughter hanging fire because the above project got its priority upgraded. But, to be clear, BKD+ is a personal project and so there are no actual deadlines on it. There are a few people waiting on it, and I do hate to keep them waiting, so I could get back to that while First Reader has her say on TWGS. On the other hand I haven’t written a short story in over six months while I was drafting TWGS. I think I’m getting withdrawal twinges, and I wouldn’t mind using the time to satisfy my short fiction jones.
Must think about this, but not too long since I don’t have all the time in the world and I could end up doing neither. If anyone reading this has an opinion, I’d like to hear it.
Richard Parks 
For me… I would say getting the next Yamada book would be my 1st choice (Yamada Monogotari seemed the first book of yours I found and then only due to the posting you made about it’s early release on Charles de Lint’s wife’s Facebook thread – and as I have a Shih Tzu named Abe no Seimei it particularly resonated with me), then Eli Motherbach (sp?), but I’m adoring All the Gates of Hell, so perhaps the most important task would be making past work not currently available on Kindle (the only way I’ll read now) available?
I’ve actually been doing that, and All the Gates of Hell was one of the last ones, at least of what’s already been written (and so glad you’re enjoying it). I still have to get the last PS novella (The Heavenly Fox up, and then I’ll be caught up. Except for the collection Worshipping Small Gods, which is up to the publisher and they haven’t moved on that yet.
The first Yamada novel is still scheduled for print in November, but I’m expecting it to be delayed. I’ll report as soon as I know anything more. I think Prime will do a Kindle version of that once the reprint has been released, but that won’t be until late next year, I’m afraid.
I had enjoyed your Laws of Power stories in Realms of Fantasy many years ago and had hoped that you would one day extend them into a book. I enjoyed Black Kath’s Daughter and hope you return to the sequel in the near term.
Sincerely,
Eugene Berl
eugene.berl@cohnreznick.com
Thank you. I do hope to get back to it in the near future.