So, only one chapter this week.

  I know, I know, I've been having a harder time than usual getting these out. But that's a multifold answer which I'll bring to the fore right now.

  1. My work has gone insane. For those of you who read the discord, you know what I'm talking about. My grand hope, and the hope of all twelve of my patrons, is that I will one day write full-time. Should that ever arrive, I estimate I'll have 3 chapters a week, released on a Monday, Wednesday, Friday schedule. But for now, we get what we get due to me working three jobs. Teaching, Coaching (esports, nationally ranked), Writing.

  2. The second reason is kinda my publisher's fault. They sent me the edited version of Book 1: Symphony: The Alpha Protocol. I had to go through 13k edits. Not 13, or even 130. Thirteen-thousand. For those of you who thought my editing was above-par, welcome to reality. The editor's educational and work credentials make mine look like a junior-higher trying to get a job, so I trust her. I was going through the edits every night for about two weeks, commenting and fixing things as I went. It's very hard to edit one book while writing another. Two different mindsets. Thus, I was slowed down and very tired.

  3. Brain drain. I've taken some time off here and there, as you well know. But, we're hitting the sections of the final book in the series that I planned two to three years ago. That's a very big deal to me. I need to make sure that everything that has happened, that is going to happen, and that will happen in future series, makes a certain amount of sense. So, I've been re-reading old notes, documents, and everything in-between with the help of my beta readers to make sure what's coming...matters.

  Now, to get to the larger point here. The upcoming chapter closes out The Liberated Ones. The one after closes out Alexander and the Earth. Then we're in the final battle and some seriously fucked up shit. As in, not gruesome or gory necessarily, but just some messed up items I have on my ticker box that need to show up. All the Chekov's guns must be fired, or not fired. All the required subtext must be answered.

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  That leaves me a little less than eighteen chapters to hit about fifty planned plot points. So, as fast as Book four has been thus far, it is about to get much, much faster.

  Now, on the bright side of the light. Book 1 is closed out with the publisher, and they shouldn't send me the Book 2 notes for another few weeks to maybe even months. So, I'm recovering and should I hit further setbacks and slow downs, I'll be sure to give everyone an update as time comes.

  The Boy and the Stick is loosely plotted, and Primordial Poet's book to book planning is on the way. When the series ends here, I'll dive into editing book 3, getting that out, then hit TBatS before diving into Book 1: Primordial Poet: Haikus and Heroics.

  I hope with all the craziness in the world, you're doing well, and safe.

  As always, if you'd like to read ahead, you can hop onto my Patreon. I think, at this point, the full series is on there. Maybe need one more week.

  Book 1 of Symphony will be removed from RR in the next month and a half due to stubbing. I'm trying to finish the series before that happens.

  Due to all of that, and to cap this off, I'd like to have a little contest.

  Because Alexander absolutely loves to create one-liners, the kind you would see in a cheesy 80's film, I'm willing to give three one-month sub's to my Patreon to the top three one-liners. I'll go through them all and pick out the top five to ten, then place a poll here so everyone gets a chance to vote.

  That should be enough for you to read the end of the series before everyone else and have a chance to ask me whatever questions you'd like.

  Multiple submissions are fine, but don't go too crazy. Up to three max, I feel, is safe.

  So that's it. You'll likely get one more update as the book ends, and then, Symphony is done (until the next interconneted series).

  Thank you so very much for reading my first series. I can tell you, without a doubt, my writing has greatly improved in the next twenty odd chapters!

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