Hello, everyone! Since we’re slowly but surely moving past The Band launch and inching ever closer to The Empty Room release in October, I wanted to give you some updates. On the other hand, I’m not even done with the first draft yet (roughly 70% there!), so this will serve as some accountability, too.
So here’s what each update will entail, and these will continue until the first draft is done. And maybe even after! First, a word count update. Second, a projected/fluid release date. And third, a brief summary of what’s happening with the book.
Don’t worry. No spoilers! Just some good, old-fashioned teasers, and a behind-the-scenes look at this chaotic, often-confusing, sometimes-rewarding writing process.
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June 10
#1: Let’s get straight to it. I’m finished.
Yes, the first draft of The Empty Room is finally done. I really locked-in this last week and added somewhere between 6,000 and 8,000 words to finish it off. This always happens with my books: Once I get close to the end, I smell blood, and I just go for it. So it’s done. The book is done.
Now comes the long, long editing process. But for now, I’m taking a moment to try and appreciate what I’ve finished.
Writing a trilogy is hard. I learned that the hard way, too. But I’m thrilled to give these characters a proper ending. It gets a little emotional at the end of a series like this, when I’ve been thinking about the Woods family for years, planning scenes, coming up with ideas.
I can’t promise everyone has a happy ending, but I can promise some twists and excitement you won’t see coming.
#2: Projected release date– October 7, 2025. A little bit earlier than before! And I’ll have a cover real soon.
#3: That’s all for a little bit! I won’t have any more update posts until the end of the summer, most likely. The last few weeks have been a whirlwind. Time to rest, recharge, and turn this rough final draft into gold.
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And if you can’t wait until then, check out The Band, my newest novel, a standalone story set in West Virginia about a touring cover band. It’s got murder, mystery, rock-n-roll, romance… what more could you need?
David Kummer 
I discovered your writing when I read The Band. An edge-of-the-seat mystery with a twisted end I didn’t see coming. Amazon recommended Misery House and The Silent Forest and initially I thought they were the only two books in the series. I was wrong. I’ve devoured both in two weeks and cannot wait to complete the trilogy to see how it all ends. It will be impossible for me to forget to purchase it on it’s release date – what you have listed is my 70th birthday. I’ll be waiting.
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Thank you so much! I’m really glad you enjoyed the books, and I can’t wait to share the next one with you. The Empty Room is a blast! (Though maybe not for the Woods family…) Thank you again for reaching out!
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