Welcome to the first Writing Update.
This category is a place where I'll share what it's really like to build a publishing company and write novels full-time. Some posts will be progress reports. Others will be reflections on the writing process, publishing, or the countless projects that happen behind the scenes between one book and the next.
It seems fitting that the first post begins with a little context.
For over thirty-five years, I worked in enterprise IT. During that time, writing wasn't my full-time job—it was what I did after my real work was finished. Most evenings, after the house had grown quiet and everyone else had gone to bed, I'd sit down at my computer to write, edit, format books, learn marketing, or work on the countless details that come with independent publishing.
Those late nights eventually became Million Dollar Smile, my debut novel, and later Jericho Prime, the first book in The Vespera Revelation series.
This year marked a major life change. I retired from my IT career to devote my time to Twelve Stones Publishing and the stories I've wanted to tell for years. It still feels a little strange to say that out loud, but it also feels like the right next chapter.
Since retiring, my days have been anything but quiet.
One of the greatest blessings has simply been having more time with my family. After years of fitting life around work schedules and late-night writing sessions, it's been refreshing to slow down a bit and enjoy time together. I've also been able to spend more time working with horses—something that has become an important and rewarding part of my life over the past few years.
Even though I've stepped away from a career in IT, I haven't stepped away from technology. I still enjoy writing software to keep my technical skills sharp, and I'm putting those skills to good use in my publishing business. Whether it's developing tools to streamline my workflow or building and maintaining this website, technology continues to be an important part of what I do.
A significant amount of time has gone into preparing for the release of Jericho Prime. Beyond final edits and production work, I've been building a long-term marketing foundation: creating weekly social media content, writing articles for this website, producing videos, growing my newsletter, and completely redesigning my author website to better reflect the stories and ideas I hope to share for years to come.
While Jericho Prime is naturally receiving most of my attention, Million Dollar Smile hasn't been forgotten. I'm continuing to promote it as opportunities arise. It's a story that remains deeply personal to me, and I still hope more readers will discover it.
At the same time, the writing itself continues.
I'm currently working on the first draft of Chapter 4 of Book Two of The Vespera Revelation Book 2. Returning to Vespera has been both exciting and challenging. The second book asks different questions than the first, and I'm enjoying discovering where those questions lead.
The next major milestone is just ahead.
Jericho Prime releases on September 8, 2026, and there's still plenty to do before launch day. There are marketing campaigns to prepare, newsletters to write, blog posts to publish, and all the small details that somehow become very large details as publication approaches.
It's a busy season—but it's exactly the season I've been working toward for a long time.
Thanks for following along. Whether you're here because you enjoyed Million Dollar Smile, you're looking forward to Jericho Prime, or you're simply curious about the life of an independent author, I'm glad you're here. I hope these Writing Updates give you an honest look behind the scenes as this journey continues.