H.G. RANDOLPH
UPDATES FROM THE AUTHOR
Monday, January 2, 2023
OUT NOW: Dance of Frozen Death
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Greetings Fellow Mortals,
This is the first of my monthly updates. I plan to post a blog at the end of every month in order to give updates on the progress of my work. There’s a chance that I will give some updates on possible future projects as well. I have a lot of ideas swarming in my head, and I haven’t written a blog before now. So, I hope that people will be patient with me as I figure this out.
The new year will start out with a lot of excitement. “Dance of Frozen Death” is out for everyone to read. As the first book in a fifteen book series, it’s at a weird place in my heart. I love the introduction to all my favorite characters and secretly outlining everything that will happen in the series. At the same time, it’s a difficult book because I have to hold myself back from sharing too much. I think that it’s the perfect start for a journey into the Elpeasia universe.
Hopefully, I can manage the same thing with the stand alone novels. Right now, my editing time is mostly dedicated to “Above Heaven.” That novel is at a drastically different point in time than the Written in Stone series, but I think that it fits into the universe perfectly. It does a great job describing what life was like right after the Great Cataclysm. I’m really proud of it, but I am a bit frustrated with editing something that long. Forty-four chapters can be a lot in comparison to “Dance of Frozen Death.”
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It makes me excited to get back to Written in Stone. “Vows of Blood and Honor” is next on the editing schedule. I looked at the first few chapters a few months ago. It feels like the perfect continuation of the first book, but I need to be really careful. That’s the first book where readers get to see the gods. I need to walk a fine line of revealing the right amount of information and keeping the lore consistent.
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Writing through the tenth Written in Stone book “The Forsaken Gods” is helping. Each arc in the series is five novels. The last book in a series ends up being a little victory lap for me. I like to tie all the lore together. Everything is wrapping up, and I’m getting prepared to start the last trek of December’s journey. I feel super fulfilled by the story.
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My current stand alone project “Lost Cause” is moving along as well. I’ve been thinking about the line between helping victims and punishing perpetrators. That argument seems to be popping up a lot in the book. I’m curious what my conclusion will be and how it will fit in with the planned ending. Plus, it’s been really fun writing about the Elpeasia universe’s underworld. The depths don’t get a lot of attention when it isn’t the central focus of a story.
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The end of 2022 was a big step with my journey on Youtube as well. I’ve been implementing clips as a poor attempt at humor. It’s not perfect yet, but I know that I’ll improve with practice. I’ve been trying to find ways to make the videos better. My policy is that people will always be attracted to quality. The hard parts are my current level of skill and the time limit I have with each video. I’d love to get better at editing, but I’m super busy with all my other projects. So, I guess I need more time.
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As a less pressing issue, I’ve recently thought of a multitude of new ideas. They’re more working concepts than outlined stories yet. “Abhorrent” was based on a dream I had recently. “Undermine,” “Morpho,” “Paper Thin,” and “Vindicated” were all inspired by reading Brandon Sanderson’s “Oathbringer.” Finally, “Phobos” is just an idea for a power and a creature based off of fear. It’s all exciting stuff. I’m sure I’ll get to all of these ideas within the next twenty years. You know. Because I have 128 other projects to get to first.
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By the end of January, “The Forsaken Gods” and “Lost Cause” should both be 70% complete. “Above Heaven” should be almost through its final edit. We’ll see how “Dance of Frozen Death” is doing as well. This is the first step of my journey. If you’re reading this, I want to thank you for being a part of the beginning of my career. I appreciate you. Do not despair.
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Dance of Frozen Death: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BRFDVSGZ
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Wednesday, February 1, 2023
FEBRUARY UPDATE: New Project Idea
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Greetings, Fellow Mortals
So far, 2023 has been a busy year. The hardest part has been getting a handle on social media and marketing. It doesn’t come naturally to me, but I’m making improvements. I have plenty of ideas to help promote my work. It will be exciting to establish myself going forward. Hopefully, I can slowly overcome my tendency to keep to myself.
With Dance of Frozen Death being out for a month, I’ve been working with my wife on the branding for the series and Elpeasia as a whole. It’s a big universe. A lot is in it, and a lot happens. I’m hoping to establish symbols and a timeline to help people better understand the world inside my head.
After all, everything is continuing to grow. Writing was a bit slower than expected. The tenth Written in Stone book, The Forsaken Gods, got a bit delayed. There were health issues in the family. I was a bit distracted and had to make a choice about what I could afford to delay. Considering how far ahead I am in the series, I thought a few weeks of a writing hiatus would help ease the burden on my other responsibilities.
I still see myself finishing the tenth book by the middle of March. This should be way before my next novel, Above Heaven, releases. Progress on my current standalone, Lost Cause, has been a bit slower too. I should finish that one by April. I’m conflicted because I’m reaching the climax of the story, and that’s exciting. At the same time, I have a craving to start a new project. Writing the beginning of a new tale is my favorite part of the process.
Fortunately, my editing has remained consistent throughout everything. Above Heaven is going through its final readthrough. It should be finished at the start of March. I should be able to format it well before its release date in May. Then, my wife can help me with the covers. We’re hoping to release all versions of the book at the same time for this release.
While the book creating process has smoothed out, I find myself frustrated by the lack of growth with my YouTube videos. It seems like everyone is struggling for growth now, but I feel that my skills have grown. I wish there was some sort of way to reflect that. All I can do is keep going and hope for the best. Maybe YouTube will fix whatever problems they’re currently having. Well, at least I’m above 500 subs finally. That’s something, at least.
As we move into February, I find myself contemplating mortality and death a lot. It’s not like I’m sad or scared. It’s just more that I’m interested in the line between existence and nonexistence. I think this is coming out in what I’m watching, reading, and wanting to write. My next project will probably be Lament. It’s a story about a little girl who died and became a ghost. It’s different from my other stories, because it doesn’t have any action. But I’m excited for the new challenge.
Overall, I have positive feelings about 2023. I could really use a steady year compared to everything since 2020. There’s a lot to do, and I’m busy every day. But I feel like I’m making progress, and there’s nothing more fulfilling than that. Thank you for being a part of my journey. I appreciate you. Do not despair.
Wednesday, March 1, 2023
EXCITED FOR THE NEXT RELEASE: Above Heaven Edits Nearing Completion
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Greetings Fellow Mortals,
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Above Heaven is almost fully edited. By Thursday, March 9, it should be completed. The official release date is May 1. I’m super excited about this story. I originally wrote it during a trying time in my life. I think a lot of what I was contemplating bleeds through the pages. It’s a fast paced novel, but I think I have done a good job putting “carrots and broccoli” in with the “meat and potatoes.” This is my wife’s way of saying that I need to add more padding to the story.
I’ve also started editing the sequel to Dance of Frozen Death. Vows of Blood and Honor is the second book in the Written in Stone series. It’s the first step in opening up to the greater world which is the Nine Kingdoms of Ten. After mentioning the nations of the gods multiple times in the first novel, I’m excited to immediately dip my toes into the Forsaken with the World Peace Summit.
My current writing is going according to schedule. The first draft of The Forsaken Gods (Written in Stone Book 10) is almost complete. Oddly enough, it will be done March 10. Yes. The day after Above Heaven is edited. It will be a big week for me. Not to mention that Lost Cause, my thriller/horror standalone project, is 5-6 chapters away from completion. I can picture myself finishing that project in April. Immediately after, I will start Lament. That’s a ghost story about regretting what could have been.
Although, my wife seems to be more interested in me starting Deflect. It’s the first pure romance story that I ever pondered. That book was inspired by A Story About Smoking At The Back Of The Supermarket. It’s a cute little manga that was suggested to me. While cute, the lack of development frustrated me.
As for my YouTube content, I’ve discovered the popularity of shorts. It’s allowed me more growth in a few days than I’ve seen in months. I’m hoping to capitalize on this trend by extending into Tiktok. That social media brand isn’t exactly my style, but I love talking about storytelling. Plus, I want to do everything I can to reach more people for my videos and books.
Speaking of social media, I’ve finally asked my wife for help in this regard. It’s definitely my biggest weakness. Instagram and Facebook don’t click with me. With her assistance, I’m hoping to build a bit of a brand. I’m so thankful for her. Without her, I don’t think that I could keep track of everything. This is a lot, but I want this to be successful more than anything. Storytelling is my great passion, and I want to share my work and thoughts with people.
The third month of my journey begins with new life and hope. Sometimes, pushing forward is frustrating, but I feel excited. I feel determined, and I have my person supporting me. Life is good. Thank you for being a part of my journey. I appreciate you. Do not despair.
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Saturday, April 1, 2023
WRITING UPDATE: Two Books Written, One Book Finished
Greetings Fellow Mortals,
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March was perhaps the biggest month I’ve had in a long time. My wife and I finally finished editing Above Heaven. It proved to be a beast of a book. The paperback is over 600 pages. I did not think it was that long, but I was proven wrong. Considering how burnt out I felt by editing once I was done, I decided that I need to be more careful about pacing out my work in that regard. Nevertheless, my next book is completely finished. It will be released on May 1st.
That wasn’t the only success I’ve found. Writing went phenomenally this month. The tenth book in the Written In Stone series is complete. The Forsaken Gods was an undertaking. It was the end of part 2 out of 3. I had to wrap up so many storylines, but it was done. Now, I get to make progress on the last arc of the story. I’m super excited by the change in pace I have planned for the series.
In addition, I finished a standalone novel Lost Cause. I'm super satisfied with how the book turned out. It’s slower paced than what I normally do, but I think it progresses perfectly. I adore the climax as well. I still debate if I should have made the ending a bit longer. At the same time, I think that my conclusion works perfectly. I’m waiting for my wife to read it to see what she thinks. If I need to extend the ending, so be it. But I think she’ll like it overall. I’m very proud of it.
This means I get to start writing my next standalone now. I’ve been so excited for Lament. It’s going to be a very personal story to me. I’ve never dealt with ghosts before this, but I always want to try something different each time I write. That’s why the book after Lament will be a pure romance novel called Deflect. I love experimenting with genres.
In terms of Youtube, I think that I’m finally getting a handle on Youtube Shorts. It’s really helped my channel grow. I finally got past 600 subs. The path to monetization is underway. I don’t expect tons of money from my work, but it would be nice to get something from the time I put into this. For the first time in a while, I feel excited to keep making videos. I’m really enjoying every aspect of it.
Outside of work, I’ve been pretty obsessed with revenge stories as of late. Mainly, The Glory and John Wick Chapter 4. Oddly enough, I don’t want revenge on anyone. Perhaps I enjoy these tales so much because of how at peace I am with everything. It’s nice.
Besides that, I’ve been thinking a lot about sex in the media. People seem to have a wide range of opinions on it. No one can deny that sex sells. I can see why writers are tempted to include it, but I still don’t feel like it’s my style. Sex scenes are either cringy or porn, and I don’t know which one I’d be more ashamed to write.
Anyway, it was a fantastic month. I’m ready for spring, though. I want sunshine and warmth. It’s almost here. Here’s to having a fantastic April. Thank you for being a part of my journey. I appreciate you. Do not despair.
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Monday, May 1, 2023
OUT NOW: Above Heaven
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Greetings Fellow Mortals,
April was the month of highs and lows. Oddly enough, my biggest growth came through YouTube. I broke through 700 subs and am getting closer to the 1,000 mark. The steady growth is heartening, but I also feel unnerved that more people are paying attention. I suppose it’s a double edged sword. I’ve never been the type of person to like attention, but I chose a career path that demands it. I can see why writers sometimes hate their careers, even if it involves the thing they love the most.
Besides that, progress on my other projects have been slower. After finishing Above Heaven, my wife and I decided to take a break from editing. It was a decent recharge period. We did start the next book, Vows of Blood and Honor, early. Five chapters are done, but that’s not as many as we wanted. Nevertheless, we are ahead of schedule. The third Elpeasia novel and second part of Written in Stone will be out in September.
Writing has gone a little slowly this month. I was burnt out on everything after the busy first three months of the year. Luckily, a vacation was scheduled for the third week in April. Of course, I was sick for the fourth week after traveling. I tried to get my creative work done, but I was thrown through the ringer. I probably slept twelve hours every day and still felt terrible. It was super frustrating.
If there is one positive from it, I’m ready to dive back into the deep end of work again. My next books Burning Heart of Compassion and Lament have been started. I’m ready to get some real momentum on those stories. I am grateful to have gotten through the first ten books of Written in Stone before going back to edit the earlier parts. It will help me keep the lore consistent. There are five books left in the series, and I’m ready to see if I can pull it all together in the end.
As for Lament, I feel grateful that I read To The Lighthouse before starting it. That was a perfect character study book. It will help me as I push through creating a book that’s purely about characters instead of plot or setting. Although, there will be lore revealed in the Elpeasia universe. I just can’t help myself.
With Above Heaven released, I think my life is about to pick up. Luckily, I've recovered from my illness. I’m recharged. There are a lot of new projects that I want to complete. Here’s hoping for a productive summer. Thank you for being a part of my journey. I appreciate you. Do not despair.
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Link:
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Tuesday, June 6, 2023
WRITING UPDATE: Mundane Is How I Like It
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Greetings Fellow Mortals,
Well, it turns out that I couldn’t even last half a year. This is my first late update. It probably won’t be the last. With spring concluding and summer beginning, I’ve been spending a lot of time outside. There’s a lot happening, and I completely spaced this aspect of my work. Oh well. We’re all only human.
Most of the month was spent adjusting my YouTube channel. I wanted to improve my videos. I think they’re much better now, but it hurts my standing with the algorithm. Progress has slowed. But I do feel that I’ve finally transitioned from okay to good. I still have a lot to learn, but I feel more confident now.
Writing has progressed well. I’m effectively halfway done with Burning Heart of Compassion. Lament has roughly eight chapters complete. While the progress is going well, I feel somewhat stuck. My motivation is low. I blame Tears of the Kingdom. It has been calling me. Plus, there’s Vinland Saga. Fortunately, inspiration comes in waves. I’m sure I’ll be in a writing mood soon enough.
My editing process has become a well oiled machine. Rewriting has become fun. Editing is easier because of the full rewrites. The final reads go really well now. It helps that I’m ahead in this regard. Having a wide grace area makes everything easier. My wife and I are also grateful that most of my books aren’t nearly as long as Above Heaven.
In a lot of ways, work has become mundane. This is good for me. I love the mundane. It’s a lot less stressful than the alternatives. Busy but calm is my favorite vibe. I hope everything continues this way. Although, I’d love to see more growth. Oh well. That takes time. Thank you for being a part of my journey. I appreciate you. Do not despair.
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Sunday, July 7, 2023
WRITING UPDATE: Summer Groove
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Greetings Fellow Mortals,
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As summer starts, I find myself getting into a groove. Maybe it’s the weather, but I feel far more productive now than in a few months. This is especially true with rewriting and editing. I finally feel confident in that aspect of storytelling. Just in time to finish Vows of Blood and Honor. That book is on the brink of being finished. With my process going so well, I’m actually excited to keep the momentum going into my next book.
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Speaking of newer books, my two recent projects Burning Heart of Compassion and Lament have both been going well. With everything else going on, my writing has been a bit slower than usual. Fortunately, I feel proud of my steady progress. The eleventh book of Written in Stone is halfway complete. Lament is between a third and a quarter complete. It’s all very exciting.
My YouTube videos have gone well. I finally feel like I’m happy with how the ending projects turn out. My skills finally meet where my vision is. I could still get better at the visual editing aspect, but I’m actually happy with it now. I always want to get better. It does feel nice to be proud of what I’m creating now, though.
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Personally, June was a weird month. My dog Winter had an anal gland rupture. Yeah. That was not fun. It’s kept me concentrated on her for the most part, but I did have a few thoughts over the past few weeks. I finally played AI: The Somnium Files. Not only did that game help clear up my thoughts on branching timelines, it helped clear my thoughts on a book idea I had about dementia. Originally, the novel was going to be called Memento Mori, but now I want to name it Sentimental or Sentimentality.
With 2023 halfway done, I feel like everything is going well. I can only hope that everything continues to improve.Thank you for being a part of my journey. I appreciate you. Do not despair.
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Tuesday, August 1, 2023
WRITING UPDATE: Ups and Downs
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Greetings Fellow Mortals,
July was a lot about recharging when it comes to editing and rewriting. Vows of Blood and Honor is complete and ready for the release on September first. I’ve gotten about a third of Grudges of Past Sins rewritten as well. It was a bit slower at first. Getting into a different book is always hard, but I feel like I’m finally getting into the groove. I’m hoping to start the editing process next week as well. There are a lot of good things in the future for the Elpeasia universe.
The same thing can be said for my regular writing as well. The eleventh Written in Stone Book should be finished in either August or September. It’s interesting to be writing the final plotline for a story that’s over ten books long. It’s a different experience. Long term storytelling at its best. Lament still has a while to go, but I feel that it’s all coming together. Like with all of my books, I’m experimenting a bit with it. I feel like the beginning will be the roughest part, but that’s what the rewriting and editing process is for.
Videos have been up and down lately. Sometimes, things are stagnant. Other times, they’re progressing well. It’s a very different medium than what I’m used to. At the same time, I feel like I’m still getting better every time I make a new video. So, that’s a positive. The hard part is not feeling discouraged by lack of growth, but I’m determined to keep going. One only truly fails when they give up.
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As for my personal entertainment, I’ve been super into the First Law trilogy by Joe Abercrombie. I spent many hours in a row reading the first two books. I just started the third one. At the same time, Final Fantasy 16 has consumed my gaming time. It’s a great experience. Basically, I feel it’s the opposite of Tears of the Kingdom. A linear experience focused on story and combat. It’s just what I needed after a sandbox. Also, the Bear has been a great show to watch.
I haven’t been thinking about a lot of new concepts this month. Just building off old notions and stories. As always, I’m excited for the future. We’re deep into the second half of 2023. I’m ready for the surprises that it will bring. Thank you for being a part of my journey. I appreciate you. Do not despair.
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Friday, September 1, 2023
OUT SOON: Vows of Blood and Honor
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Greetings Fellow Mortals,
August went by in a flash. Honestly, writing has been a bit slower than what I intended. My brain felt a little fried with the heat. Plus, I had a pseudo vacation with my wife. So, that aspect of my work suffered a bit. But that’s fine. I have so many books under my belt right now that I could stop writing for a decade and not run out of content. Nevertheless, I hope that I get back into the swing of things when the temperature cools a bit. Book eleven of Written in Stone is almost done, and Lament is about half-way completed.
Rewriting and editing have gone better than writing. I’m close to the end of rewriting the third Written in Stone book, and I’ve completed a few chapters of the final edit. So, it’s ahead of schedule. It should be done well ahead of next year. Grudges of Past Sins will be released at the start of 2024. Meanwhile, the second book is ready for its release in September. It’s weird to think that I’m already at this point.
I’ve actually been trying to put myself out there in the real world too. I’ve signed up for a self-published author event. Now, I just have to wait to see if I’m picked. The bad part of this process is mentally preparing myself to put my work out there. So far, I’m fine on the Internet, but the real world is more intimidating. But it’s getting easier.
Speaking of online, my YouTube content has been in flux again. I’m not changing anything. It’s more that the visuals are evolving. My skills are growing. So, I think that the overall content is better. This makes me super happy. Now, I just need to figure out how to grow the channel a bit more. Oh well. At least when I do get more success, my content will be good enough to justify it.
We’re in the last third of 2023 now. I have a great feeling about the fall. Here’s to Vows of Blood and Honor continuing the story of December Evermore. Thank you for being a part of my journey. I appreciate you. Do not despair.
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