I was in Portland for training this week and spent the evenings finishing my edits for Hidden Promise! I ended this draft at just over one hundred thousand words, and I think it will end up closer to ninety-five thousand after some final cuts depending on what my beta readers think. There are a couple of chapters I am already eyeing for cuts or merges, so I will likely have a scene or two to share if we hit another rating/review milestone.
I will try to polish the roughest edges of Hidden Strength in February while my beta readers have the third book. If I push through the full manuscript, then I can send it to my alpha readers in March so they can get started. Some of my alphas take a little longer to read because they focus more on grammar. Even if I don’t polish the whole thing, they will probably get at least a handful of chapters to start on.
With my new career direction, I expect time to be a constraint this year. As a result, I’m planning to put the release date for Hidden Strength another year out from Hidden Promise, meaning it will release by June 2024. If I finish early, I will release early; but I don’t want to over-promise and have to disappoint people, especially not with the finale!
After receiving my beta feedback, I will work on those final revisions and contact Jonathan for another beautiful cover. If you want to see it before I post it here or on social, then sign up for my newsletter. I am targeting the Hidden Promise cover reveal for the Q2 newsletter in April. The book then goes to my editor, and we are through to the finish line!
Where does the time go, my friends? Have a great weekend!
Tiffany Shearn 