Hey guys! I know I’ve been quiet for a bit, but that’s because I’ve been working hard! And now, I come bearing good news…
AO: Flame (Finn’s second book) is content complete and we’ve started editing! This book ended up slightly longer than intended (~180K words vs Ember’s 139K, for reference), so there’ll be even more fiery badassery this time around.
I’m expecting AO: Flame to be ready for an ebook release around early April (conservative estimate). Audio will probably trail by a month or two as usual. If you want to read the first 16 chapters, you can also check out my Patreon right now! I post twice a week so there are regular updates.
Since this question gets posed a lot, here’s what the production roadmap looks like for 2020: AO: Flame –> AO: Inferno –> Jason’s book 5. I’ve made a bunch of changes to my production cycle lately and I’m now regularly pumping out a book about every 4 months (not including holiday slow down). For example, I wrote 100K words in January alone! So we’re currently on target to get all three of these suckers published this year!
Anyway, that’s all for now! I’m going to get back to work, but I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.
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Have you started writing book 5 yet?
Nope. I have a decent outline and know what I want to do, but like I said in the post, I’m going to finish up Finn’s arc first.
I find it extremely inefficient and distracting to try to write multiple stories at the same time.
Ok makes sense. Can’t wait for more books!
Wow, well thanks for giving me a great time in reading the AO series. It was awesome. Can’t wait til your able to finish 5. Not rushing you, would rather have a great read rather then a fast read. Good luck
Glad you enjoyed the books! I’m most of the way through Inferno now, and then the plan is to switch back to Jason.
So hopefully not too much longer on the next book!
I have fallen into a world with characters I cheer for and hold my breath at every turn . I Never thought a book would intrest me so much. But yet it has my dying to know what happens next . Jason,Riley and Frank I feel as If I can feel their pain and happiness and sense of revenge . Cant wait for book 5 … all hell the Dark Lord .
Please tell me the air/earth affinities get some shine! I want more! I’m on Apathy now so still have some reading to do! I appreciate the series!
They will eventually, although their stories haven’t been written just yet. Air is up next after I finish up Jason’s next book.
No worries. I am reading a Peter f Hamilton book and they are 1.2 million words so I will be a while. 😉
I’m really torn here. I really want to see where the hell the story with Jason is going but Finn’s story was way more engrossing than I expected it to be. And I wouldn’t be averse to another sidequest book after Unity ended up being so damn good. If I never said it before Unity is hands down the best side story. You could have easily made Frank be a cheap comic relief character but Unity really upped his story.
I think Finn’s arc is going to make Jason’s book five feel a lot more impactful. Although, I guess we’ll see!
Unity was also a ton of fun to write. I kind of wanted to just write a sequel without any real plot by the time I finished — just Frank killing stuff, leveling, and building new gear.
holey moley that’s awesome! Looking forward to the book, loved Tarot #1
Thanks for the kind words! Next one is gonna be epic!
np, keep up the good work! 🙂
Loved tarot #1!! Wish that AO:flame came out today
Working on it hard, my man! Editing might be melting my brain…
Hope your brain isn’t melting as quick as ours waiting for new books. They are so good!
Thank you for not making us wait to finish Finn’s series, Ember was great! How much of a delay from the ebook to the print version? I plan on purchasing the signed copies, as I have the last 3 books.
Maybe a week or so between ebook and print? It just takes Amazon a little longer to upload and make the print available since they’re printed on demand.
In terms of signed copies, a few more week beyond that. I have to wait until the print is live, then order inventory, wait for it to arrive, then fulfill everything (across preorders and Patreon, that’s typically 50-100 books each release). So a bit of a delay unfortunately.
Hey Travis, I just want to let you know that I love all your books so far more than I ever thought. Tbh I didn’t like AO at first because of the narrator but I decided to muscle through and see where the story took me. Man, was I glad I did! The Necromancer/villain POV was had me hooked and your characters are awesome and relatable. Since then I couldn’t stop get enough of your books and have read almost all of them (even the narrator has grown on me! He is actually really talented and skilled)
Anywho, fanboying aside, I’m excited for your road map and can’t wait to see where you take us on the Finn arch and the next Jason book! Might I suggest writing a book about Jerry Sometime! I feel there is a lot of potential there given his age, personality, and his mysterious close relationship with Grunt 🤔 keep up the good work!! 🙂
Well, I’m glad you stuck it out!
A Jerry book might be cool… maybe someday. I need to write AO: Inferno, Jason’s book 5, and then I have an awesome idea for the air affinity avatar. They’re up first in line!
There’s going to be an air avatar book?! That’s amazing!! I do believe this is becoming my favorite litrpg. Do you have plans for a book for the earth avatar?
I have such a cool idea for the air avatar… Earth might get its own book. I’m still deciding on exactly how I want to build that avatar.
Awesome, loving this new story arc! The older/more mature protagonist got me invested from the start, really had impact.
Thanks for the kind words! I agree that Finn is just a cool character. He’s even more awesome in book 2 — in my completely unbiased opinion…
Excited (like the others here) for any of your new works, and appreciate you are working hard! I stumbled upon AO: Ember, and loved it – and decided to see what other books you had done. (Woah! He’s got a whole bunch of other AO books – this should keep me busy!) – Yeah, it did, but for a lot less time than I had hoped – I couldn’t put your books down…
Keep up the excellent work – Really looking forward to future releases! (I’ve got other books to read, but I’ll put them aside the next time one of yours pops up!)
Glad you enjoyed them! I’m working hard to get AO: Flame out the door. Looking like early April for the ebook at the rate we’re going!
Travis, out of curiosity how do you manage your “day” job with writing books. Seems like a lot of work! 🙂
Badly? Ha, joking aside, it’s sometimes a bit of a struggle. I’ve had to make a bunch of work/life changes over the last few years. I was quite literally working myself to death… at least, according to my doctor.
I really enjoyed Ember, and to see you have 3 titles planned this year makes me very happy! I love you work and look forward to many more books to come. THank you for sharing your world with us.
That’s the plan (fingers crossed)! And no problem at all, my man. I love telling this story!
How long until the entire AO Flame chapters are up on Patreon?
EA copies already went out this weekend! So… never? But you can get the full book right now on my Patreon (minus a final proofing pass).
Loving the series. I was wondering if you were going to do one for a chosen one for earth? In both series earth was mentioned. Training course in the first series, and earth magic user friend in the second series.
Eventually! Although, I will probably do air first.
Hi Travis, now that covid-19 has locked most of us inside, I’m desperate to get my hands on this new book. Do you think you’ll have it up and running before were all let out again, or has this virus slowed things down on your side?
Anyway man, thanks for the amazing work!
The virus certainly sucks, but it hasn’t effected my production cycle much. We were already close to the finish line anyway.
EA copies went out to patrons this weekend and I moved Flame to the proofer today… so we’re still on track for an April 3rd release.
Damn you are fast! Its crazy that you can just pop them out that quick! Keep up the good work, i love everyone of the books! It does not matter which order they come out in.
Travis, I think the most rewarding thing about this series is seeing you develop as a writer. Obviously, Catharsis was a good book or I wouldn’t have been drawn into this story line. With that being said, Unity and Ember are extremely good – up there with the absolute finest in the genre. The plots were more smoothly delivered, the character development was deeper and more intuitive, and the action was awesome. It is hard to top the creation of the Twilight Throne in terms of sheer, jaw-dropping action but both Unity and Ember have conflicts that kept me up at night reading. Thank you for all the amazing stories!
Ahh, thanks man!
Honestly I’m just glad Jason seems to have a worthy adversary now. Alexion is a strong player, from what I gather one of the highest levelled individuals in the game we have met, but it’s like he comes up with strategies that he half arses all the time. He’s not meticulous to be a real threat to Jason’s crew and kingdom. Finn, on the other hand, is a legit smart, meticulous, hard working player who, although not nearly as high levelled as the Alexion or Jason’s crew, makes up for it with his high intellect, problem solving skills, and experience. Truly a worthy foe for the smart, sneaky (and now quite powerful) Jason. Both won’t hesitate to fight dirty. I’m preparing myself for a shitstorm of underhanded tactics!
Thank you Travis for creating such a lovely story! I eagerly look forward to the next instalment!
It’s definitely going to be fun! I’m excited to write Jason’s next book!
Super impressed with how fast you get high quality, engaging books out!
How many books do you expect there will be in Jason’s core story? Any overarching plans for how many you want to write in the world of AO (e.g 1. series about each avatar and then a final series that combines all of the avatar stories together)
Helps that I never leave my office!
I don’t have an exact estimate on the number of books in Jason’s story line. I’ll probably keep writing little side novels or series for other characters as I work on the main narrative arc. For example, I have a super cool idea for the air avatar and I might write at least one book once I finish with Jason’s book five (which is coming after Inferno). These side projects really help me flesh out each character and the world.
So I guess the answer is that I’ll just keep writing as long as I’m excited about the stories and until I hit the ending of the overarching plot that I have in mind.
As I write this its the first of June and I just completed Ember, after reading all of Jasons stories and sidequests. Reading Ember, I didn’t have high hopes, but boy was I suprised. Ember was as good as the original 7. Now I’m reading flame and fear that within a week I will be out of stuff to read. I really hope that I dont have to wait to long for inferno. WIll definitely need to get on the EA list.
I dont suppose that anyone has approached you about creating a game? Boy would it be epic to play these adventures through!!!
Haha. I get that reaction a lot. It does feel daunting to measure up to the awesomeness of Jason… but there’s just something about Finn that resonates with me.
I’m actually a decent chunk through Inferno already and I’m hoping to have that one finished in the next couple of months.
Just wondering if there is any time table on so book 5 waiting very impatiently 🙂 thanks for all u do. Your books got me through the last six months when I was homeless. I’m working a have a place now just need the next book.
Glad my stories could offer a little escape! As for Jason’s book five, I expect to have that out early next year (barring some other natural disaster lol).
Travis I am a huge fan, I’ve read many LitRPG books and I can say without a doubt that the way your mind works and the way your plots play out is by far one of the best I’ve seen in both categories. I have read all your books out so far and I can guarantee to purchase any future books written by you. Thank you for the hours of entertainment and I’m strongly looking foward to future content
Ahh, thanks man. I’m really glad that the stories hit the spot for you!
Hi Travis!
I’ve been engrossed in your books this last week. Started with Ember, and just finished Chapter 53: Devious in Flame. I’m very much about the lore of books, television, and video games, so you wouldn’t be surprised by how my heart sank when I figured out there was much much more to the AO series.
I have yet to listen to the epilogue in fear that one of your books overlaps with the events between chapter 53 & 54.
Can you please confirm that I should or shouldn’t listen to the previous books first? Although it’s only 8 minutes, this is important to me. Thank you! Again—love your work~
There shouldn’t be anything through Flame that would spoil the other books for you. I’d just go ahead and finish Flame and then pick up with Catharsis. Then you can just read the main books and side novels in release order.
Decided to leave out the epilogue, but I’ll go back to it asap. Almost finished with book 4 right now! Honestly, this may just be the most engrossed I’ve been in an audiobook series in a very long time. Well done!
How many total Jason books are planned?
Don’t have an exact number. However many it takes me to get to the ending I have in mind!