Going Back Through the Gate

A Re-Edited and Re-Formatted Edition of The Stairs in the Woods is Coming

As I mentioned in a previous blog entry I posted a few days ago, I have a new "Remastered" edition of my first novel The Stairs in the Woods on the way. In that earlier blog I didn't know for sure if we were gonna make that August 14th goal date in order to have the rerelease coincide with the book's anniversary.

But I come to you today bearing good news! The eBook version of the new re-edited and re-formatted Stairs in the Woods is now available for preorder. You can do so here.

In the meantime, I'm offering a soft launch of the hardback and paperback versions. They will be both be available as soon as Amazon approves them--so likely in a matter of hours! I expect that with printing and shipping times, they won't arrive too much sooner than the eBooks will. But I didn't want to leave two different versions of the book available for order. I figured that would simply create more confusion. This way, I can build up a little excitement for the book's fourth anniversary in just a couple short weeks.

And yes, I did say hardbacks. I'm thrilled to be able to finally offer all of my books both types of physical copies for those of you that prefer one over the other. I hope to someday be able to offer all of my works in audiobook as well, but that's a discussion for a different time.

When compared to the previous copies of the book, the new edition is definitely the better of the two versions. The editing is more professionally done than when I first put out this book four years ago, as is the formatting. I've learned a lot in the last four years, and I've also had more people in my orbit that have made me a better writer.

The story, however, remains unchanged. I didn't want to lose the voice of the book, nor did I want to make any sort of plot changes. The biggest difference in the writing will be the occasional word choice, a significant lack of unnessacary commas, and an all around prettier looking book on the inside to match the cover on the outside.

And honestly, this was due. I've always been proud of this book. But it's my first novel, and thus by default, my weakest. We all improve over time; it's just the natural evolution of who we are as we embrace whatever it is we throw ourselves into. And I wanted this book to feel like it belonged on the same shelf as my newer work, while still remaining as a time capsule of the writer I used to be.

All told, I'm extremely proud of this re-release and am looking forward to getting my hands on my own copy, as well as some for stock for signed copies and such. I'm also looking forward to an adventure to a few of the local little libraries to drop off my old stock for a few lucky readers. I did the same thing when the new editions of The Forbidden Scrolls and Redemption & Ruin came out alongside the conclusion of the trilogy, The Last Sorcerers. So if you happen to live in the local Phoenix, Arizona area, keep those eyes peeled.

In the meantime, if you think a portal fantasy with an epic quest and romance subplot sounds like it might be up your alley, you can preorder the eBook of the revised version of The Stairs in the Woods now! And keep an eye out for those paperbacks and hardbacks to drop any time now.