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The Final Countdown

Why, yes, that Europe song is on my playlist! Along with Never Be the Same (Camila Cabello), Permanent (Spag Heddy), Glitter & Gold (Barns Courtney), The Greatest Show theme song, and Hurricane from Hamilton.

It’s the final countdown. The last book for Shara’s main arc (though trust me, I have lots more stories percolating in Their Vampire Queen’s world with new queens, and Shara will obviously play a huge part).

Ra has it coming, and Shara fucking Isador will deliver.

This month is all about finishing the series I started just a little over a year ago. (I bought the cover in June and had the first glimmer of an idea then.) My plate is cleared. Queen Takes Jaguars is finished, and will be included in the Realms & Rebels boxed set in August.

I want to be finished with Checkmate *before* I head out to Literary Love Savannah the last week of July. It’d be terrific if I could release before then – but we’ll see. I do still have a long ways to go and I’m quickly running out of July.

Don’t look at the pic if you don’t want to be spoiled, though I admit, it’s pretty sparse. This is how I’ve started “plotting.” I say that loosely, because even I don’t know what all of the notes mean yet. But I sit down and jot out what I want to cover on 2 pages in my traveler’s notebook. That’s it. Note: this doesn’t include the scenes I’ve already written. I already had them figured out. This is what I have left.

I’ll say that again. I have no idea what some of these mean – I just know they’re important. The magic will guide me when I get there. But you can see that I have a TON of plot to get through yet.

So I’d better get busy.

8 thoughts on “The Final Countdown

  1. Omg im so dying for this book..im hoping to spoil myself for my birthday in august….

  2. Fuck Joel, this is such a tease!
    I want to have Checkmate soon but please, for the love of House Isador, if you need more time, TAKE IT.
    There is no doubt that you can’t rush this book, no matter how much we crazy fans want it. No matter how much we beg you for it.
    For yours and ours sanity, don’t rush it.
    Hugs and strength coming from me towards you in this endeavor.
    PS: Queen Takes Jaguar (anthology) it’s been pre-ordered 😉

    1. *Joely
      (fucking predictive text)

  3. We’re all just so excited and sometimes we forget how hard it is to write a whole book series in a year. Thank you so much for creating the series. Take all the time you need and when it’s out maybe have a rest. Then again, one’s mind is never quite. Always planning another book.

  4. I’m dying to read, but patience is a virtue I need to learn. I will wait for your words to flow perfectly 🙂

  5. Can’t wait for this one. I’m so excited 😆

  6. How much longer lol I need my next fix, already read and reread the rest so many times it’s crazy! Hahaha

  7. Why, Ms. Burkhart, must you make me fall in love with your world?! I’m dying for my Shara fix, I don’t want the ending to come so I am over the moon that you’re going to continue writing in her world! If I wait any longer I’m going to have to do a reread of the series… which I’ll probably do anyway! Can’t wait for Checkmate.

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