Michael Loucks: Blog

Good Medicine:

The second book in the series, 'Sophomore Year' is with the proofreader and I hope to begin posting sometime in April.

The third book in the series, 'Junior Year' is being edited and revised, and will go to the proofreader once he finishes with 'Sophomore Year'.

I'm writing 'Senior Year' and am about halfway done. I expect this series to have at least six books (most likely there will be two books which cover medical school, but it could just be one), and at least one book covering Residency.

Some information about how things turn out (with regard to many of the characters including Dale, Liz, April, Emmy, and Jocelyn) is found in AWLL2 Books 9 and 10.

A Well-Lived LIfe:

'Book 10 - Bridget' is being posted to SOL, and the final chapter will be posted sometime in May. For those who are wondering, Bridget is not revealed until VERY late in the book, and the reasons why will become clear.

AWLL will continue past AWLL2 with AWLL3. I'm currently writing Book 1, and have completed about 170,000 words (of an estimated 500,000). It will need to be edited, proofread, etc, before being posted here, which means the, most likely release date will be around August 1 (but this is tentative and subject to change).

AWLL3 will be somewhat different, in that it will contain not just Steve's perspective, but also those of the kids. Already I've written segments from Jesse's, Matthew's, and Birgit's point of view, and they've been well-received by my Patrons.

Other Works:

In addition to the above, I've been working on two other series in the same universe:

Climbing the Ladder which tells the story of Jonathan Kane, who starts in the mail room at Spurgeon Capital in 1981. This story is a vehicle for exposition of the backgrounds of Alex and Lisa Glass, Noel and Samantha Spurgeon, Tom Quinn, Dustin Brady, and others in the AWLL universe. I've written sixteen chapters so far, but do not have a completion date in mind. When the first book is finished, edited, and proofread, I'll post to SOL.

A Sailor's Diary which gives the background of Ray Adams, starting with the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 and following his naval career, and eventually his service with the OSS and CIA. I've written a number of 'chapters' (called 'entries') and do not have an ETA. This will be posted to SOL at some date, though relatively far into the future.

In addition, I have character sketches and ideas for more 'in universe' material:

Omertà - a story about Dominic 'Dragon' Deluca, an Italian kid about to 'make his bones' in the Chicago Outfit.

One Honest Man - a story about Joshua Scott, a newly minted lawyer in Chicago who ends up at the infamous Lincoln-Hart law firm.

Don't ask me when THOSE will be written, as I need to concentrate on Good Medicine and A Well-Lived Life, with spare (ha ha) cycles going to Climbing the Ladder and A Sailor's Diary!

Random musings:

I've received several very negative comments about offering what amounts to 'early release' versions of my stories via Patreon, where, depending on the level of Patronage, you can read the stories about 60 days before they are posted to SOL, or at the highest levels, chapters as they are written. I cleared this with SOL site management before doing so.

I want to reiterate what I've said to those who have made negative comments via DM or email - my four AWLL Universe stories (AWLL, GM, CTL, ASD) will ALWAYS be free on SOL. I will not 'pull them' nor withhold them beyond the time it takes to edit, revise, proofread, and revise them. At 500,000 words (or more - 639,000 for AWLL2 Book 10), that can take some time. The ONLY time this will change is when the SOL rule moving stories to 'Premium Only' is enforced because I've encountered the 'Undiscovered Country' and am on a new adventure.

On a positive note, the feedback I've received for AWLL and GM, and especially the crossovers, has been wonderful, and I'm very happy about that. I know GM is a tough read for some, as the main character is very religious (yet struggling with the usual teenage issues, plus some not so usual ones). It also starts slowly, and it can be tough going for the first thirty chapters. All I can do is encourage you to read on, as once all the groundwork is laid, the story picks up.

I also want to thank, once again, all of those who have sent notes of encouragement after the loss of my son last May. Your heartfelt notes helped me keep things together. Thank you.

Finally, a huge thank you to those who nominated me for Clitoride Awards. As a two-time winner, I'm still overawed by the support you've given me in that regard. Thank you.

The world has changed significantly since 1981, and I've received a number of comments which fail to take into account the nearly 40-year gap since the time of the story to the present day. To help understand the world Mike lives in (and the AWLL gang lived in way back in Book 1 of Series 1), I've added a Preface to the story to set the stage.

I hope you all continue to enjoy reading the story! There is much, much more to come.

I will begin posting A Well-Lived Life 2: Book 10 - Bridget to SOL on Friday, February 1. New chapters will be posted daily.

If you would like to obtain a pre-release version of Book 10 - Bridget you may do so by via Patreon or contacting me by email at author@michaelloucks.com or for details.

Details for the new book:

Chapters: 100 (+ a prologue and epilogue)

Word Count: 638,218 (the longest book in either series by 150,000 words)

Time Covered: August, 1996 to August, 1997

To Xalir, who I first met online about two years ago. Godspeed.

May this day bring you joy, and good times with family and friends.

To my 'Old Calendar' friends, consider these wishes made by anticipation for January 7 (New Style)!