Dear Readers,

Well, well, well. :)

Another book to bed in the dragon series. And here I thought I wouldn’t be able to make the world sufficiently interesting enough for you guys (or me). Ha. Ha ha.

I’m really enjoying the world of the After and my feisty, fierce dragons and their ladies. It goes without saying that Amy’s next. It also goes without saying that Melina will get a book as well. Beyond that, we’ll see how things progress in the story. I’m thrilled that you guys are enjoying the books as much as I’m enjoying writing them!

A few housekeeping notes. Emma’s half - Puerto Rican, and anyone with a bilingual parent knows you pick up a little slang and not much else. Her Spanish is thus tinged with Puerto Rican slang and might be a little different than textbook Spanish. That being said…any typos or incorrect usages are going to be blamed on me and me alone. I tried to make her use authentic phrases and if I got them wrong, it was my error and I’m sorry. I’m hoping I got more right than I got wrong.

In addition, the world’s growing by leaps and bounds. I’m trying to juggle between how much to show and how much to remain ‘mysterious’ on. It’s difficult because, well, my dragons are crazy. They know what they know until they don’t know it any longer, if that makes sense. So if the world-building feels murky and unclear…yay! I did my job right! It might never be clear to our dragons in the present day, and I’m striving to keep that ‘foggy’ feel to their memories as well as try to give you guys enough to hang your hat on. I know some readers are really into the world they left behind and want to know more about it, but I’m more focused (at least at the moment!) on their present story. In a way, it’s kind of like we’re exploring a love story post-trauma. The dragons have suffered a traumatizing event that cost them a lot, and so all of their memories they do have left (and the ones they make in the future) are all going to be colored by that single polarizing event. It’s kind of bleak to look at it that way, but I also like to think that it’s a hopeful sort of story, too. That there’s love in the darkness and that no one’s ever too broken to save.

At least, that’s my theory. :)

That said - these books are long, and as my editor calls them, ‘cinematic’. That means they are also tiring. My brain still feels on a mental break after wrapping this book. I’m still unwinding, because my mind keeps telling me what comes next in the plot. How Amy and Rast meet. What Azar is up to now that he’s resurfaced. But I’m also very, very tired, so it takes a few for my brain to switch gears after an intense book.

I guess all of this is me saying that I need to ‘take it easy’ in the next project…and that it won’t be Icehome #1 (which spell check is DETERMINED to make Ice House #1). I want the first Icehome book to be a big, meaty adventure. I want it to be on a slightly grander scale than most of the Ice Planet books. There’s a lot going on and we’re still introducing people! I’m going to need lots of pages. I’m also going to need lots and lots of brainpower.

So I’m going to write something else between that book and this one. Some of you might be groaning. Some of you might not care, but this little space is where I try to reason out with you guys why I do what I do, so here it is. :)

That doesn’t mean I’m taking a month off, of course. I’ve, um, already started Kivian’s book (did I mention I’m terrible with taking time off?). If you don’t remember who Kivian is, he’s the space pirate brother of Jutari, the star of Prison Planet Barbarian. It’s going to be a fun romp with space corsairs and kidnapped humans and I’m only on the first few chapters and I’m already having fun. It’s going to be my little brain-break in-between much bigger books. Icehome is still coming! I just want to give it the proper time it deserves.

(The book has no title. I’m terrible with coming up with appropriate titles.)

Right now, my schedule’s going to be a little more loosey-goosey than I originally planned. I am hoping to do Kivian’s story next, then Icehome #1, then (theoretically) Ariana’s story for IPB. Then Amy.

I can already hear some of you out there screaming that you want Amy’s story already. It has to percolate. :) You’ll get it! Just not right away.

Think of it as a Christmas present…or uh, New Years. Or something along those lines. Whenever. It’s coming!

That said, I hope you enjoyed this book! I love writing in this world because it’s such a fun change from Ice Planet Barbarians (which I also love). In a way, it’s a bit of a reversal - in IPB, the heroines are the strangers in a strange land. Here, it’s our heroes. Either way, it’s fun.

Speaking of fun, audio is now out for both FIRE IN HIS BLOOD and FIRE IN HIS KISS. This one isn’t scheduled for audio yet, but the moment it is, I will let you guys know.

Much love,

<3 Ruby

— PS: If you got this far, you finished the book, right? If you are so inclined, I would love a review at your favorite review spot. If not, that’s okay, too!