So… apparently preparing for a knee replacement involves approximately seventeen thousand appointments.
I’m beginning to suspect that somewhere deep beneath the healthcare system there’s a hidden achievement unlock for “Collect All the Specialists.”
Dentist? Check.
Surgeon? Check.
Rheumatology? Check.
Primary doctor? Check.
Lab work? Check.
More paperwork than a post-apocalyptic government bunker? Absolutely check.
At this point I’m fairly certain I’ve spent more time in waiting rooms lately than some people spend surviving the apocalypse in my books.
And somehow every appointment seems to require another appointment to discuss the previous appointment before scheduling the next appointment.
I’m pretty sure if civilization ever collapses for real, the last surviving institution won’t be the military, the government, or even the preppers…
…it’ll be paperwork.
But despite temporarily becoming a full-time professional patient, I wanted to check in because I know I’ve been quieter over here than usual lately, and like a ghost, disappearing without letting everyone know what’s going on behind the scenes is kind of…well… ghosting.
The good news?
A LOT is happening.
Even when I haven’t been posting constantly, I’ve still been writing, outlining, editing, worldbuilding, coordinating releases, and trying to keep all the various apocalypses from colliding into one another like some kind of multiversal disaster event.
(Though honestly that sounds like a book premise.)
And on top of all of that, I’ve also been heavily involved in putting together the upcoming Thrive Self-Reliance Summit this August. Which, as it turns out, organizing a major preparedness and self-reliance event is only slightly less chaotic than surviving one of my fictional collapses.
There are Exhibitors, logistics, schedules, outreach, planning meetings, speaker coordination, marketing, and approximately six hundred tiny moving parts that all somehow need attention at the exact same time. But it’s also incredibly exciting because this is something I’m very much passionate about — an event focused on preparedness, homesteading, outdoor skills, and sustainability where people can genuinely connect, learn, and share knowledge face-to-face.
So if it seems like I’ve been sprinting from doctor appointments directly into writing deadlines while answering summit emails somewhere in between…
…that’s because I basically have been.
First up — The Age of Fire & Ash
Book One is nearing the finish line over here on Patreon, which is honestly wild to think about considering how much this world has grown since I first started building it. What began as a novel to write for my thesis has evolved into something far bigger, stranger, darker, and more alive than I originally imagined. Some of these characters have absolutely refused to leave my head long enough for me to sleep properly.
And as we close in on showcasing the final chapters in Book One, I want everyone to know something important:
Do not panic…Book Two chapters will start dropping right after.
There will not be some long “maybe someday” gap where everyone wanders the wasteland shaking cans of expired ravioli wondering what happens next. The story is continuing immediately because this world has way too much left to explore. There are still factions we haven’t fully uncovered, horrors buried beneath the surface, old secrets clawing their way upward, and characters who are only just beginning to understand what kind of world they’re really living in. And besides… the first 5 books are already written so you’re gonna get them!
Honestly, some of the things coming in Book Two make Book One look polite.
And for those following along chapter by chapter here on Patreon — thank you. Seriously. You all have helped make this project into something special. Getting to release chapters early, talk worldbuilding, and share the process as it unfolds has been one of the most rewarding things I’ve done as an author. Some have reached out in messages, others made comments and this… THIS is exactly what we need as writers. Your feedback and it is more valuable than you can imagine. Thank you!
Now…
Let’s talk about the OTHER apocalypse I’ve been hiding in the bunker.
I’m incredibly excited to finally start sharing more about my upcoming new series with Raventhorne Books set in the legendary As The Light Dies world.
Some of you already know how much I love grounded, brutal survival fiction where the real danger isn’t just the collapse itself — it’s what people become afterward. That’s exactly the kind of story I wanted to tell with Fallen World.
And the first book?
I’ll be doing a full cover reveal very soon, but I wanted my Patreon folks to hear about it first because you all have been with me through so many of these projects from the beginning.
This series is harsh. Emotional. Violent. Human.
It digs into survival after a CME wipes away the modern world and leaves ordinary people trying to navigate the nightmare left behind. No cavalry coming. No magical fix. No neatly organized society rebuilding itself overnight.
Just desperate people trying to survive long enough to see another sunrise.
And honestly?
Writing in the As The Light Dies universe has been an absolute blast because it lets me lean into the kind of gritty emotional survival storytelling I love most. The impossible choices. The slow erosion of morality. The question every survivor eventually faces:
How far are you willing to go before you stop recognizing yourself?
You’ll be hearing a lot more about it very soon, including the cover reveal and release information. I genuinely cannot wait to finally unleash this one into the world.
Though between The Age of Fire & Ash, Fallen World, the summit, and all the other projects spinning around in my head, my office currently looks less like a professional writing space and more like the evidence wall of a conspiracy theorist trying to prevent the end of civilization.
Sticky notes everywhere.
Maps.
Character lists.
Random survival research tabs.
At least three half-finished outlines.
Coffee cups breeding in the corners.
Completely normal author behavior.
Right? Probably.
Anyway, I mostly wanted to say thank you for sticking around while life temporarily turned into a medical drama miniseries. Things may have slowed down publicly for a little bit, but behind the scenes the gears are still turning, the worlds are still expanding, and there’s a LOT coming your way soon.
More Fire & Ash.
More Fallen World.
More chaos.
More survival.
More stories… and because my brain just can’t stop writing. I have a new thriller coming next month and one more damn set of books outlined for the near future. Stay tuned!!!
Though at this point I’m not making promises.
—DJ