Chương 66: State of the Grindhouse (Reader Update #4) -

STATE OF THE GRINDHOUSE Hi! It's me, ShawnD, checking in to see how everyone's holding up! Chapter 15 of Book 2 is finally out, and I wanted to pause and celebrate how far we've come. GRINDHOUSE STATUS PAGES PUBLISHED: 500+ FAVORITES: 100+ (triple digits, baby) FOLLOWERS: 340+ COMPANIONS SAVED: [REDACTED] Going from Volume 1 into Volume 2 is usually where there's a drop in engagement. That hasn't happened here. Over 340 of you walked straight into Zone Two alongside Nora and the crew.

I really appreciate how you've all stuck with the story. It makes me so happy. Here's the other thing I'm excited to tell you: I typed the last line of the epilogue, and everything is scheduled. Fourteen more chapters and an epilogue to go! Can't wait for more? Patreon is currently six chapters ahead. Immediate access to advance chapters, and it directly supports keeping Play Scared on a consistent schedule. And yes, Book 3 is already being outlined.

I'm not saying much yet, except that it's going to be a popular subgenre that's a tonal shift from slashers and torture horror. It needs a little more time to cook before I start drafting, but I'm very excited about it. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. One other thing, connected to the above. Book 3 is going to arrive at a slightly slower pace than Book 2, and that's by design.

Book 1 got to be revised, sit, and go through another revision, all before you read a single word. I think you can feel that on the page. I'm very proud of Book 2, but it is being written a lot closer to the wire, leaving me less time to revise as I go. I don't want to keep working that way and hand over something not so great for it. So I'm building a bigger cushion before Book 3 starts posting. I'll also post 2x a week instead of 3x. Slower pace, but more time for me per chapter to really nail it.

Book 3 is sprawling, complex, and has a multitude of characters and objectives for our heroes to complete. It's going to take time to get it all right. Of course, none of this matters without you reading the damn thing. I cannot stress enough how much it means to me that you give a shit about this story. It takes no time to leave a Rating or Follow, and it is genuinely the single biggest thing that keeps us visible to new readers.

If you want to do ONE thing for me as a thank you for writing Nora's story, that's the favor I'd ask for first... Trust?" Yes, it's another Prince reference. I'm not even the biggest Prince fan in my household; that honor goes to my wife. I've infused a lot of my wife into Nora. The stuff that didn't fit has found its way into other aspects of the story; an abundance of Prince references being one of them. So let's hear it: Who Do You... Trust? Which member of this party do you trust the most?

And who would you NOT turn your back on? I read and reply to every comment, so make your case and let's discuss! Things in Zone Two are about to get a whole lot nastier. See you in the next chapter.