FLORIDA Has Begun

What does a writer of a series do as soon as one manuscript is officially sent off? 

She starts the next book! 

Book 5 of the Adventure USA series will be FLORIDA! A Gathering of Gators and will be released in 2027. I'll be sharing my writing journey and my writing calendar, which keeps me on target. I officially started FLORIDA last year, so Chapter 1 is completed. But then I returned to editing HAWAII and haven't touched FLORIDA until yesterday. 

Here's the calendar for July: 

Yesterday was very busy, but I was still able to do some serious thinking, research, and even write 127 words. I know that's a paltry amount, but it still counts! Every word adds to the final total, which for HAWAII was over 29,000 words. 

 If you're reading this and you're a writer, I encourage you to make use of a writing calendar. There are many available as free downloads that you can customize for each month. I keep a running total of my daily word count. At the end of the week, I add up my success. It's amazing to me—each time I begin—how encouraging it is to see the word count soar (or crawl, as the case may be...).

Writing is lonely (although I'll admit I enjoy my own company), difficult, tricky, and downright exasperating at times. But it's so worth it to have a great manuscript at the end that you know readers will enjoy.

I'd love to read about your writing journey. Please share in the comments. Or contact me on my website: www.barbaralarmonfailing.com

Hope to hear from you! 

HAWAII! in Production!

I'm thrilled to announce that HAWAII! Pineapple Peril is in production. There's been a few hiccups this year (and last year) that delayed the completion and even more importantly, the editing process.

I'm really happy with the final manuscript and look so forward to sharing it with you. Fingers crossed that it could possibly be released in August.  

In the meantime, here's a gorgeous view of Waimea Canyon:

 

Cover Reveal for Book 4: HAWAII! Pineapple Peril

 

YAY! The cover is finished! I'm super happy with the result and can't wait for the book to be released. 

Stay tuned for more news!

HAWAII! Cover Without Color

 Here's the latest cover in black and white for HAWAII! We're getting closer!

 

Choices

 For the Value Study, #4 was the one Erik liked the best, and it was also my favorite. But when we don't agree, I always yield to his greater experience...

For the Color Study, #5, the orange and purple one was our favorite so far (without the stripe down the leg)...

 

 

 

Color Studies for HAWAII!

The next tasks are the color studies. These are small, quick, and low-stake sketches or paintings used to plan color palettes, compositions, and lighting.

Here are some choices. Which one is your favorite?☺

 

Value Study for HAWAII!

It's been quite a busy year with the release of Book 3: OHIO! The Mystery of the Mound last spring. 

A trip to five of the Hawaiian Islands was an amazing experience and supplied me with so much information for Book 4: HAWAII! Pineapple Peril. I completed the first draft by September 2025.

Next came editing, editing, and more editing.   

Erik Drohman, illustrator and graphic designer extraordinaire, has been working hard on the cover. Here's the "value study" which is a simplified sketch focusing only on light and dark tones—no color—to establish composition, depth, and lighting. 

Let me know which one you like the best. I'll let you know my choice later...

I can't wait for the color version! Stay tuned!