The Brundle Files

Fall is fast approaching, and so is my self-imposed deadline for releasing CLAW Resurrection. As such, I wanted to take some time to update you on what’s been happening as well as share some insights into my writing process.

As I mentioned last month, I planned on having my latest in your hands by the end of summer. Well, my heart was in the right place. Things are still progressing nicely in the post-production department, and Resurrection is still coming soon, but I have more news you will not want to hear.

Due to ongoing health concerns of my own and that of my family, things will be taking a little longer than I had planned. As a result, I am now aiming for a pre-Halloween release of CLAW Resurrection. As you know, I work diligently on my novels on a daily basis and want to get my stories into your hands as fast as possible while maintaining the quality you’ve come to expect in a Katie Berry novel. As things near completion, I try to give you a ballpark release date. Unfortunately, my last release date estimate was viewed through rose-coloured glasses. On top of that, life got in the way, as it so often does. So, please bear with me a bit longer. I am feeling quite confident with this new pre-Halloween date and firmly believe your wait will be worth it.

In the meantime, I wanted to share another tidbit about my writing. As many of you know, writing is not only a process of creation but also one of subtraction. Every story I write starts with more than what eventually makes it to the final pages. What happens to these bits and pieces, you may wonder. Well, that’s where my ‘Brundle File’ comes into play. It is something that I have had for each of my novels as I’ve written them over the years, and I thought you might enjoy knowing what it’s all about.

If you’re familiar with David Cronenberg’s The Fly (1986), you might remember Seth Brundle’s medicine cabinet, where he kept the remnants of his body parts as they began to atrophy during his insectoid transformation. Much in a similar vein, my Brundle File holds extraneous story bits and pieces, things that don’t quite make the cut and has grown to over 22,000+ words. It is filled with scenes and ideas that, much like Brundle’s body parts, needed to be excised in order to make the final creation as strong as possible. As such, I couldn’t think of a more appropriate name for my little collection of bits and pieces left over from the process of creation than the Brundle File. 

I hope sharing this insight gives you a glimpse into the work that goes into crafting a story you’ll love. It’s always a tough decision to cut elements from a WIP, but much like Brundle’s desperate attempts to hold onto his humanity, I cling to these words, knowing they were part of the journey even if they didn’t make it into the final version. 

Since I am still hard at work on Resurrection, I will keep this short and will be back at the beginning of October with more news and hopefully a more solid date on the release of CLAW Resurrection. In the meantime, I need to make the monthly draws. This month’s audiobook of their choice winner is: thlewka@XXXXXX.com. And the autographed novel of their choice goes to: martinkwhite@XXXXXX.com . 

Thanks for being a Katie Berry Books Insider! 

Good health and great reads,

-Katie Berry

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