Hi there. It’s been a while. I should update more often. On a positive note, I’m updating now because I’ve got real news to share.

First, we have an official release date for BLINDSIDE (Planetside 5). It will release in all formats on February 17th, 2026. The audio will be narrated by RC Bray. Because that’s the only way.

So let’s talk about the future of the series. After long discussions with many trusted readers and advisors, we’ve decided that the Planetside series will be seven books. We’re working with Harper Voyager right now to make that official, but everyone appears to be on board, and we think it’ll happen.

So…the big question…why 7? It’s a long story. Good thing I’m a storyteller.

When I wrote PLANETSIDE, I saw it as a stand-alone book. That’s how I planned it. Then it sold, but for a very modest amount. Expectations were low all around for how it would do. But then something happened. The publisher asked for two books. And more important, book one exceeded those expectations. People liked it. People *bought* it. So even before book two came out, the publisher was asking for more. They wanted me to write book 3 and 4 right away. The thing is, I didn’t think I could do that…so I didn’t. I had other things I wanted to write, and I didn’t really have any more stories in mind for Butler and crew. So we agreed that I’d write book 3, and then something else.

Honestly, when I wrote book 3, I thought it was the end. I was out of ideas for Butler and crew and ready to do new things. I wrote THE MISFIT SOLDIER and THE WEIGHT OF COMMAND — both of which I really enjoyed writing–and then I got to write GENERATION SHIP, which had been in my head for years and which I had to get out.

But a funny thing happened. I missed Carl Butler. And I had new ideas. At the time, I was just thinking about book 4. I wanted to do it. The publisher wanted me to do it. So we did it. And then I decided I couldn’t leave it with that ending, so I started book 5 (BLINDSIDE), which continues some of the book 4 story while having it’s own arc as well. And we were contracted for book 6.

But what I realized was that I wasn’t thinking about the bigger picture. How does it END? Not each book, but how does Carl Butler’s story end? We talked about doing it in book 6 — wrapping it up and having that be the final installment. But as I thought about what I wanted to do — with more clarity now, beyond just one book — and as I talked to other writers and readers, my agent, and my editor, I knew I needed more than one book to tell the story. But I also knew that I didn’t have an infinite number of stories to tell in this universe.

So it’s 7 books. That’s how long the story needed to be. For me, that’s two more (because book 5 is basically done). For readers, that’s three more. Book 5 picks up six weeks after the end of DARKSIDE. Book 6 will have a new mystery, but some old friends (and enemies. Because it’s Butler.) And book 7 will build on book 6 and all the other books to bring the series to a final close.

I’m excited. Knowing where it ends allows me to really plot out the end of the series so it works together. And of course since we know it’s ending, I can start to kill off characters I can uh…be really creative.

Let me answer some questions that you may have:

1. Is book 7 really the end, or is this one of those things where you go back and change it later?
   
   It’s really the end. I’m even going to plot out books 6 and 7 together. Mostly. As much as I plot out anything, at least. But yeah, this is it.
   
2. What’s the timeline look like?
   After BLINDSIDE in February 2026, I think you’ll get book 6 in 2027 and book 7 in 2028. But I don’t have complete control over that.
   
3. What are the titles of book 6 and 7?
   Yeah…no clue. You think I can get away with ENDSIDE? My agent suggested BEACHSIDE for book 7, and it’s just Carl, finally enjoying retirement.
   
4. What can you tell us about book 5?
   Well…there’s a gunfight at an Air BnB. There’s a car chase. And a combat scene unlike anything you’ve seen before in a Planetside book. Basically more Butler shenanigans. Oh, and about 30% of the story is told from Mac’s point of view.
   
5. What will you do after book 7?
   That’s 2028. That’s like 15 years from now. Who knows what I’ll be up to by then?
   
6. Can you tell us anything about how the story will end? Sure…the hominverts…the apes from COLONYSIDE…take over the galaxy. It’s called PLANETSIDE OF THE APES.
   
   Okay. That last one wasn’t true.

That’s all for now. Further updates as events warrant.