Xenomorphee_

Hello A New Mission readers!
          	
          	I am so sorry if it seems like I am dragging out the ending of story 2. I'm not trying to, I swear! I've just been so busy this summer (normal for my line of work) and my wrist has flared up again which makes typing a lot so very hard. I'll also be going into the desert to do a little science for a week where I won't have a computer. But!
          	
          	In terms of productivity, I am happy to say that I have at least finished my TRUE final editing run of the first story, A New Mission: Ash to Fire (sorry about some of your comment pins ). It was genuinely in very good shape (thank goodness), but now it's in even better shape regarding prose, continuity, dialogue, and general structure. Doesn't mean much for the folks who already read it, I know, but this editing run was *my* first time reading my story linearly, which was a joy, and it it quells my personal anxieties.
          	
          	And now, with it no longer hanging over my head I can home in entirely on Happiness is Simple--which I will also start linear editing as I finish it up. Next chapter, 43, is partially written. Will write bits and pieces as my wrist allows on my phone in my desert tent haha. Overall, I think the sequel will end around Chapter 46/47. And that's accommodating me getting carried away. 
          	
          	Anyway, you're all great and thanks so much to those who have stuck with me and this story even as Avatar hype has gotten really quiet for now  I hope you've had and are having fun.

vnkinyon

I love the series you did so I had an idea. Why don’t you do another Avatar book series but this time the main female character is Jake Sully daughter who is in a Polyamorous relationship with Quaritch and his squad and she becomes one of them instead of following Sully advice

ObsessedWriterrrrrrr

I know this is so late but… HAVE YOU SEEN THE NEW TRAILER 
          
          Serious question, do you think that Varang and Miles are or will be love interests? Cause Imm just saying I feel like he joined her clan or whatever cause of all the war paint yk.

ObsessedWriterrrrrrr

@Xenomorphee_ late to this as well but I just saw on tumblr that apparently Miles and Varang do in deed bond.
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Xenomorphee_

@ObsessedWriterrrrrrr Not late at all but yes ahh! It's so good. I'm not a shipper in any broad sense, I'm usually pretty good about taking what I'm given, but I must say I've been shipping Miles and Varang for a whiillle haha. It's why I wrote my stories! Zu was supposed to be a stand-in for this "Ash Na’vi woman" Before we knew anything about her.
            
            And so Miles definitely becomes an Ash Na'vi. Whether ot not they're an item remains to be seen BUT GOD I HOPE THEY ARE. Knowing James Cameron, I can't imagine him having a platonic relationship between the two. Seems like a big wasted opportunity. Also, since Quaritch is paralleling Jake, it would be logical. An anti Jake and Neytiri. Which would be so cool. :)
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Xenomorphee_

Hello A New Mission readers!
          
          I am so sorry if it seems like I am dragging out the ending of story 2. I'm not trying to, I swear! I've just been so busy this summer (normal for my line of work) and my wrist has flared up again which makes typing a lot so very hard. I'll also be going into the desert to do a little science for a week where I won't have a computer. But!
          
          In terms of productivity, I am happy to say that I have at least finished my TRUE final editing run of the first story, A New Mission: Ash to Fire (sorry about some of your comment pins ). It was genuinely in very good shape (thank goodness), but now it's in even better shape regarding prose, continuity, dialogue, and general structure. Doesn't mean much for the folks who already read it, I know, but this editing run was *my* first time reading my story linearly, which was a joy, and it it quells my personal anxieties.
          
          And now, with it no longer hanging over my head I can home in entirely on Happiness is Simple--which I will also start linear editing as I finish it up. Next chapter, 43, is partially written. Will write bits and pieces as my wrist allows on my phone in my desert tent haha. Overall, I think the sequel will end around Chapter 46/47. And that's accommodating me getting carried away. 
          
          Anyway, you're all great and thanks so much to those who have stuck with me and this story even as Avatar hype has gotten really quiet for now  I hope you've had and are having fun.

Xenomorphee_

Hey all, I just dropped Chapter 41, Emotion. So very sorry it took a month, I have just been very busy with work. Summer is where things get busy for scientists sadly.
          
          Next one very soon! It's actually split off from Chapter 41 because I got carried away as usual lol so they function sort of as one chapter. Anticipate that one for Sunday evening :)
          
          Happy reading! I crave your comments!

vnkinyon

Is there going to be a third book after the second book is done 

Xenomorphee_

@vnkinyon Hello! Sorry for the delay. So as of right now I want to say that no there will not be another massive scale story of similar caliber to the first two. This hobby, which I cherish, has eaten into a lot of others that I am eager to return to after a year and a half of dedicated hyperfocus 
            
            That said, I really love these characters and I am not opposed (though cannot promise) to perhaps a book that has a collection of one-shot short stories of certain times in Miles and Zu's relationship. Whenever the mood strikes me to write one.
            
            Anyway, thanks for your question and for reading! Asking for a 3rd book means you like the first 2 which is a huge compliment and fuel for my silly writer brain.
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Xenomorphee_

So this is just a silly little request for my writer's ego lol, but I think a lot of readers found me with the second story--after the first one was already finished. Regarding A New Mission: Ash to Fire and not having to wait for new chapters, it makes sense that people would just excitedly flow through to the next ones! In doing this it can be easy to forget to vote.
          
          I've never asked for votes, but I would really appreciate that if you read and enjoyed the first story, you might throw a couple of votes its way if you didn't get a chance to 
          
          Ash to Fire's views-to-votes ratio can look a little meh to a passerby. The thing is that it's so huge and with only 51 chapters that it will naturally have far, far more views than votes can catch up as single readers repeatedly "put it down" and "pick it back up" as they take time to go through it. But any little bit helps it out to influence a prospective reader--which could guide more people to the story's sequel too which so many of you are currently enjoying as much as I am enjoying writing it 
          
          Anywway, Chapter 40 of Happiness is Simple is dropping tomorrow! ✨
          
          All the best,
          
          ~Xeno

Xenomorphee_

Just posted Chapter 27 a really good one I think!
          
          And so, for readers of the first story, A New Mission: Ash to Fire, I'm currently going back and doing my "LAST" major editing pass as I read it linearly for the first time since I finished it. This is editing pass #5 I believe.
          
          Happy to report I've found minimal glaring mistakes in what I've done so far, but I'll be continuing to trim the excess and improve the clarity and prose of some chapters I find to be a little tedious. I am also tightening up the continuity and will continue making spelling changes of “SEC-OPS” and “SCI-OPS” to “SecOps” and “SciOps,” and “exo-pack” to “exopack” and the like.
          
          But so new and re-readers of the story will appreciate the general quality increase and even a few little extras, for example, mild Ash Na’vi lore expansions in light of the sequel's progression and even extra/adjusted (but non-story changing) lines of dialogue. As of today, I’ve edited up through Chapter 14 of Ash to Fire so far, if you’re curious, and my focus on these edits is actually why the recent sequel chapter was kind of delayed. Sorry! My hyperfocus.
          
          After I finish editing Ash to Fire, which is no small feat and will probably take about 2-3 more weeks as I *also* continue to drop new chapters for Happiness is Simple, I will begin the first major editing pass on the sequel. Luckily, however, Happiness is Simple has been written with Grammarly and a more slowed-down pace since I started it, so its initial state is leagues better than Ash to Fire's was... which is kind of regrettable . I can’t help but beat myself up sometimes in thinking about how Ash to Fire’s early flaws may have scared away some readers from its rich story.
          
          Or it’s just too massive in which case I /sigh/. But at least as I do this final editing pass I will be tightening up some of the truly massive chapters. Maybe one of the 11k word chapters drops to... 10.5k hahaaa... 
          
          Oh well! Thank YOU all for still reading A New Mission ✨

Xenomorphee_

Posted a version of this on Tumblr and figured I should share it here too! :)
          
          So I think where the story is right now I am aiming for a 40-chapter finish line, so we are getting there! Especially with me getting back to a better schedule. I have *finally* after a year learned my lesson of not promising exact days to you all lol, but just know that I am steaming ahead. Any delays or lengthened times in between the remaining chapters are because I am trying to get them right and good.
          
          Also, a personal ask. Avatar Fandom, at least in reading, seems very quiet right now so if you are still reading and enjoying the sequel, or even still on the first story, it would go a super long way if you could let me know that you are. Naturally, A New Mission: Happiness is Simple by being a fanfic sequel with even more unfamiliar OCs and being started when the fandom was already winding down isn't getting as much attention as the first, which is a-ok! I have wonderful regular readers and commenters for it across platforms 
          
          But I will say it would do ✨wonders✨ for my motivation if more folks could drop a comment or a vote. Anything to let me know you are still here for the ride. 
          
          At over 600k words for the whole series, for those who like massive books, I feel like I am writing a really rich Avatar story that's not even just for Quaritch, Wainfleet, and Mansk fans, especially now that we are at the point in the sequel with some of our beloved franchise characters back in the fold. Regardless of who it's for, if it IS for you and you've been enjoying it please let me know!

Xenomorphee_

Hello, my wonderful A New Mission: Happiness is Simple readers. Happy New Year!
          
          I know it's been a minute since the last chapter, but I just wanted you to know that I have been cooking up a bunch more! I've been busy moving and I had a loooonng cross-country train ride, coast to coast, and also an unexpected two-day layover with a nice hotel. All I did was write and sightsee. The sightseeing was inspiring.
          
          The current word count of what I've written is 32k words! It really moves the story along and I just have to finish up another chunk, editing, final touches, and figure out how to break these words into digestible chapters. I actually needed to write these chapters all out before dropping them so that things align properly in the story. Didn't want to rush and mess something up. Lots of moving pieces as you who are reading know.
          
          So the great news is that you'll probably be getting a lot of chapters at once. At least 4, maybe 5 by tomorrow (Sunday) evening ideally.

JeffNice0

@Xenomorphee_  glad you've had a good year for yourself your work is worth the wait
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