Hi, everybody.
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Time really flies. I cannot believe that it's already the second half of September, not to mention the start of autumn. I could've skipped writing my newsletter for this month, but I still found that I have some things to say. Well, I do think a lot about my writing, so that might explain why I still have material for my newsletter issues. (Then again, I may occasionally bring certain old topics back to the forefront if I feel like it.)
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Anyway, let's dive right in, shall we?
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​What's New:
Audiobook in Production (Plus Awards)​
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The manuscript of my upcoming fourth medical thriller novel has completed review by my editor. I am now recording the audiobook version of this book. It will have 35 chapters, and so far, I finished my initial production of the first seven chapters. I feel that my experience with narrating my own audiobooks has helped me feel at ease with the process. My recordings for this book thus far do sound crisp and clear, so I won't really worry about the technical quality of the audio. As for performance to bring the story to life, I'm feeling good about it as usual. Of course, you the reader shall be the judge.
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And as a reminder, Poison Pill won a few awards already. They are listed on the following page: https://anthonyleebooks.com/books/poisonpill/awards.htm.
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​Coming Up:
Wrapping Up Book Four and Starting Book Five
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​Obviously, I will keep working on producing my audiobook. I expect that it will be done in late November or early December. Then I will work with my cover designer and officially unveil the title and cover. After that, I start the first draft of book five in January. In case you forgot, I already crafted a rough chapter-by-chapter outline of it, which will no doubt be a useful guide.
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(Yeah, there isn't much new stuff in terms of the near future, as I may have mentioned the above timeline before.)
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The Medical Files of Dr. Mark Lin:
Peripheral Arterial Disease
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​Poison Pill features fictional patients with various conditions, but several have one thing in common: their ailments ultimately stem from narrowing of arteries by cholesterol plaques, a.k.a. atherosclerosis. It's often related to heart attacks and strokes. But they are not the only conditions stemming from atherosclerosis. Another is peripheral arterial disease, which one of the patients in the novel suffers from. If you're curious about PAD, here is the Mayo Clinic's overview of that condition: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/peripheral-artery-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20350557.
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​Inside the Mind of Anthony Lee:
Fictional Businesses​
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I love the process of worldbuilding for my novels. Granted, the setting is a partly fictionalized version of Southern California, so that I make sure to capture its real-life geography on the pages, all the way down to specific city streets. But there is still opportunity to inject other imaginary elements. One such way is to create fictional businesses that Dr. Mark Lin will interact with in the stories.
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When I do this, I try to come up with creative names for the fictional businesses and even, in some cases, give them brief backstories. Across my first three novels, examples of fictional businesses include a hospital, a pharmaceutical company, a cybersecurity business, and an herbal supplement shop, along with a few restaurants of various types. If you think that's a lot, just wait until you read my upcoming fourth medical thriller. That one will have plenty more. In fact, that book may have the most number of fictional businesses within a single novel. Fasten your seatbelts.
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​Fun Stuff:
Golden State Valkyries in the WNBA Playoffs
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​My favorite sports team to follow and watch is the Golden State Valkyries of the WNBA. I have been thrilled by their performance on the basketball court this season, and I am so proud of how they have catapulted themselves to be among the league's best. No matter how their season ends, it has been a phenomenal one, a major step up from their inaugural season last year. Now it's time to see how they will fare in the WNBA Playoffs against formidable opponents. I do hope they go further than the first round. They are a more solid team, so they deserve to make a deep run. Go Valkyries!
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That's all for now. See you next time. 🙂
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Anthony Lee
​anthonyleebooks.com​
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