Where to even begin. This past year was a wild experience for me, being my first full year as a published author. It's easy to always be looking ahead at what I have coming, and the new opportunities that keep arising, but I am a strong believer in looking back, reflecting, celebrating wins and improving upon losses. It has been far too easy for me to forget where I started with all of this, and where I am now. I've opened up about this a lot recently, but I'd like to say it again here, that I never had high hopes for myself, I didn't have lofty dreams until my wife dared me to dream them. When I set out to write these books, I didn't have an entire series in mind. I just wanted to create something cool, something that reminded me of my favourite fantasy stories, something that I, and others, could get lost in. It has turned into something far bigger, and I am committed to giving everything I have to finish this off. It's required an immense amount of work on the back end, and I am constantly looking at ways that I can improve, not only at the craft of writing, but as a human. This experience has given me more than I could have ever imagined. It's taught me that consistent, dedicated, and focused work pays off, it's taught me that I can do things I previously thought impossible, and most importantly, it taught me to believe in myself. On top of personal growth, this endeavour has introduced me to a whole new world of incredible people who I couldn't even imagine my life without now. I guess I'm saying all of this just to say that I'm just an average guy working an average job who dared to dream big and went for it. I have been lucky enough to have had people believe in me, you're one of them if you're reading this, and for you, I will work endlessly, tirelessly to make this story the best it can possibly be. I feel like I owe that to myself and to every person who has supported me so far.

Okay, the sappy stuff is out of the way, let's share some wins!

This all started almost six years ago. In the early years, I wrote two crappy books down in my basement before I finally had the vision of James sitting around a fire that wouldn't burn with ghosts crowding in to join him. I spent the next year writing A Memory of Song, and developing all of the backstory that would be required to make a story of this scale work. It was pure fun for me. I'll never forget the summer of 2022 after finishing the first draft of AMoS, going through and adding all of the myths and lore, it felt like I was rediscovering my home---a place I had been to before but had forgotten about. I still get that feeling when I'm drafting and I get to uncover new corners of the Remembered Lands.

When the book was finished, and I had finally made the decision to self publish, I said that if I sold books to anyone who wasn't in my direct family, it would be a win. Now, more than half a decade later, I can proudly say that the Last Ballad books have reached more than 12,000 readers, with more coming in every single day. We've sold more than 500 physical books through the Broken Binding bookstore, nearly 300 through Indigo, and hundreds and hundreds more at Comic Con and local signings. And we are only just getting started. In fact, for the third time in just over a year, the Broken Binding has sold out of their stock of the Last Ballad books. Not only that, but my local Indigo, the one I grew up going to every weekend, keeps selling out of A Memory of Song, almost monthly.

With A Dance in the Dust coming out in 2026, and work beginning on the penultimate book in the series, A Melody of Madness, I have high hopes for where the Last Ballad Series will go. Do you want to come with me and find out? I'd love to have you along.

One of the highlights of the year was the in-person events. I got the opportunity to sit face to face with readers of the Last Ballad and answer questions. This is somewhat of an authors dream. To have people who have read and enjoyed your books enough that they drive, sometimes many hours, just to see you and ask you things about the books. One of the most surreal experiences came at my hometown Comic Con, where I had someone come to my table very excitedly and tell me that they have seen my book all over social media, and they couldn't believe that I was local to them. I was able to personalize their books for them, and they were nearly in tears from the excitement of meeting an author. I don't think I'll ever forget that moment, and if it was you, and you're reading this, thank you for that.

I have come to realize the importance of these live events and festivals, and that is a large reason why I am making a point to do a lot more of them in 2026.

In 2025, A Memory of Song was awarded with the Pencraft Award for Literary Excellence, the Literary Titan Gold Book Award, and the FanFiAddict Best Indie Book of 2024 Award. In February of 2025, A Memory of Song became a bestseller in Australia. In August, it became a bestseller in the USA. When A Chorus of War came out in June, it became the #1 New Release in Canada, USA, UK, and Australia, which are the four major English speaking markets. The Broken Binding's signed and numbered editions of A Chorus of War and the Sound of Starfall were sold out months before the book was even released. To put that in perspective, it took me nearly three months to sell the first hundred signed and numbered copies of A Memory of Song.

The series itself, including all of the glossaries, has surpassed half a million words, and I project another six hundred thousand to go. That being said, 2025 was a year where I found more balance in my life. In 2024 I wrote and edited more than 300,000 words, on top of a full time job and being a dad to a young daughter. It meant that I was staying up too late and sacrificing a lot of sleep, which sounds heroic but is just simply not sustainable if long-term stability is your goal. I also knew I was going to be doing a ton of in-person events, and I just wanted to make sure I was showing up to those and able to give my all. I still write everyday, thought instead of forcing myself to hit 2,000 words I will settle for 1,000 as long as I know in my heart I gave everything I had for that day.

A new schedule, and a new approach of always quitting while I still had some in the tank instead of working to exhaustion every day, allowed for a much healthier year for me. Though my word count slipped to 150,000 for published work, I also managed to flesh out nearly 25,000 words of lore, which is a whole damn novella in itself. I'm still very happy with my output, and those dark black bags under my eyes have faded to very light black bags, so I'll take it as a win!

All in all, this year has been life-changing. It showed me that this dream I have of telling stories for a living is not only possible, but within reach. It showed me that a small town boy from Canada can put his soul on paper and people will understand it, and together, for the brief moment that our souls touch in the reading process, we can share what it means to be human.

If you've come this far, please take a look below and check out what I've got in store for 2026. I would love your opinion on a few things!

That brings me to 2026, and let me tell you, I've got a big year planned. Below I'll be discussing: 

• Plans to offer behind the scenes access to the creation of my epic fantasy series.

• The Last Ballad audio books. 

• Officially licensed merchandise. 

• Website makeover.

• Big Box Book store roll out and inventory expansion. 

• Expanded convention schedule.

• The release of ADitD, a new map, and more. 

Let's just get right into it. The first thing I want to talk about is world building.

I've been getting a lot of requests lately from people wanting to know more about the world of the Remembered Lands, and as a reader of fantasy I totally understand you. One of my greatest joys of this genre are the mysteries and the histories of big worlds. I've been trying to think of ways that I can offer behind the scenes access to my personal world building sheet for anyone interested in knowing more about, and indulging in the history and lore that doesn't quite make the pages of the published books. It got me thinking that there may be people out there interested in seeing the construction of a series like this, and all the behind the scenes work that goes into writing an epic fantasy, including early drafts, weekly snippets from my WIP / journals, and of course the world building groundwork. Instead of just sharing the tip if the iceberg, I could share it all, even the ugly bits. Maybe I could inspire someone else to write what they've always wanted to, and give them a strong starting point. So, I'm thinking of creating a hub where I can offer insights into my process as I start work on the Third Verse, A Melody of Madness.

This would be a place where you could gain access to behind the scenes of the creation of an epic fantasy series. You would get to view 25,000 words of world building, timelines, history, and lore that forms the background of the Remembered Lands. You would get to see the history of every kingdom, and the families within that kingdom. Other benefits would include writing snippets of works in progress, early drafts of my previously published books, an archive of unpublished Last Ballad short stories, and much more. This hub is a way that I can share all of the cool stuff happening behind the scenes with you, and have it benefit the series as a whole.

That's why I want to ask you:

Every penny earned from this would go back into the series to help with audio book production, art for future projects, editing, covers, etc. Paying to publish this series at a high level is no small task, especially with the changing economic landscape. So, I'm trying to think of ways that I can ensure this series is finished at the level we've currently been producing while still offering something of value that I couldn't easily offer on any other platform. This would purely be extra, indulgent stuff that I can't giveaway for free, but also isn't required reading for the series, like the world building master sheet, unpublished short stories, first drafts of my published work, etc.

Audio books:

Another very exciting project that we'll be tackling this year is the audio book production for A Memory of Song, and The Sound of Starfall. I've currently got a handful of narrators that I've carefully curated lined up for auditions in 2026. The most important thing for me is capturing the essence of the character through the narration. I want you to feel like it's the main character telling you the story. I'm currently leaning towards a male/female duo to tell the story and capture the voice of both James and Wulfee. The two can then expand their voices to encapsulate the other POVs as the story grows. But I also want to ask your opinion on this. I have listened to some audiobooks with dual narrators and not personally enjoyed them. So, what do you think?

I want to make sure that I am putting out the absolute best product that I can, and that means testing! So, look forward to some audio narration in the new year. 

Auditions begins Q1 of 2026

Officially Licensed Merch: 

Launching in January

One of my most requested items is map prints. I hear you, and I've got it sorted! But I didn't want maps to be the only thing I had to offer, so I've been working hard with my wife, and the wonderful platform over at Printful, to design some official Last Ballad merchandise to release alongside the artwork. We'll be starting small and keeping it simple with the Nytewood line of clothing, including tees, sweaters, hats, and mugs, and of course, a whole line of art prints in different shapes, textures, and sizes. The art prints will include all maps, and any original illustration created for the Last Ballad series. All artists are credited for their work. Anyone who has been waiting for a map to purchase, this one is for you! 

Website Makeover: 

The official Last Ballad shop will be hosted on my website, but I'll be doing some more work on the back end to elevate the website as a whole. I've already commissioned some custom artwork and banners to bring a sense of atmosphere and cohesion to the whole thing. My goal is to create a very user friendly, and fun-focused experience. The shop is only a very small portion of what is available on my website. From a full art gallery, to interactive maps, to free stuff, scottpalmerauthor.com will be the launchpad for all things Last Ballad. We had well over 4,000 unique visitors this past year and I would love to double that number in 2026. 

Bookstore Expansion: 

This past year was amazing for many reasons, but one of the highlights by far was getting to see my books in the big box store here in Canada known as Indigo. It's the equivalent of Barnes and Noble in the US, or Waterstones in the UK. These are the stores that I grew up shopping at, browsing in, smelling the books. It was an incredible experience to be hosted as a guest of honour. The best part is that I managed to make connections with other stores, and because the signings went so well, I have the opportunity to expand in 2026. As of now you can find the Last Ballad series in four different Indigo / Coles locations. Next year, if all goes as planned, the Last Ballad will be in thirteen different stores from Toronto to Windsor. I've also been able to negotiate for the stores to order direct from the suppliers so I don't have to keep my basement filled with books and drive them out to these stores when they run out. Because of this I can expand to these other stores without stress, and continue to expand from Southern Ontario, to the rest of Canada, and beyond. 

Special Edition of A Memory of Song:

I can't say too much on this yet, but I can at least say that this boulder is being pushed along!

Signing Tour 2026:

There will be a lot more to come on this in future newsletters, but for now I can share that the tour will be expanded significantly from last years' six stops, up to nearly twenty. This will include multiple conventions, hopefully some out of country!

A DANCE IN THE DUST PROJECTED RELEASE DATE:

APRIL 21 / 2026

We are still well on track for the release of A Dance in the Dust. Beta readers are currently working their way through it and leaving me a ton of good feedback. My plan is to get back to it January 5th, and work away at polishing the manuscript until it's due with my incredible editor, Kelley, on February 23rd.

New cover: I've got something special cooking for this one, I mean really special. We're slightly delayed on this, but you can expect a new, never before seen cover for A Dance in the Dust in February. It will be revealed in cohesion with the Broken Binding, and the pre-order for signed and numbered copies will go out at that time!

Oh, and yes, there will be a new map produced for this book. Things looked different seventeen hundred years ago, and so I feel like I need a map that dates back to the time that A Dance in the Dust is set in. Look forward to an early reveal of the new map right here on my newsletter!

What I'm working on: 

I've spent the last week and a bit resting, recharging, and making plans for 2026! 

What I've read this year:

You can see everything I've read this year HERE.

This was definitely a bit of a slower year for me, but I dedicated most of it to re-reading the series' that inspired me to write my own. I got to re-experience The First Law, and had my third read of A Song of Ice and Fire, and both of those were incredibly invaluable experiences that I wouldn't trade for anything. I also had to spend some time re-reading my own series to make sure I was carrying forward every single little thread. It has been well over a year since I read AMoS, and I didn't want to forget small details. 

I think, with reading, sometimes we just need to forget about challenges and TBRs and just go back to what made us fall in love with the hobby in the first place. I've got a Lord of the Rings re-read slated for this coming year and I couldn't be more excited.  

What I'm currently reading:

- Purgatorio by Dante

- Le Morte D'Arthur by Mallory 

Reading next:

- The Hobbit

Quotes of the Year:

From February's newsletter:

The opening epigraph to A Dance in the Dust. I'm feeling especially attached to this one today as I get ready to finish up work on the book! 

"I can show you fear in a handful of dust."

This one hits deep, so so deep. The line doesn't need much context, but the poem itself was written in response to the aftermath of World War 1. Eliot looked out at a shattered landscape where entire generations were lost and saw the dust of an old world. The dust of old cultural values destroyed by war, old alliances, ancient ways of life, the dust of houses and businesses, and the dust of human bones wasted away. Dust caused by war, by invasion, by blood, and by death.

I Imagine the narrator of the poem standing in a barren land, holding grey, dead soil in his hands and letting it sift through his fingers while the memories of the horrors he saw there flash through his memories.

Fear in a handful of dust. "this used to be something. people lived here, laughed here, and now its dust." What is more terrifying than losing everything?

"And I will show you something different from either

Your shadow at morning striding behind you

Or your shadow at evening rising to meet you

I will show you fear in a handful of dust."

From April's newsletter: 

Having a bit of time off at the holidays always fuels me up and gets me excited to get back to work. As I gear up to start work on A Melody of Madness, I can't help but ruminate on just how lucky I am to have been able to create this massive world for my stories to live in. This quote from April, from the book Hyperion, really hits home just how incredible the whole process is. 

This quote is from the Hugo Award winning masterpiece that is Hyperion. Where to even start with this one? The title is borrowed from the title of a poem written and unfinished by John Keats, one of the world's greatest ever poets. The poem was a mysterious one, largely misunderstood by critics, but Dan Simmons took it and turned it into something incredible. Hyperion the novel mirrors the structure of Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, in which seven pilgrims tell their individual tales. On top of in depth psychological characters, Dan Simmons gives us a plot that is steeped in philosophy, classic literature, and of course, classic science fiction. I was incredibly fascinated by the world that Simmons created, it felt like it had endless possibilities to explore, but one story in particular really stood out to me. The story of the space poet, Martin Silenus, who was at one point possessed by an alien muse. I don't want to go too much into a review or any spoilers here, but this character fascinated me, so I thought it only fitting to borrow a quote from him for this month.

“For those who do not write and who never have been stirred by the creative urge, talk of muses seems a figure of speech, a quaint conceit, but for those of us who live by the Word, our muses are as real and necessary as the soft clay of language which they help to sculpt.”



There is a strange thing that happens when you start to write, and an even stranger thing when that writing starts to pile up. Where's it coming from?

There is a great story that J.R.R. Tolkien tells about his own first journey through Middle Earth, when he arrived at the Prancing Pony with Frodo and Sam, he didn't know who that sulking dark figure in the shadows was at first. He was just as afraid as Frodo was when he approached the character he would call Strider. And in an afternoon, the mysterious bar fly became Aragorn, son of Arathorn, king of Gondor and Arnor, first high king of the reunited realm.

In the same vein, Tolkien had no idea what he would find when he entered Fangorn Forest, and he was almost outright spooked when the trees started to talk to him and tell him their history.

I've been lucky enough to have experiences like this on my own journey through Ardura. Gen from AMoS being the biggest example. I didn't know he was a baby giant until he came running out of the forest with a deer on his shoulders. I thought, "what kind of person could hold a deer over their shoulders like that?" Well, the answer was no person at all but a baby giant. I have plenty more, from the Wolf's mask, to who was really wearing it. All of these things surprised me as they may have surprised you. They came to me from a storytelling well deep in the human psyche. Or maybe they were put there by a muse. I know I believe in it, and respect it. I know that on my very hardest days it was there to put words on the page just as it was there on my very best days. I think most authors, or artists in general would agree with me that art comes from somewhere. I've found that letting myself be open to life, empathize, listen, spread love and joy has been the most rewarding thing for me. Not just because it feels good to connect with others, but it feeds the muse. I find the most inspiration from reality TV shows, because they are real people going through real things, often times fighting for a better life, just like all of us are.

So, as the quote from our space poet says, talk of muses to non-artists may seem a figure of speech, but to anyone who has taken on a creative endeavour they are as real as the clay of language that mold the words. Not only that, but they are fueled by the very people who may not believe in them.





And lastly, I'd love to pull a fresh one from my latest yearly read of A Christmas Carol. This was my second year in a row that I read A Christmas Carol in late December, and the first year I can officially call it a tradition. I'm looking forward to upholding this tradition, as this is easily one of the greatest stories ever told. It resonates with us still, 200 years after it's conception, and has been being remade and retold yearly since then. The tale hits a deep chord that rings with so much truth it's hard to deny, and it will keep ringing for all of time, whatever form it may take. Scrooge is one of those characters that is so large he has outgrown the story he was once trapped in. Scrooge exists in hearts and minds and pop culture in ways that far exceed the original version of him penned by Charles Dickens.

"Men's courses will foreshadow certain ends, to which, if persevered in, they must lead," said Scrooge, "But if the courses be departed from, the ends will change." 



This is one one of the most powerful bits of dialogue in the story because it depicts a sad and lonely man coming to grips with the fact that he is headed down a path that he doesn't want to be on. It's the exact moment that Scrooge realizes that if he doesn't change, he will end up in a place he doesn't want to be. But the most beautiful part? Scrooge doesn't once think that it's too late for him. It's very much implied throughout the story that Scrooge is old, very old in fact, and that his partner Marley basically died of old age. Dickens wanted to send a message that it's never too late to change. In fact, it's almost more incredible to see someone so far advanced down one path to turn back and go the other way. And Dickens wanted to show, too, that it's not as hard as it may seem. It may be as simple as just realizing where you've gone astray. It only took Scrooge one prized goose and giving Bob Cratchitt a day off to set him on the right path. Very small gestures that go a long way. But the lesson that Dickens hits home is that, small gestures committed daily and stacked over time are really all it takes to live a beautiful, happy life that benefits all those around you.

"Now, being prepared for almost anything, he was not by any means prepared for nothing." 

That's 2025 wrapped. Thank you so much for being here with me, I truly can't put in to words what it means to me to have your support. I will pay you back in the best way I know how, with stories. Cheers to an even better 2026. If you'd like to give me a super special Christmas gift, consider leaving a review or even just a star rating! It's one of the best things you can do to help the books, and it's free!

All the best,

Love Scott