So What’s Going On With Deficient?

This post originally appeared on my Substack: So What’s Going On With Deficient?

I’ve been getting a few questions from readers (and not just from my wonderful mother, though I’m sure this post will answer some of hers too). The top two are:

“How come I can’t buy Deficient anymore?”

and

“When is the sequel coming out?”

This is my tea-spilling post. Hopefully it clears things up, but if you’re still curious, please drop your questions in the comments.

Question #1: How come I can’t buy Deficient anymore?

The short version: Deficient is no longer being distributed because I recently regained my creative rights to the book. Around the same time, my former publisher announced its closure. I haven’t re-published it yet.

To be honest, it was surreal to see that news appear on Writer Beware (a publishing watchdog). They even posted the following publicly on Facebook:

Reading this felt a little like the ending of a Scooby Doo episode — the mask comes off, and suddenly things click into place. I won’t go into details of my publishing journey here, but let’s just say it was…educational. Think Daenerys after conquering Meereen: lessons learned, dragons wrangled, khals burned, close calls survived, and ultimately, a hard-won clarity about who I am as a person and professional.

Despite everything, I walked away with incredible memories of book festivals, writing workshops, and school visits. Deficient reached more readers than I ever imagined, and along the way it was nominated for prizes like the Pushcart, the Stonewall, and the PEN/Hemingway Award. It even won a Reviewers’ Choice Award from YADudeBooks. That came at a time when I was seriously questioning whether to keep writing at all. That recognition gave me the boost I needed to continue.

I also had the chance to collaborate with a brilliant editor, Stephanie Bennett, whose sharp eye, encouragement, and sincerity I’ll always be grateful for. And I finally shook off years of imposter syndrome. Regardless of the twists and turns, I wrote a book that connected with readers. No one can take that away.

Question #2: When is the sequel coming out?

Here’s the exciting part. Over the past year, while the future of Deficient was up in the air, I went ahead and worked on the follow-on trilogy. In this setup, Deficient functions as the prequel, with three new books following it:

• Book 1: Feral Rising (fully drafted and edited)
• Book 2: Legion Unleashed (fully drafted and edited)
• Book 3: Runics Collide (in progress, ~50k words drafted)

I know it’s confusing, so here’s a visual that I hope makes sense:

The trilogy continues chronologically from Deficient, but it’s designed so that new readers can jump in with Feral Rising without feeling lost (though those who read Deficient will get the deeper connections).

Given some of the challenges I was facing, at one point I wondered if I’d have to rename the books, re-map the universe, or turn Alé into “Billy” and Achewon into “Ohio” just to keep the story alive. But gutting the heart of the story never sat right with me. In the end, I chose authenticity — to the world, the characters, and to you, the readers who believed in it from the start.

The Road Ahead

Right now, I’m shopping Feral Rising to see where it fits in today’s market, exploring agents, small presses, and other avenues. There’s been encouraging interest so far, and I’m proceeding with care (and much gratitude to those who’ve already requested pages or expressed interest).

Trends in publishing are notoriously fickle. One year, everyone wants sprawling trilogies; the next, it’s standalones only. Sometimes dystopias are in (like now), and sometimes they’re declared “dead” until the next slip into authoritarianism. Writing prose fiction about people with superpowers can be especially tricky, since the genre is often dominated by comics and visual media. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be done.

If the traditional or indie-press path doesn’t pan out, I’ll bring the books into the world independently. And honestly, after making it through my first round of publishing, the idea of rolling up my sleeves and doing it myself feels less like a burden and more like sweet, sweet freedom. That route takes more hustle and upfront investment (covers, layout, marketing, etc.) and can limit bookstore distribution, but it also gives me full creative control.

Either way, these stories will continue.

Lessons Learned

The past year reminded me that the old adage “kill your darlings” isn’t always the lesson. For me, it was fight for your darlings. I believed in this story because it came from my heart, and because so many of you believed in it, too.

So I’ll keep fighting for Alé, Yalamba, Gwen, Kazuki, and the rest of the gang. Their story is still alive, and it’s only just beginning.

Thank you, as always, for your encouragement, feedback, and moral support. Writing is not for the faint of heart, and like Alé, sometimes you get knocked down and have to rise again. If publishing Deficient taught me anything, it’s this: be stubborn, persevere, and keep the fire alive.

All questions and comments are welcome!