Hey all — long time no post. I've been heads-down in two manuscripts: a deep revision to Innocence Lost and the continuing draft of Know Thy Enemy. The first of those is the news I'm here to share.

The New Shell Edition is at the editor's desk.

In the Corpus Ad Astra Adventure universe, transferring consciousness into a new body is called moving into a new "shell." It seemed only fitting that the new edition of Innocence Lost would get the same name. Same soul, different body. (Yes, I'm pleased with myself for the title. So is MOMI, probably.)

Why a new edition?

The honest answer: the original Innocence Lost carried more technical jargon than it needed. The engineer in me wanted to explain every quantum-wave consciousness transfer, every CAA leadership maneuver, every market-mechanic detail of the Solar System Exchange. The novelist, on the second read, recognized that most of that was scaffolding the reader didn't need to see. The story was running with weights on.

So I cut. The engineer wept. The novelist nodded. The story moved faster.

The New Shell Edition is fully aligned with Book 2: Know Thy Enemy, where the story continues — same world, sharper pacing, characters where they need to be when the next leg begins. If you've been waiting to read the saga end-to-end, this is the version to start with.

Already own Innocence Lost? You get the New Shell Edition free.

Loyal readers are why this series exists. If you bought the previous edition — or want to be an Alpha/Beta Reader for the new one before its public release — email me at eric.c.holtgrefe@woodenhookstudios.com and I'll send you a copy at no cost. Signing up for the mailing list also counts as loyalty, in my book.

Book 2 progress: Know Thy Enemy

Still on track for Q3 2026. I've received editing drafts for eight of the book's projected twenty-four chapters — about one-third done. Patrick Murphy's expedition to HD260655 is going approximately as well as you'd expect for a Corpus Ad Astra venture into deep space: badly, brilliantly, and in directions even MOMI didn't model.

More updates soon. Until then — read carefully, choose your shell wisely.

-- Eric