[alansplace]

I was looking for a release date for the fourth James Potter novel, James Potter and the Morrigan Web, and instead found the below letter at the beginning of a 47 page (175 KB) PDF file containing the unedited and unfinished beginning of the unreleased book:

Greetings again, dear reader,

If you are here, then you likely know that I have decided to postpone the completion of this, the fourth James Potter novel, indefinitely. This decision comes at the end of much thought, and it was, you may imagine, a very difficult decision to make. I have enjoyed these stories immensely. If you have been along since the beginning, then you probably know that, and have enjoyed (to varying degrees) the tales as well. As you may imagine, my reason for putting the James Potter world aside, at least for now, is a relatively simple one. I want to write for a living, and trustworthy sources (including some of you) have enlightened me to the unfortunate fact that as long as my name is attached to what is, for lack of a better term, merely a fan fiction anthology, no publisher or literary agent will take me seriously.

I have railed against this for some time, and I am certain that many of you dislike it as much as I do. After all, under the James Potter umbrella, I have written several novels and garnered hundreds of thousands (and perhaps millions, counting all the translations) of readers worldwide. Still, it is undeniable that, as amazing and wonderful as this journey has been, there is simply no way to put a positive spin on it in the “legitimate literary community”.

Thus, for love of my writing, I must put some of my favorite writing aside.

I am sorry to do it, even if it is temporary, because so many of you have been so loyal and encouraging. You deserve to know what happens with Petra and James. You should find out what becomes of the world in the wake of “the Unveiling”. I really want to watch with you to see what happens with Scorpius, Rose, Ralph, Zane and James.

Spoiler:

I want to tell you who the new headmaster is in the wake of Merlin’s untimely demise.

I want to take you to the reality of that strange dream of the graveyard, and learn what really happens there, and what it all means. I want to lead you to the last, final page of the last, final book,

Spoiler:

where we will see poor, lost Lucy one more time

, and perhaps (just perhaps) find a happy ending.

But for now, I cannot, and I apologize.

All I can offer you is this preview. This is the unfinished beginning of “James Potter and the Morrigan Web”. It is not perfect, but I am happy with it. I was (and am) excited about where it is going. It won’t give anything away, but it will offer some interesting (I hope) hints about where this story is going, and what it might feel like as it unfolds. I do hope you will read it, and I will look forward to any speculations you may have about it.

And perhaps, once I do have some published works on the shelves at your local bookstore, if indeed that day comes, perhaps then we will return to where this unfinished tale leaves off. Perhaps we will move on again, refreshed and renewed. I will probably be a better writer then, and this story will surely benefit from that. Either way, as ever:

Onward and upward!

Yours always,

G. Norman Lippert