M.S. Olney | Updates

Subscribe to my Substack!

M.S. Olney — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 08:09:11 -0500

Subscribe to my Substack where you’ll find original fiction, early ideas, and reflections on storytelling alongside honest thoughts on writing, creativity, and the realities of building a career as an indie author. Some posts explore worlds you already know, others exist purely to experiment, question, or think out loud. I also share lessons learned from publishing, reader engagement, and what actually works once the marketing noise is stripped away. Paid subscribers get deeper access, early reads, and exclusive content that doesn’t fit anywhere else. If you enjoy thoughtful fiction and candid writing about the craft, you’ll feel at home here.

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Star Core 3: Exile's War released

M.S. Olney — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Enil has unleashed his fleet of ancient warships and machines to enslave humanity. His mission is clear: restore the lost Zeptar empire and bend the Sol system to his will.

As the Earth Federation falters and the colonies fracture, Admiral Clarke, Captain Valdez, and the Star Core must do the impossible; unite humanity’s divided star nations against a common enemy. But mistrust runs deep, and old lies threaten to shatter any hope of alliance.

Their only chance may lie with the one man they swore to destroy. General Ajax, now a Federation prisoner, claims he alone knows how to stop Enil. But can a warlord who once sought their downfall truly be trusted?

The fate of every world in the Sol system hangs in the balance. Victory means survival. Defeat means servitude..

PRE-ORDER NOW

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Release of The Sundered Crown Boxset 2

M.S. Olney — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The Sundered Crown Saga: Books 4–6 Boxset

Voyage for the Sundered Crown – Heroes of the Sundered Crown – Master of the Sundered Crown

The final chapters of the epic fantasy saga begin.

As darkness sweeps across Delfinnia, Luxon Edioz and his companions are thrust into a battle that will determine the fate of their world. From storm-lashed seas and ancient kingdoms beyond the horizon, to besieged cities and the very heart of magic itself, the heroes must forge new alliances and confront enemies born from nightmare.

Pursued by the unstoppable forces of Danon and the rising terror of the N’Gist, old prophecies stir, forgotten powers awaken, and the truth behind the Sundered Crown is finally revealed. Loyalties will be tested, sacrifices demanded, and the line between hope and despair grows razor-thin as the Void threatens to consume all.

This exclusive boxset brings together the explosive concluding trilogy of the Sundered Crown Saga, delivering sweeping adventure, world-shattering battles, unforgettable characters, and a finale years in the making.

Perfect for fans of classic epic fantasy, dragon-filled warfare, heroic camaraderie and worlds steeped in deep lore.

The journey ends. The legend is born.

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A review of my 2025 and what's to come!

M.S. Olney — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

With 2025 now behind us, it feels like the right moment to pause and reflect on what the year looked like from a book sales perspective. While numbers never tell the full story, they do offer a useful way to measure progress, consistency, and the long-term health of a writing career.

Over the course of the year, Amazon accounted for 2,373 book sales. Sales across wide platforms totalled 1,262, bringing overall sales for 2025 to 3,635 copies. On their own, those figures represent a solid year. When viewed in the wider context of my publishing journey so far, they feel even more meaningful. Total lifetime book sales have now reached 35,176, a figure that still catches me slightly off guard whenever I revisit it.

What I find most encouraging about these results is how they were achieved. I do not use paid advertising. There are no automated ad dashboards running in the background, no constant tweaking of bids, and no reliance on promotional spikes to drive visibility. Instead, sales come from regular social posting, a newsletter, and reader word of mouth.

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The Based Book Sale saw some bumps in sales when they ran and I’ve participated in one or two other sales throughout the year but gone are the days where I’d try and get onto every Bookfunnel promo going. I’m done with the freebie chasers. I should also thank Bookbub as the two promos I had over the year gave me some short term boosts. Despite those I am pleased to say I ended the year with a pretty nice profit!

The two books I published in 2025, Master of the Sundered Crown and Star Core 2: Void Hunt are both selling well and in Star Core’s case I’m pleased to say I’ve started work on book 3 with the aim for an October release. I have a few other books in the works and will be working away on those so there may be some more releases over the course of the year.

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In an industry where discoverability often feels locked behind advertising spend, knowing that these books continue to find readers organically is deeply satisfying.

2025 was also a year of steady growth rather than dramatic peaks. I have come to appreciate that kind of consistency more with each passing year. It suggests a backlist that continues to work quietly in the background, drawing in new readers while keeping existing ones engaged. There were no viral moments and no sudden surges, but there was persistence, and that persistence matters far more over the long term.

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Another positive takeaway from the year is the balance between Amazon and wide platforms. While Amazon remains the largest single source of sales, the continued performance of wide retailers reinforces the value of not relying on a single ecosystem. That diversification provides stability and helps ensure the books remain accessible to readers wherever they prefer to buy.

Looking ahead, 2026 has already started strongly. Early sales indicate renewed momentum, and there are multiple projects planned that should expand the catalogue further. Each new release brings fresh entry points for readers, and each completed series strengthens the overall ecosystem of the books already published.

I am realistic about the challenges of the current publishing landscape, but I am also optimistic. If 2025 demonstrated anything, it is that slow, consistent growth driven by genuine reader engagement is not only possible, but sustainable. With that foundation in place, I am hopeful that 2026 will build on these results and push things even further.

What’s coming this year?

The Sundered Crown Boxset 2

The Sundered Crown Saga: Books 4–6 Boxset

Voyage for the Sundered Crown – Heroes of the Sundered Crown – Master of the Sundered Crown

The final chapters of the epic fantasy saga begin.

Perfect for fans of classic epic fantasy, dragon-filled warfare, heroic camaraderie and worlds steeped in deep lore.

The journey ends. The legend is born.

Pre-order

Star Core 3: Exile’s War

Enil has unleashed his fleet of ancient warships and machines to enslave humanity. His mission is clear: restore the lost Zeptar empire and bend the Sol system to his will.

The fate of every world in the Sol system hangs in the balance. Victory means survival. Defeat means servitude..

Pre-order

I hope you all have a fantastic 2026, and keep on reading!

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Walking with Wizards and Knights: My Farewell to the Sundered Crown

M.S. Olney — Fri, 28 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

As I write the last few chapters of the Sundered Crown Saga, I find myself looking back over a journey that began way back in 2013 – over a decade that feels both impossibly long and strangely short. When I wrote the first words of Heir to the Sundered Crown, I was younger, more unsure of myself, and living through a difficult period of my life. I didn’t know then what this story would become. I certainly didn’t know how much it would end up meaning to me.

When you begin a fantasy series, you think you’re simply building a world. You don’t realise you’re also quietly constructing a lifeline. Writing Luxon, Ferran, Sophia, Kaiden, and all the others became something I relied on more than I understood at the time. Their struggles mirrored my own in ways I only recognised years later. When life felt uncertain, they gave me a place to put my thoughts and energy. When I didn’t know what direction I was heading in, I could always return to Delfinnia and feel grounded again.

Back then, I had no real confidence as a writer. I knew I loved storytelling, but loving something and believing you’re any good at it are two very different things. The crazy success of Heir to the Sundered Crown changed that. Upon release it sold thousands of copies and in its first few months of release I earned more from book royalies than I was earning from my job at the time. It was a massive confidence boost. It didn’t make me arrogant or overly sure of myself , but it did help me realise that I might actually be capable of this craft I’d thrown myself into. That there were readers, real people, who wanted to spend time in the worlds I created and actually spend their hard earned money on them. That discovery gave me something I desperately needed: reassurance. Not the blind kind, but the sort that grows slowly, the way dawn creeps across a horizon. It made me feel like a writer, not just someone pretending.

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Over the years, the saga’s characters grew with me. I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say they’ve been companions of a kind. When you write a series for more than a decade, the line between storyteller and participant starts to blur. You don’t simply guide the characters you live alongside them. Their victories lift you; their failures weigh on you. Their voices become familiar. Their losses can hurt more than you expect. I have shared their joy and fears and even mourned their losses. Writing is magic, and at times a story and the worlds we create can feel as though they take on a life of their own. It’s an amazing feeling when the words are flowing and the muse is whispering.

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I’ve spent so long in this world that writing the final book feels like saying farewell to old friends. There’s a sadness to that, even as there’s pride and relief. Writers don’t often admit how private and personal the process really is. You put pieces of yourself into every line without meaning to. You spill emotion into scenes no one else ever sees being formed. You carry the weight of the quiet moments, the doubts, the edits at midnight, the scenes that break you before they make you stronger. Writing is a private act long before it becomes a public one, and the Sundered Crown has been woven into my life far more deeply than readers will ever know.

For me, these books were never just stories. They were a constant through job changes, personal challenges, heartbreaks, triumphs, and the slow, uneven process of growing older. They are a record of who I was at twenty-something, who I became in my thirties, and who I am now. To let them go is both wonderful and painful.

But endings are necessary. Stories reach the point where they must close, and writers reach the point where they must allow themselves to release what they’ve held onto for so long. As I write the final chapters of Master of the Sundered Crown, I do so knowing it’s time. Delfinnia deserves its conclusion. These characters deserve their final moments. And I think, after ten years of adventuring beside them, I’m finally ready to let them rest.

This isn’t really goodbye, of course. Books never truly end. They live on every time someone discovers them, every time a reader steps into the world for the first time, every time a character’s journey connects with someone new. But for me as the writer, this is a gentle closing of a door that has been open for a long, long time.

Pre-order

The final instalment of the saga, Master of the Sundered Crown, releases on 22nd December and is available to preorder now. It brings together every thread, every battle, every sacrifice, and every moment of hope that’s carried the story this far. It’s the culmination of a decade of my life, and I’m immensely proud of what it has become.

Thank you to everyone who has walked this road with me. The journey has been long, but it has meant more to me than I can ever fully express.

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