There's a unique kind of vulnerability that comes with revisiting your published work. As authors, we send our books into the world, and then we move on to the next project. But sometimes, a voice in the back of your mind whispers: I could make that better.
I'm excited (and slightly exhausted) to announce that I've been deep in the revision trenches, working on major edits to the first four books in the Josiah Sutton series: Redemption, Dust Devil, Firewater, and A Gilded Cage. So far, I've completed the work on Redemption and Dust Devil, with each book gaining approximately 50 pages of new content. Firewater and A Gilded Cage are currently under the knife, receiving similar comprehensive treatment.
This isn't just touching up typos or fixing a few awkward sentences. This is substantial revision work that's reshaping and strengthening the entire foundation of the series.
Why Revisit Published Work?
Some might ask: why go back? Why not just keep moving forward with new books?
The answer is simple: I owed it to Josiah, and I owed it to readers.
After reading these novels over and over—through beta reads, editing passes, audiobook production, and just revisiting them as the series grew—I began identifying areas that needed improvement. Moments where motivation wasn't quite clear. Scenes that could have landed with more impact. Connections between events that deserved more development.
The beauty of being an author today is that we can make these improvements. We're not locked into a single printing run from decades ago. If we see ways to make our stories better, we have the power to do so.
The Scope of the Project
When I say I'm revising four books, I want to be clear about what that means. This isn't a casual weekend project. With roughly 50 pages of new content being added to each book, I'm writing the equivalent of an entire novel's worth of new material—all of which needs to be carefully woven into existing narratives.
It's like performing surgery on four interconnected patients simultaneously. A change in book one ripples forward into books two, three, and four. A clarification in book three might require adjustments in earlier volumes. Everything has to remain consistent and coherent across the entire arc.
What Changed in Redemption and Dust Devil?
In Redemption, I focused on clarifying Josiah's journey from New York lawyer to frontier justice-seeker. His transformation needed more breathing room, more moments where readers could see the internal conflict he faces. I added scenes that show the weight of the decisions he makes and the toll that violence takes on a man unused to the brutal realities of the West.
In Dust Devil, the additions centered on relationships and consequences. Actions that happened in the first book ripple forward, and I wanted to make sure those connections were clear and meaningful. Supporting characters got more depth, and several key confrontations gained additional layers of tension and motivation.
These two are now complete, and I'm genuinely proud of how much stronger they feel.
What I'm Working on Now
With Firewater and A Gilded Cage, I'm taking everything I learned from revising the first two books and applying it here. By book three and four, Josiah's character arc is more complex, the stakes are higher, and the web of relationships is more intricate. The editing process requires even more care to ensure that every thread connects properly.
I'm finding places where character motivations need clarification, where plot points can be strengthened, and where the emotional resonance of key scenes can be amplified. It's meticulous work, but it's making these books into what they were always meant to be.
The Challenge of Adding Without Disrupting
One of the biggest challenges has been adding content without disrupting the pacing readers already responded to. I didn't want to slow down action sequences or bog down the narrative with unnecessary exposition. Every addition has to earn its place—either deepening character, clarifying motivation, or increasing stakes.
I think of it like adding rooms to a house that people already live in. The foundation and structure remain the same, but now there are spaces that make the whole building feel more complete, more livable.
Reading Your Own Work (Over and Over and Over)
Here's something they don't tell you about being an author: you will read your own books more times than you ever imagined possible. And each time, you'll see something new—sometimes something wonderful you forgot you wrote, and sometimes something that makes you wince and think, "I can do better than that."
When you're revising four books in sequence, this effect is amplified. I'm living and breathing in Josiah's world day after day, seeing how events cascade from one book to the next, understanding the series as a cohesive whole in a way I couldn't when I was drafting them individually with months or years in between.
The key is knowing which impulses to follow. Not every "I could change this" thought deserves action. But when the same issues keep surfacing, when you find yourself mentally rewriting scenes every time you encounter them, that's when you know revision is necessary.
What This Means for Readers
If you've already read the first four Josiah Sutton novels, you might be wondering whether these revised editions are worth revisiting. My honest answer: you don't need to reread them. The core stories you enjoyed are intact. Josiah still faces the same challenges, makes the same crucial decisions, and walks the same dangerous path.
But if you've been thinking about a series reread, or if you want to experience a fuller, richer version of Josiah's journey, these new editions will offer that opportunity. You'll see deeper into his character, understand motivations more clearly, and experience a more tightly woven narrative across all four books.
For new readers discovering the series, you'll be getting the strongest possible version of these stories from the start. The foundation of the entire series will be solid from book one forward.
The Marathon Continues
I'm currently in the thick of editing Firewater and A Gilded Cage, and I won't lie—some days it feels overwhelming. Revising one book is challenging. Revising four interconnected novels while maintaining consistency across all of them is a whole different level of complexity.
But it's worth it. When I read the completed revisions of Redemption and Dust Devil, I feel a satisfaction I didn't feel when they were first published. They're right now in a way they weren't before. And I'm determined to bring that same level of quality to books three and four.
Looking Forward
Once these revisions are complete, the first four books of the Josiah Sutton series will represent the best work I can do. The foundation will be unshakeable. Everything that follows will build on rock rather than sand.
This process has taught me immense amounts about craft, about patience, and about the importance of being willing to revisit and improve rather than simply moving on to the next shiny project. I'm a better writer for having done this work.
The revised editions of Redemption and Dust Devil are now available [include where they can be found]. Firewater and A Gilded Cage will follow once the editing process is complete.
Thank you to everyone who's supported this series. Your enthusiasm for these stories made this massive revision project feel worthwhile. Here's to building something that will last.
Have you ever reread a favorite series and noticed connections you missed the first time through? What makes a series feel cohesive to you? Let me know in the comments!