Hi all, I know some of you (one reader in particular) have been wondering where the sequel, Hiro Hamada and the Cave of Wonders, is. So I thought I'd make a little update post regarding it. Quick warning, there will be some discussion of some uncomfortable subjects, including current events, anxiety, and depression.

Rest assured, the story is not canceled. I have up to Chapter Five entirely written as well as Chapter Nine, since I enjoy bouncing around writing out of order and publishing the whole fic chapter by chapter once it's all ready. It probably would have been finished by now, however, if it weren't for things that were mostly beyond my control. Around the time a favorite creator and trusted friend of mine was outed for doing some pretty despicable things (for which I've cut all ties with them), events overseas sent me into a crippling spiral of depression and anxiety. I had virtually no motivation to create anything because I was terrified of the worst happening at any second - and I mean the absolute WORST that I was certain would happen when The Former Guy was president. I talked it out with my therapist and began anti-anxiety meds in the spring. Though I sometimes still have panic attacks when I catch fearmongering posts about the fighting and escalation on social media, I've gotten much better at controlling my fears and living in the moment. Therapy helps, and prescriptions do too, so long as you are responsible with them, have a strong support network of family and friends, and focus on mindfulness in the meantime. (Out of respect, please don't bring up world events in the comments or mention them in PMs. Thank you)

But this isn't the only story I've been working on. I finished writing a new children's book (the third one I've ever done), which my agent is currently shopping around to various publishers. Think creating kids' books are easy? You wish! But they are so rewarding to make and I hope to see them on bookstore and library shelves someday. I've got a good feeling about this one, so we'll see what happens!

I've been reading other fics as well, many well-written ones, which have given me considerable pause over where Cave of Wonders is going. Looking back on Hiro Hamada and the Magic Kingdom, there are some things I wish I could redo. But the best I can do is move forward and fix its flaws in the next story. There are still some ideas and plot threads that I'm ironing out in order for things within the fic and for future installments to make sense, and to avoid many of the problematic elements that are present in the original stories. I'm also constantly worried about the characters sounding and acting in character properly instead of being Ron, Harry etc. with the names crossed out. I'm even second-guessing my decision to make Hiro the hero (ha) since he's such a scientific character in a very heavily fantasy-centered world. Fantasy I can work with, science is difficult. I want to bring that aspect into his adventures more, though I'm not sure how yet.

I ended up taking a break for a bit, but the fanfic bug didn't go away for long. I started developing another fic that I'm having a lot of fun with. I don't want to give away too much since I've only written a few chapters, but here's a hint: it's a tale as old as time, but with a different magical twist (hoot hoot!)

On top of that, I've been making time for friends, editing videos for contests and collaborations, possibly starting up a podcast, looking into colleges to get my Masters degree, and I just started a new job at the biggest library in my district. So life has been pretty busy overall! Whatever happens, I'm fortunate to be here and grateful to have a set of fans who genuinely enjoy this story and anticipate the next installment. I promise I'll do my best to keep working on it. I welcome any and all beta readers to give it a read so I can make this story the best it can be.

Thank you for your patience and understanding. Hope to see you soon!