The Great Un-Fuckery: Why I Split the Whiskey-Verse into Four New Series
Look, I need to tell you something, and it's equal parts embarrassing and extremely satisfying.
You know how sometimes you're so deep in the weeds of your own creative world that you can't see the forest for the trees? Or in this case, can't see the massive structural problem for the magic systems and witty banter?
Yeah. That was me. For years.
The Moment I Realized I Was a Dope
So here's the setup: Shane (my co-author) and I had this brilliant idea to create a mega-series called Whiskey Witches. We had Origins, Ancients, and Para Wars all bundled together as mini-series under one giant umbrella. We thought it was clever. We thought readers would love hopping between storylines and characters.
Spoiler alert: They did not.
People were confused. Like, genuinely confused. They'd pick up a book expecting more Paige Whiskey, and suddenly they're deep in Dexx Colt's world or hanging out with the Alaskan Witchguard. Some loved the variety. Others bounced hard. And I couldn't figure out why the series wasn't connecting the way I knew it should.
Then one day, I was literally sitting at my strategy business, auditing a client's book funnel, I had this horrifying realization:
I was doing exactly what I tell authors NOT to do.
I was feeding three completely different reader profiles the same series. Romance readers who wanted swoony shifters were getting military urban fantasy. Gritty supernatural thriller fans were hitting cozy witchy vibes. It was chaos. It was a mess.
And worse? I knew better.
I literally teach this stuff. I audit author businesses and help them untangle these exact problems. And here I was, walking around with my own giant structural knot, completely oblivious.
So I did what any self-respecting author would do: I audited my own damn self.
The Problem: Three Readers, One Confusing Path
Here's what was happening under the hood:
The Whiskey Witches mega-series was trying to serve three distinct reader profiles:
The Paige Whiskey Fan – Urban fantasy lovers who want a snarky, powerful witch navigating magical chaos with a tight-knit found family.
The Dexx Colt Fan – Readers who want darker, grittier supernatural thrillers with mystery, danger, and morally gray characters.
The Romance Reader – Folks who came for the romance and wanted shifters, fated mates, and all the swoon.
And we were asking all three groups to read the same series in the same order. No wonder people were dropping off! They weren't confused by the storytelling, they were confused by the structure.
It's like trying to run a coffee shop, a bookstore, and a yoga studio out of the same building with no signs on the doors. Sure, some people might love all three, but most folks just want to know where to find their latte.
The Solution: Four Clear Paths Through the Whiskey-Verse
So I did what needed to be done. I split the mega-series into four distinct, reader-friendly series:
1. The Paige Whiskey Chronicles
This is the flagship. Paige's journey through the magical underworld of Anchorage, Alaska. If you want snarky witches, found family, and high-stakes urban fantasy, this is your trail.
2. The Dexx Colt Files
Darker. Grittier. Dexx is a supernatural bounty hunter with secrets, and these books lean into thriller territory. If you like morally complex characters and noir-style mysteries, welcome home.
3. The Alaskan Witchguard
This is the ensemble cast series. Think Avengers, but with witches, shifters, and soldiers fighting supernatural threats in the Last Frontier. Perfect for readers who want team dynamics and large-scale magical battles.
4. Shifting Hearts
The romance series. Shifters, fated mates, and all the feels. If you came for the love stories and the paranormal romance vibes, this is your path.
Here's the kicker: The crossovers are now formatted as standalones.
That means if you're a die-hard Paige fan but don't care about the romance side of things, you can skip Shifting Hearts entirely. Each crossover book now has a "Previously On" section so you're never lost, and you can jump in and out based on what you actually want to read.
It's like finally giving the Whiskey-Verse a proper map. With signposts. And maybe even a friendly guide at the trailhead.
The Process: 420 Steps of Pure Chaos
You want to know how much work this was?
420 steps.
I am not exaggerating. I made a checklist, and by the time I was done, it had 420 individual tasks. Here's a taste of what that included:
New covers for every. single. book.
Updating metadata and series information on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Google Play, and Draft2Digital (which handles all the other vendors).
Reformatting the ebooks to include the "Previously On" sections in crossovers.
Updating my website to reflect the new series structure.
Creating new landing pages for each series.
Updating WhistlingBookPress.com (my direct sales platform).
Oh, and I'm still not done. There are eight more steps I need to finalize tomorrow, and the vendors are still updating as we speak.
But here's the thing: It was worth it.
I can already see the clarity. The structure finally makes sense. And when we launch the audiobooks later this year? It's going to be so much easier for listeners to find the stories they actually want.
What This Means for You (Yes, You)
If you've been reading the Whiskey-Verse and felt lost, confused, or frustrated by the order: I'm sorry. Genuinely. That was on me.
But here's the good news: It's fixed now.
You can pick your path. You can follow Paige, Dexx, the Witchguard, or the romance crew without feeling like you're missing critical pieces. The crossovers still exist, but they're no longer gatekeepers. They're bonus content for folks who want the full interconnected experience.
And if you're new to the Whiskey-Verse? Welcome. You just walked into a much more organized base camp.
Want to take a look?
