It seems, judging from some commentary, people missed the memo; the Magically Hellish series is a one character led romp. Sandra is the lead perspective for the entire trilogy.
That’s why it’s spun off as it is; it’s ONLY about Sandra and her exploits with her friends and family–and it keeps things nice and neatly contained as it goes off in a different direction from the main series. It spun off because it doesn’t neatly fit the plan for the main magical romantic comedy series, which usually (but not always) follows new characters and couples while continuing the overlying series/world story.
I’m sorry I didn’t make that clearer when I introduced Sandra, or made it clearer in the author note at the end.
Don’t panic. Seriously.
(And remember, folks… cliffhangers imply characters are hanging by the tips of their fingers from a cliff. Everybody is safe and sound. Calm yourselves. They’ll be fine. You’ll just have to wait.)
And since others missed the memo: My writing brain doesn’t usually allow me to write back-to-back same characters. I need a cool down period, usually of a MINIMUM of three months before I can go write the same character again. I end up writing at a stately pace of maybe 100 words a day over the course of eight hours if I try to write two of the same character back to back. I’m going to be doing it once next year because I REALLY want to get those books out the door, but I am probably going to swap order a little bit to get a book between the installments because of this, if it proves to be a problem.
Books are hard to write, they’re tiring, and that’s that.
But really, it boils down to this:
I am just done with dragging myself through the mud because readers seem to think they shouldn’t have to wait. I’m not going to be working 14-16 hour days trying to make everyone happy anymore. It ends up with me being unhappy.
Said lovingly, but firmly: can the entitlement. You’re not entitled to me ruining my health and stressing myself because you want the next book NOW.
If you see a book in a series, buy the book and don’t read it until the series is completed if you can’t handle the wait. That’s fine. But if you DON’T buy the book, you don’t get to bitch the series was never finished, because the people who buy book one are why authors can afford to write book two. And most authors want to write a certain number of books in a series. (I’m not bound to a publisher’s whim, so when I decide a book will be six books, that’s because the series/book is THAT complicated and long, and that’s what I want for the book.)
I’m not changing how I write to appease the entitled. And yes, when you bitch at an author for DARING to want to write something more complicated that a cardboard cutout book of 50,000 words… you’re being entitled.
Have a good day, y’all.
Here are the new dates for the upcoming releases:
Booked for Kidnapping: October 7, 2021.
Up in Smoke: December 2, 2021.
Plaidypus: January 20, 2022.
Silent Stalker: March 17, 2022.
At this point, I don’t know if I will be doing a birthday book this year. March -> May is a really short window for writing a book, and I’d have to put in overtime. Because guess what? Books take a lot of time for me to write! Surprise! You just didn’t realize they take a long time to write because I was working 14+ hours a day trying to make you all happy.
I’m going to be limiting my time spent working a significant degree moving forward.
Nobody, and I mean nobody, is entitled to me working 14+ hours a day to write a book. Nobody.
Time to check the entitlement at the door. No author owes you that. Not a single damned one of us.
~R.J.
It fine ur book are good
I love what you write. Yes I’d like them faster but not to the tune of ruining your health. Than could mean no more books from you. So l can be patient and wait eagerly. I do it all the time for any of my favorite authors. I am ruined by having a reading rate of 1500 words per minute. My college professor was amazed so was I. So I try to slow down and bounce around reading other authors books till yours come up. Any person who has the balls to complain to you about how fast you write is nuts or they are nuts. Anyway take your time give us good books while writing at your leisure keeping your health and welfare at it’s peak. Blessings Debbie
I was always amazed when you shared what your schedule was. I was never able to finish the book I started “writing” as a teen. I couldn’t stay with it, I got too impatient to flesh it out. I think these people harassing you should get a life. It’s clear they have no purpose other than to waste time complaining.
It’s like trying to rush art. You take the spirit and good humor out and it’s emptier and a paler shadow than allowing inspiration and craft to come first. Amazing you kept that under the strain and no wonder it burned you out. I’m reading the Hidden Legends Academy series by Megan Linski (well, audio book version because I only get in my reading fetish by multi tasking) in between your books (I save them like gourmet chocolates) and along the way, I was hoping for things in the stories that, had I gotten what I wanted, would have actually ruined the whole experience.
Whoot whoot fist pump lady! You tell them we will wait EAGERLY for the next book when ever it comes.
I just finished the new book (Client from Hell). Loved it! Had actually forgotten it was due out until the pre-order showed up! I love surprises. 😉 I am also on the side of “take care of yourself, we can wait (however impatiently)”. That just means I need to find another (several) authors to stalk as well.
Thank you for standing firm. You are absolutely correct that people are not allowed to act in an entitled manner and ruin your life. Your creative services need feeding and space, not pushing and shoving. I’m glad you’re doing this for yourself and for those of us who understand that the world is not built around ourselves but around working together and that includes patience with the process. Take care and let the anticipation begin.
Neil Gaiman agreed with you, and John Anealio wrote a song about it: https://johnanealio.bandcamp.com/track/george-r-r-martin-is-not-your-bitch-remix
Whenever it arrives, it arrives. I just buy and enjoy.
Take time off for yourself. Always!!
What every one else said. Writing is work and quality work takes time, planning and skill. Sick authors don’t write. Thank you and take care of you first.