I dislike opening with negativity, but I’m going to express it so it’s airing out and move on with my day. Entitlement is a nasty, ongoing problem in the publishing world.
This comment was left on the blog today, on a post from several years ago:
Having re-read all of the Magical Romantic Comedy series over the past month, then checking your upcoming releases and NOT finding books 2 and 3 on the calendar I am getting annoyed with you as a writer.
This is not the first series that you have put on a hiatus. And as a reader that follows ALL of your series I am getting pissed with being left holding the threads of plot in my hands. Especially when you say the next book is coming in a certain span of time.
As writer of fictional series you have an obligation to the fans that have dedicated both time, emotional investment, and money to reading your words. ESPECIALLY in the case of a multibook arc of story’s. where the next chapters are being shunted to the back of the queue for NEW series.
Remember, you have made a de facto commitment / contract with your readers to continue / finish the series you started.
Please do so.
I’m going to address this comment.
“No.”
To all of that.
First, nothing is on hiatus at this point, not even the Zodiac series. (I am working on some plot work, making sure the ideas I have for the opener of Book 2 work in the light of Book 1, etc.) The author of this comment, who will be addressed simply as “Person”, is upset because I have not continued the Client from Hell series. (Which was released almost exactly two years ago. Person needs to sit down and learn patience.)
What Person has accomplished is push Client #2 to the back of the line. 2025, as I’ve discussed numerous times various places, is when I have banked enough side money in a savings account to pay for continuations despite knowing they will not pay my bills.
I’m tired of repeating myself.
Nothing is currently on hiatus. Just because you’re not getting your way doesn’t mean… anything. Actually, it means you’re entitled and impatient. That’s it, that’s all.
Not even Requiem for the Rift King or Dae Portals are on hiatus, I’m just rotating through things, doing side work on things, and I’m not at a point in the process where I have much to report. Like… that’s how my creativity works?
Books don’t just fall out of the sky fully formed and ready to take over. Some take me literally years to prepare (mentally) to write… like… it’s not like working at a Starbucks, where you get an order and can immediately create the drink and give it to the customer.
I have to grow the entire damned coffee tree first. (And fulfill the planet’s directive to provide her with plastic as she made us as a species, obviously, to create plastic for her to play with.)
Anyway, tangent aside…
Here’s the raw deal: I pay for the books to be published. That’s where this story starts and where it ends.
Every decision I make, every time I reorder publication, every time I do something someone, like Person, dislikes… is done for a reason.
I can either “keep writing, strategizing releases so I earn enough money to put bread on the table” or “please people like Person.”
I chose “keep writing.”
Person, none of what you have said is reality. You are not entitled to ANYTHING. I have NOT signed a de facto contract of ANY sort, nor will I be bullied by some stranger on the internet because they are upset they didn’t get what they wanted when they wanted.
As most of you are aware, Booked for Theft is coming out in March. This is the first of the books I’m working on that was fitting in one of five or so slots in 2025 for continuations.
Client from Hell’s sequel was going to be second or third, depending on my mood. My mood now is putting it into a 2026 slot, assuming there is one. (Nothing kills motivation or desire to spend THOUSANDS of dollars on a book than the bad behavior of people like Person.)
This is a “fuck around and find out” moment. I have PLENTY of series continuations, and I have budgeted for five slots in 2025 for those continuations. (Literally. The money for five books in 2025 is in a savings account for this purpose.)
Please note that while I will STARTING these books in 2025, they probably won’t publish until 2026. Writing books takes HUNDREDS OF HOURS. I only write so fast. Like, seriously. I work to live not live to work, and while I love writing, it is not my life.
My life? Spending time with my spouse. My cats. Cross-stitching. Exploring local parks. Visiting every National Park I can… anything that’s not writing.
I do not live to work.
Writing is not my life, it should not be my life, and that’s that.
Booked for Theft has slot one. (Releasing in March.)
Edge of Midnight (Wolf Hunt #2) has a slot. Dual Nature (Sean #2) has a slot. Jesse #1 has a slot.
Death Dance (Lowrance Vampires #3) and Death’s Door (Fox Witch #2) are battling for the next spot. The one that loses goes into a 2026 slot I have set up for it.
Initially, Death Dance and Death’s Door would both be in 2026 for drafting.
Person’s decision to try to bully me has changed my plan, because no… I do not take orders from some stranger on the internet.
The Magical Romantic Comedy (with a body count) series needs a rest. Readers lost interest. Whiskers didn’t perform as well as I needed it to to keep a once or twice a year schedule. And since Whiskers didn’t perform… Client #2? Has no chance in hell of performing where I need for the slots those books used to occupy.
Here’s the reality of the situation:
Audrey Greene got my 2024 passion slot. I had one, I claimed it for A Light in the Dark ruthlessly. I love this book so much. I wish Audrey Greene performed better, but it doesn’t. And that’s okay.
It’s a love child, and I saved up to bring it to life.
People like Person might make it so passion and love projects are written… but not published. And that does not mean other things will release faster. It just means I will release slower and plan my releases differently, finishing series until there’s nothing left.
That’s what Person wants.
I’m not too keen on that. I’d rather have those passion projects and extra series in the air. The only difference would be the passion projects would not be shared with anyone and written for joy.
Yeah, I doubted Person thought this through.
I would write these books anyway. I have chosen to share what I’m working on via publication rather than just add it to the shelf of unfinished works. Like, seriously. I’m going to write what interests me creatively.
It’s just “do I publish this or not?”
Person would just reduce the published book count by approximately half… and still not get what he wants when he wants. (Basically… stop fucking around, because we don’t want to find out on this subject.)
I am the one paying the bills to publish books. Every author is footing the bill unless they’re traditionally published.
Please don’t play the fuck around and find out game on this. The only way anyone wins is if we don’t play.
So, let’s not play, okay?
This is not a line in the sand. It is a nuclear bunker in the middle of a fallout zone.
To address some of Person’s complaints about pen names…
G.P. Robbins is performing really well, and that pen name has earned being prioritized. More importantly, because G.P. Robbins is performing well, continuations can happen. This pen name is literally footing bills right now.
Lilith Daniels is not doing poorly. In fact… she’s doing well enough she’s getting a 2026 slot for her next book. (I will begin writing in 2025 and won’t finish until 2026 likely.) Lilith has started footing bills, and she’s doing a better job of it than the series Person would like.
Essentially, the Robbins and Daniels pen names are making certain I can keep writing. While the Mag Rom Com series has essentially failed… these two are doing fine. Sure, neither are going to be longer series, but they will be able to do a lot of ship floating.
I make the decisions I do because I want to keep writing. You also want me to keep writing. (Well, I assume you do.)
You may feel like Person above… but those of this mindset are not entitled to tell me how to spend my money. You are not entitled to tell me how to spend my time. You are not entitled to anything other than access to the books I do write.
THAT is the “contract” between an author and a reader.
I write a book.
You decide whether or not you want to buy and read that book.
I pick a price for said book.
You decide if you are okay with the price for said book.
If you are, you buy. If not, you don’t buy. Maybe you check it out from a library instead. Or maybe you’re a thief and decide to pirate it…. (Yes, piracy is theft. It means I can’t pay for future books or put food on the table.)
You owe me nothing. You don’t even “owe” me READING the book.
This is where the “contract” begins and ends.
I made the personal choice to continue all series. This is money out of my pocket, spent joyfully following passion.
While I do this by personal choice, no author is obligated to do so. Yes, that sucks when a series you want to see finished is dropped.
Just because I’ve moved “your” series from active schedule to “backburner continuation” doesn’t mean it’s on hiatus.
It means “I am waiting to write it until the finances are in my favor.”
I have to pay my bills. I have to eat. I have a life to live.
Readers do not dictate when and where and how I pay my bills. They do not dictate what, when, and how much I eat. They do not live my life.
I love bringing stories to people. It’s a joy. I love sharing. I love uplifting. I love entertaining.
But I have to also pay for a lot of things, and the production cost of a book is one of those bills… and it’s a big one.
I think we can all agree $5,000 is a lot of money. And that $5,000 doesn’t pay me. It pays everyone but me.
When I say “I will finish what I start”, that is not a statement indicating I will do it right this moment. Or in three years. Or even five years.
Client from Hell came out a little over two years ago.
It can afford to wait. There are older books that deserve their continuations first.
I write something like seven fucking books a year. Leave me the fuck alone about what gets written when. Most authors might do one or two a year. Maybe. I am busting my ass to do a lot more than that.
In the past decade, I have written over seventy books.
This is a “get off my lawn” moment.
And it’s a boundary.
While I ask what people would like, ultimately… I write what I want when I want and how I want. I’m the author, and this is how this works.
I share because I want to. I ask because I want to. But I will not accept being pushed around or bullied by some entitled Person on the internet.
Neil Gaiman said it best: “Authors are not your bitch.”
Please toss the entitlement into the garbage can where it belongs.
Now, to end with some good news.
Pets in Space 9 is coming out, and I have a novella in it. Like Doggone Mess, Failed Colony is the start of a much longer story. It is, in and of itself, a completed arc within the story. The romance is light because it is the start of a romance, not the conclusion of it.
This will likely be my last year contributing to Pets in Space, mainly because I am out of storylines that fit well in the novella format.
Let me start this with a: I’m sorry people are assholes and you absolutely deserve your line in the nuclear fallout zone and I will happily respect it.
Moving on from that let me also add, Fuck that person. Fuck them with a sandpaper dildo and no lube. Especially because I fucking love the Client From Hell series and this asshat just ruined it for the rest of us. Asshole. But hey it bumped up Fox Witch which is also good! I’m glad I read and love almost every series you write LOL!
yeah, what she said. there’s a special circle of hell for ignorant entitled assholes on the internet
Like”person” I found the rom com books and devoured them since the first of the year. Unlike her/him, I found as many of your other names and books as I could and read them, too, gratefully. You’re right. Person is wrong. I’ll wait, as will most of your other readers. When you cross stitch, leave a tiny bit of slack extra in each stitch so you can even it out by running a needle behind and gently tugging it smooth on the front. 😸
Don’t waste so much emotional energy on those nay sayers.
Agreed
Nice! You nailed Person to a T. You do you. They can suck it.
Thank you for everything you do write, ever since I found your books, different pen names and all, I have purchased and re-read multiple times. Each series hits a different spot and I love them all for different reasons. I will be waiting patiently for anything and everything. Thank you
👍yeah
Seething then total disbelief and ending with a desire to understand what world they live in. Person is a self entitled air breather who would probably complain with reference to anything, I pity their partner if one exists person marking the calendar to ensure their needs are taken care off and how and when !
I absolutely agree no author deserves to be verbally or any other way berated who have their life to take care off , just think of the consequences of this comment made said author to say fuck it I have had enough and then person went and did same to another author what pleasure would they derive from causing untold amounts of readers to no longer be able to read.
So to author I say live your own life with no regards to some minority who haven’t got a clue.
To person I hope you are satisfied with your actions results because I personally can’t understand you know what f@@k you and all your entitled kind.
Brian
Person has earned my everlasting ire. They’re rude, entitled, and insufferable.
*settles in to wait patiently for the next Client from Hell books, as they will come out at some point*
I am one of your readers and I want to let you know that I love your books. You don’t need to listen to the negative naysayers because they just are spoiled people who don’t understand the real world and how it works. You are one of my favorite authors and I don’t care what name you write under. So please do what is necessary to be you. I will wait for the next novel love your novels and your brutally honest about how it has to be
I agree that said person who complained is being an a**. That said, it would be nice to know what priority that Wolf Hunt #3 ( Edge of Midnight) is being given and an approximate release date, give a month please 🙏. I don’t want to be an a**. But I thoroughly enjoy Wolf Hunt & Wild Wolf! I understand that Edge of Midnight is second or third on your schedule. 🥸🫡 But some idea of approximately when to anticipate Edge of Midnight would be very appreciated as I intend to buy it as soon as it comes out!
I have no idea. Sorry, I just have no idea how long it will take to write. That’s the problem with creative arts. It’s not a static thing. Sometimes, books that I think will be easy take four times longer than normal because they just… went sideways. I just can’t make any guesses right now on when it’ll be. My first priorities are the two books in november, the one in december, and the one in March. I’ll worry about how long everything else takes once I get through those titles.
Write for yourself. We are lucky you share
People are able to read faster than an author can write. This is a fact of life that Person needs to accept. This is why I read a wide range of authors and a wide range of series and genres. I can keep myself entertained while waiting for my favorite authors to complete their creative endeavors. No one has a right to a book on demand. You keep writing at whatever speed pleases you, and I will be overjoyed to read whatever you publish next.
Whenever I hear a comment like Person’s it reminds me of the “Clan of the Cave Bear” series… it was 31 years between number 1 and number 6…. two years?! That’s it?! Woot!
Yes, exactly. I remember at one stage several rumours that Mss Auel had died!!
Wow! I think you explained yourself, perfectly. I also thank you for sharing the many wonderful tales, at your leisure, and appreciate the time and effort you put into these superb writings. You do what you do, and I will quite happily read whatever you publish, when time permits. 😉
The sheer entitlement in that comment blows my mind. the amount of books you publish as is is staggering, knowing how much work goes into each. the amount of series is also amazing. and the different genres. that the magical rom coms went as long as they did before interest faded off is also amazing. good grief.
Wow, entitled people kill the joy. Person must be lucky as reader as several of the authors I read have gone decades between books in a series. Or worse, quit writing completely. I’m just extremely happy that you choose to share your endeavors with the world.
Failed Colony, the name alone is intriguing. Please people like Person don’t give RJ grief on this one like you did on Doggone Mess. Just be happy that there will be more story to enjoy when it is free of the anthology contract and releases on its own.
Very happy that Robbins and Daniels stories are doing well. Love those worlds and characters as much as I do everything you’ve written. Your books are my go to re-reads when I need an escape from reality.
Thanks for writing and sharing.
You go girl!! I enjoy your books and read under several names. Keep doing what you do and I’ll keep reading.
Thank you so much
Elaine
Get a life! This person doesn’t get to tell you how you’re supposed to write. You do whatever you need to get your book on whatever timeline you need to do it. And by the way 💕 you and all that you write.
That’s right! FAFO and mess it up for the rest of us. I love all your stories!! Since we’ve gone from paperback to the electronic age, I’m rebuilding my library and buying them again. Very happy to do so!! I am also updating my audio books library as I like to listen while I’m at work. Keep em coming Lady Author, I will be here waiting when you are ready. Please keep allowing us a piece of your world.
An good author (and you ARE a good author) is as much of an artist as Michelangelo or Vincent van Gogh! How long did it take to paint the Cistine Chapel or The Starry Night? And Michelangelo had a Pope paying his bills while creating that beauty! What an amazing @$$#### “Person” is. I (and fans who live in the real world) truly appreciate your wordsmithing talent and your generosity in sharing your artistry with us. TALENT is not given to all of us equally – if it were, we all would have Shakespeare-quality manuscripts on our bookshelves and original “Mona Lisa” or “The Scream” in our homes, depending on individual taste, obviously. You, RJ Blain – artist, provide healthy, enjoyable “word artistry” to your readers and we thank you for this gift! If “Person” could craft works of word-art, they would be doing so (on demand, obviously) and then they would not have time to harass those creative and successful wordsmiths such as you. You have the full support of your readers who do live in the real world of paying bills and working for their paychecks (and not their own self-entitled space). I thank you for all your hard work that has allowed me to purchase some of my favorite stories and hope you have an amazing trip with your spouse. Enjoy your photography, cross-stitch, sightseeing, and your actual life. Thank you again and again!
Ignore the a**h***s! Keep doing your thing in your way. It’s why some of us love your writing under whatever name you publish!
Thank you. I have learned more about writing and publishing from you, than from anywhere else. I have tried writing, I wasn’t interesting enough for myself, let alone others. I get my fix of RJ from Patreon posts and re-reads of everything I own.
Let me just remind readers who decide to say things like this. Other authors literally take 1-2 years between books only writing the one series at a time you ungrateful cretins!!!!
What Ms. Schwindt said!
To a certain extent, this is the fallout from the AI “revolution”. AI-produced “work” is like instant oatmeal – fast, bland, and doesn’t hurt anybody’s tastebuds. Totally lowest common denominator. But notice the emphasis on “fast” over “tasty”. And it keeps spreading, taking over more and more of what’s out there, like kudzu.
And then there’s the people like person, who has discovered a writer s/he likes, BECAUSE IT’S NOT INSTANT PAP LIKE AI DELIVERS. And they try to chivy you because you AREN’T instant tasteless garbage! Person needs to grow up and put on their big-person pants, because they are certainly acting like a whiny 7-year-old!
Do what you do. The adults in the room are content to let the creative process unfold in its own sweet time … because that leads to a better experience for everyone, including both the author and the audience.
Take care. And if you write a passion project, rather than keep it on your shelf to look at with a glow of pride (I would!), perhaps you can put it only on Patreon instead of the big markets that require more work (and $$$) to put in its final form. Because we love you. We love your work. And we have great patience. And most of us aren’t @$$####s.
This has been going on long before AI hit the streets. It’s a consequence of Kindle Unlimited. To succeed fiscally, you have to produce a book every three weeks. Readers got used to subpar/”okay” books every three weeks and expect this nonsense from everyone else.
Well done for pointing out something I totally missed.
Another unfortunate product of bland faced people who have the alleged great power writing code for AI but probably haven’t a clue on how to write a book or even have the passion writers do .
I think I have vented my opinion enough for now , thank you for all the wonderful replies that Person probably never thought for a moment that could possibly happen
Person it shows the love and passion the vast majority of her readers show. Bet your at least a little bit embarrassed now. 👹
You go girl!! Life is too short to waste on a$$holes.
Preach it, Sister!
This idiot “Person” does not deserve the time you took to take a strip off their (metaphysical) behind.
I enjoy all your books, from whichever pen name they are published under. That way, I am getting a new favorite book every time you publish. (Thank you very much for aaall the great stories!)
I am glad to know that at least some of your books are doing well. I live in fear that you will say “Fuck it all – I am not publishing any more books! It’s just not worth the effort.” (I am much older than you are. I hope to be reading a new book from you when I finally kick the metaphorical bucket…)
Please don’t let this moron get you down. Obviously, he (or she) is a poor neglected child who never had any toys – NOT!
Your books are a source of delight and hope for the future, even when they discuss things we’d hoped to have quit having to pick up the pieces from.
You are entitled (yes!) to have a life outside of writing books. You deserve a great spouse, fluffy kitties, reading, photography, stitching, and anything else that “floats your boat”.
Please keep letting us in on what’s wandering through your mind ay odd times and turning into fun books.
If that changed, those of us who love your books would be heartbroken.
This is why I suscribe to your patreon! Books are good! Each one is a new surprise! Each read along is a re-read and SAVOR!
The only answer to this idiot’s comments is NO! Or maybe no f*cking way.
And by the way, every someone is talking about the possibility of a first gentleman, I see a tall, black rabbit shifter!!
“Person” needs to shut up and go away. I personally love every single book you’ve written under R.J. Brain or under your other alter egos. I love everything about all of these books. Your books are ones I can go back and read repeatedly and always find little gems I missed before. I have thousands, quite literally, of books on my Kindle and still I get to a point that I need to re-read this series or that series of yours because they bring me happiness. Thank you for that. Anyone that treats you like this person has needs to just go away because they are not a true fan of your work or they would not be like this. Honey, ignore those people they don’t matter anyway. I am personally thrilled with whatever book you put out as I know I will love it.
I love so many of your series and can’t wait for the next books in them. I honestly can’t figure out which I’m waiting for more! But (and I do realize you’ll decide what to write) if I could request Lowrance Vampires before Fox Witch? A wish only.
Oooo ra. You are my writer hero. Everything any writer has ever wanted to say. I heart you.
Kelly Bowerman.
Write what you want when you want…I will get and read whenever something appears. I do re-read some of your books (depending on MY mood) just for fun. Meanwhile I have an excel sheet for when and if a new book appears. I am very OCD, so make a LOT of lists. I also read constantly, even when watching tv (during commercials and look up if something interesting happens.) So DO keep writing!
So sorry you get any mail like that! ‘Person’ is an entitled twit, and needs to take a long hike off a short pier, preferably into deep water without a lifejacket! Plots don’t spring to mind fully furnished and complete, writing takes time, publishing costs money – and you need to eat, sleep, and have a life as well.
Please don’t let opinions like ‘Person’s’ get you down too much. They have no idea what it takes to be creative – and besides that, their opinion isn’t worth the time it took you to read it. Genuine bookworms recognise that books take time and effort (and cash) to produce, and though we may be waiting impatiently for the next book in a series, we do so in the full knowledge that it will arrive when the author deems it ready for publication and not before.
As one of those bookworms, I wait for your next one – under any of your aliases – to appear with great anticipation of a thoroughly enjoyable read, and frequently fill bits of the wait by re-reading previously published ones. Please just keep doing what you already do so well at your own pace, and enjoy your life without regard to entitled twerps like ‘Person’.
Good on you. Yes, I get disappointed when some series are not written as quickly as others, but that is a “me” problem, not a “you” problem. I enjoy all of your writing in all your pen names, and love a lot of it. Please keep writing. Anything. Ignore entitled pissants like this. I am just happy I get to read your books. You write such a diverse, interesting spectrum, and the wit, characters, sense of humor (when it’s needed), and world building is wonderful.
I love your books. I await with anticipation any continuations of the series I love. Not buying Whiskers on Kittens caused people to miss a very entertaining book. That said, I will continue to wait for books as you put them out. The order you write in is completely up to you. You are very prolific and I appreciate it, even if occasionally I wait a bit longer for a particular book than I had hoped. I am a very fast reader and frequently reread books. As I am reading multiple series by your pen names, I will still get SOMETHING and will greatly enjoy it.
Grave Affairs, Dead Weight, and Life-Debt all have me looking forward. I am very glad that you will be putting out Booked for Theft, as I very much wish to see the story continue. The same goes for Fox Witch and Lowrance. All the books posted as planned for the Mag Rom Com series and spinoffs will be grabbed as soon as they are available on whatever schedule that might be. I keep updating my list of titles as you post them. (The Otterly series makes me giggle just thinking about it and there aren’t even any titles yet that I’ve seen!)
Please do not stress too much over rude persons who think they are entitled to anything. You are one of my favorite authors, though I haven’t quite gotten around to reading everything you have written.
I know it’s hard, but you just have to ignore people like that “person”. As a matter a fact you probably shouldn’t even read more than the first sentence lol that type of comment before you delete it. I’ll admit I don’t red some of your series, they just aren’t, my type. BUT I would never, ever try to tell your what to write. You are the creative spark behind all of the series that I really enjoy. So thanks for writing interesting, entertaining books.
I’m so sorry that some random idiot fucked the timeline for the rest of us. And messed with your Zen. I got a chance to get a book signed by you (DragonCon last year) and was thoroughly amazed and impressed with what a sweet, bubbly, enjoyable person you were in a face-to-face meeting. You chatted with me, gave me stickers, and it was such a great interaction that I gushed to my hubby that you were as much fun as a person as your tone is in your books (I was only reading Rom-com w/ body count then). So I’m sorry that someone managed to, momentarily, take that shine from your writing.
That said, I’ve LOVED the Lilith Daniels release, and have decided to start buying in to the other pen-names. So I guess the bright side, for me, is time to explore the other worlds and see which ones I want to live in for a while. And I hope other people take the time to see that you’re giving us a gift, NOT a “product”.
I was a bit wary about trying the other pen names, too, but can seriously recommend them all. Even Bernadette Franklin, I don’t usually like contempory as much. Loved them.
You do you. The entitlement people have today is off the charts. Just know you have a loyal readers who enjoy reading all your books. I love the humor you add in your stories, they really help when you have stressful day and need to decompress. It is important for you to also take time for yourself to decompress, take a step back and live your life. Just know your loyal readers will be here when you drop another book.
Well written and well said. I can wait patiently for the next Jesse Alexander book. Nothing worse than reading a rushed book or watching a rushed movie. It’s like when you’re waiting for an amazing star wars trilogy and the first one starts out good and by the third movie it’s more fan fiction and fan driven than plot driven…this is all hypothetical of course…a good movie that could have been great.
First, I just want to say thank you for sharing your stories cause I absolutely love all of them. I reread your work more than any other books.
As to what “person” wrote, please don’t let that rudeness get to you. You are an amazing writer and whatever else you choose to share I will just be patiently waiting to be able to buy it.
I believe you should write that which you feel moved to write that way we get your 👌
The nerve of some people. I call myself “patiently impatient.” Am I impatient? Yep. I want all the new books now. But that is on me. I would never yell at the author as that is my problem, not the theirs. You do you and I will enjoy the books when released!
I will say first, I LOVE your Mag Rom series and am awaiting any new books to the series, to include the hell series and the past mentioned Otter series. However, I, unlike some, realize that a series takes time and that you write under several pen names so have several series going at once. While I might get anxious waiting for the next book, maybe even frustrated, I understand it takes time and keep my frustration to myself. I have not started any of your other series because of a quirk that I have (I prefer to wait until a series ends so I don’t have to wait for the next release) but I started reading Bailey and Sam’s story after book 12 was released. I am actually waiting for the release of Lowrance #3 for that very reason. However, this quirk is mine alone and I felt 12 was enough to start the series and reread while I waited for more. Keep on keeping on. Your doing a good job. Don’t let people like “Person” get you down. Most of us love you.
Yep, I get it. It does mean if the books are bought, they’re put on the back burner. Like… people need to do what is best for them. As an author, if I didn’t do a good enough job selling the book, the series deserves to die a slow and painful death. In my case, it just means 3-7 years between books, because I need to be paying the bills.
(And then readers get all upset that they didn’t get the book they wanted, but they aren’t buying to support the series/author… like nope, sorry! Gotta eat. <3 )
But I respect that readers get to spend their money (and their time) precisely how they want to.
I don’t normally follow blogs for various reasons, but I saw the starter blurb on Goodreads when I was coming to check for the next book of yours I want to read. Figured I’d check what this was, and frankly I’m appalled. I could rant the reverse, but who has time for that?
Instead, let’s recap.
YOU ARE awesome.
YOU PUBLISH tons of books I cannot get my hands on fast enough, at a rate that would kill me if I tried it – five in a year already sounds like way too much, and seven?! This is just proof of godly talent status. I’ll have to remember I need to buy good coffee to sacrifice at the altar of your brilliance.
YOU HAVE gotten me through some of the toughest moments of my life with your stories, and I don’t just mean the laughter breaking the emotional lockdown of very tense trials. You pull me into your magical worlds, and it is a huge help to visit when I need a break.
I hope for every comment some jackhole leaves on your work, you also get a book purchase or kinder comment to balance it out. Should you need any assistance with your work, would love to be one of your beta readers or even just a brainstorming buddy. I do more writing-community building than writing these days, and ghostwriting one-off novels is a thing of the past. But still, I am familiar with these problems and would love to offer an outlet for you to vent when idiot readers get you down. Just remember that for every idiot, there’s at least one person who reads your book series until they run out of books, and then starts the series over again. Might not be a monetary boon for you, but as a balance for idiocy-based rage? Hopefully it makes a difference.
Sincerely, one of your biggest fans ever,
~Marie
I just reread Client from Hell and remembered it was supposed to be its own series. I’m so glad I came here to find that it will be continued (in your own time of course). When I came to your page and first started skimming your post, I thought it was a series you might have moved to another platform. Note to self, always follow favorite authors on socials and newsletters.
Carry on with your work, Lucy should find plenty of mischief in the meantime.
Some people royally suck. I love the Mag Rom Com books. Would I love to read Client #2? Yes. Can I wait? Also yes. I just re-read all the books until the next one comes out. I will also be buying other books from your other pen names.
You need to take care of yourself and family. You can’t cater to everyone, and you should only cater to yourself and your loved ones.