I have been sitting on the end of the world for almost two years. Which sounds uncomfortable, and at times it has been. There are manuscripts under there.
With Dawn of Destruction and Shadows of Ruin now out in The Age Fire & Ash world, I can finally talk about something that has spent a considerable amount of time lurking on my computer, waiting for me to get my life together.
Thanks for reading! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.
When you write something you’re excited about, the temptation is to finish it, shove it toward the nearest reader, and yell, “LOOK WHAT I MADE!” Something that wants to burst forth as soon as it is done, but there are several steps that should happen between those two things. Editing, for example. An irritating but necessary intervention between an author and the belief that everyone will understand what they meant.
But even after those steps, sometimes the right move is to wait, and I did a lot of waiting with this series. Some of it involved finishing school, because I had already committed to earning that MFA, and the book I had to write for this degree is currently sitting in the holding pattern on this world. These first four books is what happened when I needed to flesh out the backstory.
But, some of the waiting was about you.
Yes, you. You were involved in this without even having to attend a meeting. You’re welcome. As a reader, I know what happens when a book gets its hooks into me. I want the next one. Preferably before I finish the one I’m holding, because I like to know my next poor decision about bedtime is secured.
As an author, I also know how much work has to happen before that next book is ready. Those two versions of me have had some discussions. Holding these books back gave me room to build ahead. It let me work through how the storylines connect, what needs to happen early to matter later, and whether the people I sent fleeing across a broken country were actually going to arrive where I needed them. Characters are terrible about following directions. You’d think the nuclear war would encourage cooperation. Pffft, as if!!!
More seriously, having several books ready means I can bring you into this world with a release schedule that keeps the story moving. You can finish one and have the next waiting—or know it’s coming soon enough that you won’t need a refresher course on who everyone is.
I can’t promise to write faster than every one of you can read. Some of you are frankly alarming. But I wanted to give this series a proper head start.
Book three is coming at the end of this month, and I even have the cover reveal at the end of this to show you book 4. Beyond that, there are more books still waiting their turn as I move this event into year two.
Then, in November, Aidan McCollum’s contribution joins the Fire & Ash world, opening another window into the collapse. That is one of the things I love about a shared world. My characters can only show you so much. Another author brings different people, different problems, and a different way of looking at what survives.
We agree on the world’s foundations, then get to discover what each writer builds inside them. For a reader, that means familiar ground with new places to explore. For the authors, it means occasionally having conversations about the logistics of societal collapse while other people are discussing normal things, like lunch.
This also connects to something I want to keep doing here: helping readers discover independent authors. Sometimes the most useful thing another author can do is put one of those books in front of someone who might love it.
A recommendation. A shared newsletter spot. A reader taking a chance on a name they haven’t seen before. Those things matter. It’s part of what we’re building through WordPeddler Society: more opportunities for independent authors to connect, share their work, and help readers find their next favorite.
“Where indie voices unite, the universe expands.”
Before I send you down to this week’s book finds, I want to know something: When you discover a new series, do you jump straight into book one, wait until a few books are available, or refuse to enter the building until the entire series is finished?And if you do wait, what convinces you it’s time to start?
Reply here or leave a comment. I’d love to hear how you decide—especially since I’ve spent almost two years sitting on manuscripts partly to accommodate your reading habits.
It’s Felisa Ordep’s BIRTHDAY MONTH!
Because of that there is a limited time FREE eBook offer for THREE Days starting today, October 15 up to 17!!!
An American woman stranded in the Philippines struggles to survive as a fast-killing virus decimates the population.
The virus is spreading.
The country is in freefall.
And she’s trapped miles from home…
If you get to read and like it, please leave a review and FOLLOW the author on Amazon so you will know when the next one is coming. It will be a huge help for a starting author
And if your reading pile still looks manageable, we should probably address that.
These BookFunnel collections have more books to browse and authors to meet: Just give the image a click and you’ll be helping authors out even if you don’t find a book to read.
Thanks for reading, taking chances on indie authors, and giving all these imaginary people somewhere to go besides my head.
DJ