Four Books In, And I Am Still Learning

Folks, I'm not going to lie to you: I am far from figuring out this whole writers' life business.  Each book is a new mystery, and new experience, and each time you wonder, "Is this the book that I level up with?"  Do I even know what "leveling up" means in this context?  

The book comes out, and you make some of the various lists of "books to look for this month" (or words to that effect), and look: Lists!  Barnes & Noble!  Geekspeak! Nerdmuch! Tor.com!  And you realize how just getting on those curated lists are a huge victory. 

It's never instant success, and that's fine.  On some level, I relish that it isn't, because it keeps me hungry.  It's part of why I'm creating this beast of four different series in Maradaine, where all the storylines build to a greater whole.  It's part of why I'm going at this pace.  I mean: I just had a book come out, and a year from now, I'll have two more out.  

We just released An Import of Intrigue, and The Holver Alley Crew is just a few months away.  I feel very conflicted, in that it seems too soon to really be talking about it, with Import barely out of the shipping boxes, but also that I need to be talking it up as well.  I mean, we're going to have the cover reveal pretty soon.  It's pretty cool, I think you'll like it.  It really captures the...

See, I'm already ready to talk about it.

I'm constantly feeling like I could do more. Do I need to do more?  I don't just mean more books, I mean keep pushing beyond the pace I've set.  I have an agenda, I can tell you that.  At my current pace, if I'm able and permitted to maintain it, I'll have what I consider "Phase I" of the Maradaine books out by 2020.  But I've also got other stuff stewing in the crockpot.  I've got a few novella-length works planned beyond the city of Maradaine, and a novel set in another city of that world is starting to germinate in my brain.  Plus there's a space opera novel that I keep coming back to.  And I think my short story Jump the Black could be the seed of a novel. And...

I'm saying I'm not lacking for ideas to keep me busy.  I just need to figure out how to increase my volume without sacrificing quality or burning myself out.  Because, honestly, I am so damn happy that I get to do this.

All right, one more thing: a teasing banner for The Holver Alley Crew.  Because we will be talking more about it soon.