FAQ-How Do You Deal With Reviews?

Ah, reviews! Ugh! I almost hate discussing them at this point because they've become such a controversial subject. I was hoping the vitriol would die down after the last two years. I guess it was too much to hope that we'd learn from the epic writer meltdowns over bad reviews and reviewers behaving badly (plagiarizing other bloggers, baiting writers). This year is off to another bad start with a popular Goodreads reviewer plagiarizing multiple book bloggers and one book blogger coming under fire by a writer.

So I think it is only natural that I deal with another question I'm asked a lot:

How do you deal with reviews?

The fact of life is that we all have personal preferences for everything in our life. We like certain kinds of food, music, artwork, TV shows, movies, clothing, etc. Of course, we all have different preferences for books, too. Does this mean our personal preference is wrong? Of course not. It just means we're different people. How boring the world would be everything thought exactly the same.

Therefore, because people have very different tastes I'm going to end up with diverse range of reactions to my books. It's inevitable that what someone loves, someone else will hate.

Let me give you an example.

The following reviews are from Amazon.com for my novel PRETTY WHEN SHE KILLS, the sequel to PRETTY WHEN SHE DIES. They were posted on the same day.

So which review do I pay attention to?  

The 3 star review says he likes my main character (yay!), but he felt the plot was dull. The 5 star reviewer wasn't disappointed.  So was my book a total misfire, or a total triumph?

The one thing I do take note of is that the 3 star reviewer says the book didn't need vampires in it.  I recognize that I didn't have a big drinking blood scene in my book, but I felt it was clear that the vampires in the book were still working with the restrictions of their nature.  I will most likely be a lot more conscious of making sure that Amaliya's vampire nature is coming across clearly in the third book. My assumption was that once I established Amaliya as a vampire, I could concentrate on her character development and the story arc. Yet, vampire fans do like vampire action. So I do feel this was probably a legit point to be considered.

In the early days of my career, the first review would have had me floating on cloud nine.  The second review would have crashed me into the ground.  Not anymore. Good and bad reviews are a part of the writing experience.

But don't you get upset?

There are three things that upset me about reviews: 1) Wrong information about the plot is relayed in the review 2) The review gives away ALL the plot points and surprises without a spoiler warning 3) the blogger addresses the author in a confrontational way.

A few examples of what I'm talking about:

1. Someone reviewed THE TALE OF THE VAMPIRE BRIDE despite admitting to just skimming the book. They wrote that Lady Glynis falls for her tormentor/abuser, Vlad, because he lets her redecorate the parlor of their home. This was totally out of context. Glynis never falls for Vlad. She struggles to be free of him throughout the book and finds refuge from the abuse she is suffering by doing the sort of things she would have done as the human mistress of her household.  I don't believe that skimming a book and plucking out plot points and twisting them is fair to a writer.

2. A review for THE LAST BASTION OF THE LIVING not only gave away every plot twist, it gave away the ending with absolutely no spoiler warning. Someone who read the review even chastised the reviewer for not posting a spoiler warning. I don't mind spoilers for my books as long as there is a warning.

3. A reviewer once took to addressing me directly about AS THE WORLD DIES. The comments were quite condescending. I didn't write the book the way this reader wanted me, too, and they took me to task. I was basically accused of being both homophobic and racist in a roundabout way. Honestly, I just wished they had put the books down and not read them. My books were obviously not for them. I would have preferred a DNF to "FRATER, did you really think you could do that....blah blah blah." I felt like I was being baited into a throwdown. I felt personally attacked and it was not a good feeling.

So do you like it when people write reviews?

Except for the three instances above, I'm grateful for all reviews. It means the reader/blogger/reviewer took the time to read my book and share their thoughts. I appreciate that immensely. I'm also aware that what one reviewer may have hated about one of my books may be a selling point to someone else. Bad reviews can sell books, too.

What kind of reviews actually count in your eyes?

There are certain book reviewers that have tastes that lie along the lines of my books. Their audience also likes the sort of books I write. So when I get a review from those reviewers, I do a happy dance. Paul Goat Allen from Barnes & Nobles Explorations, Publishers Weekly, Giselle from Xpresso Reads, Ashley from The Bookish Brunette are just a few of the reviewers that I hope and pray love my books.

Of course, when a reviewer who doesn't usually like my type of book loves one of them and writes a glowing review, I'm thrilled, too, because it means I'm crossing over.

So do you pay a lot of attention to reviews?

I pay attention to reviews for the first few weeks after a book is released. After that, I lose interest. Usually the first batch of reviews give me a really good idea of how the book is going to be received by my target audience. 

But can't a bad review kill a book?

I doubt it.  Some of the books on the best seller lists have horrible reviews.  

But what about Indie Authors?

If you're an Indie Author, you tend to cling to reviews a little more desperately, but that doesn't help your mental health or your book sales. Promotion, interacting with your target audience, and writing your next book is going to be a helluvalot more productive in the long wrong than checking Amazon.com constantly for new reviews.  

Also, there could be a lot of reasons why an indie book isn't selling. Promotion, bad cover, bad synopsis, and lack of author name recognition.  Blaming the one bad review on Amazon.com isn't a good idea. Looking at how to get the word out about your book is a much better way to deal with low sales.

So reviews aren't the bane of your existence? 

To be a little crass and to quote my husband, "Opinions are like assholes. Everyone has one."  

So no. Reviews are not the bane of existence. My job is to write and that's what I do. Reviews are just  a part of the career I've chosen.

FAQ-How Do You Decide Which Book To Write Next?

I consider myself to be a horror author, but depending on which one of my books you read first, you may have me classified as a vampire novelist or zombie novelist. Though I am both of those things, I am a horror writer with a ton of ideas banging around in my head.  It can get very noisy in there.

I am often asked the following:

How do you decide which book to write next?

If I have a contract with a publisher for a book, it's a no-brainer that I'll be writing that book. I'll drop whatever I have in progress to concentrate on the book that is under deadline to make sure I turn it in to my editor in a timely manner.  When the revision letter arrives for that book, I will again drop whatever I'm currently writing and concentrate on the contracted book. This happens with the first pass pages and the copyedits when they arrive, too. That's why sometimes my indie books get delayed.

Okay, but you haven't finished my favorite trilogy/series yet, so write the next one!

At this time I have two trilogies and one ongoing series. All three have their third book in a holding pattern.  AS THE WORLD DIES UNTOLD TALES VOL 3 is partially written and needs some major revision. The last book in the PRETTY WHEN SHE DIES trilogy is banging around in my head ready to be born. THE LAMENT OF THE VAMPIRE BRIDE, the third in the Vampire Bride series is unfurling in my mind's eye, but needs a ton of research. Fans of all three book series are sending me messages constantly asking for the next book.

Gawd, I'm so relieved that AS THE WORLD DIES is wrapped up and put to bed, otherwise I'd be crazier than I am.

So with the third book (and final book in two cases) waiting to be written for three of my lines, I have to do some math to figure out which one I will write next.

Because when it comes down to the bottom line, it really is about money.

Though I will write all three books, the top-selling series is the one I need to concentrate on. I'm a full-time writer and I have bills to pay, books to publish, and a life to live.

The reason why it took so long for PRETTY WHEN SHE KILLS to be written is because the first book, PRETTY WHEN SHE DIES, didn't sell for years. It wasn't until late 2011 that the book suddenly found its audience. When the first book was only selling maybe 50 copies a year, it wasn't really worth my time to cut a chunk out of my writing time to write the sequel. When it jumped up significantly and suddenly sold around 400 copies in one month, I realized that it was time to start on PRETTY WHEN SHE KILLS.

So after studying the numbers (sales, units sold, etc), financially it is more lucrative for me to write AS THE WORLD DIES UNTOLD TALES VOLUME 3. So that will be my next book after I finish PRETTY WHEN THEY COLLIDE (the novella in the same universe as PRETTY WHEN SHE DIES).

But that's not the book I want...

I realize that. I do. But in the end I have to consider the business end of my writing.  The next book after ATWD UT Vol 3 will be PRETTY WHEN SHE DESTROYS because of my two vampire series, that is the more popular one right now.  THE LAMENT OF THE VAMPIRE BRIDE is a much more intensive book to write because of all the research I have to do. It sits third on my list.

Once all three of these books are out, I will once again look at my sales and determine which direction I should go for my next big project.

But I want you to write the next book in ___________series!

This is where fans have clout and don't realize it. If you love one of my series, spread the word!  I'm not the only one looking at sales figures. Tor looks at sales, too. The best way to keep a writer in the business of writing books is to buy their book, whether it is self-published or traditionally published. I constantly monitor my sales and see which series are doing well.

FAQ-When Will There Be Another Vampire Bride Book?

THE TALE OF THE VAMPIRE BRIDE is my personal favorite of all the books I've written. Conceived in a dream, it would take nearly a decade of writing off and on to finally complete the novel about my favorite heroine, Lady Glynis Wright.

The novel challenged me in so many ways from the extensive research I did on Vlad Tepes, Regency era fashions and traditions, the countries of Romania and Hungary, and the history of the city of Budapest (Buda in the story) to writing the novel in first person.

Perhaps I also love it because it is the first full length novel that I wrote that felt like it was ready for publication. I had learned from all my trunked novels and finally found my footing in my writing.

THE TALE OF THE VAMPIRE BRIDE has slowly built its audience as it continues to garner rave reviews. It has undergone a cover change not once, but twice, and has been optioned for a possible TV show.  The sequel to the first book, THE VENGEANCE OF THE VAMPIRE BRIDE, has also garnered solid reviews and is about to be released again in paperback with a whole new look to the cover and interior.

 Out of all my book series, this is the dearest.

Therefore, I am thrilled when people ask the following question:

When will there be another vampire bride book?

I had hoped to have the third novel out in late 2012, but my writing schedule didn't allow for the extensive research and time it takes to write this series. Out of all the series I pen this one demands the most writing time.  The time period, the European setting, and the rich history of the area are an important part of the tapestry of the story and require a lot of research.

I am hoping that the third book, THE LAMENT OF THE VAMPIRE BRIDE, will be released sometime this year.  I already know the major theme of this novel and how it ends, but not all the story details have fallen into place and probably won't until I'm writing.

Is THE LAMENT OF THE VAMPIRE BRIDE the final book?

Yes, and no.

THE LAMENT OF THE VAMPIRE BRIDE concludes a three book arc that centers on Glynis breaking free of the power of Vlad Dracula.  The massive power struggle between Vlad and Glynis that is rooted in the blood bond between them will come to a conclusion in the third book in the series.

That being said I do see the Vampire Bride series as ongoing.  The next book may be a standalone in her adventures, or the first half of a two-parter. I'm not sure yet.

So you're going to keep going past the third book?

Yes, I am. But I'm not going to hold myself to a strict schedule on the series. There are at least two other novels (or novellas) set in Glynis's world that I would like to write. One is about the true love of Vlad Dracula, Erzsebet, and her fall from his grace. The other is about Gavril and Ilinca, the vampire siblings.

If you have other questions about the series, you may want to check out my "Ten Things About..." posts about both THE TALE OF THE VAMPIRE BRIDE and THE VENGEANCE OF THE VAMPIRE BRIDE.  In them I address several issues, such as the fact there is NO LOVE TRIANGLE and that Vlad is not a love interest, but the villain, and why certain things in the story happened.

FAQ: Will There Be a Sequel to THE LAST BASTION OF THE LIVING?

THE LAST BASTION OF THE LIVING was named the #1 Zombie Novel of 2012 by Barnes & Noble's Explorations.

It has garnered rave reviews from both readers and book reviewers.

Sales have been very good across all the platforms including audiobook, ebooks, and paperbacks.

It's been optioned for a possible film.

I have had numerous fans tell me that my sci-fi/horror novel is their favorite of all my work so far.

On my personal list of favorites I have written, this novel sits at the #2 slot behind THE TALE OF THE VAMPIRE BRIDE.


The second most commonly asked question I get from fans is

Will there be a sequel to THE LAST BASTION OF THE LIVING?

The answer is no.

There are no plans for any sequels whatsoever.

THE LAST BASTION OF THE LIVING is a standalone novel that tells the story that brewed in my mind in it's entirety.

But why...

Because the story I wanted to tell is done and there isn't anymore inside my head.

I don't understand. Just make something up...

One of the things that is increasingly apparent to me the more I talk to other writers is that every single one of us has a completely different way of writing our novels. Some people base their characters off of people they know or themselves, they meticulously construct storylines, they outline every single plot point, and basically micro-manage the book into existence.

I do none of those things.

Most of my novel ideas are born out of dreams. I dreamed the opening chapter of THE LAST BASTION OF THE LIVING then skipped through the rest of the story, snagging snippets as I went. By the time I woke up, I had a general idea of the story and the characters.

My process is that I think about a story and characters long before I start to write about them. I often describe it as having little worlds floating around in my head. Occasionally I open one up, peek inside, and decide if I want to explore further. If I do, I spend a good chunk of time in my own mind exploring the world, the characters, etc.  Therefore, by the time I actually sit down to write that particular story, I have an idea of how all the puzzle pieces might fit together once I start writing. Unless I have to write a synopsis for Tor, I don't write out anything at all. I just start writing. If I get an idea for something further down the line in the story, I write the idea utilizing yWriter's  feature of summarizing scenes and/or chapters.

I basically write until the story is told.  Sometimes as I'm writing I realize there is much more to be told than just that one novel. The perfect example of that is PRETTY WHEN SHE DIES.  But it also works in the opposite direction. I realized fairly quickly that THE LAST BASTION OF THE LIVING was a standalone.  When I finished the final scene, I felt the door on that world close in my mind.

So make it up!

Well, I can't. I know that sounds weird, but stories take on a life of their own. They have a definitive beginning and an end to me. Long ago, I did try to force stories to do my will (hehehehe), but they would just peter out and die on the page until I ripped out the stuff I was trying to shove into the narrative. It's like watching a movie in my mind and transcribing it to the page. If I try to write something that isn't on the screen, the whole thing falls apart.

Yes. I'm crazy.

But it's my favorite book...

And it's one of mine, too, but I refuse to force the story forward when the seed of a new tale isn't in my mind ready to flourish. I don't want to sell that world short.

If one day an awesome idea for a sequel lands in my head, I will definitely consider it, but for now I feel the story is done.

FAQ: Do You Base Characters Off of You or People You Know?

Are any of your characters based on you or people you know?

This is one of the questions that I get most commonly at book signings or convention events.  I suspect its because fans meet me and anticipate spotting some aspect of their favorite character in me. They're most likely very disappointed because none of my characters are based on me.

A few years ago a fan asked me, "So which character is you? Jenni or Katie? Or is it Nerit?"

"None of them," I answered. "They're just their own person and not like me."

The fan turned to my husband, who was standing behind me, and asked him, "So for real. Which character is her?"

"None of them," my husband answered.

"C'mon," the fan persisted. "One of them has to be her."

"Nope," my husband answered in his stoic way.

"So then who are her characters based on? You?"

My husband, who likes to keep to the background at these events, shook his head. "No. The characters are creations of her mind. None of the characters are like any of our friends or family."

The fan stared at us incredulously.

As a matter of fact, I would never base a character on me because I'm pretty boring and would not make an interesting character in a book. I spend most of my time writing, playing video games, marathoning TV shows with my hubby, shopping, and reading.  That does not make for an interesting character.   I have no desire to self-insert myself into any of my works. The mere thought is very disconcerting.

But how do you get your characters then...

I often feel like my characters are like Athena. They burst fully formed out of my head and land on the page of my book demanding their place in the plot.   The characters are their own people with their own likes and dislikes and even hold different belief systems from me and sometimes aren't even human.  Not one character has yet to embody my political, religious, or personal viewpoint on the world.  I might share a traits with some of the characters, like PRETTY WHEN SHE DIES' Samantha and her love of Betsey Johnson, but they're definitely not me.

Inspiration for characters come from weird places. A picture might inspire the sudden birth of one, or a voice I overhear in a store might create a brand new character. I also dream from the viewpoint of the characters sometimes and that's how I uncover them. I dreamed of Amaliya and Glynis before I ever knew their names.

So do you base characters off of friends, family, people you know...

A few years ago the answer to this question would have been a firm no, but now three characters have been deliberately crafted off of people I know. Rune from AS THE WORLD DIES is based off my friend and former co-worker, George, Olivia from THE MIDNIGHT SPELL is based off cabaret dancer and friend, Wendy aka Ginger Snaps, and Ashley from THE MIDNIGHT SPELL is based off of Ashley (aka the Zombie Queen) of The Bookish Brunette blog.

Rune came into being because George was reading the online serial of AS THE WORLD DIES and told me point blank I should include him. I started to tell him that I never base characters off of friends until I realized George would survive the zombocalypse. Rune is not George, but I could definitely see them hanging out. I gave several of George's traits to Rune, such as being a biker, the long white hair, and the cocky attitude, but Rune isn't as sweet or kind as George.

Olivia in THE MIDNIGHT SPELL looks nothing like Wendy, but she does share her flare for pinup makeup and cute outfits. She also has a sassy/snarky aspect about her that my co-author, Kody Boye, and I stole from Wendy.  Also, the big epic reveal about Olivia was directly inspired by a certain obsession Wendy has.

Ashley in THE MIDNIGHT SPELL was a no-brainer. The real Ashley is so damn cute, funny, nuts, and amazing, we just cloned her and shoved her into the book.  Kody and I cannot claim to know the inner workings of the real Ashley's mind, but a lot of her personality traits, her likes, and her appearance is in the cloned version of her. One of our Beta reader's recognized her, which I thought was a hoot.

Yet, I don't know if I will want to do this again. All three of these cases are the exceptions to my usual process.

So your characters are nothing like you? Really...

I do share a few traits with some of my characters like I stated before. My love of Betsey Johnson is shared with Samantha.  My snarky humor is infused into some of the characters.  And since I am writing for the characters, its inevitable that they might share some of my favorite phrases.

The one character that I am probably most like is Travis. I didn't really realize it until I was reading the final version of FIGHTING TO SURVIVE just before publication last year. Travis and I share a need to help people though we also tend to be loners. Also his frustration at being pushed into a position he'll actually be good at is something I, too, have experienced.  I also "knew" when I met my husband that he was someone very special and that my life would never be the same in much the same way Travis knows the same about Katie. Those are the similarities we share, but much else is different.

Sometimes a character is so removed from who I am I struggle to connect to them. Jenni from AS THE WORLD DIES, Amaliya from PRETTY WHEN SHE DIES, and Mackenzie in DEAD SPOTS were incredibly difficult to write. I felt like I spent a good portion of the first half of the book discovering who they were. At points, I had to read over what I had already written to get a bead on what was really going on with the character. I'm often surprised to find out that the difficult character is actually fully fleshed out in the story, but I'm just having trouble understanding them.

Characters are sometimes very easy to write. Katie from AS THE WORLD DIES, Maria in THE LAST BASTION OF THE LIVING, and Christy in THE MIDNIGHT SPELL were very easy to plug into and understand their motivations.  Though I had to research Katie's sexuality, she was still much easier to get to know than Jenni.

But you must give your characters something of yourself, right...

Where my characters probably benefit from me is my life experience.  I grew up in a very abusive household and I know what real, true, stark fear is. I've lived with the desperate awful fear and depression that makes you pray that you'll die before you wake up the next morning just so it will all end (I was a kid, btw).  I literally felt like the banner over my childhood read "No one gets out of here alive" to quote Jim Morrison.  I experienced living with the devil and living with an angel.  I saw cruelty and evil in its worst forms in one parent, but also love, compassion, and strength of faith in the other parent.  I stood between heaven and hell.

Because of my childhood and a near fatal car accident, I suffer PTSD.  It used to be crippling, but over the years I have healed and become a much stronger person. I still have my triggers, but they're rarely tripped. I'm very happy in my life now.

So you might think I'm like Jenni because we share PTSD, but we're not.  Jenni's PTSD manifests itself very differently from my own. So much so I had to do heavy research for her.  PTSD makes me overly cautious and I tend to over think situations. Jenni's reaction is to not think about anything and to just act. She careens toward self-destruction while I do everything I can to preserve myself.  In fact, Jenni's reactions to things around her was so far removed from me, I wanted to smack her half the time! I honestly didn't know if she was even going to make it through THE FIRST DAYS when I first wrote the story because she had little, to no impulse control.

I do believe that because of the abuse I suffered, I am able to accurately portray people in life threatening situations. I understand the psychology and the actual emotions of a survivor. Imagining staring into a gun barrel and how you would react is very different from actually experiencing that sort of event. (Not to say that some writers can write about things they've never experienced with accuracy and brilliance). I suspect the emotional depth of my writing adds a layer of reality to the narrative and that is why fans feel so immersed in that world.

So where do your characters come from...

I honestly have no clue. They just show up in my head, talking away, revealing who they are and I have to figure out if I want to tell their story or not. Yes, I  have voices in my head. Entire worlds. Universes. Where it all comes from, I have no clue. But I definitely like being along for the ride.

So in closing, my characters are not me.  If you want to know where I am in my novels....well...this picture sums it up.

Just ignore the person behind the curtain...

Frequently Asked Questions: Will There Be More AS THE WORLD DIES Books

Today I'm starting a new feature where I will give an in-depth answer to the most frequently asked questions from fans.  Though I have answered most of these questions numerous times on my facebook page, Twitter, and even on this blog, I am aware from the slew of repeating questions that I'm garnering new fans nearly every day.  After this series is done, I will have links to the questions on facebook, my blog, and my website so that newer fans can find the answers they are looking for.

To start off this series, we start with the question I am asked nearly every day via facebook, twitter, and emails.

Will there be anymore books in the AS THE WORLD DIES  trilogy?

The trade paperback covers

The answer is simply no. A trilogy is three books, not more, not less. All three books have now been released in trade paperback and are  also being issued in mass market paperback with all new covers. My publisher, genre giant Tor, bought the trilogy in its entirety after its successful run as a self-published work. 

The mass market paperback covers

When I finished SIEGE, I felt an immense sense of completion. The trilogy fully tells the story I wanted to tell. It starts with Jenni and Katie fleeing a city in Texas for the Texas Hill Country at the end of the world. The trilogy ends when things come full circle for the characters. I totally and completely feel that I finished the trilogy on just the right note and it felt perfect.

But I want more to read in the AS THE WORLD DIES universe...

Untold Tales Volumes 1 & 2

 I have written short stories that take place in the AS THE WORLD DIES universe and those have been released as the AS THE WORLD DIES UNTOLD TALES VOL 1 & VOL 2.  The stories either precede the first scene in THE FIRST DAYS or run alongside it in the timeline.  The untold tales are about the minor characters in the trilogy that never really got to be in the spotlight.  I started writing the untold tales for the fans and the final three stories will be released in VOL 3 sometime this Spring.

But you could write a next generation book...

I have never been a fan of  next generation books. It's inevitable that I end up missing the characters from the previous generation and original books. Finding out what happened to them in retrospect and not actually experiencing those moments always feels a little lukewarm to me.  I just don't care much for them.

If I were to ever write in the AS THE WORLD DIES universe again, I would most likely start a new trilogy where the other one left off. I have no desire to skip ahead, or write about a group of survivors elsewhere. I'm just not interested in doing that.

Spoiler Alert (Highlight text to read): For those of you who still think Jason is the fort's John Conner, remember that it's Calhoun, the schizophrenic, who makes this declaration. Rune's prediction that Jason was important to the fort was prophetic about Jason fixing the fire line in time to deflect the zombie horde. Jason doesn't have some epic legendary status to acquire in the future. He's just a kid with great ideas living in the zombocalypse. 

But shouldn't I write more if the fans want it....

I totally understand that the fans want more. I'm glad they do. That means I wrote a story that they love and feel connected to in a dynamic way.  Yet, I feel the story I wanted to tell is complete. Though I know in general what comes next in that world and what the future looks like even 150 years down the road, I don't have an actual story. It's like looking at a textbook and reading the history about a town. That's all the information I have with no more details. It doesn't feel like a complete story to tell. I'll be honest--the only way I'd be interested in revisiting that world is if I had a full, complete, very exciting 2nd trilogy to tell, and I don't have that. I just have enough information to maybe write a short story.

But what if Tor wants more books...

Tor, my publisher, would have to have a good solid reason to want me to continue writing in the AS THE WORLD DIES universe. In other words, it would have to make financial sense.  Sales would have to indicate that it would be worth the monetary investment. Even if I had a killer idea for another trilogy, if Tor looked at the numbers and felt it wouldn't be financially feasible, they would pass on the idea. 

If you want Tor to know you want more in the series, buy the books for yourself, for gifts, and for your local libraries. Though I have new fans of my work because of libraries, only the initial sale of the book to the library counts in the eyes of the publisher. A lot of times readers have no idea how powerful the simple act of buying a book (not second hand) actually is in the life of a writer. Buying a book is your way of voting for your favorite writer and your favorite series. It's a tangible indicator to the publisher that you are willing to invest in the writer and their vision.  

Right now Tor is interested in growing me as a horror writer, not necessarily a zombie writer. My next book for Tor, DEAD SPOTS, is straight up horror and not a zombie novel.  The only way they'd probably grow interested in any sort of book related to AS THE WORLD DIES is if the numbers reached levels that indicate the zombie craze in publishing is not quite over yet.

But don't you want to keep writing AS THE WORLD DIES...

Actually, no. I'm truly burned out on the world that I spent a ton of time in for nearly seven years of my life. I wrote the story as an online serial for two years then spent five more years refining it. The three books have been rewritten, revised, and overhauled for two different publications (self-pubbed and Tor). When I finished SIEGE, I felt a complete and total sense of relief. I had written the story I wanted to tell and was ready to move on. I have so many more novels to write with all new characters and new worlds and to remain in the one that ate up my life and creativity for seven years doesn't appeal to me.  I still have to deal with the first pass and copyedits for the mass market paperback version of SIEGE, so I'm still basically dealing with the trilogy.  

I love all the characters, I love the story, and I'm so proud of the book, but I'm burned out on it. Imagine if you could only watch the same three TV episodes of your favorite show over and over again for seven years. Yeah,that's pretty much how I feel.

I'm thrilled that the story and the characters are so beloved. I'm excited that fans love it so much they want more. It means that I wrote something powerful that touched people and what more could a writer want?  

Maybe one day I'll have enough distance from the trilogy to have fresh new ideas take root in that world and blossom into something great. Maybe one day sales will be so great Tor will come knocking and ask for more. Maybe...maybe...

But the AS THE WORLD DIES trilogy is done. It's complete.  If I ever venture into that world again it will be a new story arc with a different feel and whole new dynamic, but I don't see that happening.

If you're dying to read about zombies Rhiannon Frater-style, remember I do have other zombie novels. THE LAST BASTION OF THE LIVING was named the #1 zombie book release of 2012 by Explorations, and THE LIVING DEAD BOY AND THE ZOMBIE HUNTERS is my little known zombie story that all ages can enjoy.

P.S. I honestly don't want to keep writing AS THE WORLD DIES until all the characters I love have died. :(

FAQ: "Will you read my manuscript and tell me what you think?"

One of the most difficult aspects of finding success in my writing career is that I have had to learn to say "no" when asked particular questions. As someone who tries to please other people (sometimes to my detriment), this is not always easy.

Let me explain what I'm talking about...

One of the major reasons I started this blog was so people could read about my journey and learn from my mistakes, failures, and hopefully, successes. I still believe by sharing my experiences with all of you, I may help you avoid making gaffs you will regret. The other reason for this blog was so my fans would be able to find out the latest news on my road to publication with the As The World Dies series.

I still get a lot of email from people asking me all sorts of questions. Sometimes they are easy to answer, sometimes they're not. I have even referred people to the blog because I already addressed their question in a post.

But there is one question I will always answer "no" to and here it is.

"Will you read my manuscript and tell me what you think?"

When I researched paths to publication before I self-published,  I read the FAQ's on the websites of some of my favorite writers for advice and noticed many times they stated adamantly that they would not look at any manuscripts sent to them.  I thought it was a little odd at the time until I began having my own success.  In the first year, I was surprised at how often I was sent a manuscript from someone I didn't know.  It made me vastly uncomfortable.

I still have quite a few people sending me their work out of the blue. I'll open up my email, have a nice message from an aspiring writer about how they like my work and then they'll tell me they have attached their manuscript for me to read, send on to my agent, or to my publisher.

I dread these emails.  The honest truth is I delete any unsolicited manuscripts from my inbox immediately after answering the author.

To some this may seem like an odd thing for a writer to do.  Sending off the manuscript they toiled over to someone they didn't know seems like a risky proposition. I suspect the practice was born out of some success stories that were touted in the media over the last few decades. The much-hyped stories were about people who landed huge publishing deals after being endorsed by a major author.  Usually the story was that an unknown writer managed to get their manuscript into the hands of this major author, who was so blown away by what they read they immediately passed the manuscript on to their agent/editor and the newbie author got a deal.  This probably only happened a handful of times, but we writers tend to be a desperate lot.  A lot of writers seized onto this idea.

I once read an article about a well-known author and when asked to offer advice, she begged writers not to send their manuscripts to her.  She had to trash them since most of the time there was no self-addressed stamped envelope.  There were even stories of people trying to put their manuscripts on the front doorsteps of their favorite author's homes.

To make matters worse, there is a lot of bad advice out there on the writing forums.  One bit of advice was to get blurbs or endorsements from writers in your genre before you send you manuscript into an agent or editor.  On one thread, a writer was desperately trying to gather author emails to send off her manuscript for them to read.

Established writers do help others get deals, but it is usually because they know them from writing circles and not because a random manuscript landed on their doorstep or in their inbox. I don't know of any authors who actually read unsolicited manuscripts from unknown writers.

Why?

These are my own personal reasons:

1.  Legal Issues - Writers need to protect themselves against being accused of plagiarizing another person's writing and the best way to avoid this is to not read unsolicited manuscripts. Lawsuits are not fun, yet the publishing world is full of them. J.K. Rowling has been sued multiple times by writers convinced she pilfered from their work.
If I'm working on a book about witches and someone sends me an unsolicited manuscript about witches, they could later on believe that any coincidental similarities could be due to me reading their work and stealing from it.  To avoid this scenario, I hit delete immediately.

2. Time -  I have my own writing career to build and it takes a lot of my waking time.  I have even turned down reading the manuscripts of author friends because I just don't have the time to give them an honest critique while working on my own writing.
At this time I do three kinds of reading:  1) research for my novels 2) keeping up to date on the publishing world 3) entertainment.  When I used to help other friends who were writers with their stories, it was a lot of time and energy.   An honest critique is a lot more than just reading the story, it's about digging into the meat and bones.

3. Respect for my Agent - I respect my agent and all the things she does for me and her other clients.  I know she works very hard and has countless submissions every day pouring into her inbox.  I have only referred three writers to my agent since I signed with her.  The first writer I referred blindly, because they were a friend.  I hadn't read the manuscript because I was swamped with other things.  I later regretted doing this because I realized I honestly didn't know if that manuscript was any good or even something my agent would enjoy. I realized I could be wasting both the writer and my agent's time with a bad fit.   Nothing came of that scenario.  Later, I referred two more friends, but after they received offers from other publishers (agents love it when there is a deal on the table). I had read both authors' work and loved their writing styles. They also had a history of being published by small presses and growing fan bases.  Referring them to my agent made sense and she thanked me for referring both of them.  She now represents both authors. I respect my agent enough to realize her time is valuable.

4. Tor Will Look At Unsolicited Manuscripts -   My editor at Tor explained to me once how the editors at Tor look at all the unsolicited manuscripts on a pretty regular basis.  They grab all the manuscripts, stack them into piles, and everyone starts reading.  If the first page doesn't hook them, they move on to the next submission.  At the end of the day, each editor ends up with a stack of manuscripts to look at more closely.  She explained that a lot of the manuscripts are going to be rejected, but once and a while they find a real gem in those piles. She even told me to tell writers to go ahead and send in their manuscripts to Tor.  Those submissions will be looked at. But you better have a polished manuscript with a killer opening. There is no point sending manuscripts to me or any other writer when there are still publishing houses that will look at unsolicited manuscripts.  

5.  Self-Publishing - You don't need to have another author lift you up into the upper echelon of publishing when you can find your own success.  As my agent and my editor have both said to me multiple times, sometimes good books don't get published because they're not going to sell big.  Your manuscript may be awesome, but there is no assurance that will land you a publishing deal.  In fact, several authors (JA Konrath comes to mind) have self-published rejected manuscripts and have made thousands of dollars off of them.

So if you're an unknown writer and you want an honest assessment of your novel, what do you do?  I strongly believe in joining a writers group online or in your local area.  It really helps to have your peers look at your work.  Sometimes established authors are part of these groups.  That is where the rare endorsement sometimes comes into play.

My way of helping you (if you're a fledgling writer) is by documenting my own journey on this blog and hopefully encouraging you along the way.

The reality is that every writers journey to success is going to be different.  It's about you making it happen.