The other day I wrote the epilogue for the last novella in Brian and Mina’s Holiday Hits. I woke up with inspiration and OMG it is SO good. I’ve known the ending of this series (the Valentine’s book) since before I started writing The Easter Hunt, and few stories have lit me up the way Brian and Mina’s stories have. They’re fun, dark, sexy, and if you love Brian you’ll love it. And if you haven’t read Brian yet (Start with Broken Dolls), then you don’t know what you’re missing!
However, since you have to already be a Brian and Mina fan to read this novella side series, I know this won’t “make me all the money.” I’m writing this purely for the love of it, for me, and for the fans of Brian and Mina.
Also, just because I’ve written the epilogue to the series does NOT mean it’s done. I write out of order and I’m still writing Yuletide Slay Ride (the second to the last novella.) In fact, for Nanowrimo, I’m writing the last two novellas in the Brian and Mina series (or attempting to!)
Anyway I already knew the ending for the Valentine’s book but I didn’t know there was an epilogue, and you guys… I don’t think I have EVER HEA’d this hard in my life! I can’t wait to share this with you!
However… this morning… I woke up to a rather rude comment on my blog where I had shared that Blowing Things Up (book 2 in the Brian and Mina Holiday Hits series) was out on audio. This reader felt compelled to tell me that she’s sorry but she’s not excited for this and she wants me to finish writing Colin and Macy from The Sacrifice and to Hurry Up with it!
First, I don’t even know if there is going to be anymore Colin and Macy. Maybe my author’s note sounded like it was “definite” but I have said multiple times that I don’t know “for sure” if more is coming. No more has come to me. So take it up with my writing gods. At this point it’s not my monkeys or my circus, it’s up to the creative inspiring powers that be.
Many people who don’t write can be forgiven for not understanding the creative process, but really and truly authors, artists, musicians, we cannot just ‘pull things out of our ass.’ There is inspiration and excitement and magic. And it is not a linear thing, nor is it a thing I am 100% in control of. But even if it were… I’m not your bitch. And I say that with as much love and kindness as I can muster.
I’m not sure where the level of entitlement has come from where people think that because THEY want something and want it RIGHT NOW that this obligates and enslaves authors, artists, musicians, whoever into going to create that thing RIGHT NOW whether or not they are inspired to do so or want to do so.
And when it comes to those who would rather I give them more Colin and Macy instead of Brian and Mina, there is also a complete lack of appreciation for all the people waiting for more Brian and Mina. Last year I was in a difficult place emotionally and after The Easter Hunt I wasn’t sure if I was going to continue the series, even though I desperately wanted to from a creative perspective because it’s not exactly something new people can “just start reading”. They have to go and read a backlist book first to get caught up and THEN read it. And I knew I wasn’t going to ‘make all the money’ from it.
But I loved the story so much and was so inspired and I also knew there were a lot of readers who DID want it as much as I wanted to write it. So even if it couldn’t “break out” or “sell a ton of copies” I owed it to myself to finish this.
And so I am. NOTHING else is coming from me until Brian and Mina’s series is complete.
And after that, I’m writing something NEW that doesn’t require reader buy in to a backlist book, because I have to eat. And I can promise you, it doesn’t matter how much some people want more Colin and Macy, I KNOW beyond all doubt, that again, since people have to “buy in” to backlist, that it wouldn’t sell any better than the Brian and Mina side series.
So if there even is going to be anymore Colin and Macy it’s going to be a while. However when people push and put pressure on me and make demands, it makes it far less likely it will get written because I did not get in this business to be bossed around. I am here to create from my own heart and soul in partnership with whatever spiritual entity/energy/whatever (what people call “the muse”) and demands from individual readers just don’t factor into that. I’m sorry but they don’t. The people who love my books, don’t love them because I catered to demands. They love them because I have remained true and faithful to my creative process and my inspiring forces.
I can guarantee that the people who want more Brian and Mina want it just as fervently as the people who want more Colin and Macy. And it’s a nonsensical argument anyway because if you like one couple you’ll probably like the other. Brian is like the OG Colin so everything you like about Colin already existed and exists in Brian. So rather than stewing that you can’t have more Colin and Macy right now, it would make more sense to see if you like Brian and Mina because odds are GREAT that you would. Rather than trying to pressure an author to just drop everything for you and your demands (forgetting that other people want the other thing being created as much as you want your thing), it makes sense to see if there is something else or another couple from that author (or another author) that you could love just as much.
And if you feel offended by this that an author would DARE to have a personal opinion about the right to some personal space on her own blog in her own online space and in her own head to create what SHE wants to create and not worship at the whims of every drive-by demand, then you’re part of the problem. Read Neil Gaiman’s sage wisdom and understand that authors do not owe you their servitude.
