Resurrecting SL

Back in June I mentioned that I had a SF story idea set (sorta) in the StarDoc universe that I've let percolate in my head for the last couple of years. While I still have ten million excellent reasons to never revisit StarDoc in any way shape or form, I want to write this story. No, honestly, I just want to stop thinking about it, and the only way to do that is to get it on the page.

So now that I've finished Ghost Writer the next Just Write story will be:



I haven't written any science fiction since I finished Dream Called Time in October of 2009, so this should be interesting, if not outright entertaining.

Image Credit: Molodec

Secret Covers

Sometimes when I want to write a story but I don't have time, have to finish other projects and/or want to wait and let it simmer a bit more, I make secret cover art for it anyway. Sometimes it's to try out art for stories I plan to make into freebies, but more often it's just for my own amusement. I'll print out a secret cover for my personal journal, the idea file or any notebook I've started on it, but otherwise no one ever sees it but me. I feel like I've made a million of these secret covers, too.

In the spirit of spontaneity, and (hopefully) me being a bit more transparent, here are the three latest secret covers I've made:



My sequel to In the Leaves, for the day when I can get back and write more of Sally's story. Definitely writing this one.



This cover is for some notes I found on a novella series I planned to write to continue the story from Frostfire (and alas, never got the chance.) It's unlikely that I'll ever write all five stories I outlined, but you never know -- and the ideas were really solid and fun.



I have a story sorta/kinda based on/partially set in/orbiting distantly the StarDoc universe that has been bouncing around in my head for a couple years. Lately I've been revisiting the idea while I drive around running errands, so I jotted down some notes and decided to make a cover for it. I have seriously mixed feelings about this one. I also have ten million excellent reasons to never revisit StarDoc in any way shape or form. This might end up being the novel that they only find after I'm deceased, along with the twenty-eight others no one has ever seen that I have hidden away. Kidding. There are only like seventeen.

Do you ever do weird stuff like this? Confess your secrets in comments.

Image Credits:

Far Seer -- massonforstock
Frenchman's Pass -- zacariasdamata
21 -- Molodec

Hey, I'm a Franchise! Or Maybe Not.

Someone (you know who you are) sent me this, and evidently it's for a coffee shop somewhere in Mexico. Gotta love the name, but doesn't that mermaid look awfully familiar?

Fiction Becomes Fact II

As I've mention before, one of the oddest moments a writer has is when real life imitates your fiction.

This one isn't as weird as it is eerie. When I published Shockball, the fourth novel in the StarDoc series, my decidedly grim vision of future pro sports made quite a few diehard enthusiasts angry. No way, I was repeatedly told, could a game as vicious and brutal as shockball ever become a reality (and for the record, I certainly hoped it never would.)

Guess what?



Yeah. Well. Looks like I may have to rethink the whole psychic thing (and my thanks to Jessica of Chevres Chéveres for the heads up and sending me the Tazer ball link.)

Hodge Podge

For you NaNoWriMoers, author Kris Reisz has a great post up about writing, creativity, and one of a writer's most valuable skills: persistance.

Seventh Sanctum has a fun new generator that gives you a description of a pony. Not impressed? But it's not just a pony, it's a magical legend pony.

A StarDoc reader sent me this link to a ceramic sculpture of the Lok-Teel by TheFinalHikari. It's not only adorable, it's also quite accurate to how I've always envisioned my helpful little mold.

News & Sold

Many of you have been asking if/when several novels in the StarDoc series that are currently out of print would be converted to e-book format and made available for purchase. Thanks to my agent, I finally have an answer for you. To quote the publisher:

Our ebook team is putting the following titles in the queue for conversion: Endurance, Shockball, Rebel Ice, Plague of Memory and Blade Dancer. They should be available in a couple months.

I think that covers all of the series that wasn't in e-format (and Blade Dancer, which is a standalone set in the StarDoc universe, is a nice bonus.)

Also some good news for my German readers: my publisher has just made a foreign rights deal for two more of my Darkyn novels; Night Lost (book four in the series) and Evermore (book five) as well as two of my Jessica Hall novels, Into the Fire and Heat of the Moment.

Last but not least: the final outcome of the idea that became a proposal for three books that became a contract negotiation is this: I've accepted an offer from NAL for the entire trilogy.

Naturally it's not final until it's in contract form, and signed by me and everyone else, but all the major details have been hammered out, so unless something radical changes it's a done deal. Did I mention what I'm planning to write? Maybe you can tell from the (unofficial) series title and theme icon I just put together:



The first novel in my new Darkyn trilogy is tentatively scheduled to be published in Spring 2012.

Letting Go

When you're a series writer, the two words you never want to see are The End. Although like any novelist you finish every series book you write, by the time you type the last paragraph of one story you're already thinking ahead and planning the next. Until you reach the finale, the last book in the series, and you know there won't be anymore. Then you spend a lot of time second-guessing yourself (Maybe I could do a Next Generation series?) or sulking (it's not fair. I never got the chance to write Book X, Y or Z.)

You may get the writer version of series separation anxiety. You ask yourself Was it really worth it? a couple thousand times. You probably spend a few hours digging through old boxes of series memorabilia: the letter from the Big Name who thought your first novel was dazzling and gave you The Blurb to End All Blurbs; the first glowing fan letter; the dried flower you saved from the big bouquet your spouse brought to your first booksigning, that non-hatchet review published in the glossy publishing trade (then you re-read the hatchet jobs that promised your series would tank by book three, and yeah, you glance at your ten-novel series and smirk a little.)

At some point during this resentful, teary-eyed self-pity fest, you know you have to begin the process that will allow you to let go and move on. Because if you don't you will never write anything else, or you'll quit Publishing, or you'll spend the rest of your years doing something else while trying to forget what was or wallowing in tragic seclusion over what might have been and blaming everyone but yourself for it.

I've ended enough novel series now that I feel like I should know every inch of this particular emotional rollercoaster. I ought to; I've already built and ridden it six times (it seems weirdly appropriate that StarDoc would be the seventh series I've ended or had to end.) I'm fortunate in that I have other, ongoing series to write and keep me productive, and a couple of new prospects that are starting to look pretty solid. It still hurts to let go, but it's the only way to move forward.

In the end, nothing should get between you and the writing. Not even the writing.

Six and a Half Weeks

So you don't think I've been lounging around watching soap operas and eating bon bons for the past month and a half . . .

What I Did While I Was Unplugged

Outlined a new novel and wrote draft synopsis

House-trained Skye

Answered angry reader mail about Dream Called Time

Got depressed

Wrote another novel

Answered nice reader mail about Dream Called Time

Got more depressed

Went to hospital to visit sick family member

Got even more depressed

Revised another novel

Dealt with another family member's funeral

Despaired

Worried my friends

Corrected another novel's proofs

Filled an entire hand-written journal with unhappy/unproductive thoughts

Moved my college kid to college

Cleaned the entire house top to bottom four times

Turned down invitations to write for three different anthologies

Missed my college kid

Moved most of the clutter on PBW's front page to other pages

Rescued hurt baby snake from road; buried it when it died of its injuries

Cried

Wondered if it's possible to drown depression in tears

Shipped four boxes of books to soldiers in Iraq and Afganistan

Stopped crying (ran out of Kleenex)

Spent a week dealing with Scribd's scam

Found a troll in my comments

Laughed

Seriously thought about deleting the blog (twice)

Quilted

Asked myself "What's the use?" about a thousand times

Despaired some more

Gardened

Made four road trips, discovered how much I dislike driving through fog on the most dangerous part of the interstate

Painted six terrible watercolors

Hurt my foot while avoiding stepping on Skye (she's fine, I'm still limping)

Saw prototype cover art for the first book in my new trilogy (quite attractive)

Considered writing my very first writing manifesto

Quilted

Remembered while quilting all the stupid writing manifestos I've read

Laughed

Decided my first writing manifesto is "Sorry, no manifesto."

Despaired

Got Skye all her shots

Answered 78 annoyed reader mails demanding to know the reason why my publisher has not converted the entire StarDoc series to electronic format, and when I'm going to make them do it

Laughed

Moderated 172 comments, about 100 of which were SPAM

Seriously considered shutting down the blog and retiring from Publishing altogether to take unexpected/great job offer from old friend

Survived shopping with the other kid for school clothes, her practice driving my car, and the first day of tenth grade

Found out unexpected/great job offer requires relocation of household, politely turned down old friend

Went to two high school football games

Started writing new novel

Stopped despairing so much

Plugged back in for a couple hours here and there

Lurked

Remembered why I do this

Laughed

Started writing this list

Watched the last roses of summer bloom and



Missed you guys. A lot.

So what's up with you? Let me know in comments.

Series Ten

Ten Things I've Never Told Anyone About StarDoc

Beyond Varallan's cover art is still my favorite from the series, which is lucky because I also own the original painting. I paid for it with some of the wages I earned moonlighting as a bookseller.

Cherijo originally had a middle name (Ten) but it made the whole thing sound disjointed when spoken out loud. I decided everyone would have to wait until Shockball to discover that she was the tenth clone Joseph created.

Dream Called Time originally ended on what is page 355 in the print edition. After talking about the series with you guys here on the blog several times, I decided to add what is now Chapter Twenty (disclaimer: I mentioned it to Shiloh Walker after she read the book, and she says it was definitely the right decision.)

Endurance is the only book in the series that I've never re-read since I corrected the original proofs. I've tried, but the memories involved with writing it are still too painful. Whenever I needed to check or use something from that particular book, I've always consulted my original notes.

Joren represents several different personal metaphors, including my vision of what I considered the perfect world. Still do. It has also appeared regularly in my stories since 1974, when it came within one typewriter key's distance of being called Goren (fortunately I found my brother's secret stash of Gor novels, and prudently decided to alter the spelling.)

Maggie's character was named for my Great-Aunt Margaret, who for every Christmas and birthday gave me a new Laura Ingalls Wilder novel until by the time I was eleven I had the entire Little House series. Those were the first books I ever owned, and motivated me to become a ferocious reader.

Nine of the titles in the series are either the original titles I came up with or alternates I thought up when my first titles were vetoed. The exception is ClanSon, which was retitled Plague of Memory by my publisher. I always tried to limit my titles to one or two words, although I planned far in advance to call the final novel Dream Called Time (and fought hard for that title.) The biggest disappointment to me was having to give up Drednoc, which I thought perfectly suited the eighth book, and go instead with Omega Games.

Reever is the character who has escaped death by author more times than any other member of the StarDoc cast. At least once during the writing of every single book I've wanted to kill him; I usually write my way through it. As a result I have a rather massive collection of unpublished Reever death scenes, which include succumbing to the Core plague, losing a challenge to Xonea, being eaten on Catopsa, being eaten by Catopsa, coding on Joseph's operating table, being blown up during the Jado Massacre, dying on the battlefield during the Akkabarran rebellion, bleeding out on Vtaga and, my personal favorite, being stabbed in the heart by Jarn at the end of Rebel Ice.

Squid Lips, Cherijo's nickname for Squilyp, is a chiding nickname one of my guy's oldest friends uses for him (I guess we kissed a lot when we were dating.) Typical writer that I am, the first time I heard it I thought, "God, that would make a great SF character" and Squilyp evolved from there.

Xonea's name is an anagram of "one axe" with an e dropped (mainly because Xoneea looked a little weird on paper.) His character was inspired by a Frank Frazetta painting I fell in love with in high school.

Cherijo Arrives

It's here.



Dream Called Time, the tenth and final StarDoc novel, is now available online and in stores. If you enjoy science fiction, would like to know how I wrapped up the series and support PBW in the process, I hope you'll check it out.

The novel is dedicated to the people who kept me and StarDoc going, and today I'd like to share that dedication with everyone:

This book is for
all the loyal StarDoc readers out there.
It took ten years for us to make this journey
through constant hardships
and endless heartaches,
but while I chose this path,
you never once let me
walk it alone.
Thank you.

Series Separation Anxiety

It's always tough on readers when for whatever reason a writer has to wrap up an extended novel series. Because the fans have followed it for so long and/or are so emotionally invested in the story, they never want it to end. That's why the inevitable finale always seems a bit like a betrayal on the part of the writer, especially if s/he is still around and capable of writing more.

On the writers' side of the equation, investing years in a novel series is no easy commitment. You have to gather and sustain a series readership. You have to keep writing in a universe that is hopefully built in such a way that it will hold your creative interest and not become dated. At some point your sales plateau, and these days if they aren't stellar-quality, publishers lose interest, often in mid-series. We all know the only thing that's worse than the end of a series is one that is left unfinished because the writer couldn't sell any more books.

Most readers aren't aware of what goes on behind the scenes, so it's natural for them to blame the writer. I wish readers did know how hard we fight for our series. When you're cut off without a contract, you feel as desperate as they do (I speak from multiple unhappy experiences.) But for the writer, writing is also a business. You write what you can sell. You don't shut down just because you can't sell what you love to write. If you want to stay in the biz, you write something else.

Today's popular solution for disrupted series is for the writer to self-publish. It's an acceptable compromise; one I've taken a hard look at myself. The problem with self-publishing in print is that it's expensive, time-consuming, and the results aren't always on par with what a traditional publisher can produce. It hardly ever pays what you can make via traditional publishing, so it's also an income drain. Distribution is severely limited or non-existent. Electronic self-publishing is the other option, but that withholds the novels from any reader who doesn't care to read books from a screen or e-reader (I'm one of them) and also usually imposes geographical restrictions that prevent overseas readers from purchasing the books.

At some point the disrupted-series writer generally looks at the growing stack of bills on their desk, throws up their hands, says, "There's nothing I can do about it" and moves on. One of my favorite writers has done that repeatedly, and left me with two of my most re-read series unfinished. And yes, I'm still pissed off about both, to the point of where I've seriously considered writing new books and finishing the series myself just so that I could have the ending I wanted.

Anyway, the point of this post is not to yell at series readers for their devoted loyalty or whine about how hard it is to sustain an extended novel series in today's "what have you done for us in the last five minutes?" Publishing industry. It is what it is, and until someone comes up with a solution that suits everyone, or series novels are outlawed, we have to live with it. If you're pursuing publication, and you see yourself writing an extended series, this is something you really need to think about carefully and make some contingency plans.

I've considered self-publishing more StarDoc novels. There were five I didn't have the opportunity to write or publish, and while I do consider the series finished with Dream Called Time, those lost books are still waiting to be realized. I also doubt I'll be able to turn my back on the StarDoc crew; they've been a daily part of my life for going on fifteen years. It's a big, wonderful universe, and I've never gotten tired of writing about it.

But I'm also realistic. Science fiction doesn't have much of a market share to begin with, and while (thanks to my readers) I have one of the longest-running series currently being published in the genre, the sales are slow and long-term. Those are two things Publishing hates. To give you a comparison, my first Darkyn novel sold more copies in the first six months after publication than the first StarDoc book sold in six years.

In addition to the usual costs of living, medical insurance, the growing list of stuff that medical insurance doesn't pay for, helping out family, etc., I have one kid going off to college in a couple weeks and another who will be following in a couple years. As much as I'd love to be artistic about it, there is no contest between writing what I like most and earning a decent income. Decent income always wins.

That said, you know with me it's not all about the Almighty Buck. Once the StarDoc series is officially finished in print, then I think I'll be in a better place to seriously consider what more I want to do from there. Right now I just have to get over my own separation anxieties, which I admit, are pretty intense. And I thought I had a handle on it, too.

Now it's your turn: what would you like to see writers of extended series do for their readers? What do you think the best solution to the problems involved with publishing extended novel series for the writer? Let us know in comments (also, if you want to vent at me about StarDoc ending, go ahead. Just keep your shoulder handy so I can sob on it.)

Complete . . . Almost

The proofs for Dream Called Time are sitting on my desk, waiting, ready to be corrected. One more read-through for typos, fax any corrections to NY, and I'm finished another series.

Well, not just any other series. The first series, the longest series, the series that has been a personal mission from day one. StarDoc. It's been a long time coming, and now it's here.

While I was doing my annual spring cleaning of the filing cabinets I found the very first incarnation of StarDoc, a short story titled Border FreeClinic. I always thought I wrote it in 1997, but turns out I was a year off: I wrote it in February of 1996. StarDoc is fourteen years old; just a little younger than my daughter. I'd also forgot what I first named the character who would eventually become Duncan Reever. Do you think StarDoc would have been the same if it featured Cherijo Grey Veil and an interpreter named Tyler Jackson?

(Okay, quit laughing. I have a nephew named Tyler, and a dear friend surnamed Jackson.)

I read the story, and after all these years I was surprised. Other than changing the interpreter's name, and making him a much more complex and important character, the original short story that inspired the series isn't all that different from the novels. I never sent the short story out anywhere; at the time I was just playing with concepts and really wrote it for myself. If you'd told me back then that a 22-page short story would turn into ten science fiction novels, I'd have laughed myself silly.

Moral of this story: You never know what might come from the next thing you write. Honestly.

To celebrate my final work on the series I think I should do a giveaway, too, so in comments to this post, name a book series that you've recently discovered that you're enjoying (or if you're not into series novels, just toss your name in the hat) by midnight EST on Saturday, April 10, 2010 Sunday, April 11, 2010 (entry deadline extended due to my unplanned absence.) I will select one name at random from everyone who participates and send the winner a signed photocopy of my original short story Border FreeClinic, as well as a signed, unbound galley copy of Dream Called Time, the tenth and final StarDoc novel, which will not be released until August 2010. This giveaway is open to everyone on the planet, even if you've won something here at PBW in the past.

Final Pass

This afternoon I finished the copy-edit on Dream Called Time, which I thought would be an ordeal but turned out to be pretty much a breeze. It's funny how some books seem to fight you tooth and nail, and others just stream over you and through you like moonlight and music.

Other than correcting the proofs, the novel is finished, which means today I wrote the very last word of the StarDoc series. As before when I finished the final draft of the manuscript, it was a serene experience.

Today I'm giving myself the day off. I think I've earned one.

If you'd like to see something oh so sweet, stop by the photoblog and check out a couple of truly scrumptious delights.

Got Cover

Here's the cover art for the final StarDoc novel, Dream Called Time, book ten (to see a large version, click on the image.)



Made it to the last book of the series without a single unsightly cover in the bunch, too:



My only regret is that the publisher decided to change the cover design toward the end of the series to "update" it, as the last three covers don't mesh well with the first seven. But I also realize cover art styles and tastes change over the years and cohesion is not a top priority. Hardly anyone gets to write a SF series that spans a decade, either, so I think I'll just be happy and grateful that Cherijo was never depicted headless, semi-naked or dressed in hot pink DayGlo Spandex.

Winners

I appreciate everyone who stopped in to help me celebrate StarDoc's tenth anniversary this week. I loved reading about all the memories and other authors you've stuck with through thick and thin, and I've printed out all of them and have added them to my series file as one more wonderful keepsake.

We revved up the magic hat, and the winners of the StarDoc Turns Ten giveaway are:

Torin, whose comment began with Happy Birthday StarDoc and Congratulations Lynn

Abigail Beal

Lunechilde

A Simple Love of Reading

Anne Velosa

Gracious-Anne

Jess @ Unsearchable Riches

Adele

Amanda J.

LaurieF, whose comment began with I've been reading Robert B Parker for a long time. Since the 70's.

Winners, when you have a chance please send your full name and ship-to address to LynnViehl@aol.com so I can get your book out to you. Thanks to everyone for joining in.

StarDoc Turns Ten

In January 2000 my first published novel, StarDoc, was released. Naturally people made a lot of predictions about the book; none of them were particularly optimistic. I was informed upfront that StarDoc would never make a bestseller list, or turn a profit, or stay in print; I would be phenomenally fortunate if I earned back half my advance. I don't think I've ever had my hopes so repeatedly or thoroughly stomped by others as I did that last six months before the book hit the shelves. It was so dreadful that by the time the release date came I wanted to call the whole thing off.

Understandably I was confused when StarDoc made runner-up (#11) on the Locus bestseller list. This was not supposed to be happening, I'd been told, by very experienced people. So I thought it was a fluke until the sequel, Beyond Varallan, did a little better.

Today StarDoc turns ten years old, and despite all the predictions of failure and doom, is still in print and is still selling (the last new copy I saw for sale was a tenth printing.) Whatever other people think of it, this novel is the only book I display like a trophy, in a little case on my wall. It reminds me of what's important, and what isn't. More than anything, this one novel is an ongoing tribute to my StarDoc readership, most of whom have been with me since the beginning. You guys are the reason this book and the series is still around; for that I am astounded and deeply grateful.

In keeping with the anniversary, I have ten copies of StarDoc to give away today. If you'd like a chance to win one, in comments to this post tell me about a memory you have of reading StarDoc, or about an author you've been reading for ten years or more (or if you can't think of anyone, just toss your name in the hat) by midnight EST on Friday, January 8, 2010. I'll draw ten names at random from everyone who participates and send the winners a signed copy of StarDoc with a tenth anniversary notation. This giveaway is open to everyone on the planet, even if you've won something here at PBW in the past.

Best of PBW 2009

Thanks to the economy 2009 was a tough year all the way around. Too many friends lost their jobs; too many businesses closed their doors (although I and a bunch of non-writer friends were able to help keep one from going under.) Publishing had more than its fair share of new problems along with the usual turmoil and squabbling. I don't think I'll be alone when I happily kick 2009 out the back door for good.

On the career front I had many blessings: wrote six books, sold rights to five, finished two novel series (Darkyn and StarDoc), began a new series (Kyndred) and am now working on a novel trilogy in a new-for-me genre that will debut in 2011. I'm grateful to my guy, my kids and my blogpals and visitors for helping me stay upbeat and focused on what's important.

Memorable moments from 2009: Cole joining the family, me joining Genreality, having a book rank in the Times BSL top twenty for only the second time in my career, photographing stuff for my year-long art project, PBWindow.

Unhappiest moments from 2009: not receiving the original, beautiful cover art I was shown for Rob's book, having eye surgery and the aftermath, having to give up LB&LI, nursing my kid through H1N1.

Weirdest Moment of 2009: No contest there, it was definitely discovering that a bird had nested in our grill.

My favorite PBW post of the year was Publishing 911, which also proved to be one of the most popular with everyone who stopped in during 2009.

The book that was the most useful to the writer me in 2009 was definitely Sage Cohen's Writing the Life Poetic. I hate to pick favorites in fiction, so I'll just say the most surprising novel I read in 2009 was Trick of the Light by Rob Thurman.

Some other fun posts from 2009:

January: Ten Things to Explain Why You Can't Update Your Blog

February: Ten Things Your Romance Novel Heroine Should Never Do, The 22 Immutable Laws of Publishing

March: Hate-Mail Fun, The RITA Drinking Game

April: Warning, Writing with the Stars

May: Cafe Temptation

June: The Seven Deadly Writing Sins, Writer Jeopardy, Ten Things I Hate about Your Antagonist

July: Phalluses and Fallacies, LBL&LI Virtual Workshop #5 -- Art Vs. Life

August: Mawked by Dawkness

September: What Goes Around, Ten Things You Probably Shouldn't Ask for During Contract Negotiations, The Promonator

October: Ten Chinese Cookie Fortunes, and What They Really Mean for Writers

November: The Last NanoPost, Ten Things That Appear in Your Novel, and What They Tell Me, Ten New Terms for Writer Woes

December: Ten Things I Don't Want for Christmas

2009 was my eleventh year working as a pro, and while a great deal has changed for every writer, too much in Publishing has stayed the same. I'm looking at 2010 as a year of opportunity for me and the industry, and I hope we're both up to the challenge.

What will you all remember from 2009? Let us know in comments.

Updates

According to my SF editor, Dream Called Time, the tenth and final StarDoc novel, will be released in August 2010.

The pitch for my third Kyndred book (title pending approval) has been accepted, and it will be a crossover Kyndred/Darkyn novel (and to avoid spoilers that's all I'm going to say about it for now), tentatively scheduled for release in late 2010.

Last but not least, I feel that the Shadowlight e-ARC experiment was a great success. I've never had a book place so high on the Times list, and I'm sure a nice chunk of my sales were due to the immediate response from my visitors and their help spreading the word about the book, which was simply outstanding. Here is the last round of reviews and write-ups that were sent in to me:

Amazon.com reviews: Margaret Fisk ~ Zeek ~ Nina Paules ~ C. Stone ~ C. Vandehey ~ Harriet Klausner

Amazon.com.uk/Margaret, also on The Book Depository

B&N.com reviews (the ones I could view): Margaet Fisk ~ Npaules ~ 4kidsmom ~ Debra_ Saturday ~ Nemhain ~ harstan ~ Zeek319 ~ lxz ~ CatsMeowAZ ~ Chad ~ Pandababy ~ Madonna_lily

The Drabbler/Robin

Erotic Horizon, also on Goodreads

Literaturely Speaking/Breia

Shiloh Walker

The Writing Playground/Danniele Worsham

The Ten Year Thunk

I apologize for playing hooky, but I really had to finish something. And I know you'll understand when I tell you what:

Dream Called Time, StarDoc book ten, done.

StarDoc series, 2000-2009, done.

Now I can get hit by a bus tomorrow and you'll still find out how the series ends.

*thunk*

Update

I promised I'd let you all know the fate of the StarDoc series, as Crystal Healer, book nine, finished my current contract. I now know what will happen to book ten.

But before I get into that, I'd like to look back at the first nine books, which span the entire length of my pro career:



This saga began with my first published novel, StarDoc. A science fiction series with miniscule print runs, no publisher support and a completely unknown author faces overwhelming odds, and yet somehow it became a genre bestseller from book one. That sounds great, but what it translates to is that all of the first five books earned out and made a modest profit, but never strayed beyond the midlist.

Midlist wasn't good enough. The publisher decided without telling me that they would shut down the series after book five. I wasn't finished, however, and the readers also refused to accept it. They wrote letters and e-mails, and otherwise made trouble. It didn't make a difference to the publisher, but it did to me. My readers didn't give up on me, and I couldn't give up on them.

They spread the word, kept me writing StarDoc stories for them and believing we could bring back the print books someday. It was a hopeless battle, of course. For the next four years, using word of mouth alone, my readership kept the series alive. Although no new StarDoc books were published from 2002-2006, my readers kept the faith, passed along my free stories, pestered their friends to read the books, expanded my readership, and gradually built up my sales numbers for the first five books, enough to keep them in print. In time they built them up enough to prompt the publisher to offer me a new contract for two new books, and then two more.

So what is the publisher going to do about book ten? You all know how my luck goes -- mostly from bad to worse. SF as a genre has never sold well, and with the way the industry is right now, the midlist doesn't sell enough to make it worth most publishers' time and money. And selling the tenth book of a SF series . . .

Well, as it turns out, not all my luck is bad.

Sold yesterday: StarDoc book ten, title and publication date to be revealed (hopefully) in the near future, to Roc SF/F.

I've been so quietly stressed out about this book that I'm kinda in shock. I'm not sure what it means, other than I can finally finish the series, and my loyal readers get to see the last book in print.

I'm kidding. After all these years, and so much disappointment, and so many hopeless battles, I do know what it means. It means two words. Two words I've waited seven years to say about this ordeal. Two words that as a midlist science fiction author I was never supposed to say. Two words that I'd really like to tattoo on a few jackasses, but I'll settle for just writing them here:

We win.