Q. Can you add your map to the book/ebook?

A. My publisher might be open to it, but since the map is a work in progress (and made by me) it’s not really ready to go into a book yet! It’ll always be as updated as possible on my site, though.

Q. Do you have a character list, including gods and goddesses?

A. Not yet, but I’ll make certain to put one up before A Dance of Smoke and Steel is published!

Q. When is the next book/audiobook coming out?

A. You can always find the most current release dates on the UPCOMING page. These sometimes change (if I’m late, or if the publisher decides to shift the schedule) but I’ll try to keep them as updated as possible. And if you’d like a reminder each time I release a book, don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter. I never spam; I only send emails when I have a release or other important news.

Q. How many books will be in this series?

A. I have six books planned so far, broken up into two trilogies that should stand alone fairly well. The first trilogy is A Gathering of Dragons and the second one would deal with the fallout of that storyline. Whether I’ll actually write that second trilogy kind of depends on how well the first one sells, however, and whether my publisher asks for more. But even if we only get the first three books, it should be a complete and hopefully satisfying story!

Q. Where does The Beast of Blackmoor fit in the Gathering of Dragons series?

A. The novella, The Beast of Blackmoor, can be read as a prequel novella (it takes place before the events of A Heart of Blood & Ashes) or as a companion story that you can read at any point. If you read either A Touch of Stone & Snow or A Dance of Smoke & Steel before you read The Beast of Blackmoor, you will encounter some spoilers for the novella — but the novella won’t spoil any books in the main arc of the trilogy.

Q. I don’t like the F-word or C-word. Can you stop using such vulgar language? It adds nothing to the story.

A. I understand that some readers have an aversion to ‘bad’ words or are of the opinion that using a swear word is just lazy writing. My feeling, however, is that these words offer a more honest portrayal of the world and their characters. They’re raw, they’re vulgar, and that aspect of their world is reflected in the language they use (and that I use.) My word choices are also the opposite of lazy. I spend a lot of time thinking about the language I use in these books and the effect each word has, and I spend even more time drafting, editing, and polishing my work. If an f-word stays, it’s because it has passed muster. I have judged it, found that the word did exactly what I wanted it to do on the page, and let it stand. 

If these words ruin the book for you, I truly am sorry. Of course I want everyone to enjoy my work, and to feel the time and money they’ve spent is worth it! But I feel that I would ruin the books by using language that didn’t fit the world I’ve created and the characters, and I refuse to ruin my own books.

So if you intend to email me to criticize my language and chastise me, or to demand that I stop using these words, let me gently answer now: I will always use the words that I deem best for the scene and the characters. Sometimes those words will be sweet. Sometimes they will be vulgar. But they will always fit the characters and story…even if they are not something you would write or say or prefer to read. But please consider: I’m not writing about you. I’m writing about fantasy barbarians in another world. So if you can enjoy the books despite the language, fantastic! I’m glad. If you can’t, then I truly wish you the best, and hope that in the future, every book you read is better suited to your taste.

Q. Can I tell you how much I dislike and/or am offended by your books?

A. How about write a review and tell readers, instead? Are you really going to be this person who feels like you need to tell an author you hate her work? Either move on to the next book, or write a review to tell other people you don’t like it. You don’t need to tell me.