Time for the dreaded relationship talk.

Hey, we need to talk. No, it's nothing bad. Well, I don't think so. But, we've been together for a while now and I was wondering where we stand... relationship wise?

I mean, I don't want to put labels on us, or anything. Except, Goodreads has done that for us. I'm the Author. And you're the casual reader, Follower or Friend.

But I'm wondering about your expectations. It's not like I can invite you over to my place for a drink and a chat. And the old Author - Reader relationship is so over - you know, the one where I release a book every year, you buy it and... repeat. No expectations. No contact.
Now, we have the internet, e-books, twitter, Facebook, Blogs, and email.
So things are different - way different. And evolving all the time. And different Authors appear to think their readers/followers want different things.
Some tweet hourly about word count achieved, some blog sporadically about upcoming book details and some... well, some seem to be too busy to have a relationship with their readers at all.
Having a webpage that never gets updated kind of doesn't count in the relationship stakes. Well, certainly not any more.

So here is how I see us. You, the Reader, want the following:
- As much information as possible about upcoming books. The when, the who, and if possible, the how.
- Sporadic, yet reasonably frequent contact. With the occasional hint or two dropped about forthcoming books.
-You don't want to hear about the grind - the word count, the off days, or the lost work (unless there is a funny story attached to it)
- When you have a question - about the plot/a character, or the series - you want your answer in a timely fashion.

Here's the reality -
- Life gets in my way. Friends, family, the house (plumbing, wi-fi and a myriad of other stuff) constantly throw up road bumps to try to derail me. So I will always be a bit - ish - when it comes to the publication date. You know - like... Juneish.
- Amazon and the international dateline also get in my way. I live in Australia, generally a day ahead of the rest of the world. And I'm never quite sure how long things will take to clear Amazon's review processes. Sometimes it is hours - sometimes days.
- And as for spoilers. I know you say you want them... but really you don't, trust me on this. Why would you buy a book if you knew all the good stuff? So yes, I will be a bit of a tease, but I'll never blab.
- I write out of sequence. Generally I am writing two books ahead of the book I am publishing. So whilst I might Tweet the occasional plot point, I don't Blog about what I am currently writing - because it won't make sense in the scheme/series of things.

Now what are my expectations - as the Author in our relationship.
- Well, in an ideal world, I will receive a bucket load of daily five star affirmations of how wonderful I am. There will be rave reviews published every hour, on the hour. Appearing on both the Goodreads site and Amazon.
.... sorry, what... oh, it was all just a wonderful dream.

Honestly - I get a thrill every time I make a sale. A tingle every time I get a rating, or someone befriends/follows me on Goodreads or Twitter.
I love it even more when I get a question about the characters or the series. Because then I know you guys are invested in the world I have created just as much as I am.
I'm not the boldest when it comes to marketing - I received an email the other day from an author who stated that because I had read a specific book and rated it on Goodreads - they thought I might like to read their book. Wow - I was kind of envious of their balls-out courage. At the same time, I resented their unasked for intrusion in my little world - and didn't buy their book.

We all walk a fine line in relationships. And like I said, thanks to new technology, the relationship of Reader and Author is always evolving. How long before Authors begin live-streaming whilst they write?
It will be like watching paint dry. Hmm, means I'll have to brush my hair and change out of my pyjamas for another thing.

So, back to why I started writing this blog... our relationship. Personally, I think it is going great. Sure, I know you wish I would publish more books, more often... but I point to reality.
I wish I could invite you guys over for that wine and a chat. But barring that, let me know if you have any burning questions regarding my books or the future of the series. Or if you have any suggestions on how I can improve our relationship.

Oh, and as a reward for reading through to the end of this blog - just to advise that book 10, To Surprise A Seer, will be published in about two weeks time. Currently I am working with my book cover designer and I have two more rounds of final editing to complete. So like I said... soon-ish