Nine Promises I Make to my Readers

Every author is different. Every reader is different. Every story is different. But if we never knew what to expect, nothing great could ever happen. Only by making and keeping certain basic promises can we gain new readers and keep our regular ones. So here are nine promises I make to my readers:1. I am telling the best possible storyFor me, the story comes first. It's about creation of high-quality art. I refuse to compromise my stories or characters for market trends, judgmental readers, or fear of negative feedback. I will always keep 100% true to the story. It's the most important part of this. 2. I am working as hard as I canI may only release a book or two each year, but that doesn't mean I'm not working. That means I work during the school day, evenings when my husband works, during naptime on weekends, and any other bit of time I can get. I am pushing myself as hard as I can without breaking, and sometimes beyond (I've had both back and elbow surgery in the last year from too much writing!). My books take a long time to publish because I take great care with each and every step of the process, from writing to editing to cover art to promotions. You'll get my absolute best. 3. I will give you real people instead of cardboard charactersDuring the writing process, I never strive to create people who fill a role or have a passing interest. Each and every one of them are real people, even if they only exist on the pages of my stories. They have fears and passions and goals, and I will always work to show their real personalities in the clearest possible light. You may not like them or you may not understand them, but you'll never have to question whether or not you believe they exist. 4. I will show you amazing new worldsAs a fantasy reader and author, going to amazing new places is half the fun. Who doesn't want to go to Rivendell and Panem and Battle School? I do! And as a writer, I am totally committed to creating new and mind-blowing worlds. I want your mind's eye to explode with color and wonder and intrigue. From the Nakbe Islands to the LRF and the Alderwood, I promise to bring you to a new, amazing world. 5. I will give you magicWhile none of my characters have pulled rabbits out of hats or waved a wand, there will always be magic. Lark can read minds and Hale can turn into a bear and Talia can call lightning into her fingertips. The world is a great place, but a world with magic is always better. I promise to give you a well-structured magic system that illuminates the characters and setting. 6. I will give you real relationshipsAs a human on Earth, you know relationships are messy. Nothing is ever as easy as it is in movies, and I will never make it so. Kaide has to earn Blossom's affection, Lark and Khea work for a decade to build something eternal, Mable and Silas will create something new and different for the sake of humanity. I don't do insta-love or shallow romances or even casual friendships. My characters are real people and therefore they have real relationships, as complex and messy as they may be. 7. I will give you something darkI started writing as a distraction from cancer research. I was in a dark place, and I wanted to vent some of that negativity into my books. To this day, my stories maintain that dark edge. People will betray each other. Some of them will die. You may cry and throw your tablet and curse my name, but you'll know the story you're reading touched a deep place in your heart. There's no cupcakes and rainbows in my stories. They're all dark and gritty and real. 8. I will give you a great endingIt might not be the ending you wanted, or the ending you expected, but it will make you feel and question. You'll walk away feeling like you got something great out of my books. I will never leave you hanging on the closure you want from a story. 9. I will give you something you've never seen beforeThis is perhaps the greatest promise I make to readers. I will change you. I will tell you a story that challenges your expectations. I will show you a world that is more than you imagined. I will create characters that defy convention. I will keep pushing the boundaries, always and forever.