The TL;DR version is: It's going to be a while
longer. I'm working on them. When I do publish them, the audiobooks will be
published at the same time. And I think you'll like them. Max is almost as
screwed up as Xan and as naughty under the surface as Wulf.
The rest of this is authorly sausage-making. If
you don't want to know how the authoring works or it's not of interest to you,
you can stop reading now.
If you're curious about all the machinations
behind your favorite books, or if you're an author, too (a lot of my readers
are authors. I'm kind of an “authors' author,” a rarified taste,)
then pray, proceed.
Hello, my most favorite readers, the ones who
are still reading.
I have a problem.
I let myself get too suckered into the
publishing business, and I have gotten burned out. You see, there is an
algorithm at Amazon that really helps you if you publish a book every month.
This means that it shows your books to more people, and you reach more readers
than if you don't.
So, I tried to do that.
After I wrote the 5 very strenuous Flicka books,
I pumped out those 3 dragon shifter books. Don't get me wrong. They were fun,
and I enjoyed getting all my SF&F proclivities out in one fell swoop. With
those and some boxed sets that I dumped, I think I published 10 books in 12
months.
It was too much.
And now (secret), I've been writing in another
genre with another pen name. People in my Facebook Reader
Group have heard a little about it. (If you're on FB, come
on by and hang out in my reader group! I talk to readers and answer questions
in there. And we have silly fun, too.)
It's not romance, however. There are no naughty
bits at all. I have had no excuse to listen to Bon Jovi for 4 months, now.
That's so sad. I'm really looking forward to getting back to writing Max. I'm
in the home stretch with those, and I won't put out any more of those until
late 2020.
I have some scenes of Max's books written
because his story is so compelling. He keeps talking in my head. I also just
had the covers done. (Total tease below.) I want to write Max. I'm dying to
write Max. I know the overall structure. I've got some pivotal scenes. I've got
half of the first book written in my head.
There will probably be a prequel novella, and
then 3 books.
But here's the thing: With the later Flicka
books, the Dragon Clan books, and these other books, I've been just kind of
hurling them toward Amazon and hoping they stick. I haven't had the time,
attention, or energy to do real releases. That doesn't work.
So, with the Max books, I want to write them the
right way and release them the right way. That includes having the audiobooks
made and releasing them at the same time. That includes doing the multiple
passes from editors to comb out all the commas that (ahem) may or may not be
done with these other books that I'm just flinging into the Amazon sun. I've
been abusing my editors (sorry, ladies, ? ) and messing with my process.
See, as a writer, I tend to write
“deep.” I go into my books for hours at a time and work hard. I read
dozens of books and research other background to make them feel real and to
understand the characters better. In the Babylon Facebook reader group (link
above), someone asked me about the gray tiles on Arthur's English
manor house, Spencer House. So, I told them all about the gray tiles that
were installed on many English manor houses because some doofus insisted that
the Plague was caused by manor houses being built with red bricks a few
centuries ago. I also told them how it was modeled on Althorp House, the estate
of the Earls Spencer, the title of which is currently held by Diana's younger
brother, Charles.
We've also discussed the book The
Dirt, by Motley Crue and Neil Strauss, which inspired much of the
chaos and dysfunction around Killer Valentine over those . . . 9
books, I think? That's a fantastic book.
And of course there was so much research about
the English legal system that went into Casimir's story, a serious feat for a Yankee
such as myself.
Anyway, what with family stuff (I have a
high-maintenance kid, and my DH is not low maintenance, by any means,) and with
trying to not die from a heart attack or autoimmune disease, lately, it's been
fraught.
(If you're an author who suspects you're in burnout
or that “something weird is going on,” and you need to “think
about your process” because you just can't seem to look at the blank page,
I highly recommend Becca Syme's Burnout videos,
her Burnout book, and this Burnout book by Emily Nagoski. And
then you can follow me down the rabbit hole into all of Becca Syme's classes.
Come over the Dark Side. We have cookies. I'll be doing the October Strengths
cohort.)
Anyway, that's what's going on with Max. I want
them to be good. I want them to have the deep, special work that Wulf, Xan,
Casimir, and Arthur got.
Flicka got that treatment, too. I can't
slight Flicka's books, but
I'd been writing them in my head for 3 years when I finally opened a file for
her. (Yes, I knew from the last part of Wulf's book that she would end up with
Dieter.) I already had hundreds of pages of notes for her before I started.
But Max is going to take some work. The first 2
books take place before the Flicka books end, and it's a while before he knows
that his circumstances have changed. I've got some serious research to do.
And I need to reread Casimir's and Arthur's
books. Yes, they will definitely be in there. As a matter of fact, they'll be
in the prequel novella. And so might some other people.
So, if you want to keep up with me, come hang
out in the Babylon reader group on Facebook or follow me at any of the links
above. I probably will throw out a boxed set or two in the meantime. I will be
releasing the audiobooks of Working Stiff, Stiff Drink, and Hard
Liquor soon. For those of you who read French or German, rejoice! I'll
have Wulf/Rae out in those languages soon, too.
And as for that secret project, probably in
2020, I'll figure out how to get that to you, probably as a limited release
like I did for Angel of Death. I'm a reader, too. I get it. I
hated it when my favorite authors cheated on me with some other pen name and
didn't tell me.
Loved every book out of the Zan series & so want more but just do you, not Amazon & we’ll be waiting whenever Max is done. Can you throw me the alternate pen name please?!
Just finished the billionaire series and cadells book. Loved them all ! Never once felt they were hurried or thrown together. Spent 3 days trying ,to find Maxence and finally crept into the shower and quietly cried. Lol. Will read what I haven’t yet, arther etc but just had to tell you how much I enjoyed them and will really henjoy reading them again, thanks so much annjd please don’t become a banker. Lol
Patience it’s a virtue! So I’m going to be patiently wait for Max! Take your time and we’ll be fine! But can you add your audiobooks to Audiable Escape? Pls our kindle unlimited??
Love Xan and Georgie. It is where I was introduced to David Garrett and now I listen to his violin repertoire whenever possible. Oh… will there more of Xan and Georgie story? It ended a little sad… her miscarriage and her struggles with moving on. I truly appreciate your immense research into the rock concert tour scenes as well as rigor in being a professional musician.
Thank you for your kind words. I worked hard on Xan and Georgie. I’m so glad you liked them.
There are 3 epilogues to Xan/Georgie: Dream On, Keep Dreaming, and Small Miracles. All of them are available free to people who subscribe to my newsletter. Sign up here to download them and get emails about new stuff! https://blairbabylon.com/book-boyfriends-bulletin/
