Dear Readers,
I love you. Please take a deep and soothing breath, release it slowly, and allow your worries to fly away.
Just because there was bad news on the decline of the Magical Romantic Comedy (with a body count) series, it’s truly not a big deal. You’ll still be getting books in the series. You’ll still be getting the exact same number of books in the series! It’s just going to take a little longer than anticipated.
Dragon Her Heels will be coming in 2025. I’m planning my writing life so good things happen for everybody.
Let me remind you of all the good things coming. (And why it’s not really all that bad that the Mag Rom Com series will meander to an end.)
1: Booked for Theft is coming in 2025. It literally took over an initially planned Mag Rom Com slot so you could have that instead. I know a lot of people have been wanting this book.
Booked for Theft already has over 1k preorders, which is already exceeding my general expectations for the release. So, that’s happy making for me, because my expectations were pretty low considering the general low sell-through rate between book 1 and book 2.
2: The Royal States series has had 2 releases basically back to back. (You can thank the Patreon readers for the Royal States loving. I’m working on two Royal States books right now. One will not be in the series listing at all, because it has zero general relevance to the series. The other is Prince of New York.)
3: G.P. Robbins is getting one book spot a year, as book one of that series sold well enough to justify setting it up for a one a year schedule. (And this series has ALL the mag rom com vibes but it’s more dragon and unicorn centric without the pantheons angle and all about the mysteries.)
4: Grave Affairs is off to a great start, especially in terms of reviews, so it’s definitely being watched for a once a year spot. (I am only promising 2 books right now, but if the first 2 work out well, I will do more mysteries with Kinsley and her trusty carbunclo sidekick. (And other friends and beings…)
Go Team Mouthy Asshole!
5: Seeking the Zodiacs is in process of being resumed.
6: The foxes in space stuff is doing surprisingly well!
Just because one series is in its death throes doesn’t mean I’m going to stop the series. Or stop writing series in general. I’m just planning my career for sustainability. Yes, you won’t get that one thing as quickly… but there are so many fun things going on that it really isn’t that bad.
And if the Mag Rom Com series is the only one of mine you read, well… I’m sorry it’s going to be at a lesser frequency, but I like eating, my apartment rent is expensive, and I want to travel! (I like having reasons to work, and traveling is one of my reasons I keep working.)
And re: the apartment rent, because people get real snooty about it:
There are literally 19 apartments in my entire city that meet our requirements (allowing cats, has a dishwasher, has washer and dryer, has parking) with two bedrooms. (We need two bedrooms because we both work from home at the same time. He gets the office, I work in my living room…)
For me to get an office, we’d have to spend $4,200+ a month…
If we were willing to get rid of all the luxuries, including parking… we could pay $6k a month for a three bedroom! (The Marina Playa complex is a literal horror show. There is a murky “pond” that the Swamp Thing might emerge from at any time, and the balconies are slowly trying to collapse into the sludge…
For all the amenities we have in our complex, $3,500 is a steal for our area. 🙁
So, yeah. And no, we can’t just move. My spouse has his dream job, so we deal with the ridiculous costs to live here. He worked hard to get his dream job, and “why don’t you just move” would rob him of a great deal of joy.
Do I like $3,500 a month in rent? No. But we could have a house… and pay $15,000 a month in mortgage. (Spoiler alert: we cannot afford that.)
And so we pay rent.
Oh, and those apartments would jump husbutt’s commute up by 20-30 minutes each way. He has 12-15 minutes right now total. So, we’re in a good place, even though the place has expensive rent and I cry every time I pay it.
But from the department of things that aren’t doing well and I’m working on anyway:
Audrey Greene, Bernadette Franklin.
I’m just not going to be throwing all my eggs in one basket, and I’m planning which books come out so I can do as many passion projects as possible with as few “I really need this to make money” books as possible. Because I love the passion projects. I wish I could just go chase my inspiration every which way, but in reality… not all books pay the bills.
And that’s truly okay.
Don’t worry. It’s okay. It’s just adapting to the situation.
It’s not anyone’s fault the series went into its death throes… and frankly? A 22 book run in profits on new releases is absolutely spectacular.
There are many reasons people drop series. Sometimes, they forget about the series. Sometimes, there’s a character they just hate and they refuse to give the series another try. Sometimes, my humor does not work well with their humor. Sometimes, they want sex on the page. (And I don’t write that.) And sometimes… they just don’t like it.
And that’s okay.
22 Books is amazing, folks. And it’s okay to acknowledge the truth that the series is dying.
There are a lot of good things on the horizon, so it’s not like I won’t be writing. I’ll just be writing different things. I know it sucks for those who only read the Mag Rom Com series, but I can’t float this ship with these books anymore.
So the books that can float the ship need the space to handle the work this series can’t anymore.
It’s really okay. Don’t worry about it. I’m not.
I’m still going to write them, I’m just not going to write them in a hurry.
I love all your series, even the ones that are not doing well, including the Booked one. I preorder everything as soon as it becomes available. I will miss the Mag Com series, but that will not stop me from buying and reading your other books.
All good. I get that. Didn’t realize prince of new york is out. I have iron unicorn already. And all the other royal states, love them. So much truth but spun in a good way, at least I think so. And the magic is a must. What’s fantasy without quirky magic and snarky comments (laughing here).
Anyway, I wasn’t worried. Just wanted you to know that your books are loved, even when they are dying. Zombies are cool too (really laughing here)
It isn’t out yet. I am working on writing it.
Awesome to know. I eagerly await your publishing of it then. Thank you.
Ha ha, obviously the people who think you can get a better deal on an apartment don’t live in the Bay Area! $3,500/mo is darned good for a two bedroom in Santa Clara in a decent apartment complex, especially one that allows cats.
Yeah, we got very lucky getting this apartment. It just blows my mind how many people will just tell me to move… ooof.
I’m one of the magical rom com only readers. My very first RJ Blain book was Murder Mittens. Once I read that one, I HAD to have the rest as fast as possible. I wish more people felt that way. You have to do what pays the bills, though.
You’d probably enjoy the G.P. Robbins books; it’s going to be the closest to the mag rom com series in terms of morbid humor, but it is more mystery centric and a focus around the cops trying to be good guys lol
I, too, preorder everything as soon as it comes available on (shudder) Amazon. And I will continue to do so.
I live in Southern California and rents here are similar. And good on ya for you and your spouse being so supportive of each other. That’s wonderful.
Thanks for all you write.
Wow! Have you been bargained your soul to Lucy to get a $3,500 a month 2 bedroom in _your_ neighborhood? That’s just about unheard of! I’m impressed you managed to find it…
We are cheap when it comes to housing, and I spent months apartment hunting to find this place. So, yeah. But I get told “why don’t you move somewhere cheaper” and it’s like “look, I already prostituted my soul out to Lucy for the rent I have in my area….”
Prostitutes your soul? Sweetie he owns your soul and probably your hubbies too. The only one Lucy is letting free will probably be your cats as he likes cats.
Granted I am a farmer (crazy book reader too ha ha) so I don’t know much about rents. But my start up cost for planting is around 14 thousand a year every spring, your rent could pay that 3 times a year for me and I think that’s crazy. I don’t wanna know how rent is so high but I remember my old apartment and honestly…you get comfy so why should you move. It’s your place so keep it. Plus from what I saw it’s a good deal but granted we have a 20 thousand dollar swather that only runs for 4 months of the year sooooo…I’m no judge lol
Those horrible rent prices are awful. We bought a new to us car today to have as a second car – 8 years old, but very low mileage. 4-5 months of your rent pays off the car!
Gotta love central valley prices… thank you for all the work you do and the wonderful worlds you build. I hope you guys find a good apartment soon.
I’m in Silicon Valley lol which is even worse. (I live in a city / area that has consistently been in the top 3 most expensive places i nthe US to live for the past like ten years running. Yay.)
I love your books! I enjoy all your series. Thank you for being you. Your humor and creativity just blow my mind. I find a wonderful escape in your books. And thank you for not writing “sex on a page.”
Always looking forward to your books, whenever they come out!
Sherry
Just so long as the ship keeps sailing, it’s fine by me.
Good Morning, I’m sure someone has already asked these questions, and you’ve probably already answered, so I hope you have patience enough to answer me! Any news on the Jesse Alexander and Fox Witch series fronts? I love those books and feel like we got left hanging…lol
TV a is!
Check the Tentative Writing Order of Upcoming Books post.
I’ve said it b4 and will tell it again, people gotta eat, gotta do what they need to do to make a living honestly! But man, those rents sre crazy! But I live in the midwest, so what do I know! Love your writing and pre-order all you put out! And will continue to do so! Thanks for all you do!