First, I have to tell everyone who read When We Were Kings and/or When We Were Dancing THANK YOU! I mean it. Thank you so much for taking a chance on an author you probably had never heard of before. Thank you for buying the book, or borrowing. Most of all, thank you to everyone who took the time to leave a review.
I know that this isn’t exactly a “hot” subject in fantasy right now. Monarchies are over done. Princesses saving the world? Oh, that’s “old hat”. So much about this series begs to be cliche – but it’s NOT. Leyli refused to be just another princess turned warrior. Tristan? Yeah, he had a few of his own opinions.
And they aren’t done yet. Granted, I’m a little burned out on gladiators right now (this always happens for a week or so after intensive editing of my books, then I’m addicted all over again). And it’s already starting. So far, I’ve been locked out of WWWD for 10 days because of the publishing process. In that time, little details about book 3 (When We Were Crowned) have become just a little more clear. Never mind the addendum book that’s begging me to release it.
You see, it isn’t just Tristan and Leyli that are the heroes of this saga. Haven’t any of you wondered about that birthmark on the Lyone family? Now I wonder where something like that could have come from. And while that’s the most obvious hint I’ve left hanging out there, it’s not the only one. I’m waiting for someone to figure it out. (Yes, that’s a dare).
But the release has gone so much better than I could have dreamed. Being a pragmatist, I’m well aware that gladiators, princesses, and obscure indie authors aren’t exactly begging to become the next “megahit” of the year. I was hoping for a solid release from my dedicated fans. Instead….
I got so much more. When We Were Kings hit #31 in free fantasy books, right alongside novels I’d bought myself. When We Were Dancing reached 29k in the overall kindle store (which has like 4 million books in it)! These numbers aren’t best seller status or anything, but it’s jaw dropping for me.
Keep in mind, I released my first book, One More Day, in September of 2015. Less than a year later, I’m seeing sales to be proud of. WWWK still has a perfect 5 star rating! Reviews are ticking up, sales have been stable all weekend, and me?
I feel like an author. Saturday evening, I had to sit down and just let it sink in. My dream of writing a book had not only been achieved but I really, truly, honestly FEEL like an AUTHOR. I write books that people actually read. Not just crap to fill up the kindle listings, but books with good reviews, solid sales, and a fan base that is growing. I have an audience to keep feeding my stories. I have a reason to do this. I have achieved a dream…
And I wish that I could tell each of you how much I appreciate it. For you, my readers, it may have been a book you picked up on a whim. For me, the author, this has been a dream come true.
And I’m not at all ready to stop. I have two more series to release this year, and the Wolf of Oberhame…. yes, there’s still more of her story to tell. It’s going to be a wild ride.