Vague Release Date Information!

3/26/2014

Hello, ladies and gentlemen! I come before you this afternoon to address the most common question I am asked every day:

"When, sir, will you release City of Light unto us?" (It's usually phrased exactly like that)

The short answer is I don't know.

The useful answer is "PROBABLY between March 30th and April 10th," because on April 10th I'll be leaving for PAX East in Boston, Massachusetts.

And now that I've gotten those more helpful responses out of the way, hit the jump for a longer answer:

First of all, thanks for taking the time to ask me a question! I know people are impatient because they enjoyed the first few books, and that humbles me and encourages me to keep writing. Your enthusiasm is encouraging, and it's the fuel that keeps me going! But please, allow me to tell you why my answers have been wishy-washy, uncertain, or just plain wrong.

I'm not releasing it to you now because it's not finished, not because I'm picky. If you've read my first two books, and I assume you have, you know that I don't obsess over perfection in my work. I'm not Patrick Rothfuss or George R.R. Martin, who make sure every word is selected with great care before they release a book. I'm just trying to give you the best story I can as quickly as I can.

If I released the book to you now, you wouldn't like it. You would even be angry at me.

But I do promise you that I will publish City of Light at the first moment I can. That may mean that you don't have much advance warning (though I'll keep you as up-to-date as I can), but that's one of the consequences of working the way I do.

Which brings me to my next point: please, those of you who yearn for City of Light, let me explain why I can't give you an accurate release date ahead of time.

It's because I, unlike traditionally published authors, release my books as soon as they're complete.

Someone with a publishing company, like Brandon Sanderson or practically any other author you've heard of, has to give their book to a publishing company who takes, say, six months to turn the finished manuscript into something they can ship to bookstores. They know exactly how long that process takes, so whenever the author finishes the manuscript, they can say "Hey, readers! The book will be available to you in six months!" And that's a nice long, comfortable time for people to prepare, and pre-order, and salivate over the book.

I also know how long it takes me to put my book up for sale: about six hours.

So, for someone with a publishing company, giving you an accurate release date as quickly as possible looks like this: "Book 3 will be out on October 27th, because that's six months away! Mark your calendars!"

For me, it looks like this: "Book 3 will be out tomorrow morning! Mark your calendars!"

It's not quite the same.

In an effort to sate your unquenchable desire for sword-swingin', monster-choppin' action, I've given you some estimates about when the next book is going to come out. Almost invariably, I've been wrong. To a large degree, that's my fault; I've given you my most optimistic guesses, when I should have given you my most pessimistic.

Instead of saying, "Well, I could have this done in three months, as long as nothing whatsoever happens in my life at all..." I should have said, "Let's assume that over the next few months my car breaks down, I fall in love, we grow apart, I fall out of love, she stalks me for three months, we finally confront each other in a climactic duel to the death over a rain-slicked rooftop, and she falls to her death, then when I go to hide the body I find that there is no body...only a blood-scrawled note that reads 'REVENGE.'"

Under those circumstances, writing a book would naturally take longer.

But unpredictability is also the nature of the process. I'm against this in general, so don't tell anybody, but at a certain point in the process of writing CoL, I actually started over. The story was pulling me in too many different directions, and I effectively had to go back to the drawing board.

That didn't exactly set me back to square one--I still had all my notes, and there's a good portion of CoL's plot that has always lived in the back of my head--but it was still a delay. And I should prepare for those delays, because I know that something unexpected always happens.

To recap: I'm in the final stretches of CoL, but I am behind my wildly optimistic schedule. I'm working all day, every day, to get this out as soon as possible. It's technically possible that I could still get it released before the end of March, but let's be more realistic: I have to have it done before April 10th, because that's when I'm leaving for PAX East.

So, for now, let's say that City of Light will be published on April 10th.

Who knows? It might be before that. But if you mark your calendar for April 10th, and it ends up coming out on April 7th, then I'll look like a hero. As opposed to when I fail to release it in March, and then I delay until April 7th, I look like a vagabond.

I mean, I kind of look like a vagabond anyway. But you get the gist.

Also, to make this ridiculously long post even longer, I should point out that I hate delaying books. You might not know that, considering how I pushed The Crimson Vault, The Lightning Wastes, and City of Light all back from their original release dates, but I really do. It pains me deeply. I despise having to do it, and in the future I'll keep my original release dates vague and/or pessimistic, so that I won't let you down.

The only reason I ever push dates back at all is because there's only one thing I hate worse than pushing a book back: giving you a book you won't enjoy.

And that's not something I'm willing to do.

(NOTE: Also, I beg you to take into consideration the fact that when I say "push a book back," I mean 1-3 weeks. Not months or years. Have mercy on me, I'm working as fast as I can!)

142 Comments

Bryce

3/26/2014 07:55:56 am

Authors missing a release date is honestly one of the things that drives me insane. I have flat out stopped reading some authors because they do it over and over. I think its simple if you do not KNOW when you can get a book out and I mean 100% even barring issues then just keep your mouth shut.

Keep your readers up to date? Absolutely. As for a pessimistic date I love that and encourage it. One author I read has released early once or twice and it is a really nice surprise. I think a good way to look at it is the same way to look at most business. Always strive to exceed your customers expectations.

PS: If It isn't out by the 10th.....I will find you....

Will Wight link

3/26/2014 08:04:58 am

I agree with you completely, Bryce.

While I've done a good job of keeping my readers up-to-date with my own mental process (Which is usually: "Oh yeah, I can do this in that amount of time. Oh, crap, no I can't. BUT LET ME TRY REALLY HARD...no, it's humanly impossible. Crap."), I have NOT done a good job of setting realistic expectations and then meeting them.

I'm new at this, but I promise I'm trying to get better.

As a result, in the future, I'm adopting the policy of "under-promise and over-deliver." I take whatever date I THINK I can meet, and then add two months to that. That way, even if I miss my original guess by a month and a half, I'm still two weeks early.

For real, I'm sorry about this. It drives me crazy too. Even though I'm not delaying that long, compared to most other authors, it's still the mental irritation of "Well, the author said it's going to be out by Friday. I'll start checking Saturday, because I know he'll be wrong."

That's annoying, I hate it as a reader, and in the future I'll do everything I can to avoid it as a professional writer.

JoeW

3/27/2014 01:51:11 am

I like the way Brandon Sanderson shows progress on his webpage. He shows the percentage done for several stages of his work ("first draft", "final draft", "first proof", etc.). Your process has fewer stages than his, but I think his general method could be applied to your books as well. I would only hope that you would update the percentages more frequently than he does (sometimes Sanderson's do not get updated for several weeks)

3/27/2014 02:30:18 am

You've actually touched on a good reason why I don't do that, Joe. I could, of course, put up a percentage bar, but there's no way for me to use it to give you an accurate idea of where I am in the process.

For instance, there's a lot of necessary work that needs to be done that wouldn't cause the bar to move. Let's say I'm still in the drafting stage, but I realize that I've been writing a character with a heavy accent all book, only to remember that in the previous book she didn't have an accent. So I've got to go back through the whole book and change her accent. On the way, I notice a few other things that I could tweak, and I make it work.

So I've been working all day, and it's a necessary step toward the book being finished, but I didn't add any word count. Do I increase the percentage on the draft bar? Do I increase the percentage on the editing bar? Or do I just leave it?

That particular dilemma is a little weird, but stuff like it happens all the time. Every day, I'd be like "Move it five percent forward! No, wait, now two percent back. Now I'm switching to a different phase in the process. Now I haven't updated in two weeks even though I've been working every day."

It's just the nature of the beast that it's difficult to quantify progress, though I respect Brandon Sanderson for trying. The only way to put a real number on it is by counting the number of words, and that only works for drafting, not editing or outlining or anything else.

Maybe once I've written as many novels as Sanderson, I'll have a better grasp on how long each step takes me, and then I can keep you guys up-to-date a little better. Right now, I've written a LOT of short stories, but only three novels (two and three-quarters). I can make a fairly accurate prediction about how long a short story or script is going to take me, but a novel...it's a mess.

3/27/2014 04:09:43 am

"...but there's no way for me to use it to give you an accurate idea of where I am in the process..."

There's your problem.

The point is not to give a perfectly accurate number. Rather, the purpose is to give a rough idea of ongoing work and progress occurring.

To answer your question, when you do some editing that takes a significant amount of your time, you just add a percentage or two (or whatever your best guess is) to the most applicable process percentage.

3/27/2014 05:02:32 am

It feels like a Catch-22 to me. I'm either guessing in a blog post or guessing in a progress bar. And I don't know if you're familiar with www.goblinscomic.org (currently on hiatus as the author deals with some mental health issues), but he has an "X Days Until the Next Comic!" ticker on the top left of his screen. It looks really cool, and it's very handy...

...but whenever he misses or changes it, he gets hammered by fans. And the reason he put it up in the first place was because he was getting asked every day, even the day after the previous comic, when the next comic was going up.

Now, I know comics are different from novels--no one expects three novels a week, for one thing--but the same principle is at work here. If I put up a counter in order to give people a sense of progress, they would hold me to its accuracy. It would happen, no matter how much I tried to explain that it's not set in stone.

So therefore, if I'm going to use a metric on the site, I want it to be as accurate as possible. To avoid future headaches.

I still like the idea of keeping people as up-to-date about my progress as I can, and I may end up using a standard progress bar. At the moment, though, I almost feel that it would be counterproductive.

3/27/2014 06:44:36 am

It is definitely NOT a Catch 22. I am pretty sure Sanderson is too smart to do something if it is completely paradoxical.

As I said, the point is NOT to give a perfectly accurate completion estimate. Rather, the purpose is to give a rough idea of ongoing work and progress occurring.

Do not think of it as a prediction. It is obviously not a prediction of a completion date, since the percentage could sit at something less than 100% for an indefinite time.

It is just an estimate of how much work has been completed so far. The key phrases there are "estimate" and "completed so far". It does not need to be perfectly accurate. And it does not need to predict anything, just show what has already occurred.

3/27/2014 08:23:58 am

Hey, Joe, obviously I've been miscommunicating something in my tone, and for that I apologize. I'm not trying to argue, I'm really not. I'm just explaining my reasoning for why I don't have a progress bar on the site.

It's very possible that, in the future, I'll put one up. In general, I like progress bars. It helps me, as a reader, FEEL that the author is making progress instead of just knowing it intellectually. So seriously, I might do that in the future. Maybe even for the next book.

But that's why I didn't do it for CoL. And if I choose not to do it for the next series, now you know my reasoning.

I'm really sorry if I implied that I thought you were wrong, or that a progress bar can't work. I don't believe either of those things. There are just a few hurdles that, up to this point, I felt have been too high to be worth jumping.

Каша

3/28/2014 06:52:48 pm

Deer Joe,
If it took you 500+ words and three comments to explain what a progress bar really is, then you've sunk your own case for its clarity.

3/30/2014 03:17:37 pm

Kawa:

Good thing it did not take nearly that much. I explained it in two sentences.

Not my fault if some people have an aversion to quantifying writing progress.

RMN1203

4/7/2014 08:02:45 am

Brandon Sanderson has a set process that he goes through and even still sometimes the percentages reflect reality. It's like that for pretty much everything. I'm going to be closing a business deal hopefully within the next two weeks. I've been working on it for about 10 months. If I had a progress bar on it, it would have been stuck at 99% for over half a year now. Sometimes things just work out like that.

I do sympathize with the delay, but let's face it, Will is no where near a big delay yet on City of Light (I'm watching you though!). I gave up on A Song of Fire and Ice because I had to wait near five years for the fourth book. I bought Game of Thrones in hardback the week it was released. I started Wheel of Time back with The Shadow Rising, a series I also quit after Crossroads because I was just damn tired of waiting. Quit until the series was finished again.

A series goes on to long if you have to reread the prior books when a new one comes out because it has been so long. We're going on what? Under two years for a trilogy? Quit complaining, this is fast goings.

4/7/2014 09:05:35 am

Ten months, as a matter of fact. I released HoB on June 1st, 2013.

Adam

3/26/2014 08:01:32 am

You're a rock star and we love you/your work. The wife and I eagerly await the release of CoL, but we're happy you're creating the best product possible. Take your time and make it great!

3/26/2014 08:06:53 am

Thanks, Adam! You can rest assured that I'm working as hard as I can to get a complete book ready for you as soon as possible. Also, after City of Light, I'm changing my "release date announcement" policy completely in order to avoid situations like this.

Keeping readers informed = great!
Not getting their hopes up about an unrealistic release date = better!

Sean

3/31/2014 04:57:48 pm

I know I don't speak for most people when O say this but I prefer when authors put out a rough estimate of the time till completion and then push it back because it gives me an extremely rough estimate of when the book will come out and that helps me. So my point is the way you have been announcing the release dates for this book has been the perfect style for me. Keep up the great work, and you will always have a faithful fan in me.

4/1/2014 02:27:14 am

I'll do my best, Sean! In my ideal, rose-colored future, I would only move release dates UP, not back. I'm not sure if I'll ever reach that promised utopia, but that's what I'm striving for.

Dave

3/26/2014 08:57:50 am

Along with this, if you need beta readers, I'm sure many of us (myself included) would love to volunteer (and/or even pay to do so).

This is probably one of those things you're just going to have to endure by being a popular creator of content; people want it now now now now now nownownownownownow Why isn't it out already OMG.

Don't let it faze you, write what you think will be good, then let THAT out. Even though it only takes 5 hours to consume what took you months to create, those hours are enjoyable in ways few other things are.

3/27/2014 02:33:16 am

It is weird how quickly we consume stories, isn't it? Brandon Sanderson spent two years to produce a ridiculously long novel (Words of Radiance), and then I finish reading it in hours. It almost doesn't seem fair. That's one reason why I try to put content out as fast as I can!

And hey, thanks for your support! I have plenty of beta readers; what I'm short on is TIME. I don't even have the time to enact all the suggestions from the beta readers I DO have, so adding more wouldn't solve the problem.

I do appreciate your willingness, though, and your patience!

Craig

3/26/2014 09:02:06 am

I was the head content editor at a now defunct small publishing house. Our release times from the point we accepted a book or received it from the author were incredibly fast. Literary agents loved going with us because of how fast we got the book released. The point is, we were fast and it still took 2 to 3 months to get the book to readers. Most people don't realize just how much work needs to be done on a book even after the writing process is finished. While I am chomping at the bit to read City of Light, I completely understand what you're up against in trying to finish your publication process so quickly. Keep up the great work and release another great product when it is ready. We'll still be here daily checking the blog for the release because your books are worth it.

3/27/2014 02:35:51 am

Wow, that's a cool story! It is kind of hard when I get these emails asking me to hurry up, or when people say 'Hey, get back to work!' when I post something else. I 100% understand that it's good-natured encouragement, and on an individual level it never bothers me at all, but when it starts to pile up...I can't help but think, "You know, I really do work all day. Honest!"

Hey, like you said, most people don't know what goes into the process, and that's not their fault. Thanks for the encouragement!

Sarah Johnson

3/26/2014 09:06:03 am

Your books have been amazing and I'm so excited to read the next one. I think it's awesome that you give an ongoing update of where you're at in the process and completely understandable that what you say isn't set in stone. My anticipation just keeps growing! Anyone grumpy with you can suck it. I would rather wait than have a book that wasn't up to par. Thank you for your work.

3/27/2014 02:37:23 am

Thanks, Sarah! I don't blame people for being grumpy, especially when I WANTED to have it out at the end of February. It was mostly my fault for suggesting inaccurate release dates.

But I'm learning!

Tim K

3/26/2014 11:41:32 am

Know that your hard work is appreciated. Don't let us chumps stress you out :) take yourself a break after this one eh?

3/27/2014 02:41:36 am

The funny part is that, even though I've been working myself to the bone the past few weeks, Crimson Vault was still more stressful. For City of Light, I've had six months to slowly work on the book, put out short story collections, get the business side of things in order, etc. I've had to adjust to running things as a self-published business, and that's been harder than anything else.

With Crimson Vault, it was like, "HOLY CRAP PEOPLE ARE READING HOUSE OF BLADES YOU NEED TO WRITE THE NEXT BOOK NOW NOW NOW." Barely any breathing room.

So I'll take a week or two off, I'm sure, but I'm going to dive back in pretty quick with my to-do list: paperback City of Light, re-editing House of Blades (the first third of that book kills me, and I'm rewriting it), putting up a HoB audiobook, and starting my next series.

Coming this fall: EITHER a book called "Overworld" or a series called "Of Sea and Shadows." Tell your friends!

No, on second thought, don't tell your friends. Wait until I've actually decided which one I'm writing.

George

4/8/2014 10:21:32 am

You should call it Shadows Over Seaworld

4/8/2014 10:56:48 pm

"And here comes Sha'mu'dar, our trained Shoggoth! Now, feast upon the minds of men! Feast upon them! Very goooood!"

Elder Empire 3

12/19/2016 01:35:10 pm

Third time EE was mentioned. Sea and shadows.....so you side with Calder!

Someone

3/26/2014 11:42:57 am

I am dying to read your book! Can`t wait for it to come out. I would really love to see the cover. Can't wait for CoL to come out. Take your time (not too much) to give us a good book.

3/27/2014 02:42:07 am

I got the final cover this morning, actually! I'm waiting on a few minor tweaks, and then I'll put it up here. Probably next week.

Ben G

3/26/2014 12:12:10 pm

Well, now I feel bad for stalking you on twitter, facebook, and all other ways that may or may not involve your closet and an army of woodchuck mindslaves. Well, a little.

Take your time, though! It'll get here when it gets here. Can't wait to see it!

3/27/2014 02:42:34 am

I appreciated the woodchucks, actually. They were delicious when properly seasoned and wood-grilled.

3/28/2014 12:25:37 pm

M-M-My woodchucks??

But.... but I was going to hang out with one of those woodchucks. He was going to ride on my head, and we would be buddies. He was going to be King of the Woodchucks, and I'd wear a crown that he would ride in.

We were going to be partners, and solve crime Scooby-Doo style! And now you ate him? Not even oven roasted, like he wanted, but wood-grilled? Shame. Shame on you for killing the King of the Woodchucks.

His ghost will never rest. Watching. Waiting. Haunting. At least till CoL comes out, then he will be reading and haunting.

4/1/2014 02:28:33 am

Avid-reader ghosts are the worst kind. Every time you open your book, it's "Woooooo~ you kiiiiillllllled meeeeee~"

Really annoying.

Jack S

3/26/2014 12:52:06 pm

Man I wouldn't sweat it. It seems like everyone is making a big deal about it but a couple of days later then your predicted beats a month or even a couple of weeks. I'm geeked about it but I can totally wait. Thanks for your hard work. You're a legend.

3/27/2014 02:43:51 am

That's what they told me back in ancient Greece: "Will, you are a legend! We will paint your exploits on our pottery so that you will never be forgotten!"

Brett Sherman

3/26/2014 01:46:37 pm

This world that you have build is truly fun to explore! Thank you for the hard work and dedication to your readers. Looking forward to COL and all future publications!

3/27/2014 02:45:33 am

Thanks, Brett! That's my goal: books that are fun for you to read, and fun for me to write.

colin

3/26/2014 01:48:16 pm

I will forgive you if you release chapter 1 / prologue :D
(thats not the Eldest snippet)
Else, this kitten will get tickled.

3/27/2014 02:47:03 am

Don't do it, you madman!

Over the next week or two, I will be releasing the CoL cover and probably another excerpt from Chapter 1. I could release another excerpt now, actually, since the beginning is pretty much done...

But no. I should wait until the end of the month. TAKE THAT, KITTEN!

Mike

3/26/2014 01:48:24 pm

No mercy! The fanatic Fans would eventually turn cannibal the sacrafice must be paid before that happens

3/27/2014 02:47:43 am

Back! Back, you ravenous beasts!

For real, though, I'm working! You'll get it as soon as I can make it, I promise!

Richie

3/26/2014 03:39:04 pm

Great post, Will. As a somewhat rediculous optimist myself, I know what you mean about over promising on deadlines. I really do feel pain when I can't deliver something on time, but there is so much pressure to pin down a date that it still happens on occasion. I've learned to second guess my optimism and double or triple my time, but that feels like cheating or lying somehow. Creativity doesn't seem to use the same clock as other parts of my life, so I am forever underestimating the time it takes. Anyway, the point I think I was heading for is that most of us understand. Your books have been immensely enjoyable and I would rather have (another) great book to read tomorrow than a good book to read today. Thank you for all the hard work.

Wait... Why are you reading this? Shouldn't you be writing?

3/27/2014 02:48:23 am

OH CRAP, YOU'RE RIGHT!

3/26/2014 04:01:26 pm

Will, you realize if you are even one day late on the release, all of us will summon the portals of our respective territories and have the combined forces of the 11 territories hanging over your head until you finish the book.

P.S. Yes I know many people write thoughtful comments but writing comments like these is just more fun.

3/26/2014 04:04:55 pm

Sorry forgot to mention that you do great work and we all worship at your feet. Unless you muss the release date then reference the above comment.

3/27/2014 02:49:31 am

Don't worry, I'm not going to push it back again. That would be too much even for me, especially in a format where I can publish changes later.

I, too, prefer silly, clever, and/or creative comments over serious ones. Your secret is safe with me.

Steve

3/26/2014 09:51:42 pm

Putting a deadline on an artist to complete his work has never worked, in any era, ever. Wasn't the Sistine Chapel like 19 years late? Anyone who doesn't understand this also gets mad at the meteorologist, too.

Keep up the good work. It's not done until it's done.

3/27/2014 02:50:42 am

Man, that's a great idea. I should give predictions like a meteorologist:

"There's a 30% chance it will be done by February."

"Uh-oh! Sudden showers in this part of the country! It's looking like March, people."

"This just in: sources are saying there's an 80% chance of City of Light prior to the tenth of April. Stay tuned for details."

Rowanne

3/31/2014 03:44:14 am

I like this.

Andrew

3/27/2014 03:13:30 am

Did she get revenge?... I mean after you found the blood scrawled note...

3/27/2014 04:56:52 am

I haven't seen her, but sometimes I could swear I feel eyes on me in the darkness. Watching...waiting...

Stephen

3/27/2014 05:45:23 am

Awww, possibly having to wait until April 10th to read the 3rd book is the worst news I've heard this week. The previous worst was Facebook buying Oculus VR, but I digress. In reality I can't complain. The fact you've been able to put out such great novels less than a year apart is amazing. Look at GRR Martin: 5 years for A Dance with Dragons and probably at least 4 for The Winds of Winter. And I can't help but worry he's going to pull a Robert Jordan on us, unfortunately this time they'll be no notes and Brandon Sanderson to finish up. So, please, take all the time you need, just don't die before April 10th. Have some blank-slate clones handy just in case....

4/1/2014 02:29:38 am

Hey, I posted some great news today regarding my own partnership with Facebook! I'm confident that it will take me to the same lofty heights as Oculus Rift.

cam

3/27/2014 06:14:54 am

I am out of surgery and my cyborg parts are...well i haven't adjusted to them yet.

4/1/2014 02:30:20 am

I hear that the extendable-retractable arm is the one that takes the most adjustment time, but it could be the rocket boots.

Harlequin

3/27/2014 06:24:24 am

Im a impatient guy in most cases in my life, but when it comes to books publications, i try to be patient. Im a guy with anxiety problems, so i understand stress well-enough not to wish it on anybody.

Honestly, im glad you admitted you had trouble meeting your estimated release date. Im a procrastinator, and id have put off admitting it till after the fact, i respect that you did not do so.

4/1/2014 02:31:11 am

Well, I know it irritates me when authors push dates back, so I hate to do that to people. In the future, I'm going to take steps to avoid doing that again.

Henrik Welle-Watne

3/27/2014 06:50:10 am

Jeez man, it seems like you are going to get an ulcer if you keep fretting over the date. Take the time you need, so you can deliver another homerun like the two first books. We fans will survive if a book comes a month behind schedule. It would be worse if you screwed us like Scott Lynch. Made us wait a trillion years and then delivers the by far weakest book in his series( argh, still annoyes me just thinking about it). This is by far the best series I have read when the publication dates is so close apart( Does this make any sense? English isn't my main language)

So I guess what I'm saying is keep up the good work and I'm really looking forward to CoL.

3/27/2014 08:29:57 am

You made complete sense, and honestly your grammar and sentence construction were better than many native English speakers I know.

I can't comment on how strong CoL is or isn't, but I'll try not to pull a Lynch and write a political/romance book instead of the heist novel you were looking for (although, keep in mind that I still love Scott Lynch, and I firmly believe that there will be another awesome theft in Book 4).

Thanks for reading, Henrik! I'm not as worried about the release date as I might sound, I'm just...apologetic. I know that it sucks to have an author promise, or even imply, a release date and then not meet it. It's frustrating, and I don't want to be that guy.

But the book's coming, and at the very least, I can promise you some cool fights.

3/27/2014 08:47:36 am

" But the book's coming, and at the very least, I can promise you some cool fights."

Sounds like poetry to me. What more can a guy ask for in a book than a tenacious main character, awesome fights, a dash of romance mixed up with bad guys that make Darth Vader seem like the perfect drinking buddy.

Thanks about the language by the way. I've come to the realization lately that reading and writing are two vastly different things, especially when it's not in your main language.

Still a big fan of Lynch as well, and I kind of liked the third book, but expected a bit more when we had to wait for so long. My dear Patrick Rothfuss is in the same position too. He better not botch the last Kvothe book. You just don't fuck with my favorrite fantasy books! That goes for you too mr Wight, but no pressure man ;)

Logan Russell

3/27/2014 07:57:46 am

Fell off a roof and left a bloody scrawl behind?! .....(sigh)..... You have my sincerest apologies. The T-X series of terminators have proven to be something of disappointment. Rest assured that the next model we send (for missing a due date) will be fully upgraded and ready to complete its task.

(P.S.- Just kidding. Please take as long as you need to make the book fantastic!)

{P.S.S - Or was I? (-_-) }

4/1/2014 02:32:38 am

I was wondering. When she pulled out a machete, I was like..."What? That's it? Not even an RPG, or a satellite-guided missile strike?"

I'm glad to know that your team will be back up to your usual standards soon. I hope whoever was responsible for this model has been..."removed."

Juan

3/27/2014 10:17:29 am

I cant wait for October 27th! Take your time bro, I can't wait to read it.

4/1/2014 02:33:12 am

Thanks, Juan! Turns out this is all part of my long-term troll: making you wait until Halloween for the book.

MD frontera Ecuador (Jaime)

3/27/2014 04:54:14 pm

(I know you shouldn't judge a book by the cover blablabla) but house of blade cover was amazing. That's the main reason I bought it actually. Before this series the only fantasy books I red years ago were Harry potter series. Because of travelers gate trilogy and specially the delay of COL I've discovered other great books like prince of thornes, steelheart, Dresden files,etc... I've been reading like crazy waiting for COL so thank you a lot. Can't wait for COL and your next trilogy.
Sorry for my crapy English. It's really rusty after years of inactivity. I just finished med school so I haven't read for recreation in a while

4/1/2014 02:36:19 am

Hey, I had no trouble understanding you, so your English is fine as far as I'm concerned.

I totally agree about the HoB cover, too. I'm convinced that was one of the main factors for my initial success last June: because most other self-published fantasy novels have crappy, boring covers. And mine has a cool Ringwraith-with-chains Nye and a bladed chandelier.

Fun fact: the last change I made to House of Blades before I put it up for publication was give Simon the Nye cloak. I did it because Simon didn't have any sort of visual identity--you couldn't really picture him; he just wore brown clothes and was sort of short--so he needed a unique style of clothing...and also because people were confused about why a random Nye was on the cover instead of the main character. I gave him the cloak so that TECHNICALLY that could be Simon on the cover, and people would be less confused.

It's not Simon, though. It's just a Nye.

3/27/2014 07:51:05 pm

Just a few words of encouragement from a reader yonder Viking way! Even here in cold, remote Scandinavia you've got avid readers (myself obviously included), and even though we've gobbled up your previous books and short stories like ravenous berserkers, we are, in fact, capable of smearing on a bit of patience lotion. ;) Like others have said repeatedly before; breathe deeply, take your time and publish the book when it's good and ready.

I like to compare books to baked goods. You know...when you've put your cake/muffins/cookies/brownies/whatever in the oven, and you're watching them bake and that delicious baking smell starts wafting around the kitchen, teasing you, tantalizing you, just daring you to take 'em out as soon as possible. Sometimes you just can't resist, and you take them out of the oven a little too soon and they're undercooked. They'll be good, sure, because let's face it...brownies/cookies/whatever will always be yummy, even when underdone (we all lick the bowl, don't we?), but they won't be anywhere near as delicious as they would have been if we'd just waited those few extra minutes that allow for baking perfection. It's the same way with books! I'm sure we'd be able to find enjoyment in CoL if you published it tomorrow, but it just wouldn't be done, and it'll be nowhere near as good as what we'll get if we only wait a teensy bit longer. And in the meantime, it certainly wouldn't hurt if you'd sneak us a literary bowl to lick (ie. a little sneak peek at a chapter), so to speak. ;)

3/28/2014 12:28:19 pm

patience lotion...

Will stares over the edge of the dark pit searching... Ah yes. There it is.
"it puts the lotion on its skin or it gets no book."
The only reply is a pathetic whimper.
"IT PUTS THE LOTION ON!"
"Fine weirdo. I'll put on your stupid lotion."

3/28/2014 12:37:19 pm

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r299/absolutlemur/pit.jpg

3/28/2014 07:10:20 pm

Pwahahaha! I can SO see that happening! Though there are perhaps other authors more prone to pit-usage than Will...! GRRM, anyone? I imagine he has a massive dark pit more like one of those freak sinkholes in his back yard for all the angry readers, and a whole warehouse full of patience lotion.

4/1/2014 02:37:24 am

Hey. That's why they call me Buffalo Will.

(Also, Scandinavia? Awesome! Tell Odin I said, "All hail the All-Father.")

4/1/2014 04:16:21 am

Aye, aye, cap'n! I'll even go so far as to write him a letter in Norse runes. ;) They teach us that at school here, you know.

4/1/2014 05:59:00 am

Yeah, I assumed that. Inscribing runes is probably one of the required subjects in Scandinavia, right? Just like here in America, they teach us hot-dog eating and bald-eagle wrangling. Same sort of thing.

3/27/2014 08:02:06 pm

""Let's assume that over the next few months my car breaks down, I fall in love, we grow apart, I fall out of love, she stalks me for three months, we finally confront each other in a climactic duel to the death over a rain-slicked rooftop, and she falls to her death, then when I go to hide the body I find that there is no body...only a blood-scrawled note that reads 'REVENGE.'""

Will...did that actually happen?

Seriously though, don't sweat the date. I don't know what percentage of people I speak for on this, but I feel pretty strongly that you should be putting the book out when you are happy with the product, and not before. I'm not suggesting you pull a GRRM, but I don't think you need to drive yourself crazy rushing either. You're an extremely promising new author in a genre that has a whole ton of chaff with its wheat, so to speak. No need to jeopardize that for a week or two here or there on a release date.

Beyond which, anyone who's rushing you over the book without having (re)read the BS' other cosmere books to put WoR into context still has homework to do (see, necessary Sanderson plug included).

Keep up the great work and eagerly looking forward to CoL!

4/1/2014 02:40:46 am

Did it happen, J? Did it?

I don't know. Sometimes I question my own memory. Do I really remember her smile, or was it just the gleam of my unfulfilled hopes? Did we really fight on a rooftop that cold, rainy night, or did she just leave me? Did I really see her scrawl a note, or is that nothing more than the death rattle of my long-strangled conscience?

The only thing I can know for sure is that I'm trapped in a warehouse, dangling upside-down by my ankles, in front of a half-crazed woman with a knife screaming "LOVE ME!"

At least she left me my phone.

EricW

3/27/2014 09:30:24 pm

I think I can make it another week or two. I've been checking for release dates since December or so, because I enjoyed the first two so much, but I didn't expect COL this soon. Most authors take at least a year between books, some longer. Robert Jordan took 2, GRRM takes 5 or 6, and nothing worth reading happens in his books anymore, unless you like reading 800 pages of people traveling from one place to the next, and then 100 pages or so of the only characters worth reading getting killed. Anyway, take your time and put out a good book.

More importantly, why is no one discussing the bigger issue here? F!CK YEAH, PAX EAST!!! I'll be there. I go every year. I friggin love it. Have you been before?

4/1/2014 02:44:57 am

It's my personal philosophy that people want books quicker than most authors put them out. I think Jim Butcher's on to the right idea. I'd rather have a less-than-perfect book in a year or less instead of waiting 2-3 years for the next installment. By that point, my expectations are so high that they can't possibly be met. I can tolerate a few mistakes or sub-par scenes when I know the next book is coming out in six months, but when I've waited eighteen months and I know I'll have to wait eighteen more for the next one...well, you'd better deliver.

So that's where my quick-turnaround principle comes from. When you're producing three three-dollar books a year, they just have to be fun and unique. When you're producing one twenty-dollar book every two years, it had better be made out of gold and cure cancer.

Now, onto the real important stuff...

PAX East. No, I've never been before. I was going to go for the past two years, but last year I had my graduate thesis defense that Friday (and I couldn't reschedule, which made me cry), and the year before that I couldn't afford it.

But my friends go every year, so I'm really looking forward to it.

4/1/2014 12:21:51 pm

Will, I'll tell ya what...you finish COL and get it on Amazon before PAX, and I will buy you a beer at PAX. Or two. Plus you can sign my beer.

See, I like to get to PAX nice and early before the line forms, but then you wait in cattle pens inside the building until the show opens, so I will need something to read. Deal?

4/3/2014 04:36:26 pm

Beer-signing is one of my 127 secret skills.

And I'll need to get CoL out prior to PAX, or I'll be spending the convention in my hotel room, editing/uploading the book. So I sure HOPE you have something to read.

chris

3/28/2014 03:19:35 am

READ ME WILL WIGHT! dude, you are a total freaking rock star from Mars, and I hope you unleash Narakaon anyone who gives you flack..your books are amazing, & I really don't care about the release date being pushed back out of necessity... Most authors will do it intentionally until they feel the publicity is at a peak so

3/28/2014 03:27:27 am

they can make the most money.. You rock.. I blew off meetIngmy girlfriends mom because I was so engrossed in your book.. I was upstairs in bed reading while they were downstairs waiting for me... For 3 hours.. My only regret is that I read so much of the book at once, and didn't get to spread it out longer. Do what you think is best, take as much time as you need.. Don't listen 2ne1 trying to push you or constrained you.. I read 4 books a week, every year, and I'm anticipating yours the most... Butdon't listen to the jackasses on here bro... Your stuff is legendary, your kung fu is strong, And if your creative process involves clubbing a baby seal and drinking its blood, I will happily wait for you to get back from Alaska. you rock,and the ingrates can go shove a hanging tree seed up their sphincter

Tempest link

3/29/2014 09:26:09 pm

This comment reminded me of the overlord games.
"Seals can see into your soul. They must be wiped out!"

4/1/2014 02:55:23 am

That's...violent and evocative, Chris, and I praise your disturbing imagery.

I'm kind of wondering, though...how did you know about the seals? It's not even a necessary part of the process, I just can't get up in the morning without clubbing a baby seal. I look into their dark, soulless shark eyes and I think..."Yes. The world will be better without this."

And then I go get my club.

xiphoid

3/28/2014 06:37:14 am

You love and know all the authors I love and know. It's awesome.

4/1/2014 02:59:52 am

My all-seeing eye pierces stone, shadow, and flesh...

...to read the titles on your bookshelf.

mikeyboy

3/28/2014 03:40:29 pm

Um...hi. I'm a long time listener but first time caller. The book is done when it's done. Not before, not after, but when it's done! Take your time , make it something you are proud of, and who cares when it's finished! (As long as it's before I die. I'm 36)

4/1/2014 03:00:29 am

I'm going to TRY to get City of Light out in the next forty years, but I promise nothing.

yomikeyboy

3/28/2014 03:52:02 pm

Oops! "Not before, not after, but when it's done!" I guess after it's done, it's done. Sorry, I just got a little emotional about it. ;)

Jessica

3/28/2014 10:36:32 pm

Honestly, I don't care if you push back the date as long as you continue to deliver a story that's as good or better than the ones previous. Nothing would disappoint me more if you rushed the story and gave me something sub par. "Anything worth doing is worth doing right" and blah blah blah. Make us proud, Will.
I would just like to say that if you did get it all done, April 6th is my birthday and getting a fresh new release from one of my favorite authors would be an excellent present. *wink, wink, nod, nod*

4/1/2014 03:02:48 am

If you liked House of Blades and Crimson Vault, I don't THINK you'll be disappointed by City of Light. It's made of the same ingredients, only more.

I'm not sure the book will be out by the sixth, but if you'll remind me that it's your birthday, I'll do something. Like, sing you a song or something, I don't know. I'll make it up.

Mike J

3/29/2014 11:40:13 am

I really don't care about dates. That doesn't mean stop writing, but we as readers wait years to read a next installment. Just tell me when its done and I will buy it.

PS-I think your awesome because I don't have to wait years for your books! Keep doing what you do!!!!!

4/1/2014 03:03:22 am

CONFIRMED: Mike J said I could take years. New release date: October 27th, 2017.

Mark jaeger

3/29/2014 03:04:32 pm

I am psyched! I hope the ending of the trilogy is good. I can't wait to see what new powers simon gets.
Spoiler alert???
I believe u mentioned that the beginning of book 3 is focused upon simon traversing the House. Is that true?

4/1/2014 03:04:44 am

No, I'm not sure I actually said that. Also, I did re-write the first half of the book pretty significantly...so even if I said something along those lines a long time ago, it's changed quite a bit.

That said, he does get some new powers, and he's thrown into at least three new rooms that I can think of off the top of my head. Plus, you get to see some of the rooms that Kai's been getting into.

Mark R link

3/29/2014 07:16:04 pm

Hey Will Wight (or Mr. Wight - whichever),

Just finished The Crimson Vault and my biggest pet peeve is that it ENDED! Not cool man...

Seriously though, thank you for the books. I have enjoyed them immensely and I haven't really read fantasy for some time because of the lack of originality in the genre. Your books are original and unique and true "page turners".

I look forward to getting the next one.

On a side note:

I can't speak for the other people commenting above, but I'm not overly concerned about the release date of these things. (Blogs have these funny tools called RSS feeds or email newsletters that allow people to monitor for such news releases). Besides, creativity doesn't really know a timeline in my experience. It simply gets better with every minute that passes.

Take your time. You know, maybe delay until college classes are out for the summer.... :)

Thanks again for the books!

4/1/2014 03:09:43 am

You may call me Sir William Lawrence Wight III, Esquire.

Thanks for reading my books, Mark! I wrote this trilogy with a few principles in mind: first, I wanted to use an original magic system with a twist on the traditional plot structure, because I (like you) am getting tired of reading the same book over and over. Especially in the self-published circles.

Second, I wanted them to be fast-paced. I love the big, slow, doorstopper fantasy books, but I think there's a market out there for slim, quick action-fantasy. I may have trimmed a bit too much, especially in House of Blades, but I think the philosophy's still sound.

Third, I wanted quick releases. I'm of the theory that, when you take two and three years to release a book, reader expectations get so high that they can't possibly be met. Also, readers want to know that the next book in the series is going to be out quickly. I figured three books a year is something that I can do, and it keeps people excited for the next one.

So yeah, that's the theory I'm working with for now. I might change my mind in the future, but it seems to have been working out so far.

Glad you got a chance to comment, Mark! I look forward to releasing City of Light on the morning of your most important exam.

Zach

3/30/2014 01:40:33 am

Don't listen to the whiners, Will. You're doing awesome. You are putting out books faster than any other author I've seen, you had a very successful book right out of the gate (I know authors that still haven't seen this kind of success in 20+ years of writing, conferences, etc.) and your books are creative and original. That's the trifecta of success, my friend. Keep it up and you'll go far.

To all the complainers: you try writing a successful trilogy in under a year and see you do. The fact that he's talking to you about this in the first place should be enough to keep you ungrateful heathens at bay for at least a little while. Cut him some slack.

4/1/2014 03:12:45 am

I know what you're saying about the success right out of the gate. Seriously, I had lofty goals for what I could perhaps get House of Blades to do last summer, and I surpassed those goals ten times over. It was...awesome, really. I was fully prepared for failure, because that's the typical track: your first effort doesn't do so well, but you keep at it and keep releasing books, and you eventually get somewhere. I hadn't mentally rehearsed success. It still stuns me.

Sometimes, I still find myself waiting for the other shoe to drop. There's got to be a catch somewhere, right?

For real, though, I don't mind when people are impatient. It was my own fault: I shouldn't have even suggested a release date that I couldn't meet. In the future, I'll do better.

trust me, I'm a docter.

3/30/2014 02:14:41 am

I'm very stokedfor COL, I just started the crimson vault again and reading at a slower pace then before so my hopes are COL will be avalible as I finish so I can jump right in.

On a more serious note, I have returned from the future again and my time here is still limited. tho I can garuntee everyone here will be happy with the book, a can't garuntee everyone will survive the war when dolphins learn to walk on land. Prepare yourselves people.the dolphins are clever and merciless, they have made giant weapons of mass destruction and have already consumed Florida.

4/1/2014 03:13:45 am

Can confirm: I was in Florida, and now I've been swallowed into the belly of a giant, super-intelligent dolphin.

I'm still working on City of Light, though. Not even the rise of the aquatic mammals can stop me!

3/30/2014 03:32:53 am

Who cares what these disgruntled impatient readers think. Take your time, don't post it till it's just right. It's like cooking, good cooks taste throughout and change it till it is just right.

4/1/2014 03:14:17 am

I'm pretty confident that all I need is some more truffle oil, and then it would be done.

Jack

3/30/2014 04:03:08 am

Hey Will! Looking forward to City of Light. I'm incredibly impressed by your work ethic and book writing prowess. Take your time time to ensure the book lives up to its legacy!

4/1/2014 03:14:42 am

Simon and Leah die in the first ten pages, and the rest of the book is just Alin laughing over their graves.

Avi

3/30/2014 10:25:53 am

Always employ the Scotty principle. That way if you finish "early" you're all the more brilliant for it. Stop being such a LaForge.

4/1/2014 03:15:32 am

Man, that's so true. That's exactly who I need to imitate when I'm coming up with release dates: Scotty.

"It'll take me at least eight months, Captain!"

"You have four."

Mike S

3/30/2014 10:53:39 am

Hey Will, I appreciate your honesty with the book. But as a reader who enjoy your work you do not owe me an apology for not having a finished product. I would rather have a late classic than an on time piece of junk. There are other books I can read until COL is ready. I wish you luck on finishing the book and no matter when you release this book I am a slam dunk to read it.

4/1/2014 03:17:06 am

That's how I feel as well, Mike, about the "better late and awesome than early and incomplete." For instance, I wish the third Hunger Games book had spent another year in revision. But I digress.

What I'm apologizing for is creating expectations that I couldn't meet. That's on me, and I'm going to need to work on that in the future. I'd rather have a reputation as someone who doesn't set a release date unless he can meet it.

Igor B

3/30/2014 04:15:50 pm

Well sir, no matter how irritated I may be with you pushing the book back for a few weeks, you are no Patrick Rothfuss, and for that you have all my gratitude and support for your works. That said, you should hop onto league every now and then to relax! And by relax i mean rage at your team, but I am pretty sure that's half the charm of the game anyway.

4/1/2014 03:17:34 am

I want to play League so bad right now. Did you see the URF mode? It looks incredible...

aaron lovett

3/30/2014 09:53:34 pm

Hmmm, April 10th. Actually working that weekend. Shall find time anyway, sleep is for the weak. Looking forward to CoL all the more, but honestly feel that as much time as you need to polish your works can only be a benefit. Whilst some readers may be upset, it's your work, your call. I see their point, but creativity cannot be rushed, poorly framed stories stick with a reader long after disappointments of release dates. Getting the book you, as the writer, want is far more important. If fans don't like your story after you've finished it, well, that's the breaks. Never rush an artist.

4/1/2014 03:18:02 am

Sleep is for the weak, Aaron. And the City of Light calls to you...it calls...

3/31/2014 03:54:08 am

Every time I read a book/series whatever and the next one isn't out yet. In my mind at least, I'm rolling around the floor having a tantrum and screaming my hate of the author... that being said... that didn't happen for this book because my House of Blades / Crimson Vault reading time were like a month a part and awesome and I understand writing takes time.

So while I do appreciate you having the book out shortly. Along with all the other books I've been reading... You were my last hope for a series continuance out of all of them. I now have my head on my desk and am crying. Which isn't all your fault but. I want my books :'(

I honestly don't mind push backs as long as you don't give me like me too many or too long. As said above "you are no Patrick Rothfuss". Thank God.

Also someone please teach me to stop reading series that aren't finished and have no hope of a next book for like a year. It hurts me.

4/1/2014 03:19:29 am

I completely understand that feeling. It's the main reason why I want to release several books a year: readers want to see their favorite series continued as quickly as possible. Waiting much longer only increases their expectations to unreasonable proportions.

nige

3/31/2014 06:59:49 am

Awesome books. Awesome author. Release when ready dude.
I'm a fan for life. Can't wait for COL & hopefully any other related books
( and remember, your not doing a rothfuss, that cat is taking a LONG time)

4/1/2014 03:20:07 am

How did you discover Rothfuss' true identity as an ultra-intelligent feline? I thought that secret was known only within the fantasy author community!

Nige

4/4/2014 01:38:58 am

It was the beard. Clearly feline!

BrianS

3/31/2014 12:50:34 pm

WILL! Okay, I just had to give you a shout out and let you know that even though you fumbled your release date I can find it in my heart (if I can find my heart that is) to forgive you. That being said, I'm looking forward to seeing that character you were writing about whose name I forgot because it's been so long since you published your last book getting his butt kicked again. ;)

Seriously, I'm happy you got the first two out as fast as you did, and I believe that finishing an entire trilogy in less than a year is a phenomenal achievement. Keep up the good work, and I look forward to seeing A City of Light soon.

See that? I just gave you a goal to strive for so that when you can have bragging rights with all those important authors you're bound to meet as you forge ahead in your career. Patrick Rothfuss will swoon with envy when you tell him about it, I promise.

4/1/2014 02:58:52 am

Thanks, Brian! I'm glad that you're not going to lynch me for missing another release date.

I have it on good authority that Patrick Rothfuss is physically incapable of swooning. It's his giant lumberjack beard that makes him swoon-proof.

Bann-Hammer

3/31/2014 01:49:03 pm

Hey does this also mean it will be out on the kindle fire HD to?

4/1/2014 02:26:04 am

Yeah, all Kindle books are available on the Kindle Fire HD.

BetterBagofLions

3/31/2014 03:53:37 pm

Seeing a lot of hate on this page for no reason, leave the man to write his book, he'll give it out when it's done what more can you ask? I don't see any of you writing novels out there *cough* *JoeW* *cough* and Will, you have quickly become one of my favorite authors, just keep up the kick ass work man

4/1/2014 02:25:30 am

Hey, I'm glad you're enjoying the books! And please, let me just say that I've never seen a better bag of lions.

I'm not really sensing any hate here, though. Some people are impatient, and I totally understand that. It's essentially my fault. If I had said "the book's coming out on April 15th," and they were getting impatient now...well, that would be their fault. But I said I was trying to get the book out by the end of March, which created certain expectations.

So honestly, I'm glad they're impatient! It means they're looking forward to the book. And moving forward, I'll try not to create these situations for myself.

aConcernedBro

3/31/2014 08:42:07 pm

Maybe if Acclaimed Author Will Wight's fan base cut him more slack that he already cuts for himself, he could push his books out faster because of the stress-free environment..

or play Diablo 3 with some bros.

4/1/2014 02:23:15 am

Sorry, I don't play games with my friends anymore. Money has changed me.

bryan

4/1/2014 02:59:32 pm

Stoked for C.o.L!! Just had our second gremlin so paternity leave thus far has consisted of spending time with the newly expanded pack and re-rereading the Traveler's Gate and Stormlight Archive. Time excellently spent.

I only wish the books were longer. The worlds are so compelling and inhabitable. Maybe we will visit on holiday.... err ...perhaps after(if?) the incarnations are quelled...

4/1/2014 03:09:14 pm

Also, we were struggling with names into the wee days of the pregnancy. He was nearly a Valin, or Indirial, or Kaladin....

4/3/2014 04:38:00 pm

Valindiridin.

Think about it. No one would be able to say it correctly, but at the same time, he wouldn't even need a last name. Nobody would ever say, "Valindiridin who?"

John L

4/1/2014 03:30:12 pm

After experiencing the wait between Feast of Crows and Dance with Dragons, I must say that my frustration meter hasn't even tipped past "mildly annoyed." I believe you still have somewhere between 4 and 5 years to go to match Mr. Martin. Of course, I would rather the book appear today then tomorrow, but... really not a big deal, will enjoy it either way.

However, I am a little confused regarding how you can publish the book as soon as you finish writing it. Are you including third-party editing/feedback in the writing process or are you the only person who works on your books?

Additionally, could you consider publishing on Google books as well as Amazon? Kindle (the program) is feeling increasingly laggy.

4/2/2014 12:16:48 am

Ah, I understand the confusion. When I say "finished writing," I mean COMPLETELY finished. Not just with the first draft.

You know, every book could always use more editing, and I'll always miss some typos, but I upload it as soon as I have a version that I'm somewhat satisfied with.

Matt

4/2/2014 08:46:39 pm

Just read a house of blades and crimson vault just happened to read the reviews on amazon and man I'm glad I timed it perfect the 3rd book coming soon!! Best most exciting fantasy book I've read in years can't wait for the 3rd !

4/3/2014 04:37:06 pm

Thanks for giving me a chance, Matt! Turns out you have awesome timing.

SeriousfanMatthew

4/3/2014 11:54:11 pm

Are you done yet? I've been checking this blog every day since the 7th. Please get done soon. I've read the first two three times this past month to get ready already.

All that aside, don't release it unless your ready. Just, be ready soon.

Seriously though, love your work.

4/7/2014 03:11:53 am

Not quite yet, Matthew.

But I'm readying as fast as I can!

Dan Myers

4/4/2014 12:02:44 pm

Would it help the writing process if you were to write while driving and had two little kids in the back seat continually asking "Is it done yet? Is it done yet? Is it done yet?"

4/7/2014 03:12:19 am

That's the best analogy I've ever heard for what's going on right now, Dan.

Brett

4/5/2014 02:59:55 am

I am on my third read through of Crimson Vault and have been wondering about the lost Fangs. I imagine someone else has asked about these, but from everywhere I have read I have not seen it. Anyways I am wanting to know who hid them away? Why have then been hidden? And are we going to see some brought out of their shadows in CoL? Love these books and pray you will continue with the Travelers series!

4/7/2014 03:13:02 am

There will be at least one prequel novel, Brett, and SOMETHING afterwards. Whether that's another trilogy, or one book, or a bunch of short stories, I don't know. But I'm not done with this world yet.

Robot Warrior

4/8/2014 03:53:10 am

Oh man, I am SO excited for this book to come out!! I've re-read everything in preparation and keep checking the amazon store. I love your stories, sir! Please never stop writing!!

4/8/2014 04:03:21 am

Thanks, Robot! Hopefully City of Light exceeds even your high expectations!

Peter

4/8/2014 04:34:53 am

Sometimes when I need to write a research proposal and set a deadline I think to myself, "I'll have no problem hitting that date!" And then life happens.

I look forward to reading CoL! You have two days. Really one day, 9 hrs and 26 minutes...but who's counting?

Side note: Talked to a guy about spray painting on chains for my Valin costume idea for DragonCon. We'll see how it goes.

4/8/2014 04:37:02 am

It's coming, Peter! Don't worry!

And for real, just let me know if the Valin thing works out. I'd be stoked to see it.

In which we ramble on.
And by we, I mean me.