One of the strangest phenomena associated with becoming a "successful" author is the realization that, with each book you write and release that connects with a significant number of readers, you inevitably join an ever-shrinking group of individuals participating in the profession who've managed to do as much or more.
Most people who aspire to will never write one commercially or critically successful book. Of those who do, few will go on to write one, or two, or three more.
Thus, having written and published nine novel-length books that, by the standards of the profession, have been at least somewhat successful, both critically and commercially, I find myself in a place where I feel comfortable taking a moment to pause and appreciate all of that.
Of course, me being me, I'm not about to rest on my laurels and sit around eating bonbons, even if that were financially viable, which it certainly is not; however, I can't help feeling a bit more, for lack of a better term, relaxed as 2026 unfolds and I continue my work on the official compendium for The Nod/Wells Timelines, and the two announced omnibus editions that have yet to be published.
For the first time since all of this started back in 2017, I feel confident about the way things are proceeding in a way that I've only flirted with previously.
The fact is, I have largely become the noteworthy author of speculative fiction I set out to be all those years ago and that's a pretty great feeling. Would I like to do more and become even more successful? Absolutely, but I think it would be a mistake to not at least briefly acknowledge how far I've come from where I started , and how fortunate I've been to reach this point. As long and hard as I've worked to create my books and the positive reputation that's become associated with them over the years, I'm very aware that there are plenty of people out there who have done just as much, or more, but may never experience anything similar.
So, as is often the case, this post largely boils down to me being extremely thankful and grateful for all the support and assistance I've received throughout my career. With how crazy and unpredictable life, and the world in general, can be, there's no telling how things might play out moving forward but, if nothing else, I'm very proud and honored to be where I am, and able to continue my efforts as an author and publisher while writing these words.
Thanks again, and happy reading, everybody!
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