Everybody take a deep breath

[rolanni]

No, we are NOT "ending the Liaden series" (or "killing the series" or "abandoning our readers" or "selling out"* or whatever other variation you like).

What We Are Doing Is This:

1.  We are finishing the five-book arc which begins with Dragon in Exile (aka Dragon in Exile, Alliance of Equals, The Gathering Edge, Neogenesis, Fifth of Five (working title))
2. We are also finishing the 20-book arc** which begins with Agent of Change (aka Crystal Soldier, Crystal Dragon, Local Custom, Scout's Progress, Mouse and Dragon, Agent of Change, Conflict of Honors, Carpe Diem, Plan B, I Dare, Fledgling, Saltation, Ghost Ship, Dragon Ship, Necessity's Child, Dragon in Exile, Alliance of Equals, The Gathering Edge, Neogenesis, Fifth of Five (working title))
3. After Fifth of Five (working title) has been completed, Steve and I are under contract for five more Liaden novels in two chunks.
   1. Chunk One, consisting of two novels bearing the working titles of Liaden Mask Book One, and Liaden Mask Book Two
   2. Chunk Two, consisting of three novels bearing the working titles of Liaden Triple Threat Book One, Liaden Triple Threat Book Two, Liaden Triple Threat Book Three
   3. No, we don't know what any of those titles will be "about".  They will be Liaden Universe® novels, because the contracts so stipulate
4. It remains hard to write the last book in two arcs at once.  Just so that's clear.

I hope everyone is reassured now.  Thank you for reading, and for being so invested in our work. . .

______
*This one is really hard to figure out.  I thought that "selling out" means, um, taking a lot of money to do something questionable that would compromise one's morals or good name.  I could be wrong, here, but I think the key to "selling out" is, well, SELLING, not just. . .stopping.

**or the 22-book arc, if you're of the opinion that the Jethri Gobelyn books are in the main arc.  Not a 21-book arc.  Innumerate writer is innumerate.

Comments

[crussel]

Really, people actually said all that? Sigh...

You'd already announced the 5 additional books, so I don't see how they got to that from here. Certainly, I never took it that you were suddenly so rich that you were retiring from writing books in a series that continues to make money and sell copies. And that is, after all, not a series but a UNIVERSE. Truly, an entire universe only has room for 22 books? Seems kind of thin.

I have no idea what stories you'll tell, I just hope to be here to read them. And then listen to them. And then read them. Rinse. Repeat.

Wow...

[wystii]

I only dropped in once in a while in LJ (been here long time but only recently discoverd you here), but I missed all the drama.

Errr... never doubted that this universe would be around a long time, yet. Glad to see a confirmed count of at least 6 books yet to come.

[mbarker]

During the great hiatus, waiting for Plan B, well, there were times when hope seemed thin, but... at this point? There's stories in that there universe, and Sharon and Steve certainly don't seem shy about telling them? That's good, because I certainly intend to keep reading (and rereading) them. So, let the words flow, we're waiting!

Selling out

[gl48heaton]

I like your definition better than mine (taking money to shaft people)

The "Jethri Gobelyn" books are, to me, a separate series with ties to the main series. Just my 0.02 worth.

[mbarker]

Oh. Thinking about it, I decided a while ago that this was a tapestry, not a series anymore. The difference being that a series, in my mind, tends to follow one person or one small group, while a tapestry starts to cover multiple groups, history, settings, etc. to really give us an understanding of the universe. so I would identify several series within your tapestry -- and I'm happy to see you extending any of them! Or even adding a new one!

[filkferengi]

Congratulations on the extra book contracts! Yay!