17 Responses

  1. Julie F
    Julie F at |

    Is Murmuration going to be a standalone or is it the start of a new series? I’m excited to read it!

    Reply
  2. Andi Byassee
    Andi Byassee at |

    Well, shoot. I loved the +Sere books. Comfortable reading? No. But so darkly beautiful. I had to take a breath occasionally and wonder how I could be so deeply taken with characters who were insane and often brutal. But they were still profoundly engaging, and I loved them. You made me understand the good in them and where the bees came from. (Although I do have to admit Bad Dog was my favorite character.) I also loved Burn and am very sorry to hear you won’t be writing a sequel.
    On the other hand, I love all your other books too, so I know I’ll have plenty to look forward to and love.
    I work for Dreamspinner, and I have edited a few DSPP books, including The Boys on the Mountain, which was as dark as they come (with some humor thrown in). We seem to have trouble getting across to both regular readers and reviewers that DSPP publishes genre fiction with LGBTQ+ characters, not romance. There are a lot of books there that would appeal greatly to genre readers who aren’t M/M romance readers, if they would just give it a try. The +Sere books would stack up great with books like The Stand, Swan Song, The Passage, and other dark apocalyptic novels.
    Anyway, sorry to go on and on, but I just wanted you to know that some of us appreciate the obsidian shine of the +Seres and Burn.
    Andi

    Reply
    1. Colette Flaherty
      Colette Flaherty at |

      Couldn’t agree with you more! Loved these books and am really sad there won’t be anymore!

      Reply
  3. Cari
    Cari at |

    I’m one of those people who loved the Sere books best. I just…adored them. It’s a difficult genre and incredibly challenging subject matter and I just LOVED them so hard! You have to do what’s right for your career, of course, but know that those books were some of the reading highlights of my entire year.

    Reply
  4. Ron
    Ron at |

    TJ, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed everything of yours that I’ve read so far (okay, that’s the first 3 BOATK books and Wolfsong), but I have plans to read everything else I can in the near future (so many books, so little time – why the hell do I have to work for a living? I really just wanna sit home and read!). Keep writing what sells, since you do have to make a living, but stay true to yourself and your amazing creative gift. You are a master of the written word (you, Abi, & Rhys Ford are my top 3!). Thank you!!

    Reply
  5. Öz Lem
    Öz Lem at |

    Until now i have read Wolfsong, + Sere, BOATK and right now iam reading Who we are and i can only say that i love them all!

    Thanks to you my buying list got longer and longer xD

    Reply
  6. Kelly Peterson
    Kelly Peterson at |

    Two things. I want to say that I have been in the book business for 20+ years, and used to do “Kelly’s Picks” for Borders, where my reviews went out to 5M+ readers once a month. (1 or 2 people may have read them, but you know clickthrough sucks.) I have read somewhere between 3-7 books a week my entire life.

    It’s with some seriousness that I say this: #1- Withered + Sere is the best book I’ve read this year. Full stop. That includes Annie Proulx, Stephen King, and Nate Philbrick…so you had some decent competition. #2 – You need to write what inspires you, and what makes you money. Sometimes, they are the same thing, and sometimes they aren’t. But Stephen King’s Dark Tower titles were his lowest selling by far, and he still had to get them out of his head. Nora Roberts wrote the JD Robb books under a pseudonym because she had this story she wasn’t sure her fans would like, but she wanted to tell. Sometimes, the books that really resonate are the ones that you have to write like an exorcism. So don’t write any more Sere books, if you don’t want to…but if you do, we’ll be waiting.

    And for those of you who loved them like I did – be the apostles. Tell anyone who will like them to read them. Hell, gift them a copy. Because they were dark and terrifying and redeeming and devout. Kind of a prayer and an acid trip together. That’s what will make the difference: not TJ, but you. Make it his slowest building book ever…but make it his biggest.

    Reply
    1. ssconnors
      ssconnors at |

      I thought this was a great reply. Sometimes it just takes time for something to catch on. I know that you know do it for a living and money is important, but obviously these are great books and I will probably pick one up now after reading this. It took a rewriting of Elton John’s “Candle In The Wind” for the original to become famous. It is obvious your books make people happy.

      Reply
  7. Christy Duke
    Christy Duke at |

    Thank you, TJ for the updates. I’m sorry about your decision regarding the Sere books, but I totally understand. It’s been my experience that many authors, not just you, have expectations for their urban fantasy or post-apocalyptic works, and for some reason they just aren’t big sellers. It sucks when you think about how much time are put into them.
    I’m looking forward to everything you’re releasing!

    Reply
  8. JudyJ
    JudyJ at |

    Love your productivity, and your books. I read and re-read them. Thanks for the hours of entertainment.

    And Murmuration from the write-up is looking pretty darn good. Love the cover concept. Your later covers are generally gorgeous though. You might be getting the hang of this thing, dude.

    I do agree the Dreamspinner/DSP idea is a bit schizo on their part, and the branding is terrible (the same name/acronym sorta? unnecessary at best and so, so confusing).

    Bottom line though —- You write ’em, and I’ll buy ’em and read ’em.

    Reply
  9. Kendra Patterson
    Kendra Patterson at |

    TJ I’m glad you wrote How To Be A Normal Person to bring attention to asexuals and that there’s nothing wrong with them, they’re just them. My 18 year old son recently defined himself as asexual and I’m hoping he has a good life. As for the Sere books I have bought them but haven’t read them yet. My dad recently passed away and I can’t read anything heavy right now but I promise I will read them soon. You are a phenomenal writer and I’m so glad you are sharing your art with us. Good luck on Lightning the play and Normal hopefully the movie. 😀

    Reply
  10. Di
    Di at |

    I am so totally excited for 2017!! Your publishing list sounds epic and I am beside myself.

    Reply
  11. Cris
    Cris at |

    So bummed there won’t be more W+S or Burn. I LURVE them. They are absolutely beautiful. ITRID and Wolfsong were the first books I read. When I was done, I went on Amazon and got all the rest. It doesn’t matter the type of story; each of your books have touched me and I honestly can’t thank you enough. Fan fo life. ✊🏽

    Reply
  12. Missie
    Missie at |

    I’m very disappointed there will be no sequel to the SERE books. (I was also disappointed to read some of the ill-judged reviews/DNF comments on Goodreads, especially that silly dentist. I imagine that was painful reading for you, and I’m sorry you had to go through that with her and others.) This lovely series was never a m/m romance storyline. Instead it was a perfect melding of several genres and beautifully written. I can’t help thinking you should ask for your rights back and republish with a sci/fi or fantasy publisher who could properly promote it to their readers. I respect all that DSP has achieved (I worked in book publishing for two decades and know how difficult the industry has become.) In this instance, I believe DSPP steered you wrong. Both books should have been best-sellers.

    Hope you reconsider your decision to end the series after some of the hurt has dissipated. Yes, every author has to eat, but satisfying your artistic soul is equally as important. (And yes, I did post 5 star reviews on Amazon for both books, they deserved it.)

    Reply
  13. Laura M.
    Laura M. at |

    As someone who has read and lived everything that TJ, I’m sad that we won’t be getting anymore Sere books. I really liked them. They were tough, making me stretch as a reader. Every page I was in awe that TJ has that much talent to write in styles so varied. His writing has moved me to tears before, but the Sere books made me uncomfortable in a way that made me think about the human condition pushed to the extreme. TJ, I hope you consider something equally as dark some time in the future.

    Reply
  14. FitzyFool
    FitzyFool at |

    Your Books give me feels. Also it is nice to read so many multi faceted quirky characters who are still fully fleshed out personalities.

    Reply

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