At the moment I am sidetracked onto the third Chauvelin book which may end as a novella waiting for a second story to go with it, but I do want to see the story through.
So what should I try to concentrate on?
As Dave has given me a 1,2,3 I am going to ask for 3 choices, and will give 3 points to 1st, 2 to 2nd and 1 to 3rd. If you can't limit to 3 i will assign 1 point to everything
Getting my head round the problems in the standalone 'the elopement of convenience'
Bess
7 Stepsisters
the second story to go with Sheep, Spirits and Smugglers
Falconburg
go back to the Brandon Scandals for the 2nd generation
go back to the Charity School books
More William Price
More Georgian Scandals
More Rookwood series
More Jane and Caleb
anything else?
the problem with too many plot bunnies means a plethora of stories with 1-6 chapters on them sitting around waiting to be picked up again.
and if you all say 'all of them' I will tear my hair. I've been going through all my books and discover that the most successful were the Brandon Scandals and Charity School so I was wondering, having had a rest, if I should pick them up again. I am much disappointed by the response to Bess, such that I feel almost too disheartened to carry on.
I intend to post draft copies of my work here for my fans to comment, and will remove all but the first chapter when I publish. All rights reserved, no copying of any portion of my writing without permission. Copyright Sarah J Waldock.
1. Bess
ReplyDelete2. Jane & Caleb
3. Brandon Scandals
Dave Penney
right, I am going to give 3 points to a 1st place, 2 to second and 1 to third and then go with the most... however thank you for giving a vote of confidence to Bess. I've been so despondent about it, I have been wondering if it i utter tosh
DeleteIt’s not utter tosh. It’s really really clever.
DeleteI love you....
DeleteI absolutely love Bess! I come here most often to see if there's a new one yet! Don't get me wrong I love your writing in general but Bess is one of my favorites.
DeleteThank you - and I will get back to her. I was dispirited by not finding much to about the new ilntake. Well, I will finish Julia's Journey and try again.
DeleteBess would be my #1. Also, William Price for #2, 7 Sisters for #3
ReplyDeleteRight, here's my tuppence ha'pennyworth.
ReplyDelete1. Falconburg
2. Charity School
3. Brandon Scandals
I do also like Felicia, Jane and Caleb, Stepsisters, Bess and pretty much everything else you've written, so I've given you my first choice and then gone for the good earners on the grounds that being financially able to keep writing enables you to produce more books that we'll all enjoy. I'm very heartened to see you considering what does well as I think this is part and parcel of professional authorship. From that standpoint may I suggest that Bess can be viewed as a personal treat, in that writing what you enjoy most may only appeal to a few other people and perhaps you could think of allocating your writing time accordingly. In that way writing more Bess novels would be covered by the "daily bread" writing that you do. There is also the fact that some series take a while to build a readership so having them published and waiting to be found on Kindle may prove to be more profitable at some unknown future date.
Finally, do tell us if there is anything that you would like us to do to help e.g. reviewing your published novels etc. as those of us who enjoy reading your work do like to help if we can. Mary D
That's an excellent way to look at Bess. Thank you! Like my fanfiction stuff ...
DeleteBelieve me, Mary, you all do me a great favour in reading the draft and catching me out on any inconsistencies. I guess the best I can ask is for you to spread the word and recommend me ... maybe share this site with others?
7 stepsisters
ReplyDeleteJane and Caleb
sheep etc
Maggie
cousin Prudence is one of my higher sellers in the past so continuing what is essentially a sequel does make some sense
DeleteMy selection, after a lot of thought, would be:
ReplyDelete1. Charity School
2. Brandon Scandals
3. Jane & Caleb
I am sorry you feel disheartened with Bess’s reception. I have really enjoyed the series so far and would put her 4th in my pecking order, even though there is only a tiny, weeny smidgeon separating any of them. I have enjoyed everything you have written.
thank you; I have entered Bess as =3rd there
DeleteI’m happy with that.
DeleteJust a reminder to anyone keen to vote but is having difficulty registering their comments, I found if I opened this site on a different browser (I’m using Firefox) I could log in and comment as me.
could be because I'm on firefox
DeleteMy personal favorites are Felicia and Caleb and Jane! But I like the Charity School series as well! Do not know if this helps or not but I read everything you write.
ReplyDeleteFelicia is guaranteed to come out regularly up tot. book 21 when I actually have to start writing more: I only need to edit and do any rewrites my editor demands, so Felicia will be coming out regularly until I have to actually write about Pope Leo's elephant...
Delete1. Bess
ReplyDelete2. William Price
3. Charity School
Bess is far and away my favourite series of yours and I'm hungry for more! I had to pick more carefully for 2/3 because Jane and the Pleiades were also vying for places, so they deserve honourable mentions.
1. Bess
ReplyDelete2. Jane and Caleb
3. William Price
I do love Bess and want to see her fine Opal dragon have _her_ romance, too <3
as an addendum.... YA is a huge field and difficult to break into unless you really work at it. Is Bess labeled as YA at your various vendors?
ReplyDeleteYes, it is; and I am hoping that redifining my search words will help too. and yes, Frostfire is training up her boyfriend ...
DeleteOh gosh! To only pick 3, I can't, I love them all.
ReplyDeleteJoint 1st, Bess & Felicia
Joint 2nd, Jane/Caleb & Charity School
Joint 3rd, 7 Stepsisters & any spin off.
Regards, Kim
Haha well at least there are another few Felicias written ....
DeleteSo far Bess is winning jointly with Jane and Caleb and Charity School not far behind. And enough for Brandon Scandals to revive them
I started re-reading Bess yesterday. I am enjoying them as much 4th time (not counting the drafts) round as I did the 1st time. Regards Kim
Deletethat is so encouraging, thank you! I have a few chapters of book 5 written, a lot going on and not even into tht start of term ...
Delete1. Bess
ReplyDelete2. Jane & Caleb
3. Brandon Scandals
Frank from OZ
this is suggesting that once people have read Bess they want more ...hm, now how to make more people read it?
DeleteIs it my imagination, or did I not read somewhere on your blog a snippet of a tale of Felicity making a gown for some courtesan who did not like it and her protector dismissing her for her rudeness to Felicity ...???
ReplyDeleteit doesn't ring a bell... she sewed for Robin of course. Anyone remember this?
DeleteNot Felicia - one of the Charity School twins ...
Deleteoops! yes that was it, sorry, I had a dense moment there ... yes, Felicity's Fashions. I have a couple of girls to do before the twins are old enough but yes, their stories are mapped out. I could leap over Julia, Penelope and Lily I suppose to get to the Goyders, and maybe go back to them. I had planned to write one with Penelope caring for a couple of pampered king charles spaniels but I could not get into it ... and the lady I was writing it for died, which rather put a dampner on it. Perhaps I can manage to write it in her memory; or maybe I can do those three as novellas in a single book and then get on to the Goyder twins.
DeleteMy favourites:
ReplyDelete1. Bess
2. Seven stepsisters
3. Jane and Caleb
Aleksandra
cheers! well we have two clear out in front
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteOK, I'm going to be the odd one out, but I have longed for more Georgians for a long time. It's a bit unique because many of the others are in a similar Regency timeframe of the mid to late 1810s. Also, with the Brandons, I would love to explore other era Brandons as well (I loved the Western story, and also, I was recently thinking of the short story of the first Brandon, the crusader who married a nun -I'm not sure if it's available online any more, is it? But Brandons, younger generation would be just as lovely. I love Charity School and Stepsisters as well. So, my vote:
ReplyDelete1. Georgians
2. Brandons (extended universe)
3. Charity School (I suppose it might be easier than Stepsisters because some of the remaining characters' picture is already established)
when I've finished posting this Felicia I will be posting a Georgian of sorts - the next Chauvelin/Pimpernel book which has been flowing 2-3 chapters a day quite happily for me. And then ... by popular request I will turn to Bess to try to finish book 5 and have some idea what is wanted.
DeleteChauvelin/Pimpernel is a wonderful prospect for me! Bess is fine, I ‘m just not so much into YA genre these days. But it’s a fascinating era and the dragon fantasy has a great pull. I look forward to whatever you will write! I still enjoy nonconformist aristocrats and various relations best.
DeleteI wasn't sure I could get away with writing a school story for an adult audience... and to be honest I was hoping to catch the zeitgheist of the Harry Potter readers. It is a fascinating era with so many interesting people, and I have had a lot of fun researching it; and what fun it is, changing history. Especially bumping off a dour evil old bugger like James of Scotland! I violently dislike people like him.
Deletehehe I doubt any of my aristocrats will ever conform... I have had a series in the pipeline for a while and some outlines written called the Merry Masquerades series, set further back in the Georgian period than the Gambles and the one I've done the most on is a hero born with a golden spoon in his mouth, good looking, sweet natured and sought after by every match making mama, and he takes a wager from a friend that he can earn his own living at manual labour for 3 months, and the friend fixes him a job as head gardener with his great aunt. Naturally the dowager has a very pretty niece ...
You see - anything you come up with ends up delightful. Hero/heroine in disguise is a great trope... hint hint!
DeleteI'm still sorry for Luke and Toby and co. for being on the back burner though. I was hoping to see the story of redeemed villain (forgot the name :-) ) of that series, when you can get around to it. No complaint intended, whatever comes off your pen, er, keyboard, shall be delightful, I'm sure.
hehe you say the nicest things!
DeleteBess, by popular vote next. and whatever happens from there, with some thoughts towards some more than others. I am on the last chapter or two of 'Chauvelin and the lost children'