Oh, dear, it's been a long time since I blogged. (Uh-oh, that earworm from earlier in the week is back..."It's been a long time, been a long time... Been a long lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely time...") But better infrequent than never, I suppose.
By far, lately, the most common hits to my blog and website, and the fan mail I get, all revolves around one question (or rather, variants to this question):
--Will there be another Magic Under Glass book?
--Will there be a sequel to Between the Sea and Sky?
--What is Jaclyn Dolamore's next book?
So, let me address these questions so those of you looking on Google can find the answers.
Will there be another Magic Under Glass book?
Probably not, to be honest. My publisher asked me to wrap it up with Magic Under Stone and so I did. Yes, the ending is not entirely conclusive--but that is mostly because a conclusive ending didn't feel right to me. I know that Erris and Nimira probably have very exciting lives for their entire existence. They are, after all, going to come into a rather troubled kingdom. I didn't want to try and tie that all up with a bow. Apologies to those who like endings tied up very neatly. (Readers are very split on this regard anyway, I've found.)
The best way to keep a series going is to buy the books. I know this is frustrating, of course, because many of you who want more of the books DID buy the books, and of course you can't be singularly responsible for making the rest of the world buy the books either! I'm sure my editor would have loved more books about Erris and Nimira too.
It is possible that at some point another Erris and Nimira story will burn in my mind and I will have to write it. Maybe a novella or something. I could self-publish this myself. But it would take time away from projects that pay the bills, so it would really have to be a labor of love. I have a lot of stories I want to write for pure love and I'm not sure what the chances are I'll get to this one. But most likely I have many many years left on this planet, so...never say never.
Will there be a sequel to Between the Sea and Sky?
I get this question too, which just goes to show that some readers are never satisfied even if an ending is closer to happily ever after! I see Esmerine and Alan having a relatively calm, happy life. They will probably run the bookstore and see the rise of easier and easier printing methods and more and more literacy and books! It will be a grand time for them. I don't think they'll have any children because of the species conflict, but Swift will be a sort of apprentice and maybe eventual partner.
I do think frequently of a story about Alan's sister Karinda when she gets older, though. I might end up jotting that one down in my spare time and you may see it someday.
What is Jaclyn Dolamore's next book?
Why, if you didn't know, it is called Dark Metropolis, FOR NOW (title will probably change) and it's set in a lush, dark world of magic, art, and politics, nightclubs and decadence, based loosely on Weimar (1920s) Berlin. When Thea's best friend goes missing, she finds that not everyone who dies in the city stays dead... And yes, it is kind of a zombie novel, but you know I wouldn't write a zombie novel unless I could think of a reasonably fresh take on it! It comes out in Fall 2013. I know, this is forever from now, but I have little to do with publishing schedules!