Recently, I have heard from a few readers who are unhappy with the
content of Dragonvein. Unlike The Godling Chronicles, I did not exclude
profanity or sexual content. Though I did my best to keep the scenes tasteful,
I understand how it might rub some people the wrong way.
Let me first explain that The Godling
Chronicles was the original concept of my son. Though I guided the story along,
without his initial inspiration, it would have never been written. From day one
I gave no small measure of consideration regarding content. How far should I
go? How much adult content was too much? In the end I decided to allow my son
to be my guide. It was his brainchild after all. If I didn't want him reading
it, I wouldn't write it. Period.
Though I truly believed in the quality of
the story, I had no idea at the time just how popular it would become. I didn't
intend on making a career writing fantasy - or writing anything else for that
matter. I had other ambitions and goals. But as luck would have it,
circumstances manifested and the stars lined up in such a way so that I was
able to focus all my attention on being a writer. By then, I was half way
through the series and forced to think about future projects. I was now known
as a YA fantasy author. Don't get me wrong. I love YA, but I was afraid that I
would be unable to branch out into more mature stories. I wondered if readers
would accept a grittier fantasy coming from an author they discovered through
reading YA material.
As The Godling Chronicles came to a
conclusion, I needed to decide what to do next. I had a book written and ready
for publication. But it included sex, profanity, and several situations
inappropriate for young readers. This was definitely a departure from what I was known for.
Frankly, I was terrified. I asked around, hoping to gain wisdom from fellow
authors, but that didn't help. Some told me I was a fool and was endangering my
career. Others said it would be fine. Sure, I would piss off a few people, but
so long as the story was good, most wouldn't mind. My wife was no help either.
She had sided with the less risky approach and wanted me to edit out the
objectionable content.
In the end, I decided to gamble and went
ahead with the book as it stood. Some of you who have read The Godling
Chronicles will have seen the difference. And so far most haven't minded the
change. Those of you who have only read Dragonvein may be wondering what the
hell I'm talking about. The content isn't pornographic and the language, though
harsh in places, only reflects the way people actually speak. Well, you'll
understand if you read my previous books - and I hope you do.
I would like to add that for those of you
who are uncomfortable with the new content and miss seeing new Godling
Chronicles books come out, I will be writing a sequel sometime next year. As
with the original series, it will adhere to the same YA guidelines. I haven't
abandoned YA. I only broadened my scope. I promise.
