A Little Life Update, and a Note About Your Comments

I wanted to take a little time to talk about something that comes up quite often: your comments, whether I see them, and why you might not hear back from me.

The answer is yes, I do see your comments across my platforms. On my author dashboard, I see your reactions to the books, your theories, your frustrations, and your love for the characters. Some make me smile, some make me laugh, and some remind me exactly why I wanted to share these stories in the first place.

If you’ve ever left something lovely and wondered whether it disappeared into the void, please know that a lack of reply doesn’t mean it went unnoticed. I appreciate so much more than I’m able to respond to. I read comments every single day, but I am only active in replies on my own media and my fan group, where I am more comfortable dealing with the volume and sometimes the harshness.

Why I can’t reply to everyone

Across the apps, I receive hundreds of comments every day. I’m grateful that so many of you are reading and have something to say, but keeping up with that many conversations simply isn’t possible alongside everything else. I don’t like inauthentic repeat replies and would rather not leave those when you have taken the time to write a comment.

There’s my job, my family, everyday responsibilities, and the writing itself. Even a short reply takes time, and when there are hundreds of them, that time adds up very quickly. I could spend an entire day answering comments and still have more waiting, without having written a word of the next book.

I’m sorry I can’t give everyone an individual response. I know you put time and feeling into what you write, and I understand wanting to know that the person behind the book has heard you. Please don’t take my silence as a measure of how much your support means to me. I see you. All of you.

If you’d like to reach me, this wall or my social media are the best places to try. I still can’t promise a reply to every message, but those are the places where you’re more likely to hear back.

Being honest about the harder comments

I also want to be honest about how I handle negative comments.

I do see them, but I often deliberately skim rather than read every word. Where I can, I try to let them pass without engaging. I have social anxiety, and harsh comments can really knock my confidence. Something I read in a few seconds can stay with me for much longer, making it harder to sit down and trust myself enough to write. No matter if it was only one harsh comment among 50 good ones. That one will stay with me and hurt me.

I know my books won’t be for everyone. Readers have different tastes, and they’re entitled to their opinions. I don’t expect everyone to love every character, every decision, or every story.

At the same time, I have to make choices about what I spend my time reading. That includes limiting how much I look at places such as Goodreads, where I can find the tone particularly harsh. Sometimes it feels as though the sharpest or nastiest remark gets the most attention, and I know that spending too much time around that isn’t good for me.

Readers are free to discuss their experiences with my books. For my own wellbeing, I sometimes need to step away from those conversations. Choosing not to engage is one of the ways I look after my confidence and keep writing.

And alongside those difficult comments, there are so many beautiful ones. There are readers who care deeply about these characters, who take the time to offer encouragement, and who tell me what a story has meant to them. I see you too. Your kindness makes a difference, even when I don’t manage to tell you individually.

Even established authors doubt themselves

Being an established author doesn’t mean I’ve stopped having crises of confidence in my work. I still question myself, especially after releasing a new book in a series that readers already love so much.

There’s a particular vulnerability in returning to characters people feel deeply connected to. I care about them too, and I want to do their stories justice. Once a book is out, it can be difficult to stop worrying about whether I’ve managed that and to give myself enough headspace to write what comes next.

After releasing three books, I needed a little distance. Part of stepping away was giving those books time to settle and giving readers time to experience them, without me constantly checking reactions or second-guessing my work.

I also needed time to catch my breath and find my confidence again. As much as I love writing, releasing a book can leave me feeling quite exposed, and having done it before doesn’t make me immune to that feeling. There is a lot of me in every story, so when the characters are criticized, yes, it is personal. It’s the same as directly insulting me in many cases.

Why I’m quieter in October

October is also always a month I take off because it holds the anniversaries of deaths in my family. It’s a difficult part of the year for me, and I need that space for myself and my family.

Grief can still ask a lot of you long after a loss. I’ve learned to give myself some room during that month, without expecting my usual level of work or activity.

This time, that need for space came alongside needing a breather after the three releases. If you noticed that I was quieter, those were both part of the reason. Thank you for being patient while I took that time.

What’s coming next

I’ll be getting back to finishing Nick’s View soon. It’s almost finished, and I’m looking forward to returning to it and bringing you the rest of his perspective. After that, the plan is to move on to Mico and Mandy.

Thank you for continuing to read, for caring about the stories, and for remembering that there’s a person with a life and a family on the other side of the page.

I hope you’ll stay with me for what comes next.

Happy reading, everyone. ❤️