The five most annoying writing questions I regularly receive

Maybe these belong in the FAQ section of my site. Maybe I'll even put them there someday soon. For now, though, they're going here, in what would ideally be a way of lowering their frequency but in reality is probably just a way of sharing my pain with you.

So what's going to happen in the next book?

A whole lot of stuff. Good stuff.

No, I'm not going to tell you more.

Why don't you write more books?

I write as fast as I can while doing the quality of work I demand of myself. I also have a very demanding, more than full-time job. The whole job thing kinda gets in the way.

Why don't you quit and write full-time?

Because I like my lifestyle, and being the CEO of even a small tech company pays a lot more than I currently make from writing. Mind you, I'm not complaining; my books sell way better than those of most novelists at my career stage, and I am very grateful to all who buy them. I need far bigger sales numbers, however, before I could ever contemplate quitting.

Plus, I like what I do at PT. It's a great job and a great team.

Why don't you come to more book stores, like the one near me, for signings?

First, there's not a lot of evidence to suggest anyone wants to go anywhere for signing--questioner excluded, of course. Second, and more important, no one is offering to pay for me to go to those places. Pay my way, and you'd be amazed where I might be willing to go. Florence, Italy, for example, or Barcelona, Spain; anyone who wants to pay me to go to those places, just yell.

Why don't you make movies out of your books?

Because I don't have hundreds of millions of dollars or any knowledge of the movie industry.

Okay, that's not fair, because what the questioner really means is, why hasn't Hollywood made movies of your books?

Hell if I know. I sure wish they would. I'd love the splendor, the glory, the cinematic magic--oh yeah, and the check. I'd really love the check.