Why don't you...

I receive a lot of questions that begin with these three words, so I thought I'd try to answer the most frequent ones here. One day, when we get around to adding an FAQ to the site, we'll probably include a lot of these. In the meantime, in case you've been wondering, here, in no particular order, are some of the most common queries and my answers to them.

...write more books?

Time. I have a very demanding day job, a family, a complex extended family, and, oh yeah, I like to eat and go to movies and do other fun stuff. I'm writing as much as I can currently manage.

...write your books faster?

This is, of course, just the other side of the coin of the first question, and its answer is the same: time. To write faster, I'd need more time per day. So far, to my great frustration I'm still stuck with the same old 24 hours I've always had; you'd think they'd have fixed that by now.

...tell us what's coming in the rest of the Jon & Lobo novels?

That is, of course, the job of the novels, so I'll have to let them do it.

More seriously, until I write a book, I don't know everything about it, so anything I could tell you now would be incomplete. Plus, what I say in advance would color your perceptions of the book, and I want you to be able to come to each one fresh, so that each stands on its own merits.

And, of course, I don't want to tell you. So there. Call me a big meanie; see if I care.

...do a Jon & Lobo movie?

I don't know how to do movies. Sure, if someone were to offer me a couple hundred million dollars of budget, I might try to learn, but more likely I'd try to skim a bit and then get a real director and a real producer and all those sorts of folks involved. Of course, the real issue here is that no one has approached me seriously (there have been a few insubstantial nibbles, but none went anywhere) about doing such a film. I'd love to see it, particularly if James Cameron would direct it and Will Smith would star in it.

...get on Facebook?

Remember that whole "time" thing? Each activity I add to my day takes time that used to go to something else. I fear that Facebook would suck down writing time, and I can't let that happen.

...get on Twitter and start tweeting?

See the FaceBook answer above. Plus, I have to wonder if I would have anything worth saying in the course of most days.

...come to my city for a reading and signing?

Because no one has paid my expenses to come. I attend some conventions for fun, and some pay my expenses. You can find the current 2011 list (six cons as of now) on my Appearances page.

Also, truthfully, I'm just not a popular enough writer to justify my publisher paying to send me on a book tour. If I were topping the New York Times bestseller list, I expect she'd eagerly pony up the money to do so, but I'm not; I'm not even close.

...tell us how much money you've raised for Falling Whistles from the Children No More program?

Because I don't know how much it is. I won't know until I learn how the hardback sold, which won't happen until I receive my May, 2011 royalty statement. I gave them my entire advance, and I expect to add to that, but it'll be a while before I know the total. Plus, I'll then have to decide whether I want to share all the info, whether doing so would upset Publisher Toni, and all that.

In the meantime, if you want to help with this cause, buy the book or donate directly to them.