Amazon Bought Goodreads (and other stuff that blindsided the crap out of me)

I received an email today from Amazon.  I get heads up on some stuff since they own some of my books, but I gather this one is out there in the world anyway, so I can talk about it.

Dear Friends,
 I wanted you to be among the first to know that Amazon has reached an agreement to acquire Goodreads, a leading site for readers and book recommendations that helps people find and share books they love.
 Amazon and Goodreads share a passion for reinventing reading, a love of books, and an appreciation for the authors who write them. We both work every day to help authors like you reach a wider audience and make a better living at your craft, and together with Goodreads we intend to build many new ways to delight authors and readers alike.
 We’re excited to help create an even more powerful offering for all of our authors, and we hope you are too. You can read more in the press release here and the blog post from Goodreads here.
 If you have any questions, please let me know.

Amazon press release: here
Goodreads press release: here 

 I really didn't see this one coming and as of right now, I have no official opinion about it, just some personal musings of my own. I figured I would let everyone know, though, in case they hadn't heard.

In other news, I'm up to something for Amazon. Sounds terrible, doesn't it? :) I can't say what it is, but when it's finally announced, I think it's either going to be seen as an awesome thing and a tremendous opportunity, or as a horrible disaster. Or both. Maybe. I can see it going either way and it's driving me vaguely nuts that I can't say what it is. It's Amazon's news to release, however. I'm just involved in my own little way. 

I don't know when Amazon will announce it, but my deadline is April 6, so I think it'll be sometime around then, or later.  Once I can talk about it, I'll let everyone know what I've been up to.

Almost there now

Well, I haven't signed the contract just yet, but Amazon's offered to buy THE SYLPH HUNTER, which is book four of my sylph series. Depending on how well it does, they'll buy more. We tried for a three book deal, but as far as Amazon is concerned, I'm untried to them, so they want to make sure I'm worth it. Eek, no stress there. :D

I don't know how Amazon does it just yet, but when I was with Dorchester, it was a good year from a contract being signed to the book hitting the shelves, so THE SYLPH HUNTER won't see bookstores until 2014. Sorry about that. Theoretically the first three will be coming out again in 2013, and Amazon will be doing some promotion of them. So that will hopefully mean more sales, and more interest when THE SYLPH HUNTER comes out. The more I sell, the happier everyone will be.

For the first time in my life, I'm getting regular royalty statements and I'm selling at a steady rate, but I have no frame of reference to know if it's considered a good amount or piddly, and I'm somewhat afraid to ask. :) But the more of book four I sell, the sooner Amazon will be willing to take a chance on five and six, as well as anything else I write, so tell your friends, I guess.

Book Six, btw, which I'm still calling THE LONELY SYLPH is already over 17,000 words, and would progress even faster if I could get off Tumblr or stop painting. Also if I didn't spend a sickening amount of time at my day job every day. Heh.

Speaking of painting, here, have a picture.