The world is full of books, and yet no matter how many billions upon billions of words exist out there in print, there is always someone who can never find something to read.

We all have different tastes in literature. Some of us like things soft and squishy. Some of us like the dark, gritty stuff. Some of us like camp. Some of us like horror. Some of us only like non-fiction. We are all unique as people and so it makes sense that our taste in reading material reflect that.

So, this weekend's question to you is:

What is your ideal book?

This post is going to be about a sensitive topic; one that many people do not understand because they have not experienced it personally. I wanted to broach this subject because I get a lot of emails from readers about it and I think that it's something that should be discussed.

For those of you have not read my book, Gossamer, please don't let what I am about to write discourage you. It is not, as some might say, a book that endorses a certain type of behavior. Instead I hope that, after reading this, you come to see that it is everything but.

Read more: Food for Thought: Something serious

Hau'oli Makahiki Hou to all of my readers!!

What an awesome 2011 it has been.

Grace Series completion.
The introduction to my Faeble Novels.
Quiver - my first venture outside of the YA-PNR genre.
Dark Veil character contest and reveal.

Every step of the way, you guys have been with me and I cannot imagine what it would have been like without you guys by my side. Thank you, each and every one of you, for being by my side, cheering me on, steering me in the right direction, and telling me when I'm about to step in the big pile of poo.

2012 will be filled with even more wonderful journeys and I hope you all are there with me!!

Here's to more stories and more adventures in life and literature! May you all have immeasurable amounts of joy, laughter, success, and love this new year!! 

This has been such a wonderful, lesson-filled year. I'm at a loss for words just how much I've gained from the experiences I've had these past twelve months. Writing, receiving criticism, reading, growing... The things that a person accomplishes in a year can never truly be measured, but if it could, it would be in smiles, laughs, tears, curses tossed out in frustration, and quiet moments of brooding.

You all have been there with me, from beginning to now. You've read my books and, I hope, felt some of those smiles, laughs, tears, curses, and quiet moments right along with me. I couldn't ask for better readers, fans, friends, and family. And yes, to each of you who are fans of my work, I consider you a part of my family. You've seen what's in my head and in my heart, and instead of running from it like any sane person would, you've embraced it, loved it, shared it. That takes balls, people! Steel ones!

In a perfect world, there'd be no need for a medium such as a book; thoughts, ideas, and stories would flit from one mind to the other, shared like breaths in an enclosed room (hopefully tic-tac scented breaths...none of that saurkraut stuff going on). But this is an imperfect world we live in, and as such I can only offer you these stories through my books. Thank you for allowing me to share them with you. Thank you for being the ears and that heard the heartache, the feet that walked this journey, the eyes that caught the slight of hand, and the voices that cried out in defense and in objection.

I say it constantly and each and every time I do, it only gets more and more truthful:

I am nothing without you as readers.

Yes, the world has those who read for reading's sake. Yes, there are those who will read my stories just to tear them apart. And yes, there are those who'd rather eat the crusted leftovers of a decades old bottle of school paste than read anything I've written. But they matter, too. They matter in a way that can only help me become a better author, a better story teller, a better poet. And they matter because they also make me appreciate you all the more and they make me want to write. A lot.

So what do I hope to accomplish next year? Tons. Dark Veil will be coming out. Sweet Silence, too. The sequel to Gossamer will be coming out, as well as the sequel to Sweet Silence. I've got a fairy tale twist coming that's targeted toward adults, and a couple of darker novels that may or may not scare the nuts out of your squirrels. I'm sure that somewhere along the way, another story will claw its way out of my head and demand to be written. That's how Gossamer was born, and Quiver as well. The characters from the Grace Series are also screaming for more attention, so maybe I'll start fiddling with them...maybe.

But, no matter what I do, I want you with me. Step-by-step, I want you to be by my side. 2011 was a year of introduction. 2012 will be a year of growth, and I hope you're willing to come with me. But, whether or not you do, you will always be in my heart and in my thoughts, because you helped me to make it here, and from where I'm standing, things look very, very promising.

So, whatever your plans, I want to wish you and yours a fabulous holiday season and may your year be filled with nothing but hope, happiness, and cat carols.

Aloha!

S.L. Naeole

I received some bad news today that I have to relay to you so that you aren't left wondering what's going on with Dark Veil and Sweet Silence's release. Some of you know that for the past six books (Grace Series, Gossamer, Quiver) I've done each of the covers on my own. It's something I love doing and I really don't plan on stopping any time soon.

However, for both books, I commissioned artists to do the artwork that would get incorporated into the individual covers respectively. With regards to Dark Veil, the original release date was for just before Christmas. I wanted to have it made available to you before the holidays so that you could enjoy it before the new year. Unfortunately, the artist has not yet completed the cover and informed me today that it won't be completed until next year. That means I won't be able to deliver the book for publishing until mid January at the earliest. I am disappointed but I have been given assurances that the resulting cover will be phenomenal and can only wait for the end results.

Because of this, I am going to be putting Dark Veil up in my store for sale cover-less for those who are more interested in the story than the cover. When the artwork has been released and the cover made, those who've purchased from my store will be able to download an updated version for free. Please look for it this weekend.

Now on to Sweet Silence.

In May, I commissioned a comic book artist to do the artwork for the cover. I admired his work and really wanted him to be a part of the project. Unfortunately, the minute the money had been sent, all communication ceased. For four months, he would not respond to my emails or twitter messages. Finally, in September, I contacted a lawyer and was told to make one final attempt to either a) receive my work or b) demand my money back. I contact the artist publicly on Twitter and was given assurances that my emails weren't going ignored, that my money had not been absconded, and that my cover was nearly complete. I even received a small sample of what was to come.

Excited and understanding, I decided to be a bit more patient.

It is now December 20th, seven months after the money was paid. I was told a month ago that I'd receive my artwork in a week. It's been four and, you guessed it, no artwork. I originally wanted to get Sweet Silence out to you by August of this year. As you all know, there is no Sweet Silence for purchase because, again, there is no cover.

I think what makes this particular experience all the more frustrating is that I've been witness to this artist's tweets about all things pertaining to work and entertainment, all while sitting here empty-handed, $350 poorer, and with emails and messages that I can give no definitive answers to with regards to the release date. To say that I'm frustrated, disappointed, angry, upset, disgusted, and above all else, jaded is an understatement. I admired this artist's work, praised it, only to be let down time and time again by him.

I am once again in contact with an attorney and will let you know the outcome of all of this. 

So I apologize to you, the readers and the fans, for what looks like a disappointing end to 2011. I wish things had been different. I wanted to give you something pretty and awesome to look at before you delved into the worlds I created, but I have failed. It is a mistake that I will not repeat.

Do you wish there was more diversity in books today?

This weekend's question deals with the dreaded cliffhanger. You all know them. Some of you love them. Some of you hate them. What I want to know is...

Do cliffhangers in books make you more or less likely to read their sequels?

Read more: Sneak Peek: Chapters 3 & 4 of Dark Veil