See the note below—this post is from July 6, 2014 and is a bit outdated…
I’m about to head back out in a few hours, to do my _last_ US/Canadian book-tour event in Traverse City, MI. But thought I might grab an hour to do a bit of updating before I absquatulate again…
First—I’m delighted that so many of you like MOBY!* Thank you so much for all your kind words.
As for the next book(s), I have no idea.** I finished writing MOBY on April 15th (having stayed up 36 hours straight to do it), spent the rest of April working 16 hours a day to finish the copyedits and galley proofs, then spent most of May dealing with everything (including stuff associated with the TV show) that was pushed out of the way during the Final Frenzy of MOBY. And on June 7th, all hell broke loose and I’ve essentially been on the road for a solid month, with three brief touchdowns at home (ranging from 12 hours to a whole day-and-a-half). So far, I’ve signed roughly 38,000 copies of MOBY and will undoubtedly hit between 40-50,000 by the end of summer. (No, I don’t have carpal-tunnel syndrome, but thank you for your concern.)
Now, I realize that it’s difficult to know what to say to a writer at a book-signing; I’d be tongue-tied myself, in the presence of someone I admired but didn’t know. It’s always great to hear, "I loved this book!" or "I love your books and I’m really looking forward to reading this one!" if you need a default. "WHEN WILL BOOK NINE BE OUT?!?" is possibly a little less welcome.
But I do appreciate the enthusiasm/impatience that spawn this question, so here’s what my immediate writing future looks like (assuming I survive the rest of the summer):
At the moment, there are only scraps of Book Nine—plus a useful "What I Know" document that I wrote right after finishing MOBY, about the "shelf-hung" subplots (those are bits that are kind of folded back on themselves, but not left as cliffhangers—like where William is going or what will happen to Lord John next).
I haven’t even formally sifted MOBY’s Mfile (the regularly updated list of files written for a specific book) and moved the remnant files to JAMIE9 (the directory/folder for Book Nine) yet (that’s a two-day job in itself). The next thing I do is to go through my major reference shelves, cleaning and tidying, and in the process, assemble the "core" shelf for Book 9–for any book, no matter how many references I consult along the way, there will end up being maybe five books that are _very_ helpful/relevant and that I use a lot, and maybe 5-10 more that I want to keep close to hand, for more limited but still important stuff. I keep one shelf for that core reference stuff, and refurbish it when I start serious work on a new novel. adding new sources as I come across them. Then I read through the relevant portions of ALMANAC OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, a _very_ useful book that gives brief notes on everything happening everywhere <g> on a given day, that had any importance in the Revolution. This is my first pass at a historical timeline (which lives in my head and evolves constantly over the course of a book). I’ll probably write bits and pieces while I’m doing these necessary chores, but it’s pretty random and nothing like the sustained effort that comes as I move fully into a book.
In other words, you’re not likely to see #DailyLines from Book Nine for awhile.
Now, there’s a _lot_ of THE OUTLANDISH COMPANION, Volume 2 in existence. I’ve been messing about with that on the side for the last 2-3 years, and most of it is _there_, if not yet tidied into its final form. There are a few chunks of original writing still to be done for that–the detailed synopsis for MOBY is the first that springs to mind, though I’ll also need to add commentary to a largish excerpt section (specialized excerpts), and a few other bits to be collected or contracted (i.e., I may have to get someone to produce things like maps or floor-plans, as I can’t do better than crude sketches on my own). But IF I move OC2 to the top of the work pile (not as the main focus, but as the main side-project), it _might_ be ready for delivery to the publisher around January, and thus might be in print sometime in the first half of 2015, which would be nice. (I also need to do slight updates to OC1, removing obsolete material and maybe improving the Gaelic Pronunciation Guide—that sort of thing.)
Then there’s the HOW TO (AND HOW _NOT_ TO) WRITE SEX-SCENES ebook. That’s actually complete, but I finished it right before both the show and MOBY hit high gear, so I now need to read it through again and do final fiddles (and maybe include a few scenes from MOBY), then run it past my agent for response and suggestions (if any). Ebooks can be produced _very_ fast, though, so once we’re happy with it, it could be out within a couple of months–I’d kind of like to have it out this fall, but that’s a matter for discussion with agents, publishers, etc.
And more or less on the same level with Book Nine (in terms of how eager I am to work on them) are the prequel volume about Jamie’s parents (for which I have only fragments at the moment) and the first contemporary crime novel. I think I have about half of that, and it’s "live" for me–but will take a good bit of intensive work, both in terms of research and writing. On the other hand, it’s short by comparison with everything else on my menu.
And on the outskirts of my mind are the germs of what might eventually be novellas, but I haven’t had the time even to _look_ at those with any attention. They _are_ brief, though, and I might well pick one up to get back into my regular routine–come September. I’ll be traveling/working most of July and August, and won’t have anything like peace and quiet ’til Labor Day. (No, I’m not going to Dragon Con this year, unless Starz decides they want to have a presence there for the show, and at the moment, they don’t.)
In the meantime, any eager soul who foolishly asks me, "When will Book Nine be out?" will be politely ignored. Or bonked on the head with the copy of MOBY they just asked me to sign, depending…
*(And for those few who complained that the ending of MOBY was a cliffhanger….go back and read the end of AN ECHO IN THE BONE, to see what one actually looks like. <g> If you just wanted to "see" what happened next in MOBY…feel free to fill in your own version of "OMG! OMG! OMG! <hughughug> <weep tears of joy> OMG! OMG! OMG! <broken endearments> OMG? OMG? OMG? <hopping up and down> OMG!" I have complete faith in my readers’ intelligence and imagination, and I don’t tell y’all things I know you can figure out for yourselves.)
**Webmistress’s Note on August 28, 2015: A lot has changed in the year since Diana posted the blog above on July 6, 2014:
- See Diana’s Book Nine webpage for excerpts (aka "Daily Lines") and current information.
- The revised, updated and expanded version of THE OUTLANDISH COMPANION, VOLUME ONE, was published on March 31, 2015 in the U.S.A. This ultimate guide to the OUTLANDER series covers the first four major novels: OUTLANDER, DRAGONFLY IN AMBER, VOYAGER, and DRUMS OF AUTUMN. (The original OC was published in 1999. The U.K. edition of this guide was titled THROUGH THE STONES.)
- THE OUTLANDISH COMPANION, VOLUME TWO will be published in the U.S.A. on October 27, 2015. OC II is the guide to the second four major novels in the OUTLANDER series: THE FIERY CROSS, A BREATH OF SNOW AND ASHES, AN ECHO IN THE BONE, and WRITTEN IN MY OWN HEART’S BLOOD (aka "MOBY").
Will we find out in book #9 who the individual is that was looking in Claire’s window in the first novel?
Dear Lana–
You will, if Book 9 is the last one. As I’ve barely started writing it, though, I have no idea.
Best,
–Diana
Hi Diana, You have done your usual wonderful job with Book 8. I know it takes a long time to write a book and I wouldn’t wish it any different as they would not be nearly as good if not researched. However at 68 I am getting older (so my kids remind me ) Sons get cheekier as they get older ..Have you noticed that?? I am terribly afraid you will not write fast enough for me to read the books before death..MINE.. Please please please write as fast as you possibly can .. Also have been looking for a mass market paperback copy of The Scottish Prisoner but have only found the large paperback. I am short on space and need the smaller copy. Anywhere I can get or look forward to getting a mass market paperback of Scottish Prisoner? I must own your books!!!! I do not want to go the library any time I feel like dipping into one of your books..
Julie
I have always thought that the ghost in the street in Outlander is Jamie’s — no matter how long he lives, he’ll be dead by 1945.
I was so relieved to hear there is a book #9. I was completely broken at the end of “Written in my own Hearts Blood”…I wanted more. I started reading about Jamie and Claire many years ago and was so glad when you expanded on the trilogy, can’t get enough. I have all the books and have read the entire series through many times, just finished reading them again so that I could read the latest one with the rest fresh on my mind. Can’t wait for #9!
LOVING Outlander on STARZ! Since they re-broadcast it throughout the following week, I see each episode about 4-5 times. Seeing Outlander on TV satisfies a good amount of the hunger for the next book.
Not so thrilled that the series is going on hiatus in 2 weeks! (Know that is not your doing and must be relevant to production issues or a program decision at the network. Sigh.)
Wondering if the new Outlandish Companion book will also have “The Methadone List?” Need more suggestions for other good romance/historical romance/fantastical romance books!
My best friend and I saw you at a book-signing in Surrey BC last year. We were #3 and 4 in line, and spent the wait talking with numbers 1&2 in line, exchanging book recommendations for sustenance between Outlander books!
I also love Sara Donati’s Into the Wilderness series, which I read many years ago, before I knew about Outlander. I re-read the series between Echo and MOBY and was struck by the mention of Claire Fraser and Ian Murray in “Into the Wilderness”. Curious as to how you two met or got to know one another and wondering about the origin of your mutual interest in the Mohawk nation?
Thank you for so many hours of great reading about such vibrant characters!
I am thrilled there will be a book nine. I’m not dissing Diana by no means but I felt the end of book 8 was rushed. I knew it couldn’t be the last because there were things left unexplained. How did Roger, Briana, Jem, and Amanda make it from the wrong time to the right time? And lord John? William? Diana always nicely wraps things up in detail (so much I already had characters in my head they used for the movie). Such a huge fan, I’ve read the series 4 times
Dear Candace–
It wasn’t rushed; I chose not to deal with the adventures of Brianna and Roger and family in Book 8. You’ll find out about that elsewhere; to have put it in Book 8 would have made a huge digression and disrupted the shape of the book.
Best,
–Diana
Any chance of a novella about how Brianna and Roger and family ended up in America?
Bonjour,
Je lis très bien en Anglais mais je ne sais pas écrire sans fautes! Toutes mes félicitations pour ce livre qui est vraiment génial! J’ai hâte de lire le prochain livre (patience, patience! on est toujours pressé de lire le suivant. La curiosité).
Merci pour ce livre, j’entame la lecture des livres John Grey en attendant.
Bises
ps: Félicitation pour l’adaptation de la série à la TV ! Elle suit bien les livres!
So happy to read that there will be another book! I found the series this summer–where have I been???–and LOVE it! Thank you so much for creating wonderful characters and telling us their stories.
Dear Diana,
What a wonderful series! I broke my ankle and have been couch bound for the past 12 weeks. 8 weeks ago, when insanity was striking, I put a note out to friends asking for some new authors to read. Needless to say, I have been consumed with the series and have just finished book 8. I then, with trepidation, checked the publish date, and realized with a sinking heart, it will be a while before the next book. That being said, I was thrilled to read that a book 9 is coming at some point. For the past 2 months, I have been able to escape into the world of Claire/Jamie/Roger/Brianna/et. al. It has kept my sanity, interest, and not allowed my brain to turn to a horrid pile of mush with television. If sending a case of Highland Park (my personal favorite Scottish whiskey) would aid in any way with the writing, I would be more than happy to send.
Thank you for writing a wonderful series!
Thank you for All your books. I have read them all and purchased set’s for all the avid readers in my family. Thank you for all you do for us through your wonderful works of the written word. So glad to know more are to come. I hope your life is a blessed life like you have blessed mine.
Sincerely,
Trisha Calvert
Hi Diana
I loved and have reread the first 6 books in the Outlander Series. But the last two have been hard going. Even though I have read your Novellas and Novels regarding Lord John, I felt that there was too much emphasis on the Grey family and too little about Roger and Brianna especially in the 8th book.
I admire your attention to detail and history and your books have sent me off on wonderful tangents to research countries and customs.
Thanks for the series especially the first three. The rereading of these has helped me through some very difficult times
I started reading Outlander in August, after hearing about the Starz series. I was looking for something to read on vacation. Of course, buying a book on a kindle, you don’t have the visual impression of how big a book is. I can usually finish a standard novel in 2 days. This one, not so much. I could not seem to pace myself. I promptly devoured it… And the next and so on. I just finished reading MOBY, and while I’m sure my husband will be happy to see me again (having been a recluse for the past month) I confess to feeling somewhat lost. The dangers of binge reading, I suppose. Obviously, I loved the books. As a physician, I particularly enjoyed the aspect of a 20th century physician working with 18th century limitations. I believe if insurance companies had their way, we would still be using honey and Roquefort cheese… In the meantime, I will have to console myself with reading the series again…maybe at a more leisurely pace this time!
Diana,
Thank you for sharing your talent with the world. I was first introduced to Claire and Jamie’s world shortly after my son was born 16 years ago. I’ve read and reread every book in the Outlander series as well as the books and novellas around Lord John. After finishing a book, I always long for the next. Knowing how much detail goes into each book and how accurate you make them I understand the wait. That’s alright as it gives me plenty of time to reread the whole Outlander series again! I always pick up something new in each book no matter how many times I’ve read it. In fact I’m to the point of looking for hard covers for the first four to replace the paperbacks that are falling apart from being reread so much. Hooray for Book 9! Although, I pray to never have to read of Jamie or Claire passing. I’m not sure I could take it. They’ve been a part of my life almost as long as my son. Thank you, thank you.
Best Wishes Always,
Tammy
P.S. Loving the Outlander series on Starz!!!
Like everyone else, I too have fallen into the spells of the saga of Claire and Jamie. Also looking forward to Book 9 whenever – and thank you for bringing back Adso!!!!!
Dear Diane…
I started reading your books in Aug 2014…I must say I am hooked…I finished number 8 today and Im so disappointed that it was the last so far… I am thoroughly entenched in the lives of Claire and Jamie and can not wait for more..I am kind of lost after reading all the books back to back over the last month…I wished I had read slower…lol….Im watching the TV series as well and glad to see they are staying true to the books or as true as TV will allow… I do have a couple questions …if you have time to answer…As this is my first experience reading anything you have written without asking when…approximately how long do you go in between books? Is the TV series going to be more than one season and if so.. will the TV series cover a whole book per season or only part? Thanks for writing..
Sincerely,
Samantha
Dear Samantha–
It takes me roughly 3 years to write one of the Big Books (I often work on more than one project, though, and thus the shorter books and novellas come out _while_ I’m working on a larger book. Thus, while it was a little more than four years between AN ECHO IN THE BONE and WRITTEN IN MY OWN HEART’S BLOOD, during those four years I also published a graphic novel (THE EXILE), a full-length Lord John novel (THE SCOTTISH PRISONER), and a collection of four novellas (the collection is titled A TRAIL OF FIRE, and is not available in that form in the US. However, all four of the novellas in it _are_ available in the US as stand-alone e-books)–plus having the novellas appear in various anthologies during that time. (I.e., there _are_ print versions of the novellas in the US; just not together in one book.) If you haven’t encountered the Lord John novels or the shorter pieces, you might find that they help to tide you over while waiting for Book 9. [g]
As for the TV show, the expectation is that each season will cover one book. And it has been approved for a second season, so you’ll definitely see all of OUTLANDER and then DRAGONFLY.
Best,
–Diana
Diane,
Thank you for taking the time to respond to my questions. I will try out the Lord John books and other short books…any recommendations on which I should start with? I’m sure I will enjoy any of them…I am an avid reader but it is rare I find an author that truly captures me whole heartedly…I live in Biloxi MS as of two years ago but I am originally from NC and have learned more about the history of NC from your books than I ever did in school…I have lived in and around all the places you describe there…I grew up 30 miles from Hillsborough…and so I could really see the things and places you described in my mind…so thank you again….I will bide my time and read slow….
Samantha
Samantha –
Check Diana’s Website for the order in which to read. She has it nicely laid out there with all the Novellas and side books in their proper places.
Best,
K Yates
Fantastic, fabulous, exciting, enthralling, romantic, dramatic, sexy……….. books. LOVE THEM ALL!!
I love scrolling through comments especially ones you’ve replied to.
I love that one of you replies said “if” book nine was the last. The possibility no matter how remote that there could be more than one more book in the series is so exciting, (barring the wait in between).
Also loving the Outlander series. Tobias Menzies plays the part of Jonathan Randall so well, I just hate him. lol
Most other times you get a bit disappointed with the movie after reading the book.
I hope you get enough downtime in between your writing and appearances.
Short of re reading you books again (which I have done a few times) do you have any great reads recommendations? Or anyone else reading this post?
If you like time travel, try Stirling’s “Island in the Stream of Time.” (This is first book of a trilogy, so there’s more if you want it.)
Hi Diana
I started reading you’re books many years ago, in fact my first copy is called “cross stitch” not outlander. I was scared when I heard a tv show was being made, as I was worried my own vision of Jamie and Claire would be dystroyed, but I actually love every mintue of the show. I also just finshed MOBY and I cried and smiled when I closed the book. You truly have a gift for telling stories. I have all my books ready to give to my daughter when she is ready…. thank you so much… oh and will patiently wait for you next book.
I have so enjoyed your Outlander series and the Lord John series. You are an excellent story teller and I look forward to reading anything else you publish. Please take care of yourself and keep your boundaries firm. Do not let people and deadlines wear you down.
Hi, Diana:
Question: I may have missed something, so please bear with me here. In MOBY, Brianna finds a letter written to her by her father, Frank, in Brian’s /Jamie”s/Roger’s desk. I didn’t know that Frank ever made it to Lallybroch to hide it there in the first place. Did Claire put it there? Or will this, too, be answered in book 9?
Thanks,
Kathy
Dear Kathy–
Well, you don’t know what (or when) Frank may have done _anything_, do you? Unless Claire saw him do it, you wouldn’t know–and obviously he wouldn’t be telling her about something like that. You may find out more details later on.
Best,
–Diana
Diana:
True. Okay, thanks for replying to soon.
How do you do it all?
Thanks,
Kathy
Fascinated by characters for over twenty years now and even after MOBY, still can’t get enough! Will be forever grateful to you for moving forward with Ron Moore and Starz to bring Outlander to life. Love the casting! And, after just watching the wedding scene, thanks for writing in all the spicy details of the marriage agreement consummation! The books have become a family affair in that my adult/married children, both our daughter and son, are hooked on the tales of Jamie and Claire too. Never saw that coming, but it is interesting that we all have aspects of the books and characters we’re fascinated by. Will wait five years for what’s next if I must. But please don’t let Ron Moore distract you too much! Again, forever grateful for your brilliant writing!
Dear Diana,
I was so thrilled to watch the first instalment of your Outlander TV series. I was concerned that the show wouldn’t live up to your book but I have to say the cast in the first TV series were brilliant! I love it. Without saying Jamie and Claire were cast brilliantly, as were Colum, Dougal MacKenzie and Geillis. I’m sure you must have had a hand in choosing the cast. It was great also, to hear how the Scottish names or your characters should be pronounced.
I can’t wait for the next TV series as well as book, no.9…thank you very much.