IMPORTANT UPDATE:
This pandemic has impacted us in so many negative ways: job loss, illness, fear and uncertainty to name but a few. Despite this, there have been a few positives. It's given the earth a chance to breathe as pollution decreases. It's forced more family time - though some maybe debate if this is a positive or negative, lol! It's also given many of us a chance to slow down, to reflect on how the human race is interconnected, to think about where we have been and where we are going.
I fall into the last category. I've been doing a lot of thinking about my life and reflecting on my parents' lives, while pondering what path I want to follow in the future. The end result is that I have experienced a conversion of sorts, returning to the morals and values I grew up with. I'm excited about this; it feels 'right'. However, it does have me looking at my books in a new light. While I still like the stories, I'm not pleased with the amount explicit detail I've included in the sex scenes and have been tweaking the stories to make them more acceptable to my conscience.
You might have noticed the vignette I sent out last time had nothing explicit in it. There was a 'tease' of what was going to happen but it wasn't on paper. This is the direction I'm moving with regards to my writing. Some might say I should leave the old books as they are, but it doesn't sit well with me. I don't want new readers falling in love with that version. It's a case of update the books or remove the books from the market completely.
Tweaking and re-editing the stories isn't something new. I've been doing this all along as I grow as a writer. The original version of The Mating was a far cry from what it is now. Over the years, the updates have focused on grammar, Canadian vs American spelling, removing excess thought-a-logues, eliminating repetition... This time the focus is on the intimate scenes.
Everyone has a different opinion of those scenes. Some love them. Others skip over the scenes. Some readers don't care one way or the other. In order to be fair to those in the first category, I'm giving you a heads up about the upcoming changes. I don't want you to feel I'm taking away the book you paid for. I'm not and you aren't losing the books you paid for! The books in their current form are on your devices and always will be... except if the retailer decides to update the book without telling you. However, there are work arounds to prevent this from ever happening. Most ereaders have a setting for declining updates; just check the settings or go to the help section for details.
However, the surest way to protect your books is download them from Smashwords as they will never be subjected to automatic updates even if you sync your device with another retailer. You see, each book purchased at a retailer is attached to a unique identifier, whereas the Smashwords book would likely only be seen as a random file without an identifier. Another good thing about Smashwords is that you will always have access to the version you purchased. If you accidentally delete a book, or change ereaders, you simple go into your account and download it again in whatever format you want. And, if you are re-downloading, you can either pick the old version or a newer version simply by checking the dates. (Note, that for your first purchase you get the current copy which, until the end of May is the ORIGINAL version.)
Some of you might be saying 'I didn't buy my books from Smashwords'. Please note I'm NOT suggesting you buy the books again - that wouldn't be fair at all! Instead, I'm providing you with coupon codes so you can download the 3 boxed sets (which contain all the LOTL books) for FREE until the end of May.
This is an exclusive deal, just for those who subscribe to my newsletter so you can safeguard your books in case you don't want the new updated versions that will be on the shelves starting in June. All you need to do is click on the links below and be sure to enter the coupon code when you check out. Remember, Smashwords has formats that suit EVERY device out there.
The Original Trilogy is currently free as part of a promotion so you don't need a coupon code for it.
FYI: If you originally purchased your books from Smashwords, you don't have to do anything!
I hope you take advantage of this offer. I've really struggled with this decison and feel this option is the best way to be fair to you while still following the direction my heart is leading me.
~ Nicky Charles
P.S. The paperbacks will be updated as well starting in June. They aren't a big seller so this will impact only a few of you. I'm trying to find a viable way to keep the old version of the paperbacks available on a private channel for a few more months at least. If I do, I will post it on my website.
