I have this fantastic first reader (hi M.!) who saves me from not going far enough.
I've subscribed to a newsletter by David Farland, Kick in the Pants, that reminds me of everything I'm supposed to be doing as an author. Not so that I look awesome. That's impossible. It's all to please readers, thank you very much. The latest newsletter emphasized exactly what M. told me to do (again, this time during the climax of the last book in the Lord Jester's Legacy trilogy) to bring my writing up to her standards for enjoyment.
It seems that when I get close to the end of a book, I get excited, and like a teenaged boy out for his first romp, I rush and forget that I have a partner that I ought to be thinking about.
So, if you like the climaxes in my books, it's all thanks to M.
That's not all M. does, but lately, that's what I've needed the most.
The next time, I'm really, really going to try hard to be a considerate author and focus on my readers. I don't want to get the sort of reputation that comes with ending things too soon and too quickly. Especially since I like to cuddle a little bit afterward. I'm sure a reader would be all huffy and in no mood for an epilogue when they're dissatisfied with the climax, assuming I even gave them one at all.
That's no way to finish a good book, much less a trilogy.
Thanks, M., for helping me become a better writer.