What is up with these authors?

I enjoy reading the blogs of authors.  I mean, they write for a living, so it makes sense that their blog would be a good read.  Two blogs that I frequent regularly are those of Patrick Rothfuss (The Name of the Wind, The Wise Man's Fear) and Orson Scott Card (Ender's Game, etc.)

The other day I stumbled upon a new author web site belonging to Peter V. Brett, in particular I read this post.  Brett has written two novels, The Warded Man, and The Desert Spear.  Both excellent.  I was looking for information on the third book in the trilogy when I found Peter's own update on the topic.

At first I was disappointed to learn that although book 3, The Daylight War, will be released in a year it is not - as betimes promised - the final book in the trilogy.  The series is, in fact, a "cycle", and will run to five books.  Brett explains the backstory as to how his cycle became marketed as a trilogy, but frankly I don't much care.  Why stretch the story through five books, and cause readers to wait an extra four to six years, if the story can be wrapped up in a trilogy (according to Brett's own comments)?  It seems a bit wasteful, of his talent and of my time.

Then something else about his post struck me, something I found rather odd.  I don't mind if authors want to take their time writing fine books.  Great.  Hopefully we'll all enjoy them that much more when they're published.  And they're art, right, so it's not like they can just be churned out on a schedule.  But in his post Brett goes off on some tangent about how he promised his publisher he would meet certain dates, but they weren't really realistic, and now he's taking more time to complete his next novel.  And here's his explanation as to why it's taking longer than expected:

Oh, I have my excuses. Early this year my part-time assistant (deservedly) went on to a full time publishing job, leaving me with a lot of administrative work that ate away at my writing time. Around the same time I also had major shoulder surgery that left my arm in a sling for months. I’m told it went well and I will be back to full strength without pain at some point, but six months out I’m still only at 75%, and prolonged or strenuous use leaves me in a lot of pain.

And I spend a lot of time with my three year old daughter Cassie. I know I could put her in daycare or hire a sitter as many people do, but these years before she starts going to school all the time are precious, and I don’t want her to ever feel like daddy didn’t have time for her. We do arts and crafts and build marble runs and train sets. We practice her reading and watch Pixar movies. We argue about what she wants for dinner, bathtime and bedtime. And I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

What?  He had shoulder surgery so he couldn't work?  Isn't he a writer?  Does shoulder surgery really preclude him from doing that work?  Couldn't he work with just one arm, or dictate and have his writing typed up for later editing, or something?  You need a little Brett background to really appreciate why he couldn't find a workaround for an arm in a sling.  His first novel, 100,000 words, was written piecemeal during his daily commute to and from work by typing it into his cellphone.  If he had the patience to do that there's no way he should be stopped by a little shoulder surgery.

But then there's his second point: he can't work because he wants to spend time with his daughter?  I get it - I'm a dad, I love my kids, I wish I had more time with them, but is there really no way he can fit daddy time and author time all into a single day?  In other words, do what pretty much the whole rest of the world does?  Come on - how many people can just put off work indefinitely to hang out with their kids?  I'm happy for him, I guess, but to hold this up as an excuse as to why he's not getting his work done just doesn't hold water with me.

But maybe I'm just jealous.