Saturday, August 17, 2013

An Author's Fear - The Telling 2 - Losing Jimmy

Of all the stories I've written, The Telling is the one that seems to have struck the biggest chord with readers. I've received so many beautiful letters about that story, many from veterans who felt kinship with the characters of Michael and Ryan. I also received letters from readers who'd spent their whole lives in the closet. They told me their stories, and I'm so honored they felt such a connection to me that they could discuss things they wouldn't tell others. I encouraged them to write their stories, share them with the world. Some did, some didn't. But through The Telling I met many wonderful people, some I still correspond with.

That a story I wrote could be so special to readers is humbling. They've have been asking for a sequel about Ryan and Terry. That's where fear comes in. If possible, Ryan is even more broken than Michael, and has a long road to recovery before him. Am I skilled enough as an author to do justice to his story?

The answer has been a resounding no for the past four years, which is why The Telling 2 - Losing Jimmy stalled. I didn't feel I was ready. Time has passed, and even more readers now are asking about Ryan.

The time has come. This will be a slow process and require much research, but I need to give Ryan some closure. I'm currently 21,000 words into a manuscript that should top out at about 70,000. Wish me luck.

9 comments:

  1. Luck. I am sure your readers will love whatever the result is.

    KT

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  2. Thanks! I really need to get this right.

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  3. I wish you luck, but I've read enough of your books to know you have something better...talent and that is what will help you write a story that we will all be glad we waited for. I look forward to reading it.

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    1. Aww... Thanks! I've been doing lots of research and trying to get into Ryan's head. The poor thing's been through a lot. I so want to give him a happy, but realistic, ever after.

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  4. Any updates on this? Just read The Telling and as soon as Ryan's possible college move came up, I thought, "Oooh, maybe he and Terry could hook up and develop that little bit of compassion and caring we saw Terry have with Michael into a more well-rounded, not-as-arrogant Terry."
    And, of course, as soon as I finished the story, ran right over to your website to see if you'd written a sequel with them. :)

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    1. Hi, LePod!

      There is a short Jay/Michael sequel called Night Watch that you can find for free on All Romance Ebooks. Alas, the Terry/Ryan story is on hold right now while I'm working on the Diversion series, but I owe those boys some happiness, don't I?

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  5. Ok, 3 years after the last comment in here, and I know there is no Ryan and Terry story yet, but damm! Just finish reading The Telling (its almost 5am here in Brazil, but I couldnt put it down) and I'm deeply moved and touched by your story. No often enough we get down to earth caracters and real, relable plots, but even your happily ever after is a journey - met Michael and Jay in Wounded ao I already got the glimpses of the life they are leaving and how much of a strugle their love some times is. And isnt everyone's? :)

    Sorry for rambling, but I havent found tgis conection to a story in ages. Thank you! Can't wait to read more of your books!
    (And yeah, I would love a sequel for Ryan and Terry, but its ok, we can all fill the blank pages with our own gaps and hopes for them).

    :)

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    1. Sorry about the awful spelling mistakes - not my first language and way past my bed time. :)

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    2. Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed the story. I've tried so hard to write Ryan's story, but it's too dark at the moment. I'm hoping some day I'll be able to finish, but I haven't been able to yet. There is a short follow up to The Telling, called Night Watch, that takes place about a year after The Telling ends, and I just realized that since certain booksellers are now out of business, it's not currently available. I must fix that!

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