E.G. Stone's Blog, page 9

Author Interview: Tiffany Joissin

Tiffany Joissin

We’ll skip the “tell us about yourself” because coming up with something on the spot is, truly, the bane of an author’s existence. So, let’s start with something a little easier! Tell me what you’re working on at the moment.*

I am working on my second book right now. The second in a series.

In as much detail as you would like, tell me about your book(s) that are already out/on the way.*

So my first book takes place in the world of Ettrea where monsters reign. The first book follows my main character Sanaa. She wakes up after a thousand years and then is sent out to see the world change. She struggles a lot with reconciling the world that she knew with the world that she is seeing and it is a lot of fun to write her. Then we have August our hero and he is a demon. He is very cocky and reckless and he is a lot of fun to write. He loves to play around and fight but he has a hidden thoughtful side to him. Lastly we have Taira, and I am not going to spoil too much about her but she has a secret that she is trying to fix.

As far as the writing process goes—including such things as conception of idea all the way through to money in the bank—what is the least favourite bit? (Everyone has one!)*

I think my least favorite part of writing is editing. I hate going over my writing and trying to fix it. I usually think the first thing that I write is the best. The more that I look at my writing the more I begin to hate it. So that part of the process is something that I hate. I hate editing so much and I always miss something and then when I read over my work again I find it.

Conversely, what is the bit of the writing process that gets your writery brain grinning?*

I love the actual writing part of the project. I love putting words to paper and sitting in front of my computer and writing the story. It feels so good to write and get words out of my system. To be honest it feels more like a release than anything. I feel like I have words trapped in my body and then I get filled almost to capacity and writing lets me let those words out. I feels good to let the words flow out of me.

If you could steal any author’s ability to improve your own work, who would you steal from and why? (e.g. Tolkien’s language skills, Douglas Adams’ humour, etc.)*

I would steal Nicholas Sparks ability to write a romance. I love the way that he weaves words together and the tenderness that his romances are treated with. I want to write something like that and I really admire romance author’s ability to write couples coming together.

Now for some fun! The main character of the book you’re working on (or have recently finished) has kidnapped you for ruining their life. How will you explain that what you’re doing is for the best?

“I promise that at the end of this you will like the end result! You will be happy and at peace after all the pain and suffering I promise!”

You, your main character(s), and the protagonist of the last book you read are playing poker. What are the stakes? Who will win and why?

So the last book that I have read is Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor so Karou would be there. Karou, Sanaa, August, Taira and me all sitting at a table playing poker. We would probably be betting eternal servitude because the humans in the world of Ettrea have no rights. I think that August would win. He loves to play games and knows how to rib people and make them show their hand. He is really good at mind games (he learned from the best) and poker is just a mind game so I think that he would win without a doubt.

Let’s face it, writing is hard. What do you think are some traps to avoid in your particular area of expertise? (Whether that be your genre, your knowledge of plot, your character building, your world building, etc.)*

I think one trap is writing stereotypes instead of people. I always recommend that people write about people in their lives and personality traits that they see in everyday life. I love to people watch and see how they act in order to avoid this.

Anything else you’d like to add? Plots to take over the world, for example. Upcoming release dates, links and things, maybe even your favourite chocolate cake recipe.

I have the second book of Void coming out 2022! I am so excited for everyone to read it! I hope that everyone enjoys it.

Book Review: The House of Prophecy by Glen Dahlgren

So many series end when the wrold changes and prophecy has taken shape. It was fascinating, then to see Glen Dahlgren’s House of Prophecy, which takes place after the momentous Child of Chaos, and deals with the aftermath of what is, essentially, the end of the world as it is known.

1. Thoughts on the plot

This book follows Galen as he tries to heal his mother, Lorre, after she fulfilled prophecy and released Chaos into the world. He has allies in Myra, his sister and the high priestess of Charity, Dantess, a former priest of War, and Gusset, his longtime friend. As well as new characters in the form of the Harbringers of Chaos, who are taking advantage of the new world order to establish themselves. Only, not everything is as it seems and it turns out that there is more to the prophecy that Lorre broke than anyone could know.

I really liked this plot. It had all the elements that make a really good story while also being unique and creative. I really enjoyed the quest for prophecy as well as the fact that most of the plot really had to do with character interactions as much as outside events. Also, that ending! The drama!

2. Thoughts on the characters

Most of these characters were familiar from book one, and the prequel novel, A Game of War, featuring Dantess and his cohorts. It was really nice to see all the characters again, especially in their new roles after the events of book one. I really liked the changes that took place, as well as how they continued to adapt and change. I think that the new characters were perhaps a bit less real for me than the others, simply by virtue of lack of detail, lack of information about their past or their beliefs or the grounding forces. Granted, this is normal given that they are new characters, but I would have liked a little more, especially regarding Eve.

3. Favourite part

That ending! Oh my goodness!

4. Critique

I don’t have any major critiques for this book, except that I want to know more about some of the new characters. I guess I’ll just have to wait for the next book for that!

Overall, I would say that House of Prophecy is an excellent sequel to Child of Chaos and I am really excited for the next book. Perhaps too excited, but that ending was dramatic enough to have me throwing the book into the air. Or, well, I would have done if I weren’t reading electronically.

Book Review: Wolf Gone Wild by Juliette Cross

Every now and again, I’m in the mood for a fun, adventurous shifter romance, and Wolf Gone Wild by Juliette Cross was definitely one of those.

1. Thoughts on the plot

This book is definitely primarily a romance. It follows Evie, a witch and Hex-breaker, and Mateo, a werewolf who has been hexed so he can’t shift. He goes to her for help, sparks fly, they spend more time together and, and, and. There are a few elements here that could be considered “mystery”, such as who spelled Mateo, why, and how to fix it, but those take a back seat to the primary romance.

I will say that I liked the romance a lot. It was fun and just what I was looking for in a more comedic style shifter romance. Some of the obstacles to Evie and Mateo didn’t really feel like obstacles, and felt like they were put there as almost as cursory plot points, like the fact that Evie wasn’t really supposed to be associating with a werewolf. That was solved almost immediately, with no difficulty, and that’s fine, but then why bother putting it in to begin with? Otherwise, I’d say the story was nice.

2. Thoughts on the characters

It’s always a bit tricky when you’re dealing with a series that follows multiple characters, as they usually all appear in all the books and can sometimes overwhelm the story. In this instance, Evie has several sisters and their personalities were a little muddied at first. I really like Evie, though, and Mateo was an absolutely wonderful hero to the story. The other characters felt a little like throw away characters, even the antagonist who spelled Mateo in the first place. Still, it’s a romance, so I didn’t mind.

3. Favourite part

Date night! That was so thoughtful and sweet. Loved it!

4. Critique

Again, this book is a romance, but if you’re going to include any elements of other genres, do them justice. In this instance, there is somewhat of a mystery surrounding who spelled Mateo, but there were no real clues, the investigation was more cursory and romantic plot moving than helpful, and the solution was fast and a bit easy. A great romance, not so much on the mystery side of things.

Overall, I would say that Wolf Gone Wild was a fun book, and it made me happy, so I say very good to that.

Author Interview: Hugo Hobbs

Hugo Hobbs

We’ll skip the “tell us about yourself” because coming up with something on the spot is, truly, the bane of an author’s existence. So, let’s start with something a little easier! Tell me what you’re working on at the moment.*

I’ve recently released my first novel in the source war series entitled; “Quest for Fire.” A second book is in progress.

In as much detail as you would like, tell me about your book(s) that are already out/on the way.*

Quest for Fire begins with the initiation of a young man who’s curiosity leads him to an archeological dig site by the dragon’s armies. This information propels the main storyline forward. The darkness led by a dragon named Ahr-phar-zon has learned that the source of all living fire will take sides in the conflicts of the world. The alliance of elves and men learn of this information, and send a dysfunctional group to quest for the source of fire. This group contains military, a princess, and a notorious convict. All forseen arriving at their destination. The old rivals of light and darkness explode, and war breaks out. parties of orcs, trolls, and undead invade alliance lands. The slaughter is heavy, and victory appears to be lost. They all hope the dysfunctional group will be their salvation in the end.

As far as the writing process goes—including such things as conception of idea all the way through to money in the bank—what is the least favourite bit? (Everyone has one!)*

Editing. It was so detailed. I was very lucky to have the talented Kate Seager to do this for me. However, the final version was a process that seemed to elude us both.

Conversely, what is the bit of the writing process that gets your writery brain grinning?*

When I can see it. When my writing makes me laugh, or grimace. Then I’m in the zone so to speak.

If you could steal any author’s ability to improve your own work, who would you steal from and why? (e.g. Tolkien’s language skills, Douglas Adams’ humour, etc.)*

Dean Koontz. His novels just became alive and so hard to put down! That talent of storytelling is something I envy.

Now for some fun! The main character of the book you’re working on (or have recently finished) has kidnapped you for ruining their life. How will you explain that what you’re doing is for the best?

Cy-Cryst, the main hero, and leader in the alliance quest party. He does not like this drama filled group, nor the fact that he is falling in love with a wizard assigned to him. He would be angry with me, lol. I’d convince him that though the mission is difficult, in the end it will provide the safety and security of his people.

You, your main character(s), and the protagonist of the last book you read are playing poker. What are the stakes? Who will win and why?

Cy-Cryst and Malik. The dragon’s armies want the alliance war hero, and have often tried to capture him alive. The stakes of the game would be his freedom. As for Malik the alliance wants him dead. That would be some high stakes poker.

Let’s face it, writing is hard. What do you think are some traps to avoid in your particular area of expertise? (Whether that be your genre, your knowledge of plot, your character building, your world building, etc.)*

world building is the trap for me. It’s my world and I can write about every detail, but that would make my reader upset. finding the right balance is often difficult.

Anything else you’d like to add? Plots to take over the world, for example. Upcoming release dates, links and things, maybe even your favourite chocolate cake recipe.

Second book in the series is nearly completed. These are large novels, in the area of 700+ pages per book.

Book Review: Divinity’s Twilight: Remnant by Christopher Russell

Every now and again, you just need to sink your teeth into an epic story. And when that epic story comes with an equally epic sequel? Well, there go my weekend plans! I was really excited, therefore, to read Christopher Russel’s Divinity’s Twilight: Remnant, the sequel to the first book, where everything goes from oh my, to ohmygoodnesswhatjusthappened.

1. Thoughts on the plot

As with book one, there’s a great deal going on in this book. This book primarily focuses on the aftermath of the fall of Darmatia. There are a few people who find the Rebellion, there’s the schemes of the Sarconian emperor, and the plans of other ancient forces finally being brought to fruition. I would go into more detail, but honestly there’s a massive amount going on in this book. I enjoyed the plot a fair bit, especially given that itw as a sequel. Oftentimes, sequels can fall flat, as they require a bit of extra plot to fill in the gaps between the first book and the dramatic next book. In this case, there was a bit more of a focus on character development than in book one, but the plot did not feel flat in any way at all. And towards the end, it got very dramatic indeed!

2. Thoughts on the characters

This book focused a great deal more on character development as the catalyst for the story than book one, which, frankly, I did not mind at all. I think this focus worked fairly well, especially given how, ah, unlikeable certain characters were in book one (coughVallencough). I think that the focus on character worked especially well because it was used in conjunction with plot, not as replacement for plot. 

I will say that the only part of this book that didn’t flow as smoothly as the other parts was the reconciliation of Major Reev and Colonel Holcome. It made sense up to a certain point, but the final situation, at least on Reev’s part, felt a little too fast. 

3. Favourite part

Renar and his art. Very cool!

4. Critique

To be honest, there’s not a great deal for me to critique in this book, except that one thing mentioned in section 2. Otherwise, mostly, I’m just waiting for Vallen to continue with his improvement. Maybe by the end of book three, I’ll actually like him as a person instead of just liking him as a character.

Overall, I would say that Remnant is a great sequel to a great first book, and I cannot wait for the epic story to continue. Also, I have theories that I need confirmed!

Author Interview: Peter Servidio

Peter Servidio

We’ll skip the “tell us about yourself” because coming up with something on the spot is, truly, the bane of an author’s existence. So, let’s start with something a little easier! Tell me what you’re working on at the moment.*

Book 1 of a new apocalyptic series titled “The Deliverence”

In as much detail as you would like, tell me about your book(s) that are already out/on the way.*

I am fairly new as an formal author, but have been writing my whole life. I currently have a four book, post-apocalyptic series out called Earth Has Fallen, and it has one supplemental short story talking about the main character’s upbringing. I am looking to have 4 or 5 more short stories covering the other important characters.

Along with this I am currently writing a new apocalyptic series called Agents of Tomorrow which centers on an ex-con and his friends 12 year old daughter who find themselves depending on one another to survive in a rapidly devolving world.

Aside from these two series, I have a couple of other dystopian books that are currently stand alone, but who knows, they may evolve. The stand alone books are: The Chimera Project (focus on a dystopian world of psionic people), Chain of Events (focus on how many lives Intertwined in a Tarantino type storytelling), and Souls to Keep (focus on a man who makes a deal with a demon and the unfortunate consequences).

Also I dabble in educational guides and children books at times as well.

As far as the writing process goes—including such things as conception of idea all the way through to money in the bank—what is the least favourite bit? (Everyone has one!)*

Editing. In my mind when I write, my story is perfect. Of course my mind is not always right. Alas, editing shows me my many mistakes

Conversely, what is the bit of the writing process that gets your writery brain grinning?*

When I get a thought for a new book. It doesn’t matter if I am driving, at my day job, or sleeping. It always lights up my day.

If you could steal any author’s ability to improve your own work, who would you steal from and why? (e.g. Tolkien’s language skills, Douglas Adams’ humour, etc.)*

It’s funny you mention Tolkien as he is one of my favorite writers. But I would not want to steal his language, rather I would love to have his ability to create whole nations, while worlds which seamlessly fit together. He was well before his time.

Now for some fun! The main character of the book you’re working on (or have recently finished) has kidnapped you for ruining their life. How will you explain that what you’re doing is for the best?

That’s a tough one. In my current book, The Deliverance, I would have to try and outwit Joshua and show him that it is because of me he has a life to ruin. Now if we are talking about Loreto Ricker from Return from Darkness of my earth Has Fallen series, I believe we could have more of a father/son type conversation.

You, your main character(s), and the protagonist of the last book you read are playing poker. What are the stakes? Who will win and why?

While the last book I read was Stephen King’s The Stand, so I would say with God and Satan sitting at the table, the odds would be the souls of the world.

Let’s face it, writing is hard. What do you think are some traps to avoid in your particular area of expertise? (Whether that be your genre, your knowledge of plot, your character building, your world building, etc.)*

I think it can be easy to think that our story is never truly finished. One more word here, or just another thought there. At some point, we have to accept the fact that the story is complete and let it live.

Anything else you’d like to add? Plots to take over the world, for example. Upcoming release dates, links and things, maybe even your favourite chocolate cake recipe.

Plots to take over the world, you say? With a wife and three daughters, not to mention a couple of cats and a dog, I am just trying to keep my house afloat:-). If any of your readers would like to follow me, they can visit my webpage and sign up for my monthly newsletter to keep abreast of what I and many other authors are doing at: https://acpete41.wixsite.com/writings...

Book Review: Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood

I love a good enemies to lovers romance, especially when the characters are independent, capable, and haven’t actually done anything so terrible that I would be annoyed at them in real life. That’s why I really like Ali Hazelwood’s books, because her characters are intelligent, capable, and not terrible people. Also, it’s a great romance.

1. Thoughts on the plot

This book follows Bee Könnigwasser, neurostimulation expert, as she works on NASA’s new project with her nemesis Levi Ward, who has hated her since grad school. And when you put two scientists who hate each other on the same project? Sparks. Lots of sparks.

I really liked the premise of this book, partly because it’s nice to read women in STEM books, but also because I like that Bee and Levi are both in equal roles on the project. There is no power imbalance, no sucking up to the boss, just two people who have to work together. I also really liked how the interactions played out between the characters. I wasn’t surprised when Levi’s true feelings came to light, but I think the way that it was done was absolutely fantastic. I will say that the plot twist at the end with the person causing the problems was a bit abrupt and out of the blue, but I’ll forgive it, since this is a romance novel, not a mystery.

2. Thoughts on the characters

I really liked both Bee and Levi, as they were the most well-developed characters and were a pleasure to read. Their interactions were just what I was hoping for: no power play, no disrespecting the other person, just really good dialogue. And they were great characters in their own rights, not just because of the romance. I will say that the other characters were a little less realistic than Bee and Levi. Partly because we spend less time on the secondary characters than otherwise, but also because I think they had more roles to fill that were plot-oriented rather than character oriented.

3. Favourite part

The cats!

4. Critique

Most of my critique is to do with the plot twist at the end, just because it was extremely abrupt and seemed to come out of nowhere. We got some backstory about the reasoning earlier, but it was apparently incomplete, which is a thing I loathe in mystery novels. As this wasn’t even close to a mystery novel, then it’s fine.

Overall, I would say that Love on the Brain is a fun, entertaining, respectful romantic comedy and I wish there were more like this book. Very good.

Book Review: Babel by R.F. Kuang

I love language. I studied linguistics in university, and have been obsessing over language construction and conlangs and words for most of my life. So I was very, very excited to read a mainstream speculative fiction book featuring language!

1. Thoughts on the plot

This book follows Robin Swift, a Cantonese boy who is adopted by Professor Richard Lovell and taken to Britain, where he is tutored in Chinese, Latin, Greek and English in the hopes that he will join Babel, the source of translation magic in Oxford, England. Over time, Robin makes friends with various other people who were adopted from their home countries and brought to Oxford. But such translation magic comes at a cost, and the reach of the British Empire may have finally pushed too far. 

The plot in this book, to be honest, is a bit slow. There are a few extremely dramatic bits at around the 3/4 mark, but most of the book is dominated by theme. That’s fine, really, as I have no problem with a book expounding on a specific theme. However, when it overpowers the plot and becomes a bit of a rambling exposition rather than a story, I get quickly bored.

2. Thoughts on the characters

I liked the characters. They managed to be very realistic, as both representations of students and people who manage to hold contradictions in their head. I really enjoyed reading about their interactions and their learning and the journey. I will say that at the end especially, they became very much like caricatures that were specifically written to fill a role in the thematic element of the story rather than people. 

3. Favourite part

The language. I adore language

4. Critique

I think I would have enjoyed this book a great deal more if the theme—against imperialism, racism, sexism…anything that diminishes the differences of people, really—weren’t so overwhelming. I have not a problem with any of these themes in the slightest. I think it’s very important to explore the concepts. But when the theme overpowers story and characters to where everything becomes nothing more than a representation of that theme, then it feels very much like I am being lectured at, and that is quite dull indeed.

Overall, I would say that Babel is a technically good book, with characters and prose that are exceptionally well crafted. But it leaves a sense of dissatisfaction.

Author Interview: Michael Camarillo

Michael Camarillo

We’ll skip the “tell us about yourself” because coming up with something on the spot is, truly, the bane of an author’s existence. So, let’s start with something a little easier! Tell me what you’re working on at the moment.*

I am in the final stages of publishing my debut fiction novel called Keeper 829. It is a dystopian fiction set in the year 2098 and incorporates elements of historical storytelling and science-fiction imagination. Ultimately, it boils down to an alternate reality where humans are a crop for reaping in a scheme of genetic engineering.

In as much detail as you would like, tell me about your book(s) that are already out/on the way.*

As I mentioned above, my novel Keeper 829 is coming out on December 31, 2021. It is the first book in a series called The Keeper Program. In this dystopian society, I created an autocratic organization called The Institution who restructured the world into four geographical zones. Faith and states were eradicated, and society operates under the thumb of this shadowy organization which goes the whole nine to portray freedom and rights, including a World Panel of “representatives.” All of this emerged after an apocalyptic nuclear conflict called “The War.” Society is advanced using AI bots (IDA Units) to handle most low-skilled jobs, and The Institution uses a satellite apparatus called “The Eye” to spy on the world and manage it accordingly. What humans don’t know is that much of The Institution is comprised of extraterrestrial AI units who were sent to Earth millennia ago.

My MC is a Keeper, a biomimetic being who looks like a normal female human. She, like other Keepers (and their counterparts, Warders), was sent to Earth to “keep” an intelligence species until necessary information is extracted and the resources of the planet are exhausted. In her home galaxy, a massive civil war resulted in the collapse of the harmonious system and remnants of both sides raced out to various “yield planets” (places where intelligent species are being grown and engineered) to regroup. My MC was in a production batch that was infected with a virus, thus has lost many of her memories and can no longer receive updates from the SAGE Central Command System. This has made her adapt and become more human than robot, hence she has a deep connection to the humans.

She ultimately meets other Keepers and Warders and the veil is lifted as she finds out that she is an unwitting player in this game that ends with the extermination of humans. —

I also write non-fiction travel books focusing on Culture and Education for a business I own and run called Novel Excursion Travel. I have one out on Amazon now, called “Explore! San Antonio Your Culture Guide to Educational and Service-Oriented Travel.” I also have plans to write a children’s book series focused on purposeful travel, hopefully in 2022.

As far as the writing process goes—including such things as conception of idea all the way through to money in the bank—what is the least favourite bit? (Everyone has one!)*

Selling books

Conversely, what is the bit of the writing process that gets your writery brain grinning?*

Creating ideas and world building

If you could steal any author’s ability to improve your own work, who would you steal from and why? (e.g. Tolkien’s language skills, Douglas Adams’ humour, etc.)*

Anne Rice’s ability to jumble timelines and jump between different characters’ perspectives without confusing the reader. She is my spirit animal and I would love to be able to tell a vivid and intricate story like she can.

Now for some fun! The main character of the book you’re working on (or have recently finished) has kidnapped you for ruining their life. How will you explain that what you’re doing is for the best?

I will ask her to watch all the Matrix movies with me, then say “You are the one, I am merely the Architect. Ergo, the choice is yours.”

You, your main character(s), and the protagonist of the last book you read are playing poker. What are the stakes? Who will win and why?

Gabriel (Warder 516) , Nesha (Keeper 829), Mary (Keeper 704), the Vampire Lestat, and I are playing for the survival of humanity. I win because my perception determines their reality and I wrote what hands they have.

Let’s face it, writing is hard. What do you think are some traps to avoid in your particular area of expertise? (Whether that be your genre, your knowledge of plot, your character building, your world building, etc.)*

I think becoming stretched too thin by overcomplicating my world building. My character building is very personal to me, so I also need to avoid letting my perception of my characters’ models cloud my judgment.

Anything else you’d like to add? Plots to take over the world, for example. Upcoming release dates, links and things, maybe even your favourite chocolate cake recipe.

I once wanted to be a dictator but then I realized how much work it would take and decided instead to write books.

https://michaelcamarillobooks.com/shop

https://www.facebook.com/groups/camar... https://www.instagram.com/michaelcama...

Can’t say I have a favorite chocolate cake recipe, though…after living in Europe for three years, I can say my favorite food ever is Langos (Hungarian Sweet Bread). Khachapuri from Georgia comes in a close second!

Book Review: Nandor by Martin Owton

The hardest part of, well, life is the fact that we have to reap the consequences of what we sow. The same holds true for fantasy novels as well, especially the farther into a series you get. And such is the case with Martin Owton’s Nandor, the second book in the Tales of Nandor series.

1. Thoughts on the plot

The last book left us with Aron being offered a choice to marry either Edith or Celaine, two daughters of the Earl of Nandor. He refused and then went off to go on other adventures. This book starts with those adventures taking hold of him, in the form of Celaine getting kidnapped and appearing to Aron in a truedream. He travels to Nandor, where he, Edith and Maldwyn, the new Earl, venture forth to find Celaine and get her back, no matter the cost.

The plot of this book was very interesting. A standard adventure novel requiring the rescue of a loved one, which is generally a story form I enjoy, especially when other shenanigans happen along the way. In this instance, there are shenanigans. I do think that there were a few plot points that happened a little too quickly and didn’t seem to have much of an influence on the larger plot except to get our hero into trouble, unlike in book one where the shenanigans were almost all plot-relevant. This is fine, just a little different than what I was expecting given book one. 

2. Thoughts on the characters

I really liked seeing how the various characters, Edith especially, had changed because of Aron’s actions at the end of book one. I think this is one of the better examples I’ve seen of actions having real, definable consequences that show up in the characters as well as the plot. And the development was very good indeed. I really liked that aspect of this story.

3. Favourite part

Probably the change in the characters. It was still consistent with who they were in book one, but the changes were very visible, as they would be in anyone who had dealt with such things. 

4. Critique

My only real critique is the bit I mentioned in section one, where a few of the incidents that our hero found himself involved in felt less relevant to the story than otherwise. This is a perfectly valid style, and can be used to great effect for character development, but it is a different style from book one and I was not expecting it. Still, once I figured it out, everything was fine.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this second book of the Tales of Nandor and I am curious to see what will happen next, because I have a feeling that there is going to be a next. A very good book.