Total pages in book: 130
Estimated words: 117336 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 587(@200wpm)___ 469(@250wpm)___ 391(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 117336 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 587(@200wpm)___ 469(@250wpm)___ 391(@300wpm)
In a way, that makes him perfect for Melina. She has a strong moral compass. She does things for the good of the fort, even if she doesn't want to, because someone has to do them. She's not going to let him stray. She knows the way and she’s going to lead him through it.
I wanted Melina to be more than just a do-gooder, though. I imagined what it'd be like to be her in the After, and the thing I kept coming back to was...tired. Melina would be TIRED. As a black woman alone in a shitty world, she would be constantly in defense mode. As a fairly young, attractive woman alone, she would have had to do bad stuff in the past to save herself, like all women in the After. And on top of that, she's looking after people who aren't all that grateful, who expect someone to look after them because a clinic is where you go when you're sick, right? Never mind that no one gives the person running the clinic a day off. So I imagined Melina as tired and world-weary. It's one reason why she's comforted by being able to take care of her hair and doll herself up. It's one reason why she loves painting her toes and wearing pretty dresses. She's tired of the daily struggle, and life with Azar takes some of that weight off. Of course it'd be appealing on some level, and the more he takes care of her, the more she comes to appreciate just how devoted he is to her.
Let’s talk about that first sexual encounter between them. It’s a goddamn mess. I know it is. I wanted Azar to get what he wanted, and for it to be the worst thing in the world. I wanted it to make him feel like absolute shit so he could learn from it and realize that he couldn’t just shove his way into her heart. So I felt it was necessary even if it was a really strong, polarizing sort of scene.
Now let's talk about the Rift and closing it and why did I take the telepathic bonds away from everyone? It's bittersweet, as some of my readers commented, but it was something that I felt had to happen. It's a leftover power from the other world, and it's the root of the drakoni madness. I couldn't envision a future for my characters ten or twenty years down the line still trying to eke out an existence between dragon attacks, so I wanted to change that particular aspect. It opens up new avenues for the setting and maybe I'll come back to it someday! But for now, I like where we're at. I like that everything's tied up and I can close this chapter and be pleased with how it ended.
I'm truly sorry this one took so long to come out! I had a few things going on in my schedule that had to get squeezed in. Add to the fact that I had to give up daily caffeine for medical reasons AND I was on a new medication that had a side-effect of sleepiness, and let's just say that December was a fairly useless month for me. I actually worried I was getting burned out - nope! I was just really dang tired and unable to write more than a few hundred words a day. That put me behind schedule, and I suspect I'll be playing catch up for a while now.
A huge, huge shout out to my sensitivity readers who made this book better than it was. You all had such wonderful suggestions, and when they conflicted with one another, I went for the one that I felt suited the story best. I appreciate you all so very much for your time and patience, and this book wouldn't have been possible without your thoughtful input. So thank you again to Tye C., Chi O., Kanika H., Sheena B., Kim M., Grace Q., Stephanie D., Jane M., Zintle M., and Kim A. Thank you for putting up with my shifting schedule and reading so quickly when I finally sent the book off. Thank you, thank you. :)
I'm immensely proud of the final product and I hope you love it as much as I do! <3
Ruby