Musings and insights about sequel-age

Well now. I've been waiting a while to create this post, and so it figures that I'd have a hard time figuring out how to heck to do it. It's the age old question of how to write about a story without giving it all away. Hm. I pulled it off with Seers. Let's see if I can do the same with Whisper.

Ah, Whisper of Light--you were a unique experience. You were not always so forthcoming with your secrets, which was so apropos considering your main character. Now, here's the part where I talk to my protagonist. No need to call the medics... this is normal for me.

Nicole Abbot, you frustrating protagonist, you...I can't say much about you to my beloved reader peeps because you are so secretive that I know you wouldn't appreciate me revealing your life out of context, so, I'll keep mum about you, specifically. But, I do want to discuss two important things.

1. Christian Wright. One of my wonderful fellow authors, Jennifer Lane, recently started reading Seers of Light, and in a blog about choosing character names, she said the following of Christian: Christian Wright. At first I thought this character would be a total goody-two-shoes, but as I get to know Christian, I'm finding that he is very much a multi-faceted character.

I can't imagine a better compliment, because it's true that Christian does seem like a real Mr. Perfect in the beginning, but anyone who reads far enough will learn that he's got some mixed up, messed up, confused and pain-driven neuroses to work through. No human, no matter how handsome, no matter how strong, is without their own kind of screwed up. Of course, like all of us, Christian's problems come from a root source, and that source can be dealt with, if the sufferer chooses to change. CAN Christian change? Has he? I guess you'll know for sure when you read Whisper of Light. But that leads me to the following:

2. What's the purpose of the sequel? I mean, come on, this is me. I always have to have some kind of message to say, especially (but not exclusively) to women, and Whisper has a message all right. It's about courage. It's about fighting the demons in your head in order to allow yourself happiness, in order to make the changes required to be happy, an action which is so damned hard--much harder than you'd ever imagine, that most of us never really take those crucial, scary steps toward freedom.

In book one, you've got Lily--and Lily has wanderlust. She's ready for change, she's ready to jump into bed with change and make lots and lots of little change babies. But Nicole... well... she's a lot more like most of us. More realistic... more guilt-driven... more self-deprecating. She's that voice in our heads that says, "I'm not good enough, I'm not smart enough, I'm fat, or I'm ugly, or I'm plain, I don't fit in, I'm just flat out not good." What about "I'm too busy doing everything for everyone else to follow my heart and bliss"?

Sound familiar? Yeah. I can relate to all of those, and I know you can, too.

This book is about a lot of things. It's not constant angst all the time, but it is much more human, more heart-heavy, and I did this because I wanted you to know that I have your back. I know it's tough, I know it hurts a lot of the time. But relentless courage--the courage to go after what you really want, even when you're scared to death, even when you doubt yourself the whole time--that kind of courage is everything. It will get you what you need and then more.

If you haven't read the book's summary for Whisper of Light on my publisher's website, here's the LINK. And if you've missed out on the trailer release, you can see it HERE.

In the mean time, I'll keep sending out those good vibes till October 26th (release date, yay!), when you'll see for yourself what, exactly, I mean by all this.

Be well, everybody. Love,
Jen