[rosie]

received all three books - the covers are a pure work of art
just finished the second book - The Awakening - did not want it to end
gary - I need to ask, how do you develop your characters? they are so real that I feel like I am getting to know them - they have grown in depth and being from the first book through the second, I can't wait to see where they wind up in The Shards (which by the way I am starting today)
will the story end there? or will I be able to be transported to your tranquil and evil kingdoms in more books??

[Gary Wassner]

Thanks for the kind words. No, the story does not end with the Shards. In fact, Book IV, The Revenge of the Elves, is done and I am now working on Book V, When Monsters Call Out The Names Of Men.


When it comes to my characters, I honestly cannot say that I think them out in advance too clearly. I like to create a character and see how he/she interacts with my world. Certainly, I have ideals in my mind for the good ones and the bad ones, and I know whom I like and whom I don't. The evil ones are easier to write for me initially, but then the lines blur around them too.

[rosie]

Thanks For The Quick Answer - I Have Never Posted Anything Before Today - I Look Forward To More Books And More Discussions

[Cwass]

Hey, I agree, even if I am a bit biased, dad.

[JRMurdock]

I'm not biased, but I agree that the books are a must read. If I weren't in the middle of remodeling my kitchen (and repainting my daughter's room) I'd be spending more time reading. As it is, I'm only getting through a chapter or two a day. :(.

And I agree, this is one of those series that you just don't want to end.

[Gary Wassner]

Got to get your priorities straight, Maus! Remodeling a kitchen over reading?

[juzzza]

I'll add my voice to the growing ROAR... Gemquest is excellent.

I will make a confession Gary and I hope you don't mind. I remember having a conversation with you once about killing off characters, and that conversation and the way you have conducted yourself around this board as a moderator, I thought increasingly, "What a genuinely nice guy."

The downside, is that I didn't think you could write 'gritty'. I thought your books were gonna be sensitive and fluffy.

I WAS WRONG.

Yes your philosophy comes through and there are characters and themes that show your nature, but I was delighted with Colton and surprised by the battle scenes.

A good book is the same as good music, light and shade is what it is all about. You need both for a balanced story.

Great stuff.

[Gary Wassner]

Sensitive and fluffy, huh? I have to start talking like Matt Stover around here if I want to get any respect!


Yes, I agree that you need both for a good story. I want my books to be interesting on more than one level. The ideas are important, but if they are cloaked in a form that is boring or pedantic, then what's the point? After all, the story and the characters drive everything else.

The ability to blend the light and the shade, as you so eloquently put it, is the key, so that neither eclipses the other but both retain their integrity and both generate the reader's reaction.

[rosie]

Sensitive, definitely - fluffy, I think not!! The characters are emotion laden and complex. From Cameron's death in book one (which by the way was so beautifully written that I cried) to the ultimate evil of Colton's hatred and scheming against humanity. the writing draws you into this world and makes you a part of it. Gary, you have to be emotionally invested in these characters - it must be difficult to let go of one, no?

[Gary Wassner]

It is so difficult to lose a character. It's like losing a good friend. But it is also necessary sometimes to allow these things to happen, no matter how much you might, as the author, wish to preserve all of your beloved relationships.

I started a thread in the fantasy section a few months ago that was about the killing off of heroes. Many people expressed their opinions about it, and the consensus was that when the story makes it necessary, then it has to be done. I feel that way as well. I would never gratuitously sacrifice an important character simply for dramatic effect. There has to be a very good reason to do it. But even then, I miss them terribly.