Q: As a reader, one of the highlights of Red Seas under Red Skies for me was the character growth between Locke and Jean. These two share a very special bond, that goes without saying. From a writer's standpoint, was it interesting to let these two share the spotlight for the better part of the novel?

Absolutely, because their interaction on the page reached the point where the only way to preserve a naturalistic feeling was to ditch most of the emotional arc I'd plotted out for them in advance, and sort of wing it based on what the little bastards were more or less demanding.

It's not that you're out of control of the writing process; it's not that I'm trying to throw in quasi-mystical bullshit about character autonomy. They're just fictional constructs, but if they're any goodat all, they exist in your mind as ideal models of a sort. And those ideal models may reject the forced intrusion of plot points that seemed quite logical when you set them out "cold," devoid of context and development, weeks or months earlier.

They correct you when you try to write them wrong, basically. And if you can accept that sort of criticism from imaginary people, the process is loads of fun.

Q: I know that you're a big fan of Patrick O'Brian. Could the entire"piracy on the high seas" story arc of this book be considered somekind of homage to his work?

Absolutely. O'Brian wrote a historical series that has the transportive effect of the very best science fiction and fantasy; his Napoleonic era is so vividly and meticulously evoked that it inspires a genuine sense of wonder and bewilderment. He never paused to frame anything in a context for modern readers. He plunked you down, in medias res, in the routines, prejudices, jargon, and minutiae of the early 19th century, and expected you to keep up on your own. I can't claim to be constantly doing anything of that sort, but I love the Aubrey/Maturin books dearly and will cease homaging them when somebody pries my keyboard from my cold, dead hands.

Q: What can we expect from the third volume in the main sequence, The Republic of Thieves? What's the progress report on it?

In progress, is the progress report. I think this is going to be the biggest of the sequence in the sense of what it contains; all the various plots and counter-plots and revelations. It's a bit crammed with important things. Whether that will translate to a brutally huge page count, well -- I'm trying to keep it in check. The size of RSURS began to stretch what my publishers can take in stride, and I'm trying very hard not to go *too* far beyond that. Remember that I originally meant to have RSURS end up significantly smaller than TLOLL, and in the end I had to chop roughly fifty pages even to get it to where it is...

What to expect? The events of The Republic of Thieves are going to make the previous two books look simple and straightforward, that's what. There will be an interwoven chain of flashbacks to the Gentlemen Bastards as rather hormonal teenagers. The ongoing rivalry/love affair between Locke and Sabetha. Exploration of the rules and secrets behind the working of magic. And a few story closures that are not entirely cheerful... I guess I do a lot of plot shopping at the Unhappy Ending Discount Warehouse.

Q: Are you eager to finally introduce Sabetha to your readers?

Hell yes. What, you wanted more? Eh, I've concealed her for two years. I can conceal her for one more.

Q: Have the plotlines diverged much since you began writing the series, or did you have the entire plot more or less figured out from the very beginning? Were any characters added or further fleshed out beyond your original intention? Have you made any changes to your initial plans during the course of the writing of the series?

The overall shape of the series remains concrete; the ending is set in stone, the path there is charted. It's not so much the results that have shifted but the means and the details. The longer you spend at a project like this, the better you get to know the characters, and that lets you come up with new ways to bring about certain results. Possibilities for conflict and growth that you never saw before suddenly become as obvious as a brick to the head.

Some characters do force themselves into broadened or adjusted roles; Zamira Drakasha, for example. And the Falconer's mother, Lady Patience of Karthain. Originally she was a very minor character in The Republic of Thieves. She's since come to loom over nearly every aspect of the plot.

I have been sorely tempted, at times, to veer away from some of my original ideas for the series, but I've stuck to my guns... nothing that can't fit into the size I've dictated. No major plot digressions in the main-sequence books. Possible illumination or expansion of certain points in novellas, so long as nothing therein becomes indispensible to understanding the main sequence.