Shattered Sun (The Sentinel Trilogy Book 3) (28 page)

In The Sentinel Trilogy, I started with three thoughts.

• What on earth (or is that “what in the universe?”) is Apex? How does their society function?
  

• What will happen when I take a group of isolated soldiers on perpetual vigil when an unknown craft appears? I got this idea when reading about Japanese soldiers who stayed hidden on remote Pacific islands for years, not knowing that the war had ended.
  

• Would we be able to understand aliens if we met them?
  

We have alien life on Earth, of course. I might be able to see into the mind of an elephant or a golden retriever, but what about wasps? Get too close to their nest and they’ll sting you relentlessly, even if it means their own death. That’s something we have a hard time understanding, the evolution that makes a hive more like one organism instead of a collection of individuals. How could I apply that to Apex?

One final thing, and then I’ll let you go. Actually, if you’re bored, you can leave now. I don’t mind, and probably won’t even notice if you slip out the side door while I pontificate.

Cliffhangers!
 

Ugh. They frustrate me as a writer and as a reader. Unless, of course, I can immediately move on to the next book.

But since they work to keep readers interested, and there’s no doubt they sell books, what I decided to do was write all three books up front and then release the series quickly. That way nobody would be waiting for more than a few weeks to find out what happens.

And if you started reading after the last book is released, lucky you! No cliffhangers, only a couple of minutes while you download the next book. For the rest of you, forgive me, please. I hope the ride was worth the wait.

That’s all. I’m off to do some more writing, and you’re off to read something else.

I’m currently at work on the first book of the next trilogy in the Blackbeard universe,
Queen of the Void
. Unfortunately, it isn’t yet available for order, but you can
sign up for my new releases list
here
, and you’ll get an email as soon as it is released. You’ll also get a free copy of the first book of my fantasy series,
The Dark Citadel,
as a welcome. This mailing list is only used for announcing new releases, and your email will never be sold or distributed.