by A. R. Wise
I didn't get a chance to deal with Ben and Harrison very much here, but I've always wanted this series to come off as somewhat realistic, which meant they had to be sidelined. A lot of books that I read have characters who can survive massive injuries and then hop right back up to act like action movie stars again. That always bothers me, so I try to make sure that my characters react plausibly to injury. Ben and Harrison went through hell in the last book, so there's not much of a chance of them taking the lead the day after for this one. That being said, Ben and Harrison still have one of my favorite storylines here. Harry's struggle with drugs, and desire to push Ben away, was a way for me to add in one more dynamic that feeds the theme of families falling apart. After all, drugs are something that tear a lot of families up.
I would also like to take the opportunity to talk about some of the other underlying themes that people might find here. I often receive letters from fans that appreciate the religious themes that can be found in these books. The reason I appreciate these letters is because the fan assumes I'm putting that theme in here to fit with my own beliefs. That's not the case. I pride myself in silencing the author's voice when I write. I try desperately not to allow my own religious or political beliefs to sneak into my writing. In my view, if I allow myself to do that, then I'm stealing the book away from the characters. My own political or religious beliefs have no business getting into my character's heads. Their thoughts belong to them, and I try to let them run with it.
In this book, the climax occurs as the characters are huddled around a church. In the past, the Rollers set up their wall around a Captain's Tent, and at the end they're doing it around a church. It's impossible not to see that as symbolic, and the way I looked at it was that it was indeed symbolic, for the characters of the books. You, the reader, can take it anyway you want. There's no right or wrong way to interpret that.
Similarly, the Rollers are split between a desire for war and a desire for peace. Neither side is right. Take the book however you want, but the way I see it is that the characters are all right, in their own way. Heck, even the bad guys in these books are right in their own minds. I haven't put any villains into the books that wear black hats and curl their mustaches (although Jerald is pretty close). I try to make it apparent that if we got into their heads, we might come away thinking they were the good guys. In this book, we start out thinking Billy might be wrong, but when we get a chance to see him in action we see that he's got the best of intentions. It's not that he loves war, but he wants to do everything he can to protect the Rollers. Actually, I think the villain in this book is Kim - until she comes to the realization that she's allowing hatred and a desire for revenge to tear her away from what's important: her family.
Kim's journey in this book mimics that of her father's in part one. In a way, she's allowed her 'work' to separate her from her family. Midway through her story, she comes to this realization and then has to trudge through hell to get back to what's important to her. Then, ultimately, she sacrifices herself to protect them. I love Kim's journey here, and writing that final chapter was heartbreaking for me.
So what's next? Well, obviously the series is going to continue. Our characters have reached their nadir, and now they are going to have to fight to get out. Celeste is in Jerald's control, and Beatrice is in Hero's. The Rollers are caught in the middle, and the Noah Initiative is about to begin. Once again, the world hangs in the balance as this 'family' struggles to stay strong. Ben is now indebted to the Rollers, and he has never been tied to anyone like that in his life. Laura's world has just fallen apart, but she will have to stay strong to keep the Rollers safe. All of this is leading to an epic showdown that will change the world forever!
Oh… and Stubs will get some more attention. I promise!
Finally, please join the conversation on my Facebook fanpage for AR Wise. You're missing out on a lot of information about the series if you're not part of that community! Make sure to join the fan page, and not just my regular Facebook page. You'll know you're on my regular page instead of the fan page if all I ever seem to talk about is Chicago Bears football and politics! Also, fans of the Facebook page have been getting all sorts of freebies lately, including my newest full length novel, 314.
Also check out the website www.arwisebooks.com for all sorts of information, including how to get limited edition signed copies of book covers for free!
And, as always, you can email me anytime at [email protected]
One final thing! If you enjoyed this book, or any independent author's books, please take a minute to go write a review on whatever site you purchased it from. The reviews have a huge impact on exposure, and we're all struggling to make a name for ourselves in this exciting, burgeoning market. When you decide to support an independent author by buying their books and writing reviews, you are LITERALLY making their dreams come true.
Here's a dirty little secret of mine: When I'm feeling uninspired, and am having trouble plugging through a new book, I head over to the sites that sell my books and read some of the five star reviews I've received. I read them over and over to get me inspired to go write again. I know it sounds needy, but it's true. So help me out and write the glowing review that's going to inspire my next book!
