Author Commentary - Revelations

Dani and Michael’s kiss in the woods is one of my favorite scenes.  For the first time in her life, Dani gets to enjoy the passion of a kiss without having to be on guard against the Huntress.  Having her anxiety overwhelm the moment seemed like a necessary step in her psychological development.  It would be like being told this is the last five minutes you’ll ever have to enjoy yourself.  Most of us would panic and fail to actual enjoy it. Poor Michael is stuck doing the right thing at his own expense and while he does it, it’s not an easy thing for him.  He’s tempted to forget about his morals and let himself take what he wants.  But then he wouldn’t be Michael.  He can’t do something he knows will cause pain. Go on to Chapter Thirty-Two Go back to Chapter Thirty Author Commentary Page Revelations - Author Commentary Page

Using Gwen and Bernie to communicate between the two groups was a late arriving stroke of inspiration.  I was wracking my brain trying to figure out how to get everyone in the right place when there was no logical reason for the Harrises to know about the urgency of the situation.  Then I woke up in the middle of the night, scrambled for my notebook and wrote down what I thought was the solution.  In the morning, I discovered I’d written ‘Dead see everything” in scrawling letters.  After another few days of confusion, I realized it really was the logical solution. For McBride, I used his character to explore a question which I’ve pondered for a long time.  Why would someone undergo a painful procedure to transform themselves?  In real life, we have plastic surgery.  In fiction, people get bionic implants, transform into animals or are magically enhanced.  I wanted to show that it wouldn’t be a painless or simple procedure. I also took the oppo...

I love the Stirgises and their camper.  I imagine the chaos of having a bunch of active kids in a trailer on an endless road trip and it amuses me.  And Laura is so delightfully and innocently tactless.  I needed a burst of that to counterbalance the darkness of Dani’s memories. I spent a lot of time debating whether or not Dani could have been assaulted.  It seemed like it would be impossible for a superhero.  However, as I did more research, I discovered that physical capability doesn’t guarantee invulnerability.  Women with black belts, police officers, soldiers, all of them have suffered assaults.  I’ve kept the details of Dani’s assault vague while concentrating on the emotional impact because I don’t believe assault should be titillating.  There is still a lot of shame involved in reporting an assault.  Dani’s reactions are based on my research with actual rape victims.  Despite years of encouraging women to believe in “No mean...

Michael has been becoming more assertive and willing to risk conflict as the story progresses.  Having him call Dani on her fears was always part of the plan.  So was having her discover the truth about what happened in her childhood. I think all adults are guilty of this to one degree or another.  We want to protect children and we forget how frightening events can be when they’re stripped of context.  Walter and Virginia had the most awful and traumatic night of their lives when she lost her connection to the Goddess and he lost the use of his legs.  They struggled for a long time to heal themselves and meanwhile, they left their children to figure things out on their own.  Kids are very inventive at figuring out reasons why they are to blame for bad things which happen.  Secrets take on their own weight and inertia if allowed to develop, making them harder to crack. Go on to Chapter Thirty-Five Go back to Chapter Thirty-Three Author Commentary Pag...

The scene with Eric and Bernie was a last minute addition to the manuscript.  My beta readers wanted more of them and I realized that I hadn’t really taken advantage of their connection.  They are the only two in the compound who truly understand what Dalhard is doing.  It gives Eric a chance to play big-brother protector and gives Bernie someone she can rely on. Dalhard is starting to have the first inklings that his plan is beginning to crack apart at the edges.  But like most megalomaniacs and sociopaths, he can’t conceive of anyone being a true threat to him.  His greed is overwhelming the remnants of his common sense. Go on to Chapter Thirty-Six Go back to Chapter Thirty-Four Author Commentary Page Revelations - Author Commentary Page

Having to sit there and listen to people joyfully anticipate something you think will destroy you is awful.  Michael is facing the reality of a hero’s choice: save those you care about or save the world.  It’s a horrible choice, which is why arch-villains are so fond of forcing heroes to make it.  Gwen’s drawing of the man standing under the stars with an outline of a flag above him is a reference to McBride and the sequel.  She was the logical one to remind Michael that it is the people we care about which makes sacrifice meaningful.  If Dani had gone through the ritual without cementing her connection with Michael, she would not have survived her testing.  She would have sought oblivion and the divine connection would have been permanently lost. Go on to Chapter Thirty-Seven Go back to Chapter Thirty-Five Author Commentary Page Revelations - Author Commentary Page