GOLD Release Week!

A highlight for me as a writer is having books released into the world, and this week is no exception.  GOLD is the sequel to SILVER, and I loved getting a chance to dive back into the world of the characters from my first novel.  It was so much fun to write a story where I knew the characters so well, and writing it was like hanging out with old friends and catching up after a long absence; comfortable, but also different.

In a way, GOLD is the book I set out to write when I first wrote SILVER.  From page one of SILVER, I knew that Austin had a big role to play in Brianna's life, and I knew that his feelings for her ran much, much deeper than he ever let on.  One of the big changes from earlier drafts of SILVER to the published version, was making Austin less attractive, so that the reader could understand why Brianna would choose Blake.  It pained me to do so, and I couldn't wait for this book when I could let Austin reveal all his cards.  And boy did he.  Austin is one of those characters who always surprises me when I'm drafting.  He says and and does things that I don't always expect, but always stays true to who he is, and makes me love him even more. 

One thing I wanted to do with a second book was raise the stakes.  I didn't want to rehash the same conflict from the first book, although there are unresolved issues that needed to be dealt with.  The smaller conflict between the Sons and the Bandia is expanded to include other factions who all have something to gain or lose in the battle between humanity and the gods.  Ultimately the book is about what it means to be human, the highs and the lows, the risks and the rewards, and the price we all pay for the lives we're given.

Now that it's out in the world, GOLD isn't my book anymore, it belongs to anyone who picks it up and gives it a try.  But, there are still little pieces of me trapped inside, and I think that's the way it should be.

For more GOLD related posts check out the GOLD blog tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours!