Now that “No Choice” has been out for a few weeks, I wanted to talk about some changes I’ve been making to the series as we move forward. Some changes you might have noticed, but others have been more subtle.
I am not making this a series about the kids, but I have found renewed interest in the adults by exploring the teenage years through their children. It adds a new element to their character when dealing with things through the eyes of their kids.
It’s also a way for me to push the adults into the next phase of their lives. The kids are growing up and moving on to their own stories, and that opens up the adults for new and creative plot twists.
“No Choice” is a change from the usual ‘drama’ you might be used to reading from me. Ian and David are unique ‘victims’ for me and the actual incident isn’t the main issue for this installment. It’s what happens next- that story will take us through the next 2 books.
Ian is a very important character to me. He and Desi and Cassie have become more than the family of David’s girlfriend. They have a story outside of the rest of the characters and they exist with or without the rest of the cast.
What I mean is, this story is as much about Ian and Cassie as it is about Desi and David.
I have toyed with the idea of breaking David and Desi up for a while. I love them together, and based on the poll I posted here, so do most of you. I worry about moving them away from each other, and in this book I don’t, but their relationship begins to show some cracks.
It’s necessary. It’s life.
If they are meant to be, they will stay together.
Sabrina has always been the wild card.
When I first introduced baby Bee and baby David into the series, I envisioned this amazing story where they grow up together and once teens, they go their separate ways but ultimately realize how much they are in love.
I wanted a duo who would face obstacles and always depend on each other through everything.
I imagined Jack giving David a hard time when he started dated Bee.
I had this whole story in my head about their love growing and blossoming.
But then I stopped seeing that.
I stopped finding them workable together.
I saw Sabrina as someone who would grow to resent David and I didn’t want that.
I also saw David stay with her out of comfort, but not passion.
One of the saddest chapters for me was when I had Bee break up with David- mainly because it caught David so completely off guard.
If I’m honest, I didn’t know I would have Desi become the character she was. I didn’t plan her attack far ahead. I didn’t know what would come of Drew.
I had Desi as someone with a whole background of her own.
Isolated, a little sad, the weight of the world on her shoulders.
I loved the idea of the farm and introducing a new dynamic into the series.
I wanted certain people to have insight into Desi’s character before David.
I connected her to Tommy through her illness.
I connected her to Bill and Mike through Cassie.
I connected her to Tessa through the farm.
I connected her to Katie.
I connected her to Scottie.
These connections were important and went beyond David. He wasn’t the only reason we needed Desi.
I needed her to become important to the story outside of being David’s girlfriend.
Looking back, all that Desi has endured since showing up in “The Hardest Goodbye” is crazy.
Some think I torture Brittany the most.
I think Desi can give her a run for her money.
Ultimately, tragedy brings about change. We all go through things in life and we come through a different person. Desi is proof of that. She exudes strength and resilience and I adore that about her.
David is a little different. He tries so hard to be who he thinks he should, and in doing so, he takes on so much guilt.
Some of my proudest scenes in “No Choice” are between David and Bill. The way David attacks his father is heartbreaking and in a way, understandable.
I have always hated how David doesn’t seem proud of his father. It’s certainly not the job of the child to give the parent validation, but for Bill, it’s what he aches for.
David’s anger at his father breaks Bill, and Julie’s fierce defense of him makes me love her even more.
Their relationship is special to me. They are the definition of meant to be and their love is strong and resilient.
“No Choice” is the beginning of a change for numerous characters. The result of what happens at the end of the book is the catalyst for a powerful shift in the dynamics of all characters, most importantly, Mike and Jade as well as Bill and Julie.
What do you think? What questions do you have?
And how did you like the introduction of Matt and Jess?
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