With everything, there is always the possibility of failure. Failure to write this series of books. Failure to let my characters take on lives of their own. Failure to relinquish the control over my character’s missions in their line of work. Failure to ultimately let my characters fail.

Even though so far I have managed to write a couple of books in this series, because I have had such huge lag times with getting Venice Nights out due to other stuff going on, I feel as though I’m failing my readers. It’s not fair on them, and it’s not fair on me. The book IS coming. Just taking longer than I expected.

Despite everything, my characters are actually taking on their own lives in my books – and that’s both heart-warming, as well as heart breaking.

I actually gave up all control over the missions in Tijuana Nights. That book really took on a story of its own as soon as I gave up on trying to control it. I had a team of assassins running about in Tijuana, all with their own strengths, weaknesses, and personalities. That’s what makes it work.

And as soon as I let my characters fail in that book, that was what made it a gripping read. They shouldn’t have survived. But they did, and sometimes I think that was also down to sheer dumb luck. Obviously as the writer I wanted them to live. But I also designed the book so that Mack would go through some serious training with River, Chase, and Gabe, but then at the end, despite everything, she would fail.

I think that the moral of the story here is that life isn’t perfect. Sometimes we need to know that we’ve tried and failed, but that we’re willing to try again. That’s what humanises our characters. That’s what humanises us.