Big time SPOILER WARNING in effect for this one, folks. The author commentary of The Final Gauntlet continues this week with a look at a late addition to the book: Bethany Loren.

Connecting to the main series

Remember that nugget? Yeah, my third goal for this book was making sure it transitioned nicely back to the main series.

Turns out that was a tough nut to crack.

The Final Gauntlet needed to stand on its own, close out the Greystone-in-Training trilogy, AND push readers to pick up Book Six of the main series? Sometimes I hate myself. (Sure, we’ll go with sometimes…)

When putting together the book, I needed a character or event that carried over between series. It didn’t take long to find. Beth’s fall cemented Loren’s path in Greystone. So I thought it would be interesting to show that same event from Soriya’s side.

Originally, it was meant to close out the series. That was such a downer ending. Annabelle’s closing scene resonated much more with me, and offered hope for the future.

Still, Beth’s fall was a great way to push Soriya forward.

The Final Gauntlet no more

The idea that all our trials end, that there is no more pain or suffering in our lives, is such a child’s view of things. The entire purpose behind The Final Gauntlet was to show Soriya that her line of thinking was flawed. That there will always be the next challenge and the next mystery. There will always be life and death, hope and sorrow, pain and joy.

Nothing ever truly ends. There is no finality when there is still life to be had.

I didn’t have this theme in mind when I started the book. It came when drafting the end with Soriya looking down over her friend. The one she failed to save. That cemented the theme in my mind: that moment forced Soriya to grow up and truly be something more than she was.

Now she was the Greystone, because now she saw the never-ending nature of the job.

Setting up the end

Having Beth’s fall from Soriya’s POV opened the door to some revisions on the rest of the book. There had to be a set up. Soriya can’t just show up at Beth’s.

A Circle of Shadows made it clear there was more interaction with Soriya and Beth, including a phone call just prior to Beth’s fall. That call was the first step in building up to the death of Soriya’s friend.

But I needed more.

Enter: a new opening chapter.

Originally, the book started with Annabelle Waterhouse. That made narrative sense to me. Inciting incident and all that. (See, I paid attention in school.)

To have the book open and close with a new character instead of your tried and true hero seemed like a slight against Soriya. I wanted to open with Soriya and Beth. I needed to with how things end. Beth couldn’t be someone off screen until her passing. There had to be that moment, that one look from Beth, where Soriya realizes she might never see her friend again.

Where worry and concern carry us forward so that when Beth is found on the pavement we aren’t surprised. Or we shouldn’t be, at any rate.

So the opening chapter became the diner scene, which has one of my favorite stories in it from Soriya. I still chuckle when I read through her dialogue.

Bringing it home. Pushing us forward.

The story of Greystone continues in Alpha and Omega. That’s always been the plan. Book Six was to be a transitional novel, a flashback to Soriya and Loren’s first case together: the Kindly Killer.

Beth’s fall opened the door to set up that meeting. Sure, the main thrust of the chapter is the theme of there being no final gauntlet, not really, but it led to Soriya realizing what her next challenge SHOULD be.

The Kindly Killer. And Greg Loren.

That was my way of connecting to the main series. I think it worked well and set up the reveal at the back of the book of where the stories continues.

I’d like to think it was there in the first draft, but let’s be honest. I ain’t that smart. Thankfully, this connection came through in the editing process.

Next time:

Closing out the author commentary with a look at the strengths and weaknesses of the book.

Thanks for reading.