Lou Paduano | Urban Fantasy Novels | Sci-Fi Crime Series

Trustfall – Old Friends and Old Enemies

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The author commentary on Pathways in the Dark continues here! SPOILER WARNING is in effect!!! Today focuses on the tale, Trustfall.

Bringing back some old friends…

The absolute best part of the short story collections in the series is the ability to have recurring threats. There were so many incredible tidbits layered in Tales from Portents, threats and supporting cast members with rich histories and their own stories to tell. It was impossible to let them slip away when the opportunity arose to write Pathways.

Trustfall proved that top to bottom.

Last time I discussed starting out the story and where the idea came from. The conceit that Ruiz may be trying to trust his wife more about their lives in Portents, but how does that reflect the rest of his world? How does he put that into practice?

And how far does that trust extend when it comes to his college bound daughter, Zoe?

The Great Divide Redux

The story in Tales from Portents focusing on Ruiz introduced the young officer to the world of Portents. The true city as Mentor called it. It was in this moment Ruiz realizes he can’t share things with his wife. That he has to protect her and his growing family.

So why not bring that around full circle?

Erik Dobson, or Yellow Eyes as he is known in The Great Divide, was a natural choice to test Ruiz’s resolve. This boy almost ended Ruiz’s life and showed him the terrors hiding in the shadows of the city. Bringing him into the fold and making him a foil to Ruiz’s inability to trust kept the conflict front and center.

It also brought an element of tension for the reader. Is Dobson the threat here? Is he actually a decent person now? That was another point I wanted to hit here. Can people change? If Dobson can, does that mean Ruiz can as well?

There was a lot of interesting elements to weave into the story because of his inclusion. Humor, for one. Dobson’s bird references. His office decorations. Each was meant to pull you from one side to the other and never make it clear where he fell until the very last moment.

Julian Harvey

This was a calculated inclusion. I didn’t want the story to simply be a return to The Great Divide. However, Dobson’s inclusion opened the door for Harvey entering the scene. Harvey worked with Ruiz on the case originally so it made sense he would be keeping tabs on ol’ Yellow Eyes.

Was there more to his presence here? Absolutely. Harvey showing up at this particular moment is one of the most important elements of the collection.

Why? I can’t tell you yet.

But I will definitely be hinting at it more next time!

Next time –

The Kitsune’s return and the delicate balance of a standalone tale versus connecting to a wider arc.

Thanks for reading.

Tales from Portents Connecting Factors 3

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Connecting Factor

Stories grow in the telling. They also grow in the editing phase and that tends to happen quite often with my own work. Ruiz and his relationship with his wife, Michelle, for example is one such instance of this. At the start Ruiz was little more than an ear for Loren. A minor character that assisted when he could but basically served to give Loren someone to talk to other than Soriya.

That sure as hell changed quickly.

Editing Signs of Portents, I realized how much I enjoyed Ruiz. His personality. His depth. And his relationships, both with Loren and with his wife.

When plotting The Medusa Coin, I knew Ruiz’s role was expanding with each pass. He was a vital component of the series, as much as Soriya and Loren.

Michelle started out much the same. A potential element of conflict for Ruiz but little else in terms of a character. When I explored her further, when I pulled apart their relationship and examined their family closely, I realized the potential to really build a strong background character.

Someone that helps drive Ruiz to be a better person, but also causes him to stumble because he wants to do so much for her.

The Great Divide

connecting factorWith Tales published between Signs of Portents and The Medusa Coin, I had the opportunity to put this marriage on display. I also had the chance to show the strengths and weaknesses of it from the beginning and compare it to the present day.

The Great Divide offered a glimpse at the happiness of the Ruiz family to be. How they shared all and Ruiz avoided the traps his parents fell into during his childhood. Of course, it crashes down on him.

But how to show the difference compared to the present?

Enter: The Consultant.

In the original outline, Soriya heads to the Central Precinct for information on Russell Kerr and hides at the approach of Ruiz. The focus here was more on how Loren’s absence had affected Soriya’s ability to do her work, the same as the previous chapters but that didn’t feel right to me for this moment.

And it would have been a missed opportunity.

By changing it and having Michelle call him, the reader easily recognizes the shift in their relationship from The Great Divide. It serves as a bridge, not only through the whole collection but also to The Medusa Coin where the divide comes to a head.

Resolutions are coming your way in September so get ready…

The final connection

Endings are tough. Just ask Stephen King. But they always come, some to more satisfying conclusions than others but they always have to arrive at some point.

And some are just so perfect you couldn’t ask for anything else.

Tales from Portents served as a prelude to Signs, so why not dovetail right into the first book in a natural way?

The final chapter of The Consultant does this perfectly. The text from Vlad about the missing women and the possible God involved. Soriya’s leap into the morning light of the city, ready for more fun connected the final moments of the collection to the first novel.

I tend to be overly critical with my work. (I know. Big surprise…) Not so much here.

Tales from Portents, to me was the easiest project to put together. Every piece, every connection, flowed from one story to the other naturally. Nothing was ever forced on the reader or the characters. Everything happened for a reason, every connection layered from the story itself, not shoved into the mix by my own hand.

If only every book came together so nicely…

Next time:

The BIG ONE. Resurrectionists! The whys and wherefores!

Thanks for reading.

 

The Great Divide Commentary Part 3

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The next several months will bring author commentaries on all six stories contained within the Tales from Portents collection. My hope is to offer insight into the decisions made in putting the project together and the challenges therein. It’s also fun to point out the little Easter eggs throughout. (I love that crap.) So, SPOILER WARNING is in effect for the duration.

The importance of minor characters

Protagonists stand or fall by the world around them. Depth comes from interactions with other characters. Perspectives comes from this interplay and each piece, each character, adds a little more to the overall feel of the work.

Minor characters bolster the leads. Each, with their own unique flair, offer new insights and perspectives into the drama unfolding both physically and emotionally for the leads.

The Great Divide, and Tales from Portents in general, was designed not only to inspire more depth in the backstories of the principle players of Greystone, but also introduce new minor characters to the mix or flesh out the smaller roles from Signs of Portents.

minor characters
Tales from Portents is only 99-cents right now!

Edgar Rusch

I know, I know, this seems like a cheat. Edgar Rusch isn’t even in the story! True, but by offering that small glimpse at Ruiz’s relationships including the unseen Mr. Rusch we learn how connected Ruiz is to his world. That short exchange with his wife ABOUT his friend, gave more insight into Ruiz than a 2,000 word scene WITH his old friend.

The bonus of introducing Edgar here is that it left less to be explained when he pops up in The Medusa Coin. Again, planning ahead helps incredibly when putting together a series. I cannot emphasize that enough!

Julian Harvey

I wrote about Harvey last time and the luck at his introduction to the series. With a tale like The Great Divide, I was able to have a situation where Ruiz wasn’t the elder statesman in the room. He’s the newbie, the immature member of the duo. Who would he turn to for help?

Enter Julian Harvey, old curmudgeon. (and how I see myself turning VERY soon…) If I could have fit in one more rant of his about young people and the lack of ambition or the dangers of acid reflux! (Maybe I’ll start a whole new series of him hating on millennials…)

Harvey, while lost in his own opinions, played a crucial role in ushering Ruiz into the world of Portents. The true city. How did he come by the knowledge? Oh, wouldn’t that be a fun story to tell. Hmmm….

Honestly though, Harvey is the most important first appearance in Tales. Keep a lookout for when he pops up again.

EASTER EGG – Did you catch who Harvey is related to at the Central Precinct? Check out the little snippet from Chapter 3 below:

“…Most of the grunts here remind me of my good-for-nothing nephew. Happy to sit and zone than think for himself. He’s actually thinking about applying to the academy but I’ll be damned if I see a Pratchett in this department in my lifetime.”

It was just a throwaway line I had tossed in there. I figured it would be fun to make a small connection to our favorite giant of an officer, John Pratchett. Little did I realize where we were headed….

Michelle Ruiz

When I was making my list for this entry, I almost forgot Ruiz’s wife. Shame on me. I forgot The Great Divide served as her first appearance. It took a long time to piece together who Michelle was as a person. Her role in The Medusa Coin helped (again!) and offered a vision for this strong-willed woman that basically became a single mother of three daughters since her husband is never home.

Here, she has a little more innocence, a little more joy, as the divide comes after. Another crucial player filling out the world and playing off Ruiz to create tension and support with each interaction.

minor charactersHady Ronne

Another vital component in The Medusa Coin, which is actually why she shows up here. How Ruiz sees her at this moment in their relationship is crucial to what happens down the line.

Hady also gives this creepy vibe every time she shows up. She’s so off-putting to be around the only way Loren can handle it is with sarcasm bordering on meanness. I wanted to see how Ruiz acted in Loren’s place.

EASTER EGG – There is a reason behind Hady Ronne’s name. You’ll find out why in September.

What’s next?

Next week I’ll be taking a closer look at Gremlins. Be sure to stop by on Thursday for some awesome FREE BOOKS!

Thanks for reading.

The Great Divide Commentary Part 2

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The next several months will bring author commentaries on all six stories contained within the Tales from Portents collection. My hope is to offer insight into the decisions made in putting the project together and the challenges therein. It’s also fun to point out the little Easter eggs throughout. (I love that crap.) So, SPOILER WARNING is in effect for the duration.

Mentor’s Role

The initial thought when constructing The Great Divide was a buddy cop story between Ruiz and Mentor. Ruiz’s introduction to the world of Portents came during his first encounter with the enigmatic Mentor. The two would then, reluctantly, join forces to battle the big bad of the tale with resounding success.

Why did it fail to take off from the initial notes phase? Simple. Loren and Soriya already have that relationship. The similarities between the two dynamics cropped up early and often, which immediately turned me away from the concept. If I can’t show something new, some new wrinkle in the way Portents works, or how characters interact then there is no point in moving forward.

I did like the animosity between the two players. Think Lethal Weapon to the extreme. I didn’t want to lose that concept so I tucked it away for a rainy day, one that came sooner than I thought in the form of Gremlins. Using the angry buddy cop motif there fit much better with the story I wanted to tell and left The Great Divide open for something new.

Mentor
Tales from Portents is only 99-cents!

How Mentor’s presence evolved

Once I knew I didn’t want Mentor to be the driving force of the narrative things progressed rapidly. Ruiz became the central figure of the story so it became about finding a way to add Mentor into the mix more than anything else.

That was the basis for how the story fleshed out. Mentor was the ghost in the machine, acting from the shadows.

Why it worked?

It ratcheted up the tension. Instead of getting bogged in exposition with Mentor explaining everything to Ruiz with each step, Ruiz is thrown in the deep end without help. His life is in jeopardy. There is a chance he won’t make it out, until Mentor steps in from the shadows.

There is also their actual meeting at the end. I wanted Ruiz scared, on edge, and unsure which way to turn. Putting the two at odds was always the goal but this added to the tension that would serve as the basis of not only their relationship but Ruiz’s time with Soriya as well.

Having the truth of the city thrust upon him in a dramatic display instead of calmly explained at the beginning added more to Ruiz’s anger at the truth than anything else. His decision to not only hate the truth but refuse to accept it or publicly acknowledge it lined up more smoothly with what we knew about the character.

The final reason, and I am so happy it came together this way, was that by not having Mentor as a central player in the story it opened the door for someone new to enter the stage. Julian Harvey filled that role, a default mentor to Ruiz. Harvey’s role allowed for a new dynamic to be introduced and showcased Ruiz’s immaturity with the city.

Harvey’s role has become critical to the overall story being told in Greystone and it almost never came about. That little shift with Mentor, turning him to almost a wraith in the background, ended up being one of the most important in the series.

Very glad it happened that way.

Next time

Introducing minor characters to the world of Portents and their importance to the series. Why Edgar Rusch, Julian Harvey, Michelle Ruiz and Hady Ronne are crucial to the success of Greystone.

Thanks for reading.

The Great Divide Commentary Part 1

By

The next several months will bring author commentaries on all six stories contained within the Tales from Portents collection. My hope is to offer insight into the decisions made in putting the project together and the challenges therein. It’s also fun to point out the little Easter eggs throughout. (I love that crap.) So, SPOILER WARNING is in effect for the duration.

The rise of Alejo Ruiz

Alejo RuizThere were a number of initial notes made when putting this project together. If you’ve read my previous posts on Tales from Portents you know the idea was to create a prequel for Signs to offer readers as an added incentive to bring them into the Greystone fold. One story and only one.

It kinda blew up from there. It happens.

From those initial notes I realized the chance to add depth to the major and minor players that exist within the city of Portents. The Great Divide served as a vehicle to showcase one of my favorite characters in the series; Alejo Ruiz.

The focus for Signs of Portents was strictly on the journey of Greg Loren and Soriya Greystone. Ruiz was involved, for sure, but kept to the side for a large chunk of the narrative. I wanted to give him some space to shine.

Why?

Two reasons (and very important ones at that).

  1. Building up the cast – Supporting characters should be strong and layered. They bolster the main leads and the world around them, so by offering some time to Ruiz I hoped to make him more integral to the story as a whole.
  2. The Medusa Coin – Plotting ahead is SO helpful sometimes. Ruiz plays a huge role in The Medusa Coin. Knowing the events coming up, his inclusion as the lead for The Great Divide was a no-brainer as well as some of the story beats that ended up in the final draft of the tale. EVERYTHING has a payoff down the line. That is the fun of writing a series.

A thematic bridge

There were a number of places this story could have gone. As a prequel the door was open for a tale from any time Alejo Ruizbefore Signs of Portents. No other restriction. I settled on two notions that get right to the heart of the character, both creating a thematic bridge between novels.

The first, and the initial thread, I wanted to pull was Ruiz’s hatred of the world Soriya represents. He is one of the few people that knows about the true city and what is out there in the darkness of Portents. That is a heavy load to carry and I wanted to play with that responsibility.

More than that, I wanted to play with his anger toward it. His reaction is so different than that of Soriya and Loren when it comes to the monsters lurking around every corner. He hates it and wants nothing to do with it.

Why? That was my jumping off point and how I landed at the beginning of his journey with The Great Divide.

The second thematic element ran in line with the title of the piece. The great divide is about Ruiz and his wife. Ruiz’s childhood is hinted at several times, including the trouble between his parents. He has done everything possible to avoid those missteps, but in learning the truth ends up falling into the same trap.

The great divide started in this tale plays out fully in The Medusa Coin. Knowing that blowup was coming and seeding it here, allows the end of his arc to be that much more powerful.

Tidbits

The monkey decoration adorning the nursery at the Ruiz home is taken from the nursery for my children – who might actually be monkeys the way they bounce through the house.

The story of the yellow eyed bird monster is not over. There is something coming I am very excited to share about this menacing figure and his relationship with Alejo Ruiz.

Next time

Mentor’s presence in The Great Divide. How it evolved as the story came together.

Thanks for reading.

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