Ask the Author

[Charlie Sheldon]

Happy to answer questions if I can....Charlie

[writingShannon]

Do you have another novel with these characters planned? I still have questions! What caused the fire? What will happen to the mine? How do they get William out? Will Myra and Serg ever admit to their attraction? Will Pete find love?

Just wondering....

[Charlie Sheldon]

All good questions. I have completed a third tale in the group, which answers some of what you are asking, and I am now finishing a fourth, though as I work on it I am thinking maybe they should be combined into a pretty big third tale answering these questions and others....my instinct right now, today, is to have one big book, with maps and such, maybe 150,000 words in total (length of 2 books) but it depends on what my publisher thinks. It's great readers want to know what happens of course.....

[writingShannon]

Good to know! I look forward to reading it no matter how long it is. Good luck figuring it out.

[MrsCatInTheHat]

Which places in the story have you explored yourself?

[briellejee]

Is it possible to have a whole book about Louise's life before meeting Larry? She seems to intriguing and mysterious as a character to have a book or short story written about her.

[Charlie Sheldon]

Just saw these before shutting down tonite. First question - I have been all through the Olympics and lympic peninsula, lived there, hiked here, explored there; have actually not visited but researched Haida Gwaii and spoken at length with people from there; have spent several years at sea aboard container and large ships, at the dock and underway; talked to a lot of tugboat skippers about salvage and techniques there; have spent some time n various reservations dealing with fishery issues and ceremonies....

As regards a tale about Louise, interesting idea. I want to get the series done first, that big tale structured and wrapped up. Then there are all sorts of side tales and prequels and sequels I can imagine, as I am sure readers can imagine. Not sure I am young enough to do them all but ill give it try....

[Charlyt]

It's a topic here in the book of the month forum, but why were there chapters written in first-person and the others in third-person? What made you decide which characters talk in the first-person?

[Charlie Sheldon]

Charlyt - check out the first or third person thread, I just answered your question there because I think the other commenters might want to see it too....good question, and it provoked a long response....

[MrsCatInTheHat]

Just saw these before shutting down tonite. First question - I have been all through the Olympics and lympic peninsula, lived there, hiked here, explored there; have actually not visited but researched Haida Gwaii and spoken at length with people from there; have spent several years at sea aboard container and large ships, at the dock and underway; talked to a lot of tugboat skippers about salvage and techniques there; have spent some time n various reservations dealing with fishery issues and ceremonies....

This really helps to explain the vivid imagery in the two books.

[Nerea]

First, I commend you for the incredible job you did on this book.
I would love to watch these events in a movie. Is it possible? Maybe in future?

[Smiley 25]

I’m so happy to hear that you are working on a third, and possibly fourth, book to answer our questions. I look forward to reading it. It makes the book even more real to me to know that you spent time on a container ship and have seen the inner workings first hand. Aside from the great story I enjoyed learning about all of this. One of my favorite things to do when we are near a port is to watch the container ships go in and out. I never really gave any thought to life onboard. Your book has given me a new perspective to explore.

[Smiley 25]

One question I have: Why did you choose to use the word “sea” instead of the word wave(s) or swell in most cases? When referring to a wave coming onto the boat you wrote, “a sea boarded”. Is this boating terminology or a personal preference in writing?

[Charlie Sheldon]

Sea instead of wave or swell - in the fish sector, and the deep sea maritime sector, we talk about a "sea" the same way you'd say "wave". Must be convention, as in, "Big seas out there..." NOAA does weather forecasts four times a day and the terminology they used was not "wave height" but "sea height". But to be honest I use the word because I like it. As far as "sea boarding" the termnology is "come aboard" or "he boarded the vessel" so when a sea crashes against and onto the ship "a sea boarded" seems an excellent way of stating it...

[Kibet Hillary]

My question would also be whether the 'accident' was planned or it was an accident. The other one would be whether Buckhorn was stopped from mining or their deal went through.