What's the deal with Escape from the Darkness?

I’ve had a couple of emails asking me about the prequel to Every Skull Tells a Story so here’s the answer. Escape from the Darkness (originally called Out of the Darkness) was written before Every Skull. I sent out submissions on both manuscripts and Every Skull went to print first. The publisher of Every Skull offered to print Out of the Darkness but wanted me to change the name so I did. Before any contracts were signed, however, I heard back from another publisher requesting a look at it so I decided not to go with the publisher who did Every Skull. Confused? You’re not the only one.

This may sound strange but I think Mackayla and Galen wanted their story told first. You see I was about midway through Escape from the Darkness when their story came to me. And they were so persistent I had to stop and write a complete outline just to pacify them (this hardly ever happens to me—I’m a fly by the seat of my pants writer—I seldom plan out anything) I hadn’t even planned on doing a sequel.

So there you have it. Hopefully one day soon you’ll get to finally read Alex and Royce’s story. It’s a doosy!

Another question I received was do I have pets in all my stories? The majority of the time I do. I’m a pet lover—always have been. I can’t remember a time I didn’t have a cat or a dog. I now have a dog (Zoe) and a cat (Sailor) and they inspire me with their wonderful personalities.

Speaking of Zoe, she’s going on her first camping trip this weekend. This oughta be a hoot! She’s been doing so well out in the country I thought I’d let her tag along this time. As long as she doesn’t chase after a skunk—thinking it’s a cat—we should be all right.

I hope everyone has a safe and happy Fourth of July.