After months and months of writing and rewriting, I finally completed the draft manuscript for Island of Deception and sent it to the publisher. For the next three months I’ll be working with their editing team on any revisions to the plot as well as grammatical and technical corrections. If all goes according to the schedule, the book will be released around mid-October.

Writing a sequel has been a very different experience. When I wrote Islands of Deception, I was free to make changes to the plot and characters. With the sequel I discovered I was somewhat restricted by the history created in the first book as well as established characters. My copy of the first book was transformed into a worn history book as I constantly referred back to it to make sure I had the correct details.

The fun part was continuing the storyline and working through how characters like Fallon McElliot and Tom Ferguson handle the challenges dealt them in the first book. At book talks last year, readers told me over and over that Henry Massey had to be taken down. Many were upset that Massey seemed to get away with the terrible things he did in Islands of Deception. Without giving anything away, I can tell you the characters in the sequel feel the same way.

I will also say that I was not limited to just the characters in the first book. There’s a new character in the sequel who emerges to create more chaos. You’ll have to wait until this fall to see who benefits from it.

I appreciate the interest readers like you have shown in Islands of Deception and for those who encouraged me to write the sequel.