Why isn’t it a romance?
I thought about it. I really did. But the truth is the story where Jon and Viktorya reconcile after what happened wasn’t going to be told as well as one where they fell apart. I gave a hopeful epilogue, and readers of the weekly stories will know they eventually get together for good, but they’ve got another story’s worth of work to do.
Will we get the story of how they get back together?
Probably. I have some ideas, but not concrete enough to outline it and make a weekly story yet.
Can we get some Jon and Viktorya facts?
Jon has a pilot’s license, and does some photography as an on and off hobby. He has excellent aim with a gun, but prefers hand to hand, often stealing weapons from opponents.
Viktorya’s family on her mother’s side were once advisors to the royal family of Ilva, instrumental in uniting the Montaigne and Tiadruan royal families. They’re reputations as oracles and mind mages are still unmatched. Her paternal family are former vassals of the Lochs, who used to track cursed individuals. She becomes a history/archaeology professor in the future.
What’s going to look different in the novel version?
I’ll probably split the chapters to be slightly less back and forth, maybe split up some scenes. I’ll probably expand some scenes, and maybe include flashbacks. I also plan to include an edited version of “The Angel Heart” as a bonus.
Can we get some more spice in the novel version?
I’m planning to make some scenes take a little longer to fade to black, but you aren’t going to see things taken very far, just a bit more dialogue, and maybe some prose about taking clothes off.
Is the next story going to be a romance?
Probably not, but we’ll see if the cards deal a happy ending.
Is the next story going to be a sequel?
Not really. We’ll have different characters in a different setting (same world, don’t worry), but there’s enough connection to consider them companion novels more than just stories in the same setting.
Do we know the main characters of the next story?
The main characters of Nightingale & Peregrine are going to be Mandie Piec (Nightingale), and Moses Casborough (Peregrine). You’d know Mandie from The Fox & The Hunter where her ten-year-old self appears, and from various weekly stories over the years. We’ve met Moses before, but Peregrine will be a new identity for him.
Will the next story be spicier?
It’s looking that way.
Will Jon and Viktorya appear in the next story?
Possibly.
Did Dick actually become immortal?
No more immortal than Jon is.
Who’s older, Val or Jon?
Jon, just slightly, but they don’t care beyond the ability to tease each other about it.
What happened with Viktorya’s mother?
She left.
How old is Dick?
About 15 years younger than Val and Jon, and over a decade older than Viktorya. Their father had an affair, and Diana discovered it when the twins were in their twenties. Jon learned about it quickly, but Val didn’t learn the reason for the divorce until she returned for dad’s funeral to find a half-brother older than he should be. The sibling relationship was kind of set up for failure.
Did Jon actually flirt with Kseniya?
Jon has been attracted to two women in his life. Kseniya is neither of them.
What’s Viktor’s problem with Jon?
He doesn’t like the name Hunter.
Can you share your playlist?
I mostly listen to video game scores while writing, but I listened to a lot of The Crane Wives to get in the mood for this, particularly “Tongues & Teeth.”
The dominant artist for the writing mood of Nightingale & Peregrine is The Civil Wars, especially “The One That Got Away.”
Can we get a preview of Nightingale & Peregrine?
Absolutely:
Mandie wasn’t used to medication. The advantage of being a sensitive was that she quickly dealt with any viruses, and the disadvantage was that medicine seemed to taste worse for her than for anyone else.
Pandora, despite a greater sense of hearing, lacked those advantages and, hopefully, disadvantages. According to the GP, it was only allergies, and there were less options for those under twelve, a schedule they tried to stay even stricter to with superhumans.
After a minute of trying to discern quality, Mandie dropped every kids’ allergy chew in the basket.
“We’re gonna figure out which one’s tolerable over the next few days.” She called over her shoulder at the same time she heard a thump.
She turned around to find Pandora fallen on top of a man around Mandie’s age.
“You okay, kid?” he asked before glancing at Mandie, “Is she yours?”
Mandie gently pulled Pandora up by the arm.
“Sorry, she figured out movement makes her feel less stuffed up, and didn’t check her surroundings.”
“Happens to me all the time,” he waved it away before standing up with little difficulty, “I’m just sorry for being in the way.”
Mandie turned to Pandora, who was looking at her hands.
How do I say sorry again?
Mandie put her hand in “A” and made two circles on her chest. Pandora followed the movement.
“I forgive you,” the man signed back while also saying it aloud.
“You speak ASL?” Mandie asked.
“I took a lot of language classes in college.”
Pandora’s eyes moved from one to the other, trying to focus on their hands.
“We may be going a bit fast for her,” Mandie admitted, slowing down her pace, “She’s not fluent yet.”
The man’s eyes widened.
“How old are you?”
Pandora held up nine fingers.
He looked more confused in Mandie’s direction.
“Her family never taught her.”
Close enough to the truth for a stranger to know.
He nodded.
“Glad you can learn now.” He looked at the basket, “Hope the allergies improve.”
“Thank you,” Pandora carefully signed.
The man walked away, and Mandie watched as he deftly swiped a bag of chips before taking it to the counter.
Something about him seemed familiar, but she was struggling to place it.
There's still time to go to submit questions for the Summer's Summer with Summer Q&A next week.