|
The Series
There will be nine books. No secret here. I've said it in interviews and I'll say it again. Here's an interesting tidbit
though: there will be a twenty year gap between Book Three and Book Four! Why twenty? Because I said so. Book Two picks
up IMMEDIATELY where Book One ended, and Book Three does the same after Book Two. Book Four spans only six months, the shortest
time period yet, but it will be the longest book so far. I have a cast for Book Four, including any main characters from
the first three books that didn't die off, and any babies that have grown up, as well as some new people and more geese.
For looks at plots and new characters in Book Four, make sure you keep up with the short stories. The series will be stand
alone without the AANEXes, but if you want sneak previews, or more dept and back story, that is the place to go. The longest
this goes on, the more of goose society you are going to see, and several geese are more heavily featured in the second trilogy.
Also, the prophecies are on the verge of coming to pass.
The Characters
Unlike after Book One, it was pretty clear at the end of Book Two which characters would survive into Book Three. Of course
all of your favorite main characters will be back and stay main characters: Levi, Walt, Natalie, Tommy, Vince, Romey, Katie,
Auby, Wesley, and Liz. Poor Meredith was demoted midway through Book Two when she went insane. It's just too hard to write
tons and tons of scenes for a crazy woman. Who gets the upgrade to main character for Book Three? Morgan, Dakota, and Tara
of course! Who else would? The geese start to become more developed, too, as several will be main characters in Book Four,
if they survive. There will be no new human characters of significance in Book Three. This book will be very Dakota heavy
because he is faced with leading the surviving characters to their destinies. Can he handle it?
While Auby remains the lone goose among the main character (and this will be the last book that is so), several other
geese have stood out, from Jenas and Grimely, first introduced in Book One, to Okpa. Featured goose characters will include
Gishen, Sedap, Kiyra, Visna, and an Asian named Nigo. You will also find out more about the Grimely and get a glimpse at
his group decades before the series begins! Nigo is another North American First who competes with Jenas for a prestigious
job at Global Goose Command. Gishen's loyalties are divided between the Grimely and the GGC. Which will she choose?
The Plot
While Book One was about just figuring out what was going on and meeting the players, and Book Two was about the war between
mankind and the geese, Book Three's direction is slightly less defined. After all, the base is destroyed, the head of the
group is dead, and the geese have won. Or have they? Dr. Smith's group won't just lay down and die, but is it too late to
effect any sort of lasting damage? Several small group missions in the early chapters of the book will change the lives of
these characters forever, and it will all build towards a climatic finish. Several characters will be captured by the geese,
and at least two will be scheduled for a large, public execution. Is Geisha's Prophecy of the Twelve, only one of whom will
survive, about to come true?
The Short Stories
There are now fourteen short stories written, nine posted for free online, and one available per request. The framing part
of Tom & Liz's is set during Book Three, so it'll be a bit of a preview for anyone who just can't wait until the third
book is released. The story about Geisha also reveals other prophets besides Meredith, and a quick peek at a very important
event coming up in the series. Also, Clark's story gives you a quick preview of Book Three. Several of the upcoming stories
take place in the time between Books 3 and 4, so hopefully that will hold your interest! New characters will be introduced,
and major plot setups for Book 4 will be touched on. The coolest part is, I have planned the initial set of twenty-two stories
that will make up the AANEX (An Actor's Nightmare EXtra) paperback. Thirteen will be first released online, and then removed
or shortened to excerpts when the book comes out. Volume 1 is mostly origin stories and stories set during the trilogy involving
minor characters. I also have a few ideas for AANEX Volume Two, including a three parter that should matter very much to
you taking place in the immediate wake of Book 3. Volume 2 will have many more stories in the gap between Books 3 and 4,
so it will be a different beast. If you have short story ideas, feel free to send me suggestions at ideas@actorsnightmare.com
That's All For Now Folks!
|
