That wobbly ground between book one and book two

Hey, all. Thanks for tuning in to...whatever this is. You could be looking at cute cat videos, but you're here oh wait now that I've said that you're gone whoops.

Well, for those of you that stuck around, there's been a lot going on since my last post. I've been querying my fingerprints off, got some rejections, that's fine. It happens to everyone, and it just means I haven't found the perfect agent yet. I'm cool with that. Nah, what's bugging me is the fact that I finished the first book in my series and now I have to move on to the next.

See, the complex thing about "Thicker than Water" is that the ending is ambiguous. I love the idea of branching timelines, that a single decision can change the world. There are two possible endings, and I wanted to leave it up to the reader to decide whether...well. Spoilers. But after six rounds of revision, I'm finally feeling confident in this draft.

So, I started on one of the sequels, that explores what happens in the 2 weeks immediately following the events of TTW and then jumps ahead 17 years. I am in love with this story. I can always feel it in my mind, trying to figure out what the characters are going to do next. I have an outline, but I don't like to make my outlines too detailed; inevitably, I end up writing myself into a corner.

Anyway, what I've got is two new characters, one female and one male, and there's this huge wedge between them that ruined their friendship and drove them apart about 2 years ago. Now they've been forced together, and either they have to work together or they'll both probably die. And what I love about this is that there's zero chance of them becoming romantically involved. They don't hate each other, but this thing in their past is enough to keep them from ever being in a position to be attracted to the other. Over the course of the novel, they at least come to respect one another, and I can imagine them having a neutral to positive relationship for the rest of their lives, but right now my female character is the QUEEN of snark and I love her:

“Faisis?” I repeat, shocked. “But that’s at least a week away! Longer, if we walk the entire way – we are planning on getting horses at some point, aren’t we?”

“What did I say back at the pub? I don’t have money for that, do you?”

“Well, how much does a horse cost?”

“More than I can prostitute myself for, and that’s the most expensive thing we have right now, unless you’re wearing golden smallclothes.”

Also, she helped the male character escape by having him dress in drag, and it's one of my favorite scenes I've ever written. Speaking of which, I need to go to another drag show. Somehow the queens know I'm bi...can they smell it or something??? It's very confusing, like getting turned on by the mannequins in the lingerie department. Babes, I'm married.

ANYWAY. In addition to these two not-lovebirds, there's a couple characters from the first book who are now older and wiser. They're going to find out who the Siren is, my mysterious villain whose identity is revealed to the reader at the very end of TTW but never to any of my MCs. And damn I cannot wait to write their reactions. It's going to be crazy. I can't share an excerpt from that without giving everything away, so...use your imagination.

Then there's the Siren herself, who's been lying in wait, playing the loooooooong con. And now she is ready. Oh, by the spirits, she is READY. She's got her own private mercenary army, and she's going to use it to finally take control and make herself queen. Hoo boy. After all these years, she will stop at nothing, and she's making it clear:

“Now, then,” the Siren says, her voice filling the room, “Waithrow here knows exactly what it’s like to face me and fail.” I feel a gloved hand sweeping my hair out of my face and my cheeks burn. I know that it just makes my scars stand out all the more. A finger pokes at the scar on my arm, and another brushes over the one on my leg, making me twitch involuntarily. “She had it easy. If any of you are caught lying to me…well. Let’s just say that I’ve had plenty of time to learn how to inflict pain.”

She is scary. I love her. I kind of want her to be my pole dancing alter-ego. OMG I FINALLY HAVE A STAGE NAME. Yesssss.

Well, there's just one problem with all of this: I do not have time to be writing any of these things. I shouldn't even be writing this; it's after 11 pm and I have class tomorrow morning. All day tomorrow, I need to work on my thesis and my homework for the statistics class I'm doing independent-study style. I've been writing before bed the past couple days, and it's giving me weird dreams, but I definitely don't want to be doing my thesis right before I go to sleep, so I can't win. I'm hoping I'll have an opportunity soon to relax and write, but I don't think it'll be for at least 2 months. I need to have my first draft of my thesis done by then.

Cross your fingers and pray for rain...