The other thing I enjoyed was how the class divide was explored; how Charles and Maggie’s world is percieved through the other’s eyes, if that makes sense.

Moreover, Joyce’s prose was lovely (not as overblown as I feared after the reviews of her earlier books), and now I’m really looking forward to SHADOWS.

I agree that the last forty pages were the weakest part of the book and the HEA left me scratching my head, too, because there were some unresolved issues re: how Maggie’s transition from the gutter to high society was managed.

Overall, though, a great read. Thank you, Janine!

MUCH better than the alternative–â€Â?Book X, Y books back, was her best, and nothing since has come close.â€Â?

I once read an interview with Stephen King where he said that his fans feel that way about The Stand. And actually I’m with them. The first half of that book, anyway, is my favorite thing he’s written. As I recall, he said it was pretty disconcerting to have so many people feel that his best book was something he’d written early in his career.

I’m just glad that not everyone thinks that I’m a one-shot wonder. ;-) I am kidding–most people don’t think that. But there is a hardcore, “Why can’t you write another VEIL?” group that I hear from regularly. And then the “Why can’t you write another MUSIC?” group. Fewer people, it seems, like WHISPERS as much as I do!

Believe it or not, people disagreeing about which book is better (or even disliking a book that some people claim is my best to date) are very reassuring to me. *g* MUCH better than the alternative–”Book X, Y books back, was her best, and nothing since has come close.”

There was one line in WHISPERS that connected it to the Edgingtons–Charles would have been a small child then–but I honestly don’t remember if it survived. If it did, it actually wouldn’t make much sense because Lady Edgington was revised heavily for the new VOICES. So that’s the order, but it isn’t really connected. If I skip back in time in the future, it will be drawn in better, though–it’s the same world.

It must be difficult to keep all those books consistent.

Hehehe. My next three after SHADOWS will be about siblings, which will thrill the hearts of the marketing dept., but I’m doing that now because I’m finally confident that I CAN without making the series into everything I hate about such books. This has scared me for a LONG time, even as my editor and agent whisper “Series sell! Series sell!â€Â? in my ears. I swear that it won’t lose ANY edge because of the series-ish-ness of the next few, though! And it will continue to develop other plot points that don’t get fully explored in earlier books. *g*

I’m not a fan of sibling series (partly because I’ve read so many at this point), but I’ll try to keep an open mind.

I agree with you about The Veil of Night. There were some things to admire about that book, but it didn’t work so well for me (Sorry Lydia). I might not have read the second book if the unusual setting hadn’t attracted me. I think you’ll like Voices much better. Keep me posted.

There was one line in WHISPERS that connected it to the Edgingtons–Charles would have been a small child then–but I honestly don’t remember if it survived. If it did, it actually wouldn’t make much sense because Lady Edgington was revised heavily for the new VOICES. So that’s the order, but it isn’t really connected. If I skip back in time in the future, it will be drawn in better, though–it’s the same world.

>I think reappearing characters can sometimes make books feel too alike and familiar, but I haven’t found that to be the case in your books. It helps that your series isn’t about several siblings or several best friends but just about people who move in the same circles.

Hehehe. My next three after SHADOWS will be about siblings, which will thrill the hearts of the marketing dept., but I’m doing that now because I’m finally confident that I CAN without making the series into everything I hate about such books. This has scared me for a LONG time, even as my editor and agent whisper “Series sell! Series sell!” in my ears. I swear that it won’t lose ANY edge because of the series-ish-ness of the next few, though! And it will continue to develop other plot points that don’t get fully explored in earlier books. *g*

I’m glad to hear that your strategy for avoiding being boxed in too much worked and you have some room to vary your books.

I think reappearing characters can sometimes make books feel too alike and familiar, but I haven’t found that to be the case in your books. It helps that your series isn’t about several siblings or several best friends but just about people who move in the same circles. And I’m really excited to hear that the book you are writing is your edgiest. Edgy is good. :)

I didn’t think the fish metaphor was melodramatic. Dramatic, yes, and a bit creepy (which I liked), but not melodramatic. It’s a fine line between drama and melodrama but I think of melodrama as something that strikes a false note, and this didn’t.