Answers to a few questions: Yes, there is a distant possibility that there will be a sequel to Islands of the Blessed, but not until I finish the Scorpion sequel and not unless the publisher agrees to print it. Are Jack and Thorgil dead at the end of the book? In one sense yes. The Islands of the Blessed are a kind of afterlife, but they are also where heroes rest before being reborn. King Arthur was taken there in a boat piloted by three queens. The legend says that if England is ever in great danger, King Arthur will return to defend it. Bards, like Dragon Tongue, go and come between the two worlds. Remember that Gandalf the Gray, in Lord of the Rings, died in the mines of Moria. I don’t think there’s any question of that. But he was reformed and reborn as Gandalf the White. It is perfectly possible that Jack and Thorgil could return.
The book, Islands of the Blessed, is about sacrifice. There are unwilling and evil human sacrifices carried out by the Picts, the Northmen and King Adder Tooth. There are also noble self-sacrifices by heroes and saints for the good of others. That’s the kind that gets you into The Islands or into Heaven.
The deal for making the Ear, the Eye and the Arm into a movie fell through. (Most Hollywood deals fall through so I wasn’t surprised.) The people who were working on it were so upset they quit their jobs and moved to another company. They are still trying to promote the book. This was very courageous in these poor economic times and I am most grateful for their loyalty.
The Young Adult category was thought up by publishers to sell more books. It doesn’t really mean much. You’re supposed to limit the amount of sex and violence, but some YA authors pay no attention to the rule. I like YA because people that age are still excited about life. Later on, many adults turn into zombies. They do the same thing day after day, hardly noticing the world around them. They drug themselves with television, alcohol and Prozac to make up for their depressing existences. Smart adults never grow up.
I am working on the sequel to Scorpion, and it is full of lovely surprises which I won’t reveal. Thanks to everyone who sent me ideas. I actually used a couple of them. I probably won’t call it God’s Ash Tray now because it won’t take place in the Nevada desert known as God’s Ash Tray.
Harold and I are thinking about moving to the Oasis. Yes! The real Oasis in the Chiricahua Mountains of Arizona. It would be taking a huge chance because we are too old to live so far from doctors, grocery stores and gas stations. If you get bitten by a rattlesnake (and there are thousands of them) you have to be flown by helicopter to get help. First you have to radio for the helicopter. The Oasis is home to bears, mountain lions, snakes, tarantulas and, now and then, people carrying backpacks of drugs. But it is very beautiful. It is home to scientists and bird watchers. Retired astronomers have built small, white observatories on lonely cliffs. There’s nothing like it anywhere in the country.