Girard said, “Well, you see, there’s something we wanted to s—”
Celeste interrupted with, “You were amazing, Commander!”
“Is that what you wanted to say?” Jeanne asked Girard.
He nodded. “That’s not quite how I planned to say it, but yes—we were very impressed with your performance as our leader. The enemy sprung a trap on us, but you rose to the challenge and defeated them.”
She smiled. “Thank you—both of you. But it wasn’t just me; you all did your part to get us home safely. And you know, if that mission was any indication of the kind of teamwork we’re capable of, I think the Ordre has a bright future ahead of us.”
They bowed respectfully, and left her to her work.
For the first time since Rene Assange died, she felt satisfaction. Just as important, she felt as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. No—the weight was still there, she decided. It was she who had become strong enough to bear it.
END
Afterword
While I was writing The Game Called Revolution, I envisioned a series of books set in this universe. I couldn’t wait to get started on the sequel. It was going to be a new setting with new characters that continued the story of Revolution.
But it wasn’t Secrets of the New World. No, the novel I just described will actually be the third one in this series.
So why the change?
The answer is actually pretty simple: Farahilde Johanna. She ended up being my favorite character, and I wasn’t ready to say goodbye just yet. I knew the Austrian spitfire had more stories to tell, more adventures to go on.
So I had the protagonist. I still needed a setting. I decided upon America as the technologically advanced place Farahilde and co. would venture to. Every since the American Revolution, the United States has been a leader in technology and innovation, so it follows that in this retro-futuristic world I created they would be especially advanced. And, of course, other countries would want a piece of the action.
Secrets of the New World also gave me the chance to expand upon plot points that were alluded to in The Game Called Revolution, such as the existence of shape-shifting entities, Farahilde’s complicated relationship with her family, the possible romance between Jeanne and Pierre, and Pierre’s mysterious origins.
Speaking of origin stories—I like them. I like them a lot. So, of course, to me it was a no-brainer to do a prequel story, which is where “Brilliant Dawn” comes in. A while back I saw a documentary that talked about a Spanish ship carrying gold that went down not too far from France back in the 17th or 18th century. I thought that would make a good mission for the Ordre de la Tradition to go on. Meanwhile, Jeanne would wrestle with her new responsibility as Commander and her own self-doubt, and through that struggle we can see her grow as a character.
Thanks for your patronage. Please continue enjoying my work as I continue writing.
--December 2012
About the author
I live in Oklahoma. I enjoy TV, anime, videogames, comics, and, of course, writing. I also work to create awareness for people living with personality disorders such as depression and Asperger’s. I run a science fiction-themed blog at www.thegamecalledrevolution.blogspot.com and you can follow me on Twitter @SK_Author.
The adventure will continue in…
The Revolution Beyond Time
Secrets of the New World (Infini Calendar) (Volume 2) Page 18