Yesterday, I posted a note that during my third edit of "Shroud of Lies" I decided to change the way two of my characters die and who caused their deaths. Yes, I'll need to change large sections in several chapters in order to pull this off and on the surface, it seems like a major change, but it seems to me that for all the work and time that goes into writing a novel, spending a few extra days/weeks to perfect it isn't that much to ask.
After both "Silenced Cry" and "The Devil Can Wait" were released, I received numerous e-mails from readers who said they couldn't put the books down. Several mentioned staying up late into the morning hours to finish one more chapter. I want to believe that's true-that those readers truly enjoyed the books and are patiently waiting for me to publish the next one. And yet, when I read through those pages, I know I haven't yet written my best book. It's in here someplace waiting to come out--may be it will in "Shroud of Lies." At any rate, this isn't the time to relax. To not try to improve, to not push my skills to the next level would be the next crime I'd have to write about.
I mean, isn't making the next book better than the one before what it's all about? Writing a story that's so good, so compelling that readers will lose sleep? I think so. This article by author Elizabeth Sims http://writersdigest.com/article/how-to-make-your-novel-a-page-turner pretty much says it all.
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