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12/1/2010 2:05:19 PM
Well, it's already been a month and it's time for my second blog post.
Thanks to a comment by Lex, this will be the home for SPOILERS!
So if you have questions about any of my stories, post them here and
I'll address them. I believe the subject heading is sufficient warning to
anybody who hasn't read the stories to stay clear of this area if they don't
want to know what happens before they read the stories.
THANKS
To Lex and all the comments posted on my first blog post, the Welcome.
I still haven't officially announced it's existence and people are finding
their way to it. So thanks for the comments, they let me know I'm not just
typing to cyber wind. Special thanks to Black Star, Harrison, Cooper, Mabry, and
Independence for having me in this month for an author visit at their schools.
Looking forward to it!
UPDATE
I've been busy with the marketing, networking, and event planning end
of my author duties so writing on ASCEND has slowed considerably
(despite my comment to Maddy about trying to work on it everyday... sorry Maddy).
Finding balance has been a real struggle for me but I'll keep working on it.
I'm trying to do better so I can post an excerpt soon. Hey, nobody submitted
a joke for my Welcome blog. It's not too late. Get over there and submit a joke
and it may get featured.
CALENDAR
More book signings and school visits. I can never get enough of those.
If you'd like me to have an author visit at your school, send your school's
name/address/email/phone and I'll contact them. With you bugging them
from your end and me bugging them from mine, they're bound to give in
sooner or later. 
In the mean time, click Home for my current calendar of events.
Please come out and say hi. I'd love to see you in person.
QUOTE
ms. mcnair, i love asleep and awake, im sure we all would very much
appreciate a preview of ascend!!! :)
(Chereace - in honor of being the first post to my blog.
I thank you and I hear you and I'm on it.)
CLICK HERE for Ascend excerpt.
CLICK HERE TO POST COMMENTS TO MY EMAIL
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3/31/2012 9:10:41 PM
Name: Jay Subject: This book needs a Movie ASAP!!!!
hey its me againn i was just thinking about how amazing it would be for this book to Become a movie....soo for the future just incase it ever does....Tristen Wilds shouldd soo play Micah!!! and i havnt figured out who should play adisa yet!!!
Hi Jay, One of my wildest dreams is to see the Asleep trilogy
on film. Unfortuantely (or fortunately because it would be very
difficult to decide) I wouldn't be able to select the cast. As the
author, I would sell the rights to somebody in the film industry
and they would make those decisions. BTW I Googled Tristen
and he is a cutie so when you figure out who should play Adisa,
please let me know. ~ WRM
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3/18/2012 8:11:57 PM
Name: Jess Subject: Trilogy
One Question:... Where have you and these books been all my life?! I'm absolutely in love with these books and they're exactly what I've been looking for! Teen Afrincan Americans, Romance, Sci-Fi, Comedy and much more all in ONE trilogy! Never have I ever read a book with all these components no matter how hard I looked. & I'm absolutely positive the third one will be as fantastic, if not even more, as the first two! (: The Ascend excerpt is amazing by the way.
Hi Jess, Thank you so much for your encouragement. I've written many stories
in my mind and never shared them with the public. When I discovered my teen
daughter was searching for the same kind of stories you describe, I decided to
give it a shot. Now I'm always honored and amazed by how many other people
have been looking for the same without success until coming across my trilogy.
I'll continue creating stories for this niche and hopefully other authors will as
well to meet the growing demand. ~ WRM
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12/8/2011 6:41:30 PM
Name: Zgirl16268 Subject: Ascend
I really apreciate your writing. It has cliff hangers, suprises, and SO MUCH MORE! i love it. You should do another teen series after Ascend about African American teens. There just aren't enough books about us. It think I bonded with this series! LOL <3
Thanks, Zgirl16268, I do plan on writing more Young Adult
fantasy stories about African American teens. I agree with
you, this genre has been neglected even though there's
an audience for these stories, as evidenced by you and
my teen daughter and many other readers who contact
me about the Asleep trilogy. I'm glad you found this series
and you're enjoying it so much. ~ WRM
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12/8/2011 6:25:31 PM
Name: Zgirl16268 Subject: Ascend
Hi,
I'm adicted to this serious it is fabulous and reaches out to me as a African American teen. Please tell me when Ascend is coming out. I am just sitting her with a little void in my heart haha. You are a fabulous author btw.
Hi Zgirl16268, thank you so much for your generous
comments. I'm honored that a story inspired by my
African American teen daughter, speaks to you so
deeply. At this time, I can't give an exact release
date for Ascend because I want to incorporate
experiences from my Africa trip scheduled for
August 2012. My apologies for the long wait. ~ WRM
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11/18/2011 5:11:02 PM
Name: liliy Subject: i'm in love
mrs.mcnair a feel in love withe ascends frist chapter everday i come and read it over and over and over i just love it. some day i whish to write a great book like yours.
p.s day i foundout about your websight i told my frends and they said love yours book a lot and i am hopeing i can get more fans to read it aswell so the fans that are on your websight thats because of me your bigiest fan liliy
Thank you, Liliy! It's great having fans like you to
help spread the word about the Asleep trilogy.
I'm glad you love the excerpts from Ascend and
hope your love grows even deeper when the
completed work is released. ~ WRM
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11/18/2011 9:04:57 AM
Name: Bernell Wesley Subject: Writing
I have yet to write anything besides term papers but was an English Major until I recently took on History as my major and Anthropology as Minor. I am 59 years old. I just read an excerpt. I was impressed. I have a 12 year old son so when I do pen something it has to be historical relevant as well as entertaining. I still can't envision an angle. I work at a boys home in Fulton County and I came across a flyer from October,30th. I am sorry I missed the affair but I will get these books for my son.
Hi Bernell Wesley, I'm sorry you missed Alien Encounters as well.
I believe you would've enjoyed the panel on speculative fiction. I look
forward to your thoughts and comments as well as your son's after
reading the books. I'm always looking for more male feedback on the
Asleep trilogy. I wish you the best in your literary pursuits. ~ WRM
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11/7/2011 11:03:20 PM
Name: Alexis Subject: In Love
Even though it is just the first chapter, I am once again in love with this book. I like the home that Micah built for them. It makes me happy that she is out of her father's trap and back with Micah, and back to the real world. Ooh i am in love with this chapter, I just keep reading it over and over. I cant wait for your to be finish with the book, so I can once again read both Asleep and Awake again before I read Ascend. Once again, thank you for making these great books, and I cant wait for more in the future.
You're welcome and it's a joyous challenge writing this trilogy.
Thank you so much for your kind words, Alexis. Initially, the story
was for my teen so I'm always touched when others connect to the
story and enjoy it as well. ~ WRM
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11/5/2011 8:01:15 PM
Name: evangelita castro Subject: ??
is this book out just wondering i haven't seen it and i'm really anxious to see it please contact me at [email address edited]
thanks
Hi Evangelita,
I edited out your email address as a precaution.
Books 1 & 2 (Asleep & Awake) are available but
I'm currently working on book 3 (Ascend). Sorry
for the delay. ~ WRM
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9/30/2011 3:45:58 PM
Name: tina Subject: thank you
all i have to say is thank u for responding
You're welcome, Tina. ~ WRM
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9/29/2011 7:03:15 PM
Name: tina Subject: ms.mcnair
this is liliy little sister i love your book i bent that your the gratist anthor in the world i hope one day i can meet u in person
Hi Tina! Thank you for your kind compliment.
I hope I meet you too. CLICK HERE to check
my Events Calendar listed beneath my photo
to see where I'm presenting and hopefully you'll
be able to come some time. ~ WRM
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9/28/2011 9:35:11 PM
Name: liliy Subject: coper
ms.mcnair when u was at coper if visted the 8th gread my bother amara he was there and he told me that u publish ascend is thet true.
Hi Liliy. I published book 1, Asleep, and book 2, Awake.
Ascend is book 3 and I'm still working on it. Hopefully,
it'll be out before the end of this year. If not, definitely
in 2012. I'll announce in a blog post when it's released. ~ WRM
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9/24/2011 2:43:23 PM
Name: Bongani Subject: Excerpt
Just read the addition to the Ascend excerpt and it looks like you're primed to knock it out of the park yet again
 Thank you for your kind words, Bongani.
I'm working hard to make it a Grand Slam! ~ WRM
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9/19/2011 7:16:21 PM
Name: liliy Subject: awake
hey love love love love your books i herd that u went to copper last year i'am there now let me tell u i love awake it is so good i love everthing about it when r u going to publish your next book ascend.
Thank you, Liliy, for the enthusiastic support.
I'm trying to complete Ascend before the end
of this year but it looks like it'll be tight so if I
don't make it, Ascend will definitely come out
in 2012. I was at Cooper last year and I even
filmed a segment for their reading program.
Hope I get to visit again this term. ~ WRM
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9/7/2011 11:39:21 PM
Name: lex Subject: .
ahhh i can't wait that long!! haha if victor does have feelings for her, he should tell her in the third book. adisa would most likely reject him...but i think victor does have some good qualities she might be drawn to...that is, if she ever tries to get to know him...
 ~ WRM
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9/6/2011 7:19:01 AM
Name: nia Subject: ascend
hey lex, i think there maybe some feelings from victor too..from the excerpt he kept staring at her but does that mean he wants her? i hope so..we could figure that out once she writes micahs side of the story
~ WRM
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9/5/2011 10:11:47 PM
Name: Lex Subject: .
hey nia, i'm a sucker for love triangles too and although it's obvious that adisa and micah shoud be together...it would be nice to know that victor had SOME feeling for adisa and was not just doing all this for micah (and his own conscience)...*sigh* but that's just me.. :D
~ WRM
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9/5/2011 7:35:19 PM
Name: nia Subject: awake
hi wendy mcnair, i would like to ask in the book awake victor was acting like he liked her other friend not adisa. Even though i want micah and adisa to be together i really thought victor is a nice guy and i wouldnt mind a love triangle. i wonder in the ascend is jason still connected to adisa since the incident,if so does that mean likea crush or just connected somehow?
Hi Nia. Yes, Jason and Adisa are connected
and their connection will be crucial in the story. ~ WRM
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8/22/2011 11:31:38 AM
Name: jay Subject: omg
Pleasseee just tell me Adisa and Micah get to stay together and he lives lol OK i know you wont b able to really tell me that it would be giving away everything but it would b really horable if Micah dies after everything that's happened.
Hi Jay, What I will tell you is that I'm thrilled to be writing
the final book in this trilogy. Book 1 came out in 2009,
book 2 in 2010 and I'd like to release book 3 in 2011.
It has been an emotional ride to complete this dream.
It started out as a simple gift to my teen daughter to fill
a void; age appropriate fantasy story with a lead African
American teen girl who tells the story in her own voice.
I was surprised that many other teens and parents were
looking for the same kind of story and even more surprised
by the crossover appeal the story had since many literary
gatekeepers will not support this kind of African American
story because they think it won't appeal to readers. If you
have a dream, pursue it, even if it's unconventional or it
isn't traditional, don't let others discourage you. If I had
listened to the negative input, I would have only written
this trilogy for my daughter and never released it to the
public or I never would've written it at all. Then where would
I be now? Still wishing somebody would write a story like
this and regretting that I didn't do it. Stop wishing and start
doing; you won't regret it. I certainly don't. Jay, I hope my final
book, Ascend, lives up to reader expectations. It will be the
icing on the cake of a very sweet journey. ~ WRM
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8/6/2011 9:43:23 PM
Name: Shon Subject: Ascend
Finally we get another spoiler from the book Ascend. I check your blog every month and I started getting dissapointed when no dates was showing up about the book release. Now I am overly excited for this book. Love is in the air and I hope in this book it will end in marriage. When is the book coming out I am desperate for it? Oh and Ms.Mcnair thank you for doing what a lot of other authors don't take the time to do and respond to the readers. Forever grateful for you and your books. And I am jumping up and down for this spoiler. Thank you!!
Hi Shon. Love is certainly in the air but as in reality,
love faces a rough road and there are no guarantees.
I'm still hoping Ascend will be released this year but
I can't give an exact date at this point. Be careful with
your jumping; you may have some latent Sp. genes
and go flying through the roof. ~ WRM
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8/5/2011 11:56:03 PM
Name: lex Subject: excerpt
GREAT. juuust great. now i'll be re-reading that excerpt over and over again until the book comes out! im soooo excited! why must we wait for the book? why can't it come out tomorrow? why can't i get an advanced copy!?! :D i can tell already this book is going to be wonderful. thanks for the excerpt, i'm sure i'll be able to recite it word for word by the time the book actually comes out. haha
LOL! Lex, if I released Ascend tomorrow, you'd be
highly disappointed because the rest of the story
is not as polished nor complete as that excerpt.
But I'm working to get it there; it just takes time.
If we ever meet, no introductions necessary. Just
start reciting the first chapter of Ascend and I'll
know it's you, Lex. ~ WRM
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8/4/2011 3:50:47 PM
Name: carmine, jay Subject: we love this book!!!!
WOW!!!...after yelling and screaming in excitement we finally got to read the half of chapter one and it was absolutely AMAZING!!....can't wait till the book comes out!!!
I'm thrilled Carmine & Jay!
I envision you two yelling and screaming and
it's cracking me up. Glad the Ascend excerpt
entertained you as much as your reaction
is entertaining me. ~ WRM
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8/3/2011 12:26:00 PM
Name: Zara Subject: Ascend
ahhh im so ready to read the last book. thanks for the shoutout too!!
You're welcome, Zara. Thanks for the support. ~ WRM
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5/15/2011 4:54:21 PM
Name: McNairReader Subject: Ascend
Thank you, thank you so much for taking out your personal time to write these fantasy books. I was never into fantasy books but when I came across your I feel in love. You Mrs.Mcnair added religion, romance, and action all into Asleep and Awake. I just want to know this: When is Acsend going to come out? I love Micah and Adisa romance and want to know is their love going to continue in Ascend allowing hisself to love Adisa? I f you can answer these questions without spoiling your book I will really be excited. Thank you again for all that you do and I can not wait until Micah version comes out so I can understand him better. You are a great author and I am glad I discovered your books!
I'm very touched by your enthusiasm for the trilogy,
McNairReader. Thank you. I hope to release Ascend
by the end of this year or definitely sometime in 2012.
Yes, Adisa and Micah's love will continue into Ascend
however their love will face its greatest challenges.
Keep in mind, love can be shocking and sometimes
it's something completely different from what we
initially believed. I'm glad you discovered my books
also and I'm looking forward to starting on Micah's
side of the story. ~ WRM
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5/14/2011 12:38:34 PM
Name: Yulwei Subject: Not trying to spoil anyone
Sorry about that I'm not trying to spoil anyone but when you're eagerly awaiting the next book you start reading the previous books with a magnifying glass in an attempt to deduce the coming story. If I'm close to the mark it's because I've read your books that intensely.
Now with regards the different kinds of strength you're right Adisa is strong as Micah and her family members have rightly pointed out to her when she starts beating herself up and being negative. That being said she visualised herself as the a--kicking type of superhero so it'd be nice for her to do a little a--kicking so as to live out her superhero fantasies
Thanks, Yulwei. The close read keeps me sharp.
Adisa definitely exhibits physical strength as well.
Her ability to kick Micah out her bedroom window
was a burst of physical strength which hinted at
her power. However, it's a self defense reflex that's
triggered when she's under duress. Female
physcial strength is more pronounced in female
Guardians (Jericho) and also in Sonjia. I edited
your post because I have readers younger than
teens and I don't want parents to ban them due
to language but you bring up a good point because
I want Adisa to fulfill that Superhero fantasy as well
so it's coming. However, I wanted to stress to
readers that there are other equally cool strengths
so you don't always have to resort to being physical.
It's not always about physical strength when it comes
to a fight but there are times when you're backed
against a wall and have no choice. In such cases,
it's best to be prepared. So, it's coming. It's coming! ~ WRM
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5/14/2011 11:19:17 AM
Name: Yulwei Subject: Ascend
I reckon this is a pretty good guestimation of what may occur in Ascend. Both your previous books have involved Adisa being taken against her will but for her own or the good of others. First by Victor for Micah's sake then by Cyrus for Pearl's sake. It stands to reason then that Adisa will be taken once more in Ascend. As far as who takes her I'm thinking the African whatchamacallit is going to be responsible since Healers are given automatic citizenship and they seem to have a monopoly on information about healers. Seeing as she's now fully trained I reckon she ought to be able to rescue herself as whilst Micah rescuing her is romantic it's not particularly empowering.
So am I too far of the mark
Shhhh! Your "guestimation" is hitting too close to home!
Yes, empowerment has been a theme throughout this
trilogy and will continue in Ascend. It's a very important
theme. I wanted a story that put a twist on the old damsel
in distress story. In Asleep, it's true Victor takes Adisa
for the good of Micah however by the end of Asleep, Adisa
discovers she has the gift that can cure Micah. In Awake,
yes Cyrus imprisons Adisa however it is Adisa, with the
help of her birth mother, who has the power to free herself.
Like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, Adisa had the power all
along. I hope the story reveals there are different kinds
of power, not just being physically strong. Adisa cultivates
her mind, gifts, and talents and this transforms her into
a very powerful person (as we'll discover in Ascend). That's
the message I try to convey to my readers, particularly the
teen girls since my teen daughter inspired this trilogy. ~ WRM
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4/12/2011 8:07:48 AM
Name: Yulwei Subject: Ascend
Micah trilogy? So we're going to get more books set in Sp-verse. Most excellent, I look forward to to reading them.
Yes, Micah will have his own trilogy. The Asleep
trilogy is told from Adisa's perspective which leaves
out a lot of Micah's story. I believe readers will be
surprised to find out what goes on inside of Micah's
head and in his life that Adisa, so by extension
readers, are not aware of. ~ WRM
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4/5/2011 11:46:11 AM
Name: Yulwei Subject: Ascend
Thanks for answering my questions. I have a few more.
1 Where Adisa's parents under the influence of mind benders for the whole 4 years
2 Will we get to see Africa and/or visit Sp space colonies
Hi Yulwei,
Great questions.
1 Yes; mind benders were assigned to Adisa's
parents the whole 4 years.
2 Yes, you'll see Africa in Ascend. And, yes,
you'll see space colonies but that'll be in
Micah's trilogy when he tells his own story. ~ WRM
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3/22/2011 9:24:53 PM
Name: Yulwei Subject: Ascend
The most important question is when can we expect this book are we talking later this year or 2012. As far as Awake goes I had no issues with it other than the whole cliffhanger thing but that's trilogies for you. You've done a lot of set up so this book is make or break for the trilogy but with 2 exceptional books under your belt I'm sure you won't disappoint
I do have one question though but if it's not answerable due to spoilers that's fine. Is Micah the strongest or one of the strongest sp's and how did he manage to become a guardian without purging his emotions
Hello Yulwei,
Cool name. I'm working to release Ascend later
this year but if I don't make it, it will befinitely be
out some time in 2012. I try not to end my stories
on cliffhangers because I believe the reader pays
for a complete story and should get one. However,
I try to end in a way that allows the reader to
continue to imagine a glorious future for the
characters. I definitely feel the pressure while
writing Ascend. Not only the time crunch but also
to create a great story; one I hope the readers will
find highly entertaining and a very satisfying ending
to this trilogy. To answer your question, Micah isn't
necessarily the strongest but he is one of the strongest.
The purging part is trickier to answer so I'll just say
this, a special allowance was made for Micah
because of his unique abilities and this act opens
the door to significant changes in the super world. ~WRM
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3/3/2011 3:51:30 PM
Name: Lex Subject: ascend
i just read you're new blog entry and OF COURSE i have questions about ascend! i guess I'll start off with some simple ones:
what can we expect for adisa adjusting to missing out on like 4 years of her life?
what can we expect to happen with the relationship between Adisa and Micah, and of Adisa and Victor since that seems to be crucial in Micah's survival?
Okay, Lex, you're going to force me to write faster to
complete Ascend because I'm finding it hard to answer
your questions without telling the whole story... but I'll try.
First, Adisa's 4 missing years will be addressed. Her
disappearance harmed her relationships and education
in addition to drastically changing her appearance.
There are always consequences to our actions, a painful
lesson Adisa is forced to face and deal with in Ascend.
Second, the relationships between Adisa, Micah, and
Victor explode in Ascend because Victor will stop at
nothing to right the wrong he committed against Micah
even if it includes a deep offense against Adisa. Plus
the three give the greatest display of their superpowers
as they battle each other and even greater forces
threatening their world. ~ WRM
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12/20/2010 9:02:37 PM
Name: Adrienne Subject: asleep
hi ms. mcnair
i have a question about asleep:
towards the end, victor says something to adisa about knowing what it's like to be left out in the cold.
since I won't be getting awake for a few days because I've just ordered it, and I am way too impatient :), will I find out what he meant by this in awake, or the third one?
Yes, Adrienne, you'll find out more about the circumstances of
Victor's birth in book 2, AWAKE. But his full story won't
be revealed until book 3, ASCEND. ~ WRM
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12/1/2010 4:19:23 PM
Name: lex-again Subject: AWAKE
well thank you very much ms. mcnair for answering my questions and giving me and opportunity to ask more, so here I go:
Victor and Sonjia? what's with that!!?? :) so they bonded, but that doesn't mean they feel anything for each other (romantically at least...even though it didn't seem that way when they kissed :P), so then what does it mean?
lol! Bonding is a natural attachment that occurs between super beings instead of love. However, in book 3, ASCEND, the issue of nature vs nurture will complicate things. For Sonjia and Victor, the kiss was like an exercise or demonstration of earthbound behavior, not an expression of love. ~ WRM
Why did Victor treat Adisa so roughly (repeated freezing, rough handling, even Sonjia told him to stop punishing her). was he just angry she wasn't cooperating with him like he wanted her to.
Victor was taking the "stick" approach in trying to get Adisa to cooperate while Sonjia, a super being raised among earthbounds understood that more "carrot" was necessary to get what he wanted. ~ WRM
In the book Cyrus says something about adisa taking his place as ruler. ruler?? of what?? guess I'll have to wait for book three to find that one out, right? :)
Correct! ;) ~ WRM
If healers can't heal themselves, how DID adisa manage to heal her feet? book three, again? :D
Sorry that wasn't clear. It was the passage of time she wasn't aware of. She healed naturally over time but Adisa wasn't aware time was passing so it seemed to her that she was experiencing a super healing. ~ WRM
why would Victor make Micah promise not to speak when they came for adisa and the girls?
The reason why will be revealed more in book 3 but basically, Victor wanted more control over the situation in order to get Adisa to do what he wanted without Micah's natural protectiveness of Adisa interfering. ~ WRM
Adisa had fallen asleep and when she woke up Victor was holding her, Liz, and Sonjia down...why was he doing that? That confused me for some reason...
Cyrus was training them all while they were in Kubanza to hone Adisa's skills. Since Adisa was unaware of the passage of time, it seemed to her as if she just fell asleep and then woke up in the middle of a training exercise, very confusing stuff for her so confusing for the reader as well.
Great questions, Lex. In AWAKE, Adisa experiences an extremely confusing time in her life and since the story is told from her perspective, I knew the reader would experience some confusion as well. Which is why I was concerned that readers might not understand or like AWAKE as much as ASLEEP. So I was very pleased when I started getting feedback that not only did readers "get it," many actually liked AWAKE better. Thanks for sticking with the story despite the confusion and I'm glad you enjoyed it. By the way, which did you like better, ASLEEP or AWAKE? ~ WRM
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