I am a murderer. It took me some time to realize this, but it’s true. I have killed. In fact, I’ve killed more than once.

When I was working on the draft for Valentine R: Book Two, I knew someone close to Val needed to die. She’s never lost anyone close to her (I won’t say who died in this post for those of you who haven’t read the book yet. For those who have, please don’t mention them in the comments—and I’m talking to you, Ebunnygirl ). So, someone had to go. Not only did it have to be someone close to her, it also needed to be a major character. The last time this happened was in the original series, when Val faced off against Rafferty. A few side characters have died in the series, but none who were as important to the story as Rafferty. Towards the end of Valentine R: Book Two I knew exactly who was going to bite the dust. It was difficult but necessary.

The funny thing about writing is, you start to like your characters, even the screwed up ones. Killing them off can be hard. They’re not real people walking around in reality and doing things, but man, you become close to them as you write them. When they die, you need a moment to let their death sink in. You may even have a little private funeral for them in your mind. When I killed who I killed in Book Two, I thought, “Well, that’s it. They’re gone. They’re actually gone.” And this character isn’t a vampire or anything like that, so they’re GONE. In fact, they’re so gone, I’m going to open Book Three with their funeral.

Will there be other deaths of major characters in Book Three? Most likely, yes. I’m still ironing out the details of the story, but I intend to have the draft completed sometime late this summer, schedule permitting. Stay tuned, and I’ll keep you posted.