Jdonley75

There are a few more chapters, though everything mixes together, so you will likely miss key parts. I wasn't prepared for how some of this would be received by the readers. Everyone seemed to get a lot of strong feelings about Tyler and Alex. I know the relationship seems bad (okay, it is) but not every day is a perfect day. And not every moment that sticks with us are good ones. Bad things happen to good people (just ask Andy) but it's how we get through it and survive that makes us stronger in the future.

Interesting observation. Drake was never mentioned in the previous book because he didn't really exist until I started writing this one, so no worries on that front. You'll learn more about their entangled relationships soon enough.

Kyle and Jacob's heart to heart is in "The Acquittal." That book is solely focused on the two of them.

It's mostly due to not having read the first book. This second book kind of weaves on and around the first story about The Orchard. But dint worry, you'll get there.

I am in good company, it seems. I can understand your reaction to David's passing. I had my own experience on this site from a story written by @sojourn which was a fascinating read up until the final chapter where the reveal hit me so hard so fast, I spent days feeling numb from the memory of that moment. It's very rare a writer can get me that invested in a character. I lean more towards non-fiction and fantasy stories in my own reading. Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman are my most beloved authors. So beloved I couldn't find any words to say to them when I met them years ago at a convention. They were the first to make me cry from the death of a character. This series was something that refused to leave my mind for five years. Now that it's all on the page, it's done and I feel accomplished to have finished what I started. And pretty brave that I allowed it to be shared with all of you. I think that was the best decision I ever made. I still get emails and private messages from people who tell me how the story has impacted them. Then I remember that is the role of a storyteller. To engage with them and give them the opportunity to see the world through different eyes. To give them a perspective they may never have imagined before. To show them how bad times are handled in different ways and that it's okay for them to handle their own bad times in whatever way they feel necessary. I am blessed to have been given this story to tell people. I hope it remains something people go back to and introduce others to as well. Keep reading and dreaming.

Sometimes I wonder if I over do it a little bit on the callbacks. 😅

“I’m really glad you found my brother.” That exchange was the new foundation of their relationship. More or less telling Kyle that from now on, he was going to be more honest and open about his feelings. Kyle's response is his own way of confirming that there will never be another big rift between them. I'm a little surprised no one enjoyed that exchange as much as I did. Kyle and Jacob both carry a part of David inside them and will continue to do so for the rest of their lives.

Sometimes, the people who display the least amount of emotion have the most poignant feelings. Still waters run deep, as they say. Another way to look at it is that Colt has been no stranger to death in the past. He lost a number of men under his command in the past. And while he had to maintain is duty to everyone else, he still grieved their loss. But it's obvious that losing David hit him harder than probably he thought possible.

It's never easy saying goodbye to a character. They become a part of us and losing them feels like losing a part of ourselves. The beauty of a story is that you can always go back to when they were still around and enjoy their presence again.

Often times, some of the things that play out in the story don't always make it onto the page. They detract from the narrative, they might be overly descriptive or they just don't fit the moment. Tyler lost a little bit of his moment to shine in this chapter. ************************************************************************************ Andy stayed in the shadows of one of the trees and silently watched and waited to make sure Tyler stayed safe. As he had predicted, a camera and lights came on before Tyler began to speak. "My name is Tyler Brewer," he began. Focusing his attention on the camera that was pointed at him, he kept his tone clear and even so everyone nearby could hear him. "On behalf of David's family, I have been asked to read a statement." He pulled the scrap of paper from his pocket. "'As all of you know, our beloved father, grandfather and friend passed away this afternoon. We are deeply saddened by this sudden and unexpected loss but we are comforted in knowing that he passed comfortably and in the home that he loved his entire life. As we grieve, we are also grateful for all of the support and sympathy we have received by our community. Our lives have changed. But our memories and our love for him will see us through the days ahead.'" When he finished speaking, Tyler looked around at the crowd and had to steel himself. Around him, silhouetted by candlelight, were faces of teenagers, mothers and men all somber and respectful even as a few wiped away tears. "Mr. Brewer," a loan voice that was too professional to not be a reporter floated over the crowd from where Tyler saw the camera. "Can you tell us if the family is planning a public or private funeral?" Having anticipated that question, Tyler's answer was immediate. "The family is still working out the details right now. They will likely make a decision on that in the next two days." "Is there any plans to change how the orchard will be ran by his sons now that they are in charge?" "No," Tyler stressed the word to make sure everyone heard. "Nothing about the orchard will be changing." "Can you tell us who is there right now with the family? Judging by the number of cars, it seems like there are a lot of people up there right now." With a slight edge to his voice, he replied, "only family is allowed at the house right now. A small group from the local church was kind enough to drop off a meal for everyone, but they left a few minutes ago." He decided he was done answering questions, having given everyone the information he had been sent to deliver. "Thank you all for coming. I know Kyle and Jacob appreciate your being here." Ignoring everything else, he turned and went back through the gate where Andy awaited his return. *************************************************************************************** A little gift for the New Year.

I used the name David because I wanted to honor one of my uncles who passed away years ago. David's death was predetermined many years ago. I always knew this was the moment he would leave the story. In some ways, the series is very much about him. While his past isn't fully explored, there is enough of his past that he becomes a "real" person in the eyes of the reader. At least, that was my goal. I want to believe that if people read the previous chapter a second time (after reading the whole book) they will smile and enjoy his quiet personal moments even more, knowing that his story was coming to an end. Part of life involves loss. As we grow older we lose many of the people we loved. As our characters have aged and grown, it was inevitable that this moment would come.

Guilt, much like grief, is rarely something you can remove from your life. The best you can do is learn to accept it and not let it consume you. To not hide from it and instead use it as an example to yourself to make sure you never make the same mistake again. David knows when and where to press Colt and when to let him make his own way. As entertaining as it might be to watch Mindy get torn to pieces, no one in this book will suffer any dismemberment, I'm afraid.

In regards to the alcoholism, it is a recognized disease by the medical community. There are drugs and therapy available to help those who want it. There is a gene that has been found to be common among those who can suffer from alcohol and drug dependency. Addiction is a horrible illness. If you aren't an addict, there is really no way to describe clearly how it affects those who are vulnerable to it. It isn't a failure of willpower. Your mind and your body want the drug, or the alcohol or whatever it is that your brain has become hooked on. Alcoholism can be deadly in many ways. Beyond what alcohol poisoning can do to you, suddenly cutting your body off from alcohol can be just as dangerous. The worst aspect of a drug or alcohol dependency is the stigma that comes with it. Where people see you as less than or that it should be as easy as saying "no" to stop yourself from it. On the flip side, there are in fact some people who are not addicted to some drugs. I myself am pretty immune from opioid addiction. I've taken them in the past for pain but I never "needed it" like an addict does. When I stopped, I suffered no withdrawal or other ill effects. Other people I have known in the past were not so lucky. Joseph and Jacob's story is more common than people would like to believe. My main goal in this book was to make Jacob's father to not be the villain he has been portrayed as in the previous books. If for no other reason than to communicate my belief that no one is born bad or born to do bad things. And that no one is fully lost to the light, no matter how far they may have fallen. He was a deeply, personally flawed individual. We can acknowledge his mistakes, lay the guilt on his doorstep, but know that there was always a chance he could have been a better person. I think David put it best when he said to Jacob that Joe wasn't able to fight off his demons like Jacob did. If anything, Joseph's biggest mistake was to not seek help from those who loved him. I'm really glad you're still enjoying the story as it unfolds.

Colt cares about what's going on. More than he would probably like to admit to himself. He still has some moments left to him to impress you, I think. David does what he does. He believes in his son and so he believes in Josh. He might be a little naïve about Josh instantly becoming a part of his family, but he's doing what his heart tells him to do. I'm glad you're still enjoying the story as it unfolds. There is still a lot of hurdles left for everyone to get over before it's over with.

It's as close to real life with real feelings as I can get with Kyle and Jacob. You don't go from screaming and yelling at each other on minute to hugs and kisses the next. These things take time to iron out and see where things go. Helen may yet have to make an appearance in this story before it's all over with. Never know. 😉