So, I finally did what I kept saying I wouldn't do. I wrote a sequel to the GONE series. I've been rejecting that word sequel for a couple of reasons, mostly to do with my own pride. I work in series, but once I'm done, I'm done. And I always felt if I started going backward it would be a bad sign, that it would mean I was starting to lose my fastball. I think that's the appropriate sports metaphor, I'm not sure because I know mostly nothing about sports and feel no curiosity about it. Do whatever you like with a ball, I don't care.

But I digress. The other reason I didn't think of it as a sequel is that I came at it from a different direction. I didn't start from, "So what happens next?" I started with, "I wanna make a superhero universe. Waaah." I started there which brought me immediately to the question of how I was not going to just be a YA Marvel slash DC. How was I going to do it differently?

I was more into comics as a kid, and I never got that into them later on. But even my limited exposure is pretty intimidating. Some very imaginative writers and artists have put one hell of a lot of time and talent into leaving no possible superhero universe unexplored. I didn't have a lot of room to maneuver. However, I had two cards that were mine to play: GONE and ANIMORPHS.

So round one of thinking this through was a possible connection between my new thing and one of my old things. I could sort of place things in the GONE world or the ANIMORPHS world. GONE worked best. But then it occurred to me that it would work even better with about 10% ANIMORPHS added for extra flavor.

So, with the concept starting to gel in my enormous head, it was time to look at location and character. I suppose most writers start with character or plot, but once I have my core concept I look to setting because it's the quickest way to convince yourself as the writer that there' some reality to this. As a writer one of the little challenges is to overcome the voice in your head that every so often whispers, "this is just a bunch of bullshit and no one is going to read it."

For setting I went with two former homes - the Chicago suburbs and the Bay Area. Easy, peasy, and I didn't need much detail because they were starting points; I knew we were going on the road a lot.

For my leads I knew I wanted a brand-new character, and one from the FAYZ. As occasionally happens I had the new character's name immediately. She was Shade. Don't ask me why, I have no idea. The last time that sort of instant name-character brain-pop occurred was with Dekka. And Dekka, as it happens, is the lead character I lifted from the FAYZ for the sequel. . . drumroll. . . MONSTER.

End of September, I think. Close to then anyway. Shade, Dekka, Cruz, Malik, Armo, Knightmare and more, some of whom you may already know. Others not.

MONSTER will be. . . well, if you read either GONE or ANIMORPHS, you won't be expecting Sunday dinner at Grandma's.