Q&A with Author - Katherine Owen discussion

From the author: SPOILER: It was difficult to write the scene with Max. I loved his character and he really helped to ground Jordan because as Max's mother and his open enthusiasm for life, she was able to "soldier on".

His loss serves as the dark moment for both Jordan and Brock.

Jordan was a strong character in many ways from the very beginning of the book and she displayed this strength in the loss of Ethan, which on some levels she seemed to anticipate. Yet with the loss of Max, it shatters her world and adds the necessary depth to the story it needed.

With Brock, he reacts to the deaths of Max and his father with his old ways of coping by ensuring he returns to Afghanistan as soon as he can. Of course, this decision costs him dearly and becomes his darkest moment when he loses all three of them.

I know some of you are disappointed with the loss of Max, especially, but I hope this further clarifies my intention with the story and where I felt it needed to go.