Hello everyone,

Thank you so much for reading Freeze. If you're here, you have a special place in my heart. It takes a lot of devotion to get through this monster of a book.

First off, I'm going to say that writing this story has been much harder than I expected, mainly because I didn't have time to write, read back, edit and post, which is how I normally work. But I forced myself to write on, and I hope that most of what's wrong with this draft will be fixed in the edits (I'm looking at you Jerry and Tina).

I love this story. It's so far my favorite book in the series, and even if I had doubts at some point, writing the ending in rapid fire convinced me. I'm also floored by all the positive feedback the climax and ending have received so far.

In this book, I feel like I took the time to explore each character properly, especially Jerry and Jimmy. I certainly hope you found reasons to love and hate everyone of them, because none of them are meant to be perfect.

I know the Sam - Angie thing pissed off a lot of people, but I believe it's accurate considering the amount of time they've spent together and how Sam needed a bit of familiarity in the catacombs of Paris.

I also think you might have noticed that hormones flew all over the place. I also believe it made sense given the stages of the relationship and the danger they were in. Camp syndrome does that to people and it would've been highly unrealistic for people not to act on it.

Regarding the whole Jerry - Tina thing, in my defense, the original fight only concerned Jessie and Tina being jealous of her, so that could've been solved. What ended up happening... eh, not so much.

There were some huge clues regarding the main plot as well, especially in Sophie's story and Sam's trippy dream (Sam's subconscious is a genius thing). And of course, you have your Snitch Gravel moments that reveal a lot of who he is. That ending snap from his part is meant to show everything can slip away from him and that behind that cold, controlled mask, he's just as human as everyone else.

Yes, I've left Sam in a coma. Yes, I've left Billy for dead. And yes, Jerry and Tina really did break up. It wasn't in the initial plan, but seeing how that master side plot made a lot of sense to me, I don't feel like a reconciliation between them on a romantic level is possible.

What's next?

There will be a book 4.5 which will be only a few chapters long. That especially because book 5 takes place three years after this one. I haven't decided yet if I will post the intermediary chapters in this one or make a whole new book (probably this one), and I haven't decided when the content would come. Hold on to your drama hats, because it will.

Regarding book five, I'm planning to take a break before I start writing it. Unlike the rest of the books I've published so far, I don't have an already completed (although terrible) first draft for it. So whatever I produce will be an ultimate first draft. Those said, I might do a description, cover reveal and teaser by the end of the year.

Meanwhile, I will try to finish my other unfinished project and be a closet writer for a while.

If you think this was dramatic, you have no idea what's coming.

Historical and geographical accuracy 

The historical facts in this story are real, save for Catherine de Medici's hidden diary. But she did have a medieval bitch fight with Diane de Poitier which resulted in the crown jewels being tossed around like a hot potato. It is also true that the castle of Chenonceau (located in the village of Chenonceaux - which explains the funky spelling in chapter 26) was taken from Diane by Catherine.

The geography, including castle location and layout, as well as the streets of Paris are all accurate. The pictures I've attached to each chapter are also of the exact location specified in the chapter.

The only things I've taken liberties with are the rooms inside the castles, though when Sam and Christine run from Snitch Gravel's men, the succession of rooms they go through is accurate.

What can I say? I've done my research. Also, fun fact, I've been to Paris and visited the castles twice, and the second time, I actually paid special attention to the details I needed for the scenes I was writing.

Mandatory questions

Yes, there's one of this as well. So if you feel like it, I want to ask you about your favorites and if there are any changes from previous books. Trust me, these have a reason.

Favorite character?

Favorite couple?

 Favorite scene?

Did you feel like there was character growth and plot evolution?

Anything you would have liked more / less of?

Anything that you feel didn't make sense or needed to be expanded on better?

I want to give you all another huge thank you. This series is my baby and every read and comment I get on it means the world to me. I always appreciate honest feedback because there is still so much that can be improved, but I honestly and deeply hope you've enjoyed the ride.

As always, I feel like I'm forgetting something, but that's life for ya.

Until next time.

Stef🌠