I finally revised my favorite short story, "Innocent." I got comments from my most trusted critics that, though the plot was good, the style was very difficult to follow due to all the flashbacks, so I condensed them into one to make it easier for people to read. Although I love experimenting with new and different ways to tell stories, my goal is to be read, not to showboat.
While working on "Battle for Cassandra", I discovered the first stage in the evolution of Max's archnemesis. After sustaining an injury that should have ended her career as a warrior permanently, she undergoes an experiment that makes her nearly impossible to kill. She is also assigned the task she must complete for her next stage in evolution: she must destroy someone's soul. Her sadistic mentor pushes her to exceed limit after limit of cruelty and violence, so I now have a better understanding of why she can torture Max so easily later in the series. It's getting to the point where I might have to reign her in a bit to keep MYSELF from getting nightmares, much less my readers. Fortunately, since she doesn't become completely unhinged until book three, I have plenty of time to make sure that she is portrayed in a terrifying but tasteful manner.
