Well, my friends, the ballots have been counted, the hanging chads examined, and unlike certain political elections, there were no lawsuits filed, and no recount demanded. (Although I did get one impassioned email that could have doubled as a campaign speech. Respect.)
By majority rule, the order of business for my keyboard is now set:
- Fall From Grace goes first. Apparently, you’re all eager to watch me shove Thomas Billings off an emotional cliff. Don’t worry—there will be plenty of sharp rocks and jagged edges waiting at the bottom.
- Sister Jacobine #7 follows close behind, because really, you couldn’t let her rest for even one book, could you? Poor woman. Six books of dodging bullets, assassins, conspiracies, and bad coffee, and you still want more.
- Credible Threat, Season 2 brings up the rear. Which makes sense, because if Billings and Jacobine are still alive by then, they’ll need a stiff drink and I’ll need one, too.
Now, I won’t lie—part of me wanted to ignore your votes and just go off and write a cookbook instead. (“101 Ways to Kill a Man With Kitchen Utensils” has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?) But I asked, you answered, and I’ll play fair.
The real truth? I’m kind of relieved. It means I don’t have to sit here staring at my screen wondering which story to wrestle next. You made the call, so if you end up cursing me for the heartbreak, the cliffhangers, or the general emotional wreckage, you’ve only yourselves to blame.
So, thank you for steering this ship. I’ll start wrestling with Fall From Grace immediately. Fair warning: writing this one might just wreck me as much as it does Billings—but if you’ve been around here long enough, you know I’m a masochist that way.
Stay tuned. Blood, betrayal, and probably bad jokes are coming your way soon.
–Mark