Vittoria talks about Torren (AWAKENING 3)

What can I tell you about Awakening 3? I have made further progress, so that's good. I don't want to tell you too much about what I've been thinking about because I don't want to spoil the book for you, but I suppose I could talk a bit about my process.

Today I've been working on getting all the conflicts straight in my head - conflicts between the characters and the conflicts each character has with themselves. I do that work just by writing about it, making guesses, feeling things out, etc. Turns out there is a lot of conflict in this book. I'm feeling a might overwhelmed by it, actually, because I'm not sure how it all gets resolved, but at some point I just have to start writing what I know and trust that the rest will reveal itself.

Yesterday I had a sit-down chat with Vittoria because I'd realized that I had no idea what she and Torren did together for the nearly 50 years between Books 2 and 3. I learned some surprising things about both she and Torren. So that's where today's excerpt is going to come from. Enjoy!

Character interview excerpt

JG: What can you tell us about [Torren] that we don’t already know?

VR: He is ticklish! Between his third and fourth ribs, only on his left side.

JG: Hahah! What else?

VR: He does not like pickled eggs.

JG: *makes a face* Who does?

VR: I used to.

JG: Oh. *clears throat* But what else?

VR: He finds chickens fascinating.

JG: Really? Why?

VR: I have no idea. I do not see their appeal.

JG: Me either!

VR: Yes, but he can watch chickens for hours. He is not so interested in people like I am. He prefers books. He likes to look, to observe, but he does not like to interact. I, on the other hand, prefer to participate in life.

JG: You see him as not participating in life?

VR: What else do you call it when you are in a room full of people and you barely open your mouth to speak to any of them? When you sulk in a dark corner and watch but do not touch or taste?