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Garum sociorum  (I think I spelled it right) was a Roman delicacy that's still eaten today in some places. It's basically rotting-fish sauce prepared so it doesn't poison you.

Or the green of vomited pea soup.

Further to making the corporeal demons more gross, I'm going to give them the ability to dissolve their own skin, especially on their faces, as they attack someone in order to instill fear in their victim. I can fit that into the story right from the start of book one, and they'll all use that skill during the final battle to attempt to terrify Connor's cousins (aka Omega Force).

Good grief. Word tells me I have 2100 -ing words in the first act of Archangel and 1000 -ly words. That's going to take a wee bit of time to address.

Okay, I'm a dolt. When I read your original post, I thought you were still waiting on confirmation as to whether or not you have colon cancer. Having reread it, I'm now as freaked out as everyone else. There are very few people I've come across in my life of whom it can be said they are a force of nature. You rank at the top, dear friend. Anyone who rescues animals, especially as many as you have, is on that list. Heaven knows, I don't pray often, but in your case I'll gladly make an exception. You have many friends here, and we all will. Please keep us informed if you're up to it as to how things are going as this unfolds. If you can bring the same energy and determination to getting well as you do to everything else you've done, you will beat this.

Please get well. That's a heartfelt prayer, a request, and an order.
Dirk

Nuts. I'm sorry to see you go, Marilyn. I'll be thinking about you, though, hoping for the best and that you return when your health permits.

All my best wishes, my friend.
Dirk

I forgot to ask: How is your approach of releasing everything as ten-chapter novellas doing as far as sales go? Are people buying the sequels?
Just curious.

Unfortunately, it's been so long, many of the story details have slipped my meds-addled brain. Did all of the above events occur in the last book? I thought her blowing up the ship was near the end of one of the earlier books, after which she drops into the planet's atmosphere and becomes a synth. No? I don't recall the individual books being that long.

Regardless, 15K is definitely a lot to pad, which could make it drag. Seems like you need to add another act. Something worthy of ten chapters without feeling like filler.

One other option that occurred to me is that, instead of Michael boosting Connor's power without first telling him that that's what the wine will do, Michael might tell him the wine will boost his power, even though it's just plain wine. Connor, believing it's supernatural, boosts his own power just by believing the wine can do it (incredible power of suggestion). As Christ told his followers, you can move a mountain if you have faith. I'm not sure yet which way I'll go with the wine. If it's supernatural, I'd love for it to be a surprise to Connor.

Problem is, I also want him to leap from the top of "Mount" Megiddo (really just a tall hill) and land behind the attacking horde of demons, then attack them from behind while his cousins attack from the front. For Connor to attempt to leap over the horde, he would have to know in advance that his power has been boosted, so I don't think I can make it a surprise to him. Or Connor makes the leap, expecting to land in the middle of the horde, but the wine takes him across the entire horde. Decisions, decisions.

I can't remember if I already mentioned some of this, but I plan to have Connor battle a powerful lieutenant of Satan's while the rest of the final battle is unfolding. Connor and "Louie" never really like each other, right from the beginning of book two, where Connor is behaving super bratty, and  Louie is Satan's chief of staff at the Vatican. In fact, it's Louie who kills Connor's gay young lover, although I'm not sure if he does it on Satan's orders or because he knows it's what Satan wants. Connor, of course, blames Satan for the death, which triggers their battle halfway through book two (the one where Connor loses). Like Satan, Louie's zombie body is home to many demons, and he draws more to himself (into his zombie body) before his fight with Connor. That makes him incredibly powerful, though not quite a match for "boosted" Connor (after he drinks the wine made from grapes from the Garden of Eden). Since the wine only lasts so long, Connor's powers return to their usual un-boosted level, which is still very powerful, though not as powerful as Louie at that point.

The final battle between Connor and Louie will happen something like this: Louie rides out during the final battle to fight Connor one-on-one (a sword fight). Connor, still boosted, is clearly the stronger of the two, although Louie is no lightweight. Then Connor's boost runs out, and Louie begins to kick his butt. Connor's sword is knocked from his hand, and Louie keeps hitting him hard enough, Connor doesn't even have the presence of mind to draw the sword back to himself (using his telekinesis).

Fortunately, when Michael gave Connor the wine, he also gave him a small vial of the wine to carry with him, just in case. Connor also carries a vial of holy water given to him by Pope Romano in preparation for the battle. Connor, beaten to a pulp, is knocked down hard at one point, and the vial of holy water falls out of his pocket. That's when Connor remembers both vials. He uses the holy water to splash Louie's face, which causes him to back off just long enough for Connor to drink the other vial to re-boost his power just long enough to turn the fight around. It continues as a nasty fist fight, but Connor now clearly dominant. Once Connor has beaten Louie to a pulp, although both are still standing, Connor draws the sword back to himself and beheads Louie.

The other alternative is that Connor continues pounding Louie, and rather than use the sword, he hits Louie so hard with a final punch, he beheads him.

Neat trick: since Louie is a powerful demon, he uses his supernatural powers to set his sword on fire, and uses the burning sword to fight Connor, including sending flames shooting at Connor from the sword's tip. Connor lights his own sword, and they continue their sword fight. This seems somewhat like a lightsaber ripoff, so I may not do it. However, I at least have the option of doing so, because it's sufficiently different from a lightsaber that Mickey Mouse is unlikely to send me a cease and desist letter.

Sol, can the broken email links and overly short forum timeouts be fixed? See earlier posts/discussion for details.

I keep asking, but I haven't seen a reply.

Thanks
Dirk

If it's inline, go to the Reviews screen (the one with the four tabs that shows posted and received inline and regular reviews). It should be clearly visible on the posted reviews tab (marked as draft, I think). It hasn't actually been posted yet.