Pop Until You Drop, Part Four

    This is the last one of these, I swear.  One of the main reasons why I hate Chris's friends reveal their secrets was to allow Chris to break his father's word and tell Sam everything.  These secrets were the impetus for the entire book, so I needed a way to get them across.  First, I revealed more about how Jonathan's mother and siblings died, at the manor basically.  Morbid, I know, but it reveals a lot about Chris's grandfather's nature.  It set up the secret about how Jonathan get into college, as well as his job there.  I admit, I only added that part after scandals broke out involving celebrities getting their children into college.  It was a rather late add, but suited both the characters and the overall plot of the book.  The main secret I wanted to reveal was about Jonathan's wife, basically Sam's 'mother.'  I hinted in the first book that her character wasn't too great, and I upped the ante in this one.  I always planned on her being sort of a gold digger, but making her a major reason why Chris was never found until he was an adult was the last straw.  I wanted some ambiguity if she really was trying to take money from Jonathan, at least so that Sam wouldn't be feeling too bad towards her.  Now, I didn't spill all of the secrets involving the Burton family.  There are few more left.  That's right.  There is going to be one more book in this series to finish off the story of Chris and Sam.  There was just too much more information left to write.  This is the reason why I ended the story before the wedding.  I knew there would be more to relate.  I am still in the framing portion, but I have the main beats laid out.  I just have to figure out the best way to connect them all together.  I don't want to spoil too much, but I can give out a few details.  First, the title will be connected to both art and fatherhood, again.  I'm not sure how, yet, but it will focus on modern art of the early twenty-first century.  Second, the action will take place four years later, yet again in late May/early June.  Sam will have just graduated college by then, and he is getting ready to get onto the US team for international competition in swimming.  Chris will still be married to Addie, with one child and a second one on the way.  Third, while most of the scenes will take place in New York and Lexington, there will be a major scene taking place in a new location in a different state.  There will also be some chapters set in Chris's hometown, as it were.  Yes, we will finally get to meet Chris's mother and find out exactly why their relationship is so choppy.  Fourth, as mentioned above, I have a few more secrets about the Burton family.  Early in the book, Chris finds something that puzzles him, and he goes through the entire book wondering what it is he found, if it is anything at all.  It might be nothing, but it might turn into something else entirely.  Fifth, Chris's friends won't be seen, but I will flesh out the futures I mentioned in the blogcast and include them.  In fact, Chris will only have one friend in the entire book to talk to, and he will be someone unexpected.  It turns out that there are plenty of secrets going around, and Chris will have to navigate carefully before any of them blow up in his face.  I probably won't start this book for a few more months.  Maybe not even until next year, but that just will give me more time to plan.  See you then.