It’s finally time. And I’m excited!
A new novel is on the way, my fourth.
And the third and final installment in the Frank and Celestina saga.
I never intended to write a series, but after Blood and Rain, I wanted to explore the characters further. Frank was interesting, but Celestina demanded more time. Why was she the way she was? Her backstory was touched upon in Blood and Rain, but not explored deeply enough.
Then came Mont Noir.
Celestina is on a warpath after what happens in Blood and Rain. Barcelona no longer offers hope. There are only ghosts. The only thing left is revenge. She is angry, but dangerous. Franco wants her out of Spain, the Germans need a job done. A deal is made. And Frank is the perfect scapegoat.
In Mont Noir, we uncover more of Celestina’s past. Her motives, her desires, the traumatic events that shaped her view of the world.
That should have been the end.
But then I had the privilege of visiting the Verzetsmuseum in Amsterdam, the Resistance Museum, which remembers the occupation of the Netherlands from 1940 to 1945. I was looking at the artefacts, listening to the stories, and something struck me. They have to come back. Frank and Celestina must meet one last time. The loose ends must be tied. The story needs a true ending, the conclusion it deserves.
That’s where A Sky Without Stars was born.
Inside that museum.
The novel begins in Amsterdam on the eve of World War Two. It follows the bombing of Rotterdam, the occupation, the persecution of minorities, resistance networks, espionage, escapes, and ultimate sacrifice.
A Sky Without Stars goes deeper, darker, and more human than anything I’ve written before.
I’m glad I wrote it.
Their story begins in Barcelona in 1936.
Continues in Amsterdam in 1939.
And ends here, in 1942.
This is the final chapter.
I’ve worked on this novel since the day Mont Noir was published.
Today, I can finally show it to you.
I can’t wait to share it with you.
