Midnight last night marked the final deadline for voting for the conclusion of my latest novel, Ends of the Earth. If you followed the voting results along the way (by clicking on the gigantic red-white-and-blue link on my website that said “VOTE RESULTS,” in case you overlooked it) then the outcome is not exactly a surprise to you: Alena Savard shot off to an early lead and never lost it. After more than two months of voting, Alena managed to capture 51% of the total votes with Kathryn Guilford managing only 29%. Almost 13% of you thought that Nick Polchak was actually clueless enough to propose to both women at the same time, while 8% concluded that Nick is just not ready for marriage at this point in his life.

I’d like to take this opportunity to say “Thank You” to all of you who voted and especially to those who took the time to post comments and voice opinions on this blog. Leaving a story hanging like that was a creative experiment for me and I really wasn’t sure what kind of response to expect. I knew that everyone who read the book would have a strong opinion, but I wasn’t sure how many would bother to visit my website and cast their vote. But the response has been overwhelming, and I appreciate those of you who joined in the fun.

Now for the two questions on everyone’s mind: What happens next—and when?

As for what happens next, I’m not sure. Like any good writer, I like to keep my creative options open. I can tell you this much: If you’re counting on my next Bug Man novel to open with a wedding ceremony, you’re bound to be disappointed. All your votes have determined is that the Bug Man saga will move forward with Alena in the romantic picture. But how long will it take them to reach the altar and what hurdles will they have to overcome along the way? That’s hard to say, and I haven’t decided yet. (This is what’s known as “wiggle room”.)

As for when, I begin work on the next Bug Man novel December 1st –but I want you to know that my next novel to be published will not be a Bug Man story. My next novel is something different—something very special. It’s a story I’ve waited five years to write, and I can’t wait for you to see it. It’s called Wonders Never Cease, and it’s scheduled for release around Mother’s Day—but that’s all I can tell you for now. Don’t worry, I’ll tell you more about it just as soon as I can.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to work. I have a wedding to plan, and you know how complicated that can be—especially when the bride is a witch and the groom is an insect.

But a deadline had to be set, if only because I need to know where the story will go from here. Hey--I need some closure too, you know. For the sake of those readers who come to the story later, I plan to leave the two alternate endings up on my website and also leave the voting function up and running to give them a chance to at least express their opinion. And if they want to express themselves further, this blog will always be here to allow them the opportunity.

For the rest of you, you have one more day to express your opinion--while it still counts. So tell your friends, it all ends tomorrow at midnight. Get that vote in!

They say that all good things must come to an end, and that means I’m forced to set a deadline for voting on the cliffhanger ending of Ends of the Earth—so I’ve chosen Election Day, Tuesday, November 3rd, at midnight. It seems fitting, doesn’t it?

I hate to see this end because I’ve really enjoyed saying "cliffhanger ending"--not to mention reading all of your comments and opinions on how the story should (and definitely should NOT) conclude. I think Alena and Kathryn would both be encouraged to know how many champions they each have on their side. But the vote has to end, and that means somebody has to win—and lose. So if you care about the outcome and you haven’t voted yet, you’d better get to it. There’s only three weeks left until the deadline, and after that Nick’s romantic fate will be sealed.

And don’t forget to tell your friends! Each person can only vote once, but that doesn’t mean you can’t ask a friend (or two or three) to vote your way. So go ahead, stuff the ballot box—it’s the American way.

The clock is ticking. See you at the polls.

I received a lovely card by snail mail today from Carol McKitrick of Findlay, Ohio. Her card reads:

Dear Friends,
I have no computer but I believe I have the best ending to your new book "Ends of the Earth." It should be Alena he has asked to marry him. He is not cut out for the snobby life with Kathryn. Alena offers a more challenging life & that is what Nick wants, a more knowledge-seeking life, plus she has taught her dogs to relax & be loving & that's what Nick needs to learn how to do.
Sincerely,
Carol McKitrick
P.S. This book gave me more science than I wanted to learn. Sorry.

I entered your vote myself, Carol. Thanks for going the extra mile.

Every Monday morning I send out an email blast containing an excerpt of dialogue between Nick and another character from one of my Bug Man novels. If you’ve read my latest novel, Ends of the Earth, you might remember this exchange between Nick and Sherman Pettigrew that I sent out just a couple of weeks ago:

Nick Polchak on “Respecting your colleagues”

“Why must you do that?” Dr. Pettigrew demanded.
“Do what?” Nick asked.
“Insult me. Humiliate me. Belittle my field of study.”
Nick shrugged. “Why do ants like to feed on maggots? Because they’re soft and squishy.”
“What does that mean?”
“I’m not sure, but the comparison was irresistible.”
“Now look here, Polchak—”
“Is it true your wife ran off with the exterminator? Because I would find that ironic.”
Pettigrew glared at him. “At least I was married—an accomplishment you’ve never attained.”
“Marriage is like football,” Nick said. “The goal isn’t just to catch the ball—you’re supposed to hang on to it.”

If you can’t get enough of Nick and you need a little something to get your week started off in the right direction, why not drop by my website and sign up—it’s free. And when you’re done reading, don’t forget to forward your Moments with Nick on to a friend. You don’t want to be the only one laughing. People will think you’re weird.

Most of you made up your mind as you read the book—but when? What was the tipping point for you? What was the specific scene or exchange of dialogue when you said to yourself, “She’s the one for Nick”?

Or maybe you never said that. Maybe you’re one of the minority who said to yourself, “Nick will never get married,” or “Nick proposed to both.” When did you decide that? When did you know?

The question I’d most like answered is: Did the bonus chapters make any difference? Did they change your mind in any way? Did you even read both chapters, or just the one that visualized the decision you had already made? Is there anyone out there whose mind was firmly made up until she read those two alternate realities—and then changed her vote?

When did you know?

When I first came up with the idea for the ending, it was my intention to just leave the outcome hanging and let readers wait for the next Bug Man novel to find out what actually happened. My editor—a woman, let me point out—told me in no uncertain terms that I couldn’t do that. She told me that some readers would be furious if I left the story hanging because some readers need more closure than others. I asked her which readers she was referring to, and she told me: women.

We agreed on a compromise: The final page of the novel would say, “I know what you’re thinking…‘It can’t end like that!’ It doesn’t have to. There’s a bonus chapter…but you have to decide what it says.” I showed my 26-year-old son the final page and he suggested this text instead: "I know what you're thinking...that can't be the end of the book. But it is...that's why it says 'The End' after those words there...That's the way life goes, ladies."

Did I mention that he’s single?

It does make me wonder…Was my editor right? Do more women write comments because they have a stronger desire to see the story resolved? Would just as many women have written comments if I had left the crime unresolved? When it comes to relationships, do women need more closure than men?

And will only women reply to this post?

The official release date for Ends of the Earth isn’t until tomorrow, but comments are already coming in about the surprise ending and the way the story should be resolved. It only seems fair that I should get to take part in this debate, so I thought I’d fuel the fire by throwing in a few comments of my own...

Okay, go ahead and say it: “What do you mean, ‘take part in this debate’? You already know how it comes out!” It might surprise you to know that I don’t. The question I’m most often asked about this story is, “Who does Nick marry?” as though I’m guarding the secret but refuse to tell anyone else.

The truth is, I’m not sure who Nick was proposing to—yet.

One of my jobs as a writer is to set up tensions in my story that are resolved by the end in a (hopefully) satisfying way; the greater the tension, the more satisfying the resolution. If the brilliant Nick Polchak vanquishes a bad guy who’s little more than a moron, where’s the satisfaction in that? No, Nick’s nemesis has to be his equal—even his better in some ways. In the same way, the two women vying for Nick’s attention had to be equals, and it was my job to balance Kathryn and Alena so that each would be a sympathetic favorite and each would have a legitimate claim to Nick’s heart.

I did a good job.

So good, in fact, that I’m not sure who I would vote for. But in a way it doesn’t matter, because as a writer I’m forced to look at characters in a different way than you do. I have to think of them as tools and consider questions like: What can I use them for? How do they work together? What can I create with them, and how long would they last? You might think that taking this god’s-eye view would make things easier, but it doesn’t. Kathryn and Alena are both good tools, and I could spin a lot of fascinating tales with either one.

So help me out here. One woman might make a better wife, and the other might make a better partner—but which one would make a better tool? Think like a writer for a minute…Which character do you think has the greatest potential for the future?

If you’ve had the chance to read my latest novel all the way through to the end, you might be a little upset with me right now. I can’t say I blame you; after all, I took you on a three-hundred-and-fifty page thrill ride only to leave your car dangling over the edge of a cliff. “He can’t do this to me,” you might be saying to yourself right now, and maybe you’ve come to this blog site hoping to tell me so.

I knew the ending would be controversial. In fact, my editor advised me not to do it at all, but I thought the idea was just too good to pass up. I knew some readers would love it and some might hate it; I also knew that absolutely everyone would have a strong opinion about what should (and definitely should not) happen next.

That’s why I decided to allow my readers to go to my website and vote for the ending they prefer (http://timdowns.net). And that’s why I’ve created this blog post. This is a place for you to share your opinions about the story with other readers. This is your chance to explain to others why you voted the way you did. How do you think the story should end? Post your comment and tell the world.

If you haven’t finished Ends of the Earth yet, you’re not sure what I’m talking about here. That’s good—because I don’t want this blog post or comments posted by readers to spoil the ending for anyone. So before you click on the "Comments" link below, be warned: 

SPOILER ALERT! THE FOLLOWING COMMENTS DISCUSS THE SURPRISE ENDING OF ENDS OF THE EARTH! READER BEWARE!