T. Ellery Hodges answers your questions

Listening to the Never Paradox while on the treadmill and when Riley emerges to fight, I literally got goosebumps. Great writing. Looking forward to listening to more of your work. Are you sticking to urban fantasy or are you going to branch out into other genres/sub-genres?

T. Ellery Hodges Hi Vince, sorry for the late reply. I am currently working on a Fantasy Series.

Its about a bard.

Current working title for book one: Bard Hard.
Current working series title: The Lost Son of the Teurig.

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This question contains spoilers... (view spoiler)

T. Ellery Hodges

This answer contains spoilers… (view spoiler)[Hmmm. So much to unpack with that question. Some of this will be very loosely connected to the answer you're looking for, but I'll just share some of the thinking that occurred as this book evolved into its final form.

In the earliest draft I went out of my way to stay out of Jonathan's headspace. I wanted 'who' he really was after the events of TNP to be a mystery. I later decided that this choice would be denying the readers what they wanted most. So, I changed a lot of the plotting to let everyone into Jonathan's head earlier in the story.

Now, why was the conflict with Leah done the way it was:
A few reasons. The main one was that I wanted Leah's redemption arc to be a mystery to the reader as well. This goes back to that desire of wanting the reader to question "wtf is Jonathan thinking?" I wanted folks wondering how he could possibly do a 180 on how he felt about Leah after the end of The Never Paradox.

In the earliest drafts, there were scenes where they 'had it out'. I didn't care for them. Some of it was that when you show those scenes they get a bit melodramatic (even for me). But, a lot more of it was simply due to the mechanics and timing involved. When you really stare at the time line of events, the conversation doesn't fit well anywhere. Mostly because of what Jonathan has to priorities at any given time.

He's under a mountain of stress and doesn't have the energy or emotional bandwidth to deal with a personal betrayal, for instance:
(1) when the bond is threatening to kill him. Once he's survives that
(2) he immediately has to deal with the pending apocalypse and (Cough, cough) "finds himself trapped" in
(3) The Queue Loop.

There is no good spot for it before this, but after this, the Shadows have all seen what is really happening to him in The Never. They have come clean with him regarding whatever he needs to know. Jonathan learns more about Leah and the secrets she's kept with every iteration, but, before we get to this, she's already the person who kept him alive when he was helpless... during the trial of the broken bond.

Once that happens, (and since he knows about the baby she carries upon exiting the Queue Loop) I couldn't see Jonathan holding on to his anger. What she's endured to save him, and the world, is so much greater than any previous transgressions.

At the same time, I can't imagine him really telling her about her own death in that first loop. Especially given what he accidently did to her while he was recovering from the bond. I tried to imagine the same situation and didn't think, for instance, that I could tell my wife a story like that. I couldn't have bared saying the words when I knew they could never really explain.

Anyhow, I elected to "show" not "tell." Because in the end, I thought the only real way to resolve the conflict was for Leah to see for herself... and once they're bonded, neither of them really needs to ask what the other is feeling.

Anyhow, hope that helps. (hide spoiler)]

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I have had the first book on my TBR for a long long time and I was just wondering whether this third book is the last one or there are more books to this series? Thanks!

T. Ellery Hodges Hi Lily,

The third book is the finale. In the future I might due other books in the same universe but the main Jonathan Tibbs storyline is complete.

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I nearly screamed when the Never Paradox ended because I knew there wasn't a third book yet. So as you can probably imagine my question is, when do you see the next Never installment being published? P.S. Please don't say 2019.

T. Ellery Hodges Hi Meran,

Thanks so much for reading! I apologize for such a late reply but I just now saw your question.

Unfortunately, I don't yet have much of an answer for you.

I'm still working on the first draft, a process that has been hampered a lot by having a newborn in the house. Xander was born in Jan of 2017.

That said, now that he is a little older I'm getting more and more time in front of the manuscript and things are accelerating. It's certainly my hope to have the book finished before 2019.

If you have any interested in being a beta reader when the time comes, please drop me a line at telleryhodges@theneverhero.com and I'll add you to my list!

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This question contains spoilers... (view spoiler)

T. Ellery Hodges Hi Daricus,

Thanks for reading! In regards to your questions, 2 things:

(1) Tough spot, saying yes or no feels spoiler-ish either way

(2) Maybe not so spoiler-ish... Hayden and Collin "might" have a conversation in book three where they "might" discuss why no reader should ever trust an author who 'kills' a character off camera

Hope that helps :)

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I am so in love with the this series that even though I've purchased and loved the audiobooks I will need to buy a paper book for my bookshelf as well. Do you have a promotional schedule for book signings at all? And if I've missed my chance, will you be doing any signing on the east coast for the 3rd book release? You are fast becoming one of my favorite authors and I want to get a copy signed.

T. Ellery Hodges Hi Keonah,

Thanks so much for reading! So glad you're enjoying the series!

In regards to signed copies, drop me a line at telleryhodges@theneverhero.com and I'll get back to you with details as soon as I possible!

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I picked up The Never Hero on a whim...I am glad I did. Very well written and engaging. Slightly predictable with some characters. :) My question is Will we ever hear how Colin and Hayden's bible comic reboot does? I just started Never Paradox so maybe the answer is in it. Either way Great story.

T. Ellery Hodges Hi Travis,

Thanks for reading!

The comic book will be a subplot integrated into all of the books. Depending on how far you've gotten into TNP, you'll see that Collin and Hayden are have started discussing new aspects of the Super-Jesus story line. These conversations continue to have a not so subtle way of providing context and foreshadowing Jonathan's experiences.

I don't want to give any spoilers, so that is all I will say for now. Thank you for the question and supporting the series!

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Not a question?...just a huge compliment. Just finished "Never Paradox" and it left me feeling all the feels! Thank you for such an amazing sequel to one of the greatest book surprises (for me) over the past few years. Cannot wait for information on when you'll be starting on the next one.

T. Ellery Hodges Hi Niraj! Thanks so much for the kind compliments! I have started writing the 3rd book. Still in the infancy of a first draft but 'started' is started :)

Thanks so much for reading!

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HI! First off thanks for the great read! I just finished the Never Paradox and am suffering from the cliff hanger at the end. I know it probably won't be for a while and you most likely get this question a lot but I was wondering if you had a timeline for how long until you wanted to get the next book out? Thanks again (event though I'm in pain)

T. Ellery Hodges Thanks so much for reading! At this moment in time June 5, 2017 I have written the rough draft of the first seven chapters. So, you can imagine, I have no solid idea how long it will take to see a finished first draft yet.

I'm right there with you though, I want to have it out sooner rather than later. But--and I said this a lot while people were waiting for TNP release-- in the end, it won't be done until its done, and I'd rather risk losing a reader due to a delayed production timeline than I would risk losing them by publishing a book I don't feel is ready yet.

Thanks for the question!

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Just finished The Never Paradox, love the whole concept of the Never books. You are now one of my favourite authors. I would love to see The Never Series continue for a few books. My question is how many books do you see The Never Series containing?

T. Ellery Hodges Hi Martin,

Thank you, appreciate your reading and support!

In answer to your question, I planned this as a trilogy. However, as I look up at my white board where I currently have the map of events and scenes for how the finale is intended to play out, I sometimes wonder if one more book is going to get us there. At the time of this post, I've only written drafts of the first 6 chapters, so it is near impossible to tell how long the finale may get.

I imagine--though I wouldn't promise--that if the book goes over 800 pages, I will seriously consider breaking it into two. The problem with that scenario, is that this is really one story told over multiple books, and until we get to the end, there won't be a resolution with any sense of lasting closure for the characters. Translation: this would inevitably lead to another cliff hanger at the end of the would-be book three.

All that said, I do have plans for other stories and series to start once I've completed The Chronicles of Jonathan Tibbs. I've also toyed with the idea of prequels about Heyer or some one-off stories about other 'Never Heroes.'

That said, my wife has made me promised I'll continue writing the Rolly story at some point (which you can find for free in an unfinished draft on wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/myworks/31459...). So if you want to read about a girl with multiple personality disorder fighting zombies, that will eventually get developed as well.

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TEH, Simple work query: I beta read for a couple of local authors and offer my free services to you, if you're interested. Are you? You're not local, of course, since I sold my Sacramento home decades ago and only visited Seattle when absolutely necessary. I've been beta reading for about thirty years, however, so I offer some experience and dedication to tight deadlines. Jerry Hamilton

T. Ellery Hodges Hi Jerry,

Appreciate your interest! If you would like to be a beta reader, drop me a line at telleryhodges@theneverhero.com and I'll get you on the list.

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Loved the book, but i kept screaming to myself... why didn't Johnathan ever ask for financial assistance from his benefactor? He is afterall doing all of this because of the benefactor's actions!

T. Ellery Hodges

This answer contains spoilers… (view spoiler)

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This may have been asked before, but I only recently finished "The Never Hero" and enjoyed it very much! I am anxious to see how the story continues but will wait patiently like everyone else. You are a very talented author! My question is, will you have Steven Barnett narrate Book 2 also? I really hope so, he did a fantastic job with it and I hope you know that he was a great asset to all your hard work!

T. Ellery Hodges Hi Deb!

Thank you for your support! So glad you enjoyed The Never Hero!

Yes, without a doubt. I went through 22 auditions before finding Steven and knew within a few minutes of listening that he had the voice for the series. Steven and I talk frequently and he is definitely on board for the sequel and the finale. The moment I get the final draft of The Never Paradox back from the editor, I'll be forwarding him a copy to get started on the audiobook production. I hope to get the release of the ebook/paperback and audiobook as close together as possible. Thanks for the question!

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Not a question I usually concern myself to ask, but honestly this has been my book of the year and I've got to know. Did you know what 'The Never Hero' was going to be before you started writing? Or did you perhaps take it a few pages at a time? I'm curious because with so much happening in the first book I imagine it took a lot of planning to make it work, which it most definitely did. Looking forward to the next one

T. Ellery Hodges

This answer contains spoilers… (view spoiler)[Hi Jordan,

Thanks for reading!

The answer is both. I had the idea over eight years ago. I used to be a bit of a work out enthusiast. I spent a great deal of time on treadmills. This essentially trapped me in a space with no way to entertain myself other then my imagination and an iPod.

One day I got to thinking of how I might create a more heroic 'hero.' There is no defeating the old argument that no one ever does anything selflessly, because at the very least, an act of sacrifice makes one feel good about themselves (in other words there is no reward-less sacrifice). Still, I wanted to write a story that took a man as close as I could get him. A person who endured, despite the impossibility that anyone would ever be able to know the sacrifices he was making for them.

The other thing that was on my mind a lot back then was this feeling that something was... off... with the men in my generation. The two lines of pondering eventually lead to the basic plot of The Never Hero.

I wrote two failed drafts throughout those eight years, both were about 60 pages before I gave up. The first one didn't take itself seriously, everything was a joke, a voice I would like to use for another story at some point but not appropriate for Jonathan Tibbs. Then, during a rather depressing period in my personal history I wrote the second attempt, which read like the rant of the jaded young man that I was at the time. It was so depressing my wife never made it to the third chapter before she didn't want to read any further. If I ever let someone read those drafts they would find little similarity to the final product. The only thing that remained the same would have been the skeleton of the story.

The thing about having a story in your head for so long is that the person you are when you conceive of it is not the person who finally manages to sit down and write it. My third attempt (Aka the first draft of the published version) didn't start getting written till about 6 years after I had the idea.

Some of the movies and references I used in the book were things I always meant to incorporate. Some came out on the fly as I went. Some of the plot elements are drawn from my life experience: collected comic books as a teenager, my degree is in molecular biology, worked at a gym (with a trainer named Lincoln) for about a year after I graduated, was raised Roman Catholic, explored most of the world's major religions in my twenties, and I've always been fascinated by evolutionary psychology (sociobiology).

All that said, I think every writer's secret is that the magic happens in the revisions. You don't have to come up with how to foreshadow a future event you have planned but haven't written yet. You write a really bad draft, then you go back and put in those details that give the illusion that you had a 'master plan' the whole time. Repeat, repeat, repeat.

Hope that answers your question :)
(hide spoiler)]

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I just started your book The Never Hero and am enjoying it very much. However, a minor factual error just threw me out of the story: namely that "David Tennant is putting on a viral marketing campaign ... " in *2005* In 2005, especially June of that year, the actor playing the Ninth Doctor was Christopher Eccleston. Tennant didn't make his entrance until December of that year in 'The Christmas Invasion'. A ?vian

T. Ellery Hodges Hi Lori,

Thanks for reading! Appreciate your support, and believe it or not, your attention to detail. I’d be surprised to find my timelines off as I researched them thoroughly and my wife, the avid Doctor Who fan, double checked them. That being said, my logic for this fictional ‘promotional event’ wasn’t necessarily straight forward. I believe I had thought it out as follows (Jumps away from goodreads to double check Wikipedia and IMBD):

-Tennant replaced Ecceleston at the very end of “The Parting Of The Ways.” Which would have premiered June 18, 2005.

-At this point, it wouldn’t make sense for Ecceleston to be doing promotional work for a show he was no longer the star of, as David Tennant would be the person taking over in the next season. Even if filming/production on said season hadn’t started.
Basically I am saying that if one or the other was going to be trying to establish their face as the new “Doctor Who,” at the time it, would have been Tennant.

Hope that is a satisfying answer :)

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Do you have a date set for The Never Paradox? I fall in love with your first book. It reminded me of I am Number Four a little. The boy/man that has to learn to fight to protect what he loves. Another funny thing the main characters name are similar John(I am Number Four) and Jonathon(The Never Hero). Can't wait for more awesome series. Top five for me.

T. Ellery Hodges Hi Felice! Thank you so much for reading and your kind words! I don't yet have a date set for The Never Paradox, my hope is to complete and publish before the turn of the year (before 2016). I haven't read I Am Number Four, but I watched the movie with my kid a few years ago. It is on my 'to read,' as I now remember that when I originally saw the trailer in the theater I noticed some similar plot themes. I'm glad you mentioned it because I had forgotten I meant to do so. The one book that I've read that was eerily similar was Contractor by Andrew Ball. I say its 'eerie' because the book came out within a month of The Never Hero and I share a similar educational background with Mr. Ball. The main difference is Contractor took the 'Magical' course while Never Hero took 'science fiction.' Anyhow, if you listened to the audiobook, it might not have been mentioned because the recording was done before I created this, but I have a special mailing list for individuals who want more than just an announcement when the next book is available. If you want to sign up, you can visit this link: http://theneverhero.com/never-army-in... The page has additional details on what signing up for that list entails. Thanks again for your interest and your question! Always excited to hear from readers and I am so glad you enjoyed it!

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Where did you get the idea for your most recent book?

T. Ellery Hodges The idea for The Never Hero came to me while I was running on a treadmill over six years ago. There were a few different seeds that came together, the first that I can recall are:
(1) Introspection: What the hell is wrong with the men in my generation?
(2) Empathy: Can't everyone relate to the feeling that they sacrifice themselves everyday for a world that will never know the difference.

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How do you get inspired to write?

T. Ellery Hodges Its a 4 stage process. (1) Eureka: I have an idea that I've never seen in a book or movie before. (2) Self Doubt: Someone must have already thought of this, I'm just not well read enough. (3) Research: Wow, I really can't find anything like this story line. (4) Paranoia:Crap, I've got to write this before someone else thinks of it!

After that, it is honestly a love for the construction of a story itself.

In fiction, especially sci-fi, paranormal, fantasy, or any genre that lets the author play with the laws of physics, there is an internal logic to the world being built. For me, getting the story to play out the way I imagine it, without violating the rules of the world I'm building, is a kin to how I imagine a mathematician feels when their mind gets wrapped around an unsolved equation.

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What are you currently working on?

T. Ellery Hodges Currently I am working on two projects.
(1) The Sequel to The Never Hero, working title: The Never Paradox
(2) A short story about a girl living in a zombie apocalypse. Working title: Rolly.

T. Ellery, are you really writing a zombie apocalypse story?
Yes, it was never something I imagined writing about, though I admit I love zombie movies. The other day I had an idea for a new spin and a exciting character and I couldn't ignore it.

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What’s your advice for aspiring writers?

T. Ellery Hodges Write sentences that make sense first and sound clever last.

If you write something clever, try to be happy being one of the two people who will ever read it. In this case, the second person being your editor. Chances are, when you reach the final draft, its going to end up under the delete key.

Side note, I was going to say "its going to end up under the chopping block," but I didn't want to write a cliche and tried to be 'clever.' Unfortunately, some people will probably have to read this extra side note to understand what I meant the first time I wrote it.

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