Tania’s Comments (group member since Dec 09, 2011)

Tania’s comments from the Q&A with T.S. Welti group.

The central theme of the book seems to be the importance of letting go of lost loved ones. Parker’s inability to accept the disappearance of his mother gets him in a lot of trouble throughout the book. Do you think Parker should move on or should he continue searching for answers about his mother’s disappearance? Do you think Parker will ever find the closure he seeks?

Parker makes many allies and enemies throughout The Fifth Specter. For instance, Parker’s relationship with Professor Adler seems closer than the usual student-teacher relationship, but his relationship with Ryan Blakely seems wrought with unexplained animosity. Which of Parker’s allies do you trust the most? Which of Parker’s enemies do you trust the least and how do you think they will affect future books in the series?

The author of The Fifth Specter, T.S. Welti, is planning five books for the Parker Chance Series. The number five plays a big role in the daily lives of superhumans and an even bigger role in the disappearance of Parker’s mother, as Parker discovers in the end of The Fifth Specter. The number five itself has great significance in mathematics. How do you think the number five will affect Parker’s future? Do you think Parker will have five or more super powers in future books and, if so, what do you think they’ll be?

The Fifth Specter is a classic hero’s journey, or monomyth, where the hero is called to adventure and is mentored before he meets his toughest challenge. Besides Star Wars, Harry Potter, Chronicles of Narnia, and Lord of the Rings, what other stories (books or films) follow the hero’s journey formula? Do you think Parker makes a good hero?

Many characters in The Fifth Specter have names that give insight into the characters’ personalities and, possibly, future plot lines. For instance, the author acknowledges that Professor Benjamin Adler’s last name provides insight into his past and his first name gives a hint at his future. What are some thoughts or questions you have about character names in The Fifth Specter and how their meanings may affect future books in the series?

Please ask away. I have notifications turned on for questions and I will be checking in intermittently throughout the day.

Not to worry. I'll remove the other topic.

Sorry for not responding to this comment earlier. I haven't been monitoring this Q&A. I think introductions are a great idea. I guess you can tell how many Q&As I've hosted before. ;)

I'm T.S. Welti, author of the Parker Chance Series. I'm currently working on book two (just jotted down the final chapter yesterday!) and this Spring I'll be releasing a dystopian novella set in 2077. I've been writing stories since the age of eight and I'm also a self-proclaimed armchair cosmologist. If I could be any character from the Parker Chance Series it would probably be Professor Horatio Veaudore. If I could be any character from any book, I'd like to be Alice.