Ash writes…
Hi Michelle,
As a child the Wolf Brother series was one of my favourites. It's been so influential to me; to the point of naming what is probably my first ever character in Renn's honour when I was fourteen. I still write to this day. In part, a LOT of that is because of you. I even aim to go into the publishing industry. I'm not much of a writer, despite my enjoyment of it, but I want more stories like yours to be told. Hopefully to help more people to be as inspired as your work as moved me.
Due to moving, I lost the majority of my book collection. Including your series. Over the years, I've been rebuilding. Bought Dark Matter, loved it. That spurred my partner to buy me entirty of the Wolf Brother series for me as an early birthday gift. You can imagine my delight when I found out it DIDN'T end after Ghost Hunter.
What inspired me to write to you is because of Wolfbane. Last month, my dog Cain, passed. Wolfbane's last few chapters helped me reflect on his loss, what I went through. I've been struggling to process it, and after reading (and drying my eyes) I've been looking at my grief with more clarity. While a the series has grief, and healing with it as a major theme, the finale felt like a warm hug. So, a simple thanks feels shallow. It's kinda beautiful how a childhood series that shaped my development has came back to offer me comfort as someone in my mid-twenties. So, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for this beautiful story.
Also, Dark quickly became my favourite character. I'm very very grateful you got more time to develop him further (and it was his deepening relationship with a certain someone in the last few chapters that finally got me crying). You did an excellent job with all of your characters, but Dark really captured my heart. And as I'm sure you know, us in the LGBT+ community very much so appreciate him.
Thank you Michelle, I'm really looking forward to your future projects.
Michelle Replies…
Dear Ash, thank you for such a heartfelt and moving message. I really appreciate that you’ve shared how much the Wolf Brother books have meant to you, both as a child and in adulthood. You do have my sympathy for the loss of Cain. That must have hit hard, and it will take time to deal with; but I’m very glad that Wolfbane has played a part in helping you grieve. On a happier note, I’m delighted that you like Dark so much! For me, one of the best things about writing the three sequels was that they gave me a chance to show more of his character, in a way that I just hadn’t been able to do when we first met him in Ghost Hunter. And it’s been truly wonderful to have so many positive responses to him and his story from the LGBTQ+ community. Thank again for your message – and I’d like to wish you all possible luck with your own writing – wherever it takes you! With very best wishes, Michelle