thank you for replying so quick I was kind of shocked that you would. And I just got the book Shadows I know that it will be a great book especially after the first book, one of my personal favorites, and cant wait to read the third book when my school gets it in stock.
You’re welcome, and enjoy! 🙂
Oh my gosh I cant believe that Chris has a brother thats been changed. And I cant believe that Tom is still alive after all that has happened to him
Heh. Read on; more surprises await 😉
Wow! I just finished the series and I’m procrastinating doing my school report on it. I have to be honest, one of the best parts was that part of the setting in Wisconsin! Reading little town and lake names I recognize felt so good! I’m lucky enough to be able to see Lambeau across the Fox from my bedroom window!
Glad you like it…and you ARE lucky! Go, Pack, go! 😀
Please I beg of you. Write a fourth book in the ashes series. Alex Tom Ellie Chris and wolf need one more book
That you loved the series so much to want more is the greatest compliment a writer could hope for:-)
…I just finished the last book in the Ashes trilogy and I don’t know what to do with myself! All three books were confusing, suspenseful, and intense I could barely put any of the books down. I read the last sentence in Monsters and then just kinda sat there… Why does it have to be over!? You should really make another book; I just need to know what happens with everyone and how everything turns out!! You are an amazing author. I really hope you consider writing something else for the trilogy in the near future. (: A spin off or something.. I’m already having withdraws! Best books I’ve read in awhile!(:
Why, thanks! I’m really glad you enjoyed the series. If you want to know my thoughts about continuing on, read this: https://www.ilsajbick.com/?p=2354.
Never say never! 😉
I actually read that when I was looking through the comments! Thanks a bunch.(:
The Ashes Trilogy actually cliff hangs at the end, so I think you should continue it because and spoiler alert, Alex just handing chocolate out for Wolf and then the booking saying she waits for what happens next, and then it never says what happened next. So it causes you to be all like that’s it? that’s the end? But, I want to know what happens next. Series like that usually don’t get continued, but it seems that its just the good ones that gets left behind, because you may see a trilogy that was so-so, but could be a lot better, and you notice its been given more books, but then it still doesn’t get better, it is milked for all its worth, as in the secondary main characters may start being killed off, and then its all like, the other characters say “We have to keep going on.”, but then it ends up going on as if those other character(s) never existed, except for some times they remember the character(s) are dead, and its a couple paragraphs of being sad, or something not realistic or even emotion-bringing, because its all cheesy, since its like those cheap cheesy lines that cheesy war movies say which are all like “I will cry when I am done killing.”, then the characters never even look back, they just kill everything, or die, and at the end its all like they just remember the person dying, or not even that, they just reference that “people died”, and go on without any good part. I don’t get the fact that books worth writing, series worth continuing, and stories that aren’t finished yet, or have so much potential, or those good series, or books that cliff hang, then never have a sequel, usually never get finished, usually if a publisher turns you down you should find another one, there are a lot to ask for publishing from, and if every publisher in the world turns you down, you can just publish your own books, in fact since a success book and/or series can bring in millions or billions of dollars, if need be you can just buy a publishing company, and in that situation if the publishing company wants to make you pay 50% or whatever of funds from the book being bought, you don’t lose the 50% since you are literally paying yourself to publish your book, so then instead of having to pay if need be to publish your books or books, you can do it free, or if you still need to hand the money over, it would end up in your pocket, because you own the company, so your the company’s boss.
I just thought of a name for it or another book, since you already have a title of Ashes (Nuclear Fallout reference), Shadows (Finding out what shadows the characters), and Monsters (Figuring out more about the people who make up the story, what fates the characters will have, and finding having the courage to tell about the horrible things that plague you, or in other words haunt you, and the feeling that people do care, and its ok to be different), Well you forgot about one thing and the cliffhanger was created so perfectly that the title I thought of makes sense, … Changed.
You also still have enough blanks and/ or “unfinished business” in the story such as you never actually said how far the change went, and just left it to elaboration of the whole world, but that means the changed, since the changed couldn’t have all possibly been in that one area when the explosion happened, they aren’t all dead because they can’t be, and then Wolf showing up, how come he never did anything other than stay in the tree, and he showed human emotions, but you never stated they were “zombies” because smelling like the old gore of what you eat, and then the smell becoming your smell would normally happen to anyone, so smelling like rot and death could be explained by that, but if they smell like that, and are zombies, then why can they be killed by blood loss?, why don’t they rot, or explained as showing signs of decay or anything like that, like they would if they actually died, and the fact that no appearance of rotting or signs of decay, or etc. are stated, they have to still be alive, and human, so the problem is, what happened, can they be fixed, and what to do with them, and also what happened to Alex? Did she kill Simon, did Simon get killed by Buck, did she get killed, and/or did the rest get killed? Also what happened to everyone else, what happened to the military? what happened to the rest of the world? What future do they have? The changed are still around so how exactly do they deal with them? What about all the other enemy groups that they didn’t kill, where could they be headed? All of these loose ends need to be tied, because they are all cliff hanged with no answers, unless you write the continuation, so it can’t really be over, it needs an end, an end is signified by the series either having a bad end (All the good guys die), or a good end, but a neutral end which usually signifies a cliffhanger doesn’t end the book, it creates a whole new beginning, or signals a continuation, so since this cliffhanger supports the fact that its not ended, but a whole new revelation is in store, that means its continuation is a need, or at least a must, because people can’t stop being anxious about when they will finally know what happens next, without being about to actually understand that the end of the series is the end, a cliffhanger means that the end hasn’t come yet, so people ask all the time for you to make a new book because they Need to know what happens next, there bodies, minds, and hearts desperately need to know what happens next, because without an ending a person’s hopes hang on and then finally when it breaks, they get depressed, which usually means they start to get desperate for a continuation, and they either try until they can’t contact the person about it because either they die, the author dies, or both, or they just get detached somehow, but this definitely needs an ending because the cliffhanger starts a whole new book by itself because its the beginning of the exposition and not the climax of the book it is in, which is basically what a cliffhanger is, the supposed end of a book, but the actual start of another, so don’t leave the Ashes Trilogy to rot on a cliffhanger, finish the job you started even you said you wanted to do it, well, you are working on other books, so what you need to do is finish those books, then return to the Ashes Trilogy and finish what you started, a series just isn’t ended unless all the possibilities, characters, enemies, world, conflicts, resolutions, revelations, ideas, parts of the story, connections, and etc. are ended, if they aren’t it in someway creates a cliffhanger, but don’t just leave it at that, finish it, it just isn’t right to create a series, lead it all up to a suspenseful end, and then dump a cliffhanger that doesn’t create an end, but signals the continuation of a series, and does so without even ending up with an end, since its not even a new beginning signaling end, since the new beginning end would of had to be created before Wolf showed up, plus the characters were in a romance that was just started, so if it had ended at that it would of been a new beginning cliffhanger that then allows you to write a new series that can be created after that time, but you cliff hanged the series to where it has to be continued directly meaning that its not finished you just created the start point of the 4th book, meaning a total cliffhanger was created, so please finish what you started, please finish the series, everyone wants to know what happens next, please don’t leave everyone hanging, in fact you left the characters hanging even, they were in the middle of performing an action, that you cut off just as they started that action, so they are just hanging in a kind of freeze frame moment, you can’t just end it like that, you need to finish what you started, we don’t care how long it takes as long as you finish it, we can wait, we just need you to do it, so does the series, the characters can’t end if they are not at rest at the end of a book, so if they were alive it would be like they are stuck on Earth like walking as ghosts traveling the Earth looking for what happened to them, stuck in time not being able to go to Heaven or Hell, just stuck looking for themselves, and needing to know what happened to them, so the series isn’t at peace in a sense, You need to finish the series, you have to. Please don’t let it end this way, We all need you to finish what you started, your book needs you, your mind needs you, and you know that or you wouldn’t have talked about the books being alive, you act as if you can let go, its complete, but we all know its not, you think you can let go, well you can’t, you need to finish what you started, then we can all be at peace, because no matter what end, the end signifies the completion, so you can’t just let it go at a cliffhanger like this, its just not a cliffhanger you can let go, you said you would continue if the series needed to be continued, well it needs to be continued, and now you know why, and what the facts are, so go back to writing, do what you do best, and please, please, please, finish it. We can wait, but not everything waits forever.
Oh, Zachary, I’m glad you enjoyed and feel so passionately about the series. In terms of whether or not I decide to go on, read this: https://www.ilsajbick.com/?p=2354. This series is a lot like life: rarely ever neat and almost never tied up with a bow.
We’ll see. 😉 Love the name you thought of for the next volume, though.
Thank you for answering, I already read that before I made the comments though, but glad you liked the idea.
By the way this is actually not true “…life: rarely ever neat and almost never tied up with a bow.” Life is actually rarely neat, but usually life can be tied up, its why before people die some usually go around to people they wronged or what not to get forgiven by them, and that is called tying up loose ends, or in other words usually loose ends are tied up near the end of life (if death is natural and/ or known, or in the case of war, a soldier may tie up any friendships by staying behind, so that their friends may life), and that is like a book, except a book starts out with a life of its own, its loose ends are that of everything in the book, if you want to actually end it, you need to create an ending, that means you of course won’t be able to tie up all the loose ends usually, but if its given enough of an ending to finish the story, and/ or tie up the major loose ends, then its considered ended, but if some loose ends aren’t tied you could come back later and create a new book tied into the ending that utilizes those remaining loose ends, and in that way your creativity flows, and you just get caught up in creating an epic, new story, or adventure. So, life can be tied up, but its never neat (Think Fog of War, all the small things you do can affect you later on), and usually people don’t tie up their loose ends when they die, but they always could if they wanted to.
Is it even possible for Wolf to reverse after so much brain damage? Also, if Alex’s brain tumor is terminal how did it stop growing after the event? Is it growing again? Sorry, just confused about the science part of story. Thank you
Well, you read the books, Helen. What do you think? Your opinion is actually much more valuable than mine.
I just stumbled upon your ‘Ashes’ trilogy today via my local library system’s online service. I’ve been listening to the first book while I clean the house. I’m really loving the story so far. It’s very different, and I love that you wrote about what would happen in the event of an EMP attack.Brilliant!
Why, thanks, Eva! I hope you enjoy the rest of the book and the trilogy. 🙂
Just finished the Ashes Trilogy, and it has been a long time since a book or series has taken me on such a deep, and all-inclusive ride through an adventure I would never hope to endure myself. For those that have not read the books, they are definitely an experience worthy of the time taken to read them.
I fell in love with the characters – even with ones I didn’t like when we were first introduced. The very conversational writing style pulled me quickly into a colorful landscape, continued plowing through surprise after surprise, and then kept me up late on work nights as I learned brand new things to be afraid of.
The story started simple and then abruptly exploded into an adrenaline-charged journey, twisting and turning its way along uncharted roads until finally building to a grand crescendo that left permanent footprints in my brain. The echoes of it are far from fading.
I am excited to see where the Dark Passages series takes me.
As I said in my email to you, I’m so glad you enjoyed the trilogy. You’ll find that the DARK PASSAGES series is quite a bit different, but I hope you enjoy that as well.
Hello Ilsa, I just finished reading Drowning Instinct and I have one simple but important question, and I think you know what question it is. Did Mitch die? I have some theories that lead me to believe he did not die, but I am not certain and until I know for sure I fear I will not be able to sleep. I could ask about Jenna’s mother and if she dies, but I love Mitch, so like Jenna I was heartbroken but unlike her, I won’t get to know for sure if he is alive or not! So please, tell me…. Does he? P.S great book, one of my favorites. Thank you so much for such a great story.
Well done on the twisting and turning plight of Emma, Lizzie and the troop! The journey was mind-bending, and I can’t wait to read The Dickens Mirror!
I enjoy how you breathe life into each character, especially within the very-revealing Drowning Instinct. The story was so infectious and engaging, and I could actually relate to Jenna’s teenage rationale and could even feel the ‘bottom dropping out’ right there with her.
Do you pull inspiration from dreams / nightmares? Just curious. Thanks for some good reading.
Mata, I’m so sorry it took me so long to reply. My website went a little weird. Anyway, what I think isn’t important. What you think is. So… What do you think? 😉
Glad you liked the book.
Hello, I have just sent you an email and I was wondering if I could get you to look at as soon as possible because it is for a charity fundraising scavenger hunt and I was wondering if you could help me on an item. Thanks for reading this, I hope you have a nice day.
And I was just going to answer your email. Check your inbox. 🙂
Hey Ms. Bick! I am doing a powerpoint on you, and I cant seen to find where you where born and when. Could you help me out with that?
Greetings Ms. Bick, I am doing an English essay on Wisconsin authors and you are my author! I was wondering if you could help me out with some information on yourself from throughout your life?
Thanks!
Sure, I just sent you an email about that.
Sorry, Jeremiah, but I don’t give out personal information like that.
Hello Ilsa,
I just finished reading Drowning Instinct and it is my new favorite book! The ending left me with anxiety though! Did Mitch really die?My theory is no because Jenna isn’t sure either. I’m holding on to this line “If Mitch …if he’s really gone.” I’m hoping that Mitched was the one who knocked on the door and since she deleted the recording their secret was safe. Can you please give us a hint on whether he died or not? I won’t be able to sleep tonight.
P.S Thanks for writing a book about falling in love with a teacher! I had a huge crush on my teacher when I was 16 so this book was everything!
Oh, I’m so glad you enjoyed the book! Really, though, what finally happens is up to you, not me. So…what do you think? 🙂
Ms. Bick
What made you become a writer and how do you feel towards writing? How has being a writer change your life style?
Ahh! Well I’m going to go with the happy ending. Mitch did not die, he was the one knocking on the door. Jenna deleted the recording so their secret was safe until she turned 18.
I want to believe that Mitch was only with his wife to talk about a divorce. About Danielle, I honestly do not understand how Mitch did no tell child services about her brother and dad.It makes me believe that it wasn’t true. A part of me does think Mitch slept with Danielle and got her pregnant. When Jenna called and a young woman answered that could’ve been Danielle. The day of the meet Danielle was already throwing up,that same night Mitch mentioned one could get an abortion in Illinois. He must have known she was pregnant but still let her run when she looked ill, did he really not care about her?
See? What you came with is just fine. As for Mitch and Danielle–maybe she really wanted to run and he didn’t want to stand in her way. Or maybe he didn’t know she was vomiting. He wasn’t in the locker room after all.
Hi, Mynor…well, those are all huge questions and would take a long time to answer. I’ve also answered them in various forums. So if you type into a search engine “Bick Ashes Interviews” and then scroll past the videos to something like “Portrait of a Book,” you’ll find that I’ve answered many of these questions before. It might take some digging, but all the answers are in various interviews. But the short and dirty: my husband dared me to try; I wrote 6 bad book and 40 or 50 terrible stories before I sold a single story; writing is the hardest thing I’ve ever done (and coming from someone who’s gone through both the military and medical school, that’s saying something); and the only thing that’s changed about my life is I look forward to going to work every day. Hope that all helps 🙂
Hey Ms. Bick I just finished the ashes trilogy a while back but I was wondering why the cliff hanger, I would really like to know what happens next and read somewhere else on your site that you have a little more than a trilogy in you, what stops your continuation of the trilogy? The ashes trilogy is my without a doubt most favorite trilogy in the universe, it has changed the little world in my head, I have never read writing as amazing as yours please tell me your thoughts.
Donovan, I got your email, too. Thanks for writing in; I know my answer won’t satisfy you, but I hope you see my reasoning.
You should so do a drowning instinct book 2!! In dying to know what happens next…I really don’t want Mitch to have died ::(((
Are you thinking of doing a Drowning Instinct 2? I’m dying to know what is next!
Do you think you’ll be writing a sequel to Drowning Instinct? I’m dying to know what happens next lol.
Hey, Helen: I’m so sorry it took me a couple days to answer this. I simply didn’t see the comments (something wonky with my site). Anyway, no, I’m not. But…what do you think happens? What you think is just as important as anything I could write.
Oh, I know I could 🙂
No, I’m not. But that doesn’t mean you can’t decide what happens next 🙂
Hi!
I jus wanted to say that your books are absolutely incredible and I am a huge fan of your work but especially the Ashes Trilogy. Also, being a 15 year old, I can resemble myself to Alex’s character so I have bonded with the characters enormously and I am finishing the last book so I will be really sad once the journey is over. 🙁
The amazing Ashes novels are definitely my favourite reads of all time and
I admire your work so much and always look forward to picking up your
books, so thank you for writing them.
I was wondering whether there would be or could be a trilogy of
films produced for them? I believe they would definitely be a great hit
and directors MUST see that!
I am such a huge fan of your work and if a set of films or a TV series
is produced I would absolutely love and be honoured to audition for
the part!
Thank you for reading this email as I am sure you get fan mail sent to you
constantly so I really appreciate your time reading mine. 🙂
Yours sincerely,
Sasha Baker
Just fell into reading Ashes over Christmas break – then stumbled upon your blog whilst looking for the rest of the trilogy. Love your cooking, cocktail and writing adventures ❤️ Thank you for sharing both your culinary explorations as well as ones literary. I feel we may be kindred spirits, as I too think chubby James Spader has it going on 🙂
I am a teacher in Windsor, Ontario, Canada – so if you ever find yourself in the banana belt of the great white north, I’d love to have a visit!
All the best.
Why, thank you, Kel! I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed the first book so far (and my culinary adventures). I am going to be in Canada, though not Windsor (Toronto), and for a wedding. There are far worse places to be 😉 I actually love Canada. Been there several times.
Enjoy the rest of the series!
Why, thank you, Sasha. I WISH someone would make a series or movies out of the books, but that doesn’t seem to be in the cards right now. If that ever happens, though, I’ll be sure to make a lot of noise. Who knows? Anything can happen!
thank you for replying so quick I was kind of shocked that you would. And I just got the book Shadows I know that it will be a great book especially after the first book, one of my personal favorites, and cant wait to read the third book when my school gets it in stock.
You’re welcome, and enjoy! 🙂
Oh my gosh I cant believe that Chris has a brother thats been changed. And I cant believe that Tom is still alive after all that has happened to him
Heh. Read on; more surprises await 😉
Wow! I just finished the series and I’m procrastinating doing my school report on it. I have to be honest, one of the best parts was that part of the setting in Wisconsin! Reading little town and lake names I recognize felt so good! I’m lucky enough to be able to see Lambeau across the Fox from my bedroom window!
Glad you like it…and you ARE lucky! Go, Pack, go! 😀
Please I beg of you. Write a fourth book in the ashes series. Alex Tom Ellie Chris and wolf need one more book
That you loved the series so much to want more is the greatest compliment a writer could hope for:-)
…I just finished the last book in the Ashes trilogy and I don’t know what to do with myself! All three books were confusing, suspenseful, and intense I could barely put any of the books down. I read the last sentence in Monsters and then just kinda sat there… Why does it have to be over!? You should really make another book; I just need to know what happens with everyone and how everything turns out!! You are an amazing author. I really hope you consider writing something else for the trilogy in the near future. (: A spin off or something.. I’m already having withdraws! Best books I’ve read in awhile!(:
Why, thanks! I’m really glad you enjoyed the series. If you want to know my thoughts about continuing on, read this: https://www.ilsajbick.com/?p=2354.
Never say never! 😉
I actually read that when I was looking through the comments! Thanks a bunch.(:
The Ashes Trilogy actually cliff hangs at the end, so I think you should continue it because and spoiler alert, Alex just handing chocolate out for Wolf and then the booking saying she waits for what happens next, and then it never says what happened next. So it causes you to be all like that’s it? that’s the end? But, I want to know what happens next. Series like that usually don’t get continued, but it seems that its just the good ones that gets left behind, because you may see a trilogy that was so-so, but could be a lot better, and you notice its been given more books, but then it still doesn’t get better, it is milked for all its worth, as in the secondary main characters may start being killed off, and then its all like, the other characters say “We have to keep going on.”, but then it ends up going on as if those other character(s) never existed, except for some times they remember the character(s) are dead, and its a couple paragraphs of being sad, or something not realistic or even emotion-bringing, because its all cheesy, since its like those cheap cheesy lines that cheesy war movies say which are all like “I will cry when I am done killing.”, then the characters never even look back, they just kill everything, or die, and at the end its all like they just remember the person dying, or not even that, they just reference that “people died”, and go on without any good part. I don’t get the fact that books worth writing, series worth continuing, and stories that aren’t finished yet, or have so much potential, or those good series, or books that cliff hang, then never have a sequel, usually never get finished, usually if a publisher turns you down you should find another one, there are a lot to ask for publishing from, and if every publisher in the world turns you down, you can just publish your own books, in fact since a success book and/or series can bring in millions or billions of dollars, if need be you can just buy a publishing company, and in that situation if the publishing company wants to make you pay 50% or whatever of funds from the book being bought, you don’t lose the 50% since you are literally paying yourself to publish your book, so then instead of having to pay if need be to publish your books or books, you can do it free, or if you still need to hand the money over, it would end up in your pocket, because you own the company, so your the company’s boss.
I just thought of a name for it or another book, since you already have a title of Ashes (Nuclear Fallout reference), Shadows (Finding out what shadows the characters), and Monsters (Figuring out more about the people who make up the story, what fates the characters will have, and finding having the courage to tell about the horrible things that plague you, or in other words haunt you, and the feeling that people do care, and its ok to be different), Well you forgot about one thing and the cliffhanger was created so perfectly that the title I thought of makes sense, … Changed.
You also still have enough blanks and/ or “unfinished business” in the story such as you never actually said how far the change went, and just left it to elaboration of the whole world, but that means the changed, since the changed couldn’t have all possibly been in that one area when the explosion happened, they aren’t all dead because they can’t be, and then Wolf showing up, how come he never did anything other than stay in the tree, and he showed human emotions, but you never stated they were “zombies” because smelling like the old gore of what you eat, and then the smell becoming your smell would normally happen to anyone, so smelling like rot and death could be explained by that, but if they smell like that, and are zombies, then why can they be killed by blood loss?, why don’t they rot, or explained as showing signs of decay or anything like that, like they would if they actually died, and the fact that no appearance of rotting or signs of decay, or etc. are stated, they have to still be alive, and human, so the problem is, what happened, can they be fixed, and what to do with them, and also what happened to Alex? Did she kill Simon, did Simon get killed by Buck, did she get killed, and/or did the rest get killed? Also what happened to everyone else, what happened to the military? what happened to the rest of the world? What future do they have? The changed are still around so how exactly do they deal with them? What about all the other enemy groups that they didn’t kill, where could they be headed? All of these loose ends need to be tied, because they are all cliff hanged with no answers, unless you write the continuation, so it can’t really be over, it needs an end, an end is signified by the series either having a bad end (All the good guys die), or a good end, but a neutral end which usually signifies a cliffhanger doesn’t end the book, it creates a whole new beginning, or signals a continuation, so since this cliffhanger supports the fact that its not ended, but a whole new revelation is in store, that means its continuation is a need, or at least a must, because people can’t stop being anxious about when they will finally know what happens next, without being about to actually understand that the end of the series is the end, a cliffhanger means that the end hasn’t come yet, so people ask all the time for you to make a new book because they Need to know what happens next, there bodies, minds, and hearts desperately need to know what happens next, because without an ending a person’s hopes hang on and then finally when it breaks, they get depressed, which usually means they start to get desperate for a continuation, and they either try until they can’t contact the person about it because either they die, the author dies, or both, or they just get detached somehow, but this definitely needs an ending because the cliffhanger starts a whole new book by itself because its the beginning of the exposition and not the climax of the book it is in, which is basically what a cliffhanger is, the supposed end of a book, but the actual start of another, so don’t leave the Ashes Trilogy to rot on a cliffhanger, finish the job you started even you said you wanted to do it, well, you are working on other books, so what you need to do is finish those books, then return to the Ashes Trilogy and finish what you started, a series just isn’t ended unless all the possibilities, characters, enemies, world, conflicts, resolutions, revelations, ideas, parts of the story, connections, and etc. are ended, if they aren’t it in someway creates a cliffhanger, but don’t just leave it at that, finish it, it just isn’t right to create a series, lead it all up to a suspenseful end, and then dump a cliffhanger that doesn’t create an end, but signals the continuation of a series, and does so without even ending up with an end, since its not even a new beginning signaling end, since the new beginning end would of had to be created before Wolf showed up, plus the characters were in a romance that was just started, so if it had ended at that it would of been a new beginning cliffhanger that then allows you to write a new series that can be created after that time, but you cliff hanged the series to where it has to be continued directly meaning that its not finished you just created the start point of the 4th book, meaning a total cliffhanger was created, so please finish what you started, please finish the series, everyone wants to know what happens next, please don’t leave everyone hanging, in fact you left the characters hanging even, they were in the middle of performing an action, that you cut off just as they started that action, so they are just hanging in a kind of freeze frame moment, you can’t just end it like that, you need to finish what you started, we don’t care how long it takes as long as you finish it, we can wait, we just need you to do it, so does the series, the characters can’t end if they are not at rest at the end of a book, so if they were alive it would be like they are stuck on Earth like walking as ghosts traveling the Earth looking for what happened to them, stuck in time not being able to go to Heaven or Hell, just stuck looking for themselves, and needing to know what happened to them, so the series isn’t at peace in a sense, You need to finish the series, you have to. Please don’t let it end this way, We all need you to finish what you started, your book needs you, your mind needs you, and you know that or you wouldn’t have talked about the books being alive, you act as if you can let go, its complete, but we all know its not, you think you can let go, well you can’t, you need to finish what you started, then we can all be at peace, because no matter what end, the end signifies the completion, so you can’t just let it go at a cliffhanger like this, its just not a cliffhanger you can let go, you said you would continue if the series needed to be continued, well it needs to be continued, and now you know why, and what the facts are, so go back to writing, do what you do best, and please, please, please, finish it. We can wait, but not everything waits forever.
Oh, Zachary, I’m glad you enjoyed and feel so passionately about the series. In terms of whether or not I decide to go on, read this: https://www.ilsajbick.com/?p=2354. This series is a lot like life: rarely ever neat and almost never tied up with a bow.
We’ll see. 😉 Love the name you thought of for the next volume, though.
Thank you for answering, I already read that before I made the comments though, but glad you liked the idea.
By the way this is actually not true “…life: rarely ever neat and almost never tied up with a bow.” Life is actually rarely neat, but usually life can be tied up, its why before people die some usually go around to people they wronged or what not to get forgiven by them, and that is called tying up loose ends, or in other words usually loose ends are tied up near the end of life (if death is natural and/ or known, or in the case of war, a soldier may tie up any friendships by staying behind, so that their friends may life), and that is like a book, except a book starts out with a life of its own, its loose ends are that of everything in the book, if you want to actually end it, you need to create an ending, that means you of course won’t be able to tie up all the loose ends usually, but if its given enough of an ending to finish the story, and/ or tie up the major loose ends, then its considered ended, but if some loose ends aren’t tied you could come back later and create a new book tied into the ending that utilizes those remaining loose ends, and in that way your creativity flows, and you just get caught up in creating an epic, new story, or adventure. So, life can be tied up, but its never neat (Think Fog of War, all the small things you do can affect you later on), and usually people don’t tie up their loose ends when they die, but they always could if they wanted to.
Is it even possible for Wolf to reverse after so much brain damage? Also, if Alex’s brain tumor is terminal how did it stop growing after the event? Is it growing again? Sorry, just confused about the science part of story. Thank you
Well, you read the books, Helen. What do you think? Your opinion is actually much more valuable than mine.
I just stumbled upon your ‘Ashes’ trilogy today via my local library system’s online service. I’ve been listening to the first book while I clean the house. I’m really loving the story so far. It’s very different, and I love that you wrote about what would happen in the event of an EMP attack.Brilliant!
Why, thanks, Eva! I hope you enjoy the rest of the book and the trilogy. 🙂
Just finished the Ashes Trilogy, and it has been a long time since a book or series has taken me on such a deep, and all-inclusive ride through an adventure I would never hope to endure myself. For those that have not read the books, they are definitely an experience worthy of the time taken to read them.
I fell in love with the characters – even with ones I didn’t like when we were first introduced. The very conversational writing style pulled me quickly into a colorful landscape, continued plowing through surprise after surprise, and then kept me up late on work nights as I learned brand new things to be afraid of.
The story started simple and then abruptly exploded into an adrenaline-charged journey, twisting and turning its way along uncharted roads until finally building to a grand crescendo that left permanent footprints in my brain. The echoes of it are far from fading.
I am excited to see where the Dark Passages series takes me.
As I said in my email to you, I’m so glad you enjoyed the trilogy. You’ll find that the DARK PASSAGES series is quite a bit different, but I hope you enjoy that as well.
Hello Ilsa, I just finished reading Drowning Instinct and I have one simple but important question, and I think you know what question it is. Did Mitch die? I have some theories that lead me to believe he did not die, but I am not certain and until I know for sure I fear I will not be able to sleep. I could ask about Jenna’s mother and if she dies, but I love Mitch, so like Jenna I was heartbroken but unlike her, I won’t get to know for sure if he is alive or not! So please, tell me…. Does he? P.S great book, one of my favorites. Thank you so much for such a great story.
Well done on the twisting and turning plight of Emma, Lizzie and the troop! The journey was mind-bending, and I can’t wait to read The Dickens Mirror!
I enjoy how you breathe life into each character, especially within the very-revealing Drowning Instinct. The story was so infectious and engaging, and I could actually relate to Jenna’s teenage rationale and could even feel the ‘bottom dropping out’ right there with her.
Do you pull inspiration from dreams / nightmares? Just curious. Thanks for some good reading.
Mata, I’m so sorry it took me so long to reply. My website went a little weird. Anyway, what I think isn’t important. What you think is. So… What do you think? 😉
Glad you liked the book.
Hello, I have just sent you an email and I was wondering if I could get you to look at as soon as possible because it is for a charity fundraising scavenger hunt and I was wondering if you could help me on an item. Thanks for reading this, I hope you have a nice day.
And I was just going to answer your email. Check your inbox. 🙂
Hey Ms. Bick! I am doing a powerpoint on you, and I cant seen to find where you where born and when. Could you help me out with that?
Greetings Ms. Bick, I am doing an English essay on Wisconsin authors and you are my author! I was wondering if you could help me out with some information on yourself from throughout your life?
Thanks!
Sure, I just sent you an email about that.
Sorry, Jeremiah, but I don’t give out personal information like that.
Hello Ilsa,
I just finished reading Drowning Instinct and it is my new favorite book! The ending left me with anxiety though! Did Mitch really die?My theory is no because Jenna isn’t sure either. I’m holding on to this line “If Mitch …if he’s really gone.” I’m hoping that Mitched was the one who knocked on the door and since she deleted the recording their secret was safe. Can you please give us a hint on whether he died or not? I won’t be able to sleep tonight.
P.S Thanks for writing a book about falling in love with a teacher! I had a huge crush on my teacher when I was 16 so this book was everything!
Oh, I’m so glad you enjoyed the book! Really, though, what finally happens is up to you, not me. So…what do you think? 🙂
Ms. Bick
What made you become a writer and how do you feel towards writing? How has being a writer change your life style?
Ahh! Well I’m going to go with the happy ending. Mitch did not die, he was the one knocking on the door. Jenna deleted the recording so their secret was safe until she turned 18.
I want to believe that Mitch was only with his wife to talk about a divorce. About Danielle, I honestly do not understand how Mitch did no tell child services about her brother and dad.It makes me believe that it wasn’t true. A part of me does think Mitch slept with Danielle and got her pregnant. When Jenna called and a young woman answered that could’ve been Danielle. The day of the meet Danielle was already throwing up,that same night Mitch mentioned one could get an abortion in Illinois. He must have known she was pregnant but still let her run when she looked ill, did he really not care about her?
See? What you came with is just fine. As for Mitch and Danielle–maybe she really wanted to run and he didn’t want to stand in her way. Or maybe he didn’t know she was vomiting. He wasn’t in the locker room after all.
Hi, Mynor…well, those are all huge questions and would take a long time to answer. I’ve also answered them in various forums. So if you type into a search engine “Bick Ashes Interviews” and then scroll past the videos to something like “Portrait of a Book,” you’ll find that I’ve answered many of these questions before. It might take some digging, but all the answers are in various interviews. But the short and dirty: my husband dared me to try; I wrote 6 bad book and 40 or 50 terrible stories before I sold a single story; writing is the hardest thing I’ve ever done (and coming from someone who’s gone through both the military and medical school, that’s saying something); and the only thing that’s changed about my life is I look forward to going to work every day. Hope that all helps 🙂
Hey Ms. Bick I just finished the ashes trilogy a while back but I was wondering why the cliff hanger, I would really like to know what happens next and read somewhere else on your site that you have a little more than a trilogy in you, what stops your continuation of the trilogy? The ashes trilogy is my without a doubt most favorite trilogy in the universe, it has changed the little world in my head, I have never read writing as amazing as yours please tell me your thoughts.
Donovan, I got your email, too. Thanks for writing in; I know my answer won’t satisfy you, but I hope you see my reasoning.
You should so do a drowning instinct book 2!! In dying to know what happens next…I really don’t want Mitch to have died ::(((
Are you thinking of doing a Drowning Instinct 2? I’m dying to know what is next!
Do you think you’ll be writing a sequel to Drowning Instinct? I’m dying to know what happens next lol.
Hey, Helen: I’m so sorry it took me a couple days to answer this. I simply didn’t see the comments (something wonky with my site). Anyway, no, I’m not. But…what do you think happens? What you think is just as important as anything I could write.
Oh, I know I could 🙂
No, I’m not. But that doesn’t mean you can’t decide what happens next 🙂
Hi!
I jus wanted to say that your books are absolutely incredible and I am a huge fan of your work but especially the Ashes Trilogy. Also, being a 15 year old, I can resemble myself to Alex’s character so I have bonded with the characters enormously and I am finishing the last book so I will be really sad once the journey is over. 🙁
The amazing Ashes novels are definitely my favourite reads of all time and
I admire your work so much and always look forward to picking up your
books, so thank you for writing them.
I was wondering whether there would be or could be a trilogy of
films produced for them? I believe they would definitely be a great hit
and directors MUST see that!
I am such a huge fan of your work and if a set of films or a TV series
is produced I would absolutely love and be honoured to audition for
the part!
Thank you for reading this email as I am sure you get fan mail sent to you
constantly so I really appreciate your time reading mine. 🙂
Yours sincerely,
Sasha Baker
Just fell into reading Ashes over Christmas break – then stumbled upon your blog whilst looking for the rest of the trilogy. Love your cooking, cocktail and writing adventures ❤️ Thank you for sharing both your culinary explorations as well as ones literary. I feel we may be kindred spirits, as I too think chubby James Spader has it going on 🙂
I am a teacher in Windsor, Ontario, Canada – so if you ever find yourself in the banana belt of the great white north, I’d love to have a visit!
All the best.
Why, thank you, Kel! I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed the first book so far (and my culinary adventures). I am going to be in Canada, though not Windsor (Toronto), and for a wedding. There are far worse places to be 😉 I actually love Canada. Been there several times.
Enjoy the rest of the series!
Why, thank you, Sasha. I WISH someone would make a series or movies out of the books, but that doesn’t seem to be in the cards right now. If that ever happens, though, I’ll be sure to make a lot of noise. Who knows? Anything can happen!