The Pretend To Be Agreement

Important Information (FAQ)

Hi! Author here. 

Here is the FAQ that was promised.

1. Q: Why is Miles dead/how did he die?  

A: Miles worked as a police officer and was killed by a gunshot wound. As for when -- it was sometimes around when Cami was two-years-old. 

2. Q: Why didn't Will move on? 

A: Will is a very lonely person. He has no friends (and the ones he did have turned out be very bad influences). Grace was his only true friend, the only person he ever believed cared about him. When she left, he turned to alcohol which turned into the constant thing he had in his life during the three-year flash-forward. He will always love her, even if they hadn't gotten back together (as seen in 'Epilogue Pt. 2). He left her voicemails uncaring if she answered or listened to them or not just to make sure she knew how he was and how he was doing.

3. Q: Why did you break them up if you were just going to put them back together again? 

A: Here, let me spell it out for you: D - R - A - M - A. It was also because Will wasn't okay. He had fallen into a dark spiral, and because Grace isn't a weak-ass bitch, she wasn't going to take any of his shit. She spent all of her childhood and teenhood taking care of her family. She was sick of always getting put in the situation where she had to the helping hand and when it came to needing someone to be there for her, and the one person she thought would be, wasn't. So she left. And she found herself. She grew up and became a better woman for letting Will go. Ever heard the saying: 'If you love something, set it free, and if that loves comes back, it's meant to be'? Well, that's the moral of this story. 

4. Q: Why introduce a new character (Miles) if you were just going to kill him off?

A: Miles wasn't even going to be a thing at first. Just a little something I had been pondering on. But I wanted Grace to be happy (not saying that the only way for her to be happy was to have a man in her life). I also wanted her to be in a healthy relationship where her needs would be sought after and she would be taken care of. At first, I wasn't even going to kill Miles off. But after some thinking, I went 'why the hell not?'. I mean, I could've just had the two get a divorce, but I believe that that would've been too harsh and wouldn't have fit the storyline. Grace truly does and still very much loves Miles, even though he is dead. Getting a divorce would've betrayed that love. 

5. Q: What inspired you to write TPTBA?

A: Believe it or not, I got inspired to write TPTBA after reading 'The Teddy-Bear Agreement' (which is now known as 'Sleep Deprived'). 

6. Q: How did you name your characters? 

A: I got obsessed with the name 'William' after reading 'The Teddy-Bear Agreement/Sleep Deprived'. So, that's where Will's name is originated from. There isn't much of a story behind Grace's name, just that I loved it and wanted to use it in a story. Miles got his name from the actor 'Miles Teller'. (Don't judge.)

7. Q: Do you have any advice/pointers on how to write a book?

A: ...Ugh. Maybe. I'll answer this to the best of my ability. (Remember, I'm writing this out from my own experiences with writing. Take this how you will. Use it. Don't use it.) Alright, here I go: I'd say, write from your heart. What inspires you? Write whatever you find interesting into a little book -- even if that includes the way leaves on a tree move or how somebody across the table at a restaurant is eating. Write about it. I know it sounds weird, but it helps to know how people move. It'll help you describe how your  character acts and gives you a visual to their mannerisms. If you're still stuck -- Google it. Can't hurt to Google it or ask a friend or family member for help. I do this all the time. Don't be afraid to write what you want to write. Be you. Embrace the weirdness. And most importantly: LOVE WHAT YOU'RE WRITING. If you don't love it, that's okay. Write for not only your readers but yourself as well. You should love the book just as much as they do, maybe even more. 

8. Q: Will you continue to write?

A: Absolutely! You won't believe how many books I have planned/written out in my drafts.

9. Q: Will TPTBA have a sequel?

A: Unfortunately, no it doesn't. But TPTBA is part of a trilogy. You can find the spin-off on my profile. It's titled: 'Playing Pretend'.

10. Q: How much do you love your fans/readers?

A: SOOOOOO SOOOOO SOOOOO MUCH!!! I love you guys. I appreciate every single one of you that has supported TPTBA and me. You all hold a very special place in my hearts and I couldn't be any happier that you guys love this book so much. It's unreal.  Thank you for the support and love that you have shown -- it means the absolute world to me. I can only hope that you'll continue to support me in future projects. 

11. Q: Why did Grace forgive Will even though he abused her?

A: So, I decided to save this question for last. I don't condone abuse - it's a terrible thing to do to someone, whether it be verbal or physical abuse. It's horrible. But Will obviously feels bad. He feels guilty, and that guilt has been weighing down on him for years. Which, yes, he does deserve. But, when he neglected Grace and shoved her against the wall in chapter thirty-six, he was on the influence od drugs and alcohol. Currently, three years later, he's on the mend as a recovering alcoholic (which he inherited from his father; who is also an alcoholic) and drug-addict. He would never hurt Grace when sober, but alcohol and drugs, especially when mixed together, can be a dangerous combination. Will has issues -- he also suffers from depression and undealt with issues from his childhood -- which, because they were unresolved, and due to the large levels of stress, he turned to alcohol and drugs. With those in his system, he hurt Grace -- which happens. Those usually under the influence hurt the people they love the most. As for why Grace forgave Will? Well, because it's been years since the incident. She believes in second chances, and as soon as Will had hurt her, she left. She didn't stay. She willing to give him a second chance, because now, she sees that now, he's getting help for his problems. Also, this is a quote I pulled from Epilogue PART TWO - "....I don't think I ever stopped loving you, Will. You hurt me and it took me a long time to forgive what you did to me. To us. But...But I never forgot you. You were always there — a part of my heart that I couldn't run from." She still loves him. She's forgiven him. And, because she knows he's better, she's willing to give them a second chance. But if Will relapses, she will leave him and not look back. I hope this answers any questions you may have. You may not agree with her choices, but this does happen in real life -- it is a real life case scenario.

There's only one thing left to say.

Thank you and goodbye. (....For now, that is.)

- xoxo, Alexa :)