Several readers caught a similarity between what I said about opening a novel and closing a novel. I took the three sentences the editor had taken out from the novel’s opening and added them as the last three sentences in the novel. I think that’s where they belonged in the first place. Billy, our hero, death comes so quickly that it’s a shock to the reader. I think a careful reader will see there was a foreshadowing of his death. If nothing more, Billy’s willingness to help out anyone at any time.
As I told one of the readers who emailed me, “I am guilty as charged.” I know you may not have read the novel, but do you approve of using those last three sentences?
