Hi All,

Thank you so much for getting to the end of 'The Mice Do Play'. I really hope you enjoyed the story and that I have made you all happy with the ending. ♥

I know I had some readers who didn't like what I did to Becky and Rob. To be honest I think I might have lost a few readers but I work on the theory that life doesn't stand still when you finish high school.

Some readers thought I should have left Rob and Becky in that happy place where they ended up in book one but we all, at seventeen/eighteen, think we're adults and that we understand most of everything we need to know. However, the truth is we haven't learned many of life's lessons by that age and in ten years we most certainly won't be the same person we were at 17.

I wanted my characters to grow, to become better people and in my view you only become better at something by making mistakes. That's how we learn whether something is right or wrong, good or bad. You don't learn by getting it right the first time and the moral for this story is that it's okay to make mistakes as long as you learn from them; otherwise you're an idiot, right?

If I'd have left Becky and Rob in that happy place in book one, they'd still be there just staring into each other's eyes and probably trying to work out how to escape Groundhog Day and maybe really hating each other by now.

The drama in this story happens quickly. I only had 80 000 words in me and I wanted it to be fast paced and character driven. No long drawn out cups of coffee here, hahaha, and even I think Becky and Rob's dealing of the situation was stupid, but it's another of the morals I'm trying to convey. Jumping to conclusions, over thinking things, being irrational, dramatic, misinterpreting things, making rash decisions, blaming others are all things people do in moments of emotional stress but more so, I think, in younger people who, in this modern world of social media and political correctness, are under so much pressure to be successful, to say all the right things, to be perfect or beautiful.

I've structured Becky and Rob's behaviour on seeing the dramas that have gone on in my own life and my "modern day" kids' lives. Emotions always flew high for me as I see they do in my children's lives. I think young people of today have it so much harder as far as "keeping up with the Jones" is concerned, and I want them to know, it's okay to fail, to not be perfect, because it's not being perfect that makes you special.

Life moves on constantly and you will learn heaps, just remember the lesson learned and that mistake won't touch you again. Look at others as people who hurt just like you do and understand that there are always two sides to a story, so treat others as you would want to be treated.

I hope this explains my reasoning for my story line and once again, thank you all for coming on this journey with me and for all your wonderful support.

Good-bye - 2020.

Hello - 2021.

If you have enjoyed The Mice Do Play and like my work I have other novels and two short stories on Wattpad.

Stolen - Historical Fiction. An orphaned girl. A young duke. Each fighting to survive their circumstances in the 1830's. She is taken in by a wealthy family. He is striped of everything and taken into slavery by Barbary Coast pirates. From the first day they meet, their lives are forever connected. Work in progress.

The Evolution of Rohan Wayland - Dark Contemporary/Crime/Whodunit. An abused man, a murder. Who is really the victim? Completed.

Children of Toil - Wattys short-listed 2021 - Historical Fiction 
Lucan Hayes, a coal miner, loses his wife in childbirth.
Meg-Anne Dunn, a prostitute struggles to improve her life.
Both immigrate to Australia and battle the harsh environment until love brings them together. Completed.

Twenty-Three Hundred – Dystopian – A bomb. A virus. It's the end of the world as we know it. Can love change the future? Completed.

Black Cat is a Teen Fiction story. Becky Bridgestone isn't who she pretends to be. Join Rob Jarvis as he wheedles his way into her heart. Completed.

Bell Ringer - Dark Contemporary - An abused girl is abducted by a stranger. Will her life ever be the same? Completed.

Chains To Freedom - Historical Fiction - Based in (Van Diemen's Land) Tasmania, Australia in 1840. A young girl is transported for a crime she did not commit. Will the handsome Louis come to her rescue? Completed.

Shifted – This book is marked as General Fiction but it's really a Teen Fiction story laced with truth. Charlie, the main character's brother is killed and she loses herself to sorrow. A teenage boy changes her life. Completed.

Liberty – Science Fiction - Short story with four chapters. Silla is thrust into a rebellion but finds more than freedom. Completed.

Desire - Romance - Short story. One chapter. A love story with a twist. Completed.

Copyright © 2017 by Donna Fieldhouse. All rights reserved.

Thank you all for reading. I hope you enjoyed this story.

I really appreciate all your support ♥♥♥

Photo copyright - VectorStock.