Trivia Time!
When they're bad, they're bad:
One rule I tried to follow throughout the book was that Kelly does not know how to fight. Ever. It's not something she's studied, and so she sucks at it every times she tries, which is why it was important to pair her up with two physically capable characters: Elizabeth and Derik. The only fights she shows any talent with occur in the Tides, where the video-game logic of the Tides (unbeknownst to the characters) plays in their favor.
Had Kelly tried to fight a seal by closing her eyes and jumping at it with a knife anywhere else, well, she wouldn't be fighting extinct seals, so it's probably a moot point. However, she doesn't have anywhere near enough combat expertise to realize her luck.
Lost Goods:
In the beginning of Chapter Two, Derik is dressed for a meeting in a button-up cotton shirt. Earlier drafts of the story described the suit as having an "American cotton" undershirt, as the American cotton industry became crippled after the Tides struck. Indian cotton, as of the beginning of the story, is more typical and far cheaper. The explanation was eventually cut for length, which meant the descriptor also had to be removed.
Dogs or horses?:
The horse trailer Valdez gets for his stowaways used to be a kennel for hunting dogs, before a little research showed just how cramped a truck bed kennel would be!
A cameo:
In Into the Tides, there's a scene at the beginning of Chapter Twenty with a book called The Dragon Reborn laying around. This was actually added in during the edits (there was a different book, originally) I'd been thinking about the Wheel of Time series, and skimmed through several of the books trying to figure out which one had the first, best references to the dream world, which in terms of surrealism have some similarities to the Tides. I then started re-reading the Wheel of Time series (... and have stalled out on book 8, to no one's great surprise).
Smarter than he sounds:
Valdez is actually one of my own favorite characters, although his appearance in this first book is relatively light compared to the backstory (never introduced in the actual novel, sadly). His accent wasn't one he was born with. Growing up in Austen, TX, he had a slight Texan accent, but got rid of it in his first year in undergrad. However, by the time he got into Yale, he'd discovered emphasizing his accent made people underestimate him--giving him an advantage in the courtroom as a contract lawyer. However, working in a field that often left him looking for exploitative loopholes burnt him out quickly. He joined the Army Reserves four years in, moving to a smaller firm in Madison, WI, whose main clients are nonprofits.
After the Tides, like most of the Reserves, he was placed on active duty for Recovery missions. In the three-month intervals when Recovery missions aren't possible, he's allowed to return to his normal job. Because he spends so much time on the missions, he primarily helps others with their case loads. He still affects the Texan accent, except when stressed enough to forget it. Other peoples' stereotypes often work to his advantage.
Although it's not directly mentioned in the book, after the trip south, he's removed from active duty for the rest of the Tide cycle, and is taking advantage of the not-so-voluntary vacation for some counseling (at the recommendation of his commanding officer) and some actual R&R.
When they're bad, they're bad:
One rule I tried to follow throughout the book was that Kelly does not know how to fight. Ever. It's not something she's studied, and so she sucks at it every times she tries, which is why it was important to pair her up with two physically capable characters: Elizabeth and Derik. The only fights she shows any talent with occur in the Tides, where the video-game logic of the Tides (unbeknownst to the characters) plays in their favor.
Had Kelly tried to fight a seal by closing her eyes and jumping at it with a knife anywhere else, well, she wouldn't be fighting extinct seals, so it's probably a moot point. However, she doesn't have anywhere near enough combat expertise to realize her luck.
Lost Goods:
In the beginning of Chapter Two, Derik is dressed for a meeting in a button-up cotton shirt. Earlier drafts of the story described the suit as having an "American cotton" undershirt, as the American cotton industry became crippled after the Tides struck. Indian cotton, as of the beginning of the story, is more typical and far cheaper. The explanation was eventually cut for length, which meant the descriptor also had to be removed.
Dogs or horses?:
The horse trailer Valdez gets for his stowaways used to be a kennel for hunting dogs, before a little research showed just how cramped a truck bed kennel would be!
A cameo:
In Into the Tides, there's a scene at the beginning of Chapter Twenty with a book called The Dragon Reborn laying around. This was actually added in during the edits (there was a different book, originally) I'd been thinking about the Wheel of Time series, and skimmed through several of the books trying to figure out which one had the first, best references to the dream world, which in terms of surrealism have some similarities to the Tides. I then started re-reading the Wheel of Time series (... and have stalled out on book 8, to no one's great surprise).
Smarter than he sounds:
Valdez is actually one of my own favorite characters, although his appearance in this first book is relatively light compared to the backstory (never introduced in the actual novel, sadly). His accent wasn't one he was born with. Growing up in Austen, TX, he had a slight Texan accent, but got rid of it in his first year in undergrad. However, by the time he got into Yale, he'd discovered emphasizing his accent made people underestimate him--giving him an advantage in the courtroom as a contract lawyer. However, working in a field that often left him looking for exploitative loopholes burnt him out quickly. He joined the Army Reserves four years in, moving to a smaller firm in Madison, WI, whose main clients are nonprofits.
After the Tides, like most of the Reserves, he was placed on active duty for Recovery missions. In the three-month intervals when Recovery missions aren't possible, he's allowed to return to his normal job. Because he spends so much time on the missions, he primarily helps others with their case loads. He still affects the Texan accent, except when stressed enough to forget it. Other peoples' stereotypes often work to his advantage.
Although it's not directly mentioned in the book, after the trip south, he's removed from active duty for the rest of the Tide cycle, and is taking advantage of the not-so-voluntary vacation for some counseling (at the recommendation of his commanding officer) and some actual R&R.
Tone-deaf Kelly has long considered her inborn music magic to be
useless. But after a disaster drowns the American South in magic,
including her whole family except her twin brother, she discovers her
“useless” magic lets her hear the voices of those lost. Now, with the
help of her twin and her handsome, green-eyed neighbor Derik, she’ll
face magic itself to save them–only the attempt may cost her everyone
she has left.
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