The reason several characters from early books show up again when they're older is that I sometimes wonder how they're getting along after having been through hard times. And for the past several years I found myself sometimes wondering about Eddie. How did his earlier molestation affect his later years? Had he managed to get past the severe anxiety that so often goes with such trauma?
I also found myself wondering how the increased hatred and animosity exhibited in our present political climate might be affecting teens. The only way to discover how growing hatred and division affects young people, or to learn how Eddie's doing as an older teen, is to write the story. So I did. More about that soon.