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Hi,Ethan, Ava, Emmett, Madena, & Lisa,

Thanks for posting, people. I’m glad to hear that so many of you have been enjoying THE FORT, which was my 100th book, and is very special to me. Thanks for writing to tell me so. Your letters:

ETHAN, I’m glad you enjoyed RESTART too. Did you know it’s been on the New York Times’ Bestseller List for almost 4 years? And THE FORT made the list as well.

AVA, OCD wasn’t easy for Mitchell, and I’m sure it has caused you a few problems too! Thanks for writing and mostly for understanding Mitchell so well!

EMMETT, I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to reach the magic number of 200, but thanks for the thought! I’m at 107 right now, even though only 104 are out so far — so I’m trying!

MADENA, good point. When I write from different characters’ viewpoints, I have to choose which people, and I guess Jaeger was someone I decided was not a major contributor to the story, other than his malign influence on his friend. It’s a choice writers have to make sometimes.

LISA, thank you for your support for my work with your students. I promise to take their advice — and yours too! — very seriously. I, too, am fascinated by the way my characters turned out. In some books they take on a life of their own, and that was the case with THE FORT.

Thanks, everyone!                                                                              —–Gordon Korman—–