The problem was, Lucas was going through a whole series of relationships with women because I had a feeling that women readers like to read about romantic involvements ... along with the thriller aspects of the books. But if you introduce a new female character in a series that's lasted as long as this one, Lucas begins to sound more like a sexual predator than a guy who's really genuinely involved with the people he's dealing with. So I decided to tone down the romantic relationships between Lucas and other women, and have him focus on one woman.