For me, the second book in a series is more fun (and somewhat more challenging) than the first. By this time I know the characters better than when I began the first book, but they are still evolving for me. Their personalities and backstory (what their lives were about before they leaped into the first mystery) are becoming clearer. I also have to be careful to include things in the plot that are consistent with what was said in the first book.
The second book is also where I get to start having fun with them. Charlie Parker got to take a tropical vacation in her second outing and a romance began to blossom. Samantha Sweet’s love life moves forward, too, and because of events that happened in the first book she’s achieving a long-held dream.
I began writing about both these female protagonists with the idea of building a series so I had the luxury of ending Deadly Gamble (Charlie) and Sweet Masterpiece (Sam) with a few hints of what would happen next. Aside from helping me launch the ideas for the second in each series, I think it also gives my readers a peek into the future and lets everyone know there will be another adventure (and another, and another …) in store.
Writing a series is fun because I get to know my characters as good friends and I enjoy building upon their life stories, following along as they win a few and lose a few, as new people come into their lives and others leave. I’m currently working on yet another new series—more about that in the coming months—and this time I’m dealing with five central, recurring characters. This series will, I think, stretch me as a writer as I work to keep each of the characters interesting and throw some unexpected adventures their way.
In the meantime, Charlie and Sam will each continue in future books and not even I know what, exactly, will happen.
The second book is also where I get to start having fun with them. Charlie Parker got to take a tropical vacation in her second outing and a romance began to blossom. Samantha Sweet’s love life moves forward, too, and because of events that happened in the first book she’s achieving a long-held dream.
I began writing about both these female protagonists with the idea of building a series so I had the luxury of ending Deadly Gamble (Charlie) and Sweet Masterpiece (Sam) with a few hints of what would happen next. Aside from helping me launch the ideas for the second in each series, I think it also gives my readers a peek into the future and lets everyone know there will be another adventure (and another, and another …) in store.
Writing a series is fun because I get to know my characters as good friends and I enjoy building upon their life stories, following along as they win a few and lose a few, as new people come into their lives and others leave. I’m currently working on yet another new series—more about that in the coming months—and this time I’m dealing with five central, recurring characters. This series will, I think, stretch me as a writer as I work to keep each of the characters interesting and throw some unexpected adventures their way.
In the meantime, Charlie and Sam will each continue in future books and not even I know what, exactly, will happen.
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