Putting the SQUEEEEE in Sequels

Hi everyone-- 

Today i'd like to talk about romance sequels. Love ‘em or hate ‘em? Many readers love sequels because they’re already invested in a world and its characters and want to see more and more. This is great for an author. Your readers are waiting with bated breath for your next book and new readers are likely to want to buy the previous books in the series. IF you don’t disappoint them! I’ll bet you can think of several big name authors whose series finally just ran out of steam. They keep writing but more and more readers jump ship as they are expected to pay top prices for boring, badly written books. That’s why many publishers don’t want more than three books in a series.

I didn't start out to write sequels but the characters yell at you until you continue their story. My first series was the Genetic Attraction Series which was runner-up for Best Series of the Year in 2011 in the LRC Awards. The series includes The Scientist and the Supermodel, Genetic Attraction and Deceptive Attraction. Then i wrote Volley Balls. I intended it as a stand-alone book, but there was this feisty little guy named Rodney who just demanded his own book. Fire Balls was born! It became the number one bestselling gay romance on Amazon and a lot of people went back and bought Volley Balls too. Then i had an idea for a third book. An enemies to lovers story about a developer lawyer and an environmentalist. That book is called Beach Balls and it will be out in May. I think there is a fourth story brewing in the Balls to the Wall Series also. My two new books, Spell Cat releasing March 20 and Sinders and Ash which comes out on April 1, could both be the start of new series.   

Two things seem true to me about series. First, compulsion. Writing that next book should feel compelling and important. There need to be characters crying out to be heard and stories longing to be told. If the sequels are written just because it might sell more books, readers are going to know and start to bail out. Second, new central characters are a pretty good idea. Trying to carry a series with one central character again and again is really tough because the readers have no one else’s point-of-view in which to become involved. Eventually, you know that lead character so well it can get boring. I wrote the Scientist and the Supermodel from Jake’s POV. Readers have begged to see the story through Roan’s eyes, but I can’t do that. The love story has been told. Their story is complete. They have their HEA and I won’t mess with it. I don’t like sequels in which complications are introduced to tear apart two lovers that you’ve already enjoyed getting together. I think it cheats the readers. Roan appears in Deceptive Attraction and he will appear in yet another book, but he will still be madly in love with his two scientists.

Yes, it’s true. There will be another book in the Genetic Attraction series. There is a character who is calling my name. Want to guess who it is? He’s a minor figure in at least one of the books. I'm writing the new book now. Watch for more hints soon.

Thank you all for making my series so successful! And thank you for visiting the blog!