While I've written books set in various cities and states, like Ann, our blogger yesterday, I keep returning to the South. I live in Georgia, was born in Tennessee, and spent my childhood moving around a lot but always on this side of the Mason Dixon line. But I'm particularly attached to the setting of my upcoming March book (An Unlikely Mommy) because I'm returning to Joyous, Tennessee...which exists only in my head.
My first ever Harlequin American was Trouble in Tennessee, set in Joyous, and my editor and I both liked the town's female mechanic, Ronnie Carter, so much that we knew she had to have her own book. It was such fun to revisit her and the other characters from the earlier book! In fact, after selling twenty something books, I'm shocked that this is the first time I've ever followed up with a linked book (it certainly won't be the last.) Unlikely Mommy isn't really a sequel--the plots aren't attached and readers of the second one will have no trouble following it if they didn't read the first--it's more a reunion, dropping back into town to see what everyone's up to or, if this is your first visit, getting to meet the citizens of Joyous.
The reason I'm so surprised that I've never done this before is because, as a reader, I LOVE books that feature ongoing characters/settings, whether it's Harry and Hogwarts, Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum New Jersey adventures or fellow HAR author Cindi Myers' Crested Butte series. In high school, I read almost entirely historicals and it always gave me a thrill when a previous favorite couple by Julie Garwood or Judith McNaught got a cameo appearance. (Now, I'm reading JD Robb's futuristic In Death and love all the characters, right down to the cranky butler.) I've read thousands of cumulative pages in George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice & Fire series and penciled in the release dates of upcoming Eloisa James (a historical duchess series) and Shana Abe (a paranormal drakon seris).
What about you guys? What sagas/series have you enjoyed in books or movies? Was there ever a favorite secondary character you wished an author would revisit that hasn't got his or her own story yet?
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8 comments:
I read your book (Unlikely Mommy) and really enjoyed it. I do like revisiting places and reading about secondary characters. But sometimes I have to go find the original book and reread it.
I love series books. Funny you should mention Julie Garwood. I loved her historicals and it was always fun to see secondary characters get their own books.
Hi Tanya,
How funny that you should mention this topic! Whenever I'm stressed, I love to revisit books and reaquaint myself with wonderful series. There's something about familiar characters that is so very satisfying.
I too, was a historical Julie Garwood fan. Recently I reread Anne Perry's Thomas Pitt mysteries and just reread Mary Balough's Bedwyn series.
Of course, I'll look forward to your newest, Tanya!
Shelley
www.shelleygalloway.com
I love series books. My favorites are Evanovitch's Stephanie Plum books and JD Robbs Death series.
Oh, Ellen, thanks so much for the kind words on Unlikely Mommy--glad you enjoyed it.
For all the fellow JG fans, I've heard that she's going to do another historical (her recent work has been contemporary thrillers) but I don't know when it will be published!
Estella, yep, the newest Plum book and In Death book are always on my auto-buy list.
Tanya
I've always been fond of series books. As a little kid, I read lots of "The Boxcar Children" series, then in junior high I moved on to "Sweet Valley High" (A precursor to my present day romance novel ways?), then in high school I read books mainly based on my television obsessions, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Star Trek Voyager, and then I came to romance novels.
I love linked books... and when a book stands on its own, I sometimes find myself picking out characters that could have a good story to be told about them.
I thoroughly enjoyed Kara Lennox's last two series, Blonde Justice and Firehouse 59, and Tina Leonard's Tulips Saloon series was also really enjoyable.
Oh, and I, like countless others, had the Harry Potter bug pretty bad. Even to the point of delving into fanfiction to get my fix. :)
Oh, it slipped my mind, something else I was going to mention.
I finished the Harlequin Presents "Royal House of Niroli" series recently, and I thought it was pretty good. :) It was my first experience with Presents, which I had previously avoided because of the titles...
Great topic.
In books, as a kid, I loved Enid Blyton's Famous Five - don't know if you got them in the USA.
I adore Fiona Brand's Intimate Moments stories with her fantastic military guys - Cullen's Bride, Blade's Lady, Marrying McCabe and so on - just delicious.
I also love re-reading Nora's Calhoun, Stanislaski and Donovan series too. (Funny, I never got into the MacGregors....) Boy, I miss Nora's categories.
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