The End of a Series

I’ve heard a lot of readers bemoan the end of a series that they loved. Many readers want to keep reading about those characters they’ve come to love over the span of a couple of years. They don’t want to give up that relationship yet. Writers feel the same way.

We mourn the loss of characters that have been in our lives for years and any times, years longer than it took to get them on paper and publish. When I first heard authors talking about how sad they were to be done with a series, I was unpublished and naïve. I had hundreds of characters and plots running through my head. Once I was done with a book or series, I would just move on to the next one.

Silly me.

When I first started writing Every Night I’m Yours, I feel in love with my characters. All five of my heroes and heroines. By the time I finished writing One Night Scandal, I was still in love with them, albeit a little weary of their constant involvement in my life. But I was at a loss of what do to next.

It took me several attempts at writing a synopsis for my agent. Nothing I put down was really “calling” to me. I was sure I didn’t want to write another series revolving around regency women. But as I tried to edit the first few chapters, I realized my heart wasn’t into this next series.

For some reason, watching the History Channel (when there is history on it, not reality shows) tends to get my creative juices flowing. When I was watching something about the history of witches, they mentioned the term Wise Women. My brain latched on to that tidbit. It turns out that wise women were the healers on the lands and practiced some pagan rituals. Because they had knowledge, many were declared witches and killed.

So my crazy brain took that and said, what if there some of these women still around in during the regency period and were still healers on the estates of peers? And what if they still performed some rituals only because it’s what their mothers and grandmothers had done for centuries? And what if the one of the heroes wanted nothing to do with his wise woman because his first wife had died in childbirth at the hands of the wise woman? And my brain just kept going. 

Soon, I had another series revolving around three women. Here we go again. I’m currently working on my Wise Women series. The first book, tentatively titled, Bewitching the Duke will be an ebook release from Kensington in 2012.You can find me at www.christiekelley.com.

How do you as a reader feel when you get to the end of a series? Do you hate to let go or are you anxious to start another series?  I’m giving away a signed copy of the first book in my series, Every Night I’m Yours to one commenter.

Christie

www.christiekelley.com 

***Melissa is the winner for a copy of EVERY NIGHT i'M YOURS! Congratulations! Please send an email with your full name and mailing address to totebag@authorsoundrelations.com so we can get the prize in the mail! Thank you!***