Do you enjoy
reading connected stories in romance? I'm a fan. I love catching up with characters from
previous books and anticipating when favorite secondary characters will get
their stories. I really like reading connected stories—and I’ve discovered I like
writing them too!
My most recent
connected stories are about three friends who run a party planning business
called Party Queens. Each heroine brings her own strengths to the business—and each
falls for a very different hero. Not only did I love creating a deeply emotional
romance for each hero and heroine, I also enjoyed writing the strong,
supportive friendships that developed between the three heroines over the arc
of the three novels.
Each book is a stand-alone that can be
enjoyed without reading the other two.
I’ve only just
seen the cover for The Bridesmaid’s Baby Bump and am sharing it here.
The first is Andie
and Dominic’s story, Gift-Wrapped in Her Wedding Dress (November 2015); the second gives the stage to Gemma and
Tristan in CrownPrince’s Chosen Bride (March 2016); and the third and final in
the series, The Bridesmaid’s Baby Bump
(July 2016) is Eliza's and Jake’s story and—and brings readers up to date with
what is happening with the first two couples too.
I feel a bit sad
to say goodbye to these lovely, spirited heroines and the gorgeous heroes who
win their hearts. But the good thing about being a writer is I’m totally
involved now in the characters for my next book!
The three Party
Queens books are published by Harlequin Romance in North America as the Sydney Brides mini-series. (Mills
& Boon Cherish in the UK; Mills & Boon Forever Romance in Australia and
New Zealand.)
Do you enjoy a
connected series in romance? Do you prefer a complete romance in each book or
one that develops over a series? What are your thoughts on cliffhangers? I’d
love to read your comment!
Gift-Wrapped in HerWedding Dress and CrownPrince’s Chosen Bride are on sale now.
Kandy
Shepherd is an award-winning author of contemporary romance and women’s
fiction. She lives on a small farm in the Blue Mountains near Sydney, Australia, with her family and a
menagerie of four-legged friends.
Visit
Kandy at her website
8 comments:
I only enjoy the connected series if there is a complete romance in each book. I live for my HEAs! Guess that answers your next question: no, I don't enjoy cliffhanger stories. I feel ripped off and have been known to throw a perfectly fine book across the room in disgust when I have realized this outcome to a story. In other words, I do not rush out and buy the next book in the series (nor any more by that author).
Back to the connected stories. I have been enjoying your Party Queens stories very much. I think that that feeling of familiarity with the characters and storyline helps draw readers in and thus makes us want to read more of the other connected stories. I know I do. I am really looking forward to reading the third book in your series. Mind you, I have enjoyed all of your stories I've read so far, so of COURSE I want to read your next book too. Duh!
Thank you, Kandy, for sharing the love. Your stories have grabbed me from their first pages, and you have "massaged" that interest on all the subsequent pages. Not all authors are able to do what you do: make me believe and feel the love and passion of two characters with whom I can totally relate - yet keep me on the edge of my seat, wondering what will happen next. I enjoy the "language of love" that they each have, and you constantly make me smile. What more could a reader want?
Laney, thank you for such lovely feedback - very good for this author's soul! I so enjoy a good love story myself and it's wonderful to know my stories connect with you. I really believe in my characters when I write them and go on that falling-in-love journey with them.
I'm with you on the cliffhangers. I have been following a crime thriller series and was, quite literally, furious to have the latest one end on an unresolved cliffhanger--and the next book not available for six months. Will probably not buy it...
I prefer each book in a mini-series if it can be read as a standalone. I've discovered many series that way.
Kandy, congratulations on your next release. I love that cover. I think it's so romantic. Can't wait to read it. I loved Gift Wrapped in Her Wedding Dress, beautiful story, and I've got The Crown Prince one - got a bit of time off in a week or so so it's first off the top of the TBR pile.
Me too, jcp, a mini-series of standalone is my favorite!
Hi Anna, thanks for calling by! It's a lovely cover, isn't it - and so nice to see Sydney Harbour as the background. I'm so glad you enjoyed the first book in the series and hope you enjoy the other two. I certainly enjoyed writing them!
Such beautiful covers. I loved Books 1 and 2 and can't wait for Book 3.
As for romance series, what I love most is a bigger series that takes place in one (fictional or real) setting and has characters that may be directly or indirectly connected. But trilogies with the same character set are also great.
I enjoy seeing characters from previous books in series. Seeing them connnect even if its for a short spurt.
I do enjoy a standalone.
Your books I love because I know they are HEA and Im not overly fussed on cliffhangers cause it keeps me wandering if I will ever get my hea lol. But saying this if it happens eventually I dont mind.
Your stories are always true romance. Sweet, loving and with such wonderfully delivered characters.
Looking forward to this one to find out how our first two party queens are going and to see Eliza's story.
Always love the covers
gorgeous .
Post a Comment