What’s it like writing a series?
I can think of so many novels I wish had never ended: Pride and Prejudice, Wolf Hall, anything by John Steinbeck, and, yes, even War and Peace. As long as Tolstoy’s book is, I could have read more.
With an author, this sense of loss can be similar. This is the flip side of the bittersweet moment. After the celebration, the realization sinks in: I will no longer spend my days with these characters in mind. Our time together is done. And that is the joy of writing a series. While a particular story arc may be completed, the main characters can go on to have more adventures or be entrenched in further mysteries.
I’m midway through my second series. The first, the Wild Crime mysteries, consists of three books. Each has their own mystery and complete story, but together, the three books tell a broader story of the heroine, Meredith Lowe. Each book can read as a stand-alone story.
Spirit in Time, which released this month, is the third novel in my Spirited Quest mysteries. I have five books in mind for this series, but who knows at this point; there could always be more. The main character in this series is Jillian Winchester, who writes a ghost-themed blog. There are lots of possibilities for her around the world. So far, she has been in Vermont, Australia and California. Each story is a stand-alone novel, but there is a broader story being told too, as Jillian yearns for connection to family members killed in an accident long ago.
The fourth book is taking shape in my mind and I’m definitely not ready to let my characters go. I plan to start the next book later this year and I’m already looking forward to spending time with them again, sort of like having a reunion with good friends.
Here is more about this new release, Spirit in Time:
Tagline: Time is not on her side.
Blurb:
Time travel isn't real. It can't be real. But ghost-blogger Jillian Winchester discovers otherwise when an enigmatic spirit conveys her to 1872 to do his bidding.
Jillian finds herself employed as a maid in Sacramento, in an elegant mansion with a famous painting. The artwork reveals another mystery: Why does the man within look exactly like her boyfriend, Mason Chandler?
Morality and sin live side by side, not only in the picture, but also within her. As her transgressions escalate, she races the clock to find the man in the painting, and hunt down a spirit with a disconcerting gift.
But will time be her friend or foe?
Excerpt:
“Are you a ghost?” A young girl stood where the guard had been only minutes before. She spoke matter- of-factly, her dark eyes alive with curiosity.
The house was still whole, she was alive, and the world hadn’t ended. Jillian scanned the room for damage, then blinked. This must be a dream. The long dining table—bare just moments ago—was now laid for a meal. Glasses sat upright, forks and spoons lined up in perfect order, and a tall flower arrangement appeared unscathed. A crystal chandelier above the table remained perfectly still.
The guard and Asian man were nowhere in sight.
The girl, dressed neatly in a calf-length white pinafore embellished with pink ribbons, didn’t appear rattled by the cataclysmic jolt.
“What happened?” Jillian asked, still crouched on her knees. “Are you okay?”
“You don’t belong here. Mother will be angry.”
Even though the floor had ceased to shake, the roiling continued in her head. Might this very real looking girl be a spirit? Most apparitions wavered in some manner, their appearances paler and less there than the tangible world around them. This child appeared solid in every way, from the tips of her shiny chestnut hair to the toes of her lace-up black shoes.
About the author:
Julie Howard is the author of the Wild Crime series, and Spirited Quest. She is a former journalist and editor who has covered topics ranging from crime to cowboy poetry. She is a member of the Idaho Writers Guild, editor of the Potato Soup Journal, and founder of the Boise chapter of Shut Up & Write. Learn more at juliemhoward.com.
Website: http://juliemhoward.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/juliemhowardauthor
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18116047.Julie_Howard
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Julie-Howard/e/B07D6CS4NQ/
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/julie-howard?list=author_books
Twitter: https://twitter.com/_JulieMHoward
Follow her on Instagram: @authorjuliehoward
Buy Links:
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2LslC9S
iBooks: http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/isbn9781509235100
Barnes and Noble: https://bit.ly/3qaFAF5
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/spirit-in-time-julie-howard/1138556279?ean=2940162911340
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/spirit-in-time-spirited-quest-mysteries-by-julie-howard
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56642852-spirit-in-time
This sounds like a wonderful book and series! I know what you mean about "The End" being bittersweet, in books and series. I just finished one series, and I'm about to finish another. But I do believe it's worth it! Wishing you all the best, Julie.
ReplyDeleteAs an author, the bittersweet ending of a series has always been emotional for me. As a reader, it's a sense of not continuing with these characters who have become almost like family within their stories. All the best with your latest release, Julie. It sounds intriguing!
ReplyDeleteJillian sounds like a fun character -- writing a ghost-themed blog! :-) I've written only one series, and when I wrote "the end" I was ready to move on. But I loved the cast of characters and may revisit them someday. You do get attached!
ReplyDeleteGreat book. Good luck, Julie.
ReplyDeleteI've read Julie's book Spirit in Time and really enjoyed it! I'm also in the midst of writing a series. Book five will be coming soon...and I have five more in the works!
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