Why I Write Series

My October Mystery

I have heard and believe that series with returning characters sell better. I certainly have loved certain series and can’t wait until the next one comes out so I can find out what new is happening to characters I enjoy like Deborah Knott in Margaret Maron’s books, and Homer Kelly in Jane Langton’s books, most of which I’ve read at least twice and may start reading again. There’s P.D. James’s Adam Dalgliesh, Laurie R. King’s Sherlock Holmes and Mary Russell, Elizabeth George’s Inspector Thomas Lynley, and even more I enjoy Sargent Barbara Havers, and that’s just naming a few of the series I enjoy.

My August & 3rd book.

However, for me it’s much more than trying to earn more money by selling more books.  Not only do I enjoy a following which like my books, but I am attached to my little fictional town of Portage Falls, the main characters, and other characters who return with each book although sometimes they skip a book or two before returning. These people have become real to me. When I’m writing a scene with any of my characters, they often say what they want to say so I just write their words as I hear them through their mouths. Even if one of my characters, an autistic man who first appeared in Ladies of the Garden Club says little after that first book, he is in every book since then sitting in Belle’s Diner each morning. Is he just waiting around for a more important part as he eats his breakfast there? Maybe. I haven’t found a role for him yet, but one may come up soon.

My November & 6th book.

Of course with each new book new characters are added. Some will return and some won’t for obvious reasons such as they’re the murderer or the victim. However, some of them will because I not only like them, but so do my critique partners. The problem with this is balancing too many characters so I often don’t bring them back until a later book.

My first book is in June

Writers of series have their main characters, usually a place, and an occupation or something that keeps them busy other than solving murders unless one’s main character is a homicide detective.

My main character, Catherine Jewell, is a part time botanist at a large public gardens and also has her own small plant nursery so gardening and flowers are important in the series and each cover features a flower that goes along with the month the book takes place in. Because it’s a gardening series, I decided to write each book by the months starting with June, then July and so on until my latest just out which is in December. Winter months are a bit more difficult to deal with in a gardening series so the flower part will be a little less important. My other main character is the Portage Falls police chief, John MacDougal, who had never dealt with a murder until the one in my first book. He becomes Catherine’s romantic interest.

My second book takes place in July

Because it’s labeled as a gardening series, my books usually have a flower in the title or at least a cover with a flower that fits that month. I started with The Blue Rose taking place in June. For July it was Daylilies for Emily’s Garden. August was Ladies of the Garden Club with sunflowers on the cover. September was The Body in the Goldenrod which, of course, had goldenrod on the cover. October was Murder in the Corn Maze, and mums were used for that cover. November picked up on something in the prior book and was called Carnations for Cornelia, and that leads to December’s book Blood Red Poinsettias.

My Sept. book is book four.

Because I like writing from multiple POV’s, many of the characters besides Catherine and John take on important roles in each new book while Catherine and John are still the main characters. John's mother, Martha is in every book as well as

the small police force of Portage Falls, especially Joe Salcone, Tony Montecalvo, and Robin Harper, the newest member and first woman on the force, who first appeared in the fourth book, The Body in the Goldenrod. The conflict between Tony and Robin adds more suspense as well as some humor and wondering will they or won’t they become romantically involved. I won’t list all the other characters that appear on a regular basis because not only me, but my three critique partners also like them a lot.

This is my December book & the latest.

I ended Blood Red Poinsettias with something that is a lead in to my January book which I started plotting in my mind and writing some notes down before I even finished with the latest.

Of course, I needed to come up with a title referring to a flower so I decided on Amaryllis for Phyllis, a character I have yet to create. It’s the only flower I could think of for my January book in N.E. Ohio. I’ve written chapter one already and hope to get going on it as soon as I can find the time.

What are some of your favorite series?

Do you write a series?