One of my favorite things about working on collections or multi-author series is having the chance to tap into the creative mind of other writers. Until the Pink Pistol Sisterhood series, the most experience I had with connecting to stories written by other authors was through the novella collections I had written.
Some of my most connected collections include the following:
A Match Made in Texas – Each of the four stories were set at least partially in the fictional town of Dry Gulch, Texas. Not only that, but all four stories were connected through the actions of a secretive matchmaker who wasn’t revealed until the final story. We had to coordinate town details, character names and descriptions, and time period details to make sure our stories lined up properly.
The Christmas Heirloom – In this collection, a family heirloom was passed down through the generations. While we didn’t have to coordinate setting details, we did have to keep track of family trees and generation gaps. We actually purchased a piece of costume jewelry to serve as our model Luckenbooth brooch, so we would all be able to describe it in detail. We also had an embroidered bag where each heroine sewed her initials and year of marriage. One of the authors’ mothers actually reproduced the bag for us, and we ended up giving away the brooch and the bag at our launch party.
The Kissing Tree – One of my favorite connections was in this collection. All four stories took place in the same fictional town of Oak Springs, TX and all of them centered around a giant oak tree where couples would carve their initials. Each story took place in a different time period, but the tree was at the heart. My story was second in the series, and the author of the first story finished hers really early, giving me the opportunity to read it ahead of time. My heroine wrote romantic stories for a magazine, so I had fun adding a elements of Regina’s story into mine. I was even able to give her characters cameo appearances in my story. As time progressed, little details were woven in by the other authors. For example, my hero and heroine were building the Kissing Tree Inn together, and my heroine initially painted it a horrible shade of bright pink. When a later character worked on renovating the inn, they found traces of that hideous pink color. Little details carrying through like that make my reader heart happy.
Working on the Pink Pistol Sisterhood series has been so much fun. While each story stands on its own, they are connected by a shared history through the customized pistol that is handed down from heroine to heroine.
When it came time to write my story, I knew that I wanted to create a fun connection with the author who followed me in the series – Shanna Hatfield. Shanna is such a joy to work with and always so positive and encouraging, and when I suggested we create a character to connect our stories, she jumped in with both feet! We worked together to create Laura Marshall. Laura is Tessa’s best friend in my story and cousin to Rena, who is Shanna’s heroine. Laura is a milliner to works alongside Tessa in a dressmaking shop in Caldwell, TX. She also has strong family connections to Oregon (Shanna’s setting) and a special level of compassion for her cousin Rena.
Here is a snippet of one of Laura’s scenes where we incorporated a hint of Rena’s coming storyline:
“So, you don’t think I’m crazy?”
Laura shook her head, and a weight lifted from Tessa’s chest. “Not crazy. Hopeful.” She placed a hand on Tessa’s arm. “I’m rooting for you. You know that.”
Tessa nodded.
“Besides,” Laura said with a mischievous grin, “if you and Jackson end up together, I know just the lady you can send the pistol to next.”
“Oh? Who’s that?”
“My cousin Rena.” Laura’s expression sobered. “She’s had a rough go of it the last couple years. She suffered an injury that left her believing no man will ever want her. It’s so sad. She’s talked about visiting my brother out in Oregon and making a fresh start. The pistol could offer her some measure of protection, and if she gives it a chance, maybe it will lead her to someone who can see past her scars to the wonderful woman inside.”
“You don’t want a turn with the pistol yourself?” Tessa asked.
Laura grinned as she shook her head. “No, thanks. I plan to find my true love the old-fashioned way.”
Tessa squeezed her friend’s hand. “Well, I can’t blame you for sticking with the tried-and-true.”
“I’m not in a hurry. Too many girls think marrying is their only option for having a meaningful life. I have a career I enjoy, good friends, and the love of family. If the time is ever right for something more, God will let me know.”
“You’re a wise woman, Laura Marshall, and far more patient than I am.”
“Yes, well, it’s easier to be patient before one finds her true love than after.” She grinned and started dragging Tessa toward the workroom door. “Now, enough talk. Daylight’s a-wasting, as my granny used to say. Get out there and get your man. I’ll take care of closing up the shop.”
Shanna’s novel – Love on Target just released this week! We had so much fun partnering together on this project. I’m excited to see what adventures Rena encounters and the role Laura plays.
Do you enjoy series with woven connections and carry-over details?
Or do you prefer series stories that stand more on their own?
For those who love to smile as they read, bestselling author Karen Witemeyer offers warmhearted historical romance with a flair for humor, feisty heroines, and swoon-worthy Texas heroes. Karen is a firm believer in the power of happy endings. . . and ice cream. She is an avid cross-stitcher, and makes her home in Abilene, TX with her husband and three children. Learn more about Karen and her books at: www.karenwitemeyer.com.
Both.
A good series is a good series, right, Kim? 🙂
I love it when I read a series and recognise characters from other books, but I do like being able to read a book that isn’t dependent on having read the previous one in the series.
So, my answer is both.
I have really enjoyed the first two books in the Pink Pistol Sisterhood, although one of my reviews was rejected by Amazon for ‘obscene language’, which I could only guess was because of the series title…..
Holy cow! That seems crazy! I Suwannee, words that weren’t bad a hundred years ago is deemed as dirty?? Dear heavens….life is just getting too complicated! And it doesn’t have to be. sighs
Oh, my goodness, Jeannette! I wonder if you could wait a few more days and resubmit your review. Maybe it would go through then.
Sheesh!
I’m like you, Jeannette. I enjoy cameo appearances and little connections that makes me feel like I’m an insider, but if I miss a book or two in the series, I don’t want to be lost. I want to be able to enjoy each book on it’s own.
And I have no idea what could be considered obscene in our series title. Sometime I think the bots that check these things go a little haywire.
I enjoy both. It’s fun to see what former characters are doing, but it’s nice to have a fresh standalone story, too. When combined, it’s a reader treat.
I agree, Denise. Love it when that balance is just right. 🙂
I love it when the book can stand alone but still has connections to the other books in the series.
That’s my favorite, too, Rhonda. 🙂
I enjoy both. The two books in the Pink Pistol Sisterhood series have been great. I look forward to the next one.
So glad you are enjoying the series!
I like both also. I laugh. Even reading about what happened with the grandchildren’s story! I think a good author who spends time on a character, will make the reader want to read more about what happened to the mischievous child. A good author can put so much emphasis on a young character that the reader wants more! Making characters real is a talented author in my opinion.
I enjoyed In Her Sights and Love On Target! And I want more, more, more! ; – )
Yes! Tracy you hit the nail on the head. If an author truly brings the characters to life, readers will want to see more about those characters and their families. I’m delighted that you enjoyed the first two books. #3 is right around the corner!
It depends on the story, but generally I prefer stories that stand on their own.
It is nice to be able to pick up and read without worrying that you might be missing something.
I love woven connections and carry-over details!!!
Yay! It’s like finding those hidden Easter eggs. They aren’t necessary, but they sure are fun to stumble upon. 🙂
I enjoy either… I’m not picky with the type of book, as long as it’s clean & uplifting!
Just give us good books! 🙂 I agree.
welcome today. What a fun post. I enjoy both types. Series where bits and pieces carry on into each book and stand alones.
It’s lovely that you are so easy to please, Lori. 🙂
I LOVE a good connected series and getting to revisit with previous characters makes it even more special and real in my mind!
So fun, Teresa! I like those carry-over touches too. 🙂
I enjoy the stand alone books better, but I will read both types.
I agree that individual stories need to be able to stand on their own, even outside the series. Thanks, Kathleen!
Karen, I read your Pink Pistol story and loved it. Tessa was so funny and so was the target she made. Loved how she saved the day at the end and drew the townsfolk to her side. Great job.
Thank you so much, Linda!
I love a series with connection from one to the next. Many times I also read stand a alone. Just as long as I can read something thrilling and clean. I do not much care for terror and kidnapping.
I love it, Judy!
I love that you worked together to create the link! Most of my own tales involve cameos or connectedness to an existing town and its inhabitants, but, like yours, are intended to be completely stand-alone. Sharing this post!
Thanks for the share, Elissa! It sounds like we have very similar philosophies. 🙂
I like both a series and a stand-alone book. Sometimes when there are multiple characters in a book you enjoy them having a story of their own. I enjoy your books and actually own a Match Made in Texas and Christmas Heirloom. I have not purchased the Kissing Tree yet or With This Ring but have mutiple other books by you.
Thanks, Sharon. I’m delighted that you have enjoyed some of my other collections. 🙂
I love both, but lean towards series books just because I generally fall in love with the characters and don’t want the book to end. So I am glad for extra glimpses into their lives and those of the secondary characters who become the next hero and heroine. 🙂
Yes! That is my favorite way to connect a series, through secondary characters being upgraded to main characters in future books. Great call, Gena!
I like both. If a series has more than 3 or 4 books, the carryover can be a problem. Especially with single author long series, it takes too long for all of the books to come out. When that happens, you can lose the thread connecting the stories and sometime, interest in the series. A series like this one and others with stories contributed by various authors prevents that from happening. The books come out close together maintaining the momentum and the interconnection of characters and the main plot thread. Shorter series are easier to keep the interconnection as long as the gap between books isn’t too long. All this is why I try to have all the books in a series before I start reading it. It may take longer, but a continuous reading of the books makes for a more full and rewarding reading experience.
Very insightful, Patricia. I think you are spot on. 🙂
I enjoy both. Thank you for sharing. God bless you.
Thanks for stopping by, Debbie!
I enjoy interconnected stories and those that will interweave the stories can really add depth to stories; one story might come into a situation from one angle and meet up with another character coming into the same situation from another angle.
I agree, David. Those extra elements can add some great depth and perspective.
Your blog post was very interesting. Having read the collections you mentioned, I liked the way you brought depth to the connections. As to which kind of series I prefer, I really enjoy both. It kind of depends on what’s going on in my life and what I’m in the mood to read. If I know I have some downtime coming, I might pick a series with connections and reappearing characters. In that case, I also make sure I have all the books in the series before starting it. If I know I have obligations and commitments with sporadic reading opportunities, standalone works better. Whichever I read, I’m pretty adamant about starting with the first book. Because even standalone series often have sneaky cameos from previous books. While I do enjoy “streaming” a single author series, one thing I appreciate about multi-author series is that with each author comes a different take on the situation and that keeps everything fresh.
Thanks for your perspective, Dana. I usually try to start with book 1 in any series, too, but sometimes I’ll pick up a book further along if the blurb grabs my attention most. I’m actually ready a Book 2 from a series now without having read Book 1 for a reading challenge I’m participating in. I don’t feel lost, but I do feel like I don’t know the characters as well as other readers who had already read Book 1.