Good Morning Coffee & Book Lovers!
The trouble with writing a series is learning how to balance everything. And when it comes to characters, there’s a lot to balance.
Take my current series, The Hellions of Halstead Hall (hey, did you think I was going to talk about somebody else’s series?). The series is about five siblings whose grandmother is trying to make them shape up by threatening to cut off their inheritance if they don’t all marry within the year.
That makes six characters for me to deal with in five books, which is fine. But of course, as they get married, that number of characters is growing. And I added a cousin named Freddy in the first book for comic relief, so he has to show up occasionally (Freddy has his fans, you know). Then there’s the heroine’s illegitimate son from the second book, who also has a role and “¦. You get the picture. The further along the series gets, the more characters there are.
And I’m only on the fourth book! I cheated a little in the second book, A Hellion in Her Bed. Most of the book takes place outside of London, so it’s just the hero, the heroine and her family (a brother, a sister-in-law, and three kids). Although two of his siblings do show up at some point and the now married couple from the first book appears in the epilogue, along with Gran. Thankfully they’re all brief appearances.
But in the book out this week, How to Woo a Reluctant Lady, I did the whole enchilada, mostly because it’s such fun to watch the hero, Giles Masters, deal with heroine Minerva’s three brothers. Plus, I couldn’t resist putting in appearances by Gran, Freddy (his first encore since the Book 1), two new wives, the hero’s brother, and the hero’s “boss.” You’d think that would be enough, but no. I also just had to introduce the heroine of the fourth book and her cousin.
What was I thinking?
Fortunately, no one seems confused so far. In fact, everybody seems to like having all the characters show up. I worry about people being able to keep them straight, but there’s nothing I can do about it. It’s a family. They see each other a lot“”and they have so much fun when they’re together I hate to keep them apart! They also keep getting married, which is what I aimed for, of course, but then that means there’s more characters! Thank goodness the whole series takes place in one year, so there’s no time for the children of the siblings to appear. Yet.
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Contest Time: So how do you feel about series characters? Do you like them all to appear in every book? Do you want them to flit in and out? Do you ever get confused if there are too many? I have autographed copies of my first two Hellion books for one lucky reader today!
I love series characters! Whenever I read stories where characters show up in each other’s plots, I love it because I feel like I’m catching up with old friends.
I love seeing characters reappear. It’s like having a little look into their happily ever after. And I love seeing new characters that have potential to have their own stories in the future. I especially love when there is a small side romance throughout (like Freddy and Jane.)
I love series characters to show up in each book. It’s not confusing at all to me. It’s like keeping in touch with friends. And I like to see where they go after the end of their book, how things progress for them. The relationships between the characters is what makes a series special for me.
I love books that carry characters from book to book. I sometimes have had to go back to a previous book to refresh my memory but its so interesting to continue reading on what they are up to
Love your books and I have often wondered how writers keep it all straight in their minds. I especially LOVE it when caracters reappear or we get an introduction to a new one…I picture the people in my heads and so it gives a complete setting for me of the entire scene. I dont think you should force it having them in every book unless your storyline is enriched ny their appearances but I certainly do love hearing more of a beloved character….keep up the great work and may 2011 bring health wealth and happiness to you and your characters.
I love series books. I think because I fall for the characters and have a hard time letting go. For me, I hope to catch glimpses of them in the next books. Sometimes I do need to go back and refresh my memory (because I read so much!!!). Although, not absolutley necessary, I think family trees and time lines help when it’s anything beyond a trilogy. But helpful especially when two series overlap, one series a spin off of another.
Thanks for the great reads!
-Tara
I actually LOVE series characters. Sometimes, just the combination of the characters personas is what hooks me onto the series. Then, I spend the time until the next book comes out tracking down websites with a countdown! But, in all fairness, I do like it when they flit in and out. If you keep them in the whole time sometimes it is like their book never ended which does take some of the sparkle off the current couple. When done the right way, it isn’t hard to remember them. Each character and couple have their own charge and it usually sticks with me. It is very much like keeping track of your own family!! When you then end up with an off shoot of a seperate series it just adds to the fun! Then, you almost never know who is going to turn up! Plus, if you have an extremely favorite couple it is nice to be kept up to date on them!!!
I love all the characters and I like to see them sneak in and out of the books, and it’s not confusing at all.
I just love when the previous charcters show up in the new book in the series. I even like when charcters from others books not in the series show up in books. Makes me feel like I am reconnecting with old friends.
Sabrina, I Love Series!!! I haven’t started this one yet & would love to win the first two. I enjoy keeping track of all the characters. Put me in the running!
I like the series characters idea; that way each book keeps the reader up to date on each character. I don’t think it is confusing. I enjoy your facebook page and would love to be entered in the contest for the 2 autographed books. Thanks:)
Margay, I like that about recurring characters, too!
Deidre, I do enjoy the secondary romances. There wasn’t one in Minerva’s book, but there’s going to be the beginning of one in Gabe’! And that’s all I’m saying. *G*
Susan, if it’s a book in a series you haven’t read before, though, does it confuse you then?
Julie, I do like being able to follow a character’s progression in a later book, but as an author, it’s hard to do much with that. No time!
Racquel, thanks! From your mouth to God’s ears!
Tara, that’s why I put a family tree in Minerva’s book–to help readers keep track of who’s who!
Michelle, I tend to prefer the flitting, myself. It’s just easier to keep track.
Cathy, glad to hear it’s not confusing to you!
Donna, that’s nice to know, since I put Ravenswood (from Married to the Viscount) in this one. I was a little worried about doing it, since he’s from a very old series, but I needed spymaster, so why not?
Dottie, glad to have you check it out!
Susan, I’m so glad you enjoy my Facebook page.
I like series novels because you get to know all the characters. You aren’t just left hanging when the books end and think wow I wonder. I just hate that.
I love the series so far. This is a family story, so there will be times when everyone needs to be seen, and/or heard. Maybe not centeral in every book, but on the edges. I come from a big family and that is how it is for us. It also adds spice to meet other family members as well.
I love a book series and prefer to hear atleast a little about each of the characters in all of the books. I find it exciting to follow the characters from book to book, and it leaves me anxiously awaiting the next one.
I just so love getting my teeth into a series! It extends that feeling you get when you are reading a really good book that you dont want to end.
Keep writing and I’ll keep reading!
Grace x
Sabrina, I love series and one of the reasons is to see the original characters (and those from other books along the way) continue to develop in the series. So, yes, I love seeing all the characters–or at least a mention of them. A lot of characters to manipulate for the author, but increased involvement for the reader.
I enjoy the interaction of recurring characters. Sometimes I have to go back and speed read the previous books to “get back” to the characters. Your books are always easy to follow, woo hoo!!!!!
I love the series so far and can not wait for Gabe’s story. I like having the previous books and future books characters make appearences. It helps to tie all the books together and makes them interesting. All the characters from the books are very interesting and fun. I can’t wait to find out what really happened to their parents and to have that mystery solved. This will definately be a series that I read over, and over again.
Well, I tend to read a series in order, a quirk of mine. 🙂 But, if I do pick a book up in the middle of a series, it really hasn’t confused me, although it usually makes me want to go back and read the previous books to find out about the back stories.
Gayner, I hate that, too. I like to see characters later.
Kimmy, families definitely make it messy!
Chris, that may be where I’m different–I don’t want to hear about everybody every book. But I do like to keep up with them over the course of a series.
Grace, don’t worry. I plan to keep writing for a very long time!
Caroline, I definitely try to do a mention, even if I can’t put the character in the book.
Love this series. Can’t wait to read the rest. Love your books. I also prefer to read a series in order – including novellas – even though all the books can stand alone. I like to go through time as the characters are. Hope you’ll keep writing til you can’t go no more!
Cindy, glad to hear that my books are easy to follow! I worry about that sometimes, especially as the character count mounts.
June, thanks. I’m always honored to hear a reader say they reread my books. I have several keepers that I reread, so I understand that very well.
Susan, believe me, that’s not a quirk. I think there are a lot of us who like to read series in order if we can.
Sue, thanks, glad you’re enjoying them!
I love revisiting old characters, especially if I’m particularly fond of them. If there are too many characters, I do occasionally find it confusing and have to flip back through the book to figure it out.
P.S. I’ve always found the cover of “A Hellion in Her Bed” to be SOOO hot! It’s the combination of the bare chest, white shirt and buff trousers, along with those sexy, high black leather boots. *fanning self* 😉
It’s a bit of a mixed bag for me. Sometimes I LOVE seeing a character come back into a later book. Like someone else said, it’s like getting reacquainted with an old friend. But it has to be handled properly.
Sometimes an old character comes back into the story and it throws things way off for me. The old character brings with them a lot of “baggage” from their previous stories, and that can detract from what’s going on in the current story.
If done properly it can be a great thing. But when it’s not done properly it becomes a horrid nightmare…
I like series characters to appear in every books. They can’t all have the same amount of time obviously but i like to get a glimpse of what they are doing. If you love a series it’s only natural to be a bit nosey and see what everyones up to. lol
Lisa B
I like when characters flit in and out of other books till they get their own. I feel it lets everyone know how all the characters are doing.
I adore series! Especially when the previous characters have cameos. And I am so excited about Gabe and Celia’s stories. I can already see the trials ahead! As always, I thoroughly enjoyed your latest work 🙂
I like series characters. No, they do not have to be in every book. I have been confused occasionally but I just worked through it.
I just love your Hellions series as all the rest. I like that the characters seem like old friends when you start a new book in a series. I just got How to Woo a Reluctant Lady and already can’t wait for the next. Thanks for all your fantastic entertaining books, Each one is my Favorite!
I love series. I like to see the characters pop up in other books beside their own in a series but they don’t have to appear in every book. I only have problems remembering the characters from previous books if there is too long a span between reading the books in a series.
I enjoy series. It’s nice to get to know the char of future books a little ahead of time & see just how the h/h from prior books are doing after they get the hea. Families are particularly fun because of the dynamics of siblings. Looking forward to the rest of the series.
I’ve read Lynn Kurland’s Time Travel Series and there are a lot of family members since it spans many generations. Fortunately she has a family tree in each book and I look to that to remember where each character belongs. I feel they should only appear in a book if they are pertinent to the storyline.
Congrats on the new release, Sabrina. I do love it when all the characters appear in every book of the series. It’s always nice to see what each character or couple is up to.
I love series characters. The more I can see of them the better. I feel like they are family I haven’t seen in awhile and I get to catch up. I love being able to see what they are up too. I also love seeing how the new characters relate to them. Their reactions and mood.
iqb99@yahoo.com
Sara, I’m glad you find Hellion’s cover hot! It’s a little over the top, but some of us like that. *G*
Jennifer, you’re absolutely right–it really is all in how it’s handled.
LisaB, yep, we’re a nosy bunch as readers, aren’t we? *G*
Ann Marie, I try to make sure the flitting is evenly distributed. *G*
shannon, so glad you liked it!
Dianne, I get confused myself, so I’m not surprised if anybody else does!
Anonymous, aww, thanks, that’s so sweet of you to say!
donna ann, I sometimes worry about putting characters in TOO early, but it seems to be working for me, so I guess I’ll keep doing it!
CindyL, I agree–just throwing in there to do it is never wise, it seems to me.
Jane, thanks!
Danielle, glad that you feel they’re like family, because they feel that way to me, too!
I love series. I love it when the characters all interact and dont just drop off after they have there HEA. I also like them to go on and on and on!!!
-Brandy
brandyzbooks@yahoo.com
http://www.brandyzbooks.blogspot.com
I love, love, love when series charaters sho up again. That is one reason that I have to wait until the whole series is out before I read it.
I fall in love with the characters in a book, so when it’s time to see them go I always go into a minor depression. But with series’, I get the chance of seeing them again! I read urban fantasy heavily as well, so I’m used to books with one person’s story over many books. That said, in my romance I prefer old characters to make appearances, but not take up the whole next books.
I like to see all the characters return in the books. I do enjoy a good series. If there are to many characters I sometimes get confused and have to figuir out who is who though.
Brandy, if I really like a series, I like to see it go on and on, too!
Amy, I could never do that. I’m too impatient!
Jessica, I’m with you on that. I want limited appearances, although it’s hard when you’ve got families involved.
Quilt lady, I have that problem, too, which is probably why I worry about it in my own books.
I like to see a little from all the characters in a series in each consecutive book. Especially when they get along as well as the Hellions of Halstead Hall characters do. (I’m also enjoying the “how did the parents really die†saga… I have my suspicions and can’t wait to see if I’m right!)