tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17229339.post114980758351770647..comments2023-08-12T02:33:29.988-05:00Comments on 2 B Read: Linked Books -- a Trend? Or Here to Stay?Sylvia Dayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06489243230694413409noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17229339.post-1150205290523728962006-06-13T08:28:00.000-05:002006-06-13T08:28:00.000-05:00If I really like an author/book (or the characters...If I really like an author/book (or the characters have really captured my imagination), I'll go back and read the preceding book or look for future books in the series. But I do get burned out on series as a reader. There aren't many that can sustain my interest long-term (exceptions: JD Robb series, Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch books - and I haven't read all of either series), partly Colleen Thompsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18398127184158098008noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17229339.post-1150077659005367502006-06-11T21:00:00.000-05:002006-06-11T21:00:00.000-05:00As a reader, I love to read connected books. When...As a reader, I love to read connected books. When I was a teen, Christopher Pike wrote a lot of teen thriller/paranormal books, and many of the books had cross-references in them, but they weren't always linked. One, for example, talked about a boy who'd died, and had written a story about a teen who got the next day's news on her VCR every nigh, and another book was that very story. A similarAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18274178330113713370noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17229339.post-1149957680997493482006-06-10T11:41:00.000-05:002006-06-10T11:41:00.000-05:00I think it's a good idea to listen to readers. So...I think it's a good idea to listen to readers. Somewhat. (Unless they're suggesting a stone cold killer as your next hero!) <BR/><BR/>But I also remember what the brilliant Jasmine Cresswell once said. That if she listened to HER readers, all her books would be time travels set in the court of some king whose name and number I don't remember. Apparently she'd written one book there, which JoAnn Rosshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03351137721112499077noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17229339.post-1149946207409465862006-06-10T08:30:00.000-05:002006-06-10T08:30:00.000-05:00Interesting topic! I've ended up with two linked ...Interesting topic! I've ended up with two linked books. BECOMING AMERICANA will be a spin off of BECOMING LATINA. They share the same characters, but I didn't originally start of intending to write linked books.<BR/><BR/>Personally, as a reader, I prefer not to read linked books. Isn't that interesting? I'll read them if I REALLY liked the author's writing or the characters, but they are notLara Rioshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16665453548130258973noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17229339.post-1149943710148178322006-06-10T07:48:00.000-05:002006-06-10T07:48:00.000-05:00Barbara -- I had one situation -- my Callahan Brot...Barbara -- <BR/><BR/>I had one situation -- my Callahan Brothers -- where I'd agreed to do connected books, then midway through the first one I realized this one character might as well be a brother, because he was going to be in all the books and he was really interacting well with the first brother. I called up my editor -- Caroline Tolley -- and suggested it and she loved it. (This was when JoAnn Rosshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03351137721112499077noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17229339.post-1149892854519750392006-06-09T17:40:00.000-05:002006-06-09T17:40:00.000-05:00JoAnn - I do think linked books that come organica...JoAnn - I do think linked books that come organically out of a plot or a story work the best. And secondary characters that suddenly demand their own book can be fun, too. I'm afraid I've left a lot of readers hanging over the years waiting for another character's story, but part of my problem was that I'd usually already contracted for two more books, different books, etc. or I changed Barbara Freethyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10915813327985294958noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17229339.post-1149874371239694062006-06-09T12:32:00.000-05:002006-06-09T12:32:00.000-05:00Obviously Friday's catching up with me because I j...Obviously Friday's catching up with me because I just realized that I didn't answer the reading question.<BR/><BR/>I enjoy reading trilogies, love series, and, love, love, love series that follow one character over a period of books --John Sandford's Lucas, James Lee Burke's Robicheaux, Dennis Lehane's marvelous Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro books, which he (sob) isn't writing anymore. JoAnn Rosshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03351137721112499077noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17229339.post-1149873696486320392006-06-09T12:21:00.000-05:002006-06-09T12:21:00.000-05:00Great topic Barbara. Also AMAZINGLY great covers. ...Great topic Barbara. Also AMAZINGLY great covers. And hey, I like your title, too. LOL<BR/><BR/>I've written a bunch of trilogies and connected books for HQ (enough to drive my web people a little nuts trying to figure out how to connect them all on the site) and three single title trilogies, plus two connected single titles, so I get tons of emails from readers asking when I'm going to write JoAnn Rosshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03351137721112499077noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17229339.post-1149866969319902882006-06-09T10:29:00.000-05:002006-06-09T10:29:00.000-05:00I've been reading these comments with great intere...I've been reading these comments with great interest because I've just embarked on Book One of what I plan as a three book series.<BR/><BR/>Like Paula, I've found that readers often request that I write a book about a secondary character who they love. It's thrilling to know that a lesser character has been interesting enough to them that they want to see him or her again. So I figured this Nancy Herknesshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15123215675723631386noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17229339.post-1149866038934074162006-06-09T10:13:00.000-05:002006-06-09T10:13:00.000-05:00Barbara, I completely agree about wasting time tal...Barbara, I completely agree about wasting time talking about the other characters. Since both THE PREY and THE HUNT were written before we decided to do them linked, I just edited and layered in the connecting theme. It fit with the stories, so it wasn't a huge problem. I did rewrite a lot of THE HUNT and put the heroine of book three in a small role that fit her character.<BR/><BR/>In the Allison Brennanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02872860080644987843noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17229339.post-1149864197614119402006-06-09T09:43:00.000-05:002006-06-09T09:43:00.000-05:00My first book is out this month, and the heroine h...My first book is out this month, and the heroine has two sisters who are briefly mentioned in the book. Neither has a prominent role in the story at all. But of the e-mails I've received from readers about the book, easily 90% of them have asked when I'll be writing the sisters' books.<BR/><BR/>Readers don't just like linked books. They seem to expect them. And I do think they like to see old Paulahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06618247976093599287noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17229339.post-1149826409523089862006-06-08T23:13:00.000-05:002006-06-08T23:13:00.000-05:00Hi Allison - Thanks, I'm excited about my covers, ...Hi Allison - Thanks, I'm excited about my covers, too. Hoping they jump off the shelves! <BR/><BR/>The only other pet peeve about linked books is when the second or third book spends way too much time talking about what happened in the other books...<BR/><BR/>I love your covers, too. They really have a strong look and brand.Barbara Freethyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10915813327985294958noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17229339.post-1149820169271723112006-06-08T21:29:00.000-05:002006-06-08T21:29:00.000-05:00Obviously, I love linked books :)Seriously, I read...Obviously, I love linked books :)<BR/><BR/>Seriously, I read and devoured Kay Hooper's back-to-back books and Mariah Stewart's back-to-back books before I was ever offered a back-to-back deal. My best friend loves trilogies, though she waits until they are all out before she buys and reads them (she hates to wait).<BR/><BR/>I completely agree that each book needs to stand alone. I don't mind a Allison Brennanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02872860080644987843noreply@blogger.com