November 21, 2006 • Print This Post
So…about connected stories. Love em? Or not so much? I know a lot of readers (myself included) love a series. And by that, I mean a number of books that are connected together by the characters within. I’ve done a bunch of them. In most cases, the connection between the books has been a family one (such as the four stories I wrote about the Morgan brothers. And the four more I wrote about the Chisholm brothers.) But I’ve also connected a series of books with secondary characters, such as my four fairy godmother books for Bantam.
I am diving in to a new series for Kensington, this time not familial or secondarily connected, but a series based on a group of guys who work for a firm called Trinity, Inc. They are my Black Sheep bad boys and I can’t wait for you to meet them. Although, I must say, for the time being, I am very much enjoying having their exclusive attentions on moi. (Hey, there have to be some perks to being the author.)
But as I dive, I ponder. And this brings up a question. I know there are readers who eagerly devour the next book in a connected series (hello, Stephanie Plum) the instant it hits the stands. And then there are those readers who eagerly buy the book when it hits the stands, but tuck it away until the series is complete so they can read it all at once. (Which wouldn’t work for an endless series, such as the Plum books, or, say, Nora’s In Death series, but does happen with her trilogies.)
So…which one are you?
I’m a devourer. I want it, and I want it now. (Greedy little wench that I am.) Plus, I have absolutely no will power. Which the empty Edy’s chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream container in my kitchen trash will attest to. If it has been eons from one book to the next (hello Harry Potter, hello anything by George R R Martin) then I do, at times, feel compelled to re-read the previous release to get my head back in the game, but most often, I can pick up the needed reminders as I dive into the current release.
What about you? Do you devour? Or wait to savor the body of work as a whole?
(Oh yeah…for those who like a good visual to help sustain them while they wait…head on over to my home page where you can not only get a gander at the very amazing cover for the last Chisholm brother, Dylan, who graces the front of my next release, THE GREAT SCOT, but can also get a peek at the first Black Sheep cover as well. And bonus! There’s some back cover copy to tease you with, too!)
(And those first three Chisholm brothers? All of them have their stories told in one handy volume. BAD BOYS IN KILTS. On shelves everywhere now. 
)
Posted by Donna Kauffman @ 8:52 am • Filed under: Donna Kauffman
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I’m a devourer. The day the book is on sale, I’m at B&N waiting for them to open their doors so I can get my copy. I also re-read the other books in the series that lead up to the release date so that everything is current in my mind.
Definitely a devourer. I started the In Death series probably around book 10 or 13, and glommed them all. I took a break and am now up to Visions, so I have that one, plus 3 others in my tbr pile, and I still have to get “Born”. These books are soooo worth it.
I’m a devourer too. I just don’t have the patience to wait for the entire series. If it is a long time between books I’ll go back and reread the previous book. Can’t wait for the Black Sheep series to come out!
I defnitely devour! I wish my patience was stronger, but I am a glutton for great books, even more so for books in a series!:razz:
I admit, I also devour. Sometimes I’ll go back and read the books leading up to the new release, but usually just read the new release without doing so. May I just say I can’t wait for The Great Scot to hit the shelves?! I loved Bad Boys in Kilts!
Those Chisholm brothers are hot. For those of you who havent read BB in Kilts, what are you waiting for? Sexy hunks. Cant wait for Great Scot.
And I devour, Life it too short to wait. I absolutely adore series books, not that I dont read stand alones. But there is just something about the series books….
Absolutely a devourer, although frequently a frustrated one! I’m in the UK and getting hold of books that are not either huge-blockbuster-Stephen King/John Grisham-type or irritating British chick-lit is not always easy! If you live outside London, then you have no choice but to rely on the net, but our release dates are frequently weeks behind the US. I always swear to myself that I will wait, but then I see everyone here, and on other sites, saying how great a book is, and I end up paying the shipping/exchange cost just to get it sent over!! Then, of course, I promise not to do it again. I don’t think I could ever wait for a whole series to be released, just far too impatient….
not really on if i get them from the library.
I’m half-and-half. There are some series that I’ll read as soon as I get the book in hand. Often with these series, I’ll go back and read a couple of the stories leading up to the current one… just to refresh my memory.
And there there are a few that I’ll collect and then just sit and read straight through them all… back to back.
I am a bit of both. If I know that the series will be finished within a relatively short span of time, I will keep them and read them one right after the other. If it has been quite sometime since I read the previous ones I will go back and sim them, so that when I start the current one I am totally fresh in my mind.
Looking forward to your new series………
I am definitely a half-and-half person also like Jennifer and Cryna above. I do have patience to wait sometimes. BUT! if there a series of books that are just to fabulous, I have to go out and buy them all if they are all in and read them right away. Or if I can’t find them at the bookstore, I will drive to the library and go get them there.
I can’t wait, so I read as they come out. Enjoy a good series with great secondary characters, just please don’t end with a cliff hanger.