Sequels

Earlier this year, I started reading Suzanne Brockmann's Troubleshooter Series. It's a fairly long series, 14 - 16 books total is my guess, and I've broken my rule about reading the books in order as there are just so many and I started reading midway through anyway. To Brockmann's credit, she does an excellent job in writing books with one strong, focal romantic plot line with a strong subplot and side characters that propel new books in the series. She does this better than any other writer I know. Which begs my question, what about those characters that she doesn't create a book for?

I know people who are non-romance readers would wonder why it would matter. If you read one isn't it the same as reading another? Yes, there is a similarity in plots - boy meets girl, boy fights for girl, boy gets girl. (You can reverse the boy/girl roles or even make it same sex as Brockmann did for one of her novels.) But as I've written earlier, it's all about the characters. If you're drawn to the characters, it sometimes doesn't matter that the plot line is sometimes a little off. Of course, a solid plot helps, but it isn't the be all, end all. At least, that's what I think.

My original question was spurred by my rereading of "Into the Storm" yesterday. I liked two characters: Izzy Zanella and Lt. Lew Koehl. I know Izzy's story is told in a sequel (I can't remember which one at the moment and I'm slightly afraid to read it as I have my own ideas of what the sequel should/would be) but I don't think Lt. Lew Koehl will ever get his own story as I believe Brockmann has moved onto a new series. (I could be wrong, I hope!) For various reasons, I know another writer cannot just pick up and write a sequel to a series that is not her own. But sometimes, I wish all the logistical reasons were inconsequential and that it was possible...

What I'm working on at the moment is volume 1 of a 4 volume series. The series idea is not new, but new at the same time. Current too. No vampires, though!