When I start a book, it’s standalone. My wolf series started with Heart of the Wolf. I LOVED writing about wolves as shifters based on real wolves, but with romance and adventure, mystery and humor, and all that good stuff. Now, I wrote Heart of the Wolf, loving it, but when we write, trying to get a book published, that’s another story. However, publishers aren’t looking for standalone titles. They can’t build readership that way. And authors need readership. But if we can’t sell the first book in a “series,” why write a series of unsaleable books?
I was determined to sell a wolf book though, because I loved the idea. So I started writing Destiny of the Wolf. They’re different wolf packs, same world, but don’t meet. So I solved the problem with writing a series that I couldn’t sell, sold Heart of the Wolf, and then added a mystery wolf who is in the first 4 standalone wolf titles. You see, I never knew if my publisher would keep buying the wolf tales.
I like standalone series myself. I like to finish a book and know it’s finished, and I love reading about characters I loved in the other stories who now get stories of their own. The same with my readers. I think I’ll write a story, some will like it, and the book won’t catch on, but I don’t intend to write more of them, even if I love the story. Then I get so many requests for more, I have to write them. And I love it.
In the books featured below, this is a series within a series. Again, who knew it would happen? Not me. But my first book about the Navy SEAL wolves was To Tempt The Wolf. Then A SEAL in Wolf’s Clothing, A SEAL Wolf Christmas, and next year, SEAL Wolf Hunting.
Again, it’s like I had more characters that came to life and needed their own story. I read a blog where an author doesn’t like writing series. Granted, they take more effort. We have to remember details from earlier books, and if you have so many series going at the same time as I do, that can be a real challenge. But I want to write for my readers. And if that means I write about characters that readers have fallen in love with, I’ll do it. Case in point in the SEAL stories. Hunter, in To Tempt the Wolf, has a very annoying sister. But so many of my readers wanted to see her story, I had to write it. And A SEAL in Wolf’s Clothing was born. Everyone wanted to see who could tame his sister. I had a ball, and that was my 9th book and it made USA Today Bestseller.
SEAL Wolf Hunting
To Tempt the Wolf: His love has the power to transform… or destroy…
A Christmas paranormal romance with the hot combination of a sexy Navy SEAL hero with werewolves, from USA Today bestselling author Terry Spear.
So I write standalone titles every time. Truly. But sometimes, oftentimes, they turn into series. 🙂 <3
What about you? Do you enjoy reading: Standalone titles? Standalone Series? Cliffhanger Series where you have to read them in order or you’re totally lost?
Have a great Tuesday! I finished writing Phantom Fae and now am working on edits! 🙂
Terry
“Giving new meaning to the term alpha male where fantasy is reality.”
http://www.terryspear.com
Connect with Terry Spear:
Website:
http://www.terryspear.com
Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/421434.Terry_Spear
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/TerrySpearParanormalRomantics
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/TerrySpear
Wilde & Woolly Bears
I absolutely love stand alone series! I am so thrilled when I find an author, such as yourself, that understands what I am looking for in paranormal romance! I am working on completely my sets of Heart of the Wolf, Jaguar and Cougar series. I avoid cliffhangers series, but I don’t mind the ones where each book features a different couple that get their HEA with the major story arc continuing from book to book.
Thanks so much, Christine! I’m the same way. Some teen series have a real cliff hanger and you HAVE to read the next story. But I like series that don’t so that I can feel satisfied with the ending with a happy sigh. 🙂 And I’m always disappointed if I find an author I love, and then can’t find any more of her books. When I fall in love with an author’s voice, I buy everything she wrote. Again, thanks!! 🙂 <3
It looks like i have to add few books (your’s of course) to my need-to-read list
lol, thanks so much, Barbara! Hope your holidays were the best! 🙂 <3
It should be me, together with big part of the world, thanking you because you’re writing.
I think that writers are depreciate. You’re giving us, readers, so much.
Thanks, Barbara! I feel the same way about my favorite authors. I love immersing myself into their creative worlds! 🙂 <3 It's totally magical. 🙂
Me to 🙂
I make somewhat of an effort to read in the order book series are published but sometimes have difficulty finding that information when I am browsing for new reads. The book stores don’t seem to care what order they list them in. Your stories are more forgiving about this than some and I like it better that way.
Cheers and Happy New Year
I so agree, Tom. When I worked at the library, we were often asked: which order do these authors’ books go in? Oftentimes the only way to tell was to see them on an authors’ website. I get new readers to the series all the time and it’s good to hear when they don’t feel lost even though they’ve started 16 books into the series. 🙂
As to cliff hanger books, I read a vampire romance where the end was just left hanging. I hadn’t expected that. The heroine is taken hostage on a plane, end of story. I was so annoyed. I wasn’t about to wait for the next book in the series to come out a year later. I think it was because I wasn’t caught up in the story that much anyway, and then to end it like that. Bah-humbug. LOL
Happy New Years!! 🙂