Question Sunday
Jul
1
2012

Ask em if you’ve got em!

Mariann asked last week: Are you ever surprised by how much readers take to your secondary characters and want books about them?? (ie: Jonah and his brothers from Sway) And Do you already have a book planned for these secondary characters or do you wait to see what the readers say first?? It really does depend on the series. Sometimes I know from the start who each book will feature, other times I only know about book one and two and then as the series develops I know who should be with who. Generally, it’s about the story arc rather than how readers react (though admittedly, I’m fortunate that readers usually love those characters who will be getting books later in the series). But yep, I do get surprised sometimes by how a certain character seems to really get to readers! It’s always awesome.

A question I get fairly regularly is whether or not I’ll be continuing this or that series:

Cherchez Pack
– nope. I did love writing in this world and I’m always so happy to hear how much readers enjoy it, but I’m done with it at this point. In the future if I get the books back, I might take them elsewhere and then go back and expand the world, but for now I’m finished.

Petal, Georgia – Yes indeed! The next book is Lost In You and it’s out in March of 2013. It’ll feature Tate and Nathan’s sister Beth Murphy

Federation Chronicles
– I very much have plans to write a HEA for Wil and Deimos. It’s just a matter of schedule at this point 🙂

Brown Siblings – aside from novellas like LAID OPEN, I’m done with the Brown Siblings. However, you will see them in the Delicious series. Gillian’s best friend Jules gets her HEA in November’s TART (and you’ll see the wedding and engagement party). You’ll see preparation for the wedding in Daisy’s book, SWAY which comes out in August in the Cherished Duology I’m in with Maya Banks. I’m writing LUSH right now, which is Mary’s story and you’ll see bits of Adrian and Erin out on the road.

Goddess With A Blade – Yes definitely! I’m sketching out an idea for the next installment of Rowan’s story. I’ll be sending her to Germany to the Keep. I just need to get a proposal written and submitted to my editor at Carina.

Angie asks: How long does I usually take you to write a book? Do you try and write so many words a day? What is your process like?

I have a wordcount I need to meet every day to get all my deadlines taken care of. I try to write about 3k a day. It’s a good groove for me and I use a combo of Write or Die, which is timed writing sprints and writing in the document. I find bursts of 30 minute sprints with another 30 to edit and flesh out what I wrote in the sprint gets me done with daily count in about two hours.

I wish I could say I never got stressed out, but I totally do. Writing is about sitting down and doing it, but it’s also got some stuff you can’t necessarily schedule. Ideas come to me as I’m working and the book has its own schedule that I don’t always know up front. The story, even if I’ve outlined it, still has parts that are totally organic as I work. So I just try to roll with it and let it happen. I’m a control freak, so this is the hardest part 🙂

Do you ever have people bug you thinking that they are a character in one of your books?
Nope. Not yet (and I hope never, LOL)

4 comments to “Question Sunday”

  1. Robbye
    July 1st, 2012 at 5:02 pm · Link

    I wonder if somewhere along the Petal, GA timeline will we go backward to when Edward “first clapped eyes on” Polly? I would love for those two to have there own story.



  2. Robbye
    July 1st, 2012 at 5:05 pm · Link

    Glad to know we’ll be seeing Rowan again. I really enjoyed that story, Theo’s sense of humor cracks me up.
    (oops, sorry about the “there” that should have been “their”)



  3. Angie
    July 1st, 2012 at 7:27 pm · Link

    You have given us a run down on your plans for this year. I am extremely happy that you will be turning out all of these books! How long does I usually take you to write a book? Do you try and wite so many words a day? What is your process like?

    I also have an unrelated question. Do you ever have people bug you thinking that they are a character in one of your books?



  4. Mariann with Belle's Book Bag
    July 2nd, 2012 at 10:25 am · Link

    Thanks so much for answering and posting my question from last week!! 🙂