When
I first started writing, I would write a great little story and then move onto the
next fascinating tale. It would be easy and fun. I’d find the new names, the
new setting, and the new conflict with the next couple.
But
then my brain expanded and did something strange. It started soft whispers that
I might like writing a series. Huh. It was an idea I hadn’t thought of before.
Why not give it a chance? So, I wrote a 4 couple novella series. The stories
weren’t well written yet (we’re talking back in 1999), but I enjoyed having a
band of characters who interacted. They showed up in their friends’ stories and
we got to see what happened to them after their own happily-ever-after. From
that point, I toyed with the idea of writing series on a more regular basis.
Time
went on, I got better as a writer, and then Decadent Publishing offered me my
first contract. Of course I was over the moon, but…I soon had brilliant ideas
about how to make the first story one of at least three, if not more. What
emerged, after many months, was my Scottish contemporary and my Scottish
romantic suspense novellas. Yes, all are individual stories and they do not
have to be read in one specific order to understand (I’m not a fan of those),
but they are all connected in at least one way. Readers, so far, have enjoyed
that. So what did I do? I wrote another book for Decadent, which eventually
became Liar, Liar. The full-length romantic suspense book that stood
alone…until…
I
met the hero, Grady Cooper, of Liar, Liar and his hot brother. As I wrote
Grady’s story, I found his brother, Scotty, played a bigger role than I’d
originally planned. By the time the book was finished and for sale, I’d already
accepted both Grady and Scott’s plea for the younger brother to get his own
book.
Lately
I’ve started taking notes about how Scotty finds love. You’d think that would
be enough for now, right? Nope! While I’ve been jotting down little details on
my brainstorming notebook (yes, I still write longhand), Scotty has been subtly
pushing for me to give his partner a woman, too.
{{Sigh}}
I guess I’ll be busy for a while!
What
about you? Do you enjoy series? If so, do you like the ones that are just
connected but each story is its own or do you like the type that must be read
in order?
Today
is DAY 3 of my Liar, Liar Blog Tour! Come follow me on this path, tweet about the
tour and share the details on Facebook. For each comment you make (or tweet or
Facebook post) along the way, you’ll move closer to winning one of three great
prizes!
Blurb:
Unable
to protect her mother from her father as a child, Devin McQueen has made it her
mission as an adult to protect as many abused women and children as she can.
The rare moments she’s not consumed with work as a victims’ advocate, she
limits her involvements to safe, predictable men….until she meets bounty hunter
Grady Cooper. He is big, bold, brash, and has no problem speaking his mind.
Growing up in a broken home, Grady
realized early on that good deeds had a price. To survive, he learned to
weigh every decision by what he could gain.
Unfortunately, the successful, solitary life he’s worked so hard to create
spins out of control when demons from his past shake his confidence. His
boss has given him one last chance—bring in Devin’s latest client quickly, and
quietly and maybe he’ll still have a job. It didn’t sound unreasonable until he
met Devin.
Suddenly, Grady must make a decision: save his
career or follow his heart?
Alexa Bourne is a teacher by day and a romance writer by nights,
weekends, and all school holidays. She also teaches online classes for writers
throughout the year. She writes romantic suspense and contemporary romance and
is thrilled to have the chance to share her stories with readers everywhere.
When she’s not concocting sinister plots and steamy love scenes or
traveling and exploring new cultures, Alexa spends her time reading, watching
brainless TV, and thinking about exercising. Okay, she also spends way too much
time interacting with readers and writers on social media sites. But don’t tell
her editors! Find out more about her and her books on her website, www.alexabourne.com.
