The end of the series

One of the first series' that I read that I hated to see come to an end was the Lucky Harbor series by Jill Shalvis. It was a fun, quirky town filled with fun, quirky characters. No, I didn't love them all, but they were all interesting to follow, nonetheless.

As an author, my Epitaph series is the first one I mapped out from beginning to end, and as I sit to write the last installment, I'm feeling that same nostalgia. I don't want to move away! I want to stay in Edgarville, but when I finish Book 6, I've reached "the end." I've learned a few things along the way, met new characters who will stick with me. Where do I go from here?

Part of me wants to "Return to Hoffman Grove," another series that wasn't mapped out start to finish, but where I have other characters to explore. The downside to that series is that because I didn't map it out from the start, I missed out on some opportunities. (This author gig is a learning experience!) Not that I couldn't go back and do novellas or short stories to fill in the gaps, but I'm not really a short story/novella type of gal. I don't particularly care to read them - I'd rather immerse myself for an extended period of time. With that being said, I'm not limiting myself by saying "never." Some people LIKE to read shorts now and then, and for some characters, a short is the way to go. My editor thinks I should do a short about Mrs. Sumner, the quirky woman from EPITAPH (the first in the the series). I'll admit, she would be a fun story to write...

Then the other part of me is ready to forge ahead into something new.

I heard from one of my readers (I love hearing from readers, btw!) who said she didn't care for ghost stories as a rule, but she liked mine so well she actually branched out to read other authors who wrote ghost stories. The Epitaph series was designed as an homage to the ghost stories I enjoyed when I was young, but I'm ready to move forward with something different. My niche is to add that "something extra," that unknown force that makes people wonder if there isn't more out there - a ghost, fate, a "feeling" often described as overdeveloped intuition - rather than an overt supernatural force. But maybe I'm wrong. The Epitaph ghosts have been very "in your face."

What do you think? Do you prefer the subtle innuendo of "we are not alone?" Or do you like reading about close encounters with supernatural forces?

And oh, hey, while I'm thinking about it, in celebration of next week's release of THE SELKIE - Epitaph 5, you can read EPITAPH, the first book in the series, without paying one thin dime. That's right, the first e-book at no cost to you. What are you waiting for? Go get a copy!

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