WHEN YOU HAVE TO SAY GOODBYE

What’s it like for an author when a series ends? Sometimes we’re relieved, but most of time, we feel a sense of loss. Characters carefully created aren’t always easy to leave behind.  

In my latest series, Kaely Quinn Profiler, walking away from Kaely was difficult. She came to me in a dream, and putting that dream on paper excited me. Now that book three has been released, it’s time to say goodbye. Many publishers believe a series that stays around too long will lose readers. Why? Sometimes it’s hard for an author to keep the character and plots fresh. Stories can become stale and repetitious. And unfortunately, there are sales numbers to back up the idea that, for the most part, series shouldn’t go on too long.  

Of course, there are authors who have had great success with a continuing series. Sue Grafton comes to mind. Her character, Kinsey Millhone, almost made it all the way through the alphabet. Her books were very popular. Unfortunately, Grafton never got to use “Z” before she passed away. But Grafton seems to be the exception, not the norm.

So what do authors do when they have to say goodbye to a character that has been important to them? Some writers kill them off. Arthur Conan Doyle tried it with Sherlock Holmes. He was tired of his “consulting detective” and tried to get rid of him. Holmes and his arch nemesis, Professor Moriarty, locked in mortal combat, fell to their deaths at Reichenbach Falls. Although Conan Doyle thought he was rid of Holmes, public outcry brought the detective back to life! Most inspirational authors can’t and won’t follow Conan Doyle’s example since we’re trying to present a positive message. At this point in my career, I’ve never killed my main character. Is it possible I might bump someone off in the future? Maybe. But right now, it’s not a concept I would entertain.

For those of you love Kaely Quinn, I have good news. In my upcoming series, The Quantico Files, my main character, Alex Donovan, is a behavioral analyst working out of Quantico. If you’ve read the Kaely Quinn series, you know Kaely was bounced out of Quantico because her father was a serial killer and she had an unusual way of profiling that didn’t follow protocol. But her desire was always to go back. So…plans now are to have her show up in book two. She won’t be a primary character, but at least I’ll be able to bring some closure to her character.

So how do you feel about continuing series? Do you like them? Or do you lose interest?

Leave a comment, along with your contact information. You might win a copy of DEAD END. (U.S. only, please.)