Today, I welcome best-selling historical author Julianne MacLean back to the Romance Dish! I first discovered Julianne's books when I won an ARC of Surrender to a Scoundrel--one of her American Heiresses series books--back in 2006. It remains one of my all-time favorite books to this day. :) Since then, Julianne has gone on to write about the Sinclair family, some sexy Highlanders, and a trilogy centered around royalty. If you haven't read any of Julianne's books, I encourage you to do so! Right now, I'm reading her latest, Seduced at Sunset, and enjoying it immensely. Please welcome Julianne!
~Andrea
Series Conclusions…How Do We Say Goodbye?
By Julianne MacLean
Have you ever wanted to weep after finishing a
series you have loved from the beginning? Did you feel as if you were grieving for
a lost loved one because you were forced to say goodbye to characters who had
become such an enjoyable part of your life?
Imagine
the author, who has spent countless hours—and years—living in the story world
she created. I assure you, it’s not always
easy for an author to move on and start something new, to envision a whole new
world with a different set of characters—characters she knows nothing
about. She can’t help but wonder, will
the new series have the same magic? And
what about the secondary characters who were left behind without ever getting
stories of their own?
I
find myself in a strange state of mourning these days because I am bidding
farewell to not one, but two separate
series. Timing can be cruel sometimes.
On April 30, The Prince’s Bride will hit bookstores, and that is the last book in a trilogy I began with St. Martin’s Press. I am a passionate fan of The Tudors series on television, so I took great pleasure in creating a fictional European nation called Petersbourg, modeled after the Tudor Court but set in the Regency period. It became home to a family of charismatic young royals who were surrounded by romance and court intrigue, and each had to marry and produce heirs to continue their legacy.
I must also let go of another series revolving around an aristocratic family in England—the Sinclairs of Pembroke Palace. This was a series I began at Avon in 2007, but when I changed publishers, I was unable to finish it at that time. It was three years before I could finally return to Pembroke and give happy endings to the last two siblings, who had been left hanging since 2009. Seduced at Sunset is finally released, but I find myself wondering if there is a way to continue both of these series.
The heroine from the first book
in my Royal Trilogy had some sisters…. Perhaps they could be presented at court
in Petersbourg. And all the Sinclair
siblings have happy, fruitful marriages. There is a palace full of grandchildren who
will be entering the London marriage mart during the Edwardian period. Downton Abbey, anyone?
Alas, this is the sort of
situation where an author needs to hear from readers. I read every letter I receive, and when I see
the same request over and over for a certain character’s story, I do become
inspired to write it—because I respect my readers’ opinions and I like to give you
what you want.
So if you ever feel heartbroken
that your favorite series has come to an end and would like to see it continue,
know that authors are listening. Most of
us are delighted to learn that you want more of something we have written. We can often be persuaded to find a way to
bring a series back to life.
So what do you think? Have you ever written to an author to request
the continuation of a series? What
series have you mourned when it reached the end? Would you love it if the author returned to
it, or can a series become stale if the author doesn’t know when to let it go?
All comments will be included in
a random draw (open to everyone!) to win an autographed advance reading copy of The Prince’s Bride, my Royal Trilogy
conclusion, which hits bookstores April 30.
I will be reading everyone’s comments.
Good luck!
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