??*Happy Publication Day*??
Over the moon to be taking part in Leigh Russell’s Deadly Alibi blog tour! Today I have a wonderful guest post from the author on writing a series! But first, lets find out a little more about Leigh Russell!
About The Author
After teaching English in secondary school, #1 bestselling author Leigh Russell now writes crime fiction full time. Published in English and in translation throughout Europe, her Geraldine Steel and Ian Peterson titles have appeared on many bestseller lists, and reached #1 on kindle. Leigh’s work has been nominated for several major awards, including the CWA New Blood Dagger and CWA Dagger in the Library, and her Geraldine Steel and Ian Peterson series are in development for television with major television production company Avalon Television Ltd.
Journey to Death is the first title in her Lucy Hall series published by Thomas and Mercer.
Find out more about Leigh on her website http://www.leighrussell.co.uk where news, reviews and interviews are posted, with a schedule of Leigh’s appearances. Contact Leigh via her website, follow her on Twitter, Facebook and follow her personal blog http://leighrussell.blogspot.co.uk
Guest Author Post: WRITING A SERIES – by Leigh Russell
Writing a long running series has both advantages and disadvantages. On the plus side, I have my cast of characters ready to play their parts in my new story. My team of detectives are waiting in the wings before I even start to write. Each time I begin a new story, I feel instantly at home with my friends, Geraldine Steel and her colleagues on the police force. And as far as my protagonist’s fictional life is concerned, it is motivating for me to know that there are readers waiting to know what is happening to her.
The more books there are in a series, the more important it is to avoid repetition. Predictable books are boring. So with Deadly Alibi, the ninth in the series, I wanted to include an unlikely challenge for Geraldine Steel to face. Having come up with an idea, I needed to weave it plausibly into the book. This was a tricky prospect, and fun to write.
Writing a series is a constant balancing act. To what extent do readers enjoy the familiarity of characters and settings established in earlier books, and how far do they appreciate encountering new characters and situations? In my own reading I enjoy both, so in Deadly Alibi I have kept my cast of existing characters, while introducing a twist that I hope will come as something of a surprise to my readers.
When writing a new book I am aware that many readers are avid fans of Geraldine Steel, and have read the earlier books in the series. But many readers will be picking up a Geraldine Steel novel for the first time. Those readers want to enjoy Deadly Alibi just as much as existing fans of the series. And every reader has an equal right to expect that a book has been written with them in mind.
As in all my books, with Deadly Alibi I have done my best to write for both audiences, those who know Geraldine Steel well, and those who are unfamiliar with her history. As the series continues, this aspect of the books poses an ongoing challenge. But this is a challenge for me, not my readers. So I hope that everyone who reads Deadly Alibi will enjoy it, whether or not they have encountered my detective in an earlier book.
As for my detective, Geraldine Steel, she faces some hard choices in this book. Like Geraldine herself, I can only hope that I have made the right decisions about her life as she struggles to do the right thing and save her career.
My thanks to Noelle very much for inviting me to write a guest post for Crime Book Junkie.
Loved that! My thanks to Anne Cater/ No Exit Press for asking me to take part in the blog tour and to Leigh Russell for this fabulous Guest Post! Deadly Alibi is out today & published by No Exit Press. It is available to buy as an ebook via this link: bit.ly/deadlyalibiebook