Monday Memo 4

Note to self: Not every single book has to turn into a series.

Now, I know the above is a fact. Other authors seem to write stand alone books no problem at all. I'm really struggling with this at the moment. Take the Perfect Timing series for example. Now, these are all stand alone titles, so the characters from one book aren't supposed to turn up in the others.

Except one that I wrote for the series a m/m called Worth Waiting For. (I've given up on not typing the titles here. Luck be damned - makes it too hard for anyone to know what I'm talking about.) The main characters are Colby and Noah. Colby's brother, Tony, makes a brief appearance.

Then Tony developed a mind of his own and pointed out he'd make a really good main character. Okay, no problem, I gave him a whole book in the Perfect Timing series - Fast Track - and a beautiful heroine to have some fun with. Then two of the guys on the track team started pointing out that they would make a great - really, really, really, great - couple. I couldn't resist. Their book could be a spin off from the series.

Then I was reading through the old stories I want to re-write. Guess, what? One of the characters who I wrote last year (before I even know Colby, Noah, Tony or anyone else even existed) he suddenly announces that I he knows all those people and really, he should be part of their series.

I think at this point I gave up and moved Worth waiting for and Fast Track out of the Perfect Timing series. They now form the start of another series which is yet unnamed - although I'd quite like to call it FIT, since it's set in an elite sports academy . So far there are six titles planed and counting.

Now, at this point I have two slots empty in my Perfect Timing series - one for a m/m and one for a m/f.

I had a look through my records of different ideas and found an m/f I wanted to include in the series at the start but which I cut because I didn't have room for it. It's back in the list now as book 10 in the series and called Quick Learner. I'm writing it at the moment and having a lot of fun in the process.

The other book I've brought in is a re-write of a project I worked on last year called Time Out. So, I have a quick glance through it and discover two things.

1. My writing now might not be perfect, but it's a hell of a lot better than it was last year.

2. Time Out would make a really good first book in a series of its own...

*sigh*

Well, it's not as bad as it could have proved. It turns out the whole series is a spin off. Time Out can happily stay in the Perfect Timing Series.

The rest of the books in the other series can wait a little while longer. This new series even has a (what I hope to be permanent) working title - Trained for Pleasure.

Okay - not sure if any of the above makes any sense outside my own head, but there you are.

My current editing project is the second book in the Perfect Timing series. It's a m/f called Silent Night. I printed it out for it's last edit today, so I'm hoping it will be off to my editor on Friday.

This post has turned into another long one. I suppose I'd better cut off. I wouldn't be at all surprised it this weeks Wednesday's Wonderings had something to do with organising series and ideas... :)

Hope everyone who has a bank holiday today is enjoying it.