 Welcome to Matter of Inquiry! I'm pleased to have cozy mystery author Judy Alter on the blog today with an article based on her own experiences and her featured book, IRENE DEEP IN TEXAS TROUBLE. The blog is in your hands, Judy. When Characters Demand Another Book Irene Deep in Texas Trouble is the fourth in my series, Irene in Chicago Culinary Mysteries. I didn’t start out to write a series. Neither did I intend to write about a faux French chef who is very much a diva. What I thought I was going to write about was a young woman with culinary ambitions who moved from Texas to Chicago. The culinary ambitions are because I have long said if I had life to live over again, I’d go to culinary school. As it is, I was too old by the time I realized that cooking was a passion. My knees and back would never have tolerated the long hours standing over a stove. And the Chicago setting? The older I get the more nostalgic I am about my childhood in Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood, so that’s where Henny James lands. And Texas? That Lone Star State has been home for over fifty-five years, so Henny makes a reverse of the journey I made long ago, and she brings with her the Texas recipes that are so familiar to me. Probably subconscious but I set up the competition (mostly friendly) between French cuisine and Texas down-home cooking. As for Irene Foxglove, the diva chef, I have absolutely no idea where she came from. She was just there one day. At six feet tall, she towers over Henny, her assistant who narrates Irene’s story. Irene brings secrets to the story—the puzzle of her marriage, her spoiled daughter, the man who threatens her. Add in some murder and mayhem, and Henny realizes her role is to save Irene. So that was Saving Irene, a stand-alone that I wrote on a whim to satisfy my culinary longings. A beta reader assured me the story was complete, and I should not think about a sequel. Irene, however, did not agree. She kept nudging me, planting ideas in the back of my mind, until one day I found myself a thousand words into the second book, Irene in Danger. Today, with four books, Irene has begun to suggest things about the fifth book. She wants it titled Missing Irene, and she’s given me the opening scene. I just haven’t had time to put it in the computer yet. I have no idea what happens after that scene, but I’m confident Irene will let me know. It was relatively easy for me, an indie author, to turn a stand-alone into the first in a series. For traditionally published authors, the launch of a series depends on publisher approval. Yet if I didn’t’ know II was writing a series, how do others know so they negotiate with a publisher? I asked Susan Wittig Albert, author of the China Bayles series (and many other titles), if she knew when she started out that she was beginning a long series—she is now at work on Never Forget Me, the 29th in the series. She revealed she knew she was proposing a three-book series to her publisher; after those three books, she proposed the following three but took the project to another house. And the series took off. My next question was, “How do you know when a series is over?” Susan offered two scenarios: when the audience loses interest or when the author runs out of ideas, wants to move on to something else, or dies (think of Dick Francis whose son continued his series or Robert Parker whose Spense books are now written by another author). Authors talk about the arc not only of an individual book but of a series. How do you know when the path of the arc is descending? Susan advised losing the image of the arc and thinking of the series as a bundle of character growth, challenges, obstructions, sidelines, all the parts that make up a complex story. When they start to fall apart, the series is done. Long series are particularly hard because they can easily go stale and dull. How do you keep them fresh? It takes a supply of new ideas. Recently I read Fire and Rain, sixteenth in Julie Mulhern’s Country Club series, and as I turned the last page (on my Kindle) I realized that one of the standard antagonistic characters is about to disappear from the series and a charming young new character is about to become a major player. That series is continuing. My Kelly O’Connell Mysteries, the first series I attempted, ran to eight books—and I knew it was over when I lost enthusiasm for it. I couldn’t see where the characters were going next, which I suppose is a way of saying the characters stopped talking to me. As for Irene, I’m sure she’ll let me know when the series is done, probably by stopping talking to me. But, for now, it’s ongoing, so watch for Missing Irene—in about a year.  IRENE DEEP IN TEXAS TROUBLE Genre: cozy mystery Deep in Texas Trouble is all about love and romance—and murder! It’s Christmas in Texas. Henny’s best friend, Charlie, is marrying the love of her life, rich and spoiled Rick Scott, and Henny will cater the wedding supper. Irene, faux Franch chef, diva, and Henny’s one-time mentor, and Chance, Irene’s billionaire lover, are spending the holiday with Henny’s family, and Irene steps in as Henny’s sous chef. When there’s a sensational murder at supper, Irene is the prime suspect. Murder is complicated by a kidnapping, threatening notes, and a runaway couple. Once again, Henny is the one to save Irene. Come on down to Texas and wander the historic Fort Worth stockyards, watch a rodeo, discover a new competitive sport, and eat some Texas food. While Irene detests most of the Texas menu, you’ll probably like it. Recipes included. Amazon Buy Link: Irene Deep in Texas Trouble: An Irene in Chicago Culinary Mystery - Kindle edition by Alter, Judy. Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com. Check out the Excerpt in the Book Spotlight on my Ally Shields blog: |
AuthorJ L Buck writes in the mystery genre, currenty enthralled with Regency-era England. She is multi-published in paranormal 
Check out my profile on AllAuthor (including my Ally Shields fantasy books). Here you can read my books' sample chapters, get updates on my books and latest deals, ask me questions, discuss my books and much more. Follow me on AllAuthor.
https://allauthor.com/author/jlbuck/ 
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