Old Friends
As I finish the second book in my Billie Quinn criminalist series, I have to say, it has been great fun visiting old friends.
Usually, when you write a book, you start from scratch. Down to your main character's name, job, hair color, eye color, and favorite cocktail, it's all new. Then as you populate the book with secondary characters, they're all new, too.
When I wrote Trace of Innocence, which comes out next month, I originally pitched it as a two-book series. Then my publisher asked me to do three. I had never even done a series before, so this was, in a sense, new to me.
When I started the second book, it was like walking into a party that was in full swing and knowing everyone there. Everybody from book 1 returns, and if I loved them in the first, I love them even more, now. I already knew all their eccentricities--and they have boatloads of them. And I knew their back stories. And it was like picking up where I left off.
As soon as I turn this one in, it will be time to start the next one. I get to see my old friends yet again, from Lewis with his brain collection stored in formaldehyde, to Mikey, my heroine's brother, who's always up to something illegal.
As an author, it's nice to revisit your characters once in a while to see what they're up to. I have so many times heard from fans who wanted to know what happened when a book ended. In particular, a lot of readers wanted to know what happened to Tom in The Roofer once the book was over. But to me, Tom was in suspended animation, exactly where I left him when the book concluded. This was the first time I resurrected characters, and it was totally enjoyable.
Usually, when you write a book, you start from scratch. Down to your main character's name, job, hair color, eye color, and favorite cocktail, it's all new. Then as you populate the book with secondary characters, they're all new, too.
When I wrote Trace of Innocence, which comes out next month, I originally pitched it as a two-book series. Then my publisher asked me to do three. I had never even done a series before, so this was, in a sense, new to me.
When I started the second book, it was like walking into a party that was in full swing and knowing everyone there. Everybody from book 1 returns, and if I loved them in the first, I love them even more, now. I already knew all their eccentricities--and they have boatloads of them. And I knew their back stories. And it was like picking up where I left off.
As soon as I turn this one in, it will be time to start the next one. I get to see my old friends yet again, from Lewis with his brain collection stored in formaldehyde, to Mikey, my heroine's brother, who's always up to something illegal.
As an author, it's nice to revisit your characters once in a while to see what they're up to. I have so many times heard from fans who wanted to know what happened when a book ended. In particular, a lot of readers wanted to know what happened to Tom in The Roofer once the book was over. But to me, Tom was in suspended animation, exactly where I left him when the book concluded. This was the first time I resurrected characters, and it was totally enjoyable.
posted by Erica Orloff at 9:31 AM
2 Comments:
Erica, I just went and read all about Trace of Innocence, and may I say? Very cool. Can't wait to read it!
Hi Karmela:
Thanks! I was worried in that it's NOT like the CSI shows (which combine roles of people within forensics). My character is a chemistry expert . . . and she's in the lab much of the time, but her "Bombshell" action comes from her side work with the Justice Foundation. So hopefully, CSI fans will like it, as well as regular Bombshell readers.
E
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