Book Lovers Inc.
Romance Novel Reviews, Author Interviews, Commentary
Guest Post: Romance and the Series: What’s the Appeal? by Tracy Sumner + Giveaway
I am very happy to welcome to BLI today historical romance author Tracy Sumner, who is busy celebrating the release of her latest story, a Christmas novella: To Desire a Scoundrel, which was released this week! Woohoo, congratulations Tracy! *throws confetti* So read on to discover why Tracy as an author loves series and for a chance to win a copy of her book!
Romance and the Series: What’s the Appeal? by Tracy Sumner
So excited to be a part of Book Lovers, Inc.! Thanks for having me.
First off, I should say that not only am I romance writer, I’m a huge romance reader. And I love series. Love them. What is that captures our attention about connected novels? As readers, we get an update on beloved characters in the next book, sure. The birth of a child, further affirmation that our devoted couple from the previous novel is still in love and going strong. How about the introduction of a new branch of the family tree?
The appeal of a series is easy to understand.
But what about the appeal for a writer? Creating a family’s history, the scandals, love affairs, angst, betrayal, passion and loyalty that get tied into the stories…there is so much drama involved when people deeply love each other. The blood ties that bind — and those that bind as intensely as blood ties would.
I used many of these traits/emotions/plot points in the two series I have created so far.
In the TIDES series (TIDES OF LOVE and TIDES OF PASSION), the Garrett brothers are torn apart by a family secret. I immensely enjoyed writing from the hero’s point of view – and I’m fascinated by the deep connections between men (be it brothers or friends) and the way they handle these connections. Usually with discomfort, confusion and angst. 🙂 Much different than the way women handle them! The novels detail one brother, Noah, a tortured genius, and the eldest, Zach, Mr. Capable, struggling to bring the family back together. Add to that the discovery of the loves of their lives and you have a story with telling!
In the soon-to-be-released SOUTHERN HEAT series (TO DESIRE A SCOUNDREL and TO SEDUCE A ROGUE) best friends Tanner Barkley and Adam Chase face the challenge of moving past sorrow and accepting love when Charlotte Whitney and Katherine Peters are thrown directly into their path. I loved testing the bonds of friendship and challenging these two to assist each other as they found love with Charlie and Kat!
Do you like series and why? – Any favorite series to share? – What is the appeal to a series?
Tracy’s story telling career began when she picked up a copy of LaVyrle Spencer’s Vows on a college beach trip. A journalism degree and a thousand romance novels later, she decided to try her hand at writing a southern version of the perfect love story. With a great deal of luck and more than a bit of perseverance, she sold her first novel to Kensington Publishing.
When not writing sensual stories featuring complex characters and lush settings, Tracy can be found reading romance, snowboarding, watching college football and figuring out how she can get to 100 countries before she kicks (which is a more difficult endeavor than it used to be with her four-year-old son in tow). She lives in Charlotte, NC, but after spending a few years in “the city”, considers herself a New Yorker at heart.
Tracy has been awarded the National Reader’s Choice, the Write Touch and the Beacon – with finalist nominations in the HOLT Medallion, Heart of Romance, Rising Stars and Reader’s Choice. Her books have been translated into German, Dutch, Portuguese and Spanish. She loves hearing from readers about why she tends to pit her hero and heroine against each other and that great novel she simply must order in five seconds on her Kindle.
Where to find Tracy: Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter
Buy: Tides of Passion – Tides of Love – To Desire a Scoundrel – To Seduce a Rogue (to be released in January 2012)
To Desire a Scoundrel by Tracy SumnerThe first rule when dealing with scoundrels? Never wager more than you are willing to lose.
Especially in matters of the heart.
Come along for a story of holiday seduction that Romantic Times calls, “a searing passion…a sexy tale filled with great verbal repartee!”
In Tracy Sumner’s To Desire a Scoundrel, newspaper reporter Tanner Barkley had ruined Katherine Peter’s life with one stroke of his pen. Now a year and a half later they find themselves in the same small South Carolina town fighting like two spitting cats. A little matchmaking from old friends, some new problems and a searing passion that never died brings them back together in a sexy tale filled with great verbal repartee.
~*~*Giveaway*~*~
We have two giveaways!
Giveaway 1
Tracy has generously offered an ebook copy of her holiday historical romance novella To Desire a Scoundrel to TWO lucky commenters!
All you have to do is leave a meaningful comment about the interview or a question for Tracy, or answer Tracy’s questions and tell us:
Do you like series and why? Any favourite series to share? What is the appeal to a series for you?
(You can read our full giveaway policy here)
Please leave a valid email when placing your comment so we can inform you if you win.
This giveaway is open worldwide!
Giveaway ends on Saturday, 31 December 2011; and we will announce the winner on Sunday.
Good luck!
Giveaway 2
If you stop by Tracy’s website and sign up for her newsletter you will be entered into a drawing for a Kindle!
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What a great interview and giveaway!
I love series better than stand alone books, because I get invested in the “family” of characters, and I just love seeing them pop up in the newest books. One of my favorite series is Johanna Lindsey’s Mallory’s. I have kept the whole set and have re-read them a couple of times, even!
Thank you for the giveaway opportunity! The book sounds wonderful! I’ve signed up on Tracy’s website, FB, Twitter and Goodreads!
Happy Holidays!
Thanks! Happy to be here!
I’ve read the Mallory’s stories, too! And Nora Roberts really writes a lot of series books. One of my favorite are the Tides series of hers. I can’t recall the exact titles now — but loves those.
Yes, I love series. I have almost no stand alone books on my shelves. I love reading about characters I got to know as secondary characters in a book, and seeing what happens to them. And I love revisiting with previous couples.
Thank you for the blogpost, and I just wanted to tell you, I love your covers! So bold in color, original.
auriansbooks@gmail.com
Thanks! Kim Killion @ HotDamn Designs did them. And I’m a graphic designer by trade — but she is a cover expert!
What a wonderful post and a happy coincidence for me as I just purchased Tides of Passion and Tides of Love for my Kindle yesterday 🙂 I really look forward to reading them. I love series as well, for all the reasons that she listed. The only time I don’t like series is when there is no character growth with reoccuring characters, the same “plot”/problems over and over again or completely out of character behavior. Otherwise, I’m a faithful series buyer.
Happy Holidays!
Send me your email address @ tracysumner@yahoo.com and I’ll send you the holiday novella, TO DESIRE A SCOUNDREL. 🙂
REALLY? OMG, I’m so excited! You must know that I these are backlist releases, which means they had a previous “print” life. I’m thrilled that readers are going to be able to read them again. That is my main objective. 🙂 And I’m a huge romance reader, too. It’s a great genre!
I do prefer series to stand alone books. In a series you really get to know the characters and their friends/family. It’s almost like seeing old friends every time a new book comes out. I really like that. I am a big fan of the Immortals After Dark series, The Wallflower Series, The Outlander series and the Earth’s Children series.
I guess the biggest question I have for Tracy is, how do you know when the series is over?
That is such a hard question. I think it’s when you’ve lost the drive to continue not only with the family but the setting. Or the spark just isn’t there. Forcing the series to continue is not fair to the reader — and no good for the writer, either.
Setting is huge for me — and I really live in those worlds along with my characters. Funny thing is, for the Tides series I wrote first about Noah Garrett, the sexy nerd and marine biologist. Next in line was his eldest brother, Zach. Zach was really a typical older brother (reliable, capable, protective) and very angst-ridden by a tragedy, the death of his wife. The middle brother, Caleb, I had connected to someone in town. Someone he had asked to marry him on more than one occasion but she refused. I thought the series was over with Zach. But, lately, I’ve been thinking about Caleb. I know he’s not going to marry the woman he’s with — I knew it when I wrote the books. The female character, Christabel, she knew it, too. So…I’m thinking about writing about Caleb’s story: another novella. Perhaps 1/3 of a book or so. I may know who he’s going to end up with, too. 🙂
Oh boy! I LOVE SERIES!!! I love them because I feel like I can connect with the characters (if they are well-written) and the story doesn’t stop at just one book 🙂
My fave series are mostly paranormal and vampires
-Morganville Vampires
-Personal Demons Trilogy
-Hunger Games
-The Immortals
-Bride Quartet
etc! 🙂
email: cruz042 at cougars.csusm.edu
Great interview! I love series romance as well. There are so many series that I like, I’ll just name the ones that first pop into my head: The original and queen of series, Jude Devereaux, TWIN OF ICE, TWIN OF FIRE; Susan Elizabeth Phillips and her Chicago Stars series; Stephanie Laurens and her Cynster series; Linda Lael Miller’s Corbin Family Series. Of course, I’ve read at least 6 sets of Nora Roberts’ series romances, too! (Who hasn’t???)
When you love the characters in a book, and you’re left with that euphoric feeling at the end that makes you sigh and want to re-read it, and then you realize that you’re going to get to go through it all over again, but with new surprises, with at least one character you liked in the novel, as his or her story is told, well, it’s (almost) better than chocolate. ;-D
Also, to take a note from Stephen King’s ON WRITING, we write about themes over and over. And are draw to reading book incorporating these themes, too. One I am intrigued by is the relationships between men. Close friends, brothers. They are so different than those between women. I love the vulnerability and the unease at showing emotion. The love. 🙂
Hi Tracy,
Great interview–I had lots to say about it but got distracted by the awesome dress the heroine has on the cover of To Desire A Scoundrel. I’m sure that’s not what I’m supposed to be focusing on but still. Love that dress! Yes, this is a VERY meaningful comment. 🙂
I do love reading series because we get to revisit with past characters from the previous books.
janie1215 AT excite DOT com
i love series, because i think in a series there is more room for character and plot development – and those two things i love the most in books. especially the relationship developments are great. and the world-building. well there are a lot of things that only a series can really explore 😉 – well in my opinion anyway.
I do like reading series but I also enjoy stand alone books. I enjoy series because I get the chance to revisit characters from previous stories. Also, it allows for additional world building. I am almost always wrong about where the story is headed but that’s half the fun!
Jude Devereaux! A blast from the past. I read all of hers, too. I remember those well!
Super excited to say that Tides of Love hit the Amazon bestsellers today! Currently #24 in Historical Romance. 🙂
I do enjoy book series. I like reconnecting with characters and finding out what they’ve been up to. Some favorites: Julia Quinn’s Bridgertons, Lisa Kleypas’s Wallflowers, and Julie Anne Long’s Pennyroyal Green series.
oops–forgot to leave email: mochfly(at)swbell(dot)net
I LOVE Julie Anne Long!!!
I love series, because I like seeing beloved characters change and grow, and secondary characters get their story told and live happily ever after, and then get to see some of the ever after.
One of my favorite series was Eloisa James’ Desperate Duchesses series, I loved revisiting many of the same characters throughout the series.
Barbed1951 at aol dot com
Yes, I enjoy reading books in a series but not with the same main characters. Series that continues with other members of a family or a specific group of people or town, etc is my preference. You get to revisit old friends and places in a series. My favourite is the early books in the Dark Hunter by Sherrilyn Kenyon and the early books in the Breed series by Lora Leigh. I don’t like series that are too long as the author usually runs out of ideas and the later books are often not as good or repetitive.
tamsyn5(at)yahoo(dot)com
I also love series, because I love seeing character growth and books these days tend to be set in such short time periods that you don’t get to see that unless there is more than one book. My only problem with them is that I tend to be OCD about reading a series from the beginning. Can your books be read out of order or do you recommend reading them in order?
jen(at)delux(dot)com
I do like series, but with a caveat: I want each book to bring that individual story to an end even though the overall story arc continues. It’s so frustrating to read a book and realize I have to wait while I find the next book to find out what happens next!
quiltlady44-bks2(at)yahoo(dot)com
I would NEVER write a book that ended with you having to read another book. That is cheating the reader! And I’m a reader, too. Would be the last book by that author, I can tell you.
Series titles should stand alone — you can read the Tides series out of order. The only spoiler is that Noah and Elle end up together (duh). Same for To Desire a Scoundrel and the late January release of To Seduce a Rogue. Rogue was actually written first. The novella (Scoundrel) second. 🙂
I love series! It’s like re-visiting a familiar place and people you know. And then watching those people fall in love. It’s nice when we get invited to the wedding in the next book, too. 😉
msculp@gmail.com
I love series books. You get to know more about the people and the settings. A few of my favorite author’s who write series: Lynsay Sands, Kerrelyn Sparks, Sabrina Jeffries, Larissa Ione, Karen Hawkins, Julia Quinn, Monica McCarty, and I could go on & on! Oh, Cherise Sinclair & Eve Langlais too!
manning_j2004 at yahoo .com
Eve Langlais. I have not heard of hers. I’ll check them out!
I love book series even though I am impatient on waiting for the next book. I love that the story continues on and you get alot more details. I love the Twilight, Mercy Falls series, Hush series, Fallen Series. Please enter me in contest. Tore923@aol.com
i love series, my fave series : malory series – johanna lindsey, hathaway series – lisa kleypas., bridgertone series – julia quinn. just curious with their other character 😉
Lisa Kleypas is another author I love to read.
I’ve also been reading Marie Force’s series stuff. Good indie author!
I love to read a series. I love how the characters flow from one book to the other interacting more than in just on book. There’s so many characters we fall in love with and want to know what happens with them further than the book we read which series let us do that. God I love Jill Shalvis Lucky Harbor, Larissa Ione Demonica Series, Maya Banks KGI Series and so many more.
Oooh an historical romance set on American soil… how refreshing! Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE historicals set in Great Britain, France, or anywhere else in the world, but it is rather unusual to find a romance set in the US. I have a book or two by LaVyrle Spencer and Pamela Morsi on my bookshelf but haven’t gotten around to them yet. They were passed to me by friends just this year. I’m so curious to read an American historical romance now!
I am a series junkie. Even if the characters are loosely connected, I still really enjoy reading several stories set in the same world-town-whatever. I guess it’s fun to see all the details of the world building hold together story after story and even expand with each book. It’s more like a journey than a single trip. 😀
Whoever your friend is, she knows some great Americana romance. I started reading romance with LaVyrle Spencer — and Pamela Morsi gave me my first real cover quote! She’s very, very cool.
Actually I got those books from two friends, both of whom enjoy Spencer and Morsi. They’ve both reviewed several books over the last year or so on their blogs and are always on the hunt for copies of the authors’ backlists at USBs.
How lovely that you got a cover quote from Pamela Morsi!
I wish more historical romances were set in the US. They used to be a bit ago — and I love the UK set novels myself — but it’s nice to have a wide variety of settings.
Agreed! Which is why I’m here, wanting to win your book. 😉
🙂
I love series! It’s like getting to know your neighbors and becoming friends and being in on all that’s happening in their lives (but even more so). You read the first book and you get to know the characters. Then you read the second book and get to say, “I know her” or “I love it when he does that”.
I like series, simply because I like to go back and see what happens to characters I have read about before. Even if the main characters have been replaced and what not. I’m not sure I have a favorite series though, I tend to love all of the series I own.
To Desire a Scoundrel hit the Top 100 on Amazon! And is currently #2 in Historical Romance! I’m thrilled!
Congratulations! Wooot! 😀
You can actually take me off the list for the giveaway here. I went and bought To Desire a Scoundrel the other day and finished reading it late last night. Such a sweet Christmas romance. And sexy, too! 😉
Christine:
Part II. Just sent you Tides of Passion! Enjoy! Tracy
Wow! Thank you do much!! I’ll be downloading it and starting it tonight. 😀
Hello Tracy!
I love and hate series. I love that I get to revisit the same people over and over. I love that a secondary character in an early book can get their own story and HEA in a later book. What I hate is how heartbroken I feel when a series I love comes to an end. Two of my favorite series ended on the SAME DAY last September. I was a basket case. LOL
I understand! I feel like crying when I finish a series. Or finish and know another is not out for a year.
Christine:
Thanks! The first in the series is out in late Jan. I know…it’s out of order — but I wanted the holiday story to hit in December. 🙂
Looking forward to Chase and Charlie’s story–especially after reading bits about them in To Desire a Scoundrel.
I love series! I hate thinking it’s the last I’m going to see of my favourite characters once I end book. I like knowing that there’s more to their stories as well as to the stories of their friends and family:) My favourite series are Texass series by Sandra Brown, Mary Balogh’s Bedwyn saga and the Sookie Stackhouse series.
sarahDOTsetarATgmailDOTcom
Sookie Stackhouse? That’s a new one!