posted on April 30, 2014 by Nina Croft

What Sort of Series…

OutofControlI love discovering new series—that wonderful feeling you get when you really enjoy a book and you know there are a whole load more to come. I love falling in love with characters and knowing I’m going to meet them again. And getting immersed in a world and knowing I’ll get to visit over and over and no doubt learn new things each time.

I’ve also discovered that I love writing series. I never actually start out with the intention of writing more than one book, but then something occurs. Usually this involves me falling madly in love with a secondary character and needing to know more about them (this has even happened with the ‘villain’ of a book who’s later found himself the hero of his own story.) Or I can’t bear the thought of saying goodbye to my hero and heroine—I have to know what happens to them—I want proof they are actually living their happily ever after.

Also, although I believe all stories should have a distinct beginning and an end, I love the idea that each individual story is just part of something bigger. A sort of snapshot in time, and there are a whole load of things going on either side of the beginning and the end that I just have to know about—I’m nosey!

So I start to write the next book—it’s a compulsion.

There are loads of different types of series. Some follow one character through a number of adventures. Others follow a group of characters through one big adventure. Then there are the true romance books that feature the same world and the same cast of characters but each book focuses on one particular love story and reaches a happy-ever-after for the hero and heroine.

I like them all, depending on the mood I am in. But I write romance, so each book within my series, tends to be a standalone story, focusing on a particular couple, and each one has a ‘happy-ever-after’ ending. They also tend to bring in characters from previous books so I can check out what they are up to.

So far, I’ve written a paranormal series (The Order), science fiction (Blood Hunter), and this month sees the release of, OUT OF CONTROL, book 2 in my first contemporary series: Babysitting a Billionaire. The books follow a group of women who all work for the same company—Knight Security.  I love bodyguard stories, but I also love stories with strong heroines, so I decided to mix the two together and have the women as the bodyguards and the men in need of protection (and they don’t always like it!)

OUT OF CONTROL is Dani’s story. She’s a sergeant in the army, wounded in Afghanistan and waiting for a medical to see if she can return to her unit. In the meantime, she’s taken a job protecting Zach Hunter—only trouble is she’s not sure if she wants to kiss him or kill him.

So what type of series do you prefer? Or do you think stand-alone books are more enjoyable?

 

~~~~~~

OUT OF CONTROL

She’s a challenge he can’t resist.

Hollywood heartthrob Zachary Hunter loves women—as long as they don’t want more than a little fun in the bedroom. When his most recent movie stirs up the wrong kind of attention, the kind that includes an attempt on his life, he hires a friend’s company to locate the threat. The pint-sized redhead assigned to protect him isn’t what he expects—or wants. Worse, he can’t take his eyes off of her.

After ten years in the army, Danielle Sinclair knows how to handle men. With a new security gig to pass the time until she’s cleared to return to the military, she’s figures her sexy new client will be easy to manage. And then he opens his gorgeous mouth, and she can’t decide whether to kiss him or kill him. His sex appeal may tempt her into his bed, but his sexist attitude is unbearable, and she’s going to make him eat every single word…

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Nina Croft

Nina Croft

Nina Croft grew up in the north of England. After training as an accountant, she spent four years working as a volunteer in Zambia, which left her with a love of the sun and a dislike of nine-to-five work. She then spent a number of years mixing travel (whenever possible) with work (whenever necessary) but has now settled down to a life of writing and picking almonds on a remote farm in the mountains of southern Spain. Nina writes all types of romance, often mixed with elements of the paranormal and science fiction.

http://www.ninacroft.com/

8 thoughts on “What Sort of Series…”

  1. Tonya says:

    I enjoy romantic series about Navy Seals, but I also like paranormal romantic series about Werewolves too. 🙂

    1. Nina Croft says:

      I’m pretty fond of werewolves myself, Tonya! And vampires and…

  2. J. Selena says:

    I love series books! Especially when I discover a new author and can read a whole bunch of related books in a row! It’s really frustrating to wait several months to a year to get the new book in a series, although I’m certainly not chastising authors for their writing speed! Frankly, I’m in awe that you authors can come up with good stories and good characters and put it all down on paper (or electronically, I suppose!). It is really nice to find favorite old characters in a new story. I love books about families and groups of friends.

    1. Nina Croft says:

      I’m the same – the waiting can be painful!

  3. KJ says:

    I love to read series more than standalones — once I fall into a particular world I usually don’t want to leave it for a long time! I prefer series where each book focuses on a different couple with an HEA — I want closure to the main story in each book even if there is an overall story that continues throughout without complete resolution. My preferred genre is scifi romance, although I do read some paranormals, a lot of historical (medieval through Victorian mostly), and a few contemporaries.

  4. Nina Croft says:

    It’s totally the same when you write, KJ, you get a world and a group of people and you just don’t want to leave them. My favorite of my own series is Blood Hunter which is Sci-fi romance with a paranormal twist and so much fun to write because absolutely anything can happen.

  5. I love a good series! (Just no cliffhangers!) It’s hard to wait as it is. 🙂

  6. Lynn Crain says:

    I can tell this is an awesome series!

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