Author: Krista Lakes
Series: A Billionaire Love Story
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Zirconia Publishing
Release Date: June 23 2013
When small-town girl Emma LaRue won a vacation to an exclusive tropical island, a last minute cancellation meant she would be going by herself. Shy and studious, she never had time to fall in love, and often wondered if she was just meant to be alone. However, that all changed when a handsome stranger literally walked into her life while on the beach and sparks began to fly.
New York's most eligible billionaire bachelor Jack Saunders thought this vacation would be the perfect escape, one last hurrah, before taking full control of his father's company. When an innocent Emma didn't recognize him, he figured that he might get a chance to have a vacation from being rich. He didn't tell her about the cars, the yacht, or the penthouse. All he did was let her fall in love with him.
Soon, Jack found that he was the one falling in love with Emma. When they enjoy a fantasy marriage ceremony on the beach, they thought it was a bit of harmless fun before returning to their normal lives. A bittersweet goodbye was supposed to be the end of their perfect vacation romance, but when photos of the ceremony were leaked to the press, everything changed.
Feeling lied to and thrust into a world of wealth and privilege, Emma must choose between following her dreams or following her heart. Will she be content at being nothing more than the billionaire's wife, or will she return to her normal life with only memories of saltwater kisses?
What keeps a series going in your mind? Did you know up front before the first book that it would be a series and did you map them out?
I had an answer all written out for this question as I started plotting the sequel to Saltwater Kisses. It had words like "organic" and "character-arcs", but something about it and my story weren't working. I was having a hard time coming up with a plotline that fit the original themes and characters. I talked to a fantastic author, Kirsten Osbourne, and she straightened me out. I then rewrote my answer, and my series plot line!
First, I realized not all sequels are created equal. A sequel (and thus a series) doesn't have to be about the original characters. In my head, if you write a book, and it is well received, you write a sequel using the original characters. As I sat down to plot out Rainwater Kisses (my sequel), I hated it. I went from a romantic story driven by emotion to an action packed movie. It didn't fit my characters and every plot line I came up with felt forced and fake. I wanted to continue writing in the world I had created with Emma and Jack, but I was getting frustrated. I didn't want to force myself to write a story I didn't like just because I wanted to continue the series.
This is when Kirsten gave me the best advice: Don't take their happy ending. She told me to see if anyone else in their world had a story to tell. I love my characters in Saltwater Kisses and I wanted to see them again, but they had a happily ever after ending. It would be cruel and heartbreaking to take that away from them. Then I remembered Emma's older sister. I could write her story and let Emma make an appearance! The plot fell into place in minutes and I was eager to write again. I was excited to set up the scenes where Emma and Jack show up and to keep building this world of billionaires.
There are of course times when a true sequel is needed. Can you imagine if Harry Potter ended after the first book and we switched to a different set of characters? If there is more story to tell, then another book is a good thing. I can think of a dozen series that I would be devastated if they had ended after the first book and went on to a secondary character, even if they stayed in the same universe. In order to have sequels that continue the original story, I am in the camp that it should be mapped out so that the characters are able to stay true to themselves and their original story. In those situations, the series is really one big novel broken into more manageable sized chunks.
The decision on how to do a series is really up to an individual author. For me, Jack and Emma didn't need a second part to their story, but they will be great characters in the next one. I love that I don't have to leave them, but instead I get to add more amazing characters to their world.
Places to find Krista
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3 comments:
The heck with the Kindle Fire, I'd rather win a copy of the book. I'll have to see if any of my local county libraries have a copy on the shelf.
My book over a fire? You made my day!
You should still try for the fire since some of the other prizes are books and gift-cards! Also check out my facebook page as I occasionally do give-aways :)
Really looking forward to the sequel :)
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I would love to hear your thoughts. :) HAPPY READING !!!!