by Bethany Maines
I have a book hangover. I'm about to close out a series that's very near and dear to my heart. The Shark Santoyo Crime Series has characters that got under my skin and I'm loathe to let them go. So much so, that I'm leaving the door wide-open for sequels, but I have two other series that are requiring that the next installments get done and I only have so much time in my days.
It's a difficult decision to walk away and I don't know how other authors do it. I feel like there ought to be some sort of party where I eulogize and make promises I know I won't keep about seeing them again soon and say something like "it's not you, it's me." I'll play their playlists and we can eat some Vaca Frita and complain about how it's hard to get rid of bodies properly one more time.
But at least I'm ending in a solid place. I've wrapped up the story line that ran through all the previous books and I have answered almost all the questions. And for once, my characters get at least a moment or two of happy ever after. They also have another adventure ready and waiting for them, should I happen to get back there, but overall I feel good about where I'm leaving them.
I know a book hangover is real for readers, but is there one for writers? How do any of my writer friends break up with their creations?
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About the Series:
The criminals are savage, the stakes are high and even the suburbs hide secrets that can kill.
About Book 6:
Shark Santoyo is dead. Or at least he was. But now he’s back in the city chasing an art thief and dreams of the past. He has no intention of going anywhere near Peri—she left him to rot in prison. But when Al Hays brings them back together, Shark vows that nothing is going to keep them apart this time. Except that Peri isn’t the only ghost of girlfriends past in his life. Francesca de Corvo, the woman who sent him to prison for a crime she committed, seems to be coming for him with both barrels. Shark has loved, lost, and bled to get his freedom, but will it be enough to get the life—and the girl—he’s always wanted?
Absolutely, Bethany. I actually went into a serious mope after finishing Noah's Wife. Those characters had lived in my head for four years, popping in to say things about their life. They felt very real and I missed them. I felt like they had died. But now, every time someone says they have read the book, I feel like they were alive again for someone, and that is a tremendous feeling. They are immortal.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations, Bethany, on reaching the point where you can bring one series to a smooth landing. I haven't experienced this angst yet, but if and when I do, I know it will be an emotional leave-taking for me, as well. I remember when Agatha Christie wrapped up her Poirot books with the final novel, Curtain. Much was written about her decision to "retire" Poirot in a way that no other author could co-opt the character. Her journey with Poirot was undoubtedly filled with touching moments, just like with a person. I'll bet she had a book hangover, too.
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