Back in April, I wrote about whether or not writing a series
makes sense. There was consideration
given to some of my favorite authors, who have penned multiple books, starring
the same core group of characters.
Consider John Sandford, with both the Lucas Davenport and
Virgil Flowers series. James Rollins has penned more than a dozen Sigma Force
novels and shows no indication of slowing down.
Add in other favorites like John D. MacDonald’s Travis McGee series,
Michael Connelly’s Harry Bosch, Lee Child’s Jack Reacher, the Elvis Cole and
Joe Pike books from Robert Crais, along with Penn Cage stories by Greg Iles.
You get the idea.
There is something to be said for finding a character you
connect with. That’s when you become familiar with their actions and attitudes,
how they view the world they inhabit and deal with the challenges they
face. It’s easy to imagine walking into
a bar or coffee shop and sitting down with one of these people to share a
beverage and a laugh or two.
Some authors will have key characters show up for a cameo or
supporting role in one of their other stories.
I’ve done that with both Chene and Jamie making an appearance in the
second book of each other’s series. And
in my current work in progress, which will be the third in the Chene series,
Jamie will again play a small role. It’s not that I can’t create a new
character. Bringing them together just feels right.
Here's a shot of what Jamie may look like.
It’s these familiar characters
which readers enjoy and the interactions are something they look forward to.
Introducing new players for the story can be the beginning of change that keeps
things fresh. I don’t want my characters
to become dull or predictable. What fun would that be?
As we head into the last true week of the summer and
vacations winding down for some people, I started thinking about “Stealing
Haven”, the Jamie Richmond short story in the “Once Upon a Summer” collection. The story centers around Jamie and Linda’s
vacation in South Haven, where Jamie become romantically involved with Randy.
In this scene, Jamie is surprised to learn that Randy is a
member of the band who performed at an outdoor concert. They share a moment
afterwards.
Randy eyes were full of questions as we
loaded the keyboard and stand in the back of his SUV.
“Wanna walk me home?”
“Sure.”
He took my camp chair and slung the strap
over his shoulder. We waved good-bye to the others. It was surprising how
quickly the area around the park had grown quiet. Only a handful of people were
still on the streets, strolling along. Above us, the stars had started to come
out. Neither one of us spoke, but the silence was comfortable. At one corner, Randy
stopped walking and pulled me closer. He kissed me. My heart raced. He had one
hand on my ass, the other cupping the back of my head. My arms were around his
neck.
Gasping with desire, I broke the kiss.
Pushing him away, I turned around to get my bearings. Randy’s hands were on my
waist, keeping me steady.
“It’s late,” I whispered to the darkness.
“Not that late.”
“They’ll be waiting for me.”
I let him draw me close again, feeling his
chest against my back. My eyes searched the darkness. Then I saw it. With an
effort, I took a step away.
“We have to hurry.”
“What’s the rush?” his voice was raspy. From
too much singing or too much arousal, I couldn’t say for sure. It didn’t
matter.
Grabbing his arm, I led him across the road.
There was an old barn at the back of the lot. Large trees provided a barrier
behind it. We were hidden from any prying eyes. I stopped in the shadows and
faced him.
“Set up the chair.”
Randy didn’t understand. He reached for me
and I pushed his hand away.
“Set up the chair. Take off your pants and
sit down.”
“Are you serious?”
I was already undoing my shorts. “It’s a
quickie or nothing.”
“I’ll take the quickie.”
“Then set up the damn chair. I am not rolling
around in the grass.”
It’s amazing what you can accomplish with
the proper motivation.
* * *
Linda sat up in bed reading. Logan lay curled
in the corner. He raised his head briefly as I entered the room, then relaxed.
She was having a difficult time keeping a straight face. I recalled seeing her
dance with a number of men during the concert. That same expression appeared on
more than one occasion when a guy would get a little too friendly. It bordered
on innocence. She gave up and beamed a smile at me.
“Did you take the long way home?”
I flopped on the bed beside her. “Shut up.”
“You’re very flushed.”
“It’s a warm night.”
“Not that warm. Actually there’s a lovely
cool breeze coming off the lake. And speaking of coming…”
“Shut up,” I said playfully. She closed her
book and slid down alongside me.
‘I’m happy for you. Randy is a really nice
guy. The way he lights up around you is special.”
“He is pretty cool.” I dragged a finger down
her bronzed arm. It was still difficult to believe what had happened these last
few nights. At some point, I expected to awaken and discover it was all a
lovely dream.
“We’re only here for a few more days. Or do
you think this could lead to something else? It’s a four-hour drive from home.”
I gave my head a slow shake. “Don’t think I
could handle a long distance relationship. We’re just having fun.”
“A lot of fun.”
“Yeah.”
She couldn’t stop smiling at me. “A lot of
earth shattering, hot and steamy, passionate fun. At least, there aren’t any
grass stains on your shorts.”
“Shut up.”
“Go shower.”
Here are some links where you can find "Once Upon a Summer"
I was on the road a bit this last week and stumbled upon this great tune by Stevie Wonder.
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