Diane Chamberlain's Blog - Posts Tagged "keeper"
The Challenge of Promoting a Sequel
How do I avoid letting the cat out of the bag?
I'm working on the updates for my website and have discovered a major challenge: how do I tell my readers about Secrets She Left Behind without revealing too much about Before the Storm? You see, Secrets She Left Behind stands alone just fine, but it is also a sequel to Before the Storm. If someone hasn't already read Storm, how do I tell them about Secrets without giving away the twists in Storm? Not only is this a dilemma with regard to my website, it will be a dilemma at my upcoming speaking engagements and signings. (The back cover copy of Secrets gives away the major twist to Storm, as well).
I've seen two reviews of Secrets so far. Both were obviously written by people who hadn't read Before the Storm, and both were excellent, so I know the book stands alone just fine. That is a goal when I write any books that are linked: they must work apart as well as they work together, so that's a relief. But picture this: I'm at a bookstore where I'll be speaking. People approach the table where the books are displayed and casually read the back covers, as they will most definitely do, trying to decide which book to buy. I hate that they will learn what happens in Before the Storm when they read the cover copy of Secrets.
However, there's almost no way of describing the story in Secrets without giving away Storm. I'm determined to come up with a way to talk about the new book without ruining the surprises in the older book. It's going to be quite the challenge. For those of you who read the Keeper of the Light trilogy backwards (and I know there were many of you!), did it bother you that you knew what was going to happen in the first book when you got around to reading it? Am I worrying too much about this?
I'm working on the updates for my website and have discovered a major challenge: how do I tell my readers about Secrets She Left Behind without revealing too much about Before the Storm? You see, Secrets She Left Behind stands alone just fine, but it is also a sequel to Before the Storm. If someone hasn't already read Storm, how do I tell them about Secrets without giving away the twists in Storm? Not only is this a dilemma with regard to my website, it will be a dilemma at my upcoming speaking engagements and signings. (The back cover copy of Secrets gives away the major twist to Storm, as well).
I've seen two reviews of Secrets so far. Both were obviously written by people who hadn't read Before the Storm, and both were excellent, so I know the book stands alone just fine. That is a goal when I write any books that are linked: they must work apart as well as they work together, so that's a relief. But picture this: I'm at a bookstore where I'll be speaking. People approach the table where the books are displayed and casually read the back covers, as they will most definitely do, trying to decide which book to buy. I hate that they will learn what happens in Before the Storm when they read the cover copy of Secrets.
However, there's almost no way of describing the story in Secrets without giving away Storm. I'm determined to come up with a way to talk about the new book without ruining the surprises in the older book. It's going to be quite the challenge. For those of you who read the Keeper of the Light trilogy backwards (and I know there were many of you!), did it bother you that you knew what was going to happen in the first book when you got around to reading it? Am I worrying too much about this?
Plotting and Playing
I’ve found the way to keep the dogs with me on the beach: bacon treats in my pocket. As a matter of fact, I can’t get them away from my side, but that’s okay. I love that dogs are allowed loose on the beach here off season, especially since we usually have the beach to ourselves. Those red things around my waist are their leashes in case I need them, but Keeper and Jet are really learning good beach etiquette.
The weather’s been absolutely perfect here this week, unlike the last time I was here with a friend and we were stranded in The Storm that had No End. I’m working on my next book (due in April. Yikes!) tentatively titled The Waif, and John and I had a fantastic brainstorming session at our fave restaurant last night, Sears Landing. (Between the yummy restaurants for dinner and Just Baked’s cinnamon rolls for breakfast, I think I’ve put on a pound a day while we’ve been here).
But back to the brainstorming. My characters are starting to emerge. I have a long way to go with them and one thing I have to figure out is whether to take the story in a “suspense and danger” direction or stick to ”strictly emotional jeopardy”. Which do you prefer reading?
This afternoon, we’re going to spend some time on the Surf City Pier, which I believe will have a small but significant role in my story. Tonight we’ll spend more time on the deck with my fabulous telescope, as we’ve done every night this week. The moon is as close as my fingertips!
For my bedtime reading, I’m rereading the converted scan of Reflection as I ready it for publication as an e-book. I love that story, but it’s striking me as quite different from many of my other books. Denser, somehow. Very layered with loads of description. Maybe too much for some of my current readers? I’m not going to change it, though, because I personally think the descriptions fit a story that has a setting as evocative as the Pennsylvania Dutch Country.
So that’s what I’m up to this week. I leave you with the view from the second bedroom in our condo. I love this little peek at one of the Operation Bumblebee towers that dot Topsail Island, one of which my fictional Marcus in Before the Storm turned into his home.
Hope your week is going as well as mine!
The weather’s been absolutely perfect here this week, unlike the last time I was here with a friend and we were stranded in The Storm that had No End. I’m working on my next book (due in April. Yikes!) tentatively titled The Waif, and John and I had a fantastic brainstorming session at our fave restaurant last night, Sears Landing. (Between the yummy restaurants for dinner and Just Baked’s cinnamon rolls for breakfast, I think I’ve put on a pound a day while we’ve been here).
But back to the brainstorming. My characters are starting to emerge. I have a long way to go with them and one thing I have to figure out is whether to take the story in a “suspense and danger” direction or stick to ”strictly emotional jeopardy”. Which do you prefer reading?
This afternoon, we’re going to spend some time on the Surf City Pier, which I believe will have a small but significant role in my story. Tonight we’ll spend more time on the deck with my fabulous telescope, as we’ve done every night this week. The moon is as close as my fingertips!
For my bedtime reading, I’m rereading the converted scan of Reflection as I ready it for publication as an e-book. I love that story, but it’s striking me as quite different from many of my other books. Denser, somehow. Very layered with loads of description. Maybe too much for some of my current readers? I’m not going to change it, though, because I personally think the descriptions fit a story that has a setting as evocative as the Pennsylvania Dutch Country.
So that’s what I’m up to this week. I leave you with the view from the second bedroom in our condo. I love this little peek at one of the Operation Bumblebee towers that dot Topsail Island, one of which my fictional Marcus in Before the Storm turned into his home.
Hope your week is going as well as mine!
