The Proposal Stage
I've had a bunch of questions about how to write a series when you're not a plotter. I can't speak for everyone, but I can say this was an issue for me when I wrote the Mystery Men for Intrigue. When my editor asked if I would consider writing a four-book series with an overarching mystery, I did what I always do in these circumstances, I said "sure" and then later tried to figure out how the heck to write it. To get the deal I had to write a proposal. If you read the proposal now after reading the books you'd be confused because they do not match.
Next week I'll give you a behind-the-scenes look at what the series looked like when I proposed it versus what it looks like now that it's done. You may be surprised at how much the series changed while I wrote it. Trevor being the Recovery Project's nemesis throughout all four books? A total surprise to me. The heroines in the last two books? Totally changed from the proposal. Vince? No idea where he came from. What happened to Rod? Even I didn't know until about midway through the second book, GUNNING FOR TROUBLE.
In the meantime, here is Adam's reaction (the hero in LOCKED AND LAODED, book #3) when he met Sela (the heroine in THE BIG GUNS, book#4) the first time. They didn't exactly like each other, which is a problem when Adam's best friend falls for Sela later:
Adam ripped open the door to the outer office of the suite and spied Sela's desk. Small room, big desk. It was a nice set-up for a boss who wanted to enjoy some quiet time with his assistant.
She slid in front of Adam as he reached for the door to Trevor's inner office. "You can't go in there."
"But I am." He wore a t-shirt and carried a gun. A smart woman would know he wasn't all that concerned with rules and statements about the hours of operation.
She frowned at him. "You need an appointment."
Adam looked her over. He couldn't figure out if she was brave or stupid. She certainly seemed prepared to sacrifice her life for Trevor. That meant one thing: this was not the usual boss-secretary relationship. Not the kind human resources bragged about in the sexual harassment seminars.
Finding a hot blonde in Trevor's outer office wasn't a surprise. Adam assumed pretty women with big breasts went with the wealth and power routine. This one looked a bit young, but it wasn't his business.
He put his hand on Sela's arm and shifted her to the side and away from the doorknob. "You should leave."
"I can't let you-" Her gaze found the gun.
Adam knew then she hadn't seen it before. That explained the show of strange bravado.
"Don't hurt him." She whispered the plea.
"Your boyfriend will be fine."
"He's my boss."
"Call him whatever you want, I'm going in."
