A Series or a Stand Alone Title?

I just had another fan write about wanting to see more of Bella and Devlyn from Heart of the Wolf and the question is--what do you prefer? Reading a series where the main protagonists continue the story in a series, or stand-alone titles where the world is the same, but the characters are different and have their own story?

When I first wrote Heart of the Wolf, I didn't know if it would sell. There was a whole lot of interest in it both from publishers and agents, and yet it still didn't sell. But I really loved the world and began to write another wolf tale--Destiny of the Wolf, same world, different pack. No sense in writing another Bella and Devlyn story if I couldn't sell the first one.

Once Heart of the Wolf sold, I still didn't know if my publisher would pick up Destiny of the Wolf, the second wolf tale I was writing, so I began writing about yet another wolf pack, and then another. So for To Tempt the Wolf and Legend of the White Wolf the packs and locations are all different.

Yet, some of the characters from earlier books began making appearances in the other books. Leidolf, who was in the first 4 books, had his own story in Seduced by the Wolf. And even the omega wolf who was in Legend of the White Wolf, ended up in Seduced by the Wolf. Devlyn from Heart of the Wolf made a cameo appearance in To Tempt the Wolf.

Then as requests from readers began coming in for more stories about the Destiny of the Wolf pack, I began writing their stories. And I received a lot of requests for Hunter's sister's story from To Tempt the Wolf, so her story is coming out in The Wolf and the SEAL in 2012.

A lot of new readers to the series read them out of order, which works fine because they are more stand alone. So for me, it works. And I'm afraid a strictly one pack kind of series with the initial characters being the same throughout would have lost their appeal after a few books.

However, I've had several recent requests for a return to Bella and Devlyn's pack, and ironically, I had begun a story to tie into them a long time ago...so maybe it's time to dig it up and write some more on it. What do you all think? :)

I'm getting closer to the end of The Highland Wolf in Paradise! And editing the The Siren's Lure--a short story I'd written a while back about a vampire who wishes upon a falling star and ends up with more than he bargained for. :)

To Stand Alone or to Write in a Series....that is the question.

Have a super hump day!!!

Terry
"Giving new meaning to the term alpha male."
www.terryspear.com