Exhale. That’s how I feel whenever I release a new book into the wild. For standalone novels, the anxiety comes with a new story, new characters, and a new love story that I hope you’ll find compelling. For Don’t Call Me Hero, my longest running series to date, the nervousness comes from a multitude of places. Have I done the characters justice? Will readers still think this is a good match? Have I blended an adequate cold case crime with character development and moved their romance along? Or, have I jumped the shark? The latter question might be the most pressing question—the one that keeps me awake, staring at the ceiling, long after the rest of the house has gone to bed.

I’ve written about this elsewhere with the Winter Jacket series, but there’s a unique kind of pressure that comes with writing a series. It’s not just continuity (what color did I say that character’s eyes were three books ago?). It’s loyalty. You have invested time (and money!) with these characters. And with that carries a certain responsibility to do right by Cassidy & Julia, and you.

The early receipts seem to signify that I did alright. I didn’t let you down. That you’re still invested in more stories featuring these two. And as long as this remains true, you can be assured that I have many more stories to tell.

What’s next? I’ll hit the pause button on DCMH and turn my attention to a short story I promised for an iReadIndies anthology. Once that’s complete, my next novel will be a standalone. Lighthouse Keeper will be my first attempt at historical fiction. It will still be a sapphic love story, but this time the story takes place in 1874 in Provincetown, Massachusetts. I’m reading a lot these days about how lighthouses work.

Prost,

Eliza