I want to thank those readers who have told me they enjoyed the first book in the Mary Christmas series, Slay Bells. And I hope these same readers, and others, will anticipate the publication of the second book in the series, Bleak Midwinter, to be published later this fall. Also, I am diligently working on the third book, Cold Snap . . . so stay tuned.
During the waiting, and hopefully some warm summer months, I would also like to offer these thoughts on writing the mystery series . . . or at least how I experience writing one.
A mystery series needs to be character-driven--with new revelations coming forward in each book, sometimes surprising in terms of what the reader can learn about the characters, their outlooks and their emotional, relational, and psychological development. Suspense is tightened through tension . . . and in the case of Mary Christmas and her romance with Lance, the course of true love must not run too smoothly. There must be difficulties and these must mirror true life.
Look for the sexual tension between Mary and Lance to burn a little hotter in the subsequent novels. And I hope readers will enjoy the new twists found in the characters of Silvia and David, Mary's best friends, and what they can bring to the narratives.
This second novel, as the title implies, will deal with a rather bleak subject, but one that I hope I can take on with equal parts realism and the "cozy" unfolding of the mystery and mayhem.
Again, thanks for reading . . .
Yours in mystery and romance,
~R.L. Perry
