A Series of Unfortunate Waiting....

Last night, I finished up the latest Janet Evanovich book in which bungling bounty hunter Stephanie Plum and her spandex-loving side-kick Lula rescue Stephanie's slimy boss/cousin Vinne the pervert (he once had a romantic relationship with duck). Of course, there are other memorable characters...hot cop Morelli, dangerous and sexy Ranger (who I'd probably be stalking if he was real), perpetually stoned Mooner (his name says it all), and the infamous, gun-toting, funeral-crashing Grandma Mazur.

As per usual, the minute I finished the 300+ pages, I was instantly thinking about what kind of sh*tstorm Stephanie and friends might find themselves in next time...and I'll have to wait a whole year to find out! GAH!

Which got me to thinking about series books in general. To be honest, it really didn't take much. I've been thinking about it a lot lately. :)

You see, I love things in series. How can anyone not? I mean, you spend something like three, four, sometimes five hundred pages with a set a characters. You get to know them. At the risk of sounding completely mental, they're like your friends. And, then the book ends, and you're like "I'm glad everything turned out okay, but I want to see them again."

Admit it. You've had these same thoughts. Okay. Don't admit it, but you and I know the truth.

So, when another book involving those same characters comes along, you snatch it right up. You devour the words as if they the only thing that could possibly nourish you. And, just like that, they're gone again...and you are left to wait until the author deigns to throw a few more crumbs your way.

Believe me. I understand. I myself am hooked on several series in addition to Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum books. There's JD Robb's IN DEATH series...Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse and Harper Connelly books...PC & Kristin Cast HON novels....James Patterson's Manhattan Women's Murder Club...only to name a few....

So is it any wonder that I myself have fallen victim to the series virus that plagues us writers? I have written two novels that I love to pieces where the characters keep coming back to me, shouting at me, begging me to give them another story. And, they are tempting in deed. It is taking all my will power to push them off to the side, to say, "Wait, just a little longer." They're getting antsy, and I have to admit that so am I. Soon, I may have to let them loose to tell their stories...very soon.

How about all of you? Do you have any series books that you can't imagine your life without? Or do you have a crapload of story ideas flying around inside your head all revolving around this one MC? I'd love to hear about it in the comments:)