Guest Blog: Sharon Hamilton: Writing Series

  I used to hear authors talk about writing their different genres and series. Advice was given to have the author use different pen names for each genre. I can completely agree if the genres don’t mix, like erotic romance and YA. But I’ve also heard some NYT best-selling authors say they almost killed their careers by doing so, that a following will follow you no matter where you go. It can also take awhile to build a following from an unknown name.

My personal opinion, now that I have some knowledge under my belt, having Indie pubbed 5 books and 4 shorts in 4 different genres, is that it depends on the heat level. If someone read one of my hot Navy SEAL Brotherhood series, they should expect the same level of heat in reading the Golden Vampires of Tuscany, or my Guardian Angels.   

Except for a different tone of voice, stemming from the different characters (okay, I admit it, the SEALs have a serious case of potty mouth), I think this is what has happened. Now, if I’m writing a big book, say a high concept book, or a sweet romance, then use of a pen name should be used.

I also used to wonder why authors wrote different genres, but now I understand why. It is like a palate cleansing tool. I get to wear a different set of clothes, like the red ones for my vamps instead of the camis for the SEALs. Since the heat level is the same, and most of my villain characters and all of my Navy guys swear up a blue streak, I find no problem in doing this.

Writing series, which seems to be what most successful authors are going for these days, really helps you snatch and grab your readers and your fan base. If they like one book in the series, they’ll go for all of them. The beauty of electronic files is I can have the buy links for the next books at the back of my book. One brilliant author I recently read had an automatic review on Amazon you could load up from your Kindle after reading “The End.” Smart. Very smart. Unlike in some traditional publishers, where they are trying to sell other books in their line belonging to other authors, my book just sells me. Of course, I don’t have the advantage of my books being sold at the back of other authors, but, hey, I’m open. Any takers?

The other thing I like about series is that you get to know the world in which your characters live in. You can reuse some of the same places, secondary characters. Or, even better, secondary characters can have their own book. We see a lot of large families with eligible brothers these days, don’t we? Again, very smart. I use my men on SEAL Team 3 in much the same way, as they are true brothers in almost every way.

What about you? Do you love to read series? Do you find yourself buying every book by the author or by the series? What are some of your favorites?

GIVEAWAY/CONTEST

Every person leaving a comment will win a free Kindle download of SEAL Encounter, the short/prequel to Fallen SEAL Legacy. One winner will receive the eBook Fallen SEAL Legacy and a set of dog tags with the SEAL book covers (Jimmy Thomas at his best). Please leave your email in the body of your comment. Enjoy!


BLURB: Fallen SEAL Legacy

Nebraska born and bred Navy SEAL Calvin “Coop” Cooper, after his own family has perished in a tornado, is ordered to meet the family of a prominent San Diego psychiatrist. The doctor’s brother is a fallen SEAL medic who died in Grenada. There, Cooper meets Libby Brownlee, the beautiful niece of this fallen hero. Heavily influenced by her father, “We don’t speak military here,” is her comment about the military in general, and the SEAL community in particular.

What starts out as a frosty debate between two people privately dealing with their own personal grief, turns into a passionate affair neither expected. Just as Cooper realizes perhaps Libby is the woman he’s always been looking for, she is snatched out from under him by a psychopathic killer bent on revenge.

Dr. Brownlee is forced to rely on Cooper’s help, along with his buddies in SEAL Team 3. Will Cooper be able to survive the loss of the woman he loves, or will his self sacrifice be enough to keep her safe?

BIO:  

Sharon Hamilton loves all things paranormal: Angels, Dark Angels, Watchers, Guardians, Upogenie and Vampires. She also has developed a series of hot romantic suspense Navy SEAL stories that have ranked her in the top 100 at Amazon in that genre and the book ranked in the top 100 for 12 weeks in a row.

Her characters follow a spicy road to redemption through passion and true love—not exactly what they taught you in Sunday School! 

An avid organic vegetable and flower gardener, Sharon and her husband live in the Wine Country in Northern California, where most of her stories take place.

Sharon Hamilton

Life is one fool thing after another.

Love is two fool things after each other.

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Accidental SEAL  SEAL Encounter  Fallen SEAL Legacy   SEAL Endeavor  all available through Amazon

Heavenly Lover (Amazon) (Nook)   Underworld Lover  (Amazon) (Nook)   Honeymoon Bite  (Amazon) (Nook)

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