It's always important to consider the timing of a series. When is it appropriate to continue the story, and when is it a good time to stop? Welcome Home surely could have been a standalone story, despite the fact that I wrote over 60,000 words that were never included in the story (and later got deleted with a hard drive failure *sigh*). Knowing when a story is finished -- tastefully so -- is an important key to any series, and mine is no different. While Lucy and Spencer's love story technically could have finished off with their engagement in the first book, there were doors left open for a good many things: Spencer's PTSD and how it would affect his new family, Lucy's lack of knowledge as to her father's whereabouts, Levi's perpetual lack of meaningful relationships, and what can be done about the bubbly woman known as Morgan? Intertwining these "open doors" in the first book allowed for an entire series to be born...and maybe even some short stories?
In My Compass Home, I've decided to end the story on a less-traditional note: we know that Levi and Ellie are on solid ground, but they're both starting over again, in several different contexts. Their story will continue to develop through the third book (in the background), simply because that was how quickly -- or slowly -- their relationship evolved. Not everyone's love story ends the same way.
However, I've recently been looking at the evolution of the characters and what will happen in the upcoming third book, which has prompted me to consider adding a fourth book to the series in which the series comes full-circle back to Lu and Spence solely. While I'm still working out the kinks, it seems as though this choice will make the third one a lot less crammed...which is another major consideration authors have to mull over when writing books. Putting too much into one book is exhausting, but putting too little into a book makes it straight-out boring.
The road to My Compass Home will certainly not end with its release. I have a few excellent cliffhangers especially selected for the end of My Compass Home, which will spill into the third and subsequent books...and I'm very excited about them, but I can't share them because, you know, spoilers, but here's a line that I absolutely loved:
And on another note, I would also like to give a quick announcement that if you want to check out any of my books, you ought to wait for my Memorial Day sale, which will be kicking off this Friday and running until Tuesday. Stay tuned!
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