My latest release, What Happens in Charleston... is part of a 6 book continuity, DYNASTIES: THE KINCAIDS which made it a bit more special and fun to write.
There were six authors on an eLoop, all discussing things like the overarching plot of the books, the details about family Sunday lunches and what a little boy would call his aunts. Fun!
There were six authors on an eLoop, all discussing things like the overarching plot of the books, the details about family Sunday lunches and what a little boy would call his aunts. Fun!
The full list of Kincaid stories:
Sex, Lies and the Southern BelleKathie DeNosky, January
What Happens in Charleston...
Rachel Bailey, February
Behind Boardroom Doors
Jennifer Lewis, March
On the Verge of I Do
Heidi Betts, April
One Dance with the Sheikh
Tessa Radley, May
A Very Private Merger
Day Leclaire, June
All the stories are about the rich, powerful Kincaid family, and I was given the second son (well, I should say the second *legitimate* son!), Matthew Kincaid. From the back cover:
Money has always given Matthew Kincaid whatever he wanted. Yet now his son needs something even his millions can't buy. The widower's sole recourse is the surrogate who gave birth to his child—for she is also the boy's true biological mother.
Susannah Parrish needs no prodding to offer her assistance—a child's life is at stake. But to their mutual surprise, the minute she's back in Charleston and residing in Matthew's home, passion consumes them. Is this a relationship doomed by deception? Or is it the one chance at a love they both secretly crave?
Susannah Parrish needs no prodding to offer her assistance—a child's life is at stake. But to their mutual surprise, the minute she's back in Charleston and residing in Matthew's home, passion consumes them. Is this a relationship doomed by deception? Or is it the one chance at a love they both secretly crave?
I totally fell in love with Matthew and his son Flynn while writing their story, and wanted to be friends with Susannah. And now I really want to visit Charleston and the other places in South Carolina that I researched!
Writing one book in a series about a complicated family made me think about other series I've started then gobbled up. Some recent ones I've loved:
The Lucky Harbor books by Jill Shalvis - I've read the first two, Simply Irresistible and The Sweetest Thing, and have the third on my bedside table. Gorgeous!
The Harry Potter series, which weren't recent reads but I did recently buy the last movie, so it still feels recent and I still don't want to leave that world.
The Outback Baby books, with Their Newborn Gift by Nikki Beynon, The Cattleman, the Baby and Me by Michelle Douglas and One Small Miracle by Melissa James. Beautiful stories!
The Spymaster books by Joanna Bourne. This was thanks to a tip from Helen in the comments to a post a couple of months ago where I was asking for recommendations. She recommended one of these, and I tried My Lord and Spymaster from the library. Adored it, so am now in the process of buying them all. Thanks, Helen!
Writing one book in a series about a complicated family made me think about other series I've started then gobbled up. Some recent ones I've loved:
The Lucky Harbor books by Jill Shalvis - I've read the first two, Simply Irresistible and The Sweetest Thing, and have the third on my bedside table. Gorgeous!
The Harry Potter series, which weren't recent reads but I did recently buy the last movie, so it still feels recent and I still don't want to leave that world.
The Outback Baby books, with Their Newborn Gift by Nikki Beynon, The Cattleman, the Baby and Me by Michelle Douglas and One Small Miracle by Melissa James. Beautiful stories!
The Spymaster books by Joanna Bourne. This was thanks to a tip from Helen in the comments to a post a couple of months ago where I was asking for recommendations. She recommended one of these, and I tried My Lord and Spymaster from the library. Adored it, so am now in the process of buying them all. Thanks, Helen!And one I haven't read yet but can't wait to get my hands on: Kylie Griffin's Vengeance Born and Alliance Forged. I love a good fantasy and these promise to be fabulous.
So, what series have you been enjoying lately?
I haven't read a series for AGES but am very much looking forward to the Kincaids! Brainstorming the interwoven lives of so many characters sounds like fun.
ReplyDeleteWow, Rach, what an endeavour working on a continuity. You mentioned being given the second legitimate son - were names drawn out of a hat or did you all put dibs on the characters? And what about timelines? Are they written with the stories happening simultaneously or spread over a series of months or years?
ReplyDeleteAnd thank you for giving VB & AF a small feature in your post - you're a gem! :-)
Oh, Rach, I LOVE your cover...not to mention your title. I'm really looking forward to reading this series. Though I might wait until I have all the books so I can devour them one after the other. :-)
ReplyDeleteLike you, I devoured the Harry Potter books as soon as they came out, and I really, really want to read the Joanna Bourne Spymaster books. I'm looking forward to Kylie's Vengeance Born too.
I've just finished the first in the Kerry Greenwood Phyrne Fisher mysteries, and I can certainly recommend it. I will be grabbing another couple of titles when I'm next at the library (I totally adore the 1920s).
Hmm... might add Jill Shalvis to my list of to-look-intos as well.
Barb, it's funny that we go through phases of reading lots of series then not so much.
ReplyDeleteOh, there's another one I forgot to mention - Julia Quinn's Bridgertons. I've read a few Julia Quinns before but only read my first Bridgerton last week. There will be more in my future!
Kylie, you're welcome for the mention - that cover alone is enough to make me want to read it!
ReplyDeleteThe Kincaids was an editor-led continuity, so the editors came up with the family and their situation (the father has just died and during the will reading everyone finds out about the illegitimate side of the family!).
I was invited into the series and offered Matthew Kincaid's story, so I then fleshed it out and turned in a long synopsis. And we all read each other's long synopses to make sure all pieces of the jigsaw fitted together.
The timeline is 6 months - with each story happening in the month it's released. So my story happens during February. The last story, Day Leclaire's A Very Private Merger happens in June, but we get a little bit of what they're doing the other months in a short story at the end of each of the first five books.
Michelle, I LOVE that cover too!
ReplyDeletePeople have mentioned the Phryne Fisher mysteries before - and haven't they made a TV show from them?
Maybe we should add a Jill Shalvis or Joanna Bourne to our reading club?
The book suggestions for our reading-club seem to be growing. And that's something to be encouraged, methinks. :-) *Michelle duly adds Shalvis and Bourne to the list*
ReplyDeleteAnd, yes, they are making a TV show of the Phryne Fisher mysteries. I'm not sure when it (they?) will hit local TV screens, but I'll be very interested to see how they "do" Phryne, so to speak.
I second the high five on your fabulous cover! And Kylie's too! Can not wait to read that one =) (I've already read and *loved* Rachel's Kincaid brother =))
ReplyDeleteOne series I is Patricia Cornwell's Scarpetti books. I think I heard that the movie will star Angelina?
Nothing beats a great series!!
I was reading about the Phryne Fisher mysteries just yesterday. There is a TV series coming. I want to read the books first.
ReplyDeleteThat is some coordination effort, Rach! Bet there were some lengthy emails back and forth. :-) But what a challenge - sounds like you had fun.
ReplyDeleteMichelle, I've added them to the list too. I foresee some busy bookclubbing in our near future!
ReplyDeleteAww, Robbie, thanks for the sweet words about the Kincaid book. Of course, without you reading it, it might not have been the same. :)
ReplyDeleteInteresting on the Patricia Cornwall movie - must tell dh. He loves her books.
Marybelle, thanks for that. I thought I'd seen somewhere that a TV series was coming. GREAT idea to read the books first!
ReplyDeleteKylie, yep, there was lots of coordination, but you're right that it was fun. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm LOVING SHannon Stacey's Kowalski men and I just started Nora Robert's latest. I'm a BIG series fan :)
ReplyDeleteWow, Rachel - it's exciting to see all the titles for this series all lined up like that! I'm looking forward to finding out more about the fabulous Kincaid family - I'm lucky enough to have already read the gorgeous Matthew and Flynn and Susannah's story! Readers are in for a treat when this hits the shelves!
ReplyDeleteI've read a couple of the wonderful series you've listed - Harry Potter and the Outback Babies. I must follow up on the others you've listed and I'm hanging out for Kylie's Vengeance Born, too! I've just been over to her blog to double check the release and she has a clock ticking down the seconds, minutes, hours and days! So right now it's 6 days, 16 hours, 45 minutes and 5... 4... 3...
Rach, I've heard a lot about Shannon Stacey's books, so this might be the final push I needed to check them out! I haven't seen Nora Roberts's latest, so will look at that one at the same time. :)
ReplyDeleteRachel, I love the title of your latest. Great.
ReplyDeleteReading some Sexy series books at the moment. Also rereading Agatha Christie's autobiography.
Sharon, thank you for the sweet words, but mainly thank you for your help with Matthew, Flynn and Susannah's story, especially with all the medical bits! Note to self: never attempt a story with medical aspects without a medical scientist as a wing-woman.
ReplyDeleteThat count down clock of Kylie's is fabulous! I've looked at it a few times. :)
Sue, I love that title as well! I can't claim it, though - my clever editor came up with it. :)
ReplyDeleteInteresting on the Agatha Christie biography. I haven't read a Sexy in a while, but I used to love them - might have to root through my TBR pile because I know there's an Annie West there!