So happy to have you with us, Catherine!
Thank you for having me on your blog today, Faith. Instead of the typical interview, I thought I’d take on the subject of trilogy’s and why we love them.
First, let’s clear up a little something that is sometimes questioned. What is the difference between a true trilogy and a series of books? And no, it isn’t that there are three books in one and less or more in the other. LOL
Obviously, trilogy means three books, but the meat that binds these books together is more than just the same family going through life. A trilogy is a series of three books that either have the same ‘antagonist’ (bad guy, or in the case of my books, girl) or conflict that isn’t solved until the end of book three. In romance, the reader expects a happily ever after at the end of each book. It’s a given. It’s why we pick the books up and stay awake all night reading them. But to have the same bad guy still musing about at the end of book one gives the reader the hope that in book three they’ll see that bad guy get theirs. I suppose a true trilogy can have a love story that takes three books until the hero and heroine have the promise of forever, but I haven’t read it if it’s out there. Why do we read them?
Simple. We romance readers are voyeurs. Really, we sneak into the personal lives of these characters and watch their every move. And even when they have their happily ever after, we want to see what tomorrow looks like. In trilogy books, and even in series romance, we manage a glimpse of book one’s H/H while reading book two. Seeing them work through life’s issues is rewarding even after the ring is on the finger or the bun is in the oven.
Why do we hate them?
But, Catherine, I don’t hate them!
Yes you do!
You hate that they take so long between books to make it into your hands. So my question to you, dear blogger, do you wait until all three books are out before you bother picking up book one? I confess that I do. Nora Roberts writes wonderful arcs in her trilogies, but I won’t pick up book one until three is on the stands. With her, the wait isn’t very long. *Grin.
What about the series of books?
Most of us identify a series of books to be books involving different family members with different conflicts, antagonists and stories. These books are just as rewarding as a trilogy because we get to see all those characters we fell in love with before. On the paranormal side, we think of Karen Marie Moaning, JR Ward etc. It used to be hard to find books in a series; luckily that isn’t the case any longer.
When a trilogy and series collide… what do we call it?
I have no idea. Payday for the writer maybe. Shannon K. Butcher writes a series called The Sentinel Wars, which I just love. The conflict and antagonist is about a war between two species, so the arc isn’t always one key bad guy. The unlimited amount of love stories in a series that travels five or six books is staggering. Bottom line, everyone has a story and unless you live in a cave, you’ll have a love story to tell.
Okay, that’s all I have folks. I’d love to hear your take on Trilogy’s and Series Romance. What you love and what you hate about them.
Check out my latest release, Redeeming Vows from The Wild Rose Press… But if you haven’t picked up book one, Binding Vows, or book two, Silent Vows, you might want to start there.
Binding Vows (Book One MacCoinnich Time Travel Trilogy)
Silent Vows (Book Two MacCoinnich Time Travel Trilogy)
Redeeming Vows (Book Two MacCoinnich Time Travel Trilogy)
Before the Moon Rises (Ritter Werewolf Series Book One)
Embracing the Wolf (Ritter Werewolf Series Book Two)
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