The Fun (and Challenge) in Writing a Family Saga Series by Nancy Fraser

Organization. It's a darned good thing it's one of my strengths. Creating a six-book series, in a fictitious setting where each book leads into the next, and the characters recur in each subsequent book, requires a few intricate spreadsheets.

First, the family tree. To know where you're going, you have to know where you come from.

A timeline, so that every story falls into the right time period. If book one starts in spring of 1865, and the story goes six months, and the heroine is two months pregnant at the end of the story ... well, let's just say ... when she gives birth in book two, it better be the correct number of months later! The same goes for each subsequent story, picking up the "family" activities where they left off the time before.

A town directory. Or, in the case of my Love's a Gamble series, three towns. Each with their own sheriff or marshal, hotel, saloon, storekeeper, banker, and assorted recurring citizens.

Developing the setting required research of the area post-Civil War. My collection of materials probably rivals what you'd find in library. Creating my own little world has been both a challenge and blessing. I've come to know these people, developed respect for my strong heroines, fallen in love with my heroes (who doesn't). I've cried with them, laughed at their inside jokes, rejoiced in the extension of the family legacy, and fretted over how I'm going to handle the most challenging aspect of bringing the series to a close.

I can't imagine not becoming involved in their fictitious lives to the point that a goodbye will bittersweet. Which is probably why I took the original three stories and threw in enough compelling secondary characters to create three more books. Who knows? Maybe I'll slide in a few more along the way.

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Here's a peek at His Marriage Gamble ~ Love's a Gamble, Book 2:

Felicity Beaumont, the rebellious daughter of Louisiana elite devises a plan to move her father’s illegally owned slaves north to safety using the gambling river boat known as the Lucky Lady. Dressed as a young farm boy, she attempts to sell family heirlooms to raise the funds she needs. Short the full amount, she continues her ruse and bargains her way aboard the boat as their chaperone.

Charismatic owner of the Lucky Lady, Jake McAlister doesn’t trust women, and when he discovers Felicity’s subterfuge, he remembers exactly why.

While they find themselves in agreement about helping the free men and women, they are at odds over everything else, including their quickly escalating feelings for one another. When caught between Felicity’s powerful father and the ire of a local judge, they’re forced into a marriage neither wanted.

Can they make the best of a bad situation? And, will gambling on love be a bust or reap them both a happily ever after?

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His Marriage Gamble is on release-week sale for just 99¢

I'd love to hear from both our readers and authors: How hard do you find it to leave the book behind? Do you miss the characters? Or, are you ready to move on?

Until next month, stay safe, stay happy, stay well read!

Nancy

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