Day: October 5, 2022

As a reader, I love connected books. I’m talking beyond just series, though I am an absolute fanatic for series. But what I mean here is for multiple books from the same author that has a character or a thing pop up in books that aren’t necessarily connected in any other way.

There you are, reading along, and the MC in the book has an interaction with someone else. And because you’ve read other books by that author, you recognize that person for who they actually are. Or the MC goes to a place that’s shown up before somewhere else. It always gives me a little thrill, like I’m in on an inside secret, and I think “Ha! I know that!” I particularly love it when it happens in a way that doesn’t necessarily impact the story. The MC could have had that conversation withany person or gone to any café/restaurant. 

When I write these kinds of things (and tbh, I haven’t done it as much as I’ve wanted to) I always have a little giggle about it. Jason didn’t have to send Cody gingerbread goodies from Pounds and Grounds, but it was fun for me to include it. Those two books don’t actually have anything to do with one another, but it was just an extra tidbit. Readers don’t lose anything if they haven’t read one or the other, but if you have readPumpkin Rolls & Porn Sounds then you get that “Ha!” moment when you read Gingerbread & Good Tidings. It was something that came to me in the moment, when I was writing that Christmas story, that I could include Pounds and Grounds

But one place I did it deliberately is with The 12^th Witchand the very soon to be released Crystal Clear. 

For some explanation, I created the Magical Bureau of Investigations (though I know I’m not the only one). The MBI was invented for my worlds in which the human world knows about the paranormal one. And I had plans for it that never saw the light of day. 

But when I began writing Gareth and Owen’s serial story here on the blog, I knew it was time to make the MBI resurface. And, as you know, that led to a sequel for Agent Delaney Willis with his shifter mate Walker (and side note: don’t worry, you’ll see them again soon). When I was writing The 12^th Witch, it only seemed natural for the MBI to be the Federal arm of law enforcement for that book as well. I realized pretty quickly that Justin and Cole would also get a sequel, as their story wasn’t done yet. 

And that’s when I decided, the moment I started writing Crystal Clear, that I would include an Easter egg. One that doesn’t impact the story in any appreciable way. But that readers of the blog serial will definitely spot. And hopefully have that “Ha!” moment. 

Crystal Clear will be out October 8^th. You can preorder it here.