To Sequel Or Not To Sequel: That Is The Question

More than one reader has asked if there will be a sequel to THE BOOK OF KELL.  Good question!  And thanks so much for reading and enjoying my post-apocalyptic YA thriller!  The reviews and response to this story have been fantastic--readers really seem to have connected with Kell and other characters, and their struggles and triumphs.  (not to mention adventures, calamities and mysterious conundrums!)

The quick answer to the sequel question is:  I'm Not Sure.

I did not envision THE BOOK OF KELL as a series when I wrote the novel.  Which is kind of funny, actually, because I did envision my first published novel (SHADOW POINT) as a series and #3 as well (HEAVENLY MOVES).  There's no doubt that I've been a genre-hopper so far in my writing career:  from a ghost story (whose awesome working title pre-publication was LESBIAN GHOST BEACH) to a Midwest love triangle to an 80s' rock 'n' roll murder mystery to a post-apocalyptic YA thriller.

Whew!  I do feel ready to settle down now, so to speak, as a writer and commit to one or more series.  And Kell's world most definitely has enough "meat" in it to support a series.  The occasional short story (or standalone novel) can satisfy my cravings for tales outside series boundaries.  You know--outer space, the Wild West, zombies, public transportation, time travel, Christmas, steampunk, stuff like that.  Oh, and serial killers--lots of serial killers.  Murder. Most. Foul.

There's a queue in my head of novels and stories impatiently waiting to be written.  For years, the sequel to SHADOW POINT has been at the head of that line.  I really, really want to write that one--it's called LUCKY and picks up pretty much right where SHADOW POINT left off, with Madison, Pipe and Katie now living in San Francisco.  (having left that isolated, terrifying, haunted San Diego beach and its malevolent phantom behind--or have they...)

But LUCKY got pushed back into the #2 slot (sorry, LUCKY!) by Novel #5 which I recently completed.  One reason for Novel #5's takeover of first place was the simple fact that it took many, MANY years for me to write THE BOOK OF KELL.  Way too long.  In contrast, I whipped out Novel #5 in about 18 months--lightning fast for a slow writer like me, but a pace I plan to equal or better with future books.

But even 18 months is a long commitment of time and energy.  Writing a novel is a marathon, not a sprint.  And most definitely not a walk in the park.  With five books under my belt (a very uncomfortable place to store them), I still have to say that writing a novel is one of the most difficult things I've ever done.  Incredibly worthwhile (to me) and satisfying, but Really Freakin' Difficult.  The stamina and mental discipline required are immense.  Good thing it's super fun!

But it's a serious decision to make--which book will I write next?  There are only so many hours in a day, so many years in a life, so many novels in these fingertips.  I have to be smart with my resource allocation.  (don't worry, I'm not planning to pop off anytime soon, just being practical--like Kell!)

So to circle back to the question of the day:  Yep, I still don't know if there will be a sequel to THE BOOK OF KELL.

But I do know there will be a PREQUEL of sorts!!!  That's right, Dear Reader--a short story is coming soon with Kell, East, Gran and more.  For those who've already read THE BOOK OF KELL, you'll gain fresh insights into The Settlement and characters you've already met, plus meet some new ones.  (some sexy new ones)

Even better, this story--called THE FIRST TIME--will be available FREE from Bella Books for a limited time.  More details to follow as the publication date approaches.  Stay tuned!


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