Tuesday, April 3, 2018

WEDDING CAKE CRUMBLE release day!

RHYS BOWEN: Toot the horns! Wave the flags! Everyone cheer because it's the publication day of Jenn's latest book in the cupcake series and we're all doing a happy dance. But I'm going to let you tell her about it!

JENN McKINLAY: Thank you, Rhys! There are moments in an author's life where she has to stop and look over her shoulder at her backlist and say, "Whoa!" This is one such moment for me as WEDDING CAKE CRUMBLE is the tenth book in a series that I was quite certain wouldn't last past book three. 

Why did I feel this way? Well, I'd already had one series fade. It was a crafter's series about decoupage (yes, really) written under the name Lucy Lawrence. I figured cupcakes were as on point as decoupage and was braced for the series to be kicked to the curb. But my publisher offered for three more books before the first book even came out and the series has continued to be enthusiastically renewed ever since. What do I know? Clearly, cupcakes have staying power - must be all of that sticky frosting. I'm happy to report there will be at least two more, which will bring the series to a dozen, which was my hope all along. 

I think two more books will give me just enough page space to wrap up all of the relationships and put the series to bed. Am I committed to that course of action? I don't know. I definitely don't want the series to go on so long that it begins to lose its charm, but when is that moment and will I recognize it when it comes? I sincerely hope so. 

In the meantime, what's the premise of this book? Well, two of the main characters, Tate and Angie, are getting married...or are they? Sorry, you'll get no spoilers here! And in and around their big day several murders happen, which unfortunately are many of the vendors they've hired for their big day. Naturally, the assumption is that someone is out to stop the wedding but who and why? Is it about their wedding or is there another motive in play? You'll have to read the book to find out! 

Now, what about you Reds and Readers, what do you think is the natural ending of a series? Have you read series that went on too long? How about series that ended too soon? And what makes you keep coming back to a beloved series? 

In case you've missed a title or two here is the series in toto:












82 comments:

  1. Happy Book Birthday, Jenn . . . “Wedding Cake Crumble” sounds quite exciting, what with the murder of so many vendors just before the wedding. I’m definitely looking forward to reading about all the goings-on around Angie and Tate’s big day.

    I’m not at all certain I have a definitive answer to the end of a series question. It’s a bit of a quandary, I suppose, for writers wondering if readers still find the stories exciting after several books.
    But the characters that populate those many books become like friends, and, as a reader, I always enjoy going along with them on their latest adventures. There’s something special about seeing the characters grow and change over time, and, like a good friend, it’s always a great day when you can settle down and read another one of their stories.
    If the series has been going on for a long time, it’s even harder to imagine that there will be an end to the stories . . . .

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    1. Thank you, Joan! I agree. I really love watching characters grow and change. In fact, the only series I give up on are series where they don't grow - I find that dull. I don't want to read the same book again and again.

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  2. My copy of "Wedding Cake Crumble" should hit my porch sometime today. Amazon promises! So congratulations and happy pub day, Jenn!

    I think some series, particularly cozies, have to have an end date, and what a dream to have an even dozen cupcake stories!

    The thing with murder mysteries, for me, is that police professionals are going to keep running into dead bodies as long as they're on the job. Private detectives might, plausibly, too. But women who run restaurants, or sell flowers? Not so much. And, while a professional dog walker or house sitter might, genuinely, do some poking around on her own if she's personally involved with the case, characters who go out to investigate when it's really none of their business, and keep finding dead bodies and keep investigating, even after five or six times when they've put their own lives in danger? That begins to push my willing suspension of disbelief.

    So, hooray for the longevity of the cupcake ladies! They are fun characters, and their personal growth, plus the romantic elements, keep the series fresh. But I will hope that a versatile and talented writer like you will be able to keep coming up with fun story ideas without getting boxed in with the pastries forever.

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    1. Gigi- The Jessica Fletcher (amateur sleuth) syndrome - really, how many times can cupcake bakers find dead bodies. I know I am pushing it...gah!

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  3. Oh, congratulations, Jenn! So exciting. Book ten - that is a milestone.

    You need to be the one to decide when the series is done. The publisher may want to keep it running past your instincts, but you are the one who knows your characters best. Stick to your guns, and you, and your characters, will be right, but the time is definitely NOT NOW!

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  4. Congratulations, Jenn. Enthusiastic renewals are the best (I'm lucky enough to have had more than one). Yes, alas, some series go on too long - none of the Reds', thank goodness! But when the author stops really working on writing the best book she can? I'm done. One of my series ended last year at book five, and since I suspected it wouldn't be renewed, I tided up all the character arcs I wanted to and brought all my regular characters together in the last scene. It felt great.

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    1. Thanks, Edith! That's the tricky part with series. When they end, they have to be tidy otherwise, well, I hate to be left hanging. Ugh.

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    2. Edith, just please keep writing the Country Store mysteries okay? Because I'm big newly converted fan after finishing all four.

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  5. Happy book birthday, Jenn! How lovely, to receive such faith from your publisher, and validation of your talent and skill.

    Yes, I have given up on one or two series, including one I used to devour like candy. But more than two dozen books in (yes, that one), it's tiresome, and the same old stuff keeps happening. I'd rather read something new, at this point.

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    1. Thank you, Karen. There's a series I ditched also after it appeared to be the same book again and again, which is really unfortunate because the humor was top notch.

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    2. Exactly my feelings, Jenn. Bummer.

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  6. Congrats on your book birthday, Jenn! I'm not sure about when a series runs its course, but I like Dennis Lehane's definition: when the writer runs out of stories to tell in that fictional universe.

    Also: 1) Just looking at the cover of WEDDING CAKE CRUMBLE makes my stomach growl and 2) Lucy Lawrence is an AWESOME name and should absolutely appear as a character somewhere. Maybe a secret agent? Girl reporter? High-society private eye?

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    1. LOL - secret agent - YES! BTW, Lucy Lawrence is a mashup of my dog and my grandma :)

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  7. Jenn, I love the line-up photo of all the books in this series--what an accomplishment! I can only think offhand of one series deliberately brought to a close by the author--I cried my eyes out when Morse died. It was unexpected (the end, not the tears), but clearly there would be no more Morse books (so, okay, tv is another matter). What I dislike is when you find an enjoyable series and the publisher nixes it (more often than not, a cozy mystery series) after three books or so and there's no sense of an end for the characters. I have also seen an author expand her universe by following characters' children into their own mysteries--Anne Perry for one, who has also expanded her writing universe for a series by publishing a series of Christmas novels featuring more minor characters. I guess I'm trying to say that I like it when the author gets to put their characters to bed--I can respect that decision even though I may not be ready for it (sob, Morse).

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    1. Didn't we have a post about killing off main characters? That's more definitive than I ever want to be!

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    2. I so agree about a publisher ending a series too soon. I am still furious (not an exaggeration) that Deanna Raybourn's Lady Julia series was not allowed to continue.

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  8. Congratulations! Let's hope that dozen books will be a baker's dozen. Once again I would like to lick the cover. I just reserved my copy.

    Breaking down why I leave a series
    1. When a series becomes predictable without character growth. 2. When it shows that the author no longer likes the characters 3. When the fictional world no longer reflects present day reality. 4 When I don't care about the cliff hanger ending. 5. When the plot becomes too dark. Then I say good bye to the series and hope the author is not completely written out.

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    1. #5 was the reason I stopped reading two very popular thriller series. I just could not stand to cringe my way through another harrowing plot line.

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    2. Karen, that's a good point. I have an author whose character and character's family I absolutely adore and admire. But the plots have gotten so scary, they are hard for me to read. I'm thinking of having my hub read the next one and mark the pages with too much violence so I can skip those pages:)

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    3. Karen, that's a good point. I have an author whose character and character's family I absolutely adore and admire. But the plots have gotten so scary, they are hard for me to read. I'm thinking of having my hub read the next one and mark the pages with too much violence so I can skip those pages:)

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    4. Thanks, Coralee! Predictability is a killer (pun intended) for me. LOL.

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  9. Congratulations, Jenn! I'm sure it will be another winner!

    I felt like I had lost a friend when Margaret Maron announced she was ending the Deborah Knott series, but now that I've had time to accept it and read her remarks about it, I can see that she probably ended it at the right time. (It was the argument that she couldn't keep Kezzie Knott alive indefinitely, but couldn't bear to write his death, that really convinced me!) And I have definitely encountered series that went on too long. I agree strongly with Coralee's list of signs. The saddest thing, of course, is when a good series doesn't get renewed and the author doesn't know in advance that the last book will be the end, so story arcs are left hanging.

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    1. Oh Susan, so true!! I'd forgotten about Margaret Maron's decision to end that series--one of my all-time favorites--but, no way would I want to read the one where Kezzie died--it would have been like reliving my gradfather's death all over again!

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    2. Thanks, Susan! Love Margaret Maron. She did the right thing, but still...*sigh*

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  10. Congrats times ten, Jenn! I keep coming back to a series because I've gotten attached to the characters. Clare and Russ, Duncan and Gemma, Georgie, Jane, Fina: they've all spoken to me somehow and I want to know what's next for them (same with Lou Norton, Lucie Montgomery, Casey Jones, and others). The fact that they change from one book to the next is key, as is the presence of intriguing and/or amusing secondary characters.

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    1. Thanks, Jim! I do love a strong secondary cast.

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  11. Hooray hooray hooray hooray hooray! You are such an astonishing rockstar!

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  12. Congratulations, Jenn! Can't wait to read it.

    Cupcakes are still a big deal (news story in yesterday's Boston Globe that a Magnolia's Bakery is opening here, their cupcakes made famous by Sex and the City.) While decoupage has come... and gone.

    PS for my daughter's wedding she opted for cupcakes, not a wedding cake.
    So here's a serious cupcake question. Icing. What's the BEST base for cupcake icing? Because often the cupcake looks great but the icing is just cloyingly sweet.

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    1. Thank, Hallie! I have a sweet tooth, so I am buttercream all the way but for the less sweet inclined a cream cheese or a decadent whipped cream frosting is the way to go. Now I want a cupcake...

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  13. Sweet!! My youngest had a cupcake wedding -- the business is in New Haven, CT and the wedding venue was in Kent, CT (72 miles) -- the year of the wedding, Katalina's Cupcakes had just opened and I guess they were happy for the business because they delivered the order without a charge! I frequent this shop and always say thank you.
    Other funny cupcake wedding story is that an in-law cousin, who is the skinniest family member, took a cupcake early in the evening. No, not a kid, a "mature" woman. She couldn't wait.
    Just giving you cupcake details, Jenn!
    What about a baker's dozen??
    The books are yummy.

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    1. OMG - I grew up on Elizabeth St in Kent, CT (until I was 9 and we moved to Niantic) and I went to university in New Haven! How crazy is that? I will most definitely hit Katalina’s when I am in New Haven in June!

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    2. Next to Clark Dairy. Jenn, what will bring you to New Haven?

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    3. For what it's worth, in the late 70's I lived 22 miles south of Kent in Brookfield Center.

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    4. Jumping in here too, Katalina's is just wonderful! It has been where my sweetie gets my birthday dessert for quite a few years now. Of course, don't get me started on the food treats in New Haven. Ahhh! Off topic--cheese truck, anyone?

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  14. Happy book birthday!

    As I recall, Jenny Bentley's DIY series ended well - everything very natural. On the other hand, I've read series that weren't renewed and while the author did a fine job of tying up all existing loose ends, I feel there was more story. And yes, I've given up on a couple where it starts to feel like the author is phoning it in (none of you lovely ladies).

    But I would think you, as the author, would know when the series as reached a natural end or not. Even if it's only a gut feeling.

    Mary/Liz

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    1. Well, I thought cupcake was going to end at three and wrote it that way. I had to do horrible break ups and stuff to my characters to keep it going. Exhausting!

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  15. Jenn, how do you find the time and energy to write so many books? You must surely work more than forty hours a week just at your writing AND you have a husband and teenagers to keep up with! I try to keep up with reading your books, and then I find out there's another, and another, and another...There's always something to look forward to!

    I'm one of those people who can't stand it when a series ends. It always feels as though a loved one has died. My perhaps unrealistic opinion is that a series should go on as long as the author keeps on waking up in the morning! (Or dementia sets in!) In recent months I've decided that if I know that an author has decided to end a series I'm not going to read the final book. It's too painful, even when the book is a cozy and everybody lives "happily ever after." I'm still going to miss them. When the series end is the publisher's choice, I read the book to honor the author whom I have followed from book one.

    As for cliffhangers, there are cliffhangers and there are cliffhangers. Some keep me coming back to a series and some make me ask myself why I spent hours reading a suspenseful story that doesn't come to any sort of resolution. I've given up on a series that has had one too many of those. There are plenty of other books out there to read.

    DebRo

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    1. DebRo, I'm fascinated with your guidelines as to whether to read a final book or not! We so appreciate your loyalty as a reader.

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    2. LOL, Deborah. I don't know how the books get done - they just do. I have no concept of time, so that probably helps. There's no 9-5 when you're a writer.

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  16. Whoo hoo Jenn! Congratulations--we're so very proud of your success and happy to have you on Team Red!

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  17. Jenn, hooray!!! Congrats on the new book!!! I agree a baker's dozen would be fitting. We all can come up with examples of series that have gone on too long, the ones where the plots get repetitive or you can tell the author is bored with the characters--but I really hate it when a series ends too soon. You know which one I mean--the Hat Shop Mysteries!! I'm still boo-hooing over those.

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    1. I miss that one, too! :( On the last book, I had a wicked cliff hanger but lickliy they let me snatch it back and attempt to tie up all the loose ends. Ugh.

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  18. Happy Bookday, Jenn, and congratulations. What a relief this must be, job done and all that.

    I don't recall being aware of the ends of many series with the exception of an author's death. I truly mourned the passing of Henning Mankell and P.D. James, for instance.and I still can't talk about Agatha Christie. Now this past week the Bernie Gunther books have come to an end, one last one arrived on Kindle today. I wasn't a Philip Kerr fan by a long shot, but Julie was, and she is devastated.

    For living authors, I understand the end of a series means that author is done with those characters but likely to come up with a new batch, and I look forward to that. Waving at Ann Cleeves who told me at Bouchercon that the Shetland books were done, maybe one more to wind things up. She said she wanted to go out on a high! I get that. Wonder what she will come up with next?

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    1. I agree with wanting to go out on a high' I promised myself that if I ever thought, "oh God. I've got to write another Molly book", I'd stop right then

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    2. Rhys, just wondering if you ended the Evan Evans series or whether that was your publisher's decision? I thought the series ended at a good point, but I also felt it wasn't tired or repetitive.

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    3. Hi, Ann! Thank you. Shetland is done??? Pardon me, while I go have a small existential crisis. LOL.

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    4. Tony Hillerman, too, and Robert Parker, and Dick Francis. All of whom had others finish/add to their series.

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    5. I sometimes think it is silly to see people go into a kind of mourning if a series ends but do think I would do that very thing if the Molly Murphy series ends. I will be quite rightly cross with Rhys. :D So keep on coming with those Molly books!

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    6. Yes, Ann Cleeves told me Shetland was done. I think after one more book. She does need to tie things up there! I’m bereft too. But she also said she plans another series, so we have that to anticipate.

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  19. Congratulations, Jenn, on #10.

    Oh gosh yes. I guess we all know series that have gone on too long. And I'll bet most people are like me, keep on reading the next few, hoping the series will revive. (Do they ever?)

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    1. Yes - I have absolutely done that. I can't remember one that came back from the doldrums to make me rethink the series. Hmm...

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  20. I'm going through the same dilemma about when to end my series. I have put Constable Evans on hold but haven't written a book in that series for 10 years. Yet I still get almost daily queries. And now Molly Murphy is up to 17 books and I still like her,but I also want to write my stand alone novels which give me a chance to explore other times and places. Whoever the author does it fans will always be upset.

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    1. I see you answered my earlier question. I think your fans will follow you, Rhys, even if you decided to end another series. It's the quality of the writing that keeps me coming back to an author--if I enjoy their writing, I'll give anything they write a shot!

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    2. So many ideas, so little time...I feel you, Rhys!

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    3. Rhys,

      I am so glad that I kept my Constable Evans books when I moved. I enjoy reading these books again.

      Diana

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  21. Congrats on #10, Jenn! As Rhys said, whatever the author does there will be some unhappy readers, so you can only go with your instinct at the end of the day. Of course, your publisher may have something to say about that.

    You mentioned that a dozen books was your hope all along; did you have a sense of the big plot point in each book or just think that twelve was the right number to tell the story?

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    1. After it got renewed (to my surprise), I knew I wanted to hit a dozen because cupcakes come in a dozen (for me at any rate). Unfortunately, I didn't have an overlying story arc for that many books so it sort of turned into a humorous arc where the main character and her man have an impossible time getting together. They start dating, they break up, they get engaged, they call it off, they're getting married, the minister is a fraud, you get the drift. So, my hope is that in book 12 (13?), they get married and the series is complete. Maybe. Ack!

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  22. Congratulations, Jenn! Another title to add to the teetering mountain.

    I can't imagine how an author comes to the decision to end a series. As others have mentioned, for the reader it can be like losing a good friend. I'm still broken up over Margaret Maron's decision to end the Deborah Knott series -- although, as Susan pointed out, she made a good case for it. Rhys, I'd love to see Constable Evans again!

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    1. Thanks, Christine! I love that Constable Evans has been gone ten years and still readers want more - maybe authors need to just walk away from there series every now and again.

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  23. Way to go, Jenn! As to when to end a series, that's a tough call. Obviously if the author is phoning it in, it's over. If the sexual tension vanishes, it's over. Or at least that relationship is done. If the main character keeps doing the same stupid things over and over and endangering herself, it's over for me! I do have favorite series I follow and I hate when they end before the stories do.

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    1. The TSTL (too stupid to live) dilemma - yep, that can kill a book for me. Then again, Nancy Drew was probably TSTL in every book. I'm going to have to revisit those and see.

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  24. I tend to continue a series to the bitter end, but I will push it down the TBR pile if the characters aren’t facing new dynamics and relationships.

    That’s not the case here. I’ve already read this book and I loved it.

    However, I am contractually obligated to rate it poorly since Jenn still hasn’t watched Hercules after that post on Disney villains back in February. Hank, this is your warning. ��

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    1. LOL! I know, I know! It's in my queue I swear. Once I'm done promoting this book I hope to have a sliver of time to catch up on everything. Ha ha ha ha - sorry, cracking myself up there.

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    2. I just finished getting all the movies on my DVR watched. I had some going back to January 2017. I fully get that catching up on things.

      Not that I'm cutting you any slack, of course. ;)

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  25. Congratulations.......can only imagine all the different emotions on launch day....excitement, a huge sense of accomplishment....maybe a bit of relief?
    What a happy day for you....and all of us who read with enthusiasm and wait for the next "installment"!

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  26. Happy Publication Day Jenn. I haven't read your Cupcake series as I'm working on the Library series but 10 books in a series sure does argue for starting to read the series as soon as I can.

    As for the questions of the day, I think what makes a natural end point for a series varies depending on circumstances. For the most part, I think a series should end if an author dies (though Ace Atkins writing the Spenser series and Kyle Mills writing the Mitch Rapp series has softened that opinion a bit).

    Otherwise, if the author is bored and just phoning in books to continue the series, they should definitely end it. But if they are turning out engaging stories with their set cast of characters, there's no pressing need to end a series at a certain number of books unless they truly want to. But there should definitely be a true finale in the last book, no dangling cliffhangers or what have you.

    I've read some series that went on too long but mostly in the fantasy genre (which I've pretty much abandoned anyway). Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time series kept going on and on that the author died before finishing it. He left behind copious outlines/notes so that the series got finished but I gave up after reading over 300 pages (out of over 700 pages) in Book 7 and absolutely nothing had happened.

    And I'm sure I will be excommunicated for saying this but after the rather abysmal 24th book in the Stephanie Plum series, I think the Janet Evanovich series has gone on too long. The story is pretty much the same with every book but the charm/shine has worn off for me.

    What makes me come back to a beloved series? I think it is the connection I develop with the characters. That phrase "comfort food" comes to mind here as well. I like being able to check in on these "friends" of mine and seeing what they are up to this time. And while repetition of plots or set ups can hurt, as they now do in the Stephanie Plum series, if done right that kind of day in day out plotting can still work to draw me back each new book. I mean, the Spenser books had interesting plots but the nuts and bolts stuff in each book was pretty much the same. Still, the writing worked because I liked the characters and felt I was a part of the goings on. So I kept and keep coming back to it.

    What series did I read that ended too soon? Well the 2nd one that came to mind was the Eva Gates Lighthouse Library series, which is funny because the first book made me not want to keep reading, I didn't like the wimpiness of the heroine. The second book was a bit better but still not quite a winner to my mind. Then came Book 3 which I thought was spectacular. But then came the news that the series hadn't been picked up. However, recently there was news that another publisher had picked up the series for another three books so at least this one ends well.

    I also thought of the Jon Land thriller series featuring Ben Kamal and Danielle Barnea. It ran for 5 books which is a good run I think. But I wasn't ready for it to end because I loved the characters and that series was my introduction to Jon Land's writing of which I'm a huge fan. The Julie Hyzy White House Chef series had a lot of books but I still felt it ended too soon.

    But the first ended-too-soon series was the Mark Mallen series by Robert K. Lewis. It ran for 3 books and I think it was sales figures that killed the series. But quality wise, I just freaking LOVED the books/storytelling. That it ended on a sort of cliffhanger was another reason why I continue to hope for more someday.

    Sorry for the long response. I guess I had a lot to say today.

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    1. Jay- I feel the same way about Stephanie Plum - there was so much potential there if the character would actually do something. I was her biggest fan but gave up somewhere in the teens. And, yes, you would think that a series should end with an author's demise but I suppose it's up to the estate. The alphabet ending in Y since the death of Sue Grafton is a poignant reminder that sometimes it just has to end.

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    2. Jenn, I stuck it out longer than you because I still tended to find the humor in things but #24 was that straw breaking the camel's back for me.

      And yes, the alphabet ending in Y was a definitive need in the case of Sue Grafton. No one could've finished "Z" properly unless it was Sue herself.

      Like I said, I've become a bit more open to a series continuing after the death of the author but only a bit. Ace Atkins has done a superb job on the Spenser novels by keeping what was there and giving some extra dimension to the stories with his own additions. Kyle Mills has seamlessly made the Mitch Rapp series his own because the books feel like Vince Flynn wrote them but he's also added his own skill to the stories as well.

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    3. I like the way you describe what Ace has done with Spenser, Jay. I would also say that Reed Farrel Coleman has done the same with Jesse Stone. It feels like Parker, but a new dimension that's an asset.

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    4. Thanks Ingrid. I was very hesitant to keep going with the books after Robert B. Parker's death but felt I had to read the first one done by Ace Atkins. And then the first two (or was it three) were so good that they made my year end list.

      I can't agree or disagree with about what Reed Farrel Coleman has done with Jesse Stone because I only read the first couple books in that series before deciding I didn't care for it. My mother loved the movies though.

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  27. Happy Book Birthday, Jenn! There's no doubt that you have one of the most delicious covers of books, and the title is a clever one, too. I included Wedding Cake Crumble in my most recent book blog post, "April Books for Your TBR List." (http://www.readingroom-readmore.com/2018/04/april-books-for-your-tbr-list.html)

    It's hard to say goodbye to a series that's loved, and I admit to wanting some series to go on forever. However, I'm also aware that a series can go on beyond its time. There's a series, not anyone here, I've read for years that should have ended about six or seven books ago. I'm probably behind a couple of books in it because there just isn't a lot of enthusiasm on my part to fit it into my reading schedule. But, because I do feel a certain loyalty to it, I'm sure I'll stay with it until the bitter end, which, again, should have already happened. I do so love series though, and I read lots of them. I don't want to think about the ones I'm still trying to get to.

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  28. Thanks, Kathy! I have stopped staying until the bitter end on some books. I just feel as if life it too short, but every now and again I go back. Sigh.

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  29. Jenn, happy book birthday. Your cupcake series is a new to me series. I loved your Hat Shop series. I usually continue reading a series until they stop the series. However there is one exception. I stopped reading Sweet Valley series after they killed off a character who was a lot like me. I felt like Will Ferrell in Stranger than Fiction and it weirded me out! LOL

    On a happier note, I look forward to catching up on your Cupcake series. Have you heard of a wedding cake with banana flavor? Or lemon elderflower flavor? I read rumors that will be the wedding cake at the Royal Wedding in May. Yes, I love the Royal family. Perhaps because I grew up reading fairytales. LOL. Yes, they are real people, though.

    Diana

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    1. Thanks, Diana! Oh, I'm going to have to check those flavors out. I loved that movie with Will Ferrell - I would freak out, too, if a character like me was killed off!

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  30. I want my favorite series to go on forever but if the author loses interest or feels unable to write a good story, then they should end the series. I don't think the Jessica Fletcher syndrome should matter. Ordinary people stumbling over body after body is part of the cozy mystery genre the same as people not staying dead is part of comic books and soap operas. Each genre requires some suspension of realism. In Jenn's new romance series, it's unlikely that everyone of the group of friends ends up happily married.

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    1. That's true, Sally! Suspension of disbelief is key in all fiction, I suppose.

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