FICTION/ROMANCE/GAY/EROTICA
Writing
a series; Ten years in the making.
The
first novel I ever wrote, back in 1990, had three main characters in it, Jack
Larsen, Sharon Tice, and Mark Antonious Richfield. This was before I was able
to publish my work, and before I even considered publishing it.
This
first attempt at a novel was a massive thousand page creation that was never
going to see the light of day. But back then, I did find these characters
interesting. The first version of this novel was a love triangle between the
three main players.
Later
on in my career, the same three characters showed up in my published work; Mark & Sharon and Capital Games. Acting Naughty, which is the first Action! Series book, didn’t have
Mark or the other two in it. But, Mark quickly made his way into the story by
the second book, Playing Dirty.
Still,
it wasn’t a ‘series’. Maybe it was one follow-up novel? The thought of documenting
the sex-ploits of a group of people for a decade never occurred to me. I tried
to ‘wrap up’ an ending several times with them.
In
my mind, I figured, okay, this will be the last. But, between my own desires
and my fans’ emails to keep it going, I did.
I
found between writing single titles, I came back to Mark, Jack, and Sharon,
adding of course other familiar actors from my world, Steve, Adam, Billy…names
well known to my Action! Series fans.
When
I thought of making a full length feature film, once more, it had to be Capital Games. Had to be when Mark and
Steve met. So, Capital Games has now
become a pilot episode for the series. So, an easy way for fans who have not
read the series, they can watch the film and dive in right after seeing it.
(Capital Games is available on Amazon Prime, Vimeo, and many other platforms)
https://www.amazon.com/Capital-Gregor-Cosgrove-Keough-Presnall/dp/B00GSA3K6C#
The
series.
Now
over forty books, with five or more satellite stories. For new fans it’s
daunting. How on earth does someone dive into a series like this? I created
three box sets to help; books 1-10 are discounted, as well as the prequels to
help new readers out.
Many
authors write series books. They find fan favorites and either continue their
tale or do spinoffs. It’s not that unique.
What
I am finding is unique, is the length
of the tale. This isn’t a series about a detective who solves a different crime
in each novel. This is one story. One continuous story told through a decade of
their, and my, life. I find when I am in a good space, so are they. When I
falter, they fail with me.
I
used to come back to this series between single titles, because the characters
write their own story. They are so fleshed out, I know everything about each
unique man; Mark, the gorgeous model who can’t get out of his own way. Steve,
the former cop, who is the steadfast pillar Mark clings to. Alexander, Mark’s
son, who is impossible to deal with…on and on.
This
story has covered ten years of these men’s lives. A decade of their foibles and
fantasies.
With
each new episode, which I write like a TV show, with cliffhangers and intrigue,
I find I am not at a loss for words, but the opposite. The way these books are
setup, is scenes for a TV show. Although this is not written in script form, it
is written cinematically. Each chapter switches to a different sub-storyline,
creating a TV show feel. The books are consistent that way, and the tale of
each character is simple to follow. I also have enough background information
in each episode, that you can get a ‘previously on’ the show sort of feel.
There’s no way you won’t figure it out in one chapter. Keeping the balance between
giving new readers information and not boring seasoned vets is a tight line,
but I hope I am walking it.
It’s
truly a tale I feel I am simply documenting.
An
example of this? In one of the most recent novels, I fully expected the
character to give birth to a girl. A daughter. I even went so far as to name
the book Finding Hope, Hope, being
the baby’s name.
But,
as I wrote it, I had created a boy baby. All the foreshadowing in dreams of a
daughter, didn’t happen. I am at a loss as to why. It was there in the ether.
But, my characters had other plans. They want what they want.
I
know. A little scary? Like Frankenstein creating the creator.
I
can only do as they like, since if I try to deviate from their story, they
certainly steer me back to their direction.
Forty
books, one continuous saga. I only know of soap operas that are similarly
plotted. I know of no other author who has done this, although I am sure there
are some. When will this end? How will this end?
My
guess is, it won’t. Not as long as I’m in love with the series. Perhaps it’s
not as popular as some of my other single titles, maybe not sitting in the
number one spot for long, but, I don’t mind. I am thrilled for the fans that
have kept up with me. Like I have said, this isn’t a book series any longer,
it’s a TV series, one that has become beloved by the faithful few. They feel as
if these men are family members. Well? They have known them for ten years, so I
believe that too.
For
as long as I can, I will continue this path. How many books can a series have?
I guess I’m going to find out.
So
far, forty-four (with three still to be published) written and counting.
Happy
reading!
G.A. has penned over 180 novels and
short stories. She is the executive producer for her first feature film,
CAPITAL GAMES and is the director and executive producer for her second film
NAKED DRAGON.
