Today we have Anne Calhoun with us. She’s celebrating her upcoming release, Uncommon Pleasure (Berkley, March 5), which features two stories in one.
Secondary Characters…Discuss.
One of my favorite parts of writing a book is seeing which secondary characters come on strong, demanding books or storylines of their own. I’m currently working on a contemporary that will release in 2014, and I’m having the most fun with the heroine’s internationally famous sister, the juvenile delinquent working off his community service at the library, and the aged relic/old bat taking shape as the heroine’s best friend. Any one of these characters would be tons of fun to hang out with, for completely different reasons, but none of them will have a book of their own.
Sometimes, though, a secondary character takes me down a darker road. This is the case with Ben Harris, the Galveston police officer who shows up in UNCOMMON PLEASURE and will get his own book when UNCOMMON PASSION releases in September, 2013. Abby Simmons, one of the heroines in UNCOMMON PLEASURE, has been sleeping with Ben ever since Sean Winthrop broke her heart. He’s a casual sex buddy, a way for Abby to work off the not-inconsiderable stress in her life, and both he and Abby are perfectly comfortable with that arrangement.
While I was working on the book I started thinking about what kind of man would accept those terms. It’s not the kind of man who’s looking for a happily ever after, romance style, that’s for sure. But, his journey from wounded casual sex buddy to man who wants a lifetime commitment with one woman would be very interesting to write. And so I did!
What about you? Do you like meeting characters and knowing they’ll be more fully developed in future stories? Who are some of your favorite ongoing characters (I’m a sucker for Sam and Alyssa in Suzanne Brockmann’s Troubleshooter series). Comment for a chance to win UNCOMMON PLEASURE!
After doing time at Fortune 500 companies on both coasts, Anne landed in a flyover state, where she traded business casual for yoga pants and decided to write down all the lively story ideas that got her through years of monotonous corporate meetings. Her first book, LIBERATING LACEY won the EPIC Award for Best Contemporary Erotic Romance. Her story WHAT SHE NEEDS was chosen for Smart Bitch Sarah’s Sizzling Book Club. Anne holds a BA in History and English, and an MA in American Studies from Columbia University. When she’s not writing her hobbies include reading, knitting, and yoga. She lives in the Midwest with her family and singlehandedly supports her local Starbucks.
Contest ends March 6 @ 11:59pm. Please note: You must include a valid email address with your comment to be eligible.
This book is available from Berkley. You can buy it here or here in e-format.
Would love to win this book in print copy. thanks for offering it.
gmapeony@yahoo.com
Helen L.
I would love to win this book…it is on my wish list! I love Suzannne Brockmann’s series and Janet Chapmans, where you follow characters throughout many books!
kathleenpower@comcast.net
I really do enjoy when secondary characters get their own stories. And even if they don’t get a full story, I love to see them pop up as a series progresses. One of my favorites is Robyn Carr’s Virgin River Series. It’s like visiting with friends every time a new relase comes out!
Good luck Anne on your new release. For secondary characters I’d have to pick any of the Bridgerton clan since they were all introduced in Anthony’s book. I also enjoy the Boscastle characters by Jillian Hunter.
leyhlaw at gmail dot com
This comment has been removed by the author.
My favorite secondary character is Oliver Stoneville from Sabrina Jeffries Heirress series. He then goes on to lead his own series The Hellions of Halstead Hall. I get very attached to characters and I like when they reappear in future novels… it’s like a visit from an old friend!
Azacia@gmail.com
Thanks for the fun post! I love when secondary characters get their own books 😉 You’ve already gotten to know them and so I feel more invested in their stories. My fav from the Suzanne Brockmann series was Gina and Max.
efender1(at)gmail(dot)com
I’ve heard such good things about this book. I’d love an e copy please 🙂
As for secondary characters, I’m generally a fan. I love most of the secondary characters in JD Robb’s in Death series. Hoping for Morris to get a new love soon and want to see Baxter brought low by love!! 😀
hankts AT internode DOT on DOT net
I love series books where you get to fallow the characters. They are probably some of my favorite reading. I get hooked and feel like I”m reading about friendds
Mindaf @ aol.com
I liked the ongoing characters, each of whom got their own story, in Nora Roberts’ Bridal Quartet. The characters were all entwined in each other’s lives.
sharlenewegner@hotmail.com
I like ongoing characters and hope they get their own books in the future. Don’t have any favs.
bn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com
love the cover! Would love to win the book!
allison dot westcote at gmail dot com
I do like recurring characters! Though I think it’s usually the other way around where I read about a secondary or side character and get intrigued to want to know more about them or to want them to get their own story later on as a sequel.
chibipooh(at)gmail(dot)com
I love Stephanie Laurens’ Cynster series. It’s fun to see the various Cynster cousins make appearances in the books.
janie1215 AT excite DOT com
I love secondary characters. And they ususally get their own books – so I can re-vist the previous ones.
patoct@yahoo.com
All of my favorite series and the books I read over and over have a big cast of interesting supporting characters. I love that the authors frequently give the secondary characters a chance to shine in novellas and short stories. The Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews and Patricia Brigg’s Mercy Thompson series have great secondary characters.
acm05atjuno.com
Jo Beverley’s Malloren characters. She just weaves them in throughout all her books.
R_Z_T@msn.com
I like secondary characters because they round out the setting or the main character. But sometimes they become sequel bait–too much so.
i love secondary characters.
thanx for the giveaway.
lovesthemets@yahoo.com
Natalies Mama
I love a series – meeting those secondary characters and them have them promoted to primary in their own story, and also catching up with the primary characters from the earlier stories.
I love Suzanne’s SEALs to and the characters from Catherine Coulter’ FBI series.
sallans d at yahoo dot com
This is an interesting and loaded question.
Generally speaking, I don’t care for sequel bait–those characters introduced solely for the purpose of letting readers know there are more books coming down the pipeline.
However, I really like when characters who are intrinsic to the story, even in secondary/relatively minor roles, get their own story–Alyssa and Sam are very well known examples, as are Peabody and McNabb in the In Death series.
The main–and rather important difference–is that these characters were fleshed out from the get go. They weren’t there as props, simply to populate the background. From their first appearance on the page they had personality, a personal history, quirks. They were always believable people, so when their own story came around, we knew them and cared about them.
And when the author manages to write their stories while keeping the characters consistent with all their previous appearances, it’s reading gold.
I am a fan for ongoing characters. It’s like visiting an old friend on each new book. My fave on ongoing are characters from jd robb in death series
smile_1773 at yahoo dot com
It’s great for favorite secondary characters to get their own story. Sometimes you just don’t want to let go. I can’t think of an example off the top of my head.
marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com
I do like they get their own stories, congrats on book, whoo
Kimh
Kimehak@yahoo.com
This comment has been removed by the author.
I do love to follow characters to see how their story unfolds and a book is made all the better with wonderful supporting characters. Some of my favorites are Jamie and Claire in the Outlander series and in Paranormal I love Cat and Bones in the Night Huntress series. For books where different couples have their own books in Paranormal I love Immortals after Dark and Black Dagger Series and Contemporary Series is Lucky Harbor by Jill Shalvis and the Tracers Series by Laura Griffin.
This author is new to me and I would love to win this boook, thanks!
kgagnon@donofrio.cc
I do like to see secondary characters get their own story. My favorite on going characters are Stephanie Plum and Joe Morelli from Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series. I would love to read this book. Please enter me. Thanks!
ayancey(at)dishmail(dot)net
Sometimes a secondary character can save the entire book for me.
The Paul Marron cover is so HAWT that I pre-ordered the book already!
cgnemesis [at] yahoo [dot] com
I tend to focus on the main characters when I am reading a story so when an author’s next story has a secondary character I am usually surprised to see them.
I do love to follow characters. Even if they are secondaries. I always want to know what happens next. The first that comes to mind are Eve and Roarke in the In Death series.
bacchus76 at myself dot com