I’m a huge fan of series additions, where we get to meet old friends and spend more time in their familiar lives. Same-character added material is always a yes for me. I love catching up with the men (and their families and friends) who’ve mattered to me.

I wrote a short-story followup for Mac and Tony of Life Lessons, (the final entry in my collection The Distant Hills and Other Stories,) and it was great fun to spend time with the guys and their kids again. I even did a little short for Kevin from Alec that’s in my Facebook group Sunday Stories – (https://www.facebook.com/groups/208207893795147/posts/826875641928366) And I love when other authors do it. (I just opened Mary Calmes’ newsletter, to get another moment with Sam and Jory.)

As a reader, and as an author, the trickier question is the tangentially related material, the companion stories and spin-offs and new characters in prequels and sequels. Will they have the appeal of the original? Will new approaches to familiar worldbuilding add something engaging and fun, or make us nostalgic for the original? Will cameos be a bonus, or make readers wish those favorite characters took up more of the new page?

I find myself doing four different versions of this right now, without having planned to.

In my just-released Unseen Past I went back to the world of Hidden Wolves but twenty years earlier and on a much smaller canvas, with two wolves who don’t fit in their packs trapped together by a snowstorm. This was going to be just a little Advent tidbit, but it grew, because Sawyer insisted. This book doesn’t have the sweep of events of the originals, just a couple of characters who wouldn’t let go of me until I wrote them. I hope readers of the series will like this addition. I guess I’ll find out.

Then in June, I’ll be releasing Found by Jasper, book 7 in the Necromancer series, but focusing on new main characters. I’d planned for book 6 to be the last, but Jasper wanted his story told. Favorites like Darien and Pip appear on the periphery of this book (and I adore Pip but OMG he steals scenes.) Will readers also care about Jasper, Hamish, the Professor, et al?

In late July, I’ll have a shared-worlds story coming out in the Carnival of Mysteries series. And some warped part of my brain decided to do this one as a Necromancer-world book, but set in 2020. That means some tap dancing through the changes over 60 years, and we’ll see what readers think of this one. The new familiar is a very self-confident sun conure, named Sunny, of course. It’s been fun to write, but again, series-adjacent.

And in 2024 I’ll have a book coming out in a new Gaynor Beach series, about a local animal shelter, in which Alec, Joe, Kevin and of course Zelda will no doubt have cameos.

So that’s five versions of related material. Well, not to mention my Roctoberfest 2023 book coming in October, although I don’t know if Hellsbane and Blade from Hidden Blade will show up on the periphery or not. Will Erik get one last limerick in? I’ll find out when I actually write it.

I hope readers enjoy these various tangential approaches to my past books. I love having a wealth of material to play with. And don’t worry, I have a couple of unrelated books coming too.

What about you? Do you love new characters in familiar settings? Are you up for all the tangential stories? Or do you prefer a new book to break its own ground, and not echo past favorites?

– Kaje Harper

April 2023