Starting at the Start ~ Guest post by Maureen O. Betita

Morning, readers! Maureen O. Betita here, writer of pirate adventure! Got a question for you… I write a series…a very long, linked story series, called Forever A Pirate.

Recently, it was recommended to me, by a promotional professional, that I should remove the nice big numbers from the covers and set the reader free from knowing it is series. (Okay, I made it sound snarky, she didn’t really advise trying to trick the reader.)

(But that’s how I read it.)

I wrestled with this for days… I mean, Arthur Conan Doyle didn’t number the Sherlock Holmes stories…even if they do read better in order. But better isn’t the same as making sense.

Then I considered Tarzan…if a reader picked up book ten and read about Jane and Boy…and then read book one…wouldn’t that be a big spoiler? (Tarzan gets Jane in book one? They have a son? Wait! What?)

(Yes, my examples are from the long ago time. Hey! This is when my writer gestation took place. Trust me, it would be a big thing!)

I’ll try to find a modern equivalent. If the Star Wars movies were books… and there was no obvious best order to read them…so you pick up book three first…then read one. (Oh my god, that is sick! He kissed his sister? Who is their father? What?) (Yes, I’m ignoring the other three movies.)

Awkward!

For this reason, I eventually landed on the side of refusing to remove the numbers from my books. Yes, it’s a long series – 30 books. Yes, that’s a long series to commit to. (Yes, you can put a book down and take a break.)

But! Would you rather know from the very beginning that the book you just glanced at, and was intrigued by, is part of a big series before you buy it and read it? Are some of you going to see that number and decide not to read? Sure! I’d rather you know and not be pissed at me and feel tricked… I’d rather a reader see that fat number on the cover and get excited about a big, meaty series. Give me the enthusiastic, not the angry, reader.

With that in mind… I just put out book nine! And it’s a good one, full of action, adventure, daring, sex, romance, heartache… It’s called Summoned Home and I so want you to read it!

But…I’m going to recommend you start with book one, A Caribbean Spell. And you know the nicest thing about book one? It’s FREE! On Amazon, Barnes&Nobles, and Apple! (Yes, B&N has the old cover…)

So… Pirates! Adventure! Romance! A dashingly lucky pirate captain! A time traveling sexual witch! An adventure to save the world against a vicious, nasty, evil villainess! Love! Wit! Fun! It’s A Caribbean Spell!

Now, the question! … What are your thoughts regarding series and the numbering of said series?

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Links to a Caribbean Spell:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Apple

Link for Summoned Home:

Amazon

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Thanks Maureen for stopping by! I always love your visits!  Want to know what I personally thought of Caribbean Spell? Check out my review here!