Standalone or Book Series

In one of my first conversations with my publisher, I was asked if my new book was a series. I hate to admit it, but I did not know how to answer his question. I said “No” not wanting to admit to my ignorance. Thankfully, that was the correct answer. According to Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, “A book series is a sequence of books with common characteristics, typically written by the same author, or marketed as a group by their publisher.” I currently have a book in the works that I want to make into a series, “Fisher Lives on a River.” It will be about the adventures of a band of wildlife friends.

However today, I would like to introduce you to one of my Christian Writer friends who has made an art out of the concept of a book series. Her name is Grace Brooks. Below is a copy of her write-up that she posted on one of our Yahoo Groups that she has allowed me to use. She calls it a sneak peek into her Asquinn Twins series.



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Kevin- You mean the story line for the entire series? Hummm, that will be a challenge but here
goes.

Obedia Asquinn is called by God to be a missionary. After being authorized by a local church in Wales, he is sent to the shores of Canada. He feels this is where God has sent him but doesn't know exactly where he will settle to teach and preach. He and his family head north from Toronto and find a beautiful spot called the Haliburton Highlands just a bit north of Toronto. Here he finds a place for his family to stay and starts teaching. Attendance grows and everything is looking fine for the local church until three priests arrive at Asquinns home one evening. They tell Pastor Asquinn they don't want him spreading his heresy in their district, help him and his family pack and boots them out.

Again the Asquinn family move north. Their next stop is Forest Lake. Pastor Asquinn knows immediately this is where God wants him to be. Ken, Pastor Asquinn's oldest son, meets his lifelong friend to be, Matt Turehue. The Pastor finds a house to buy, the family flourishes along with church attendance and a church is formed. But all isn't rosy as a distant cousin of the Aswquinn makes life miserable for the Asquinn family. Conrad Cameron thinks he is master of the area as he is High Priest of devil worshipers.

As the series continues, the children grow older. Ken and Matt are not so true in church attendance. Dependence on alcohol and tobacco replace their faith in God. But the girls, Sherry and Martha, go ahead and marry the boys as promised when they were ten and thirteen years old. The boys start getting lofty ideas. They change their focus from joining the Ontario provincial police to the more famed Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Time advances. Ken and Matt have graduated from RCMP academy and have been posted in different part of Saskatchewan. Neither one seems to be happy in spite of them starting to accumulate worldly wealth and recognition. Sherry leaves Ken. Ken walks away from his job and follows her back to Ontario. Before going to his wife, he stops off and resigns the RCMP and joins the Ontario provincial police. Sherry takes Ken back. Matt comes back to Ontario with his wife and two sons. They had left Forest Lake looking for greener pastures but found out when they returned the green pastures had been under their feet all the time.

And the time takes a great leap forward. The twins are now Caleb and Korah (Core) Asquinn, fifteen year old adopted twins of Eric Asquinn and June Asquinn. Eric is the third son of Pastor Asquinn. The adventures continue over the winter where the twin’s best friend, Larry Olson gets a job with SunDog kennels. This is a kennel where father/son raises pure bred Canadian Eskimo Dogs and Alaskan malamutes. Larry’s father abandoned the family, leaving the family with little money for food, clothing and a crowded, dirty house to live in. With what Monet Larry earns through racing over the winter, he buys a nice house for his mother, brothers and sisters to live in.

Over the summer holidays, the twins and their friends get involved with a poaching ring. Once while hiking along a forest trail they find an orphaned lynx kitten. Larry, being the animal lover takes the kitten home. But there are others also wanting the kitten.

More adventures when Conrad and his half brother, Malcolm show up in Forest lake again. Conrad takes the entire Olson family hostage and demands to get his daughter back. Previously his daughter had been taken away from him after he was sentenced to prison. Ken now police Superintendent is called back from his holidays to lead the situation. All comes to a peaceful settlement.

Ken's two oldest sons are grown up; both have followed in their father’s footsteps and become policemen. Murray, the oldest is content with his life and job, but the next in line, Kirk, is a bit rebellious. He falls in love with a girl staying with his cousins the Asquinn twins although his family and relatives warn him not to because the girl is the leader of a bad gang. Core also has fallen in love with Deliah. At the end of the story Core is hurt badly when he learns that she really was the gang leader.

A son was produced through Kirk's and Deliah's relationship. The mother died during the birth of the baby and Kirk looks after his son alone; that is until Annice Calder arrives in Forest Lake.

Kirk's and Annice's relationship flourishes; she even grows to love little Kirk. Then she finds out Kirk’s father is Police Superintendent and starts to feel inadequate. She flees from Forest Lake and Kirk and returns home. Kirk follows her and they get back together and marry.

The twins are now college age. They and their friends have an exciting summer when they get involved with the police. This is in a good way. The boys find a dog which is not a stray and with Lieutenant Barclay's assistance, take the dog all the way to his championship.

I've skimmed over the story line through the entire eleven books. Hope this gives you some idea of the storyline. I intend to write all this on the blog as the stories come out. Or would it be more attractive if I gave the whole world a sneak peek?

Grace
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To learn more about this gifted writer and her book series, go to the following:
http://www.geocities.com/lgracebrooks
http://meettheasquinnfamily.blogspot.com
http://christianreadingcenter.blogspot.com