Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Callie Hutton: Play it again, Sam

Play it Again, Sam
By Callie Hutton

Oftentimes when I finish a book, I close the cover with a sense of loss. During the time I spent with the characters I came to love them, and want to know ‘what happens next?’ Oh, I have a satisfied feeling when everything works out for the tortured hero and heroine, but what about tomorrow?  Or next Christmas? After I’ve invested all that emotion, do they just disappear? Then, in my sorrow, I do an internet search and find—A SEQUEL!

Yeah! I can re-visit my characters, and have a whole new experience with the people I was introduced to in Book #1. My favorite kind of author is one who does sequels. You begin the book with a frame of reference. You know the hero in this book is the younger brother of the last book’s heroine. Or her cousin, or his sister. So you settle in pretty quickly, like you’re visiting an old friend.

When I wrote A Run For Love, I had no intention of doing sequels. But when a couple of my beta readers said they were so sorry when it ended, I realized with four nieces and nephews, I had plenty of material to work with.
           
Thinking it would be cool to write a Christmas novella out, I wrote A Wife By Christmas, using Ellie, the youngest niece as my heroine. Naturally, once my publisher accepted that one, I sat down and did outlines for the other three.

Number three in the series, A Prescription for love tells the story of Michael Henderson, the oldest nephew in A Run for Love. So many people loved his character, I just knew he had to come next.  

It’s also fun writing sequels. I laugh when I have scenes where characters from previous books pop up. They’re still as feisty and funny as before. It’s nice to visit with them again.

How do you feel about sequels?  Do you like them, or do you prefer a whole new cast of characters?

A Prescription for Love

Guthrie, Oklahoma, 1903. Betrayed by his fiancée’s infidelity eight years ago, pharmacist Michael Henderson vowed he'd never risk his heart again. But he doesn't anticipate the tug of attraction he shares with his new employee.

Heidi Lester flees her home, determined to prove to her overprotective parents she can conquer her debilitating asthma, to make a life of her own. However, her unscrupulous fiancé has no intention of letting her go. He has his own plans for Heidi and her inheritance.

Will a scheme to ruin Michael's family force Heidi to marry her fiancé, or will assistance arrive from a surprising source to allow her to be with the man she truly loves?


Excerpt

“What I intended to say is, although I’m not sure about hiring you, I’m willing to try you for a week to see how you work out. Would that be acceptable?”
She quickly sat up, her eyes bright. “Yes, yes. A trial period would be fine.” Her mouth broke into a huge grin, and she wiped sweat off her upper lip.
What a transformation. Her smile changed an already pretty face into a beautiful one. The twinkle in her eyes, and her full lips revealing straight white teeth, sent his pulse racing. Something twisted in his middle he hadn’t allowed himself to feel in years.
He cleared his throat. “You understand you’ll have to speak with the customers?”
“I realize that.”
Michael stood. “I’ll need you to come in tomorrow at nine o’clock. We’re open from nine-thirty until six o’clock. You will have one half hour for lunch. We’re also open half a day on Saturday from nine-thirty until noon. Can you work those hours?”
“Yes. That’s fine.” She hopped up so quickly, she nearly upended her chair. Michael grabbed it before it tumbled to the ground.
“I’ll be here first thing in the morning. Thank you so much.” She grabbed his hand, and almost shook it off his arm.
Michael led her to the front of the store, unlocked the door and let her out. “See you tomorrow.”
“Yes, thank you very much. I’ll be here. Thank you again.” She backed away, then turned and walked into a light post.
“Miss Lester!”
“I’m fine.” She rubbed her forehead, adjusted her hat, and hurried away.
Michael shook his head. Strange woman. Hopefully he didn’t just commit a huge error of judgment.




Callie has been making up stories since elementary school, and writing gave her a way to turn off the voices in her head.  She’s had a number of articles and interviews published over the years, and finally decided to put her writing skills to the test and write novels.
Oklahoma is where she hangs her hat with her husband of thirty-six years, two young adult children, and three dogs.
You can catch her hanging out at Facebook, Twitter- @CallieHutton, and her home base, www.calliehutton.com. Stop by sometime and say hello.

Books by Callie Hutton
Oklahoma Lovers series, #1, #2, #3
            A Run For Love (Tori & Jesse)
            A Wife By Christmas (Ellie & Max)
            A Prescription For Love (Michael & Heidi)

An Angel in the Mail
Tessa’s Treasures
Miss Merry’s Christmas
Daniel’s Desire, coming November 19th

All of Callie Hutton’s books can be found at www.Amazon.com and www.BarnesandNoble.com.

26 comments:

  1. I'm excited to be here today. I'll be offline until after noontime (central). Catch y'all later.

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  2. Welcome to TBR Callie!
    I love sequels, whether a continuation of the same story or deeper into a related character's story.
    Cate

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  3. Thanks, Cate. I prefer sequels myself.

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  4. I do not call writing books about a family or a group of people sequels. That is more like a series. I don't like the sequels that take the same characters of the first book and show then further down the road of life. Usually there is a big problem in that book. I prefer to imagine that the characters are living happily ever after.
    I don't want to know that their children are having the same or worse problems than they or that all their efforts accomplished nothing.
    One author had the hero of book one dead in book 2. I thought that was a rip off and have felt aggrieved ever since.
    Mysteries do better as a series using the same main character as long as the trouble doesn't affect the main character. One author killed off a lead character's wife. I haven't read another of her books since.

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    1. I know which two books you mean where the hero of the first book was killed off in the second. On that author's website under her FAQ she actually says she has no intention of re-writing the ending of that book, lol. So I guess she heard a lot of angst over that. Thanks for stopping by.

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  5. Hi Callie,

    I'm one of those readers who is just happy when I have the chance to read. If I pick up a book that is part of a series or a sequel I'm all for it. It is fun to see a blip of a character from a past book. But I also like stand alones.

    I loved A Run For Love and am glad you decided on telling the other stories. A Wife Before Christmas was a lot of fun to read and like you mention, Michael was a favorite character from the original book, and I look forward to reading his story!

    Congrats on your release!!!

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    1. Thanks, Christine. I remember how much you liked Michael in the first book.

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  6. Hi Callie,

    I love sequels, be it in books or movies. Of course, it has to be with characters I'm dying to see again.

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    1. So true, Carole. Who wants to read about characters you didn't like the first time, lol? I appreciate your visit

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  7. Having read two out of the three Oklahoma Love stories, I can tell you, if I wasn't a fan of sequels before, I am now! But I am, was and will always be fond of sequels. Have a few in mind myself. Nice post, Callie. Thanks for sharing.

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    1. Thanks, Calisa. I appreciate your kind words.

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  8. I love sequels. I find myself getting attached to the characters. And it delays the sense of loss.

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    1. That's exactly what I think. And I loved writing about my original characters in book #2 and #3.

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  9. hi Callie, big congrats on your release...nice one! As for sequels, there's no hard and fast rule for me. But I do love finding out there's a sequel to a book I loved, always makes me happy, but a tad worried whether it will live up to the first!

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    1. That is another concern, Cait. You want to make sure you don't let the readers down. Thanks for coming by.

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  10. Callie, congratulations on your release. I love sequels.

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    1. Thanks, Ella. I know you love to write them, lol.

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  11. Great post and excerpt! I too love sequels. I just don't want to say goodbye!

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    1. Hi Eliza. I know what you mean. When I close a book I often sigh, sorry to say goodbye. Love your Highlander series. Waiting with bated breath for your next release (December, right?)

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  12. Callie, when I read, I like sequels. There's something comforting about revisiting characters. So it only made sense that I should do the same with my own stories. My young adult Civil War novel that went out of print a few years back, was resurrected as an adult romance as those young characters grew up after the war, in my American-Victorian romance, Cassidy's War. I also took a child character from my time travel romance, Erin's Rebel, and she'll have a time travel story of her own in the novella, coming on 12/19/12, Thoroughly Modern Amanda. I'm also working on a new novella featuring a doctor, who was a minor character in my Civil War romance, Confederate Rose.

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    1. How fun, Susan! In my book, A Run For Love, Ellie Henderson was eleven years old. She was 28, all grown up and very much a suffragette in A Wife By Christmas. I love doing that kind of stuff. Thanks for coming by and sharing that.

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  13. I do love sequels, and I hunt for information about past heroes and heroines in them even as I enjoy the new story.

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    1. Hi Ally (she waves). I'm glad you took time from NaNo to visit. Thanks.

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  14. I like sequels myself, for pretty much the reasons you stated. It's like visiting with old friends. Or getting to know an acquaintance better in some cases.

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  15. So Callie, when are we getting Rachel's story? I love sequels as long as it's about secondary characters. Leave the originals to their HEA. One of my favorite books was Skye O'Malley. I was perfectly satisfied with the ending, but then the author felt it necessary to continue Skye's story and screwed up the HEA. And personally I don't get into series with a character who never gets a HEA. But that's just me. Must have a HEA.

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  16. I don't want to read about the same characters over and over... Now there are a few exceptions, but usually, I want more of a series. Where characters from a book, gets their own story int he next book. Which is what you do. I've loved all your books.

    Keep up the good work!

    -Cheryl

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