A reader contacted me today, to tell me that she had finished The Sebastian Trilogy, and was already ‘missing the characters.’  That made me think about the connections that we (hopefully!) form with protagonists.  Whether a reader or a writer, we invest our time and emotions into their journeys … in The Sebastian Trilogy, that’s quite a roller coaster ride!  As the writer who created those characters, I thought that I would be the only one to miss them when the final edit was completed.  It seems that’s not the case.

Thanks to Twitterville, Lord Sebastian, Elizabeth and Scarlett live on and continue to engage with readers.  I wonder what other authors and readers’ views are on this subject … do you want to close the book and part ways?  Or are you invested in those characters to the extent that you want to continue that virtual relationship with them?

… I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Janey

Now featured on the Best Seller list, Sebastian-Retribution is in the top 100 best selling romantic thrillers on Amazon.co.uk.

Sebastian-Secrets has remained on the erotic romance best seller list since Friday.  I’m thrilled to receive lovely messages from readers – I do appreciate feedback.

Secrets is today featured in Amazon.co.uk’s top 100 erotic Bestseller List.

I finally got my head down today and wrote with such vigour that my pencil nearly caught fire… or it would had I used one … ok so my keyboard nearly caught fire.  Anyway, my point is, that I sat back and read the opening chapter.  It didn’t hook me in.  It was too ‘flowery’ so I took a deep breath and highlighted the offending purple passages, then hit ‘delete.’  I repeated the painful process and then rewrote.  The result was, I hope, a far stronger opening.  It’s never easy deleting but it can immeasurably improve the story arc and flow.

How many mystery writers does it take to change a light bulb?

Two – One to screw the bulb almost all the way in, and one to give a surprising twist at the end.

(Anon)

I found this article really interested and thought I’d share it.  Brian Klems from Writers Digest gives some fascinating tips on how to wrench up the tension in your writing.  I try and shorten my paragraphs in order to build momentum for the reader.  In Sebastian – Retribution, the final chapters have an upturn in sensory detail to draw the reader in.  In all three of my books, I endeavoured to end each chapter with a cliff-hanger – some minor, and other times an edge of the seat page-turner.  Hopefully this creates just enough tension to carry the reader along through the journey of the story.

http://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/5-ways-to-make-the-ordinary-menacing-in-your-suspense-novel

Sebastian: Secrets
Janey Rosen. CreateSpace, $9.99 paper (230p), ISBN 978-1-4818-2792-8; 99¢ e-book
Amazon; http://www.janeyrosen.com
The first novel in the Sebastian trilogy follows the protagonist’s journey into submission, a journey fraught with danger, erotica, humor, and tragedy.

If you look to your left, you will see I’ve added the rather cool ‘Authorgraph’ app to my blog.  This is such fun and incredibly simple … simply click the link and let me know whom to sign to, and hey presto! I will return a signed dedication to you by return 🙂