Posted by Heidi Blakey on 18th July 2017
I mean, not all books lend themselves to this. Some are, in the famous words of those three bears, “Just Right” the way they are. But if the secondary characters are cool and the ending leaves me with a bit of a “wait, that’s it?” feeling, I’m always hoping for at least a sequel.
As an author, I love nothing more than doing a deep dive into my second tier of stories and people. I’m also a fan of dropping someone into the plot who feels like a throw-away, only to have them featured in a follow-up book. I guess it satisfies my ongoing need for closure. *makes a note to ask my therapist*
I’ve written a fair few series in my time as author. And my most recent set of releases with Totally Bound Publishing is no exception. The new trend for authors to add novellas or even shorter stories to existing series is one I heartily approve. We all have that one guy or gal we hoped might land their own novel but didn’t. And of course, there are those empty spaces between chapters, designated only by a “six months later” heading that fill our eager imaginations with all sorts of shenanigans.
I think it’s super fun to read some of these shorter versions from my favorite series. They allow me to enjoy the overall story arc better. As an author, I usually have my novellas reflect something out-of-character, funny, or poignant. Something like a snapshot of everyday life that would have felt more like an aside or an interruption in a longer novel’s flow. They’re fun, frankly, and I’m thrilled that I was allowed to add one to the Brewing Passion series.
ADJUNCT LOVERS has a bit of a double life. I didn’t have any plans to write novellas for the Brewing Passion series but when I was approached by the owner of a brewery in Denver after she’d read a feature about me and my “craft beer romance empire” such as it is, with the idea to “dedicate” one of their beers to one of my books, my plot bunnies began to stir. In LIGHTSTRUCK (book two in the series) you get to experience Ross Hoffman’s story. He’s one of the main characters in TAPPED (book one in the series) but the ending of that book is somewhat unsatisfactory for him. He’s a German-born and trained Master Brewer, a rock star, bad boy, somewhat itinerant (he prefers the term “consultant”) expert whose relationship with Evelyn and Austin in Tapped leaves him a bit out in the cold. I pair him up with a woman he’d never dream that he’d fall for in Elise Nagel, also German-born, but American trained Master Brewer, and Cordon Bleu chef with a pretty nasty backstory she’s been hiding for years.
In LIGHSTRUCK, I treat readers to their funny, poignant love story and end with an epilogue that’s “three years later” after the final chapter. Those “three years” were bugging me, creatively speaking since I imply an awful lot goes on during that time for Ross and Elise. So when I was asked about a novel I might like the Fiction Beer Company to dedicate their new guava-infused Kölsch to, I decided it was time to say something about those three years.
ADJUNCT LOVERS is a realistic novella about a relationship in a minor crisis. Ross and Elle jumped into parenthood early (you know, that happens), on top of opening a new restaurant that would feature local, home-style fare from different cultures. It’s a huge hit. But with that success comes a level of stress that knocks them both for a loop. It ends happily, of course, but in a mere twenty-five thousand or so words, you can learn even more about what makes Ross, Elisa, and their precocious daughter, Liesl, really tick.
I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it and MANY SHOUT OUTS to Totally Bound Publishing for rushing it to publication for me so it could match the fact of the actual beer, available now in Colorado, that shares the novella’s name. If you’re in Denver, be sure and stop by Fiction Beer Company, 7101 E. Colfax Ave and try a glass of Adjunct Lovers, while you sit and enjoy my novella.
Love, Liz Buy Adjunct Lovers here
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