When I was in high school, I remember going to the drive-in to see the movie If It’s Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium, a comedy spoof about whirlwind European tours that took tourists to a gazillion countries in two weeks.

When I started writing three different mystery series, cranking out three new books a year, that movie title crept into my mind and stayed with me.  Let’s see.  If it’s September, then I must be finishing up a new Madison Rose vampire mystery while awaiting the release of the one prior to it.  And February is always the release date and due date for Granny Apples.

Looking at the calendar, I see it’s June.  June = Odelia.  Twice As Dead, the 6th book in the Odelia Grey mystery series, was just released – right on time.

People are always asking how I can write three different mystery series at the same time.  (Oh, and just for good measure, I also work full-time as a paralegal in a Los Angeles law firm.) So, how do I juggle three different series in one year?  Well, it’s not all that different from checking the calendar to see where I am in a frenetic vacation.

I try to keep on schedule as best I can.  It doesn’t always work.  For example, Gem of a Ghost, the 3rd book in the Ghost of Granny Apples series, was three months late due to some injuries and illness and my day job work load.  Hence, Odelia #7 is woefully behind.  It’s a dominoes effect when you have to be on such a tight schedule.  But without trying to meet that schedule, there is no hope at all.

Each of the three series is very different. This is a huge help in keeping them on track. Odelia is a paralegal and reluctant amateur sleuth with a quirky outlook on life who manages to get involved with murder, whether she wants to or not. The Ghost of Granny Apples series involves a ghost and her living descendant who solve the murders of ghosts, and the Madison Rose vampire mysteries is about a young woman who gets involved in solving murders to protect the existence of the secret Los Angeles vampire community. See – all very different except for the common thread of murder.  Also, Odelia Grey books are written in first person, while the other two are in third person, creating another separation on paper and in my head. 

If I were writing three Odelia books or three vampire books in a row, I would become bored with the theme and my brain would melt like a crayon left in the sun.  After I finish up with the ghosts and tackle the next Odelia book, it’s like I’m returning to visit an old friend.  Once Odelia is done, turning to the cranked up world of vampires is a very pleasant change of pace. 

Promotion isn’t any more difficult.  I spend the same amount of time doing book promotion for the three series as I did when I only had one.  I pitch them all wherever I go and often come across readers who don’t know I write three different series.  A book signing for a new Odelia Grey novel often results in sales for the ghosts and vampires and vice versa.

In spite of the above, I must say enough is enough. Writing three different series and maintaining a full-time job is beyond grueling and 2011 will be the last year I write three books a year.  After 2011, my contracts to Midnight Ink for Ghost of Granny Apples books and Madison Rose Vampire Mysteries will be fulfilled. It’s not that I will never write more books in these series, just that I won’t put myself through a meat grinder to do it. Odelia Grey novels are contracted through book twelve, so there will be many more of those on the horizon.

I’ve also decided to tackle something new. I have just created a Holidays From Hell series, a collection of short stories for e-books only.  And they are not mysteries. Each short story will follow protagonist Zelda Bowen and her dysfunctional family through a series of nutty holidays.  The first short story, The Rabbit Died, will be released within the next several weeks.  The Rabbit Died is about Easter and was originally planned to be released in time for this past Easter. But alas, when you have books due to a publisher all other projects must take a back seat. For more details on the release of the Holidays From Hell series, follow me on Twitter or Facebook or check my website.

It seems more than ever, writers are branching out into multiple series or even multiple genres.  Sometimes readers are disappointed or surprised by this. Others embrace it with both arms.  Authors need to stretch their writing wings and broaden their horizons just like any other profession, or they may grow stale.  So when you see one of your favorite authors embarking on a new adventure, show them your support by giving their new work a try.  You just might find some new fav picks.

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