Leigh graciously gave me his slot today (we have a special guest coming in on my normal Tuesday slot) to talk about ending a series. And, let's be honest, I'm here to pimp my latest work, Gypsy's Kiss. But it's the end of Nick Kepler. For now. Maybe.
When I thought about writing about this, what came to mind was the end of a series. They all eventually end. Sometimes. I'm not so sure if it's wise to continue them beyond a certain point, but success often makes that decision for writers. It's clear Robert B. Parker had finished telling Spenser's story around the time of Ceremony. The novel had a certain finality to it as the consequences of the previous A Savage Place presented themselves. But Spenser and Parker continued. Within a few novels, it was clear he was just having fun now, making good money having that fun, and giving readers something nice and comfortable. But what if Parker had decided to end it all right there? Could he have continued as a writer?
My beloved 87th Precinct series ended when Ed McBain, AKA Evan Hunter, passed away. He wisely opted not to allow publishers to continue his series after his death (except for a posthumous release or two.) Sue Grafton has said that Kinsey Millhonne will also end with Z is for Zero. We are up to W now with X due out this year and Y in a couple of years. Sue Grafton has publicly stated that Z is for Zero will take place on Kinsey's 40th birthday so we won't have to watch her go through menopause. Hey, she said it. I didn't.
Which brings us back to Gypsy's Kiss and the end of Nick Kepler. Maybe. If I don't get the itch or a request to do it again. There are a lot of reasons for closing the book on Kepler. For starters, all but the first novel are independent releases. Mainly, I was burning off a couple of finished novels in various late stages of editing. I thought about returning to Nick's story again as I prepped a new novel (and potential series) to send to an agent. So I sat down to prep Kepler #4 and found he's stopped speaking to me. I hadn't written anything but a short story called "Gypsy's Kiss" in years. I liked the idea of Nick and Gypsy moving on, but I hated the result. So I hit on the idea of making it a novella, long enough to make the premise - call girl Gypsy wanting Nick for her final client - work while not taxing the reader with a long novel. Besides, I'm busy.
So what's it about? Gypsy is Nick's favorite informant. She's taken a bullet for him and even risked her own life to trap a sexual predator he once followed. Like Elaine in Lawrence Block's Scudder series, she's used her income from the sex trade to escape a life of being used. Now that she's ready to move on, and to celebrate, she wants a dollar from Nick to be her last "client," nothing outrageous (though it's pretty clear she's game even if Nick can't see it), just a quiet evening splitting a bottle of wine and watching old movies. But someone doesn't like Gypsy leaving the skin trade and leaves her a violent calling card. This being early spring, Nick stashes Gypsy on an island in the middle of Lake Erie, guaranteed to make her hard to find during cold weather. He digs through her past to find who wants to hurt her all the while trying to save his business from closing.
I wrote Gypsy's Kiss for a number of reasons, not the least of which was working with this form. I've done novels. I've done short stories. I've never done a novella. Also, even though all the Kepler novels were released, I wanted to give the Kepler series some closure. I didn't just want to walk away with Nick confused and angry at the end of Bad Religion. Since this was going to be my last original independent release (not counting short fiction), I wanted to go out with a bang. What happens to Elaine? What happens to Nick? Is it really safe to go to New Orleans in 2005?
It's left open-ended. Nick could appear again, either back in Cleveland or someplace else. But if I never pen another line of Kepler again, I've left him in a good place.
Gypsy's Kiss is available for order today.
Interesting, Jim… the door remains ajar!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your new novel.
ReplyDeleteAll too many writers fail to end a series on a high and satisfying note. Sounds as if you've managed to do both!
God bless you for giving the Kepler series closure! I think most of us hate it when a beloved series is left with huge knots of story line left hanging and you desperately want to KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT. (I think this is one of the many attractions of "The Fault in Our Stars", in which an author who writes a book with no conclusion finally gets his. Huzzah!) I look forward to reading "Gypsy's Kiss".
ReplyDeleteSeries threads are important. When I was reading one of the novels in Elizabeth Peters' series, Ramses was not looking good and I grimaced while thinking this had better turn out the way I want it to! (And it did.)
ReplyDeleteI can think of one author whose novels just deteriorated until they became unreadable (and not Christie). I just stopped reading then.
ReplyDeleteI forgot who said it, a big name writer. Maybe someone here with better memories than mine will remember. A series should end with three books. I can't totally agree because Marcia Muller, Sara Paretsky, Bill Pronzini, Michael Collins, Lee Child all keep on writing their series characters. However, they all keep their characters fresh. Introducing new characters, locations and plots. I guess it just depends on the writer. Some can carry it off and others can't. But it sounds like you've hit on a good idea,Jim, a novella, with a slight door crack, but you've left Kepler in a good place.
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