Guest: Lauren Dane Talks about Spinoffs

I don’t know if you know but… I’m not a huge fan of series. :X I know, I know. But wait. The reason why I mention that is… despite my feelings about them, Lauren Dane totally has me sold on hers. I’ve loved her Seattle set books. And I also love that she knows when to end things. But… even bigger confession? >.> I don’t know if I want to see the Seattle friends go! Eek! Anyway, you don’t want to hear me babble. Without further ado… Ms. Lauren Dane!

Spinning Off by Lauren Dane

So I love to write series. I love developing a group of characters whose stories and paths grow together over one large story arc with several smaller ones for each book.

When I first started thinking about Laid Bare, it was really Erin’s story. I knew she had two brothers, but when I sold it, it was just for a single book because an opening came up in the schedule and they asked if I had anything for them.  I did.

But as I started writing Laid Bare and I got to know Erin’s brothers, I knew I wanted to write about them too. This family, this group of friends, became very real to me as I wrote their stories.

But I’m also a believer in ending things while people still like what you’re writing. I didn’t want to make up uncles or far flung relations just to keep going. But then I wrote Gillian and realized how much I loved her friends.

So I did plan to end the Brown Siblings books (the last book, Drawn Together, Raven’s book, is out next October), but realized I could make that world a little bigger so it overlapped into Delicious, my next series with Berkley Heat that centered around Gillian’s group of friends on Bainbridge Island.

It’s been wonderful to write about these women and their lives – how they all are connected with one another and as they meet and fall in love with the men who fill that spot in their hearts. And it’s been wonderful to touch base with the Browns, Keenans and Copelands because Gillian and Adrian’s wedding is at the heart of the first two books (Sway and Tart, and it’s where Mary meets Damien, her HEA in the last book, Lush).

A spin off needs its own heart and because I loved these characters so much I think I gave it to Delicious. These women are artists, much like Erin and her brothers. But in their own way. They have their own flavor. Bainbridge is a slower, more small town version of Seattle as well.

So I hope you all enjoy meeting and getting to know Daisy, Mary, Jules, Cal, Gideon, Damien and Levi as much as I did!

Lauren is also giving away a copy of her new book Tart, which is something you definitely want to read! Either print, or digital. Winner’s choice!

60 thoughts on “Guest: Lauren Dane Talks about Spinoffs

  1. jovialvampyre

    I have enjoyed every book that I’ve read by Lauren. The Browns are my favorite :). Thank you so much for the post and giveaway.

    Reply
  2. cayenne

    I love this series – much as I love Erin, Todd & Ben, I’m really glad didn’t leave it as a stand-alone. I you can’t wait for Tart!

    Reply
  3. Susan E.

    I love book series. I started with Laura Ingalls Wilder when I was 7 or 8 and have always enjoyed books where characters are intertwined throughout. Stephanie Laurens and Nalini Singh do an excellent job of pulling in old characters while maintaining the new storyline.
    That said, I have absolutely loved the Brown siblings series, and I am thrilled that Gillian’s friends are getting their own stories. Please pick me! 🙂

    Reply
  4. Susan T.

    I love Lauren Dane’s Brown series. Am glad it was made into a series. Can’t wait to read Tart. Thanks for the posting and giveaway

    Reply
  5. Angie M

    I love series & Lauren Dane knows how to write a series! But I agree that good things must come to an end. Some of the series I used to read have lost me through repetition, weird tangents & too much time between books. I’m so glad that hasn’t happened with Lauren Dane’s books. I love the special peeks we get into some of the familes in her series.
    Thanks for the giveaway!

    Reply
  6. Debbie Talbot

    I soo can not wait for Tart. This series pulled me in and I too believe that there are some series out there that just don’t realize that it is past time to end the story but this one has me hooked and I LOVE all the characters and want more
    Thanks again for the giveaway

    Reply
  7. Kris M.

    I love this series (and the Federation series as well) and am so looking forward to reading this book. I love spin offs because most of the time I am not ready to let the characters go, so it is nice to get occasional glimpses of the previous characters so I still feel connected.

    Reply
  8. Becki Wyer

    I have a couple of her books on my TBR list…I’m going to get to them soon 🙂
    Thanks for the blog post and giveaway.
    rmwyer at shaw dot ca

    Reply
  9. Angie G.

    I just discovered Lauren Dane this year. I’ve got lots to catch up on but that is no hardship! I’m excited about the chance to read Tart. Good luck to everyone!

    Reply
  10. jesilea

    I love the Brown Siblings books! They are the perfect read to get lost in. I was excited when I learned about the spin off, because while I didn’t want the Brown series to end, I knew that it must. With this new series, I look forward to seeing glimpses at what the browns are up too, while at the same time loving on to a fresh direction. Thanks, Lauren!

    Reply
  11. Sara

    I don’t think I’ll ever want to see the Brown storyline go away but that’s because I love the books so much. I’m super glad that Sway got released and soon, Tart. Great reads and re-reads and so on!

    Reply
  12. marcie

    Love al of Lauren’s characters but am especially looking forward to the continuation of this series. Thank you for the post.

    Reply
  13. Deanne McKinley

    I would love a copy of Tart! I have a little catching up to do before I read it but free books are the best!

    Reply
  14. PA Lassiter

    Laid Bare was quite special to me. The characters, the milieu, everything sent me back to my rockin’ days in Seattle when grunge was king, Kurt was still around, Pearl Jam was making an end run around Ticketmaster, you could run into Jean Enerson at the Palomino or the Dahlia Lounge, or hook up at the Spot. Dreads were in, so was heroin, but you could also get an alfalfa, beet, and carrot juice charge-up at the Gravity Bar. This book was real and evocative and the characters easily could have lived down the street. All that and hot menage too! Looking forward to finishing this series and starting the next…. PAL

    Reply
  15. April Renee Symes

    I love how the characters seem to jump out at you as you read the stories and I am so excited by the spinoff you have done, Lauren. I love how you paint the stories-how lush and real to me they are. 🙂 I really enjoy your stories and I have you on auto buy on every book….

    Reply
  16. Melanie

    Am waiting with baited breath for Tart, I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Brown Family series and the fist of the Delicious spinoff was awesome. Lauren wrights a captivating book that grabs you from the first page to the very last sentence and beyond.

    Reply
  17. Deborah Simon

    I love to know what happens after a book ends & then to have additional stories through spinoffs or connections between an author’s series is always a great plus.

    Reply
  18. Jordan H.

    I’m so excited for this book!! I love the Browns series and can’t wait to learn more about Gillian’s friends.

    Reply
  19. Alesha Stewart

    I just discovered Lauren Dane books this year and the Brown’s were my first books. I fell in love with all of them and can’t wait to continue with this series.

    Reply
  20. Marianne

    I cannot wait to read Tart. I just had to go back and re-read all the Brown sibling books because I missed everyone so much!

    Reply
  21. Tiffany B

    I am a series fan, especially this one. You can see growth and Dane breathes such life into each character they you feel like you could know them. Amazing.

    Reply
  22. Aurore

    I love the Brown siblings series. The first book by Lauren I read was Never Enough and I loved both the Browns and Gillian’s friends. I was so happy when I heard about the Delicious series. I loved Sway and now I can’t wait for Tart! Thank you for the giveaway.

    Reply
  23. Lyn in tampa bay

    \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ I always look forward to Ms. Dane’s books but I really can not wait till Tuesday….have my book on request at my local book store – go me

    Reply
  24. Mary Preston

    I know as a reader I don’t want to let characters & their worlds go, so it must be even more so for a writer.

    LOVING the titles too.

    Reply

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