I don’t know about you, but I sure love a series. I can’t tell you how often I’ve finished a book that I thought was just okay, but knowing it was part of a series, I still went looking for that next one. Then there is the delight of reading a book you don’t realize is part of a series, and then you find out there is a whole slew of books in that town or with that family or circle of friends, and your mind is set to ease knowing you don’t have to separate yourselves from these people just yet.

There is something so comforting about settling in with characters you are already familiar with. Even if the new hero and/or heroine have just been side characters in the first book you read, you feel like you know them a little — and if the author has done it right, you know just enough to make you want to know more.

I recently listened to the first book in Laura Kaye’s Hard Ink series, Hard as It Gets, and she gave us the slightest hint into this one character’s life that piqued my curiosity. As soon as I finished the book, I went directly to Goodreads to read the blurb about book two with fingers crossed. Sure enough, that character earned the position of heroine in the second book in the series, Hard as You Can. Well done, Ms. Kaye.

I’ve been listening to a couple of books from Lorelei James’s Blacktop Cowboys series, which by the way is an excellently written series about bull-riders, bull-fighters, farming cowboys and all kinds of other rough and tumble guys dreams are made of. This author gives us a closer look at the side characters, even taking a detour from the story at hand to allow a look into their own points of view at times.

But I’ll tell you a little secret. It’s not just the readers that love the series. Us writers become so close to our characters through the writing process that it’s sometimes difficult for us to let go. So I believe series are a win-win for everyone!

Finally, I can’t talk about series without introducing you to a few of my favorites. Lisa Kleypas’s Travis series inspired me to write a series of my own. The fourth book in that series comes out later this year. I’ll be screaming from the rooftops about that when it releases.

I became quite addicted to James Patterson’s Michael Bennett series last year. But who can resist a single father with ten kids?

When agents or editors ask me what authors my own books are similar to, I always mention Erin McCarthy’s Fast Track series. While I haven’t been clever enough to hone in on such a unique world as stock car racing, I feel like her characters have an authenticity that I hope I am achieving as well in my own writing. We also have similar heat levels in our writing. (You’ve been warned.)

And while we all love Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series, I would love her to take a break and write just one more in her Alex Barnaby series. Don’t read Metro Girl in public, unless you want to be stared at for laughing hysterically by yourself.

I’d LOVE to hear about your favorite series! I’m a book junkie and it doesn’t take much to convince me to read or listen to a good one. Let us all know about your favorite series here in the comments.

And as always, happy reading!