book description for GHOST IN THE RING
Here’s the official book description for GHOST IN THE RING!
It does have mild, mild spoilers for previous GHOSTS books. But after 18 books, it’s basically impossible to write a book description that doesn’t have at least some mild spoilers. I think the only possible book description that wouldn’t have spoilers would be something like “Unnamed Woman Does Stuff”, which would not make for compelling back cover copy. 🙂
Caina Amalas was once a deadly Ghost nightfighter, a spy and agent of the Emperor of Nighmar. Now she only wishes to live quietly with her husband.
But civil war grips the Empire, and Caina’s skills are needed against the cruel sorcerers of the malevolent Umbarian Order.
And Caina has a dangerous connection to the Umbarians.
For Caina’s mother had many deadly secrets, secrets that might yet kill Caina herself…
-JM
This new ghost series is sounding seriously good. What is really impressive to me is that after 18 books and numerous short stories the world and characters are still fresh and exciting. Often when reading a long series I will reach a point where I am reading the series on autopilot and am just waiting on the end. I am extremely happy that I have never felt that way reading one of your books.
Thanks! I’m glad to hear that!
I think the key to writing a really long series is to recognize that people’s lives go through phases. Like, they go to school, graduate, go out into the world, get married, have kids, lose family members, suffer setbacks or triumphs, the whole stuff of life. And each phase of life has its own challenges – or as we writers think of them, storytelling opportunities. 🙂
I also don’t think it hurts that you reach a logical end point with the current story and bring the current story to a close. Oh sure you will leave hanging threads but you close the current story with the current cast of characters. You then pick up with a new problem. That problem might have ties to the earlier story but you give the characters a new story.
It is this I think that keeps your characters fresh.