I was doing some research yesterday to update some of the authors on the site, when I came across this news:
Hailey Lind is leaving her established Art Lover’s Mystery Series behind, and will be writing a new series that features a “paranormal theme.” Apparently, the fact that the first novel (Feint of Art) in the Art Lover’s Mystery Series was a finalist for the Best First Novel of the prestigious Malice Domestic Agatha Award in 2006 was not enough to “maintain” (my word!) the series. And, this does NOT appear to be her (as in “their” since Hailey Lind is a pseudonym for a sisters writing duo) choice. She (as in “they”) had the fourth novel almost ready to go…. But, thanks to the publisher$, that will not be “a go”…..
In doing this Cozy Mystery Site, I have noticed that I have been changing more and more authors’ main mystery series. I wonder if that is because the authors make the choice of starting a fresh series, or if publishers force them to change to a new series. Are there themes that seem to be more popular these days?
Two of my very favorite authors seem to have dropped their established mystery series recently…
Charlaine Harris: Lily Bard Shakespeare Mystery Series (last mystery dated 2001) and Aurora Teagarden Mystery Series (last mystery dated 2003)… New Series: Southern Vampire Mystery Series (started 2001) and Harper Connelly (started 2005)
Kathy Hogan Trochek: Julia Callahan Garrity Mystery Series (last mystery dated 2000)… new series (written as Mary Kay Andrews): Weezie and Bebe Mystery Series (started 2003)
And, now we can add Hailey Lind!
There is some good news for Hailey Lind fans out there. Half of the Hailey Lind duo will be writing under a new pseudonym: Juliet Blackwell. She will be writing two new series: Secondhand Spirits and If Walls Could Talk.
Secondhand Spirits will be a paranormal mystery series which features a witch who lives in San Francisco and manages a vintage clothing shop. If Walls Could Talk features a woman who used to be an anthropologist, but who switches her career field to general contractor of historic houses in the San Francisco area.
Don’t get me wrong… I’m all for authors who decide that they should finish up a series if it is no longer fresh. If an author feels like he/she is simply “calling it in” while writing their series, I say: Quit churning them out, start something new. (More on that in my next blog…)
Debbie Diesen says
I was seriously saddened recently to see on Jo Dereske’s web site the news that her Miss Zukas mystery series is being “retired” by Avon/HarperCollins. I don’t mind at all when authors choose to go in other directions and/or start other series, but it bothers me when a wonderful and successful series comes to an end in such a manner.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
I totally agree with you, Debbie! It seems like I keep hearing about authors who are either dropped by their publishers or are asked to change their series to be a different type of genre… What a shame! I guess that in these difficult economic times, some publishers don’t believe that all of their authors are drawing enough money into the publisher’s coffers…
-V- says
I will miss the Hailey Lind series, but glad they are moving on to write more of something else. Paranormal is all the rage now, so some (if not most) authors may get pressed to jump on that wagon.
Charlaine Harris’ Aurora Teagarden series languished for a little until her other series took off. They are being re-released a little at time. So maybe Hailey Lind’s series will be back later on. Keep our fingers crossed.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
I think that you are 100% correct about the paranormal books being all the rage. I recently started thinking just that: It seems like more and more authors are quitting their previous mystery series so that they can take on the paranormal. I wonder if that’s what the authors want to do, or if they have been given the choices of taking on the paranormal or being dropped by their publishers.
-V- says
It might be a bit of both. I know Yasmine Galenorn did just that. She wrote her slightly paranormal cozy series, Chintz and China, and then decided she’d had enough and wanted to go full blown paranormal/urban fantasy.
Some are pushed to give it a try to sell more books to the new wave.
Marla says
Frankly, I’m not a paranormal fan. I don’t like vampires or seeing dead people, etc. I really miss the Shakespeare novels of Ms. Harris, but she did announce on her website that she was retiring both that series and the Teagarden one, and would be doing only paranormal books from now on. So I guess that’s another author to cross off my list…
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Oh my goodness, Marla! You’re right about Harris deciding that Lily Bard is a thing of the past! And, the Teagarden books don’t look like they will be seeing the light of day, either. Yikes! Well, at least there are plenty of people who do like the paranormal mysteries… Why else would so many authors be changing to that theme?!?
Cynthia says
Hi, Great site. So happy to discover it. Love those cozies, write them myself. Do you list self-published authors. A whole new and ambitious market looking for marketing venues and acceptance. Former news journalist and magazine article writer I have turned to my true bliss of writing cozies. How can we serious writers get some attention? Thanks again, Cynthia
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Yes, Cynthia, I have some self-published authors on the site.
gina says
It’s just so disappointing. I sometimes think that it’s the authors who decide when to stop. I was reading that this author signed on for 3 books only and even when they were huge hits the author didn’t care. These authors need to remember who made them popular and we are the reason they collect a paycheck.