A Wolf to Watch Over Me turns four years old today!
I remember writing it, then being so ecstatic that I’d finally finished something after my hiatus of almost five years to take care of my family. My friends at Romance Divas challenged us to write short stories for a charity anthology, and I thought, “I can do that!” When I couldn’t even think about a novel, or even a novella, I knew I could write a short.
So I did! Just writing the words “The End” on something flipped a switch for me, and I started looking around for other projects.
Little did I know…
One of the friends who’d been in the anthology with me emailed to ask if I’d think of writing something else for a Viking anthology. And, by the way, it would be great if it was part of a series.
I think I typed Yes before I finished reading the email.
Sure! I had a series! (Not.) But then I thought about Hakon sidUlfr and how the world I built for him was based on Norse traditions and mythology, and it turned out I did have a story for his friend, Ule: A Most Wanted Wolf.
Then a different friend said she wanted to put out a group release of “seasoned romances,” which are romances with older characters, rather than the typical, nubile 20-somethings that populate the genre. And I thought, “Hey, Ule’s mother from Book 2 could use her own story.” The project didn’t work out quite the way we’d planned, but I still had this wonderful romance with amazing characters, so there was the third book: Silver Wolf Rising.
The folks who’d wanted the second book were going to put out a final Viking anthology, and by then, I knew it was time to wrap up my storyline with the hero I’d been waiting for. Where all the other stories stand pretty much entirely on their own, this one had to pull together all the threads I’d laid out before. And by now, I was feeling a lot more like a “real” writer again, with deadlines to meet and a sense that people were waiting. They wanted this story. It’s a thrill I’ll never get used to.
Writing Hakon’s brother in The Wolf Who Came In From the Cold was almost as freeing an experience as writing that first short. And I always think that the people who read the whole series are fellow travelers on my journey.
Come along for the ride!
Sela Carsen is an award-winning author of paranormal and sci-fi romance — with or without sex and dead bodies. Your pick. She maintains a permanent nerd-on for fairytales and mythology, and openly hoards reference books about obscure folklore. Born a wanderer, she and her family have finally settled in the Midwest. Until they move again, at least. Website.
Linkage:
A Wolf to Watch Over Me: Literary Underworld – only $3!
A Most Wanted Wolf: Literary Underworld or other fine booksellers
Silver Wolf Rising: Literary Underworld or other fine booksellers
The Wolf Who Came In From the Cold: Literary Underworld or other fine booksellers
Wolves of Fenrir: Literary Underworld – $15 for the whole set!