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Barbara Freethy kicks off a series of guest blogs featuring today’s hottest authors at Book Addict. Check out her insightful post about writing a series.

After writing twenty-four books, I thought it would be fun to create an ongoing, open-ended series set in a fictional town. In creating my Angel’s Bay series, the first thing I did was scout out a location, which required a field trip.  My husband and I decided to take Highway One down the coast of California from San Francisco to Los Angeles.  This two-lane highway twists and turns high above the coastline and offers spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean. The drive itself can also be a bit harrowing with hairpin turns and sheer cliffs that drop down to the sea., but the beaches are amazing and in my case inspiring. 

Creating the backstoryOnce I decided to set Angel’s Bay on the central California coast, I began to create its history.  I love legends and wanted Angel’s Bay to have a fascinating history. So here’s what I came up with – in the year eighteen-fifty, people were fleeing the San Francisco Gold Rush, many traveling by ship down the coast.  One of those ships, the Gabriella, ran into a horrific storm and broke apart.  There weren’t enough lifeboats, and only twenty-four survived the wreck.  Many of the survivors settled by the bay to be near their lost loved ones and the town Angel’s Bay was born.  After the wreck there were many stories told about heroism, selfishness and even murder as people fought to survive the storm.  As a result, legends of good and evil spirits in the bay abound, and rumored angel sightings are a common occurrence.

Adding color and characters

Once I had the history for my fictional town, I decided to add some color with one of my new hobbies, quilting.  The twenty-four survivors of the shipwreck made a story quilt.  Each block symbolized the survivor and the lost loved ones.  The original quilt provided a much needed healing for the survivors, and the tradition of community quilting continues today.  Each book in the series features a character that ties into the quilt and the shipwreck.

Once I had the background set, it was time to create the characters.  In my first book, Suddenly One Summer, the central story features two outsiders, who introduce the readers to Angel’s Bay.  Jenna is on the run with a seven-year-old and a heart full of secrets.  Reid is a cynical reporter who is sent to cover an angel sighting only to become far more intrigued with the mysterious Jenna.  Secondary characters abound and their story lines play out as well.

Staying organized

To keep up with my continuing characters and the continuing development of my town, I have actually become organized in my writing.  I have charts, with characters, maps, and key locations in town.  This is a change for me, as I tend to be a writer who likes to jump into the writing without a lot of advance outlining.  Although, I still admit to doing some of the outlining after I finish writing so I have things straight for the next book. 

I’m enjoying writing a series, because it’s so much fun to follow characters over several books.  I’ve structured my series in that each book has a new central story, while secondary plot lines play out in the background. Readers will be able to jump in the series at any point and not miss anything.  Of course those who start at the beginning get the complete reading experience.

So I’m curious about your reading tastes.  Do you have a favorite series?  Any ones I should check out?

About Barbara:
Barbara Freethy is an award-winning, bestselling author.  Her new book, Suddenly One Summer is on sale June 30, 2009.  For more information on books, excerpts and contests, check out her website at http://www.barbarafreethy.com.  She’s also on Twitter and Facebook!