It's been a wild ride working on the remaining books of The Strangers Saga: Baton Rouge, but I'm excited to share a little behind-the-scenes look at the journey.
First off, let me say that the second novel kicked my butt creatively. I had such a clear vision when I started--previous to the release of the first book in {2019!}--but a few things happened between then and now that made me hit the brakes, flip around a few times, and finally come through the smoke with something brand new, a little unexpected, and wholly awesome.
Rae and Jaser will be the focus of Book Two, and I'm not sure how else to say this, so I'm going to come out and say it: these are minority characters, and I am not a minority. Before 2020, before the insane turn that particular year took and all of the world events since, I felt confident writing their story. I've always loved to dive into other cultures and, I hope, to bring them to life in a respectful way.
But with the focus on #blacklivesmatter and the {necessary!} shift in lifting minority voices, suddenly I no longer felt that I was the right person to bring these characters to life.
I struggled with this for quite a while, which is why there has been such a delay in the release of Book Two. After much conversation with friends and some soul searching, I came to a conclusion: these stories need to be told, even if by me. Sometimes, when a voice has been silenced, another needs to speak. And that's not pandering or misappropriation, it's being an advocate.
So once I dived back into Rae and Jaser's story, a second thing happened: I had no idea how to really tie them into the overarching plot of the murder mystery. In Book One, Declan was the detective on the case. In books Three, Four, and Five, we'll meet the defense lawyer, the main witness, and the prosecutor, but how could I connect Rae and Jaser as closely?
More struggles ensued. And then it hit me, and I leaned into it, hard. And you know what? That's the magic of writing fiction. After an identity crisis, these characters took on a life of their own when I let them be who they are. Fleshing out their story was trickier than I anticipated {more than five years ago when this all started} but now I can't wait for you to (re)meet them.
I'm aiming to have at least Book Two ready to release by Mardi Gras of 2025, which is March 4. I will keep you updated on this, and not to worry, I won't make you wait for the next three books of the series--the goal is to release one a month until the series is complete.
Thanks for your patience as I jumped an endless amount of hurdles to finally arrive at the finish line. That's right--the rough draft of Book 2 is officially complete, and Book 3 isn't far behind--but more on that next month.
What are you in the mood for?
Happy Reading!
Always,
Ana
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