I figure if I’m getting a question, then others have the same question. So I thought I’d answer them today. If you have additional questions, don’t be shy about commenting below. 🙂
1. Will you write about any of the secondary characters in Substitute Bride?
Yes, I do, though not this year. I don’t know when I’ll get to my next Florida Contemporary Romance. I plan to include Nick Hammond (Lexie’s fiance in Runaway Bride) and Blake Rogers (Lexie and Caitlyn’s brother) in that series. So you’ll see Caitlyn and Lexie and their children in Blake’s book. I don’t know if they’ll make an appearance in Nick’s story, but since Blake is their brother, they’re guaranteed to show up at some point.
At the moment, I have plans for five more books in the Florida series. (The Florida series takes place in the same area of Florida–the panhandle along Fort Walton Beach–that the Across the Stars Series takes place.) In Substitute Bride, I introduced Nita (Alexandra’s best friend), Camden (the guy who was skinny as a rail but ate all the time), and Greg (Kevin’s best friend). Nita does not end up marrying the guy she was dating in Substitute Bride, which is why I never gave him more than a simple mention. I’m not sure who she ends up with. It could be Greg or Camden or someone else, like Blake or Nick.
What I do know is that Tammy (the evil girl in Substitute Bride) and Troy (the guy who was there to make Kevin jealous by flirting with Alex) end up together. And I’m going to pair them up in a very implausible, totally unrealistic, BUT extremely fun plotline. Sorry guys. Sometimes fun and laughter trump realism when I write books.
Needless to say, I have years to go before I finish with this series, just as I have years before I finish with the Larsons in Nebraska. I’m just taking a break from the Larsons at the moment, though I’m hoping Kent will get his chance to be with Rose Larson before the year is up.
I really enjoy putting characters in one series into another series, and now that I have enough series out, I can easily do this. So start looking for some secondary characters in one series being featured in a different one. 🙂
2. I want to wait until you’re done with the Nebraska series so I can read all the books in order. When will you be done with it?
I have no idea. I have about 30 more books to write, and honestly, I suspect I’ll die before I finish the series. I’ll probably be typing one of the books when it’s my time to go. Not to be morbid or anything. 🙂 I just came to accept that the more I write, the more ideas I get. What was supposed to be one book (Eye of the Beholder) before I turned my attention back to the characters in the Virginia series pretty much turned into a lifelong project.
Believe it or not, I originally had plans to write about Agnes Brothers and Alex Dawson (from Falling In Love With Her Husband). I also wanted to write about Kate Tanner (aka Kate Walker)’s brother Billy, but that never panned out. Billy, however, might eventually find his way out west with a Larson or Craftsman girl. 😉
I also can’t guarantee when I’ll be completely done with any other series I’ve started. I never know when a character is going to pop up and want their own story.
3. Do you really think it’s necessary to put sex in your books?
Yes, I do. If you’d rather avoid sex scenes, I suggest another author.
4. Did women ever go to Pandoran (Mark and Chris’ world in the Across the Stars series) to help populate the world with female offspring?
Yes. I envision a group of women from Alaris who will agree to go there. In fact, it might be a situation where males on Alaris become unable to have children. But I don’t know if or when I’ll get around to writing it. The focus would be on romance, rather than the sci-fi part, something that would probably upset the sci-fi fans but that’s the way the cookie crumbles. As fun as it is to mix genres up, I don’t like to get techy in the sci-fi thing.
5. What? Mixing genres? What are you talking about?
I thought I’d answer this before someone asks. 🙂 I love a variety of genres and I read a variety of genres. I have blended them into some of my romances, though the focus always remains in the romance area.
For example, Brave Beginnings, Her Counterfeit Husband, and Shotgun Groom were romance mixed with thriller elements.
Though it probably seems morbid, my favorite scene in Brave Beginnings (besides the scene where Gary takes Julia to meet Chogan in the middle of the night) is when Ernest grips the wine glass in his hand and cuts his hand so blood drips to the floor. Ernest had a surprising dark side, and that was the scene where I realized just how dark he truly was. Originally, he was supposed to end up with Millicent. But there was no redeeming him. I especially enjoyed the comparison between the “refined white gentleman” who was really a savage versus the “savage redskin” who was really a gentleman. I love to throw in comparisons like that. Just like when I compared true beauty that is often overlooked to the superficial beauty that is often praised in Eye of the Beholder (Mary vs. Cassie).
I could go on, but this post is getting long.
Other mixing of genres is romance and fantasy (His Abducted Bride), romance and science fiction (Suddenly a Bride, I especially enjoy the discussion about how Pandoran ended up without women in that book), romance and humor (I have too many of these to count but I probably enjoyed A Most Unsuitable Earl and An Inconvenient Marriage the most).
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Since I’m at the 1000 word mark for this post, I’ll end it here. If any more questions come to mind, I’ll put them in another post. And like I said earlier, if you have any, feel free to comment. 🙂
Ruth Ann Nordin's Author Blog 
I want to read the entire Nebraska series, so I’ve been over to your chronological order page. I noticed that the first book is “to be written”, as well as the second to last book. Does this mean that you’re going back in time and writing a book that comes before everything that’s happened since? Kind of like a prequel?
I need to start keeping a spreadsheet of all the books I’m reading. You’ve written so many books, I need to keep up with which ones I’ve read. LOL
They are books that happen before the events in the other books. I wrote Eye of the Beholder first, and in that book, Tom, Sally and Richard (the older Larson siblings) were already married. I wanted to write a book on how they each found their true love, so I wrote A Bride for Tom and Her Heart’s Desire later on for Tom and Sally. I have not written Richard’s story though. So it does go back in time. But you can read any of the books as stand alones.
I’m not a fan of series where I need to read book 1 to understand what happens in book 2, though my Native American Series is set up that way, just because a character “dies” but not really. If you read book 2 (Brave Beginnings) first, then you know the character never “died” and the surprise is ruined. LOL So even though I’m not a huge fan of series, I have done that one where it’s best to read book 1 first. This is why I made book 1 in the Native American Series free. I wanted to give people incentive to read book 1 before the others.
I don’t plan to go further back in the Nebraska series than Richard and Amanda. At the moment, I am writing a book about Dave and Mary’s kids, Rose Larson (so chronologically, I don’t know what number that book is). I also want to write another book about Dave and Mary which would chronologically come before Rose’s book. I plan to write about the other kids when they grow up and some of those will come before and after Rose’s book. This is why I hate putting any numbers on those books. I want to write about all those characters, but it gets confusing when people want to wait until they’re all done. And I can’t write a book I’m not in the mood to write. (Well, I can but I’ll feel like I need to pull my hair out. LOL) I never intended the Nebraska books to go beyond the six original siblings (Richard, Tom, Sally, Dave, Jenny, and Joel). But the secondary characters all popped up and demanded their own book. I swear, they’re a bunch of spotlight hogs. LOL
Fortunately, my other series aren’t such a headache.
I know I’ve read Eye of the Beholder (which I loved), and I’m pretty sure I’ve read A Bride for Tom and A Husband for Margaret. And I’ve read a couple of others in another series, I think Bid for a Bride and one other. And, of course, I’ve read the regencies. I’ll eventually get caught up. I want to read all of Rose’s books, too. I can’t wait for vacation! Romance is great reading for the beach.
I need to get caught up with Rose’s books, too. It’s hard to keep up with all the books. I struggle to keep up with everything my author friends publish. I’m hoping to make a nice dent in July when I take three weeks off from writing to go on vacation. As much as I love to write, I’m looking forward to only reading for a change. 😀
I always liked mixed genres myself 😉
Me too. It’s more fun that way. 😀
I was little bit disappointed by the short reply (via mail) previous but now I’m very glad to see this long post about “Substitute Bride”. I think I’m suffering from “SB” fever currently. Looking forward to Trent and Tammy’s story. I must say that I love the previous cover of “SB” when it was under Kate Page’s name. You should reuse that cover of the beautiful bride in one of your upcoming books if possible.
I have a hard time knowing what to say in emails. I know what to say in blog posts and when I write a book, but emails aren’t my strength. 😀 I’m the same way in person. Very quiet and shy.
I did like your question. It was on of my favorites.
I don’t know if I can use the cover I had for this book when it was under Kate Page. I’m afraid that it doesn’t fit what I do under Ruth. I loved it too. It was hard to give it up. 😀
Don’t worry, Ruth. I know from your blog that you are very shy. If you consider yourself 50% introvert, then trust me I’m 100% introvert. Actually whenever I see your or Rose’s reply, I become the happiest person in the world. Both of you are kind of “celebrity” to me. I feel glad when you share something about yourself, your family or your novels. Keep it up!
I wish I could be better in emails. 😀 I always feel so awkward. The same is true on Facebook. I feel like whatever I say is inadequate because I can’t get across how blessed I feel when someone says they like my books. I don’t feel like a celebrity at all. The fact that other people read my books doesn’t even seem real.
I’m going to meet Rose in person at the RT Convention next month. I’m nervous but excited about it. She’s such a nice and down-to-earth person.
Your words have been a blessing to me in more ways than you realize. Thank you. 😀