On one shelf of my modest collection of books sits several dozen that loosely belong in a series. I say loosely because although they can be read in a certain order and are considered a series, they’re more than that. Each book can be considered a standalone, yet hidden within are trilogies and an overarching tale that spans multiple main characters. Suffice to say, I adore them.
What does this have to do with anything?
Well, the longer I delve into the worldbuilding of my Spellster series, the more I see a commonality. Each of the four (yes, four) books only have the world in common. I’ve spoken before about Through Smoke and Fire and In Pain and Blood, two others reared their heads (To Target the Heart and Burning Beneath the Sun)* although unlike the first two, they’re content to sit in their allotted spaces.
My issue is what one of the first two actually comes first.
I’ve already decided not to officially number them, despite doing so in my head, because of their ability to be read on their own. They’ll come out in a certain order, obviously, but with standalone intentions. Largely owing to the fact they won’t all be to everyone’s taste due to varying steamy levels and such. Really it comes down to one question…
Do I kick off with a dark, sweet romance or the one bordering on erotic?
Decisions. Decisions…
(*On a slightly humourous note, the titles form a sentence of sorts: Through Smoke and Fire, In Pain and Blood, To Target the Heart, Burning Beneath the Sun… Well, I thought it was amusing.)
Aldrea Alien 
Your titles sentence reads like poetry. 🙂
It might be safest to come out with the dark, sweet first, in case some people are uncomfortable with the erotic stuff. Hook them with your writing first and then draw them into deeper territory. At least, those are my thoughts. I know I wasn't comfortable reading the more erotic stuff a few years back, but I've slowly acclimated.
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It does a bit, doesn't it. I didn't even notice until my aunt pointed out the sentence I'd made when I'd all of their covers lined up. (yes, I'v covers for four books I've not finished worldbuilding for let alone written. :P)
Yeah, I've been thinking In Pain and Blood is best as a second in the series. I may have to write it first, though. Mainly because it bugs me whenever I try to focus on other works (might use it for nano, depending on how far I've gotten by novemeber). Still, it helps with the worldbuilding as they're adjacent kingdoms, so it's all good.
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In Pain and Blood is the erotic one?
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Sort of. I see it as borderline, but it may be within those bounds for some people. Either way, it's definitely setting itself up to be steamier when compared to the other three.
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