Questions for Readers (and My Personal Answers) Question 1: Do you prefer stand-alone books or series? My answer: Both. I like a good standalone for new, interesting characters and a great plot. Some stories have to be one-offs, because it wouldn’t make sense to continue them. (A reader claimed I should write a sequel to one of my books in which all the major characters were dead at the end!) Series are great for going back to familiar places and people. While for authors it often becomes difficult to find new directions in a series, readers seem okay with repetition. Just ask James Patterson and Janet Evanovich. Although series are fun (and generally easier to write), I eventually get tired of them. My publisher was eager for me to continue the Loser Mysteries (Peg Herring), and fans asked for more of the Kidnap Capers (Peg) and the Sleuth Sisters (Maggie Pill), but I felt like I was done with those people. I didn’t want to force myself to write about them to the point tha