My sequel, Righteous Endeavors, was released on Amazon today.
I wrote my debut novel for two audiences: myself—my idea of the best police procedural I could write—and everyone else, the entire undefined audience of crime-novel readers. Thanks to reader feedback, I’ve learned I have fans who loved the first book, satisfied readers who also saw room for improvement, and unimpressed but helpful critics. With knowledge comes power and, in this case, a dilemma: for whom do I write the sequel?
The answer, to my surprise, was beyond my control—the characters dictated the course of Righteous Endeavors. Per guidance made most clear to me in Stephen King’s On Writing, it is (almost) enough to develop characters and circumstances and then just write down what they do.
The sequel is a continuation for fans of Righteous Judgment … my readers deserve that. Whether the characters’ next moves are what the fans expect … you wouldn’t want me to give that away here.
I guess I’ll find out right after you do.
Jacob Graysol, Novelist 