This week my guest is Susan Gray, whose latest novel Then There’s Trust was published in March 2026, is going to talk about the challenges of writing a book series. Over to Susan …
Thank you for inviting me onto your blog again!
I would like to share with you some of the challenges I encountered when writing a book series.
My latest book THEN THERE’S TRUST was published in March and is the third book in my Blossoming series.
The setting is northwest Durham in the 1950’s and as with my other books, I am grateful to my cousin who painted the picture for the cover.
Writing a series has been challenging, but also rewarding and satisfying.
Three years ago, when I wrote BLOSSOMING OF TRUTH, it was intended to be a standalone, but as in life, there is always another chapter to be told. I sensed my characters had more to give, so two years ago I wrote the second installment of their lives in HOPE ON HOPE.
When I’m writing, my characters go with me to the coffee shop, the medical appointments, the shopping expeditions, holidays and when doing the daily chores. I research these settings as they would have been in the twentieth century – the time period of my books.
I experienced the 1950’s as a child, but immersing myself in that era from a character’s perspective, was fascinating.
One aspect I faced in THEN THERE’S TRUST was the expectations of society in those days… woe betide the person who kicked against these conventions! How much has changed compared to present day.
My characters needed to be bound by the social mores of the era – the unwritten rules which shaped people’s lives, attitudes and behaviour.
This took me in a direction where my character’s development and the plotlines were influenced by these norms.
Characters grow, develop, change, surprise and disappoint…they were my creation, but somehow, they managed to pull their own strings.
Dealing with characters in a series called for careful ‘mapping’ and I found myself colour coding my draft manuscripts to ensure each person was given their own space to develop.
THEN THERE’S TRUST brings the Blossoming trilogy to a satisfying conclusion, but ideas continue to formulate and these characters have a life of their own…so maybe they will return!
About Susan Gray
Susan writes uplifting, character driven fiction, set in the Twentieth Century. She is intrigued by family secrets, mystery and romance and endeavours to entwine these genres in her writing.
Her books are set in northeast England where she lives with her husband. She enjoys travelling, reading, puzzling and people watching. Her plots are inspired by life issues and how her characters handle the twists and turns which ensue.
Writing a novel was an unfulfilled dream, until celebrating a significant birthday six years ago.
She has written eight books. SPANISH HOUSE SECRETS was her debut novel. BLOSSOMING OF TRUTH, HOPE ON HOPE and THEN THERE’S TRUST are a series. Publishing the other four books… remains a dream!
SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/susangrayauthor
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/susangrayauthor
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/42479586
Twitter https://x.com/SusanGray275384
About Then There’s Trust
A forbidden love…a relationship in jeopardy…a tested trust
Darcy Dukas is fearless and feisty – but can she be trusted? Left bereft after a personal disappointment, her vulnerable mindset causes her to seize an opportunity to pursue her dream career. When Marcel Duval arrives in Durham to establish his detective agency, she agrees to work with him. But is she prepared for the risks she will encounter? Risks for her personal safety…her young marriage…and risks affecting her family’s trust?
In 1952, Josh Smallwood, Darcy’s brother, returns home after completing his national service. Trying to sort his future, he begins working on the family farm and befriends Judy, a young nurse. He is baffled to discover any liaison with her is forbidden by her family. This mystery fuels an intense, secret relationship – can they overcome obstacles to be together?
A shroud of guilt clings to Chantal Martin – will she ever be free from its taint? As an unmarried mother, her once tenacious trait seems to have deserted her. Striving towards the final hurdle, an unexpected decision and an untimely event, threaten to blight her resilience…can her trust be rewarded?
THEN THERE’S TRUST is a gripping, emotional story of love, fidelity and trust set in 1950’s northeast England.
Buying Links:- Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com
OTHER BOOKS by Susan Gray
SPANISH HOUSE SECRETS tinyurl.com/SpanishSecrets
BLOSSOMING OF TRUTH tinyurl.com/BlossomTruth
HOPE ON HOPE tinyurl.com/HopeOnHope
This is the blog for Morton S. Gray, a writer of romance with a mystery to solve The Secrets of Borteen Bay Series set in the fictional seaside town of Borteen for Choc Lit Publishing an imprint of Joffe Books.
Thank you for reading my blog – you can sign up to receive these posts automatically below.
The Secrets of Borteen Bay Series – Buying link here
Morton S. Gray - Author 