A Change of Pace

I always write these posts a little way ahead of when they’ll be published on the site.  I’m writing this post the day after typing “The End” on the newest Harley Firebird story, and I’ve been reflecting on the experience.

After six novelettes, book 7, The Angel Who Wasn’t, is a full length novel, which changes the dynamics of the story in many interesting ways.

One of the other Stories Rule Press authors has just done what I did: They switched a series to novels, after writing novelettes at the front half of the series, and they were shaking their heads a little because early feedback from readers included comments about how the newest story didn’t have the same fast pace of the novelettes.

This is one of the differences between novels and shorter works–novels can’t sustain the rapid-fire event-after-event pacing that shorter works can.  The reader gets exhausted.  Blasting out a monotone pace across the length of the book leaves the impression that the story is flat.

Good authors pace their novels, taking the opportunity to slow the pace sometimes and let the reader breathe, and the characters reflect.  It gives more depth to the story.

I recalled this conversation as I wrapped up The Angel Who Wasn’t, because I was very aware of the shifts in pacing and how the novel differs from the novelettes that have preceded it.  I like the differences.  There’s time to paint details, develop secondary characters, build in sub-plots.  There’s depth.

I do like writing the shorties, but it’s a lovely…well, change of pace, to stretch out and tell a full-length story.

I’m hoping you’ll agree with me.

The Angel Who Wasn’t is so fresh off the shelf it doesn’t have a cover yet, and isn’t available for pre-order yet.  I’ll let you know when both those things are in place.

But in the meantime, here’s the blurb:

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Harley learns that everyone hides something, even the Old Races…

It’s summer and Falconer is exploding with tourists who want to spot the Old Races in their native habitat.  Harley and her police officers find keeping the peace a challenge.  Then a dear friend of Harley’s is found murdered and Harley must face a raw truth: That she didn’t know her friend very well at all.

Investigating the murder pulls Harley into dark, unexpected pockets of life in Falconer that threaten her town and the people she thought were friends….

The Angel Who Wasn’t is part of the Harley Firebird urban fantasy series, which is set in the same fantasy world as Taylen Carver’s Magorian & Jones series.

1.0: The Dragon of Falconer
2.0: The Orc Who Cried
3.0: The Shepherd of Fire
4.0: The Mad Folk of Falconer
5.0: The Badge of Our Tribe
5.5: Harley Firebird Files (Collection)
6.0: The Firebird’s Regret
7.0: The Angel Who Wasn’t
…and more to come.

Urban Fantasy Novel

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Do you have a preference for short stories or novels?  Tell me down below in the comments section.  I do listen to readers — it’s why I made this book novel length!

Taylen