Slaying The Sequel
My debut novel, Seeking Eden, gushed into the world like an overdue baby, its gestation barely two and a half years from writing the first line to publication. Words flew from the keys, tumbling over themselves in my haste to tell the story of a group of above-averagely dysfunctional misfits living in a suburban English new town.
I wrote what I knew and from the heart and it showed. The book may not have been a bestseller, but the reviews were encouraging, consistent and with a recurring theme that Seeking Eden is relatable and authentic. Ho, I thought, I’ve got the hang of this! And so I sat down to write the sequel – and was still writing the first draft eighteen months later. Sometimes it felt as though I’d bled the words – then I’d read them back and think ‘no one will buy into this tripe’.
Of course, the fact that I’m saying all this – and am relieved to be telling the tale – means that I completed (mastered?) Eden Interrupted, which will be published by Urbane this summer. I’m excited by the end result and can’t wait to share the next instalment of what’s gone down at Eden Hill with my readers. Moreover, now it’s out of my hands, I’ve had time to analyse and reflect on why creating book two was so much harder than writing my debut.
I think I’ve boiled it down to three things:
One: you don’t know what you don’t know. Naivety can be a wonderful armour when you first begin writing. Unless you’re well tutored before you even start the process, you start out writing honestly and unselfconsciously, without any thoughts of consequence. When I began writing, it was enough to complete the story; the editing, looking for an agent (and failing – I no longer want one), then submitting to publishers – it was all seat of the pants stuff. I had no expectation, so any positive feedback was a happy bonus. Great reviews twinned with the interaction I experienced with the writing community online and with readers locally and nationally was also a joy and a surprise. Again, I’d had no idea that so many people would reach out. When I started book two, the knowledge I had gleaned made me wary and self-conscious. Suddenly, there was an expectation.
Two: how will the new characters be received? To keep readers entertained and in suspense, I decided early on to introduce several new cast members. It was exciting to work with new characters, but the ease and familiarity I’d felt with original protagonists had gone and instead I felt like the new kid at school who doesn’t know anyone. So, I metaphorically sat at the back of the class, kept my head down and slowly got to know everyone from a safe distance. Another challenge was weaving together the lives of old and new players. It was exciting, challenging and at times exhausting; above all, I want readers to love my new characters as much as they loved the old guard.
Three: meeting expectation. When I completed Seeking Eden, it was a case of “Yay, I wrote a book. Woo-hoo!” Now I understand the process a little better, I am desperate not to cause disappointment or let anyone down, including my publisher, friends and family who have lived through it with me and most pertinently, my readers. Will they take to the new characters and find them just as endearing/annoying/authentic? Will they embrace the new plotlines and find them just as compelling and believable? In terms of sales and promotion: what can I do differently this time to ensure the book’s success so that my (slash any) publisher will give me a crack at a third book, whether in the same series or not?
As I wait for Eden Interrupted to burst into life the only thing I can do now is to hope. Hope that readers enjoy the novel; hope that it matches up to, or even (whisper) exceeds Seeking Eden, and hope that Urbane’s faith in me as an author is justified.
So, with hope in my heart, I’ll toast to Eden Interrupted on 6th June 2019 and offer a prayer of thanks as my new baby comes into the world.
Visit www.beverleyharvey.co.uk or follow Beverly on Twitter @BevHarvey_
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Beverley Harvey spent most of her working life in the communications industry, initially in advertising in a variety of support roles, and later in PR where she trained in a London agency before becoming a freelance consultant in 2001. She swapped PR campaigns for plot lines by completing her first novel, Seeking Eden (Urbane, 2017); the sequel, Eden Interrupted, launches June 2019 (Urbane, from 6th June). A devoted Dog-Mum, Beverley currently lives in Sussex, England, with her partner and adorable terrier.
90s popstar Ben Wilde and his bride Lisa return from honeymoon to find a cuckoo in the nest and a surprise European tour in the diary. Lisa befriends neighbour Rosemary, who is also home alone while husband Nigel travels for work. But will the women’s grim suspicions be confirmed, or does absence make the heart grow paranoid? In the village, Eden Hill’s coffee shop is under new management with the arrival of divorced Mum, Chloe, and troubled teen son, Jake.
But serving flat whites leaves Chloe feeling, well, flat – until she meets Caleb, a widowed father of two; if only Jake and Caleb weren’t at loggerheads. New to Eden Hill are Jan and Martin Bevan, but a frosty reception leaves them wondering if they’ve made a huge mistake. From the writer of Seeking Eden, Eden Interrupted is another sizzling slice-of-life drama where paths (and swords) cross, and misunderstandings abound. Perfect for fans of Fiona Gibson and Marian Keyes.
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