Lunch Break Reads

The Fangirls series started out as an experiment. Wait, that’s not exactly true. Nikki, the first in the series, started out as a short story I was writing for an anthology, but for which I decided against. Then, people were telling me to take one of my novels and divide it up into four or five parts and sell those for ninety-nine cents and then put them all together for a higher price. From what I understand, others have had great success doing this. Yet, I couldn’t think of taking one of my books, like Losing Faith, and dividing it into smaller novellas. I liked my books to actually be books. Still, I was intrigued enough to give it a try, just in a different way. Therefore, Nikki became the first in a series of novelettes that would follow the journey of authors and fans and the love that could be sparked.

To be honest, I’ve had mixed responses, although all of them have been great. One review stated, “What a fun fun read! But omg really?!? I want more!! While this is my first book by Robbie, I am completely fangirling myself!! Looking forward to the rest of the series!” and another, “Nikki is a novella and a very quick read, I read the entire book in less than an hour. My only "complaint" is that I want it to be longer, I want to know what happens with Nikki and her new friend, although it's not a cliffhanger. This story flows very nicely and isn't choppy in the least. If you're looking for a short quick read, pick this one up. You won't be disappointed!” Readers love the stories; they just want them longer. However, they’re satisfied with the story, because the novelettes satisfy. I received a Facebook message one day that explains it well. “So I read Nikki and Lily on Tuesday. LOVED them! Such easy quick reads. Perfect storyline. Good pace. The best part, I felt accomplished when I finished reading. I didn't have that feeling of "OMG I gotta hurry with dinner and family/house stuff and get back to that book." Refreshing! Now, while it is great to have that book you just can’t put down or wait to get back to, it was a nice change. Can't wait until this weekend to read the other two.”

And that’s the response I was really hoping for when I published them. Quick reads that not only entertain, but leave the reader feeling satisfied with completing an entire tale. There is no cliffhanger, no needing to wait until the next book comes out. Each story is a complete tale and the reader gets the whole story. These are what I call Lunch Break Reads, short stories that people can read while eating their lunch or riding the bus or even waiting for their children to rehearse for an upcoming concert. They don’t require hours of time, leaving a reader frustrated when they keep getting interrupted and having to put the book down.

There are more of these Lunch Break Reads in the works and not all romances. The plan is to publish a few in-between the larger works and, hopefully, readers are entertained enough to venture into my novels. We may even put some background stories together for characters of my series to give something to those readers who want to know more about the characters they’ve grown to love. To be honest, I’m looking forward to writing these short tales, for they’re just as much a quick accomplishment for me as they are for the reader. I’m hoping we both enjoy the discovery of these stories.

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