Although developing a recurring character seems to be fertile ground for Sellers, at least so far, she did not begin the Det. Jackson stories with a series in mind.

"I didn't start out to write a series," she explained.  "I just wanted to tell a story.  I felt passionate about the subject (genesis for The Sex Club was a news report about a group of Midwestern kids having sex parties) and I thought I needed to tell the story from the point of view of a detective.  I wanted to create a character I liked.  There's a lot of my husband in Det. Jackson."

A dilemma for some series authors is recognizing when to call it quits, before the story lines and characters themselves grow time-worn and stale.   It's only an issue if the series sells well, and it's not a bad problem to have.

"How many books is enough for a series character?" Sellers said.  "I don't know.  Readers love repeat characters, but the readers are with the characters for only a few hours.  It's different for a writer, and it can become very difficult to keep a character interesting." 

"Some health issues are developing for Det. Jackson," Sellers said, "and he is becoming more cynical about his job.  He's looking at things and doesn't know what he can do about them.  I know that series characters have to keep changing from book to book, to keep the readers interested, but I haven't really thought long-term.  It will be surprise to me.  The stories will determine where he goes.  The most important thing is to always be true to the character."

Sellers was a part-time novelist with a full-time day job until recently, when she was laid off as an editor for an educational publisher.  One of the early victims on the recession, she took advantage of the unexpected break and bumped her fiction writing up to several hours a day. She still does some freelance editing and writing, but the novels now are her first priority.  I asked her if she had any advice for aspiring writers.

"Write," she said recently.  "Make time for your writing, whatever it takes.  You have to make the most of the time that you have.  When I was working full-time and trying to write, the writing always came second.  When I was laid off, I decided that I needed to make the most of it.  I decided to prioritize things in a way that worked for me.  I'm more creative early in the day, so that's when I write."  The author's blog--Write First, Clean Later--reflects Sellers' new priority.

"You have to rise to the challenge," Sellers added.  "But once you start, writing is addictive.  I was hooked after the first novel.  The last 20 years have been exciting and depressing, and always a struggle.  Sometimes it looks like you've made it, other times you know you haven't really made it.  But you can't regret the time, even if the books don't ever get out there."

So far, Sellers has written about political and social issues that she thinks "need explaining," but she said that she does not always plan to be political in her novels.

"I want to write good mysteries," she said, "good stories."

Milton Toby is an author and attorney who writes from his home in Georgetown, Kentucky.  His long-standing involvement with Thoroughbred racing and the horse business, his representation of Death Row inmates, and years spent in the Third World combine to produce fiction crammed with unique twists and turns.  His short stories have won national awards and he recently completed his first novel.  Milton's essay on Lionel Davidson's THE ROSE OF TIBET will appear in the upcoming THRILLERS: 100 MUST READS.