It’s 2025 and the sun seems shinier, the wind more huggier and bookshelves more enticing-y-er.

(Totally a word.)

What are your reading plans for 2025?

New genres you want to explore? Authors you want to romp about with in their imaginations?

I have a mountain of favorite authors and love a particular series of theirs. But they write so many more I don’t know which ones I may want to try out.

I often reach for the low-hanging fruit of the genres I love. And leave the ones I may not, or likely won’t.

But maybe…

See, I am finding more and more that it’s an author’s writing style I love, and their storytelling ability. Then when they shift genres to another series (What? Why leave me alone with only 10 books in this glorious series I love when if you only wrote in MY favorite series there would be so much more. Selfish writers, writing in multiple worlds to make themselves happy….grrr.) I feel bereft. Abandoned.

Don’t you love me–I mean my favorite series–anymore?

In all (OK most, or more like some, maybe a dash of) seriousness, I have found that the other series in genres that are not my favorite I truly like as well.

Why?

Because I love the way my favorite author tells stories.

I like to romp about in their imagination with them.

They are just romping about in a fairy tale romantasy instead of a sci-fi mystery set on the moon.

Or a time traveling western in Idaho instead of a poker thriller in Las Vegas.

And then what happens when I break form my “but THIS is the series I love and none shall take its place – harrumph” attitude?

I find a ridiculously great NEW series from an author I have already vetted. And now I have double the reading fun and joy when a new book comes out in that series.

But if only authors made it EASY to taste test their different series.

They do!

Or at least some do.

They look like this:

• 1) Free first in series: The first book in their series is free – The question is can you only read just one salty devouring title in that series. Can you?

This is marvelous! And sometimes hard to keep track of. What are all of their series? Are they all in one place? Can you make it a little easier?

• 2) Weekly/Monthly/Newsletter Free Fiction: Their blogs or newsletters give out free fiction for a limited time or to a select group. (Are you one of the cool kids?)

This is also marvelous for free. It can intro you into new series in a slow tantalizing drip of free content. Little nuggets that will suddenly appear in your inbox. Wahoo! Still challenging to keep track of them all. And waiting.

• 3) Author/Series starter kits: The first in series from all of their series at one reduced price. Try them all and see if you like them!

The firehose of knowledge and reading awesomeness! This way you have all of them in one place, you know all the series! You can taste-test, bullride master your 8-seconds in each series story, sort the wheat from the really awesome worlds you want to escape into again and again – and then go binge shopping. With knowledge.

And another Wahoo! For the win.

I wish more authors would do that. The starter kit. The here is all of my stuff – check it out perfect buy!

I want to know! Give me the sampler platter please. Then next time I will know I want my three tacos to all be the plantain and mole sauce with pickled red cabbage. Super yum!

Trust me.

But anyway – writers, hear my plea!

And for those that already have the author/series starter kits – I salute you!

And to all my readers, welcome to 2025!

*Happy Dance*