Making the Leap from Historical Author to Mystery Author

by Heather Day Gilbert, @heatherdgilbert mw-fb-small

Many people wonder why my second book is a contemporary Appalachian mystery (Miranda Warning), when my debut novel was a Viking historical (God’s Daughter). Although both books are starts to a series, (A Murder in the Mountains and Vikings of the New World Saga, respectively), I realize there is quite a disparity between the two genres.

When I decided to publish my mystery before the second Viking novel, it flew in the face of the advice of many successful indie authors. You’re supposed to pick a genre and stick with it long enough to build a following for that series. My Viking historical was doing well and I knew readers were anxious for book two in that series.Continue reading

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