Happy February! How is 2020 going so far? I can’t complain. We’ve had pretty mild weather for Ohio, and found our routine after Christmas. Now it’s time to see what God has in store for the “love month.”
Speaking of love…
When Entrusted first released, a reader expressed her disappointment that there wasn’t a wedding at the end. I completed the story with an engagement, and at the time, I felt that was the best way to wrap up Ben and Jenna’s story. I never forgot that comment, and as a reader, I kept track of the romances with weddings, and those without. Honestly, it was mostly without the wedding.
But, I noticed there was usually an epilogue that gave readers an update after the wedding.
Hmmm.
Interesting.
I finished the series, wrote Restoring Christmas, Match Made in Heaven, and a middle grade/women’s fiction series that I co wrote with my daughter, Hannah. The whole time I kept thinking back to Entrusted. I love the characters and the setting, and I wondered how could I make a wedding happen in a book that’s over four years old?
I thought about perhaps creating a new series, but I have a six book series I’m writing that’s taking all my energy.
Then I considered a novella where I could explore Ben and Jenna’s story further.
I knew that deserved great focus, and again, my Surrendering Opinions series needs that focus. I can’t wait to FINALLY share Anchored with everyone!
A couple months ago I was reading a marketing article and they were talking about newsletters. It talked about the various ways to discover new subscribers. One way? Offering an exclusive epilogue.
Bingo! I also had readers ask if I could feature my newsletter magnet, which happens to be Entrusted, through BookFunnel. I had not done that, so I thought why not create an epilogue just for newsletter subscribers and offer it through BookFunnel?
So that’s what I did.
I finally got to write that wedding. I don’t want to say too much, but it gave me the ability to bring back the gang from Speculator Falls. Ben, Jenna, Sara, Carla, Will, Shirley, and even Howard the curmudgeon all are part of the epilogue and wedding. It was so fun to re visit the Adirondack Mountains. I also realized I took the epilogue for granted. As a reader, I devour them. As an author, I had not utilized them much in my contemporary romances. I’m re-thinking that!
How about you? Do you notice epilogues in romance? Do you want the wedding included in a romance? I’d love to hear what you think!
As for the Entrusted epilogue, it’s my thank you to those that subscribe to my newsletter, and you can find it at juliearduini.com.
Pixabay/Surrendered Scribe Media images
Julie Arduini loves to encourage readers to surrender the good, the bad, and ---maybe one day---the chocolate. She’s the author of ENTRUSTED: Surrendering the Present, as well as ENTANGLED: Surrendering the Past. The last book in the series, ENGAGED: Surrendering the Future, is coming soon. She also shares her story in the infertility devotional, A WALK IN THE VALLEY. She also blogs every other Wednesday for Christians Read. She resides in Ohio with her husband, two children, and chocolate stash. Learn more by visiting her at http://juliearduini.com.
I don’t need and epilogue. Just give me a sigh worthy ending and I am happy.
I always love an epilogue! Yes, I adore the wedding scenes too❤️
I don’t love epilogues. Or weddings, necessarily. I do like weddings in series when couples from previous books get married in a future installment. If there’s a good, satisfying ending, I can imagine the rest. And usually I’d rather do that.
I’m not big on wedding scenes but I do love an epilogue if it’s the end of a series.
Hi Julie! I love epilogues and weddings! I have to admit that as an author, one of my favorite parts of writing a new romance is planning the wedding with a Pinterest board and everything! I just consulted one of those boards yesterday when I was debating whether the bride’s veil should have a headband with white roses or with red and white roses. (I went with all white, BTW. I know you were on the edge of your chair.) Anyway, I love to read them and I love to write them!
Your idea for an epilogue as a reader magnet is perfect! A great way to give your readers exactly what they will want! Very smart!
Mary,
The good news is that the Entrusted version for sale ends without an epilogue. I’m glad I’m able to satisfy both interests. Thanks for sharing!
Paula,
You are a true romantic! I enjoy them as well, I realized I wasn’t adding them as a writer!
I read those kind of weddings a lot, and they are always satisfying. I appreciate the feedback!
I love epilogues! I love finding out how that couple’s life is doing later on down the road.
As for weddings as a HEA sometimes they’re appropriate to the story, sometimes they’re not. I’m perfectly fine with the HEA being an engagement or even a reconciliation after a break up if it’s right for that couple.
Lucy,
That’s a great point as well. There’s a lot of great options out there, aren’t there? Thanks for sharing!
Sally,
I enjoyed researching wedding items as well, and Pinterest is such a help with those things. The perks of romance writing, right? Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
I agree. I know for me when I’m reading, I struggle with the timeline. Often the dating life isn’t a long one, and to satisfy the ending, boom, engagement and wedding. Practical me is worried about their future, LOL.
Oh that’s fun!
If the story has a satisfactory ending, and I don’t feel like threads were left unfinished, I’m perfectly happy and don’t need to read an epilogue. That being said, when they are included, I always enjoy them. :)
Great idea to write the epilogue and put it on book funnel!
Julie, that’s a fun idea for your newsletter subscribers. I just like a happy ending for the books I read and the books I write. Sometimes an epilogue makes for a better ending. Most of my books don’t have epilogues, but two of my recent books do. In one story, my couple has been living a lie, and I needed the epilogue for them to come clean with those closest to them. A Place to Find Love has an epilogue because it’s the last book in the series, and I thought it needed a wedding as a wrap up.
Thanks, Valerie! I hope so!
It depends on the ending of the story. I enjoy epilogues when they show how the couple is doing either a few months more into their relationship or after the wedding or even during their engagement. Its always fun to have a little snapshot that further shows the happily ever after of their being together.
I feel the same way, Kimberly. What I like about Entrusted is the epilogue is only in the newsletter version, so the heart of the book remains the same. I love all the options we have!
Merrillee,
Thankfully I can’t recall a time when I read an epilogue and found it unnecessary. Yours make perfect sense. Thanks for chiming in!
Megan,
That seems to be how the epilogues go, a wedding or not long after. I’ve read quite a few with babies on the way. Just a little extra for that happily ever after!
I don’t have to have an epilogue. However, if there’s one there, I’ll read it! Some times I really want one, and other times I like having the end be just the HEA, not knowing what happened later, and I don’t need to know all of the wedding details. I do like knowing, sometimes, that a year or so later they had their first child. There are some stories I just like to imagine those details on my own, though.
I think my enjoyment of an epilogue is tied to my enjoyment of the characters themselves. I want to see those people again. If the story didn’t leave any loose ends, I can do without. If an epilogue is there I enjoy the closure. If not, then tie the bow on it with the last chapter.
I love epilogues and series where the characters continue their lives.
Trudy,
I agree. Our imaginations fill in the blanks just as well, don’t they? I appreciate your comment!
That’s a great way to look at it! Thanks, Lincoln!
Diana,
Yes, seeing them live out the HEA is always satisfying. I’m glad you stopped by!
Epilogues aren’t necessary for me if I feel the story wasn’t rushed or abrupt at the end. If it felt “finished” then that’s okay, I don’t need a wedding, either, if the cpl is clearly heading into their HEA., that’s fine. Some authors, I’ve noticed do an epilogue 1 or 2 yrs later with babies being born. For sure, I’m not looking for or expecting that when I’m reading, and it’s not particularly a “bonus” for me. (Shrug).
I like a book that has an epilogue. They feel more tied up at the end.
A wedding h at the end isn’t necessary, especially if their is an epilogue.