Now that I’ve published all four books in my Lazare Family Saga, I’ve had interviewers and readers asking about my next project. My answer will disappoint many. It disappoints me too. I wish I had the luxury to write full-time, to dive into something new.
The reality is, I do not. My time and energy are severely limited by the “real job” that keeps a roof over my head—not to mention all the other unavoidable crap that eats up your “free time” when you’re an adult. Scintillating activities like car maintenance and dishwashing. That’s why the Lazare Family Saga took me nearly three decades to research and revise. Most weeks, I have only a few hours to devote to something of my choosing. That’s it.
The other reality is: I had to publish this series independently, and I’ve spent thousands of dollars I could barely afford in order to get the Lazare Family Saga into readers’ hands. I simply can’t do that all over again. This series has truly been a labor of love and my life’s work.
My challenge now is to make the most of my magnum opus. I need to devote my precious few free hours to learning marketing, which I absolutely loathe. But I have to reach new readers and make the last three decades worthwhile.
I’m also planning new formats: hardcovers and audiobooks. I’m particularly excited about the latter. I adore audiobooks and listen to an average of two per week. Audiobooks are how I experience 99% of my fiction and much of my nonfiction—it goes back to that limited free time. With audiobooks, I can multitask.
Once upon a time, I dreamed that a miniseries would be made of my novels—after all, miniseries inspired me. I know now this won’t ever happen. But if I can find a great narrator, audiobooks will be the next best thing. Unfortunately, great narrators are expensive, so it will be a slow process.
I’ve had people try to tell me I have more books in me, but I don’t think I do. I’ve filled this series with the things I love, and the struggles and triumphs of the Lazare family are extremely personal for me. I feel as if I wrote every word of this saga with my blood.
If you enjoy the Lazare Family Saga, please recommend it to other readers, and please leave reviews of my books. I cannot adequately express how important those are or how much they mean to me. And please consider rereading my series in a few years. I’ve carefully crafted each scene and line with foreshadowing, callbacks, subtlety, and symbolism. I think you’ll get more out of my books the second time. Savor them!
Please note: While there are other authors named Elizabeth Bell, the only books by yours truly are Necessary Sins, Lost Saints, Native Stranger, and Sweet Medicine, the four books of the Lazare Family Saga.
