After every Rose Gardner book release, I always get asked “how many more books?” Some want to know because they never want the series to end. Others ask because they want to know how many books they are committed to. I also get a lot of statements, comments about things in general I thought might be helpful to address.
1) When will the Rose Gardner Mystery series end?
All the bigger threads in the series will be wrapped up by the end of Thirty-Six and a Half ??, which should release in early 2016. I could end the series there if I choose to. Will I? Probably not. I love Rose, but a lot of it depends on if readers are still interested in the series. I have some ideas about what will happen in subsequent books, so the series could and most likely will continue.
Readers who want to end the series will get enough of a resolution at the end of Thirty-Six to stop reading.
So for readers who want a conclusion, there you go. And for those of you who don’t, don’t worry. 🙂
2) But two books ago you said there were only to more books before you ended the series.
I have never given an end date for this series. In the past, I have said things like “at least two more books, then we’ll see.” Part of it was me trying to figure out the best way to tie up the loose threads and give the readers a very full, rich reading experience. As I started writing Thirty-Four and a Half Predicaments, I figured out how to resolve it all by the end of Thirty-Six.
3) Why are your books getting shorter?
While the novellas are shorter–between 31,000 words and Ripple of Secrets ending at 39,000, the novels are getting longer.
My first Rose book, Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes is around 94,000 words. Thirty-Three and a Half Shenanigans wrapped up around 105,000 word and Thirty-Four and a Half Predicaments ended with 101,00.
I try to write the novellas as enhanced reading for the series and not absolutely necessary. But many readers love reading the supporting characters stories through their eyes. The past three novellas (excluding Rose and Helena Save Christmas) have been offered free to newsletter subscribers on my website before I released them for sale.
4) Will there be a novella between Thirty-Four and a Half Predicaments and Thirty-Five and a Half Conspiracies?
I am not currently planning a novella. I expect Thirty-Five to begin a day or so after the end of Thirty-Four.
5) Your book is incomplete. It’s half a book.
The series is the Rose Gardner Mystery series. With the exception of the novellas, every Rose novel has a mystery that is solved by the end of the book. The personal issues of the characters are not resolved in each book. They carry over from book to book. Thirty-Four and a Half Predicaments has a mystery. What happened to Rose’s mother, Dora Middleton, was completely resolved in this book. Yes, there is a cliffhanger, but it is a setup for the next book.
6) I’m unhappy with your book. I’m done reading the series.
Here’s the sad truth that has been very hard for me to accept: I will never make everyone happy. It’s absolutely impossible. My job is to write the story of my heart, and hope I make the majority of my readers happy. The Rose Gardner Mysteries are now seven books into the series. Your trust in me is no small thing. Believe me, it weighs heavy on my mind when I write my books. But if I have lost your trust, by all means, I encourage you to stop reading.
Love every single one of your books!!! Please don’t listen to naysayers. There are way to many of us that love everything you do!!
please try to get the next book done fast I don’t want to wait 6 monthes for the next one
I love every one of the rose gardner series books. Rose has become my favorite character. It would be interesting to make the books into movies. I would definitely pay money to see them.
I love and adore every single thing you write and support you no matter what! <3
I really hope that after all the personal issues are resolved that you will continue the series! I can see so many adventures in Roses future! You have created some incredible characters and let us wonder through their lives! I think 35.5 was so good because it was such a shocking end! Your FB fans are having a ball with it! Thank you Denise, never change!!!
I am sooo excited that there will probably be more after 36 1/2! I absolutely love the Rose Gardner Mystery series and I’m in for the long haul regardless of plot twists I may not have wanted. Even if Rose and Mason split up… (God forbid and I’d definitely need a drink after that!) I’ll still be sticking around til the final “THE END”.
Hush your mouth about Rose and Mason. That CANNOT happen!!!
i love all your books, i hope rose and nelly kate never stop finding trouble, i laugh and i cry reading your books, and i hope that the rose gardner serices never stops! i just wish you could releash 2 or 3 books a year, love the things you think up for rose and nelly kate,, keep up the great work
Love, love, love this series. I’m always so upset when the book ends but immediately look for the following book to be able to pre-order it. As long as you keep writing, I’ll keep reading!!!!
Denise, I’m proud to call myself an avid fan and reader of yours, and that will never change. You have a god given talent and I think the nicest, most lovely person I’ve met in a very long time.
I started reading your books with twenty eight and a half wishes and I became completely hooked and utterly hooked so please don’t end this series until I’m old and grey at least.
I speak for a lot of people when I say you are lovely xx
You have nothing to apologise for, this is your story to tell, and you do it brilliantly.
I have enjoy every bit of Rose’s journey, and will follow you until the very end, when ever you choose that to be.
Thank you for being a great author, and stay true to you.
i love every single one of Rose Gardner books and hope for them to never end!! what an amazing author!!!
I love all of your books and will read them as long as you write them. There can never be enough Rose books 🙂 I do hope though that Rose and Mason stay together and happy. Enough always goes on in each book that I could see it happening. Thank you for all of the many hours have spent enjoying your books.
I love your books all of them!! And glad to know rose will keep going I’m holding onto thirty four and the end of ripples of secrets until I finish the choosen series and a couple others I’m reading so I can fully enjoy it and especially since it’s a cliffhanger I want to wait as long as possible to read it so I don’t have to wait so long for thirty five!!!!!
When I finished yesterday I about shouted “Noooooooooo!” I’m very heavily invested and cannot wait for the next book. I dearly hope the series never ends.
I hope Rose is with is with us for a while!! I love the series and this cliff hanger is making my mind wander with what’s going to happen to in Fenton Co. Ahh I can’t wait!!
I will continue to read about Rose as long as you keep writing about her. And I LOVE all your books. Have read every series so far. Also, I got my friend hooked on your books and she is not a reader. She started with the Rose Gardner series and is now finishing up Chosen series. And I know that she has plans to read your other series as well. You are AWESOME!!!
I really do enjoy the series! Keep them coming.
I think the books seem “shorter” because we are all dying to read them and then don’t do anything until we have read them completely through-which means they don’t last long as we are devouring them to find out what happens next! I know I didn’t read the first several books as fast as I have the last several! That means you’ve really hooked a majority of your readers and sucked us into the character’s lives!! I can’t imagine what’s next for everyone nor can I imagine them leaving. The sad truth is you can’t please everyone but it seems you are pleasing the “masses” so keep on! Thanks for also giving us a great read, access to you as a person and places to discuss your books! Your an amazing author!
Not only are you an amazing story teller, you are such a kind and generous person. Thank you for answering these questions and for sharing your talent with the world.
I agree that 34 1/2 seemed shorter, but must admit that I was glued to every word and barely ate, slept or anything until the book was finished. So the real truth is that they just cannot be long enough! I see so many future story lines for Rose and Neely Kate as well as the love her/hate her Miss Mildred and her ill fitting teeth!!! Lol i’ll keep reading. I’m hooked.
The books seem shorter to me, but only because I get so into them I can barely put it down before I finish them. I love the Rose Gardner mystery series. I will admit, I was a little flabbergasted and shocked when it finished there, but what a way to finish, I can not wait for 35 1/2 to come! Rose, Mason, Joe, Neely Kate, Bruce and Skeeter are all wonderful characters and I can’t wait to see what comes next for them. I look forward to Violet’s story growing a bit more too, I just know there is more going on with her that hasn’t been let on yet. Ohh, thank you Denise, I extremely enjoy reading your books 🙂
**I can not wait for 36 1/2 to come… ** (Got my books a little confused)
I jst started reading ur series and i completed all the book published till nw in jst 10 days.Once i started reading i jst cant stop myself from completing it.The way u write ur story is simply amazing, I wish this mystery series never end. I just love the entire Rose Gardner series. Jst keep writing these amazing stories.
I love your books…especially, the Rose books…they are awesome…I will read them…as long as you write them.
Denise Grover Swank has become my #1 go to author. I haven’t come across a writer that has reignited my love of reading. As she has mentioned it is a series therefore like your favorite TV series there will be cliffhangers and unresolved issues or how else is the series to continue? I trust Denise to let the story tell itself the way it is meant to be told. Because we all love these characters we all want something different for them and we may all not be happy with the story but it is ultimately hers to tell.
love your books …. You are a great writer ….
PLEASR don’t stop. I love Rose and would go into a severe depression if it ended to soon. I would even read about Rose and Mason vacationing…lol… I will be waiting for the next one
i adore each book in the Rose Gardner series and if you continue to write more books in it, I will be one of the many loyal readers to continue reading them. You are an amazing author. Thank you for sharing your gift with us.
I love this series and never want it to end. I trust you Denise to take care of the characters we love.
Denise, you are clearly gifted and talented at writing. I have fallen in love with Rose and rest of her bookmates. I hope you keep the series going for a long time. Yes your last book ended with a shocking cliff hanger, but it was an amazing book. I haven’t been that moved by a book in while. Please keep writing so I can keep reading.
will never get enough of Rose…while its always a long wait, its all worth it. Love, love, love!
I do not understand how anyone can leave a negative comment on this series my parents always said “if you have nothing nice to say, say nothing at all” and I follow that. I love these stories of Rose and it has been a pleasure to watch her grow. Please keep up the fabulous tales and of course it takes time to write and edit and put on the market. Rose is part of my life now and always will be. There is so many more predicaments for her to experience.
Yes! great news, I love Rose Gardner series, so glad you are going to continue. I read every day and I need my daily fix of a good story and good mug of coffee lol. Thank you, you are a amazing story writer. x
☺
The Rose Gardner series is wonderful and i’m glad to hear there will be two more. it will be hard to wait until November! I have read most of your other books too (not the paranormal ones). I have enjoyed every one. “the Death of Me” is an extremely honest and poignant look into your life. i’m sorry for what you endured but so glad you came through it a much stronger person.
Love this series.
I am absolutely in love with all your books. I find myself not being able to read anyone else’s work without eventually going back to one of Denise’s hooks even though I have already read it. 🙂 I can’t wait until November to see what’s in store for Rose, Mason, Joe and most o f all Hillary and J.R.!
I just found the Rose Gardner mystery series last week, & I’ve already finished book 7 !! I loved them that much. So excited for November! I love all the characters!
Denise, if you keep writing, I’ll keep reading. Love all your books and hope the Rose series never ends until she, Joe and Mason are a love triangle in a nursing home. 🙂
Ditto
Denise,
You can’t please everyone. I love the Rose Gardner series please don’t stop writing it. I have read them all and I just finished your last book in the series. I can’t wait till the next one. You are a wonderful author. Keep up the good work!!!!!
Thanks
Barb
Just finished 34 and a half predicaments five minutes ago. I screamed, and am currently still freaking out. This is going to be a long wait until the next book.
NOOO!,,, I can’t wait until November!!! “Crys”
Denise- Completely loving this series. I believe this last book has hit a new level. The characters development and the complicated story line is really sucking me in. I am happy to hear that you have a plan for those who want a “ending” and those of us who want the series to continue forever! I can’t wait to see what you do with the upcoming books.
I love the Rose Gardner Series and never want it to end. i just finished Thirty Four and i cant wait until november!!!!!!!!
Love the books, love all the characters. I truthfully would like to see J.R. brought down and see an end to that whole mystery, but I would love Rose and Neely Kate, to keep up rockin’ things up in Fenton Cty. The Lady in Black, keep her and Skeeter together. They make a great team. Sometimes it is better to keep the lesser of evils and Skeeter is one. Thank you for the time and dedication for the release from reality to my book world when I read.
I quite agree! I thought even before 35.5 that it would be so great if Skeeter fell for Rose and in the end she chose him. I’m glad Denise began to write their “love” story. He sees her for who she is, entirely and unconditionally. For that, I am Team Skeeter. I am also curious about this new side of Neely Kate! Wouldn’t it be awesome if Rose (Lady in Black) with Skeeter and Neely Kate paired with Jed (even romantically) would rule Fenton County in the end!? Would they choose the illegal side or straight and narrow? Hmmmmm . . .
Denise, what do you think?
No , I want to see Mason and Rose get back together! Rose isn’t on killing people , she doesn’t like it. Yes Skeeter has feelings for her and let that play out , I do think Rose and Neely Kate do need to open their on private detective business! I would like to know what JOe’s sister is up too as well! I’m so ready for the next book.
I bet that joe is letting rose go to jail so that he and mason can work on getting jr simmons arrested and then bale rose out of jail when they do……or joe dosent care about rose antmore
maybe skeeter will work with mason to get her out…and or that mason and joe find out about the lady in black from skeeter in order to be involved in getting rose out of jail
I purchased the First book in this series, when I finished it, I ended up purchasing all of them. I read the series in 3 days. I’m an avid reader and usually read only certain authors. I broke that cycle with your series. I adore your characters and the way you bring them to life in a readers eyes. I will continue to read this series as long as you choose to keep writing them, you have done a wonderful job at keeping me interested and I enjoy the characters. Thanks to authors like you, I can leave my busy career life and take a break with your books to relax me. Until next time…. Keep your imagination flowing and characters carrying on…
THE SERIES IS GETTING A BIT MUCH. I HAVE READ THEM ALL BUT THE END NEEDS TO HAPPEN SOON, TWO MEN CANNOT LOVE HER FOREVER.I WILL SEE IT TO 36 BUT THAT WILL BE MY LAST ONE IN THIS WERIES.
I have a hard time reading a book start to finish…short attention span but I am absolutely in love with this series!! I identified with Rose immediately until the excitement started = =) but by that point I was hooked!! I am a little behind (I just found this series a few months ago) I was bummed when when I read a spoiler about her and Mason but now, in Thirty-two… I am team Mason…for now.. I never thought I would change from team Joe but as all Rose Gardner readers know, things change ;P
I love your books and hope you continue with the series for more then 2 more books.
I have to say I stumbled across the Rose Gardner series and began reading. I felt a great connection to the characters right away as the story’s take place in my home state. As I read the books I can imagine what the entire town and its citizens look like based on my first hand experiences in that part of the state (though this is a made up county and town). I have followed the series ever since. I am on pins and needles waiting for the next book. I absolutely LOVE the series and as long as you write the books I will read the books. I cannot wait to see how Rose gets off the hook for her current arrest charges and I admit that though I would consider myself a team Joe fan I am rather disappointed in his current behavior. I know the next book will enlighten me on his behavior (at least to an extent I hope) and I cannot wait! Also wanted to say that I loved the chosen series as well. Keep the books coming and I will keep reading.
Please do not end the series! I started reading your series about 3 weeks ago and I finished all of them up until now! PLEASE DONT END IT! It is so interesting and I can’t put the book down. Make more! The cliff hanger made me go insane so I can’t wait to finish reading what happened in the next book! And if you do end the series anytime soon (and I hope you don’t) make another series that’s as amazing as this one! Love it and thank you for taking up some of my time by making such an amazing book! I love you for it!
I am one of your readers that never wants the series to end and I usually get through reading the books in 2 days. Rose is such a fun character it is hard to put the book down! 🙂
I love Joe and hope he finds his
Way back to Rose.