What goes into a crossover?

7/15/2018

I’ve had some questions about how I decide which crossovers to do.
I think a lot of people believe I do it just to do it, but a lot more energy goes into the decision than that.
Basically, crossovers happen when I need a specific type of character. If I already have that character in my library, why create a new one?
So, for example, I knew I wanted to tackle werewolves in my Charlie Rhodes series. I already had wolf shifters thanks to Aric and Sami from the Covenant series … and there was natural crossover ability between Zoe and Charlie because they’re both magical. So, it was pretty easy.
The same for my Moonstone Bay series. I knew I had a story where I wanted to deal with a reaper situation on the island. Hadley was going to have to interact with other reapers. I just happened to have a family of them … and guess what, two were about to go on their honeymoon. It was the perfect time, which is why Freaky Deaky Tiki in January will feature Hadley’s gang interacting with Aisling and Griffin. There might even be some group phone calls home so you get to see a few more reaper characters, even if it’s only brief interaction.
The upcoming Mystic Caravan crossover with the Wicked Witches of the Midwest is slightly different. Even though I didn’t feel our circus friends necessarily needed witches, I couldn’t get the idea of Nellie and Aunt Tillie hanging out together out of my head. It haunted and haunted me until the rest of the story started taking shape.
On the flip side, I know exactly the story I want to tell when the Covenant folks visit the Mystic Caravan Circus. I’ve known the basics of that story since I launched the series. I’m simply waiting for the right time in the narrative because Zoe’s interaction with Max and Kade will be an important stepping stone. It has to be tackled at the exact right time.
As for other crossovers, I have some ideas but they’re simply notions right now. Under my pen name, I plan to cross over as many characters as possible. There really is no order. It’s simply when the crossover can fit into the narrative without causing issues and I can wedge in the writing. That’s it.
I have a basic idea for a Mystic Caravan crossover with Moonstone Bay … and a potential visit to the island for Aric and Zoe (although that’s really just a few stray thoughts at this point). I keep notebooks all over my house, and when I have an idea, I jot them down and sort through them later. That means some crossover ideas are closer than others.
When are the next two? Ironically, they’re right on top of each other. Freaky Deaky Tiki (the reaper and Moonstone Bay crossover) hits in January 2019 and Freaky Witches (the Mystic Caravan and Wicked Witches of the Midwest crossover) hits in February 2019. As for after that, I can’t say.
I do believe Charlie Rhodes will eventually cross paths with some reapers … and very probably the circus. Will she go to Moonstone Bay? I don’t know. I’m constantly thinking and jotting down notes, so anything is possible.
What do you think? What crossover do you most want to see?

31 Comments

Author

When I was a kid, I was torn between whether or not I was going to grow up and be the Incredible Hulk or Wonder Woman. I flirted with being a Jedi Knight for awhile, but I wasn't up for the intense travel associated with the gig. In my teens, I settled on being a writer -- although I had no idea the effort that would entail.
Not only am I a writer now, but I'm a writer in several different mediums. I'm a longtime newspaper reporter, an avid reader and a voracious science fiction fanatic.

Melissa

7/16/2018 07:13:30 am

I would love to see you crossover Avery with the Hardy's. I can just imagine the kind of trouble that group could find.

Megan

9/2/2018 12:08:58 pm

I’ve never understood how there wasn’t a few crossovers between these two series. Avery is a reporter in Macolmb county. Sophie is a reporter in Macolmb county. How have we never run into Sophie on one of Avery’s stories? When the sheriff had to be replaced in the Hardy series would have been a good chance to put Jake in as the sheriff in their story since he was already sheriff in Avery’s story. That would have made crossovers easier and made more sense because the Macolmb County Sheriff is Jake in my head.

Rachel A Davila

9/11/2018 01:27:43 pm

I would really love it if you could do more audio versions of your books! I'm having a hard time holding my books these days and the audio version really makes my day! Thanks for all the snark Keep them coming and great work!

Sue

7/16/2018 07:27:48 am

I would love to see a crossover between the Witches of the Midwest and the Grim Family. I can only imagine the hijinks between Aunt Tillie and Jerry.

Rebecca link

7/16/2018 07:35:17 am

I don’t think ther is a book you’ve written that I don’t enjoy! Keep the crossovers coming love them!

Yvonne

7/16/2018 07:36:22 am

I’d really love to see Avery and Aisling join up - poor Griffin and Eliot!

Nina

8/21/2018 10:47:29 am

I agree and would love to have the snark and banter between Avery and Aisling! Could you imagine Griffin and Eliott commiserating about their significant others? Also, please consider introducing the Grimlock's to Avery's crazy family!

Wendy

7/16/2018 08:55:04 am

Wicked Witches and Moonstone Bay! Bay, Thistle and Clove and their sisterhood would be so overwhelming to Hadley. Add in Aunt Tillie...hilarious!

Linda link

7/16/2018 09:15:58 am

The Moonstone Bay series is a lot of fun and I look forward to seeing the crossovers. The newest Witches of the Midwest was also a lot of fun and I can see how questions about new found powers here and other series characters will make a great connection in the crossovers. Thanks!

Karen

7/16/2018 10:01:25 am

You mentioned that "Under my pen name, I plan to cross over as many characters as possible." I want to make sure I'm not missing any of your books since I've loved them all. What pen name are you referring to?

Amanda M. Lee

7/16/2018 12:09:53 pm

It's right on the website. http://www.amandamlee.net/lily-harper-hart.html

me here

7/16/2018 10:14:39 am

I'd think it be interesting to see Landon and Griffin have a conversation about the women in their lives and compare what they get into

Sally Vilkman

7/16/2018 11:23:45 am

Please don't leave Avery out of the mix when doing crossovers. Having a nosey reporter that will do almost anything to find the truth would be a monkey wrench for so many of the others and would give her something new to think about since most of the other series deal with some sort of paranormal situation while Avery is stuck in the normal world.

Diane D-IL

7/16/2018 11:25:31 am

The crossovers inspire to read the other series. I'm reading the Covenant series because of the Charlie Rhodes series. Love them.

Kerry

7/16/2018 04:29:30 pm

Yay! I enjoy crossovers so I'm really excited to see what you come up with. I would love any crossover with Hardys...I miss them!

Christina

7/16/2018 04:43:42 pm

I would like to see Avery cross paths with someone magical. And have that mystery be one of the few times she doesnt take the glory and publish it in favor of protecting someones secret.

starr link

3/21/2021 11:11:12 am

Okay, this may sound impossible, but it could work. It will be a huge balancing act & I already have no idea how you keep everything you're working on straight.

Now imagine a huge paranormal event... okay, it starts out quiet & slow so it stays under the radar for now. The place it's happening needs to be somewhere that the strange, odd & unusual aren't out of place. Like Las Vegas or something, where weird isn't uncommon.

Next, there's a big booking event - several conventions, conferences & parties are all happening during a specific time in this place. It could be in several hotels in an specific area. Maybe they make up the corners of something that's important to the paranormal event. Having LGBTQ+ party, Networking conference for businesses, a high technology/security type convention, a PAX like gaming/YouTube Influencer sort of convention, a big Wiccan/Pagan party event, a Chocolatier Event, a Photography Gallery/Tech conference - get at least 6 big things happening. From business norm to gaming to dramatic to downright strange.

Add to this some amusements - say, a big top circus across from some big fun, fear & fair rides business operation.

Also this situation would also make a huge opportunity for a catering company or any food business to get their product out in front of a lot of people. That goes for anyone with a product based business. Getting information out for the sake of tourism, security, networking or any kind of new business & boosting other business.

Now to the stage would be drawn the players... the early problems, being strange & not normal would have specific authorities calling in those to help with keeping the problem from getting worse.

There are those who would be interested in attending specific events going on, especially if they can travel together & save on costs too. Maybe getting a suite with 2 bedrooms rather than separate rooms.

A group of players would come with the circus, but there would be those interested in checking out some of the events too.

This would be a huge multiple angle, viewpoint, with several breadcrumbs leading to specific clues that will eventually put together a picture as the players start to stumble over one another.

Some can meet in the lobby, of the hotels or the various other events. Reunions for those who've met before & catch up a bit with one another over an early dinner.

Then there are those who've met more than one set of players who may run across one another in the next few days. Then they are introduced to the others. It leads to talk about what drew the other parties to this place.

Perhaps there is something which has found various players to have messed up their plans. That over time these gifted individuals have derailed what they are trying to work towards. What better way to remove these "problems" than taking them out during a large event meant to draw both power, energy & release chaos upon this place. Especially since there's a certain set up there that they can try to tap into if they get their pawns set up properly. A power play with teeth in their opinion. Getting specific powers in each of the hotels would allow a casting to draw on the individuals gifts which would aid in opening a doorway.
(this could be opening a portal to release something(s) into the world or it could be a way to draw power to a specific someone or whatever apocalyptic idea comes to mind.)

For the last puzzle piece to slip into this - the last player, a reporter who's on vacation/trip or sent to cover the parties is in the middle of the whole thing and has to deal with what is and isn't possible or real... or how to deal with what's happening. (Since her part in this area hasn't been breached... she's got to decide what to actually publish - the conventions, parties, etc. or the very strange happenings & the people she becomes friends with who also save her a time or two in very odd or strange ways. Even if what she glimpses at times is as she passes out, or is carried, lead or hurried away from what's happening.)

This would be a huge "reunion" + crossover to be the end all be all of this type.
If any author would try to do this, I'd be skeptical they could pull it off - there are a lot of pieces to this sort of puzzle.
But if anyone could do it? I'd say that you would be the one author I think who could pull it off. Just because you're so organized & consistent with your work.

I think it would be absolutely epic if you could create something like this. Thanks for sharing the worlds & people within your mind.

Sanya

7/16/2018 05:40:48 pm

I love your crossovers, its always exciting to see your characters interact with each other.

Lynn

7/16/2018 06:37:36 pm

Grim family and the witches of the Midwest! Awesome!

Lily

7/17/2018 04:12:05 am

Just reading this article has got me itching to read them all! I can't wait until they come out!

Dee

7/17/2018 02:00:35 pm

I have loved ALL you books. I LOL all over the place.
🤣

JudyB-NJ

8/29/2018 04:35:59 pm

L.O.V.E. all of the series (so far.) DEFINITELY looking forward to Mystic Caravan & Wicked Witches (Max & Aunt Tilly??? Oh, the possibilities!!)

And Zoe/Aric/Sami with Mystic Caravan, Aisling & Jerry with the Winchesters - the list goes on (in my head, anyway...)

Just keep writing! I look forward to EVERY new release!

Patricia

10/15/2018 09:43:12 pm

I can't wait for the crossover with Wicked Witches of the Midwest and Mystic Caravan. Aunt Tillie and Nellie together?!?!? HOLY MOLY! Nobody would be spared from hijinks! Mystic Caravan is my all time favorite!

Sarah

9/3/2019 11:56:36 am

I just gasped when I realized Scout and Poet knew each other. I cannot wait for them to reunite!

Michael Creager

11/3/2019 03:43:07 pm

I love the books started with Mid west witches, went to covenant, then caravan, then grim and gate books. Was just rereading covenant because of Paris showing up working at gate. And noticed Zoe Aric and Sami remembering going to circus and cross dressing dwarf??? When did this happen or did they sneak in and out of hemlock cove without anybody noticing????

Aanya Tyagi

7/23/2020 03:08:21 am

HI.I am a avid reader of your books and absolutely love all your books.Now don't get me wrong I love your books but due to some of the crossovers you have made it seems that the characters ages are all mixed up.For example lets take the Charlie Rhodes series.In the first book you said Charlie meets Bay Winchester from the Wicked Witches Of The Midwest Series.And in the third book she meets a 40-something year old Zoe Lake.Now I can't help but wonder that when you started writing both these series in 2013 you said Bay was 27 and Zoe was 18.So how come in the Charlie Rhodes series Bay is still 27 and Zoe is now 40-something??

L.A. Starr link

8/30/2020 05:28:44 pm

I've been gobbling up your series like my daughter does sushi the last few months! I've finally reached Ivy & Harper crossover & it was golden! I love the characters in their own series, but all of them together was pure magic!
I read the Grimm series the end of last year, then went on to the Death Gate. Found Charlie Rhodes along the way, and when I read the Covenant series I finally was able to put some puzzle pieces in place I hadn't figured out before. It really came together while reading Mystic Caravan. Moonstone Bay was another I started while waiting for other books to drop. I started Spell's Angels a few months back & I'm looking forward to starting Hannah & Rowan's series next.
So far out of my goal of 100 books for the year I'm around 10 short. I'm sure catching up with the multiple series will take care of that.
I love the snark, the over the top emotions, the combination of personalities & the amazing chemistry in each of them. Especially in the double dose during crossovers which I can't get enough of at times.
Times are dark, reading has always been a way to escape the negative. Your series is a way to deal with it & take me away on incredible adventures.
I want to have meals with the Grimlock family as a friend, I want to go to get a room at the Overlook for a weekend, I want to watch Booker at work without a shirt, check out the fairy ring with Ivy, watch Zander & Harper at work, and check out the Aquarium.
The characters are detailed, they come alive & make you want to join them in their misadventures. They become friends, the kind you eagerly want to visit again & again.

You're the kind of creative & dedicated writer I aspire to be...

Diamond Green

2/7/2021 07:36:19 am

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Sierra D

5/18/2021 12:59:38 pm

I just happened to come across Mystic Caravan Circus on Amazon and I absolutely fell IN LOVE!!! I can't wait for Freaky Gifts to come out and i'll be working on the witches, reapers, and others in the mean time :))

Ramona

9/20/2022 12:23:08 pm

Is there a spot where I can find all the crossover character timelines? I've read all the books but would love to reference who knows who and when they've met!

Chel-6456

2/7/2023 07:46:47 pm

I love your books! You have become my favorite author. I just never get tired of any of the series and feel like I’ve lost something when you finish a series…lol. You asked who would we like to see on a crossover….well I’ve had in my mind for a while I’d love to see Aunt Tillie and Sami together. Zoe’s family is one of my favorites and love seeing them in the crossovers. But those two together I can just imagine the fun and snark! Thanks for all the hard work that you do….it is appreciated!

What goes into a crossover?

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