TL Bartusch Indie Author of the Roth series

Indie writers get a lot of advice about how to be noticed, how to attract readers and how to keep them. One of the most consistent pieces of advice is to write a series.Three years ago I took the leap and started my own featuring a handsome, engaging Frenchman who I named Victor Roth. By the way, Victor has a liking for hot air balloons. More about that later. Der Luftballoon, Paul Klee, 1906 A series is a way of building a following. If readers like the first story and your characters they'll want more. That's why we write series. Changes of genre or style lose the most precious thing you have, readers. When the series began in 2014, Victor was 38, single, rich and a desk-bound analyst in the Paris office of Interpol. His specialty is counterfeting and forgery. He lives in Montmartre and is single by choice. He has his suits and shoes made and wears black tie when he dines with friends. He also carries a flick knife. I love him but he may not be to everyone's tast...

When I started thinking about writing the Roth series I knew I'd have a lot of work to do. You can't take on writing a mystery/thriller series without committing to making it as authentic as possible. Forget the Paris setting, that was the least of it - it was the everything else that took the time.  Three years later I have to admit I had no idea of the volume and type of research I'd have to do before I could get down to writing the books. I've researched French chateaux, boar hunting in France, refugees, the differences between French and English tailoring, cacao production in West Africa and malaria research, among other things. It goes on and on. To kick off there were the nuts and bolts of Interpol and French law enforcement which wasn't so bad.  Then making Victor Roth an expert in forgery and counterfeiting taught me the world is awash with fakes and counterfeit goods. In some countries legitimate factories run twenty four hours a day, producing ...