When literary agent, Tamela Hancock Murray began to dream
up an ideal setting for a new series, she thought of “a lovely little town
similar to Mayberry or Mitford, but not based on anywhere in reality.” She decided to call it Bloomfield.
Thus
was born the Bloomfield series which released its first book in 2012 with an
exclusive eBook titled Waiting for a View by Debby
Mayne. Since then Gail Sattler added to
the series with her titles, Take the Trophy and Run and When Pigs and Parrots Fly. This May the Bloomfield series expanded even further with the release of Last Chance for Justice by Kathi
Macias.
Tamela
wanted to bring together a special group of authors who could each contribute
to the story and breathe life into the town of Bloomfield. “I brought the idea to my talented authors,
who ran with it. In their creativity, they added the garden club element,
giving the series a great dimension not found elsewhere.” Kathi Macias commented, “Many of us knew each
other to one extent or another before, but this project has cemented and
deepened our friendships.”
Altogether
nine authors have been charged with creating Bloomfield. Tamela feels confident that each author will
bring something special to the series. “Because of my writing background, I have great respect for the
creativity of my writers and would never presume to tell them what to do. They
are talented in their own right, and, through working on the series, have
become quite a professional team -- and have formed their own friendships. Much
like Bloomfield itself!” According to
Kathi, “One of the key advantages to a multi-author series is that more books
can be released in less time, providing readers with less ‘wait time’ in
between. It also enables the various already-established authors to bring in
their own readers to the group, quickly expanding readership beyond the
following of one author.”
When
asked about Bloomfield, Tamela described it as “a place you wish existed,
populated by lovable characters who have their quirks. It's a place where
everyone cares about one another.” Kathi
added “When I tell people about Bloomfield, I tell them to ‘think Mitford but
with multiple authors.’” Bloomfield’s
Facebook page describes it as “Destined to become ‘America's Favorite Small
Town,’ Bloomfield captures daily life with a sense of community, tradition,
romance, and inspiration - not to mention humor.”
There
is no stopping the Bloomfield crew now. Tamela said, “We have other plans in the works, including perhaps, a
devotional book. Our aim is for our readers to know right away they are
enjoying a Bloomfield book, with it distinct feel and voice. Our hope is that
they will be captivated so they can't get enough of all things
Bloomfield!” In July, Bloomfield added another title to their collection with the release of Best
Laid Plans
by Martha Rogers.
Tamela
believes readers will find a sense of community with the Bloomfield
series. “When I thought of this project,
I wanted to give readers an uplifting, inspiring place to go, to escape for
awhile, but not somewhere so unreal no one can relate. Bloomfield may be a
place to escape, but it is also a place where we really can go. We can bloom
right in the spot God gave us in His world, making the world a more beautiful
place to live.”
Kathi
shares in Tamela’s excitement about the series. “I’m also excited because I think so many readers will relate to this
series and see themselves, or someone close to them, in one of the many endearing,
quirky characters in these fun books.”