Before I wrote the first word of my first novel, Virgin Snow, I knew it needed to be a trilogy and what it would be about. The idea was to follow the journey of the main character, Cosi McCarthy, a West Side girl from Buffalo, as well as the trajectory of the city itself, across three distinct periods of the last century. In 1968, when Virgin Snow begins, Cosi is a young teenager trying to navigate her way through the tumultuous events of the late 1960s and early ‘70s, and Buffalo was teetering on the precipice of decline, but not quite there. In Black Ice, the second book of the trilogy, Cosi is a young woman facing serious existential dilemmas trying to make it in The Big Apple, and Buffalo is staring at its Rust Belt nadir.
Sounds pretty straightforward, right, a clear line from struggle to crisis to salvation, sort of like the narrative arc in the works of Elena Ferrante or John Updike? Well, easier said than done. I know people who can write and publish a book a year. I am not one of those people. Since I’m creating historical fiction, I spend a lot of time researching the events of the past before putting pen to paper. After the multi-year effort to combine sparks of creativity with the hard work of writing and delivering my first book, it dawned on me that with a trilogy I had more or less committed myself to at least a decade of writing these novels (this second one took three years).
I also realized that such a pace will require some patience on the part of my readers. I don’t like to end my books with a cliffhanger—that seems a bit cruel, or at least a not-so-subtle marketing trick—but I do like to leave readers with some unanswered questions. Those “beta readers” who have sent me comments on the manuscript for the soon to be published Black Ice are already asking me what is going to happen to certain characters in the third book! On the one hand I’m thrilled that they are so invested in the story. On the other hand, I hate to tell them it will probably be a few years before I know—and they can finally learn—the answers they’re seeking!
Another challenge I discovered in writing a series involves deciding how much from the previous book needs to be retold in the sequel. I expect that some readers will pick up Black Ice first, having not yet read Virgin Snow. Exactly how much background do they need to make sense of (and enjoy) a story they’re starting in its middle section? I’m hoping to get some helpful feedback from both my new and returning readers to make sure I get the balance right for Book Three.
Every successful “debut” writer worries about the “second album syndrome.” A new and unknown band’s debut record blows up the charts, out of nowhere they’re an immediate sensation, and the promoters and fans eagerly await their next chart-topper. But when the band stumbles under the pressure and the new release is a flop, the group breaks up and the list of one-hit wonders gets a new entry. After working on this sequel for nearly three years, that is the last thing I want to have happen. So I’ve poured my heart and soul—and a lot of “butt-in-chair” time—into making Black Ice even better than Virgin Snow. I’m hoping I’ve wisely employed all the reader feedback I’ve received, and the shared wisdom of the many authors and publishing professionals I’ve come to know, since I started this journey.
While it’s certainly been hard work getting to the finish line, there are definitely some wonderful things that come with writing a sequel. Many Virgin Snow readers have shared their enthusiasm for the story and the characters, which certainly motivated me over the long days in the writing chair. They’ve given me insights into the things they liked about the first book that helped me shape the second book (like short chapters, for example). And I personally have enjoyed unraveling the mysteries of Cosi’s journey—the decisions she makes, the paths she takes, and her painful mistakes. It’s encouraging to know that those of us involved in the story—readers and author alike—have come to love the characters (well, at least some of them), are cheering them on, and can’t wait to learn what happens to them next. Book Three here we come!
If you read and enjoyed Virgin Snow, and live in the Buffalo area, please plan to get your copy of Black Ice, hot off the press and signed by me in person if you like. Come join the book launch party at the Bestcellar Book Bar on July 31st from 6:00-8:30 pm (if you haven’t been there, find out about this terrific place at https://bestcellarbookbar.com/).
Send me a message at mo***@***********er.com if you would like to be on the guest list. I promise it will be an exciting, festive evening for everybody with a connection to the “Buffalo Trilogy”!
Moxie Gardiner is a writer, gardener, and traveler who grew up on the West Side of Buffalo, NY. In a previous life she was a journalist, magazine editor, speech writer, and policy wonk. Back in the day she made three solo parachute jumps, flew in an F-15 fighter jet, and crawled through mud pits at the Jungle Operations Training Course in Panama. She now meditates, grows tomatoes, and enjoys a good online Zumba routine at home on winter evenings. Virgin Snow is her first novel, and as of this writing, Black Ice, Book Two in the Buffalo trilogy, will be out in the world on July 31, 2026.