When I first conceived the idea for what would eventually become the KC & Orlando Prime series, there wasn’t an Orlando Prime.
There was only Detective Kylie “KC” Cassidy.
Some of you may remember that KC first appeared in the novella Christmas Murders. I paired her with FBI Special Agent Nathan Tanner, never imagining at the time how important those two would become to my fictional world.
Then I started outlining Fatal Invitation.
As I worked through the plot, another idea kept refusing to go away. I’ve always enjoyed ensemble crime shows like Hawaii Five-0, where a specialized team brings together different skills to tackle cases that are bigger than any one detective could solve.
I didn’t want to launch another series. Instead, I asked myself, Why not bring that concept into KC’s world?
That’s how Orlando Prime was born.
Working alongside KC and her partner, Detective Rick Spaulding of the Orlando Police Department, Orlando Prime became an elite, governor-authorized task force equipped to handle the city’s most complex and dangerous investigations.
Readers embraced the idea immediately.
But one comment really made me stop and think.
A reader asked, “Is this series about KC, or is it about Orlando Prime?”
It was a fair question.
The answer was… both.
That’s why I renamed the series KC & Orlando Prime. KC remains at the heart of the stories, but Orlando Prime isn’t simply a supporting cast. They’re equal partners in this world, each bringing a different perspective to the investigations.
In many ways, Fatal Invitation belongs to KC.
Lethal Design belongs to Commander Frank Travers and the Orlando Prime team.
While KC continues to play an important role, this second novel gives readers a chance to spend more time with Frank, Damon Cruz, Claire Santos, Quinn Sterling and Jack Stamps as they face a conspiracy that grows larger and more dangerous with every chapter.
If you’ve read my earlier blog post about the crossover event, you’ll know that Lethal Design also serves as an important piece of that larger story, connecting threads that span multiple series while still standing on its own.
And if you’re wondering about Book 3…
Don’t worry.
The spotlight swings back to KC.
As for what—or who—she’ll be facing next…
Well, you’ll just have to wait a little longer.