For me – and you could get a variety of answers depending on the author, genre and book – it was figuring out how to give the right amount of context around the characters that was revealed in the first book. I believe that any sequel should be able stand alone. In other words, you shouldn’t have to read book 1 in order to completely understand and enjoy book 2. But since the characters already have a history, readers of book 2 need some context that was covered in book 1, and I found it challenging to walk the line between not repeating myself yet still giving those who hadn’t read book 1 what they needed.
