A Literary Universe

All of my stories are part of a shared literary universe. This is quite evident in my work since the state of Arizona is typically the setting for my fiction. Characters, whether major or minor, have often made appearances in multiple stories. Even the more unusual stories like the ones dealing with a post-apocalyptic setting are part of this, albeit taking place in the distant future (Otherwise, I couldn't justify the existence of a shared literary universe when my stories tend to be about everyday life).  

I do enjoy the creation of seemingly standalone stories, but they are still part of my literary universe. I think this is because I feel like writing is an extension of life and life itself is it's own universe with people, places, and events. 

To me, it's fun to come up with connections to stories that seem like they're not initially related. I've thought more about the concept of the shared literary universe because a character from a couple of my short stories will have a prominent role in my next novel. This character has remained rather mysterious and I'm excited to expand her role and to reveal more about her. Who knows? I might write in a few surprise cameos in this novel. That's one of the fun aspects about a literary universe. Those who are familiar with my body of work can appreciate it further.