Same Story, Different Title?

For a long time now, I've used the excuse about my writing that the 'muse was quiet.'

Ram/Evan aka Matt Jett Schaefer

Frankly, Raul has a MASSIVE crush on a character I used named Manny.  He has a smaller crush on Evan, but in his heart of hearts, there is only one MANNY.

Why do I bring this up?

Frankly, I loved Manny, too.

I know what kind of soap he uses ... his favorite brand of salsa (trick question, he makes his own) ... and what he likes to do in his off time, but we won't go there.

The problem?

I didn't want to recreate and rewrite the wheel.

But as I've been reading authors who do a lot of series work, even if the series has multiple hero types in it, the authors use the same themes/descriptions/plot devices. Sure it looks like things are different from story to story, but read enough of their work and you will find the repetition.

I have a feeling if I had ever read Jane Austen closely enough, or if she had written more than six books, she would have done the same thing.

My point and do I have one?

Sure.

A friend told me she collected books by Betty Neels.  She wrote 134ish books for Harlequin in the 60s through the 90s.

Why is this important (other than the massive output)?

Manny aka Alejandro Fernandez

The hero is virtually always a Dutch doctor and the woman is either a nurse or a caregiver or sorts (who is woefully underemployed).  The stories are quiet, chaste, and fairly simply laid out.

Therefore, I CAN and I WILL write Manny as many times as Raul wants me to - I will type a different name but it will always be the same man ... hey if it could work for Betty Neels, why not for me?