Reader Expectations: Author and Genre Part 1 Paranormal and Winner Announced

I'm the type of reader that reads across the board, I love YA, Paranormal, Women's Fiction, Romance, Historical, Urban Fantasy, Mystery, you name it, and I’ll read it. I may not read it fast, and I may be known to set it aside and read something else, especially if I find it hard to get into, but I'm a Reader, as almost everyone that visits this blog is, and I'll always, almost always find my way back to the book and finish it.

My love of reading proclamation out of the way though, let me make it clear that I am a Reader of the genre fiction variety. I’ll read the occasional memoir, self-help book, or literary masterpiece (aka, whatever Oprah thinks is good), but my reading tends to be all genre fiction. I love it. I can’t get enough of it. BUT, I hate the genre labels. There are far too many out there and it’s tough to keep up.

When a book has a genre label attached, I find my expectations are different for the book and I tend to compare that author’s work with that of other authors, but not just any authors, my crème de la crème authors. The ones that write books I can’t put down and read a million times over simply because I love them. This is a habit that I cannot—for the life of me—overcome. It can be stifling to the TBR pile and it can—and I’m sure, has—leave me out in the cold when it comes to finding new authors. It’s also left me with the question of whether or not I’m the only one who does this, so I thought that I’d do a series of posts, using different genres, and pose a few questions and share some of my expectations and comparisons.

Paranormal: I use this term loosely, because as far as I’m concerned, if the book has anything to do with "other", regardless of how it is portrayed, I call it Paranormal. It may, in fact, be Urban Fantasy or Sci-Fi, I still stick it with the label Paranormal. My first (well, since I started reading again, I used to read a lot Stephen King and Anne Rice) foray into the Para genre was Laurell K. Hamilton. What an introduction huh? Since I soon became bored with her work, I went on to discover, Charlaine Harris, MaryJanice Davidson, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Kim Harrison, Richelle Mead, Gerry Bartlett, Jenna Maclaine the list goes on and on.

Expectations: There will be vampires, witches, weres, mediums, psychics, mythology, angels, demons, something, that is not within societal norms. The protagonist will be strong, both mentally and physically by the end. They don’t necessarily have to start out strong, but they must find a hidden strength or talent that pushes them to do or become something they would never have dreamed of before.

What I Love: I think the thing that keeps me coming back to the Paranormal genre is that other-worldly fantasy. The thought that these different creatures not only exist but co-exist with us and could possibly live in our very neighborhood. The ultimate fight of good versus evil. The idea that an average, every day person finds within themselves or their bloodlines, something that they never knew existed and that struggle to make it all work.

I also very much so, enjoy the erotic feel to many of the books. The sexual connection that is made between the two characters. This is just a side perk to what is normally a very, very well crafted story, but I love it nonetheless. It isn’t a necessity, and I certainly don’t like it when it’s there simply to fill pages (I’ll get to that bit in a second).

What I Hate: I absolutely cannot stand some of the sex for the sake of sex in these books. It’s not just the Paranormal genre this is a problem in, but it sure seems to be a big issue with this genre. I don’t want your forced seduction scenes because your hero is big alpha male that’s had sex with millions of girls and knows what the woman wants better than she does. I don’t want your sex acts that cannot, under any circumstances happen with your average every day human gal, no matter how experienced and limber her partner may be. You cheapen your writing and the genre with these types of scenes and it just absolutely infuriates me.

I don’t want long drawn out self dialogue about some internal conflict your protagonist is having because she may or may not be moral in being or being with one of these “others.” Show me but, for the love of all that is holy, STOP telling me. Fancy prose is okay, but you darn well better move it along. I’m tired of reading twelve pages about the sparkly essence that is your characters sex floating around their head as they perform a magical act. That isn’t to say excessive sex turns me off (hehehe) a book either, there are quite a few books that the sex is a major plot device and when used in that manner and one that makes sense, I don’t mind at all.

In the same way I don’t need sex to make the book enjoyable, I don’t need your blood, gore and violence explicitly laid before me unless it relates to the story and makes a difference. The violence needs to have meaning, it needs to move the story forward—either by taking your protag back a few steps to ultimately move them forward—and not in there simply for the shock factor. You can show me violence but if you’re going to go into graphic detail, there damn well better be a reason.



Where Expectations Bite Me On The Ass: Or the author, take your pick. I’ve named a few favorite authors up there and the problem I find anymore in the Paranormal/UF genres is the comparison factor. Let’s face it, this is a booming genre, and has been for some time. This is a good and bad thing for readers. Good because it guarantees we’ll continue to get new books bad because there are too many books out there and not all of them good. It seems that for a while and possibly still, publishers were in such a hurry to capitalize on the booming genre that they’ve put out an overload of books, and quite frankly, a lot of them are crap.

Now, what I may consider crap, though, is some one elses gold and that’s where I screw myself with comparisons. For instance, if I would pick up a book that is about witches, from page one I would be comparing it to Kim Harrison’s Rachel Morgan, another series I’ve been with since book one and absolutely adore. In the first couple of chapters this comparison is either going to dissolve away and I’ll be in a new world or the book will fall miserably short. But, every so often, a book will sneak past my preconceived notions and find it’s way to my keeper shelf, such as Jenna Maclaine’s Cin Craven novels and Linda Robertson’s Circle books.

The books that ultimately do make it past my preconceived notions do so because one of a few things happens: Great cover. Great BCC. Fabulous on-line promotion where the book is highly recommended from bloggers I trust. Or even a book gets sent to me to be reviewed and more than once, this has happened and the author gained further sales form me because I bought up their back list.

I’m curious though. Do you have preconceived notions about the Paranormal Genre. Does it hold you back or enable you to more freely explore? If you’re an author what sort of thought do you give some of the things I’ve discussed when writing?

I’ll continue my discussion on genre in a few days with Cozy Mysteries as my target.

Take Care

WINNER ANNOUNCED: Beverly G

Please e-mail me at novelreads at gmail dot com so that I can get the books sent to you ASAP.

Authors Getting Even - Update

The blog post has been removed from her site. If you are wanting to know who it was that got my hackles raised Monday, Jane at Dear Author was braver than I and posted all about it. She even knows how to do that cool cache thing, so you'll be able to read the post in question.

Take Care

More Thoughts on Authors Getting Even

So, as you can tell by yesterdays post I was a bit on the upset side about the behavior of a certain author. In fact, I not only blogged about it, I posted the question on a couple of Yahoo!Groups I belong to. As with the blog post, I did not mention the authors name. A few people asked, and I did let them know off list. There were also a few readers of the blog that were able to track the author down by a clue (not an intentional one) that was in the post.

One of the reasons I felt compelled to pose the question of how readers felt about this behavior was because of the comments left on the authors blog. You see, they all thought the idea was great and couldn't wait to read the humiliation of the reader who e-mailed. Also, the editor thinks this is a great idea and wants other authors to begin doing it (according to the author).

What I found out is that I was not alone. This kind of revenge is not something most people agree with. Some of the responses to my question had great points and I thought I'd share a few (I am not including names, as both groups are members only, though anyone can join :) you just have to before you're privvy to the posts).

1 - The concept of the revenge is hilarious. The manner in which it was executed and then bragged about is NOT.

I agree with this whole heartedly. It is one thing to do something that only you and maybe a few people know about. To brag about it. To make sure that people are looking for the readers shame so that they may revel in it, is quite another.

2 - Isn't bragging about the fact the character is indeed modeled on and named after some one, though changed just a bit as to avoid being sued, still grounds for a lawsuit?

I'm not an expert by any stretch of the imagination. Hell, I'm not even smart enough to know where to find a definite answer to this. Now, if I were Jane at Dear Author, I'd know. That chick is amazing. But alas, I'm not. I did entertain the idea of e-mailing her and asking her what she thought, but I chickened out. Anyway, that is an interesting idea. I would think, and again I don't know for sure, that it would be grounds for the reader to sue. The author makes it known you will know what scene is about this reader. She makes it known that the name is so very close that her friends and family will know who she's referring. To me, that sounds like grounds for a suit. Maybe defamation of character? Not sure. Anyone know? I mean, after all isn't this in the fine print at the begining of every fictional book: ...and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, .... is entirely coincidental.

3 - By the author publicly announcing this, they are very much so acting like a very large bully.

From Dictionary.com - –noun

1.	a blustering, quarrelsome, overbearing person who habitually badgers and intimidates smaller or weaker people.

I'm not saying that the reader is smaller or weaker. What I am saying is that I assume this person to be an average joe, whereas the author is known. The author is using her name as a published entity to belittle and mock some one who may or may not have the same outlet or reach. They preach against bullying in schools. I tell my kids daily they are not to bully. Ever. In any way, shape or form. Bullying is bad. Turn the bullies in. And yes, I realize I am a hypocrite for not saying who the author is. But seriously people, I don't want to end up in one of her books! So unfortunately, I'm starting to feel like the bully wins.

I'm trying to use my very limited powers of google search to hunt down this editor of the authors so that I may contact them to ask a few questions about this. I'm very much interested in why the editor loves this idea enough to encourage it. Why the editor sees nothing wrong with it. I have no doubt my questions will go un-answered, but I still feel the need to try. Heck, I'm even thinking about contacting the agent of the author, asking if they know about the behavior. I think I'll wait tough, because I'd like to know about the legal angel here.

Anyway, those are some more thoughts. I'm like a dog with a bone people. This aggravates me! I really enjoyed this authors work, and in one blog post she tore that down. I don't think I'll ever be able to support those books again.

Take Care

Authors Getting Even AKA I QUOTED Victoria Laurie!

Update: I was trying to be nice in the following blog post about a certain author that I believed to be acting unproffesionally. Since I did not give credit where credit is due, let me just say now, that the author in question is Victoria Laurie.

OK, so I know I've been silent lately, and I'm sorry. Things will hopefully start looking up soon and I'll be regular again. In the meantime, I'm trying to get some things typed up and saved for later posting (but since I'm still on bloggers hit list, I have to do it in WORD).

So, just a little bit ago, as I'm working on a post I was reminded of a couple of series that should have books released soon. The thing is, I love the books, I just don't much care for the author and her online personality. Thankfully, I've been able to distance the work from its creator. But it has hindered my close watch on the newest book release.

Anyway, I head to the authors website to get the low down on the next two books and find myself drawn to her blog. I just wanted to see if maybe I was having an incredibly bad day and took everything the wrong way. However, what I found instead, really bothered me.

Here's the thing. Jenny Crusie posted on her blog Argh Ink a while back about reader letters, and I loved how the situation was handled on that one (here's the post linkage). This author though, isn't quite into so subtle. No. Basically, she posted in this blog entry about one particular letter she received from a reader that said they were a fan of one of her series, but thought the new series sucked eggs (actually, if the author is to be believed the person really slammed the new series).

I can't imagine how hard it would be to get one of those letters. I dream of being published, and I understand how hard writing can be, so I can imagine out heartbreaking it would be to receive such a letter. It is how the author handles it though, that irks me.

From the authors blog post: And so, come September…my little “fan” and some of her close friends and family will likely read about a character with a very similar name, (i.e. nearly identical but not enough to get me sued) depicted in one of the most comical and fabulously scandalous scenes within Death Perception. And trust me…this isn’t a scene which in any way flatters that character. :) (Also trust me….you’ll know it when you read it!)

This bothers me greatly. The author also talks about a reader on Amazon that was trashing her books and how she has gotten those posts removed (because obviously this person has never read the books) and how this person has something against her yet she's a complete stranger. I know the review system on Amazon is flawed. I know some people go way out of their way to be mean on there. BUT, the revenge she is talking about taking in the same manner as she did with the other reader seems wrong to me. She even mentions the Amazon "reviewers" screen name.

The author finishes her blog post with this little bit of advice: And by the way - anyone else out there thinking they can just arbitrarily slam an author and feel good about being particularly nasty…be warned….my editor thinks this concept of mine is hilarious and she’s going to suggest the idea to her other authors who are fed up with being targets for the mentally deranged…in other words I’d advise being very careful whom you choose to direct a personal barb at lest your alter ego appear in a less than flattering way in that author’s next book.

Is it just me or does this seem ridiculous? I can understand the appeal of such revenge. I cannot understand the appeal of making it known to several thousand readers, some of which may recognize the reader being mentioned. Because now that reader will be publicly humiliated when the author was NOT. As long as that book is in circulation, that person will be forever mocked. When their greatest crime could have been flying off the handle after a world shattering bad day. When they could have had everything ripped out from under them the day that wrote that letter. Should they pay for one letter that vented everything, albeit to the wrong person? I think this is wrong. What about you? Am I being silly to be upset by this? Help me understand peeps!

Take Care

My Newly Discovered Bad Reading Habit

Once upon a time, I was a very easy reader. I bought books by the lure of the cover alone. I never even thought about reading the BCC. I never even thought about reading ahead. Would not have even dreamed about reading the last page - oh no, that was just too taboo! But, times, they do change. And as time has ticked by, signaling the end of yet another era, I as a reader have also changed.

It started innocently enough. I was low on cash for books and trying to decide between two cute covers I read the BCC. Well, that damn BCC LIED! That's right, it lied. The book contained within the pages was nothing - nothing, like the BCC suggested. I was appalled! I was outraged. I was a changed reader. Suddenly, I started reading every BCC and then ranting about it on the d&D site when it ticked me off.

It didn't stop there, though. Oh NO! I went crazy. I started reading the first page of the book most of the times! GASP! I would not only read the first page, I would read the "Other Books By..." list at the start. If even one of them sounded off, I didn't buy the book. I'm telling you, that way lie madness, and it over took me!

And now - now - I am so ashamed of myself and disgusted at the outcome of my latest bad book reading habit, that I almost can't stand myself. Is no book safe from my insanity? I have started taking a peak at the last page!

Really, it started out innocently enough when I started reading the Gregor books to my children. We were hooked. Gregor and the Underland so captured my attention that I just didn't want to stop reading. Alas, I had promised Bear that I would never read ahead of him. But now that we're on book 4, I felt it would be safe to at least read the BCC to book 5, and what I saw shocked me! I had to know that my favorite characters were OK, so I read the last page - of a book I hadn't even started! I was ashamed, but at the same time a little bit excited. I had broken some unspoken rule, and I was giddy with the power!

Unfortunately, it is becoming a habit I can't seem to break. And like with all habits it has come back to bite me in the arse. You see, I started read Playing With Fire by Katie MacAlister. I've never read this author before. The books have just never jumped out to grab my attention even though I've heard mondo good things about the books and watched them hit bestseller lists. Well, I finally broke down and bought this one and I'm having a really hard time getting into the book. It took me three days to read past 2 Chapters. Fortunately it started to pick up, but I had a really bad feeling. So, me, being the cheater I have reluctantly become, read the last page. And to my horror, discovered I was not in-store for an immediate HEA. In fact, it would seem I was in store for a series.

Now. don't get me wrong, I realized I was in store for a series, but stupidly I thought each book would feature a different couple. See, this is why I should sometimes take better care to research books I have a reluctance to buy. I don't like the protag in this book. The writing seems stilted and dull, but I've heard great things about his author and really wanted to give this all a try. But, I just can't read on. I want resolution for these two, I don't want it drawn out for books on end. And maybe it won't be, and I'll be missing out on something - but that darn new bad habit has stopped me from ever finding out.

So, I find myself half-way through a book I know I will never finish. Wasting 6 - yes, SIX, days of trying to read the first half of this thing (not to mention $6) - all because I read the last page. It's madness, and I want it to stop, because I really may have found myself liking the book (doubtful, but perhaps) if I would have kept plodding through instead of cheating and reading the last page.

Please tell me I am not alone in the bad habit category! Please tell me if I've made a HUGE mistake and this book is worth finishing! Please tell me there is hope for a last page reader such as myself. I need help people, or I may never be able to read another book again!

Take Care