On Too Stupid To Live heroines: I actually corresponded with a best-selling author once that while I loved her stories (the characters, the oh-so-sexy love interest [Dio!], the love story, the sex, the wonderful sense of place) it was frustrating that her supposedly intelligent heroine would intentionally walk right into peril every time she had a choice. That it didn’t make sense to me, because she had people depending on her (children, lover) and in every other part of her life, the character was logical and smart. She wrote me back that she HAD to do that to move the story forward, to make it interesting. I was completely appalled. I had hoped it was an accident, an oversight! How about a plot that has danger that envelops her *against* her best efforts? How about a story where she solves a complex and interesting mystery by her wits and with the always available help of professionals, like POLICE, without personal danger? Oh. That would be hard. I never wrote back, I was struck speechless. But I also never bought another book of hers. I dislike being manipulated. I don’t like children being imperiled in a story, it’s cheap and easy. I don’t like the main character doing stupid things and then being told how smart she is. I wasn’t looking for “Perils of Pauline,” I was looking for smart mysteries, and sexy love stories were gravy. That’s also about the time I turned to sexy love stories, with the mysteries as gravy.

I have always been a finisher of books too, for the same reason listed in another post; if I spend my precious few dollars on a book for entertainment, I want to squeeze all possible entertainment out of it. However, as I’ve gotten older and gone through some hard times, I’ve realized the waste of time costs more than the throwing aside of a bad book. I’m just not as willing to keep plugging away if it’s been dreck so far. I’ve read a few that I just lost interest in, but the only one that I actually threw down, and then was so disgusted with that I got up out of bed and threw in the trash, was the sequel to “Silence of the Lambs’. My conclusion was that like the evil main character’s enjoyment of his victim’s pain, Mr. Harris was enjoying his power to cause pain and I was done, at that page, not another word read. I felt like a particularly nasty voyeur had invaded my head. I never had that sensation reading his other books, even when I re-read Lambs after that, to see if I’d missed it. It was hugely disappointing, as that was a rather expensive book!

I have been really enjoying reading the essays on romance novels and their place in literature. I sent one to my husband to try and make him feel less threatened by the whole thing. He worries that it’s about the search for the perfect, cover-model man, and romance readers are an Oprah-watching cult of average man haters. What I told him was that true feminists are the best thing going for men – they enjoy the heck out of themselves AND men. And all people are better served by the people in their lives being happy and fulfilled.

If anyone would like a fun read, the new book by Lauren Weisberger, “Everyone Worth Knowing,” in which a completely modern working single woman puts up a great defense of romance novels. Not so nasty as Prada, but every bit as observant, which makes it even funnier, to my mind.

Julesagain
ostsk: overdone steaks – tsk!

I wouldn’t want a quote that wasn’t honest. And I admire you for sticking to your guns in an industry that blurs the lines a lot.

LMAO, Mary Stella. That Oliver image is too funny!

Shirley

I don’t do it anymore — even from authors who are close friends. I don’t want to put them on the spot and put both of us in an awkward situation.

So thank you for putting the time and effort you put into giving a quote (when you actually get to it)

Maybe for hardcover books, you may have more time? (i.e. they can use your quote for the paperback?)

YH

I’ll try to keep all your advice in mind when I’m asking for quotes for MY book. [Note to self- I come in after the dust bunnies]

thanks, I think.

These quotes can be interesting to read after you have read the book yourself. Some of them are so obviously from people who haven’t read the book that it’s both funny and infuriating at the same time.

“Pretty much perfect.” — Neil Gaiman
“Fabulous.” — Jayne Ann Kretnz

for Robin McKinley’s Sunshine. I didn’t find it “pretty much perfect,” but only because “I don’t want a happy ending, I want more story,” to quote Mosca, and I felt left a bit hanging by the ending. Hopefully more story will come. And I know Gaiman was being honest because the quote was pulled from his online journal post after he’d just read the book.

But you know what would be the best blurb ever? Reissuing Susan Combs’s book “A Perfect Match” with the stuff Fred Head said about it.

Pssst. Cruisie? Ya lookin’ for a quote? I happen to know for a fact that Lois McMaster Bujold likes your books — she’s talked about you on her conference over at Baen’s publishing.

And, I’m thinkin’, you might return the favor for her. She’s an award-winning SFF writer — got so many Hugo tie-pins around her neck she glitters like a Christmas tree every time she traipses up to the stage for a new reward. There’s a strong romantic element in her work, which I think ya’d like. Don’t believe me? Try A Civil Campaign, or the brand new one.

You got a new book comin’ out, she’s got a new book comin’ out — maybe you’re already readin’ each other anyway. If you two come to an arrangement, leave my match-making fee in the second garbage can to the right.

(whistles down the alley, hoping a good deed has been done.)

This would make a great RWR article, especially if it covered integrity in reviewing, as well. Call me naive, but the idea that author quotes and decent reviews are marketing tools that can be bought for the price of friendship or an ARC (or ebook copy) chills me as both a reader and a writer. Don’t authors/publishers/reviewers realize that sales tactics like this ultimately do us all a disservice?

Burn me once, shame on you…
Burn me twice, well I forgot….
Burn me thrice, oh somebody just shoot me already!

I still look at author quotes if they catch my eye, but I also look at the book description, the author bio and the first and last pages before I buy a book. After taking those four criteria into consideration, if the only thing that impresses me is the look of the pretty bookjacket I put it back.

Thanks for this blog. It confirmed my suspicion that many of these people didn’t even glance at the story they’re praising.

Except then people would think I write romantic comedy.

Sigh. And Laura Kinsale doesn’t read new books. And Judith Ivory has disappeared off the face of the earth. And SEP probably has a closet full of books wanting her quote too.

Can’t win.

But now that I know a lot of authors, I find them recommending stuff, but I get it from the library, borrow it, or start reading at the store before shelling out money. And sadly, if something wins a RITA, I usually hate it. I might try the previous book the author wrote, though, on the basis that someone thought they deserved to win based on something good, but maybe not the book at hand.

Hrm. Prolly better not sign my name to this