Koontzland - Dean Koontz discussion
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Servant
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Servant (Mini Group Read - 2015)
yeah!Dustin, will you participate and buy both on printed form?
Thank you all so much for choosing Servant for the mini group read! If anyone has any questions about the story or characters, feel free to ask and I shall do my best to answer. :)
I have a question, but it is financial, lolhow much do you get when it is bought by Kindle Unlimited?
Paola I was wondering the same thing. I am so confused by the whole pricing thing. What I can't understand is when the Paperback copy of a book is priced at 14.99 and its Kindle version is 12.99 This where I thing the "big" publishers are really ripping off readers as well as some of their authors. Before ebooks were available I had been told in a course in college that the cost for publishers to print a book is in it's cover mostly and it's printed pages. If you aren't using paper and ink why should some ebooks be priced nearly as high as the dead tree books are. Logically it would seem to me that the authors would be able to benefit more from the ebooks but I don't think the publishers pay them as much.
and it gets worse, that because Unlimited works like a selected library system that let you check out 10 books simultaneously, but I can be a fast reader or just a dabble and try so many.by 9.99 a month
I am independently published, so I am my own publisher. :) If someone downloads Servant priced at $3.99, I make $2.08 in royalties. If someone borrows it from Kindle Unlimited, I make roughly $1.39 in royalties.
Karen B. wrote: "Paola I was wondering the same thing. I am so confused by the whole pricing thing. What I can't understand is when the Paperback copy of a book is priced at 14.99 and its Kindle version is 12.99 ..."Karen, I believe that the reason major publishers price ebooks so high is simply to make money. It makes sense from a business perspective, but I can see how it might hurt authors because readers might turn to less expensive ebooks instead.
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Dustin, will you participate and buy both on printed form?"
Yes. I have bought both books. My copy of Servant arrived today :-) It will take me a while to get to get through them, but I will.
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Dustin, I haven't read the two you mentioned but I don't think it's religious so much as spiritual. It is fiction, although it does contain people who belong to a church. To me it was more about good vs. evil. If I remember correctly, the New testament quote was sort of like Koontz's using quotes from the Book of Counted Sorrows in the beginning of some of his novels. There is church involved but it's not necessarily a "good" church. There are both good and evil members in the church.
Karen B. wrote: "Dustin, I haven't read the two you mentioned but I don't think it's religious so much as spiritual. It is fiction, although it does contain people who belong to a church. To me it was more about g..."Karen, you are spot-on with your answer. :)
Dustin Crazy little brown owl wrote: "So the first thing I noticed today when I opened my copy of Servant was New Testament Scriptures cited. Is this going to be a deeply religious story - more than The Land Beyond the Portal or Rages ..."I wouldn't call it "deeply" religious. Personally I feel it's on the same level as my previous work. But maybe that's just me. ;)
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I'm from Utah and the short story Solitude opens in Utah. The address S 800 E is so funny and the fact that Sprite is mentioned just makes me laugh. Growing up Mormon we had this song that said "Choose the Right when the Choice is placed before you" and a bunch of us rebellious kids would change it to say "Choose the Sprite when the Coke is placed before you".
Dustin Crazy little brown owl wrote: "Thanks :-) I'll be finding out for myself soon :-) I'm from Utah and the short story Solitude opens in Utah. The address S 800 E is so funny and the fact that Sprite is mentioned just makes me la..."
That is too funny! I have never been to Utah, so in order to conduct my research I pored over maps and used Google Street View to get a feel for the scenery.
I have no idea why Bobby is addicted to Sprite. I mean, there's no caffeine. Where's the fun in that? ;)
And the mini group read begins today!
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Yes. I will update the book so it's featured on the homepage.
Is anyone currently reading out there?
Yes. I was wondering too who else is reading it. I haven't actually begun it yet but will probably read some today.
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one question for J.S. - How any books will there be in this series?
Dustin Crazy little brown owl wrote: "I have read Solitude (the short novella that introduces the main character) and I am currently Servant :-) I'll be back to comment and ask some questionsone question for J.S. - How any books will..."
[blushes] I don't know. At least four novels. Possibly five.
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Dustin Crazy little brown owl wrote: "When is book two available and what is it called?"Book 2 is called Sacrifice and it will likely be out this fall!
I read the sampler and it definitely worked in getting me back to Amazon to get the whole book. Looking forward to it.
I wasn't planning to read SERVANT b/c I'm involved in two other book discussion threads but.... I just ordered it this morning (Kindle) and read Chapter One; I LOVED Chapter One !I really liked the beginning passage from 1st Corinthians = .... it is the SAME God at work", something I personally believe.
I really liked the suspense created in the scene between Graham and Randy. Graham has a decision to make re. Randy and would give Randy a choice; but, what if Randy made the wrong choice? Would Graham use the gun? And, the reader has NO idea what Randy would be stepping down from or why it is so important so .... we're wondering = what is going on here ??
Then we have a teenager who is planning to leave home and just leaves his destination to fate, putting his finger on an Atlas page and since it pointed to Autumn Ridge, Oregon, that's where it would be. WHAT ????
ALL these things we are wondering about . Chapter One is a real hook !!
I hope that I have time this weekend to continue w/ this book. Great job so far!
I just finished Chapter Two which is one year later and.... now we have TWO more puzzles to think about:1. WHY was Bobby Roland fired from his job?
2. What is going on w/ whoever/whatever is throwing stones at the church windows?
The author certainly is good at keeping you guessing !!
sorry I wasn't able to start it yet but I will comment as soon as I can. Sometimes between blurry vision and getting ready for a big communion party tomorrow, I wasn't able to start yet. I am hoping to catch up by Sunday.
Betsy wrote: "I just finished Chapter Two which is one year later and.... now we have TWO more puzzles to think about:1. WHY was Bobby Roland fired from his job?
2. What is going on w..."
I'm so glad you're enjoying it so far, Betsy! Part of the fun of writing is drawing out the suspense. :)
@ J.S. And you are doing one heck of a job w/ it !
Bobby gets these "premonitions". I have never really had one, have you? Or, perhaps you know someone who does? Would they scare you IF they did happen to you? Or would you welcome them?
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I think I would be okay with it. I do think everyone has different gifts. I have had premonitions but I have to be very in tune with the universe. I think certain things come easier to different people and I'm glad that we are all such a diverse group of humanity.
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Not exactly but three weird things I dreamed that came partially true. I was a senior in high school. My best friend had gotten mad at me and hadn't been talking to me for a few months. I had a dream about school and in little part of the dream my friend, who sat in front of me in History turned around and offered me a life saver, and suddenly she was back to being friends with me. The next day in school she turned around and offered me a piece of gum and told me later that it had been silly of her to stop talking to me.About a week later the man was coming to take pictures for the yearbook and I was on the staff and would be going around with him. In my dream the the yearbook staff decided to do something different for our group photo rather than just standing around in a group as all the other clubs we pictured. The editor suggested we climb on the bleachers pose with him on the top bleacher with the rest of the staff on the bleachers below in a sort of pyramid formation. I hadn't told anyone my dream and the next day when the photographer came the editor suggested we do something different and walk to the playground a block away.
Then one girl suggested we climb the monkey bars and the editor sit at the top. Without my saying anything we arranged ourselves in the same pyramid formation exactly in the same places we were in the dream.
The third dream involved school and yearbook again and after school the editor unexpectedly stopped at my house to drop off some papers. After he left, he was pulling out onto the street from our driveway and I was upstairs watching him, a blue car came along and after the cars were out of sight I heard a loud crash. The next day it happened like that, same unexpected arrival, and me watching out my bedroom window seeing him pulling out and the blue car behind him. As soon as I saw the same blue car come down the road, I screamed out loud saying "No, no more dreams coming true!" There was no crash and I never again had any parts of dreams come true.
@ Karen, WOW! The first two of your dreams were really neat, but that third one was scary ! It sounds like after you screamed, "No, no more dreams coming true" that the universe heard your plea and, as you said, you had no more dreams come true. And, that was quite awhile ago. Thank goodness you are "free" of that as it could turn into a burden. I agree w/ what Dustin said about everyone has different "gifts". I have never discovered any that I have which seems strange to me as I am very open to what the universe may have in store for me, for us , but....alas, I'll just have to enjoy reading about it in books. So far, I am enjoying this one!
Karen you should yell "yes, yes I'll take the million dollars!!" and see what happens.
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Yes! Yes! Yes!
Betsy, without even knowing you beyond your first post practically I knew your gift was in teaching. There are many gifts and that's why we all need each other. Think of all the people you know who have the gift of patience in working with the mentally disabled. I have a tremendous amount of respect for those people. And after having been hospitalized for a couple of things in addition to two c-sections, let me tell you a compassionate nurse is a blessing! Another gift I really really appreciate is when I go out to eat and get pleasant service. I know it is not easy for the server staying on his/her feet for long hours and needing patience but when they treat me like they know me and are happy to see me I love it.
Thank you for reminding me, Karen, that "gifts" come in all sizes, great and small. Many times we don't appreciate what we HAVE been given ! Teaching was my passion; I guess until you pointed it out, I didn't see it as a "gift" but 20 wonderful years doing something which I loved every day .... yes, truly a "gift".
Curious about your thoughts early on, maybe chapter 4+ or so, re. Lupe Sanchez.What do you know about her?
How do you feel about her?
Betsy, it was the passion that kept me going when the going started getting tough. I had two big problems in the end. The parents became much more demanding and that took up a lot of much needed prep time. I had parents email me the day I gave an essay test to 100 students wanting to know how their child had done and what he/she needed to do differently. Just too much email to answer and phone calls to return. The other thing was the increased paper work with online grading and lesson plans online, etc. You'd think it would be easier with online grading but it was actually more difficult because I was copying from a paper gradebook to the online gradebook. The same with the lesson plans. Although the school year after I left, teachers were no longer required to keep a paper plan book as well. And basically the students were starting to not do homework. They would not do the required outside reading and then trying to discuss the reading was pointless. They wanted the Cliff notes version of teaching. "Just give us the answers and we'll memorize and regurgitate for you." It was wonderful though before that when they had their own ideas about the readings. Also those who did read started giving me one sentence answers such as "Because he was dumb" or "It didn't make sense." which meant they read with their eyes but were not engaged while reading.
Betsy, I promise to do my "homework" today and participate in the discussion... really! *LOL*
I may be bowing out of this thread as there does not seem to be much interest or discussion. Happy Reading to all !
One of the things I question is Graham's losing his "gift" in the beginning of the book. Do you think he is being mislead by an evil force or that it is really do to his dementia that he is turning?
Betsy, keep in mind too, that this is a group MINI READ which means only part of the group will opt to read the book.
Earlier Betsy had asked about Lupe. I too am curious to know what everyone thinks of her. I am waiting to see more of her than I have gotten to (up to Chapter 5) however she does seem awfully dependent on Randy as though her life centers around him, but knowing from a previous reading that she had problems in her past, I guess that is not hard to see.
Re. Graham losing his "gift" .... I thought that once a Servant passed his servitude onto another and he was no longer the Servant, the abilities/gifts that person had simply waned ??Lupe is a complex character: b/c of her past in prostitution and her abortions, she feels so unworthy which, I guess, explains her attempted suicides. But then she meets Randy and they fall in love. However, when Graham threatens her, she betrays Randy and does Graham's bidding which upset me. She later tells Randy of her complicity and.... b/c he loves her, he forgives her. I am at about 80% finished and Lupe, I think, plays a part in the final confrontation between Graham and Randy. Haven't gotten to that part yet.
What exactly does Randy DO as the Servant? I'm thinking this after reading chapter 6 where Trish is in his basement. That particular intervention does not end well.
It sounds like Randy is a type of Exorcist. From what I gather once you pass on the gift of "servant" doesn't mean you lose your faith. That is why Graham is perplexing to me. It seemed like he is now being influenced by evil forces, by why now as there were other servants after him? I've thought the enemy was able to enter into him through the weakness caused by his new dementia.
I think that you're right, Karen; Randy helps get rid of demonic possession. But, Graham started killing while he was STILL a Servant, before he passed along the gift to Randy, and 63 people is a lot of people ! Would God have chosen an evil man? Is he like a Judas? Haven't been told about his dementia yet but.... sounds like a mental case to me!
Betsy wrote: "I think that you're right, Karen; Randy helps get rid of demonic possession. But, Graham started killing while he was STILL a Servant, before he passed along the gift to Randy, and 63 peop..."
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Koontzland - Dean Koontz
Books mentioned in this topic
Servant (other topics)Sacrifice (other topics)
Solitude (other topics)
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