Dangerous Hero Addict Support Group discussion
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The Author's Nook
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Getting to Know Pamela Clare
Och, Satan's arse! I want to read Connor's book now! Thanks for giving us this sneak peek, Pamela.Oh, and sorry for jumping into the conversation like that, but I'm just too excited to be polite, LOL. *clears throat* Hi, everyone! :)
I hope MelissaB drops by. She's the one dying most for Connor's book.
Hi, Dina — welcome! I'm glad you're excited about it. I can't wait to bury myself in it. Must finish Natalie and Zach's story first.
Ooooh Pamela, thanks for the teaser on Connor's book! I know I will love it!And do I have a favorite hero of yours? Well, I have only read Surrender, but I ordered Untamed yesterday and have the first two I-Teams on my shelf waiting for me to read! BUT, I adored Iain in Surrender!! He immediately went to my favorite heroes shelf! He is what good men are made of and I'm so glad to have met him! I fell in love with each of the MacKinnon's in that book... and Lord William as well!
I'm so looking forward to meeting your other heroes!
Hi, Zosia — How's your Saturday going? Thanks for joining us. I'm glad you're enjoying the conversation.
Hi, Cheryl, I hope you enjoy UNTAMED. Morgan's in a very different situation than Iain. That was a fun book to write. I loved being able to show more of the French side of things.
I'm glad you enjoyed the sneak peek at Connor's story.
It's funny that you mentioned the Mary Jemmison story.. I was just looking at a book about her at the library the other day for my daughters to read.
I love all your mens, but of the contemporaries I would have say Gabe is my fav if I had to pick one, but of course..the cover on Breaking Point. That book is going to fly off the shelves just so ladies can take it home just to lick...uhmmm...look at it. :-) Of the historicals..oh man if I had to choose, Ian and Morgan are just too sexy for me to pick one..so I will take them both....yes please and thank you. ;-*
Cheryl, what a funny coincidence! Did you check the book out? She had a very interesting (though tragic in her younger years) life. She ended up being traded by the Shawnee to the Delaware, I think, and then stayed with them for the rest of her life, hiding from whites who came to get her. My Mary won't do that. LOL!
Hi, Keri — So Gabe for contemps and a MacKinnon sandwich for historicals. Gotcha! Sounds good to me. :-)
Well, duty calls. Actually, it's Zach and Natalie calling. They've been stuck in the middle of an argument for a week. I promised myself I'd finish this chapter today, so I need to go.I'll check back before I head to bed, and I'll be back in the morning.
But for now, I need to write this book so we can have more to talk about later. :-)
Thanks to everyone who's been a part of this today. I really enjoy getting to know you a bit. And thanks to Dhestiny for setting it up.
P.
Pamela wrote: "I'm just askin'. How would you feel?And would Connor do it? Would he turn his back while the young captive is forced into a man's bed?
That would be the beginning of the story. "
Wow!!! How would I feel? Like Superman had hung me out to dry. Like Spiderman had thrown me under the bus. She knows of them, of their reputation, and when she finally finds hope, her heart breaks to know that the legend isn't real after all. Am I close?
I think Connor's sense of duty would make him close to following through, or maybe he's just saying that so that no one expects an escape?
Wow, thank you so much for that exciting sneak peek!!!!! And you're very welcome! I've enjoyed putting this together, but it would be nothing without you!
Have a wonderful night and we'll see you later!
Thanks for the sneak peak at Connor. I'll buy stock in Kleenex and Puffs this weekend.And thanks for answering my nitpicky questions. I'm just always interested in the mechanics of things.
Since people are talking faves, I'll just name mine:
Historical: Mmmmmmmorgannn! (I loved Untamed!!!)
I haven't read Carnal Gift and Sweet Release yet, although I did buy them for my Kindle. They're sittin' there on the TBR as we speak.
Contemporary: Gabe's my man. With Marc a close second. I do love a man who enjoys his sushi. ;^)
Holy Crap on a stick Pam, CONNER! I can so see him as he is now and its so much deeper. I love the idea and I cant wait to read how love will show him a new way thru it!! THANK YOU FOR THE PEEK!
Conner's biggest fan,
Zeek
:)
btw,"Part of what I'm working out in these stories is bad men who hurt women vs. good men who take the bad men down."
And THAT'S why I love your work! :)
Oh and how would it make me feel? Like I'd want to strangle him with his braids- or cut off his nutsack and feed it to him, whichever I could get to first- but I would come right back at him, because I'd use whatever it took to GET ME OUT!
Pamela wrote: "I hope MelissaB drops by. She's the one dying most for Connor's book."She really is, but many of us are close seconds!
Just finished reading Smart Bitches blog post about Dorechester - wow. Dearauthors article wasn't nearly as detailed. Im shocked, and sad to read that your (and many other authors) print books may be destroyed.
Pamela - I swear we could create a game of "Survivor" with all your hero's and heroines. Boys on one team, girls on the other. They would all survive, no problem - but who would be the first to sneak over to the girls side and then outside of camera range to have some hot wild sex?? I'm guessing Ian, maybe Julian, but Marc did break a lot of rules too...
You know, KarLyn, I've wanted to do an "I-Team Christmas" story where they all get together at a mountain lodge for Christmas, except that someone is trying to kill them...Yes, it's a bummer what's happening with Dorchester. They gave me my start when no one else wanted to touch a Colonial American romance.
As for Connor's book, I get e-mails about it every day. It's wonderful to know that readers want the book so badly. I'm trying not to let that turn into pressure, because that would make it very hard to write the book.
Beanbag, you make me laugh! And you're welcome! I've enjoyed your questions.I like that you like Morgan and Gabe best. Julian has enough groupies. LOL! As for Marc... What he does with sushi is downright naughty.
Zeek, I'll warn Connor to cover his nuts in case Mary is similarly inclined. I'm glad you enjoyed the little preview. Yes, he's a changed man. Poor guy! Thanks for your kind words.
:-)
Hi, Dhes — I think you pretty much described it. On top of those things, I'd feel terrified of what lay ahead of me and angry and heartbroken over the loss of my family. I might want to fight... Or I might be too terrified to do anything. But I would be crushed that a man I viewed as a hero was going to let me be violated right in front of him (more or less) by the man who murdered my family. I think Connor means what he says. At first.
To help me build three different men for these stories I tried to attach a specific warrior trait to their tales: Iain was strength. Morgan was honor. Connor is courage.
Iain is the leader. His strength is what drew the men together into a cohesive fighting unit. They look to him for guidance, and he has the internal ability to stand strong and lead.
Morgan's loyalty was in the forefront of that story. It created torment for him, but he was ready to die in the most horrid way to maintain that loyalty.
How courage plays into Connor's story, I can only guess. :-)
And you're welcome!
However it comes out its gonna be a goody! :P
Hi Pamela!I am glad to be known as the person most dying for Connor's book!
As you know, I love your books. I have read thousands of romance books so the times when I am blown away are few but when I started reading Surrender a few years ago I was so excited to finally find a new historical author that I love. I don't like regency romance so those publishers are way off the mark about only regency selling. I have also seen a lot of other romance readers who are getting tired of the same old same old in historicals. I hope Connor's story does amazing! You have got yourself quite a few fans now on Amazon and Goodreads. When I first started telling everyone to read Surrender, only a few people had heard of you but now I see your name listed all the time as a favorite author.
I love your historicals because that is more my favorite genre, I feel similar about them as you - I love history and these books are a way I can experience a time period and way of life that will bring it to life for me.
I also enjoy the I-team series, they are my favorite romantic suspense books. I love the way you can create these amazing characters and really bring them to life. How can someone not love Julian?
Thanks for the info about Connor's book. I am very excited to see what happens, sounds like he will be a hero with a lot of facets to his personality and will need some redemption - but we women love to see a man redeemed by his love for a good women.
I think your love scenes are amazing hot, you don't need the crazy stuff to have a great sex life, I think that's based on chemistry and caring (which your leads certainly have!).
Thanks so much for taking the time to come one here and answer questions. You come across as such a nice approachable person online, that's why people think you have a great online presence!
As for questions, the only thing I want is Connor and Joseph's book! No real questions, just want to say that I love your books and can't wait to read more.
I am excited to hear you got out of Dorchester because that situation sounds horrible. I would LOVE to read extra pages for Carnal Gift and Ride the Fire. I would rebuy them! I don't have them in ebook yet so I would buy them again. I hope your new publisher works much better for you. Good luck with all the changes and getting your back list available. You have a lot of fans and are getting more everyday based on your great books so people are going to want to glom your backlist.
Thanks for the shout out, I have company this weekend so I will be in on and off but I appreciate it.
Thanks, Zeek! I certainly will do my best.Hi, MelissaB — I was hoping to see you here. I thought if anyone would want to some insight into Connor's book, it would be you. :-)
Thanks so much for your very kind word and thank you too for your steadfast support of my books through recommendations on Amazon. I know you've made a difference. It means the world to me.
It sounds like we have very similar reading tastes, at least where historicals are concerned. I know a lot of readers love Regencies, so it's great for them that so many are published. But for those of us who just can't connect with the ton, there need to be more choices.
When I wrote my first historical, I just set out to write something I'd want to read. And I stayed in Colonial America because no one else was writing it, and I wanted to carve out my own niche. Word of mouth recommendations, such as the many thousands I'm certain you've made for SURRENDER, have really helped.
If I'm not able to continue the MacKinnon's Rangers series after this, I have ideas lined up for Medieval romances and perhaps Victorian. I want to get to the three books that are based on Celtic ballads so badly. So one of those will likely follow up Connor's book. Or not. Who knows?
When I presented my proposals to Penguin for this five-book contract, my editor asked for a few one-page "sketches" of the kinds of historicals I have in mind. I sent her SEVEN 10-page-plus outlines. And she said, "OK! Alright already!" She told me to hang on to all of them because we would get to them all eventually. Ruaidhrí's story (from CARNAL GIFT) was in there.
I just need more time to write!
One thing I've heard: The e-book versions of my historicals have lots of mistakes in them. Whatever scanning process Dorchester used created lots of ridiculous typos. So I would hate for you or anyone else to get stuck reading a book with so many distracting mistakes.
If/when I release my own e-book versions, they'll have the extra pages AND they won't be a mess like that.
Yes, Connor will need some redemption. In truth, everything about that story could change. Up until I actually started BREAKING POINT, I thought it was going to involve a certain plot line. Then that plot disappeared and transformed into something else.
Thanks again for stopping by and for your comments.
------
So, today I have a goal of 3,000 words. I'll check back periodically, so if anyone has other comments, questions, observations, jokes, etc., feel free to post them, and I'll comment as I am able.
It's been so fan chatting with all of you! Writers work in isolation, so to have contact with readers is precious to me.
Pamela, I hope you slept well! :)Last night I was reading a book that people have raved about, and others hated. I can attribute that to "different strokes for different folks," but as an author, even knowing that is the case, how do you handle negative reviews? I mean, I've read reviews here on Goodreads that were nothing more than author bashing, with little to explain why that person disliked the book in the first place. I know you've received your share of negative reviews over on Amazon, and I'm wondering how you handle it? Is there some magic something you do, like going to Starbucks or getting a manicure... something that helps you shake it off so you can keep writing the amazing stories you do?
Hi, Dhestiny — Most of the time, I try to tell myself that people just have different tastes and not take it to heart. It's not up to me to tell people how they should feel about what I write. Romance novels touch on all the biggest things in life — relationships, sexuality, pregnancy and childbirth, gender conflict, women's perception of their own desirability, spousal abuse, rape, etc... These topics push different people's emotional buttons differently. A scene that one person finds touching someone else will find stupid or offensive.
Example: (¡¡¡Spoilers!!!) Everyone loves Diana Gabaldon's OUTLANDER. I reached a point where Jamie beats Claire with a belt because she did something he told her not to do. I threw the book across the room. And though I did read the rest of it, I had no affection for either character from then on. That scene ruined the book for me. Never touched another one in the series. It pushed a personal button inside me. I can't tolerate violence against a woman from a hero, not even when it's historically accurate. It makes me ill.
So romance novels push buttons.
But sometimes people go beyond saying how they feel about a book and start bashing me personally. That can be painful. Or they make assumptions. One example that I an recall in response to SURRENDER: "Obviously the author is trying to jump on the romantica bandwagon."
Um, sorry? My writing had some pretty erotic scenes in it long before SURRENDER. The shackling scene in SWEET RELEASE, for example.
That irritates me because if they don't know me, then how can they assume to know what motivated me?
Sometimes it's funny: "Kat is a terrible journalist. The journalism scenes were just unrealistic." Riiiight. And the fact that I'm a National Journalism Award recipient means that I know nothing about good journalism.
How do I handle this? Most of the time, I try to just let it go and focus on what I'm writing right now. I never respond to negative reviews. Occasionally, I'll bring something up for discussion on my blog, like I did when a reviewer called Julian a "rapist."
Also, there have been times when I've read only the positive reviews in order to absorb the encouragement and help bolster my confidence.
Inspiration is fragile. I can't allow reviews to get me off-track.
When I'm really, really down about something someone wrote, I call or email my sister in Sweden or one of my close friends here. They let me vent and help me get focused again.
But I am my harshest critic. Most of the time I am the one who brings me down. I freak out and decide that a book sucks. Books of mine that I have said suck include: SURRENDER, UNLAWFUL CONTACT, UNTAMED, NAKED EDGE, BREAKING POINT... Anyone see a pattern?
Thank you for answering so fully. There are stories that touch on very sensitive issues for me, and so I try to avoid them, or if I do read them, I'm careful about how I write my review, especially if I knew going in how it would affect me.I'm a firm believer that if, for example, you hate vampire novels, don't read one and then bash the book and the author because you didn't like the vampire.
Thanks again!
I probably answer TOO fully. As a journalist, I'm used to asking people questions and then having them give very incomplete answers. So I'm sensitive to that and probably go overboard.Hope I didn't bore anyone into a coma. :-/
I agree. If you don't like a certain kind of book, don't read it and then bash it for being what it is.
You didn't bore me at all! You know me, I find all the behind the scenes information fascinating. Was it hard finding an agent or a publisher for your first book? What is that process like?
UniquelyMoi *~*Dhestiny*~* wrote: "Was it hard finding an agent or a publisher for your first book? What is that process like?"I was going to ask this! Do tell, Pamela. :D
I had an unusually easy time of it. I wrote a book. Yes, it took seven years because my kids were little, but I wrote it. Then I sent out five query letters to five different agencies. One of them requested a partial (synopsis and first three chapters). Then she requested the full manuscript. Then she told me I needed to make some revisions, which I did sloooooowly over the period of a year. When I turned it back in, she signed me. Nine months later the book sold.
I figured, "Okay, that's how you do that." Then the book came out and got a Top Pick review and all kinds of attention. But that's not typical for most authors.
Most authors don't sell their first manuscript. Some have a dozen or more manuscripts at home in drawers and cupboards before they sell that first one. Most face a fair amount of rejection before finding an agent and then again before publishing.
I was just really blessed in that regard. I learned pretty quickly afterward that the world of book publishing is a hard-knocks sort of place and that the rest of my career would not be so easy.
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Danielle The Book Huntress , Loves 'Em Lethal
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I have to say I really take offense at how cruel and illogical some reader's reviews are. I often read the book and wonder did we read the same book. I totally agree with Dhestiny about the people who read a book with a vampire and then bash it because they don't like the genre. That's why in my reviews, I will usually say, you may not like this book if you don't like.... etc. There are themes I avoid, but I will sometimes read subjects out of my comfort zone to challenge myself.
Lady D, from what I've read of your reviews, you are a very considerate reviewer who takes the needs of other readers into account in exactly the way you describe — and in others. I think that's probably helpful to readers. And authors like it because it shares a full perspective. Perhaps something you didn't like is something that others will enjoy, and so on...How we respond to books, movies, art — it's all very subjective. And that's why respect, which is a quality that I perceive you and most others here show in abundance to one another and to authors, is so very important. We might not agree on books all the time, but we love to read. And that ought to be enough.
Of course, nothing in the world of fiction can compare to the kind of hate that gets thrown at a journalist. Forget the death threats for a moment. I've had people call me four-letter words in front of my kids when they were little. I've had people scream at me in bars. I had one man write in to the paper and suggest that, for the sake of the community, I wear a burka because I was THAT ugly. So fiction to me feels like a pretty soft ride compared to journalism. :-)
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Danielle The Book Huntress , Loves 'Em Lethal
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Journalism can be a dangerous job. That's why the I-Team books are therapeutic for me. It was my agent's idea, based on her knowledge of my day job, that I write romantic suspense.For a while, I did hardcore investigative work. In the course of 10 years, I had two stalkers, numerous death threats (one credible enough that the FBI got involved, but the agents were jerks), and so much hate mail that I made the nightly news. I've had a gun held on me twice — once when I visited a man's home in the mountains looking for answers to the vandalism of a pioneer cemetery up there, and once at my desk when a man with strong opinions came in yelling and cussing. (That was Nov. 2005.)
But most of the time, journalism is kind of tedious in a "read lots of documents" sort of way. We debate things like comma usage more than we deal with creeps.
Mod
Aw, thank you, Lady D. I think I remember your review of EXTREME EXPOSURE saying something like that.Heck, I don't have the best opinion of the media, either. I'm old school, and by old school, I mean Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson. They understood why a free press was essential for a successful democracy. I'm a goofy idealist, a journalist who believes that someone has to keep an eye on those in power and report abuses to an educated public, which is then supposed to react.
Sadly, that's not how it works these days. There aren't a lot of papers that want to invest in investigative journalism. And too many are worried about offending advertisers. We all pay the price when the press fails to do its job. When the truth does come out, it's mixed in with so much media spin that the public can't tell it from the latest gossip.
I won't get up on this soap box, however. :-)
Okay, I thought of a question:Do you get any flack by your peers or just people in general for writing romance novels? So many people put down romance, usually those who have never read a real romance and don't know what they are talking about. I think most women who read a good romance will love them, so I get upset when I see women putting them down. I was just wondering if you had to deal with any negativity about this.
Hi, Melissa — There was some sense of polite shock, I think, when the broader journalism world in Colorado learned that I had published a romance novel. A few people said disparaging things. Most of them had enough respect for me to at least ask, "Why romance?!?"I told them what I believe to be true: that romantic fiction is inherently feminist, or pro-woman, in that it deals with women's exploration of relationships and sexuality.
A couple of my male colleagues have read some or most of my books and have enjoyed them (or so they say).
I think it has helped that I've been very open and "out" about it and have very calmly addressed any snippy put-downs the moment they came up. A couple of papers did articles about it, which enabled me to be very public with my argument on behalf of romantic fiction.
That's great Pamela. I get so annoyed at people's perceptions of romance. But I really don't care anymore, I just feel bad for those who don't get the pleasure of reading that I do :)I am excited for your backlist to become available. After reading the stuff of Smart Bitches, I realize you must have had a lot to deal with just to get them. The thought of all those books sitting in that warehouse makes me want to hunt down that warehouse and have a field day! I hate the thought of books going to waste. I also hate the thought of you authors not getting money from the sale of your books, I always think I am supporting the author when I buy a new book so I hate finding out that they weren't getting their payment. At least you got out!
Amen to that. And, you're right — it wasn't easy. Dealing with all of that has taken up most of this year for me — or, really, for my agent. At the same time, I have a soft spot for Dorchester because they gave me my chance. I know they didn't want to end up in this position.
Pamela wrote: "Amen to that. And, you're right — it wasn't easy. Dealing with all of that has taken up most of this year for me — or, really, for my agent. At the same time, I have a soft spot for Dorchester be..."
I am also glad they gave you a start! I wouldn't have Iain otherwise :)
Pamela wrote: "*What tells me the most about my characters is their pain.* I want to know what makes them unhappy and afraid. I want to know their deepest grief and their greatest fear. And when that really flushes out and becomes 3D to me, then I know them. That's what I really explore in little stream-of-consciousness bios that I write about them."And THAT's why your characters feel so real and why I love them and their stories, Pamela!
Pamela wrote: "What shapes people in life is love and loss/trauma. That's where we all become human -- what hurts us the most, what scares us the most?"
And that's why I love tortured heroes and angsty/emotional reads. I relate to them in their pain and fears and I want them to overcome it and find true happiness.
BTW, as you know, Pamela, I just finished NAKED EDGE today and I LOVE it!!! I love Kat and Gabe and am shocked to hear that there were people that hated them. I will admit that with Gabe, in the scenes with Samantha, that I wasn’t liking him much in those bits, but finding out about his past and then well…that ending…I was absolutely bawling and I just loved him SO much! And I agree, I think Kat is your strongest heroine, too. All that she went through? Wow, she is a real warrior. As is Gabe. All your characters are warriors in their own ways. I loved the Native Amarican aspect in Naked Edge and the struggle of Kat who is of mixed blood, and also trying to find harmony between the traditional beliefs and the modern world. I really related to her. Out of all your heroines, she's the one I related to the most.
Which hero is my fave? That is so tough to choose because I love all of them. But since it seems that Reece is the one getting left in the cold, I’ll take him! We’d have a lot to talk about. And with my legislative background, I’m sure he and I could make… beautiful…and significantly impacting….Bills…together. ^_~ LOL And he can bring me breakfast in bed and teach my animal behaviour any time! ^_^ Actually, funny story, my hubby and I met studying Animal Behaviour and doing a practical together - It was a 3rd year Psychology class.
Okay, question: I feel like I've missed something ,maybe because it was mentioned earlier in the book, but...Does Gabe have any family? What happened to his family? I know all about his past and how it affected his friendships etc. but I'm just thinking now as I've just finished NAKED EDGE, where was Gabe's family?
Pamela wrote: "Hi, Lady Jayne — No reason to apologize. I ask people truly tough questions every day. It's my job. :-)First, your poetry is not crap. I've read it and found it touching.
I think that once I got over the emotional overload of writing the book, it did create some catharsis. It was after RIDE THE FIRE that I publicly addressed the fact that I'd been sexually assaulted as a child (age 10 -- father of a classmate). I wrote about it in the paper in connection with the need for a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner program in town. The article so moved some guy that he walked in off the street and wrote a $30K for the establishment of such a program. I don't think I would have been able to do that if I hadn't poured it all into RtF.
My younger son, Benjamin, says my books are all about the uses and abuses of sex. And in some respects I think he's right. Part of what I'm working out in these stories is bad men who hurt women vs. good men who take the bad men down. Maybe it's something my 10-year-old self can relate to.
Sorry if that's TMI. I've been open about it and I've worked hard as a journalist to help rape victims.
My first opinion column as a journalist ever was about sexual assault and it won a second-place state journalism award. A lot of passion went into it.”
Pamela, thank you for taking the time to read my poetry and for your kind words. I hadn’t even realised you had read them! My poems are my form of “therapy”. ^_^ It's very strange, but these rhymes will start coming into my head and won't leave me alone until I write them down and I'm usually in tears as they pour out of me. Though I do sometimes get some funny ones.
I’m so sorry to hear of what you went through when you were 10. Were you able to speak about it when it happened to your parents, at least? I’m glad you had the courage and strength to channel all that trauma into Ride the Fire and that you could talk about it publicly, after that, so that you could bring a voice of strength, and give support to other survivors of crime through your profession. It makes your job extremely meaningful. I commend you for that! It is no wonder that your article on sexual assault won a journalism award. It wasn’t just a topic for a story for you. You had lived that pain, and come through a stronger person.
Pamela wrote: "You know, KarLyn, I've wanted to do an "I-Team Christmas" story where they all get together at a mountain lodge for Christmas, except that someone is trying to kill them..."Well, speak of Darcangelo! LOL I was just thinking that as I was halfway through Naked Edge...because I was actually missing Reece (I mean, I'm loving the Julian and Marc bromance, but I was missing me some Reece)...that it would be great if there was an I-Team Christmas so we could see all of them together. And I was thinking of course there'd have to be something suspenseful happening that would put them in danger.
I also wanted to echo about wanting Holly's story, too!
Sorry for posting so much but I've just caught up on everything here and I'll be asleep soon, when all the activity will start happening again. ^_^
Thank you, Lady Jayne, for your kind words and thoughtful observations. I really appreciate each and every one.Gabe's family... Er, well, I sort of just forgot about them. In the spoiler chat after the book came out, we all decided that 1) he'd been an only child and 2) his parents were dead.
Yes, that is sort of a huge oversight in the story. I was just so focused on their relationship that it's as if he sprang out of the ground. Kind of embarrassing, really.
I'm so glad you enjoyed the story. I've found that the readers who most relate to Kat are Native women, women with mixed backgrounds, and women with Asian backgrounds. My editor's family came from Taiwan, and she absolutely related to Kat — the most sexually conservative culture, the big family, etc.
Taking notes: Another vote for Holly's story, Lady Jayne on Team Reece, and so on. :-)
I feel bad for Reece. There are just so many characters in the I-Team series now that putting them all together in a scene creates some really complicated writing problems. And Reece isn't really a part of the "bromance," which is a threesome in BREAKING POINT. He's a different kind of guy. Never spent time in prison. Never served in the military or as law enforcement.
I-Team dirty laundry: Another couple fell out of the series without my meaning for it to happen — Will and Lissy. And that makes me sad because I adore them. I'm really not even sure what to do about that... D'oh!
Writing can be fantastic therapy, so it's good that you write these things down as they come to you. I found them very touching. I even commented.
I've been hoping to quit my day job and then write full time. Part of what I'd do with a bit of that extra time is work with women inmates to help them with their writing skills. I'd want to help each of them write their autobiographies as a form of therapy, to improve their writing and communication skills and to give them the sense that they have power over what happens on the next blank page, i.e., after they get out. We'll see how that goes.
I also wanted to add that I personally found Amazon to be a hostile environment; not just in how much harsher the negative reviews seem to be, but in how readers treat each other over there. Prior to coming to Goodreads, Amazon was my first foray into online book discussions. I was absolutely shocked at how rude and downright mean people could be just because they had a different opinion on a book, or just because they hated a book. There were people who would make personal attacks and slurs against an author and readers who had a difference of opinion. They wouldn’t accept that everyone comes into reading a book with their own perceptions and backgrounds affecting how they view it, and just because one person saw something differently from another did not mean that they were “stupid” and “should never have been born” or that an author was out to spread propaganda or was spreading wrong messages. Hmm…have they ever looked at themselves to see why they see things the way they do? We each take our own messages away from a book. It seems unreasonable to say that in telling a fictitious story that an author is encouraging someone to do something that the character did. When I have some issues with a book or a character, the first thing I do is wonder, what am I not seeing, or what is it in me that interprets something a different way from the others who have read this? I don’t try to blame the author and say they wrote a crap book. Yes, constructive criticism is good but personal attack is NOT. My experience was that there were a lot of people at Amazon who weren’t introspective or considerate of other’s feelings.
It seemed that some people just loved to hate and took great delight in bullying others. When I was there, I tried to urge people to engage in respectful discussion and we had a thread where we tried to foster that, but then of course the “haters” couldn’t stand that and started “invading” and “attacking” us. It was actually a discussion we were having on cyber bullying and I was talking about the suicide of Megan Meier and how we need to be careful how we said things because you never know who is on the other side – that the person could be suffering depression and the hurtful words could push them over the edge. That was of course when I got attacked and called a “tree hugging hippy”. Well, if my taking a stand against bullying and asking people to just be kind and respectful is so wrong, then I didn’t want to stay in that environment. It was too draining to keep being attacked when all we wanted to do was have a nice respectful discussion.
That was when another friend mentioned goodreads and I have been much happier over here. The people I have met here have been very considerate in their reviews or in discussions with other readers. Plus, there is better control in groups here with having moderators. Amazon was a brawl zone!
Pamela, I think getting death threats and a gun pointed on you is much worse, but as an author, you don’t need to read all that vitriol.
I've heard that readers attack readers at Amazon. That seems so bizarre to me. Those forum discussions can get pretty heated at times. I don't post there — there's an awful lot of author self-promotion that goes on and I think Amazon readers are understandably sensitive to the constant sales pitches — so I haven't experienced being attacked firsthand. I think you're right to oppose bullying, and I'm sorry anyone felt the need to take a jab at you for that. How absurd! Look at the rash of teen suicides here recently.
Kindness and compassion are two qualities that never go out of style. If people calm down long enough, they discover that they can use those two capacities to forgive others and get over their anger.
A lot of people here are just invested in anger these days it seems. And that's really too bad because life is short, and the only thing that really matters in the long run is the way we impact the lives of those around us. To get in petty squabbles over nothing and to beat people up verbally — over books!?! — is a waste of time. Of course, most people who post at Amazon probably don't do those things...
I love Goodreads, too. I haven't posted a lot of books yet, mostly because I haven't had time. But it's nice to be able to track reads here. Also, I've sort of tentatively poked my head out to say hello to readers whose names I've recognized from other places, like Amazon. I've had the chance to say hello to many of you in messages, and that's been wonderful.
Yes, death threats and such are so much less fun than they sound. But thanks. Like most authors, I can be pretty sensitive about my books.
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Might be a fun way to pass a few hours. :-)