Well, I'm going to get bitchy here today. Look out! LOL Sometimes you just have to speak your mind, know what I mean?
:::you've been warned:::
So, I've been reading this book. It's been good so far. Three authors in one. I love those. It's like a nice little helping, ya know? Sometimes you don't want to read something big and heavy. Sometimes you just want a hot little story to get you through the day.
This is such a book...until the final story. This author (who shall remain nameless) can't write a love scene to save her ass. I know, harsh. But it's true. I'm sitting here reading and realizing that I'm actually skimming the love scenes. LOL When was the last time that happened?! Never! It's a first for me to actually be so bored with the sex that I'm literally yawning as I turn the pages. How annoying!
The worst part for me, as an author I tend to look up to most NY authors. They've been down the road of rejection and came out with contract in hand, smiling all the way to the bank. I aspire to get published with a NY publisher some day. But as I'm reading this cheesy, supposedly scorching love scene I'm wondering which editor was in rush and needed an author to fill a spot.
I don't know which annoys me more. The fact that she's probably raking in the money, considering the other two authors in this anthology rocked my freaking socks off, or the fact that this probably won't be her last book with this gigantic company. I mean, really?!
Has that ever happened to you? Felt somewhat let down, shocked, even downright pissed when you read a crappy story? That’s it? That's what I'm supposed to aspire to? Who are you kidding with this drivel?
The thing is, she's not new to writing. This isn't her first time out of the gate. I expected more from this seasoned pro, I really did.
And, no, don't ask me, because I won't say names. Not even in private! I'm not trying to ruin anyone, just voicing my opinion as an author and a reader.
Well, there is one good thing to report. I have a hot little Lora Leigh book in my greedy hands. That should put the sparkle back in my eyes! Yay!
signed,
NOT hot and bothered
lol
20 comments:
It pisses me off when I read a sub-par story. Makes me wonder if the editor even read the darn thing!
Lora Leigh is ALWAYS a good pick me up *g*
I'm with you Anne - it's really annoying to get to the point where you are mad and can't even read the story. Those books get to the donation pile VERY quickly.
Joy's right - Lora Leigh's always a good choice. So's Maya Banks... just sayin'... :)
I have read a few books like that too. I read one recently where if they put this story first in the line up I probably would of never finished the book.
Nothing worse then getting all
excited then coming to a
screeching stop.
Ah, this bothers me too. I mean I can understand an author dropping the ball sometimes but it seems more and more authors who really ROCKED as e-pubbed authors "make it" to NY and their voices change and things get tame. Well, I don't like tame. The best stuff I read lately isn't from NY at all.
Joy--I kept thinking it must be me, I'm in the wrong mood or something. So, I put the story down and came back the next day and nope, it still sucked. LOL Oh well.
I will give this author another try. All authors deserve a second chance!
Valerie--I've never read Maya Banks. I really need to pick one of her books up!
Kim--I hear ya! This isn't the first in the antho, thank goodness. The firs story was an author I've never read too, but her story was smokin' hot.
Regina--I've noticed that lately too. Most of the good ones I've read lately have been ebooks. I just need to get me an ereader. I'm thinking for my birhtday. hehe!
I've had that happen before and it drives me crazy. I always wonder if its just me. Am I the only one who wanted to throw such and such book out the window, lol.
Anne, I remember which book you said you were reading yesterday and recently read the same. Previous books from the author in which you're speaking were very good and the love scenes rocked. I really felt a difference in this story. So please don't let this one story prejudice you against reading anything else by her. I enjoy reading her very much.
You've hit on one of my sore spots! Honestly, I've been reading contest entries that far outshine a significant number of the NY mass market paperbacks I've bought over the past few years, by "big names". It's frustrating as hell (pardon my English) to pay good money for a NY house book only to have it hit the recycle bin due to lazy editing, boring characters and unoriginal plots. Don't even get me started about the use of modern language and idioms in many so-called "historicals."
Meanwhile I have hundreds of ebooks on my hard drive that SHOULD have been picked up by NY, they're so good. And most of them aren't even all that "out there", either - they're just damned well-written.
NY would rather put out something that "fits the tried-and-true mold" by a better-known author than take a chance on a brilliant story by an unknown name. It's all about the bottom line.
Hi Barb--LOL, you're way off the mark, hun! I've not finished that book yet so don't spoil it for me! LOL.
No, this rant is about a book that came from my TBR stack and it was published in 2004 by Berkley. All I'm going to say is that there's three authors, two are wonderful, the other, not so much.
Yes, I buy a lot of anthologies. LOL
Carolan wrote: "NY would rather put out something that "fits the tried-and-true mold" by a better-known author than take a chance on a brilliant story by an unknown name. It's all about the bottom line."
I agree with this statement 100%. I've seen it a doze time over. It's frustrating for the little guys trying to get a foothold, it really is!
Anne - you have to read Colter's Woman or Brazen by Maya Banks. I promise you won't be disappointed.
Valerie
:D
Sorry Anne,
Thought you might have been talking about the other one. I'll zip it now.
LOL Barb! You don't have to zip it. Just playin' with you.
But now you do have me intrigued about that other book in my pile. Geez, am I the only one who needs more time to read? I have three books going at the same time, on top of the writing. Maybe if I sleep less I can fit more in. LOL
That's always such a disappointment, when you've come to expect great things (or even just good thing!) from an author and somehow she doesn't deliver :( The best thing to do is to read something else really good to wash that taste out of your brain ;)
I agree with yall. I hate reading a story by an established NY author and be let down on the characters and the story. I don't know if they are just getting lazy or if the editors are not doing their job. Are they assuming that since said author has written great books in the past, they will continue to write great books and there's really no need to read what was just submitted? A name can only get you so far in my opinion unless you can consistently back it up with the writing. Tell me a good story, and I'll be your fan for life.
I've found that I'm enjoying ebooks more and more. There are alot of ebook authors that should be NY Times authors.
I just got through reading several really, really good books and I don't think any of them were by NY published authors (yet)--two of them were yours Anne--and can I say I just loved Ava!!!!
I seem to be buying more and more books from epubs and I'm finding the stories much better than what comes out of the NY pubs. I bought 6 ebooks the other day have read 5 of those and of those 5, 4 were great and one was good (too much time between chapters making it more like 4 books instead of one story, but otherwise good).
Laura J.
Hiya, Jen! and one of those ebook authors who ought to be published with NY is clearly me. LOL!
Laura--Eep! Thanks so much. I loved Ava too. Tomboys I can SO relate to, you know?
My biggest disappointment is with authors who started as e-pubs... developed their audience. Ended up with a NY contract and first, second, third books out of the box are blah, blah, blah because their e-pub style didn't fit NY guidelines.
Not looking for a NY contract. Perfectly happy where I am.
Anny--I can understand what you mean. I'm pretty happy with my epubs, but I would like to expand too. :)
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