Happy to be wicked!

Hi everyone! So excited for my first post at Three Wicked Writers plus Two! This is truly a wonderful group of authors and I was thrilled to be invited to join. Can't wait to get to know all of you better.

Before I get started I guess I should introduce myself. I'm a fairly new author - my first book, Full Disclosure, released in November, 2009 - but I've been writing since childhood. The writing bug bit me in Catholic school when I discovered writing could garner attention. What did I pick to write? Bible stories. Anything to get my paper on the classroom door with a gold star!

My reading and writing tastes have changed a bit over the years. Now I write predominantly contemporary erotic romance, though I hope to branch out into horror and paranormal stories soon. But for right now, my slate is full of erotic contemporaries. If you'd like to find out more about me or my work, check out my website: www.cariquinn.com

Now then...onto the good stuff!

For my first post I wanted to talk about reader subjectivity. I'm a very fickle reader and I suspect I'm not alone. For example, I was reading a great novella a couple weeks ago. Loved it, thought the sex was hot, enjoyed the characters...then I set it down for a couple weeks. The next time I came back to it all I could do is nitpick and had trouble getting into the story. It's not because I took a break because I often take breaks while reading. But some time between when I was reading the first time and the second my opinions had changed. Was I in a bad mood? Maybe. But I've found there is a sort of "book thrall" I fall under while reading or writing that can sometimes blind me to a book's faults. Like having just enough alcoholic beverages to take the edge off a rough day at work, occasionally conditions align where I'm sucked into a book and I don't see the warts. This is a good thing. Unfortunately it doesn't happen nearly enough.

Sometimes the same thing happens when you go back to read a beloved book and discover it has changed. Obviously not, but it can feel that way. It's so disappointing! I have certain books I depend on - my comfort reads - and occasionally the magic wears off when I go back to them. Talk about a letdown.

Do you have any comfort reads? What are they? And have any of you experienced that "book thrall" I mentioned, either as a reader or writer? Hopefully I'm not nuts. Well, a little crazy's okay...especially considering my profession. ;)

And since it's Friday - yay! - I thought I'd share a few pictures of one of my favorite bits of man candy, model and actor Henri Castelli. He looks great in a tux...or out of it!