Karen Foley
Lynn Raye Harris
Ellen Hartman
Diana Holquist
Samantha Hunter
Shirley Jump
Dee Tenorio
Jeannie Watt
Welcome Guest Blogger Marie Force!
The Best Part of Being a Writer
Thanks to the Cigar gals for having me back again! This last month has been an exciting whirlwind as my second book, Love at First Flight, hit the shelves. I’ve been on a “blog tour” and been part of four different book signings. I had a party for my friends and family, who are such wonderful supporters and deserve their own signing!
Then I went to RWA and experienced a major “first” in my writing career—connecting with readers who’ve enjoyed one or both of my books. Both books have been published since last year’s conference, so this was my first one as a truly published author. At the literacy signing, three women rushed up to my table just after the doors opened because they wanted me to sign copies of Line of Scrimmage. They gushed about how much they’d loved it, and by the time they were done, they had me in tears. I kept looking over my shoulder, for surely they had to be talking to one of the other authors in the huge room, right? I said to them, “You ladies do know that Nora is in this room, right?” They laughed and said they’d come to see me. Overwhelming.
Another woman came up to me at the dessert reception after the RITAs to tell me she’d picked up Line of Scrimmage at the Sourcebooks signing earlier in the day and had spent hours in her room reading, skipping the sessions she’d planned to attend. Again, I glanced over both shoulders. You mean me? There simply are no words to describe that moment of connection with a reader who truly gets what you were trying to do with a story.
This past Monday evening, I hosted a book club party on my blog where I posted questions about my new book, Love at First Flight, and encouraged readers to sound off about some of the romance rules I broke in the story. Eight minutes after the start time, no one had shown up. I was beginning to sweat. Oh well, I thought, it was worth a shot. And then they came and came and came . . . I typed like a mad woman for over an hour while my husband sat next to me on the sofa cracking up at all my muttering and sputtering. I said at the beginning I would’ve been happy with fifty comments (including my own) but ended up with nearly one hundred. This ability to interact with readers, whether in person at conference such as RWA, or through the various blog stops, is my favorite part of this new phase in my writing career.
Technology has made the bond between author and reader so much more immediate and intimate. Over the last year, readers have become friends and frequent correspondents. They love to tell me what they liked, what they didn’t like, what made them laugh, what made them cry. Nothing is more gratifying from my end than to hear that I made them feel something, even if that something was anger.
I should probably mention a little more about Love at First Flight, which is now in stores. When Michael and Juliana meet in the airport on their way to a weekend in Florida, he’s engaged to Paige, and Juliana has been living with Jeremy for four of the ten years they’ve been together. Michael and Juliana are in committed relationships that they expect will go the distance. Neither can imagine on that Friday night how dramatically their lives are about to change. Over the course of the weekend, both relationships hit major speed bumps. So when Michael and Juliana meet up again on the flight back to Baltimore on Sunday evening, both are reeling and trying to process what’s happened. Over the course of that return flight, they strike up an unlikely friendship that later leads to love!
For all the writers out there, do you enjoy your interaction with readers as much as I do? To the readers, do you write to authors you enjoy? Have you made any new friends this way? I’ll give away copies of Line of Scrimmage and Love at First Flight to two different commenters so let me hear your thoughts! Thanks again for having me today!
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Welcome Back Marie :)
It's been great to have you here for both of your books, and I know exactly what you mean about the signing at RWA - I was thrilled with every person who came by to say hello, even if they already had the book and wanted it signed, or just wanted to say hello. I have connected with a lot of readers online, and yes, a few have become friends, but there's really nothing like saying hello in person. :)
It still makes my day to open up email, or Facebook, etc and see a note from someone saying they enjoyed my book -- that's the whole point of what we do, right?
It was funny, at RWA, I would spot people who wore their tags and had written"Just a Reader" under their name, and I would always tell them to cross out "just" -- if not for readers, where would we be?
Great to have you here today. :)
Sam
Thanks
Thanks for having me back again, Sam! It's great to be with the Cigar ladies. I'm glad you also enjoyed hooking up with readers at RWA! Good call on crossing out that word "just." They make it possible for us to do what we love!
www.mariesullivanforce.com
Hi Marie, and
Hi Marie, and congratulations on the new book! It sounds intriguing and if you have people rushing to you before Nora, then you're definitely doing something very, very right.
I love interacting with my readers. I had one lady write to me because she was upset that I didn't drop a rock on the bad guy in my second book. She didn't think she could read more of my books. I wrote back and explained myself, so she gave my next book a try. And the next. And the next. She's become a fan. I also have a guy who has been a wonderful advocate of my work. He picked up my third book by accident, thinking it was a western and then read it anyway when he discovered it was a romance. Now he reads all my books.
Great post, Marie!
Jeannie
Good for you, Jeannie, you
Good for you, Jeannie, you won him over! I've had some readers argue with me about various decisions but I love the debates as much as the compliments!
www.mariesullivanforce.com
Hi Marie.
Hi Marie. Love at First Flight sounds great. I have emailed authors to tell them that I enjoyed their books.
I'm sure the writers
I'm sure the writers appreciate your comments, Crystal! I know I always do!!
www.mariesullivanforce.com
Thank you Marie
You're a great writer and a very nice lady. I really appreciate when writers try to be in contact with their readers. I'm also grateful for places like this one where I get to meet new authors and learn more about my favorite ones.
I'm already thinking about your next work in progress though... did you know we readers are extremely greedy !!!LOL
Don't count me in the contest, already have both books on my keeper shelf (as you know !!)
Hello to my new friend in
Hello to my new friend in France!
I meant to add to my posting about my overseas pals, such as Emmanuelle who have found my books and loved them! Another woman wrote to me from Germany and I assumed she was an American military member or spouse, but she's a German citizen who uses American romance novels to improve her English! How cool is that? The Internet makes this a small world indeed, and I'm delighted to have overseas readers/friends!
www.mariesullivanforce.com
One worry...
I will say, though, I have been more puzzled when I have a lot of readers tell me they loved a book, and yet I have zip for reviews at B&N or Amazon... I always love the contact, don't get me wrong, but do wish more readers would realize if they shared their views publicly, even in a few sentences, it provides a lot of support for authors.
I always wonder if shoppers looking for books online pass by a book that has no reviews (kind of like passing by a restaurant that has no one inside -- you wonder why...).
But I don't know what to do about it. It's kind of a mystery. My earlier books got reviews from readers, but it's really declined to literally nothing since then... I still love knowing people read and enjoy my books, very much appreciate that, but I do wonder why fewer people review these days...
Sam
true true true
You're right of course.
From personal experience : I've already tried to post reviews on amazon.fr and for reasons unknown they were never published...just lost in the tube I guess. It's frustrating and probably made me lazy too.
I'll try again !!!
Interesting...
I try to post reviews for the books I really love -- it's always been my policy to never post negative reviews, though I did post one on a non-fiction that I thought was just so badly done, and misleading for people doing research.
But I think we'd all agree that we appreciate any comments sent to us in email, FB, whatever...it certainly makes my day! but I have just wondered sometimes if it's a thing having to do with Amazon itself (I know a lot of people don't like Amazon), etc, or so forth... Of course, one review I have on Amazon says my book fell flat for the reader, LOL, but she wrote it so nicely, I still appreciate her honesty. Everything doesn't always work for everyone, and at least she was polite about it. Gotta take the bad with the good, I guess. :)
Sam
People are so pressed for
People are so pressed for time. I think it's all they can do in some cases to find time to read let alone review. I also think a lot of regular old readers (who are not plugged into the community the way we are as authors) have no idea that they can or should do Amazon or B&N reviews to help out their favorite authors.
www.mariesullivanforce.com
True
I also think there is this strange pressure though, because there are so many review sites, maybe, that people think they have to write huge professional-type reviews. The Amazon and B&N reviews are and should be brief reader opinions -- honestly, most people could hit the # of stars they think a book is worth and just post "enjoyed it" or "great read" and leave it at that -- I've done that. I wouldn't have the time, either, to write long reviews.
Sam
I really haven't read many
I really haven't read many book reviews, but I do read the reviews for other products. I must admit, it drives me nuts to have those short little two word reviews because they don't tell me anything! I'd rather have a couple sentences as to *why* you like it or don't like it. (Heck, sometimes the negative reviews are much more telling!) I've always thought that if you aren't going to give some context, you should just rate it and leave the reviews alone. Of course, I don't much care for the flip side - the long-winded over-analyzing essays either. Right in the middle is my preference!
Guess maybe I'm just picky? :-)
Cathy
LOL
I guess you're right -- as a reader, I will try to avoid doing that from now on, though as an author, it's good enough for me if that's all a reader has time to do. :)
Sam
Writing Reviews
I guess one reason I don't write reviews for Amazon or BN or anywhere else is that I so often read a review from someone else on a book I've read and it comes no where close to how I feel about the book. So if I read so many reviews that I don't agree with why write one that other people probably won't agree with and may actually keep someone from reading a book they would like. I do of course write a lot of reviews on eHarl Community however.
And Marie I'm afraid to admit I've not read either of your books.
Welcome!
Hi Marie,
Well, until this blog, I had never interacted in any way with authors. This has been pretty fun for me as a reader. It certainly has given me a different perspective. It never occurred to me to try to write to say I like a book. Huh...
In regards to writing reviews....I just...well, haven't. (Okay, so I've written one specifically for an author here who asked me to after she sent me a copy of her new book.) I don't book shop online, and I really only use different book sites to find a specific ISBN of a book I'm looking for. I never read the reviews and it never occurred to me to write them. Given what I'm hearing, maybe I should start thinking about it! What are the best places to write reviews?
I love this blog - I have learned so much!! :-)
Cathy
Cathy, Glad you're enjoying
Cathy, Glad you're enjoying the interaction with authors! We're always happy to hear from you!
www.mariesullivanforce.com
Readers
I can honestly say it never occurred to me to send an email to an author before I got email about my first book. I was so delighted to talk to someone who'd read the book that I realized how easy it is to make an author's day. (At least this author...) Since then I've followed the generous example set by my reader correspondents and have sent email to other authors.
I get a big kick out of sitting next to Candace Havens at the Literacy Signing. (You sit in alphabetical order.) She seems to know a million people and she connects, personally and genuinely, with each one. I love watching her in action.
Have fun with your books, Marie! Sounds as if you're off to a great start!
Thanks, Ellen!
Thanks, Ellen! Congratulations to you, too! Sounds like you had a prime spot at the literacy signing!
www.mariesullivanforce.com
From the self confessed L@FF Nerd
Hi Marie!!
We definitely had a blast at your blog party. My only complaint... the time went by too fast! LOL
I don't normally read the reviews much anymore, because I've learned that I'm only about 50-50 with their opinions. Not to mention all that drama on Amazon regarding a certain author and "fan reviews"
I'd rather take the advice and recommendation from friends, and others who have the same tastes as myself. I know a lot of gals who are the same way.
I'm a member of a few (author) discussion boards (normally run by fans, but some of the authors will join in). That is where most of us do our book pimping, and book discussions, and recommendations. We love to pimp out new authors, and books that we've fallen in love with.
We've all become friends through those discussion boards. And some of the members on those boards are aspiring authors as well, and some have been blessed enough to become published.
It's great to see you getting around Marie ;)
I can't wait to read more from you.
Crystal, aka L@FF Nerd LOL
Crystal! You are my favorite
Crystal! You are my favorite L@FF nerd (okay, the only one that I know of... LOL) The blog party was sooooo fun! I definitely want to do that again. I appreciate all your support of me any my books. Now, what the HECK are we going to do about the Sox? That Tom Petty song FREE FALLING is running through my head! UGH!
www.mariesullivanforce.com
Great! Now that song's in my
Great! Now that song's in my head too. LOL
I dunno, maybe they'll do better now that they're at home?? One can hope, pray to the Gods, and whatever else will work....
My poor Tek got the last out by looking. So sad to see. I wanted to comfort him. LOL
Anyways, I'm definitely going to start emailing the authors that I've enjoyed. I haven't really done that, just to a couple. I always felt like they're too busy and I don't want to bother them, but after reading how much y'all appreciate it, I'll definitely do that more :)
Even if just to say "Great book!"
Crystal, You should
Crystal,
You should definitely write to authors you enjoy! It's the best payment we can receive for months and months of hard work!
www.mariesullivanforce.com
I try to write to an author
I try to write to an author when I have enjoyed their book.
I am looking forward to reading yours.
Thanks,
Thanks, Estella!
www.mariesullivanforce.com
Email
Hi Marie,
I do write to authors to tell them that I enjoyed their books and to ask whether a certain secondary character will get their own story. I've never been to a conference or a book signing and have never met an author in person. I get excited when an author writes back to tell me that they appreciate my support.
Jane, Let me write you back
Jane,
Let me write you back to say I APPRECIATE your support! I hope you get to attend a book signing very soon. They are lots of fun!
www.mariesullivanforce.com
Ah, well, I do when I think
Ah, well, I do when I think of it. LOL I don't always (I'm someone who needs notes and stuff, so, hence why I don't always think of these things). . . but when I happen on a blog or something with an author that I might have read, then I mention it. I can't say that now, because, well, I haven't read your books yet, so I can't say anything while you're here! :)
Lois
Hi Lois, If you DO have
Hi Lois,
If you DO have something to say, please feel free to get in touch with me after you read the books! My email address is in both books! And, hopefully, you all know now that I LOVE to hear from you!!
Such fun today! Thanks for all the great comments. I'll talk to Sam about awarding winners for the giveaway copies.
www.mariesullivanforce.com
Hello Marie!
I try to write authors after i've read their books, or leave comments on their blogs to tell them how much i've enjoyed thier books. One in fact that i email after every book in her series comes out, i love it very much. (She just sent me the cutest charm bracelet to tie into the books too!)
As for reviews i've only left one or two, i'm always afraid im going to phrase something wrong and turn someone off froma great book, so thats why i havent done many. I will only post if its positive, not negative.
My mother always said "if you can't fina anything positive to say then don't say anything at all." so i don't. And dont understand why one owuld trash an author's work on sites like that, obviously they dont understand what its like to go through the process of writing a book.
Marie i look forward to reading your books, and someday sitting at the signing table at nationals myself.
happy writing ladies.
jody
Negative reviews should not trash an author!
I don't think a negative review should trash anyone's work! If someone is just trashing an author, that shouldn't be called a review. I've read a few books that were well done, but I just didn't really enjoy them. I like to think that if I were to right a review on one of them, I could be constructive in how I explained why I didn't like it. I would think if it is well done, it could be very useful to other readers, as well as to an author. I would think an author could use that to grow and possibly expand his/her readership. Heck, I've seen negative reviews of movies that make me want to go see them. They were well done - not trashing the movie, but explaining what the reviewer didn't enjoy. Sometimes those are the exact things I *do* like, so it was useful to me. I can also see where it could be hard for an author to read that someone did not enjoy a book....I mean, we all want everyone to like us and our work, right? :-)
Ah well. Thanks for the great topic, Marie! I'm still curious, though - which sites do you (and the other authors here) recommend for posting reviews?
Cathy
agreed
I think B&N and Amazon are the best for posting reviews because more wide of a range of people see them, and then eHarlequin, though that is a smaller audience. B&N and Amazon reviews are also always showing, averaging in the ranking and you can scroll through even very old reviews -- finding reviews on eharl is difficult and they can be really buried in archives, so no one sees them anyway, sometimes within a few days they have all but disappeared. Maybe this is something we have to suggest eharl fix?
I agree that you can say something negative in a nice way -- a woman who didn't care for the subplot said so in an Amazon review on Talking in Your Sleep, did so very nicely, left a fair ranking, and that's fair -- for her having the subplot fell flat.
Does that mean I will not include subplots from now on? Of course not. I love writing subplots. Always have. That one didn't work for her, but I still like it. :)
So my view is that reviews should not influence your writing. Nora, btw, LOL, as well as Jennifer Cruisie, and many other famous writers have advised, don't let reader opinion affect your writing, but some say don't even read them so that they don't "get into your head." It's not that we don't care about readers, of course we do -- we love readers -- but we can't write our books based on reader's opinions. KWIM?
I think it works out, because if a small number of people don't like a book, that's just individual opinion. You just say "to each their own" and leave it at that. If a very large number of people don't like it, it will show in sales, and then the editors and agents work with the writer, which I think is how it should be.
Sam
Thanks, Sam!
Thanks, Sam!
I do write to authors and
I do write to authors and have become friends with a few this way. I definitely write to thank the author when I win something on a contest of theirs and tell them I am going to love getting between the pages with so and so(once I start reading)BUT have to admit that I don't write after.
Winners!
JodyLynn wins a copy of Love at First Flight
Crystal wins a copy of Line of Scrimmage
Contact me at marie@marieforce.com to arrange for delivery.
Great to be with you all and thanks for all the wonderful comments!
www.mariesullivanforce.com