tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26974492.post8625319887121342554..comments2024-03-25T12:56:59.509-04:00Comments on alien romances: Finding a Good Paranormal RomanceRowena Cherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11839386556697211986noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26974492.post-41277022373286829882012-08-07T13:06:46.451-04:002012-08-07T13:06:46.451-04:00So, I know of a tool you and your fellow writers m...So, I know of a tool you and your fellow writers might want to leverage, if you haven't already: http://www.fkbooksandtips.com/<br /><br />There's an Android app for the site, too - I downloaded it 2-3 months ago when it was in the top 5 free apps in the Amazon App Store.<br /><br />I've been reading books from it for a few months now, downloading anywhere from one to half a dozen books per day. Some of them I read right away, some of them I still haven't read even after having them for a few months.<br /><br />My impressions, as a reader:<br /><br />1. If the Amazon description isn't written well, then I'm less likely to download it, even if it's in a genre I like. My personal pet peeve is when there's a cliched ending dilemma along the lines of "Will Bill and Tammy be able to overcome their troubled past to embrace the future?" - even when I'm interested in that sort of plot, the way it's stated is often too blatantly trope-y. It needs more show and less tell. Not only that, it kind of spoils the ending. It evokes the response, "Well, duh! Otherwise it wouldn't have a satisfying ending." I'm much more interested in a book that has the confidence to tell me straight-up that it's a story about people overcoming their past to find love, and not insulting my intelligence by reminding me of Saturday morning cartoons.<br /><br />2. I've noticed a couple different models for the various free books. Some are "Free today only/Free through the 9th of the month", and others are almost always free. Of the latter category, I've noticed some are the first of various book series - that is, they'll offer the first one free, and the rest are for pay. I've read a couple novels that, had I felt I had the money to spend, I would've done so to read the rest of the novels. Among those is the first of the Nell Sweeney books that I remember you mentioning here.<br /><br />Thinking about that, related to your analyzing the Glenn Beck phenomenon, I notice a similarity - also with the standard promotion model. It's hearing about something from independent sources. I heard about the Nell Sweeney books first from you, then I saw it on the free books app, and so I read it. Had I saw it just on the app, I might not have downloaded it - the name "Nell Sweeney" didn't do anything for me, it was a genre I didn't normally go for (though because of that book, I'm now interested in the genre), and while there wasn't anything particularly annoying about the book description, it also didn't jump out at me as being something special. I remember pausing before downloading it, mentally shrugging, thinking "what the heck, let's try it."<br /><br />Unrelated, your statement of <i>You don't write a book, you PERFORM a TROPE of a GENRE,</i> reminded me of a story in the authors notes at the end of the later Harry Dresden novels about how they came about. The author originally wanted to write fantasy novels, but his creative writing teacher wanted him to write in a formula like the Anita Blake novels - the teacher thought the result was publishable, and the Harry Dresden books were born. He later did publish another series of fantasy novels, but I couldn't quite get into them, though my husband likes them. It's funny how your phrasing of "performing a trope" reminded me of that. I was skeptical at first, but now I'm starting to believe it.<br /><br />Anyway, I've rambled enough for now - I hope the free books link was helpful!Miriamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09120690150319716472noreply@blogger.com