Saturday, May 26, 2012

No Six Sentence Sunday Today

I missed the 'linky' sign up, and figured this was a good time to take a break.  I haven't been getting many visits because I've not been too available to comment on the work of my peers, and fair is fair.  I still advise you to follow Six Sentence Sunday for some very entertaining reads, and I hope to get back there next Sunday.  But, not one to miss an opportunity to share something, here's my latest news.

Take a gander at the cover of my current sequel to Sarah's Heart.  I had planned to write this continuation after finishing Chugiak Moon, but the comments on Amazon about an ending that some truly didn't GET or like, prompted me to move Sarah's Passion up on my to do list, and I hope to have it finished very soon.  Seeing this cover has certainly urged me to get my butt in gear.  Books We Love knows how to inspire me.

 Honestly though folks, we don't all write the same neatly tied up stories that fit into the box that seems to be expected.  I like to push the boundaries a bit, and even though I write mostly historical fiction, I still try to find ways to arrive at the HEA everyone seems to crave despite the happenings and habits of the time period.  One reviewer summed up Sarah's dilemma so nicely:

No Cookie Cutters

Sarah's attempt to begin a new life in California ends when her wagon train is attacked. Almost everyone dies, except Sarah, who struggles off into the wilderness to find her way back to the nearest settlement. This too might have ended badly, but she is rescued by a handsome young man named Wolf, whose parents were a white man and an indian woman. On the trail back to town, they fall in love. Sadly, this is the mid-19th Century and "the only good indian is a dead indian" in the eyes of nearly every white person they meet. The characters are three-dimensional, and the writing and construction of the story is, in every sense of the word, professional. The author has done her homework on a myriad of old west subjects, so the scene and setting--dusty, hot and sometimes dangerous--sprang to life as I read. The final chapter, which has put a few readers into a quandry, was IMO an imaginative way to satisfy the romance reader's desire for an HEA. It was an abrupt switch, yes, but the author's skill at world building flew me easily over the gap. Perhaps the present will be kinder to these "star-crossed" lovers. 


I'm really excited to share more of Wolf and Sarah's story with you and, who knows, maybe I'll even need to write a third in the series.  :)


 
While I have your attention, I also wanted to comment on the posts where other readers take issue if one author reviews the work of another.  I don't get the problem.  I was a reader, long before I became an author, and since learning the craft even better, I certainly know a good book from a bad one.  I believe most authors have the professionalism to be truthful in their reviews because nothing is to be gained from one left out of friendship.  I follow my mother's advice...if I can't find something nice to say, then I shut up.

My goal is to continue to learn and grow, and I take all comments to heart.  What I don't GET is why people need to be so mean and spiteful.  Can you say C-O-N-S-T-R-U-C-T-I-V-E criticism.  I really get ticked when people give away the entire gist of the story.  You can simply say you would have liked something different, but to use *spoiler* and influence my livelihood is like a slap in my face.  Honestly, some people like my stories, and I spend a lot of time pouring words and emotion into those pages to help my characters come to life.



2 comments:

  1. I whole heatedly agree! We are all working hard and doing our very best. Why not support and encourage each other? We want people to be nice to us so why not be nice? If you don't like something, figure out why and share that if you really need to share. Otherwise, go do/read something else!

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  2. Love the cover, Ginger. And thanks for supporting SSS even when you didn't sign up this week!

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