That First Booksigning Smile
I was supposed to post yesterday, so my apologies for being late. Friday is always a tough day for me to get online—I go into the office, then have the kids at home (no daycare). I have to go up into the, well basically attic space to go online, and I don’t trust the kids enough to leave them downstairs alone. My son recently followed me upstairs and almost discovered this is where we hide the Xmas presents. I can freely say this here, as he can’t read yet.
Lacy's blog of a few days ago really resonated with me (and kudos to Lacy for everything she's managing to do). So my blog today is a bit of a "what's in my world" post.
I just found out I got a terrific review on Blood Rose from JERR. A gold star award and they wrote: "Blood Rose contains a cornucopia of sensuality that will grab you by your senses and your passions, refusing to let you go until you have been sated along with the characters." Wow, I’m really thrilled.
On the WIP front, I’m still struggling to finish the 2nd draft for the end of the month, but the sex scenes are coming together. I’m so relieved! There is much crafting to do after this. I only know a book is really ready to go when I start changing words and then changing them back to what I had originally.
The picture posted above is from my very first booksigning (you can tell by the big "I can’t believe this is really me doing this" smile. I was also signing with Jo Beverley, who's work I adore.) I now have to get organized and have a real author photo done. Which means I have to get my hair done, find the right outfit, and do makeup. Actually, it would probably be easier to have a "stand in" be me. An author stunt double, as it were. It would probably be much more fun that having to worry about my hair.
In other news, I just got my blurb in for Hot Silk, the last in my regency trilogy about erotic author Rodesson’s daughters:
Two years ago, with her reputation already in jeopardy, Miss Grace Hamilton gave herself to a powerful, compelling stranger in one night of delicious, quivering ecstasy. Wild, bold, and wickedly sensual, Devlin Sharpe is a highwayman and pirate—a scoundrel whose world is ruled solely by pleasure. And now he has returned to claim Grace again, vowing to make up for the time they’ve lost, to take her to the heights of carnal abandon and show her the exquisite bliss of exploring her darkest, most decadent fantasies…
After I read the blurbs for my books, I always think "ooh, that sounds so hot!" and I know I could never write one myself. I would add way too much dull plot summary stuff that would sound as exciting as a technical report.
For readers out there, do the blurbs on books entice you? How much plot do you like to see revealed? For authors, do you have a favorite blurb from your books?
4 comments:
Great smile, Sharon, and congrats on the great review, too.
I've always been very amused by the blurbs for my books (did I write that? who knew?) If the blurbs get people to buy my books, I guess that's great, but it's not how I shop for books.
I buy by buzz and recommendation, and of course by author. But the best way to buy a book, imo, is to go into a bookstore, open to page 1 and shift into topping-from-below gear. OK, you think you're so hot. Seduce me. Catch me if you can.
And I don't mean try to hook me with that mythical grab 'em first sentence crap they tell you is so important in all the RWA-landia. I mean show me your voice, hot stuff. Make me turn to page 2... or 3.
Dreamiest bookstore seduction I can remember was the first page of Sarah Waters' Tipping the Velvet. I was a goner.
There is nothing I like better than going in a book store and spending a couple hours just walking through the fiction aisles. I have found many authors by walking around and reading the blurbs and then reading the first few pages if it interests me.
I think that the most annoying thing for me is where the blurb area is filled with the book reviews and nothing but that. I am sorry but I do not buy a book just based on that. I have my own quirks and something that others may like may turn me off. So in the case where there is no blurb, I will write down the name of the author in my little notebook just for that purpose and read more about the book online and then make my decision.
To be honest for romance in particular, the blurbs do turn me off sometimes, (just a bit too melodramatic); but I find that more an aid than a hindrance for books in general.
Hi Pam,
I admit that I, too, always look at the first page. To me that is way more important than the back of the book, because that's the voice--the person who is going to be telling you the story for 400 pages :-). You make a good point about the first sentence. Since I've seen examples of "great" first sentences that have left me cold, while I get hot and bothered by other that leave other readers shaking their heads, I've realized it's subjective.
I will have to look at Sarah Waters' work. I got hooked on the t.v. production of her book Fingersmiths and would love to read the actual words that she put down on paper to tell that story.
Hi Lulu,
I love to just walk up and down the rows and look, too. All sorts of things will catch my eye, I have to admit, and make me pick up the book--an intriguing title, some aspect of the cover, an author's name I know or one I've heard of and am now curious about.
One thing that has always intrigued me is Avon's packaging of their 'Treasure' books. For these, there is usually a clinch illustration on the back in place of a blurb. I've always been intrigued as to how that works for readers, since you are getting the typical blurb on the back of the book (it's inside the front), but the clinch cover is still visible if you're holding up the book to read it on the bus. It's interesting the different approaches publishers take.
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