So, today I'm continuing my theme of clothing, and HATS. Such essential clothing on a desert island, don't you think?oooh, Photobucket deleted my original pic of nude chappy with hat on, even though he had his back to us, *sigh*...
Yes, I know you're expecting lots of pictures of cute people with or without hats. And not just *me*. But I'm using it as a
So ... as a Reader, I'm on the beach, I'm thinking of contemporary romance, probably sexy, probably a thriller plot.
But your holiday may be out on the range, and a cowboy's your favourite topic!
Or you may look forward to your holiday to have time - finally! - to read a fascinating historical.
Or you may use the real-life escapism as a backdrop for reading an intriguing fantasy novel.
Or - hell, let's throw caution and restraint to the winds - do you like to take the whole damned lot?
What kind of a reader are you? Do you take a selection of reading on holiday? Or the one book you've been looking forward to for months? Or just the first shiny cover that takes your fancy at the airport?
And as an Author, I've also written with many hats on.
I have contemporary romances with or without thriller aspects - murder mystery - vampire - fantasy world - fantasy historical - erotic paranormal - just downright horror...
Anyway, you get my point :).
There's some serious debate online every now and then about books that cross genres. In fact, I recently chatted with an author friend who's struggling to find the right category to pitch her new novel, because it spans different genres, and also doesn't have *all* the characteristics of any one of them.
Is it important to you that an author either stays within his/her genre so you know what to expect when you pick up a Mai Fayvouritt bestseller *cough*?
Or do you like to follow Mai's style into other genres?
I think the fierce growth of books in the last few years, especially with the advent of e-publishing has been a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it's given many authors a chance to be published where they'd have previously been swamped by the print-publishers' slush piles. It's also given readers a fabulous new choice and the chance to access books easily and (mostly) cheaply.
But on the other hand, it's even more difficult to stand out in amongst this rapidly growing pile of choice morsels.
So I'll leave you with those thoughts for today.And tomorrow? Maybe I'll move to the other end of the body and talk about shoes... or maybe the lack of clothing entirely :). Which fits rather nicely with the theme of my latest novella The Tourist *smirk*.
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Find Clare London at her Website and Blog.
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Comment on any of my posts this week and you’ll be entered in a draw for my new short story Precious Possession, due out on March 13 at JMS Books.
BLURB: Lucas Fides has inherited his Victorian family’s auction house, good looks and a passionate mind. But he hides an illicit devotion to his friend Valentine and suffers shocking, erotic dreams. When Valentine introduces a new client, Gideon Arnaud offers important financial help and the opportunity for Lucas to realize his other desires. But Lucas will have to pay the price.
7 comments:
As always, I adore your choice of photos to accent the post. :)
Travel wise - my life has become much easier with the purchase of an eReader. Now I don't have to choose.
Before my carry-on would consist of 9 books and room for little else. :) Along with anything so far unread I would usually take a nice, thick, Tom Clancy or W.E.B. Griffin novel. It doesn't matter I've read it multiple times before. I know it will always be satisfying and last at least through the first flight.
The genre question for me is an easy answer. I'm not invested in what I perceive to be an author's niche. If I enjoy the writing, I'll give just about anything a try.
The idea used to be to use a different name to publish in different genres/publishers - but nowadays that might mean the need for a web presence for each name. Who has time?
Wait, I missed an image that violated Photobucket's terms of service?! Dammit.
The ebook reader is a lifesaver when traveling - no need to stuff a dozen books in the luggage anymore. :)
I don't mind books crossing genres but I hate a series that crosses...for instance starts out contemp and a few books later goes paranormal. No thank you.
On vacation the ereader is the only way to go. Load that puppy up and head on out. ;)
Chrissy - Hi! and god bless the ereader! Like you, I used to work on the basis of 10 books per week. And I can't rely on having my holidaying friends' books to borrow because their likes are so different from mine :).
My God, you have a point about the web presence(s), we'd all forget who we were meant to be at any time of the day :). Seriously, I was criticised recently for not having a clear, solid brand image for my writing on my website. Not sure what they meant, but maybe a rose for romance, a Halloween mask for horror, a mouth full of teeth for vampires?! *mwahaha*
Anyway, that aside, it made me realise how difficult it was for me to set on one image, what with the mish-mash I write :).
Chris - I'll send you a copy forthwith :). It's not particularly outrageous, definitely not compared to some of the full frontals I see online. PB has taken off several of my pics in the past when I can't see their point, or any consistency in it. Maybe it was a copyright issue. I have some sympathy if so, as I spend enough of *my* time chasing people who are uploading my books. But I always try to use pics where I can't see any specific ownership.
Tracy - another fan for the ereader :). I hear you about the series, too, and that would annoy me as well. That sounds like it's moving the goalposts too far.
Funnily enough, I was wondering recently about JR Ward straying into the m/m territory in Lover Mine. I LOVED it and I think she blended in the gay love interest extremely well, even if I'd have preferred *more*. But I did wonder how many of her fans would complain. I can read m/f happily with my m/m - and the rest of the series' themes stayed true - but many people don't like a mix in the books they've come to love and find familiar.
The genre thing is interesting. I just finished a novel that, like your friend's, spans several genres, but doesn't really fit into any of them. I'm a bit worried that no matter how the publisher labels it, readers will feel it was mislabeled. But, what can you do? Must cross my fingers and hope it flies. :-)
Another one here who doesn't have to choose any more, thanks to my Kindle. I can take 'em all with me and download something new if I don't fancy anything I've already got.
But in the old days (like four months ago now!) I'd probably take a couple of big chunky paperbacks. Genre wouldn't bother me. It would be whatever was on my To Read stack. No such thing as "holiday reading" to me. I'm be just as happy reading something literary and weird or a pulpy romance on the plane or beach.
I agree with Tracy on the series that switches genres partway through. The Dexter series of books did that and it ticked me off severely to the extent I lost interest in the series. The next one went back to no paranormal stuff, but the damage was done for me.
I don't know if you ever saw the little video Tracy made of me hacking up one of those chocolate-covered penis macaroons from the Castro... but that violated PB's ToS, too. Violence against a cookie, oh my!
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