Jennifer Lyon


Friday, June 5th, 2015
Happy Friday and My Reading Experience

Happy Friday!

I had the chance to reader COWGIRL’S LITTLE SECRET by our own Silver James, and really enjoyed the secret baby plot. It was the perfect book to read as I was decompressing from deadline craziness.

I have so many books I want to read, I’m like a deer in the headlights and freeze when I try to pick one.

But I heard about a just released book and had read it. I bought it and started it, and wow, I LOVED that book…right up until the big reveal in about the last 5% and all of a sudden I’m like:

Whoa Dog

and my brain is screaming:

too-far

 

and it took me a whole day to recover:

Say when BritWit-Drinking-wine

 

So…first I want to say this again, I really loved this book up to this point, and I think I’ll be preordering the next book once I fully recover.

But.

This is a dark, erotic and often psychological book about a rape survivor who is struggling with her rape fantasies. So yeah…not for everyone. I had no problem with that, I liked the heroine and her journey, and the romance — and I loved the hero Jonah. Until the moment the author took his backstory one step too far for me.  As an author I know how hard it is to find that right balance, and I know some of my books have crossed that line for some readers. This book really served to remind me how emotionally involved we readers can get, and how important that line is.

The last book that did that to me at this level was MISERY by Stephen King. If you’ve read it or seen the movie (I so did NOT see that movie!) it’s the hobbling scene. That was the one step too far for me, but I could NOT stop reading.

So has a book ever done this to any of you?

Hope you all have a great weekend!

10 comments to “Happy Friday and My Reading Experience”

  1. B.E. Sanderson
    June 5th, 2015 at 7:30 am · Link

    I’ve read a lot of books that dancing along the line of ‘too far’. The ones that cross it, I don’t finish – unless they cross it right near the freakin’ end. Then I just end up irritated. Some books dance the line and I understand they have to – otherwise the story would suffer. Others dance the line and I’m all like ‘well, that was unnecessary’. :shrug: As writers, I think we need to get as close to the line as we can. Otherwise, what’s the point?

    Never watched Misery or read it. Stephen King just ain’t my cuppa. Loved The Stand and Carrie, though. Just not enough to make me have to read more of his stuff.

    You have a great weekend, too!



  2. Silver James
    June 5th, 2015 at 8:07 am · Link

    Awwww. Glad THE COWGIRL’S LITTLE SECRET helped you decompress, Jen! And I know which book you’re talking about. Now I’m all curious about what line was crossed with the hero. I’m waffling on it. I don’t have much time to read at the moment and have other books queued up. I’m sure people will be talking about it for some time and I’ll trip across it again when I’m in time/space to give it a look. That said, wouldn’t it be wonderful to trip into that kind of marketing kismet?

    Like B.E., I’m not much of a King fan–reading or movies. As for books that kept me reading after I hit the WFT?!?! moment? I’m trying to think. Maybe it was the first Kit Rocha book, BEYOND SHAME. I’d heard such buzz about this book and series. I either caught it on a really cheap sale or free, downloaded it and when I couldn’t sleep one night, opened the Kindle and started to read. The book made me VERY uncomfortable. I’m not a prude by any stretch of the imagination but…damn! And much WHOAH! I’d put it down and within a day was lured back, over and over until I finished it. It took a day or two to digest and then I downloaded every freaking book available in the series and now pre-order the new. Just finished the latest, in fact. Parts STILL make me uncomfortable but I’m addicted.

    Weekend! I shall have one! Maybe. LOL I have a short deadline on the next Red Dirt book and I’m trying to get the first Hard Target book more or less edited so I can upload to try a pre-order on Amazon. Oh, and I have NRCA stuff. *headdesk* Okay…so no weekend after all. :lol: Have a great one, witches!



  3. Roz Heiko
    June 5th, 2015 at 8:46 am · Link

    Is it ok to ask what book you are referring to? I’d like to check it out.
    For me, the darkest books are written by Anne Stuart & the archangel books by Nalini Singh. Amazing, and take me to places in the psyche that are quite dark.
    Your books are just wonderful Jennifer. Strong, loving, exciting. You deserve that award in NY!



  4. Jenn
    June 5th, 2015 at 11:16 am · Link

    B.e, I read SK sporadically years ago, but I gave up on him after Duma Key. The first half of that book was fascinating to me, the second half morphed into an entirely different story that didn’t work for me on any level. What could have been an incredible book became so forgettable I had to go search out the title.

    This book…wow, I don’t think I’ll forget it as easy. I’m still trying to puzzle out the hero.

    And you’re right, I personally think we should be dancing all over that line and pushing our characters. Good point!



  5. Jenn
    June 5th, 2015 at 11:25 am · Link

    Silver, Cowgirl’s Secret was the perfect way for me to transition out of my characters world into your characters world :-)

    I’m glad I read that book, I just…damn I’m still thinking about the hero. And seriously, this is a personal reaction, we all have different lines.

    Marketing kismet is a mystery to me. And heck yeah it would be awesome if we all got to experience it! I will say this — there’s not a second in this book, even in the part that screeched to a halt that ever FELT like marketing. So that kind of kismet is even more awesome.

    Interesting that you mentioned BEYOND SHAME. First I’m glad I’m not the only one who reacted to that book, LOL. I was just thinking maybe I should try reading that again. The first time, I remember just not buying into the characters and world, and I’m not even sure I finished it. But maybe it was me, sometimes I resist being pulled into a world that makes me uncomfortable. But I think I’ll try it again because I feel like I’m missing out.

    Good luck on getting it all done this weekend!



  6. Jenn
    June 5th, 2015 at 11:32 am · Link

    Roz, thank you so much! I’m still a little shocked to have been nominated.

    Of course you can ask the title of the book. I wholly recommend it as long as you’re aware that the heroines is a rape survivor with rape fantasies. It’s ASKING FOR IT by Lilah Pace.

    I read the first two of Nalini’s archangel series and liked them! I should hunt down the remaining ones and finish reading the series.

    Hope you have a great weekend!



  7. Roz Heiko
    June 5th, 2015 at 1:52 pm · Link

    Dear Jenn:
    It’s good to be humble. And…when you’ve got mastery of your work, as you do..it’s a good feeling to acknowledge & celebrate that as well. In my work, I keep asking how I could do better, and take what I hear with a chunk of salt. It’s not personal, unless I want it to be.
    I am so delighted you answered me personally! I am a total fan of your work.



  8. Viki S.
    June 5th, 2015 at 3:01 pm · Link

    I have a very low tolerance so if things start to really bug me I quit. If I cannot possibly see someone doing what the author puts on the page I’m done. To be fair, I know what I like and tend to stick with it.

    So, off subject but when do we get to see the shoes and maybe even the dress ;)?

    I hope you get to have a nice week relaxing weekend.



  9. Jenn
    June 5th, 2015 at 8:46 pm · Link

    Roz, I’m happy to answer you! After all, you took the time to talk to me, and I appreciate that. Thank you for your kind words — it means a lot to me. I’m guessing you have an interesting line work if you’ve learned not to take feedback too personally :-)



  10. Jenn
    June 5th, 2015 at 8:50 pm · Link

    Viki, I’m with you on quitting a book that’s not working for me. This one just had me so dang hooked.

    I’ll see if I can get a picture of the dress and shoes this weekend. It’s so funny you asked, I was just thinking today that I hadn’t done it. I have worries about the dress, which in truth is more about me not being happy with myself, so I need to stop that. I am what I am :-)

    Have a great weekend!



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