The Book Challenge - from an author’s point of view

I came late to the 1000,000 book challenge. I thought that I was so very busy that the few books I managed to find time to read wouldn’t add  very much to the target, so last year I couldn’t  register and show the world my paltry reading totals. But this year, with every individual title adding to that valuable total, I knew I just had to join in. So far I’ve managed 19 books.  And I’m hoping that a couple of long haul plane flights coming soon  (to and from RWA San Francisco) will help me add a few more to the total.   But that’s as a reader. As an author I have a very different perspective on the book challenge – and that’s in reading the reviews.  As many of you know, I live in the UK, in Lincolnshire – way over on the East side of England -  and so I don’t often get to chat with or hear much from my American readers.  (That’s  one of the reasons why I’m coming to RWA but that’s another story).  I get emails  about books when people love them and I’m so happy to read those, but I don’t get a chance to get a range of opinions from a range of  readers.  

But by checking out the reviews of my books that have been posted here for the Book Challenge, I can get a wonderful idea of how a book is working for most readers – and how sometimes it’s not. Take  my latest Presents – Spanish Billionaire, Innocent Wife -  I’ve been thrilled by the response of some of you –  like Janet – who found that the combo of grief and passion had me sitting up right and jumping as I read the book, it was so intense and the intensity kept up all the way through the book. . But Vince didn’t  quite share her enthusiasm - Story is Problematic – Hero is a Saint. He wasn’t too keen on my heroine.

 And I was really thrilled  when Nancy read outside her comfort zone and acknowledged: I may not like the genre, but I can still recognize a spellbinding tale. For lovers of this genre it is a not-to-be-missed book. For someone who wants to stretch their reading boundaries and preferences, you might as well start with a wonderful craftswoman. This book deserves a thumbs up! Then there have been a few older titles that have unexpectedly turned up – Broken Silence, The  Hired Husband,  The Antonakos Marriage – even one review of my 12 Point Guide to Writing Romance. It was fascinating to see how this older titles stood up after - in the case of Broken Silence – eeek! 20 years!   (Actually – as an interesting sideline – Broken Silence was the second book I ever submitted to Mills & Boon. It wasn’t accepted but I rewrote it some years later and this time it was bought.) 

Now I’m hoping that knowing that the author often reads the reviews  (and let’s be honest here – who could resist seeing what someone says about your book?) won’t put you off posting, particularly if you’re not keen on a story.  I don’t read the reviews just to bask in the priase, though  that’s very enjoyable.       But browsing through the review here on eharlequin is like being able to sit in and listen when a group of readers are chatting about the books they love, the ones they’ll keep, and the ones they’re not so keen on. It’s an invaluable opportunity to find out what  readers think  of my books – and so many others.  And as an author who loves to learn more about the genre I write - what works and what doesn't, what's popular and what's less so - that's invaluable.

 And at the same time  it’s helping  National Center for Family Literacy too, to benefit their literacy programs. 

What a brilliant scheme.  

Now I must go and read some more to add to my total. Only don’t tell my editor – because I’m also supposed to be writing . . . .

Kate

http://www.kate-walker.com
Spanish Billionaire, Innocent Wife - Presents June 2008
The Alcolar Family - 3 in 1 ebook bundle June 2008
Bedded By The Greek Billionaire Presents October 2008
12 Point Guide To Writing Romance