My Ugly Baby

If you want to know how to insult an author, call her baby ugly.

That happened to me twice over the weekend while I was at the Malice Domestic Conference and at the Festival of Mystery.

Friday, I met a couple of friends at one of the VERY FEW seating areas at the Hyatt Regency in Bethesda, Maryland.  (Note to hotels:  If you host conferences, please add more groups of seats to your common areas so people who visit your hotel and have a need to network have somewhere to do it.)  One of the women sitting there (a stranger to me) called out and said, "I LOVE your books."  What author doesn't like to hear that (and beam with pride)?

So I said, "Thank you.  Have you read my Jeff Resnick books?"

The woman's smile disappeared, a her lips pursed, and she said, "I don't read THOSE kinds of books."

Maybe if I had had a decent night's sleep during the preceding 3-4 weeks, I might have handled her comment in a better way.  But it was the way she said it.  Suddenly I was my character Jeff Resnick, someone who has been beaten over the head and made to feel small, insignificant, and struggling for acceptance.  I've felt that way a LOT since November 18, 2005 -- the day the book first came out.

Of course, THOSE kinds of books contain a paranormal thread.

Now by paranormal, I don't mean Vampires, Zombies, Werewolves, Shapeshifters, yada yada yada. The paranormal element in my Jeff Resnick books concerns him being a tad psychic--that because he was mugged and suffered a head injury, he has become a little bit psychic.  He doesn't solve crimes BECAUSE of this ability.  Jeff is a former insurance investigator.  He has experience in solving crimes.

Most readers are unaware that I write more than just cozy mysteries.  Say, Fantasy?  Science Fiction, a little Romance.  Women's Fiction.  I ain't no one-trick pony.

My Jeff Resnick books can either be billed as psychological suspense or paranormal thrillers.  But the one thing they have in common (and I like to think all my work has in common) with my Cozy Mystery seris is heart.  The only way I know how to convey heart is through characterization.  I've been told I do it pretty well.

So if you're one of those people who "doesn't read that kind of book," would you insult the author by calling her baby ugly, or would you simply smile and say, "No." 

If you said no, I would have handed you a bookmark and said, "I hope you'll give it a try."

 

 

Comments

[Rita L. Smith]

I have heard others do that or worse. One of my fellow Y-City Writers told a speaker that she doesn't read that kind of junk. I wanted to leap out of my chair and strangle her. Fortunately, the speaker has a big heart and laughed it off. I was flabergasted though.

[Julia M.Webb]

One thing my Mom drilled into my head was " if you can't say something Nice, don't say anything at all." Well, I apologize for this woman's rudeness! I haven't read Jeff yet, but it's high on my to-read list! I have enjoyed all of your books that I have read though. Keep up the good work.

[Linda]

I'm sorry you had that experience! I love Jeff Resnick & feel a bit defensive toward to "those kinds of books" woman myself. Too bad for her -- she's missing out on alot of good stories and a great character. And you DO write with alot of heart!

[Patty]

I hate people who judge a book by the "label" attached by big publishers who haven't even read the book! And those labels are often so misleading.

I don't normally read paranormals, especially if they include vampires, but I love Jayne Ann Krentz/Amanda Quick/Jayne Castle's Arcane series, all of them have some sort of psychic power. I tend to avoid thrillers but base that on mostly bad writing (no character development at all) rather than the genre.

So, I read authors who have been recommended to me, that I find on places like DorothyL or Facebook, and that I read one book I love and will follow them to any type of book they write.

I have a couple of the Jeff books on my Kindle, haven't read them yet, but I'll get there, eventually.

[Lorraine Anderson]

I really like the Jeff Resnick books -- I think I'm missing one, though. However, this is why I don't mention what I write or read at church. ;-)

[Betty Price]

I don't normally read books about the paranormal simply because most I've tried just didn't thrill me for various reasons -- too hokey, too obsessed with demons, too ludicrous for belief. But if I like an author, I'm more than willing to try other genres. Since I've read your Booktown series and know what an excellent writer you are, I was willing to give Jeff a try. And guess what? That baby AIN'T ugly! I was hooked from the first sentence, had to force myself to stop reading long enough to buy the entire series (and the short story) for my Kindle app, and then happily proceeded to read them all. Now I'm a little let down because I need to know how Jeff's doing and I can't find out!on

[Lorraine]

Thanks for all your support. And Betty, Jeff is alive and ... well, getting better ... and WILL have future adventures. I'm just not sure when. I have a manscript to revamp and I have another one started, and plans for yet another. I've got a short story I'll be releasing soon, too.

Thank you all for sticking up for Jeff. You made my day.

[poker en ligne]

I usually do not read books on the paranormal, simply because most that I've tried just do not thrill me for several reasons, too hokey, too obsessed with demons, too ridiculous to believe.

[Lorraine]

Poker, if you've liked my other books, you may just like this series, too. I hope you'll give it a try. Ask your library to order the first book--that way it won't cost you anything to try it.

[Jill]

Okay - maybe you don't read those kind of books NOW but that doesn't mean you won't pick one up tomorrow or next week or next year and fall in love with the genre. So I'd say, "Right now I'm totally in love with cozies, but I'll add those to my 'Check it out' list for when I'm ready for a change of pace."