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Secret Service Agent Maria "Goose" di Guzman is assigned to Mishkawa Island on a goose-chase of a case when she encounters a greater mystery in sexy park ranger Rush Guthrie.
Berkley
June 2011
On Sale: June 7, 2011
Featuring: Rush Guthrie; Maria "Goose" di Guzman
304 pages
ISBN: 042524184X
EAN: 9780425241844
Paperback
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Romance Suspense
READY...
Secret Service Agent Maria "Goose" di
Guzman knows something about penance. A tragic mistake
forced her to replace the dangerous, impulsive girl she'd
been with someone better, smarter. Someone sexy, cool and
utterly controlled. But one crack in her perfect facade
lands Goose on tiny Mishkwa Island, investigating naked
hippies, frisky moose, and a red hot park ranger who sees
straight through her.
AIM...
When Rush
Guthrie traded in an elite military career to police his
tiny island home town, he got a pretty good deal: a park
ranger's badge, a resurrected conscience, and signed off
life from his MIA sense of humor. A guy couldn't want
anything more. But when Goose turns up--all sexy curves,
sad eyes, and thorny questions--Rush realizes he can want
more. A lot more.
FIRE!
While Goose
pursues the island's deepest secrets, Rush pursues the
brave, funny woman inside all that careful perfection. But
the truths they uncover put everything on the line--life,
death and true love. And they'll only get one shot at all
of it.
Comments
96 comments posted.
Re: Money Shot
I love dialog, but I must admit I enjoy reading about the setting,also. The book I am currently reading is set on a beach front in Florida and reading about the water, sunsets, seagulls, fishermen, etc. adds a lot to the story. I sorts place myself in the location and it is fun. But, gosh, a book wouldn't be a book without interesting dialog. So I love both.
(Gladys Paradowski 12:50pm June 10, 2011)
I think setting has a lot to do with it.I'm drawn to places in New England by the water or England lake district for some reason.Where ever it is, I want to have a sense of place. The author needs to be able to put me in the scene emotionally and mentally.
(Karen Gervasi 5:45am June 10, 2011)
Setting does a lot to draw my interest, regency England, highlands of Scotland, snow in New England but the dialogue and story are what will keep me reading to the end.
(Theresa Norris 7:23am June 10, 2011)
Thanks - like the girl trying to cope/guy at home with himself duo.
(Beth Elder 8:55am June 10, 2011)
Think I need a book like this in our 90 plus degree weather.
(Georgia Barry 9:05am June 10, 2011)
The setting draws my attention..but the dialogue has to be interesting also...
(Dawn Staniszeski 9:25am June 10, 2011)
I'm very character driven, so I do appreciate dialog quite a bit. I look forward to reading your newest.
(G S Moch 10:15am June 10, 2011)
Characters and dialog! the scene matters just not as much.
(Deborah Rudd 11:46am June 10, 2011)
Characters and settings draw me in...the dialog is a bonus..sounds like a book I would like to read
(Leisa Prater 11:53am June 10, 2011)
Blast! It's naked HIPPIES and frisky MOOSES (MEECE?). Here I was hoping for frisky hippies and naked mooses (mice?)!! Oh, well.
Personally, for me, I usually need a fairly even balance of setting and dialogue. Oh, and plot, too! It can tip one way or t'other, but not too much, as long as it all works out at "The End."
Later,
Lynn
(Lynn Rettig 12:09pm June 10, 2011)
Variety is good!
Blessings,
Marjorie
(Marjorie Carmony 12:11pm June 10, 2011)
I'm anxious to read your book because it's set in my backyard -- at least it's a bit of a stone's throw away!! I'm by Lake Huron, but I'm familiar with the area. For me, as long as the story line moves along, I can get lost in the characters quite well. I don't think that Historical accuracy is that big of a deal, unless the Author is writing that type of a book. My main purpose is to be swept away from my everyday life and into a new one for the length of the book, and to be totally swept off my feet, have a good cry, or laugh my head off, depending on my mood, by the book that I chose to read. Congratulations on your latest book. I love the cover, and think it's clever, in fact. I can't wait to read it, and I'm sure it's going to do very well. You're way too hard on yourself!!!
(Peggy Roberson 12:15pm June 10, 2011)
I guess I would have to say I am a setting freak but of course there has to be
good dialogue to describe the setting and how it interacts with the storyline
in the book. Your novel, "Money Shot" sounds like it would be one that would
really hold the reader's attention. Therefore, you have obviously done a
terrific job on it. Congratulations!
Connie Fischer
[email protected]
(Connie Fischer 12:31pm June 10, 2011)
Congrats on the new release, Susan. Settings are very important to me and I like details, but I'm also a dialogue junkie.
(Jane Cheung 12:50pm June 10, 2011)
I tend to be a bit of a dialogue junkie too. Sometimes I read a book for the second time & wonder how I missed an important setting or wonderfully lyrical description the first time. So I'll slow down for the next book(s) but eventually I'll be speeding again. Apologies to all authors.
(r w 12:51pm June 10, 2011)
Love great dialogue but also like a setting that reflects a place I know or introduces me to a new one. The book sounds fun.
(Shirley Nienkark 12:58pm June 10, 2011)
I love good dialogue and witty banter. However, in Deanna Raybourn's "Lady Julia Gray" historical series, the author does an outstanding job with settings. Whether it's standing on the English moors or walking the streets of Victorian England, the reader actually feels as if she's there. The setting is such an important part of this series.
(Kim C 1:07pm June 10, 2011)
Dialogue/ interaction between characters is what I enjoy most... the seeting sets the book, but I am more into the relationship between the characters and how they come to life between the pages.
(Colleen Conklin 1:24pm June 10, 2011)
I like setting. I want to experience new places and climates or revist familar ones.
(Holly Caulfield 1:34pm June 10, 2011)
I love snappy dialogue and interesting characers. Money Shot sounds like a fantastic book-congrats!
(Yuka Liew 2:42pm June 10, 2011)
Wow, this book has a lot going on, great vicinity, wonderful
dialogue, interesting characters and a read that will make me smile, laugh and enjoy. Just what I need to break up these hot Florida days.
(Rosemary Simm 2:58pm June 10, 2011)
A good plot that is well fleshed out is what I'm looking for.
(Sue Farrell 3:11pm June 10, 2011)
i think it is chemistry and dialgue that does it for me. it is nice to know setting but unless it is a matter of life and death to the scene it isn't all that important to me.
(Tammy Ramey 3:11pm June 10, 2011)
Gladys wrote: I must admit I enjoy reading about the setting,also. ...to place myself in the location and it is fun.
This is absolutely true. I've been reading a lot of fantasy lately & I'm enthralled with the world building. It's so fun to be immersed in that alternate reality.
(Susan Sey 3:15pm June 10, 2011)
Karen wrote: Where ever it is, I want to have a sense of place. The author needs to be able to put me in the scene emotionally and mentally.
Author who can do this have my complete admiration. It's such a gift to be transported this way, isn't it? This is why I read, in the end.
(Susan Sey 3:16pm June 10, 2011)
I like all three lol. Love characterization, descriptions (accurate if possible) but also the dialogue lol.
(Jeanne Sheats 3:17pm June 10, 2011)
Teresa N wrote: but the dialogue and story are what will keep me reading to the end.
Yep, me too. The setting can be beautiful and beautifully rendered but what grabs me by the heart is the characters. I have to care about them before I care about the setting. Just my bias.
(Susan Sey 3:18pm June 10, 2011)
Beth E wrote: like the girl trying to cope/guy at home with himself duo.
Thanks, Beth! I seem to be attracted to this set up, maybe because I always feel like I'm working so hard to cope with life & my husband just sails through with supreme confidence. :-)
(Susan Sey 3:20pm June 10, 2011)
Georgia wrote: Think I need a book like this in our 90 plus degree weather.
Amen,sister. We broke heat records here in MN earlier this week. Today it's, like 50 & cloudy, but on Monday I'd have given anything for a snow covered island to hang out on. :-)
(Susan Sey 3:22pm June 10, 2011)
Dawn S wrote: The setting draws my attention..but the dialogue has to be interesting also...
I'll admit that I'm a dialogue junkie. If the patter is snappy & the banter sparkling, I'll forgive about anything. That's shallow of me, isn't it? Charm over substance? What the heck. I read for entertainment. If I learn something along the way, great, but I'm not there for the facts.
(Susan Sey 3:23pm June 10, 2011)
GS Moch wrote: 'm very character driven, so I do appreciate dialog quite a bit. I look forward to reading your newest.
Thanks, GS! I really hope you'll enjoy it! It's a bit darker than MONEY HONEY but its beating heart is the characters & their back-and-forth. Happy reading!
(Susan Sey 3:25pm June 10, 2011)
Debra R wrote: Characters and dialog! the scene matters just not as much.
A girl after my own heart! I tried hard with the setting in MONEY SHOT but this leopard couldn't change her spots if she wanted to. Plenty of character & dialogue there, still. Hope you enjoy it!
(Susan Sey 3:26pm June 10, 2011)
Liesa wrote: Characters and settings draw me in...the dialog is a bonus
Then you'll get plenty of bonus with MONEY SHOT. :-) Hope you enjoy it!
(Susan Sey 3:27pm June 10, 2011)
Lynn R wrote: Blast! It's naked HIPPIES and frisky MOOSES (MEECE?). Here I was hoping for frisky hippies and naked mooses (mice?)!! Oh, well.
Oh shoot, I wrote it backwards. :) If it helps, there is some naked friskiness that goes on. Just not necessarily with the hippies or the moose. At least not together. Which is good, right? :-)
Lynn also wrote: I usually need a fairly even balance of setting and dialogue.
Oh, balance. It's the killer. I tried really, really hard but only the reader gets to decide how I did. If you read the book, I hope you'll let me know what you think.
(Susan Sey 3:31pm June 10, 2011)
Marjorie wrote: Variety is good!
Yes! I'm all for variety! Hopefully I provided plenty in MONEY SHOT but I'll look forward to hearing what you think.
(Susan Sey 3:32pm June 10, 2011)
Peggy R wrote: I'm by Lake Huron, but I'm familiar with the area.
Lake Huron! My family has a cottage in Alpena--lower peninsula, Huron side! I love that lake. Say hello to it for me!
Peggy also wrote: My main purpose is to be swept away from my everyday life and into a new one for the length of the book, and to be totally swept off my feet.
Me, too. That's absolutely what I want & as long as the author transports me, I'm thrilled. I don't care how they do it so long as they do it. :-)
(Susan Sey 3:35pm June 10, 2011)
Connie F wrote: Your novel, "Money Shot" sounds like it would be one that would really hold the reader's attention. Therefore, you have obviously done a terrific job on it.
I like how you think, Connie! And thanks so much for the confidence in my abilities. If you read MONEY SHOT, I'd love to know what you think of it.
(Susan Sey 3:37pm June 10, 2011)
Jane C wrote: Settings are very important to me and I like details, but I'm also a dialogue junkie.
Yep. It's one of the crueler realities of life that people seem to want both things together. :-) Makes sense,though. If you can have them both (and some authors do both beautifully) why wouldn't you? I'll be interested to know how you think MONEY SHOT succeeds if you decide to pick it up.
(Susan Sey 3:40pm June 10, 2011)
Robin W wrote: Sometimes I read a book for the second time & wonder how I missed an important setting or wonderfully lyrical description the first time.
I'm so glad you said this. It happens to me all the time & I'm always a little embarrassed. Like, "how on EARTH did I miss that vitally important plot point?" It's even more embarrassing when I'm not even concerned I don't fully understand what's going on because I'm so in love with the characters I'd follow them anywhere, even if they don't make sense.
(Susan Sey 3:41pm June 10, 2011)
Shirley wrote: Love great dialogue but also like a setting that reflects a place I know or introduces me to a new one.
Isn't that a great feeling? When you finish a book & feel like you *know* a place you've never been? That's talent.
(Susan Sey 3:43pm June 10, 2011)
Kim C wrote: However, in Deanna Raybourn's "Lady Julia Gray" historical series, the author does an outstanding job with settings. Whether it's standing on the English moors or walking the streets of Victorian England, the reader actually feels as if she's there.
I have been so impressed with Deanna Raybourne. She won a RITA out from under Nora Roberts one year & the next year when Nora won, she actually acknowledged Deanna in her speech. Something about how she would have been more upset about losing last year if Deanna hadn't totally deserved it for writing a better book. Wow, right?
(Susan Sey 3:45pm June 10, 2011)
Colleen C wrote: the setting sets the book, but I am more into the relationship between the characters and how they come to life between the pages.
Yep. You & me both, Colleen. I bet we could happily read off each others' bookshelves for quite a while. :-)
(Susan Sey 3:46pm June 10, 2011)
Holly C wrote: I like setting. I want to experience new places and climates or revist familar ones.
I'm always so nervous about writing about real places! I always feel like the people who live there are going to hate me for rendering their home so badly. That's why I tend to make places up. Plus, I probably won't get sued for talking smack about a place I made up.
(Susan Sey 3:48pm June 10, 2011)
Yuka wrote: I love snappy dialogue and interesting characers. Money Shot sounds like a fantastic book-congrats!
Thanks, Yuka! I hope you'll enjoy it!
(Susan Sey 3:48pm June 10, 2011)
Rosemary wrote: Wow, this book has a lot going on, great vicinity, wonderful dialogue, interesting characters and a read that will make me smile, laugh and enjoy. Just what I need to break up these hot Florida days.
Wow, Rosemary, I'm going to let you write my back cover copy from now on! You make my book sound really, really great! Hope it lives up to your blurb!
(Susan Sey 3:51pm June 10, 2011)
Sue F wrote: A good plot that is well fleshed out is what I'm looking for.
Me, too. I love a plot that refuses to let me look away. I don't want to hide from my kids, but if a book demands to be read, well, what's a girl to do but lock herself in the bathroom?
(Susan Sey 3:52pm June 10, 2011)
Tammy R wrote: it is nice to know setting but unless it is a matter of life and death to the scene it isn't all that important to me.
Exactly! It was a shock to me to discover that not everybody reads this way. I thought, "Huh. Really?" But it accounts for a great many books I couldn't hack being greatly beloved by other people.
(Susan Sey 3:53pm June 10, 2011)
Jeanne S wrote: I like all three lol. Love characterization, descriptions (accurate if possible) but also the dialogue lol.
Well, sure. Who doesn't want it all if we can get it? :-) And accuracy to boot? Man. It's a goal.
(Susan Sey 3:55pm June 10, 2011)
Thanks for the chance to win! Rita Spratlen I love all styles. It depends on how it
is written. If it keeps my attention that is the main thing.
(Rita Spratlen 3:58pm June 10, 2011)
Susan, having read MONEY, HONEY, I can 100% agree that you're a mistres of wonderful dialogue. A lot of that book reminded me a really great 1930s or 1940s screwball comedy - high praise! Actually I'm a bit like you when I write - I get down what they say and then worry about the rest later. Thank goodness I have a crit partner who points out the bits where they're just talking heads! From one dialogue junkie to another, I feel your pain, sistah! As a reader, I like all of it. I remember as a primary school kid reading Mary Stewart and how evocative those settings in her books were. They made me want to travel. A great setting really can turn a story to magic, can't it?
(Anna Campbell 4:12pm June 10, 2011)
OMGosh. Horny moose. How could one NOT love a book with super secret spy stuff, snow, and moose on the loose? SNORK! I love it already. Bought it the first day I could and can't wait to read it!! Yeah SUSAN! And I love setting, I could talk about setting alllll day. Architecture. Trees. Weather...oh, they're supposed to TALK to each other? Ha! And I have to disagree about your supposed shortcomings, my dear Ms. Sey. I knew right where everyone was in Money, Honey. Sure that I will in Money Shot too. :>
(Jeanne Adams 4:39pm June 10, 2011)
Enjoyed your post. Book sound great. Don't really have a style.
(Sheila True 4:44pm June 10, 2011)
If the dialogue is good? Total dialogue junky. Now... I don't like WRITING dialogue, usually. I don't feel like mine is up to snuff.
(Jennifer Bird 4:46pm June 10, 2011)
Dialogue, dialogue, dialogue! The others are nice, but I LOVE
snappy dialogue! Yours is first rate, btw, Susan!
(Fedora Chen 5:05pm June 10, 2011)
Rita wrote: If it keeps my attention that is the main thing.
Ha! That's the trick right there, isn't it? I think it was Elmore Leonard who, when asked about the secret to his success, said he just tried not to write the parts people didn't read. Sounds so simple when he puts it like that, doesn't it?
(Susan Sey 5:13pm June 10, 2011)
Anna wrote: I remember as a primary school kid reading Mary Stewart and how evocative those settings in her books were. They made me want to travel. A great setting really can turn a story to magic, can't it?
I cannot tell you how grieved I was to discover Narnia didn't actually exist, speaking of childhood reads that made an impression. :-) It speaks to the skill of the author that I so desperately wanted to go there even though I was well old enough to know there weren't worlds waiting around in the backs of wardrobes.
(Susan Sey 5:15pm June 10, 2011)
Susan, who says there aren't worlds in the back of wardrobes? I'm not convinced there AREN'T. Grins. And I desperately wanted - and still want - to visit the PEI of Anne of Green Gables...
(Jeanne Adams 5:17pm June 10, 2011)
Jeanne wrote: And I love setting, I could talk about setting alllll day. Architecture. Trees. Weather...oh, they're supposed to TALK to each other? Ha!
And this is why I must make a mental note to email you when I need to know what the heck to call that building over there. The...squarish one. Brick? With those, um, trees in front of it. The leafy ones. You know? :-)
(Susan Sey 5:17pm June 10, 2011)
Jeanne wrote: Susan, who says there aren't worlds in the back of wardrobes? I'm not convinced there AREN'T.
Well, since I'm among friends I will admit to a certain amount of fumbling about in the backs of closets. Just to make sure, you understand. I'd hate to miss an opportunity.
(Susan Sey 5:19pm June 10, 2011)
Snork! Always happy to help. Buildings, synopsis writing, tree identification (Although Cassondra's better at trees and guns than I am, I think I beat her on architecture. Grins.), anything you need!
And one wouldn't EVER want to miss an opportunity to meet a fawn, wield a named sword, or engage in a back-of-the-wardrobe-world adventure, now would one?
(Jeanne Adams 5:28pm June 10, 2011)
I love accurate settings, makes the story more realistic.
(Wilma Frana 5:47pm June 10, 2011)
I love were the settings are in books I read. You can go there in your mind. It's like going on a mini vacation. Thanks for giving me a chance to win your book.
(Linda Hall 5:49pm June 10, 2011)
the book sounds great and then the cover is great to
(Desiree Reilly 5:59pm June 10, 2011)
I had never given it much thought before, but I am drawn to books with certain settings. At the same time, I consider the characters and story more important.
(Anna Speed 5:59pm June 10, 2011)
Great post, Susan! Your posts are all witty banter and snappy dialogue. Love it!
Hmm, what floats my boat? I suppose it's unique style and a comand of language in whatever form it takes. I like reading for the journey as much as for the destination.
(Jo Robertson 6:19pm June 10, 2011)
Witty dialogue and repartee are top draws. I also like the inner dialogues a lead character has in some books when it shows a take it as it comes attitude (like Kate Daniel's "alrightly then" when some odd ball bad guy shows up). Settings need to be enough to provide the frame for all the characters & dialogue.
(Carol Drummond 7:57pm June 10, 2011)
I like settings in books. I feel like am there.Are you from
MI? I love to camp in the state parks.
(Lynn Lanzon 8:08pm June 10, 2011)
Thank you for your post and giveaway, Susan.
For me, the most important aspect of a work of fiction in any genre or format is its central theme, what the plot and characters revolve around. But this has to do with substance, and you asked us about what matters most when it comes to style.
So to answer your question, for me it's the way the author uses language. This includes how clearly and fittingly she describes characters, settings, emotions, events, and situations (as in Flaubert's "le mot juste", the exact word); how well she puts abstract, complex, and/or unfamiliar concepts into language readers can understand and relate to; and how effectively and memorably she assembles all of her narration together. Also under this heading is the author's voice, her distinctive way of telling a story---an important factor in the author-reader relationship.
This should come as no surprise: I'm fascinated by language and the ways it can be used and misused.
Good luck with the release of "Money Shot"!
(Mary Anne Landers 8:10pm June 10, 2011)
I like realistic dialogue with a dash of sarcasm. The exchanges have to feel natural and not scripted or I lose interest. Too much setting information can kill a story and bore me. It requires a very creative balance.
Good luck and happy writing!
(Tracie Travis 8:14pm June 10, 2011)
I also like banter, which implies humor. Concise description is appreciated, some authors go on for two long with minute extraneous detail.
(Diane Sallans 9:22pm June 10, 2011)
I love good dialogue!
(Lisa Garrett 9:44pm June 10, 2011)
I much prefer dialog. If there is too much description, I zone out.
(Linda Kish 10:49pm June 10, 2011)
I love the talking ... I will sometimes skip over setting description when I get bored.
(Lisa Kendall 1:48am June 11, 2011)
I love dialogue, descriptions of setting, as the words flow from the page onto my minds eye I am able paint the picture - allow the fluid of the movie as each page turns. The author is that artist and at times allows me liberal liscense to create, if they aren't as descriptive it allows my imagination to flow.
(Carla Carlson 11:28am June 11, 2011)
I love dialogue but the descriptions need to be there. Paint me a picture. My mind will do the rest.
(Maude Allen 4:21pm June 11, 2011)
I'm a flaw person. I want to see that I'm not reading about the Brady Bunch. I want my characters to have as much depth as possible, but they can't be perfect. Without the huge flaws that a partner must learn to live with it isn't very realistic.
(Christina Harrison 11:38pm June 11, 2011)
Wilma F wrote: I love accurate settings, makes the story more realistic.
I love this, too. I love feeling like I've been someplace when I close a book.
(Susan Sey 11:58am June 13, 2011)
Linda H wrote: I love were the settings are in books I read. You can go there in your mind. It's like going on a mini vacation.
(Susan Sey 11:59am June 13, 2011)
Linda H wrote: I love were the settings are in books I read. You can go there in your mind. It's like going on a mini vacation.
I know! And cheaper! Sometimes when we actually do go on vacation, we try to read a bunch of books ahead of time that have been set in that place. It's just another way to anticipate the fun. Do you ever do this?
(Susan Sey 12:00pm June 13, 2011)
Desiree wrote: the book sounds great and then the cover is great to
Thanks, Desiree! Hope you enjoy it!
(Susan Sey 12:01pm June 13, 2011)
Anna Speed wrote: I am drawn to books with certain settings. At the same time, I consider the characters and story more important.
Character and story are my biggest draws, too, but I love a beautifully rendered setting that doesn't get in the way. Too much setting & I skim, but when the setting serves to make the story come alive, I'm totally there.
(Susan Sey 12:03pm June 13, 2011)
Jo R wrote: I suppose it's unique style and a comand of language in whatever form it takes. I like reading for the journey as much as for the destination.
I've been reading some Neil Gaiman lately & have been just savoring the language. He's got a gorgeous vocabulary but it's never showy, and never gets in the way of the story. Anybody in particular you like for language?
(Susan Sey 12:04pm June 13, 2011)
Carol D wrote: Settings need to be enough to provide the frame for all the characters & dialogue.
Yep, that's me, too. Character & dialogue aren't enough by themselves, but I love for them to be the stars of the show. Gotta have a coherent framework for it all to hang on, though, right?
(Susan Sey 12:05pm June 13, 2011)
Sheila wrote: Enjoyed your post. Book sound great
Thanks, Sheila! Hope you enjoy MONEY SHOT if you pick it up!
(Susan Sey 12:07pm June 13, 2011)
Jennifer B wrote: If the dialogue is good? Total dialogue junky. Now... I don't like WRITING dialogue, usually. I don't feel like mine is up to snuff.
Oh, we never think our own is up to snuff. I hate reading my own writing. But I do love others' snappy dialogue. And I'll bet people like reading yours, too.
(Susan Sey 12:08pm June 13, 2011)
Lynn L wrote: Are you from MI? I love to camp in the state parks.
I'm from MI originally, which is how I came to adore Mackinac Island (and pronounce it correctly.) :-) And now I'm from MN, which is way closer to Isle Royal than MI, so I have no idea how MI came to have custody of it. And I'm an enthusiastic backpacker, so I'm with you on that, too. Happy camping this summer!
(Susan Sey 12:11pm June 13, 2011)
Mary Ann Landers wrote: Also under this heading is the author's voice, her distinctive way of telling a story---an important factor in the author-reader relationship.
This is so true! There are some authors I think I could identify from hearing the first sentence of their books, their voices are so distinctive. Janet Evanovich comes to mind as a perfect example. Even when she was writing short romances, her voice just shone through.
(Susan Sey 3:33pm June 13, 2011)
Tracey T wrote: I like realistic dialogue with a dash of sarcasm. The exchanges have to feel natural and not scripted or I lose interest.
I took a grammar class in college once that did a lot of transcription of actual conversation, & it was amazing to me how absolutely fragmented speech really is. And yet somehow we understand one another. So there's actual dialogue that looks bizarre on the page, well written dialogue that feels natural but isn't & bad dialogue that feels stilted and really is stilted. It's no wonder there aren't more people writing awesome books. This is hard to figure out!
(Susan Sey 3:36pm June 13, 2011)
Diane S wrote: Concise description is appreciated, some authors go on for two long with minute extraneous detail.
And some people really love that! (I know, I don't get it either but there you go.) I personally prefer the story to move along but I do know a lot of people who just savor all the details. Good thing there's a book out there for everybody.
(Susan Sey 3:38pm June 13, 2011)
Lisa G wrote: I love good dialogue!
A girl after my own heart!
(Susan Sey 3:38pm June 13, 2011)
Lisa K wrote: I much prefer dialog. If there is too much description, I zone out.
Yep. Me, too. Not proud of it but...I skim. Where are the quotation marks??
(Susan Sey 3:39pm June 13, 2011)
Carla C wrote: The author is that artist and at times allows me liberal liscense to create, if they aren't as descriptive it allows my imagination to flow.
Exactly! Sometimes I just don't want the author to be too specific because I'm rocking a mental image & I don't want anybody messing with it. For this reason, I always have to read the book before I see the movie. I want my imagination to have free rein & if I see an actor in the role...I can't erase that.
(Susan Sey 3:41pm June 13, 2011)
Maude A wrote: Paint me a picture. My mind will do the rest.
Exactly! I love it that my imagination gets to work hand-in-hand with the author sometimes. That's half the fun & I don't want too much of the work done for me.
(Susan Sey 3:43pm June 13, 2011)
Christina H wrote: I want my characters to have as much depth as possible, but they can't be perfect.
Exactly! There has to be room to grow, or why are we reading?
(Susan Sey 3:44pm June 13, 2011)
Yep, I agree we do know our on flaws, but sometimes overlook or avoid going anywhere near them. It's so much easier to go with the easier stuff instead of working on the issues inside. The more you're balking the bigger the gap between what you will and won't do. Settings on the other hand give structure to a piece and offer a way to anchor the imagination in real life lived and a slice of time. Flaws make a story more interesting because they usually trip somebody up and then they have to get out of a situation by using all their abilities and may borrow a few with the support of a friend or paid accomplice.
(Alyson Widen 6:51pm June 14, 2011)
Thanks for taking the time to review! I'm so glad you enjoyed the read!
(Susan Sey 10:52am June 24, 2011)
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