FREE/BARGAIN — Romance & Discussion

[library addict]

Weekly Report:

Read:

• Dark in Death (In Death #57) by JD Robb (B+/4 stars)

Purchased:

[worktolive]

One of my favorite books from a few years ago is on sale for $0.99:

Good Time Bad Boy by Sonya Clark

Spoiler:

Wade Sheppard was the king of country for nearly ten years. Now he can’t get Nashville on the phone, much less another record deal. When yet another drunken night onstage gets him fired from a casino gig, Wade is pulled off the road by his manager and sent home. Being back in the small town where he was born and raised, his every screw-up fodder for gossip, isn’t helping any. His family knows him too well, and the pretty, sharp-tongued waitress who catches his eye doesn’t want to know him at all.

Daisy McNeil has more baggage than most her age but she’s finally pulling her life together. College classes will be her ticket out of poverty and instability. She doesn’t mind waiting tables for the time being, but she could do without the rowdy rednecks who sometimes get handsy. When one of them crosses the line, she snaps and gives him and his stupid ten gallon hat the telling off he deserves, but causing a scene gets her fired.

Wade didn’t mean to cost Daisy her job. Chastened, he decides he doesn’t want his train wreck of a life to crash into anybody else. He offers the bar owner a summer of free shows if Daisy can have her job back. Now they’re spending nights together trading barbs and fighting a growing attraction. With a sexy smile and a powerful voice that can make any song his, Wade’s determined to show Daisy that he’s more than just a good time bad boy.

[FizzyWater]

Originally Posted by library addict

Weekly Report:

Read:

• Dark in Death (In Death #57) by JD Robb (B+/4 stars)

I haven't decided how I feel about this book. On one hand, it feels like a big F-U to any fan who ever negatively criticized one of her books. She used to comment on the Dear Author blog, and I can see some of those comments in this book (e.g., her feelings about readers who complain about how much cursing Eve does - I'm utterly convinced the scene at the end of Treachery in Death was written as taunt to her unhappy readers: "Didn't like the cursing? How about this?!")

Once I could get over feeling like she was insulting her a segment of her fan-base, it was an enjoyable story.

[library addict]

Originally Posted by FizzyWater

I haven't decided how I feel about this book. On one hand, it feels like a big F-U to any fan who ever negatively criticized one of her books. She used to comment on the Dear Author blog, and I can see some of those comments in this book (e.g., her feelings about readers who complain about how much cursing Eve does - I'm utterly convinced the scene at the end of Treachery in Death was written as taunt to her unhappy readers: "Didn't like the cursing? How about this?!")

Once I could get over feeling like she was insulting her a segment of her fan-base, it was an enjoyable story.

Some of the book stuff did seem odd when I was reading it, but since it was only a few lines of the book and not the focus I decided to take it with a grain of salt.

It's funny because the swearing doesn't bother me at all when I read the books. It registered more when I used to listen to the audio books. But then I got tired of the narrator's terrible Roarke voice (and McNab, Baxter, etc) so I stopped getting the audios.

I do think it is silly some of the complaints authors get. So I can see both sides of the situation. In this case the thoughts didn't seem to be unlike Eve so it was easy to set aside.

I felt this was one of the better In Death books of late for the character moments. And I loved seeing more of Nadine like the older books.

[Terisa de morgan]

I must confess that all the comments about writers go over my head, they didn't even register. And I too enjoyed seeing Nadine.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by FizzyWater

I haven't decided how I feel about this book. On one hand, it feels like a big F-U to any fan who ever negatively criticized one of her books. She used to comment on the Dear Author blog, and I can see some of those comments in this book (e.g., her feelings about readers who complain about how much cursing Eve does - I'm utterly convinced the scene at the end of Treachery in Death was written as taunt to her unhappy readers: "Didn't like the cursing? How about this?!")

Once I could get over feeling like she was insulting her a segment of her fan-base, it was an enjoyable story.

She recently on Facebook did pretty much that. I don't think she should be on social media as she just doesn't seem cut out for it.

Sent from my Nexus 7

[library addict]

She used to actually be on her message board (ADWOFF) several times a week. And as FizzyWater said she used to post a lot at Dear Author and SBTB back when those sites were fairly new. She now only posts via her publicist, Laura, to both her Facebook page and her blog (Fall Into the Story). So she's not really on social media at all now compared to 10-15 years ago.

I can see where she is tired of the why do your characters swear/when will Eve and Roarke have a baby/you write so many books you must have a ghost writer type of comments and questions. It's the same comments/questions from 20 years ago.

I guess I cut her more slack because I used to interact a lot at ADWOFF. YMMV.

[Terisa de morgan]

Originally Posted by library addict

I can see where she is tired of the why do your characters swear

This is something funny for me. Why do you characters swear? But no why do you have serial killer and gritty details? It's something I don't get, really.

[Blossom]

I think she should just ignore the comments like most authors do and just appreciate they are reading her books. To snub your fans is just a good way to end your career. I don't care who you are. Of course she may be at the stage where she just doesn't care anymore. If she can't take heat anymore she should just remove her Facebook page and stay out of contact or get an new publicist who can handle it without bothering her.

I do think her current publicist is tad too sensitive for social media. 95% of comments are positive but she seems to get upset over a few negative ones and on social media there is always going to be people who post just to say negative things.

[Terisa de morgan]

As I don't read social media at all (aside of some authors which publish the release at facebook and I check), I cannot tell you. It's not my cup of tea.

[FizzyWater]

Originally Posted by library addict

I can see where she is tired of the why do your characters swear/when will Eve and Roarke have a baby/you write so many books you must have a ghost writer type of comments and questions. It's the same comments/questions from 20 years ago.

I didn't get on the "ghost writer" bandwagon until the last couple of years. In one of her more recent books, she wrote that the button Roarke carries around was from Mavis' coat that Eve borrowed, rather than Eve's suit. Since this gets mentioned at least once in every book, that seemed a pretty big error! (I've since thought it's more likely her "continuity checker" probably changed - who knows, she might get it wrong every time herself!)

Originally Posted by Terisa de morgan

This is something funny for me. Why do you characters swear? But no why do you have serial killer and gritty details? It's something I don't get, really.

I lived with someone who was so against cursing that you couldn't even use the sound-alikes. She was raised in a very religious home, and saying things like "jeez" or "gosh" were just as bad as saying "Jesus" or "God" when you were angry/surprised/whatever.

She could still enjoy a good murder mystery, though, because the bad guys (mostly) get caught and are punished. Harder to have characters she otherwise liked and respected behaving "poorly".

I have to admit there are times I think "enough already!" - but like LibraryAddict, I probably didn't really notice it until I started listening to audiobooks.

In Nalini Singh's latest Psy-Changeling book, Silver Silence, she used a couple of words I don't believe I've seen in any of her other Psy/Guild Hunter books and I wanted to wash my bluetooth speaker's mouth out with soap! Not a comfortable listen when I'm home with the windows open and the neighbors are around.

[sufue]

Some price drops on several Susan Mallery/Fool's Gold titles, including two collections, at Kindle and Kobo US, most of them only a couple of $$$ off. There are also three other collections that are not on sale, but are still somewhat attractively priced. So you may need to do some careful comparison/evaluation of what titles you already have vs. the collections with their somewhat discounted prices.

Collections with recent price drops:

Fool's Gold Series Volume Three: Almost Summer, Summer Days, Summer Nights, All Summer Long; $13.99
Kindle US: https://www.amazon.com/Susan-Mallery...dp/B00TP0BJV0/
Kobo US: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/sus...s-volume-three

Fool's Gold Series Volume Four: Halfway There, Just One Kiss, Two of a Kind, Three Little Words; $9.99
Kindle US: https://www.amazon.com/Susan-Mallery...dp/B00WAV6D4Y/
Kobo US: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/sus...es-volume-four

Individual titles with recent price drops:

Christmas on 4th Street (#14) with novella: Yours for Christmas, $3.99
Kindle US: https://www.amazon.com/Christmas-4th...dp/B00K9ZWH0C/
Kobo US: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?Qu...+on+4th+Street

A Fool's Gold Christmas, #10, $5.99
Kindle US: https://www.amazon.com/Fools-Gold-Ch...dp/B00DSX0QFK/
Kobo US: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/a-f...ld-christmas-2

Three Little Words, #13, $2.99
Kindle US: https://www.amazon.com/Three-Little-...dp/B00C3U9TAC/
Kobo US: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/three-little-words-4

continued (I get nervous when my posts get too long).....

[sufue]

...continued

Just One Kiss, #11, $5.99
Kindle US: https://www.amazon.com/Just-Kiss-Foo...dp/B00BED2U96/
Kobo US: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/just-one-kiss-1

Two of a Kind, #12, $1.99
Kindle US: https://www.amazon.com/Two-Kind-Fool...dp/B00BED26RM/
Kobo US: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/two-of-a-kind-1

All Summer Long, #9, $5.99
Kindle US: https://www.amazon.com/Summer-Long-F...dp/B00835RLUQ/
Kobo US: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/all-summer-long

As I said up above, some of these are only a couple of $$$ off, and you'll also want to check out the collections to see what are best prices given what titles you want/need...definitely YMMV....

[library addict]

Weekly Report:

Read:
None

Purchased:

[kg3]

FREE:

Casting Spells - The Sugar Maple Chronicles #1 - Barbara Bretton

-Originally Published by Berkley, 2008
-Paranormal Romance

Amazon US---Amazon UK---Amazon Canada---Not at Kobo when I checked