In Search of the Fiction Fairy

award-wining author Mia Zachary's online diary where she ponders the meaning of life, strives to improve her craft and generally mouths off

Friday, April 28, 2006

Something different this Friday

Instead of offering advice today, I'm asking for it.

The senior editor of Blaze has asked me for some things I need to decide if I can deliver.

So do me a really huge favor- answer the questions below and tell me what you think and what you want. If you know someone who's read my books, send them over to give me some feedback too please.

First, WHAT INSPIRES YOU TO BUY MY BOOKS?
- - - You've read my work before? Book reviews? Word of mouth? One of my workshops? The cover art? The jacket blurb?

Second, WHAT MAKES YOU READ (the whole) BOOK?
- - - The hook/ setup? The characters? The hot sex? The romance? The relationships? The complex storyline? The underlying issues/ backstory/ subplots?

Third, DID YOU REALIZE I WRITE MULTI-CULTURAL RELATIONSHIPS?
- - - If not, does it bother you? If so, do you want to see more of them?

Fourth, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE SUBPLOTS?
- - - Does dealing with issues like spousal abuse and breast cancer enhance the story or does it take away from your enjoyment ?

Finally, WHAT APPEALS TO YOU?
- - - What do you like about Blazes? What don't you like? What would you like to see in future?

Thank you very much for taking the time to let me know what you think. I really appreciate it!

3 Comments:

At 12:26 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

First, WHAT INSPIRES YOU TO BUY MY BOOKS?
- - - You've read my work before? Book reviews? Word of mouth? One of my workshops? The cover art? The jacket blurb?
I originally started reading your books because I subscribe to the Blaze line. I'm always on the look out for a new author...

Second, WHAT MAKES YOU READ (the whole) BOOK?
- - - The hook/ setup? The characters? The hot sex? The romance? The relationships? The complex storyline? The underlying issues/ backstory/ subplots?
I've only had a few books in my life that I've never finished reading. Stephen King's It is the first one that comes to mind. I usually like scary books, but Pennywise's eyes on the cover and spine of the book scare the wits out of me, and I keep putting it down. 'Course, I've seen the movie, so I'm not really missing too much. Okay, back on topic. What I've noticed about your books is the realness and relatability to the characters. I've re-read a couple of your books, and always seem to finish the book feeling like it was the first time I read it.

Third, DID YOU REALIZE I WRITE MULTI-CULTURAL RELATIONSHIPS?
- - - If not, does it bother you? If so, do you want to see more of them?
I didn't really notice at first that the charaters in the books were multi-cultural, but as soon as I realized, I liked it. Not too many Harlequin books contain main charaters of color, and seeing more of that is always a good thing for me.

Fourth, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE SUBPLOTS?
- - - Does dealing with issues like spousal abuse and breast cancer enhance the story or does it take away from your enjoyment ?
I think that the subplots enhance the story and add to the relatability of the characters. To see the characters going through more than just your typical "boy meets girl/boy & girl hook up/boy & girl have a fight/boy & girl get back together & live happily ever after" thing appeals to me. Those underlying real-lie situations bring the story to life and suck you in.

 
At 9:21 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

WHAT INSPIRES YOU TO BUY MY BOOKS?
Knowing you don't dissapoint when it comes to real, believable characters with frailties, hangups and fears.

WHAT MAKES YOU READ (the whole) BOOK? I know it's Blaze, but actually the sex isisn't what I care about but the sexual tension leasing up to it. If they jump in the sack too soon, it seems cheap and sleezy. But I like to see how they overcomve thei personal problems and work out the relationship.

DID YOU REALIZE I WRITE MULTI-CULTURAL RELATIONSHIPS? It's not obvious, and I like that because you get a chance to see your characters as real people with real desires and problems regardless of their background or race. You make your readers care about "them" not their heritage.

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE SUBPLOTS?
I love subplots, secondary characters enhance the main characters and involve you with reality because your main characters interact with others around them like real people do, and sometimes it gets messy and out of their control.

WHAT APPEALS TO YOU?
I like a story that shows me how people overcome their own fears or adversity and that love is the tool that helps do it but also makes them individually stronger not dependent upon each other. I like a good hot sex scene that enhances the plot but am sick of reading sex scenes from some books that appear to just be there because someone thought they should have a sex scene now.

 
At 7:55 PM, Blogger kim h said...

i usually find the critics reviews and i read it from there. i love blaze books, i buy them most often.

 

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