Support for Indie Authors discussion

I think that as authors we are trying to hook the reader and keep them turning the next page. It is magical to read, "I couldn't put it down!" or "A real page turner!" in reader reviews. Likewise it is disappointing to read ""did not finish," in a review.

They don't know what they missed!

When I was younger, my brother handed me a copy of "Monmouth Harry"



I read six chapters and... yawn... little privileged princes....yawn... I dropped it.

Only when he nagged me, did I pick it up again and WOW! Power struggles, knights, longbow archers, heroism and cowardice, epic battles including Agincourt. Still one of my favourite books!

History joined sci-fi as a favourite genre for me.

What books, preferably indies of course, are you glad you stuck with?

PS Monmouth Harry is out of print, but not out of copyright. Still easy to pick up on ebay.

I never walk out of movies and I always finish reading books I start.

I do start to read faster and fast if I am not enjoying it.

Just a reminder -- Anthony is asking us to discuss books we've stuck with and why. He's not asking us to bash other authors or their books. Keep it positive!

Hmmm, that is a good discussion topic. I'll have to think about this one.

I'll have to say I'm glad I finished Freak of Nature. I liked the whole concept. As a matter of fact, by the time I got into it I wished it was longer so Julia Crane could explore the intricacies of the main characters complex situation. I know we as authors, especially indie, are expected to stay within length guidelines (and this is mot a bash but a compliment) but this book deserved to be longer. Luckily for her fans she explores more through a series. ANYWHO.. That was one I was glad I stayed with. I guess I'm going to pick The Mind Readers back up too. I'm halfway through.

I almost didn't finish Game of Thrones back in 1999. It was dry, boring, bland...everything I did not want in fantasy.

Glad I stuck it out though. I can't remember the last time I started a book and didn't finish it.

Dorsey wrote: "I'll have to say I'm glad I finished Freak of Nature. I liked the whole concept. As a matter of fact, by the time I got into it I wished it was longer so Julia Crane could explore the intricacies o..."


Thanks Dorsey, who wrote it. Do you have a link?

Anthony wrote: "Dorsey wrote: "I'll have to say I'm glad I finished Freak of Nature. I liked the whole concept. As a matter of fact, by the time I got into it I wished it was longer so Julia Crane could explore th..."

Julia Crane wrote it.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/s/ref=is_...

Of Mice and Men
I really struggled to get into it at the start, but I loved it by the end. Haven't really read any indie books yet that I had a hard time getting into. I do put books down if I find I can't get into them, sometimes what works for one person just doesn't for another.

Riley wrote: "Of Mice and Men
I really struggled to get into it at the start, but I loved it by the end. Haven't really read any indie books yet that I had a hard time getting into. I do put books dow..."
,
I covered that book in English at school. Hated at the start, loved it at the end.

Like you, I couldn't think of an indie book. Maybe we know that we HAVE to hook quickly.

I can't think of any off the top of my head. It's so hard to know how others will react to books. As long as a book's written well (as in the actual sentences) I tend to be very patient and let the author set the pace. But even if it pays off for me in the end that doesn't mean others will find the wait worthwhile.

For example, The Forge of God get panned by some people for being dead boring and "nothing really happens." Whereas I find it a fascinating book. It's pace is slow, yes, but it's not true that nothing happens. It's just that nothing "actiony" really happens. It's essentially a mystery, not a fights and gun battle kind of book.

For me the payoff was very worth it (not that I suffered along the way with its slow and steady narrative), but I would not presume to insist someone else stick with it.

OTOH, I read a 1-star review recently of a book I quite liked. The reviewer said they had only read like 40 pages before giving up. Why? Because the author was writing from the perspective of the character and not giving the reader a data dump to explain everything right away. I.e., the reviewer couldn't be arsed to let the book slowly reveal what was going on. That kind of short attention span, "tell me everything right now or I’m outta here!" attitude is infuriating to me.

Nascent Decay by Charles Hash - I put this gory futuristic Sci-Fi novel down twice before returning. I’ll try not to spoil, but someone is (((extremely))) pissed-off with more than adequate reasons, yet they try to hold back the fury. At this point, I'm sympathetic, kill the SOB’s, but the author makes you wait!

“What I liked, is authors’ ability to create and sustain tension, interest, and drive throughout the novel with both small and large scale encounters.” Quote from my review:

I don't tend to put books down and come back very often, But Tammy Witzen's Mother Fucking Flowers is one I did and I'm glad I stuck with it. The main reason I put it down was the lengthy technical discussion that sets the story. Hard scifi tends to forget the fiction part of science fiction and despite the name, I was worried that this was going to be the same, but no. It's as cheeky and rich as the title suggests. Parts get very trippy and in the end, well, let's just say the payoff requires a bit of intelligence on the part of the reader, but even those who aren't scientifically inclined might enjoy the joke.

For me the book I almost set down and am glad I didn't is Trespassers. Not because there was something wrong with the book per se but rather because the beginning reminded me of Hitchhikers' guide to the Galaxy, which I couldn't stand.

I was reading Trespassers for a read and review that came directly from the author. I had accepted it so I stuck with it and oh boy was I glad I did! Trespassers turned out to be a fun book and soon became a five stars for me.

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy was the book I started, and started, and started War and Peace. A few years ago, I determined to finish it, and what a rewarding experience. I finally understood why it's a classic.

PBS Masterpiece Theater did War & Peace years back and I haven't been able to track it down. Anthony Hopkins excelled as Pierre Bezukhov.

There are three series that I can honestly say I am glad I did not put down. The earliest one was the Lord of the Rings books. The writing was interesting, but the books were so long. I was really glad that I stuck with them, though.

Asimov's Foundation series was like that as well. Great stories, but so much to keep up with.

The final one was Stephen Donaldson's Thomas Covenant series - a total of ten books that were released over a period of thirty some odd years. I finished the last book in the series last year and consider it well worth the effort. I am a big fan of Donaldson's.

I would nominate all of Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin novels and most anything by Faulkner.

For indie authors, Nascent Decay, by Charles Hash, and Lost, by AE Hellstorm.

"Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep." I read that as a teenager since I loved the movie Blade Runner. I'd thought it boring, but I stuck with it to the end, and it has stuck with me ever since.

Andrew wrote: "Nascent Decay by Charles Hash - I put this gory futuristic Sci-Fi novel down twice before returning. I’ll try not to spoil, but someone is (((extremely))) pissed-off with more than adequate reasons..."

Owen wrote: "I would nominate all of Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin novels and most anything by Faulkner.

For indie authors, Nascent Decay, by Charles Hash, and Lost, by AE Hellstorm.

[bookcover:Nascent Dec..."

I toned it down a lot in book 2! ;)

G.G. wrote: "For me the book I almost set down and am glad I didn't is Trespassers. Not because there was something wrong with the book per se but rather because ..."

Downloaded this book. It was free when I checked, may be permafree!

Charles wrote: "I toned it down a lot in book 2! ;)"

Really? I am reading 'Radiant Decay' just now. Think I'll need therapy when I finish!

;)

One of my favorite indies is a writer by the name of Evelyn Baldwin. She wrote this little beauty (they won't let me put a cover on it at the library and she doesn't have a goodreads account), but I have a deep respect for it.
Exile's Journey

It starts out really slow, with a girl pranking her brother. They shave her bald and toss her outside the camp. Nothing special about this opening. I hated the protagonist from page one and... then I really started to like her. She grew on me. And the story got better and better. She became this huntress, lethal with a bow, (I suppose that's the typical female protagonist in a fantasy these days, but it was a fresh concept when I read it). She finds a caribou type creature and a squirrel who she teaches to pick locks. The story just gets better and better. If you can find it, and you're into fantasy, I would definitely recommend it. (Note: The Journey Home - Huntress of Gane 2, is even better.)

Anthony wrote: "Really? I am reading 'Radiant Decay' just now. Think I'll need therapy when I finish!..."

I had to take a break with the first book. I mean...I don't shy away from violence but...I'll have to go back when my stomach is stronger. (Or maybe it was really weak at that time and it's actually not as 'bad' as it felt. Down stomach...Down! :P)

I have a few books I started that I mean to finish. (All for different reasons, but none due to 'not liking' it.) There's always something coming up, darn it!

(Ok.. I mixed up verbs in the sentence...but I really don't see how I could fix that....oh well....)

Anthony wrote: "G.G. wrote: "For me the book I almost set down and am glad I didn't is Trespassers. Not because there was something wrong with the book per se but ra..."

G.G. wrote: "Anthony wrote: "Really? I am reading 'Radiant Decay' just now. Think I'll need therapy when I finish!..."

I had to take a break with the first book. I mean...I don't shy away from violence but...I..."

V.M. wrote: "I would say BB Wynter's Lament of Sky ..."

I'm gonna have to second this one. The style of writing is very unique and it took a bit to get into it. Once I was in, though, I enjoyed the rest of the ride. And by the end the style was what I liked best about it.

I found BB's style to be very charming and witty, and I really enjoyed it. It felt like an advanced form of all the European young adult fantasy I'd read while growing up, balancing grit and whimsy in a way that only UK authors seem to be able to.

With Charles, there's more in wink than meets the eye.

I don't have gills, but "Blood in the Water" left me with blood in my nasal cavity.

Melissa wrote: ""Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep." I read that as a teenager since I loved the movie Blade Runner. I'd thought it boring, but I stuck with it to the end, and it has stuck with me ever since."

I read that a year ago and loved it. Followed it up with Fahrenheit 451 which managed to escaped every reading list back in school, and found that one to be incredibly boring. It had all the same themes of a man questioning his job in a dystopian society, Bradbury was a master with the imagery, but it was incredibly excessive to the point where it overshadowed the main story for me.

Not an indie, but Neal Stephenson's Anathem was one I struggled to get into, until it suddenly grabbed hold of me, and it hasn't let go since. Terrific story, mind-bending world. One of my favorites now. Start with a monastery devoted to the study of math (no religion involved), add an utterly unique pov for a first contact story, stir with humor and advancd physics. Is there any story Stephenson can't write well?

Along with Riley's pick of "Of Mice and Men", I'm gonna go with another Steinbeck, "Grapes of Wrath", for a trad novel I struggled with at first. It just seemed to go on and on about packing the truck and talking about packing the truck and then more packing the truck. Once they finally get on the road, it's a fantastic novel.

Having been defeated by Tolstoy, I'd have to say "Absalom, Absalom" was the hardest novel I made it thru and found very rewarding when I did. That it often seems to make next to no sense is beside the point.

It's one of few books that beating myself bloody against, I think made me a "better" writer in the sense of opening up my style and making me see things in new and quite different ways.

I put down two or three times before finally finishing (had to get past the first chapter, which is a bit dark). Wow! Now Sanderson is my favorite author. I'm so glad my roommate encouraged me to keep trying his books.