One In Four: Linnea Sinclair checks in

First, I need to thank Jacki for adding me to this stellar guest blogging line-up. I’m tickled to be in such company! So here are my thanks, in a language I know Jacki will understand: meow, mew, mew, purr, meow, murrupp!

(See, Jacki and I talk the same language…if you hadn’t guessed from our kitty photo postings back and forth on MySpace…)

I had a topic all picked out for today. I’d intended to ramble—which is what I do a lot of lately—about the strange mixture of science fiction, paranormal and romance that comprises my books and the books of many other authors represented here. Why we’re the best of times but also the worst of times.

That idea was blown out of the water this morning by an AP feed headline in my local paper: POLL: 1 IN 4 ADULTS READ NO BOOKS LAST YEAR.

The article briefly tallied the ugly results of the Associated Press-Ispos poll. One out of four adults stated they read not one book last year. Twenty-seven per cent was the actual figure. Of those who read, the typical respondent reads four books in one year.

One in four. None or four. That explains, the article continues, the dreary state of the publishing industry and flat book sales, “which are expected to stay that way indefinitely.”

“Reading makes me sleepy,” the AP article states, quoting one man’s excuse. (Hmm, Linnea thinks. Well, he’s obviously never tried one of my books. Or Jacki’s. Or Deidre’s. Or Patrice’s. Or Charlee’s, Nalini’s, Yasmine’s, Anya’s…well, hell’s bells. Just scroll down this blog.)

Okay, a moment of BSP (Blatant Self Promotion). But there’s fact in that bit of BSP. Given that the profile of the sleepy non-reader starts with MALE (one third of men and one quarter of women don’t read, according to AP), one wonders what they’ve tried reading?

Especially considering the largest reading population is women?

Could it be that women’s fiction is just more exciting? See, this brings me squarely back to my original topic of science fiction/paranormal/romance/action that is filling a lot of bookshelves these days. You know, the books you love to read. The books we love to write.

Quite honestly, I’ve often wondered why we inflict the Ye Olde Classics on middle schoolers and high schoolers in attempts to get them to read. Okay, the books have universal themes, but twelve year olds don’t give a rat’s patootie about universal themes. They want character and they want action and they want larger than life. Can anyone spell H-A-R-R-Y?

Case in point: my husband was a non-reader when I met and married him. Then one day I shoved a John D. MacDonald rip-roarin’ Travis McGee private detective adventure novel in his mitts. He hasn’t stopped reading since. And when the daughter was slogging her way through Ye Olde Classics at thirteen, I gave her Mercedes Lackey, Sue Grafton, Lillian Jackson Braun and every Star Wars paperback I could find to read. She’s thirty now and just last week finished Deidre Knight’s PARALLEL series and loved it—and has Jacquelyn Frank, Nalini Singh and other names you’re probably very familiar with in her TBR pile. She also inhales every book by Robin D Owens, Susan Grant, Dean Koontz, David Weber and, of course, me. (Can’t forget that BSP!)

But I started her young. How do we seduce that twenty-seven per cent non-reading population and the even larger population (mostly male) who cringes their way through a measly four books a year?

I’ll offer a challenge—and a possible solution. Know a non-reading friend (or acquaintance or work comrade)? Find out if he watches TV or movies. Does he like Matrix, Men In Black, Stargate? Or the CSI shows? Did the final episode of The Sopranos leave a hole in his heart? Print out a list of the authors on this blog and shove it in his hands. Tell him to ignore the fact that some of these authors are found in the romance aisles (if that gives him the yips, tell him to put his Big Boy Panties on…or order on-line). Tell him going into the SF/F aisles won’t make him lose his tough-guy status and turn him into a geek. (Big Boy Panties time again). Tell him, “Try these, you’ll like ‘em. No annoying commercials and you can enjoy the adventure even when cable’s out.” And let’s face it, the brain is the biggest wide-screen, hi-def television there is.

Women readers already know how great these SF/F/paranormal/action novels are. Let’s share the wealth. Let’s blow one in four out of the water.

And now, for a last gasp at BSP, here’s a sneak preview of my upcoming THE DOWN HOME ZOMBIE BLUES, coming November 2007 from Bantam. Think: Men In Black meets CSI: Miami. (With romance, but...shhh! Don't tell the guys that!) Show this book video to your favorite non-reading guy. Get ‘im hooked. Get ‘im reading.

The Down Home Zombie Blues by Linnea Sinclair



Hugs all,
~Linnea

Linnea Sinclair
http://www.linneasinclair.com/
www.myspace.com/linneasinclair
RITA© Award Winning SF Romance
Bantam Spectra 2007-08: Games of Command, The Down Home Zombie Blues, Shades of Dark (sequel to Gabriel's Ghost)

Adrianna Dane Saying Hi - Risking the Comfort Zone

Thanks, Jacquelyn, for inviting me to come and visit today while you're away. This is probably one of those "outside the comfort" zone moments in my life. Listening in to my characters and then translating their words is one thing, but traveling outside my little cave, on my own, quite another, and something I don't often push myself to do. What's your comfort zone and do you get out much?

First, let me tell you a bit about me. My name is Adrianna Dane and I write sensual and erotic romance. Currently, I'm published with four publishers--Amber Quill Press, Loose Id, Phaze, and Lady Aibell Press.

Tempt Me Not is my latest release from Amber Heat, the erotic imprint of Amber Quill Press. It's an erotic dark fantasy romance about a tempting demon and a bit of time travel.

I tend to be an introvert and quite enjoy sitting in my cave and writing my stories, sort of oblivious to the rest of the world. But as I...mature...I find myself willing to take more risks--both in my fantasy worlds and in the real world.

I did "break out" so to speak just a few weeks ago as I attended a festival all on my own, without my husband of thirty-four years. It was something I needed to do. And something I wanted to do. And the experience was different than it would have been had my husband accompanied me. We have learned over the years that just because we're married and enjoy each other's company, we are not attached at the hip. Although I must admit I've been less adventurous over the years than he has been. He's much more outgoing than I am.

Without someone there to latch onto, a sort of captive conversationalist, I found myself more in tune with what was going on around me and to other people. Take the fact that I arrived a day early, gathered up my courage and trekked over to the grounds to make sure I knew where I was going and ended up being allowed in to witness some of the pre-festival activity. Thank goodness I brought my trusty camera with me, although I hadn't expected to be allowed inside. Would I have gone that extra day early if my husband had been with me? Probably not. But "Ms. Wrong-Way Adrianna" felt a definite need to check out the way of the land first. And I wouldn't have met Juliet and her family, whom I discovered came from the state where I grew up, all the way across the country. We had a lovely chat and I discovered Juliet's father lived for a time in a small town (even smaller than my own) right next door to where I grew up in central New York. Now I have to say, nobody knows about that tiny place except my mom, who grew up there. :-) That was fun.

So that was just the beginning, and it was a good start. I met others throughout the weekend--Thomas, who was traveling across the country on his own had another interesting story. Then there were the authors I had the chance to meet, the mostly Celtic music played by the bands, that I was able to enjoy, and the atmosphere I was simply able to immerse myself into. And the raptors from the raptor sanctuary I could just enjoy sitting and watching as others visited with them as well. It was wonderful to just experience and soak up the creativity and whimsical nature of the festival.

If you'd like to see some pictures from the festival, you can find them here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/adriannadane/sets/72157600967432792/ I took so many pictures. Everyone was decked out so beautifully, I just couldn't resist. Thank goodness for digital cameras.

We often move in packs and I think we miss some of the experience by doing that. Is it fear? Protection? A little of both maybe that make us skittish about venturing out alone? And into unknown lands? Probably a little of all those things, who knows for certain?

What do you think?

Thanks for inviting me come visit at your place, Jacquelyn.

Adrianna

"Passionate stories with adventurous heart

www.adriannadane.com

www.zytarri.com

www.midnight-pearl.com

www.adriannadane.blogspot.com

www.myspace.com/adriannadane