THE MAGIC OF BOOKS
Like most authors, I’m a reader first. I still remember being about four and asking my dad to read the comics to me. As I sat on his lap, I recall thinking, “When am I going to be able to read?”
“When you go to school,” was always my mom’s reply when I’d ask. Imagine my disappointment on the first day of kindergarten when I trudged back home to announce with disgust, “I didn’t learn to read today. The teacher said I had to wait until next year.”
Even as a small child I knew that being able to decipher those squiggly lines on paper and pages was going to lead to magic.
I’ve devoured books ever since. My biggest regret about writing is that it eats into my reading time. Since I’m still teaching, my free time is mostly filled with meeting deadlines (there’s something about accepting advance money that reeks of expectation :)). I never had a TBR pile until I started writing but I have one now. I put a serious dent in it every time we go on vacation. The rest of the year I have to chip away at it when I can.
The writer in me is always a bit appalled when someone starts telling me about a fabulous book they’ve read and can’t recall the author’s name. They often go on to admit that the names of the authors just don’t stick with them. Gulp. That’s a fairly daunting thought! Titles don’t always stay with me, but I have always remembered authors. How else am I going to find their next books if I loved the current ones? I used to carry a list in my purse of favorite authors in order to make my monthly purchases. (Okay, so it was before the Internet!)
Covers might intrigue me, but I’m not the sort of reader who’s ever bought a book just because I loved the cover. It’s always the back cover copy that pulls me in. I have to read what the book is about and then if it interests me, I’ll open the book and flip through a few pages. I read almost entirely for author voice, and if I don’t enjoy the way the writer tells the story I know I’m not going to enjoy the book.
If you could see the two huge bookcases in my office stuffed to overflowing, you’d know just how many I’ve enjoyed so much, I can’t bear to part with them!
What about you—do you remember author names? How do you make your purchases for new-to-you writers? What pulls you in, the title, the cover, or the back cover copy? Are there any like me who have to get a taste of the writing before carrying the book to the counter?
I’m giving away a signed copy of my September dark romantic thriller, WAKING NIGHTMARE, to one lucky commenter today! Be sure to check out the other two books in the trilogy at my website at www.kyliebrant.com and my multi-author blog at http://ridingwiththetopdown.blogspot.com.
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To read the back cover blurb for WAKING NIGHTMARE or to check out Kylie’s bio, please see yesterday’s post.