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CharlotteJ
Joined: 30 Jul 2010
Posts: 75
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 Posted: Sat Feb 04, 2012 9:28 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | Anyway, everybody gets married. |
LOL! I can think of a few authors that need to ditch the sequels and just stick this line in at the end of the book 
| Quote: | Now sometimes unfortunately like in anything you have your bad apples that you just want to flip through that couple and get to the good one.
But when it's done right oh the good reading you can have. |
| Quote: | | This is the main problem with many series books today. So much page time is dedicated to the set up of future h/h that the couple that is supposed to be the focus really is short-changed. And the first couple never gets comparable page time in the future books. |
Yes and yes! Authors who know that they're writing a franchise can set up the future books without hitting the readers over the head with a hammer. I really enjoyed Nora Roberts Bride Quartet because even though I preferred book 2 and 3 to book 1 and 4, she still was subtle about setting up the couples. She focused on the main couple in each book and used the interaction of the sequel couples very sparingly - she gave them small interesting scenes instead of pages and pages of 'preview for the next book'.
So I think there's a big difference between that kind of subtle 'preview' and an author writing 10 pages for the main couple, 10 pages for the sequel couple, 10 pages for the villain, 10 pages for the couple in book 3, and back to 10 pages for the main couple.
When I see a 300 page book and there's only about 100 pages devoted to the main couple, I can't get too invested in the story. |
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Leigh
Joined: 29 May 2007
Posts: 2688
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| Posted: Sat Feb 04, 2012 10:26 pm Post subject: |
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| Nana wrote: | You know that historical series about the British guys who went to boarding school together? One of them was bullied before inheriting his title at a young age, one of them is a bastard, one of them is devil-may-care and got injured in the army later, one of them had to get his family out of debt by clever investments (but has to keep it a secret) and one is a commoner who's really brilliant? They duel and box together a lot?
No, wait, I'm thinking of that boisterous set of siblings. They have those cute quirky get-togethers around the holidays, and I think they might be ethnic (but something innocuous and basically Caucasian, like Irish or Italian, nothing really challenging). There's that one sibling with a child from a previous relationship, and at least one cop, and the mom wants more grandkids.
Argh, that's not it, either! The series I'm thinking of is that brotherhood of supernatural males. There's a really strict hierarchy in their species but don't worry, because the secondary characters in the first book are all somehow exceptions and so you don't have to worry about a hero in a later book who's not the baddest guy in town. In a weird coincidence, everybody has to marry outside their species - either a human female or a female from another supernatural species, preferably a mortal enemy species. Fighting inbreeding, I guess. And the guys are kind of stalkery but again, it's ok, because he can smell that the heroine is supposed to be with him forever. And at some point there will be a book about a supernatural woman from that species but it will be disappointing.
Anyway, everybody gets married. |
I agree - great post. You made me laugh.
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Gone to Rainbow Bridge - Lily 2000-2011 |
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peajay
Joined: 12 Apr 2007
Posts: 45
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| Posted: Sat Feb 04, 2012 10:33 pm Post subject: |
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I love series, and I love reading them in exact order. But I like subtly too. Not too much setting up for future books, please. If it's too much, and not enough about the main characters, here's what happens: I put the book down, and list the author on my "Not To My Taste" list. I give a second try to another book by that author every now and then, but just when I take a wild notion. Most of the time it's one try per author. There are a lot of authors out there, and I'm committed to growing my other list, my goody list.
I think someone who does the series and set ups well is Loretta Chase. I just read Silk is for Seduction very recently, and there was just enough of the two younger sisters to make me look forward to reading about them in books 2 and 3. I have the most basic idea of their personalities. It was juuust enough. |
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Wendy AAR
Joined: 22 May 2010
Posts: 325
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| Posted: Sat Feb 04, 2012 11:05 pm Post subject: |
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| Nana wrote: | | wendydfw wrote: |
You forgot to mention the one where there are three brothers (or brothers in arms, or sisters or whatever) who miraculously, near the end of book 3 when the series is supposed to end, find out they have an unlimited number of half-siblings, or a step family, or genetic twins or whatever who all need their own stories too! |
You're right! And the series about the tough, mortal heroine with one moderate ability who has to go toe-to-toe with wicked beasties and starts becoming supernatural herself over the course of the books. She has a quirky grandma, I think, and gets a blood transfusion of some kind from a paranormal character. |
Quirky Grandma! Hee again. |
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JMM
Joined: 23 Mar 2007
Posts: 492
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| Posted: Sun Feb 05, 2012 1:35 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | Anyway, everybody gets married. |
And has 4, 5 kids. No unmarried or childfree siblings.
All have to marry - and they have to marry someone who will: A) adore each and every member of the hero/ine's MASSIVE family (instead of being creeped out by all the forced togetherness), and: B) have NO family of their own - no "I want to spend Christmas with MY family, dammit!"
No tension between inlaws who don't like one another or just don't have anything in common - just happy, happy, joy, joy and bluebirds twittering. |
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Eliza
Joined: 21 Aug 2011
Posts: 744
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| Posted: Sun Feb 05, 2012 3:13 am Post subject: |
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| peajay wrote: | ... Not too much setting up for future books, please. If it's too much, and not enough about the main characters, here's what happens: I put the book down, and list the author on my "Not To My Taste" list. I give a second try to another book by that author every now and then, but just when I take a wild notion. Most of the time it's one try per author. There are a lot of authors out there, and I'm committed to growing my other list, my goody list.
I think someone who does the series and set ups well is Loretta Chase. I just read Silk is for Seduction very recently, and there was just enough of the two younger sisters to make me look forward to reading about them in books 2 and 3. I have the most basic idea of their personalities. It was juuust enough. |
Exactly.
Last edited by Eliza on Sun Feb 05, 2012 4:01 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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veasleyd1
Joined: 02 Dec 2007
Posts: 2064
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| Posted: Sun Feb 05, 2012 5:16 am Post subject: |
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| wendydfw wrote: |
You forgot to mention the one where there are three brothers (or brothers in arms, or sisters or whatever) who miraculously, near the end of book 3 when the series is supposed to end, find out they have an unlimited number of half-siblings, or a step family, or genetic twins or whatever who all need their own stories too!
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Marie Ferrarella's Cavanaugh series  |
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Islandgirl2
Joined: 14 Nov 2010
Posts: 279
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| Posted: Sun Feb 05, 2012 10:34 am Post subject: |
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| JMM wrote: | | Quote: | | Anyway, everybody gets married. |
And has 4, 5 kids. No unmarried or childfree siblings.
All have to marry - and they have to marry someone who will: A) adore each and every member of the hero/ine's MASSIVE family (instead of being creeped out by all the forced togetherness), and: B) have NO family of their own - no "I want to spend Christmas with MY family, dammit!"
No tension between inlaws who don't like one another or just don't have anything in common - just happy, happy, joy, joy and bluebirds twittering. |
I have to say thank GOD because it's my escapism and real life has too much tension as it is.
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Romance my favorite reading pastime. |
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MissRubyJones
Joined: 22 Apr 2008
Posts: 78
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| Posted: Sun Feb 05, 2012 2:52 pm Post subject: |
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I have nothing to say that Nana didn't say better
However, I would like to add that we who do not like "franchises" (lol - I love that), must be in the minority, because aside from category titles, the franchises seem to outnumber everything else. Especially in historical romance. Which is why I've been reading older titles instead of new releases for the past few years...  |
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Linda in sw va
Joined: 27 Mar 2007
Posts: 4708
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| Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2012 9:09 am Post subject: |
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| JMM wrote: | | Quote: | | Anyway, everybody gets married. |
And has 4, 5 kids. No unmarried or childfree siblings.
All have to marry - and they have to marry someone who will: A) adore each and every member of the hero/ine's MASSIVE family (instead of being creeped out by all the forced togetherness), and: B) have NO family of their own - no "I want to spend Christmas with MY family, dammit!"
No tension between inlaws who don't like one another or just don't have anything in common - just happy, happy, joy, joy and bluebirds twittering. |
And you would see this as a bad thing? I feel the complete opposite, these are aspects I love about these romances. The last thing I want to read in my romance is a hero and heroine fighting over who they spend Christmas with, how they can't stand their inlaws, or the inlaws don't like them etc. There's enough of that in real life, I enjoy leaving it behind when I read a romance. I've never been one to like the 'argue' romances though, if there's too much fighting or disagreements I'm going to close the book and move on to something more enjoyable. What can I say, I love books with big happy families that enjoy spending time with each other, look out for each other, share in each other's joys and sucess.
Linda
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"The Bookshop has a thousand books, all colors, hues and tinges, and every cover is a door that turns on magic hinges." ~ Nancy Byrd Turner |
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MEK
Joined: 09 Dec 2010
Posts: 230
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| Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2012 9:51 am Post subject: |
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[quote="Linda in sw va"][quote="JMM"] | Quote: |
And you would see this as a bad thing? I feel the complete opposite, these are aspects I love about these romances. The last thing I want to read in my romance is a hero and heroine fighting over who they spend Christmas with, how they can't stand their inlaws, or the inlaws don't like them etc. There's enough of that in real life, I enjoy leaving it behind when I read a romance. I've never been one to like the 'argue' romances though, if there's too much fighting or disagreements I'm going to close the book and move on to something more enjoyable. What can I say, I love books with big happy families that enjoy spending time with each other, look out for each other, share in each other's joys and sucess.
Linda |
I agree. That's why I quite reading popular fiction. I got tired of the angst.
I like series, because if there is a book I don't particularly like as well as others, it does not "rock my boat" and I can still enjoy being a part of the world or family that has been created. A good example would be Nalini Singh's Psy Changling series. Some work better than others for me, but that's fine, because in the end of love being a part of what she has created. Each couple has their own book, though, without a lot of overlap or "poaching"!!
Series do often make for a big reading commitment, though. I have yet to read Patricia Briggs Mercy series nor a bunch of others in many genres because so many books so little time! |
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MEK
Joined: 09 Dec 2010
Posts: 230
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| Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2012 9:51 am Post subject: |
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trigger happy finger - delete repeat post
Last edited by MEK on Tue Feb 07, 2012 9:16 am; edited 1 time in total |
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MEK
Joined: 09 Dec 2010
Posts: 230
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| Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2012 9:51 am Post subject: |
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delete repeat post
Last edited by MEK on Tue Feb 07, 2012 9:15 am; edited 1 time in total |
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MEK
Joined: 09 Dec 2010
Posts: 230
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| Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2012 9:52 am Post subject: |
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delete repeat post
Last edited by MEK on Tue Feb 07, 2012 9:14 am; edited 1 time in total |
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JMM
Joined: 23 Mar 2007
Posts: 492
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| Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2012 3:54 pm Post subject: |
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It's a personal thing.
Big families where everyone is in everyone elses' business just... makes my skin crawl. Forced togetherness can also be bullying.
"We're such a CLOSE family, we do EVERYTHING together!" can end up being "20 relatives in the hospital room fighting over 'I want to hold the baby' while mother is exhausted and in tears". |
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