HE DIDN'T GET OUT OF THE COCKADOODIE CAR! Anyone remember Kathy Bates screaming in the movie Misery about how the writer cheated her? Well....I've read three romantic suspense books because I like the actual story the writer tells, but I can't stand the cockadoodie nonsense she allows to happen in her books.
In one instance, a piece of equipment which gives away the evidence of a murder, sees down a hallway, around corners, through walls into a bedroom and witnesses a murder, without ever moving. Now, I wasn't a physics major, but 'taint possible, folks.
In another book, a PI in a VERY small town, is asked by the chief of police if the PI has a permit for his gun. Anybody want to venture a guess who signs the permits for weapons in a town? That's right. He had to know about the cockadoodie permit!
Now, I hope you realize, I didn't really go postal over this, but these three books all received 5-star reviews. And, again, I like the stories. Not a big fan of alpha males who talk rather flamboyantly, but I can even get over that. But don't cheat me as a reader by not doing your homework. I had made up my mind not to do this post a couple weeks ago, but after book three it stuck in my "craw" if you don't mind me dating myself.
Readers plunk down hard cash, and I would, as an agent, turn these submissions down if an author didn't fix these problems; instead they went from author, to editors and into print without anyone noticing.
Some things are preferences, others are the laws of physics. C'mon now...
hehe. An omniscient piece of equipment and a dumb chief of police in a small town where it's easy to know everything... ;-)
ReplyDeleteYup! So who's the boob, the author, or me for buying books two and three?
ReplyDeletehehe. Love this post, Linda. Maybe the CoP had amnesia and couldn't remember issuing the permit? OR the omniscient piece of equipment, could it have x-ray vision too? lol. I better be careful, though, you've heard my stuff. 0_0
ReplyDeleteYou would NEVER do that. Oh well, I'm an anal pain in the rumpus who lets this stuff bother me, but oh, does it ever! Just call me Kathy!
ReplyDeleteGood job with this post, Linda.
ReplyDeleteDon't beat yourself up for buying two and three - after all - hope springs eternal.
I'm sure you figured those idiot-spots would be fixed over time and as the author grew as a writer???? One can ALWAYS hope.
I just get frustrated reading multi-published authors who GET BY when many of us 'newbies' work hard to learn the rules - even when they change them - and still can't get past a gate-keeper for reasons other than the strength of one's writing.
I love your sense of humor - easier for an author to swallow meds when given with a bit of sugar water - let's just hope the author swallows this particular med. ';D
I recently finished a book that started with someone grabbing the halter of a horse being ridden. *sigh* Anyone ever heard of a bridle? One little thing - the wrong piece of equipment - but I guess I'm anal too because it colored my opinion of the rest of the book. I did find a few other little inconsistencies farther along in the book, but I wonder if I would have noticed them at all if that first one hadn't slapped me in the face.
ReplyDeleteA book by a very well-known, multi-published author was set in Michigan. Oh, if only you could drive from the UP to Bay City in an hour... and then Bay City was referred to as 'a suburb of Detroit'.... right after the big lake on the EAST side of the state was called 'Lake Michigan'. Yikes!! The story was wonderful and I have loved all of her books, but it really, really turned me off and I haven't read another one since. You are not alone, Linda!
ReplyDeleteOh, my. That would have had me really chomping at Pegg's bridle! hehehe
ReplyDeleteYeah, that makes me crazy. I think I need more hormones so I can chill out better!
Okay, here I sit sweating it out over my 1830's Erie Canal story, with three historians giving me corrections and feedback, and someone says Bay City is a suburb of Detroit? Hold the presses!
ReplyDeleteI know, right? I'd rather see an area fictionalized rather than have it all wrong. Even some reality and some fiction mixed is a preference to outright wrong facts. I know how hard you work to have your facts right in your MI stories. But the Bay City bit would be like saying Canada is part of Michigan. Close but no banana. I realize I'm whining and complaining, but I don't understand the reasoning behind sending out material like this.I am so indebted to my crit partners for catching this kind of stuff. I know we all miss things, but these are major issues.
ReplyDelete