Walking the Line

Ahh...romantic suspense is a tight rope! If your villain is too obvious, your reader isn't happy. If they come out of left field, your reader isn't happy. So you have to find that sweet spot in between. Only thing is, the sweet spot shifts depending on the reader.


I'm going to be upfront with you--not everyone likes every one of my books. Gasp! The horror! I received a five star review this week and a three star review, on the same book. Reading through my reviews I find that one reader said the book kept them on edge, while another reader said it wasn't the nail-biter they were looking for, because they figured out who the killer was early on. One reader said the characters felt very real, another said the opposite. Love the romance, didn't feel the connection between characters. Arghhh! It's enough to drive a poor author crazy! And it's not that one reader doesn't like all of the aspects, like they are a Negative Nelly. One who likes the suspense line, doesn't like the romance. One who likes the romance, doesn't like the suspense.



What I do pride myself in, though, is most of my "bad" reviews still say something like, all-in-all, though, it was an enjoyable read, or, despite missing this or that, it was well-written and the characters were well-developed. It's funny, as an author, to hear different fans say what their favorite book of mine is. One will gush over BLACKOUT, but for another, their favorite is ABANDON ALL HOPE. It's just interesting what the reader brings to the book, and takes out of the book. One example is the three star review I got today was from a reviewer that gave me a five star review on another book a few days ago. She admitted to comparing the two, and they are just way different. BLACKOUT is a contemporary romance with a lot of deep emotion and angst. BETWEEN ROCK AND A HARD PLACE is a romantic suspense, and while it deals with some tough issues, the focus is on the relationship and the case. So you have to ask yourself, what book preceded mine? Where was the reader coming from, what was happening in their lives that might color their perception of your book.



As an author, then, it's hard sometimes to tell what you are doing right, and what your are doing wrong. You have to listen hard to the feedback and if you see something consistent in what readers/reviewers are saying, then you need to take a closer look at that.



For instance, I've had several readers say that my heroine in BETWEEN ROCK AND A HARD PLACE is weak or immature. I want to say, yes, she is. She lost her parents at a young age in a plane crash SHE walked away from. Since that time she has been totally controlled by an overbearing uncle. She hasn't had room to grow, and she is only twenty-four. Know any immature twenty-four-year-olds? That being said, I missed the mark somewhere along the line by not emphasizing these things to my readers. (Again, you walk a hard line with what to tell your readers. Some will say, don't spoon feed things to your readers, they'll get it. Others will say, you have to hit them over the head.)




I also get some flack about my rock stars not being mobbed every place they go. I've written blogs about this before, but I will contend that if you are a star and want to keep under the radar, you can. Sure paparazzi hound certain stars, but have you seen how some stars manage to keep out of the headlines? I understand that readers of this genre normally see a huge emphasis on the star aspect of it. I focus more on the relationship angle. Does that mean I can't throw a little more harassment my rock stars' way? Absolutely not. Readers sometimes want what they are familiar with, what has been presented to them by others as "the life of a rock star." They want their books to be realistic, but their "reality" may be defined by stereotypes. However, although rock stars' lives vary as much as yours and mine do, there are some things they share in common. And if my fictional rock stars are making choices to avoid the media attention, (for instance, wearing disguises, eating at off times, avoiding public areas, all of which my rock stars do) then maybe I need to emphasize that more. (But don't bang them over the head. Got it.)



In some ways, that is what I like about this line of work. If you take it seriously, you are always learning more about your trade, so there are new challenges in every day, in every project. Well, I've talked long enough. I'd love to hear some of your thoughts on the subject. Authors, do you contend with some of the same issues? Or does everyone love all of your books? [If this is true, I don't want to hear it! ;) ] Readers, are there certain things that authors do that really drive you nuts? Have you ever known that a book you read hit you the wrong way, but not because of the strength of the book itself but because of something going on in your life? Please leave a comment, and if I get some good interaction going on I'll give away an e-copy of BETWEEN ROCK AND A HARD PLACE, so you can judge for yourself.



Thanks for reading!

Now, I've got this song running through my head, and I'm going to get it stuck in yours, too, if you dare to click below! ;) 
(What is up with me posting all these country songs lately? I swear I'm a rock girl!)

Okay, just to balance things out, I need to throw a little Ricky Nelson at ya that has to do with the subject, too. Enjoy and have a nice weekend!

~ M.J. SCHILLER ~ ROCKING REALITY! ~

Hi! We’re going to play a little game. Ready? What do you think of when I say the words—rock star. Go!

Okay, so did you think--partier, drugs, drinking, women, fans...? It is true, those do seem to be more prevalent in the life of a rocker than say, the life of your average telephone repair man. A lot of rock romances focus on this, what has become a stereotype of a rocker. And that’s great. I’m all for it. I enjoy reading those books. I just write my stories a little differently. I like to keep it real. Or as real as fiction can be.

For instance, you are not going to see paparazzi splashed over all of the pages of my books. You’ll see them more when my characters are in L.A. or New York, but not if the band is playing Kansas City or St. Louis or even Chicago. While photographers and fans are a huge part of these musicians lives, it’s not necessarily a 24/7 kind of thing. So the city matters, and so does the specific location. Are they at the mall? Or at a private club? Are they in town for a show? Then people might have a heightened awareness of their presence. Are they at the venue? Crowds are definitely going to show up there.

It also depends on what kind of rocker we’re talking about. Chad Evans, from Trapped Under Ice would draw a little bit more attention than Chase Hatton of Abandon All Hope. Chad is much more comfortable in the limelight. He works the crowd, he makes appearances, but even he is not as outgoing as his partner Roger. Still, Chad dates models, is seen in the tabloids, has a body guard. There is a scene in Trapped Under Ice when Beth and Chad and the boys are walking to the bus through a crowd of onlookers who are held back by barriers and security. This is a big part of the story and is told through Beth’s eyes, someone who is new to it all. They are in Kansas City, a fairly sizable town, and at the venue. Later, when Chad visits Beth in Bloomington, Illinois, they don’t have to deal with fans. “They had dinner with Cassie at a nearby restaurant Pete [the body guard] checked out beforehand. There were a few stares and some whispering, but since Trapped Under Ice wasn’t playing in town, most people chalked it up to a phenomenal resemblance.”

Now Chase Hatton is a different breed of rocker. He’s a loner. He’s not part of a band, he’s the main act that is backed by a nameless band. Think Cher or Madonna. We don’t know the names of most of the members of their bands either. Chase also keeps a low profile when not on stage. He’s not out hobnobbing with the rich and famous. He probably wouldn’t have a Twitter page. It’s not that he’s not personable, but he’s from Nebraska, grew up in a middle class family—he likes things pure and laid back, like Hope. Still, when in Chicago he avoids public transit and wears a baseball cap to the zoo so that he won’t be recognized.

(My picture~Seether at The House of Blues, Chicago~May 2014)

Another factor is the genre of music. Pop stars, by

definition, are popular and therefore recognizable, for the most part. Rock band members, not so much. Even though I’ve seen 5 Finger Death Punch several times, lead singer Ivan Moody could walk right by me and I wouldn’t blink, unless I was at the venue. He doesn’t have any really distinguishing features. He wears the same kind of clothing that his fans do. He blends in, until he opens his mouth to sing.

And I think it also depends on whether the star wants to be seen. I’m thinking Reese Witherspoon could walk through an airport and not be hassled, if she chose to, or saunter through the same airport and sign tons of autographs. If she was willing to stop and speak with her fans, she’d be dolled up and make a lot of eye contact. In a rush or not in the mood to deal with that? Dressed down, wearing a ponytail, and keeping her head low.

Here’s a little story to illustrate my point. A while back Nickelback was in town for two weeks, secretly testing their new stage in our coliseum. They ate at local restaurants, drank in local bars, went to the phone store…and yet I NEVER KNEW THEY WERE HERE! Mind you, I have snuck back stage at three Nickelback concerts (and gotten thrown out). If I had seen them on the street I guarantee you there would have been a scene, believe me. However, they are four somewhat average looking guys, wearing t-shirts and jeans. I would have recognized them, if they were together, but maybe not individually. If I saw just one of them I might have been like, “Hey! That guy looks like Ryan Peake!” But knowing that Nickelback wasn’t playing in town, I might have blown it off. I would have definitely recognized all four of them, yet there were people in town that carried on lengthy conversations with them without even knowing who they are. (That burns me!)

(Seether again~House of Blues, Chicago)

I had a little fun with the idea of being recognized in my latest release, ROCK ME, GENTLY. Josh Dunningham, of Money Back Guaranteed, is told by several people that he looks “just like” Josh Dunningham of Money Back Guaranteed, but people still don’t believe that it’s him. Except for a pair of fans who do cause a scene at a restaurant despite Josh’s attempts to keep his identity on the down low.

So how about you? Ever have a run in with a celebrity? Now’s your time to shine! Tell us about it. Brag! Go on, it'll do ya some good!