It’s like thinking you’re eating a cracker, only to taste a sweet cookie. It might be a GOOD sweet cookie, but if you were expecting saltiness then your first reaction will probably be negative.

If she wanted to write a TT, that’s fine. But why make it part of the SBC series? That’s the problem I have–the book makes absolutely no sense within the context of the universe she’s already created.

I mean, if I pick up a Dresden Files book by Jim Butcher, and in it Harry doesn’t do any spells, and no vampires, werewolves or fairies show up, I’m going to be pissed, right? I read that series expecting paranormal elements, not a regular detective story.

This is the same thing–I pick up a contemporary series expecting to read a contemporary series.

And no, I don’t buy that LF is too stupid to understand reader expectations. I think it’s a bit disingenuous of her to act like it’s such a shock that some readers are upset.

I’ll buy her books used or from the library from now on. No sense in wasting what little $$ I have when I can’t be sure what type of book I’m going to get.

If Lori Foster had no idea suddenly writing out of style wouldn’t annoy her fans why create another name to write horror, I mean urban fantasy, shit I mean paranormal romance (which it isn’t but I will let that fall to the publisher). She went far out of her way to create LL Foster to do something new and different and not piss off her contemp fans, something I thought grand of her. And the marketing push she did to make sure her fans knew about it was good.

So to turn around now with MMM and go ‘omg’ you are upset? Silly me… gosh who knew, wish I had thought of it before but you know stick with me kid I am only gonna fuck you over with this book, back to contemps with the next. So it isn’t even taking the series Paranormal just one random book…

Wasn’t that fun!

If she was a newbie, sure I could buy the stupid ass mistake. She has what 1000 books under her? And to come out and blame her publisher and not even have the balls to own it and say my bad I screwed up. But to take the easy way out and blame the label?

ok sure maybe she really is that stupid but I seriously doubt it, for everything I have seen she is a very smart lady and knows her shit

and the lori vs laurie thing vs giggles vs any mean ol reviewer makes it seriously hard to read her and is something that takes a book or two to get over EVERYTIME she pulls this shit

Do I think she cares? No, do I think it hurts her sells? No. Do I think maybe this time I will learn my lesson and stop reading her. Could be. All I know is forever ago when I first got online that ‘readers’ loved her ‘online readers’ couldn’t stand her.

And this is why… hasn’t hurt her sells yet and I doubt it will.

I think there are 2 perfect examples of how authors should handle reader backlash. Foster’s is an example of how to handle it and Suzanne Brockmann is an example of how NOT to behave.

But in general publishers really need to start listening to their readers, particularly as our willingness to part with our money shrinks in this economy. They need to be upfront with us and properly label what category and genre the book is in, regardless of what came before it.

However authors also need to take responsibility. They are responsible for how they themselves personally market the book by what they say on their message boards and blogs like this one. For example, if JR Ward’s latest book is like her last one, a 100 page romance within a 550 page book, and she proclaims it to be a romance and super hot etc. Well, she’s going to experience reader backlash. Again.

For me, there is no problem. Although I did not like the direction of this series, I know what it is about before I make decision to purchase this book. I do not think it is the best kept secrets but you may not know based on the cover. You just need to search for information. And I think LF is quite frank about this.

I guess my point is this–if she believes that AAR doesn’t like her very much, then she has every right to say so publicly.

Sure, she certainly does, but what purpose does it serve? Those who don’t know the old history will go ‘huh?’ and those who remember may or may not agree with her stance on that issue.

I was curious to see whether there was really a negative bias, so I just went and looked at all of the reviews of Lori’s work at AAR. The majority were Bs, some Cs, a couple of Ds and As. One F, but if you click on it, Lori’s story in that anthology actually got a C- grade and in a couple of anthologies where the overall grade was a C, Lori’s stories got higher marks (one an A-, one a B+).

Not the slate of a favored author with only As and Bs, but I wouldn’t agree that it shows AAR doesn’t like her.

So, we are back to what impression did that comment create with readers who were curious enough to check out the grades given to her by AAR?

I don’t want to flog this to death, since my initial response was really more triggered by things that happened recently that had nothing to do with Lori, but I thought I ought to at least explain why I didn’t think that AAR comment was in Lori’s best interest.

Julie, I don’t think anybody said writers aren’t allowed to answer criticism. It’s all about *how* that criticism is answered!

I agree. And I think Lori has addressed this criticism with honesty and class. And frankly, I went back and re-read the old AAR thread and I think Lori was classy there, too. She had an opinion and she expressed it. I remember that brouhaha well and I was pretty much on the opposite side of the argument, but I respected Lori’s opinion then and I still do now.

I guess my point is this–if she believes that AAR doesn’t like her very much, then she has every right to say so publicly. She hasn’t said, “AAR are a bunch of (insert insult here).” She said they don’t like her. That’s her opinion and she’s entitled to it, even if Laurie Gold or other people don’t see it that way. There’s nothing inflammatory or unprofessional about what Lori has said about AAR.