While getting ready to release my next book, a novella titled THE WARLORD, THE WARRIOR, THE WAR, due out this Fall, I got the chance to speak with one of the people who read my first book in the series RISE OF THE PENGUINS today. From what I was told, the biggest hindrance to people actually reading the novel was its size. Now I know 700+ pages seem like a lot, but also I know most people out there read 150,000 words a day in people’s news feeds on Facebook or Twitter or Tumbler or… the list goes on. But the conversation didn’t stop there; she continued to tell me that she was intrigued by the unusual concept and gave it a shot. And wouldn’t you know it; she couldn’t stop reading the book. She told me she read it faster than some 300 page books that endlessly slog on and never get to the point. And then she said she even learned a few things from my book.
Mission accomplished! If a reader can be entertained and take some knowledge from something I created, then I have achieved what 10,000 books about the undead with BDS&M fetishes couldn’t and can’t do. Which is not to say that I am a book snob. Quite the contrary. My books are not for people who enjoy blathering on about the beautiful prose of the latest Pulitzer Prize winner. It’s my personal opinion that a lot of the lauded award winning fiction out there is completely self-absorbed. Yes, my books have an underlying message about the environment and corporate greed and even the military being used for corporate gain, but I assure you that you will rarely find yourself reaching for the thesaurus or dictionary to look up words that nobody will ever use in a sentence in real life.
My books are fun. They are about penguins. They are meant to entertain and if you learn something while you’re reading them, then that’s great. If you don’t like learning while you read, there’s plenty of action and drama and laughs to keep you happy. And my books are engaging and quick reads. In fact, one the best compliments I received was in a review where the reader said he finished the book within 48 hours. I would say that if you finish reading a 700+ page novel in less than 48 hours that is an accomplishment. So if you haven’t had the chance yet, pick up the book from Amazon or on my website and you might pleasantly surprised. If you’re a book snob, then maybe the latest offering from Annie Proulx would be more to your liking. Which is not to say that her and other past winners are not talented, they are, but I write books for people that are not about sexual depravity or falling in love with the undead. If there’s something you do or don’t like about my work, send me a message on the Facebook fan page. Unlike some authors, I listen to my fans and I will answer you.
Enough of this stuff. Join me next time when I talk about the difference between lumbering and lumbering. Yeah there is a difference
