About Charlotte Copper

Romance Writer - specializing in - but not limited to - the Paranormal

How old is too old for YA?

Posted on June 7, 2013 by Charlotte Copper

In the last few years, I’ve found myself more and more drawn into Young Adult (YA) novels. I got started because I was buying books for The Daughter, and wanted to read them to make sure they were appropriate. That led to me wanting to read them because…well, because I wanted to read them.

I think it started with Rachel Vincent and her Before I Wake Series. There was also Gena Showalter’s Intertwined, Julie Kagawa’s Iron Fey, Cassandra Clare’s The Mortal Instruments, Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games (of course), and my latest find, Maureen McGowan’s The Dust Chronicles.

Quick note here, I thought Deviants (#1 in The Dust Chronicles) was amazing. So much so, that although I promised myself no more books until some of the existing supply was read, I had to buy Compliance (#2) this week when it came out. (I might have mentioned this in a previous post, but willpower is NOT one of my strongest characteristics.)

Why YA? I’m not sure.

Maybe because I turn 48 this week, and when I look in the mirror I see my grandma’s arms and some old woman’s knees. (Surely, they aren’t mine.) Maybe because I’m tired of what other authors tell me my sex-life is supposed to be like. (No, I have not read Fifty Shades.) Maybe because when I hear my fifteen year old daughter complain about school and boys, I would openly welcome a life where those were my biggest issues.

Or…maybe it’s just because there are some pretty awesome writers out there who write YA, and I enjoy a good book!

SILVER BLADE – free for Kindle

Posted on May 28, 2013 by Charlotte Copper

Just found out that my e-novella, Silver Blade, is available FOR FREE from May 28th to June 1st.
Stop by Amazon, or go directly to the link: http://amzn.to/10EnetM

Series-ly

Posted on May 25, 2013 by Charlotte Copper

Not sure how many of you are Charlaine Harris fans or saw the articles in the papers, but Charlaine Harris is the wonderful author of the Sookie Stackhouse series, the books that led to the creation of the television show True Blood.

May 2013 was the release of the final Sookie book, Dead Ever After. In it, Ms Harris ties up the loose ends for Sookie and her friends. Throughout the series I figured there were FIVE ways for it to end. There is no real spoiler here as I list my five, but it was one of the following (so skip to next paragraph if you don’t want to see my list): 1. Sookie’s death – I mean really, she survived a lot of bad shit. 2. Sookie deciding she didn’t need the paranormal world, period. And then 3 thru 5, in alphabetic order: Bill, Eric or Sam. Yes there could have been others (Alcide, anyone? mmmmmm) but I figured it would be one of the five.

Was the ending the one that I hoped for? NO. Was it one of the five that I expected? YES. Am I smarter than the average reader? I would have thought not….not until I started reading the reviews for Ms Harris’ book anyway. There were people threatening to kill themselves if the series didn’t end the way they wanted. There were people who threatened to harm Ms Harris because of the way it ended. I’ve read reviews on Goodreads and Amazon where people have given 1 star ratings with reviews that state “I’m not even going to read the book”. Seriously?

I want my readers to relate to my characters; to feel for them and be drawn in by them. But they are characters only!!! Ms Harris ended up cancelling her promotion tour because of all the negative publicity. That’s sad, because the end of a series like that is probably tough enough on an author. Like a good Irish wake, she should be able to celebrate it’s passing.

If you have enjoyed Charlaine’s other books, then you owe it to yourself to read the final episode…even if you don’t like the ending.