Age, genre trends and the internet

Since I’ve been trying to be more involved in social medias, I have noticed a few trends.

I’m young so I can wear a hat and look cool

The first one is that internet is dominated by the younger generation: if you’re under thirty, you were probably born with an electronic device in your hands. You can whizz through internet and computers alike with the nonchalance of a seasoned pro. Us older people (I’m in my thirties…and not for very long) are still figuring out the technicalities and getting used to expose ourselves on such a grand scale. Of course, I AM generalizing, but you can see my point.

Hence the second trend. The YA genre is exploding right now, its popularity driven by I believe, the young adults themselves who roam Goodreads, Twitter and the likes and heavily promote, write and enjoy this category. The fantasy genre is also very successful and appealing to them at the minute. All other genres, thrillers, mysteries, romance etc…aren’t as exposed. Even the erotica genre, which 50 Shades of Grey propelled in front of the masses, seem to run out of steam.

I do understand that like everything else in life, literature goes through fashionable cycles. The dystopian world is hot (Hunger games, Game of thrones), as is fantasy fiction (Harry Potter). Look at Goodreads Most popular books of 2016, you will find an overwhelming number of YA and fantasy.

The wolf isn’t a shifter. The bee on the flower is.

The majority of bloggers are also under 30, and will tend to pick and choose a story appealing to their age group. From here, two conclusions came to me.

1. Most readers (me included) tend to prefer a book where the main character is close to their own age. Me for example, I avoid any story involving a high school student, or an over 50 character, because they both are at a stage in their life which is harder for me to identify with, so I favour the 25-45 age group. I admit though, that I would rather opt for an older character than a younger one: the retiree over the university student.
2. What happens in social medias does not always apply to real life. Look at The best selling fiction of 2016, and you’ll find some recognizable names, the ones that have managed to pierce through the bubbles of YA (Girl on the train, After you) but also a plethora of titles I’ve never heard of. And YA/fantasy, besides Harry Potter, is nowhere to be seen.

So in all the noisy advice that us indie writers should “build our platform” within social medias, websites etc…it seems that unless you write a genre popular with the under 30’s, the task is going to be more difficult.

The young generation seem to be the most open to self-published authors and willing to give us a chance. Some of them will even agree to read and review a book that isn’t necessarily top of their best loved genres. I have to include each one of the bloggers who have reviewed my books: they are all young and FANTASTIC. I am ever so grateful to them.

The over 30’s, because they spend less time on the net, are harder to reach. Those will prefer buying their books in a bookstore, will visit the library more often, and will also favour the traditionally published books.

Are you saying I don’t look cool with my hat?

I believe the gap isn’t as wide as it used to be, and more and more “oldies” (oh dear, I AM one O.0) are broadening their horizons and taking the plunge at creating their own blogs, or searching through social medias to find the elusive literary pearl they wouldn’t have heard of before otherwise. And as the 20 year-old readers and writers of today turn 30, they will bring forward their values with them.

I hope the young generation will carry on reading, writing, blogging, and browsing in their 40’s.

And I hope the older generation will carry on opening themselves to the new literary world developing in front of them.

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Of course I have generalized people’s behaviour. But I would love to hear from you, as a reader, or as a writer. What prevalent trends have you noticed yourselves? 

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Epilogue or no Epilogue?

What’s at the end of the bridge?

Books can have two different endings: one with an epilogue, which will details a far future, or one without, which will remain in the present, or the near future at most.

What I like about epilogues 

• You don’t have any questions left, everything gets answered. You know what happens to the main protagonists years down the line, what colour their new cat is and how their career and personal lives have progressed. Sometimes, you even get details about side characters. I appreciate this too, because I tend to have a soft spot for side characters.
• There is no confusion about the ending. Sometimes, the author will leave an open or unclear ending, which readers can interpret differently. With an epilogue, there are no arguments possible.
• It provides closure. The story is all finished, all wrapped up, so it makes it easier to move onto another one. The satisfaction factor is high.
• It can give you a glimpse or opening onto the next book, if it is a series, and wet your appetite.

What I don’t like about epilogues

• The lack of mystery. I like to be able to imagine what happens in the future of a character I love. It allows me to remain in the world created by the author for longer, as I ponder on all the possibilities.
• I might not like the future described in an epilogue. Let’s be honest, we all have our tastes, preferences and ideas on what should happen to a character down the line. If the epilogue doesn’t fit what you had imagined, it is a cruel blow.
• Some epilogues are pointless. Need I say more?
• The epilogue cliffhanger. No. Just no. I cannot stand cliffhangers, unless the next book is available already. And even then, you’ll hear me groan.
• The story is wrapped up, and my journey with the characters is finished. Epilogues can make me a little melancholic at the idea of saying goodbye to characters I have loved.

In conclusion, I would say that I like epilogues, as long as they are useful and flawless. I don’t even mind the all singing, all dancing cliché where everyone lives happily ever after, but it needs to show that the author has worked on it as much as on the rest of her/his story. Lazy epilogues ruin everything.

What’s your view on epilogues? Love ’em or hate ’em?

How did you meet your other half?

I’m in a romantic mood today, so I thought I’d talk about real life love encounters.

My own story first:

I met my husband in a hotel in Ireland, where I was working as a waitress. He arrived a few weeks after I did, as a chef. He went out with another girl there first and as soon as they broke up about a month later, he started dating me. So I was the rebound girl, or at least I thought I was. Neither of us were looking for long term love, but life had other plans, since 16 years later we’re married and we have two children!
For the anecdote, we gave our kids Irish names 🙂

I love my grand-parents love story:

My granddad was from a rich and influential family who owned lots of land in their area. As the eldest, my granddad was set to inherit big, so when he started seeing my grand-mother, who was from a modest family, his family turned against him and my grand-ma. My granddad followed his heart though and he married the girl he loved, despite the inheritance being withdrawn from him. They had 14 kids, and my grand-mother never re-married after his premature death at 54 🙂

A friend of mine met her husband at sixteen, at school. He was her first and only love, as they are now married with four children. They actually tied the knot early, when she was twenty-one, and I remember thinking “wow, she’s my age, and she’s a wife already!”
My sister-in-law also married her first love.

My mother’s sisters married two cousins. Might as well keep it in the family, right?

Another aunt was pursued by two brothers. She admitted she chose her now husband because he was the tallest of the two lol.

Married or not, how did you meet your other half? Let me know in the comments 🙂

Do you visualize characters?

I’ve noticed that many reviews for books included pictures of what the reader imagined the characters to look like. Because after all, besides general details such as hair and eye colour, indication of build, and other obvious characteristics (freckles, beer belly etc…), it is difficult to describe someone to reach a consensus. Try and write about a blue-eyed, dark haired, slender woman, and some will visualize Katy Perry, others Zooey Deschanel, Megan Fox, or that unknown woman on the internet. Those women don’t look alike in real life. In books, they can be one and the same.

That unknown woman 

With some books, it’s fun to associate a true picture to a written face. It helps with making a character feel more realistic and within reach. I’ve found myself both as author and reader, scouring the internet to find the perfect representation of those characters in my head. Scrolling through hundreds of faces, until I found the one that fits. It’s strangely satisfying.

But because we all have our personal picture of what a character should look like, when a book is turned into a movie, the chosen actors rarely fit the bill. Sometimes, we can’t quite put our finger on why, but we know the face isn’t right, and it can spoil the entire film. Hence why I think people are usually disappointed by a book made into a movie, even if the plot has been respected.

And then there are books, most books in fact, where I don’t really visualize anyone. I know that said character has curly black hair and is thirty, but the picture remains blurry. It doesn’t spoil the story at all. Even when a character has a distinctive feature such as a stutter or a missing arm, I will “forget” about it. Which proves to me that I don’t need a real picture to appreciate a book.

In this day and age where internet is easily accessible and where faces from all around the world can be found at the touch of a button, it spurs on a lot of readers to search for the perfect real-life portrait of their favourite characters. But at the end of the day, I think it’s all just a bit of fun.

Do you look for pictures that fit your favourite literary hero/heroine? Or maybe your imagination is detailed enough to satisfy you? Or do characters remain blurry in your mind?

Websites I always visit

So after a long break, I am finally back, both on internet and in my writing. I’m not sure how the writing will fare after such a long pause, but I re-read some of the first draft of my third book, and I found it easier than I expected to throw myself back in this world. We’ll see how it goes 🙂

Anyway, I wanted to start this new term (kids are back to school today too!) with a list of those websites that I visit regularly, for various reasons. Who knows, you might discover some interesting ones you didn’t know about.

1. http://lolasreviews.com/
   I had to start with a website related to books of course, and this one is a gem. Lola is a book reviewer, blog tour owner, author adviser, accomplished cook and a brilliant blogger. Her site is so interesting to read, so well presented and polished, with various sections to keep the site fresh. She engages with her readers in a very interactive way, and her friendliness shows through each of her posts. I’m in awe of her professionalism and clear experience in the blogging/books world.
2. https://tarasparlingwrites.com/
   Another blog related to books. This one is from an author who writes funny, sometimes provocative posts. She never hesitates to tell it like it is, and has a fun, truthful insight of the book world. I love reading her posts. Her series of the “which fictional character are you”, based on clichés found in every genre, is hysterical and a must-read.
3. https://www.facebook.com/FowlLanguageComics/
   This one is for parents, because every little picture relates to our troubles – in both sense of the term. Brian depicts the parental world in such a realistic and hilarious way, you can’t help but shout with your finger pointed at the screen: “yes, yes, so true!”. If you don’t have any kids yet, this will show you what to expect when you do 😉
4. http://bombcosmetics.co.uk/
   One for the girls mostly, since this is basically Lush, in a cheaper and way cuter than their counterpart. They present their soaps and bath bombs, candles etc…in various shapes of cupcakes, whoopie pies, animals etc…Every time I use them, it breaks my heart a little as they are so pretty to look at (those swirls…hmmm). As far as I am aware, they are only in Europe for now, and I don’t know if they deliver to the US.
5. http://www.mail2web.com/cgi-bin/login.asp
   I use this site a lot because my own e-mail provider is very unreliable. With mail2web, I can check my e-mails even if my e-mail provider’s site is down. Very useful.
6. http://veggiedesserts.co.uk/
   I’m a big fan of vegetables in desserts, because not only are they healthier (that’s what I tell myself), but they also remain softer for longer. Kate gives her recipes both in UK and US values. Worth a look.
7. http://theenglishkitchen.blogspot.co.uk/
   Photos galore that will make you salivate…Marie has absolutely thousands of recipes, which might not please the health conscious, but will delight the rest. Home cooked food at its best, and its yummiest. Marie is a Canadian gal who came to England in 2000, so her recipes can be cooked by people living on both sides of the Atlantic.
8. http://mangaonline.to/
   Yes, I read mangas. The artwork has to be flawless and mature, just like the storylines, though I do read some cute, light-hearted, silly stories too. I have a weakness for Yuki Yoshihara and Kaori Yuki.
   Now this site is not the best for its rubbish search option (Mangafox has the most efficient one), but the reading here is the most convenient, as you don’t have to click for a new page after each…well, page. On Mangaonline, you just scroll down. Perfect!
9. http://mikhila.com/
   My favourite beauty blogger. Why? Because she made her name as “missbudgetbeauty”, as in, she’s not going to review those big expensive brands that I simply cannot afford. Too many bloggers are guilty of showing only expensive products, and Mikhila, as a young Mum, knows where to find value for money.

Have you got any interesting, not so well known, websites to recommend?

Soon

I will hopefully resume my writing and my internet presence after the summer holiday. I’m still dealing with some family issues, so it won’t be full on as family is more important, but a bit of escape is no bad thing.

Free on Amazon

I’m putting my saleswoman’s hat on to inform you that #paranormal #romance Forever Hers, volume One of the Spirits of Saoradh series, is FREE to download on Amazon from the 25th of May (today) until the 29th of May (Sunday).

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Feisty twenty-four year old Holly, or Miss Greedy as her friends call her, receives a wooden cube as a gift from an enigmatic elderly lady who happens to be her mother’s new neighbour in Lossiemouth, a small Scottish fishing town.
What she doesn’t expect, is for the cube to contain Blayne, a Spirit of Saoradh only she can see and touch. Blayne is a playful, headstrong ghost with no recollection of his human past and an ability to grant Holly’s wishes whenever she calls for him — as long as said wishes don’t raise any questions from the public that is. So a shiny new car might be out of the question, but the possibility of a flat stomach, a consistently spotless house or a perfect daily hairstyle more than make up for it. Through their incessant banter, Holly and Blayne grow closer while fighting against their mutual attraction since they have no possible future together.
But when the painful reality of Blayne’s existence is revealed, Holly will realize that it’s not always the girl who needs to be saved.

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“This book was such a pleasant surprise. I liked the sound of the original premise, I haven’t read many books about spirits/ genie’s, so the blurb made me curious and I eventually decides to give this book a try. And I am glad I did as it was an enjoyable read. I easily got lost into the pages while reading. It was a well written and original story.”

Lola – Lola’s reviews

“Excellent, quick read without plot holes and with well-developed characters. Enjoy!”
Jill-Book reviews by Jill Corley

“In the end, this book is not your typical ghost romance book; Instead, this spirit grant wishes and the female is saving the male character. Personally, I love when they do that in books, it’s so much fun for me to read about a strong female character saving her man or saving the day.”
Zara – The bohemian housewife

“The first thing I have to say is WOW! I was gripped from the very moment Blayne appeared in Holly’s bedroom. Their chemistry was undeniable from the get go and led to some very funny, sweet and sexy moments. Their playfulness added a cute and lighthearted twist and allowed me to fall into their story effortlessly.”
Chantelle-Emma, beta reader

“Overall this book is fantastic. As a first time author I really think Ms. Cairn has done an excellent job and I can’t wait to read more of this series. I would definitely recommend this book to all lovers of PNR.”
Cassandra, Nerd Girl Official 

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Download it here:

Amazon US
Amazon UK

Volume Two of the Spirits of Saoradh, Forever and One Week, is out too. Why don’t you check it out too?

Amazon US
Amazon UK

 

Swear words: yay or nay?

When I was revising my novel, I realized that I used a few swear words. Okay, a fair lot. They come mostly from my male characters, when they’re furious or anxious.

But what’s funny, is that in real life, I hate swearing. I tell my children off should they drop the F bomb by mistake or say any other rude word. It doesn’t happen often, since they know my view on this. My six-year-old even remarks on people who swear, whether on telly or in the street “they said a naughty word, Mummy”.

I don’t swear myself (or I have to be in a really, really bad mood, and  even then I feel bad after I said it.)
So why do I use those words so readily in my writing?

I have pondered about that for a while. And the only thing that came to mind, was how in putting myself in the shoes of a character, I see them talk this way. Not all my characters swear. Some would be mortified to, like the real me.
But the ones who do use offensive language, are the ones who let their emotions fly right in your face. The ones who can’t care less what people think of them, or the ones who lose it and let the words come out without restriction.

I remember the first time I read JR Ward, and her Black Dagger Brotherhood series. I don’t know if the curses are still rife since I gave up on the series after Lover at Last, but I was shocked at the amount of bad language at first. Then of course, I fell into the world of those larger than life vampires, and suddenly those profanities melted and mixed in with the overall atmosphere. They still appeared on the page, but they didn’t jump at me anymore.

It helps that my target audience is adults. If I was writing YA, I would draw back on those words, not because the characters wouldn’t fit the profile of someone not using them (teenagers not swearing? Riiiight), but because I’d rather not bombard a twelve year old with curses. Call this the motherly instinct in me.

And what about the characters’private parts? To me, one of the most difficult choice to make. What do you call those things, without falling into the overly vulgar, sickly sweet or childishly funny trap?!
I’ve noticed I use more offensive terms for men’s anatomy than I do women. But I have yet to find words that don’t sound too clinical, graphic or unsexy, to use outside of a sex scene. A happy medium of sort, when I want to show that the..*cough*…womb raider…is happy to see the heroine for the first time, for example. Know what I mean? I can’t always use “himself”, “between her legs”. Sometimes, I need a specific word to vary my sentences, and nothing like Veinous Maximus or Tampon Tunnel (ewwww!).

What do you think of swear words in novels?

 

 

 

Blurbs: the deal breakers

I am not a loyal reader.

I know a lot of people who are massive fans of an author, and will read anything produced by them, careless of the storyline.

For me, the blurb is the sole deal breaker. If it doesn’t appeal to me, I will not read the book, even if the author has written something I adored previously. On the other hand, if the blurb appeals to me, I will read the book, whether it’s written by a seasoned pro or an Indie newbie.

I’ve noticed the majority of mega successful books follow a tried and tested formula, and fit a mould of stereotypical scenes and characters.

Take a genre. Any genre.  You are expecting some specific elements, aren’t you?

In the genre that I write (romance), readers expect a strong Alpha male, handsome and virile, matched up with a sassy, fierce woman. Both need hidden qualities, and maybe a painful past. Excuse me, but DULL, DULL, DULL.

In my stories, I try to break that mould. A little pinch of this, a little pinch of that. I like to surprise the reader. Some enjoy the originality. Others are unsettled. It’s a risk I’m taking.

As a reader, I’m constantly on the lookout for new and original plot lines. I like any genre, bar science fiction and historical. I love it when authors mix the expectations of one genre with another.

Bottom line (pun intended), I love it when a blurb doesn’t remind me of one I’ve already read a thousand times.

 

Forever Hers is at $0.99 on Amazon

Today, until the 13th. Only people in the US can take advantage of the promotion though…I know, how unfair ^_^

Link to Amazon US