The Chicks are so pleased to welcome the lovely Linda Lovely! Linda is an accomplished writer with 11 books under her belt(!!). Today Linda shares her author origin story and offers wise words about the world of writing. Take it away, Linda!
What A Book Club Taught Me About Writing
A dozen years back, when I signed a traditional publishing contract for my first novel, the owner of my town’s only bookstore asked me to join her store’s book club.
On an enthusiasm scale, joining any book club ranked several rungs below the horror of penning a synopsis. I equated book clubs with classroom assignments that forced me to slog through depressing literary tomes. Anathema to someone who reads for pleasure and escape. I dreaded squandering precious reading time on literary snobbery. I want heroines to triumph, bad guys caught and punished, romances to have happy-ever-after endings, and funny characters to tickle my fancy.
Of course, I muttered not a word of protest. Authors are loathe to tick off the folks who sell our books. Sadly, that bookstore closed. Yet I still attend monthly meetings of the book club launched there. What’s more, I count its members as some of my smartest and most interesting friends.
Here are a few reasons every author should consider joining a book club.
Stories trump, well, everything.
New authors are given lots of don’t-do-it dictates. No head-hopping. Shun adverbs. Show don’t tell. No cheating with an omniscient viewpoint. Yep, all sound advice. So, what happens if I point out these fatal faux-pas at book club meetings? Yawns. Readers often don’t notice—or are quite willing to overlook—these supposedly egregious blunders. Why? Readers are quite forgiving if the story’s compelling or the characters unforgettable.While I’m not advocating authors break all the rules, our number one goal should be to devise plots and create characters that prompt readers to keep reading .
Shrugging off bad reviews & (faint) 3-star praise.
After we discuss each month’s read, the members of my book club rate the month’s selection on a 1-to-5 scale. In the past decade, I can’t recall a single novel receiving universal fives. In fact, only a handful have won a single five. The best-liked novels typically earned 3.5 to 4.5 ratings. What’s more, the novels that win gushing praise by some members often get grudging, basement-level ratings from others.
The experience encouraged me to have a tougher hide when I look at individual reviews and ratings. First, no author can please everyone, and it’s impossible to know what peccadillo might prompt a reader to diss a book with a one-star rating. Second, it’s silly to get upset if a reviewer lavishes praise on a novel, and then assigns it three stars. In all likelihood, the reader reserves five-star ratings for the works of authors they revere, say Pat Conroy, Janet Evanovich, or Ken Follett.
Prize winners aren’t always prizes.
Over the years, literary prizes have sucked our book club into adding a number of titles to our annual reading lists. Yet, more often than not, our members decide these literary darlings are no prize. These folks are avid readers. But they generally give thumbs down to novels populated exclusively with unlikable characters, stories told by unreliable narrators, or pages filled with literary pretensions. My take? Authors—at least those of us who aren’t enrolled in Masters in Fine Arts (MFA) programs—should write what we like to read. There is a reason romances, mysteries, thrillers and other genre literature sells.
Common turn-offs.
Among our book club members, here are some of the top reader turn-offs. Unclear time shifts. Too many characters appearing at once. Characters with names that look or sound alike. Lengthy descriptions that drag the pace. Failure to signal which character is talking whenever there’s a POV shift. Preachy opinions. Lengthy chapters that offer no stopping point when it’s time to turn out the lights. Books without a single character they can root for. And, of course, no dogs or children can be tortured or die—though human adult blood baths are perfectly fine.
Expanding horizons.
I’ve enjoyed some really good novels I never would have picked up if it weren’t for my book club. I can’t speak for other clubs, but mine is very tolerant. No shaming if readers opt not to finish a book. Our members (me included) typically give a novel fifty pages. After that, it’s okay to quit. Since most of our members are AARP-eligible maybe this attitude is age-related. But whatever the reason, we’ve decided there are too many great books waiting for us to waste time on books we don’t enjoy.
Note to self: Better make my first fifty pages count!
Readers, are you (or have you been) in a book club–and if so, do you stories or advice to share?
About A Killer App
Deepfakes Can Be Murder
When Kylee Kane, Welch HOA Management’s investigator, finds Andy Fyke’s crumpled body at the foot of the stairs, she suspects foul play. Fighting against rentals in his Hilton Head community, Andy’s gained powerful enemies. Then, another Lowcountry HOA retiree dies in a fatal boat hit-and-run. Kylee senses a connection, though the victims have zero in common. The link is the Chameleon—an AI expert adept at creating deepfakes and scouring social media for unstable souls to groom as assassins. Once Kylee starts hunting the Chameleon, she becomes the target, and is forced into a perilous duel with a digital genius.
Praise from Joseph Finder
“Lovely delivers solid plotting and vivid characters, but a memorable villain with an ingenious and all-too-plausible criminal technique are what sets A KILLER APP apart.” —Joseph Finder, NYT bestselling author of House on Fire
About Linda Lovely
Linda Lovely’s A Killer App is her eleventh published novel. It’s the third book in her HOA Mystery series, with more to come. A journalism major in college, Lovely spent decades handling corporate PR, including penning hundreds of feature articles for business, trade and travel magazines. Today, her focus is fiction. Her mysteries, historical suspense, and contemporary thrillers share one common element—smart, independent heroines. A member of International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime, she also serves as secretary for Mystery Writers of America’s Southeast regional chapter. For many years, Lovely helped organize the Writers’ Police Academy. To learn more about Lovely and her books, visit https://lindalovely.com
Follow Linda on Social Media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LindaLovelyAuthor
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4884053.Linda_Lovely
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/linda-lovely
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lindalovely3/
Chicks on the Case 
Linda! Welcome!! So glad to see you in our coop and congrats on the latest. ❤
I was in a book club for many years. (Or as we liked to call it Talk-About-TV-Movies-Kids-and-Other-Stuff Club.) I absolutely loved it. In addition to covering soooooooooo many non-book topics, I read outside of my typical genre and comfort zone–and I was so glad that I did! I found new authors and surprised myself with what I ended up loving!
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Like the rest of you in book clubs, I really loved the social aspect of my neighborhood group, and the eclectic choice of books. We met at members’ houses, rotating each month, and the host chose the book, the wine, and the snacks. It was also a No Shame Club—nobody cared if you didn’t finish the book. And usually, the theme of the book (parenthood, revenge, or whatever) turned toward our personal anecdotes, which was often revealing, funny, and/or touching.
I slid into the book club after asking a friend if I could join. It was after all my kids were gone and I needed some new friends. But as the resident author, unlike your group Linda, they really liked hearing my “authorly opinions.” I found the same thing as you, Linda … my take on things as an author were completely different from theirs as readers. I still remember one convo we had about plot holes. Their difinition was wildly different from mine!
Best of luck on your new book, Linda! Your book club is lucky to have you!
Do they ever choose your books to read?
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Yes, Becky, they read my books and are among my biggest fans, but they’re rarely on our annual schedule. In part, that’s because some are Beta readers and I bounce questions off the whole club when I’m working on the book..
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I was always terrified when they chose my books to read. And I never thought they were being completely honest with me. I mean, cozy mysteries were never chosen except for mine. But they’re very sweet ladies!
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Becky, I hear you about honesty. That’s one reason I don’t push for my books to be reads. There are at least a couple of folks in my book club that aren’t fond of any variety of mystery!
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Excellent points, Linda. And underneath are all the supports for a great story that no one sees… unless they’re missing, and then, oops! That’s why I find the writer’s journey so fun. It goes on and on, and with each bend in the path, we discover more exciting bits to include in the next story.
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Yes, I’ve found lots of authors/books I would have missed. But I’m delighted my book club doesn’t shame you if you give up on a book. Our club also talks about movies, TV and what’s happening in our corner of Upstate South Carolina.
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Oops, somehow my reply to Kathleen got copied to Grant’s post. I do count heavily on Beta readers to let me know what’s missing or point to where the pacing sags.
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Welcome Linda and thanks for your post.
I’m not in a book club and probably never will be. My time is precious — I try to write every day and to finish reading a book every couple days or so. I’m in a beta readers group that has served me well for many years, and that entails reading 30 – 50K more words per month.
I’m also an inveterate rule-breaker. In my Natalie McMasters Mysteries, I’ve killed cats, kids and old people, had multiple time shifts and had simultaneous non-contemporaneous stories and scenes featuring a dozen characters, all as my story has demended. I write in multiple POVs in the same book and I don’t consider head-hopping a sin. In short, I write my books for me, and I’m happy to take anyone else who wants to come along on the ride. I gave up on becoming Michael Connelly or CJ Box a while ago. I know my books aren’t for everyone, and that at least I’ve made some readers happy. That’s enough for me.
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Hey, Tom. I write for myself as well and break the rules when the plot demands. I also read LOTS of books, manuscripts in a month. But I usually (not always) find time to read (or attempt) the book club selection. However, if I’m in town, I ALWAYS make time for the book club meeting. It’s always at a restaurant on a weekday and a great way to laugh and unwind.
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Linda: Thanks for being on the blog today, and congrats on your latest! (Wow, you’ve got deepfakes & AI in there!)
I used to enjoy meeting up for an in-person book club, where I got to read books I never would have picked otherwise and connect with people. Now, I’m following Sister in Crime’s Reading like a Writer Book Club. And I’ve been happily asked to visit book clubs as an author, which I love doing!
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Yes, I think I’ve been a guest at about 20 area book clubs. They’re always fun–and often have great food. Love the chance to meet readers face to face.
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Linda, this is absolutely fantastic! I’ve always avoided joining a book club – I know I won’t be able to finish the books and lengthy discussions push all my ADD buttons. But you’ve beautifully articulated the benefits.
But I’m sad the bookstore closed.
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Fortunately, there’s a NEW independent bookstore, First Chapter Bookshop, that opened this year and the new owner, Taylor Reed, is hosting my book launch party this Friday. She also accompanied me to a Monday luncheon where I was the guest speaker (AI was the topic).
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I was nodding my head along with most of the things you’ve learned from your book club meetings. Sounds like I’m a pretty typical reader.
I am kind of wishing there were a book club closer to me I could join. But I’m just not sure when I’d work in another book to read since I have so many on my jam packed to be read pile already.
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I understand. You just need to find a forgiving book club that doesn’t mind if you don’t read the book now and then. Luckily, my husband is an avid reader, so we go to bed early with our books and don’t turn out the lights until the books start slipping out of our hands. That helps me zip through quite a few books each month.
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The only book club I’ve ever belonged to is a local group that reads “Finnegans Wake.” And yes, that’s the only book we’ve read. We’ve been going for 13 years, and we’re now almost through it for a second time. It may sound dreary, but since it’s a book about everything, that’s what we end up talking about at our meetings: everything!
As for the common turn-offs advice from your book club, I agree with it all! And yes, it’s a good reason to really REALLY work on your first fifty pages!
Thanks so much for visiting the Chicks today, Linda, and congrats on your new book–killer title!
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Wow, Finnegans Wake! I can’t say I’d make 13 years with it, but I’ll bet our book club has hit a lot of the same topics you’ve covered.
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I’m sure that’s true!
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Linda, welcome to Chicks–we’re so happy to have you as our guest today! Your book sounds amazing and incredibly timely–can’t wait to read it. A few years ago I really enjoyed being a member of the mystery book club at our local library–I really need to get back in the swing. I, too, was surprised to learn that readers weren’t nearly as focused on issues we authors sometimes are. I did have fun writing a Ladies mystery that revolved around a disastrous book club. (Nothing like ones I’ve joined, but still…)
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Lots of readers enjoy mysteries set in libraries and involving book clubs. I think it’s because it’s so easy for avid readers to see themselves in the setting and as characters in the book. What’s the name of your mystery?
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I agree, Linda! My title is PERMANENTLY BOOKED.
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Congratulations on A KILLER APP, Linda, and thanks for the insights.
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How nice! And I’m so jealous. I’ve joined 2 bookclubs since I moved here and neither one of them wanted any authors in the club. They were very clear, from the first, that they would never read my books. Nor did either of them like to read mysteries. Oh well. Not everyone needs a book club, right? I’m SO glad you have such a wonderful one, though.
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This place used to know who I was. This Anon is Kaye George.
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Hi, Kaye! Glad to know it’s you! And you’re welcome to come visit our book club anytime.
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I’ve been lucky enough to join a couple of book clubs lately that enjoy a wide variety of genres. One of my clubs makes sure to hear everyone’s thoughts on the current book and will often have an actual discussion and differing opinions. One of the other clubs (I’ve joined too many to actually keep up!), calls themselves a brunch club with a reading problem – so their premise is finding a restaurant related to the setting or theme of the novel that also serves bottomless mimosas. Needless to say, we’re not always talking about the book too intensely!
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I’ve never been in a book club, but yours sounds great, Linda. I actually seek out the 3-4 star reviews when choosing a book. They are generally more realistic.
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