Go Graphic (Novel, that is)

Happy Friday! Casey Wyatt here. Also, please check out my exciting news at my blog (after you finish reading this one!).So who’s noticed the growing trend among paranormal and urban fantasy authors to go graphic? No, I don’t mean sex. That’s a different topic for another day.

I’m referring to graphic novels. You know, those “comic books”. The ones often snickered at as not being “real” books because they have pictures.

Seems like everyone is doing it – Sherilynn Kenyon’s Dark Hunters, Patricia Briggs’ Mercy Thompson books, Jim Butcher’s Harry Dresden are just a few.

I was listening to Anton Strout’s Once and Future podcast and even Charlaine Harris is getting into the act. Yay, bring on Eric!

For those who don’t believe graphic novels and comics are a legitimate form of art, I would direct them to the movies. There have been dozens of films (The Green Mile, 300, Sin City, Watchmen, The Crow,  A History Violence – all graphic novels).

And do I have to list the comic book movie adaptations? I think we all know what those are. But wait. I mentioned TV. AMC’s Walking Dead anyone?

I admit it. I’m a comic book geek. I grew up reading comic books and I still own my childhood collection (and, ahem, the comics I’ve purchased as an adult). They are lovingly tucked away in protective sheets in an acid free box. Thanks to my teenage boys, I discovered manga (Japenese graphic novels). The stories are engaging and as well written as novels. The perfect fusion of art and drama.

Needless to say, for romance authors, being asked to put your work into graphic novel form is a huge honor (at least to me). Thankfully, comic books, graphic novels, and manga are finally earning some respect.

Yes, us geeks are finally inheriting the Earth. It’s about time!

Who out there enjoys graphic novels? And if you haven’t read any, what’s holding you back? And would you read your favorite author’s books in graphic novel form?

I Really Hated Your Book…

Some of us have been raised to always be nice, to not say anything at all if you can’t say something nice. Gosh, I have a hard time with this. I’m a horrible liar and if someone asks for my honest opinion I give it to them. No, I don’t like your boyfriend. Yes, I think it’s stupid that you quit your job. OMG, you look like a hussy in that dress.

My mother tells me I’m too honest. Honest to a fault. I’m in good company. George Washington could not tell a lie. Abe Lincoln wasn’t called honest for nothing.But now I’m facing a dilemma where I might have to lie through my teeth.

A few months ago I met a woman at a function. She was one of those friendly talkative people and a few minutes into our conversation we discovered we both are writers. I always love meeting people who do what I do and was glad to make her acquaintance. We shared what we were working on and she mentioned that she would like it if I read her one of her books and gave my opinion on her writing. “Um, sure,” I answered, not knowing what else to say.

I thought at most she was going to send a few pages of her manuscript but no. Out of her bag came a book, a real book with a cover and everything. “Don’t you like the cover?” she asked me. “Isn’t he a real hottie?”

I nodded dumbly. It was all I could do to stop myself from saying, your hero looks like a homeless drug addict.

“That will be 24.99.” she said, as I gazed at the ugly cover art. It took a full moment for her words to hit my brain.

“I don’t have any cash on me,” I told her, hoping that would get me out of buying a book I had no interest in buying.

It didn’t.”I take checks,” she replied. “Just make it out to cash.”

GRRR! I should have lied and said that I didn’t have my checkbook on me. But I did and I’m such a horrible liar that most of the time it doesn’t occur to me to lie. So out it came, along with my reluctant signature. Tada! I was the owner of a book that I did not want.

I left the book in the back of my car for a month. Hey, I was disgruntled. I could have bought three book by authors I like with that money. I had a mental block on reading it. But then I ran into the woman at the mall of all places and she asked me if I liked her book. I had to tell her that I didn’t get around to reading it yet. She looked slightly disappointed and of course I felt guilty. That night I took it out of my car.

It took another month for me to read it and when I did I was sorry I opened it. It was awful. My pet peeve is writers who write in dialect. A little is fine but every other word out of hero’s mouth was y’all or lookie here now and I found myself gagging. The hero was really unlikable. I read and read hoping he would redeem himself but that redemption never came. Plus it was long, like 427 pages long. I wanted to put the book down, to shove it the pile that getting donated but I couldn’t. I wanted to be able to truthfully say that I finished the woman’s book the next time I saw her.

I can say that. I did finish it. Every painful word. Maybe it’s just me. Maybe the writing is brilliant and I have no idea what I am talking about, but I doubt it. The book was just plain bad and now I am faced with the daunting prospect of having to tell big fat lies next time I run into her.

As a writer I know how much work goes into to churning out a manuscript and the even greater task of self publishing.

Sigh....

This woman was so proud of her work, so proud of her ugly cover and her endless prose that I can’t bring myself to tell her that I hated her book. I know I would have a hard time taking it if I were in her shoes.

Maybe honesty isn’t  always the best policy.

What would you have done in that situation? Have you ever told a lie to spare someone’s feelings? Are you a good liar? A bad one? Got a story to tell?