Damn You Author Promo!

It's fairly well known around Blog Land that I had an extreme reaction to Pamela Clare's last romance suspense novel, Hard Evidence. To say it drove me to the brink of insanity would pretty much cover it.

Here's the thing though - I've met Clare a couple of times at RWA conferences and she's nice. Really, really nice. Last year in Dallas I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me because she's so dang sweet and I felt like a shitheel for not only roasting that book over an open bonfire, but for also not going to all the bookstores in my area and buying up every copy they had. Some authors are just like that.

Yes, I know I don't have anything to feel guilty about. Yes, I really strongly disliked that book but that's just me. Other readers, I'm sure, loved it (KristieJ for one and I can't imagine she's alone in the universe). Tastes are different and what drives one person half crazy won't register a blip on someone else's radar.

I came away from my Hard Evidence experience telling myself that maybe Clare's romantic suspense wasn't for me. That I should try her historicals (which I haven't yet - but naturally they're all in the TBR!) because I suspect they're going to work a lot better for me (call it a hunch).

But then comes along that damn Sybil tempting me! If you haven't been over at her blog in a while, Pamela Clare is doing a series of guest posts called Goldilocks Goes To Jail, recounting the 24 hours she spent in jail. Clare, a reporter, pulled some strings to get "arrested" so she could land a story. Oh boy, did she! You can see the first five posts in the series here.

It's been fascinating and riveting reading so far - and it is seriously tempting me to pick up Clare's April release, Unlawful Contact. Seriously, seriously tempting me. Damn. Never mind my extreme reaction to Hard Evidence. Proof that even Super Librarians with TBRs that can be seen from space are not immune to author promo.