Comments on: A different kind of book …

By: Jennifer Estep

Jennifer Estep — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 22:41:55 +0000

Hi, Allie! Thanks for leaving a comment.

Hmm … I hadn’t heard that about Cruise’s next book. I’ll have to check that out.

Thanks for the nice words about the Bigtime books. I appreciate them. I like edgy comics too, but I think some of the heroes need to lighten up just a little bit (Batman, anyone?), which is why I tried to make the Bigtime books just really fun adventures.

But Spider’s Bite is definitely darker and edgier, although I still think it’s a rollicking adventure too. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it! 😉

By: Allie

Allie — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 18:48:09 +0000

There are authors where I’m wary–Jennifer Crusie’s next collaboration not being a romance is weirding me out like whoa–but generally I’m open to new things. I’m looking forward to Spider’s Bite in part BECAUSE the Bigtime books were so lightweight. I’m a comic book fan, and I like my comics a little edgier, but the Bigtime books are so fun I didn’t mind a bit of that retro camp. But I appreciate the things you’ve done to alert your fans of the tone shift, for sure.

By: Jennifer Estep

Jennifer Estep — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 02:51:27 +0000

Tad Williams is one of those authors that I always mean to try but haven’t gotten around to yet.

Yeah, for Bigtime 4 (which I have written), I felt like I needed to bring in some new characters, so I branched out beyond the Fearless Five. I’m hoping to do something with the book someday …

As for the pseudonyms, a lot of that is dictated by the publisher, sales, and a dozen other things. Sometimes, publishers want authors to use a new name because maybe their past sales haven’t been that great or the book is in a completely different genre than what the author has written before and they think that readers will feel betrayed that they’re not getting the type of story they expect. That last one is a mindset that I don’t completely understand. I think people are smart enough to realize that not every book an author writes will be the same. And it stands to reason that if you like an author’s voice in one genre that you might like it in another genre as well. I would rather authors only write under one name too — it just makes it easier to keep up with everyone.

As far as Evanovich’s books go, my main problem was that Stephanie never seemed to get any smarter — she never learned from her mistakes at all. It seemed like we were getting the same jokes over and over again. And really, I just wanted her to make a decision between Joe and Ranger already — I got tired of the constant back and forth.

I’m glad you spotted the Easter egg. I was wondering if anyone was going to notice it. 😉

By: Tia

Tia — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 02:06:09 +0000

I don’t mind. I’ve followed Tad Williams from genre to genre. If I truly like an author, I’m sure a change of genre won’t daunt me. A lot of authors use pseudonyms when changing genres. I wish they wouldn’t. I might not have read Otherland if Tad Williams had written it under some other name.

Spider’s Bite is very different, but superhero novels might have been difficult to sustain. You would have had to keep thinking of ways to keep it fresh. To use your example of Janet Evanovich, I recently read the Stephanie Plum novel where it was revealed that Ranger had a young daughter in Miami. It destroyed some of the Ranger magic for me, because I of course wonder what he’s doing in Trenton if he has a daughter in Miami?? I’m sure Evanovich was just trying to reveal new aspects of his character, but it made him less appealing to me, when for a long time, he and Joe were running neck-and-neck.

So congrats on setting out in a new direction and I’m sure you’ll be writing light and humorous again one day. After all, that’s how you got your start, so you must love it.

Oh, and I love the easter eggs from Bigtime that you put in Spider’s Bite!!!