A Slice of Orange

When my first book, Whose Lie Is It Anyway?, was published, one of the earliest recipients of a newly minted copy was Karina Bliss, fellow-Superromance author and a wonderful friend of mine. I phoned her on the day I guessed she would receive the book I’d sent. You know, just to say, hi, how are you, anything interesting in the post today?

“I got your book,” she said.

“Oh, really?” Quiet pride bloomed within me.

“I loved the last line,” she said. “Absolutely loved it.”

Wow! Not only did I write a book, but it was so good, Karina had already finished it! “Thanks,” I said modestly.

“I can’t wait to read the rest,” she continued.

“Uh…excuse me?”

Yes, dear reader, it turned out that my friend had flipped to the last page of the book and read the last line first.

I have one word to say on the subject: Why???

Since then, I’ve met quite a few people – lots, almost – who automatically read the last page of a book before the first. As a writer, this causes me anguish. I slave over each book for months, and the last page is a culmination of the story that hopefully pulls together the story theme, the events, and the characters in a way that’s satisfying to the reader. How can said reader possibly get that satisfaction without reading the book?

As a reader, the last-page-first philosophy bemuses me. Doesn’t knowing the end ruin the story? Sure, when you read a romance novel you know there’ll be a happy ending that involves the hero and heroine getting together. But it’s the how and why that make the story unique. I don’t want any clues to that before I read it on the page. I like to finish the book on an “aaah” note of satisfaction. I don’t think I could do that if I’d already read the end before I started.

Am I in a minority here? Do millions of readers prefer to read the last page first? Let me know where you stand on this important question!
Abby

Meetings are held the second Saturday of the month at the Brea Community Center, 695 E. Madison Way, Brea, CA. 92821.
For a map and directions, click here.
Meeting fees are $10 for Members and $20 for Non-Members.

Meeting Schedule for Saturday, November 8, 2008

9:30 am: Doors Open / Ask an Author
10:30 – 10:50 am: Announcements
10:50 – 11:50: Morning Speaker Shannon Donnelly – The Short Synopsis

11:50: Lunch Break (Lunch Orders available)

12:30 – 1:00 pm: Booksignings

1:00 – 1:30 pm: General Meeting and Achievements1:30 – 3:00 pm: Afternoon Speaker: Sue Grimshaw, Buyer for Borders Books

Ask An Author
Do you have a question that a published author can answer? If so, plan to come to the meeting a little bit early. Each month two different authors host an informal round table discussion group. Ask An Author meets from 9:30 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. in the main meeting room.
Volunteer Ask an Author for November: Charlene Sands

Critique of the Month
Don’t forget our monthly critique drawings!
Volunteer Critique Author for November: Meryl Sawyer

Just print out the FIRST chapter and bring it to the monthly meeting! Then add your name to the list of critique hopefuls, located at the membership table.
Best of all — it’s free for meeting attendees!

By Cait London

I’ve just interviewed Neil Olafson, Marcus and Owen Shaw, all jean-wearing hero-protagonists. Matched with psychic triplets, Claire, Tempest and Leona, respectively, in AT THE EDGE, A STRANGER’S TOUCH and FOR HER EYES ONLY, these men do wear their jeans right; they are also connected within the trilogy. The trilogy’s story arc concluded with FOR HER EYES ONLY and is a perfect time for a masculine-style roundup:

Setting: Owen Shaw’s Lexington Kentucky horse ranch. At sunset, we’re sitting on the spacious remodeled front porch of his home, overlooking fields of Kentucky bluegrass. There are six pairs of men’s work boots with a whole lot of blue-jean covered legs attached to them resting on the railing in front of the men. At a strategic point (where I can enjoy the visual buffet), I begin the interview:

Cait: Thank you in advance for agreeing to this interview. If at any point you’re uncomfortable, please let me know.

Neil: Glad to help.
Owen: (Nods in agreement)
Marcus (smiling) : Just keep it clean.

Cait: Agreed. Let’s start with this: I was really disappointed in the latest Indiana Jones movie, rather Harrison Ford’s trousers, his khakies, whatever. In previous movies, the leg cut seemed wider, more masculine. Everyone has aged a bit, but the closer trim of his pants leg didn’t appeal to me. I can’t remember the waistband on the others, but I don’t think the pleated-waistband look suited him as well either. Any comments?

Neil (a Montana workman, who builds “teardrop” custommade campers) : He should have worn jeans. They’re durable. You can wipe your knife blade on them and not worry about damaging them. A man always wipes his knife on his pants. I wear carpenter jeans sometimes. Looser fit…place to hang the hammer on the leg. But then, I wear bib overalls, too, and coveralls.

Cait: Good thought, and btw, I know that knife is used for absolutely everything. Let’s expand the difference between bib overalls and coveralls, something you zip up—you evidently do not need to wear jeans or other pants beneath the bib overalls, but coveralls…do you wear other pants beneath them?
Owen (smiling indulgently. He’s in investments and flips real estate): Cait, that’s like asking a man if he shaves before showering or after. Coveralls are just good…cover, protecting your other clothing. They’re a little warmer in hard winter or in bad wind chill conditions. You wear khakies in cold weather and you’ll freeze your—sorry—off.

Cait (laughing): Oh, I can follow that thought. But I like where this dialogue is going. Now ‘worn’ jeans, stonewashed, bleached, blue jeans, denims, wider leg, denim washed, what kind of jeans, belt or no belt, cuff or no cuff, pressed to a knife point or not? Let’s freewheel this. Inquiring minds want to know.

Owen (nods): Okay, since you asked…. I’m opposed to that lightweight denim stuff that’s okay for women. Decorative patches are okay for women, too. In fact, I like them, if they’re in the right place, emphasizes the sway of their hips. If you have a good pair of Levi’s® or heavy duty denim, you can wear it until the knees give out. Then you can cut them off for swimming.

Neil: As a single guy on the prowl, I ironed my jeans for a night out. The rest of the time, I just shook them out good, smoothed them, and folded. A man should always have a good stack of folded, clean jeans. Women seemed to go for the sun-scent, not the fabric dryer stuff. I’m not much into men’s scents, but I always hang my jeans on the line—well, sometimes they freeze stiff in Montana’s winter.

Owen: Agreed. Some guys don’t know where to quit on scents. I ironed my jeans and shirts, too. Times were tough early on, and I learned a lot of iron-on patches and got pretty good with the whole patching thing…have a pretty nifty, well-stocked sewing basket, too. I had to do a lot of my sister’s stuff.

Marcus (Lake Michigan owner of Greystone Investments): Me, too. Sometimes I miss ironing. It’s good therapy. I’ve got a super iron now…it practically flies…not much on steamers. I like doing laundry, too. Tempest has the cutest—never mind.

Neil and Owen grin at Marcus, who says: Okay, shut up. I slipped for a minute. You asked about waistband pleats—

Neil (laughing): Sure, change the subject.

Marcus: Lay off….Waistband pleats are okay. I wear them sometimes, but they aren’t for everyone.

Owen: Moving from the farm into business investment types, I had to study what works for me. I needed a business look. You have to be in shape, lean maybe, to wear pleats. An overweight guy wearing pleats, below a bulging gut, takes a lot away from his presentation. Sometimes the crotch almost reaches his knees. Not a good look.

Marcus: That’s why I invested in an employee gym. I run a company where quality is sometimes presented by the sale employee’s look. If worn wrong, on the wrong body-type,pleats do nothing. Wrinkles in the crotch area—

Neil: Wrong all the way around. Some men think it emphasizes their package—excuse me, Cait.

Cait (rapidly taking notes): I’m fine. FWIW: women notice a lot about a man’s ‘package’ and his belt, wondering how it unhooks.

Marcus (smiles dreamily): Yeah, they do.

Cait: Onward….Belt or not?

Marcus: A belt makes a statement. No sans-belt slacks for me.

Owen: No righteous western man would go sans-belt.

Neil: Uh-huh. Belts and belt buckles do make a statement.

Cait: Personally, I’m fascinated with suspenders attached to beltless jeans. Verry sexy. We’ve got a lot of material here. Anything to add about jeans snaps, zippers or buttons?

Marcus (grins): With zippers, you have to pay attention.

Neil (shrugs): I’m a snap-man, myself. I like to leave my jeans waistband open after a shower. Less constriction, dries my skin faster.

Owen: When I had my first dress slacks fitted, I almost clobbered the right-or-left person doing the crotch fitting. You don’t have to worry about that with jeans. What was that about suspenders and jeans?

Cait: Just a personal preference. Those thick red ones are—mm…. So overall, belted jeans, pressed knife-sharp for a night out, in dark heavy denim, dried by sunlight, rank the highest?

All men nod and Cait says, Okay, thank you. Next time, we’ll deal with hair styles. Or maybe undershorts?

The men stand, their expressions closed, and fold their arms over their chests. Taking the hint, Cait says, “Oh. Okay. I really should go. Thank you.”

Cait London’s psychic triplet trilogy concludes with FOR HER EYES ONLY. Previous books: AT THE EDGE and A STRANGER’S TOUCH. The author of almost 70 romance novels in different subgenre, she enjoys writing, painting, and photography. For more, visit CaitLondon.com or her blog at http://caitlondon.blogspot.com/