Post-Travel Musings

I've been racing to keep up with the flood of ideas that are popping into my head. From the day we left for our vacation, my imagination went into overdrive. There's the snippet of conversation I heard between two people at the gate at O'Hare who learned they worked for the same organization (they each wore the logoed polo shirt) and shared what type of work they would be doing in a specific Asian country. There were the multiple black and white men I saw with Asian women on the streets and restaurants of Bangkok. The hotel we stayed in, which is also a service residence with laundry, pool, workout room, and parking. The dozens of shopping malls and open markets I saw, some disperse, others dedicated to food, electronics, or high-end retailers. Talking with people during the long plane ride and learning the reason for their travels. Talking with my husband's former classmates and learning where they live today (anywhere from Virginia and Arizona, the Philippines, Australia, or right there in Thailand) and what they do.

In addition to the sights and sounds, I also read some creative, imaginative novels during my trip, one women's fiction and one contemporary romance. Both were refreshing. The women's fiction took a very unusual premise and, although it dragged in spots for me, made a highly entertaining story out of it, and I felt like I hadn't read that story before. The romance, although with too many people for me to process introduced in the opening chapters and a character whose background remained unclear to me through most of the book, was also refreshing, as it provided realistic language and behavior, something not always seen in romance novels.

So, armed with plenty of ideas for future stories and some well-written novels to hold up as beacons, I prepare to lose myself in the wonderful world of writing. My next Bunderful Books, The Heat of Heat, should be out in a few months. The way I'm feeling, I might have it finished next week!

Isn't it wonderful?

APOOO reviews Trouble Down the Road

APOOO Book Club gives TDTR 4 stars and says: "Trouble Down the Road is a page-turner of "No, she didn't" and "You have got to be kidding me." The twists in the story are not over the top even though the reader sees them coming. It has a strong storyline and characters the reader can follow throughout the book. The enjoyment of the read and the ending make you overlook the characters that were getting on your nerves. I recommend this book to those who love suspense and a good drama."

Have you gotten your copy yet????

Vacation time!

I'm at O'Hare Airport waiting to board a plane to Hong Kong (where we'll switch planes and continue on to Bangkok), and all I can say is, these people ought to be ashamed of themselves. I've been sitting on the floor for the past 40 minutes because there are no outlets near the chairs, WiFi has to be purchased (Boingo, anyone?), and this gate is fast becoming standing room only. You'd think they'd have at least as many seats at the gate as there are on the plane...?

Reviews, reviews, reviews

A couple of new reviews on Trouble Down The Road I'd like to share:

Romance in Color gives it 4+ stars and says: "Bettye Griffin brilliantly refines thesee characters and weaves realistic scenarios into a poignant artistic guide to marital survival. The sage problem-solving skills exhibited by the characters are delightfully surprising. Emotions run high as the multidimensional characters weigh the costs of marriage--advantages and disadvantages--and realize that dirovce is not always a wise choice.

"Trouble Down The Road is a captivating melodramatic read with all the ingredients for a blockbuster movie--sexy characters with wealth, illicit affairs, deceit, lies, prestige, status, and dysfunctional extended family members. I highly recommend reading Trouble Down The Road as well as the previous books that introduced the characters."





OOSA Online Book Club gives it 3.5 stars and says: "Trouble Down The Road was a good read. There were plenty of issues and drama that comes along with having that almighty dollar. I enjoyed it. It will amaze you some of the actions that were taking place in this novel. Nice summer read that will pass the time."

Have you gotten your copy yet?

Coping with the critics

I was very concerned when a reader posted on Black Expressions (where Trouble Down The Road is a Main Selection) that she loved the story, but was put off by all the typos. She said one or two would be okay, but asked if anyone looked at the content before it went to press.

Since I'm a very careful proofreader, I was troubled, wondering if somehow the folks at Black Expressions could have inadvertently done something to my file. Then my editor (bless her) sent me a couple of book club editions, and I soon saw it was the same file as the trade paperback, just with a hard cover.

So why the 3-star review (that the reader said would've been 5 stars if it hadn't been for all those typos (?)? The only thing I can think of is that she mixed up my book with someone else's, yes, possibly even the part about loving the story.

As a writer, I'm objective enough to know that everyone's tastes are different, and it's relatively easy for me to read why a particular reader didn't particularly enjoy my work. But when a reader says something that's just plain wrong, for whatever reason, that's a tough pill to swallow.

While I'm venting, I also want to mention the Romantic Times review, which concluded by saying that readers might want to see an end to the drama and a happy ending for all. This makes me wonder if the reviewer thought Trouble Down The Road is supposed to be a romance with a happily every after. I've always felt a little frustrated when readers don't seem to be able to distinguish between romance and women's fiction. Every romance is women's fiction. Every women's fiction is not a romance. It's not fair to the writers to want them to write the same kind of story every time.

Are you able to tell the difference between romance and women's fiction? Do you feel authors who write romance should only write women's fiction with happy endings?

Madison Avenue blew this one

Is there anyone else out there who thinks that Toviaz (bladder control medication) commercial is just plain silly? You know, the one where the daughter looks like she lost her best friend because her mother had to go to the restroom while she was trying on wedding gowns? The mother feels she's putting her bladder in front of her daughter. I feel she should be more concerned about the brat she's raised, and I want to tell her not to worry, she'll have plenty of time to spend with her daughter after the new husband decides he doesn't want a wife who feels the world revolves around her and divorces her!

When Black doesn't really mean Black

I found it amusing that popular author Lori Foster's book Back in Black was shelved with the black-authored books in a store. I guess somebody thought the book was about black people. And the rack was full, suggesting no copies had been purchased.

Location, location, location!