Dallas responds to Charlaine's blog comment about DAG

We are having a great discussion in the comment area of the Charline Harris blog post that I posted yesterday. ( read it here )

This was my response to those that have been critical ..

The Sookie books are famous for inaccuracies and I think only 2 or 3 mistakes in 10 year's and 9 books are mistakes of import. I would also note that in subsequent printing the mistakes are being fixed.
In a very detail filled book series filled with hundreds of characters and entire worlds of supe cannon -I'd say that's a pretty good average.

I fault 80 % of these problems to the people who earn (lots) money from the sales of the Charlaine Harris books. (Publishers, agents, proof readers, editors etc) Everyone one who works with her KNOWS that she is not a detailed writer that plans and outlines in advance - THEY should help her fact check the books.

What I fault Charlaine for is NOT hiring ( and asking for ) help, until just the last few months she has run the Charlaine Harris.com empire from her little garage office in Arkansas without even employing an assistant. She has been writing all the books (over 30 from all 3 series) done the marketing and promotion without adequate assistance. I'm sure that mind set come from the YEARS of being a starving author who just has to do it all alone and on a shoe string. (I know you authors are familiar with that) I think it also may be a 'woman thing' to think you can do it yourself and handle everything and you must be weak in some way if you can't do all this and raise a family, make a life with a spouse, take care of elderly parents and be involved with your church and community. CH it seems is sure like a lot of us.

Now, as to the complaints about DAG that CH is addressing here, you know I've talked to lots of fans through this web site and on my radio show (I spoke to 20 reviewers recently on my blogtalk radio show ) and MOST of the complaints weren't about the little detail mistakes THEY were as she said "readers felt they should have had a vote in the plot developments of my book. They were angry with me that the book hadn't followed their own desired blueprint"

When I spoke on the DAG review show THIS IS exactly what I addressed , in my opinion if you are a strong shipper ( you want a permanent Sookie relationship) for one of the Sookie suitors you saw the book completely different than other readers who are not. In my experience, ( and obviously Charlaine's ) talking to folks about the book, most who were complaining were not complaining about the Clancy / Chow mistake or even the death of Claudine they were complaining about the plot and that they felt that all wasn't revealed or presented about their favorite character in the way and in the light in which they wanted it to happen.

Charlaine has not blogged one word in the last month. She had bit her lip, let the dust settle and calmly now written her opinion about the complaints and I say, HURRAH Charlaine!

One more point to folks who are ticked about purchasing books and not getting what they wanted for the money, NO ONE in this country has to purchase a book. Luckily almost everyone everywhere is only a few miles from a public library where books can be checked out for FREE! Check out the next Sookie book from the library first and decide whether you want to add it to your personal library.

This is just my opinion and I cherish Charlaine's opinion and all of yours .
Thanks guys for the GREAT discussion..

Visit Charlaine here http://www.charlaineharris.com/

If this subject intrigues you, I would highly suggest you read this article from the Wall Street Journal article "Lost in Fiction " HERE

**Kate Bee also says "Neil Gaiman had a wonderful post on the issue of readers being upset with authors: http://journal.neilgaiman.com/2009/05/entitlement-issues.html "