Emma

[Cheryl St.John]

<< I thought HEART OF THE WEST was one of the best sagas I've
read. I couldn't finish PASSIONS. This probably has a lot to do with
my personal distaste for angst. Even the writing seemed -- I can hardly
believe I'm actually going to write this -- overblown in spots. >>

Alice--
I've finished it now and my opinion didn't change. I didn't want Bria to
die and I didn't want Shay to want another woman--especially not so soon! I
think the fact that Bria was the sympathetic character for 2/3 or 3/4 of the
way through the story had a lot to do with this overwhelming "sadness" for
me. Not that I didn't like Emma. I just like to read and finish a story and
feel good, not sad.
The whole story had such a melancholy feel--but like you said, she's rich
and I'm not and hey--Bernadette and many others loved it!
You know we writers sometimes just say "They didn't get it," when a reader
doesn't care for our story, so: "I didn't get it." <g>

Cheryl StJ :-)

[Bernadette Cronk]

> The whole story had such a melancholy feel--but like you said, she's
> rich
> and I'm not and hey--Bernadette and many others loved it!
> You know we writers sometimes just say "They didn't get it," when a
> reader
> doesn't care for our story, so: "I didn't get it." <g>
>
>

Ah, Cheryl, I don't know if I can argue just because I loved THE PASSIONS OF
EMMA that 'I got it'! :) But, heck, I am prepared to exploit any tactic
if it scores readers for Penelope Williamson...<wicked grin>

[Alice's post on this had me in stitches. As usual. She makes all these
strongly worded comments and then says something like: 'Feel free to ignore
what I have just said' ...LOL...Now I am fascinated as to how such a tactic
works in say - law courts, or meetings, or family feuds, etc...This has to
be worth investigating, I figure. :)]

For how many books now has Penelope Williamson been playing
with the three main characters (somewhat of a triangle) notion? Certainly
the last two. I forget the order of her other works.

I wonder if this notion of three main characters, versus the traditional two
in romgen, has something to do with some people not enjoying this one, and
HEART OF THE WEST, as much as others of hers where she used the more
traditional duo only as leads????

In a threesome, somewhere one has to be killed off, or done away with, or
lost in the mists, or somesuch... if the writer is attempting to end with a
HEA, yes?

Bits of such a triangle plot are going, by definition, to be sad, at least
for rom gen readers.

I hope that the triangle reason is not the reason for dissatisfaction, tho',
as it is an interesting way for some writers to 'explore' a different
dimension in characterisation and plotting.

And as a reader I really quite like that threesome -- a plot built around a
triangle of some sort. I have no objection to sad. If it is justified.

So reassure me this triangle is not the reason you didn't love it...:)

Bernadette

[Carol Irvin]

Bernadette,

Loved POE and thought the threesome brought new dimension to the book. I
thought it was a plus not a minus to use this device.

Carol