Have a Necro-romancy Valentines Day
Ahh, grandparents. Sometimes the generational gap is just too much for them to try to understand.
And my book is one of those things that my grandfather simply cannot fathom. In his own words, Something Strange & Deadly is a beautifully written book, but the story is just awful.
“Why do you wanna go and write about those spirits and necro…necro-romancers? Are all your books about that crap?”
“No, Papa,” I answered, gritting my teeth and baring a smile. “They’re not all about spirits and necromancers. And I told you that this is not the kind of book you would enjoy.”
“Well, you were right.”
Fortunately, my step-grandmother just said, “I started it, Susan, but the first time I saw those decrepit, rotting corpses, well…I just stopped.”
Honestly, that’s a better reaction than my grandfather’s. Now all I hear non-stop from him is little jibes about my book–“You’d think Susan lived in a graveyard!” or “I don’t like all that necro-romancy” or “Your other books don’t have that crap in ’em, do they?”
::SIGH::
I really wish he could have just admired the darn ARC from afar instead of feeling compelled to read the entire thing (and trust me, he really did read it since he was asking me very specific questions about the story).
But I suppose I should also be flattered that my 88-year-old grandfather forced himself through a story he hated simply because he was proud of me. And flattered that he at least found my writing “beautiful”.
OR, how about instead, I just react by giggling uproariously with my mother at the term “necro-romancy”. Or rolling my eyes at the fact that clearly my grandfather is not my target audience…oh, and chuckling because he thought I was the model on the cover (that’s quite a compliment, so I’ll take it. ;)).
And now, I’m in “love” with the word Necro-romancy. It’s like Love + Zombies = Necro-romancy, and you know, there’s definitely both of those things in Something Strange & Deadly!
So, tomorrow, if you have Valentine’s Day plans, I suggest you include some zombies for a little extra spice…and to help you out, I’ve got a GIVEAWAY!
You choose TWO books from this undead-lovin’ collection:
♥♥♥ Just leave a comment ♥♥♥
and tell me YOUR funny generational-gap stories
or else tell me YOUR favorite “necro-romancy” style book!
♥♥♥ I‘ll pick a winner tomorrow, so be sure to enter fast!! ♥♥♥
♥
February 13, 2012 @ 10:20 am
Unfortunately, I can’t think of any actual generational gap stories, though I imagine my grandmother would have a horrible time relating to my novel, and I don’t even want to think about my grandparents on my Dad’s side. They would simply not know what to make of it. 🙂
I read A FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH recently and loved it. And ironically enough, I realized after reading it that the Shadows are kind of zombies themselves… though it isn’t disease and necromancy in the traditional sense 😉
Happy Necro-romancy Valentine’s Day!
February 16, 2012 @ 12:10 am
You know, in my story SCREECHERS, the screechers are somewhat rabid zombie like too. They undead are just SO DARN SCARY, you know?
February 13, 2012 @ 1:24 pm
Such a cute story, Sooz! I can just imagine your grandpa sitting there reading it and shaking his head the whole time, haha!
My grandma recently passed away at the ripe old age of 90. Sometime last year when I was home, I went with my sister to visit her at her retirement home for lunch. Halfway through the meal Grandma said, ”Now, I need one of you gals to explain something to me…what on earth is a ‘Tweet’? What is this Twittering nonsense that everybody is raving on about when I’m watching the news?”
My sister and I just looked at each other like, man, where do we start? So I said, ”Well Grandma, you know what a computer is, right?”
“Of course!” she replied.
“Ok, well the internet–”
“Oh don’t get started about the internet or you are going to lose me! That’s a terribly complicated piece of machinery, that internet.”
haha…I can’t remember how we cleared up the Tweet thing. I think we just said it was a really fast way to talk to people, or something!
February 16, 2012 @ 12:10 am
HAHAHA. Yes, the internet is *way* over Papa’s head. He manages email alright, but…that’s the extend of his skills. And Twitter? Not even my mother can figure THAT out. 😉
February 13, 2012 @ 1:45 pm
Oh my ‘Necro-romancy’ is one of the funniest phrases ever, I must use it from now on!
I’m afraid I can’t think of generational gap story that’s funny, to be honest my grandfather doesn’t read, full stop so its nice to see yours giving it a go atleast.
Now I have the phrase ‘Necro-romancy’ it does perfectly describe a collection of short stories I read last year and loved. The collection was called Hungry For You and is written by indie author A M Harte, seriously check it out I highly recommend it. The stories are a really interesting new look at the idea of the ‘undead’.
February 16, 2012 @ 12:11 am
Oh, what a perfect example of “necro-romancy”! I’ll definitely look into it0–thanks for the rec!
February 13, 2012 @ 3:13 pm
Oh my gosh, hilarious. And from the few stories you’ve shared of your grandparents, not all that surprising. But you’re totally right that the best thing to come out of all of this is the term Necro-Romancy. Awesome.
There was definitely a generational gap between me and my maternal grandmother (who was a major technophobe. She couldn’t handle DVDs. Or computers. Or cell phones. I could go on.) But my paternal grandmother was a different story. She bought all the new technology, even if she didn’t know how to use it. I asked to use her computer one day, and she admitted that she knew how to turn it on but couldn’t figure out how to do anything else. But it sat there in her den, a source of pride that she actually had it. She was fun. 🙂
February 16, 2012 @ 12:12 am
I. Love. This. A useless computer–amazing! Talk about keeping up with the Joneses!!
February 13, 2012 @ 4:21 pm
Funny thing — I have a Papa too, and that sounds about like what he’d tell me for writing this thriller I’m working on. lol Note to self: never let Papa read it. 😉
But I LOVE Necro-Romancy…that is just too freaking funny. And obviously SS&D is my favorite Necro-Romancy book! Duh!
February 16, 2012 @ 12:13 am
Awww, aren’t you the sweetest thing EVER, Holly. <3 <3 <3 And yes–anyone called Papa shouldn't read about zombies or Tate's Hell. 😉
February 13, 2012 @ 4:31 pm
Hilarious story, and I have to applaud you for your courage in sharing your book with family. My first MS is so incredibly personal in a lot of ways, I’ve yet to have any family member read through the entire thing. Even my fiance’. I’m so happy for friends and strangers to read pages and give me feedback, but I feel like my family and fiance’, who already know me best, will see so much more of who I am by reading it. Sounds stupid! But it’s their response–whether it’s their sort of story or not–that I’m most anxious about (okay, and agents I’m querying…). I’m nearly ready to let the fiance’ read through, but it’s SO not his genre. That’s gonna be an interesting dinner conversation… “So, do women really think all that stuff that your MC thinks?” “It’s fiction. I plead the fifth!”
February 16, 2012 @ 12:14 am
I totally know what you mean Cheyenne! It’s like how I’m way more embarrassed to speak German or French in front of my husband–seems totally not right, but it’s how I feel!
February 13, 2012 @ 4:46 pm
LOL. God rest my grandfather’s soul, but he was always fixated on the idea of me being a doctor rather than my dreams for writing. My grandmother is a whole different matter – she takes anything and might as well be a one-woman promotion agency. 🙂 I think I am dreading my parents reading my manuscript – just a bit – because I’m not sure how the heroine’s issues with her own parents will come off to them.
Anyhoo, zombie stories. I LOVED The Forest of Hands and Teeth, which is saying a lot because I am practically zombie-phobic at times. Also, the Zombies v.s. Unicorns anthology. That was awesome. Especially Maureen Johnson (who is always awesome).
February 16, 2012 @ 12:15 am
Your grandma is like my grandfather-in-law! The Frenchman’s grandfather (who is German) read and ADORED the book (well, what of it he could understand), and he’s going to every library and book store in his area and bugging them to get my book. It’s fabulous!!
February 13, 2012 @ 5:44 pm
generational gap…how about my sweet grandmother not being able to understand what a dystopian is…and why ANYONE would “want to read that depressing tale.”
February 16, 2012 @ 12:16 am
HAHAHA. That’s great–and kinda true when you think about it. 😉 But I love me some good dystopian…Not even my mom really gets it, and she’s not that old!
February 13, 2012 @ 6:26 pm
(I’m not entering the giveaway, BUT I just wanted to say that I frakking ADORE this post. <3)
February 16, 2012 @ 12:16 am
Hehehe. I knew you’d appreciate…and understand. 😉
February 13, 2012 @ 6:31 pm
Well, SS&D is my favorite Necro-romancy book–or it will be, as soon as I read it. Which will be SOON, right? Right? :DDD Also, honestly, the model on the cover kind of does look like you! lol
As my favorite necro-romancy published books, I *loved* The Summoning and all its sequels… which I read thanks to your recommendation, so THANKS! lol
Hmm, most of my generational gap stories come from my mom, who has a really hard time wrapping her mind around the idea of facebook, even though she loves using it. I will get a call from Venezuela at some ungodly hour in the morning and my mom would be like,
“What did you do to my facebook?”
“Nothing, mom.” Sigh. “What are you seeing?”
“There’s all these people writing of the facebook and I don’t even want to talk to them! Why are they on my facebook?”
Describe. Describe. Describe.
“Mom, that’s your homepage, they’re not even talking to you.”
Or, omg, it took me forever to show her how to use Skype to talk to me lol I had to write down the step by step instructions with drawings of the little icons–and then my 8-year old brother had to do it for her…
Have a great Necro-romancy Valentine’s Day, Sooz! 😀
February 16, 2012 @ 12:17 am
Oh, facebook. Even *I* don’t understand… I’m as bad as my grandpa when it comes to that. Twitter is about as advanced as I get with social networking. 😉 I like Facebook, but I always feel so overwhelmed whenever I log in! (Seriously pathetic, I know!)
February 13, 2012 @ 6:57 pm
Haha, I don’t want to enter the giveaway, but I just wanted to say that’s hilarious. I’m not sure whether I should say “poor you” or “your poor grandfather” since he so clearly doesn’t understand!
February 16, 2012 @ 12:18 am
Probably both. Poor me for hearing Papa’s wrath, and Poor Papa for being so disappointed in his granddaughter. 😉
February 13, 2012 @ 9:19 pm
once again you have helped me start my week with a smile, Susan! I love your Papa– Necro-romancy is SO awesome! and yeah, I think that’s just the way it goes with different generations… 🙂
February 16, 2012 @ 12:19 am
Sadly, it’s true…and one day, it’ll be me. Heck, it already is! I’m always saying things like, “I just don’t understand this iPhone/Facebook/whatever.” 😉
February 13, 2012 @ 9:39 pm
I’d say my favourite undead book would be Abhorsen. I liked Sabrial, and loved Lireal, but for pure kickassness necromancer magic, Abhorsen takes the pick.
Oh Necro-romancy…gives Twilight and Hedge an incredibly disturbing twist…
February 16, 2012 @ 12:20 am
GREAT CHOICE!! The Abhorsen series was 100% what inspired me to include necromancy-raised dead in the SS&D. I just *adore* that series. Which is your favorite? I loved Lirael most, I think…
February 14, 2012 @ 12:20 am
Hi Susan – got the word about this post from someone very close to you (guess who?). I know this “Papa” guy and have experienced many of his shockingly clueless comments first hand. My approach is to filter out about 95% of it. He means no harm, and I love him in spite of his foolishness, but it can be VERY annoying. You were a good sport to tolerate it so well.
February 16, 2012 @ 12:20 am
Haha. I wasn’t *that* good a sport, Auntie M. I was actually kind a bratty toward the end, and then Mom just told him to shut up. 😉 I guess it’s good prep for the inevitable harsh reviews that’ll come once the book releases…
February 14, 2012 @ 12:28 am
That made me laugh. A lot. I can’t say I’ve experienced anything quite like that, but there was a slightly sticky situation where my ultra-Orthodox Jewish grandma wanted to read my book about demons. Eeeee.
I think my favorite undead romance would have to be Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion. I didn’t realize there could be such thing as a philosophical zombie romance, but alas, this book proved me wrong. It’s most definitely necro-romancy. Hehe. That word. I like it. It makes me want to write something just so I can call it necro-romancy.
In any case, an early Happy Valentine’s Day to you! Hopefully there’ll be no undead present outside of the pages.
February 16, 2012 @ 12:23 am
I think that’s a big reason my grandfather didn’t like SS&D. He’s a very, very, VERY devout Christian, and undead, spirits, and demons definitely conflict with his beliefs… Ah well!
And I’ve never heard of WARM BODIES–I’m gonna go check it out now!!
February 14, 2012 @ 1:13 am
I think my favorite is Warm Bodies!! <3
February 16, 2012 @ 12:23 am
Ack! A second rec for WARM BODIES. I must look into this book!!
February 14, 2012 @ 5:58 am
Ummmm YES. I love the term and I love the picture you put up with it! I just busted out laughing in Barnes & Noble.
I’m sad your grandpa didn’t like the story, but I feel the same way with some of my ideas! I know my family won’t necessarily get them, but I know my target audience will. Which is the real reason I’m writing. My family likes me because they have to. I want other people to like my stories because I have good characters and write well and tell a good story. So KUDOS that he thought your writing was beautiful and coined a new word for you!
I’m not sure I necessarily have a favorite necro-romancy book (;p), but I have to say my favorite necromancy story and heroine is SABRIEL. Sarah sent me the book in the package I won from LTWF and I devoured it!!! (Thought I CANNOT make myself read Abhorsen after reading the prologue. I think it might take me a while before I can get through that last book in the series.) But I love how the dead are portrayed in that world and definitely how Sabriel handles them!
Can’t wait to see how necro-romantic your books is! Have a very necro-romantic valentines day with your frenchman!!!
Mer
<3
February 16, 2012 @ 12:24 am
Sabriel is so, so, SO magical, isn’t it? I think I’ve mentioned before that that series inspired the Dead in SS&D. I just loved the idea of necromancers and walking corpses (that weren’t of the zombie-virus variety).
February 15, 2012 @ 5:39 am
Not sure if I have any interesting generation gap stories to tell you.
But I would say that my favorrite undead and romance book is the FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH trilogy! I love all the books, especially the last one in the trilogy! Undead and romantic! Yep 😀
February 16, 2012 @ 12:25 am
Ack! I haven’t read the last one…yet! 😉 I’m glad to hear it’s so good, though!!