I’ve a file where I store emails from readers. It’s labeled “Fans” which is inaccurate, because some emails are from readers who’ve discovered something they dislike about my books and feel compelled to share their opinion with me. Fortunately, most of the correspondence is favorable, which is why I haven’t bothered to re-label the file.
When looking through the file this morning I came across two emails received from the same reader, on the same day, back in February of this year.
In the first email the reader begs me to kill off a character who she dislikes, telling me the character makes her want to stop reading. Since I wanted readers to dislike that character, I suppose that is sort of a win on my part. Yet, I don’t want the unlikable character to chase away readers.
I contemplated how to respond, as I try to respond to all emails. Yet, sometimes life gets in the way, and I don’t get to everyone. Before I had the chance to respond, that reader sent a second email. It read:
Oh wow! That’s it for me. Again, I am on book 24. You have now added “white guilt”. Good grief. Does everyone need to feel they need to be woke? I’m now done with your books. I will not recommend them, or purchase any in the future.
I decided to look up the definition of woke, as it pertains to urban slang. According to Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary, woke means,“aware of and actively attentive to important societal facts and issues (especially issues of racial and social justice)”
It also stated it is a “general pejorative for anyone who is or appears to be politically left-leaning.”
The only conclusion I can draw after reviewing the definition of woke is that my storyline in Book 24, The Ghost and the Silent Scream, made that reader uncomfortable.
Did I add white guilt? I don’t think so. To me, a book with white guilt implies adding exaggerated racial content to a story for no reason other than to inspire guilt from white people. That’s not what I did.
Authors find story fodder in all sorts of places, such as personal experiences and history. I’ve always enjoyed using history as story fodder and as inspiration. In my Coulson Family Saga, written under my Anna J. McIntyre pen name, I heavily used American history as story fodder and as a backdrop to the story that unfolds over the five books.
Did I do it to guilt out men, because a good chunk of the story was about women and how their place in American society changed over a century? No. I simply told a realistic story, and if it made some readers uncomfortable, I think they need to look in the mirror.
Haunting Danielle is a paranormal cozy mystery series, that sometimes involves murder. When reading about murder, readers typically want to learn, by the end of the book, who committed the murder and why. When looking for plot inspiration I often turn to history, especially when many of my characters come from the 1920s.
In The Ghost and the Silver Scream, the only thing I could find that the disgruntled reader may have seen as white guilt was a storyline that involves parents who have disowned their daughter for falling in love with a Black man, which sets off a chain of events.
So, how did I respond to that reader? I didn’t. She is entitled to her opinion, and no reader is obligated to recommend my books, or purchase them.
I will confess, I am a little perplexed as to why—at Book 24—this reader decided to be offended. I have to assume she read the prior 23 books. Most of my readers read Haunting Danielle books in order, as they are chronological, and I don’t advise jumping into the middle of the series.
In previous books I’ve addressed what some might consider woke topics, such as how it used to be illegal for Blacks to reside in Oregon, and storylines have included Oregon’s early history with the KKK. This began in the first book in the series. But maybe it was another woke thing that bothered the reader.
People choose to be nasty just to be nasty. Your books are fantastic and what I took from this idiot who wrote to you is that their life must suck for them to be that unhappy to choose something made up and stupid on which to comment. Such a sad way to live. Keep those books coming. I love them and you are so kind and were helpful to me in my own writing. You rock!
Thank you! I really didn’t have my feelings hurt, I just found the entire thing a little amusing.
There is always someone who is unhappy . I adore your books and have read every one of them . They have helped me through some very tough times and allowed me to switch off for a while and fill my brain with such incredible stories . The Haunting Danielle series is truly wonderful , each character feels so real to me I feel as if I know them ! Don’t you ever change a thing ! We love everything you write ! Don’t ever stop ! I feel sorry for person who wrote in disgruntled about a character ! Can’t please everyone . Then again I do feel a bit sorry for them ! It must be awful to be them and to wake up every day finding themselves angry at the silliest things . Lots of love to you and all your family
I’m so glad the series has helped provide an escape! Thank you!
Good Grief, can’t people just stop complaining about EVERYTHING, and just enjoy their life??
There are always characters in books we don’t “like”. Just like in “real life” there are people with all kinds of personalities. Guess the same people who complain, do not like reading classic fairy tales…lots of characters that we dislike.
Thank you for your books, they are great, AND I love all your main characters!!!!!!
thank you!
Oh my Lanta!!!! Your books are the highlight of my day everytime one comes out!! Do not listen to that person PLEASE!!!
Oh, I found it kinda amusing. I also understand there is no book that will please all people. My goal is to please a majority of “my” readers.
I am completely flummoxed by people like this. Truly. Independent women are “woke”. Racial equality is “woke”. There is a very real chance in society right now to undo all that’s been done for the minorities e.g. women, brown skin, gay, poor, uneducated. As a woman who lives in a state that guns have more rights than I do, I feel it deeply.
Your books take me away from the crap in the real world, and I for one am grateful. You books do so much for my mental health. Real life, so often, just sucks. You make it not suck. Keep up the great work. Everyone has an opinion and some find a weird sense of power being able to bully from a distance. Something they shouldn’t do if they were looking you in the eye.
Keep up the great work. My only complaint is I always want more, more, more. That’s a big deal for an OBW (original book worm).
Thank you. I receive a lot of email from readers telling me my books help them escape real life. I love that, because we all need a break from reality.
Well…. I guess you can’t write in historical fashion without being “woke”. Frankly I wish that one word still meant that I was simply awake. Our past is our history and as much as some would like to rewrite it, they can’t. It is what it is. The good the bad and the ugly.
I love your books! Thank you for the hours of enjoyment!
Susie
Well…. I guess you can’t write in historical fashion without being “woke”. Frankly I wish that one word still meant that I was simply awake. Our past is our history and as much as some would like to rewrite it, they can’t. It is what it is. The good the bad and the ugly.
I love your books! Thank you for the hours of enjoyment!
Susie
Agree. I am an advocate at looking at our history without editing out the uncomfortable parts.
The only thing I can think of is that, that “fan” has a very closed and/or narrow mind, and is really unhappy with her own life. Good books and stories are meant to challenge your way of thinking, your ideals, morals and how you see things; Great books, if you let them, will teach you something about yourself. I love your books and all your characters, both the good and bad. Without them, there wouldn’t be a story. Thank you so much for sharing them with us, and I look forward to many, many more.
Thank you!