Who is Going to Read LKH's KISS THE DEAD?

[Fangbanger]

I believe it is a new story.  I have read that it is material from Kiss the Dead that didn't make it into the finished book for one reason or another.

[SciFiCanuck]

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3monstersmom wrote:

 I will read all the installments of this series simply because it is LKH.  Having said that, I agree with most that the series cast has become to large.  There is a serious lack of intimacy that allows me to care about the characters fates.  Not only can I not remember all the characters, their background stories, positions they are in, and the roles they play (highly unusual for one who remember useless facts like that in everything she reads), but I just don't care anymore who lives or dies besides for our basic two of Anita and JC.  It's a wonderful series that has diminished it's emotional connection to readers with it's overwhelmingly large cast of side characters.  There is a large part of me that hopes Anita goes to war with the vampire council and losses half of her posse.  Maybe then the emotional connection would reemerge for those precious few who survived.  

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LOL!  Well you're going to be out of luck...LKH doesn't believe in killing off major characters so I don't think anything like that will happen...  :-)  Plus, I don't need that trauma, LOL

[Fangbanger]

I mean, depending on who it was who got offed, I wouldn't be sad about it.  LOL.

[Origami77]

Beauty is a deleted scene (outtake) from Kiss the Dead. The product desciption states, "It’s far too easy for Anita Blake to doubt her own appearance—and the hold it has on those who love her. But one hot tub and two incredibly sexy men—Jean Claude and Asher—will make her feel like the most lusted-after woman alive…or undead. Not bad for a mere human…"



Many other authors, which I follow,  have posted deleted scenes and bonus short stories on their official webpages as a free thank you to their fans. I can't see paying LKH for something wasn't considered good enough to be included in Kiss the Dead. 

[Fangbanger]

I think it really just depends.  It sounds like this was the publisher's decision not LKH's.  I don't think I will be purchasing it.  From the description, it is just a throwaway threeway between Anita, JC, and Asher.  I doubt I will be missing out on anything if I skip it.

[Origami77]

<<It sounds like this was the publisher's decision not LKH's.>>

It was definitely LKH's! She just posted a poll on her Facebook page, asking fans what other deleted scenes from past novels they'd be willing to pay to read. Deleted scenes. Scenes not good enough to appear in print...  

It's a money grab.  

[Fangbanger]

Um... I think she did it because it sold well, so since there was an interest she is thinking about releasing another one and she wanted to have fan input.  Again, I am pretty sure the idea to do this was her publisher's and she is not the only author who has done something like this and charged for it, so I'm not sure why she is being villefied.

[paulgoatallen]

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Origami77 wrote:

<<It sounds like this was the publisher's decision not LKH's.>>

It was definitely LKH's! She just posted a poll on her Facebook page, asking fans what other deleted scenes from past novels they'd be willing to pay to read. Deleted scenes. Scenes not good enough to appear in print...  

It's a money grab.  

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I don't see it as a money grab – it's more of a little something special for hardcore fans to cherish. It's just like decades ago when bands would put out "b sides" – songs that for whatever reasons didn't make albums. Authors, musicians, movie producers – this is a relatively common occurence. Definitely aimed at the hardcore fan – like the two extra hours of footage from the LOTR movies!

[Origami77]

<I don't see it as a money grab – it's more of a little something special for hardcore fans to cherish. >


Many other authors in the genrea have offered their hardcore fans, "a little something special" by posting short stories and even novellas (100+ pages) on their wesites.  


LKH took an 18 page sex scene (which had been deleted from Kiss the Dead)  bundled it with a PART of the 1st chapter from Kiss the Dead and sold it for $2.99.  This year, for the first time, she didn'tpost the first chapter for free on her website for the fans to read. If the fans wanted to read it, they had to pay.  

Plus, to further confuse the fans Beauty was first described as an e-book, then an e-special, then finally and outtake.  I have many friends who purchased the "e-book, " only to be horrified that they paid money for so little content, and quickly returned it.  The B & N website still doesn't tell any prospective buyer that Beauty is only 33 total pages. It just states, "File size: 209 KB."


At most, 18 pages is only worth 99 cents.  The fact that they had the gall to demand more than that for so little content, makes Beauty nothing more than a money grab. 

[Fangbanger]

Again, that is not LKH's decision, but the publishers.  So, be upset, but why blame LKH.  It's not like she is sitting behind the scenes, twirling her imaginary mustache, and laughing about how her idiot readers are being screwed out of $4.

[paulgoatallen]

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Fangbanger wrote:

Again, that is not LKH's decision, but the publishers.  So, be upset, but why blame LKH.  It's not like she is sitting behind the scenes, twirling her imaginary mustache, and laughing about how her idiot readers are being screwed out of $4.

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The bottom line is this: some readers absolutely cherish these extras and if LKH's fans are happy and willing to spend the money, enough said!

[ThirstyFlea]

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paulgoatallen wrote:

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Fangbanger wrote:

Again, that is not LKH's decision, but the publishers.  So, be upset, but why blame LKH.  It's not like she is sitting behind the scenes, twirling her imaginary mustache, and laughing about how her idiot readers are being screwed out of $4.

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The bottom line is this: some readers absolutely cherish these extras and if LKH's fans are happy and willing to spend the money, enough said!

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I agree with both of you! I probably won't buy this particular short story, but I did recently buy a short from another of my favorite authors for $1.99, only to find out that it was only 16 pages. But you know what? After I got over my disappointment at the length, I was really happy to have read the little gem- it gave me some more insight into the main character from a different POV, and I really enjoyed it because I am a huge fan and I will read any little morsel she throws out there! 

It is for the fans, deleted from the book or not. I've also read a number of deleted scenes by other authors, and they're not necessarily deleted because they suck, but maybe they don't fit in the flow of the story, and just like film & tv, things just get cut even if there's nothing wrong with them!