The choice is yours

Okay, I'm making it very simple today:

 

While editing my rant, I thought this would be a great idea for a blog post. I've shaken my head since forever about writers slagging off bestsellers like Twilight, Harry Potter, or 50 Shades of Grey. One look at any forum on writers' websites, and you will find tonnes of people saying those authors can't write to save their lives, and the books are just terrible.
Many think they are much better writers, yet, still they are without a contract, or, now that they're self-published, their books linger in the lower ranks like #265,547.
So all their superior writing didn't get them anywhere, right?

I've always said, I'd love to be the one who wrote any of those books, because then I'd have millions in my account, could live my dreams and, quite frankly, I wouldn't care one bit if the world thought my writing sucks.
If I still wanted to write (which I probably would), I could always improve, then change my author name and get the other books rolling.

Who would you rather be:

a) the highly successful author being slagged off for shite writing or
b) the prize-winning starving novelist

Amanda Hocking disappoints

Those who know me also know that I'm not shy of admitting that I loved Twilight. In fact Twilight by Stephenie Meyer is the reason for starting to write myself. I have always been the one with the nose right in a book as a kid and teenager, going to the library exchanging read books for new ones -- a real book worm. As an adult I still read, but I rarely have the 'can't put it down' feeling anymore. Then came Bella and her Edward and took me by surprise. Up to then, I actually didn't read any vampire books, at least not that I know of. But I can say I had been well and truly hooked and read every spare minute.

Since then, I've learned the craft myself. Not sure if I'd look at the series with the same eyes I did back then, but I had high hopes for Amada Hocking's My Blood Approves series. I had started the first book a while back and stopped rather soon. Couldn't stand the MC's relationship with her friend Jane and it just didn't hook me that much. I tried again a bit later and read the whole sample; still not being convinced, I passed on buying.
I really wanted to like the book, though. I thought there must be something to it if she's so successful, so after another few weeks I bought it and actually read it. After finishing it yesterday, I'm left disappointed. The ending is rather odd and felt like she didn't really know how to wrap it up.

While reading I had the feeling I missed something and I really didn't understand the strong yearning for Peter when she was in love with Jack. It didn't seem to be described well enough for me. And I also couldn't connect with Alice. Besides: I always visualised Alice being Amanda, probably a result of the character being a bit too weak. I normally don't have authors I've seen pictures of pop up before my eyes when I'm reading. I felt like this with all her characters. I didn't fall in love with any of them.

Her writing isn't too bad, I'd say, a few POV glitches, but one can see she's been writing for a few years; she knows the techniques, but her character development needs some work, in my opinion and I expected her to end the book with a bang, but it didn't happen. I didn't feel like I needed to know how it continues.

I know for sure that I'll pass on the other books in the series. To me there no comparison to Twilight. I think it's because of Bella acting far more mature than Alice and the story, to me, was far more believable than My Blood Approves.

Anyway, it's just my opinion. I wish Amanda Hocking that her success continues and a huge kudos to her. She's shown the sceptics that you can do it.