Comments on: Are Malaysians stealing my books?

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 19:49:00 +0000

I remember looking for a book once at an Angus & Robertson (i know they’re evil – i didnt know that then though, lol) which their computers said they had in stock but was nowhere to be found. The girl at the counter said that fantasy is the most often stolen genre, something about fantasy being more re-sellable??? Strange, all the fantasy readers I know are book lovers who I would think respect the authors enough to not steal…

By: hrugaar

hrugaar — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 23:45:00 +0000

It’s the grumpy look I liked, jo. 😀

By: Jo

Jo — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 06:10:00 +0000

I used to have a couple of thousand or more books, but having shipped them from England to Canada and Canada to the US apart from any house moves we may have made, I decided to reduce their number drastically. I then bought a number of e-books but found I was spending too much on those anyway. So, libraries it is. They often buy books for me if they don't have them in stock.

Ted's bear looks a tad grumpy to me.

By: Glenda Larke

Glenda Larke — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 00:57:00 +0000

Yes, I rather liked Ted's bear too. sort of the way I feel about my writing lots of times...

Jo - to tell the truth, I also find buying books makes too much of a hole in my pocket at times, so I sympathise.

Joanna, glad you enjoyed it!

I had a friend in Oz who told me that a local book store told him his was the most often stolen novel of the year. He didn't know quite how to take that...

By: hrugaar

hrugaar — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 23:41:00 +0000

PS – I love Ted’s teddy bear. 🙂

By: hrugaar

hrugaar — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 23:38:00 +0000

I suppose there’s a certain comfort in knowing that one’s books are considered desirable enough (or marketable enough) to be stolen … a distinction among one’s peers. Hey, now you have an underground following! 🙂 Then again, I imagine it’s not quite the sort of ‘sales figures’ you had in mind.

By: Joanna

Joanna — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 19:58:00 +0000

Order through your local booksellers, doesn’t cost any more and you don’t pay shipping. I (finally) did this with the Isles of Glory series which I’ve just finished reading… which, may I say, BTW, wow! I’d really love to comment further, but wouldn’t want to spoil it for anyone who hasn’t read it yet, suffice to say, provides a whole new perspective on an old fantasy faithful!

By: Jo

Jo — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 07:11:00 +0000

I plan to start a search for your books after Christmas, Glenda, not much time right now, I gather they are available in the UK where I shall be, but UK prices are twice what I would pay here and being a pensioner, have to watch the pennies you know. That is why I use libraries so much these days. Someone suggested I should ask for them as Christmas presents, I only get one present, from my hubby, and I already got that.

By: Glenda Larke

Glenda Larke — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 01:18:00 +0000

Thanks, guys. That is lovely to hear. Yes, klip-klip was my fun nod to Malaysia, which of course few non-Malaysians would know.

By: Madcap Machinist

Madcap Machinist — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 01:04:00 +0000

I read Heart of Mirage a couple of months ago (it was indeed difficult to find a copy!) Thoroughly enjoyed it.

I can't remember if I'd read a fantasy novel in the first person before, so it was a refreshing experience. Even more so considering that your heroine is not the typical naive protagonist. And the Mirage is an absolutely marvelous invention.

A few days ago you wrote about words that jolt a reader out of a story-world... I particularly remember feeling jolted when you used 'klip-klip' in Heart of Mirage, but that was followed by a warm rush of recognition, and that somehow made the world feel more real.

I was enchanted. Read the book over two days and felt immensely satisfied.

Looking forward to get Shadow of Tyr!