When I first started reading Sherrilyn Kenyon, I knew she also wrote historicals under the pen name Kinley MacGregor, but I hadn’t read them. I think I read the first four or five Dark Hunter books before I picked up a Kinley MacGregor novel. After reading 2 of them I decided they weren’t for me. Even though Rowena raved and raved and raved about Sin, I just couldn’t bring myself to read anymore of them.
One of the reasons I read the KM books to begin with is because they’re mentioned in the Dark Hunter series. A lot. There’s a KM book mentioned at least once in each of the earlier Dark Hunter books (I don’t know if she does it in the later books because I haven’t read them). I remember thinking, when I was young and innocent, how cute that was. Over the last few weeks I’ve been re-reading the earlier books in the series (I’m currently reading Kiss of the Night) and I’m not finding it as cute or funny this time around. As a matter of fact, it’s almost annoying.
I’m not sure why, exactly. Is it because I don’t care for the Kinley MacGregor books (her writing “voice” annoys me, which seems odd since it’s the same person, but I have a similar issue with Nora Roberts and J.D. Robb)? Or is it just that I’m finding her shameless self promotion a little tacky?
What do you think? Plugging your own novels: cute or tacky?
I remember reading these books years ago and thinking it was rather clever. Now that I’m re-reading them, I really don’t give it much thought. If she does it in every single book, that would be really annoying, but doing it in one or two books doesn’t bother me.
I’ve read Fantasy Lover and many other SK books and I honestly never noticed it. What an interesting issue!
Once or twice it might be funny, like a “cameo” of a director in a film, but beyond that it smacks of poor taste.
Heh, I never knew Kenyon did that. Got to give her credit though.
What do you think about other authors mentioning books in their stories that may or not be their close author friends?
I dont believe I ever came across an author mentioning other books in their stories.
I thought it was a bit tacky but it didn’t stop me reading the books. At least she doesn’t appear in them – Clive Cussler used to put himself in all his Dirk Pitt books….
Well when I first read the books, I wasn’t aware that Sherrilyn Kenyon = Kinley McGregor, so I didn’t really mind. I was curious though, cos it’s rare that titles/authors are mentioned in books… and if they can, why not?
What do you mean by having the same issues with NR and Robb?
Very, painfully tacky.
Sherrilyn Kenyon tries too hard with the ‘cute’ and it drives me crazy.
I don’t have much good to say about this author though, so I’d better not say more!
It was cute, but now it’s just ANNOYING.
In Acheron she referred to L.A. Banks. So she’s evolving.
I think in Fantasy Lover, Grace was reading a Kinley MacGregor novel and I don’t remember being put off by it. I don’t remember thinking, “Oh how cute” either though. I just didn’t care, I guess.
I’ve never thought about it to be honest but let me go think about it and find out how I feel about it.
Be back later.
Not cute. Not clever.
I only remember her doing it when Bride was transported to Vane’s mother’s medieval village. I thought it was cute at the time.
She also mentions Jim Butcher in Seize the Night.
I don’t like it, any more than I like it when an author inserts themselves into the narrative!