Reader Interview: Heather McD!

 And here's the first in a series of Reader Interviews, getting the perspective of those wonderful, imaginative folks who delve headfirst into book-worlds and come out the other side with definite opinions on what they just experienced.
 For our first bold reader, we've got Heather McD. from Missouri with us today.
 
 Thanks so much for joining us Heather! I love the fact that even though you're currently a "young adult", you've got a lot of thoughts on what you do or do not appreciate in your reading fare. Good for you for being a "thinker"!
  Okay, we'll jump right in.

E. Kaiser: What are your favorite kind of books?

Heather McD: I tend to prefer action-packed books overall. Mainly fantasy and sci-fi, but from time to time I will read other genres.

E: How about your worst pet peeves? Let us have 'em!

H: Hm. Well, one of them are a good guy character feeling betrayed by another good guy. Now, I'm not talking about “You handed me over the enemy” sort of betrayal. I guess it's more like the trust was broken between the characters. Generally speaking, it's over done. Instead of feeling sorry for the betrayed character, you wished they'd get over it. Move on! All because they didn't tell you they came from a different world twenty years ago doesn't mean they're on the wrong side!

E: Oh, good one. I can't get what the authors are thinking on that one, either. Just "What?!"

 Okay, how about that Thing-You-Can't-Stand-Above-Anything-Else.
H: When everybody dies. Or when a few minor characters die. You get my drift.

E: Ouch. You're right. That's a major depression trip...
  Glancing quickly backward over your reading history, what stands out as the moment that melted you heart, all warm and puddle-y?
H: Well, I don't know about my heart melting, but I remember a scene I read in a novel my sister, Shannon, is still in the process of writing. A young man was giving a sad, for lack of better terminology, history lesson that was deeply related to him. It's more touching than that, but I can't tell you exactly because I'd give something away.

E: All right, we'll let you keep secrets.
Same thing; what's the first-to-mind scene that fired your emotions?

H: Oh, there have been lot's of scenes, but the one that comes to me first is a scene in Never the Bride, by Cheryl McKay and Rene Gutteridge. It's about a girl who's in her mid-thirties, and all she wants to do is to get married. But the scene I'm referring to is near the very end, when she's extremely disappointed by a prospect. Being hurt and angry, she runs to the beach yells at God. Face-to-face. You'd have to read it yourself to completely understand.

E: So... what is your favorite trait in a character, and why do you love them?

H: Two traits I like: quirky and a good sense of humor. Quirks, even little ones, makes the character more interesting. A good sense of humor because I love to laugh.

E: What most makes you most hate the villain?

H: To make the villains seem real to me, he has to be intelligent, not boasting in front of the good guys, doesn't lose his temper whenever he hears bad news, and doesn't kill unless he thinks he needs to. Villains like Hopper from A Bug's Life or Mother Gothel from Tangled. Now those villains were scary! And they did it without needlessly killing two or three characters!

E: Oooo, Mother Gothel was definitely scary.
 What was your favorite "switch" that caught you completely off guard, but you loved the result! 
 
H: The very first thing that comes to mind was some mystery book I read a while back. River's Edge, by Terri Blackstock. She picked a person I wasn't expecting to be guilty. And, as most people know, if you read enough of mystery books, they can be awfully predictable.

E: Too true! It's nice when there's a little mystery added back into mystery stories.
What small things do you especially like to see included?

H: I wish authors were less descriptive about violence. It bothers me when they dwell on it. I also would like it if authors wouldn't kill their minor or not-so minor characters so much. 

E: Aha! I think I know what you mean! In fact, I agree very much on the violence-turning-just-gory subject.
 As for the character killing issue, I've got a post coming up on just that topic! I'm on that same page with you there, too. (And I hope you'll stop by and post your comments on next week's post on that subject!)

 Thanks so much for visiting, Heather! I loved your responses, and I'm sure there are a lot of other folks out there that think along the same lines.

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Want to let your thoughts be known? 

Send me an email at ekaiserwrites-at-hotmail and we can get you lined up! 

The more the merrier, you know. ;-) Join the conversation!