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A large percentage of our members
were on a Dean Koontz kick for quite a while, reading every book he's ever
written. Lately, however, his popularity seems to have waned.
According to a vote, the best Dean Koontz book, by far, is one of his earlier novels: Watchers.
Everybody raved about this book. Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy. By the way,
did you know that Dean Koontz was rejected 75 times before he finally got
a book published?
Stephen King
Some like him. Others suggested that he might be a little too long winded. In books like Desperation,
some of our members say the writing is too repetitive. Everybody liked
Carrie, perhaps because it was written with less adjectives. ED NOTE:
In Mr. King's defence, there aren't too many writers who can dream up
books like "The Shawshank Redemption" and "The Green Mile". I'm afraid
we caught some of our Canadian Copywriter members on an anal retentive day. The other
members of the Canadian Copywriter crew have allowed me to say this because I am, after all, me.
Jack Kerouac.
He's from up here.
Jack Kerouac was a French Canadian. Thankfully, he was able to write a
lot of great novels before he succumbed to the bottle. Ah, yes, the bottle.
How many great minds have we lost to the bottle? Did you know that Jack
Kerouac submitted a long-winded, massive blob of a manuscript to
Viking Press? When the editors saw it, they thought he was mad, but then they
took a second look and saw something in it -- and dredged out a plot. The editors turned Kerouac's
manuscript into a story about a man taking a road trip across the United
States. The result: "On The Road" became a minor American classic.
Here's an author that really knows his stuff. Clive Cussler
was a naval engineer for years -- and his knowledge of mechanics and technology
is astounding. Cussler's stories center on a character by the name of Dirk Pitt, a "James Bond" type of hero
who defies death in hair raising adventures are books you just can't put
down. His best: Cyclops!
We had varying
opinions about Mr. Deaver. Many liked him but didn't think he was quite the
calibre of Stephen King or Dean Koontz. His best book: A Maiden's Grave
Another thrill-a-minute author in the tradition of Clive Cussler
et al. His best: Op Center: Games of State.
Lawrence Sanders.
He's the
wittiest author of the bunch. His novels are light and trendy, but good
reading. His best: MacNally's Puzzle.
Catcher In The Rye.
The thing about John Grisham is that he writes comfortable
reading. He has a smooth style that keeps you interested in his courtroom
dramas from beginning to end. Did you know that he sold copies of his
first book out of the trunk of his car until he got published? Did you
also know that he was discovered by the same publisher that discovered
Stephen King? They published his first novel: "A Time To Kill", which
didn't do well. Grisham however went on to write his next novel: "The
Firm". Out of loyalty, he returned to the publisher and offered "The Firm"
to them. They demurred, feeling "burnt" by his first effort.
Grisham sold it elsewhere for more money than he would have got with the
first publisher and "The Firm" went on to become a New York Times best
seller and a five-star movie.
P.S: Pick up his latest book: Street Lawyer. The C.C. staff guarantee that you
won't be able to put it down. It's a real page-turner! (that's not a money back guarantee, by the way, just a sort-of
...well, it's just a way of saying that you'll like the book, good grief!)
Clive Barker.
A "poetic novelist"
according to the members of the Canadian Copywriter. His ability with words takes
your breath away. His best: Sacrament.
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