Once upon a time when the internet was young, I loved a blog called Faster Than Kudzu.  It was funny.  It was insightful.  It belonged to Jocelyn Jackson, who is an author.  I would follow along on her blog as she was writing her next book.  She’d go on writing retreats.  The book would be submitted.  It would finally come out.  I was excited.  I watched this sweet little book being born. 

Then I would read the book.

And I wouldn’t like it. 

It happened over and over.  Her books are much darker than her real life (or blog persona).  I gave up trying to read her books when in one the main character shoots her dog by accident.  She was aiming for her ex.  I had to sit myself down and forceably remember that she loved her dog in real life and would never hurt him so I didn’t hate her forever.  (Note that I was fine with the character shooting at her ex.)  It was my first experience with loving the author but not loving the book. 

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Sadly, she shut down her blog a few years ago.  I miss it.  I haven’t picked up her latest books.

But she isn’t the only writer who I’ve watched birth books (and babies and lives) that I then didn’t enjoy reading.  With social media it happens more and more often.  I follow a bunch of authors on Twitter.  There are several whose tweets I love that I’ve tried to read a few times but haven’t enjoyed the books.  They would post times when their books were going on sale and I’d buy them.  I figured I liked their writing/tweeting so I want to support them.  I got maybe a chapter or two in and realized that it just wasn’t going to work for me.  I’d be bored. Then I feel like a bad internet friend.

I’m not going to be naming names of the people I still follow and sometimes interact with but **whispers** I haven’t finished their books.  I feel bad enough already.

Do you have those authors in your life or am I just the worst internet friend ever?