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HelenKay Dimon’s 99 Pages

[Bam: Okay, so I was a little late in announcing the winner. Don’t blame Helenkay, blame me. It was my bad. So my bad. The winner is… Oakling! Email me your info and claim your prize. That is all. Thank you.]

…of Toasty, Gooey Fun!

Have you heard about the Page 99 Rule? I stumbled across it on this blog called Critical Mass. I have no idea how I found it or what I was actually looking for that lead me to this blog post, but there you go. The Critical Mass folks describe the Rule this way: “…skip to page 99, read it, and if the writing or scene grabs you, chances are, it’s worth beginning. If not, toss it.”

You know what happened, right? I dragged out my books - the ones in print and the ones in the editing process - and then I panicked. What if there’s a typo? What if whatever is on the page is stupid? Really, how the heck could anyone tell if they wanted to read something using this method? Seems about as effective as a test where I throw a book up in the air and if it lands face side down, I read it. But I tried anyway…

In my upcoming release, HARD AS NAILS (Brava, July ‘08), page 99 is the last page of the first novella in the anthology. That’s helpful. Since you probably can guess whether or not my hero and heroine have a happy ending without reading the last page, what you’ll read there won’t be a surprise. Whether or not it would convince you to buy the book is a different question…one to which I hope you’ll answer “yes!!”

I then turned to my current release, the one in the bookstores now, RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW. You should buy the book whether or not you like page 99, but here it is:

Their concern suffocated her. Made her feel as if she lacked control over her life and her decisions. Like she was some scared little kid.

The whole reason she insisted on taking the Benson assignment was to prove she could manage to do more than the “safe” thing all the time. Instead of sitting in a room analyzing data, she yearned to go out and retrieve it. To take a risk like Doug did. To not always play life so safe. She had done enough of that and needed to put that life behind her.

“Are they going to want some dinner?” Reed asked. “If so, that may cut into my charm time. I will want credit for any delay caused by food.”

“Your terms. Too late to change now. You’re stuck with them.”

“I do not remember signing anything.” He slumped down in her favorite chair and picked up the mystery novel sitting on the table next to it.

“Give me that.” She snatched the book out of his hands.

“We are never going to Las Vegas together.”

The idea of taking a trip with Reed threw her off balance. “Why?”

“Gambling makes you grouchy.”

“People touching my stuff makes me testy.” Having Reed act so at home and comfortable in her life was the real problem.

“It’s a paperback.”

“I didn’t want you to lose my page.”

He grinned. “Fifty-one.”

“What?”

He nodded at her hands. “Check it.”

She flipped through the pages until she found a bent-back page. Fifty-one.

“Fancy trick. Care to tell me how you did that without opening the book?”

So, does that really tell you much about the book? I don’t think so. I’m sticking with my first few pages test. You can find the first few pages of RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW here. Go read. I’ll wait. [la, la, la…] See, isn’t that more telling?

You want to win a copy of Right Here, Right Now? (I keep thinking of that Coke commercial for some reason…) You know the drill.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 2nd, 2008 at 9:23 pm and is filed under Guest Author. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

31 Responses to “HelenKay Dimon’s 99 Pages”

  1. limecello
    Posted: Apr 3rd, 2008 at 7:55 am
    1

    Hi HelenKay!
    I loved page 99 of RHRN, thanks for sharing! That’s funny how p 99 of HaN is the end of your novella. I’d never heard of the page 99 rule… hm… I’m definitely intrigued.

  2. Jill Sorenson
    Posted: Apr 3rd, 2008 at 8:14 am
    2

    How funny that in page 99, Reed and Gabby are talking about the page of the book she’s reading.

    Don’t enter me cuz I already bought it, read it, loved it.

  3. HelenKay Dimon
    Posted: Apr 3rd, 2008 at 8:26 am
    3

    limecello - I hadn’t heard of the rule either. Happy to know I wasn’t the only one.

    Jill - Thank you!!! I’m so happy you enjoyed it.

  4. Mina
    Posted: Apr 3rd, 2008 at 8:56 am
    4

    Yep, I definitely like the excerpt you have posted on your website better then page 99.

  5. Emma
    Posted: Apr 3rd, 2008 at 9:07 am
    5

    Hi HelenKay RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW sound wonderful. I’d never heard of the page 99 rule. I will keep reading excerpt to see if I like a book.

  6. JaimeK
    Posted: Apr 3rd, 2008 at 9:20 am
    6

    I have never heard of the 99 page rule…I have, however, heard of the 50 page rule - which is if the story hasn’t grabbed you by page 50 ditch it and read something else. I have been applying the 50 page rule for 20 some odd years. I will have to check out some of my favorites and see how the 99 page rule applies. I agree with the others your excerpt is better than page 99. I’ll check it out, but I think I am sticking with my 50 page rule - which puts you in the clear cuz you grab hold in the first chapter… =]

  7. Fedora
    Posted: Apr 3rd, 2008 at 9:57 am
    7

    Hmm… HelenKay, I’ve never heard of that rule–I tend to go by the first few pages plus the back cover… I guess it’s a way of making your own “blurb” if the book you’ve picked up doesn’t have one or if you don’t like the one that’s there :)

    And I did quite like page 99 of RHRN–now I must keep reading!!

  8. Susan
    Posted: Apr 3rd, 2008 at 11:32 am
    8

    HelenKay, the 99 page rule is new to me. Your page 99 is great, but so is the blurb on your website! I always judge a book by what is written on the back and the first couple of pages. If it is written by an author I know I like (such as you) I just buy it!

  9. Jane
    Posted: Apr 3rd, 2008 at 11:40 am
    9

    I’m another who hasn’t heard of this rule, although I did enjoy page 99 of “Right Here, Right Now.”

  10. Liza
    Posted: Apr 3rd, 2008 at 12:47 pm
    10

    I’ve never heard of the page 99 rule. I’m a bit of a purest when it comes to reading. I never go to the end to try and find out how the book will end or even skip ahead. I just in the last few years would stop reading a book I wasn’t enjoying if the first several chapters didn’t grab me. I used to make myself read the entire book, but now there are so many great authors out there, I won’t make myself finish a book I don’t enjoy. BTW, I already own Right Here Right Now and have it in my TBR pile.

  11. Maureen
    Posted: Apr 3rd, 2008 at 1:12 pm
    11

    The first few pages give me a much better idea.

  12. oakling
    Posted: Apr 3rd, 2008 at 1:40 pm
    12

    I had never heard of that rule, although I do something similar, flipping through and reading several random pages of any book I’m considering. But I think it is awesome synchronicity that when you tried it, the people in your book were talking about pages of THEIR books….

  13. HelenKay Dimon
    Posted: Apr 3rd, 2008 at 3:30 pm
    13

    It is strange that it just so happens Reed and Gabby are talking about a book, isn’t it? I could not do that again if I tried. :)

    If I don’t know the author and haven’t heard buzz about the book, I go by the back copy and look of the cover when I buy. Not sure that really tells me much other than that the publisher’s copy department writes good copy, but that’s what I do. I have a friend who MUST read an excerpt before she’ll buy. She’s the reason I put excerpts on my website.

    It sounds as if some of you read the first few pages before buying. Do you do that using the “look inside” inside function on Amazon (or is that B&N?), or do you use google books, or do you sit in a bookstore and read through it. I’m just wondering. How and why people buy the books they do is a fascinating thing.

  14. kim h
    Posted: Apr 3rd, 2008 at 5:11 pm
    14

    wow never heard o f it. sounds hot book. love the cover

  15. Katie Ann
    Posted: Apr 3rd, 2008 at 5:29 pm
    15

    I am so spoiler-phobic that I would probably never flip ahead and read a page in the middle, but your page 99 is pretty intriguing. There are so many questions I have after reading it that it makes me want to check it out. I’m like you, I usually just read the back cover and maybe the little blurb on the first page and let the cover influence me. :)

  16. Nichole
    Posted: Apr 3rd, 2008 at 7:23 pm
    16

    Don’t know about using the test on all books but I’d pick up RHRN based on that page if it wasn’t already on my must buy ASAP list.

  17. Tumperkin
    Posted: Apr 4th, 2008 at 4:21 am
    17

    My rule is the round-about-page-200 rule. It only works consistently with historicals though. Round about page 200 (give or take 2 pages) they are always having sex.

  18. Lucie Simone
    Posted: Apr 4th, 2008 at 7:36 am
    18

    Hi HelenKay,
    I’d never heard of the 99 Rule, either, but I have my own tried and true test of a book’s worth (from authors I don’t already know). First, I must be drawn to the cover, then I read the blurb, then the first page. If I’m hooked, then I buy it. And I always do this in bookstores. One of my favorite activities is to just spend an hour or so wandering through the aisles of a bookstore looking at books.

  19. Susan
    Posted: Apr 4th, 2008 at 9:27 am
    19

    I use the “SEE INSIDE” on B&N. Though not all of the books have it.

  20. JaimeK
    Posted: Apr 4th, 2008 at 9:51 am
    20

    HelenKay: I usually receive recommendations. I will look and see what kind of reviews the book is getting, but I try not to read too deeply into the reviews because I am spoilerphobic as well. Whether the reviews are bad or not, if it was recommended by someone I know reads the same stuff I do then I will generally buy the book anyway.

  21. HelenKay Dimon
    Posted: Apr 4th, 2008 at 12:09 pm
    21

    Tumperkin - I like the way you think. That’s a good strategy.

    Like Lucie, I love wandering around the bookstore aisles. If I used the Page 99 Rule, I’d miss out on just looking around, picking up books and searching for gems.

    I used the online “look inside” feature for the first time last week. Really, I just wanted to see how much of a book you could see. It’s a suprisingly good feature.

  22. Angie-la
    Posted: Apr 4th, 2008 at 1:31 pm
    22

    Hmmmmm. Unfortunately I have this little quirk that if I start reading a book, I have got to finish it. Even if it is a wall-banger. I just feel like, if I read just a little longer its going to get better! Call me ever-hopeful!
    I, too have never heard of the 99 page rule.
    Personally, I think its kind of silly! ;)

  23. limecello
    Posted: Apr 4th, 2008 at 4:10 pm
    23

    Personally, if I don’t know the author or story, I go hunting for excerpts. I’ll look for websites, amazon or bn for “see/look inside” - or at the publisher’s site. I like knowing all I can about an author.

  24. kim h
    Posted: Apr 11th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
    24

    was there a winner picked?

  25. HelenKay Dimon
    Posted: Apr 13th, 2008 at 9:39 am
    25

    Bam is going to pick the winner. My guess is that she is engaged in an elaborate game or eeny, meeny, miny, moe at the moment :)

  26. limecello
    Posted: Apr 16th, 2008 at 5:20 am
    26

    LOL - that just made me laugh, HelenKay. That’d be one game that would take a looong time!

  27. bam
    Posted: Apr 17th, 2008 at 7:05 pm
    27
    Author Comment

    Yep… and Oakling won out. Woo-hoo!

  28. kim h
    Posted: Apr 18th, 2008 at 1:59 pm
    28

    wtg oakling. lucky gal.

  29. Jane
    Posted: Apr 18th, 2008 at 6:50 pm
    29

    Congrats, Oakling.

  30. Fedora
    Posted: Apr 20th, 2008 at 8:28 am
    30

    Woohoo, Oakling! Thanks again, Bam and HelenKay!

  31. limecello
    Posted: Apr 21st, 2008 at 4:54 am
    31

    Congratulations, Oakling!

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