Let's Talk with Nancy J. Cohen
Let’s Talk with Nancy J Cohen
October 12, 2017
My Secret Vice
by Nancy J. Cohen
Since I write cozy mysteries, you’d think this was my favorite genre to read, right? Wrong. I have a passion for space opera and military science fiction. I don’t like stories that are too technical but prefer ones that focus on relationships. Think Horatio Hornblower in space. I’ll look for character growth, so coming of age stories with an officer who starts as midshipman, learns the meaning of leadership, earns respect from feats of heroism, and then advances through their careers will snag my attention. I can skim over the battle scenes, but I like it when the stories create characters I get to know as friends and want to come back to visit again. These are always series, by the way. Never standalones.
Stories with female protagonists such as a lady starship captain or space pirate are even better, but I do read series with male heroes as long as the focus is on the people and not on the technology. Some of these series combine two tropes I like by having a princess in command of a ship. Aren’t we all fans of Princess Leia? If our heroine has to prove her worth, that’s sure to appeal to me.
So how do I find these books? Sometimes it’s Amazon or Goodreads who recommend them, as in “If you liked Book A, you might like Book B.” Other times, I get a free read from The Fussy Librarian or BookBub. This can turn me on to an entire series if I like book one. I absolutely love this genre and gobble up these works. It’s the ultimate escape from reality with adventure, romance, intrigue, danger, space battles, and the fate of Earth in the balance.
Here are my current favorite scifi authors in alphabetical order:
Lindsay Buroker, the Fallen Empire series with Captain Alisa Marchenko http://amzn.to/2wFrLXS
M.D. Cooper, Aeon 14 series The Intrepid Saga and The Orion War with General Tanis Richards http://amzn.to/2xVS4cr
Alex Lidell, the Tides series with Princess Nile Greysik http://amzn.to/2yvmcsg
Jamie McFarlane, the Privateer Tales with Captain Liam Hoffen http://amzn.to/2xtAo6J
Mike Shepherd, the Kris Longknife series with Princess Kristine Longknife http://amzn.to/2xXwCE0
Glynn Stewart, the Duchy of Terra series with Duchess Annette Bond http://amzn.to/2wLyH0E
J.A. Sutherland, Alex Carew series featuring Royal Navy Lieutenant Alexis Carew http://amzn.to/2xsT4Dw
What is your secret reading vice?
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Posted in Let's Talk, with Nancy J. Cohen • Tags: BLB Discussion, Let's Talk, My Secret Vice, Nancy J Cohen | 10 Comments
I’m a total sucker for JD Robb’s In Death series.
I read the first one or two and then couldn’t stick with them.
I used to be with Terry on the JD Robb series, but I’ve grown away from it when it started feeling predictable (although the writing remains strong!)
I read a lot of mystery/suspense/thriller but I also frequently enjoy YA series, especially dystopian.
I like YA too but more in the fantasy realm.David Baldacci’s series takes place in this world. First title is The Finisher.
I read across the board: romance, mystery, scifi, ya. The writing has to be strong and then I stick with the story until it’s conclusion. That’s how I found Angie Fox’s Spirited Ghost Hunter series. Ever since I’ve become better at editing my own books, I have had a hard time reading books that aren’t tightly written. As soon as I fall out of the story, I don’t want to go back. I look forward to trying out your recommendations!
I just finished the first book in Angie Fox’s paranormal mystery series. An entertaining combo of supernatural and mystery. Yes, I read across the board too although these sci fi series are the ones I gobble up.
I read pretty much everything, depending on my mood of the day, but I’m a sucker for a good historical romance.
Historical romance is my go-to comfort read.
When I was a kid, I thrived on sports biographies. I still remember starting out with Hank Aaron and being crushed when I came to the last one in the set, Babe Diedrikson Zaharias. Then I graduated to historical fiction, especially the epic series and anything Steinbeck.
I did sports bios as a kid, too! Ball Four? and then there was one with the Green Bay Packers but I can’t remember who it was!