What makes a book sell? What is that “thing” that has readers swarming to the stores to buy it? What attracts them to begin with? Is it the cover? The summary of the plot? Great reviews? The price? The author?
Again this week, I’d like you, the readers, to give your opinion on this book. I’d like to know–as does the author–what works for you and what doesn’t. We’d like an honest gut reaction to everything we present to you here to make sure the author is headed in the right direction or if there are things that can be tweaked to make this book the bestseller it has the potential to be.
If you choose to supplement your poll responses with personal, honest constructive comments, you will be entered to win 1 (one) book from my ever growing stash of books (four pages of books grouped my genres). 
Thank you in advance for your time and your honestly. I know it’s valuable and I do appreciate it.
~*~*~
GASTIEN
Author: Caddy Rowland
Genre: Adult Fiction
Pages: 493
Digital Price: $4.99
Publisher: Caddy Rowland
[button style=”small rounded” color=”#322D18″ link=”http://www.amazon.com/Gastien-Part-Cost-Dream-ebook/dp/B005FI62BS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1312644540&sr=8-1″ text=”#FFFFFF” target=”_blank” ]Amazon[/button] [button style=”small rounded” color=”#322D18″ link=”http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/gastien-part-1-caddy-rowland/1104654480?ean=2940013164543&itm=1&usri=gastien” text=”#FFFFFF” target=”_blank” ]B&N[/button]
In this first book of the Gastien series, young Gastien Beauchamp begins his journey from the farm to Paris with two goals in life. The first is to become an artist with his own studio, following his own rules. That is an almost impossible dream for a peasant with no money or formal training. Paris spits out talented men into the gutters every day. “Good” gets you nowhere. “Great” maybe gets you a bowl of soup.
The second is to become the greatest lover in France. That should be easy. With his stunning looks and willingness to learn, the women of Paris are about to be awakened in a way they have only dreamt about in the nineteenth century!
Gastien also has focus, drive, and raw, natural talent. With the dream burning inside of him, he is determined to succeed at any cost. Poor Gastien. If he could only know in advance what brutal struggles await him, he might turn around and go back home.
Sometimes the “impossible” is possible. But the cost can be extremely high.
~*~*~
SAMPLER – First several paragraphs of GASTIEN
As he unbuttoned his trousers, sliding them down, he realized he would need to get his feet out somehow. Damn it! Why did men have clothes that were so hard to get out of without assuming clumsy positions? He decided to try to lift one leg at a time and pull. Gastien lost his balance. He ended up jumping around like a lunatic anyway.
Nathalie tried not to laugh, but he looked so ridiculous jumping around…then their eyes met again. They both burst out laughing.
“Nath, I am a man. I am not very good at this I guess.”
“You were doing fine, chére. Sit down on the chaise to take them off.”
He did so, rising from the seat to stand again. Blushing, he admitted, “I have fenced for years, but one would never know it with that show of grace.”
“Ah, the national pastime of French males! Foil or épée[i]?” Nath asked. That also must have helped build his fine physique.
“Foil and sabre for balance and quickness. Épée for strength and endurance. As you can see, the practice for balance fully paid off tonight.”
Nath laughed kindly. “You are nervous about being watched while undressing. That is normal.” She changed the subject to help him forget his clumsiness. “You must have a distinct advantage in fencing with your size. You are quite tall.”
“I am 5’ 10”. I guess that is quite tall for a man. It does pay off when thrusting.”
“Hmmmm…we will see in just a little while,” she said, eyes sparkling.
“Well, not in that kind of thrusting, I meant in….oh, hell, I am rambling. Just let me finish undressing!”
As he lowered his underwear, he turned his back to her. “The scars…I want you to see them. They were a birthday present from my father on my sixteenth birthday. End of subject. We can move on, all right?” he implored tensely.
“Oui, we can move on. The scars are a thing of the past, Gastien. Show me what you have for me in the present.“
This book just pulled me in as soon as I started reading.. I really do like it, a lot. I would love to follow Gastien through his exploits in Paris and I’m intrigued as to what trials he will face as well. Though I don’t purchase e-reads if I did and could I would definitely buy it. I’ll be looking this Author up and checking out if she has other books.
Carol L.
Thank you, Carol. This book is also available in paperback. If you click on the Amazon link you will see both paperback and kindle listed in the format box. I appreciate your interest.
Ok, the book is just not something I would grab. It just doesn’t call my name. However, I’m sure there are people would love read this book. The back blurb and the sample just didn’t do it for me. Oh we’ll, maybe next time when you select another anatomy of a best seller.
The book caught my interest (not hard to do), but I am on the fence as to whether I would enjoy it. A giant MAYBE from me. I think other books would push their way to the front and push this one of the way.
I enjoy reading new authors to me and the sample definitely has made me want to read further. I love the cover, and the writing appears to be very good.
Something about this book seemed off for me. There isn’t a lot here, so it is hard for me to pinpoint what it is. I was a little confused about Gastien. The author wrote that he was a peasant, but yet he fenced for years. That was odd to me. A peasant doesn’t normally have the time or the money to take fencing lessons for years, as stated in the sampler. The idea of this book sounds like it could be a really good book, but from what I have read so far it has fallen short for me.
Thank you, Mary. I appreciate a reader who knows their history and what different classes had money to do! Gastien learned how to fence on the farm. His father felt it built strength and endurance so all of the children spent time int he barn fencing. That is explained in the book. No, he never took formal lessons. No peasant could afford that.
The blurb and excerpt are very intriguing. Gastien just sounds just sounds adorable. I would definitely read this one.
I liked the cover but the title not so much. A book that uses the characters name for a title doesn’t grab my attention. The excerpts dialogue seemed to be trying for witty but it did not flow for me. Lastly, the price point is a bit high for a self published unknown author.
Although I have a Kindle, I find that I prefer paperbacks. That is the problem I have with self published books, not that they are self-published, but that they are not available to purchase in paperback.
Hi LilMissMolly, and thank you. I want you to know that this book is also available in paperback. If you click the Amazon link you will find both paperback and kindle listed in the format box. 🙂
I like the cover a lot. Not sure about the title though. To be fair, I prefer my books funny and light and romantic so not sure if this is a genre that I am interested in normally.
I like the title. The cover would be better without the man’s face. It’s kind of romantic looking, but I don’t like his face just being right there like that, if that makes any sense. I like the sound of the story, but the dialogue seems a little stilted, maybe. Too formal for the situation. I think I would read it if I read a lot of good reviews about it.
I really liked the cover. What a handsome man!
The story will be in parts. This 493 pages is only part one. I’m not sure I want to start a book in a new genre that I’m not sure I’ll like. 493 pages is very long. I would read that from a favorite author or classic liturature.
Hi Elaine,
Thanks for voicing your concern. This is a series and a family saga. Not every book will be about Gastien. I want to also assure you that each book stands on its own. Like any series, it is best read complete, but it is not a book that just stops and leaves you without an ending. I hate that!
I love the cover, but after reading the sample, and the blurb it just didn’t read smoothly and seemed like it could use more work. I also have to wonder about a book that the first part is 493 pages. That is a major commitment of both time and money and the sample wasn’t good enough for me to want more.
I have yet to read a book by this author. It sounds really interesting so would give it a try.
I am an artist so I am anxious to see how this skill is covered in the story and how much it adds to the story line.
The cover is alright but needs a bit more color.
I like the cover, but didn’t really care for the title. I also had a real problem with the cover blurb. Since you used the word peasant, I assume the book is an historical. If this book is historical, then blurb “voice” screams contemporary. The following sounds like something a comedian might say. but was strange for a cover blurb: “Good” gets you nowhere. “Great” maybe gets you a bowl of soup.
The book sounds interesting and the price is the average for a romantic e-book. As someone who reviews e-books for purchasing to add to our collection I would recommend this book. Romance genre e-books are one of the three most popular genres selected by our e-book readers. As for the cover the old adage “never judge a book by its cover” comes to mind. The content is more important than the cover.
Thank you Sherri. I just want to be clear that this book is not a romance, although this is a romance blog. It is adult fiction and the genres for this book are drama, historical fiction and family saga. 🙂 There is romance in the series and love stories, but it is not genre romance. I just don’t want anyone expecting that and then getting something else.
I like the cover a lot, but am not a fan of the title. I love reading books set in Paris, so I’m intrigued by this story and would give it a try if 1) it was priced lower and 2) it had received some favorable reviews. I think the blurb needs work — more hooks and language to indicate the book is a sweeping family saga with lots of drama and history, and not a romance novel.
Hi Jennifer,
Thanks for your input. One of your requirements has already been met. If you click on the Amazon link, you will find 27 reviews. You can also find more on B&N. Thank you.
I’m not familiar with Caddy or her books, but I was intrigued by the sample.
I liked the cover design, but had trouble reading the script for “Gastien,” especially since the name was unfamiliar to me. The blurb makes it sound like a picaresque YA. Also, I am not a POV stickler, but the shift in POV in such a short sample confused me.
Also, just a quibble, but I thought the woman’s nickname would work better if it were spelled “Nat.” When we see the whole name, we see it’s French and so pronounce it properly, but on its own, I kept hearing it as rhyming with “math” in my head.
I did like the characters very much.
For me this book just doesn’t grab my interest at all. That’s not to say it wouldn’t for someone else though. I don’t believe I’ve heard of this author before, but I could be wrong. Not entirely sure about that. Not really liking the book cover at all. The blurb was a yaaaaawner for me. Just not my cup of tea, I guess. I do not usually read outside my specific genres that I adore and love. But sometimes I find that one book that (slaps me across the face) with I have to try that one out! In those cases I’ll most definitely branch-out of my comfort genres zones. 🙂
I’m just being honest. The blurb didn’t catch my attention. I guess it is not for me.
I want to drop in and thank Beverley for allowing Gastien to be polled today. I really appreciate that, Beverley.
I also want to thank every single person who voted on the poll questions and those who still will tonight. We’re all busy, so it was very kind of you to do that. I will be taking this data and analyzing it over the next few weeks. If it appears that some changes need to be made I plan on doing so. I am also in the final stages of getting book 4 of The Gastien Series out the door before the end of the month.
Have a pleasant rest of the week everyone!
I do not buy a book based on the cover or the title. I buy based on the blurb and maybe the author. ?The length of the book is not daunting for me but I rarely pay that much for an e-book and/or unknown author – not as much disposable income as I used to have.
I buy books based on the covers and/or blurbs. This cover is nice, just didn’t scream at me to grab it. The plot seems like it would be fun to read, just not snagging my attention tonight I guess.
I like the colors in the cover. How many parts will the story be told in? The cover says part 1. Not sure from the blurb if the main character will have a relationship with a heroine.
Hi bn100 and thanks for your questions.
This is a series of five books. Each story stands on their own. It is a family saga and goes through several generations. The first two are about Gastien, but each of these two books come to a conclusion. The second just continues on after he gets his dream.
As far as a herione, there is a very strong one in book two. Although Gastien has a romance with Nath, he is very young and just newly experiencing life. All he had known previously was hard work on a farm he hated, so he is not ready for love. When he finds love in the second book, he and his love interest handle things in a very unusual, bohemian way. The strong, nonconformist love story is the central theme to book two. Three, four and five are each about different family members.
I thought this book was pretty okay. Something that would catch my eye but…not exactly either. It’s also around what I would usually pick up to read so it’ll be a good try out. Love self-publishers so good for them.
Not my genre I read
It’s a lovely cover, but not extraordinary. The blurb reads fine, but honestly, I don’t tend to read much straight fiction unless the storyline sounds incredible. This sounds like a coming-of-age story of sorts, and I’m not in the mood for that at the moment. One thing that struck me was that the cover and the blurb indicate that the book is historical, but the excerpt reads very current-day/modern. That was slightly jarring to me.
This is way out of my normal reading tastes, so unless there was some really stunning hook, I wouldn’t be interested in it. With that said, I did want to comment on the cover. I loved the lower half, but I felt that the man’s face was too omnipresent and overshadowed the rest of it. Maybe I’m also biased because I’ve seen that model’s face on other covers, so it kind of puts me off here. I also thought that the blurb was a bit off. The tone seemed to be almost flippant, and very contemporary, but when I read a few of the reviews, it sounded like the book was emotional and has some depth. Best wishes, even though it’s not to my taste, I’m sure it would appeal to readers of straight historicals.
what can i say….after reading 50 shades…i looked into “what to read after 50 shades”…this series of books came up….at the book store i had it in hand…the cover..amazing…already knew what it was about….and just reading that b4 i saw the book had me…..i only have the first book in print….the other 2 i have on my kindle but will for sure be purchasing all in print…the storyline..the characters…could not put the books down….amazing writing..kudos to the author….have been telling everyone to read them…thank you for such a wonderful series of books!
The blurb did not interest me and I didn’t care for the cover.
Hi Caddy,
Thanks for clarifying the series for me. Good luck with “Gastien”. 🙂
I definitely liked this one and would like to read it. I enjoy historicals and the subject matter of artists and the setting of France also entices me. I am glad it stands alone and then I could decide if I want to continue the series. If I enjoy it and there’s not a horribly long wait between books, I would probably continue the series. I would want to know how many books are involved though. Normally, trilogies are my limit.
Hi Catslady,
Thanks for your question. I like your name, I grew up with cats. We have parrots now, though, so they have insisted that I don’t allow cats in their domain.
The Gastien Series is a series of five books, spanning several generations of the Beauchamp family. The first three are already out. The fourth is coming out very soon, hopefully (note that word) before the end of this month. The fifth will come out in early 2013. Again, hopefully by February or March at the latest. It you start now you should not have too long to wait for the last one.