Ok, here’s the thing: I know a lot more about what happens in my books than actually goes in them. I mean, I know backstory and I know front story; I know what happens to the characters after the final page and I know what happened to them before it began. Not all of this gets into the story, sometimes because it’s not necessary and sometimes because it’s not supposed to be in there.
But if it’s not in the book, I don’t necessarily know what happened. If I didn’t write it, I might have an idea about the course of events, but if I didn’t actually put it to paper it only exists in my head and therefore, didn’t really *happen* in the book world. It can still change. So while I might think a character did something or not, unless I’ve actually written it down in the story, that’s not necessarily what DID happen, if that makes sense.
Also, some stuff is left up to you, the reader, to decide.
But some stuff I *know* without a doubt is true, I just don’t put it in the story. But because it’s not in the story, you’re welcome to form your own conclusions.
So, one small piece of trivia for you readers, that may or may not make you feel differently about BROKEN. And you might feel differently about my opinion of the scene, too, which is fine, too, whatever floats your boat.
In my head, the scene with Joe and the three women? … He made it up. It was just a story.
M
January 27th, 2009 at 2:15 pm · Link
Hey Megan, that’s just interesting. Huh. I don’t know if it makes me feel differently about Joe… but it makes me think.
What an intriguing thing to do — I love when authors post prequels, missing scenes, etc — like extra features on DVDs.
Sam
January 27th, 2009 at 3:06 pm · Link
I was actually wondering how many of the stories Joe told were really true, and how many were to get a reaction out of Sadie. Cool!
January 27th, 2009 at 4:42 pm · Link
I love finding out the little extras that were in an author’s head. It’s like watching the deleted scene extras in a DVD.
January 27th, 2009 at 6:18 pm · Link
It definitely makes sense that if it’s not written down, it didn’t necessarily happen. It’s one of those things that might have happened and it’s nice to know it could have.
January 27th, 2009 at 8:04 pm · Link
Megan,
I just read Broken a few weeks ago, and I can honestly say it was one of the best books I’ve read in the past year. (I even said so in public)
I spent a lot of time thinking about how you put it together and who those characters were. For me, it wasn’t the rampant sex Joe had with women that made him someone I wanted to kick – after all, whatshername needed it for her own outlet.
It was when Joe went out of his way to do something that he KNEW without a doubt would hurt whatshername (what WAS her name?), that made him fall off the hero box for me. And boy did he need to work hard to climb back on it.
I don’t know if he ever entirely did succeed in standing firmly on that pedestal again. I wish we’d had more time in his head.
I do love a flawed character, and those two were so amazingly real I could not put the book down- literally, my eyes were burning and I had to go to sleep, but couldn’t.
However, I don’t like a cruel character, and Joe was toeing the line when he violated the sanctity of their bench.
[I wish I knew someone else who read this book so I could dissect it with them.]
January 29th, 2009 at 11:21 pm · Link
@Venus: thank you so much for stopping by! I’m glad you liked Broken.
I love flawed characters too. And yes, Joe really did inch close to the line. I’m glad he didn’t cross it for you.
January 27th, 2009 at 9:47 pm · Link
Hi Megan,
Thanks for sharing that tid bit about Broken. It doesn’t alter my opinion on the book at all but now I’m wondering about the other stories he told. Now I have a million questions in my head. For example did he have the opportunity to sleep with 3 women but turned them down before anything could happen? If he lied, then what did he do during that time? Did he sit at his place watching porn and that’s where he got the story idea? I could go on and on.
There were points where I wished I knew what Joe was thinking in his head but then again in real life I don’t get the opportunity to read minds.
I also do wish I knew what happened to Sadie and Joe after the final page.
So… do you have anymore trivia about Broken or is that all you’ll share?
January 29th, 2009 at 11:19 pm · Link
@Jocelyn: Hmm. Where did he get the idea? Probably porn, I guess! I don’t really know! LOL
Hmm. More trivia about Broken: well, someone already revealed that Mary from the first chapter is Anne’s sister from Tempted…
January 27th, 2009 at 10:19 pm · Link
Megan you are AWESOME!!!!
What made you decide to share that little piece of information with us? For me this changes the story a wee bit, I am sure that once I go back and re-read the book I am going to actually KNOW that it was just a story…
Oh Joe, I loved him. I think that out of all the men in you’re stories he’s my favorite. Even though Dirty is my all time favorite book.
As Far as trivia goes. Have you ever thought of doing a six degrees of seperation as far as books go? Cause that would be cool. For instance Mary from broken was Anne’s sister from Tempted, am I correct?
January 29th, 2009 at 11:16 pm · Link
@sara: What made me decide to share it? I can’t remember now but I know I had a reason. I think it was reading something that someone said about…not believing Joe’s stories or something? And I thought, well, at least one of them was a lie.
I should keep a chart because I know I’ll end up mixing something up, but yes, Mary is Anne’s sister.
Sam from Stranger is Dan’s brother.
Jack from Dirty is Grace’s lover.
And Sarah from Broken is Jack’s girlfriend. Eventually.
January 27th, 2009 at 10:30 pm · Link
First, I want to say that Broken was one of my favorite books of 2008 and made me a fan of Ms. Hart.
When I read the scene with Joe with those 3 the women, I thought it was real until Joe told Sadie about what he said/asked Priscilla (don’t want to say what Joe said in case somebody didn’t read the book yet) then I knew he was saying he’s been with 3 women so Sadie can say I told you so about him not being able to be faithful.
Venus, I have felt the same way about Joe when he brought Priscilla in their lunch place. I actually cried with Sadie. After that scene, I wanted Joe to suffer a little or at lease get jealous the way Sadie did…LOL
Jocelyn, I too wanted to know what happen to Joe and Sadie. Are we assuming that they are together now? (Well at least that’s what I’m thinking since I want a happily ever after for them). I also wish we knew what was going on Joe’s head and how he felt about Sadie.
I want more Joe and Sadie..LOL..*Goes to read Broken again*
January 29th, 2009 at 11:14 pm · Link
@Kaly: Thank you for reading, Kaly!
I didn’t always like what Joe did or how he acted, but…well, it had to go the way it went.
I’m glad you liked them.
January 28th, 2009 at 3:09 am · Link
I’d like to say I was with Kelly/thought what she did from the start. But as I was reading that scene I think my expression was something like
– and then when Joe and Sadie had their “fight” I was like “… that one *had* to have been made up!”
January 29th, 2009 at 11:13 pm · Link
@limecello: heh!
January 28th, 2009 at 3:38 am · Link
lets all join the bang wagon
“what happened to Sadie and Joe after the final page” If I ship you a six-pack diet coke…. would that sweet talk into reading a brief about Sadie and Joe.:P
January 29th, 2009 at 11:13 pm · Link
@Sandy: LOL…I’m off the diet coke! Remember?
Hmm…well, they show up briefly in DEEPER.
January 28th, 2009 at 9:28 am · Link
I let a friend borrow the book and she asked me if I thought Joe’s stories were true and just not to make Sadie jealous and I was like…I dunno know….I told her I believe whatever i’m reading but it does put a different spin on it
January 29th, 2009 at 11:12 pm · Link
@Jennifer F. — most of the stories WERE real, but remember, we’re hearing Joe tell them in Sadie’s head, so of course things were skewed a little. Most of them were real, but the one with Kitten (was that her name?) from the club, with Candy and whatshername…that wasn’t real.
January 29th, 2009 at 9:35 pm · Link
I love you for sharing that- Please do some more of that- maybe a weekly trivia piece?!
It doesn’t change my opinion of Joe or the book in anyway. Joe had his junk that he had to work through. I remember being very sad for Sadie the day Joe brought P to the bench….but it didn’t make me like him any less. But I do remember thinking what a good guy he was when he helped Sadie and her husband in the restaurant.
Any how– thanks again for sharing that little tidbit…
January 29th, 2009 at 11:08 pm · Link
@deb: I’m not sure I can come up with a weekly trivia bit! LOL.
M
January 31st, 2009 at 5:42 pm · Link
Hi Megan
I’m glad you sorted that out. When I asked you on your RSS feed, you turned the question around and asked me what I thought. Well, I thought Joe had made it up, because he is trying to get a reaction from Sadie, and it was a bit over the top, but I wasn’t sure. Phew, I can die happy,now you have confirmed.
Wonderful writing, as always.
February 2nd, 2009 at 10:36 am · Link
@Isabelle: I generally do think it’s better for the reader to decide what they want in the case of something like that — it was ambiguous on purpose, and even if I have it in my head a certain way but write it so it could be interpreted otherwise, there’s a reason for that! And if me saying he LIED in that story changes how someone feels…I’m not sure I want to do that, you know? But then some people were happy to have their suspicions confirmed!
January 31st, 2009 at 5:54 pm · Link
Hi again!
I was just reading some of the comments and, regarding Joe’s bench, the way I interpreted it, is that Joe was wooing Sadie all the time, feeding her what he thought she was after, no matter how bizarre he thought she might have been.
The cruel bits I think are Joe getting frustrated and wanting to hurt Sadie, and pushing her to the edge. They are understandable. The saddest (joe n Sadie romance ) bit in the book is the wheelchair with Adam in the restaurant, although there are many other sad bits.
This book really really touched me.
x