GWEN HUNTER - READER COMMENTS

READER'S COMMENTS
2001 Archives

ALL EXCERPTS ARE USED BY PERMISSION.

Gwen-
WOW! I loved this book and the characters. You and your husband came into my bookstore in Cheraw, SC. "The Bookshelf". I enjoyed meeting you two and have told so many people that I have met you. I was enthralled with this book, I could not put it down. My Mom will be reading it next and we will get your books going here in Cheraw. I am ordering your other books also, I feel that if your writing is this good in this one, that the others will be just as fascinating! I put you up there with Robin Cook!

...When will PRESCRIBED DANGER come out? I am ordering your other books (the ones that I can get) today. I want to read them!
Thanks again!
Denise H. Byrd

Hi Denise,
I am so glad you liked the book! It was great meeting you. You have the personality to be a wonderful bookseller -- and probably anything else you want to be in life! It was so much fun talking to you!
....PRESCRIBED DANGER is due in April, and I am doing the final copy-edit rewrite now.
Gwen 09/28/01

DELAYED DIAGNOSIS is the first book I've ever read by Gwen Hunter, and I absolutely loved it. Will she have any more medical mysteries coming out in the near future? I realize you probably don't have time to answer every e-mail, but I am really curious to know. Thanks.
A fan.

Hi!
Thank you for writing! Yes, Rhea Lynch, MD, is back in April with PRESCRIBED DANGER. Mira Books bought three Rhea-Rhea novels, and plans more than those. I hope you liked her well enough to read her again! Rhea-Rhea became my favorite character and I love getting into her life and telling her story!
Gwen 09/25/01

Hi Gwen,
I met you at Books-A-Million last Friday and you signed your new book [DELAYED DIAGNOSIS] for me. I told you that medical mysteries were my favorite books to read and that Robin Cook and Patricia Cornwell were two of my favorite authors. You asked me to let you know how I liked your book. I started it after work on Monday evening and finished it last night. I simply couldn't put it down. There are very few books I like that well. I thought the book was great and you certainly have a great talent for writing medical thrillers. You are now in that group of my favorite authors and I can't wait until your next book comes out. It doesn't matter to me whether your next books come out in hardback or paperback as I will buy them the minute I know they are out. Perhaps you will have another book signing for the new ones. If so, I will certainly be there if I know about it.
Judy - Waynesville, NC.

Hi Judy,
I am so glad you liked DELAYED DIAGNOSIS! It is seldom that a writer has an opportunity to fall in love with a character, but I have finally found that with Rhea Lynch! She is so real to me, that I have this morbid fear of writing her doing something less than medically correct!
I hope you will allow my webmaster to put an excerpt of your letter on the web.... Thank you for writing, and I hope to see you again when PRESCRIBED DANGER comes out in April 2002. In the meantime, you might like to read Ashes To Ashes. It is a mystery with a medical setting, in the same fictional town of DorCity. I left a very few signed copies at B.Dalton in Asheville.
Thanks again for writing!
Gwen

Gwen,
...Please feel free to use [these emails] in any way you see fit. I fell in love with the character Rhea also but it might be interesting to keep Mark in the picture if possible. It was interesting to anticipate what might happen between them in the future. I liked the Rhea character as well as I like Kay Scarpetta and for me that's saying a lot.....I will go by B.Dalton and try to get a signed copy of ASHES TO ASHES tomorrow.

....Thanks again for your kind comments! I hope you like ASHES TO ASHES too, though it is a bit different from DELAYED DIAGNOSIS....
Gwen 08/23/01

Hi Gwen,
This is the "adventurous woman from Hilton Head" reporting in as requested! As I told you at Waldenbooks, I don't usually like medical thrillers, but I did enjoy [DELAYED DIAGNOSIS].
You asked me to let you know at what page I figured out who "done it". I got suspicious on page... when it came out that .... would be .... Marisa's .... if .... However I really wasn't sure until I got to the part where Rhea ....!
....I would like to see [Rhea] develop as a character, most books the main character never "grows" and I get tired after awhile of them always being dysfunctional, and never having a real relationship. I think characters in books can improve a bit in certain areas and still not lose their interest. Now I don't want her to be a wimp or anything like that, but I hope she becomes a person with more of a life outside the ER! She could have dual personalities, one for some people and a different side when she is with others! I guess one can assume Marisa will never be whole again!
Mimi - Hilton Head Island, SC.

Mimi!
I DO remember you! Adventurous women are few and far between! Glad you liked the book! And I'm especially glad you didn't figure it was .... till toward the end! As to the character development -- Actually, Rhea's books are 3 books to one year of the character's life, so development will be slow book to book. But it WILL be there! Some books will be more about character development, others will be more plot. Book 2, PRESCRIBED DANGER, will be more plot oriented, while book 3 will be more character oriented with clear and certain development!
Thanks for writing!
Gwen 08/03/01

Dear Gwen,
I enjoyed meeting you during your stop in New Orleans. I bought your book, DELAYED DIAGNOSIS, and had I had the time, I would have read it in one day. I had to take two.
I really liked the story, the characters and your syntax. It was very easy reading and held my interest.
I now have a new author and I will look for more of your books, past and future.
Good luck in the future.
Jan Culton

Hi Jan,
I am so glad you liked DELAYED DIAGNOSIS! The trip to New Orleans was wonderful fun and I met so many great people! I also gained 5 pounds but that's another story!
Gwen. 07/28/01

Jane in Raleigh, NC. writes:

Hi, I bought your new books, DELAYED DIAGNOSIS and FALSE TRUTHS, [at your book signing at Waldenbooks] at Crabtree Valley Mall last week. I have read both and enjoyed both very much. You are an excellent writer. I will be ordering your other books. Would I be able to purchase your books from you? I know you said your [older] books may be hard to find.
Jane - Raleigh, NC.

Hi Jane,
I am so glad you liked my books! I do have a limited supply of my older titles to sell if you can't find them elsewhere......and I would be glad to personalize them for you.
Thanks again for the nice words!
Gwen 07/15/01

Shirley in Tennessee writes:

Dear Gwen,
I finished DELAYED DIAGNOSIS and must say I just couldn't wait to turn the pages to see what happens next. I loved Rhea and could picture her in my mind. Also, I loved Cam and Mark and hope to see them incorporated into the next story. The ending......was indeed a surprise to me. I guess I am not very good as a detective or solver of mysteries. I do hope that you will incorporate Mark and Cam into the next Rhea story. Take care and I wish you all new success with this book.
Shirley - Waldenbooks, Clarksville, TN.

Hi Shirley,
What a great letter! I am glad you liked DELAYED DIAGNOSIS! It was great fun to write and I am getting nice comments from so many people! Of course Cam and Mark are part of the next story! And the one after that! So is Arlana and Miss Essie and Marisa and all the others. I fell in love with them all!
Thank you for nice letter,
Gwen 07/08/01

Sarah Kramer from Michigan writes:

Dear Ms. Hunter,
I picked up your latest book this morning, DELAYED DIAGNOSIS, and finished it this evening! All I could think of is why haven't I heard of this author before? EXCELLENT book. I was excited to see that you have more books out and can't wait to pick them all up and read them. I'm also glad there will be more books with Dr Rhea-Rhea. Just wanted to thank you for writing a wonderful novel that I plan on telling everyone who will listen to me about.
Best wishes and keep up the great work,

Dear Sarah,
Such kind words are music to a writer's ear! Thank you! I hope you can find copies of the other books -- they are selling quickly and there are not too many copies left. Some may only be on used book sites or you can get them directly from my site. I am looking for a new publisher for the backlist, but that takes a while to get going!
Thanks for a VERY uplifting letter! You made my day!
Gwen Hunter 07/04/01

Hello,
Just finished reading DELAYED DIAGNOSIS - and it was a nifty read to say the least! My wife and I enjoyed it very much and are waiting for the next in this series. Dr. "Rhea Rhea", Cam, and even Belle are great characters, and hope to read more about these South Carolina residents soon.
Keep up the good work,
Wayne - Elgin, SC

Hi Wayne!
I am so glad you both liked DELAYED DIAGNOSIS!
and thank you for the compliment!
The next book -- PRESCRIBED DANGER -- comes out in April '02.
Gwen 07/01/01

06/18/01
Hi Gwen.
Just wanted to let you know I finished reading BETRAYAL, and wanted to rave about it. Of course, I read the ending first and basically skimmed the book, but then I read every single word of it after I was naughty. One thing that I liked a lot was the detail. I know that you don't have any kids (well, besides your two doggies) but you write as if you have a lot of experience. The daily habits, everything that Collie has to do for/with the kids was wonderful. And the scenes at the end, in the swamp - I know absolutely nothing about camping and survival gear, but it sounded really intricate!
It's kinda bad, but I had to back off from reading FALSE TRUTHS next. I think I needed a rest, from the feelings that the book raised in me. But, that's the mark of a good book - it leaves you feeling something, anything, even if it's not necessarily a good opinion (which mine was, don't get me
wrong), but at least you feel something at the end, as opposed to ambivalent and like you wasted your time.
I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed the book, and that it really "made me think", and shudder!

Frances Hui
Community Relations Manager
Barnes & Noble Richland Mall
Columbia, SC. 29204

Julie from Devon, England writes:

Hi,
I have just read a DeLande novel called LAW OF THE WILD. It is the first book I have ever read by you!! I loved it!! But what happened to Mara and Miles...is there a book before this? I got the impression that there was! Also is this series continued? .....Please, could you email me a book list with the DeLande series in order? Please, I will be eternally grateful, plus I will read them and tell you what I think if you want me too!!!!
Oh yeh I have a question about who Mara killed.....well who did Mara kill? She said it was the hired help but I don't remember her doing that? And was the bonding JUST her wanting him? This part I don't understand!!! Please tell me. I will go insane if you leave my questions unanswered!!!
...I wanted to finish the book sooooo desperately that I stayed up until 2am to read it all.....then I couldn't fall asleep 'cos I was thinking about it.....but luckily I wasn't late for work in the morning! lol

Hi Julie!
I don't want you to go insane!!! The bonding means they ... um ... consummated the relationship. Miles wondered to Mara at the end of the book if he should have courted her first. My UK and US publishers didn't want the particulars of the experience in the book for some reason so I had to HINT! And remember at the first of the book when Mara had to fight the men who came to kill Momo? They didn't all live through the firefight. She feels that she killed them. They were the hired help....
The DeLande saga began with Stolen Children (called Betrayal in the USA), then False Truths, then Law Of The Wild. Please let me know what you think about them!
I have several more books in the series planned, but my UK publisher, Hodder & Stoughton, seems to want to wait! Maybe you should write to them!
Instead of writing about the DeLandes, I have been taking some time from the Louisiana family to write a more modern sounding novel - Delayed Diagnosis, a medical thriller. It will be a couple of years before I go back to them, but I must admit that the DeLandes, especially Miles, are my favorite family!
Do you think I should do a page about them on the website, answering
questions and such? My webmaster has been after me to do that....
It was great to hear from you!
Gwen 06/01/01

Carina from Austria writes:

Hi Gwen!
...I was so interested to read your book DIE BETROGENE FRAU! The next day I went into the shop and bought it! I read it in two days because it was so exciting and it was the most interesting book I�ve ever read! But it was also the most shocking book! Is this a true story? Now I�ve read it a second time and it was more shocking because now I know every detail about "Collie" and "Montgomery" and the way he treated her! I like "Adrian" very much, his way to help them and to be like the real daddy for the children is great! I am going to read another book of yours when I am in Scotland, can you tell me your new book please? I visited your homepage and it works, also in Europe!!!...

Hello Carina!
I am glad you liked Die Betrogene Frau (Betrayal in USA). I must admit it is my most "exciting" book. Your letter was so kind! It was not a true story, but things like that do happen. It is an awful thing when children are abused.I think you would like False Truths next. The German edition was called Tausendmal Ber�hrt, and you may be able to find it at your book shop or online. My new book, Delayed Diagnosis, is available on the web at amazon.de. It should be translated to German sometime in the next year. I hope!...
Thanks for writing,
Gwen

A reader in South Carolina writes:

    So seldom I take the time to write
    But I feel I must take pen tonight
    For through the Web at speed of light
    I see my sister's name so bright
    Once we caused each other strain
    Now only memories of that remain
    For now she makes me very proud
    A published writer I cry out loud
    Could this really, truly be
    The one who used to pick at me
    Many soon will come to know
    For talent makes my sister glow
    This honor now I give to you
    For poems I write so very few
    Now just one thing is left to tell
    To you I write my first e-mail
                                    Love, BENSON

Gwen replies:
To my brother kind and brave
who with proud words did me lave
I write these words -- you made me cry
and offer up a heartfelt sigh.
I thank you for your words and gift.
Your forgiveness and love, my spirits lift.
Though poetry is not your native guile
-- or so you claim in rhyming style --
you seem at ease with words most high.
and I praise your poem by and by.
I'd like to post it on my site
with your permission if I might
to share with all who care to see
what my dear brother wrote for me...
I Love you Benson.
Gwen

When BETRAYAL was introduced I knew I had found a winner. How could it lose...the eerie menace of the bayou... the strange family of Nicolette's new husband who swept her off her feet. It even exceeded my hopes by being an extraordinary novel of suspense plus. I challenge anyone to find it less than a real thriller. I am looking forward to your new novel due out soon. You are incredibly talented!
Sincerely,
MaryAnne - Seattle, WA.

Gwen replies:
Betrayal was an act of love and passion for me. A way to destroy the evil of the world without losing my own remaining innocence... I am glad you liked my evil DeLandes.... I hope you'll like Delayed Diagnosis with Rhea and Cam and Risa as well!

Ms. Hunter,
I had read Betrayal and FALSE TRUTHS several years ago and for the last several years I have been looking for new books by you. Just two weeks ago it occurred to me to try Amazon and Barnes and Noble on the internet. As a result I have just finished reading ASHES TO ASHES and LAW OF THE WILD. I was wondering if you have any more books coming out. I love reading about the DeLande family.
Thank you for your books.
Lily

Gwen replies:
I was delighted to hear from you! Writers lead such insulated lives so it means a LOT when we hear form our fan / friends. Amazon and B&N have been a Godsend to writers, putting readers and the books they love together. I am glad you liked my novels! The DeLandes are such a loveable-hateable bunch!
For now, however, I am putting aside the DeLandes -- until I find a new publisher for them -- and trying something new. Mira Books bought a new series about a strong woman character, an ER doctor, and while her setting is new, she is still the kind of woman I adore. Strong and alive and making special relationships with the people in her life, while avoiding disaster and mayhem.
Thanks for writing!
Gwen Hunter

Bernice in South Carolina writes:

Dear Ms. Hunter,
Thank you for replying to my email. It was quite a surprise, although a pleasant one I assure you. I found your email address when I did a search on www.dogpile.com. I had thoroughly enjoyed Betrayal and I had just purchased False Truths at a used book store and I was wondering about any other novels that you had written. I typed in your name and the search engine brought up an address which was your website and down at the bottom there was a link that said "Write to Gwen Hunter" or something like that. As I think I told you in my first email, I had never written a "fan letter" before, but I figured what the heck and so I clicked on it and that was that.

I finished False Truths last night. I simply couldn't put it down! I sat up until 1:00 a.m. to finish it after I had gotten my little one in bed. It was fabulous and I do sincerely mean that! I actually felt sorry for the Grande Dame at the end! I am going to go out and purchase the third one in the DeLande series and I hope that you will be able to continue writing more about that intriguing family. Besides the fact that the series is set in Louisiana, I think that I also enjoyed it so much because you are a Southern female writer and you write about things that I can relate to and I am a French teacher. The back of the book said that you live in South Carolina, but that was a few years ago, so perhaps that isn't true anymore. I am a born and bred South Carolinian myself. I live in the Pee Dee region and it is refreshing to see successful female writers from the South.
Once again, thank you for taking the time to write to me and I wish you the best of luck. You have a great gift.
Sincerely,
Bernice

I am glad you liked Betrayal! It was the hardest book I have ever written, a novel that pulled me in and took control and wouldn't let me stop until it all came together. False Truths is a bit different in tone and texture, and Law Of The Wild -- the last of the series for now -- is again a different feel, though all three books are about the same loveable/hate-able DeLandes!....
....I hope you like medical thrillers about strong, willful women, as Delayed Diagnosis is a take in a different direction entirely for me, and I am having a ball with it. Please stay in touch and let me know further feedback -- things you liked and things you didn't about my novels! Feedback helps me stay on track with my readers!
Thanks, for writing!
Gwen Hunter