S.G. Browne

I don’t deal in happy endings or plots that don’t leave anything unresolved. The best you’re going to get from me is an ambiguous final chapter with the ultimate outcome for the main character yet to be decided. Possibly in a sequel but not necessarily. And even if there is a sequel, the ending of that one is probably going to leave some loose strings.

So if you like your endings wrapped up in a nice tidy package with a big shiny bow, then you’re probably better off watching a Hollywood movie.

But life isn’t like a Hollywood movie. Things are always left unresolved, and my novels echo that. I realize a lot of people read books and watch movies so that they can escape from reality and have the satisfaction of coming away feeling like someone rose above their circumstances. It gives us hope in our own lives that maybe it can happen to us, too.

The guy gets the girl.
The heroine overcomes her fear.
The underdog saves the day.

The truth is, things don’t always work out the way we want them to.

You don’t find Prince Charming.
You don’t overcome your fears.
You don’t realize your dreams.

And that’s what I like to write about. How things don’t always work out. Or how they might work out in one fashion, but ultimately the ending isn’t what the main character had hoped for. So if you’re picking up one of my books expecting a Hollywood ending, then you’re probably not going to get what you want. But if you try sometime, you just might find, you get what you need.

With apologies to Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones.

Breaking News! The German edition of my novel Fated (aka Schicksal! ) has been short-listed as a finalist in The Reader’s Choice Awards – the Best Books of 2011 in the categories of General Literature and Best Cover. (That’s the cover over there on your left. No, your other left.) Considering the book was just released in Germany a little over six weeks ago, I was surprised yet obviously excited to hear the news.

Now I’m not sure of the ethics of voting for a German publication of a U.S. release, so I’m not encouraging everyone to rush out and cast your ballot, but if you know anyone in Germany or if you took German in high school or if you really enjoyed Das Boot or Metropolis, then maybe there’s some kind of a loophole.

Otherwise, just consider this as me receiving some good news and wanting to share it with you. And as always, thanks for reading.

When I chose the name for my second novel, Fated, I didn’t consider whether other novels had been published under the same name or what the content of those novels might be. It was, I felt, simply the best name for my novel.

However, a search on Amazon reveals that quite a few other novels have been published under that same title. And every single one of them is a paranormal romance novel.

There’s Fated – A Doomsday Brethren Novella by Shayla Black (a paranormal romance)

And Fated (The Eternals) by Carolyn McCray (touted in the book’s description as the #1 historical and fantasy romance)

Then there’s Fated: The Cascadia Wolves Series by Lauren Dane (apparently a hot, sexy paranormal romance)

There’s also Fated (The Bloodstone Saga) by Courtney Cole (the second novel in her paranormal YA series)

And finally Fated by Rebecca Zanetti (another paranormal romance, this one with vampires)

Now, I don’t consider MY Fated to be fantasy romance, paranormal romance, urban fantasy, or any of their relatives. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but as far as I’m concerned, I’ve written a dark comedy and social satire with a romantic storyline. However, I realize everyone has their own opinions and perspectives, and that’s fine. And considering the company I’m keeping, apparently my title lends itself to hot, sexy, paranormal romance.

I’m thinking I needed more beefcake on my cover.

Congratulations to Melissa Rudberg, Angie Thomas-Davis, and Ghia Arroyo for taking home signed copies of Fated, UK style. It requires a great deal of skill to be selected by a random number generator, so never take that for granted.

And a big thank you to everyone who left your comments and thoughtful words and who helped to spread the love about Fated and Breathers. I’m grateful for your support. Thank you for reading.

It’s September 1, which means it’s the release date for my second novel, Fated, in the United Kingdom. To celebrate, I’m giving away several signed copies of the UK edition.

So how can you enter for a chance to win? It’s simple…

Just leave a comment on this post and presto! You’re entered.

But if you’d like to improve your chances of winning, all you have to do is share a link to this post on either your Goodreads, Facebook, or Twitter profile. Or simply mention Fated if you’ve read it and enjoyed it. Then let me know where you mentioned it in your comment to this post and you’ll get a second chance to win. Bonus!

However, while you’re more than welcome to spread the word in more than one place, there is a limit of two entries per person.

So who will win? Is it fate or is it destiny? Only time will tell.

Contest ends Sunday, September 4 at 11:59PM PST.