Many thanks to whichever nice reader is a scriptwriter for “General Hospital”! Earlier this month, a number of people called my attention to the fact that one show featured a young girl bringing books to her older sister in the hospital—at one point, pulling a copy of the trade paperback edition of OUTLANDER out of her bag and saying, “It’s really long—but really good!” {g}
I did have someone ask whether this was product placement by the publisher, but I can assure you it wasn’t. With the dire state of publishing these days, nobody has ¬that kind of money, even if they thought it would be a good idea (which I kind of doubt). Random House does have a lot of great promotional ideas—they’re giving away mass-market copies of OUTLANDER in all kinds of venues, in anticipation of the new 20th-anniversary edition (more about that in a separate post, a little later), doing Google-TV ads, and other entertaining things—but I’m sure they would have told me if they’d figured out how to get the book on “General Hospital”. {g}
This isn’t my first brush with screen-fame, though. One of my books—I think it was DRUMS OF AUTUMN—was visible on Eddie Murphy’s nightstand in the movie “Dr. Doolittle.” (Or so I’m told. I never watch television, and see movies mostly on DVD years after release—have just now started watching the Matt Smith first season of “Dr. Who”.)
I do get the occasional shout-out from someone else’s book, too—always appreciated! Both Dana Stabenow (the Kate Shugak series) and John Sandford (BAD BLOOD) have had characters reading a Diana Gabaldon novel. {g} I get by with a little help from my friends!
Thank you!!
How cool is that! Gotta love product placement.
I caught the General Hospital mention of the Outlander book and ran to the phone to call the friend i have been reading the books with all these years. I just got the book of short stories and flipped to the back to read the story of Rogers parents. It was well worth buying!!!!!!
Dear Carrie–
Glad you enjoyed “Leaf”! It’s only the second short story I’ve ever written. {g} (Bar stuff written for school, I mean.)
–Diana
Speaking of “Leaf”, any idea when it will be available in audiobook form? I loved the exerpt. I just listened to “The Custom of the Army”, and I want to round out all of your published works. (obviously Exile is going to have to be visually read, but that will have to wait until I’m done with school) As you can tell, how I read is on my commute to work. This leaves my eyes free for gazing at the red rocks of Sedona, too.
Very cool!
The set dressers have VERY good taste in books.
Well I’d say I would have to agree with little Molly. Although that “Really Good” part makes the the “Really Long” part seem not so long. After all, after reading it you just Really Want More! Congrats on a good shout out!
Wow! That is pretty awesome!
(Even though I stopped watching soaps over 20 years ago, General Hospital just happened to be one of them I did watch)
When asked, I still say you are my favorite author, Diana, and your books never felt too long for me. Ever. As a matter of fact, I don’t want them to end!
Have a good week~
Sharon
Have to agree with everything you said. I recently bot a Kindle and the 1st books I put on were the Outlander Series. Re-read the 1st three in 3 weeks and am trying to stop myself from starting Drums of Autumn – anticipation.
Congratulations! I Love your books, and am thankful they are “very long”. I am looking forward to the next one. Thanks for writing !
I remember when the Mary Engelbreit
Home Companion had an Illustrated
Cover of a woman reading in a wicker
Chair on her front porch- the Book was clearly
titled, The Cape Ann. I wondered at the time
If author Faith Sullivan had any idea-
Someone in the soap industry has class, I’m impressed! I’m so glad you were advertised somehow, you’re the Devonshire Cream of the crop in my opinion and I’m constantly recommending your series to friends. Keep up the fabulous work!
That was probably a set designer who’s a fan of your books.
How do you like Matt Smith as The Doctor? He’s different than David Tennant but I really like him too.
What fun! Someone on the set has very good taste in reading material!
Hmmm. I don’t watch the show and am not familiar with the character who recieved the book but….. Perhaps after reading the book the character will find a circle of standing stones and……
Dana Stabenow also has Wy Chouinard in the “Liam Campbell series” reading “The Fiery Cross”. I giggled!
That’s cool! However, I’m still stuck on the “20th anniv” comment!! Seriously? TWENTY years? I remember the first time I read Outlander when it came out (apparently 20 yrs ago!!??!!) and have read it probably a dozen times since then!!
Now, I await with anticipation the next book
Thanks, Diana, for providing such AWESOME books!
This is awesome! As for promoting, I thought I would share the story of how I found your books. I am a Kindle user and download books all the time! I read a review of one of your Lord John books on blog or website somewhere and then flipped over to Amazon to see if avaialble on Kindle. It was but being a sucker for a bargin I downloaded a free verison of Outlander instead. I love love love free books. Within six weeks I then bought (that is paid for) and read the whole series and the Lord John books. Sometime later I thougt back on that bargin and how much $$ I then spent and decided that was brillant promoting.
I think the book placement was neat, although I never have been a soaps fan. Have been a fan since buying Outlander from a book club and waiting impatiently for the next book. After the first couple of books, I couldn’t wait for the book club to have them and started buying at a bookstore. The last Claire and Jamie book, I ordered from the Poisoned Pen and then couldn’t wait for them to get around to mailing it and drove out to Scottsdale to pick it up. I noticed in the Customs of the Service that Hal’s son Benjamin was six, Adam was five, and Henry three when Dottie was born. Am also quite fond of Lord John.
“I do get the occasional shout-out from someone else’s book, too—always appreciated! Both Dana Stabenow (the Kate Shugak series) and John Sandford (BAD BLOOD) have had characters reading a Diana Gabaldon novel.”
References to Jamie, Claire, and Ian were made in one of the Sara Donati books – the second, I think, in her Wilderness series. That was fun to come across, too.
I watched that episode and was so excited to see your book mentioned!
I’ve been reading your books for the last 15 years, I love them. So imagine my surprise when I was watching my favorite soap and little Molly is trying to cheer up her big sister with a copy of my favorite book! It is very exciting and I’m extra excited that I got to watch it when it happened.
I giggled when Molly gave Sam the novel, I recommend Jamie to everyone! As for being long, they can never be long enough! Have read and reread them all but always go back to Outlander. Am eagerly awaiting anything new!! Thanks Diana for giving me the most wonderful world to escape to!!
Personally I prefer the mass-market paperbacks to the trade paperback, much easier to carry around in my bag, and to read lying in bed. I finished reading An Echo in the Bone (for about the 5th time) last month, and just for the heck of it decided to start again and picked up my battered copy of Cross Stitch. I had been thinking that your writing had changed with time, with the books, (along with Jamie and Claire too) and now you say a 20th edition is coming out, well we’ve all changed over the last 20 years haven’t we?
AwEsOmEnEsS!