In book four of the series, Synesthesia, there is one scene where our hero uses some common items found in a local ‘superstore’ to distract the bad guys. You will notice that I am careful in all the novels not to name stores, theme parks or hotels. The reason has nothing to do with endorsements, it’s about litigation.
We live in a litigious society. People are suing each other for any and everything. There are so many ‘frivolous lawsuits,' that the courts are jammed. I once saw a story about a lawyer that sits in court every day filing suit after suit. People pay her just so they don’t have to deal with the hassle of going to court. My opinion is, the court should seek to remove her credentials.
Branding is a two-edged sword. It can be lucrative if the proper deal can be made, but authors need to remember that the written word is not a movie, television or radio. A book could last well past the lifetime of the author and the product leaving the reader scratching their head over any reference to an item.
Oh, and for those that might be wondering, there are a couple of other ‘MacGyver moments’ throughout the series. I’m getting ready to do a contest/giveaway. If you aren’t on my mailing list yet, join up because it is going to be restricted to mailing list members only.
KM
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