Cliffhangers

Ahh cliffhangers, they are inevitable in series and sometimes really add to the over all story. But I also know a lot of people who flat out HATE them. Using one can be tricky, you could chase away a few fans or gain some new ones. It's not just about when you use it, it's also how you write it out- and of course, when the next book is due.

 Personally, nothing will irk me more than when a story just stops. I like a smooth transition into the cliffhanger ending, not something like all of a sudden a great battle began, both sides were equally matched and then....! Stay tuned for the next book, coming out next year. It's like stopping in the middle of a sentence. Now a cliffhanger before the battle starts, even with both sides staring down one another, would be less upsetting. Don't stop it middle punch, that's just irritating. Seriously, I think I would be less inclined to read the rest of the series if a book did that.

 A cliffhanger that isn't a total cliffhanger is intriguing. The ones where the book could be a stand alone, but there is room for another book is the author felt inclined. Some titles that come to mind are The Boomerang Effect and Luxuria. The main conflict was resolved, but it could happen again easily to a new batch of characters and not be over played. Of course with stories like that I find myself mentally begging the author to continue. Who wouldn't? If the first book was awesome, it stand to say the next one will be as well.

 A cliffhanger with a large conflict, like a battle between two kingdoms that takes a while to resolve, is another one I enjoy. The first book talks about the beginning- how the enemies came to be and where they stood now- while slowly introducing the idea that down the line the ultimate battle would take place to finally end the conflict. J.R. Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood series or Gena Showalter's Lords of the Underworld are fine examples of this. There is another one on the tip of my tongue but I can't come up with a name... Darn, maybe some other time it will hit me.

 Now series are all good and fun, but when the next book isn't due for another year or two? Man, it is hard to wait. Especially when you come across a different series where the next book is being released a lot sooner. I have found myself forgetting about series I loved because the next book took so long to be released. I know this isn't the authors fault, and just to be sure here, it ISN'T the author's fault. Not everyone can simply sit around writing 24/7, that would be insane. But it is pretty easy to slip the mind when you are hanging around for a long time waiting for the next installment. I try to follow everyone's websites for updates, but that too can be forgotten or slip into the background as I read something different. How do you keep everyone's attention and have them hyped up for something so far away? I have no clue, if you find out, let me know.
Facebook has this thing where you can receive notifications every time a page posts something. I'm sure it helps, but I've never used it. I'm stalking so many people that I wouldn't see get to half of the notifications anyway.

 Lost my train of thought again... This happens often, please excuse it...

 Right, so, I'm sure I am missing more types of cliffhangers that are either awesome or irksome. But these are the ones that really get me. Maybe I'll update this later with more examples of stuff. Until then, what do you think? Do you love cliffhangers or hate them?