Chris Redding's Blog, page 29
September 3, 2013
How to Criticize a Writer
Peg Herring writes the award-winning Dead Detective Mysteries, the critically acclaimed Simon & Elizabeth Mysteries, and the suspenseful Loser Mysteries. She lives in northern Michigan with her husband of many years, but they will travel with the slightest provocation.
http://pegherring.comWe’d rather you didn’t. Our books are like our children, and while we might make mistakes along the way, we’d rather you viewed them kindly. Like child-rearing, book-writing is hard work, and it’s tough to get everything right.
We all criticize books in some ways. We don’t buy them if we don’t like the genre, the cover, or the blurb on the back. We buy some, try them, and give up. Too slow, too violent, too mushy. After fifty pages, we know it isn’t for us.
Then there are books we actually read all the way through. Now we feel justified in giving an opinion. We saw what the author offered. We took it in. We formed an opinion.
If you like a book, let the author know. A woman told me last week, “I started The Lady Flirts with Death at 7:00 last evening.”
“That’s good,” I said.
With a smile she added, “I finished it at 2:00 this morning.”
Now, that’s good!
Let’s say you don’t like a book. There are many things to criticize, language, plot, character development, exposition, dialogue, and so on. You might temper your criticism, knowing people like different things. There are award-winning authors whose work I find unreadable: ridiculous plots, wandering exposition, info dumps to fill pages, and so on. Guess what? It doesn’t stop millions of people from buying their books. My opinion is just that: an opinion.
When people ask if I like these authors, I try to be diplomatic. I never say, “It’s a terrible book,” or “He couldn’t write his way out of a well-lighted room.”
A friend who reviews books always puts her criticisms in terms of personal preference. “If you don’t mind a plot that doesn’t stand up to close examination, this book is fun.”
What if there are mistakes in a book?
It happens. I estimate that between editors, beta readers, and others, at least 14 people read the text of my first book and missed one misspelling of sandal (not to mention the dozens of times I read it myself!)
So do you tell the author when you find a mistake? If the book has been on the market more than a month, you can assume someone already has. There are people who looooooove pointing out mistakes, real and imagined. I had a reader write to ask me why I named a Tudor character Charles, since the name “wasn’t in use in England at the time.” Hmmm, what about Charles Brandon, Henry the Eighth’s good buddy? Another reader questioned my use of the word dollar, claiming it wasn’t a Tudor word, but a search of the dictionary reveals that dollar was a slang term for a crown. Lesson: Make certain you’re right before you start sending messages.
If a mistake is real, the author needs to know. There might be later editions in which it can be fixed. If you must mention it, be polite and don’t imply the author is an idiot because she missed it. Yes, it might make you feel really smart, but remember, our books are our children. We know they have faults, but we resent it when you make a big fuss about how ugly they are.
August 31, 2013
Summer Sizzles at Imajin Books
The Zombie Always Knocks Twice
The Traz
The River
The Other Face of God
The Bridgeman
August 30, 2013
Ten Things I Wish I Knew About Being An Author Before Getting Published
You’ve done it! You committed to writing the great American novel you always thought you could write. You put your butt in the seat, your hands over the keyboard and your words on the screen. It’s finished. Your debut novel is finished, and set to skyrocket straight to the top of the bestseller list. The lion’s share of your work is done, right? WRONG!
For most authors, this step in the process is where the real learning takes place. The reality is debut authors, particularly ones who aren’t celebrities or aren’t being published by a major house, have to work as hard or harder on the business and marketing side of the book to get their masterpiece in front of a marketplace which isn’t familiar with them or their work. People are looking to stretch their dollars further in these times of economic hardship, and they have to be convinced that your work is worth spending their hard-earned dollars on. With that in mind, here are some things to consider if you’re looking to be published for the first time and aren’t quite sure what your next step should be.
1. No Agent, No Cry
When I began my publishing process, I figured I had to have an agent before any publisher would even consider my manuscript. That’s just not the case. The truth is a majority of independent authors submit unagented manuscripts all the time. The right agent will definitely help, but you can be published without one. Also, when you query agents, don’t get depressed when you get form letter rejections. Every author gets rejected, and it’s common for rookies to get the cold shoulder.
2. Do your homeworkWhether you’re querying an agent or a publisher, don’t expect to cut and paste a generic form letter and get great results. You’re writing professionals who see massive volumes of material every day. If you don’t stand out, you don’t get out of the slush pile. Besides, if you wrote a fantastic science fiction novel, you don’t want to submit it to a romance publisher or an agent who handles primarily nonfiction works. There are a number of online resources which can help. www.pred-ed.com is one of the best out there.
3. Do It Yourself?If you’ve submitted your manuscript and aren’t getting any bites from agents or publishers, there’s another decision to make. It’s up to you whether you think the reason you’re getting rejected is that the material isn’t professional standard, whether it just needs more polish on the editing table or whether the scope of your work hasn’t found its niche. Another alternative is self-publishing. It’s becoming more common for authors to publish their own work through companies like CreateSpace, Lightning Source and Smashwords. The author eats a lot of upfront cost, but also keeps more of the profit when the book sells.
4. Together Everyone Achieves MoreThe TEAM acronym isn’t just a corny slogan for high school basketball warmup shirts. Authors go a lot further when they find the right network of specialists to help them with creative and promotional services. Did you know there are companies to help you find the right agent (www.agentresearch.com)? Online resources can help you choose editors, cover artists, publicists, and other specialists to help whip your manuscript into shape.
5. Love at first siteIn this age of social networking and content delivery on the Web, it’s important for authors to have a strong online presence. If you don’t have one already (get out from under the rock), you need to get Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads accounts to post announcements to promote your book both before and after it’s published. This will help get the word out to your close friends and family who will be your best salesmen to other prospective readers. Depending on your economic situation, you can choose to make your sites either author or book specific. Also, try to blog content frequently on your site.
6. Everyone’s a critic
It’s important for authors to develop a thick skin when putting their work out on the marketplace. Please keep in mind that suggestions made by professional editors are meant to enhance the book’s appeal. If an editor sends back your manuscript with a lot of corrections, it doesn’t mean you’re an unskilled writer. It just means that editor sees potential for you to make your work even better.
7. Just face itIt’s not enough to lock yourself away in an office and write. Our society loves celebrities. Even if you don’t feel any differently, others look at you as a big deal once you get published. Readers want to meet and talk to the people responsible for the characters and stories they love. Make an effort to do a tour of local libraries, local book stores and fan conventions which make sense. Also, it’s just as important to do blog tours with companies such as Full Moon Bites (http://fullmoonbites.blogspot.com). Remember, out of sight, out of mind.
8. Give to receiveOdds are that you never expected to be hawking pens, bookmarks, notepads, magnets and various other items when you started writing your manuscript. However, these promotional materials go a long way in trying to get readers to remember you and your work. Sites like www.vistaprint.com sell a variety of material you can purchase cheaply and give to readers at your appearances.
9. Upon Further Review…There are times when all it takes to break open a treasure chest of potential readers is a favorable review from the right online blogger, media critic or genre-specific site. Sending out review copies costs money, but it’s essential in winning over readers who are on the fence about buying your book. Attempt to get as many reviews as you can because people are more likely to give you a shot when they see your material was liked by other readers.
10. Be Good to Each OtherBelieve it or not, other authors can become your best allies when you’re trying to attract your following of loyal readers. Creating a network of writing friends, whether it’s a local group which can help you work on your skills and read your work or whether it’s an online group which can give you tips on promotion or help you cross-promote each other, is a rewarding and potentially lucrative experience. On my site, I do a weekly blog post of author interviews. I let other authors know they are welcome to promote themselves because it drives traffic and visitors to my site, too.
Joe Spencer is the author of Grim, a paranormal crime thriller released by Damnation Books in September 2012. It’s the first in the planned Sons of Darkness series. His second book, Wrage, is due out in 2013. He can be reached at www.josephbspencer.com.
Joseph will be awarding a $25 Starbucks gift certificate to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.WRAGE
BLURB:
Sometimes the toughest fight lies within yourself.
As more dark secrets come to light, the battle for souls pushes Prairieville to the brink of war in the living and supernatural realms.
Jeff Wrage swears a blood oath to Abaddon, the supernatural avenger of murder victims, to hunt the crooked cop who butchered his wife. Jeff wonders whether he can be the executioner Abaddon requires. Their pact throws the supernatural realm in chaos and threatens to trigger an apocalyptic fight for control of the afterlife between the Sons of Darkness and Sons of Light foretold in the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Orlando Marino sees the death of Cyrus Black as his opportunity to restore the Marino family's stronghold in Prairieville’s organized crime scene and become a mob kingpin. He unleashes a plague, turning its victims into mindless followers. Cyrus' heir is busy rooting out a traitor and is unable to stop the coming turf war in the realm of man.
The fate of all rests with Homicide Detective Anna Duke, who steps into the shoes of her mentor while coming to terms with unrequited love. As she tries to clear the fallen hero's name, she takes on a case where corpses go missing. Her new partner is reported dead. She learns the truth about her true identity and uncovers a trail of secrets questioning her tragic past. She journeys to avert the destruction of all creation.
AUTHOR INFORMATION:
As a boy, Joseph Spencer immersed himself in the deductive logic of Sherlock Holmes, the heroic crime fighting of Batman and Spider-Man, and a taste for the tragic with dramas from poets like Shakespeare and Homer.
Before Joseph took to spinning his own tales, he pursued a career in print sports journalism, graduating summa cum laude from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale. He covered such events as NASCAR’s Subway 500 race in Martinsville, the NBA Draft Camp in Chicago, the Junior College World Series, and Minor League Baseball’s Midwest League All-Star Game during a ten-year career throughout the Midwest. Now, he works as an emergency telecommunications specialist with an Illinois police department. The combination of years of writing experience with a background working with law enforcement professionals gave rise to his writing aspirations.
Joseph was married to Dr. Amy (Waggoner) Spencer, an accomplished veterinary doctor, on March 14, 2012. He received word his debut novel was accepted by his publisher, Damnation Books, the next day. Joseph is hard at work on the rest of the series. Book 2 – Wrage – was released June 1, 2013. The Spencer family enjoys reading Charlaine Harris, George R.R. Martin, Mary Janice Davidson, and most paranormal stories. The Spencers also enjoy quoting movie lines from “The Princess Bride”, “Rain Man”, “Bridesmaids”, and “Office Space.”
Website Link: www.josephbspencer.com ;http://www.damnationbooks.com/book.php?isbn=9781615729777
Blog Link: www.josephbspencer.com/blog
Twitter Link: https://twitter.com/josephspencer00
Facebook Link: https://www.facebook.com/joe.spencer3
Google+ Link: https://plus.google.com/u/0/
Goodreads Link: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/7881659-joe-spencer
LinkedIn Link:
Book Video Links:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJMdOhL-Qrg (Grim trailer)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3Z-ECZw3AE (Wrage trailer)
August 28, 2013
Summer Sizzles at Imajin Books
Dead Man's Hand
Devolution
Victim
Under a Texas Star
August 27, 2013
THE CADENCE OF GYPSIES
Barbara Casey
BLURB:
Three high-spirited 17 year olds, with intelligent quotients in the genius range, accompany their teacher and mentor, Carolina Lovel, to Frascati, Italy, a few weeks before they are to graduate from Wood Rose Orphanage and Academy for Young Women. Carolina's purpose in planning the trip is to remove her gifted, creative students from the Wood Rose campus located in Raleigh, North Carolina, so they can't cause any more problems ("expressions of creativity") for the headmaster, faculty, and other students – which they do with regularity. Carolina also wants to visit the Villa Mondragone where the Voynich Manuscript, the most mysterious document in the world, was first discovered and search how it is related to a paper written in the same script she received on her 18th birthday when she was told that she was adopted – a search that will take them into the mystical world of gypsy tradition and magic, more exciting and dangerous than any of them could have imagined.
EXCERPT:
It was always the older ones who felt the need to challenge the ancient gypsy traditions. The children who weren't yet adults, but who felt they were old enough to thwart authority and desire independence.
"I want lots of gold," said Milosh who had recently turned 17 years old--a man in his opinion. The oldest in the group, soon he would join the adults. "Teach me the spell to make me wealthy."
"You must be careful for what you wish, Milosh." As always, the choovihni was patient with her young pupils. "But I shall teach you the spell for attracting material goods." She sat in the shade of the tall elm with her full skirt spread out around her and waited until everyone was quiet and settled before continuing. "First, write down whatever it is you desire on a clean sheet of paper, then place the paper on a small square of green cloth. You must concentrate on it for a few minutes. That might be hard for you, Milosh," she teased. The other students laughed. They liked for Milosh to be put in his place. Just because he was the son of the Bandoleer, it didn't make him better than everyone else--even though he acted like it. And he played mean tricks on the younger ones who were too timid and afraid to say anything. "Try to visualize the object before you--the shape, texture, color. Feel pride in owning it, the pleasure you hope it will bring, what you will do with it." She looked at each of her students, making sure they understood. "Then hold the paper to your forehead and say three times: 'I have you, I hold you, I keep you.'
"Fold the paper into the green cloth and tie it with a length of red wool. Tie seven knots into the wool and as you tie each knot, say, 'You are mine, I own you.' Put the green cloth with the paper in a small box, and each day, for seven days, hold the box to your forehead and say three times, 'You are mine, I own you.' After you have done this, put the box away in the back of a drawer."
"Will I have lots of gold if I do that?" Milosh asked.
"It will bring success to those who are patient and deserving," Lyuba answered.
For the next several hours, Lyuba taught the children other spells: the spell using the power of trees, a ritual to cleanse the aura of their individual spaces, the spell for strength. When they got older, she would teach them the spells for attracting romance and for keeping a loyal lover. For now, however, she would teach only those things that were appropriate and what they could understand.
When the day's lessons were complete, and the elm's shadow once again lengthened, the parents came for their children. Concerned, Lyuba watched Milosh return to his hut alone. His chakra, that point of light indicating the heart, was dark and brown rather than green as it should be. Much was expected of the only son of the Bandoleer. He held promise, but he had much to learn. Unlike his father, he was impatient and quick to judge others. His focus was on material things, and he ignored what was important. There was also a darkness in his spirit; something that could be dangerous if not corrected.
He would go and prepare the paper, wrapped in green cloth and tied with a thread of red wool, and wish for much gold. He had not understood.
Barbara will be awarding a $25 Amazon or BN.com gift card to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.
AUTHOR INFORMATION:
Originally from Carrollton, Illinois Barbara Casey attended the University of North Carolina, North Carolina State University, and North Carolina Wesleyan College where she received a BA degree, summa cum laude, with a double major in English and history. In 1978 she left her position as Director of Public Relations and Vice President of Development at North Carolina Wesleyan College to write full time and develop her own manuscript evaluation and editorial service. Since that time her award-winning articles, short stories, and poetry for adults have appeared in several publications including the AMERICAN POETRY ANTHOLOGY the SPARROWGRASS POETRY FORUM, THE NATIONAL LIBRARY OF POETRY (Editor’s Choice Award), the NORTH CAROLINA CHRISTIAN ADVOCATE MAGAZINE, THE NEW EAST MAGAZINE, the RALEIGH (NC) NEWS AND OBSERVER, the ROCKY MOUNT (NC) SUNDAY TELEGRAM, DOG FANCY, BYLINE, TRUE STORY and THE CHRISTIAN RECORD. A thirty-minute television special which Ms. Casey wrote and coordinated was broadcast on WRAL, Channel 5, in Raleigh, North Carolina. Ms. Casey's award-winning science fiction short stories for adults are featured in THE COSMIC UNICORN and CROSS TIME short story anthologies. Her essays, also written for adults, appear in THE CHRYSALIS READER the international literary journal of the Swedenborg Foundation, and A CUP OF COMFORT ANTHOLOGY by the Adams Media Corporation.
Her two middle-grade/young adult novels, LEILANI ZAN and GRANDMA JOCK AND CHRISTABELLE (James C. Winston Publishing Co.) were nominated for awards of excellence by the SCBWI Golden Kite Award, the National Association of University Women Literary Award and the Sir Walter Raleigh Literary Award. SHYLA'S INITIATIVE (Crossquarter Publishing Group, 2002), a contemporary adult novel of fiction, received the 2003 Independent Publisher Book Award and received special recognition for literary merit by the Palm Beach County Cultural Council. Ms. Casey’s novel THE COACH’S WIFE (ArcheBooks Publishing), a contemporary mystery, was listed as a Publisher’s Best Seller and was semifinalist of the Dana Award for Outstanding Novel. In 2007 her novel, THE HOUSE OF KANE (ArcheBooks Publishing), also a contemporary mystery, was considered for a Pulitzer nomination, and in December 2009 her novel, JUST LIKE FAMILY (Wandering Sage Publications), was launched by the 7-Eleven stores in St. Louis, Missouri. Her young adult novel, THE CADENCE OF GYPSIES (Gauthier Publications), was released in March 2011 and considered for the Smithsonian’s Most Notable 2011 Books. It has also been selected by Amazon for its 2013 List of Best Books. THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO PRISSY (Strategic Media Books), a novel for adults, was released in March 2013 and received an IPPY Award for Best Regional Fiction. It has also been listed as a “2013 Best Summer Read” by Conversations Live Radio and has been placed in nomination for a Pulitzer Award.
Ms. Casey is a frequent guest speaker at writers’ conferences and universities throughout the United States. She is former director, guest author, and panelist of BookFest of the Palm Beaches, Florida; and for thirteen years she served as judge for the Pathfinder Literary Awards in Florida. She held the position of Florida Regional Advisor for the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators from 1991 to 2003.
Ms. Casey is president of the Barbara Casey Agency. She represents clients nationally and internationally in fiction and nonfiction for adults. Her past and present professional associations are numerous and include being editorial consultant for The Jamaican Writers Circle in affiliation with the University of West Indies and Mico Teachers College in Kingston. She also received special recognition for her editorial work on the English translations of Albanian children’s stories.
LINKS
www.barbaracaseyagency.com
http://www.amazon.com/The-Cadence-Gypsies-Barbara-Casey
August 25, 2013
Hobbes Family Blog tour
Welcome to the first day of the Hobbes Family blog tour. It will run until September 2nd and will feature excerpts and new author interviews each day. But first, here is the obligatory blurb about the novel to settle you into this strange world:
The world had ended abruptly and without warning. How will a family navigate a world that seems bent on destroying them? Follow them in this exciting new serial adventure.
A few questions for the author:
Is there anything you can’t let go of but you know you should?
There was a time when this would entailed a vast list indeed. However, I have become much better at letting the past stay in the past. Right now I just have goals and benchmarks that I want to reach. The past can wait.
Do you remember anyone you hated 10 years ago? Does it matter now?
Not in the slightest. There are few things in life that are worth carrying with you. Hate is most definitely not one of them. I am always reminded of the following saying when I consider carrying anger: “Holding onto anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.” ~ Buddha
What makes you happier, forgive someone or hate someone forever?
I would be the happiest if people thought about their actions before I had to choose either of these options. At this point in my life, I would say forgiving someone is better in the long run; this point is, of course, moot if the transgression is such that I could not forgive.
What are you worrying about and what’s the difference if you stop worrying about it?
I am currently worrying about whether or not I will be an effective professor. I am teaching my first 300-level class this fall and I have a healthy concern about my efficacy. Once I have finished organizing the class and materials, my worry will fade away.
Here be an excerpt for your enjoyment:
The world had ended, or at least slowed for a spell, when the outbreak claimed the consciousness of humanity. There was a brief moment before the proverbial sky fell when many people thought the entire idea was just the shenanigans of the ne’er-do-wells who were pulling a fabulous hoax on the world. The first day brought skepticism and curiosity. Pop culture had engrained in people the fear of the unknown and a fair amount of preparation in the event of anything resembling a zombie plague.
This sense of a participatory chain of events signaling the end of Hobbes’ civilization was far more abrupt than for which many were ready. People had hoarded and stockpiled. Nary a person could be found who did not have an assault rifle or nail-bat prepped and ready for the staggering undead.
It was the deed, however, that proved far more difficult for most. Even though necrotic flesh and a certain vacancy behind the eyes announced the undead to those passable as living, it was the possibility that this momentary lapse of humanity could be overcome. This idea quickly faded as the disease spread, claiming metropolitan areas and rural areas alike.
By the end of the first week, skepticism had turned into panic. Stores were raided and cities were emptied as quickly as possible.
Roads were congested with cars fleeing to a transient safe haven just beyond the boundaries of memory and the known. The problem with being surrounded by water is that eventually you hit a coast, no matter which direction you drove. Cars were abandoned as power grids wavered and then went silent. Soon, the nights were as dark as the inside of a coffin and the days unperturbed by the sounds of the city.
Philosophers had for the majority of human civilization discussed what man would be like in this state of nature. Great minds debated the merits and pitfalls of a world unperturbed by the guiding force of norms and mores. It appeared that something drawn from nightmares and the fiendish, albeit amusing, minds of writers who envisioned a world where the rebuilding of a civilization was juxtaposed against a frightening dystopia burdened by moral ambiguity and vagary of purpose. The great apocalypse proved to be a grand thought experiment, much to the chagrin of everyone.
Bio: A psychologist, author, editor, philosopher, martial artist, and skeptic, he has published several novels and currently has many in print, including: The End of the World Playlist, Bitten, The Journey, The Ocean and the Hourglass, The Path of the Fallen, The Portent, and Cerulean Dreams. Follow him on Twitter (@AuthorDanOBrien) or visit his blog http://thedanobrienproject.blogspot.com. He recently started a consultation business. You can find more information about it here: http://www.amalgamconsulting.com/.
Bitten (US) End of the World Playlist (US) Cerulean Dreams (US) The Journey (US) The Path of the Fallen (US) The Twins of Devonshire (US)
Mondays with Mephistopheles: 9 am – Rhys (US)
Publish Your Dreams (US)
Hobbes Family (US)
Hobbes Family (UK)The End of the World Playlist (UK) Bitten (UK) Cerulean Dreams (UK)The Journey (UK) The Path of the Fallen (UK)
Mondays with Mephistopheles: 9 am – Rhys (UK)
Publish Your Dreams (UK)Follow My Blog Follow Me On Twitter Like Me On Facebook
All of his books are only 99 cents on Kindle right now!
Download Hobbes Family for free on Kindle from 8/28 until 9/1!
Would you like to win a Kindle Fire?
Visit http://thedanobrienproject.blogspot.com/ and follow the blog for a chance to win a Kindle Fire!
August 21, 2013
More Summer Sizzles
by Gloria Ferris
CHILDREN OF THE FOG
by Cheryl Kaye Tardif
WHALE SONG
by Cheryl Kaye Tardif
VICTIM
by Catherine Astolfo
August 20, 2013
A Kiss to Die For
Former debutant Haley Barnes learned the hard way how to survive. After witnessing a cold-blooded murder, the terrified teenaged runaway changed her identity and hid to save her life. But when the killer tracks her down and attacks the girls in the homeless shelter she now runs, Haley knows the time has come to stand and fight. But to bring down the powerful killer she must confront her high-society family’s darkest secrets -- and convince wounded warrior Sully Turner he’s the hero she believes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~ EXCERPT“I nearly got you killed tonight.”
“That wasn’t your fault. You didn’t bring the gang to the house.”
“But I wasn’t there to protect you when they showed up.”
“You were there when it counted.”
“But what if I hadn’t been?” Raw fear rang in his voice, his eyes so bleak that a heavy lump wedged in her throat.
And suddenly, she realized he wasn’t talking only about her. His fears went beyond the gang, beyond the danger shadowing their heels, to whatever had caused those flashbacks that plagued his nights. He believed that he’d failed someone. This courageous man was tortured by guilt.
< p>But she knew him. Maybe she didn’t know much about his childhood or family. Maybe he hadn’t shared many details about his past. But she knew the essence of who he was. < p>And she’d bet her life on one immutable fact. Sully would fight to the death to protect the people he loved. He would never willingly give up. Whatever had happened in Afghanistan wasn’t his fault. How could he ever have doubts about that?
Unable to resist him, she tossed off her blankets and cupped his jaw with her hand, willing him to understand. “Sully... You’ve saved me so many times. Even when you didn’t know me, you risked your life for mine. You’ve come through for me time after time. And you’re the bravest man I’ve ever met.”
“You’re wrong. I’m not who you think I am.”
“You’re exactly who I think you are.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~ AUTHOR Bio and Links:Gail Barrett is the award-winning author of thirteen romantic suspense novels. A former RITA® and Daphne finalist, Gail has received the Book Buyer’s Best Award, the Holt Medallion, the Booksellers Best, The National Readers’ Choice Award, and numerous other awards. She lives with her husband in Western Maryland. For more information, visit her website: www.gailbarrett.com.
Gail will be awarding a $25 Amazon gift certificate and either a signed print copy (US ONLY) or an electronic copy of Fatal Exposure (Buried Secrets book one) to one randomly drawn commenter during this tour and her other Super Book Blast on August 27th.
Buy Links:Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Romantic-Suspen...
BN: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-kiss-to-die-for-gail-barrett/1114668433?ean=9780373278367
August 17, 2013
Welcome to the first day of the Mondays with Mephist...
Welcome to the first day of the Mondays with Mephistopheles: 9am - Rhys blog tour. It will run until August 9th and will feature excerpts and new author interviews each day. But first, here is the obligatory blurb about the novel to settle you into this strange world:
Abraham Rogers has an unusual psychotherapy practice: monsters. This first installment is a session with Rhys, the IT vampire who can’t quite connect with the modern world the way he would like.
A few questions for the author:
Do you have any tips for readers or advice for other writers trying to get published?
Stay the course. A lot of first-time authors have bungled their perceptions and expectations of what it means to be a published author. Very few of us ever reach the level of super-stardom. Realize that marketing your book becomes crucial, whether you are traditionally published or self-published. Write even you don't want to to and stop complaining about the unfairness of this or that. Write a book you are proud of and then take your lumps. This process takes time.
Is there anything else you’d like to say?
I love writing books, and I love helping people put together books. I started a literary and publishing consulting company with the sole purpose of helping first-time writers out. Do you need an experienced editor to look over your short story or novel? Do you need help building a platform or self-publishing your book? Are you right on the cusp of realizing your dream, but you need someone to help you those few extra steps? Are you a business in the need of an established copy-editor and/or copywriter? All that matters to me is the integrity of your artistic vision and helping you create the highest quality work possible. Visit my website for details: www.amalgamconsulting.com
If we're sitting here a year from now celebrating what a great year it's been for you in this role, what did we achieve together?
We helped a lot of people realize their dreams of publishing. I was able to meet my personal publishing goals and I feel vindicated that I was able to support my goal of making writing and publishing full-time a sustainable reality. And I was able to move to the coast and enjoy temperate weather for the rest of my life. Dream fulfilled.
Here be an excerpt for your enjoyment:
Abraham Rogers had become a psychologist for a variety of reasons, chief among them that he was uncomfortable with the rigidity of psychiatry as a profession and its propensity to solve psychological issues with pharmaceuticals. He had his clients call him Abe, as he felt the Doctor moniker was too heavy handed for his type of treatment.
He fancied himself a proponent in a long line of humanistic psychologists who offered unconditional support for anyone who needed to work through personal or professional issues.
As he sat in his dark office, shades drawn and lamp set to its lowest setting, he ruminated about the use of the word human.
His practice had suffered as of late.
The market had become saturated with recent graduates and despite a growing despair on the horizon, his billable hours began to decrease.
He had to consider a new kind of client.
The buzzing sound from the intercom on his desk woke him from his thoughtful pose. Standing, he depressed the button.
His secretary’s voice did not match her appearance. The brusque tone suggested a woman solidly built with a perpetual scowl. Eve was the very picture of carefree youth: bright blue eyes and strawberry blonde hair.
“Dr. Rogers, your 11 o’clock appointment is here. Should I send him in?”
Abe liked to meet his clients in the waiting room.
“I’ll be right out.”
Taking the three long steps from his comfortable seat to the thick oak door, Abe smiled––though managed little more than a self-conscious smirk.
Rhys was a mere specter of a man. His porcelain skin was accented by a burgundy shirt and dark pants. A pair of polarized sunglasses hid his eyes as he turned his head to the approaching Dr. Rogers.
“Good morning, Rhys. Shall we?”
Rhys stood with a smooth and effortless movement. His lean frame was hidden beneath layers of superfluous clothing despite the humidity outside of the office.
Abe had become accustomed to the strange turn his life had taken. Every academic had to specialize at some point in their career. Abraham Rogers’ practice had become a respite for the strange.
Bio: A psychologist, author, editor, philosopher, martial artist, and skeptic, he has published several novels and currently has many in print, including: The End of the World Playlist, Bitten, The Journey, The Ocean and the Hourglass, The Path of the Fallen, The Portent, and Cerulean Dreams. Follow him on Twitter (@AuthorDanOBrien) or visit his blog http://thedanobrienproject.blogspot.com. He recently started a consultation business. You can find more information about it here: http://www.amalgamconsulting.com/.
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Mondays with Mephistopheles: 9 am – Rhys (US)
Publish Your Dreams (US)The End of the World Playlist (UK) Bitten (UK) Cerulean Dreams (UK)The Journey (UK) The Path of the Fallen (UK)
Mondays with Mephistopheles: 9 am – Rhys (UK)
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