S.L. Viehl's Blog, page 195
May 7, 2011
May 6, 2011
This is Where We Live
Sometimes publishers get it right (even in the literary 'hoods.)
This Is Where We Live from 4th Estate on Vimeo.
May 5, 2011
After Midnight Elsewhere
One of the benefits of writing in a new genre is getting to meet people out there in NetPubLand whose paths might otherwise never cross mine. Like Ashley, the proprietor of Books Obsession, a popular YA book blog. She kindly invited me to write a guest post for her May author spotlight series, which you can read here.
There is also a giveaway contest you can enter here for this Aeropostale tote filled with favorite YA titles* from me and my kid, plus a signed copy of After Midnight.
Okay, I added a copy of Pride and Prejudice too. The first time I read it was when I was actually a YA, so that counts.
May 4, 2011
Music Cubes
Click a square and you'll make light and music (if you are in any way sensitive to flashing lights don't play with this, though)
Stumbled across this over at Aimee Stewart's Foxfires blog.
Stumbled across this over at Aimee Stewart's Foxfires blog.
May 3, 2011
Co-op Shop
Setting up a shop to sell only copies of your own books sounds like the ultimate expression of authorial ego, but in reality authors have been doing it online for ages. To open a brick-and-mortar version, as NASA dude Andrew Kessler has for his book, is an interesting marketing gimmick, but from what the article says the shop is only temporary.
I've often considered opening a small independent book store. I've worked as a bookseller, a book store manager and I've run several other businesses, so I've got the experience. I know exactly how I'd set it up and what elements and services could give me a decent shot at making it a success. Book stores are my #1 favorite place to shop, and I loved my time working as a bookseller, so being an owner wouldn't be a hardship. I'd probably get speeding tickets going to work every morning.
I've always stopped at thinking about it, though; I know I'd be extremely selective about the titles I stocked and what I chose to handsell. I'd also be a snob about features; big names and their cookie cutter bestsellers would go to the back of the store while great reads by little-knowns would get all the terrific real estate in the front. No coffee shop, no cold cases of two-day-old danish, and no laptops allowed. Instead I'd have nightly social readings (something like bring your own snacks, I'll brew the tea.) Free bedtime stories for kids. Book picnics in the park. Weekend retreats at the lake for readers and writers.
I would have such a great time with my own book store. Why aren't I doing this again?
Ah, I remember now. Opening and sustaining a new business also requires a pile of money, unwavering committment and devotion of 100% of one's time, and even then there are no guarantees it will survive more than a year after the doors open. That has to be the worst kind of heart break, too; watching a business you love and worked so hard to build go under. Then there is my work, which is not going to simply go poof while I run a business. While I love books, I know my real passion is to write them.
There is an interesting alternative to setting up your own brick-and-mortar book shop, however, as our blogpals Charlene Teglia, Alison Kent, Sasha White and some of their friends have done by joining forces to create Walk on the Wild Side Books. To quote Charlene: "It's not a publisher, it's a publishing hub for our independently published titles." I think this is a great way for writers who work in a specific genre or have crossover readerships to showcase their self-published titles, and by forming a co-op they can also help each other (and to read more about the evolution of the site, go here.)
If you were going to set up a book store (virtual or brick-and-mortar), what would you stock on your shelves?
I've often considered opening a small independent book store. I've worked as a bookseller, a book store manager and I've run several other businesses, so I've got the experience. I know exactly how I'd set it up and what elements and services could give me a decent shot at making it a success. Book stores are my #1 favorite place to shop, and I loved my time working as a bookseller, so being an owner wouldn't be a hardship. I'd probably get speeding tickets going to work every morning.I've always stopped at thinking about it, though; I know I'd be extremely selective about the titles I stocked and what I chose to handsell. I'd also be a snob about features; big names and their cookie cutter bestsellers would go to the back of the store while great reads by little-knowns would get all the terrific real estate in the front. No coffee shop, no cold cases of two-day-old danish, and no laptops allowed. Instead I'd have nightly social readings (something like bring your own snacks, I'll brew the tea.) Free bedtime stories for kids. Book picnics in the park. Weekend retreats at the lake for readers and writers.
I would have such a great time with my own book store. Why aren't I doing this again?
Ah, I remember now. Opening and sustaining a new business also requires a pile of money, unwavering committment and devotion of 100% of one's time, and even then there are no guarantees it will survive more than a year after the doors open. That has to be the worst kind of heart break, too; watching a business you love and worked so hard to build go under. Then there is my work, which is not going to simply go poof while I run a business. While I love books, I know my real passion is to write them.
There is an interesting alternative to setting up your own brick-and-mortar book shop, however, as our blogpals Charlene Teglia, Alison Kent, Sasha White and some of their friends have done by joining forces to create Walk on the Wild Side Books. To quote Charlene: "It's not a publisher, it's a publishing hub for our independently published titles." I think this is a great way for writers who work in a specific genre or have crossover readerships to showcase their self-published titles, and by forming a co-op they can also help each other (and to read more about the evolution of the site, go here.)
If you were going to set up a book store (virtual or brick-and-mortar), what would you stock on your shelves?
May 2, 2011
Off to be Mom
My college kid is arriving home for a visit, which is why I'm going to bail on you guys today. So that your stop here was not entirely wasted:
Kuriositas (one of my favorite blogs to visit for visual inspiration) has an excellent post here about selective color photography.
I gave it a try, and my first attempt came out rather romantic:
To get the effect, I selected every part of the photograph around the rosebud (you can see the original here), and then selected the black and white effect to alter the color (I use Microsoft Photo-It, which is no longer sold, but I think most basic photo programs have this sort of option.) For those of you who are making your own covers, this could be an interesting way to bring out one element of a photo or image you're using as your art.
Kuriositas (one of my favorite blogs to visit for visual inspiration) has an excellent post here about selective color photography.
I gave it a try, and my first attempt came out rather romantic:
To get the effect, I selected every part of the photograph around the rosebud (you can see the original here), and then selected the black and white effect to alter the color (I use Microsoft Photo-It, which is no longer sold, but I think most basic photo programs have this sort of option.) For those of you who are making your own covers, this could be an interesting way to bring out one element of a photo or image you're using as your art.
May 1, 2011
AM Ten
Although technically my new novel
After Midnight
is being released nationwide on May 8th, it's already shipping from online retailers and making it into the bookstores, so I'm going to do a little promo this week to get the ball rolling.
After Midnight is also special for a lot of reasons, some of which I'd like to share. So here are:
Ten Things About After Midnight by Lynn Viehl
Blame the Kid: This novel was in response to something my daughter said a few years ago; she complained that I never wrote anything that was age-appropriate for her and her friends to read. She was right, so I set out to try.
E-book Compulsion: I never planned to write Dark of Heart, the free companion/parallel novella e-book that I just released, and that is set in the same universe. When I finished the manuscript for After Midnight a secondary character named Kari Carson became stuck in my head and wouldn't leave me alone until I wrote her story.
Experts: I worked with a terrific group of teenagers who helped me shape the story by providing me with first-hand knowledge, brain-storming, story discussion, critiquing and editing. They corrected my mistakes and never once complained once about the ten thousand questions I asked them.
Firsts: After Midnight is my first official YA novel, the first book in a new trilogy, and also the first time I've ever published in trade paperback with an independent publisher.
Lost Lake: The town of Lost Lake from the novel does not exist, but is a conglomeration based on a number of small Central Florida communities that I know and love. I also used a few elements from my childhood hometown in South Florida.
Not the First: You never know how obscure you are until you start writing in a new genre. Almost all of the interviewers and bloggers who have contacted me about the book assumed that After Midnight was my first novel. I realized this when I started answering e-mail questions like "How does it feel to become a published author?" and "Are you planning to making writing a career?"
Revisiting High School: I loathed being in high school, high school kids, high school teachers, etc. -- isn't that a prerequisite for being a writer? -- so the prospect of writing about that part of life in that kind of setting worried me. Once I got into the story, though, I actually enjoyed revisiting (and at some points reinventing) the experience. You still couldn't pay me to be a teenager again, but in the end I think it was good for me.
Title: The original/working title was Midnight Meeting, which I first spotted in an Emily Dickinson poem and encountered again as a Gaias Pendulum song title. That all felt a bit too heavy for the story, so I went through the manuscript gathering keywords, bumped into the phrase after midnight and went with that.
True to Life: All of the horses in the book are based on real-life counterparts I have met and/or that my daughter has ridden. Their names have been changed, however, so that no over-zealous fans try to find their barns and sneak into their stalls for an autograph.
Worldbuilding: I haven't built a brand-new universe or moved into a new genre since 2004, so I really had fun with this one. I also found it to be a serious challenge, and in the process gained a lot of respect for YA as a genre.
After Midnight is also special for a lot of reasons, some of which I'd like to share. So here are:
Ten Things About After Midnight by Lynn Viehl
Blame the Kid: This novel was in response to something my daughter said a few years ago; she complained that I never wrote anything that was age-appropriate for her and her friends to read. She was right, so I set out to try.
E-book Compulsion: I never planned to write Dark of Heart, the free companion/parallel novella e-book that I just released, and that is set in the same universe. When I finished the manuscript for After Midnight a secondary character named Kari Carson became stuck in my head and wouldn't leave me alone until I wrote her story.
Experts: I worked with a terrific group of teenagers who helped me shape the story by providing me with first-hand knowledge, brain-storming, story discussion, critiquing and editing. They corrected my mistakes and never once complained once about the ten thousand questions I asked them.
Firsts: After Midnight is my first official YA novel, the first book in a new trilogy, and also the first time I've ever published in trade paperback with an independent publisher.
Lost Lake: The town of Lost Lake from the novel does not exist, but is a conglomeration based on a number of small Central Florida communities that I know and love. I also used a few elements from my childhood hometown in South Florida.
Not the First: You never know how obscure you are until you start writing in a new genre. Almost all of the interviewers and bloggers who have contacted me about the book assumed that After Midnight was my first novel. I realized this when I started answering e-mail questions like "How does it feel to become a published author?" and "Are you planning to making writing a career?"
Revisiting High School: I loathed being in high school, high school kids, high school teachers, etc. -- isn't that a prerequisite for being a writer? -- so the prospect of writing about that part of life in that kind of setting worried me. Once I got into the story, though, I actually enjoyed revisiting (and at some points reinventing) the experience. You still couldn't pay me to be a teenager again, but in the end I think it was good for me.
Title: The original/working title was Midnight Meeting, which I first spotted in an Emily Dickinson poem and encountered again as a Gaias Pendulum song title. That all felt a bit too heavy for the story, so I went through the manuscript gathering keywords, bumped into the phrase after midnight and went with that.
True to Life: All of the horses in the book are based on real-life counterparts I have met and/or that my daughter has ridden. Their names have been changed, however, so that no over-zealous fans try to find their barns and sneak into their stalls for an autograph.
Worldbuilding: I haven't built a brand-new universe or moved into a new genre since 2004, so I really had fun with this one. I also found it to be a serious challenge, and in the process gained a lot of respect for YA as a genre.
April 28, 2011
Free YA e-book
You've been quite patient, so here is a little reward:
Dark of Heart, my YA novella story set in the same universe as my first YA print release, After Midnight, is now available for anyone to read online, download in .pdf format and freely distribute. Just click on the cover art to go and get your copy.
Dark of Heart, my YA novella story set in the same universe as my first YA print release, After Midnight, is now available for anyone to read online, download in .pdf format and freely distribute. Just click on the cover art to go and get your copy.
April 27, 2011
Bye Bye Bluebirds
Just stopping in to show off some pics I've taken while working on the porch. I know, I should be locked in my office, but I can't help it. The weather is lovely, as is the breeze, plus I can't resist watching the bluebirds.
Eastern bluebirds are great parents, btw. Several times each morning and afternoon I've been watching Mama deliver crickets and other bugs to the quadruplets (not sure what she has in her mouth here, though -- maybe a beetle -- and you can click on this or any image to see a larger version):
Yesterday she stopped the bug deliveries, though, and now just shows up to check on the little ones:
Judging by increased volume and frequency of their cheeping, the kids are getting hungry -- and brave:
And I think I'll have a new vacancy by tomorrow:
Birds are so cool (and I will have something else interesting to show you tomorrow, so stop by if you have a chance.)
Eastern bluebirds are great parents, btw. Several times each morning and afternoon I've been watching Mama deliver crickets and other bugs to the quadruplets (not sure what she has in her mouth here, though -- maybe a beetle -- and you can click on this or any image to see a larger version):
Yesterday she stopped the bug deliveries, though, and now just shows up to check on the little ones:
Judging by increased volume and frequency of their cheeping, the kids are getting hungry -- and brave:
And I think I'll have a new vacancy by tomorrow:
Birds are so cool (and I will have something else interesting to show you tomorrow, so stop by if you have a chance.)
April 24, 2011
Up
No Monday ten list today, sorry. This is deadline week for two books, I'm also working on a copy-edit, and I'm running behind schedule on everything, so my internet time is going to be measured in seconds. Bear with me. After May 1st things around here should get back to normal-level chaos.
Even during an insane week like this it's not all work and no play for PBW. Now that Spring has arrived, I've relocated to the back porch for my meditation sessions and breaks. Mostly I sit and think, the dogs sit and watch the birds, the birds watch the dogs, etc.
Sometimes I get incredibly lucky with the camera:
Even during an insane week like this it's not all work and no play for PBW. Now that Spring has arrived, I've relocated to the back porch for my meditation sessions and breaks. Mostly I sit and think, the dogs sit and watch the birds, the birds watch the dogs, etc.
Sometimes I get incredibly lucky with the camera:
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