Catherine Ryan Hyde's Blog, page 32

The Bet Rides Again

My horse, Union RagsAnybody remember The Bet from last year? It started with my Twitter bud Brian Farrey musing on the Stephen King article in the Atlantic, in which King reveals that the short story "Herman Wouk is Still Alive" was written to satisfy a bet.

Apparently that's all you have to tell four crazy writers. Brian (With or Without You), Kimberly Pauley (Sucks to be Me), Andrew Smith (Stick, The Marbury Lens) and I went crazy and created The Bet, which shall heretofore (how's that for a fun word) be known as The Bet #1. We each chose a horse in the Kentucky Derby. For the purposes of The Bet, our horses were only running against each other, not the field as a whole. In other words, it didn't matter if my horse won. He won if he came in ahead of their horses.

Brian's horse, Done TalkingBrian's horse won, so Brian handed down a story title to Andrew, whose horse came in second in our pack of four. The title was, "Miss Candor Sends Her Regrets." Andrew handed me the lovely title, "The Art of Being Stuck Here." Because Kimberly Pauley had chosen the horse Uncle Mo, who was scratched for gastrointestinal trouble, I gave her "Uncle Mo's Gastrointestinal Tract," for which she still has not forgiven me. But hey, the whole story didn't have to be about anybody's gut. In fact, I wove a reference to Uncle Mo's tract into my story, just to show her how it could be done. But I don't think it earned me any points. I think I have to be kind with my title this year.

Yes, that's right. This year. Suddenly, without any real trackable cause, we all signed on to do it all over again. 

Kimberly's horse, Creative Cause

So, without further ado, here's the lineup. I've chosen Union Rags, Kimberly has chosen Creative Cause. Brian has Done Talking and Andrew has I'll Have Another.

You can read The Art of Being Stuck Here, the story I wrote for last year's bet, HERE. You can read the story I'll write for this year's bet (unless I'm the big winner) here, too, just not until the race has run. (And we've had time to write the damn things.)

Andrew's horse, I'll Have AnotherYou can read Brian's post about the bet at HIS BLOG. And Kimberly's at HER BLOG. And Andrew's at HIS BLOG.

And then you can stay tuned for this year's fun. If nothing else, it's three free short stories from authors you probably follow if you're reading one of our blogs.

Wish me luck (though losing is more fun than winning).

Talk more after Derby Day. 

Always Giving Stuff Away

Here we go again. I'm guessing this will not be getting tedious for my readers, as, if I'm going to keep repeating myself, the repetition should be something along the lines of, "I've got more free stuff for you."

The US ebook of my novel SECOND HAND HEART just went on a 5-day free promotion. (Sorry UK readers, UK editions belong to Transworld/Random House Group--love them, but can't give their stuff away.)

If you're in the US, just go get one. Easy. And everyone who wants one can have one.

But while we're at it, I want to do another $25 Amazon gift card giveaway for reviewers. This is fairly simple as well. Grab a free copy of the book (no actual cash purchase necessary), read it, and leave your honest thoughts on Amazon. Then come back to this blog and leave a comment telling me you did. That way I'll know you want to be part of the contest, and I'll have your email address if you win. I'll choose a winner at random (not based on what you say about the book--say what feels true).

That's it.

If you don't have an ereader, you can download free Kindle software on the Amazon page. If you have a Nook, or other non-Kindle ereader, click here for instructions on how to convert the downloaded file.

Will choose a winner at the end of the month. Good luck, and thanks for being up for this kind of fun. Hell, thanks for being my readers in the first place. It all starts there. Have I mentioned recently that I appreciate you? Without you, I'd be out of a job.

 

Beautiful Natural World

Truth be told, I haven't been out in it much lately. I was home with my mom 24 hours a day for a while. And now I'm having a little trouble getting back on my feet, though I'm planning a couple of hiking getaways soon. I've had to completely rethink the schedule, as I now need to keep myself almost entirely to hikes that allow dogs. No more leaving Ella in the motorhome with my mom.

Anyway, while I was stuck indoors, I put together a second slideshow of some of my nature shots. The first "Beautiful World" slideshow had travel shots, including man-made sights. This one is nature-only.

If you're stuck inside today, here's a way to remember what a beautiful world we live in:

 

But There's Still the Gift Card

When I last blogged about the ebook edition of my novel WHEN I FOUND YOU, it was just about to go on a 5-day free promotion on Amazon.

I'm pleased to say that promotion went well. Amazingly well. I mean...you could have knocked me over with a feather. That well.

It hit #1 in Kindle Free, with over 81,000 copies downloaded. When the promotion ended, it climbed up to #12 in Kindle Paid. The combination of the free downloads and actual sales numbers created a “popularity” rating of #3 in the Kindle store as a whole, #5 on all of Amazon books. I was hovering between two Hunger Games books on the Kindle main page. It was a heady experience.

Somewhere in the neighborhood of 100,000 people have downloaded the WHEN I FOUND YOU ebook.

Was I a total dork to take a screenshot? Undoubtedly! But it shows how excited I really was.

And anyone who wants to write a review of it on Amazon is still eligible for the drawing for a $25 Amazon gift card. The details are in the previous giveaway post. So do read up. But I want to stress again that I am not trying to reward the most positive review. Write an honest review, and I'll choose at random. All opinions of the book stand the same chance.

So, sorry to say you can no longer hop out and grab a free copy. But if you're one of the 81,000 people who did, or one of the 15,000 or so who have bought the book since, jump in on the giveaway.

If you already reviewed it on Amazon, just leave a comment telling me so. On this or the previous giveaway post. That way I can contact you if you win.

Winner drawn on April 15th. Good luck!

Vance Hyde 1922-2012

My mom passed away on Wednesday the 21st. Just last week. Needless to say, it's been a very rough few days. But I wasn't planning to say much about the situation on my blog.

But today the obituary I wrote for her, with the photo I sent, came out in our local paper. Not the way I wanted it to. The photo was supposed to be my mom on shipboard in the Mediterranean Sea. It went along with the text depicting her as a woman who remained hugely adventurous well into her 80s. They cropped it down to nothing but a head shot. With no advance warning that they planned to do so.

And I'm...upset.

I usually try not to share too much upset on my blog, but when you mess up someone's mother's obituary, even in a small way, there's just no do-over on that. Everybody only gets one. And besides, I'm sure you understand that anything involving my mom is likely to pull big emotional strings right now.

What can I do? Well. This. I'm creating my own do-over. Here's how it was supposed to look:

_________________________________________

Vance Hyde

Vance Hyde, 31-year Cambria resident, died quietly at home on March 21st.

Born in 1922, she was a former advertising and personnel executive at Adam, Meldrum & Anderson department stores in Buffalo, NY. She came to Cambria to retire in 1981, but needed a couple more decades to perfect that intention.

Vance was known about town for her “Adventurous 80s,” during which she traveled to Machu Picchu, enjoyed back-to-back cruises in the Mediterranean and Aegean seas, and hiked down to Cedar Ridge (and back!) in the Grand Canyon. Last autumn she hiked to the base of Yosemite Falls and stood atop Pike’s Peak.

 She was actively involved in, and deeply concerned with, environmental and economic justice and animal welfare.

She is survived by daughter Catherine Ryan Hyde and grandchildren Sara and Justin Fawcett.

An informal celebration of her life will be held at Leffingwell Landing on Thursday, April 26th at 6:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers please consider donations to Best Friends Animal Society.  

_________________________________________

There's also an online guestbook at Legacy.com, and due to my vociferous complaints, the photo will be changed to run correctly there. Anyone who knew my mom, and even those who didn't...I'd love to hear your thoughts, either here or there.

Author Friday: Swati Avasthi

I first learned about Swati and her fabulous young adult novel SPLIT when her editor at Knopf (we share the same YA publisher) asked me if I’d consider reading it with an eye for writing a blurb. It was her debut novel, and I know how important the launch of that first book can feel. And be. Which doesn’t mean I would blurb any book if I didn’t love it.

In the case of SPLIT, no problem. I loved it.

Funny how often an author and I will go on to be friends (or at least good Twitter/Facebook/email acquaintances) after a bonding experience like that one.

So, Swati…thanks for visiting my blog, and here goes:

Swati: Thanks Catherine.  It has been a privilege to get to know you and, as I’ve been a fan of yours for a long time, it is particularly meaningful to have your name on the back of SPLIT.

Me: Let’s start with getting your name right. Easy enough in print, but let’s get it right in the readers’ minds, too. 

Swati: I appreciate that.  Phonetic pronunciation is:  SWA-thee  Of-US-thee.  It’s an imperfect rhyme.  The only other perfect rhymes are with other Hindi words, like “chapati” and “hati”. Hmm… maybe that’s why I like bread and elephants.

Author Friday: Barry Eisler

 

Barry Eisler and I have a common denominator, a reason our paths keep crossing. That commonality is the amazing and talented Laura Rennert—my agent, Barry’s wife. That makes Laura almost as important to Barry as she is to me. So…Barry and I have shared a few conferences of the Andrea Brown Literary Agency variety, at that hideout lodge in the redwoods of Big Sur. And I definitely knew he was a writer, but I have to admit this: at first I was walking around with my head up my ass and not getting that he was this sort of…Mega-Writer…this legend in the industry. Probably just as well, because now he knows how I’d be treating him if he weren’t. The same. Basically.

I remember my first impression of Barry, as shared with Laura. I said, “He’s funny.” She said, “Yeah. He is funny.”

But somehow this has to morph into an interview, so I’d better start to pressure it in that direction.

Me: Barry, I still remember the day I read that initial conversation between you and Joe Konrath (which you later titled Be the Monkey, and made available for free download). It was shortly after you’d walked away from all that money at St.  Martin’s, an event I still refer to as “The Shot Heard Round the World.” I read the whole thing, every word, then closed the web page and thought, “I’m saved. Everything is going to be all right after all.” I was in that classic author’s bind—I had the name, but not the right sales numbers in the right order, and the US publishers (I’m doing fine in the UK) weren’t wanting to take a chance, no matter how much they loved the books, and the industry was falling apart, and goddamn it this is how I pay my mortgage. I was in a box I thought I might never break out of. I wouldn’t have thought of Indie, because of its stigma. But you erased the stigma in one act. In one day. You leveled the playing field, making Indie an option for those who seek it, not just for those who have no other choice. Wow. Listen to me running off at the mouth, and I haven’t even found a question yet. 

Here’s the question: I know you took, and continue to take, a lot of crap for the decision to go Indie—and the subsequent decision to go Amazon—with The Detachment. In fact, you seem to take a lot of crap in general, which I interpret to mean you’re flying high enough to draw some anti-aircraft fire. But do you also get sincere appreciation from authors (other than me) for changing the landscape in which they live and work?

Barry:

We have to do an interview?  I was so enjoying all the nice things you were saying about me!

At least let me return the favor:  when I first met you, all I knew was that you were the writer whose manuscripts Laura devoured in a sitting or two; the ones where she had to make a second pass wearing her editor’s hat because the first time she was completely seduced by the story; the ones where, when I heard her crying over a manuscript, I’d say, “Ah, that must be Catherine’s new one,” the ones she would hand me tearfully saying, “You have to read this passage.  It’s gorgeous.”  And she was right.  And I knew you’d written something like 18 books, and that one, Pay It Forward, had been made into a big movie, so I think I was semi-expecting a diva, and instead you were totally down to earth and funny and fun to hang out with.

Jeez, this is making me miss the Big Sur Writer’s Conference.  We need to get back there.

But okay, your question… yes, I’ve taken a certain amount of criticism for some of my business decisions, and I think the reactions are interesting on several levels.  First, I think it’s fair to say that my moves haven’t been welcomed in the legacy publishing world, but the reasons for that are pretty easy to understand.  The more options authors have, the more competitive companies will have to become if they want to remain viable publishers.  When every legacy publisher offers authors the same 17.5% of the retail price of a digital book, authors have to take it.  When authors can make double that or more being published by Amazon, when they can make a whopping 70% per unit self-publishing, it puts pressure on legacy publishers to adapt and up their game.  And, because they’re composed of humans, and because humans are inherently lazy, legacy publishers would prefer to avoid real competition and instead go on subsisting on monopoly rents.

Definite Free EBook, Possible Free $25 Amazon Gift Card

An announcement. And a giveaway I already like a lot. (And it hasn't even started yet.)

Just after midnight tonight (this was written Wednesday the 7th--it's free now) the U.S. ebook edition (*UK readers, please see update below) of my novel When I Found You is going to enjoy five free promotional days. Thursday March 8th through Monday March 12th, you can get a Kindle copy absolutely free. Not a contest, a free ebook for everybody who wants one.  

This is one of my personal favorites of all my books, and of course I want as many people as possible to discover it. If you want to read more about it, you can jump to its book page on this site, or if you just want to snag your free copy, go ahead and jump right to its Amazon page. (Assuming, of course, that's it's Thursday the 8th, Monday the 12th, or something in between.)

Here's where the contest comes in: I'm giving away a $25 Amazon gift card to someone who posts an Amazon review for this book between today and the middle of April.

Two important things I want you to know about the giveaway: One, there is no purchase necessary, because I purposely tied the timing to the ebook's free days. So you can pick up a copy for free, and if you post a review, you can get in the running. Two, and this feels even more important: I will be choosing a winner at random. This means I'm not giving a prize to the person who raves the most. All honest reviews will have exactly the same chance. I would never try to give you an incentive to say anything other than what you really thought. I just think a lot of you will like it. Anyway, that's what I'm banking on. And a range of reviews are a good way to help readers decide, anyway.

So grab a free copy (and, by the way, if you don't have a Kindle, you can download free Kindle software for your computer), and if you post an Amazon review, please come back to this blog and leave a comment telling me so, with your email entered into the comment form. (Don't put it in the body of your comment unless you want the whole world to have it.) Otherwise I'll be able to read the review on Amazon but not contact you if you win. 

And that's it! I'll announce a winner on April 15th. Good luck!

Author Friday: Cheryl Rainfield

Cheryl is one of the authors I might not know if it weren’t for the literary corner of the Twitterverse. As it is, I feel as though we’re old friends, trading books and dog pictures and keeping up on each other’s career. And there’s always the retweet, that simple click of a button that authors can—and do—use in support of one another.

I first became interested in Cheryl’s groundbreaking YA novel SCARS when I clicked through a Twitter link and watched Cheryl in a TV interview. That’s when I learned that Cheryl was herself a victim of unimaginable ritual abuse as a child, and was…as the old writers’ saw goes…writing what she knows. That’s even her arm on the cover. I’ve always been deeply impressed by all forms of emotional honesty and emotional courage (often one and the same) and I knew this was a book I had to read. I’m also halfway through Cheryl’s new paranormal YA novel HUNTED, which seems to be getting another great reception from her readers and fans. So nice to see success come to authors who deserve it!

My Blog: In Case You Missed It

Recently I've had two long trips plowing through my older blog posts. One was in search of travel posts to pin on Pinterest. (Yes! I'm on Pinterest now! And if I may be allowed to say so, I think my boards are starting to look somewhat cool.) The other was to add share buttons on the posts that still feel relevant.

Here's what I discovered: there are quite a number of posts that have fallen back into the archives, where they are unlikely to be found by any but the most diligent and non-busy surfer. And they might be relevant, and might interest more recent readers/followers of this blog.

And so I thought, There must be a way to organize these older blog posts to make them easier to find.

Then, for the eleventy-millionth time, I discovered I can make this website do lots of things I never knew it could do.

Too late for long story short, but I've added both a blog index widget on the right sidebar of my blog, and an actual Blog Index page. The widget allows you to access older blog