B.J. Hoff's Blog, page 17

About those Video Trailers ...

Some of the questions circulating among writers these days have to do with online video trailers for books: Why use them? How effective are they? Is this just another trend? Do they really help sell books? 

For my part, I love giving my readers a "teaser" that will introduce them to the heart of the story and give them at least a peek at the setting.  

My book videos have received thousands of views from the many places the experts at PulsePoint Design, (who have created the trailers for three

New Video Trailer

I thought you might enjoy watching the video trailer for American Anthem.

Kelli Standish and the geniuses at PulsePoint Design have created an amazing video for my newest release--a video that captures the heart and spirit of the American Anthem story in an incredible way.

You can watch it here:

BJ

Because of Winn-Dixie

Every now and then we all need to watch a movie that makes us feel good. With all the dark and gritty, depressing, desolate films released over the past few years, it's fair to want to shout "give me a break!" A break from the lack of story, lack of redemption, and lack of hope that permeate so many contemporary films. 

We have some favorite "family films" we turn to when we want to watch something that doesn't make us feel like taking a shower at the end or jumping off a bridge. High on the li

Q & A

Q. What's your favorite magazine--the one you won't miss reading or read cover-t0-cover?

A. I don't read any magazine cover-to-cover, but I do have more than one I don't like to miss, including National Review, Publishers Weekly, Writers Digest, Irish America, Christianity Today, and MacWorld.

Q. What are some research books you'd recommend for a new writer just starting to build a research library--not the usual dictionary and thesaurus and atlas, but lesser known books that you've found usef

Easter Blessings

As Easter approaches, I'm taking a few days off from Grace Notes (and just about everything else but the WIP) to make extra time for family and take care of preparations for Easter weekend. In the meantime, I want to wish each one of you all the special blessings we've come to anticipate from this most holy season--and even a few unexpected blessings--to warm your heart and enrich your life. 

May God fill this glorious time of resurrection and new life throughout all nature with grace and peace

Word Abuse

I'm not sure what to call this: a pet peeve, perhaps? It's not merely political correctness, although that's often part of the picture. It's not as simple as the misuse of words or phrases, although sometimes that's what it amounts to. It's not necessarily a deliberate ploy to undermine or soften a situation, or skirt an issue--except in politics, and then ... yes, there's that. Let's just say that it is a pet peeve and lump it all under the same umbrella for now. 

The "it" I'm referring to app

Mass Grave for Irish Immigrants Discovered

It's believed that a mass grave for nearly five dozen 19th-century Irish immigrants has been discovered. The immigrants, believed to have died of cholera, had traveled to Pennsylvania to help build a railroad.

This from Kathy Matheson, Associated Press Writer:

' ... Historians at Immaculata University have known for years about the 57 immigrants who died in August 1832 but could not find the grave. Human bones discovered last week near the suburban Philadelphia university may at last reveal thei

What's the Attraction?

This is one of those "little of this, and a little of that" entries that most likely no one but readers and writers will finish reading. But that's perfectly all right, because Grace Notes began as a web log for readers and writers!

I was thinking the other day about what attracts me to the work of certain writers. Not that I could isolate only one facet per writer. Most writers I read regularly offer a number of different elements in their work that appeals to me or at least "hooks" me for on

Faceless Forever

I don't know whether it's coincidental or not, but over the past couple of days, either via email or magazine articles or newspaper stories, I seem to have run up against one accounting after another about the futility, the excesses, and the sheer inanity of how social networking has taken over America. It's as if somewhere, someone asked the question "why are we doing this anyway?" and now a stampede is on of those rushing to supply an explanation or an analysis or, in a few cases, a full-blow