Selena Blake's Blog, page 51
July 12, 2012
Love My Job
I’m doing some research this afternoon and I couldn’t help thinking how much I love my job.
Let’s study the facts, shall we?
I get paid to daydream and write stories.
I get to “character shop” gorgeous men and beautiful women.
I get to learn new things every day.
I know that sometimes I get frustrated with characters who won’t behave, long hours, and sitting too much, but really… I have my dream job. And I’m so thankful to each reader who’s bought my books and offered encouragement along the way.
I need to give a shout out to a few blogs that came in handy today:
Musings of a High Level Executive Assistant
And an article by Melba J. Duncan.
photo by: Oscar E.
July 9, 2012
Ready & Willing Needs Beta Readers
I’ve finished Ready & Willing! All together now: YAY! That said, Ready & Willing is in need of beta readers.
What’s a Beta Reader?
A beta reader is a reader who helps an author by giving a book a pre-read, prior to publication. Authors keep these fabulous readers on tap to help them determine the story’s readiness for further revision, edits, and publication. As you can tell, it’s an important job!
Beta readers point out what they like about a story, and more importantly, what doesn’t work for them.
They’ll often point out problems they have with the flow of the book (is it moving too slow, are they skimming certain parts, does something need further explanation?) as well as looking for issues that might jar them (like the character suddenly having the wrong hair or eye color.)
Why are Beta Readers important?
To me, they’re important because they provide vital feedback. My readers are the ones that count at the end of the day and I want them to enjoy my stories. The best way for me to get an idea if the story is any good is to get opinions from a few readers. Sometimes, an author is just too close to a book. After we’ve read it umpteen times and made changes (and lets face it, often times we writers remember all past versions of the story, not just what’s currently written…that’s uber problematic.) we need another take. So beta readers provide a set of fresh eyes.
Do you have what it takes to be a Beta Reader for Ready & Willing?
Are you caught up on all 16 chapters of Ready & Willing?
Do you have an eye for detail?
Are you a picky reader?
Do continuity and timeline issues matter to you?
Are you familiar with all the characters in Ready & Willing?
This is your chance to read the final chapters of Ready & Willing before the rest of the world! It’s also your chance to help make the story shine.
What’s needed from beta readers:
time in the next two weeks to read the rest of Ready & Willing (just over 100 pages)
ability to read PDFs via your computer
desire and ability to make timely comments in regard to storyline, continuity, grammar, punctuation, typos and formatting.
How it works:
Selena will email a chapter at a time, in pdf format, to the beta readers. Upon returning/commenting on the file, beta readers will receive the next chapter.
How to apply:
Knowledge of California, ranch life, horses, paranormal romance, Ready & Willing fans preferred.
Send an email to Selena at selenablake @ gmail.com (no spaces). Put Ready & Willing Beta Reader Application in the subject line of your email. Include why you think you should be selected as a Ready & Willing Beta Reader.
Once the beta readers have been selected, this post will be updated to reflect that.
Note:
There is no monetary compensation for this position.
July 3, 2012
Going on Tour
Hellooo Wolfpack!
I’m going on tour during the month of August. It’s time to say hello to our overseas cousins and visit the UK a bit.
So stay tuned for lots of fun and perhaps a few prizes (cause who doesn’t love prizes?)
Current List of Stops(as of today, should be adding a few later on this week and next):
satinsbookishcorner.blogspot.com
underthecoversbookblog.blogspot.com/
wrathsqueensbooks.blogspot.co.uk/
www.onceuponabookcase.blogspot.co.uk
aredheadsguiltyreads.blogspot.co.uk/
June 7, 2012
Thought of the day: responsiveness
Thought of the day: responsiveness is SO important.
That’s all there is to it. There’s nothing like waiting around forever for an answer. And in today’s corporate environment with so much red tape and time delays, quick responses really stand out.
With that thought in mind, I’ve got to go answer some email. 
A quick Test
Just testing something out. Don’t mind me.
Actually, if you can see this, how about leaving a comment below and tell me what summer treat you’re most looking forward to?
June 5, 2012
Snow White and the Huntsman
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You guys know how much I’ve been dying to see this movie. Well, I saw it.
I have to say, I was rather disappointed.
They gave the evil queen too much screen time.
I didn’t feel like Snow White had all that much dialog.
They didn’t finalize the romance.
And the entire movie was summarized in the trailer.
Save yourself the $$ and just rent it when it comes out.
Xoxo,
Selena
June 4, 2012
Movie Theater Etiquette
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Let’s briefly discuss movie theater etiquette. It’s unfortunate that this even needs to be brought up but this weekend’s trip to the theater is a case in point. Some people need a reminder.
1. Turn off your cell phone. This goes for the annoying little chime that alerts you every time you get a text. (Which happened no less than 16 times during the movie.)
2. Keep your crap under the seats. People have a hard time seeing in the dark (duh) and if you feel the need to bring three large bags (yes, 3) worth of stuff into the theater, your fellow viewers would appreciate it if you didn’t drop it in the middle of the aisle like you have all of the sense of a 4th grader. (Sorry fourth graders.)
3. Shut up. Seriously. Don’t talk throughout the movie. It’s possible to lean over to your companion and whisper.
4. Don’t spend half the movie talking and then cut someone else a dirty look when they say something. Furthermore, the words “you need to shut the fuck up” should not be uttered by you, especially since you’ve spent the greater portion of the movie chattering with your girlfriend.
There you have it. A few basic niceties that would make everyone’s movie going experience more pleasant. And at $10 a ticket, I’d really appreciate a pleasant experience.
More on the movie tomorrow.
Review of Stranded with a Cajun Werewolf
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J9 at The Romance Reviews Said:
“STRANDED WITH A CAJUN WOLF is a stellar shifter romance with wonderful leads and a great plot. This novella is a treat to read and is a keeper.”
May 31, 2012
Writers Should Blog More Often?
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I’ve been seeing this advice for the last few weeks: writers should blog more often in order to build their platform.
I get the point. The more often you blog the better the chance people will read your work. You’ll have more content on your blog, blah, blah, blah.
The unfortunate part of this advice is authors often make terrible bloggers.
We fiction authors need to be honing our craft and writing new books, not struggling with a blog. I rarely have time to visit blogs much less write one each and every day. And who can be witty that often? Or more importantly, who has that interesting of a life? Who can be entertaining five days a week? Obviously someone with far more time, energy, and enthusiasm than me.
This advice completely ignores the fact that I’d rather readers be buy and read my books than read my blog. A good blog post takes energy. There’s topic choice, initial draft and then polishing. Not to mention picture selection where appropriate.
We don’t need more blog posts from authors. We need fewer blog posts. The world doesn’t need another distraction. It doesn’t need another bit of white noise. Google doesn’t need another blog to catalog.
Rather than more, the world needs better blog posts.
May 30, 2012
Links from the Savvy Author chat
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I always love visiting SavvyAuthors.com for chats. And giving the chat is a thrill because the writers are so attentive.
If you missed my SavvyAuthors chat on Software for Writers, get the transcript here.
And here are the links I mentioned:
Write or Die (writeordie.com/)
Scrivener (www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener.php)
Evernote (evernote.com/)
Hootsuite (hootsuite.com)
Windows LiveWriter (download.cnet.com/Windows-Live-Writer-for-Windows-XP/3000-10247_4-10572482.html)
