Michelle Garren Flye's Blog, page 87

Embrace your velvet-cloaked vampire: Go ahead and publish that book

I just read an article in Forbes called Don’t Publish That Book. It’s worthwhile reading. The author Suw Charman-Anderson publishes a Twitter conversation she had with authors Steve Mosby and Lou Morgan in which the authors bemoan their early stories, one of which was evidently about a vampire in a velvet cloak.

I enjoyed the article. It encourages writers to write until they’re good enough to be noticed and not to rush to self-publish. Charman-Anderson seems to indicate that if you get multiple rejections, there’s probably a reason for that. She’s probably right and I agree with her. Too many self-published books are published before they are ready. Please, please copy edit. Don’t rely on spell-check. It’s not infallible. And let a manuscript sit for a few weeks after it’s done, re-read it and then decide if you want to publish it. You might be surprised by the answer you give yourself. My self-published book Weeds and Flowers sat on my hard-drive for years before I got the go-ahead from my inner editor.

With that said, I will also add that we all have our stories about vampires in velvet cloaks. C’mon, if you’re a writer who started publishing within the last fifteen years, you have that story. That one story that’s still floating around in the ether somewhere waiting to come back and bite you in the ass. I know where mine is. Do you?

My point is that we live and publish in a different time. A new age for publishing. An age in which our mistakes and growing pains may make it into “print”. Yes, we need to watch ourselves, but we also need to embrace this new age. Imagine if we could read Stephen King’s first stories. I’ve heard Nicholas Sparks say his first novel was a horror novel. Now that would be some interesting reading.

One of my favorite books on my bookshelf is A Whisper in the Dark: Twelve Thrilling Tales by Louisa May Alcott. Of course, I don’t love the tales so much as I love the book. You see, Louisa May Alcott was my inspiration for becoming a writer. I loved all her books, read all of them, but my favorite, of course, was the semi-autobiographical Little Women, in which Jo, the character Alcott based on herself, writes “sensational” tales for the paper. The first time I read Little Women when I was about nine or ten years old, I couldn’t imagine what “sensational” meant. Later I got the idea that they must have something to do with sex, especially since Jo destroys them all in a fit of shame in the book. I read A Whisper in the Dark much later as an adult, and I wondered what on earth Alcott was talking about. They’re corny by today’s standards, and probably pretty dark and risque in the nineteenth century, but not the awful stuff I’d half been expecting.

Only now as I begin (notice I said “begin”) to reach my own maturity as a writer do I understand where she was coming from. But as a writer, I’m grateful not all of Alcott’s early works were lost. It makes some of my own early growing pains easier to bear.

Even now when I look back on Secrets of the Lotus, published almost exactly two years ago, I see things I would do differently. The same for Winter Solstice. If I’m fortunate enough to continue growing and developing as a writer—and I hope that will be a lifelong process—in five years I may reread Where the Heart Lies with tolerant disdain.

It’s a process. So whether an editor or publisher will take the time on your work or you self-publish it, you have to know that if you are one of the lucky ones, you won’t like what you write now in five years.

50 Shades of Awesome!

Sorry, couldn’t resist that title. This post is going to be about Fifty Shades of Grey, but I’m on cloud nine right now. People are buying Where the Heart Lies! This is (kind of) a new experience for me. I’ve never had a book up for pre-order before (at least I don’t think so), and my editor just tweeted to let me know Where the Heart Lies, which doesn’t come out until July 16, is the second most popular ebook on the Carina website. Wow! Admittedly, it’s on sale for 99 cents during July, so a lot of the buyers that would balk at $5 plus might be willing to take a leap of faith for less than a dollar. Anyway, if you’re interested in keeping track of my newest book’s progress, you can check out the Carina Press website.

And now on to the actual blog post. Fifty Shades of Grey. Seems like everybody’s talking about it. I actually resisted reading this one for a while, but I eventually realized it’s going to be an important influence on my chosen genre. Plus, people kept asking me what I thought about it. And I kept reading what other people thought about it. And finally I decided I needed to make up my own mind about it.

Let me start off by saying that in no way do I consider this a review, and I hope it won’t influence anyone either to read it or not. That’s entirely up to you. I really don’t think Fifty Shades of Grey is going to be everybody’s cup of tea, but, on the other hand, I can now see why it’s made such an impact.

Let’s look at the book honestly. It’s erotica. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Especially when it’s well-written erotica with a bit of a plot, which Fifty Shades definitely is. Is it a book you’d want your mom to catch you reading? Probably not. Your husband? Maybe. Is it a book you can discuss with your friends? Yes. In a book club? Um…probably not. At a quilting bee? Ummmm…. Leave it where your kids can read it? NO!

Fifty Shades of Grey is knocking down barriers. I classify it not only as erotica but as romantic erotica. My first thought when I finished it was, “Wow, the world has changed when a book like this can make it onto bestseller lists and become a household name.” Remember when you had to search a romance for “the good parts”? Well, there’s no searching necessary in Fifty Shades. Flip a couple of pages and you’ll find a good part. Guaranteed.

My second thought was, “Damn. She cheated.” She being the author, E.L. James. Why do I think she cheated? She didn’t finish the story. At least, she didn’t finish the story I wanted her to finish. In fact, she hinted at answers, led me on until the last page. I followed her heroine all the way through to the end, and honestly, I couldn’t believe the last page was the last page. I even double-checked to make sure my Nook had all the pages. She couldn’t end the damn book that way! No author would do that!

Of course, I knew at the time that the book was a trilogy, but I have to admit, I would have preferred that she cut out some of the sex scenes and finish the damn story I wanted her to finish in one book. I’m not sure I want to wade through two more books to have the questions answered that I want answered. I may, but then again, reading time takes away from writing time and I’m not sure I want to spend it on her books. So there, E.L. James! Take that! I may not buy your other books. You can’t make me!

But I probably will.

And that’s where I realized James succeeded where many others fail in the erotica world (and romance and scifi and any other kind of literature). I care about these characters. Amidst all the sex and bondage and other stuff, she created two characters I actually like. I want them to resolve their problems. I want to know the answers to the questions James raised in the first book. And the only way I can find out how the story ends is to read the other books. At least, that’s the only way I’ll be satisfied. (Ahem.) I could probably find a friend who’s read the books and could tell me how it ends and what the answers are, but I want to get there myself. So yeah, I’ll probably be investing more money in James’s career, helping to send Fifty Shades of whatever right back to the top of the bestseller lists. Even though she cheated, I’m going to let her get away with it.

Damn it.

Get Where the Heart Lies for 99 cents! And win stuff at The Romance Reviews!

Whoo-hoo! July is here and you can definitely tell it here in North Carolina where the heat index is supposed to hit 115 degrees Fahrenheit today! Ouch.

What better time to cool off in the air conditioning (or on the beach, or at the pool) with a good book? And just in time, my publisher has lowered the price (temporarily) on WHERE THE HEART LIES to 99 cents! At a five dollar savings, that leaves plenty of change in your pocket for ice cream or the beverage of your choice. Here are a couple of links for you to pre-order WHERE THE HEART LIES now!

Buy WHERE THE HEART LIES for 99 cents on AMAZON!

Buy WHERE THE HEART LIES for 99 cents on B&N!

Speaking of sizzling (remember the 115 degree Fahrenheit thing?), The Romance Reviews Sizzling Summer Reads has just kicked off, which gives you plenty of time to win loads of prizes! More than 400 authors are participating, including yours truly. With so many authors participating, you know there are loads of chances to win ebooks, books, gift certificates and more, including the grand prize of a $100 gift certicate! You can check it out here:

See you by the pool!

Tremendous news and why it makes me nervous

It seems like my whole life I’ve been writing stuff hoping somebody would pay attention. That’s what we writers do, no matter what we say we’re doing. We write because we have words inside us that need to get out (writing is kind of like belching), but we publish because we want people to pay attention, to give us feedback, to read those all-important words that are, after all, a part of us.

This is why I don’t want to review. Reviews can hurt. As an editor, I read a lot of stuff that just made me want to fall down on the ground and cry, “Why? Why do you think you can string two words together in a coherent fashion? Seriously?” I never did that. I sent rejections that were as kind as possible. If all else failed, I fell back on form rejections, even though I hated to. I never enjoyed the selection process, and I often felt that it sucked a little of my own writing verve away from me with each rejection I sent.

I’ve gotten as far away from that as possible. I limit my editing to proofreading and editing after selections are made. That’s usually fun and writing life affirming. In helping other writers fine-tune their work, I often learn a little something that helps me along the writing path.

What does all this have to do with awesome news that makes me nervous? Well, although I don’t review, I have tremendous respect for those who do stick their necks out there. Some in particular. I recently approached a few of my favorite reviewers to ask for a favor: review my newest book. The very first of the reviewers I approached was Sarah of Smart Bitches, Trashy Books. I have read a number of the reviews on this site, and let me tell you, these chicks are not easy to please. I figured if I could get even a C grade on this website, it would be worth bragging about. Hell, if I could just get reviewed it would be neat.

Well, I’m not reviewed yet, but today my editor tweeted me with this link: 3 Must-Read Summer Romances, written by none other than Sarah and listing my book on her “Can’t Wait to Read list”. Sarah says in the article, “While usually nebby townspeople bug me, I’m so curious about this book because of the newcomer vs. longtime resident dynamic, and the way in which the characters struggle with the way other people see them.”

I’m fighting the self-doubt. Are my townspeople intriguing enough and did I address the issues Sarah mentions in a cogent enough way for her to love my story?

The truth is, I know there is no way to answer that. I mentioned earlier that I got one two-star review on Goodreads. That bothered me for about ten seconds, and then I realized, I can’t help the way somebody else reads my book. I can’t help the way it makes them feel, and anyway, aren’t I supposed to have thicker skin than this by now?

To be honest, I don’t know how I’ll feel if a reviewer I really respect comes out and says they don’t like my book. It probably won’t be easy. Which is why I don’t review (and why my Goodreads page is a wasteland). And why I respect the people who do. If it’s tough for me as a writer to get a bad review, I think it’s probably ten times harder for a reviewer to give one. I’m certain the really good reviewers out there put a lot of thought into their reviews, and I respect that.

All I can say right now is, it’s gratifying to be listed as a “must read” by such a reviewer, and I’ll keep you posted if Sarah does review WHERE THE HEART LIES.

Crystal Reads gives Where the Heart Lies 4.5 stars!

Every day I get more and more nervous about the release of Where the Heart Lies. Every book I put out there is important to me in some way. I’ve gotten seven advance reviews on Goodreads so far, all ranging from 2 stars (only one of those, thank goodness!) to 5 stars. Which just goes to show it really is subjective. But at least I know people are reading and reacting to it. That’s better than being ignored!

Speaking of which, the fabulous Crystal of Crystal Reads has just given my book 4.5 stars. Here’s my favorite quote from the review: “I really enjoyed this book!!!” Seriously, that’s what I want to hear. That’s what’s important from every one of my reviews, although I definitely appreciate the in-depth critiques, as well. It’s very, very interesting to find out what people think about my characters and the situations they’re in. But to elicit such heart-felt praise as Crystal gave Where the Heart Lies can only make me smile.

If you’d like to read the whole review, you can find it here: Crystal Reads Reviews Where the Heart Lies. While you’re there, have a look at some of Crystal’s other reads!

Release day approaches and the return of HONEOWP

Hi everybody. I’ve been struggling some with my writing since summer began. I think I’m just going to take a breathing moment and spend the summer with my kids. I know the writing bug will strike again, but until then I’m just going to relax, work on finishing up a couple of manuscripts and marketing my upcoming releases. I have two that I can lay claim to. Of course, you know about WHERE THE HEART LIES by Carina Press, but there’s also the Turquoise Press anthology FOREIGN AFFAIRS, which I’m thrilled to say includes my short story “Agapi Mou” (translation: “My Love” in Greek). FOREIGN AFFAIRS will be out sometime this fall, and as soon as I have a cover and a release date, I’ll let you know.

With these upcoming releases, I have decided it’s time to revive HONEOWP. If you remember, I began HONEOWP as a way of doing something good with my writing. I’d love to think that my writing somehow makes a positive difference in the world, but I have no illusions. I don’t really write change-the-world type stuff. So I decided to donate my royalties for a year to charity. During the course of that year, I managed to donate over $300 to charity (which doesn’t say much for my book sales). I also wore myself out researching charities and keeping up with posts about how much was donated to which charity. Not that I minded, but toward the end, it felt like it was slowing my writing down a bit.

So I’m simplifying things this time around. I’ve chosen one charity, No Kid Hungry. However, once again I’m inviting all other writers, novelists, editors and bloggers to join me in the effort. If you’d like to join up, send me your information and I’ll add it to my HONEOWP role call. You don’t have to pledge all your royalties, and you don’t have to even tell me how much you’re donating. Just post about HONEOWP and the charity of your choice on your own blog/Facebook/Twitter. I’ll blog about you and your charity and your books (if you have any) on BREATHE. If I have time (which I probably will), I’ll send you a few questions about you and your charity of choice.

So welcome back, HONEOWP, and don’t forget to join me right here on July 16 for my release day celebration!

Second Review of Where the Heart Lies: Lori’s Book Blog

Lori’s Book Blog just reviewed Where the Heart Lies, and I’m thrilled to say she liked it! In fact, Lori said, in part, “It’s been a while since I’ve read a book that sucked me in as quickly and as deeply as Where the Heart Lies did and I have to say that I look forward to reading more by Michelle… especially if her other books are half as good as this one. I love books where I can connect with characters and I definitely connected with these characters to the point where I was sad to see their story come to end.” To read the entire review, click here: Lori’s Book Blog: Where the Heart Lies Review.

Thank you to Lori for taking the time to read and review Where the Heart Lies!

Punchbuggy/Slugbug Rules

1. Punchbuggy/Slugbug points are awarded when a participant spots a punchbuggy/slugbug (also know as “Volkswagen Beetles” or, less commonly, “dragon’s beetles”) and shouts “punchbuggy” or “slugbug”. Since “slugbug” is faster and easier to say, a participant who shouts “slugbug” will often win the point over one who shouts “punchbuggy”, even if both participants begin the call at the same moment.

1a. It is acceptable to split a point in the case of a tie.

1b. Often, Punchbuggy/Slugbug participants accompany their shouts with punches or slugs. It is best to decide ahead of time if all participants are amenable to this.

2. A Punchbuggy/Slugbug game lasts as long as a trip to your ultimate destination. If you stop on the way to the destination, the game is still in effect. Therefore, a trip to the grocery store actually lasts as long as the trip to the store and back home since home is your ultimate destination. However, a six-hour trip to the beach ends at the beach. The trip home from the beach is a separate trip.

3. Some punchbuggies/slugbugs are worth more than one point. For instance, old slugbugs (Type 1, produced 2003 or before) are always worth two points). Old slugbugs being used in displays located more than ten feet off the ground are worth two points, even if only half the slugbug is used. New Beetles are only worth one point, unless decorated with peace signs or flowers. Beetles produced in 2012 or later are only worth half a point. However, any slugbug painted like a pumpkin or yellow smiley face is worth two points. Additional points may be awarded for old slugbugs with rusted holes, any slugbug painted like Herbie, or any slugbug which obviously reflects the owner’s attempt to display his/her individuality.

4. Stationary slugbugs are still fair game. Therefore, if you pass a slugbug in the same parking lot every day, it may still be called. However, no slugbug may be called more than once per trip, even by a different participant.

5. A Punchbuggy/Slugbug game lasts until a participant reaches ten points. At that time, the game is called and/or a new game begins.

6. Point disputes will be settled by the driver. The driver’s decision is final, even if the driver is a participant. (Drivers almost never win since they need to keep their eyes on the road and can’t be constantly looking for slugbugs.)

7. Participants may “give” a slugbug to another participant. This is especially true for the driver for the reasons stated in rule #6. Participants may give all or part of the slugbug at their discretion.

8. Winners are allowed to gloat since all a winner gets from the game is bragging rights. However, losers are not allowed to whine. Ever.

Booked Up Reviews interviews me!

Recently, I had the great pleasure of being interviewed by Booked Up Reviews, the one website that has reviewed all four of my books. Unforeseen website difficulties delayed the posting of my interview, but I’m happy to say Booked Up is back on track now. You can find the interview here: Booked Up Reviews interviews me! Among the items we touched on include how I manage to write and be a mom, Where the Heart Lies, and how I research my books.

Check out The Romance Review’s Sizzling Summer Reads!

You might even find my soon-to-be new release featured on this page!