Anna Jones Buttimore's Blog, page 5

Book Review: The Witnesses by Stephanie Black

I loved "The Believer", Stephanie Black's first book. In fact, I think I gave it five stars which I do very rarely. So I was thrilled to see this sequel published at last, and it didn't disappoint.

Set in the same carefully crafted and plausible dystopion world, The Witnesses takes up where The Believer ended, with the main characters in hiding and desperate to escape New America. The plot doesn't go in the direction you expect, and there are many surprises leading to the very satisfying and unexpected ending. The sense of menace doesn't let up, and the characters are complex but consistent and distinct. Alisa, in particular, is fascinating, and her development over the course of the two books is beautifully portrayed.

The only problem I found was that it was too long since I had read "The Believer" and with such a large cast of characters, many of whom are involved with or related to others, I was sometimes a little at a loss to place everyone and therefore to understand fully what was going on. This book is very definitely a sequel, and really wouldn't work as a stand-alone book. In fact, I recommend that you re-read the first book before you dive into this one in order to fully appreciate it.

The first half also dragged a little for me, mainly serving to build tension and re-establish characters. The ending was excellent, however, with plenty of action and satisfying surprises. I particularly liked the character of President Ryce.

Overall an excellent book, very well written as usual, but one best read in conjunction with The Believer.

More New Year's Resolutions

This time last year I posted a list of  8 (count 'em) new year's resolutions. Maybe a little excessive. So, how did I get on, and what are this year's new year's resolutions going to be?

1. Lose weight.
I resolve this every year. And every year I fail. But this time I joined Slimming World and lost 1 stone 3½lbs (17½lbs). About 3 stone less than I wanted to lose, but even allowing for the weight I've put on over Christmas, I still weigh less starting 2014 than I did starting 2013, so I count that as success.

And I'm sticking with Slimming World. It's a wonderful plan, it works, and I like the leader and the other members. So hopefully I'll be able to report even more success next year.

2. Do all my Visiting Teaching. 
Epic fail. Even though I only had two sisters to visit, both within walking distance, I didn't visit them. It didn't help that I didn't have a companion to pester me. But I now have a companion, and a plan, so I'm renewing this resolution for 2014.

3. Read and review books.
I resolved to review every book I read. This was a spectacularly bad idea. The problem is that many self-published books are really, really bad, and I believe in being honest (true, chased by an elephant...). My honest reviews on Amazon led to many disgruntled and unhappy authors, arguments, slanging matches and hurt feelings on both sides. So now I only review a book if I like it. Which I find sad and annoying, but there it is.
4. Write something every day. Erm... no. I wrote a lot, but not every day. And it looks as though I'll have five books coming out next year, so I think I can let myself relax a bit on the writing front.
5. Finally clear out the garage.It was damp in there last year. Now it floods completely every time it rains. The electrics have blown because of the leaking roof, so with no light in the garage it was impossible to clean it out. However, we have recently had a nice and unexpected little windfall, with which we're going to floor the attic (so that we can put all the junk there instead) and have the garage rebuilt as a bedroom for our eldest child. So it will be done this year.
6. Do some family history. Failed on this one too. One day I'll get round to it. Right now I'm too busy with my descendants to think about my ancestors.
7. Get some food storage. In my defence, we don't really have the space (see garage, above) but maybe next year.
8. Floss my teeth daily. Yep, I did this one! I did, I did!

What I Learned in Church Today

- Ezekiel 34:1-7 sets out very clearly what the duties of church leaders (which means anyone who holds a calling) are.

- Sharing our love and joy with others is the simplest form of missionary work, and can be as easy as smiling. (See 1 Peter 3:15)

- Prayer is a weapon against hopelessness and discouragement.

- "When we devote all our actions to a spiritual goal, every part of our life becomes a prayer." (Muhammad Ali)

- God gives us talents and wants us to discover them, use them while we can, and teach them to others.

- To develop our gifts we often have to acknowledge our weaknesses (Ether 12:27)

- Missionary work is not a numbers game; it's about blessing individuals. We need to reach out to individuals and be kind and friendly.

- Each time we come to church the love and support of those around us moves us all a little further along the strait and narrow path.

- Focussing on one individual can make a tremendous difference to that person's life.

Thank you to Brad Atkinson, Sister Silva, Dave Allen, Sister Osmeni, Bishop Bleakley and Del Brown. And congratulations to Mantha on your baptism.

Fifty things I love about Christmas

I've had a bit of a break from blogging for the last month. Having written two blog posts a week all year, I figured I deserved it. This one is a bit self-indulgent too. I've got nothing profound to say about writing (you'll have to wait until January for that), I just wanted, on Christmas Eve eve, to list just a few of the reasons why I love Christmas (in no particular order):

A week (at least) off workMorrison's cranberry and white chocolate bouleSeeing familyHaving such a bad memory that even the presents I bought for myself are a nice surprisePeople smilingChocolate with no excuses or guiltFairytale of New York by Kirsty McColl and the PoguesThe Christmas bumper edition Radio TimesChildren getting excitedTwo weeks off SeminaryA beautiful Christmas tree in my living roomRoast parsnips (the ones they do at the Two Brewers in Chelmsford are the best ever)The Downton Abbey Christmas special (apparently no one dies this year)Choosing perfect presents for people. I wish I could boast here about the amazing gift I got my Dad, but there's a chance he might read this.A husband who cooks Christmas lunch, and thus makes up for not being able to cook dinner the rest of the year (actually, I love him all the time, no just at Christmas)Singing Christmas carols. Apart from Away in a Manger (done it to death this year, never want to hear it again) and Silent Night (because the fact that the words are wrong drives me potty)Two weeks off the school runReally fabulous things in the shopsFriends coming over bearing giftsCarol servicesNativity playsCrackers. Yes, I always wear the hat, but not the plastic moustache.Christmas jumpers. Especially on Christmas jumper day.Doing a pixie hamperChristmas Lights by ColdplayThe Christmas Doctor Who specialA yule log, as made by me on Christmas EveTurkey and cranberry sauce and bread sauce and pigs in blankets and stuffing and... well, all of it really.Hearing the children tearing into their presents in the morning.My husband being homeNice cheesePeople who don't think about Jesus all year thinking about JesusDecorated shops and businessesMidnight mass/Carols by Candlelight/Nine Lessons and Carols/Christingle/Crib services and other special church services of various kinds.Chocolate orangesExciting chaos for a few days before "the big day", and the contrasting sense of peace when I'm sitting watching the Queen's speech with a glass of Shloer and it's all over.Wrapping presentsUnwrapping presentsTroikaThe Call the Midwife Christmas specialPantomimesDecorated housesReflecting on past ChristmasesReading people's annual newslettersPutting out biscuits for SantaSeeing what presents everyone gotReading Christmas scripturesWaking up to presents on the end of my bed (when I was a child, anyway, and my middle daughter just told me this was her favourite thing about Christmas)NORAD tracks SantaAdvent candles.

What I Learned in Church Today

- We draw closer to God and Jesus the same way as we draw closer to our friends - by spending more time with them, speaking and listening at length and honestly, and showing them how important they are to us in the things we do for them.

- We can't fully understand the meaning of Christmas until we understand the significance of Christ coming to earth, and the importance of his mission and atonement.

- Jesus was born "unto us" (Isaiah 9:6) which means he was a gift to all people, including Isaiah himself 700 years before Christ came.

- The actual date Jesus was born on doesn't matter; many festivals, including American Independence Day, are celebrated on a different day to when the actual event happened.

- We are generally strong and can rise to any challenge, but we must be careful to avoid the "delusion of toughness". Sometimes we do need to lean on The Lord, or on others, if we are not to be overcome by our struggles. Discouragement is one of satan's greatest tools.

- Life is a test, but our Heavenly Father wants us to pass and has not only given us the answer sheet but will give us personal tuition if we ask him. We only fail if we give up.

Thanks to Daniel Kersey, Wendy Stratford Edwardes, Jacob William Page, Billy Purkiss and Sarah Chell for great talks and lessons today. Merry Christmas everyone, and see you again on Wednesday!

What I Learned in Church Today

- Years ago, if one fairy light bulb in the string went the whole set wouldn't work until the broken bulb was replaced. With the new LED versions the others still shine brightly when one bulb has blown. We should be like those LED lights; still shining brightly when those around us grow weak or make poor choices. We should not allow the failings or doubts of one to turn us all into the darkness.

- Like children having fun tearing off wrapping paper and then playing with the box, sometimes we forget that Christmas isn't about the wrapping or the things around it, but about the real present inside - the gift of the Saviour.

- The cost of the gifts we give doesn't matter. The best gift of all was a simple baby born to a poor family in humble circumstances.

- The greatest thing about Christmas is that it points towards Easter.

- Lying is wrong partly because the motivation behind it is often deception or pride. "White lies" often are about building up someone else or sparing them pain.

- If in doubt whether something is OK or not (for example, leaving work early if you've finished all your tasks), always ask permission rather than risk being dishonest.

- Being completely honest (see Article of Faith 13) is the biggest challenge we face today.

- As members of Christ's church we often feel that we are so entitled to blessings from God that all our business ventures will succeed. But we have never been promised material riches.

- When Jesus was offered the riches and glory of the world he said, "Get thee hence, satan." (Matthew 4:10) Why, then, do we persist in trying to obtain the riches and glory of the world?

- The most common lie told today is, "I have read and agree to the terms and conditions."

Five More Tools no Writer should be Without

[Apologies for the words splitting at the end of lines. I've tried to rectify this, but it seems to be a fault with blogger.]

"I use Grammarly's plagiarism checker because I can't always figure out where my imagination and memory overlap."
Following my post a couple of months ago about the five tools no writer 
should be without, here are five more you might like to consider. One of them is sponsoring this blog post. Can you guess which one it is?
getcoldturkey.com This nifty little site/app blocks Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pintrest or whatever your primary distraction is for a set period of time, so that you can get on with your work. It's not free, but you choose what you pay and up to 90% of it goes to charity.
An Editor With more and more self-published books flooding the market, good editing is more important that ever. The manifold errors and myriad typos in them give them away as a cheap and shoddy product, and that's very damaging to the industry. I read a book with a spelling mistake in the title, for goodness' sake! If you want your book to look professional, it needs to be well edited. Of course, editing is expensive, but check out this blog post to find out how you can get bargain basement editing.
Grammarly's Plagiarism Checker
Apparently The Hunger Games is very like Battle Royale by Koushun Takami, which was published in 1999. JK Rowling was accursed of plagiarism by Nancy Kathleen Stouffer, author of 1984 works The Legend of Rah and the Muggles and Larry Potter and His Best Friend Lilly. Ecclesiates 1:9 says "There is nothing new under the sun" and Christopher Booker said that there are only seven basic plots and everything written is a variation on them. Given this, it's not surprising that what we think is a bright and original idea is sometimes actually something we saw on TV twenty years ago. I use Grammarly's plagiarism checker because I can't always figure out where my imagination and memory overlap.

NaNoWriMo
We're in the middle of National Novel Writing Month and at the moment writers across the globe are struggling to write 50,000 words in a month. I've tried - and failed - NaNo once, but I still think it's a wonderful thing. It really serves to get your eye on the ball, to establish a goal and to really get the creative juices flowing. Every author should try NaNo at least once because it teaches you so much about the real slog of being a writer, and it can help you connect to other writers and feel part of something wonderful.

Rafflecopter
Rafflecopter enables you to run contests and giveaways to promote your book. It creates code for your blog and website, works across the social media platforms, and it is available free, although you get more with a paid membership. If you want to create a buzz about your latest release, Rafflecopter is the easiest way to do it.
[Well done if you guessed that Grammarly is sponsoring this post. Thanks Grammarly!]

Kindle Refunds

Several authors are currently petitioning Amazon to severely reduce the time limit on refunds of Kindle books. At present if you buy a book from Amazon you have up to a week to ask for a refund. It's a very easy process. You simply click on "manage my Kindle" which gives you a list of books you have bought. Against the one you want refunded you click "Actions" and "Return for refund".  Next time you switch on your Kindle (or other device) the book will be gone, and the money will be back in your account.

The authors of the petition want the time limit for refunds reduced to 1 hour. They state - quite rightly - that it is possible to read the entire book in a week, and then return it for a refund. Unscrupulous readers (gosh, it feels odd typing those words together) could read as many books as they liked and never pay for them. (Almost like, oh, I don't know, a library.)

I thought long and hard about whether to put my name to the petition. It is unfair that authors don't get paid for these books even when the reader has read them. Books are a commodity, like any other, and the author should get the credit they are due. Enjoying the product without having to pay for it feels a little like theft.

They point out that you can download a sample before you buy to check whether you are going to like the book. That's a good point. It's much better than, say, having to decide whether to spend £7 on a cinema ticket on the strength of a two-minute trailer, or order a £10 restaurant meal on the strength of the olives on the bar. With free samples of books available, there's no excuse for buying one and then changing your mind.

Ultimately, however, I decided not to sign the petition.

I like the fact that you can get a refund on a Kindle book. I found out the hard way that books are one product you can't return for a refund if they are substandard. Years ago I bought the latest book by my favourite fitness guru, and discovered that it was basically a rehash of her last one. In high dudgeon I went back to the shop to ask for a refund. It was refused. The shop assistant explained, "You might have read it." I replied, "I have read it, it's rubbish, that's why I want a refund." I learned that day that you don't get refunds on substandard books. I have read many terrible books. If you got refunds when the book was no good, I'd be much better off.

The fact that we can get refunds from Amazon is something I think we should celebrate.

Just last month I bought the book club assigned book for the month on my Kindle. I browsed through the reviews  a couple of days after I had bought it, and discovered from one of them that it had graphic and unpleasant sex scenes. I don't read sex scenes, so I decided not to read the book that month. Within minutes I had a refund and the book was wiped from my Kindle.

I'm very glad that Amazon gives refunds on Kindle books. But I understand the author's perspective.

Here's another solution - I'm sure it's possible for Amazon to tell how much of the book the reader has read. If my Kindle can tell me I'm 28% of the way through a book, surely it can communicate that information back to Amazon? So maybe Amazon should simply tighten their criteria. If the buyer can give a valid reason why they want the refund and it can be shown that they have read no more than, say, 50% of the book, then they are entitled to their money back. If they've read any more than that, then they are not. If anyone from Amazon is reading this, how about this as a solution which wouldn't upset authors?

Meanwhile, authors - if you want readers not to return your books perhaps the trick is to make them so good they'll want to read them again and again. After, all it's not as though they are returning them because they need the shelf space.

What I Learned in Church Today

- We should forgive one another and be kind to one another (Ephesians 4:32) but if forgiving is difficult was can still be kind to one another while we're working on it.

- When families live far apart, Family Home Evening by Skype, like Seminary by Skype, can be very successful. 

- 1st November is All Saints Day and 11th November is Remembrance Day. The two are similar. Martyrs and Saints died to win us our spiritual freedom, just as so many died in the wars to win us our temporal freedom.
- Our testimonies shine forth the most when we are serving others.

- Every time we sacrifice something for The Lord we will get something in return.

- It's easier to be charitable if we remember that everyone is our brother or sister, not everyone shares our experiences, and we must not judge. We should also remember how we have experienced the pure love of Christ in our own lives, and seek to show that love to others.

- Prayer is key in learning to forgive.

The Cheapest Editing You'll Ever Find

Many authors today are opting to self-publish, but because editing can be expensive they often choose not to have their book professionally edited. This is a mistake. A good editor can not only correct spelling, punctuation and grammar errors, but can spot inconsistencies in your story, suggest ways to polish your prose, and generally help make your manuscript sparkle. A better book means better reviews and better sales, which means more money for you.
If you would prefer to be traditionally published, having your manuscript edited prior to submission means that you are more likely to land that agent or publishing contract.

Although I don’t have any qualifications in editing I have worked with three professional in-house editors as my own books were prepared for publication. I have an honours degree in English literature, and have been writing for over ten years.

I am offering an excellent deal for aspiring authors: I will edit your entire NaNo-length novel for just £100, and a full-length novel (under 80,000 words) for just £150. (US residents, that’s $150 for 50,000 words, and $225 for 80,000.)

Not only that, but I will edit your first chapter COMPLETELY FREE as a trial so that you can see whether you like my editing style and can work with me, and I can see whether your book needs further revision before it is ready for editing.

Sounds too good to be true? The catch is that I can’t work quickly. I have a day job, my own writing career, and three children. I fit in maybe an hour a day of editing if I'm lucky. That means it could be weeks or even months before I can finish editing your book. If you’re in a hurry I'm not the right editor for you, but if you don’t mind waiting then this might just be the solution you've been looking for.

Also, if your book contains sex scenes or swearing, then I'm sorry but I can’t be your editor, although I’ll refer you to someone who can, and at the same prices that I offer.

Interested? Here's what you need to do:

1. Ensure that your manuscript is ready for editing. It should be your absolute final draft. You should have read and re-read it, checked and re-checked it, drafted and re-drafted it. Maybe you've already had your critique group or beta readers go through it too. Editing is the final polish, and you should be certain that your book is as good as you can get it alone before you send it to me.

2. Like everyone else in this industry, I like to see manuscripts presented in a certain way. Your book should be in Times New Roman 12 point, double spaced and with wide margins. First lines and dialogue should be indented. There must be only one space after a full stop (period) and no additional gaps between paragraphs unless it's a new scene. Each chapter should begin on a new page.

3. Think about your market, genre and readership, and what you are hoping to achieve with your book. Let me know this information so that I can work accordingly. If you've written a back cover blurb, I'd love to see that too.

4. I accept payment by Paypal, cheque or Amazon voucher. Payment will become due when I email you to let you know that I've finished editing your manuscript, and once the payment has been received I will email you the completed manuscript.

Once you've got all this in order, we're ready to begin. Drop me a line at anna@buttimore.org.uk attaching your first chapter in Microsoft Word format, and with some detail about your book (maybe a synopsis) in the body of your email. In a week or two I’ll reply with the edited chapter and we can take it from there.

I look forward to working with you in making your book the best it can be!