Molly O'Keefe's Blog, page 15

Stay Dry Out There!

Hey, all you Toronto peeps, I hope you're all safe and dry and have power. The pictures look really scary. Chime in when you can and let us know you're all right.

Justifying Myself

One of the things about going back to school is that you meet a lot of new people. A lot. Like around a hundred or so of them.

I'm not going to lie. I knew that the fact that I'm already a published author would set me apart from the other students a little bit. I didn't want to flaunt it in anyone's face or make a super big deal about it. On the other hand, I felt it would be just as condescending to hide it. So when I was asked what my deal was, I answered. I didn't make a big deal about it, but I didn't lie about it either. I didn't bring it up unless asked either what my publishing history was or what I did.

So then comes the really awkward part. People wanted to know why the hell I was enrolled in an MFA Creative Writing program if I was already a published author. I explained how I wanted to work on my craft and then I got down to brass tacks and explained that I don't make enough money to support my family on my writing and that I needed a degree so I could teach.

It's embarrassing. I've been at this for a while. I have 10 published books. I don't live all that outrageously. It's still not anywhere near enough. It makes me feel like a failure.

I remember when I realized I was going to have to get a day job. I was embarrassed then, too. I also thought there was a good chance my writing career was over. Thank goodness that didn't happen. Still the idea that a person with multiple books published by one of the Big Six (I guess that's Big Five and I think it might have been Big Seven then) wasn't pulling in enough money to support two kids was mortifying. In the end, I decided it would be more embarrassing to have my house go into foreclosure and gutted it out.

I feel a little like I'm reliving all that again. Like I have to justify myself and my lack of success. And again I think it would be even more embarrassing to say that I had an opportunity to get the degree I needed to have a day job that centered on writing and didn't take it.

Tell me that I'll get through this ouchie part and it'll be okay, okay?

Movie and Book recommendations

I finally saw Star Trek - Into Darkness and loved it. Tight storytelling, amazing special effects and a pretty great villain all wrapped up in the ongoing and evolving friendship between Spock and Kirk that is the centre piece of that movie series. So much so it completely eclipses any potential romance that may exist in the movie.

Another seriously cute movie is Warm Bodies, if anyone missed it in theatres, rent it on DVD. It's really charming and has a lovely performance from Nicholas Hoult and a romance, which is rarer and rarer on screens these days.

And read a really great, engaging, fast paced YA fantasy. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas is about the land's greatest assassin, a seventeen year old girl recruited from a brutal work camp into a series of deadly challenges to see who will be the king's guard.

It was really engaging, the heroine is great, loved her voice and loved the court politics and the mystery at the heart of the story. If I had a complaint, it might be that the romance wasn't fully developed, but it didn't bother me much. I loved that it wasn't an angsty YA, more story driven and less about the which man should she choose. I'm definitely picking up the next in the series.

But in the meantime, I'm going to start Cecilia Grant's A Woman Entangled. It's my weekend treat and I'm so looking forward to reading it.

Anyone else read Throne of Glass? Any other YA recommendations?

Extreme Measures

There is no point in debating anymore the merits of traditional publishing vs. self-publishing and which option you might chose. I think the direction we are headed is that most authors will attempt to do both. And if there is a going to be a choice of one over the other, I think unfortunately traditional publishing will lose this battle among newer authors. Totally my opinion and this comes just from my conversations with other authors, professional loops etc, but I think I’m right. The currently successful authors only doing traditional publishing, I imagine will continue to do so. I don’t think Nora Roberts is worried about getting her name out there by releasing self-published novellas. But she probably should be prepared for a pay cut if Wal-Mart decides to stop selling books altogether and her publisher doesn’t start to reconsider her digital price point.

Regardless I think any new author who wants to reach that level of success is going to feel the pressure to self-publish as a means of marketing/advertising at the very least. And this is starting to have an impact on the community. We found out that authors were purchasing reviews. Recently I heard Goodreads was having an issue with authors participating in review swaps. We will give books away for free. Hours and hours of hard work and investment into a project only to give it away in the hope readers will find you and eventually decide to buy you.

As self-publishers we can no longer rely on the Traditional Publishing marketing department, but I think we’re learning even traditionally published, we can’t count on them. What we all thought was this massive department doing all the “right” things was just an overtaxed department, not doing much and instead they put the burden on the author.By forcing the author to become her own advocate, they created a skill set that serves the self-published. My experience with savvy authors today is that they think they can do it better. They care more about their project. They get to spend their advertising dollars where they think it has the most impact. They can control social media and as I mentioned above they can set the price point and control when it goes on “sale.”

None of this is news, but I do think we’re starting to feel the impact. A skilled, talented and amazing storyteller who could give her story over to an editor and simply let her publisher handle the rest, that person will not survive in this new world. A shy person who wants to avoid all social media and only wants to tell stories, will have the GREATEST challenge. On the flip side, a less skilled, less talented storyteller who figured out that if she rigged the review system she could sell more books, has a greater chance of getting ahead. I’m not going to lie. That’s a little sad.

I read yesterday on Dear Author that there is speculation that Tammar Webber’s breakout new adult novel Easy was plagiarized. But how difficult does this all become in this new world when the biggest breakout book of 2012 was a fan fiction of Twilight. I’m sure some will debate that character stealing isn’t the same as scene stealing, but again we’re all acting on our own. There is no gate. There is no filter. Everyone into the pool and may the smartest writer win.Buying reviews, review collusion, stealing characters, stealing scenes, stealing dialogue. All extreme measures to catch a wave of success. I’m sad for that book that I’m probably never going to read, because the author couldn’t survive in the new world. I’m worried I won’t survive either. I don’t think in terms of marketing my book. I only think in terms of writing it and that puts me behind in the race.

If traditional publishing is going to compete, they are going to have to find a way to give something to those authors who chose to remain with them otherwise in a decade, maybe two I really do see a world in which we all will self-publish. Survival of the fittest, not survival of the most talented will succeed. And those willing to rig the system will reflect poorly on all of us. Enough doom and gloom... it's summer. We should be optimistic.
  

Books I Can't Wait to Read!

Oh there are so many... My TBR list is beyond out of control. Methinks I need to give up TV. Or sleeping. Or something. Facebook! I need to give up Facebook! No! Bejeweled! My life would be so much better if I could get the Bejeweled monkey off my back!

But in my huge TBR pile are two books by writer-friends that just came out.

The first is RUSH by Eve Silver. I've known Eve for close to 10 years, and she is one of the most generous authors I know. She actually helped me land my first publishing credit, by referring me to the editor of those "Mammoth Book of..." anthologies who bought my short story...

While Eve is a multi-published author in adult fiction, RUSH is her debut YA and I am chomping at the bit to read it.

Her post-apocalyptic romance, DRIVEN, changed my little writer brain.... Check it out too!

RUSH
June 11, 2013ISBN: 0062192132ISBN 13: 978-0062192134
Rush pulls you headlong into the thrilling, high-stakes world of Eve Silver’s teen series The Game, about teens pulled into and out of an alternate reality in which battling aliens is more than a game—it’s life and death. This teen debut novel offers science fiction and gaming fans romantic thrills at a breakneck pace.
Buy Now!Indiebound | Barnes and Noble | Amazon | Powells | BooksAMillion | Chapter.Indigo


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I'm also very excited to read debut author Kimberly Ann Miller's TRIANGLES. 
While I've never met Kimmy, I feel as if I have, and she too is a super generous author. The writing world is filled with so many wonderful people! Kimmy and her sister both picked Advance Reader Copies of DEVIANTS at BEA in 2012, and were so generous in helping me promote it by recommending it to others. :)  
Really looking forward to digging into this one! What a cool idea!
TRIANGLES
the debut of Kimberly Ann MillerJune 18, 2013

A cruise ship. A beautiful island. Two sexy guys. What could possibly go wrong?  
In the Bermuda Triangle--a lot. 
Hoping to leave behind the reminders of her crappy life--her father's death years ago, her mother's medical problems, and the loser who’s practically stalking her--seventeen-year-old Autumn Taylor hops on a ship with her sister for a little distraction. When she wakes up in the Bermuda Triangle, she fears she's gone nuts for more than one reason: that loser’s suddenly claiming they're a happy couple... a hot guy is wrapping his arms around her and saying "Happy Anniversary"... and suddenly, she’s full of bruises, losing her hair, and getting IV medication. Autumn visits the ship's doctor, hoping for a pill or a shot to make the craziness go away. Instead, she's warned that these "alternate realities" could become permanent. 

Buy Now!Barnes and Noble | Amazon | Powells | BooksAMillion 
What book in your TBR pile are you dying to read?

CAGE MATCH: Cecilia Grant's A Lady Awakened VS. A Gentleman Undone VS. A Woman Entangled

We're in a argumentative mood around here these days. Which is actually kind of fun and Steph and Sinead's posts about Lizzie vs. Jane are a pretty amazing tie in to my smack down which is between all of Cecilia Grant's books.

I had the incredible good fortune to get an advanced copy of A WOMAN ENTANGLED and in it Kate, our heroine is desperately trying to marry well to elevate her family out of the shadows her parents marriage placed them in. Dad was a Lord, Mom was an actress, their love could not be denied. Now, the family is happy, but Kate wants MORE. Kate wants not just respect and better opportunity - she wants fine things. She covets the position she would be entitled to if her parents had not married for love. She's beautiful, charming, ambitious and she means to land herself a lord. Our Hero Nick, is the brother of Will from A Gentleman Undone who SPOILER - married another man's mistress. For Love. But Nick is ambitious, he has his eye set on a life in politics and the scandal associated with his brother's choice for a wife, makes his dreams very difficult so he has cut his brother off.

Now, I'm a historical romance reader. Historical romance and I go way back, pretty much to the beginning. Which is to say - I feel like I know this Regency time period as it's been represented in countless romance novels. I feel in fact there is a rut that Regency Romance has cut into the genre that so much of historical romance has fallen into. It's not just that other time periods are hard to find, but that there is a rhythm and a pattern to these books. Ball. Tea. Ball. Conversation with a woman in a feathered turban. Introduction of hero's dissolute friend. Illicit moment in dark library. etc...

What I found so compelling about Grant's first two books is that she showed us this time period from a totally different perspective. The first, a farm in the country. The second, the decadent underbelly of card rooms and mistresses' quarters. And I believed that one of Grant's most interesting strengths was choosing these locations, these same but different aspects of the beloved regency novel. It was as if she'd found these little corners and invited us all in, and every inch of that corner felt new to me. Exciting. Fresh. I was boggled by the amount of research she must have done on cheese making and then card counting.

In this third book, I realize it's not locale or research that are the key to Grant's magnetic and fresh little corner. The setting of A Woman Entangled is completely familiar. That pattern is familiar - this is the Regency romance I know. And yet not. Granted she comes into those teas and ballrooms from a different angle, but still the set-up is not what makes this book my favorite of hers.

It's not even Grant's impeccable prose - which should be noted is impeccable. It's the reality of these characters. The reality of the homes they live in, Nick's career, the courts. All seem so breathtakingly real. Moreover it's the messy motivations that are not wholly noble, that are in fact at times small and selfish and so so human. Nick and Kate are both ambitious and are at times sanctimonious about it. There is no great wound making them defend their turf and their actions - they are going after what they want because they believe they deserve it. They have worked hard for it. They have sacrificed, flown in the face of convention and family and damn it - THEY WANT IT.

No one is penniless, no one is saving their sisters from having to sell themselves - they live lives of comfort, and yet...they want more. Oh God, it's so REAL. They are so human. We have given romance novel characters (And by we, I mean I) terrible back stories in an effort to make the less likeable aspects of their characters likeable.

Please dear reader forgive them their uglier desires, their selfish behaviors because they were never taught love.

Grant doesn't give us any excuses. She pulls no punches. And I find this book doesn't either.

A Woman Entangled wins the cage match. Hands down.

Now, I know you want a copy of this book and I don't blame you - it's AMAZING. So, there are two chances below - a paper copy and a digital copy.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cage Match - Elizabeth Bennet - best heroine ever

Stephanie, while wrong, did make some interesting points yesterday.

Jane Eyre was a great heroine, strong, resourceful and someone who rose from adversity to find her personal happiness. None of which I can argue with, but what prevents her from being the greatest heroine and what catapults my beloved Lizzie to the top is humour.

Case in point, Jane Eyre had wonderful attributes, but the girl didn't laugh much.

Lizzie Bennet laughs at herself, those around her and her situation in general. She's bright and quick witted and humble and even when personally disparaged (in that great scene in the ballroom when she overhears Mr. Darcy dismiss her charms) she laughs at both herself and the person who insulted her and I laughed with her.

She's sensible and bright, she's a loyal sister and can be fierce in her protection of those she loves, and she can admit when she's wrong.

Jane Eyre never laughs and she's never wrong. I love her, but I can't relate to that.

I can relate to Lizzie because she's often wrong, but when she realizes it, does what she can to put things to right.

Mr. Darcy falls in love with her, not because she's a paragon of English womanly virtue, but because she makes him laugh and think and shows him a version of himself that is better than he thinks he can be and he does the same for her.

Lizzie is the greatest heroine because she is flawed, funny and falling in love makes her a better person, so she deserves her happy ending.

Cage Match - Elizabeth Benning - best heroine ever

Stephanie, while wrong, did make some interesting points yesterday.

Jane Eyre was a great heroine, strong, resourceful and someone who rose from adversity to find her personal happiness. None of which I can argue with, but what prevents her from being the greatest heroine and what catapults my beloved Lizzie to the top is humour.

Case in point, Jane Eyre had wonderful attributes, but the girl didn't laugh much.

Lizzie Bennet laughs at herself, those around her and her situation in general. She's bright and quick witted and humble and even when personally disparaged (in that great scene in the ballroom when she overhears Mr. Darcy dismiss her charms) she laughs at both herself and the person who insulted her and I laughed with her.

She's sensible and bright, she's a loyal sister and can be fierce in her protection of those she loves, and she can admit when she's wrong.

Jane Eyre never laughs and she's never wrong. I love her, but I can't relate to that.

I can relate to Lizzie because she's often wrong, but when she realizes it, does what she can to put things to right.

Mr. Darcy falls in love with her, not because she's a paragon of English womanly virtue, but because she makes him laugh and think and shows him a version of himself that is better than he thinks he can be and he does the same for her.

Lizzie is the greatest heroine because she is flawed, funny and falling in love makes her a better person, so she deserves her happy ending.

Why Jane Eyre beats Elizabeth Bennet as the greatest heroine of all time…

Or otherwise known as my cage match challenge to Sinead. So as I mentioned I’m writing a blog for Brie at Romance Around the Corner for Heroine Week. While doing so the topic of my two favorite heroines of all time naturally came up.
But in a straight up competition I have to pick Jane Eyre, who is in my opinion the greatest heroine written of all time. Here is why:


1. Way more tragic childhood to overcome. Orphan, horrible foster family, awful school, death of her best friend. Despite all of this she triumphs over these tragedies to find love.

2. Her spirit. While both women share a tremendous spirit, which is why I think we love them, Jane has to really work to hold on to herself while so many forces in her life try to suppress and crush that spirit. I don’t know that anyone tried to crush or reign in Elizabeth.

3. She’s a working woman. Now I know Elizabeth essentially couldn’t work given her status, but this is my pick and I like that fact that Jane has that independent element about herself.

4. More of a risk taker. This no one can deny. Elizabeth really doesn’t risk much, while Jane perpetually risks everything for a better life.

5. Finally, her self-worth. Both women have a strong sense of who they are. Both women fight the expectations of their status. Elizabeth is offended to be called beneath Darcy (even from a practical standpoint she probably knows she is). Jane is willing to marry Rochester, even though she knows it flies in the face of society. But for me it’s that moment when Jane realizes he’s already married, and he proposes to take her away to France, that’s where she rises above Elizabeth. Her determination in not taking the easy path, despite her circumstances, is a much greater sacrifice. Her clinging to her principles, her belief in herself, and what she wants from the man she loves, I think surpasses anything Elizabeth does to have the same.


And now you pick. Jane or Elizabeth?

Seth Rogen can Write

So, I was going to challenge Molly to a cage match over Man of Steel, but the more I've thought about that movie, the more flawed it was. But didn't hate it....

Things I liked about it were:

- Um, Henry Cavill????

- The image of Krypton, great worldbuilding. Cool combination of sci-fi and fantasy in one world.

- Lois Lane wasn't just a damsel in distress, but a genuine heroine. She was smart and good at her job. She came off brave, rather than TSTL, and she affected the outcome of the story.

- The villain had strong motivation. It's been a long time since I saw the original Superman movie (I call the 1970's one the original...) and I haven't read the comics, so maybe this motivation wasn't new... but I liked this villain. Michael Shannon is always strong and his motivation was too. He was trying to save his people, Superman was trying to save humans. That's some damn good conflict, IMHO.

But some criticisms based on further reflection and scanning a couple of reviews. 

- The fight scenes... Were a little silly and long and gratuitous. But I often think that... Fight scenes are rarely my favorite part of movies and, although I tend to have quite a few in my books, I like to keep mine short. And prefer them short in films too.

- As much as I did like the world-building in the prologue on Krypton and as strong as I think the villain's motivation was... I concede that for storytelling purposes, the film might have been stronger without the prologue, and the conflict in the story was really between Jor-el and Zod, not Superman and Zod... 

So the prologue really took some steam out of the hero's conflict. Okay, a lot of steam. The prologue explained so much, that we didn't get to see Superman learning all the information, (if we had, it would have been repetitive), so we never really knew how much of it he knew, or how he felt about it, and so his choice between saving his people or the human race was more clear cut than it should have been. As far as we knew, he could give a bleep about his people.

I read one review that called Superman a pawn in the story. I think that's going a little far, but I will concede that I might have been so distracted and impressed that Lois Lane wasn't a pawn, that I might have missed that Superman was... Hmmm... The more I think about it, Lois Lane and Russell Crowe are actually the heroes of this story. It's almost like the classic YA mistake of having the grown ups solve the kids problems... Jor-el, with Lois's help, solved all Superman's problems...

The whole film is basically a prologue for what I assume the filmmakers are hoping will be a franchise. I did notice the Luther Corp logo on a truck near the end... and someone told me that the satellite in one of the fight scenes (yes, there's a satellite in a fight scene) had a Wayne Industries logo on it. So clearly they're hoping to compete with The Avengers. Will be interesting to see if they can pull that off. But there needs to be more humor, and I have a feeling everyone's all Batmaned out these days...

So, not a perfect film. But I was entertained.



But not as much as I was at This is the End.

I loved this movie. I thought I might be making a mistake going to a film like this at noon, and not under the influence of anything but coffee... but I found it hilarious.

Was it silly? Sure. Was some of the humor juvenile? Of course. Is it Shakespeare? No.

But it was a tightly told story, with clear (if silly) character arcs, a lot of snappy dialogue and so many references and cameos I'm sure I'd have to see it a couple more times before I caught them all. Even Rihanna was funny. 

And whether or not you like Seth Rogen as an actor: dude can write (along with his writing partner Evan Goldberg). And dude is willing to poke fun at himself, his friends, his job, his lifestyle.

Highly recommend this movie if you want a good laugh. And if you know anything about the actors, their films and there personas... My favorite actor send up was either Jonah Hill or Michael Cera. Both really let themselves be skewered in opposite ways and I found the film versions of them very funny. I guess the Michael Cera send up was a bit reminiscent of Neil Patrick Harris in the first Harold and Kumar movie...  But it went a little further and was so, so, so funny... Oh, and Danny McBride, who I normally hate... His character version of himself was also very funny. So was James Franco's version of himself. Just remembering how obsessed he was with Rogen. 

Okay. The more I think about it, the more things I remember. This movie was very funny. I could go on and on... These are actors who know how they are perceived, and are willing to poke fun at themselves. 

As a Canadian I also appreciated the Jay Baruchel "character" who was so self-righteous and unwilling to sell out to Hollywood, which caused the main internal conflict between him and Rogen. And set up what was an almost sweet friendship story arc inside a horror/comedy film.

Overall: I had tears of laughter much of the time. The dialogue was surprisingly subtle and smart. Would see it again.

Speaking of great dialogue, I also saw both Before Midnight and Much Ado About Nothing in the past couple of days, (I'm making up for lost time.) and enjoyed both. 

But this post is getting too long.