Lorijo Metz's Blog: ScifiWritermom, page 8
September 23, 2012
If Only… Musings on regrets, no regrets and my role as a parent
Hop over to ReadReviewSmileBlog.blogspot.com and catch my latest blog post entitled:
If Only…
In it, I muse a bit about regrets, no regrets, and my role as a parent. Oh, and of course, I talk about writing. While you’re there, check out the rest of Elizabeth Marie’s awesome book review blog. (Right! And, don’t forget to check out the latest review of WHEELS!)
September 20, 2012
Self-Publishing, Part 2: Readers Do Judge A Book By Its Cover
The book blurb you’ve so carefully written?
The first few words of your first chapter?
Your glowing reviews?
No, no and no! Whether they admit it or not, the first thing readers judge your book by is its cover—even if it’s only the thumbnail size view on the Internet.
[image error]
Recently, I heard an expert claim eBook covers don’t matter. I couldn’t disagree more. I’ve never purchased a book simply because of its cover; however, I’ve certainly passed over quite a few because of their covers. Let me explain…
When I look at a book cover, several things go through my mind at once:
Does it meet my general expectations for the genre and age group? (i.e. If I’m searching for a Y.A. fantasy, does the book cover scream wizards and teens, or wizards and 3rd graders?)
Is it professional looking?
Does it make me want to read the book? (i.e. Am I intrigued?)
I’d say if your book cover meets at least half of the above criteria (Hummm, that would be 1.5 wouldn’t it? Oh well…) I’ll move on to either one of the next two steps.
I’ll check out the reviews (I tend to read a sampling of the best and the worst…as almost every book gets a few of each.)
I’ll read the book blurb.
Sometimes I read the blurb first. Sometimes I check out the reviews. However, unless I’m already a fan of yours or a close personal friend, if your book cover looks like clip art or like something your teenager put together; or, if I’m looking for a hot romance and there’s a picture of a dog in a funny hat on the cover; or, if your book cover is just plain boring—I’ll move on to another book.[image error]
I’m sorry if you think I’m shallow, but I’m telling you the truth. Honestly, have you ever thought, That book cover looks like crap, but I bet the writing’s really good!
PLEASE!
Now comes the hard part—the hard part, for me, that is. I’m going to tell you about the mistake I made when first choosing a book cover for my novel, WHEELS. (One of two crucial mistakes I’ve made so far in my self-publishing journey.)
I hired an extremely talented, young artist, who had no experience in book cover design or working with digital media, to design the first book cover for WHEELS. This wouldn’t have been a problem had I had experience in either of those two areas. (i.e. Had I been capable of giving her direction.)
The product I got, while inspired and creative, and truthfully, above and beyond what I had asked for, unfortunately, did not translate well into digital media. Nor, as I came to learn, did it represent the age group I wanted to reach. The fault was mine, not the artist’s. She did exactly what I (the ignorant author) asked her to do. In world of self-publishing, one of the first things you learn is that no matter who assists you on your journey (writer friends, family, artists, etc…) you—and only you—are responsible for the final product.
So, why did I hire an artist who’d never designed a book cover?
Mistake #1: I assumed! Instead of doing some basic research, easily accomplished on the Internet, I assumed an artist experienced in designing book covers and working with digital media would be too expensive.
Like so many Indie authors, after dedicating years of my life to writing my book, I was afraid to invest any money in it.
Despite the fact I knew my book cover wasn’t perfect (It looked terrific as a thumbnail, but was grainy when seen in full cover view) I’d already paid the artist, so I felt I had to use it. I did the best I could, using my extremely limited knowledge of Adobe Photoshop, and published my book with that cover.
Then two lucky things happened.
Anna, from Pocketful of Books (a book review blog) reviewed Wheels
I discovered Ronnell D. Porter (or rather, his website)
[image error]Shortly after I published WHEELS, Anna emailed me and requested a copy for review. Of course, I was thrilled and terrified at the same time. Happily, her review was glowing…except when it came to the book cover. Amateur, I believe, is the word she used. I cringed when I read it, because I knew the original artwork was anything but amateur. Alas, I also knew it wasn’t doing me any favors as a book cover. (My hackneyed Photoshop job certainly hadn’t done it any favors.)
Not long after Anna’s review, I began surfing the web in search of book cover designers. (Why I didn’t do this in the first place, I’ll never know!) Anyway, after googling “Affordable eBook covers” I clicked on Lindsay Buroker’s blog post in which she wrote about two, up and coming, book cover artists—Ronnell D. Porter was one of them.
When I clicked over to Ronnell’s website, I was amazed by how beautiful, as well as current, his cover designs were. Even more surprising was that his price for an eBook cover was exactly the same as I’d paid my artist.[image error]
The difference between Ronnell and my original artist isn’t their amount of talent, but their area of expertise. Ronnell creates book covers for a living. Not only that, but he’s a writer and knows what’s selling in the industry. I needed a YA, sci-fi book cover that appealed to today’s teens and would appear crisp and clear whether viewed as a thumbnail or full size on an eReader, and Ronnell knew exactly how to create one.
[image error]That’s my story. Never assume you can’t afford to invest in your book. Most writers have small budgets, but because more and more of us are choosing to self-publish, there are more services available and willing to assist us at a reasonable price.
Now, here’s the good news. If you click the 4 Writers tab above, you’ll notice I’ve started to create lists of services that every Indie author needs. If you’ve worked with an artist (or other author service) that you’d like to recommend, email me using my contact form and I’ll consider adding your suggestion to my list.
Next up: Copyediting!
Self-Publishing: Readers Do Judge A Book By Its Cover
The book blurb you’ve so carefully written?
The first few words of your first chapter?
Your glowing reviews?
No, no and no! Whether they admit it or not, the first thing readers judge your book by is its cover—even if it’s only the thumbnail size view on the Internet.
[image error]
Recently, I heard an expert claim eBook covers don’t matter. I couldn’t disagree more. I’ve never purchased a book simply because of its cover; however, I’ve certainly passed over quite a few because of their covers. Let me explain…
When I look at a book cover, several things go through my mind at once:
Does it meet my general expectations for the genre and age group? (i.e. If I’m searching for a Y.A. fantasy, does the book cover scream wizards and teens, or wizards and 3rd graders?)
Is it professional looking?
Does it make me want to read the book? (i.e. Am I intrigued?)
I’d say if your book cover meets at least half of the above criteria (Hummm, that would be 1.5 wouldn’t it? Oh well…) I’ll move on to either one of the next two steps.
I’ll check out the reviews (I tend to read a sampling of the best and the worst…as almost every book gets a few of each.)
I’ll read the book blurb.
Sometimes I read the blurb first. Sometimes I check out the reviews. However, unless I’m already a fan of yours or a close personal friend, if your book cover looks like clip art or like something your teenager put together; or, if I’m looking for a hot romance and there’s a picture of a dog in a funny hat on the cover; or, if your book cover is just plain boring—I’ll move on to another book.[image error]
I’m sorry if you think I’m shallow, but I’m telling you the truth. Honestly, have you ever thought, That book cover looks like crap, but I bet the writing’s really good!
PLEASE!
Now comes the hard part—the hard part, for me, that is. I’m going to tell you about the mistake I made when first choosing a book cover for my novel, WHEELS. (One of two crucial mistakes I’ve made so far in my self-publishing journey.)
I hired an extremely talented, young artist, who had no experience in book cover design or working with digital media, to design the first book cover for WHEELS. This wouldn’t have been a problem had I had experience in either of those two areas. (i.e. Had I been capable of giving her direction.)
The product I got, while inspired and creative, and truthfully, above and beyond what I had asked for, unfortunately, did not translate well into digital media. Nor, as I came to learn, did it represent the age group I wanted to reach. The fault was mine, not the artist’s. She did exactly what I (the ignorant author) asked her to do. In world of self-publishing, one of the first things you learn is that no matter who assists you on your journey (writer friends, family, artists, etc…) you—and only you—are responsible for the final product.
So, why did I hire an artist who’d never designed a book cover?
Mistake #1: I assumed! Instead of doing some basic research, easily accomplished on the Internet, I assumed an artist experienced in designing book covers and working with digital media would be too expensive.
Like so many Indie authors, after dedicating years of my life to writing my book, I was afraid to invest any money in it.
Despite the fact I knew my book cover wasn’t perfect (It looked terrific as a thumbnail, but was grainy when seen in full cover view) I’d already paid the artist, so I felt I had to use it. I did the best I could, using my extremely limited knowledge of Adobe Photoshop, and published my book with that cover.
Then two lucky things happened.
Anna, from Pocketful of Books (a book review blog) reviewed Wheels
I discovered Ronnell D. Porter (or rather, his website)
[image error]Shortly after I published WHEELS, Anna emailed me and requested a copy for review. Of course, I was thrilled and terrified at the same time. Happily, her review was glowing…except when it came to the book cover. Amateur, I believe, is the word she used. I cringed when I read it, because I knew the original artwork was anything but amateur. Alas, I also knew it wasn’t doing me any favors as a book cover. (My hackneyed Photoshop job certainly hadn’t done it any favors.)
Not long after Anna’s review, I began surfing the web in search of book cover designers. (Why I didn’t do this in the first place, I’ll never know!) Anyway, after googling “Affordable eBook covers” I clicked on Lindsay Buroker’s blog post in which she wrote about two, up and coming, book cover artists—Ronnell D. Porter was one of them.
When I clicked over to Ronnell’s website, I was amazed by how beautiful, as well as current, his cover designs were. Even more surprising was that his price for an eBook cover was exactly the same as I’d paid my artist.[image error]
The difference between Ronnell and my original artist isn’t their amount of talent, but their area of expertise. Ronnell creates book covers for a living. Not only that, but he’s a writer and knows what’s selling in the industry. I needed a YA, sci-fi book cover that appealed to today’s teens and would appear crisp and clear whether viewed as a thumbnail or full size on an eReader, and Ronnell knew exactly how to create one.
[image error]That’s my story. Never assume you can’t afford to invest in your book. Most writers have small budgets, but because more and more of us are choosing to self-publish, there are more services available and willing to assist us at a reasonable price.
Now, here’s the good news. If you click the 4 Writers tab above, you’ll notice I’ve started to create lists of services that every Indie author needs. If you’ve worked with an artist (or other author service) that you’d like to recommend, email me using my contact form and I’ll consider adding your suggestion to my list.
Next up: Copyediting!
September 17, 2012
Interview and Book Giveaway with Author, Walter Shuler
Joining me today is Walter Shuler, author of the short story, At The Edge Of The World. [image error]In all honesty, I decided to read Walter’s story after forming what I can only define as (and very loosely, mind you) a friendship on Twitter.
Maybe there should be a word for that? Twittership? Friendtwit?
Definition: When two or more individuals recognize each other’s Twitter picture, out of the thousands that scroll past their screen, they are said to have formed a twittership.
Moving on… (Walter is shaking his heading and wondering why he ever agreed to do this interview.)
At The Edge Of The World isn’t the first book I’ve read after forming a “twittership” with another author. I’ve mentioned this in an earlier post, but I honestly feel that sites like Twitter and Goodreads have given me access to authors and books, which now that I no longer have a mega bookstore to browse through, I might never have known about. And, even better, on Twitter you get to know a little bit about the author. What type of tweets do they tweet and retweet? Are they simply promoting their books, or are they tweeting about writing and/or other things that interest you? The relationship is shallow at best…but it is, perhaps, one step above picking a book by an unfamiliar author simply because you like the cover.
But enough about friendtwits…
Walter, I was surprised by how much I liked your story. When I first started reading At The Edge Of The World, I was worried…there were all these guys and they were on ships and it all felt very manly and very far away from what I normally read, and I thought, Oh no—I said I’m going to read this and now I have to read this and I’m not going to like it!
Walter—look at my blog! 90% of the characters in the books I read are whiny, angst-ridden teenagers—not warriors. But because I promised to read Walter’s book, I persisted. And I am very glad I did, because the ending was excellent. The ending made me smile.
[image error]So, Walter, tell my readers a little bit about yourself. How long have you been writing, do you write full time, and besides At The Edge Of The World, what other books have you written?
Well, I’m very glad that you persisted and even more so that you enjoyed the story – it was a lot of fun to write.
I guess in a way I write fulltime – I’m a freelance writer during the day, creative writer at night. I’ve been writing in one form or another since I was young. I knew after reading The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings that I wanted to create worlds when I grew up.
Other than At the Edge of the World, I’ve also got a few other odds and ends:
[image error]Celadonian Tales Vol 1: Blood and Brass is a set of three short stories set in my world of Celadon. They’re distantly related to one another in a way, but don’t feature the same characters.
Gods of Sand and Stone is the first book in my trilogy The God Wars – the second book (Into a Dark Land) is in progress at the moment and should be out around the end of the year.[image error]
I’ve heard authors say it’s best to master the craft of writing a short story before attempting a novel. As most of your stories are on the shorter side, I was wondering if this is your plan. And, if so, what have you learned from writing short stories? Finally, are you planning a longer work?
Hmm… that’s an interesting question. I wrote At the Edge of the World mostly as a one-off, simply because I wanted to do a historical fantasy story. Blood and Brass is another matter. Those stories are really intended as prequels for longer tales that are to come. For instance, once I wrap up The God Wars, I’m going back to the world of Celadon with a new series that picks up where The Clockwork Men from Blood and Brass leaves off. It’s in progress, and will be titled The Breaking of Northwarden.
With The God Wars trilogy, I had a different reason for keeping the story short. I’ve always been heavily influenced by some of the great early fantasy writers and this trilogy was my homage to that largely-disappeared format. Books like Michael Moorecock’s Elric saga and Ursula K. Le Guin’s Earthsea series have stayed with me for decades. I really think that with the predominant shift in fantasy to massive tomes (no offense to Mr. Williams or Mr. Martin), something has been lost. I wanted to go back to that older storytelling style with these books. I also think shorter works are a little less daunting for those interested in getting into the genre for the first time.
If I’ve learned anything, I’ve found that it’s actually harder to write short fiction than it is a sprawling epic. They’re very, very different beasts and what works well in longer books doesn’t fly well with short stories or novellas even.
As far as longer works are concerned, you betcha! The Breaking of Northwarden is only in its second chapter and somewhere around 20,000 words already. The rest of the series will be stay in keeping with that, too.
Your website is called, “Halla Litriocht, The ramblings of Walter Shuler.” What does Halla Litriocht mean and why did you choose that name for your website?
Halla Litriocht is Irish Gaelic for “hall of literature” – I’m a self-professed armchair historian and Celtic-o-phile, so for me it was a natural choice of name. It does make for some difficulties though, as you might imagine. Most people can’t pronounce it, much less remember it to type it into a browser bar! Heck, I had to get clarification from Tommie Kelly on one of our podcast episodes when we interviewed him just to make sure that I was saying it right!
If you had to recommend one fiction book, one non-fiction book and one book on writing, which books would you recommend?
Oh, my…that’s really, really, really hard. Most of the books I love are part of a series, so recommending one that’s a standalone will be a challenge. Let’s see…
Fiction: Bard by Morgan Llewellyn would probably be my top recommendation for a standalone book (series would be very different).
Nonfiction: A World Lit Only by Fire by William Manchester.
On Writing: Creating Characters by Dwight V. Swain
Finally, what is the best piece of writing advice you’ve ever received?
Hmm. There’s been quite a bit, much of it good and some of it rather bad. I’d have to say the best piece of advice that ever came my way and one that I would unhesitatingly pass along to any new writer in any genre is this – Use beta readers. Use them religiously.
Thank you, Walter.
Thanks very much for having me on! By the way, I’m currently reading your book, Wheels, and am enjoying it quite a bit!
So, if like me, At The Edge Of The World is a bit different from what you normally read, my advice is for you to take a night or two off from the teenagers and vampires. Expand your imagination. In both time and money, At The Edge Of The World is a small investment. I promise, it will make you smile. It may even inspire you to attempt your own short story.
To help you on your own reading adventure, Walter has generously donated an eBook copy of At The Edge Of The World (any format). Click below to enter and win. You will not be spammed–I promise! The winner will be contacted via email on Saturday, 9/22/12. GOOD LUCK!
September 16, 2012
Book Giveaway & Interview with Author, Walter Shuler
Joining me today is Walter Shuler, author of the short story, At The Edge Of The World. [image error]In all honesty, I decided to read Walter’s story after forming what I can only define as (and very loosely, mind you) a friendship on Twitter.
Maybe there should be a word for that? Twittership? Friendtwit?
Definition: When two or more individuals recognize each other’s Twitter picture, out of the thousands that scroll past their screen, they are said to have formed a twittership.
Moving on… (Walter is shaking his heading and wondering why he ever agreed to do this interview.)
At The Edge Of The World isn’t the first book I’ve read after forming a “twittership” with another author. I’ve mentioned this in an earlier post, but I honestly feel that sites like Twitter and Goodreads have given me access to authors and books, which now that I no longer have a mega bookstore to browse through, I might never have known about. And, even better, on Twitter you get to know a little bit about the author. What type of tweets do they tweet and retweet? Are they simply promoting their books, or are they tweeting about writing and/or other things that interest you? The relationship is shallow at best…but it is, perhaps, one step above picking a book by an unfamiliar author simply because you like the cover.
But enough about friendtwits…
Walter, I was surprised by how much I liked your story. When I first started reading At The Edge Of The World, I was worried…there were all these guys and they were on ships and it all felt very manly and very far away from what I normally read, and I thought, Oh no—I said I’m going to read this and now I have to read this and I’m not going to like it!
Walter—look at my blog! 90% of the characters in the books I read are whiny, angst-ridden teenagers—not warriors. But because I promised to read Walter’s book, I persisted. And I am very glad I did, because the ending was excellent. The ending made me smile.
[image error]So, Walter, tell my readers a little bit about yourself. How long have you been writing, do you write full time, and besides At The Edge Of The World, what other books have you written?
Well, I’m very glad that you persisted and even more so that you enjoyed the story – it was a lot of fun to write.
I guess in a way I write fulltime – I’m a freelance writer during the day, creative writer at night. I’ve been writing in one form or another since I was young. I knew after reading The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings that I wanted to create worlds when I grew up.
Other than At the Edge of the World, I’ve also got a few other odds and ends:
[image error]Celadonian Tales Vol 1: Blood and Brass is a set of three short stories set in my world of Celadon. They’re distantly related to one another in a way, but don’t feature the same characters.
Gods of Sand and Stone is the first book in my trilogy The God Wars – the second book (Into a Dark Land) is in progress at the moment and should be out around the end of the year.[image error]
I’ve heard authors say it’s best to master the craft of writing a short story before attempting a novel. As most of your stories are on the shorter side, I was wondering if this is your plan. And, if so, what have you learned from writing short stories? Finally, are you planning a longer work?
Hmm… that’s an interesting question. I wrote At the Edge of the World mostly as a one-off, simply because I wanted to do a historical fantasy story. Blood and Brass is another matter. Those stories are really intended as prequels for longer tales that are to come. For instance, once I wrap up The God Wars, I’m going back to the world of Celadon with a new series that picks up where The Clockwork Men from Blood and Brass leaves off. It’s in progress, and will be titled The Breaking of Northwarden.
With The God Wars trilogy, I had a different reason for keeping the story short. I’ve always been heavily influenced by some of the great early fantasy writers and this trilogy was my homage to that largely-disappeared format. Books like Michael Moorecock’s Elric saga and Ursula K. Le Guin’s Earthsea series have stayed with me for decades. I really think that with the predominant shift in fantasy to massive tomes (no offense to Mr. Williams or Mr. Martin), something has been lost. I wanted to go back to that older storytelling style with these books. I also think shorter works are a little less daunting for those interested in getting into the genre for the first time.
If I’ve learned anything, I’ve found that it’s actually harder to write short fiction than it is a sprawling epic. They’re very, very different beasts and what works well in longer books doesn’t fly well with short stories or novellas even.
As far as longer works are concerned, you betcha! The Breaking of Northwarden is only in its second chapter and somewhere around 20,000 words already. The rest of the series will be stay in keeping with that, too.
Your website is called, “Halla Litriocht, The ramblings of Walter Shuler.” What does Halla Litriocht mean and why did you choose that name for your website?
Halla Litriocht is Irish Gaelic for “hall of literature” – I’m a self-professed armchair historian and Celtic-o-phile, so for me it was a natural choice of name. It does make for some difficulties though, as you might imagine. Most people can’t pronounce it, much less remember it to type it into a browser bar! Heck, I had to get clarification from Tommie Kelly on one of our podcast episodes when we interviewed him just to make sure that I was saying it right!
If you had to recommend one fiction book, one non-fiction book and one book on writing, which books would you recommend?
Oh, my…that’s really, really, really hard. Most of the books I love are part of a series, so recommending one that’s a standalone will be a challenge. Let’s see…
Fiction: Bard by Morgan Llewellyn would probably be my top recommendation for a standalone book (series would be very different).
Nonfiction: A World Lit Only by Fire by William Manchester.
On Writing: Creating Characters by Dwight V. Swain
Finally, what is the best piece of writing advice you’ve ever received?
Hmm. There’s been quite a bit, much of it good and some of it rather bad. I’d have to say the best piece of advice that ever came my way and one that I would unhesitatingly pass along to any new writer in any genre is this – Use beta readers. Use them religiously.
Thank you, Walter.
Thanks very much for having me on! By the way, I’m currently reading your book, Wheels, and am enjoying it quite a bit!
So, if like me, At The Edge Of The World is a bit different from what you normally read, my advice is for you to take a night or two off from the teenagers and vampires. Expand your imagination. In both time and money, At The Edge Of The World is a small investment. I promise, it will make you smile. It may even inspire you to attempt your own short story.
To help you on your own reading adventure, Walter has generously donated an eBook copy of At The Edge Of The World (any format). Click below to enter and win. You will not be spammed–I promise! The winner will be contacted via email on Saturday, 9/22/12. GOOD LUCK!
September 9, 2012
Self-Publishing: Lessons From An Indie Author
So, what changed?
[image error]I could say the publishing industry changed, but I think the more correct answer would be: eBooks changed the publishing industry.
EBooks have given authors the opportunity to publish their work for, if not totally free, then, a minor cost. Authors now have the opportunity to not only maintain control of their work, but also receive a higher percentage of the proceeds. In addition, with print on demand publishing services like Amazon’s CreateSpace, an author can offer a paperback version, as well, without needing to make space in their garage for cases of books that have set them back a second mortgage or two.
[image error]Does it all sound too good to be true? I’m going to surprise you and say, it’s not…but if you think you can whip out a book, upload it to Amazon, iBooks, Smashwords, or one of several other outlets on the internet, and then sit back and wait for the money to roll in—think again. Since I uploaded WHEELS to Amazon, I’ve never worked so hard.
Let me put it this way…In addition to writing the book, you, the self-published author, are also in charge of:
And that, in a nutshell, has been my life for the past few months. Oops…I forgot the most important thing:
You must do all the above, and find time to write another book!
But fear not, dear authors, for over the next few weeks, I’m going to share some lessons I’ve learned–many most of them from my own failures—and begin providing you with links and resources to help you on your own journey into the world of self-publishing.
Next up…
Book Covers: What To Do, What Not To Do, And Online Resources
Self-Publishing: Lessons From An Indie Writer
So, what changed?
[image error]I could say the publishing industry changed, but I think the more correct answer would be: eBooks changed the publishing industry.
EBooks have given authors the opportunity to publish their work for, if not totally free, then, a minor cost. Authors now have the opportunity to not only maintain control of their work, but also receive a higher percentage of the proceeds. In addition, with print on demand publishing services like Amazon’s CreateSpace, an author can offer a paperback version, as well, without needing to make space in their garage for cases of books that have set them back a second mortgage or two.
[image error]Does it all sound too good to be true? I’m going to surprise you and say, it’s not…but if you think you can whip out a book, upload it to Amazon, iBooks, Smashwords, or one of several other outlets on the internet, and then sit back and wait for the money to roll in—think again. Since I uploaded WHEELS to Amazon, I’ve never worked so hard.
Let me put it this way…In addition to writing the book, you, the self-published author, are also in charge of:
And that, in a nutshell, has been my life for the past few months. Oops…I forgot the most important thing:
You must do all the above, and find time to write another book!
But fear not, dear authors, for over the next few weeks, I’m going to share some lessons I’ve learned–many most of them from my own failures—and begin providing you with links and resources to help you on your own journey into the world of self-publishing.
Next up…
Book Covers: What To Do, What Not To Do, And Online Resources
September 6, 2012
Bitterblue, by Kristin Cashore: Join Our Book Discussion!
[image error]Having read Graceling and Fire by Kristin Cashore, I was excited to read Bitterblue. Kristin Cashore calls Bitterblue a companion to Graceling and Fire. To me it feels more like a sequel, in that I can’t imagine reading Bitterblue without having read, at least, Graceling. I’ll get to the reason, later.
What I Loved
In Bitterblue, Cashore managed to create a villain so scary, so horrible he didn’t even need to be present in her story. In fact, he was long dead. The villain I’m talking about, of course, is Bitterblue’s father, King Leck.
King Leck’s grace (talent) was the ability to make people believe whatever he wanted them to believe. Unfortunately, King Leck was also a psychopath who would both commit, and make others commit violent, unspeakable acts.
In Bitterblue, though King Leck is dead, the people whose minds he controlled are alive and trying to live with the memory of the awful acts committed under his reign. As a way to move forward, Bitterblue’s advisors have convinced her to pardon all who committed horrible acts while under King Leck’s control. If it were only that simple…
In the story, Bitterblue knows her father did awful things, but she doesn’t know exactly what he did. While pardoning prior acts under King Leck’s rule seemed like a good idea, Bitterblue begins to realize that trying to pretend the past didn’t happen is not helping the people of her kingdom heal. Their stories need to be told.
[image error]As I read Bitterblue, I could almost feel King Leck’s presence hover like a heavy gray cloud over every page. Cashore is brilliant—she created the ultimate bad guy. If you believe God gives us free will, then King Leck is the anti-God. Imagine trying to fight someone who can totally mess with your mind. What was also brilliant…well, perhaps simply more logical…was the way King Leck was finally defeated using the ultimate weapon, a mother’s love for her child.
To sum up what I loved about Bitterblue:
King Leck: Who I believe is one of the scariest villains ever created.
There were many unique and beautiful passages. That it was well written is no surprise. I would expect no less from Kristin Cashore.
In fantasy and sci-fi it’s typical to have characters with special abilities, but for some reason, I’m not sure why, Cashore’s world, filled with characters possessing very specific talents (graces), feels fresh and unique. Maybe because it opens up the possibility of having a grace that is totally useless.
What I Didn’t Care For
Given my use of the word Brilliant, you would think I loved Bitterblue. I didn’t. Rather, I should say, I loved it AND I hated it. At times the story flew by, while at other times it felt like it was taking me forever to read. To put it simply, here’s why…
I believe Cashore tried to tackle too many social issues. She brought in so many minor characters I couldn’t keep them straight. It felt like she included them just so she could make a statement about a cause she felt strongly about. The main cause that drove her story, helping people heal by talking about abuse, rather than pretending it didn’t happen, was enough. Yet, then she had to throw in gay rights and women’s rights. For me, whenever she introduced these secondary issues, it completely stopped the story. I would shake my head and wonder why that chapter or line of dialogue was there. (Don’t get me wrong, I agree with her take on these issues, but I think they would have been better served in their own story.)
Another reason I didn’t absolutely love Bitterblue was that I found Queen Bitterblue slightly annoying. The reason, I believe, is that most of the characters treat her like a child. Also, I didn’t care for Bitterblue’s love interest. He wasn’t nice, and in fact, was rather mean, at times. It bothered me she’d fall for a man with so few redeeming qualities.
The final reason I didn’t absolutely love Bitterblue is purely personal. A “not my cup of tea” issue, rather than a comment about the writing. When Cashore finally reveals what King Leck did to his subjects, we learn he’s not just evil (as in the killing, torturing and greedy type of evil), as I had assumed, he’s downright perverted. Personally, I read to escape and I was more than ready to escape Bitterblue’s world.
The reason I wouldn’t read Bitterblue without having read Graceling and Fire, is that many of the minor characters came from these earlier books (including Leck). Yet, even having read these two books, I had a tough time keeping the minor characters straight.
Would I recommend Bitterblue? YES, absolutely. Some of the most memorable stories are the ones you both love and hate. In that regard, Cashore succeeded! (And I will never forget King Leck!)
So, here’s where I open it up to you (and when I say you, I mean all of you…even Kristin Cashore, if she cares to respond.) Do you agree, disagree, or perhaps have something entirely different to add to the discussion? I look forward to hearing from you!
September 4, 2012
Young Adult Books: To Review or Not Review…?
I’ve been trying to decide how to position myself concerning book reviews.
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Illustration from www.louisafallon.com.au
#1. Do I even want to position myself as a book reviewer? As an author, I have to say that writing a book review scares the heck out of me. My inner author is freaking out, jumping up and down, and shouting at the top of her little inner author, high-pitched voice that every other author out there is better than me, so where do I get off writing reviews! (Sigh… I wish my inner author would shut up.
#2. If I do decide to kill…I mean, duct tape my inner author’s mouth shut, and position myself as a book reviewer, what type of books do I want to review? The obvious choice is the genre I like to write, young adult, science fiction and fantasy. But, there’s my inner author again, ripping the duct tape off her mouth (Yeee Ouch!) and shouting, “Great, now you’re judging your competition. And lest you forget—they’re ALL better than you!”
Excuse me for a second…
Okay, suddenly I’m feeling much better about myself. Now where was I?
Right. The problem with sticking with one genre is boredom. However, since this is my blog, I suppose if I really want to read and review something else; a murder mystery, for example, I can. Problem solved.
#3. Big sigh! What if I absolutely hate a book? Ugh! Am I willing to post a 1 or 2 star review? The answer to this one is easy, No. Knowing, first hand, what it’s like to pour my heart and soul into writing a book, I could never publicly rip someone’s story to shreds.
So, over the past year, I’ve experimented with being a book reviewer. I’ve tiptoed around, sometimes even stated a fairly strong opinion, and I’ve basically stuck to reviewing young adult, science fiction and fantasy books (…ones that I enjoy).
However, now that I have a new blog (If you haven’t noticed—it looks a bit different) I’m no longer going to (pretend) to do book reviews. Rather, I’m going to hold book discussions.
Beginning with Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore, I’m going to discuss what I liked, what I didn’t like…and then pose some questions. After that, I’m going to open it up to readers, writers, and even the author of the book being discussed, to chime in with their thoughts. Since my goal is to become a better writer, and through this blog, help others become better writers, I feel that a book discussion will be much more productive than a review. I hope my readers think so too.
Join me this Friday for my first Book Discussion featuring Bitterblue by Kristan Cashore. (By the way…has anyone else noticed a little blue bird flying around my blog?)
September 3, 2012
Another Chance To Win!
[image error]While my posts have been few and far between lately, due to two huge projects I’m working on, I’m taking time out today to announce another chance to win a copy of my young adult, science fiction, adventure–WHEELS. Head on over to Becky’s Barmy Book Blog and while you’re there, enter to win your choice of either a paperback or eBook copy of WHEELS. Good luck!
That’s it…back to the grindstone. Check back soon for my review of BITTERBLUE, by Kristin Cashore, and an interview with Walter Shuler about his short story, AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD.
Also, starting next week I’ll be featuring some special posts just for writers!
Filed under: Contest Tagged: Arts, BITTERBLUE, book giveaway, Contest, Fiction, Graceling, Kristin Cashore, Lorijo Metz, Monsea, Online Writing, Young-adult fiction
