Reena Jacobs's Blog, page 38
April 24, 2011
Novel Review: Maximum Ride ~ The Angel Experiment by James Patterson
Maximum Ride – The Angel Experiment by James Patterson was one of my bargain finds at the local used bookstore. I picked up the first book and thought, oh look… my oldest daughter was reading this a few weeks ago. Then I spotted another and another and another from the series. Freakin' jackpot! I'd managed to pick up the first four books of the series all for two bucks each! Hooyah! Originally I told my youngest daughter they were for her… kind of… for us, I mean. Unfortunately for us… I mean, her… we were both reached the end of our current reads at the same time. I pawned off some long ass series to her, which is more adult… okay… all adult BDB and hoarded the Maximum Ride series for myself. Yeah… I know I was wrong. This doesn't count as contributing to the delinquency of a minor, does it? She's still on Dark Lover, by the way, and I'm on the third book in the Maximum Ride series. I'm so thankful I didn't have to wait for her to finish. Blah blah… the blurb from Mr. Patterson's website:
Max, Fang, Iggy, Nudge, the Gasman, and Angel. Six kids who are pretty normal in most ways—except that they're 98 percent human, 2 percent bird. They grew up in a lab, living like rats in cages, but now they're free. Aside, of course, from the fact that they're prime prey for Erasers – wicked wolflike creatures with a taste for flying humans.
First of all, can I say AWESOME opening? Too bad it turned [SPOILER]. Guess you'll just have to find out yourself. Okay… seriously, the review.
Some interesting things about this book. The Angel Experiment is told from several viewpoints, but mostly Max's. Not strange in itself, but Max's (point of view) POV is told in first person while the other characters are told in third person. Kind of neat. I rather liked it.
The chapters are short-short. We're talking 2-3 pages, 4 pages MAX per chapter. The thing with the short chapters is they're almost exactly the way I read. I'm the type of gal who'll stop in the middle of a scene, which is what the chapters often did. Then when I come back to a work, I have to find where I left off. The chapters are so short, I have no problem making it to the next chapter. I think I might have stopped in the middle of a chapter once.
In terms of the writing, I think this work could have been a bit shorter. I know, I know… last week I was talking about lengthening Spiderwork… I just can't be pleased. Mr. Patterson seemed quite fond of repeating himself. Yes, I know Max has a 13-foot wingspan. Yes, Iggy is blind. Fang is the silent one. Angel is her baby. Nudge, by the way, is black. I thought I'd mention this because I don't think Mr. Patterson comes out and says it until the second book. Here she's called tanned… just clarifying an issue. 
That was one tidbit Mr. Patterson didn't reiterate 30 times. Anyway, I'm just saying my attention span isn't so short I'd have difficulty remembering something three pages back.
Enough of that. I truly enjoyed The Angel Experiment. I'm already in book 3… so that says a lot. The only reason I'm not reading Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports right now is because I'm afraid the story lines will blend into one another. So why did I like this one, you ask?
Plotwise: The story kept me engaged. Even when I hit part 6 (last part) and thought how much I was tired of the cat and mouse games, I still had my nose in the book, wondering what's next. The entire story was pretty much about when the bad guys (Erasers) would show up and how Max and her flock would escape.
Characters: Each one was unique in their behavior, personality, and motivation. Funny thing about the thoughts and speech of the characters… they seemed a bit… not modern. Cause really, how many kids knew who Judy Garland was? It'll be interesting to see what my daughter says about it. I'll have to ask my oldest if some of these things were over her head. Being not so young, the analogies worked for me. I chalked off their cultural knowledge and references to being isolated from civilization for most of their lives.
I know this review is rather sparse, but really there wasn't much to the book. The Erasers came, the flock fought, the flock fled. Rinse and repeat.
Anyway, I leave you with my favorite line from the book (page 150):
You think you need all your stuff, your favorite cup, your best blanket, soap, your parents – and then you realize that all you really need is to be where the Erasers can't get you.
I swear, that line pretty much summed up the entire book.
By the way, if you stop with this book, you'll be lacking the entire story. This definitely ends in a "What's Next?"
Stay tuned for my upcoming reviews of the Maximum Ride series.
Find The Angel Experiment at:
Or get started with the three box set (The Angel Experiment (Book 1), School's Out Forever (Book 2), and Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports (Book 3). Three books in, and I'm still enjoying this story. Find it at:
April 23, 2011
Sunday Showcase #1
So I've decided to add yet another feature to this poor blog, called Sunday Showcase. What's this all about you ask? I'm going to use this day for one of two things. First and foremost, a chance to share the reading goodies which have come in. The thing is, the arrivals I receive are so sporadic, I can't guarantee a mailbox post every week. To supplement and on Sundays I'm a sad little girl with no new treats, I'll share some books I've read in the past and have enjoyed. Sort of a recommendation Sunday kind of thing. Some may have been books I've reviewed here, others may just be oldies I've read and want to share. So that's that.
This week, I was a lucky one. I signed up for Netgalley and was approved for three releases. Behold!
Savannah Grey needs to keep moving. She doesn't know why, but she can't let herself get tied down by too many people. It's almost like she's being chased by something. And now something strange is happening with her neck—with her throat.
Then she meets Reece—a guy who seems to understand her needs. He even knows about her neck. The same thing is happening to him. It's as if their voices are becoming weapons, warming up for some kind of attack.
Nature has been preparing for battle with the universe's ultimate monster for millennia. The time to fight is almost here. The weapon is Savannah Grey.
Why I picked this book: The cover art of this book caught my attention. Wasn't quite sure what was going on with it. To be honest, it doesn't look like my kind of read, but I decided to move on to the blurb anyway, just because I wanted to make sure I wasn't passing up anything good… because like I said it did catch my attention. The first paragraph of the blurb was rather vague and NOT catchy, but the doom and gloom of the last paragraph seemed like my thing. I'm taking a chance on this one. Let's hope this hops into the excitement, bad guys and all.
Available: Barnes & Nobles and The Book Depository
New York City's spirit has been crushed. People walk the streets with their heads down, withdrawing from each other and into the cold comfort of technology.
Teenagers Mal and Laura have grown up in this reality. They've never met. Seemingly, they never will.
But on the same day Mal learns his brother has disappeared, Laura discovers her parents have forgotten her. Both begin a search for their families that leads them to the same truth: someone or something has wiped the teens from the memories of every person they have ever known. Thrown together, Mal and Laura must find common ground as they attempt to reclaim their pasts.
Why I picked this book: Okay… I'm totally eager to get more dystopia in my hands. And this looks like YA dystopia, right? RIGHT? And it seems so, so, so very weird. I'm really looking forward to this and hoping it's a rockin' book.
Available: Barnes & Nobles and The Book Depository
EVERY GIRL who has taken the test has DIED.
Now it's KATE'S TURN.
It's always been just Kate and her mom—and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate's going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear her mother won't live past the fall.
Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld—and if she accepts his bargain, he'll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.
Kate is sure he's crazy—until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she'll become Henry's future bride, and a goddess.If she fails…
Why I picked this book: Basically, I'm a fan of Greek mythology, especially the big names (Hades, Zeus, Poseidon, etc). Add Young Adult to the mix, and I'm stoked. Plus, it's a modern take, which is totally cool.
Available: Barnes & Nobles and The Book Depository
April 21, 2011
Guest Post: Jeff Bennington ~ Building a Book from Scratch
Reena's Blog
Thanks for having me Reena! Before I write about how to create a novel from scratch, I'd like to tell your followers that I'm giving away a FREE Kindle on May 15th. For details about the book and the Kindle giveaway rules, go to jeffbennington.com. Good luck!
Building a Book from Scratch
I've always taken pride in knowing that I can explain things clearly. In 1989, I was a junior high cross-country coach, and I coached that group of boys to a county championship. A few years later, I advanced to a crew leader at the heating and cooling company I worked for and trained the guys on how to install furnaces and air conditioning units. Those were both occupations that required good communication. But when it comes to teaching someone how to write a novel, I am absolutely clueless!
Writing a novel, to me, seems impossible. It's unexplainable. It's beyond words. To be honest with you, I don't really know how I do it. To think that I could adequately educate someone on the process is simply unrealistic. That is to say, I know what I do, but I don't know how it works.
Some people say that in order to be a good writer, you have to be well read. I agree with that because the more I read, the better my writing is. But I don't think that's the key to creating a fully engaging and captivating story. Some people believe one must be trained through a bachelor or master's degree in creative writing, but I don't think that's true either. You can learn style and grammar and how to plot and all the technical rules until you're blue in the face, but no one can teach you how to dream up a plot, a twist, or a cleverly sketched character. That is pure imagination, pure creativity, and if you want to make your characters believable, it takes an understanding of human nature, which is hardly quantifiable.
Now that I've told you what I think is not the key to creating a book from scratch, I'll tell you what I do, a process guaranteed not to work for anyone else. I say that because I think creating literature out of an eight-pound ball of cells inside a brain is just too magical and too mysterious, fused into the blood of the writer like strands of DNA.
When I think of an idea, or when an idea picks me to be the writer, it usually springs to life out of thin air. In fact, I'd say that I have never sat down and tried to think of a book idea. I don't think that would work for me, because I'm more of a live in the moment kind of guy. Once the idea hits me, I write a brief summary much like what you'd find on the back of a book, on anything I can find. Later, I'll transpose that idea into my black book of ideas, not to be confused with my black book of spells, primarily because I don't have one, but also because if I did, I'd screw things up so badly that I'd probably be a frog by now!
Later, when I'm ready to start a new book, I sit down with a cup of coffee and just think, as if I were running the scenes of a good movie through my head. I think about my protagonist, what he wants, what problems he might have and how I can disrupt his life. Now that's a tricky concept because that is usually the crux of the initial idea, but at this point I take it further. I begin to jot down ideas from one scene to the next, making quick notes of the general action that takes place, no major details, just a sentence or two to get me started. I'll do this over and over, staring into space as the theatrical trailer plays in my mind's eye, forming the characters, motivations, conflicts and resolution. I don't really know how it happens, but I'll have a basic list of scenes, enough to start writing, in about an hour. Of course many scenes get added, and the thousands of details build up as I go along.
After I've written the scenes down, I make a detailed list of the cast, like I'm copying down the credits from the movie I just watched. I spend more time on the main character, thinking about what is buried in his or her soul than any other. I think of their past and what they want for their future, but spend lots of time creating a really good way to keep them from getting it. This is the phase when the twists and turns usually smack me across the head. I'll try to pencil in any extra ideas and twisty-turnys as I go, but my plot outline and character sketches are pretty crowded and messy at this point. That's when I know I'm ready to write. All in all, if I can't get a book idea out of my mind, I'll spend about two hours preparing to write and then start at it hard and heavy. Research comes later, or as needed.
Will Smith, the popular film star said, "You don't build a wall; you lay one brick at a time, and after laying each brick as perfectly as you can, you will have a wall." And that's pretty much what writing a book is like to me. I don't think about the ending or middle as I write. I use my outline as a guide as I progress, leaving lots of room for changes and surprises, and just write what I see, word by word. It's not as easy as transposing a pre-recorded message. For me, writing a scene at a time, is like mining for gold. I spend one hour writing and ten minutes cleaning up the mess, and then I move forward another hour and repeat the clean up process over and over until I eventually come to the end. That's where the real work begins, one brick at a time, lifting, setting, tapping, mortaring, lifting, setting, tapping, mortaring, lifting……
Well that's my writing process. Feel free to share yours! Don't forget to follow Reena's blog and then go out and get your copy of REUNION, my supernatural thriller. Peace.
Check out Reunion by Jeff Bennington at the following places:
Also available in Apple ibook and print. For more information, head over to Jeff Bennington's blog.
April 20, 2011
Who Art Thou Thursday: Terrance Foxxe
Today we have Terrance Foxxe. If you recall, he did a series of posts about his adventures in publishing. Be sure to check those out here. But first, the interview he did with me.
Tell us about your most recent publication.
In The Dreaming is a collection of short stories bridged together by a larger narrative, a mosaic novel.
I thought this novel would work out well if I could find the perfect vehicle to drive my character's interactions. Would a mental ward patient do?"
In The Dreaming offers a wide variety of stories to suit any tastes. From Native American legend to urban detective. Science fiction, magic and love, alongside vampires, barbarians, presidents, elves, and (walking talking) toys. Horror with the hope.
Give us a brief description of a story you have hidden in your skeleton closet? And will it ever see the light of day?
Nothing will remain hidden with me. It will all come out . . . in the end. My mind has a case of the mental squirts. The trouble with that is too many ideas, and I can't type fast enough. Seriously, I will never suffer brain farts when it comes to writing.
How much of you/your life do you put into your stories?
Heart and soul goes into each novel and story. I have fun.
Which of your characters do you relate to most?
All my characters are real to me, and I am simply their scribe.
For you, what's the hardest part of the writing process?
The time involved. From the start on through final publication, I want my readers to enjoy a great book. I try to be the consummate professional. 150% effort for 99.8% perfection.
For you, what's the easiest part of the writing process?
There is no easy part. Some days are simply easier than other days.
With hindsight being 20/20, is there anything you would have changed with your publishing journey?
I'll let this question slide.
Do you have any advice for other writers?
Like it or not, this is a business. 150% effort for 99.8% perfection.
Anything special you'd like to say to readers?
What readers?
What are you working on now?
I'm in editing mode for the next six months. I need to get my backlog up and running.
When did you first decide you wanted to be a writer?
A long time ago.
Why did you decide to publish independently?
Because I can.
Where do you get inspirations for your stories?
They come to me in a flash. No kidding. Sometimes from start to finish, and other times an idea will just keep me on edge.
How do you come up with your cover art?
I do it all myself, and it relates to the contents. I'd like to think I got a cool retro thing going.
What is your character development process?
My characters are who they are. They act and speak as themselves.
What's your favorite writing tool and why?
Computer. I can save my changes to three flash drives. I don't lose words.
How about some quickies!
Pencil or Pen: Pencil
Print or Cursive: Print
Pantser or Plotter: Pantseater
Favorite Candy: None
Worst habit: Blowing spit bubbles in public.
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About the Terrance Foxxe
Terrance Foxxe is crazy enough to share everything he knows about catering to readers on his blog, because readers matter most to the Indie Author of today and tomorrow. He had two books published under his real name, only to discover publishers suck. After being royally ripped off and then some, he is the Indie Author of A Post-apocalyptic Story of Love, $2.99 USD & In The Dreaming, $0.99, both for the Kindle, and on Scribd. He's now a happy man. Buy his books. Read them. Write reviews.
Connect with Terrance Foxxe:
Find In the Dreaming at:
and A Post-apocalyptic Love Story at:
Working Wednedsay #2
Okay… this Working Wednesday post was supposed to be a weekly event. If you follow my blog faithfully (yeah right) you know I haven't done one of these posts since March 30. Shame on me. I do have an excuse for one week though, but not the others. My power supply went out last week, and I totally had planned on doing a Working Wednesday post. Honestly! My new one came in on Saturday, so I should have progress right? tee hee. We'll see. Let's start with my goal from the last Working Wednesday oh so long ago.
Edit Alley Cat
Finish the current scene I started so long ago. Done
Finish I Loved You First Done
Complete last chapter of Act II
Fill in the gaps in Act III
Quick Spell Check before I send it to my daughter to beta read. If you don't mind reading a first draft, let me know. I'm willing to send a few copies out.
Just keep in mind, I wouldn't send a first draft out for critiquing, so it'd be rather unpolished. For a blurb of I Loved You First, check it here.Maintaining 100+ words a day over at Word Count Union This is where I've not been so good. According to my spreadsheet, I stopped writing April 7, 2011. Yikes! Almost two weeks. I've totally got to get back on the ball with this, starting today.
This can be accomplished either by working on I Loved You First or Trinity's Awakening
So what have I been doing in the meantime? I have no freakin' clue. The only thing I know with certainty is I've read six (6) books. Not bad when you consider my average is one book a week. I'm one book ahead for my 60 book goal for this year. I also edited a chapter and a half of Chasing Shadows.
Okay. I was a slacker. Time to start new goals.
Edit Chasing Shadows
One scene a day
Chasing Shadows includes 57 scenes.
Plus I have a handful of scenes I need to write.
This is a two month project… likely two and a half month project.
Currently progress 5/57 scenes
Maintaining 100+ words a day over at Word Count Union
This will be accomplished either by working on Trinity's Awakening
Current word count: 21,717
Clean up blog and update links
I've been thinking about this making money through blog thing. One way I could increase my profit is by updating the links. For instance, I read one book a week. That's 52 advertisements a year. This year, my goal is to hit 60 books. As long as I'm putting forth the effort to write reviews and even link to a buy page, I should at least put my affiliation down. So that's what I'm going to do.
Update the buy links for books I've reviewed
Last I checked I had between 60-70 reviews. My goal is to do 10 a week until it's all good.
I also do some mailbox posts. Not a project for this week, but something think about in the future.
Do a Showcase Sunday featuring books and include buy links. I might even open that up for a little advertising. We'll see.
My categories and tags aren't always consistent. Hopefully I can make some improvements so the site will be easier to navigate.
2011 Reading Challenge ~ basically just stay on top of this. My progress:
2011 Reading Challenge
Reena has read 18 books toward her goal of 60 books.
hide
18 of 60 (30%)
view books
So that's that. We'll know by next Wednesday if I've put too much on my plate.
April 18, 2011
Tuesday Teaser: For the Love of Lisa by Callie Norse
Welcome to another episode of Tuesday Teaser. Today we're featuring For the Love of Lisa by Callie Norse.
Greg and Lisa Carrington's lives have been blessed with successful careers, a loving relationship and a beautiful young daughter. Although, when the Carrington family move into their Victorian dream home, everything changes-and not for the better. When Lisa becomes ill, she leaves a wish with her sister, should she die. The wish is unthinkable. Has she asked too much? During Lisa's illness, Greg discovers some mysterious occurrences. He keeps these phenomena a secret, not wanting to worry Lisa. Over a period of time, he begins to fear the house must be haunted, as he and his family are subjected to more and more terrifying occurrences. Their young daughter becomes obsessed with the sewing room. She reads aloud, sings, and talks to presence only she can see. Finally, Greg decides he must sell the house. Before he can do so, a horror beyond imagination shakes the lives of everyone associated with Lisa and the house.
The smell of coffee and waffles began filtering into the parlor, waking Lisa. She strolled out to the kitchen and wrapped her arms around Greg's neck, "What a wonderful aroma to wake up to. Thank you, honey." He drew her close. Their lips met in a kiss. As he pressed his body to hers, she felt his thickening flesh. She regretted falling asleep so quickly. "After breakfast, Maggie will be busy waking up all her dollies and feeding them breakfast," she whispered.
"I was thinking the same thing," Greg winked. "Our breakfast is ready now." They sat quietly talking, making plans for the day. One thing certainly seemed to be planned out before the first bite of waffle!
Maggie came traipsing into the kitchen, her face bright and cheery. "Did you leave any for me?" Greg got up from the table and took a glass of orange juice out of the refrigerator and put more batter in the waffle iron. She downed the juice and helped herself to the sausage on the table. As she swallowed the last bite, Greg put a waffle on the table in front of her. She talked about the dream she had. One of her babies had been crying. She assumed the storm had scared the baby. Greg and Lisa found this quite interesting.
They all went upstairs when Maggie was finished eating—Maggie to get out of her jammies and get dressed for the day and to tend to her babies. Lisa explained to her how she and Daddy had slept in front of the fireplace. Therefore, she needed to take a shower and change clothes.
Greg closed the bedroom door behind them. Finally, they were alone. Desires had been rising since before breakfast. Greg's fingers couldn't unbutton Lisa's blouse fast enough. Her C-cup bra fell to the floor exposing her luscious breasts. In her excitement, Lisa ripped Greg's shirt off–a few buttons were now missing. He leaned her back onto the bed and removed her jeans and panties. Oh, the desires… His masculine hands gently and slowly moved over her, tracing the curves of her bottom, her hips, her breasts–igniting in her a restless craving to get closer, to touch and be touched more intimately. There was little time, as Maggie would soon finish with her dollies. Greg's belt buckle clanged as his jeans hit the hardwood floor. He lay down beside Lisa, holding her curvaceous body closely, drawing his thumbs across her nipples hardening them into tight little peaks, increasing desires….
For the Love of Lisa by Callie Norse is available at the following online stores:
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About Callie Norse
I have always loved to read. My eighth grade English teacher required us to write short stories. This is when I first learned I loved to write. When my three children were young, I would write short stories, dreaming of someday having time to write seriously. After my parents passed away 16 days apart, I wrote a book on the loss of elderly parents and how devastating it can be, even when they are elderly. I completed the book, but have never published it. Later, I developed a short story into For the Love of Lisa.
I reside in Northern Illinois with my husband, and continue to write.
Connect with Callie Norse:
Website
Facebook
Article in PageSuite
callienorse [at] yahoo [dot] com
April 17, 2011
Novella Review: Spiderwork by L.K. Rigel
Not too long ago… okay I'm not really good with time these days, but let's just give it a few nondescript months ago, I read Space Junque by L.K. Rigel. Afterward, she was kind enough to give me a copy of the sequel, Spiderwork. Okay… I admit it. I'm in love with the cover art for this. Go ahead… it's okay to drool. Meanwhile, the blurb from Ms. Rigel's website:
Her fate was to hold the world together. His destiny was to tear it apart.
As a child, Durga was chosen by the goddess to save the world from sterility and extinction. Now her eighteenth birthday approaches, and Durga must take her place among the chalices — women made fertile by the goddess to ensure more souls for the universe. Durga's mission does not include love … but Khai, the scion of Luxor, is unlike any man she's ever met.
Char Meadowlark once played a role in the goddess's plans. Now her lover, Jake Ardri, heads an emerging city-state whose enemies covet everything Jake has built. As Jake navigates the uneasy waters of political intrigue, his very existence is threatened. To save him, Char must share him with a chalice … one trained to take him to the heights of sexual ecstasy.
In flagrante apocalypto: When the veil drops between life and oblivion, only love can save them from the abyss.
Where I would call Space Junque a science fiction space opera, Spiderwork is more of a post-apocalyptic dystopian fantasy. The earth is jacked up royally, animal products we take for granted are a rarity, and humans are a dying species. Interesting enough, much of the technology from Space Junque novel is gone… gone… gone.
This was one of those books I had mixed feeling about. A lot had to do with my belief system. You see, I'm a huge advocate for women's sexual health and rights. Spiderwork kind of trampled all over that. Even as I type this, I know it's a huge part of the storyline, and without this aspect of the novella much of the forward momentum would be nonexistent. Still, the idea of young women (girls, even) being exploited didn't sit well with me. Furthermore, the thought of my lover getting it on with another… well I let's just say it doesn't give me the warm fuzzies.
Even so, on a cultural level, the belief system of the characters was interesting. Though I'm American, drenched in American values, I can envision that kind of behavior going on in other parts of the world and taken as normal. Yes, it rubbed me all sorts of wrong, but at the same time it was completely realistic.
Because the concepts were foreign to me, the entire book was unpredictable. It was enjoyable to read a book and not know what to expect. I remember thinking this is not the way a romance is supposed to go. Guys and gals… this is not a romance with your happily ever after. Not a bad thing if you're like me, a lover of realistic endings rather than the cozy everything turns out perfectly ones. And I have to say, I absolutely loved this ending… enough to move on to the sequel, Bleeder.
From the rumors, I get the feeling Bleeder has a happily ever after. So perhaps the entire series will appeal to romance readers as a whole.
Other than going into culture shock, I think I would have liked if this work had a bit more meat to it. Not that the work was too short. Novellas work for me. It just would have been nice to explore each event a little more thoroughly. As it was, I felt like I was on a race to the end with each scene. I think I mentioned in the Space Junque review (see here), Ms. Rigel isn't one to waste words. Same thing here. She has a story to tell, and she tells it… no added fluff. After some of the comments folks have made about Shadow Cat, I definitely could use some lessons from Ms. Rigel.
Well, I'm in the middle of the Maximum Ride stories by James Patterson, but Bleeder is high on my list. I'm anxious to find out who's story is next and how this saga concludes.
Spiderwork is available at B&N
Or get both Space Junque & Spiderwork in a 2-pack deal at B&N
April 15, 2011
Guest Post: Selena Blake on Being Willing to Change
A few weeks ago, Selena Blake offered to do a guest post on the Authors Helping Authors series. With everything going on with Shadow Cat, I fell in love with her rule #7. Yay! for me when she offered to expand on it. And Yay! for you too. haha So here we have it:
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Rule #7 of my Ten Commandments of Indie Publishing is be willing to change.
I think that just like in life, those who are willing to change and adapt in the publishing industry are those who will flourish. Admittedly, change can be scary and sometimes even hard. But it's worth it.
For me, change came when I got the rights back to five books from a previous publisher. I turned around and began publishing those backlist books myself and I've done really well, I think.
I'm certainly not the only one embracing change in the publishing industry. Readers are embracing digital books as well.
According to Yahoo News (January 2011), Amazon stated "since January 1, U.S. customers have bought 115 Kindle editions for every 100 paperbacks sold."
How's that for change?
I've watched the ebook industry pretty much since inception. I've waited for it to grow. And I've seen how large traditionally print publishers have reacted to this new wave of technology.
The key here is traditional publishers are reactionary. I'll admit it's pretty hard to turn an ocean liner (otherwise the Titanic might not be lying on the bottom of the ocean after half a voyage.) But the people who are thriving these days are those who are willing to take risks.
With the digital wave, it's time to swim or sink.
While big publishers resist change, we indie authors can use change to our advantage. We can shift faster than big companies can. We can take risks that their board of directors would scream at. We can move between digital releases and print when it makes sense for our business. We can adapt to changes in the market, within our genre or distribution method.
Becoming an indie author is a lot like being tossed into a pool for the first time — without your water wings. Honestly, it can be a little scary with no one there to cover your back. Everything falls to you: cover art, blurbs, promotion, revisions and editing, book keeping.
But that's also the beauty of indie publishing. With you at the helm, you can steer your ship. You can change course. You can even keep on your water wings if you want.
You have the benefit of being able to tweak your blurb/description over the course of the book's (very long) life. And if you discover your cover isn't selling, you can change that. You can surround yourself with a team of your choice to edit, design, layout, and promote your books.
Over the course of my career, I've changed publishers. I've embraced ebooks as the media of choice for my career and all my personal reading. I've changed titles; I've tweaked blurbs. I've revised how I construct descriptions. I have all new covers for my indie releases. I've expanded previously released books. And I've changed and expanded my focus as an author. I'm targeting new publishers and writing longer, more complex books. I think it's going pretty well.
In short, I'm embracing change. I'm embracing diversity.
A few final thoughts:
1. Take advantage of your flexibility as an indie author.
2. Be willing to change and adapt your writing. This doesn't mean stifle your voice, but embrace a different path.
3. Try a new genre.
4. Write a short story or a novella if you traditionally write novels.
5. Get a new cover if you think it would improve sales.
6. Update your blurb. I've done this several times, even as a book is on sale.
7. Be willing to change your title.
8. Don't be married to your words. You may have to cut them.
9. Try a new type of promotion. Join an author co-op. Try advertising. Experiment with a soft launch.1
10. Try new methods of distribution. You don't have to stick with them forever. Try things until you find something that works.
How are you embracing change within your writing life?
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About Selena Blake
An action movie buff with a penchant for all things supernatural and sexy, Selena Blake combines her love for adventure, travel and romance into steamy paranormal romance. Selena's books have been called "a steamy escape" and have appeared on bestseller lists, been nominated for awards, and won contests. When she's not writing you can find her by the pool soaking up some sun, day dreaming about new characters, and watching the cabana boy (aka her muse), Derek. Fan mail keeps her going when the diet soda wears off so write to her at selenablake@gmail.com.
Want to know more about Selena Blake? Check out her website!
April 13, 2011
Who Art Thou Thursday: Calllie Norse
Today's featured author is Callie Norse, author of For the Love of Lisa.
Tell us about your most recent publication.
For the Love of Lisa is romance/mystery with paranormal happenings. Readers say it is an emotional roller coaster and a definite page turner.
Lisa and Greg Carrington and their six-year-old daughter move into an old Victorian home which has many mysteries. Lisa becomes ill believing she must be pregnant. When she discovers the reality is that she is seriously ill, she leaves a dying wish for her husband. The wish is unthinkable. Has she asked too much?
The story has many twists and turns and is sure to intrigue to the end.
For you, what's the hardest part of the writing process?
The most difficult part is the beginning. Once I have that down, the rest flows. I am not a plotter. Sure, I have some ideas, but never know how they will unfold until my fingers hit the keys. It always amazes me how things that I don't expect, happen before my eyes. If I get stumped, I let it sit for a few days. It is then, that I go to sleep thinking about the plot, and wake up thinking about it, until I find the right direction the plot needs to take.
For you, what's the easiest part of the writing process?
It's fun and fairly easy once I get the first chapter written.
Anything special you'd like to say to readers?
Whether you enjoy romance or mystery you will enjoy For the Love of Lisa–that is, if you don't mind some steamy love scenes and a few spirits. If you enjoy touching, heart wrenching stories, you are sure to enjoy this one.
What are you working on now?
I'm now in the editing phase of A Love Too Soon, the second of the Carrington Series. It is also romance/mystery with paranormal happenings. It takes place where For the Love of Lisa leaves off–a little over a year later. Those who have read my manuscript love it as much as the first one. They say they become quite involved with my characters and keep wanting more.
Why did you decide to publish independently?
I sent my manuscript to several publishers. Each publishers required different things. I was spending so much time preparing to send to each and then would receive rejections. I have read how many famous authors received large numbers of rejections before finally being accepted. I didn't feel I had the time or years left. I wanted to devote more time to my writing than this would allow me, especially with a genre I had heard was more difficult to get accepted. I then began researching self-publishing companies and chose iuniverse. They gave me guidance that I wouldn't have received with others. I have now signed with iuniverse again to publish A Love Too Soon.
How do you come up with your cover art?
I create my own photo using things I have in my own home such as the barn/dutch door on the cover of For the Love of Lisa. I used berries and branches from a tree in my yard and arranged them around a lighted candle which represents many things in the book. I want some form of light to represent all the books in the Carrington series. The next book has a lantern on the cover.
What's your favorite part about the publishing process and why? (consider the initial book concept all the way through marketing, and beyond)
To finally see my long awaited book in print is definitely my favorite part. The actual publishing process was not fun. Writing is the fun part. Editing is work that never seems to end. I begin to doubt everything I have written. When I write, I let the words flow, right or not, until what I call the rough draft is finished. Then I go back and reread it making obvious changes such as typos, spelling errors, revising wording until it sounds right, and deleting words that aren't necessary. I keep editing until I feel it is the best I can make it. Marketing is probably the most difficult. I am still learning new ways to promote my book.
How about some quickies!
Pencil or Pen: Pencil
Print or Cursive: Cursive
Pantser or Plotter: Pantser
Favorite Candy: Milk Duds
Worst habit: I'm a procrastinator
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About Callie Norse
I have always loved to read. My eighth grade English teacher required us to write short stories. This is when I first learned I loved to write. When my three children were young, I would write short stories, dreaming of someday having time to write seriously. After my parents passed away 16 days apart, I wrote a book on the loss of elderly parents and how devastating it can be, even when they are elderly. I completed the book, but have never published it. Later, I developed a short story into For the Love of Lisa.
I reside in Northern Illinois with my husband, and continue to write.
Connect with Callie Norse:
Website
Facebook
Article in PageSuite
callienorse [at] yahoo [dot] com
For the Love of Lisa by Callie Norse is available at the following online stores:
April 12, 2011
Author Interview: India Drummond
For those of you who don't remember, India Drummond had her debut release, Ordinary Angels, last week. Well today, she's offered to do an interview for us. Enjoy!
Urban Fantasy & Paranormal Fiction Author
First off, tell us about your most recent publication.
Ordinary Angels is an urban fantasy / paranormal romance novel in which Zoe Pendergraft falls in love with an angel, frees a soul from necromancers, releases a ghost trapped in the Void, and saves his living grandson from demons.
Give us a brief description of a story you have hidden in your skeleton closet? And will it ever see the light of day?
My first novel will probably never be published. I still love it, but it's in the way one still holds affection for their first boyfriend. Ill-fated, but a nice memory. I may, however, end up picking over its bones and salvaging some good characters and plot points for something later.
How much of you/your life do you put into your stories?
The first book (the aforementioned 'skeleton book', too much, perhaps. Nowadays, not a lot. Zoe, my main character in Ordinary Angels, isn't like me. She doesn't have a sat nav, her own computer, or really get into anything gadgety, where I'm a total freak for all the latest tech. I think it's natural for writers to write about themselves in the beginning, but as we learn our craft, we start to create characters for a specific purpose to act out a role for the best dramatic effect. That being said, Zoe does have my alarm clock and my kitchen.
Which of your characters do you relate to most?
In this book, Zoe, definitely. She's just so human. Being surrounded by angels, that makes her somewhat insecure about her flaws. She wants to be stronger, tougher, and always do the smart thing, and she laughs at herself when she falls short of the Tomb Raider ideal for "kick ass heroines."
For you, what's the hardest part of the writing process?
Seeing my own mistakes. I can polish something within an inch of its life, and my beta readers or editor will still come back to me with so much red-lining that I'm shocked. Every. Time. Just when I think I've got it nailed, they set me straight.
For you, what's the easiest part of the writing process?
Writing that initial outline. I love creating the characters and plotting out their ups and downs and the conflicts that will get in their way.
With hindsight being 20/20, is there anything you would have changed with your publishing journey?
I would have written more books instead of torturing that one poor, first effort for so many years, querying, rewriting, querying again. Back then I didn't know that to gain more experience, I needed to move on to other stories. Only by doing that can you illicit the experimentation that brings discovery for a writer.
Any advice you have for writers?
Never give up. I know it might sound trite. But really. Do NOT give up. It's an exciting time for publishing, and so many options are open to authors. Check them out. There is no longer any reason to spend years "aspiring" when you could be writing.
Anything special you'd like to say to readers?
Just thank you! I've been so overwhelmed at the wonderful reviews, comments, and letters that I've already started getting about Ordinary Angels. It's been an unexpected surprise. I suppose I knew people would buy my book, theoretically, but the reality of seeing the ranking climb or getting a note saying "I just bought your book, and I'm loving it," well, I have honestly been moved to tears more than once this week because of the generosity of readers.
A Few Quickies
Pen or pencil: Keyboard—I have a condition that makes writing with a hand-tool very painful if it's anything longer than a grocery list or a note jotted on a calendar. So I use voice activation software for most things.
Print or cursive: Same answer, I'm afraid. I used to have lovely handwriting! It was a point of pride, even!
Favorite candy: Butterfingers! But we can't get those in the UK, so I rely on my mum to bring me a couple when she visits.
Favorite food: Chocolate covered cherries are food, right?
Worst habit: I'm sure my hubby could give you a long list, but I'm sure I don't have any! Oh, except maybe giving two-sentence replies when someone asked for 'a quickie' answer!
Thanks for stopping by and interviewing with me. If readers want to learn more about you and/or your work, where can they find you?
Thanks so much for having me. Really great, fun questions! I'm all over the web (bit of a social networking junkie)…
I have a blog at http://www.indiadrummond.com/
I'm on Facebook, where I do like to hang out and socialise sometimes, or you can visit my Facebook Author Page for more book-related updates.
I'm a pretty regular Twitterer too!
About Drummond's Books:
[image error]ORDINARY ANGELS
Lyrical Press, Inc
ISBN-10: (TBD)
ISBN-13: (TBD)
ASIN: (TBD)
Price: $5.50
Publication Date: April 4, 2011
An urban fantasy / paranormal novel in which Zoë Pendergraft falls in love with an angel, frees a soul from necromancers, releases a ghost trapped in the Void, and saves his living grandson from demons.
An angel is about to fall…
Although most of Zoe Pendergraft's friends are dead, that means nothing to her. After all, they died long before she met them. What does matter is the angel who took her dancing and turned her world upside down. But grim reality intrudes when she finds a body, and the Higher Angels accuse her friend of the murder.
Knowing she's the only one who can stand against the Higher Angels, Zoe uses any means necessary to save her friend…all the while, wondering if the tempestuous love she's feeling is real. The blood on her hands forces Zoe to question herself, and her angel to question her.
Contains strong language and supernatural sizzle.
