H.S. Stone's Blog, page 31

Should I give up?

Every once in a while, I'll read about indie authors considering quitting because their books aren't selling. In some cases, I think it's just a case of unrealistic expectations. IMHO, any author who has just published a first novel and wonders why it hasn't sold a thousand copies in the first week is delusional. On the other hand, there are also authors with multiple books that have been available for years, and their books still aren't selling. Should they quit? That's a tougher question.

I...

Book review: Epic by Conor Kostick

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Description:
Welcome to a society governed through computer games!

On New Earth, society is governed and conflicts are resolved in the arena of a fantasy computer game, Epic. If you win, you have the chance to fulfill your dreams; if you lose, your life both in and out of the game is worth nothing. When teenage Erik dares to subvert the rules of Epic, he and his friends must face the Committee. If Erik and his friends win, they may have the key to destroying the C...

What I envy about other authors

Envy is a part of being human. I'm certainly guilty of feeling envy at times. What I don't understand, as it relates to being an author, is how some authors can become so envious of another's success that they try to sabotage that success. For example, I've heard stories of authors leaving bad reviews for other books in the same genre, books they haven't even read, just to bring down the ratings of other authors' books.

When I hear about another indie author's success, I'm happy for them. Suc...

Guest post: Why I Write Dystopian by Katie French

Earlier this year, I read The Breeders, a YA post-apocalyptic novel from author Katie French. I loved the book, and in the process, Katie French became one of my favorite indie authors. In February, she published Nessa, a companion story to The Breeders, and just last week, the first book in her new YA trilogy, Eyes Ever to the Sky, was released. For fans of YA and dystopian, I highly recommend picking up one of her books.

Not only is she a fantastic writer, but Katie also agreed to a guest po...

Book review: Placebo by Steven James

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Description:
While covertly investigating a controversial neurological research program, exposé filmmaker Jevin Banks is drawn into a far-reaching conspiracy involving one of the world's largest pharmaceutical firms. After giving up his career as an escape artist and illusionist in the wake of his wife and sons' tragic death, Jevin is seeking not only answers about the questionable mind-to-mind communication program, but also answers to why his family suffered as...

Do or do not. There is no try.

In case you didn't know, the title of the post comes from a quote in The Empire Strikes Back, when Luke Skywalker doubts his abilities and wants to give up. Luke says he'll try, and Yoda tells him, "Do or do not. There is no try." You either see a task to completion or don't bother attempting it. Don't say you'll do something but then give half of your effort.

What does that have to do with me? Other than being a big fan of the Star Wars movies (well, episodes 4 through 6 anyway), the quote re...

Book review: 24 Hours by Greg Iles

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Description:
24 HOURS --- that's how long it takes a madman to pull off the perfect crime. He's done it before, he'll do it again, and no one can stop him.

But this time, he's just picked the wrong family to terrorize. Because Will and Karen Jennings aren't going to watch helplessly as he victimizes them. And they aren't going to let him get away with it.

Rating: 3 stars (out of 5)

Review:
This was the first time during the Authors A to Z reading challenge that I ha...

To market or not to market

As I've mentioned before, I spend some time on the KBoards (formerly Kindle Boards) Writers' Cafe forums. Many of the topics in the forum have to do with marketing books -- what works, what doesn't, what should we try. Occasionally, the question also comes up about how much of an author's precious time should be spent marketing.

The answer to that question seems to depend on how much experience the author has. The newbie author who's just published his or her first book tends to want to spend...

Book review: The Line by Teri Hall

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Description:
An invisible, uncrossable physical barrier encloses the United States. The Line is the part of the border that lopped off part of the country, dooming the inhabitants to an unknown fate when the enemy used a banned weapon. It's said that bizarre creatures and superhumans live on the other side, in Away. Nobody except tough old Ms. Moore would ever live next to the Line.

Nobody but Rachel and her mother, who went to live there after Rachel's dad died...

The benefits of not writing often (or how I avoid writer's block)

You've undoubtedly seen the movies or heard the stories of the writer with writer's block. They sit in front of a typewriter, a laptop, or a notebook for hours, days, or weeks, but their Muse doesn't speak to them. Sometimes they seclude themselves so they can concentrate. Sometimes they go crazy. (The Shining or Secret Window, anyone?)

I don't have to worry about that (and my family doesn't have to worry about me turning into the next Jack Torrance) because I rarely get writer's block. My sec...