K.C. Sprayberry's Blog, page 169
February 27, 2015
Book Release ~ Lost & Scared
Lost & Scared
When their younger twin siblings were murdered by their cold-blooded father, Shane and Keri’s own twin connection deepened. Their father shamed Shane and Keri into silence, and then went on to bring four more children into a house shuddering under the weight of his unpredictable temper. Ten years later, what should have been a regular visitation turns into a horrific nightmare. Trapped in the Superstition Mountains with an addicted and dangerous father, Keri’s faith and determination wavers, but she knows she must save her brothers and sisters and return all of them to the home they love.She now faces one insurmountable obstacle. He can’t afford to let her go.
Excerpt 1 ~ Shane
The window in my bedroom that I share with my two younger brothers overlooks Main Street. I angle my head, so I can attempt to see where my twin is.“See Keri?” Axe, my best bud, asks.“Nope. But I do see a bunch of cars leaving.” I face him and grin. “That means she’s on her way back.”“Great. We can leave now.”“Looks that way.”He and I race down the stairs. The normal noise of a large family during winter holiday break greets me, along with what can only be described as evil snickering. We come around the corner, shoving and pushing to see which one of us gets to the bottom first, with me gaining an inch on my bud.“Yes!” I pump a fist and hop down the last three steps, the satisfaction of proving once and for all that I’m the best pass receiver on our team.“I am so going to beat you one of these days,” he says.We knuckle bump and clown around.“Ready when you are, honey,” a strange female voice says.“Huh?” I turn around.A woman who looks like a million miles of bad road stands beside the open front door. Before I can ask who she is and what she’s doing in our house, a series of loud bangs precedes the sound of a cat yowling. That noise sends fear shivers through every inch of my body, and I don’t scare all that easily.“What the heck?” Axe pushes me aside. “What’s going on, Shane?”“Don’t know.” I point at the woman. “Who are you?”“Jake’s honey-poo,” she purrs.That response is wrong on so many levels, beginning with Jake is my dad’s name. The last time I checked he was still married to my mom.“Who are you two handsome hunks?”Gross. Sick. Yuck! She sounds just like Scooter when he catches a mouse.Just as I’m about to tell this loser from the wrong side of the tracks to get lost, Scooter races out of the kitchen. A mix of who knows what, he has gorgeous gray and white striped fur and I can only describe him as fat and slow. Slow comes nowhere close to describing that streak racing for safety. Scooter howls out his fear. His fur stands on end and his tail is so fluffy that it looks ten times its normal size.
Author Bio:
Born and raised in Southern California’s Los Angeles basin, K.C. Sprayberry spent years traveling the United States and Europe while in the Air Force before settling in Northwest Georgia. A new empty nester with her husband of more than twenty years, she spends her days figuring out new ways to torment her characters and coming up with innovative tales from the South and beyond. She’s a multi-genre author who comes up with ideas from the strangest sources. Some of her short stories have appeared in anthologies, others in magazines. Three of her books (Softly Say Goodbye, Who Am I?, and Mama’s Advice) are Amazon best sellers. Her other books are: Take Chances, Where U @, The Wrong One, Pony Dreams, Evil Eyes, Inits, Canoples Investigations Tackles Space Pirates, The Call Chronicles 1: The Griswold Gang, The Curse of Grungy Gulley, Paradox Lost: Their Path, and Starlight. Additionally, she has shorts available on Amazon: Grace, Secret From the Flames, Family Curse … Times Two, Right Wrong Nothing In Between, and The Ghost Catcher.
Book Trailer
Excerpt 2 ~ Keri
Carly and I sneak up the walkway to the backdoor of the house where I live with my parents and five siblings. We’ve done nothing wrong. There is no reason for us to be sneaking into my house, except one… him. “Are you sure about this?” she whispers.“Yeah.” I cast a guilty glance at the driveway. Shane’s truck isn’t here. He must still be hanging with his best bud, Axe. Heat rushes up my face whenever I think about that hunk. Axe not Shane. Big Bro is anything but a hunk. Well, he is kind of cute, and a lot of girls like him, but a hunk? Give me a break. None of the girls hot for him know that he stinks up a bathroom or dumps his clothes all over the place for me to pick up.I’ll forgive Carly for thinking like that. She’s good for Shane, if he’d just get over the “everybody will hate us for dating” thing. Big deal if she’s African American and we’re white. Nobody cares about that anymore.“Your dad will pop a cork if he catches me in the house,” Carly says. “You know he hates… you know.”We never talk about that. So what if my dad is the biggest bigot in the world? The rest of my family is totally cool with me having Carly around. They like her. She’s funny, and an awesome bestie. We both stop in front of the back door. I reach out a hand, but don’t turn the knob when I hear shouting.“Oh, shit.” I glance at Carly.“What now?” she whispers.Memories flood through me of a night I try so very hard to forget. Once upon a time, there was another set of twins in our house. Then they were gone. The reason they’re not with us anymore is too hard to think about. I don’t even talk about that night, but that’s because Shane and I made a sacred vow. We will always keep that secret. Telling now will cause so many problems for us. I have to tell someone, but that means I’ll go to jail. Won’t I? Isn’t that where liars go when they hide a crime?The anniversary of that particular act still haunts me, even though it was way back in August. December has usually been good, even if we’re sad because of whatever he is doing. To have such an innocent act end in the violence as that one did should never happen to anyone, especially a kid. To have the person responsible still walking around as if he did nothing wrong infuriates me, until I think about how I never told.Shane didn’t either. We should have told. It didn’t matter if we were only seven. It doesn’t matter now that we’re almost seventeen. We should have told.
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February 23, 2015
Celebrate Reviews ~ The Good, The Bad, and The Indifferent
Ah, the dreaded review. A five star has us leaping over the moon and sharing with one and all. A one star will have us bemoaning those who don’t realize what it took to write our book. I’m fairly certain all of us have received a less than stellar review at some point in time. That one sticks with us, makes us rethink our dedication to the craft. Some authors have declared they’re ready to quit after their first bad review.Is that the way to go?
Absolutely not. A review is someone’s opinion about our book. There’s no need to troll the reviewer’s stats, searching for a reason they didn’t like our book. Please don’t post derogatory comments about the reviewer, either on the sales site or your blog. Ignore the review, unless the reviewer makes very valid points about plot content or proofreading/editing problems. Then it’s time to go through your book with a fine tooth comb and ask yourself if you could have done better. If you don’t see anything wrong, ask a person you trust to be blunt and truthful to look over your book and give their opinion. Be ready to hear the worst news. And rejoice when they say there might be a few things but nothing to warrant a poor review.
I’m no different from anyone else. I love seeing those five star reviews, but they aren’t a real picture of how good your book is. The sales reflect that information. Let’s look at how the review system is used at this moment.
5 Stars: A stellar book. No mistakes at all. Keeps the reader’s interest from the first page to the last. No sagging middle. No hanging plot points. No stiff characters. You haven’t made a single mistake and the reader is telling you that.
4 Stars: Good book. Some mistakes. The reader liked what you wrote and is telling you that, but you also need to see why they didn’t go for the top rating. Maybe the characters don’t talk like real people. Do you eschew contractions completely? Remember, when people talk and think, they use contractions. Use them yourself. Make your dialogue and action real. You might have also left a plot point dangling, which causes the reader to be confused. That’s where a stellar proofreader will help you.
3 Stars: Book is still good but there are problems. Spelling errors, incorrect grammar, poor characterization, or any of the other points previously discussed. Your book still needs work. Don’t obsess over these things now. Wait until you’re ready with the second edition and move onto your next book, but keep in mind that you have to watch for those problems.
2 Stars: The reader wasn’t in love with your book. They didn’t have a good time reading it. There was little to no connection with the characters. This indicated two problems. You might need to completely rewrite the book, or the reader really isn’t into this type of novel. If it’s the first problem, engage a beta reader to point out the problems. If it’s the second, move on. You can’t please everyone all the time.
1 Star: More than one reason exists for the lowest level of review rating. The reader absolutely hated your book. The reasons vary. Some for the content. Some for the plot. Others just hated the book but never really explain why. Then there are the trolls, who write unfavorable reviews only to get commentary. Ignore the last type of review. They’re not worth your time and effort to argue with a person whose only reason for writing what they did was to get a reaction. I do suggest going over your book to see if there are problems you ignored previously, but otherwise accept that some people won’t like what you wrote.
We, as authors, know we need reviews. Ideally, we would like those reviews to be from people who have purchased the book and liked it. Those are the best reviews. We also trade books with other authors, each of us writing a review to assist the other. We faithfully post those reviews to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Goodreads, and hope others do the same for us.
In the end, a great review with the reviewer explaining why they liked the book without giving spoilers can help sales. A poor review may cause others to rethink purchasing your book, but it’s how you handle reviews that eventually attracts readers. Cheer for the good reviews. Don’t talk about the poor ones, unless you’re asked. If you are asked about a poor review, don’t denigrate the reviewer. It is their opinion, after all. Stick with a simple “I can’t please everyone all the time.” Your quiet acceptance that you will receive poor reviews without bashing that person will get you more readers than if you tell everyone what a louse that reviewer is.
Absolutely not. A review is someone’s opinion about our book. There’s no need to troll the reviewer’s stats, searching for a reason they didn’t like our book. Please don’t post derogatory comments about the reviewer, either on the sales site or your blog. Ignore the review, unless the reviewer makes very valid points about plot content or proofreading/editing problems. Then it’s time to go through your book with a fine tooth comb and ask yourself if you could have done better. If you don’t see anything wrong, ask a person you trust to be blunt and truthful to look over your book and give their opinion. Be ready to hear the worst news. And rejoice when they say there might be a few things but nothing to warrant a poor review.
I’m no different from anyone else. I love seeing those five star reviews, but they aren’t a real picture of how good your book is. The sales reflect that information. Let’s look at how the review system is used at this moment.
5 Stars: A stellar book. No mistakes at all. Keeps the reader’s interest from the first page to the last. No sagging middle. No hanging plot points. No stiff characters. You haven’t made a single mistake and the reader is telling you that.
4 Stars: Good book. Some mistakes. The reader liked what you wrote and is telling you that, but you also need to see why they didn’t go for the top rating. Maybe the characters don’t talk like real people. Do you eschew contractions completely? Remember, when people talk and think, they use contractions. Use them yourself. Make your dialogue and action real. You might have also left a plot point dangling, which causes the reader to be confused. That’s where a stellar proofreader will help you.
3 Stars: Book is still good but there are problems. Spelling errors, incorrect grammar, poor characterization, or any of the other points previously discussed. Your book still needs work. Don’t obsess over these things now. Wait until you’re ready with the second edition and move onto your next book, but keep in mind that you have to watch for those problems.
2 Stars: The reader wasn’t in love with your book. They didn’t have a good time reading it. There was little to no connection with the characters. This indicated two problems. You might need to completely rewrite the book, or the reader really isn’t into this type of novel. If it’s the first problem, engage a beta reader to point out the problems. If it’s the second, move on. You can’t please everyone all the time.
1 Star: More than one reason exists for the lowest level of review rating. The reader absolutely hated your book. The reasons vary. Some for the content. Some for the plot. Others just hated the book but never really explain why. Then there are the trolls, who write unfavorable reviews only to get commentary. Ignore the last type of review. They’re not worth your time and effort to argue with a person whose only reason for writing what they did was to get a reaction. I do suggest going over your book to see if there are problems you ignored previously, but otherwise accept that some people won’t like what you wrote.
We, as authors, know we need reviews. Ideally, we would like those reviews to be from people who have purchased the book and liked it. Those are the best reviews. We also trade books with other authors, each of us writing a review to assist the other. We faithfully post those reviews to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Goodreads, and hope others do the same for us.
In the end, a great review with the reviewer explaining why they liked the book without giving spoilers can help sales. A poor review may cause others to rethink purchasing your book, but it’s how you handle reviews that eventually attracts readers. Cheer for the good reviews. Don’t talk about the poor ones, unless you’re asked. If you are asked about a poor review, don’t denigrate the reviewer. It is their opinion, after all. Stick with a simple “I can’t please everyone all the time.” Your quiet acceptance that you will receive poor reviews without bashing that person will get you more readers than if you tell everyone what a louse that reviewer is.
February 18, 2015
Curse of the Purple Delhi Sapphire
Curse of the Purple Delhi SapphireTemple of Indra Series Book TwoRachael StapletonGenre: Mystery, Adventure, Romance
Publisher: Solstice PublishingDate of Publication: February 3rd, 2015ASIN: B00SNAF018Print Length: 215 pagesWord Count: 66, 400Cover Artist: Rebecca Boyd
Book Description:
As a librarian, Sophia Marcil loved reading, especially books about ancient curses and reincarnation, but she never imagined the legend of the Purple Delhi Sapphire was true until she inherited it and was transported back to a past life where she was murdered. Now she knows that not only is reincarnation real, but so is the devil’s magic locked inside the precious gem. Just as she’s about to tell her boyfriend Cullen about it, he proposes with an engagement ring made from a piece of the very sapphire that’s cursed her. Reeling from the shock and surrounded by his family, she allows him to place it on her ring finger. As soon as it touches her skin, she feels herself being wrenched back in time.
Before she knows it, she’s wandering the hallway of an old Victorian house in the body of her great aunt. Unfortunately, her nemesis has also reincarnated in 1920—as one of her family members. Sophia struggles to locate the Purple Delhi Sapphire in time to prevent the deaths of those she loves, but she fails and returns to her present-day life, to the precise moment she left, with a deep understanding that her killer’s soul is also tied to the sapphire and every life she has, he is resurrected as someone close to her.
Her stalker ex-boyfriend Nick seems like a prime candidate this time but she’s convinced she’s a step ahead of him, thanks to a tip from a medium, she knows that if she uses the magic of the stone correctly she can trap Nick’s soul in the sapphire and save herself. But when Nick is murdered, she finds evidence that has her questioning everything she thought she knew.
Is Cullen husband material or is history doomed to repeat itself?
Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/VCeG9eA09Fg
About the Author:
Rachel Stapleton spent her youth cultivating a vivid imagination inside the book lined walls of an old Victorian library where she consumed everything from mystery to biography, creating magical worlds, hidden elevators, and secret spiral staircases. At sixteen, she penned a column for the local newspaper and in 2006, wrote her first book featuring an adventurous librarian.She lives in a Second Empire Victorian with her husband and two children in Ontario and enjoys writing in the comforts of aged wood and arched dormers. She is the author of The Temple of Indra’s Jewel and is currently working on a third book in the Temple of Indra series.
Visit her website and follow her on social media. Sign up to receive email updates:www.rachaelstapleton.com http://rachaelstapleton.blogspot.ca/https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Rachael-Stapleton/137831156290570https://twitter.com/RaquelleJaxsonhttps://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7271862.Rachael_Stapletonhttp://www.amazon.com/Rachael-Stapleton/e/B00IE9W804https://plus.google.com/u/0/102115033706076327791/posts
Tour giveaway
10 E-Copies of The Temple of Indra’s Jewel. (The first book in the series.)
Buy Links: U.S Kindle (Publisher Website)
http://solsticepublishing.com/curse-of-the-purple-delhi-s…/…Paperback
http://www.amazon.com/Curse-Purple-Sapphire-…/…/ref=asap_bc…Kindle
http://www.amazon.com/Curse-Purple-Delhi-Sapp…/…/ref=sr_1_1… Canada: Paperback
http://www.amazon.ca/Curse-Purple-Sapphire-Ra…/…/ref=sr_1_1…Kindle
http://www.amazon.ca/Curse-Purple-Delhi-Sapph…/…/ref=sr_1_1…
Adventures in Fiction: Author Interview with Rachael Stapleton Tell us your latest news?Curse of the Purple Delhi Sapphire released this month and made the Amazon Bestsellers list for almost two weeks straight—both Paperback and Kindle ranking in the Time travel Romance category. It was on an honor to be on the same list as my favorite authors Diana Gabaldon and Susanna Kearsley. #Amazon #Bestseller #Timetravelromance
Congratulations! I believe this book is part of the Temple of Indra Series, can you tell us about it?The TEMPLE OF INDRA SERIES centers around former librarian Sophia Marcil, a well-read young woman fascinated by history, magic and ancient curses—all of which she’s only read about up until she inherits the Purple Delhi Sapphire—a cursed gem that offers time travel as well as a madman’s obsession. Curse of the Purple Delhi Sapphire is the second book and opens in the present day. Having somewhat escaped the madman’s grasp, Sophia returns to her own time but quickly realizes he may be closer than she thinks when Cullen proposes with the very sapphire that’s cursed her. As soon as it touches her skin, she feels herself once again being wrenched back in time.That sounds interesting. Where does the ring take her?The ring transports her to the roaring 20’s and into the shadowed history of her own family where she finds herself wandering the hallway of an old Victorian house in the sixteen year old body of her great aunt Zafira. The cover image was actually inspired by this part of the story. She’s aware that her aunt was murdered and she’s desperate to find a way to save her and the rest of her family from the fate she knows they share. Can you remember when you first knew you wanted to be a writer?There was no single epiphany. As a child my aunt would ask me from time to time if I still wanted to be a writer. Apparently I’d once told her that—although I can’t recall the exact moment. I truly don’t even know what prompted my answer although I was always reading so it makes sense. Books transported and changed me—The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis, anything and everything by V.C Andrews and Roald Dahl’s The Witches. Reading is the ultimate adventure—mystery, danger and intrigue from the corner of my room. Something I firmly hope I am able to do for others. What inspired you to write the first book in the series?A beautiful picturesque postcard-like place! That sounds vague, allow me to elaborate. I’m a sucker for beauty, whether it’s nature, architecture or even a beautiful face. There are so many awe-inspiring things in the world that really exist—bizarre, exotic, magical and sometimes horrifying places that we are drawn to perhaps because of fairy tale books and fantasies. The moment that inspired me to write my first book was a swirling underwater cavern in the beautiful waters of Playa Esmeralda. I was snorkeling and swam over a deep dark cavern. I felt alone, excited and curious to go further into it. It was empowering and intriguing and it honestly felt like I was flying over a cliff. I’ve snorkeled many times since but have never experience the same wonder. So I recently returned to the place hoping to re-live the moment, unfortunately it was not to be. I was hit with food poisoning the day I was scheduled to go out but I look back and think maybe it was better that way. After all I’ve written a successful book series sparked from that very moment in time. Could the experience have improved beyond perfection? And then there’s the idea that maybe some things are better viewed through the technicolor haze of memory.What’s your writing process? Do you outline?I begin with an overall theme or premise and go from there. I do outline, but not extensively. Once I’ve written the bones of it down, I tend to write my chapters randomly. Setting is a huge motivator for me. I’ll get an idea for where the scene is taking place and then I drop my core cast of characters down into it, presenting them with a mysterious event or a key plot point. What are your current projects at the moment?I’m closing in on the halfway mark of Book Three in the series—it’s titled Keeper of the Book. Half of it is written from the perspective of my protagonist Sophia’s sixteen year old daughter Alanna and she’s dealing with the absence of her mother—a bombshell that will shock my die-hard fans—but of course everything is not as it seems. Going from first to third person was a nice change. I will also try my hand at resurrecting an Island murder mystery I began last summer. And I have a couple others including a YA outlined which I’ll share eventually. Are there any other new releases on the horizon?I have a short story—a prequel to how Sophia and Cullen met called DINNER IN THE DARK that was just published in Solstice Publishing’s The Food of Love Anthology. There’s a delicious recipe for Dill Pickle soup in it. Go check it out!What’s up next on the Blog Tour?A Spotlight on Fiction Zeal—stop by and enter the #Rafflecopter contest. The tour runs until the 23rd. All stops are listed and linked on the media page of my website www.rachaelstapleton.com .Thank you for joining me today. One final question, where can my readers purchase your book(s)?U.S Paperback
Kindle Canada Paperback Kindle
February 16, 2015
What’s Your Next DIY Project? Part 2
Now that we have Facebook under control, the next social media we’ll attack is Twitter. I’ve had so many people ask how I grow my feed, what I tweet, and how do I attract attention. It’s rather simple, if you take the time to learn Twitter.First, you have to make sure your feed is friendly and inviting. To do this, you need to have a fabulous banner to grab the eye and your picture. Fans want to know what their author looks like. Don’t put your book cover up instead of a picture of you. They’ll see the book cover a lot if they follow you. Discover a great artist who can assist you with making an inexpensive but eye catching banner.
Growing your Twitter feed is important, but don’t try to do that too fast. Until you have at least 2,000 followers, never follow too many people back. What’s the idea ratio? Stay at or under 10% of your followers. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself in Twitter jail. That’s where you won’t be able to tweet until your follower/follow ratio matches.
Now that you have that under control, utilize one of Twitter’s new features—pin a post to the top of your feed. Feature one of your books for a week or two, a video trailer, or an upcoming attraction.
With your pinned post in place, look into utilizing one of the scheduling programs, such as TweetDeck or HootSuite, to set up the times when your posts will appear. It will take you only a few hours once or twice a month to set up those, and you don’t have to worry about getting them up on time. To minimize the amount of time you actually spend scheduling these posts, create a document with everything already done. Then just copy and paste everything. Don’t forget to tag your publisher and use hashtags. Those items go a long way to getting more people to retweet your posts.
Here’s the daily part of using Twitter. Go to “Notifications” and check out the feed. You’ll see colored icons on the left side of each posting. The green ones are those who have retweeted your work. Blue indicates people who have recently followed you. Yellow is for favorites, people have clicked on the star on your post, to show you that they like it. Then there are posts without a colored icon in front of them. Those are responses to your tweet.
How do you deal with these?
We’ll start with the last item first. People who interact with you deserve a response. It can be as simple as a “TY” (thank you) or “YW” (you’re welcome). These posts can also start a conversation. Sometimes the person has initiated that, or you can with a simple response that includes a comment to the person.
Yellow icons don’t usually require a response, but you can, if you so desire.
Blue icons are a great way to connect with people who share your interests. Hover your mouse over the picture, hold down CTRL, and click. You’ll be in a new window with the new follower’s feed in front of you. I like to search for one of their tweets and retweet it before following back.
Green icons will appear the most. These are the people who have retweeted your work, and you need to return the favor.
This takes time, anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour or more a night, but it’s well worth the effort. Soon, you’ll find yourself zooming through hundreds of posts a night, responding, laughing, initiating conversations, and it won’t seem like work. All the while, your followers will be growing and you’ll be discovering new friends, people willing to help you get your books out to more fans.
Growing your Twitter feed is important, but don’t try to do that too fast. Until you have at least 2,000 followers, never follow too many people back. What’s the idea ratio? Stay at or under 10% of your followers. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself in Twitter jail. That’s where you won’t be able to tweet until your follower/follow ratio matches.
Now that you have that under control, utilize one of Twitter’s new features—pin a post to the top of your feed. Feature one of your books for a week or two, a video trailer, or an upcoming attraction.
With your pinned post in place, look into utilizing one of the scheduling programs, such as TweetDeck or HootSuite, to set up the times when your posts will appear. It will take you only a few hours once or twice a month to set up those, and you don’t have to worry about getting them up on time. To minimize the amount of time you actually spend scheduling these posts, create a document with everything already done. Then just copy and paste everything. Don’t forget to tag your publisher and use hashtags. Those items go a long way to getting more people to retweet your posts.
Here’s the daily part of using Twitter. Go to “Notifications” and check out the feed. You’ll see colored icons on the left side of each posting. The green ones are those who have retweeted your work. Blue indicates people who have recently followed you. Yellow is for favorites, people have clicked on the star on your post, to show you that they like it. Then there are posts without a colored icon in front of them. Those are responses to your tweet.
How do you deal with these?
We’ll start with the last item first. People who interact with you deserve a response. It can be as simple as a “TY” (thank you) or “YW” (you’re welcome). These posts can also start a conversation. Sometimes the person has initiated that, or you can with a simple response that includes a comment to the person.
Yellow icons don’t usually require a response, but you can, if you so desire.
Blue icons are a great way to connect with people who share your interests. Hover your mouse over the picture, hold down CTRL, and click. You’ll be in a new window with the new follower’s feed in front of you. I like to search for one of their tweets and retweet it before following back.
Green icons will appear the most. These are the people who have retweeted your work, and you need to return the favor.
This takes time, anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour or more a night, but it’s well worth the effort. Soon, you’ll find yourself zooming through hundreds of posts a night, responding, laughing, initiating conversations, and it won’t seem like work. All the while, your followers will be growing and you’ll be discovering new friends, people willing to help you get your books out to more fans.
February 9, 2015
What’s Your Next DIY Project? Part 1
It’s coming up on springtime, when we do renovations, fix that which winter has destroyed, and plan for new beginnings. Do it yourself projects abound, so what are you, as an author, planning for your next DIY project?
Now that I have your attention, just what kind of DIY project am I talking about? Why, promoting your book. Is there anything else for an author to be doing when spring is in the air? Sure it’s February, but it’s never too soon to look at how you promote your book and see what is and isn’t working.
First on the list is how you present yourself on Facebook. Okay, I have to admit that my fan page doesn’t get as much attention as it should. I just don’t know what to say on a daily basis. That goes to who I am, a very private person still getting used to this expose all world. But I do have some good ideas about what you can do to improve your fan page reach.
#SneakPeekSunday is a great way to get attention for your page. What this entails is posting something like this: #SneakPeekSunday, but better late than never. Thank you for tagging me, Marie Lavender. Here is a teaser from #7 on my list to complete, the opening chapter of Walk Away: Leaving, a tale set in the turbulent time from 1966 to 1973, backdropped with the Vietnam War and one young woman's determination to break out of the mold her parents have designed for her while trying to understand the changes going on in the United States and forgive her family for a long held secret. Then you add an excerpt from a project you’re working on.
#ManicMonday greets the beginning of a new week in a silly way. Monday’s are infamous for being crazed, from the time the alarm rings all the way through to collapsing back in your bed wondering just what did you accomplish. Let’s switch up that problem a little. Add another thing to do on your crazy Monday, and this one must happen before you start the mad dash to get kids to school, go to your day job, and start writing. Post a question about how to drive one of your characters mad, give them a Manic Monday moment. It can be as simple as “Kira knows who beat her older brother, Ryan, to death and why. Always a direct and outspoken person, she’s now afraid to talk to anyone. She did once. One time. But then her dad suffered a heart attack. At thirty-eight. And he was in great shape with no history of heart disease. One year after Ryan was found in the middle of Main Street. The fifth and sixth anniversaries of those events is upon her and she faces a dilemma. Who can she trust enough to prove that what she knows is the truth?
#TeaserTuesday, not to be confused with #SneakPeekSunday. It’s now time to tease your readers with a moment from your book, not necessarily from the beginning. This one comes from the middle. A bit from Reality, our #ManicMonday post could follow up here with this – Uncle Wils approaches me. Sparks fly from his eyes. He’s pissed, but so am I. “No one will ever believe you,” he says, his voice quiet, deadly. “No one.” The shakes settle into my muscles. He might be right. He will be right, if I… Reality intrudes.
#WildIdeaWednesday is your chance to preview stories kicking around in your head. This new material, things you never let see the light of day. Bring them out into the open. Let your inner author shine. Don’t worry about forcing more of the story out. Just let your ideas roost out in the open and get commentary on them. A great #WildIdeaWednesday that might shake up hump day is this – “What a loser.” The words rang in my ears and I can’t believe I said them, even as they left my mouth. Who was I to talk about being a loser? Didn’t I get into trouble for the very same thing only last week?
#ThrillerThursday is the opportunity to thrill your fans with a look at an important moment. This can come from a published novel or one still under construction. Bet you can’t guess where this #ThrillerThursday comes from – Shane! OMG! You were right. Please look for us. Keri.
#Follow-upFriday – does your book deserve a follow up? A short story, a novella to expand on the finale? Or perhaps just a couple of sentences, a paragraph or three to give your fans a peek at the future? Sure, go for it. Give them a #Follow-upFridaymoment with “The F16 streaks toward the sky, afterburners lighting up the dark night, the pilot twisting to one side, his wings waggling in triumph at a successful mission.” Now, this isn’t in a book. Yet. But don’t you agree the finale of Ghost Flight would shine with a follow-up like this, perhaps a short to add to an already great albeit yet to be published book.
#ShowdownSaturday is just what the title implies. It’s showdown time. Gather your author friends. All you’re allowed to post is a paragraph, be it one line or ten. Get friends to comment, ask questions, demand answers. The one with the most engagements wins #ShowdownSaturday.
Now, these are all great ideas to get more people interested in your fan page. You won’t be posting the usual buy my book links. People will have a chance to be part of your writing process, and they’ll start looking for your books. But there is one more step for all of these daily posts. Just one, but probably the most important step.
Tag other writer friends, daring them to do as you have done. Don’t forget to add in hashtags such as #amwriting, #writing, #YA, #comingofage, #diversity, #socialchange
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Now that I have your attention, just what kind of DIY project am I talking about? Why, promoting your book. Is there anything else for an author to be doing when spring is in the air? Sure it’s February, but it’s never too soon to look at how you promote your book and see what is and isn’t working.
First on the list is how you present yourself on Facebook. Okay, I have to admit that my fan page doesn’t get as much attention as it should. I just don’t know what to say on a daily basis. That goes to who I am, a very private person still getting used to this expose all world. But I do have some good ideas about what you can do to improve your fan page reach.
#SneakPeekSunday is a great way to get attention for your page. What this entails is posting something like this: #SneakPeekSunday, but better late than never. Thank you for tagging me, Marie Lavender. Here is a teaser from #7 on my list to complete, the opening chapter of Walk Away: Leaving, a tale set in the turbulent time from 1966 to 1973, backdropped with the Vietnam War and one young woman's determination to break out of the mold her parents have designed for her while trying to understand the changes going on in the United States and forgive her family for a long held secret. Then you add an excerpt from a project you’re working on.
#ManicMonday greets the beginning of a new week in a silly way. Monday’s are infamous for being crazed, from the time the alarm rings all the way through to collapsing back in your bed wondering just what did you accomplish. Let’s switch up that problem a little. Add another thing to do on your crazy Monday, and this one must happen before you start the mad dash to get kids to school, go to your day job, and start writing. Post a question about how to drive one of your characters mad, give them a Manic Monday moment. It can be as simple as “Kira knows who beat her older brother, Ryan, to death and why. Always a direct and outspoken person, she’s now afraid to talk to anyone. She did once. One time. But then her dad suffered a heart attack. At thirty-eight. And he was in great shape with no history of heart disease. One year after Ryan was found in the middle of Main Street. The fifth and sixth anniversaries of those events is upon her and she faces a dilemma. Who can she trust enough to prove that what she knows is the truth?
#TeaserTuesday, not to be confused with #SneakPeekSunday. It’s now time to tease your readers with a moment from your book, not necessarily from the beginning. This one comes from the middle. A bit from Reality, our #ManicMonday post could follow up here with this – Uncle Wils approaches me. Sparks fly from his eyes. He’s pissed, but so am I. “No one will ever believe you,” he says, his voice quiet, deadly. “No one.” The shakes settle into my muscles. He might be right. He will be right, if I… Reality intrudes.
#WildIdeaWednesday is your chance to preview stories kicking around in your head. This new material, things you never let see the light of day. Bring them out into the open. Let your inner author shine. Don’t worry about forcing more of the story out. Just let your ideas roost out in the open and get commentary on them. A great #WildIdeaWednesday that might shake up hump day is this – “What a loser.” The words rang in my ears and I can’t believe I said them, even as they left my mouth. Who was I to talk about being a loser? Didn’t I get into trouble for the very same thing only last week?
#ThrillerThursday is the opportunity to thrill your fans with a look at an important moment. This can come from a published novel or one still under construction. Bet you can’t guess where this #ThrillerThursday comes from – Shane! OMG! You were right. Please look for us. Keri.
#Follow-upFriday – does your book deserve a follow up? A short story, a novella to expand on the finale? Or perhaps just a couple of sentences, a paragraph or three to give your fans a peek at the future? Sure, go for it. Give them a #Follow-upFridaymoment with “The F16 streaks toward the sky, afterburners lighting up the dark night, the pilot twisting to one side, his wings waggling in triumph at a successful mission.” Now, this isn’t in a book. Yet. But don’t you agree the finale of Ghost Flight would shine with a follow-up like this, perhaps a short to add to an already great albeit yet to be published book.
#ShowdownSaturday is just what the title implies. It’s showdown time. Gather your author friends. All you’re allowed to post is a paragraph, be it one line or ten. Get friends to comment, ask questions, demand answers. The one with the most engagements wins #ShowdownSaturday.
Now, these are all great ideas to get more people interested in your fan page. You won’t be posting the usual buy my book links. People will have a chance to be part of your writing process, and they’ll start looking for your books. But there is one more step for all of these daily posts. Just one, but probably the most important step.
Tag other writer friends, daring them to do as you have done. Don’t forget to add in hashtags such as #amwriting, #writing, #YA, #comingofage, #diversity, #socialchange
-
February 2, 2015
Teen Issues
It was difficult to find a variety of teen books during my childhood in the 60s and 70s. There simply weren't many. I devoured the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew mysteries, lived vicariously through Trixie Belden's adventures, and once (for about ten minutes) dreamed of being a nurse like Cherry Ames. After figuring out I couldn't handle the sight of blood, I gave up that dream. Another author I discovered was Judy Blume, and it was then I knew I'd address what had been mostly ignored – issues teens face daily: the peer pressure, the temptations, and mostly the problems people acknowledge when they're in the news, but otherwise they ignore them.
Why concentrate a wonderful love story on teen drinking as I did in Softly Say Goodbye?
The biggest reason is there are very few books available that focus on this story from the perspective of a teen standing up for what she believes is right. Peer pressure for teens is tremendous. Here they are, with all those raging hormones, going through probably the most difficult school years as they learn to be responsible for their assignments without being reminded every day, and no one seems to address the problems teens face as they struggle to finish high school and navigate the pitfalls of just being a teen.
How did I translate those issues into a captivating story everyone who has read it says brings them to tears?
Not easily. I played with the way the story evolves for almost four years from the time the idea came to me. There wasn't one but five first drafts of this tale. In each one, the characters pretty much remained the same, and the climax, the defining moment for Erin, my protagonist, remained clear. The point of view, however, changed with each evolution. It started out as third person, past tense but that quickly hit the recycle bin as being far too dull. Third person, present tense knocked at my mind, for about a week, when nothing sounded right. Unwilling to touch what most people called preachy, I then tried first person, past tense, but was bored to tears. This story had to jump off the page, grab the reader's attention, and hold it. That left one other point of view – first person, present tense.
My biggest worry was telling the story. I set out researching information to help me with my basic plot. Then I had to go through the whole thing word-by-word to keep everything alive. Many times, I stopped at the pivotal moment, agonized over it, sobbed when I realized there was no changing what would happen, and moved on. Then the ending stumbled. Nothing worked. It all seemed preachy, dull, and definitely not worthy of the story I'd written. I think the ending took the longest to perfect, but then in an instant, there it was – screaming why didn't you ever think of this before?
How did this story go from a fantastic idea to published book?
I confess I couldn't have completed the journey this story started without the fantastic people at Solstice Publishing. I tried the big name publishers, but I always received the same response – nothing. No letter informing me the story wasn't right for them. No quick email saying this wasn't what they were looking for. Absolutely nothing. Then I took a chance, and sent this to a small publisher I'd earmarked to try. They saw the same vision I did.
What's next on my agenda?
Hmmm? Tough question. Those in my critique group will tell you I have anywhere from five to ten projects being juggled at the same time. I do. They know me very well after many years together. Which one will be the next novel? It's hard to tell. Now that I’m in the final steps prior to the publication of Lost & Scared, I’ve had a bit of trouble figuring out where to go. Relationships with teens, their insecurities, their secrets, their hopes and dreams, will always be in the forefront for me. These lessons from my own teen years stick with me to this day.
My goal with each new story is to keep in mind what Judy Blume did during my childhood – take a subject not normally tackled and bring it out in a way readers will love. I admire this woman for each and every book she wrote, with themes that made the conservative parents of my teen years cringe. My thoughts on that subject are "Good. Cringe. Read the book. Get involved in your teen's life. Find out what matters to them." And if people talk about my book, if teens see it's okay to stand up against peer pressure, more to the good.
Why concentrate a wonderful love story on teen drinking as I did in Softly Say Goodbye?
The biggest reason is there are very few books available that focus on this story from the perspective of a teen standing up for what she believes is right. Peer pressure for teens is tremendous. Here they are, with all those raging hormones, going through probably the most difficult school years as they learn to be responsible for their assignments without being reminded every day, and no one seems to address the problems teens face as they struggle to finish high school and navigate the pitfalls of just being a teen.
How did I translate those issues into a captivating story everyone who has read it says brings them to tears?
Not easily. I played with the way the story evolves for almost four years from the time the idea came to me. There wasn't one but five first drafts of this tale. In each one, the characters pretty much remained the same, and the climax, the defining moment for Erin, my protagonist, remained clear. The point of view, however, changed with each evolution. It started out as third person, past tense but that quickly hit the recycle bin as being far too dull. Third person, present tense knocked at my mind, for about a week, when nothing sounded right. Unwilling to touch what most people called preachy, I then tried first person, past tense, but was bored to tears. This story had to jump off the page, grab the reader's attention, and hold it. That left one other point of view – first person, present tense.
My biggest worry was telling the story. I set out researching information to help me with my basic plot. Then I had to go through the whole thing word-by-word to keep everything alive. Many times, I stopped at the pivotal moment, agonized over it, sobbed when I realized there was no changing what would happen, and moved on. Then the ending stumbled. Nothing worked. It all seemed preachy, dull, and definitely not worthy of the story I'd written. I think the ending took the longest to perfect, but then in an instant, there it was – screaming why didn't you ever think of this before?
How did this story go from a fantastic idea to published book?
I confess I couldn't have completed the journey this story started without the fantastic people at Solstice Publishing. I tried the big name publishers, but I always received the same response – nothing. No letter informing me the story wasn't right for them. No quick email saying this wasn't what they were looking for. Absolutely nothing. Then I took a chance, and sent this to a small publisher I'd earmarked to try. They saw the same vision I did.
What's next on my agenda?
Hmmm? Tough question. Those in my critique group will tell you I have anywhere from five to ten projects being juggled at the same time. I do. They know me very well after many years together. Which one will be the next novel? It's hard to tell. Now that I’m in the final steps prior to the publication of Lost & Scared, I’ve had a bit of trouble figuring out where to go. Relationships with teens, their insecurities, their secrets, their hopes and dreams, will always be in the forefront for me. These lessons from my own teen years stick with me to this day.
My goal with each new story is to keep in mind what Judy Blume did during my childhood – take a subject not normally tackled and bring it out in a way readers will love. I admire this woman for each and every book she wrote, with themes that made the conservative parents of my teen years cringe. My thoughts on that subject are "Good. Cringe. Read the book. Get involved in your teen's life. Find out what matters to them." And if people talk about my book, if teens see it's okay to stand up against peer pressure, more to the good.
January 26, 2015
NANOWRIMO ~ A MONTH OF FRANTIC WRITING AND NOW WHAT?
National Novel Writing Month (also known as NaNoWriMo or NaNo) is where millions of authors come together to pound out a novel of at least 50,000 words. It’s a crazy time for authors published or not to put together their next book. I’m not immune to the attraction of writing 1667 words a day to make the bare minimum required to get the certificate, but you cannot submit or publish your NaNo project until you’ve done a lot of editing.
First, I am a NaNo participant. I joined the madness in 2005 and continued every year until 2011, took a break and then came back in 2013 to 2014. All eight years were winners for me. Six of those books have been published (Softly Say Goodbye, Take Chances, The Wrong One, Evil Eyes, Canoples Investigations Tackles Space Pirates, and The Curse of Grungy Gulley) and a seventh will be published at the end of February (Lost & Scared). What I learned the hard way is that a NaNo completion is only the beginning.
What do you do after November 30, when you have that freshly minted completion certificate in hand? First, unless your book is haunting your every waking and sleeping minute, put it to the side for a few weeks. If you can’t do that, if you are experiencing moments of “I must change this, that, or the other thing, then by all means start the process of going over your book with a fine tooth comb. Depending on how much time you have to devote to your book, this process of revisions can take anywhere from a couple of months to several years.
But you’re impatient. The NaNo website said your book was done. Why do you have to wait to publish it?
Very good question. Why wait to publish? NaNo offers you the opportunity to publish your novel within days of finishing it. Why not take advantage of that? Or you’ve been eyeing this indie publisher for months and this book is the perfect opportunity for you to get your foot in the door.
Why wait to publish? Excellent question. One you should think about seriously. Thousands of books are uploaded to Amazon weekly. You’re in competition with those authors, so you have to put your best foot forward. The reality is that you have a very rough draft of what may or may not be a best selling book. There are things to research that you didn’t have time to do during the madness of November. You have dangling plot points, and characters who are one dimensional. Basically, you have an outline of a book that needs a great deal of fleshing out to be good.
That indie publisher you’ve been eyeing isn’t going to appreciate seeing your NaNo project fresh from the win. In fact, publishers everywhere dread seeing submissions from NaNo during December and January, because most aren’t ready to be let out of the author’s computer let alone submitted. Most of a NaNo book is telling rather than showing, and I’m as guilty of that as most NaNo authors. You need the time to change those dull paragraphs of narrative into interesting exposition of a well-written book. So, unless you’re willing to devote upward of 15 hours a day working your NaNo novel for two months, then it’s time for you to get out the red pen and dive into work.
As with any work you want seriously considered, the NaNoWriMo project requires a great deal of your attention to get it right. After all, you wouldn’t serve a meal half cooked, or say your new tires don’t need air to drive on them. Would you? Why send out a novel you’ve worked hard to get into a first draft into the world until it’s been thoroughly vetted for each and every improvement you can make.
First, I am a NaNo participant. I joined the madness in 2005 and continued every year until 2011, took a break and then came back in 2013 to 2014. All eight years were winners for me. Six of those books have been published (Softly Say Goodbye, Take Chances, The Wrong One, Evil Eyes, Canoples Investigations Tackles Space Pirates, and The Curse of Grungy Gulley) and a seventh will be published at the end of February (Lost & Scared). What I learned the hard way is that a NaNo completion is only the beginning.
What do you do after November 30, when you have that freshly minted completion certificate in hand? First, unless your book is haunting your every waking and sleeping minute, put it to the side for a few weeks. If you can’t do that, if you are experiencing moments of “I must change this, that, or the other thing, then by all means start the process of going over your book with a fine tooth comb. Depending on how much time you have to devote to your book, this process of revisions can take anywhere from a couple of months to several years.
But you’re impatient. The NaNo website said your book was done. Why do you have to wait to publish it?
Very good question. Why wait to publish? NaNo offers you the opportunity to publish your novel within days of finishing it. Why not take advantage of that? Or you’ve been eyeing this indie publisher for months and this book is the perfect opportunity for you to get your foot in the door.
Why wait to publish? Excellent question. One you should think about seriously. Thousands of books are uploaded to Amazon weekly. You’re in competition with those authors, so you have to put your best foot forward. The reality is that you have a very rough draft of what may or may not be a best selling book. There are things to research that you didn’t have time to do during the madness of November. You have dangling plot points, and characters who are one dimensional. Basically, you have an outline of a book that needs a great deal of fleshing out to be good.
That indie publisher you’ve been eyeing isn’t going to appreciate seeing your NaNo project fresh from the win. In fact, publishers everywhere dread seeing submissions from NaNo during December and January, because most aren’t ready to be let out of the author’s computer let alone submitted. Most of a NaNo book is telling rather than showing, and I’m as guilty of that as most NaNo authors. You need the time to change those dull paragraphs of narrative into interesting exposition of a well-written book. So, unless you’re willing to devote upward of 15 hours a day working your NaNo novel for two months, then it’s time for you to get out the red pen and dive into work.
As with any work you want seriously considered, the NaNoWriMo project requires a great deal of your attention to get it right. After all, you wouldn’t serve a meal half cooked, or say your new tires don’t need air to drive on them. Would you? Why send out a novel you’ve worked hard to get into a first draft into the world until it’s been thoroughly vetted for each and every improvement you can make.
January 19, 2015
RESEARCH ~ A MUST NO MATTER WHAT TYPE OF BOOK YOU’RE WRITING
You’re pounding out a fiction story. There’s no need to do research. After all, you’re making it up as you go. Nobody will care if you change all the rules, or history for that fact, as long as you create a fabulous story.
Hit the brakes and back up there. This might work, if you’ve carefully crafted an alternative rule and let the reader know up front that’s exactly what you’re doing. But not in ordinary, everyday fiction. There are rules we have to follow, and this is one of the most important.
Research can make or break your book.
Let’s start with the rules of physics, which so many new sci-fi authors love to break. First, unless you’re Han Solo barrel rolling away from the Death Star, you cannot do stunts like that sitting in your pilot’s seat without restraints and not pay a price. At the least, you’ll lost control of your craft. At the worst, you’ll crash into the spacecraft you’re escaping. Least you forget, space is a vacuum. You can’t go outside your craft without protective gear, and if said gear develops a leak, you are going to be in trouble. Ignoring these rules will cause you all kinds of trouble from the devoted sci-fi fans you’re hoping to woo, and they will back away from any other books you publish in the future.Historical fiction is another place where the rules are often broken. On old west gunfight doesn’t include a group of sharpshooters. The weapons from that time weren’t sighted like they are now. Also, no one in a gunfight stands around and shoots at their opponent. They’re bobbing and weaving, diving for cover, and basically trying to stay alive. A small amount of research into the shootout at the O.K. Corral would have you discovering that the men involved in this epic moment, including the infamous Earps, were probably the worst shots in history. More than a hundred bullets were fired from weapons in those few crazed moments, yet only a very few found their intended targets. Just what happened to the rest? History didn’t record the damage done in that battle, but one might assume more than a few hit the dirt, there was a watering trough in the corral, and quite a few buildings in the vicinity. Reality versus imagination is quite a different thing. The men who fought this battle were all known for their shooting skills, but even those skills couldn’t give them an edge with it came to the reality of trying to survive.
Another part of historical fiction that is often wrong is furniture. Oh yes, the furniture. Imagine you have set your story in medieval times and you want your hero to flop onto a sofa. First error, there were no sofas as we know them during those times. More than likely, you mean a bench, which would have been created from rough hewn wood. There might or might not have been cushions on that bench, more than likely not. So flop onto a bench? Can you say “that hurts” or “splinters?” You also need to be certain crops match what was available during those times. Saying the Irish grew potatoes in the tenth century when in actuality potatoes were indigenous to Peru and Chile. The Spanish Conquistadors discovered the potato in Peru in 1532, but Ireland didn’t know what the spud was until 1588 when ships from the Spanish Armada wrecked off the Irish coast. That’s a difference of six centuries. A little off, wouldn’t you say?
We now come to contemporary fiction. Hey, that’s the here and now, you protest. No need to do research. Really? Do you actually believe that? So, you’re about to take what is a great premise for a book and just trip along, telling the story your way, without making sure the facts you’re using are right? Your main character is fourteen and you’re going to have him or her driving a car wherever they desire without consequences? You’ve decided on an urban setting but describe a rural one? Do you think that’ll work?
In truth, if you get all these things past an editor, you’ll soon discover your fans are far more sophisticated than you gave them credit for being. They’ll tear your book apart after finding the first mistake and document every error for the review. Once the first adverse review appears about your lack of research, others will take up the reins to discover more problems. You’ll soon find your sales sputtering out and probably won’t find many interested in your future books.
Remember, research is your best friend, even if you’re doing it on the fly while you write your book.
Hit the brakes and back up there. This might work, if you’ve carefully crafted an alternative rule and let the reader know up front that’s exactly what you’re doing. But not in ordinary, everyday fiction. There are rules we have to follow, and this is one of the most important.
Research can make or break your book.
Let’s start with the rules of physics, which so many new sci-fi authors love to break. First, unless you’re Han Solo barrel rolling away from the Death Star, you cannot do stunts like that sitting in your pilot’s seat without restraints and not pay a price. At the least, you’ll lost control of your craft. At the worst, you’ll crash into the spacecraft you’re escaping. Least you forget, space is a vacuum. You can’t go outside your craft without protective gear, and if said gear develops a leak, you are going to be in trouble. Ignoring these rules will cause you all kinds of trouble from the devoted sci-fi fans you’re hoping to woo, and they will back away from any other books you publish in the future.Historical fiction is another place where the rules are often broken. On old west gunfight doesn’t include a group of sharpshooters. The weapons from that time weren’t sighted like they are now. Also, no one in a gunfight stands around and shoots at their opponent. They’re bobbing and weaving, diving for cover, and basically trying to stay alive. A small amount of research into the shootout at the O.K. Corral would have you discovering that the men involved in this epic moment, including the infamous Earps, were probably the worst shots in history. More than a hundred bullets were fired from weapons in those few crazed moments, yet only a very few found their intended targets. Just what happened to the rest? History didn’t record the damage done in that battle, but one might assume more than a few hit the dirt, there was a watering trough in the corral, and quite a few buildings in the vicinity. Reality versus imagination is quite a different thing. The men who fought this battle were all known for their shooting skills, but even those skills couldn’t give them an edge with it came to the reality of trying to survive.
Another part of historical fiction that is often wrong is furniture. Oh yes, the furniture. Imagine you have set your story in medieval times and you want your hero to flop onto a sofa. First error, there were no sofas as we know them during those times. More than likely, you mean a bench, which would have been created from rough hewn wood. There might or might not have been cushions on that bench, more than likely not. So flop onto a bench? Can you say “that hurts” or “splinters?” You also need to be certain crops match what was available during those times. Saying the Irish grew potatoes in the tenth century when in actuality potatoes were indigenous to Peru and Chile. The Spanish Conquistadors discovered the potato in Peru in 1532, but Ireland didn’t know what the spud was until 1588 when ships from the Spanish Armada wrecked off the Irish coast. That’s a difference of six centuries. A little off, wouldn’t you say?
We now come to contemporary fiction. Hey, that’s the here and now, you protest. No need to do research. Really? Do you actually believe that? So, you’re about to take what is a great premise for a book and just trip along, telling the story your way, without making sure the facts you’re using are right? Your main character is fourteen and you’re going to have him or her driving a car wherever they desire without consequences? You’ve decided on an urban setting but describe a rural one? Do you think that’ll work?
In truth, if you get all these things past an editor, you’ll soon discover your fans are far more sophisticated than you gave them credit for being. They’ll tear your book apart after finding the first mistake and document every error for the review. Once the first adverse review appears about your lack of research, others will take up the reins to discover more problems. You’ll soon find your sales sputtering out and probably won’t find many interested in your future books.
Remember, research is your best friend, even if you’re doing it on the fly while you write your book.
January 12, 2015
THE AUTHOR ~ IT REALLY IS A JOB
You’re an author. You have a book or many books published. The royalties are making you proud. Yet, you receive requests from family and friends for a free copy of your latest book. Is this right?
Absolutely not.
The view people have of an author is a far cry from who we truly are. They don’t understand the calling of the author. To them, the author spends days on end wining and dining the movers and shakers. We are supposed to look as if we’ve never scrubbed out a toilet or stayed up all night with a crying baby, yet we do those things and many other daily chores that seem mundane. Around all that, we are busily plotting our latest adventure, crafting scenes that will turn the hardest heart soft, and also promoting our books both online and traditionally.
As a reader, most people will jump at the opportunity to get a free copy of a book. They’ll enter contests and volunteer to do a review in order to get closer to their favorite author. It becomes an obsession to have those books before they are available to the public. They don’t hesitate to ask outright for gratis, thinking the author is raking in all those lovely royalties. Why shouldn’t they share one measly copy of their book with their biggest fan.
Well, there is a good reason authors don’t give away their books. This is our job. It’s a for real job. Most of us, when the muse is hot, put in upwards of eighteen hour days plotting out our latest idea. We also have to squeeze in family needs and the necessities of life.
To put it another way…
Imagine you’re a plumber and you get a call in the middle of the night about a burst pipe. Do you go to the person’s house, having given up the luxury of your warm bed, and fix their problem, only to have the client say, “What a wonderful job. You can’t possible want me to pay. Do you? I mean, I can tell so many people about what a great person you are. You don’t need money from me.”
No sensible plumber would dare walk away from a job without payment. Most now ensure they’ll be paid by asking for a deposit prior to showing up.
What about the local grocery store? Do you dare enter there, fill your cart, and then ask them to bag the food so you can leave without paying the bill? The same goes for any other professional. No one would think of asking their doctor to treat them for free, or an accountant to prepare your taxes without recompense.
Why then do people want authors to hand out their hard work without paying for it?
Perhaps it’s because of the large number of new books available daily on any number of sales venues. Some of these are offered free for the e-book, as a way of generating interest in an author, but that doesn’t always get more sales. In fact, most authors have reported that their sales fell back to what they were before the promotion, once it’s over, and they haven’t earned a cent.
Remember this important bit of information. Your local author has a home to maintain much as you do. Most of us live very quiet, mundane lives. We send our children off to school every day. We prepare meals, or go to work and work hard for eight hours, only to immerse ourselves in our latest book after the children are in bed, the dishes are done, and the significant other is snoring in the next room.
Writing is a passion. What you are reading is the heart and soul of a person who poured out their story on a computer screen to share with the world. To us, this is far more than a job, it’s a passion we live and breathe. But we still need to pay our bills, like everyone else. For each book we give away, we have that much less to spend on our own families.
Absolutely not.
The view people have of an author is a far cry from who we truly are. They don’t understand the calling of the author. To them, the author spends days on end wining and dining the movers and shakers. We are supposed to look as if we’ve never scrubbed out a toilet or stayed up all night with a crying baby, yet we do those things and many other daily chores that seem mundane. Around all that, we are busily plotting our latest adventure, crafting scenes that will turn the hardest heart soft, and also promoting our books both online and traditionally.
As a reader, most people will jump at the opportunity to get a free copy of a book. They’ll enter contests and volunteer to do a review in order to get closer to their favorite author. It becomes an obsession to have those books before they are available to the public. They don’t hesitate to ask outright for gratis, thinking the author is raking in all those lovely royalties. Why shouldn’t they share one measly copy of their book with their biggest fan.
Well, there is a good reason authors don’t give away their books. This is our job. It’s a for real job. Most of us, when the muse is hot, put in upwards of eighteen hour days plotting out our latest idea. We also have to squeeze in family needs and the necessities of life.
To put it another way…
Imagine you’re a plumber and you get a call in the middle of the night about a burst pipe. Do you go to the person’s house, having given up the luxury of your warm bed, and fix their problem, only to have the client say, “What a wonderful job. You can’t possible want me to pay. Do you? I mean, I can tell so many people about what a great person you are. You don’t need money from me.”
No sensible plumber would dare walk away from a job without payment. Most now ensure they’ll be paid by asking for a deposit prior to showing up.
What about the local grocery store? Do you dare enter there, fill your cart, and then ask them to bag the food so you can leave without paying the bill? The same goes for any other professional. No one would think of asking their doctor to treat them for free, or an accountant to prepare your taxes without recompense.
Why then do people want authors to hand out their hard work without paying for it?
Perhaps it’s because of the large number of new books available daily on any number of sales venues. Some of these are offered free for the e-book, as a way of generating interest in an author, but that doesn’t always get more sales. In fact, most authors have reported that their sales fell back to what they were before the promotion, once it’s over, and they haven’t earned a cent.
Remember this important bit of information. Your local author has a home to maintain much as you do. Most of us live very quiet, mundane lives. We send our children off to school every day. We prepare meals, or go to work and work hard for eight hours, only to immerse ourselves in our latest book after the children are in bed, the dishes are done, and the significant other is snoring in the next room.
Writing is a passion. What you are reading is the heart and soul of a person who poured out their story on a computer screen to share with the world. To us, this is far more than a job, it’s a passion we live and breathe. But we still need to pay our bills, like everyone else. For each book we give away, we have that much less to spend on our own families.
January 5, 2015
Age is No Limit
The internet is a scary place for some people, far more frightening than say the Cold War, Vietnam, Korea, or even McCarthyism. Okay, I can see a lot of you scratching your heads and wondering exactly what I’m talking about. And I have to admit that Korea and McCarthyism were before my time by a few years, but for those I’m talking to this week, those were real problems that dominated the news when they were younger. The expression “Better Red Than Dead” was used as a challenge to prove how true blue American you were.
People will reminisce about those times as when they could run around but had to be home before the streetlights came on. We didn’t have internet, but we always knew where everyone was by the amount of bikes spilled on the sidewalk or walkway of a house. Korea had yet to be memorialized by first the movie and then the popular series M.A.S.H. Vietnam came during a time of great social change, when we began to question things we once accepted without question.
Today, all it takes to become an author is the willingness to write a book and publish it. That’s how some people think, and they never think beyond that point. Some will seek out an agent or publisher to help them through the rocky road to publication but they will do nothing to prepare themselves for the day the book is available to the public. Instead, they reminisce about how things were in the “good old days” of publishing, where the major publishers would wine and dine their authors with ridiculously expensive lunches, send them on world tours to discuss their books on the afternoon talk shows, and hand them enormous advances to live on until their next book was complete.
My response to those reminiscences is that world vanished in the eighties, thirty years or more ago. Austerity began to make itself known long before using a computer instead of a typewriter became the norm for an author. The internet as a place that vibrates all day and night with activity was not yet a reality. Things have changed in the publishing world so much that people who grew up with the dream of landing a publishing contract are left confused and stubbornly clinging to a past that will never again exist.
First, just because you have gray hair does not make it difficult for you to navigate this new, vibrant, always in action world. Refusing to accept the fact that you will have to get down and dirty on Twitter to get people to help you promote your book only hurts your sales. Saying that Facebook is confusing isn’t an excuse to ignore a great marketing tool. Ignoring a blog because it looks too hard only leaves you far behind others going after the same customers you want.
More to the point—I have gray in my hair, and I have been using desktop computers since those fabled eighties, when most people claimed they were a fad that would never catch on. I was very lucky to be part of the early stages of the internet, in the form of what’s now called a wide area network, while in the military and assigned to the F16 program. No, we didn’t have Facebook with its games, groups, and 24/7 activity. We did have connections with others who had similar interests and questions.
That was the beginning. And once it began, there was no stopping the evolution of the internet into what it’s become and what it will be in the future.
Today, I might still struggle with new social media, but I embrace it instead of avoiding it. Each day is a series of new discoveries. As it can be for you, if you’re willing to look past the gray in your hair, past the memories of a simpler time, and jump head first into this wild and crazy world that will help you find a whole new group of readers and fans for your books.
People will reminisce about those times as when they could run around but had to be home before the streetlights came on. We didn’t have internet, but we always knew where everyone was by the amount of bikes spilled on the sidewalk or walkway of a house. Korea had yet to be memorialized by first the movie and then the popular series M.A.S.H. Vietnam came during a time of great social change, when we began to question things we once accepted without question.
Today, all it takes to become an author is the willingness to write a book and publish it. That’s how some people think, and they never think beyond that point. Some will seek out an agent or publisher to help them through the rocky road to publication but they will do nothing to prepare themselves for the day the book is available to the public. Instead, they reminisce about how things were in the “good old days” of publishing, where the major publishers would wine and dine their authors with ridiculously expensive lunches, send them on world tours to discuss their books on the afternoon talk shows, and hand them enormous advances to live on until their next book was complete.
My response to those reminiscences is that world vanished in the eighties, thirty years or more ago. Austerity began to make itself known long before using a computer instead of a typewriter became the norm for an author. The internet as a place that vibrates all day and night with activity was not yet a reality. Things have changed in the publishing world so much that people who grew up with the dream of landing a publishing contract are left confused and stubbornly clinging to a past that will never again exist.
First, just because you have gray hair does not make it difficult for you to navigate this new, vibrant, always in action world. Refusing to accept the fact that you will have to get down and dirty on Twitter to get people to help you promote your book only hurts your sales. Saying that Facebook is confusing isn’t an excuse to ignore a great marketing tool. Ignoring a blog because it looks too hard only leaves you far behind others going after the same customers you want.
More to the point—I have gray in my hair, and I have been using desktop computers since those fabled eighties, when most people claimed they were a fad that would never catch on. I was very lucky to be part of the early stages of the internet, in the form of what’s now called a wide area network, while in the military and assigned to the F16 program. No, we didn’t have Facebook with its games, groups, and 24/7 activity. We did have connections with others who had similar interests and questions.
That was the beginning. And once it began, there was no stopping the evolution of the internet into what it’s become and what it will be in the future.
Today, I might still struggle with new social media, but I embrace it instead of avoiding it. Each day is a series of new discoveries. As it can be for you, if you’re willing to look past the gray in your hair, past the memories of a simpler time, and jump head first into this wild and crazy world that will help you find a whole new group of readers and fans for your books.
