H.O. Charles's Blog, page 15
March 28, 2012
Best since Robert Jordan?
Sorry, my head is all big. Someone wrote something very nice on Barnes and Noble. It's certainly cheered me up after yesterday! :D
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/city-of-blaze-hadleigh-o-charles/1104728349?ean=2940011444609&itm=1&usri=city+of+blaze
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/city-of-blaze-hadleigh-o-charles/1104728349?ean=2940011444609&itm=1&usri=city+of+blaze
Spammy
An email from "Mogoli Angelberg":
Praise? Love? Hunger for tips on self-publishing? No. Just spam to sell Jeff's book. Many other indie authors have also received this email. Sad face.
In happier (sort of ) news, here's a book I really did appreciate reading today. It's by a gentleman named Darren Humphries:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13561574-goodnight-dear
Just checked out your book on Smashwords and you're so so talented. Do you have any suggestions for a budding writer like me?
What has worked and what hasn't? Tried FB, Twitter, even book marks. I just don't want to waste my time on things that don't work.
I just read a couple EXCELLENT books on it. One was recommended by my friend called "Effortless Marketing":http://amzn.to/EFFORTLESS I got it cause Mark Coker the Smashwords guy endorsed it and cause it's free for the next 24 hours anyway. And it was surprisingly really, really good.
Do you have any other books you'd recommend?
Praise? Love? Hunger for tips on self-publishing? No. Just spam to sell Jeff's book. Many other indie authors have also received this email. Sad face.
In happier (sort of ) news, here's a book I really did appreciate reading today. It's by a gentleman named Darren Humphries:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13561574-goodnight-dear
March 27, 2012
Snowlands missing something...
Snowlands has received a slightly 'meh' review today, and for the sake of my own sanity I need to address it!
Personal taste is tricky to measure in a paragraph where it's only mentioned briefly, so I cannot really work out if parts of the book simply weren't the sort of thing Ms Bogart enjoys. I see that she is fiercely Christian (her website is here). I don't believe this is incompatible with my work, but it's a factor worth considering (sex before marriage, non-religious society etc.)
She says she doesn't like the characters much. I really didn't want Raia to be that likeable. She's cold-hearted and damaged, and doesn't really see the value of relationships until later on. The doctor is eccentric and unemotional about death, and Valyar is simply misunderstood. I sometimes worry that my characters are too likeable, or too good at things. So it was a pleasure for me to write about someone who was a bit of an anti-heroine.
Ms Bogart points out that I allude to Raia's secret skills a little too much. Perhaps this is something I need to check.
She says she finds the characters cardboardy. I hope they're not, but I would like to add the proviso that, in 41,000 words, it's tricky to really flesh a character out. Her final comment is that the powers are not properly explained. I did want it to appear slightly mysterious and odd, but if this doesn't work then it doesn't work.
Anyway, she's made some serious points, so I think it beholds me to re-read the book and see if I can improve anything.
Gah. It's really hard to know what the right response is!
***
Hmm. Well, I've read through the novella again... and I can't really see how to change it. Or perhaps I have my head firmly in my bottom? I'm embarrassed to say this, but I really felt that I dealt with Raia's characterisation very well.
Raia is a very cold, very tough woman, but she's plagued with guilt over her actions. She's a thousand miles from perfect, but she is a survivor. I cannot help but admire her in spite of her faults.
And of course the intimacy is low-emotion. Raia doesn't really understand much else. It's all business to her, and her relationship with Valyar doesn't have nearly as much time to develop as that with Daemar.
I don't think there's much more I can add to explain Valyar's powers without adding some sort of appendix. It's supposed to be a little mysterious. And as for the factoids, I think that may just be my writing style. To me, dropping in hints about the world as the characters think is a far more natural way of illustrating it.
Raia's singular physiology is only hinted at three-to-four times during the book. I don't think that's too much, personally. And it is explained that she comes from a culture of hedonists - personal pleasure is their ideal. They certainly wouldn't see that as a shallow pursuit.
That's my first response for now. I'll have a longer think about it, and check out some of the things that Ms Bogart has rated 5*. I really want to know what she thinks is good and what's not.
***
Well, I think I've cracked it, and I fear that I may not be able to write a book that this reviewer would like. That's fair enough, I suppose. It's a sad but hard truth that no writer can ever please everybody, as much as we'd like to.
What I have found through looking at her reviews is that (apart from the technical side, which thankfully has met with her approval) she seeks books with strong moral messages, definable evil and a clear stance on marriage. In my worlds, morals are decided by their host societies and the characters, and those morals may not ally with modern western culture. Evil never comes in a can with my characters, and there's never a 'dark lord'. Sometimes my characters do bad things, but frequently they exist in a sort of moral grey area. And marriage? I always look at different cultural practices and beliefs about marriage, and I've found that they vary so much that taking a particular view on marriage would never meet with all beliefs and satisfy everyone. I like to think that I explore a bit of what it is to be human, and frequently, humans don't think very far into the future when it comes to sex!
I suppose I'm a bit upset about this review because I worry that others will try to carry the criticism with them if they decide to buy the book. I always take criticism seriously, because I want to make sure I'm selling something worth reading. I cannot help but feel that this is her polarised opinion, and that I'd have to westernise Raia in order to make her acceptable, or rationalise Valyar's powers in some sort of spiritual context. Ho hum.
Personal taste is tricky to measure in a paragraph where it's only mentioned briefly, so I cannot really work out if parts of the book simply weren't the sort of thing Ms Bogart enjoys. I see that she is fiercely Christian (her website is here). I don't believe this is incompatible with my work, but it's a factor worth considering (sex before marriage, non-religious society etc.)
She says she doesn't like the characters much. I really didn't want Raia to be that likeable. She's cold-hearted and damaged, and doesn't really see the value of relationships until later on. The doctor is eccentric and unemotional about death, and Valyar is simply misunderstood. I sometimes worry that my characters are too likeable, or too good at things. So it was a pleasure for me to write about someone who was a bit of an anti-heroine.
Ms Bogart points out that I allude to Raia's secret skills a little too much. Perhaps this is something I need to check.
She says she finds the characters cardboardy. I hope they're not, but I would like to add the proviso that, in 41,000 words, it's tricky to really flesh a character out. Her final comment is that the powers are not properly explained. I did want it to appear slightly mysterious and odd, but if this doesn't work then it doesn't work.
Anyway, she's made some serious points, so I think it beholds me to re-read the book and see if I can improve anything.
Gah. It's really hard to know what the right response is!
***
Hmm. Well, I've read through the novella again... and I can't really see how to change it. Or perhaps I have my head firmly in my bottom? I'm embarrassed to say this, but I really felt that I dealt with Raia's characterisation very well.
Raia is a very cold, very tough woman, but she's plagued with guilt over her actions. She's a thousand miles from perfect, but she is a survivor. I cannot help but admire her in spite of her faults.
And of course the intimacy is low-emotion. Raia doesn't really understand much else. It's all business to her, and her relationship with Valyar doesn't have nearly as much time to develop as that with Daemar.
I don't think there's much more I can add to explain Valyar's powers without adding some sort of appendix. It's supposed to be a little mysterious. And as for the factoids, I think that may just be my writing style. To me, dropping in hints about the world as the characters think is a far more natural way of illustrating it.
Raia's singular physiology is only hinted at three-to-four times during the book. I don't think that's too much, personally. And it is explained that she comes from a culture of hedonists - personal pleasure is their ideal. They certainly wouldn't see that as a shallow pursuit.
That's my first response for now. I'll have a longer think about it, and check out some of the things that Ms Bogart has rated 5*. I really want to know what she thinks is good and what's not.
***
Well, I think I've cracked it, and I fear that I may not be able to write a book that this reviewer would like. That's fair enough, I suppose. It's a sad but hard truth that no writer can ever please everybody, as much as we'd like to.
What I have found through looking at her reviews is that (apart from the technical side, which thankfully has met with her approval) she seeks books with strong moral messages, definable evil and a clear stance on marriage. In my worlds, morals are decided by their host societies and the characters, and those morals may not ally with modern western culture. Evil never comes in a can with my characters, and there's never a 'dark lord'. Sometimes my characters do bad things, but frequently they exist in a sort of moral grey area. And marriage? I always look at different cultural practices and beliefs about marriage, and I've found that they vary so much that taking a particular view on marriage would never meet with all beliefs and satisfy everyone. I like to think that I explore a bit of what it is to be human, and frequently, humans don't think very far into the future when it comes to sex!
I suppose I'm a bit upset about this review because I worry that others will try to carry the criticism with them if they decide to buy the book. I always take criticism seriously, because I want to make sure I'm selling something worth reading. I cannot help but feel that this is her polarised opinion, and that I'd have to westernise Raia in order to make her acceptable, or rationalise Valyar's powers in some sort of spiritual context. Ho hum.
March 22, 2012
Everything alright with Nation of Blaze?
I've noticed that, where many have scored City of Blaze five stars, a greater proportion have given Nation four. I had thought Nation was the better book, but not everyone agrees...
I'm not in the slightest disappointed with four stars (well, maybe a teensy weensy bit), but I wondered if there's anything that I can improve for you readers...?
Were there typos? A bit of plot that wasn't explained properly?
I'm afraid I can't change the ending or the bulk plot itself, but I'm curious to know! If you don't want to contact me on here, feel free to email me. I don't bite :-)
I'm not in the slightest disappointed with four stars (well, maybe a teensy weensy bit), but I wondered if there's anything that I can improve for you readers...?
Were there typos? A bit of plot that wasn't explained properly?
I'm afraid I can't change the ending or the bulk plot itself, but I'm curious to know! If you don't want to contact me on here, feel free to email me. I don't bite :-)
Nation of Blaze
I've noticed that, where many have scored City of Blaze five stars, a greater proportion have given Nation four. I had thought Nation was the better book, but not everyone agrees...
I'm not in the slightest disappointed with four stars (well, maybe a teensy weensy bit), but I wondered if there's anything that I can improve for you readers...?
Were there typos? A bit of plot that wasn't explained properly?
I'm afraid I can't change the ending or the bulk plot itself, but I'm curious to know! If you don't want to contact me on here, feel free to email me. I don't bite :-)
I'm not in the slightest disappointed with four stars (well, maybe a teensy weensy bit), but I wondered if there's anything that I can improve for you readers...?
Were there typos? A bit of plot that wasn't explained properly?
I'm afraid I can't change the ending or the bulk plot itself, but I'm curious to know! If you don't want to contact me on here, feel free to email me. I don't bite :-)
March 20, 2012
I was in ABNA
That's the "Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award," but now I'm not! D'oh!
I received some wonderful comments from Vine reviewers, however. They said that City of Blaze was excellently written and that the characters were well-rounded. Both wanted to read more. This is wonderful news to me! Really glad to hear it, and very thankful to the judges for their time.
Why didn't I get through? Well, I wrote a rather conceited pitch (this is a short paragraph where you try to sell your novel to a would-be publisher). The reviewers didn't like it at all, and felt that it did not relate well to the text. On the other hand, the first round of judging was based upon the pitch, which my book passed. But it's easily changed, so I'll just have to fix it and try again next year :)
And anyway, that they liked the actual meat of the novel is far more important to me.
In other news, glad to see a few people picking up Anomaly of Blaze. Hope they're enjoying it! It'll be available elsewhere soon, honest!
I received some wonderful comments from Vine reviewers, however. They said that City of Blaze was excellently written and that the characters were well-rounded. Both wanted to read more. This is wonderful news to me! Really glad to hear it, and very thankful to the judges for their time.
Why didn't I get through? Well, I wrote a rather conceited pitch (this is a short paragraph where you try to sell your novel to a would-be publisher). The reviewers didn't like it at all, and felt that it did not relate well to the text. On the other hand, the first round of judging was based upon the pitch, which my book passed. But it's easily changed, so I'll just have to fix it and try again next year :)
And anyway, that they liked the actual meat of the novel is far more important to me.
In other news, glad to see a few people picking up Anomaly of Blaze. Hope they're enjoying it! It'll be available elsewhere soon, honest!
March 17, 2012
I had a horrible dream last night
That someone wrote the most scathing review of my books, and that everyone on the internets agreed with it! It was horrible, and I remember every detail of it!
They said my use of language was infantile, my plot full of holes and that I should give up drawing altogether.
When the nightmare was over, I hauled myself out of bed (in the pitch black of night) and had look on all of the sales sites. All good... so far.
Damn my neuroses!
I think it's because of the impending results from the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award thing... I am very scared.
They said my use of language was infantile, my plot full of holes and that I should give up drawing altogether.
When the nightmare was over, I hauled myself out of bed (in the pitch black of night) and had look on all of the sales sites. All good... so far.
Damn my neuroses!
I think it's because of the impending results from the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award thing... I am very scared.
March 15, 2012
Another Anomaly scene
It's supposed to be Tallyn Hunter... Not sure if he looks like he's been hitting the fake tan!
And really happy to see a second high rating on B&N this week! Woohoo :)
And really happy to see a second high rating on B&N this week! Woohoo :)
March 13, 2012
A scene from the new book
Spent a while drawing this over the w/e. It's my first proper go at *serious* digital painting, and still has some faults. What do you think?
And it's a crossbow bolt in her wrist :)
And it's a crossbow bolt in her wrist :)
Anomaly of Blaze is now available
Hitherto patrons of this web log have only been able to avail themselves of the first two volumes of "The Fireblade Array", which is acknowledged by the most eminent members of the medical profession to be the best of all remedies for ennui.*
`'~,.,~'`'~,.,~'`'~,.,~'`'~,Stimulative action`'~,.,~'`'~,.,~'`'~,.,~'`'~,.,~'
Other books can only in a small degree impart this, and often achieve what they do at a cost of general deterioration of intelligence; but "The Fireblade Array" brings the whole of the vital organs and muscular forces into play, and both brightens the brain and increases the physical power.* Such mental exercise can, at a small expense, be always at command upon one's Kindle by obtaining:
Anomaly of Blaze (The Fireblade Array)
The third instalment of the most acclaimed series, "The Fireblade Array".
Cures dyspepsia, quickens the circulation, stimulates the liver.*
"The Fireblade Array" is a fantasy epic with an enduring and tumultuous plot line of romance.
`'~,.,~'`'~,.,~'`'~,.,~'`'~,.,~'`'~,.,~'`'~,.,~'`'~,.,~'`'~,.,~'
*May contain lies.
`'~,.,~'`'~,.,~'`'~,.,~'`'~,Stimulative action`'~,.,~'`'~,.,~'`'~,.,~'`'~,.,~'
Other books can only in a small degree impart this, and often achieve what they do at a cost of general deterioration of intelligence; but "The Fireblade Array" brings the whole of the vital organs and muscular forces into play, and both brightens the brain and increases the physical power.* Such mental exercise can, at a small expense, be always at command upon one's Kindle by obtaining:
Anomaly of Blaze (The Fireblade Array)
The third instalment of the most acclaimed series, "The Fireblade Array".
Cures dyspepsia, quickens the circulation, stimulates the liver.*
"The Fireblade Array" is a fantasy epic with an enduring and tumultuous plot line of romance.
`'~,.,~'`'~,.,~'`'~,.,~'`'~,.,~'`'~,.,~'`'~,.,~'`'~,.,~'`'~,.,~'
*May contain lies.
