S.M. Boyce's Blog: My Journal, page 37
July 28, 2012
The Blogger Book Fair: Featuring Melissa Douthit
Welcome to yet another day of the Blogger Book Fair! Before we dive into meeting our latest author, make sure you enter the giveaway for an eBook copy of Lichgates (Grimoire Trilogy #1) and vote for Lichgates and your other favorite books over at the Blogger Book Fair Awards!
Melissa Douthit
Melissa Douthit grew up in North County of San Diego, California. After graduating with a Computer Science degree in Southern California, and working for a summer at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in New Mexico, she moved to the Bay Area to work at NASA Ames Research Center for a year and then at Lawrence Livermore National Lab for another four years. From there, she moved to Monterey, California, to work at the Naval Postgraduate School on a government project for two years. She currently lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, working as a software engineer. Since high school, she has been a voracious reader of books of all genres, with an emphasis in fantasy and science fiction.
The Legend of the Raie’Chaelia Trilogy
The Raie’Chaelia, Book One
When Chalice sets off for Branbury in the middle of the night with her grandfather’s instructions, she has no idea of the dangers that await her. The King’s men have destroyed her home village of Canton and she is suddenly thrown into a Terravailian world that she does not know. Lost and alone, she is hard pressed to evade the iron grasp of the madman who rules the land. With the help of a friendly Chinuk, an old man, and a book that she discovers along the way, not only does she find true friends and true love, but she also finds her true self and what it means to be the Raie’Chaelia.
Grab Your Copy
The Firelight of Maalda, Book Two
The Firelight of Maalda: A story that unites the real with the fantastical and turns science into magic …
Chalice and her group leave Barenthren to travel to Portalis. There she and her friends discover the beautiful city, its people, its history, and its secret that has been kept hidden for thousands of years. During their stay, they learn that Dar’Maalda has the Firestone and that he plans to use it.
What is the Firestone and what does Dar’Maalda plan to do with it? What are the Naezzi? What does the title, The Firelight of Maalda, really mean? And … what is the secret of Portalis, the secret that has been guarded so jealously for so long – so jealously, that many have given their lives to protect it?
In The Firelight of Maalda, the second novel of the trilogy, The Legend of the Raie’Chaelia, you find out. It is a tale of intrigue and wonder where two opposite worlds collide in an explosive journey that leads Chalice and her friends to the dark islands lurking just beyond the horizon of Ielieria, where the Firelight of Maalda sits … and waits.
Amazon Link:
Grab Your Copy
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The Return, Book Three
After the fall from the Maaldan cliff, Chalice is reunited with her friends on a journey that takes them to the coastline of Ielieria. Little do Vlaad and his Fierain know what is in store for them as, bit by bit, their plans are thwarted by this blond-haired, blue-eyed beauty.
The small band of rebels then travels across the Realm, preparing it for war, while Chalice herself is brewing her own plans that may just land her in the hot seat. What will happen when she returns her father to the throne? What will happen when he finds out what she has done? And … what will happen once Dar’Maalda learns of the rebels’ location?
In the third and final novel of the trilogy, The Legend of the Raie’Chaelia, you find out. It is a dramatic finish to an epic story of action, adventure, betrayal, forgiveness and love.
Coming November 2012.
The Blogger Book Fair: Featuring YA Fantasy Author A. E. Howard
Welcome to yet another day of the Blogger Book Fair! Before we dive into meeting our latest author, make sure you enter the giveaway for an eBook copy of Lichgates (Grimoire Trilogy #1) and vote for Lichgates and your other favorite books over at the Blogger Book Fair Awards!
About A. E. Howard
Once upon a time there was a little girl who read a book and thought, one day, I’ll find another world. Many years later, after a near death experience at a traffic light, she passed a possum dying on the side of the road. She stopped, and with its dying breaths, the possum imparted a tale so wondrously strange, she drove home realizing the new world she’d been searching for was right there all along. So she embarked on a quest of mythic proportions, traveled far and wide to the farthest corners of this world to uncover its secrets. Now she’s bringing the story to you.
Between chasing chickens off the porch and raising her son, A.E. Howard tells tales of the three Realms, and the boy who changed it all.
Visit her webpage for more info and updates on the Keeper of the Keys Chronicles, or chat with her on twitter, facebook, or goodreads.
Flight of Blue
Keeper of the Keys Chronicles, Book 1
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A cursed traffic light. A rip in the fabric of the world. A possum sorcerer injured on a quest for revenge.
Kai and Ellie embark on a journey to return the sorcerer to his home. Entangled in events that could destroy the world, Kai must choose whether to accept the role he was born to play, but isn’t sure he wants.
Grab Your Copy
Amazon (US) | Goodreads
The Blogger Book Fair: Featuring Paranormal Romance Author Christie Rich
Welcome to yet another day of the Blogger Book Fair! Before we dive into meeting our latest author, make sure you enter the giveaway for an eBook copy of Lichgates (Grimoire Trilogy #1) and vote for Lichgates and your other favorite books over at the Blogger Book Fair Awards!
Author Christie Rich is here to talk about her debut series, Elemental Emnity. I already reviewed the first in the series, Five, if you want to give it a look. Enjoy!
I love to be creative. It is more than a hobby. It is a need of mine. Whether writing, reading, painting or trying something new, I spend most of my time in the pursuit of freeing the creations inside me. I live in Northern Utah with my wonderful husband, two beautiful children, a spastic dog that thinks she’s a horse, and two extremely lazy cats.
Connect with Christie:
Goodreads | Blog | Twitter | Facebook
Five (Elemental Emnity #1)
Rayla Tate was just a child when her mother disappeared from her life forever. Raised by her aunt Grace in a small town, she has lived an extremely sheltered life. Unknown to her, she was hidden from the fae who live secretly among us. Descended from an ancient blood-line of Elementals, only she has the power to crown the first fae high-king.
Sick of provincial living and the dictates of her aunt, Rayla flees the safety of her home and runs away to college with her best friend. Unfortunately, excitement over her newfound freedom is short-lived when she finds herself being chased by a mysterious stranger on her way to school. She is drawn to him immediately; however, she somehow manages to resist the compulsion she feels. As he disappears into the night, she is certain he hasn’t gone far.
Rayla struggles to deal with the encounter while adapting to her new environment. To make matters worse, Aunt Grace reveals that Rayla will be hunted by a pack of fae lords, each hoping to claim her power for his own. She soon finds herself surrounded by stunning men. Could they be fae, or is this just normal college life? More importantly, why does she feel drawn to each one of them? What dark power do they hold over her? She must quickly learn to fend off these beautiful and seductive pursuers using whatever means necessary or find herself lost to the fae world forever.
Get Five for Free:
Only available during this Book Fair, so grab it before July 29, 2012!
Use this code at checkout: SSWIN
Or Grab It Elsewhere:
Dark Matter (Elemental Emnity #2)
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Rayla Tate’s dreams for the future shattered when she discovered she was an Elemental capable of manipulating matter. Thrust, once again, into the magical fae realm of Faeresia, she has an important choice to make. But now that she has Heath to contend with, deciding between Zach and Luke is the least of her concerns. Tall, dark and lethal to her will, her attraction to Heath eclipses all she has experienced with any other lord, but he is using compulsion to wear her down. If only she could trust her feelings?
In a desperate attempt to escape Heath, she accepts the help of a little troll and finally gets what she wants; however, her relief is short lived. Things go terribly wrong when a dark force closes in on her, threatening to steal her burgeoning power before she even has a chance to test her abilities. Now, with Rayla as their captive, the Order will stop at nothing to create a male Elemental, and willing or not, Rayla is the key.
Caught up in the age-old battle for dominance between human and fae, only one question matters to her now—will she be able to save those she loves most without losing herself in the process? Or will she be forever haunted by the choices she alone can make?
Get Five for Free:
Only available during this Book Fair, so grab it before July 29, 2012!
Use this code at checkout: SSW50
Grab Dark Matter:
Genesis (Elemental Emnity #3)
To be released 7/27/2012.
Having just escaped the nefarious plans of the Order, Rayla Tate thinks all she has to do now is rescue her family and sort through her feelings, but bonding with five men might just be her undoing. Not only does she have to deal with all of them reading her mind, Tabitha informs Rayla that she must choose a bondmate before she will be allowed to venture into the mortal realm to save those she loves most.
She has three weeks to get to know each lord, but her journey turns into far more than a simple choice of the heart. Rayla comes face to face with the underhanded dealings of the fae political system where good is a matter of taste and evil lurks under beautiful shells. Long held judgments crumble when she discovers the heart beneath the men she has come to count on. Rayla must overcome long held fears, discover the truth behind the creatures of the dark realms, and conquer her greatest weakness before she can take her place as the new queen of the fae.
However, her world crumbles when she discovers following her heart’s desire might just mean the destruction of the world. Will Rayla have the courage to choose the man who has risked everything to win her, or will she succumb to the manipulations of the fae council and those who would use her power for evil?
One choice: five men. The stakes have never been higher, but which one will prevail?
July 27, 2012
The Blogger Book Fair: Meet Tom Winship, an Amazing Paranormal Author!
Welcome to yet another day of the Blogger Book Fair! Before we dive into meeting our latest author, make sure you enter the giveaway for an eBook copy of Lichgates (Grimoire Trilogy #1) and vote for Lichgates and your other favorite books over at the Blogger Book Fair Awards!
Tom Winship is one of my favorite authors. His Vaempires Series is a unique blend of vampire lore, scifi, and dystopian warfare. I love it.
About Tom
Vaempires: Revolution
About Tom
[image error]Thomas Winship was born in Middletown, NY (USA) and still resides in Orange County. He holds an MBA in Management from St. Thomas Aquinas College, where he serves as MBA Director and adjunct professor of courses in English Composition, Communications, and Business. He also spent fifteen years working for a global pharmaceutical company, specializing in organizational development, talent management, and training.
Tom writes in his spare time. His first novel, a mystery/legal thriller entitled Temporary Insanity (a.k.a. Case Closed), was a 2008 finalist in a national contest but failed to garner industry attention. His second novel, Væmpires: Revolution, was published in October and a follow-up novella, Væmpires: White Christmas, was published in December.
He is an avid collector of books, comic books, music, and movies. His interests are diverse: on any given day, Tom is likely to be found watching a horror movie, attending a hard rock concert, or enjoying a Broadway show.
He is currently working on the next installment of the Væmpires series, which is scheduled for a 2012 release. |
Connect with Tom
Website |Facebook |Twitter |YouTube |Goodreads |Pinterest | Shelfari |Amazon Author Page
Books on Amazon.com |Books on iTunes | Books on Barnes & Noble | Books on Smashwords
Vaempires: Revolution
Vaempires: A White Christmas
[image error]It is the morning of Princess Cassandra’s sixteenth birthday. Everyone’s attention is focused on the heir to the vampire throne. World leaders, the rich and famous, and VIPs from every corner of the globe have gathered in the nation’s capital to celebrate the momentous event.
Cassandra’s boyfriend, Daniel, is late for the party. He’s still outside the city when all hell breaks loose. What he believes is an act of terrorism proves to be a full-fledged revolution. Væmpires–former vampires who mutated into warm-blooded creatures with an insatiable hunger for cold blood–have launched coordinated attacks across the globe, with three goals: the eradication of humanity, the enslavement of vampires, and the ascension of væmpires as the dominant species on the planet.
The vampire and human leaders are killed. Cassandra is missing. Daniel is the acting king. Desperate to find the princess, Daniel and his friends fight their way across the besieged city. With the hopes of the free world resting on the shoulders of four vampire teenagers, væmpires unleash their secret weapons: a new breed of væmpire that is far deadlier than any ever seen before.
What can four teens do against an enemy that can shape-shift, fly, and walk through walls?
Grab Your Copy
Amazon (US) | Barnes & Noble
Learn More
My Review | Goodreads
Vaempires: A White Christmas
Novella
[image error] It’s almost Christmas. With the global holiday days away, the people of the world should be turning their attention toward celebrating peace and goodwill, but tension between humans, vampires, and væmpires is at an all-time high. Desperate for solutions, King Brant schedules a secret summit deep in North America’s Northern Forest. Along with Queen Anne, Princess Cassandra, Daniel’s family, and the human president and First Lady, the vampire leader seeks to reaffirm the ties between humans and vampires, while brainstorming ways to respond to the growing hostility among væmpires.
Meanwhile, Daniel and Cassie’s relationship is at an all-time low. The princess is still reeling from her breakup with Vielyn, and Daniel doesn’t know what he should or shouldn’t do to help. Little does he know that the summit will be flooded with surprises–guests, allegations, accusations, proposals, and even Christmas Eve revelations–but not all of the surprises will be pleasant.
Grab Your Copy
Amazon (US) | Barnes & Noble
Learn More
My Review | Goodreads
The Blogger Book Fair: Featuring Paranormal Author Rebecca Hamilton
Welcome to yet another day of the Blogger Book Fair! Before we dive into meeting our latest author, make sure you enter the giveaway for an eBook copy of Lichgates (Grimoire Trilogy #1) and vote for Lichgates and your other favorite books over at the Blogger Book Fair Awards!
Rebecca Hamilton
Rebecca Hamilton writes Paranormal Fantasy, Horror, and Literary Fiction. She lives in Florida with her husband and three kids, along with multiple writing personalities that range from morbid to literary. She enjoys dancing with her kids to television show theme songs and would love the beach if it weren’t for the sand. Having a child diagnosed with autism has inspired her to illuminate the world through the eyes of characters who see things differently.
To learn more about Autism Spectrum Disorder, please visit AutisticAdvocacy.org.
Rebecca Hamilton is represented by the ever-more-amazing Rossano Trentin of TZLA.
The Forever Girl Series
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The Forever Girl
A Cult. A Murder. A Curse.
Sophia’s family has skeletons, but they aren’t in their graves…
At 22, practicing Wiccan Sophia Parsons is scratching out a living waiting tables in her Rocky Mountain hometown, living under the shadow of her bi-polar mother, religious prejudice, and a cold murder. Sophia can imagine lots of ways her life could be better, but she’d settle for just getting rid of the buzzing noise in her head. The spell she casts goes wrong. The static turns into voices. Her personal demons get company, and the newcomers are dangerous.
One of them is a man named Charles, a centuries-old shape-shifter that Sophia falls for despite her better judgment. He has connections that can help her unveil the mystery surrounding her ancestor’s hanging, but she gets more than she bargains for when she finally decides to trust him. Survival in his world, she learns, means not asking questions and staying out of the immortal council’s way. It’s a line she crossed long ago.
If Sophia wants to survive the council and save the people she loves, she must accept who she is, perform dark magic, and fight to the death for her freedom.
The Forever Girl is a full-length Paranormal Fantasy novel that will appeal to lovers of paranormal romance, urban fantasy, witches, vampires, ghosts, paranormal mystery, and paranormal horror.
Click here to read my review of The Forever Girl.
Grab Your Copy
Amazon (US) | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads
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Her Sweetest Downfall
Ophelia’s been successful at hiding her true identity, until the mark of the serpent appears on her neck—a death sentence, should it be seen by anyone in her town. Hiding the mark might save her from falling victim to the witch hunts of her era, but the scorching sensation it carries can’t be ignored.
When mysterious Ethan is sent to collect her for a life of something more, she learns concealing the mark is the least of her concerns. She’s destined to do a new task—to join a dark, supernatural world and protect the future of people she may never meet.
What she doesn’t know—what she learns too late—is that her initiation won’t be complete until she kills the man who’s captured her heart.
Grab Your Copy
July 26, 2012
The Blogger Book Fair: Nightmares? Bring them on. How all life’s answers can be found in dreams
Welcome to yet another day of the Blogger Book Fair! Before we dive into reading Wynne’s fabulous guest post, make sure you enter the giveaway for an eBook copy of Lichgates (Grimoire Trilogy #1) and vote for Lichgates and your other favorite books over at the Blogger Book Fair Awards!
Thank you so much to S. M. Boyce for renting me out this spot on her fabulous blog.
My name is Wynne and I’m an insomniac. (Big shout-out to any readers who have ever found themselves ironing sheets at 4 a.m. or know the words to every infomercial — “Slap your troubles away with the Slap Chop…You’re going to love my nuts.” I feel your pain.)
I’ve always been a bad sleeper. When I was about four, I started having night terrors. Screaming, crying, sleepwalking. My parents tried to exorcise me. They hung gems around my neck. They put gates in front of stairwells so I wouldn’t die during my nocturnal strolls.
This lasted almost every night until I was 12. I know. Lucky parents.
I wrote a lot of horror stories as a kid. I don’t know if the stories caused the nightmares or if the nightmares inspired the stories. (My mom is convinced the nightmares began after I saw Michael Jackson’s Thriller. Could be. That is a freaking scary video.)
Now when I’m lucky enough to fall asleep, I am treated to the most vivid dreams. Most are nonsensical. Once, I found that I had written in my dream journal: “The monkeys are eating our faces.” Yikes. Zombie chimps (chombies?) — no wonder I was hysterical when I was growing up. Stupid over-active imagination.
But dreams have fed creativity, inventions and discoveries. Stephanie Meyer saw a couple in a meadow. Stephen King dreamed of an author terrorized by a psychotic fan. Paul McCartney’s Yesterday. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. All born from movies of the mind.
How many times have you gone to sleep with a question, or a dilemma and awoke with the answer?
My debut novel, What Kills Me, was born because I couldn’t sleep. At 3 a.m. one night, I lay in bed, conjuring this image of a girl crawling out of a well, soaked in blood. My over-active imagination took over. And while I was writing, whenever I would get stuck, I’d sleep on it and it would sort itself out in the morning. Maybe the monkeys helped.
So today I am grateful for the insomnia and the nightmares, because now I have a book — and a Slap Chop.
What was the weirdest or scariest dream that you’ve ever had? Or when was the last time sleep solved a problem? Write Wynne and let her know. Except don’t mention zombie chimps — those freak her out.
Learn more about What Kills Me
Goodreads | Wynne Channing’s Website
Grab your copy of What Kills Me
Amazon US | Amazon UK | B&N | Kobo
About the book: An ancient prophecy warns of a girl destined to cause the extinction of the vampire race. So when 17-year-old Axelia falls into a sacred well filled with blood and emerges a vampire, the immortal empire believes she is this legendary destroyer. Hunted by soldiers and mercenaries, Axelia and her reluctant ally, the vampire bladesmith Lucas, must battle to survive. How will she convince the empire that she is just an innocent teenager-turned bloodsucker and not a creature of destruction? And if she cannot, can a vampire who is afraid of bugs summon the courage to fight a nation of immortals?
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About Wynne: Wynne Channing is a national newspaper reporter and young adult novelist. Wynne loves telling stories and as a journalist, she has interviewed everyone from Daniel Radcliffe and Hugh Jackman to the president of the Maldives and Duchess Sarah Ferguson. The closest she has come to interviewing a vampire is sitting down with True Blood‘s Alexander Skarsgard (he didn’t bite). She briefly considered calling her debut novel “Well” so then everyone would say: “Well written by Wynne Channing.”
Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
The Blogger Book Fair: Featuring Paranormal Author Kayla Curry
Welcome to yet another day of the Blogger Book Fair! Before we dive into meeting our latest author, make sure you enter the giveaway for an eBook copy of Lichgates (Grimoire Trilogy #1) and vote for Lichgates and your other favorite books over at the Blogger Book Fair Awards!
About Kayla Curry:
Kayla lives in North Platte, Nebraska with her husband and soon to be two children. She likes spending time with family and friends when she’s not working front desk at a local hotel or writing. Her other hobbies include reading and arts and crafts. You can visit her website to keep up on her progress in the Mystic Stones series.
Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
About Obsidian:
Ava Tanner finds herself in a world without satellite technology in a time of GPS, Smart phones, and Tablets. When she discovers that a corporation headed by vampires with sinister motives is to blame, her world is turned upside-down. After a narrow escape, she learns a mystical secret about herself that could aide her in her fight against the vampires. Unfortunately, the vampires see her either as an asset or a target.
When the world is on the brink of complete social and technological destruction, one must ask themselves: Would I give up my blood for the modern ideal way of life, or will I risk my life and wage war with the overlords of chaos?
Goodreads
July 25, 2012
The Book Fair is Here—Four Days of Giveaways, Books, and Assorted Other Awesomeness
Woot! It’s finally here!
As many of you know, I’ve been counting down to this book fair. The lovely Kayla Curry is hosting this fantastic event. Think of it as a digital book fair, but where we have blogs instead of booths. Oh, and we don’t sell stale popcorn. Sorry.
Over forty blogs participating, so it’s big. Take the next four days to peruse these blogs, enter giveaways, and maybe discover your next favorite author. Happy hunting!
The Book Fair Awards
Boost my ego!
No, I’m kidding. But if you did enjoy Lichgates (Grimoire Trilogy #1), please vote for it during the Book Fair Awards. The winner gets a special feature at the next Book Fair and bragging rights. PLUS I get a snazzy badge. I mean c’mon, who can pass that up?
Click here to vote for me! Thanks to all who do, and stay awesome!
My Giveaway
I celebrate by giving things away. I probably give too much stuff away, but whatever.
Enter below to win an autographed paperback copy of Lichgates—one of the last left before the re-release later this summer. There won’t be any more books printed with this cover, so jump on it!
Enjoy the book fair, guys.
July 24, 2012
Book Tour! Guest post on the 5 Questions Writers Must Ask Themselves from Christi Goddard
Hey gang! Today I’m hosting the talented Christi Goddard on her book tour for Four in the Morning, a stellar new release. It’s a paranormal fantasy that involves lies, murder, and a talking skunk. Yes. It’s awesome. Check out my review and buckle up. Take it away, Christi!
The Answers.
We want them. Who has them? As writers, we spend a lot of time on the internet, don’t we? We join forums, blog, tweet, and follow every link someone posts about articles written by ‘those in the know.’ We try to stay abreast of publishing, are wary of trends and following them, see what deals are (and are not) being made. We judge our work against others. We sometimes read a book and ask ourselves, “Why is this book successful and not mine?”
We watch the e-book debates with furrowed brows. We read the agents’ posts about the unimaginable number of queries they get in a month, and sigh at the futility of it all. Who are we to think we’re special? That we are so much better than other writers out there? Are we kidding ourselves?
What do agents want? What do publishers want? What do they not want? What is too high a word count? Too low? What genres are selling? What aren’t? Who represents what, and who won’t touch YOUR genre with a ten foot pole? Why?
We have so many questions, don’t we? See? I asked two more. Sometimes it feels like our bitty brains are going to explode from all the questions rattling around like firecrackers in our heads. But take heart, my friends. I will tell you the biggest secret in the history of the universe (aside from the true role of cereal mascots). I know who knows the answers to all our questions.
You do.
Don’t believe me? That’s okay. Sit back and relax, grab something to drink, focus your thoughts into your biggest questions, and ask one of yourself. Instead of googling it, instead of scrolling through the thousands of blogs you’ve read, draw upon your memory for the answers. Not there? Try again. It might take time, but you already know the answers.
What do agents want? – Books they will fall in love with so they can sell them to the best of their ability. If you’re not in love with your own book, you know no one else will love it either. Would you recommend your book for others to read? Would you proudly proclaim ownership of your book with no apologies? If not, no agent will either. You know this. See? I’m not making this up.
Why this book and not mine? – Timing and patience. Your book was not done at the same time that one was. Your book was not submitted to that agent on that day when they had room on their list. Your book was not what that agent wanted. Your book was not ready. It needed more time. It needed more attention, more editing, more revising, more plot resolution. You know this. Publishing takes time and patience. There’s more answers to that question, and I promise you, you already know them.
Who are we to think we’re special? — Rhetorical, you say? No, this is a valid question. And you already know the answer. Each book written is special. It takes us on a journey to new places where we meet new people, and maybe even discover new creatures or strange governments. Like snowflakes (or writer flakes if we’re truly honest), our books are special, as is our ability to tell our stories.
What do publishers want? – Books that will sell. It’s business, my friend. You know that. Simplicity at its finest.
Word counts, genres, prologues, POV, tense, omg, my head’s going to explode! – The answer to these questions is so easy it’s ridiculous. What is the right choice? Your way. As long as you’re good at what you do, as long as you’ve honed your craft and can tell a story, none of that matters. Don’t scoff. Don’t roll your eyes at me. It’s true. Go to a Best Sellers section at any bookstore. On those shelves you will see varying word counts, multiple genres, prologues (it’s TRUE!), all POV, varying tenses, and a multitude of ‘mistakes’ we worry about.
Stop sweating it. All you need is number 2. No, not ‘number two,’ potty brain. Number 2, above: Time and patience. If you believe in yourself and your work, you WILL make it someday.
And you already knew that.
About Christi Goddard
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Christi was born in Arlington, Texas in the early seventies. Her earliest memories are of seeing Jaws and Star Trek: The Motion Picture in the theater. The first was a bit much for a pre-K kid to take, and the second has much to do with what has inspired her imagination. Her father is a bit of nomad, and they moved a lot when she was a kid. She inherited this trait, and has lived many places and been just about everywhere in America. She hit puberty in Colorado, got married in Las Vegas, had her first child in Kansas, her second in Illinois. She returned to Texas just shy of turning thirty and has been there ever since. Books are Christi’s first love, followed closely by movies. She loves to be told stories, and for most of her literate life, she’s been a storyteller as well. Christi is in her thirties, a mother of two awesome teenage girls, and a geek on many levels. Comic books, Victorian manga, science fiction, fantasy, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Star Trek, Star Wars, and renaissance festivals are her greatest loves. She lives in Waco, Texas (keep Waco Whacko) with her family and lovable dog, Nelly. She has a cat named Snape who is black, full of bad attitude, and thinks he runs the place. He was deftly named.
Where to find Christi:
Website | Twitter
Want to win an eBook copy of Four in the Morning? One lucky commenter will be chosen at random. Make sure you tell us what file type you need.
To win, answer this question in the comments:
What is your biggest concern with the publishing industry, either as an author or as a reader?
You can also enter here to win a print copy of the novel. Good luck!
July 22, 2012
Negative Reviews are Not the Antichrist
This is part of the Dissecting Reviews series, a component of my Indie Author How-To Index that’s meant to help authors learn from the reviews people leave on their novels. No, the Index is totally free. Have fun.
I recently wrote a post about whether or not authors should respond to reviews. The short answer was no. It’s still no. Unless the internet implodes sometime soon and we have to shout reviews to our neighbors, it will likely always be no.
So, what should authors do?
One of the greatest lessons you can learn as an author—indie or otherwise—is that not everyone will like your work. Hell, some may hate it. It’s part of life—we’re all unique. We all have different tastes. That’s a good thing.
Authors, some readers will write reviews and say you have no sense of style, that you need more editing, that you’re a monkey, etc. A review is a reader’s opinion, and you have to respect that. Does it make them right? Eh. That’s so subjective I can’t even begin to answer it. You’re intelligent. You have to decide that for yourself.
Getting a bad review doesn’t mean you should go hide in a hole and never write again. It also doesn’t mean you get to call the reviewer a bully. Here’s the bottom line—and I repeat myself because I can’t stress this enough—a review is the reader’s opinion, and one they are entitled to have.
At times, it can almost seem like a negative review is more powerful than a positive one. What authors have to do is ignore the sting of criticism and focus on what will help them. The best authors are thick-skinned, remember?
The most professional way to deal with bad reviews (no matter how many or few good ones you have) is to not respond at all. Yep. Ignore them. In the beginning especially, you need to focus on building your readership. You need people to feel safe enough to review the book. So when you hand out review copies, people are going to give you their honest opinion. They won’t fluff it because you gave them a free copy. Giving someone a free review copy does not guarantee kindness or a 5-star review. If that’s what you’re going for, we need to have a talk.
Readers’ reviews are supposed to be honest. To expect anything else of a reviewer is dishonest on the author’s part. You don’t have to hit the “like” button on one-star reviews, but you don’t get to throw a hissy fit either.
The Bottom Line
To authors, reviews can sometimes seem like a necessary evil. You’ll get bad ones. You’ll get glowing ones. You’ll read reviews that piss you off.
Whatever you do, just remember that reviews are opinions. Just as you’re entitled to wear yellow sunglasses with a purple bowtie and die your hair green and pink if you want, readers are free to not like your story. So long as they don’t attack you or your readers’ intelligence, they have done nothing wrong in telling the world it wasn’t for them.
Do bad reviews hurt? Of course. Even thick-skinned authors twitch a little when they read one. But authors have a responsibility to be professional and polite at all times and no matter what. It’s hard to do when you put your lifeblood into something as big as a novel or book series, but you cannot take someone disliking your story as personal. It just wasn’t for them.
In the immortal words of Isaac Asimov:
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The Discussion
Let’s open the floor.
Authors:
What are some cases of authors not handling negative reviews well?
In your opinion, what’s the best way to handle negative reviews?
Do you think of reader reviews as opinions or truth?
Readers & Reviewers:
When do you leave negative reviews? That is, what has to happen for you to leave a one- or two-star rating, and how do you word your review?
How do you want authors to interact with you?
Would you prefer that an author to respond to a review, rather than stay mum?
Have you ever been harassed by an author waiting for a review?
Do you see your review as your opinion?
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