Jennifer Anderson's Blog, page 13
May 10, 2013
4.5 Star Review for King of the Lake
As you may know, my final book in the Honey Creek Royalty series released in March. Here is a great review from LASR I received in my inbox this morning.
As an author, we are warned not to comment on reviews, good or bad. Many say readers don't like it and others say why not. I like to weigh on the side of caution. But I can certainly comment here.
Dear Jasmine from LASR,
Thank you for taking the time to read my novellas and provide a review. I understand the amount of books offered to you everyday and it makes me break out into a goofy smile knowing you picked me.
I feel like you get it. My stories. They are simple and light and are made to make you feel good. I loved high school and even though any little thing felt like the end of the world, those were the things that made life interesting. Writing for Honey Creek allows me to slip back in time and relive a few of those moments since I grew up in a small town.
Thank you for the reviews and I look forward to reading more of them and your suggestions.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Anderson
As an author, we are warned not to comment on reviews, good or bad. Many say readers don't like it and others say why not. I like to weigh on the side of caution. But I can certainly comment here.
Dear Jasmine from LASR,
Thank you for taking the time to read my novellas and provide a review. I understand the amount of books offered to you everyday and it makes me break out into a goofy smile knowing you picked me.
I feel like you get it. My stories. They are simple and light and are made to make you feel good. I loved high school and even though any little thing felt like the end of the world, those were the things that made life interesting. Writing for Honey Creek allows me to slip back in time and relive a few of those moments since I grew up in a small town.
Thank you for the reviews and I look forward to reading more of them and your suggestions.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Anderson
May 5, 2013
There's not enough time...
I feel like when Jessie told Zach there was not time, that she was singing my mantra! Of course, I'm not trying to win some talent contest, getting good grades and popping pills, but you get the gist.
My friend Julie and I often chat back and forth about remember when we weren't published and we had all this time and we couldn't wait to get published and all the glamour that came with it. Then we rip on our former selves wondering where the time went.
Don't get me wrong, I love where my career is at now. Or the fact I have a writing career. Heck, I wouldn't change it for anything. But what the older kids on the publishing playground don't tell you is once you sign that contract your time isn't really your own anymore.
Some of us work day jobs. I did for the first year until I was laid off. Then there was that baby thing in where I had one (3rd!). So while in between changing diapers I find time to work on review submissions for TMP, edit for other writers, beta for my besties, promote my own writing, blog (we both know that doesn't happen much), read to keep the juices flowing and plus, I love it and oh yeah, I need to keep writing. And there are these other 3 people in my house who depend on me to cook, clean their clothes, check their homework and snuggle with them. I can't help but grab my hair brush and sign how there's no time and I'm so excited.
Even when I'm stressed and wouldn't mind going back in time to high school when the small things were extraordinary I wouldn't change one bit of where I'm at now. However, while I'm writing, I think I'll add one more task to my to-do list: adding more time!
Thanks and I'd love to hear how you make the time to write. Fortunately, the baby takes a long mid-morning nap which allows me about 2.5 hours to work. Bless her precious little heart!
April 30, 2013
Fun Summer Read
Here's a book I stumbled across today that looks very interesting.
Emma has always tried to be perfect in her almost eighteen years of existence, but it has never been good enough for her mother and stepfather. As she finds herself counting the days until she’s officially free from her parents’ reins, her stepfather hands her a plane ticket explaining that she must attend the Re-Boot Camp in the wilds of Alaska.
Once she lands in the middle of nowhere, she realizes the camp is nothing like she imagined, and she wants out immediately.
That is until she meets Liam.
The camp is full of teens with dark pasts, but she finds herself drawn to Liam’s ability to see who she really is and who she wants to become. While Emma and Liam begin adjusting to a place neither wants to be, frightening events begin to unfold. When people begin disappearing, it becomes apparent they can only trust one another as they fight for survival.
To make it even better, it's on sale for $.99 on both Amazon and B&N. PLUS, the author is doing a giveaway on her site. Visit her at http://blog.karicebolton.com/ to enter.
Show an author a little love. Visit her site today!
Oh, and while you're buying her book, add a few more to your cart ;-)Men in UniformIce PrincessPrince CharmingQueen MeanKing of the Lake
Emma has always tried to be perfect in her almost eighteen years of existence, but it has never been good enough for her mother and stepfather. As she finds herself counting the days until she’s officially free from her parents’ reins, her stepfather hands her a plane ticket explaining that she must attend the Re-Boot Camp in the wilds of Alaska.
Once she lands in the middle of nowhere, she realizes the camp is nothing like she imagined, and she wants out immediately.
That is until she meets Liam.
The camp is full of teens with dark pasts, but she finds herself drawn to Liam’s ability to see who she really is and who she wants to become. While Emma and Liam begin adjusting to a place neither wants to be, frightening events begin to unfold. When people begin disappearing, it becomes apparent they can only trust one another as they fight for survival.
To make it even better, it's on sale for $.99 on both Amazon and B&N. PLUS, the author is doing a giveaway on her site. Visit her at http://blog.karicebolton.com/ to enter.
Show an author a little love. Visit her site today!
Oh, and while you're buying her book, add a few more to your cart ;-)Men in UniformIce PrincessPrince CharmingQueen MeanKing of the Lake
April 15, 2013
YA Submissions
My friends at TMP are open to submissions for a new YA anthology: Love is a Battlefield. If you're interested, here are the details.
Love Is a Battlefield TMP YA AnthologySummer 2014WANTED: Seasoned YA authors who yearn for a challenge or YA writers who want to break into the world of publishing. Wow us with your story for our new YA anthology, Love is a Battlefield. This collection will be available both digitally and in print.Young Adult readers love angst. And what’s better than a book full of angst. Love is a Battlefield will consist of 8-10 YA short stories (5K to 8K word count) that tug at the heart strings. We want strong heroines who are willing to fight for what they want.Submit a polished short story to yasubmissions@turquoisemorning.com. Please allow 6-8 weeks from submission date for us to get back with you on the progress of your story.
Love Is a Battlefield TMP YA AnthologySummer 2014WANTED: Seasoned YA authors who yearn for a challenge or YA writers who want to break into the world of publishing. Wow us with your story for our new YA anthology, Love is a Battlefield. This collection will be available both digitally and in print.Young Adult readers love angst. And what’s better than a book full of angst. Love is a Battlefield will consist of 8-10 YA short stories (5K to 8K word count) that tug at the heart strings. We want strong heroines who are willing to fight for what they want.Submit a polished short story to yasubmissions@turquoisemorning.com. Please allow 6-8 weeks from submission date for us to get back with you on the progress of your story.
April 11, 2013
The Collector review
I discovered this book from an email sent out by BookBub. I believe it was free.
Here's the blurb from GoodReads:
He makes good girls...bad.
Dante Walker is flippin’ awesome, and he knows it. His good looks, killer charm, and stellar confidence have made him one of hell’s best—a soul collector. His job is simple: weed through humanity and label those round rears with a big red good or bad stamp. Old Saint Nick gets the good guys, and he gets the fun ones. Bag-and-tag.
Sealing souls is nothing personal. Dante’s an equal-opportunity collector and doesn't want it any other way. But he’ll have to adjust, because Boss Man has given him a new assignment:
Collect Charlie Cooper’s soul within ten days.
Dante doesn't know why Boss Man wants Charlie, nor does he care. This assignment means only one thing to him, and that’s a permanent ticket out of hell. But after Dante meets the quirky Nerd Alert chick he’s come to collect, he realizes this assignment will test his abilities as a collector…and uncover emotions deeply buried.
My thoughts:
I love this book and had a hard time putting it down in order to feed my family! The hero, if you can call him that, is snarky, smooth and confident and I couldn't get enough of him. And I really enjoyed watching him change throughout the story.
I haven't read many books from a male's perspective and I have to say I felt most of the feelings and dialogue were spot on. Guys are dorks!
I'm eager to continue this series but am bummed I have to wait until August 2013!
April 4, 2013
Gone Girl Review
I may have mentioned starting a book club with some friends. We started with Divergent, which we totally loved. March, we read Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. I'm not one for dark suspense and from what I understand, this book is by far less intense compared to her other titles.
Blurb from GoodReads.
On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media—as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents—the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter—but is he really a killer?
As the cops close in, every couple in town is soon wondering how well they know the one that they love. With his twin sister, Margo, at his side, Nick stands by his innocence. Trouble is, if Nick didn’t do it, where is that beautiful wife? And what was in that silvery gift box hidden in the back of her bedroom closet?
With her razor-sharp writing and trademark psychological insight, Gillian Flynn delivers a fast-paced, devilishly dark, and ingeniously plotted thriller that confirms her status as one of the hottest writers around.
What our book club thought:
It was simple, they loved it. I think a major seller for us is we are Missouri Girls who make soup casseroles and eat Fritos. One or two admitted to finding the story a bit predictable, knowing early on what the outcome would be. But the general consensus was they couldn't put the book down. We later discussed aspects of the book we found interesting; did we ever think so and so committed the crime, what would we have done, do we plan on reading her other titles.
We did all enjoy the idea of a he-said, she-said sides of the story which offered much conflict in the book and kept some of us guessing.
My thoughts:
I tend to read very quickly and thought I was clever in not reading this book until closer to our meeting. WRONG! I didn't finish the book until a few hours before we met. Why? Even though I gave the book 4 stars on GR (the writing is very good as well as the story) I wasn't as engaged. I think because it's not my normal go-to genre, which is the point of the book club. I enjoyed the quirky comments and tangents, finding most of them funny but after the author did it a few times, I began to find them boring. Yeah, yeah, everything has a story. Hell, we all have those moments but I kept wanting to skip the tangents and get on with it.
And unlike my group, I liked the wife. I felt if my husband did to me what hers did to her, I'd hope to have guts or be creative enough to do something. Maybe not on such a grand production like in this book, but something. I liked her gumption.
Our next book: Paranoia by Joseph Finder.
Blurb from GoodReads.
On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media—as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents—the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter—but is he really a killer?
As the cops close in, every couple in town is soon wondering how well they know the one that they love. With his twin sister, Margo, at his side, Nick stands by his innocence. Trouble is, if Nick didn’t do it, where is that beautiful wife? And what was in that silvery gift box hidden in the back of her bedroom closet?
With her razor-sharp writing and trademark psychological insight, Gillian Flynn delivers a fast-paced, devilishly dark, and ingeniously plotted thriller that confirms her status as one of the hottest writers around.
What our book club thought:
It was simple, they loved it. I think a major seller for us is we are Missouri Girls who make soup casseroles and eat Fritos. One or two admitted to finding the story a bit predictable, knowing early on what the outcome would be. But the general consensus was they couldn't put the book down. We later discussed aspects of the book we found interesting; did we ever think so and so committed the crime, what would we have done, do we plan on reading her other titles.
We did all enjoy the idea of a he-said, she-said sides of the story which offered much conflict in the book and kept some of us guessing.
My thoughts:
I tend to read very quickly and thought I was clever in not reading this book until closer to our meeting. WRONG! I didn't finish the book until a few hours before we met. Why? Even though I gave the book 4 stars on GR (the writing is very good as well as the story) I wasn't as engaged. I think because it's not my normal go-to genre, which is the point of the book club. I enjoyed the quirky comments and tangents, finding most of them funny but after the author did it a few times, I began to find them boring. Yeah, yeah, everything has a story. Hell, we all have those moments but I kept wanting to skip the tangents and get on with it.
And unlike my group, I liked the wife. I felt if my husband did to me what hers did to her, I'd hope to have guts or be creative enough to do something. Maybe not on such a grand production like in this book, but something. I liked her gumption.
Our next book: Paranoia by Joseph Finder.
March 27, 2013
Suburgatory
Have you seen this show? OMG! I am in love. It's the one show I watch that doesn't involve vampires, suspense, cops or drama. Instead, it's about a dad and his teenage daughter moving from NYC to the suburbs (hence the name), hopefully, allowing the daughter to have a wholesome upbringing.
Little do they know that yes, it's not like life in the big city. It's better. Funnier. Over the top laugh your butt off! Ironic because some of the jokes are about lipo!
So in attempt to keep the humor in my life (mom of 3, yikes!) I trade tweets about the show with a friend, Julie Anne Lindsey. We'll say a line or two from the previous show, laugh and go about our day with a smile on our faces.
Well, a few night ago Julie texted me stating Dallas Royce tweeted us. What? What!
In a mad dash, I search my Twitter account and WHAM there it is.
Now, let me back up a bit and offer up my tweet.
I swallowed and everything and then I was like I have a noodle in my throat.
You'd have to see the episode to understand.
So I did what any normal house wife who's connected to social media. I tweeted, retweeted and FaceBooked the heck out the fact that Dallas Royce tweeted me. (And it was good too ;-)
Do I think she's actually tweeting me? Cheryl Hines? Um, I don't know. I mean, I'm sure there are PR people and assistants that handle this sort of thing but I think that fan girl part of me who gets giddy over star sightings thinks, just maybe, it is her. Just this one time. Or hopes its her.
But if not, it's all cool *blushes* *wipes away the tears*.
March 20, 2013
King of the Lake.
The conclusion to my Honey Creek Royalty series is here. I'm a little sad to see the series end but thankful for the journey. Honey Creek holds a special place in my heart. I love writing stories about this little town and I hope to continue when times allows.
If you haven't stopped by Honey Creek, you don't know what your missing. So far, we have 11 books released within the last year from this line. Each one different with a common thread...the people of Honey Creek.
Thank you for being with me on this journey.
Living in a small town, everybody knows your business. Unfortunately for Allison Carver, some people can’t forget.
When a lapse in good judgment lands her in the public eye, her parents force her to seek guidance from the local minister. After several months, she begins to forgive herself while her parents seem to keep her mistakes front and center.Allison escapes to Honey Creek Lake where she gets a waitressing job at Honey Creek Lodge’s restaurant. Lack of identity among the summer tourists offers relief, allowing her to feel normal. Taking the order of a summer guest launches her into a dilemma. Does she follow her heart and allow her feelings to mature for a guy she just met? Or risk the wrath of her father while he sits on his throne overlooking the lake.
March 18, 2013
To finish or not to finish
Have you ever read a book and decided after a few pages, heck a few paragraphs, to put it aside? The writing or story either didn't grab you or was riddled with typos? What did you do afterwards? Did you write a review giving the person 0 stars? Or did you do nothing. Set it aside and grab the next book to read?
I was faced with this same decision last week. Except, I didn't stop reading. And on the first page alone I read many, many typos and then later found blaring inconsistencies with the story. I even stopped reading, deciding not to finish only to pick it back up, hoping it got better.
It didn't and the mistakes continued until the last page.
I'm not a reviewer. I'm a writer and a reader. I can usually read about anything (fiction) or at least try to read anything. And I think as a writer, I'd hoped it got better as I went. We all have a shaky start. Those first few pages are what will make or break you. If you can't grab someone's attention by then, stick a fork in it. It's done.
After I finished, I felt I needed to do something. I still do. Do I write the author and say, listen, you really need to edit this baby again. Even though I think the book is self pubbed, which shouldn't matter, maybe she doesn't have people around her to say, "hey, that's not right" or isn't backed by a publishing house that will take her under their wing and make her book better. The story line was cute enough to make me purchase the book.
I'm not going to tell you what book it was, that wouldn't be nice. I'm not going to leave a review on GoodReads with one star for effort and 2 for courage because I know what it's like to read a bad review of my own books. Not nice at all. Me not mentioning the title is review enough.
Even not doing all this to avoid hurting anyone's feelings, I'm compelled to do something. Wouldn't you want to know if there were mistakes?
Are you published? Self or otherwise. Would you appreciate a note from someone in your field offering some advice? Or are we too proud to accept? I'd love to know what you think.
I was faced with this same decision last week. Except, I didn't stop reading. And on the first page alone I read many, many typos and then later found blaring inconsistencies with the story. I even stopped reading, deciding not to finish only to pick it back up, hoping it got better.
It didn't and the mistakes continued until the last page.
I'm not a reviewer. I'm a writer and a reader. I can usually read about anything (fiction) or at least try to read anything. And I think as a writer, I'd hoped it got better as I went. We all have a shaky start. Those first few pages are what will make or break you. If you can't grab someone's attention by then, stick a fork in it. It's done.
After I finished, I felt I needed to do something. I still do. Do I write the author and say, listen, you really need to edit this baby again. Even though I think the book is self pubbed, which shouldn't matter, maybe she doesn't have people around her to say, "hey, that's not right" or isn't backed by a publishing house that will take her under their wing and make her book better. The story line was cute enough to make me purchase the book.
I'm not going to tell you what book it was, that wouldn't be nice. I'm not going to leave a review on GoodReads with one star for effort and 2 for courage because I know what it's like to read a bad review of my own books. Not nice at all. Me not mentioning the title is review enough.
Even not doing all this to avoid hurting anyone's feelings, I'm compelled to do something. Wouldn't you want to know if there were mistakes?
Are you published? Self or otherwise. Would you appreciate a note from someone in your field offering some advice? Or are we too proud to accept? I'd love to know what you think.
March 2, 2013
The Romance Review Anniversary Celebration
Who doesn't like a party? I know I do! The Romance Reviews is celebrating 2 years! Way ta go!
And you can get in on the fun. Hope on over to their website, get registered and start playing.
I'm joining in on the fun and giving away an e-copy of Ice Princess. My book will be featured on March 17th (St. Patrick's Day!). Answer my questions for a chance to win!
Plus, they are giving away a $100 Grand Price Gift Card. Say what!
Check in everyday for more fun. Turquoise Morning Press joined the fun with 3 books of their own.
And you can get in on the fun. Hope on over to their website, get registered and start playing.
I'm joining in on the fun and giving away an e-copy of Ice Princess. My book will be featured on March 17th (St. Patrick's Day!). Answer my questions for a chance to win!
Plus, they are giving away a $100 Grand Price Gift Card. Say what!
Check in everyday for more fun. Turquoise Morning Press joined the fun with 3 books of their own.
