Toi Thomas's Blog, page 119

Stacking The Shelves 08

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical stores or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, and of course ebooks!*Create your own Stacking The Shelves post. You can use Tynga’s official graphic or your own, but please link back to Tynga’s Reviews so more people can join the fun!*You can set your post any way you want, simple book lists, covers, pictures, vlog, sky is the limit!*Tynga’s posting Stacking The Shelves on Saturdays, but feel free to post yours any day that fits you.* Visit Tynga’s Reviews on Saturday to add your link so others can visit you.*Visit other participant’s links to find out what they added to their shelves.The information list above was taken directly from Tynga’s Reviews blog.Here’s what I got.Colin Preston Rocked And Rolled by Bert Murray- ebookRua by Miranda Kavi- ebookAutobiography of a WerewolfHunter by Brian P. Easton- ebookA Sherlock Holmes Series- ebook collectionSeraphina by Rachel Hartman- hardcover
Just for fun!I will be sharing the comics, movies, live shows, and vinyl records I’ve added and or will be seeing at venues or theatres.  Please feel free to share and comment.*I downloaded a few hours of classical music, just because.*I got my Netflix copy of The American to watch.*I was given a cool custom made 1000 piece DC Universe puzzle (I collect).*Someone gave me an issue of O magazine; still not sure why. There wasn’t much to read in it.Can’t what to see what I have next week.

6 Sentence Sunday 08

This is a weekly meme hosted and originated by 6 Sentence Sunday. Eternal Curse: Giovanni’s Angel -6 sentences from chapter 7.
After lunch, Giovanni asked Mira to come out into the garden with him, so she did. He stopped first to put on some sun block and a hat. Even though it was well after noon, it was still too early for him to be out uncovered. They walked along the vegetable patch and then the orchard. They talked all along the way about how Abraham and Giovanni had worked season after season to get everything just right. Giovanni was feeling more comfortable around Mira now that his examination was over, and he’d become quite chatty.
To participate, pick six (6) sentences from anything you like (it can be from a Work in Progress (WiP), something you recently sold, something you hope to sell or even something already under contract and available for purchase – and don’t worry, Six Sentence Sunday is for published AND unpublished writers ). Then post them on your blog on Sunday. That’s all there is to it!
Posts are for bloggers only, but comments are open to all. Please post a link back to Six Sunday, the “anchor” site, to let people know where you heard about the idea. You are not required to list the week’s posters on your post…And don’t be afraid to share the love by adding the hashtag #sixsunday to your tweets about Six Sentence Sunday. You can follow the official Six Sentence Sunday twitter at: https://twitter.com/6_Sunday.
*The informative content listed above was taken directly from the 6 Sentence Sunday website with a few paraphrases for ease of viewing and reading. Please review their FAQs for more details.

Author Insight 13

This is an update.
Currently I am awaiting responses from beta readers of Eternal Curse: Battle ground, the sequel to EC: Giovanni’s Angel before moving forward with editing and publication. I am also halfway through another unrelated work of fiction and have just finished and outline for an adventure story I’m working on.
As always, I’ve been busy reaching out into the world of social networking to dig up new friends and content to share. I am putting together a few guest posts and well as some more interviews. I am also getting caught up on my review writing and am hosting a REVIEW CHALLENGE, to which I hope you are looking into and spreading the word about. I have even been graced with hosting my first ever blog tour stop. The week of 11/14 I, as well as the followers of the ECS, will have a chance to learn about author P. Stiles and her book The Mighty Quinn. I’m sure I’m leaving something out, but I guess that’s enough for now.

Reviews are a writer’s gift and a gift to all writers.

Toi Thomas Review Challenge: Hosted by the Eternal Curse Series Blog If you write an indie book review between November 1, 2012 and November 30, 2012, send me the link and I will post it to both my blogs, both my facebook pages, and twitter.  (ecseriesblog@gmail.com)
All links will be accumulated, and on December 1, 2012, I will post a poll with the names of all participating reviewers. I encourage reviewers to invite friends and family to vote for them as the best reviewer. (Voters will be allowed to vote for more than one reviewer).
Voting will take place from 12/1/2012 to 12/7/2012. The top three voted reviewers will be awarded the following prizes.
a. $15 Amazon gift card, a Spotlight Interview, Twitter shout out every day for a week, plus Google+, Stumble Upon, and Facebook posts for a book or blog of the winner’s choice
b. $10 Amazon gift card and Twitter shout out every day for a week
c. $5 Amazon gift card
Follow this blog to receive updates of when new reviews are posted to the Review Challenge. Review links will be posted and accumulated under the tab “Challenge.”
*Please, only post reviews of material published by Indie Authors or small presses.
*Please, only post honest and fair reviews of material that is not categorized as erotica or hate speech.
*There are no limits to the number or types of reviews to be entered, outside of the limitation listed above. However, all entry reviews must have an original post date between 11/1/12 and 11/30/12.
*Reviews will not be filtered or censored in anyway other than to weed out entries for works of erotica or hate speech.
*I, Toi Thomas, am the host of this event and will not be participating in the contest, either by entering my own reviews or by voting on reviews. I have no say in the selection of winners.
*Reviewers are in NO way required to review my book, but may do so if they choose. No award will be given for the reviews of my book specifically or any other book. Voters will be voting for reviewers based upon the reviewers’ writing, analyzing, and critiquing skills.
See Part1: steps 1&2, Part2: steps 3&4, Part3: Step 5, Part4: Posting.

Author Insight 12

How to write a review: Part 4.
*Lastly, posting reviews can also be tricky, but I believe there is a rhyme and reason for that as well. Always try to post your review at the location or site it was purchased or obtained. Sometimes, books are received without knowing the location of purchase, but that’s not a problem. Most books are now available for viewing and reviewing at GoodReads.com.
Lastly, if you have a blog, Facebook page, Stumble Upon, Google+, twitter, or other social media outlet, post your reviews there. As with most sites these days, reviews are just the tip of the iceberg. You can also show your support by rating, ranking, and Liking books and pages where applicable. For example, most Amazon book listings come with a Like button, rate option, and review option. Take a few extra seconds and pursue all three.
I hope you found this to be helpful and wish you all the best in your reading, writing, and reviews. I think I have finalized the details of the Review Challenge that I’m going to host. I think it will be a lot of fun. I will be awarding prizes to the winners. Winners will be based solely on votes. Be sure to come back tomorrow to learn all the details of challenge and the prizes…
In the meantime, I will be posting a whole bunch of reviews I should have done ages ago. They are for traditionally published books as well as Indie published books. It’s time I started putting all my theories into practice and stop being afraid to express myself when writing reviews.
See Part1: steps 1&2, Part2: steps 3&4, Part 3: Step 5.

WWW WEDNESDAYS 07

WWW WEDNESDAYS… is a weekly meme hosted by Should Be Reading, where you share (1)What you’re currently reading, (2)What you recently finished reading, and (3)What you think you’ll read next.
Comments and shares are welcomed here, but please try to share with Should be Reading as this is their meme.
1. What are you currently reading?I’m still where I was last week, but I’m close to finishing something. Burning Bridges (The Bleeding Heart Trilogy) by Nadege Richards, The Perfects by Wendy Reaks, Childhood’s End by Author C. Clarke, Embrace (Gryphon Series) by Stacey Rourke, and A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness.
2. What did you recently finish reading? Haven’t finished anything this week. I may have too much going on.
3. What do you think you’ll read next? Still trying to decide, but I just joined a book club that may give me an idea.    
What is your WWW Wednesday?
Check out what others are reading. Ticket to Anywhere. More to come.

Author Insight 11

How to write a review: Part 3.
Step 5. Always be honest. A good review doesn’t mean that you have to love the book, but always try to be fair. Readers can tell if you’ve written a review to falsely build up a books rating and they can tell if you are intentionally beating a book down out of spite. Also keep in mind the average person isn’t going to be as thorough in their reviews as other writers and bloggers. This is a good thing. A distinctive credibility is what you want to display when writing a review. It should help set you apart as a writer and a professional. A good review comes with clear explanations of why the book was loved, liked, ignored, or hated; without clear explanations, reviews worthless.
After writing all this, I’ve decided to challenge myself to write more reviews. I also invite you to write more reviews, maybe even one for my new book Eternal Curse: Giovanni’s Angel. You can find my book at the following locations: Smashwords, Amazon, Barnes&Nobel, GoodReads, TheBookPatch, Diesel, and Sony…
Aside from that, I think I’ve just about figured out what to do with my Review Challenge and am pretty sure it will help some Indie Authors get more reviews. I think it will be a nice gesture just in time for the holiday season, whether you have something to celebrate or not. I know it won’t be a huge thing, but each day I’m more determined to try it. After receiving my first ever customer review, and not knowing when another will come, I just feel like I need to give back to the indie literary community somehow.
See Part1: steps 1&2, Part 2: Steps 3&4

Stacking The Shelves 07

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical stores or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, and of course ebooks!*Create your own Stacking The Shelves post. You can use Tynga’s official graphic or your own, but please link back to Tynga’s Reviews so more people can join the fun!*You can set your post any way you want, simple book lists, covers, pictures, vlog, sky is the limit!*Tynga’s posting Stacking The Shelves on Saturdays, but feel free to post yours any day that fits you.* Visit Tynga’s Reviews on Saturday to add your link so others can visit you.*Visit other participant’s links to find out what they added to their shelves.The information list above was taken directly from Tynga’s Reviews blog.Here’s what I got.EQUALITY - Also birds are modern by Dahlia Mertens- ebookWander Dust (The Seraphina Parrish Trilogy) by Michelle Warren- ebookThe Chocolatier's Wife by Cindy Lynn Speer- ebookIsland of Fog (Book 1) by Keith Robinson- ebook
Just for fun, ECS will also be Entertaining My Brain.I will be sharing the comics, movies, live shows, and vinyl records I’ve added and or will be seeing at venues or theatres.  Please feel free to share and comment.*Hubby snagged some new indie music in a group called From Fragile Seed*I watched the Neverland Mini Series on Netfilx, a year late. LOL!Can’t what to see what I have next week.

Author Insight 10

I’m braking away from the norm. Monday is usually my day of blog rest, but since Sandy has me trapped, I might as well write. Plus, I’m on a roll with this whole review thing right now. How to write a review: Part 2.
Step 3.Summarize the book in one of two ways.
                a.The blurb-explain what you feel the book was about providing some plot points in 100 words or less. If you are a master blurb writer, go for 100 to 200 words.                b. The Spoiler- explain exactly what happened in the story, beginning, middle, and end. So as not to lose your audience, try to keep your spoiler around 500 to 800 words. (Always indicate whether your review will contain spoilers as a curtsey to other readers)
Step 4. Then explain why you gave the book its overall rating. If you are not sure how to do that, simply answer the following questions. (There is no preferred word length for this)
                a. What was the overall theme of the book and did you like it?                b. How did you feel about the pace of the plot and the plot development?                c. How did you feel about the character development?                d. How did you feel about the finale of the book?
There are many more questions that could be included in your assessment, but these are the basic points I think most people look for in a good review…I’m still working out the details of what I’m now calling, A Review Challenge. What do you think of the image so far?
See Part 1: Steps 1 & 2.

Author Insight 09

How to write a review: Part 1.
As many of you may know, I am not the best review writer. I lack the confidence to praise a good work and to criticize one that could have used some more work. I also have had trouble trying to be consistent with my reviews, making sure to be fair and uniform for all the books I review. So, I’ve decided to write out a plan or instructions for writing reviews in hopes that it will make me a better review writer…and if you have been reluctant to write a review of your own because you weren’t sure how, maybe this will help you. Just know that I’m new at this myself, so if you have or find a better method, by all means, use it. The important thing is to just WRITE THE REVIEW.
All authors, but especially INDIE authors, need reviews!
Step 1.Indicate the title and edition of the book if applicable. If the book is part of a series, mention the series title and which installment the review book is. Indicate the Author’s name. If you are familiar with other works by this author, mention it briefly, other wise move on.
Step 2. Give the book an overall rating. Use a system that makes sense to you and is easy to understand by others. For example, on a scale of 1 to 5, five being the best, “I give Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern a solid 5.”
I must admit that these are things that I have tried to do consistently in the past, but haven’t always succeeded with. Now that I’ve written these principles down, maybe I’ll be better at carrying them out.
I want to do something to help Indie Authors get reviews. So far, I think I’m leaning towards doing a challenge that will involve people voting on their favorite reviews. As much as I’d love for people to review my book, I think it would only be fair to keep the review selections open to the readers.  I’m still working on the details, but I’m excited about the possibilities and hope you are too. In case anyone is interested in my book, you can get it here: Smashwords, Amazon, GoodReads, TheBookPatch, Diesel, and Sony.