A.L. Butcher's Blog, page 174
April 22, 2015
Author Spotlight and Blog Tour J.L McFadden – Romance/Paranormal
About the Author:
J.L Mc Fadden is ��the Author of the Guardian Series: Guardian, released, Adela, release in September, Chooses, released in May 2014, Adela���s Lost Guardian, March, more to be named at a later date. McFadden spins tragedy and romance into all of his stories with picturesque descriptions that vividly paints and melts the scenes into your pleasure cortex that is a valid and important part of every readers mind. ;) Jamie Lee was born in a mixed Celtic and Slavic family in the river valleys of Pennsylvania, in his earlier years he played in bands in New York and ended up working his way into H.Q of the largest musical retailer in the world Guitar Center; while working at the store level he managed multiple departments at once and handled all the stores merchandising logistics. He has explored the world and became the first American to be excepted into the Interregional Federation of Aikido Aikikai of Crimea & Sevastopol, where he enjoys learning from great masters from around the world, where he has developed his himself. He explains that the people rich and colorfully different people he has met, spawned a lot of his characters.
Website:��http://www.jlmcfadden.com/
Facebook:��https://www.facebook.com/TheGuardianbook
Purchase Links:
Amazon������BN�� ��Goodreads
Synopsis:
This book is written in such away that it can be read as a stand alone or after the first book of the series- The Guardian. After so much more loss Adela finds herself in the middle of a love triangle and the fight for the head of Covens.
Adela and John both have their fair share of choices to make. Adela must think of her coven, but at the same time she feels a burning desire for her great, great niece’s Guardian John. She is torn because though fate has blessed her great, great niece with a Guardian that is connected to her by Mother Earth to protect her from anything, she keeps rejecting him. John is torn between the woman he is fated to and Adela. He fears that it is Adela’s powers of seduction that is tempting him. He feels a desire to protect Gala, but also feels a yearning for Adela. At the same time Adela must search for the secret journal known as the Guardian journal and protect those she loves from the dangers that lurk in the shadows.
RAFFLECOPTER:��a Rafflecopter giveaway
April 19, 2015
What Does The London Book Fair Have To Offer Writers And Authors?
Thanks, Lynette. This is an interesting account of the book fair. I interviewed someone last year who attended so it is good to have another view.
Originally posted on Lynette's Blog:
For weeks I have counted down the days before I attended the London Book Fair. This is the global marketplace where the publishing world gathers for rights negotiation, sale and distribution of content across printed books. The 2015 book fair was held at Olympia in West London over a glorious three day event.
With a number of exciting seminars and conferences especially for writers there are plenty of reasons why an author should wish to attend the London Book Fair, (LBF). Of course I didn���t go alone, I went with aspiring writer, Joy Wood who will soon be publishing her first novel, For the Love of Emily. We both live close to Grimsby in North Lincolnshire so we caught the train on Tuesday morning and headed to Kings Cross station. Our hotel was at Earls Court, chosen because it was only one tube stop away from the spectacular Olympia���
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April 18, 2015
Author Interview Number Eighty-Seven – Chambers Mars (Carter Seagrove) – LGBT and Thriller/Crime Fiction
Welcome AUTHOR – CHAMBERS MARS (who, together with Alp Mortal, is also Carter Seagrove)
BIO
I am French, living in Saint Tropez. I travel widely, collecting and dealing in art. My childhood home is in a village not too far from the place where Alp Mortal lives in France.
I am vegan, a Buddhist and a dog owner – I have a Jack Russell/Italian Greyhound mix by the name of Pinocchio (Jack Russell with long legs and a superiority complex to match).
Together with Alp Mortal, I am half of Carter Seagrove, author of Dust Jacket and The Inspector Fenchurch Mysteries.
Alp Mortal, Chambers Mars and Shannon M. Kirkland are The Carter Seagrove Project LLC – an independent book publisher. Find us at http://www.carterseagrove.weebly.com, on Twitter @carterseagrove and on Facebook www.facebook.com/thecarterseagroveproject.
Q&A
Where do you live and write from?
I generally spend my time in Saint Tropez – I prefer the climate! I do spend time at the house in Saint Hilaire in Haute Saone, near to the spiritual retreat where Alp lives for part of the year. I generally only write when I am at home in Saint Tropez, on the balcony.
Please tell us a little about your writing ��� for example genre, title, etc.
I write LGBT-themed fiction – the Zac Tremble Investigates series – he���s the gay PI; and the Life & Times of Johnny Sante series – he���s the young bisexual Parisian con-artist.
In 2014, I began writing with Alp. First we did Dust Jacket and then The Inspector Fenchurch Mysteries – the gay, crime fighting duo of Inspector Alfred Fenchurch and PC Adam Cowley. I would like to write something different – maybe Sci-fi but I am also keen to produce either Zac or Johnny as a graphic novel series.
Where do you find inspiration?
The inspiration for the Zac series really came from the series of short novels which Le Monde publishes each summer – pocket-sized, fast-paced reads. Alp says James Bond meets Fawlty Towers – I love both. Johnny is partly inspired by John Cusack���s character in The Grifters; Zac partly by the film Renaissance (with Daniel Craig) and Zac and Paul partly by the relationship between Lola and Manni in Run Lola Run.
Do you have a favourite character? If so why?
I like Paul in Zac Tremble Investigates and Adam in The Inspector Fenchurch Mysteries because they are quiet heroes. I love Johnny because he has the spirit I would really loved to have had when I was his age.
Do you have a character you dislike? If so why?
Not exactly dislike – I create bad guys so that my heroes can despatch them.
Are your characters based on real people?
A little of everyone – all of the characters are really studies of human nature – I study cultural anthropology.
Have you ever used a person you don���t/didn���t like as a character then killed them off?
Not in the sense that the person was someone I knew/know personally.
Research can be important in world-building, how much do you need to do for your books? Do you enjoy this aspect of creating a novel and what are your favourite resources?
I have to do a lot of research because first, English is my second language – and English humour is not like French humour so Zac incurs me in lots of studying – old TV sitcoms are very rich material. Fenchurch is based in the 1930s. I use the internet a lot of course and I am lucky that I have access to some magazine archives.
Is there a message conveyed within your writing?�� Do you feel this is important in a book?
Always a study of an aspect of our nature – it is important for me because the story would be thin without it. I wanted to create a different kind of gay male character – role models are very important – as is diversity – there isn���t enough diversity in our genre hence why I created Johnny and have him be bisexual – also Cindy and Delphes in Zac – the lesbian couple.
Sort these into order of importance: Great characters; great world-building; solid plot; technically perfect. Can you explain why you chose this order? (Yes I know they all are important���)
Character, character, character and character … nothing else matters.
In what formats are your books available? (E-books, print, large print audio) Are you intending to expand these and if not, what is the reason?
All of my titles are available as eBooks – in all formats – and some are going to be produced as audiobooks. I want to produce Zac as a graphic novel or animated web series – probably Johnny too.
Do you self-edit? If so why is that the case? Do you believe a book suffers without being professionally edited?
I have to have my work thoroughly checked because of the translation aspect – I could not publish anything without my editors.
Do you think indie/self-published authors are viewed differently to traditionally published authors? Why do you think this might be?
Yes; it is sadly the case that traditional publishers are very risk averse – they go with the sure bet but they miss great opportunity by doing it.
Do you read work by self-published authors?
A lot and more and more.
What three pieces of advice would you give to new writers?
Get inside your character���s skin and live his life if you want to write great characters; read to be a better writer; don���t play safe …
What are your best marketing/networking tips? What are your worst?
Twitter. Fortunately, Alp does our social media for us – I am terrible at updating my blog – but I am older than my colleagues at The Project.
Most authors like to read, what have you recently finished reading? Did you enjoy it?
We by Yevgeny Zanyatin
Two Night Stand Ellis Carrington
The Secret Agent Joseph Conrad
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall Anne Bronte
I struggle with some of the stuff I get recommended to me – I like comics best – especially Largo Winch.
Can you name your favourite traditionally published author? And your favourite indie/self-published author?
Traditional published author would be Georges Simenon
What are your views on authors offering free books?
We all do it but it is madness!
Do you have a favourite movie?
The Good Thief with Nick Nolte.
Book links, website/blog and author links:
Book links – http://carterseagrove.weebly.com/books-by-our-authors.html
Website/blog – http://chambersmars.weebly.com
Author links – use the book links – above – (a new gallery we have created) to find all of the links to the other author/retail links
The publishing house – www.carterseagrove.weebly.com,
on Twitter @carterseagrove
and on Facebook www.facebook.com/thecarterseagroveproject.
April 9, 2015
April 5, 2015
Author Interview Eighty-Six – Alp Mortal (Carter Seagrove) – Thriller/LGBT Fiction
Welcome to Alp Mortal
BIO
Born in 1965, I’m English by birth from the Isle of Wight, living in Newport, spending part of the year in France in the stunningly beautiful department of Haute-Sa��ne in the Franche Comt�� region. It is heavily forested and very tranquil but the winters are pretty harsh and my home is 820 metres above sea level so I get plenty of snow.
I am also spending increasing amounts of time in the USA, co-managing The Carter Seagrove Project LLC – an independent publishing house, incorporated in the State of Indiana.
I will be 50 years old in 2015. I only started writing in 2009, proving, I suppose, that it is never too late. I didn’t think about self-publishing until late 2012, now, more than two years later, I’m even more energized by the process than ever before.
I’m a qualified English teacher, specializing in teaching English as a second language (TEFL), though I don’t do much of that now. In the distant past, I taught software skills. In the very distant past, I was a project manager on big IT projects and at the very beginning of my career, I was an Internal Auditor. I have degrees in Internal Auditing, Computer Auditing, and Project Management. I’m studying for my degree in Sustainable Development at the moment. Renewable energy is what really interests me and I generate my own power at home via a solar panel.
I’m a member of The Society of Authors, The Society for Editors and Proofreaders, and The Independent Author Network. I am a Smashwords Author and a Goodreads Author.
I grow some of my own food and from Easter to the end of October, I’m outside for the largest part of the day, tending the garden. I write in the evening and during the winter when there is very little else to do. I have no great philosophy except “energy follows intention” and “honour your gifts”. These two principles keep me sane, very happy and exceedingly busy!
Together with Chambers Mars, I am half of Carter Seagrove, author of Dust Jacket and The Inspector Fenchurch Mysteries.
Alp Mortal, Chambers Mars and Shannon M. Kirkland are The Carter Seagrove Project LLC – an independent book publisher. Find us at www.carterseagrove.weebly.com, on Twitter @carterseagrove and on Facebook www.facebook.com/thecarterseagroveproject.
Q&A
Where do you live and write from?��Currently, I am split between four centers of fiction writing worship: The Isle of Wight, UK in the town of Newport; in the mountains of the Vosges in Haute Saone, France, and in Indiana, USA, where I stay with Shannon from time to time. I also spend time in St Tropez with Chambers – usually if we���re getting a Fenchurch Mystery ready for publication.
Living this way really helps to keep me topped up with ideas for new stories – travel broadens the mind ��� and the vocabulary!
Please tell us a little about your writing ��� for example genre, title, etc.��I write m/m romance, m/m/f romance very occasionally, m/m romantic thrillers, and gay-themed crime stories and series (mostly with Chambers Mars when we write as Carter Seagrove). I am just about to start my first Sci-fi project which is also gay themed (Trojan Horse – a kind of Space Opera). I have a gay-themed soap opera (Swallow Close) on the table but that is languishing due to project overload. At some point in 2015, I hope to output a series of poems based around the themes of Metaphysics, Gestalt Theory, Solipsism and Synesthesia – themes which occur in my stories too.
I shuttle between stories of varying length and style – epic fantasy sagas alongside very brief encounters, poetry and things which are essentially plays.
Where do you find inspiration?��Inspiration comes from everywhere – it���s why travel is so important to me. I find that a lot of the energy for a story comes from my own experiences and relationships. There is a lot of me in each story. The things I study the most also feed into stories – ecology, art, cooking, veganism, Buddhism, social history, evolution, mythology, fast cars, poetry (especially John Donne, Andrew Marvel and Coleridge), Metaphysics, Gestalt Theory, Synesthesia and Solipsism. Fundamentally, I find the greatest source of inspiration to be the idea that a set of words can influence how a person feels and thinks – that suggests a very deep connection and a privileged one too.
Do you have a favourite character? If so why?��Cicero in Dabs of Blue, Casper in Guiltless Trip, Inspector Alfred Fenchurch in The Inspector Fenchurch Mysteries, Daniel in Daniel���s Garden, Archie in Brave, Alfie in A Lifelong Love and Jason in The Weaver & The Loom – because they represent the best of humanity … and that doesn���t mean always just good – neither are they the most complex (Emile in Juxtaposition) or the simplest (Adam in Camping Gear) – they offer a kind of optimism.
Do you have a character you dislike? If so why?��Ben in Juxtaposition; Fulshard in The Inspector Fenchurch Mysteries, Lawrence in Guiltless Trip, Anthony in Brave, Pierre in Love On The Beach – they exist to fulfil a purpose – to highlight the good in someone else – to provide the motivation to act in a certain way, to engender an emotional response. I haven���t created a character that I began to dislike – sometimes I become ambivalent about a character – sometimes I elevate a character to play a part which I did not anticipate at the start – most notably Gus and Jacob in Brave.
Are your characters based on real people?��All of the characters are based on real people to one extent or another – some of them I know well, others, less so.
Have you ever used a person you don���t/didn���t like as a character then killed them off?��Yes …
Research can be important in world-building, how much do you need to do for your books? Do you enjoy this aspect of creating a novel and what are your favourite resources?��I love research – ferreting around out of way places and musty old bookshops. How much I research I need to do depends on the story – The Inspector Fenchurch Mysteries takes place in the 1930s, so that took a lot. Some stories are written straight out of my memory of a particular place – Guiltless Trip, Consequences, Camping Gear. The Internet is absolutely invaluable to me – Wikipedia & YouTube probably most – often Google Maps.
Is there a message conveyed within your writing?�� Do you feel this is important in a book?��Always a message – I can���t write something which does not have a ���point��� – it is fundamental to the process of creating a story – before the characters are drawn oftentimes. It provides the energy, motivation, realism and hook.
Sort these into order of importance: Great characters; great world-building; solid plot; technically perfect. Can you explain why you chose this order? (Yes I know they all are important���)��Great Characters, Solid Plot, Great World Building, Technically Perfect
I am a storyteller – and love reading stories – but I remember the characters and prefer to create characters because I am turned on by people. Great characters can compensate for a thinner plot – a great plot can never compensate for badly drawn characters. I prefer as a reader – and for the reader – to build the world themselves – I hate too much detail – I want to use my imagination. Technically perfect – of course – but not to the detriment of getting the story told – my editor hates me!
In what formats are your books available? (E-books, print, large print audio) Are you intending to expand these and if not, what is the reason?��All of my titles are available as eBooks – in all formats – and some are going to be produced as audiobooks. Print is too costly and the retail pricing model doesn���t work these days in the face of eBook pricing. I used to offer all of them in print and sold zip, so took them off of the shelf.
Do you self-edit? If so why is that the case? Do you believe a book suffers without being professionally edited?��I used to; I don���t anymore. Yes, a book suffers. When I look at the mistakes I made and left unchecked in early stuff which I did self-edit, I cringe. I realised after a while that you owe your reader at least a script that is as good as it could be, given even the best editor will always miss something. I am blessed with a wonderful editor who takes great pains to make sure the script is ���worthy���.
Do you think indie/self-published authors are viewed differently to traditionally published authors? Why do you think this might be?��Yes. We used to be treated as a joke. Now we���re getting some kudos. We represent the new construct, are closer to our readers, are better at social media and get books published quicker. I see a lot of negative press but discount it because I have exercised a choice in being a self-published author – we have freedom and control our output. If someone believes that a trad��� published author is the only kind or the ���real��� kind or the ���best��� kind then they are missing out on great reads.
Do you read work by self-published authors?��90% of my contemporary fiction reads are from self-published authors.
What are your opinions about authors commenting on reviews? How important are reviews?��I used to get hooked on them and upset by bad ones – now I never read them. You can���t influence the outcome once the book has gone out there – I���d rather devote the energy to writing the next story.
When buying a book do you read the reviews?��Sometimes but they do not always influence my decision to purchase.
What three pieces of advice would you give to new writers?��Write, write and write … leave the editing to the editor. Enjoy the process or quit. Respect your professional and artistic integrity and respect your reader.
What are your best marketing/networking tips? What are your worst?��Website – blog – Twitter – be Goodreads active – put your product everywhere – advertise on All Romance eBooks and Prism Book Alliance – have a profile everywhere – enter competitions – comment on blog posts
Worst – paid boosts of posts on Facebook
Most authors like to read, what have you recently finished reading? Did you enjoy it?��The Good Earth by Pearl S Buck
Atonement by Ian McEwan
Romeo & Juliet by William Shakespeare
Assignment to Disaster by Edward S Aarons
Strange Conflict by Dennis Wheatley
The Romance of Tristran & Iseult retold by Joseph Bedier
Stripped Expectations by James Lee Hard
The Twelve Chairs by Ilf and Eugene Petrov
Lexington Black by Savannah Smythe
Wondering, The Way by Luke F D Marsden
Jonathan’s Hope by Hans M Hirschi
I read rapaciously – I am aroused by the way a series of words invokes an emotional response – I read all of the packaging on the food I buy – it���s fascinating!
Can you name your favourite traditionally published author? And your favourite indie/self-published author?��Trad = too difficult to choose one but would have to be Emile Zola (dead) / Stephen R Donaldson (alive)
Indie = too difficult to choose one but Dill Pickles
What are your views on authors offering free books?��It is a necessary evil – I do – without a free offering there is zero chance anyone is going to take a chance on you if they don���t know you.
Do you have a favourite movie?��The Matrix
Can you give us a silly fact about yourself?��I was born in 1965 – the population of Asia then, equated to 1000 times the number of words I had written by the time I was 49.
FOR EROTICA AUTHORS
As a writer of erotica have you encountered any prejudice? ��How have you dealt with it? Do you write under a pen name?��I write erotic romance – as Alp Mortal – that���s me.
Yes; some people think it���s dirty or somehow perverted. I usually ask them if they have watched Brokeback Mountain …
Where do you think the lines are drawn between romance, erotica and porn? ��Those lines exist only the reader���s head – for me the line is between the gratuitousness of the sex and whether the characters engage with me and whether there is a point to the story which lasts beyond the orgasm.
Erotica is not a new genre do you think it is becoming more accepted into mainstream reading?It was always accepted into mainstream reading – the difference now is that more people admit to reading it.
Book links, website/blog and author links:
Book links – http://carterseagrove.weebly.com/books-by-our-authors.html
Website/blog – http://alpmortal.weebly.com
Author links – use the book links – above – (a new gallery we have created) to find all of the links to the other author/retail links
The publishing house – http://www.carterseagrove.weebly.com,
on Twitter @carterseagrove
and on Facebook www.facebook.com/thecarterseagroveproject.
Heroika: Dragon Eaters – Heroic Fiction/Fantasy/Myth – New Release
Image (c) Perseid Press
Heroika: Dragon Eaters is the exciting new shared universe��from Perseid Press.
Heroes throughout history stalk their legendary foe.
HEROIKA — DRAGON EATERS is an anthology of heroic fiction edited by Janet Morris and featuring original stories by S. E. Lindberg, Jack William Finley, Travis Ludvigson, Tom Barczak, J. P. Wilder, Joe Bonadonna, Milton Davis, Alexandra Butcher, William Hiles, M Harold Page, Walter Rhein, Cas Peace, Beth Waggoner Patterson, Bruce Durham, Mark Finn:Heroes throughout history stalk their legendary foe: the Father of Alchemy entombs his own magic; dragons must not kill dragons; even a patron saint struggles when confronted by the mighty Wyght Worm; Hunting dragons, getting there is half the battle; mankind���s fate lies in a man, a child, and a dragon; holy warriors write their legend in the blood of dragons; the love of the innocent meets a dragon���s heart; one dragon hunter finds out the truth about feeding on dragon���s blood; one woman and two wolverines seek a dragon���s egg; cross the water and stop a new plague of dragons before it���s too late; bounty hunters pit their dirigible against a dragon and a flying castle; seven enemies unite to kill an ancient legend; In the bayou stews more than storm and alligators; remnants of the human race face their ultimate challenge in the bleak Arctic; when dinosaurs return, a squad of Rangers goes from dragon hunters to hunted.
In this anthology of monsters, magic, courage and heroes who are the bravest of the brave the outcome of each story is far from certain. Who will live to fight again? Whose blood will spill? Whose legend will be heard in song and tale? Who gets to feast on the losers? ��A diverse yet shared set of tales, from writers of fantasy, heroic fiction, historical fiction and mythic tales��come together to bring you an eclectic medley of mischief.
Due for release on May 25th 2015 Heroika: Dragon Eaters is available for pre-order on Amazon now.
Coming soon exclusively on the Library of Erana – a week with the Dragon Eaters. Learn about the tales, the writers and their creations and maybe even learn how to cook dragon should you be fortunate enough to kill one. ��Winners eat the losers!
http://www.amazon.com/HEROIKA-DRAGON-S-E-Lindberg-ebook/dp/B00VFVCQRS/
http://www.amazon.co.uk/HEROIKA-DRAGON-S-E-Lindberg-ebook/dp/B00VFVCQRS/
And here’s the Thunderclap.
https://www.thunderclap.it/en/projects/24544-heroika-1-dragon-eaters
April 3, 2015
Reviews – the good, the bad and the ugly.
Reviews are a contentious issue, one only has to look at social media to discover that. Good Reads particularly has a lot of reviewers, and some are very vocal. It must be remembered Good Reads is a READER site, primarily but of late there have been many issues, discussions and arguments about reviews, their value, what they mean, who can give them, and their validity. ��There is no hard and fast answer to any of these questions.
Ultimately book reviews are for readers. Readers are, of course, consumers of books and many readers like to catalogue their thoughts on a particular book. A review is an OPINION, and thus has the prejudices, views and likes and dislikes of the particular reviewer.
What one reviewer thinks is wonderful another might hate.
Reviewer A hates typos/reviewer B overlooks or doesn’t notice them.
Reviewer A likes strong world building/reviewer B sees it as an ‘info dump’.
Reviewer A doesn’t like swearing/violence/sex in books/ reviewer B likes that type of book.
You see what I mean?
Then there are reviewers who use the review space to comment on an author’s behaviour/ideals etc. Personally I think the review should be about the book but that’s my own view. Some folks find this important and it���s true some writers forget they are the brand. If they act like a jerk online then someone will notice and likely as not the behaviour will backfire. What goes on the internet stays on the internet.�� This does work both ways. If a reviewer is particularly spiteful, or obviously has an agenda then other readers will see that and hopefully ignore the review.
So what do reviews mean? They mean what the review wants them to mean – his or her own views and values. A reader seeing the review might misunderstand the reviewer���s opinion, might read the book and think the opposite. People review for all sorts of reasons: Personal lists, for friends, because they loved/hated a book so much they want to share, because they enjoy reviewing, even for the author.
Again I’ll say it. Reviews are opinions.
How important are they? I haven’t a damn clue. Again that probably depends on who you ask. ��Some people put a lot of store in reviews, scanning a book’s reviews for the pros and cons from readers who think the same way, or perhaps to see how many ratings of a particular level they have. There are many who think a book with only 5 star ratings have fake ratings. Is this true? Not usually, but it doesn’t have to be true or false, just perceived as true. And there��are��authors who have bought reviews. These are in the minority.
If a reviewer says ���I love this book (insert title here)��� or possible ���This was the suckiest book evah��� that doesn���t tell anyone a great deal. It helps to add why it was liked or disliked but as I���ve said it depends on the reviewer and why and for whom they are reviewing. Some use reviews as a list of I liked this, I didn���t like this. They simply don���t want to say WHY, or aren���t confident to find the words to do so.
Then there are readers who only read a few, or don’t let reviews influence them. I’m like this. I might read reviews but I have usually made up my mind by then. I’ve even bought books based on BAD reviews. I���m actually more likely to look at reviews for non-book products. Don���t ask me why.
That said I do review – partly because I have a bad memory – and partly because I enjoy it. ��There’s another reason. I’m more likely to review if the book is written by an indie author. ��Yes I know I said reviews are for readers, and they are. I might be an author but I am also a reader. As an author I feel a writer appreciates a review – it’s always nice to learn what a reader thought of one’s books. I’ve seen many arguments saying that reviewers��aren’t an indie’s beta readers – and that’s true but even the most polished work is not going to be liked by everyone. ��Reviews help authors to understand the market, their own work and what readers want (which might not be what the writer thinks they want).
I’ve seen the debates on Good Reads from reviewers who say that they don’t review for authors – but if the review is on a site such as Goodreads or Amazon the likelihood is the author will see it and interpret it.��For better or worse.
As an author do I like getting reviews? Yes, of course. I appreciate any reader taking the time to put his or her thoughts down. Do I think they affect sales? Not a clue. Good reviews might help, then again they might not. ��Bad reviews might hurt, then again they might not.
Conclusion ��� are reviews important? Yes and no. Do they make a difference to readers? Yes and no. Do they make a difference to authors? Yes and no. As a writer you can���t please everyone. There will ALWAYS be someone who doesn���t like the book, as there will be someone who adores it. As a reader/reviewer there are bound to be others who share your views, but many who won���t. Look at any book from Hamlet http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hamlet-Wordsworth-Classics-William-Shakespeare/dp/1853260096/ to Fifty Shades of Grey http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fifty-Shades-Trilogy-Darker-Freed-ebook/dp/B008BM9L72/ and see the selections of reviews. (For the latter some are hilarious).
There is no right and wrong.
March 27, 2015
Getting Self-Published books into Book Stores
Informative.
Originally posted on Life Memoirs:
Any self-published author who has tried will tell you how hard it is to get your book into a bricks and mortar book store. Why is this? The followin
g is a conglomeration of some thoughts, ideas and information I have come across in a variety of different places.
First I look at some of the concerns and problems. Then, at the end of this post, share some thoughts on how self-published authors might overcome these issues.
This is slightly longer than I would normally post but I felt the subject deserved a reasonably full consideration.
Costs:
Book stores and distributors do not want to deal with individual self-published authors because of the costs involved. For the same reason libraries usually only order through major wholesalers or bookstores. Although this may be changing as self-published books are now finding their way onto the lists of available books sent to library���
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March 24, 2015
Fantasy, heroes and science fiction in our society – guest post – V. S. Holmes
Name: V. S. Holmes
Location: New England
Bio:
V.S. Holmes is the author of SMOKE AND RAIN, the first in an epic fantasy series. Her favorite genres include fantasy, science (of both the non-fiction and fiction varieties), and most anything else she finds in her hands. While not writing, she works as a contract archaeologist. She lives with her artist/illustrator husband in a Tiny House (yes, like the HGTV show) and owns far too many books for such a small abode.
Website: http://www.vs-holmes.com/
What makes a ‘hero’? Would you say this definition is different within literature to real life?��There are two sides to the ‘hero’ coin. Often, the first side is during the making of the hero — a person has a difficult choice and chooses others over themselves, or perhaps they have no choice at all, but give it their all despite the circumstances. Those close to her or him see the struggle and the pain, and they are the first ones to call the person ‘hero.’
The second side of the coin is afterward. The hero has become something other than a person — he or she is an idea. The flaws are gone, and so, too, is the struggle, and what actually made the person a hero in the first place.
The gritty, first side are the heroes we see in our own lives, those that make an impact on our worlds. They are what books are made of.
If you’re a writer how do you portray heroism in your books?��I don’t have a single hero in my books — I have a few main characters, all of whom have their own abilities and flaws. Each one is a hero in his or her own right, though often in very different ways. Grandiose heroes are not something people can relate to. Time changes stories so much, that the few living-legends in my Reforged series, for instance, are unrecognizable in person. I stick to the real, human (even if they aren’t, in fact, human) characters. If they happen to do something that starts friend’s whispering “hero,” then so be it.
Fantasy and science fiction used to be seen as very male-oriented, do you think this is still the case. Do you have any experience of this?��This is an issue in all genres, but it is very prominent in science-fiction and fantasy. When I was first breaking into the reading world on my own, I noticed a dearth of well-written books that had female protagonists, or even female characters that were more than simply filler. While I think we’ve come a long way from that reality, we face a new problem — female characters are slotted as “strong” and the character arc goes no further. Furthermore, it perpetuates the idea that the only way a character can be strong is by having masculine tendencies. This cripples writers, characters, and worst-of-all, readers. For more on this, I urge you to check out the article, “I Hate Strong Female Characters,” by Sophia McDougall for newstatesman.com.
How important are ‘facts’ in fantasy/science fiction ��� does something need to be plausible to be believable?��One of the main criticisms a lot of fiction faces — specifically science-fiction — is the suspension of disbelief. The genres of both fantasy and science-fiction are all about breaking rules and creating worlds that are apart from our own, so why is it an issue if it seems far-fetched? What is more important than plausible, is being plausible-in-the-created-world. Each invented world a writer creates relies on a set of rules — who wields magic, who travels at light-speed — and the story MUST function within those rules or it doesn’t work. Like all rules, of course, there are loopholes, but if your character wields magic and no other human does, there better be a damn good reason behind it.
Fairy-tales, anthropomorphic personifications, mythical beasts and cultural fantastical persons are all about us ��� such as Santa Claus, St George, dragons and fairies ��� how vital are these for our identity? Are we who we are because of the myths our cultures hold?��I love discussing how our past forms our future. I work as an archaeologist for my “day job,” and I face this question every day. I wrote an article for the New Hampshire Archaeological Society last year talking about why I dig. The reason I write is much the same.�� Humans have always been exploring, whether it was searching over the next rise, the next ocean, the next galaxy. This exploration may begin as a search for food or for others, but ultimately it is a search for self. Our myths — cross-culturally — are about that search. They are familiar ways to frame the questions we want to ask. Our character may wonder what to do in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, so she looks back on what brought her here. Perhaps her parents were scientists, perhaps her Master’s thesis focused on Ragnarok. Where she comes from will not inform whether she fights, but how and with what.
March 18, 2015
Tales of Erana: Myths and Legends by A. L. Butcher #Book #Review
A thoughtful review for Tales of Erana.
Originally posted on Life Memoirs:
This is quite a difficult review for me to write. Why? Because this is the first time I have read in the ���Fantasy��� genre and have found it really is not 
for me. However, I will endeavour to remain objective. It would not be fair to the author to be otherwise. I apologise in advance if my comments and observations become coloured by this fact; I will try and avoid this happening.
Regrettably, due to my very busy schedule, I have little time for reading. Consequently I chose to read this short story collection; it may have taken me weeks to get through a full length story.
These tales are generally well written. There are times when, from the descriptions, it is easy to imagine the scenes and characters. Remember many of the characters are created from fantasy and not human in the sense we usually understand. I did get���
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