Gordon A. Wilson's Blog, page 2

Social Media is Fragmenting my Attention?

Avoid Social Media?! What??I inadvertently breezed through an article the other day suggesting avoiding social media first thing in the morning. I think it was about setting goals for the new year, a subject I avoid. Something about how social media is specifically designed to scatter your attention. Well la-di-da. The slant of the article was more about if you are trying to accomplish a goal involving concentration, how about not sabotage your effort right off the bat. Sounds like common sense. There is some irony in the article for me. I have no idea how I stumbled upon it, giving credence to his point. It was nothing I was looking for, more than likely just the opposite. I have various subscriptions on top of the messages Medium, Amazon, Goodreads, etc ... sends out every few minutes. The origin may have been benign as checking my email, who knows?



I'm a Freight Train Baby.
Let me back up to the irony. Social media is designed to fragment my attention? I haven't heard it said that way but when I thought about it, it makes sense. I have to say multitasking is not my natural state. I am more like a freight train barreling down the tracks. My mind gets in a mode and stays there until the task is complete. I'll run over shopping carts, cattle or even pennies left on the tracks- oblivious.

Here is my scenario I check my email and something looks interesting. I click and start reading. Almost always I will click on a link to read the rest of the story. All good. Until I go to Medium or a blog and I see something tempting in the margin. I cant wait to finish the article so I can jump to the next. This is with stories I read, Youtube? Forget about it. I'm like that whack-a-mole game popping my head one hole to the next faster than you can whack me with that filthy hammer thing with duct tape all over it. Next thing I know, several videos have popped up in the margin that I really need to check out. It is quite fascinating but whatever Youtube uses to scan my brain is incredible. They flash something I am interested in and I go for the click which leads to something else, to something else- but not before a damn Olive Garden or Tide commercial. Shit. Next thing I know I have squandered a bunch of time and didn't get any writing done.

Focus. Pocus.
When I have designated writing time I often close my browser to keep email from drawing me in, and it does, just not as fast as Youtube. Same scenario, I'm looking for let's say an email address and one of the many headlines specifically designed to catch my interest, does. Wham bam, I'm off on a mole hole tangent of something very interesting but nowhere near my task of finding the email address. Go back to the previous paragraph and read it in a loop till you get bored. I remember a quote from a while back, well not really, I barely remember the gist of it but it was something like an author with an internet connection isn't likely writing high quality.  Now that I search for the actual quote I can't find it, of course, but it puts me to wonder how true it might be. Obviously, it shouldn't be taken literally but it is something for me to consider.

What about you? Is social media specifically designed to keep your mind jumping in multi-second bursts?

Biohazard or Bio Hazard. It's all about ME. Writing a Bio

Today is election day. It has been an entertaining and frightening trip. I will head out to vote, do my civic duty and leave wondering. This is a tough day for me. Why? It has nothing to do with the election it's a coincidence. I am at a beta point with the next Firetok book, Harbinger of Calamity. I have edited the life and or death out of it. My delete key overheated yesterday and I had to force an evacuation of three neighboring houses.

How does this evolve? I didn't know I was ready for some beta input until last night. I thought I might be ready a month ago until I read and re-read which led to a string of editing looking something like re-(infinity)edit. What came with the realization was this, a book cover. No problem.The vision for this cover has been drifting in my analog cyberspace for months. I got some cover concepts back so I can upload the whole deal to CreateSpace for a proof. In a related irony, the clear image for the cover I had is nowhere reflected in the design. Go figure. That which I think I know, I don't. Rinse and repeat.

Next problem? Back cover. Oh shit. Or should I say SHIT? I don't mean a fragrant pile of joy, I mean the awful smelling horror, sick dog, dying raccoon or toddler been eatin' potted meat shit. This is the one with a bio, photo of myself and promotional blobbery. Well, capital shit again. I was having fun up until now. Writing, editing till my eyes bleed and even a cover are all fun and exciting. Writing about myself. Capital shit. Not having fun anymore. I have people in my life who love talking about themselves and if I asked them to do a quick bio they could melt down the ME key the same way I did the delete key. But, glad to say it, that is not me. I'm so great, I did this, look what I can do. Did you see what I can do? Look at all my expenive doodads... It all sounds just like blah, blah, blah and not even in an amusing way like the Count from Sesame Street.

I used my last lifeline to ask someone close to me. Real close, we were in bed at the moment, ok not that close we were laying there talking, but you did give me a great idea. I was like- I have to come up with some positive attributes, will you help me make some up? It was good for a laugh but not far from my reality. My brain doesn't think that way. My comment was "how good do you have to be before someone does this crap for you?" I don't have the answer but I would love to hear it. I wonder again about one of these blowhards I can't stand who go on and on about themselves, I might just copy a couple of their paragraphs and change the wording so instead of I and me the whole way it would be I and me. Might work, if they are talking and bragging and I copy it will it still be plagiarism? One more detail to work out. I did receive a bit of advice which may be helpful, something to the extent of writing in the third person and essentially do it as if I were someone I admire. That is a great idea. I love blowing other people's horn, maybe I can make this work.


So as I head out on this day of challenge to earn my "I voted" sticker, my mind is full of hope and promise the candidates elected will deliver on one millionth of what they promise. Anything over that will be extra. As for me if I can come up with a bio strong enough to encourage someone to read what I have written... that will be a feat worthy of the pain I have endured leading up to this historic election.

By the way all this talk of the bio I figured I might as well include where it is for now. Thanks to a large bit of help and input. As someone famous once said I get by with a little help from my friends. In this case, it made things considerably less painful. What do you think? Writing about myself is tough, anyone else have this same problem?


Gordon A. Wilson is an Army veteran, Michigan native anddriving force behind the popular firetok.com website. His debut novel Firetok became an Amazon bestseller, combining gripping real life tragedy, violence and horror with inspiration, courage and hope, coupled with the perfect mix of humor and irony. Generosity of spirit, love of people, animals and justice oozes throughan unpretentious gift for story telling. He lives with his wife and two Great Pyrenees who challenge his human conditiondaily. His writing is sure to entertain you-
as well as make you think.

Top Secret Marketing for a Non-Selfpromotionist

We were driving by a corn field yesterday. The corn was cut down some time ago so only the stalk stubble (unofficial agricultural jargon) remained on the ground. We were discussing some different comments I have heard in the past. I put the comments with some other things that have happened lately and it got me thinking. Alright, anyone who knows me will say it's time to get off the bus. Gordon and thinking go together like gasoline and matches. Which honestly is really a great combo, adding alcohol is where it can get dangerous. For those of you who don't know any better, here we go.

Top Secret Marketing for Non-Selfpromotionist
I haven't met too many people who love self-promotion. I don't like it to the point of hate myself. No, not hate myself, I have different reasons for that. I meant I hate it also or too. I've heard it said so many ways it doesn't even matter. "It's not my style...I'm not comfortable... I don't like..." You get the idea. How could that be? Well, it's easy. I would much rather bring attention to someone else than myself. More often than not I will help someone else even if it is to my own detriment. I have proof and it is well documented. Please don't ask my wife about it, it may be a sore subject around here. (I would say really sore but I have been in adjective therapy for weeks and even if it's an adverb the ly makes me apprehensive.)

I've talked about marketing plenty of times and shared the posts. I haven't figured out the second thing to do with book marketing, but I have to wonder. If my friends don't know I have a book coming out, how in the hell is anyone else going to know I have a book coming out? I seem to have stumbled into that vast gray area again. The area between too much and not enough. I read articles all the time about marketing, writing, blah blah blah. Not one have I come across said here is a way to sell fewer books. Is voila still a word? It used to mean something similar to tada I think. I found my niche. I am so prepared for this to take off I believe this is the first of a 1.5 million part ongoing series.

So here is the deal. I came up with a marketing plan for those of us who don't like self-promotion. I am going to call myself a non-selfpromotionist despite my spell check going apeshit against it.

Phase 1- Get my book in front of my mom. Period. And then give up. It will be an inexpensive campaign since I will do it at cost and give her one copy. It will also give me a chance to visit and catch up on Judge Judy. Depending on how much I hate self-promotion that day, I may drop it off in her mailbox and hope for the best.



Phase 2- That big cornfield I mentioned earlier. I am going to wrap my book in plastic and sneak out to the middle of the field under cover of darkness. I will lay the book in the middle of the field and scatter whatever debris I can find to camouflage it. My hope here is that eventually someone will find it, pick it up and say "Damn this here is the best damn book I ever seen," before they throw it in the trash or at a coyote.

Phase 3- I will write Amazon a letter and ask them how to keep my books hidden from the public. I'm thinking like the dark web or something. If they are hidden from the public it will take a very serious reader with some pretty uptown credentials to find them. Make 'em work for it. Someone of high enough caliber to deserve my book. Like if Nancy Drew, Jack Bauer and Terminator (2) had a love child. Yea their kid. Or maybe if Oprah and the Scooby Doo gang hooked up and had offspring. This is the kind of reader I'm looking for. Besides my mom of course. Amazon seems pretty customer centric. I'll give it a try.

Phase 4- This is kind of a tricky one here because calling this phase 4 suggests action. Phase 4 is completely the opposite. It is inaction. That's why it's 4 instead of 1. I will not talk to anyone about this. I realize I am excited to complete a book I have been working on for a very long time. I know I really put my heart in it. But, no one else cares. Did you know it is woe is me not whoa is me. I checked. Two totally different things. Anyhow talking to my friends about my accomplishment might be construed as self-promotion. I will talk about their boring kids or the weather instead. Sweet.

Phase 5- This next part is about blog traffic and I realize I was talking about book marketing but it kind of ties in for me. I read an article last week where a fellow bloggist increased her blog traffic by 50%. The hell you say? She did. She originally would tweet a link to her blog post once. Set it and forget it. Like that made for TV oven that people claim burnt their houses down. OK, so she started tweeting a link to her post lets say twice a day and doubled the amount of people who read her stuff. I find this appalling. I tried to do the math myself but since I got my degree the tutors won't take my calls anymore. They couldn't wait for me to graduate. My point is this. If she increased her blog traffic by 50% with a couple extra tweets. The math should work in reverse. Tweet less than once a day-I should notice a drop of  50%? I am not sure how to go into negative numbers but I suppose I could consult with a couple politicians who could help.

Phase 6- Clean out my address book. Slow the internet or get rid of it. Get rid of some of this dead weight. I have had some very informative guest posts here about marketing, platform and so forth. I've read and learned so much from them. I wonder if I could drop back to a dial-up internet connection to help slow the transfer of ideas. There has to be one of those old AOL cds in the basement. There are people out there with experience willing to share. Dead weight man. Hasta la vista baby. Thanks, Yancy, Sheri and Michele but I gotta be me and I hate self-promotion. Ill try to remember to send you Christmas cards.

Can you handle the truth? with MJ LaBeff

MJ Labeff on Honesty.
Tell me the truth and be honest. How many times have you had someone ask you this? I’m not sure if guys ask that question, but I hear it often from my gal pals. Usually, it’s while we’re on a shopping spree and trying on clothes. Let me just say, I’ve never met a pair of shoes that make my anything look fat. Shoe-a- holic. I’ll admit it. Anyway, I’ve got friends that will hit me straight between the eyes with truth, and I’ve got others who are nice. 
Who decided truth is negative? 
Truth isn’t always pretty, but truth helps us grow. Now, I don’t have children. So after reading Gordon’s part one of this discussion on honesty where he shares a couple of stories involving kids, I wondered if I could speak truthfully to a child about his/her shortcomings. Yikes, I just winced. I’m treading lightly here and certainly don’t want to speak out of turn. Kids have big dreams. Would I want to shatter their hopes of becoming whatever it is their hearts desire? Of course, not, I believe people can achieve anything if they put their minds to it.

Isn’t this where a parent tells Suzie or Johnny about the hard work, dedication and study involved to be a (blank)?
Eventually, when Suzie or Johnny starts to realize this isn’t working out like they thought doesn’t a parent step in and suggest something else? “Hey, Suzie or Johnny you’re really good at (blank). Let’s give that a try.” Yeah, yeah, I know parents are rolling their eyes, thinking it isn’t that simple lady without kids!

My point is: truth with kids is gentle and kind so why can’t we continue to be purveyors of truth into adulthood? When and why do we start to shape our thoughts, words and actions into dishonesty?

Is there a polite way to convey truth? When I first started writing and finally got brave enough to share my first book, I reached out to bestselling romance author Vicki Lewis Thompson. We had recently become acquainted, and she had been very generous and kind when I had expressed my desire to write a book. She gave me a hard look and said, “Then just write.” Not one to back down from a challenge, I thought okay. I will, and I did. Anyway, I emailed her and asked for her opinion. She provided honest feedback on my work. “You write beautifully,” she had commented and from there pointed out the positives and gave a gentle critique from her experience working with many different editors.

Those comments helped shape my story. So there’s a way to provide truth without hurting a person. She made me feel like I had a chance- that my writing had potential and that I could learn the craft of writing fiction. I believed in me because of her. Since then I’ve written seven other novels.



Dad, stop letting me win. 
My sister and I loved playing board games. Growing up in Ohio, it was one of our fave winter pastimes. My dad had this thing about never challenging us during a game. He’d make silly mistakes, pretend not to know an answer, and forget playing Scrabble with the man… it, the, dog. “Daaaaad, spell bigger words!” We caught on to dad’s nonsense, and I especially took offense. “Don’t you think I can win?” He’d laugh. We quit asking dad to play games with us. My mom played tough. Sometimes my sister or I would beat her, but we never minded when she won a game against us. “Let one of them win,” dad would say. “Daaaaaad, go! Get out of here. We’re playing games with mom.”
By the way, that first book I wrote…                                        “It really didn’t grab me,” my mom said.
I appreciate honesty. No matter what I’m doing. Whether it’s looking for feedback on a work-in- progress or asking for a book review or working on a fundraiser or trying a new workout or latest fashion, hairstyle or makeup trend, honesty might not be easy, but I asked for it so give it to me straight.

Can you handle the truth?


MJ's first book in the series Last Cold Case should be launching soon with Muse It Up Publishing. Stay tuned for details. http://mjlabeff.com/https://twitter.com/MJLaBeff@MJLaBeff 

What is Wrong with Honesty?

I had an image stuck in my head the other day. I woke to find it still there and knew I needed to let it out. My premise is this, what is wrong with honesty? Sounds ridiculous right? Nothing is wrong with honesty. Everything is wrong with honesty. I would say I am blessed to have what I call morals. I swear at times it's a curse. But it's who I am, enough said. I realize also not everyone's morals are the same. So I'm not being judgie here. There is right and wrong and a micron or mile of gray in between depending on who you are.

I'm not going to go into a big moral thing but honesty, that little sucker is a problem. I discovered somewhere along the line there are people who like and appreciate honesty. You know what else I think? Way more people don't. They not only prefer to be lied to, they expect it.


Back to my image. I kept seeing a kid who couldn't catch very well. The idea was to toss him the ball softly in a way he would be able to catch or at least make his best effort. Just this summer I saw a father with three young girls who wanted to play catch. The girls went across the way and he threw the ball so hard it hurt them to catch it. This could likely fuel a couple posts on its own. I love kids, this was disturbing.


I mean he was whipping the ball at them. Two of the girls started crying and it was over. Besides me thinking I witnessed a true ass hole and I don't mean this in a flattering way, the image stuck in my mind.

These girls just wanted someone to play with them. They wanted to play catch. I doubt they ask again. I started talking about honesty, where is this meandering fool headed?

Back to the uncoordinated little boy, we won't call him any name that starts with a G. Little boy is fine. OK so he can't catch. I have to help him tie his shoes and likely will for years to come. I know he doesn't have the skill, drive or commitment to move past a game of catch in the side yard. Should I tell him the truth? I need to encourage his accomplishment of catching a single ball. I should encourage growth. Right? Should I lie to him and tell him he is the best ball catcher that ever lived? I might, depending on his age.


Let's look at this kid as an adult. I am still helping him tie his shoes. It's not because he can't, he's too lazy to learn so I do it for him. We go out to the yard to play catch. I toss the ball underhand to him and he catches it once. I load him in the car and take him to whatever they call the open auditions for football. I believe it's walk ons. He gets there and is completely humiliated. He couldn't even make it into the line because his shoe came untied and he kept tripping on it. The coach guy tossed him a ball and he didn't know how to react. It was obvious to him he was not even close. How could that be? He was told he was the best ball catcher in the world.


Honesty can be hard to take. I will never forget some of the things my dad told me. The kind of morsel that really sticks in your craw until you are mature enough to realize he was right. Yea, that kind of honesty. I can vividly remember some, if not most of the times someone was that honest with me. Why do I remember?

Because it was hard to take. It is hard to take. At first. At first can last let's say thirty or forty years or maybe a couple days. It can hurt. The solution? Avoidance. Avoid people who will be honest. They are bad and they will hurt you. I am not talking about being mean for the sake of being mean. That gets flown under the banner of honesty all too often.

Honesty can be too hard to take.So we lie to each other. We sugar coat things to keep from hurting feelings. I get that too but where do you draw the line. How many adults do I see who expect to be treated like children? How many do you see? Why couldn't honesty work? I don't think I can answer that. I am the one who would say, dude you are too lazy to tie your own damn shoes. What makes you think you are going to do anything more ambitious than that? I am sure there would be a line of sensitive people who would say I am the asshole trying to break the girls fingers with the ball. Am I?

Or am I just being honest?

What I really learned from writing a book. Guest Post by Jennifer C. Lopez

One of the things I have discussed in the past has been the "other" things that came as a result of writing a book. Some have been good and some just good but necessary experience. In a quest for inspiration I think it is better to focus on the positive since the negative seems to find its own way. I would like to reintroduce Jennifer C. Lopez. She is not only a friend and author but a genuine person trying to make a positive impact on her world. She recently published a book on homeschooling with her daughter. Read her story and please check out her book. I asked Jen to share some of the non-writing things she discovered during her book journey. What follows is her response. Her life changing experience has little to do with the actual book or homeschooling. I find it inspirational for certain.

Guest Post by
Jennifer C. Lopez
What I really learned from writing a book.
The book grew while we did—that was one of the most precious parts of writing and publishing it together.

We learned that the word ‘Publish’ means to reveal, to send forth, to share a message or enrich with good intentions. We grew in understanding that no matter how ‘Home-made”— our work appeared on the outside, it was a work of courage with its foundations in Love. So we pushed in our efforts to stretch ourselves for the good of a cause beyond ourselves.



We experienced the very essence and depth of another word too—LEARNING—in a way no other experience could have provided. By converting our personal Homeschooling experiences into a tangible action that would benefit others, we found learning to exist in unfathomable ways. We had met other parents like ourselves who were hoping for another way to raise and educate their children—a different approach, that might be better for them— than what the “establishment” offered. Some of these parents were on the edge of change but fearful of stepping away from conventional reason or the confines of social conformity.

As a Homeschool family, we already had a firm grasp on what mattered most to us in life— but that understanding grew as we thought about how our own Homeschool experiences would translate into what matters most to families out there wanting something different but unsure of the alternative.  Talking about these things together as a mother and a daughter— and sharing ideas— had us diving deeper into what family life means at its very core.

As a parent, I learned something else. You know those ‘things’ you’ve heard and think you always knew—but then somehow the epiphany really hits? It was one of those things—and it became so magnified during our book journey together.
I learned that my daughter could teach me even MORE than I could ever teach her. Her purity, unique insights and innocent eyes on the world brought out thoughts that were uncontaminated by years of living within societies general bounds of social conformity. Ella helped our book’s focus to be: Not Surrendering Our Standards.

We grew to see that no matter how the world around us might define any given word—like socialization, for example—
or even a concept—like proper education…we could question any of it— if it seemed to fall out of line with our own moral compass.

Growth came in the reinforcement of our belief that parenting and teaching are innately ONE.
  We as parents could stop feeling that we aren’t capable of teaching our kids the important ’subjects’ ourselves—ESPECIALLY because children’s natural passions for life can serve as the very driving force that TEACHES US to teach them. It’s almost like when we think we’ve lost something—like our keys, for example—and then realize we’ve been so busy we didn’t see, they were right there in our hands the whole time.

It’s RIGHT THERE- the TRUTH, but it gets overlooked—like it couldn’t be possible—
  …but it is.

We grew because we TALKED. 
We called our writing talks, the ‘Face-Time’ of ages past. We listened to each other’s ideas. We like our off-roads thinking because when the testing times come up- we are ready for the bumps.
We’ve gotten better at no longer doubting ourselves—just because someone else might. We go back to our moral courage and check to see if we’re doing the right thing FOR US.

We grew to finally SEE that we don’t have to doubt our choices because they are different. We stand apart bravely now—knowing that we made a daring choice that makes the rest of life easier now…finally. It didn’t right away- because nothing with that kind of growth potential ever comes easy right off the bat.
But we persisted and the prize became a precious gift- claiming our own life and living it the way we want to live it—knowing ourselves and allowing ourselves the freedom to BE and FEEL and PURSUE what resonates with our most authentic selves. The journey—with all its bumps—doesn’t end… but now our standards are high and the trivial means little.

If we can help some families out there realize these things and claim their own standard for how they want to live, we will have done something good- Published with a Purpose.



Connect with Jennifer
https://twitter.com/TheJennieration
http://www.thejennieration.com/

"My Take on Genre Wars and Horror Versus Paranormal."

Welcome Ed Selender to maybe wrap up our discussion of genre for the time being. I find it very interesting how not interested people are in discussing genre. I suppose I have found the subject more important because I know as a self pub author I (emphasis on I) must put my book in a category ultimately. As MJ suggested, putting it in the wrong spot is not likely to be good for me or the reader. Even going with the cross-genre idea Sheri put forth, the categories I will need to jam something into with Amazon are not that broad. Will it affect my writing? Absolutely not. I write what comes out of my head, I don't have much influence over that. I have read numerous articles suggesting an engineered approach where you choose the specific genre and write into it. More power to you if this approach works, pretty sure I'm not interested. We definitely have advanced the discussion and I for one have picked up a deeper understanding of how varied peoples opinions and preconceptions are. Might sound obvious but I have heard, " I don't like horror," so many times it doesn't even phase me anymore. I suppose there are many things in life I don't like, if only because I have not tried them yet. I am sure I don't like horror either. I bet there are tons of horror books I would have no interest in. I could insert any genres in place of horror and still make it true. There is some logic. Back to my original suggestion about this being a very interesting discussion and how surprised I am at how not interested people are in discussing such a confusing topic. By the way, have a topic you would like to see discussed or be part of ? Please let me know. gawilson@firetok.com


Ed publishes an entertaining top 10 list among other things and I have found he is up for an intelligent conversation, which I appreciate. He is one of the people so intrigued by the discussion, he offered to contribute on the subject. I appreciate the generous contribution.

"My Take on Genre Wars and Horror Versus Paranormal."Guest Post with Edward Selender

OK, I'm a bit of a latecomer to this conversation on genre wars as a contributor, but have been following this discussion for a while with both interest and admiration. I feel like one of those people who calls into a radio talk show and introduces himself/herself to the host as a long time listener, first time caller.


I should probably preface my commentary by saying that I do know the other commentators and "hosts," as it were (Gordon, MJ, and Sheri) both through Twitter and their writings. I can assure you, however, that my own interest in this discussion is genuine, as I have found the previous posts to be stimulating and thought provoking.





Also, although I am not an author yet (I am researching an idea for a historical fiction), I am a published writer (please see my blog writeaboutnowct.wordpress.com for some samples and a discussion about my background and writing experience- not just a shameless blog plug, offering this as part of my bona fides!). Additionally, I am an avid reader and, heretofore, or at least so I thought, had a solid understanding of the topic of genre.

Curiously, the previous posts have been discussing genre, with a particular focus (at least by Gordon and MJ), on the supposed differences between horror and paranormal genres, with an apparent presumption that others know what genre even is. While Sheri listed numerous examples of book genres, and MJ even provided definitions of horror and paranormal, I do not recall seeing genre itself defined, so I wanted to start with off by providing a definition of the word genre.

According to wikipedia.org (not MY personal wiki), "'genre,' is any category of literature, music, art, or other forms of art or entertainment, whether written or spoken, audio or visual, based on some set of sylistic criteria." Sounds simple right?



But consider that, when one thinks of painting or music, one tends to acquaint these media forms as subject to interpretation. So, for example, particularly in music, such as jazz or classical, different artists will each have their own "interpretation" of the same piece of music. Interestingly enough, in classical music, a particular artist's (I often think of string quartets) interpretation of a piece of music will be referred to as a "reading.," which seems to relate to literature and supports the subjective nature of classifying art of any kind.


Would West Side Story, a modern theatrical based on Romeo and Juliet, be considered a musical, tragedy, or romance? But not to veer too off course (too late, I know), back to the original topic posed by MJ and Gordon of paranormal versus horror.



Until recently, I would have equated horror as something primarily scary or haunting, lending itself to nightmares, such as The Exorcist or Jaws, and paranormal as being something involving, not sure why, some sort of evil power. MJ poses an interesting question about why superheroes, considered to be good (e.g. Superman or Spider Man) wouldn't fall under the realm paranormal.

Based on the aforementioned comments, Firetok definitely broadened my view of the "horror" category. With Douglass Smith's extrasensory perception and soothsaying abilities, I could see Firetok being placed in the realm of paranormal, under MJ's description of a story involving psychic abilities.

And while MJ's protagonist Sparrow (in Mind Games) has paranormal visions, wouldn't her discovery of her father's murderous past be considered scary or haunting, placing it in the category of horror?


I can definitely think of other recent novels that seem to blur the idea of genres. If one thinks of a horror story as involving a scary or haunting event, would The Revenant be classified as a horror story because of the nightmarish  bear attack? And should James Patterson's mystery/suspense Private Berlin be classified as a horror story because of the gruesome murder and psychotic killer who, by the way, talks to the audience directly, addressing them as a friend (more than a little haunting)?

Although, as Sheri astutely points out, many of us are drawn to specific genres (I tend to like historical fiction and spy thrillers), I find myself enjoying any book with a good story and well drawn lifelike characters. And this maybe brings me to my central point. I feel any truly good story involves sympathetic interesting characters whom one could identify with or relate to. And what makes a character sympathetic and relatable (perhaps this could be a discussion onto itself)?



I would say characters to whom we can relate will have lives containing the myriad of human experiences, romance, mystery, anguish, self-doubt, even horror etc. And the variety of the human experience may just lend itself to cross genre. While I respectfully defer to Sheri's experience with publisher's preferences for stories that fit into a single genre, I hope publishers, and readers, will keep an open mind when considering publishing or reading a non traditional story and that this discussion will continue to evolve.

@EdwardSelender

Cinderella Has Been Invited to the Ball

Michele Barrow-Belisle is the person who nearly broke my blog when her original post about her book being picked up for a movie. (Why My Book Deal is a Cinderella Story) Next she educated many many people about small or independent press in the current publishing climate. (12 Rather Random Reasons to Go With Small Publishers). Cinderella is back at it again. She will be attending the Toronto Film Festival to do with her book which is currently being made into a movie. Kind of a big deal. You could say Cinderella has been invited to the ball. She has promised another blog post about her experience there- afterwards- she always delivers on her commitments so I will look forward to that. In the meantime, she just launched another book,  freeze which is the next installment in the Fire and Ice Saga. The book tour started yesterday and I wanted to horn my way in at the top. I am glad to be able to support someone who has contributed so much to the blog. What could be as inspiring as someone working hard to achieve a dream and it actually coming to fruition and then some? Pretty inspiring. It also does my heart good to get such helpful information from someone so friendly and kind. My thanks to Michele and please check out her book!

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Blurb/Book Description: In a twisted game of following impossible clues to ceaseless dead ends, The Shadow Faerie Zanthiel is forced to search for the girl he'd let go. Lorelei may be out of his life, but she’s never far from his mind with the prophecy pulling them together. They both feel it, yet they both have reason to fight it. He might not be able to have her, but no force in this world, or any other will stop him from saving her. Time is running out, and Zanthiel has only a fraction of it left to find her, before those hunting her find either one of them.
PROLOGUE

My blood froze to ice in my veins when I saw her.
Lorelei.
Lying there broken. Bloodied. Bruised.
I'd kill whoever did this to her. Then I'd slaughter their entire family line. My steps hurried, but I could not reach her quickly enough. She was pale. Weakened from the loss of too much blood, and too much cold, and too little hope. Her light was fading from this world and all others.
"No. No. NO. I will not let you die. I forbid it, do you hear me?" My voice rose as I scooped her into my arms, barely any weight at all, which set my fears even deeper. Live. You must live. Live. For me.
I had to get her help, but I feared there wouldn't be anything left of her to save once I had. My powers were useless against whatever treacherous magic this was, but there was always an undoing. A workaround for nearly all spells, even a curse or hex. Something had to be able to change this, reverse the effects and restore her life. A cure existed—I wanted to believe that. It just meant finding it.
This was my fault. Things of beauty are never meant to be broken. But I did this. I allowed her into my world, into my life, and I broke her. I deserved to suffer the same fate. Worse than her fate. I never intended to be her nightmare, only her savior. And I failed. Vows signed in blood, giving me ownership of something no one deserved—her body and her soul.
Flames ignited from within, consuming her whole, ‘til only her ashes remained. Like a breath of snow and ash they fell gently upon subtle winds—air and shadow carrying both in equal measure to their final resting place. To love someone is to grieve them. For it thrusts you into a black hole—an abyss from which you can never escape.
She was worth fighting for. This time, I would fight for her, until my last breath.

****

I awoke with a sharp gasp, ripples of fear tensing every muscle in my body. It took several breaths to realize it had been a dream. No, not a dream. A dream implies something unreal. Wild imaginings of the mind. This was something else. It was a foreshadowing. A glimpse of what may come to pass. But why was I seeing it? By now she'd be leagues from here, safely back in her own world. There should be no cause for what I'd witnessed. Pain and suffering were not supposed to be her future. I'd rather it was mine.
I pushed off the fur pelts and climbed from of the wilted mattress stuffed with dry leaves. I was grateful to the Dwarf Tilak for allowing me to stay in his home. A hovel really, but shelter nonetheless. I was still being hunted by Queen Mab's armies. I'd deserted her and the marriage agreement I'd entered into, and word would have spread by now. Thankfully, Lorelei was safely back in her world, with the elf Elf Adrius. I could almost hear her chastising me for not using his name. And I knew it well, for we were friends once.
The human world was her home, but it could never be mine. I did not belong there. Each visit was the same as the one before, and it was only her presence that made those visits tolerable.
Humans—you could smell their weaknesses. Their needy desires. Their constant craving for more. Their eternal fear. Like a toxic cloud that hovered over their land. It sickened my stomach with each inward breath. I'd hold it for a moment. Then another. Then gasp for air when I could hold it no longer. Ignoring the stench, I'd searched for her. For her face. Her smile. Her eyes that shone in the dimness of her world. The fear strangely mixed with curiosity when she would set her eyes upon me. And without fail, she’d smile.
No one else would see me but her. I was careful. For to break that code would mean my death. Her father was specific in his orders. "Watch her. Keep her safe. But remain unseen by the humans." But she wasn't human. Not fully. She was part fey, like I was. And from the very first moment I saw her, she stole my heart away.
I shuffled to the wash basin, splashed icy water over my face and dried it on my sleeve. My hand slid across the uneven surface of the mirror. The cracked glass scraped my palm, but I kept it there, watching the blood drip down the surface before it froze to crimson slush.
Leaning in, I stared at the reflection, at the steely eyes glaring back at me. Full of accusation and blame.
I lost her.
No, I didn't lose her. I threw her away.
She was my protégé.
We were never supposed to be together. Never meant to fall in love.
I was careless.
She got hurt.
And now she was gone.


Author Bio (professional bios should be written in third person): A dreamer at heart, Michele Barrow-Belisle has always lived with one foot in this reality and one foot in another, one of her own imagining. So it follows that she would grow up to write about the characters from those enchanting worlds she knows and loves so well. A fan of all things romantic, her young adult novels are populated with scintillating witches, vampires and fey.  Her bestselling debut book series Fire and Ice (Faerie Song Trilogy) was optioned for a major motion picture this year. Michele resides in southern Canada with her hubby and son who indulge her never-ending obsession with reading, writing and most importantly… chocolate. 
Author Email: info@michelebarrowbelisle.comBook Title: FREEZE (a Faerie Song Trilogy Novel)
Author Name: Michele Barrow-BelisleName of series and book number in series: Faerie Song Trilogy (#2.5)Genre: Young Adult Fantasy RomancePublisher: Astraea Press/ Cleanreads PublishingDate of Publication: September 1, 2016ASIN: B01LC2HIDGFormats available: ebook (paperback available in October)Cover Artist: AM DesignsPurchase Links: https://amzn.com/B01LC2HIDG 



Author web links: (web, blog, twitter, facebook, goodreads, etc) Website:  www.michelebarrowbelisle.com  (join my mailing list)Blog:  www.michelebelisle.blogspot.ca Facebook Author Page:  www.facebook.com/authormicheleGoodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/3059577.Michele_Barrow_Belisle Twitter:  www.twitter.com/MicheleBelisle Pintrest:  www.pinterest.com/micheley26 Instagram: www.instagram.com/michele.barrow.belisle

Genre Wars Part 4 Genres, Sub Genres and Categories?

I'm not sure now if we should have titled this a war or not but it is really making me scratch my head. We got a couple very good comments on parts 1 and 2 then Sheri blows in from the TO trying to smoke us both. Nicola O. commented in part, "I've seen them used mostly interchangeably and to me it would be splitting hairs to insist on a hard/fast distinction." I will agree and will say how flat out encouraging it is for me to hear how differently people define horror. I wont insist on a definition but it is flat out helpful to hear the variations in interpretation. She also made a comment I will include in my next post because I've said it before. It involves sexy vampires... I won't comment on this one much more- saving it for my next installment. MJ take it away. If you need to read it in order, here are the links.

Parts 1 and 2
Part 3



Guest Post by MJ LaBeff-

I’m baaaaack! I know, I know, how cliché and now you’re probably wondering how I landed this blog gig. I’ve been dying to comment on Gordon’s and Sheri’s incredibly insightful posts, but they cyber crazy glued my lips together. Imagine how much I have to say now? Fear not, I’m going to keep this short and to the point. I’ll try to anyway.

Genres, Subgenres and what the heck's a category?
In our effort to determine the differences between the genres of horror, paranormal and supernatural I think we might have confused things just a little. Okay, maybe a lot depending upon whom you ask, but I think we're getting closer. Anthony V. Pugliese commented that horror has “shock value”. I fully agree.

So if horror provides shock value, how is it that Amazon lists paranormal as a category within the horror genre and beneath the paranormal category it lists supernatural? My guess is that since neither paranormal nor supernatural is considered a genre it falls a bit logically under the Horror genre. Both words connote the idea of something scary or unexplainable. What’s still puzzling though is this: what about all of the good witches, werewolves and vampires in books or the psychics who maintain the balance of good versus evil?






Hmmm, maybe this is where all of those subgenres Gordon mentioned fit in- which if you ask me, seemed more like categories! Read part 2 of genre wars and let me know what you think. I’d really like to know. This makes more sense to me: Genre>Horror Subgenre>Paranormal Categories under paranormal- Gore and Disturbing, Psychological, Killer, Monsters, Zombie OR Subgenre> Supernatural Categories under supernatural- Ghosts and Spirits, Haunted House, Possession, Devil and Demon, Witches and Occult. However, this is not the case. Again, check out part 2 of the blog.




After analyzing Gordon’s post I decided my novel Mind Games which is listed on Amazon under the Thriller, Mystery, Suspense genres could quite possibly fit within the horror genre. Without boring you to tears, let me take a step back and explain. I had a hard time choosing a genre for Mind Games. It's a mystery. It’s suspense. It's romantic suspense- but hold on because often in romantic suspense the hero looks mighty suspicious and mine does not. I hadn’t really considered it a thriller but several reviewers have- now that’s interesting because in a thriller you don't know who did it. Mind Games is thrilling, but you have a strong indication of who the killer is and are reading to find out if the hero and heroine can put enough evidence together to catch him. I’ve also had readers comment that the story scared them and a friend said to me and I quote, “I didn’t know you liked horror?” Did I mention my heroine is having haunting visions and seeing a ghost? So let’s give Mind Games a new genre- horror and subgenre- supernatural and category of ghosts and spirits. It could quite possibly work. I’m curious enough that I’m going to call the nice folks at Amazon and have them help me with this. Did you know you can request a call from them? Yep, and they will call you back within minutes! Very cool and helpful.

You’re in the big house?! 
It’s the wild, wild, west out there when it comes to blending genres as Sheri discussed in part 3 of genre wars. Her comments really hit home for me. For years I had tried to find a literary agent- almost landed one for Mind Games. Could genre have been what hurt me from securing representation? Perhaps. Take Sheri's post to heart if you want to go the traditional publishing route. It's important. When I queried the Last Cold Case series, as the name might imply the books are suspense/thrillers. I nailed genre. How do I know this- my editor emailed me and said, "I've been looking for a book like this."



A publisher is a great asset to have depending upon your publishing goals, but you the author still need to choose a genre. Sheri provides some great help and advice in part 3.

I'm going to play devil's advocate here just to keep things confusing, I mean interesting. First, I should let you know I have never been signed with a big publishing house. I’m talking the Simon and Schuster and Hachette Book Group and Penguin houses of the world and so on. Second, Sheri's comments echo those I've heard from other authors. But… Come on, you knew there was a but coming. The big publishing houses handle placing your book in the right genre, subgenre, category and even keywords. The question becomes: is that enough to lure you to searching for a literary agent who can shop your book to the big publishing house(s). Isn't that funny? Do you want your book to end up in the big house? Enough kidding. This is serious business.


It’s as Sheri said, if your books are flying off shelves and you’ve become the next (fill in the blank) sensation the big house will come after you! But, yep, there is another but coming- if you’re not the next sensation and want to go to the big house you will need a literary agent. You’ll also need a great story, query letter and synopsis. You will be busy. Trust me. Oh, and you’ll need to know what genre your book is in- don’t forget to include the word count too.


 You've put your blood, sweat and tears into writing the best novel ever. Don't let it languish in the wrong genre or the land of mad algorithms. If you have beta readers ask them for their opinions. If your book has already been released read the reviews. A reviewer’s comments might provide insight to genre, subgenre, category and key words. There's the benefit of self-publishing. You keep all creative control and can change these areas as your heart desires. However, there are advantages to working with smaller presses and e-publishers but only you can decide.

My advice- just write! 
Enough from me- what say you?
Please leave us a comment. We’re really interested in exploring more about genre wars. Tell us about your experience choosing a genre. If you’re book is listed in horror, why? How did you come to that conclusion? If you write paranormal, what genre is your book in- romance, thriller, sci-fi? How about those writing supernatural? Are you in the horror genre? It’s great to hear from fellow writers and readers. I’d be curious to hear from readers to find out what your expectations are when you pick up a horror, paranormal or supernatural book. Gotta be honest, I’m having my doubts about putting Mind Games in horror…

Thanks for including me in the discussion Gordon and Sheri, wishing you both the very best and continued success with your writing careers. I’m looking forward to reading your next book!

Parts 1 and 2
Part 3



Mind GamesMJ grew up in northeastern Ohio but traded snow for sunshine and moved to southern Arizona over a decade ago where she lives with her husband and two dogs. When not at her day job in the financial services industry, she spends her free time working out, volunteering for the American Cancer Society and writing crime fiction.

She has completed two romantic suspense novels, Mind Games and Haunting Lyric and three books in a suspense/thriller series, Last Summer’s Evil, Last Fall’s Hunted and Last Winter’s Taken. Currently, she is writing Last Spring’s Stranger, the final book in the Last Cold Case series. She signed the series with Muse It Up Publishing. Last Summer’s Evil is scheduled to release fall/winter 2016. Last Fall’s Hunted is scheduled to release Spring 2017. Check back for future release dates in the Last Cold Case series.
MJLaBeff.com
@MJLaBeff

Mind Games

Cross Genre. Genre Wars Part 3

A welcome back to Sheri, certainly no stranger here. Her first guest post on self publishing continues to be a favorite and it is still relevant. Look over to the side for the holy grail. That's Sheri a year later still on top- whoa! I think Sheri has escalated the paranormal, supernatural, horror to a logical spot. As a traditionally published author now going indie, she offers a perspective from a different base of experience and I am glad she is willing to share.

Parts 1 and 2 of this Series http://goo.gl/gD43Km

Genre Wars Part 3Guest Post by Sheri McInnis
I’ve enjoyed Gordon A. Wilson’s discussions with other authors about horror over the last year. Lots of writers have shared their thoughts – most recently MJ LaBeff, author of the thriller MIND GAMES and the upcoming the Last Cold Case Series. I’m happy to have been asked to join the fray. The big discussion right now seems to be about the difference between supernatural , paranormal and horror, in what Gordon and MJ are calling ‘the Genre Wars.’ Love that!
But let’s move to a new battlefield, the one Gordon brought up last week with regards to his great supernatural thriller, FIRETOK. He was discussing how Amazon has started switching up their categories and that genre is mostly about marketing. He’s right about that.


But genre is not just important to indie writers: it’s even more vital if you want a book deal someday. Because here’s a term that makes publishers, agents and editors very uncomfortable: “cross-genre.” I learned that the hard way.
When my agent (at the time) was shopping around my first novel, several editors passed on it calling it so ‘too cross-genre.’ (Btw, ‘pass’ had always been a relatively pleasant word to me – you pass a test or a car – until an agent used it about my manuscript: ie. Harper-Collins passed. It was too cross-genre.) What that meant was that my book was difficult to classify. Was it a horror? A comedy? A romance? I’m afraid it was … all three.



That was bad news for me because cross-genre novels are considered much harder to market – making them less appealing to publishers, who would rather a writer be firmly in some identifiable genre camp – horror, thriller, romance, mystery, whatever – because it’s easier for them to market you.

Eventually, my first book did find a home at Simon & Schuster/Atria, but the editing process was quite lengthy and challenging, as we tried to hammer my cross-genre (square) novel, into a business full of round holes. (Or was that vice-versa? Whatever the case, something wasn’t fitting!) I was asked to make DEVIL MAY CARE ‘lighter’ – more like the chick lit novels that were popular at the time. I don’t think I pulled it off! If that book’s not cross-genre, I don’t know what it is!



Anyway, because genre is still very important in the traditional publishing world, if you’re an indie writer who’s interested in a book deal, my advice would be to try to narrow down your genre. Don’t try to be all things to all readers. Try to pick the genre you’re most comfortable with and focus on writing a book that fits into it. Because as a new writer, you’ll probably have a much easier time landing a book deal if you’re solidly in one camp or another.

If you’ve been having trouble that way – hearing the word ‘pass’ too many times or worse, getting no response from agents at all – consider that it might be that your work is too cross-genre. If that’s the case, and you still harbor dreams of becoming traditionally published, maybe you have to rethink your manuscript in terms of clearly defined genres. That might mean a quick polish – or a long edit – but it will probably get you closer to a traditional deal. If you’re confused about what to do, try to identify the type of book that you most like to read. Chances are, you’ll have an easier time customizing your manuscript to fit that particular genre.

Beyond that, try to focus on your ‘intention’ as a writer, as Gordon mentioned in his last post. Thriller and horror books are sometimes hard to distinguish. But as a writer, do you want to thrill readers? Leave them with relatively pleasant feelings of excitement, anticipation, even arousal? Or do you want to horrify readers? Terrify, disgust or disturb them?  If that’s the case, you’re probably in the horror camp. Other common publishing genres – romance, mystery, historical, etc. – are a little easier to classify. Count yourself lucky if you naturally write a specific kind of book like this because traditional publishers will be much more drawn to you.

btw, I’m not trying to criticize big houses for their marketing practices here. I know first-hand how difficult it is to write and market a book – both inside a big publisher and in the indie world. It’s time consuming,  expensive, almost impossible – and even when everything seems to be perfect, there are still no guarantees that a book will succeed. Why one novel sells a million copies and another sells only a handful, is an absolute mystery to all of us – including publishers, agents, editors and writers themselves.

But I think this is why the business has had to develop distinct ‘genres.’ And why Amazon requires you to categorize your self-published book too (though Amazon, as Gordon mentioned, continues to evolve the way their categories work). Clearly defined genres are one way for publishers to attain that seemingly impossible goal: creating a book that will find an audience and turn a profit. Which is what we’re all trying to do! We’re just lucky that, as authors, indie publishing exists and we no longer need the printing presses of big publishers to get our stories out there.

I find it interesting that, as the world of self-publishing expands – which it does every day – more and more indie writers are falling into cross-genre camps. Or aren’t afraid if their books straddle genres. (Supernatural steampunk urban fantasy romance anyone?) Luckily, the indie world now lets us live in peace and write the books we want to write.



And if the popularity of self-published books is any indication, readers are getting tired of traditional genres and don’t mind when authors mix it up a little too. So if you’re a cross-genre writer, don’t fret. Just write the best book you can and work hard to find your audience. And if you still crave a book deal, don’t despair either. Because traditional publishers are now trolling the web for established indie authors to sign. Sooner or later, they’ll be embracing successful cross-genre writers too.



I often wonder if the self-publishing business is flourishing simply because readers are tired of restrictive genres. Because defining genre isn’t just a marketing gimmick or a way to organize bookstores. For better or worse, clear genres are bred right into the bones of the publishing business, starting at the selection of manuscripts, continuing throughout the editing process, the cover design, and long into the marketing campaign. So everyone is affected by publishing genres: not just writers, but readers as well.


The great thing about the new landscape Amazon/KDP helped launch, is that whether you’re a reader, a writer – even a big publisher who can now find a ready-made bestselling author with the click of a mouse – the entire book world is benefiting from the unprecedented freedom of self-publishing. It’s opened up the creative landscape by letting writers – and readers! – choose the books they want, rather than being forced to conform to the distinct marketing genres that have emerged in the traditional world. It’s an entire revolution in the way stories are getting told.

How do you feel about your own writing? Do you think it makes sense to try to adapt a manuscript to a particular genre in the hopes of finding a publisher? Or do you think freedom in storytelling will ultimately win the day? And – eventually – the Genre Wars? And what about as a reader? Do you usually prefer a particular genre, or do you like when books are a little more unique? Let us know and keep the discussion going!



Btw I'm in the process of launching my first indie release , called THE WITCHES OF ASHFORD PLACE (formerly HUNTER’S MOON). It’s sort of  a cross between Twilight and Sex and the City … with a pinch of Game of Thrones. Yeah. It’s cross-genre, all right. It's also nine months late. That's how long the editing process with my beta readers took! If I'd been that late on a deadline in the traditional world, I'd be in breach of my contract and the publisher probably wouldn't release the book at all! So another cheer for the freedom of the self-publishing world.Thanks, Gordon, for letting me join in! Here’s to the continued success of indie writers everywhere - no matter what you like to write or read!

Sheri's BooksSheri's BlogTwitter: @SLMcInnisIndie Writer Blog: sherimcinnis.comLook Inside: THE WITCHES OF ASHFORD PLACE

Parts 1 and 2 of this Series - http://goo.gl/gD43Km