Kevin Hardman's Blog, page 16
August 29, 2014
The Best Paranormal Novels You Probably Never Heard Of
***As I mentioned elsewhere on my blog, Squidoo - a site where I had previously published a number of articles - has gone the way of the dodo. (Or rather, they will in the very near future - I think they shut down on October 1.) That being the case, I've been transferring some of that content to my blog here, including this post. Disclaimer: this is several years old and has not been updated, but I don't think much has changed.
Paranormal is the New Normal
There was a time in the not-too-distant past when reading paranormal novels - outside of Dracula and Stephen King books - was something other than mainstream. Now, thanks to the success of series like Twilight and the Sookie Stackhouse novels, there's a glut of them. So many in fact, that there's an entire section at Half-Priced Books devoted to this new genre called "Paranormal Romance." (And it's a big section.)
Still, a deluge of paranormal novels doesn't mean that they're all great reads, and there is an abundance of awesome stories that probably get lost in the process. With that in mind, I thought it might be worthwhile to mention some paranormal series that I felt would be worth your time and attention if you're trying to separate the wheat from the chaff in this arena.
Sandman Slim (The Sandman Slim Series)James Stark is a young man who can perform magic – real magic – when he is dragged down to Hell (while still alive) and forced into gladiatorial combat for the entertainment of Hell’s denizens. Although – as a mere human – he was not expected to survive, he does the impossible and not only manages to stay alive during 11 brutal years in the arena, but develops a supernatural toughness in the process. Garnering the nickname “Sandman Slim,” he also becomes a feared supernatural hitman. After 11 years Stark manages escape, returning to Earth and vowing vengeance on the men who sent him to Hell and killed his girlfriend.
This is actually one of the best series I’ve come across in a long time. Needless to say, Sandman Slim is more of an anti-hero, combing the seedy streets of an L.A. underworld filled with magic, monsters and supernatural beings while seeking revenge. He is hard and completely fixated on revenge – but surprisingly humorous (which helps make such an uncompromising character likeable) – and tough enough not to take smack from anybody. For example: after beating back a surprise attack, Stark stands bleeding in Lucifer’s penthouse hotel suite. (Hey, Old Scratch has got to stay somewhere when he’s in town – you thought the devil camped out?) Stark is about to take a seat when he is told by Lucifer – the devil himself – “Don’t get blood on my couch.” Stark replies, “It’s not your couch,” and sits anyway.
Equal parts mystery, paranormal fiction, and high-octane adventure, the books in this dark urban fanatsy series (by Richard Kadrey) are as follows:
Sandman Slim Kill the Dead Aloha from Hell
(On a side note, the first book, Sandman Slim, is purportedly being developed as a feature film.)
Staked (The Void City Novels)
In the supernatural world of Void City – which includes, demons, werewolves, witches and more – vampires come in four flavors:
Drones – Barely immortalSoldiers – Tough, but not too hard to get rid of Masters – Very powerful Vlads – Top of the food chain, and almost impossible to kill for good. Cut their heads off, and they can be reattached; blow them up, and their bodies eventually reform; etc.
Which type of vampire a person arises as after being turned is somewhat haphazard, although it tends to be related to force of will and personality. And there really isn’t a way to rise up the ladder, e.g., a vampire that arises as a drone will stay a drone forever (or until he gets killed).
Eric Courtney is a vlad famously known for having blackouts and an extremely poor memory. He chalks it up to having been embalmed before arising as a vampire. He can’t even remember how he came to be undead in the first place, and no other vampire has ever stepped forward to declare himself Eric’s sire. His legendary blackouts are usually the result of someone making him angry, and whenever he comes out of it there’s usually a dead body (or several) nearby. In fact, the first novel opens with Eric shouting at someone as he comes out of a blackout, looking at the decomposing vampire body and wondering who he’s killed. Moreover, he soon finds himself framed for the murder of a werewolf, who just happens to be the son of the local pack leader. Now he just has to prove himself innocent, find out who set him up (and why), and – among other things – avoid the werewolf assassins that he knows will be coming after him. Not the easiest thing to do for a guy who typically can’t remember who he ate the night before.
In the Void City novels, the author – J.F. Lewis – has created something other than the typical vampire storyline. His is a dark and gritty world with its own unique vampire mythos. It’s a world where a magical veil over the city keeps normal humans oblivious to the monsters in their midst, and a corrupt police force gets rid of bodies and covers up crimes for supernaturals with enough money to pay the “fang fee.” Moreover, nothing is what it seems: one of Eric’s associates, Talbot, resembles a handsome Black man, but – as he tells a female character who doesn’t like his behavior towards her, “You keep expecting me to act human. I’m not…” (Talbot is, in fact, a rather unique creature, but to say more would be to risk spoiling it for some.)
The action is fast-paced, fun, and totally engrossing. The Void City novels are:
Staked Revamped Crossed
Child of Fire (The Twenty Palaces Series)
The Twenty Palaces Society is a group of warlocks dedicated to rooting out the use of magic by people trying to exploit it to gain power. Basically, there is a myriad of horrific, otherworldly beings – any one of which is capable of stripping all life from Earth – who generally promise power to any person who calls them forth. Needless to say, these creatures are nearly impossible to control, and death and destruction usually follow in their wake. Thus, the Twenty Palaces Society ruthlessly exterminates anyone they feel is guilty of the unauthorized use of magic, which basically seems to be any use of magic at all - other than their own, of course. (Their attitude towards other practitioners reminds of a line from one of my favorite video games, Fallout 3 , when a villain tells his henchman, "Shoot anybody that isn't you, and isn't me.")
Ray Lilly is a small-time crook and petty thief who serves as a driver for a member of the Twenty Palaces Society. Because he betrayed her once, his boss doesn’t trust him and wouldn’t mind seeing Ray in a pine box. (In fact, Ray is designated a "Wooden Man," which essentially means that his job is to literally get himself killed if it helps his boss complete her mission.) When his employer gets hurt, Ray – with a single spell to his name and a few magical tattoos on his arms and chest – must go alone after an otherworldly monster capable of controlling not only people, but also time itself.
The action is fast and furious from the very start. Like the other novels in this post, this is dark urban fantasy – no lubby-dubby supernaturals here. It’s tense and violent, but utterly enjoyable. The books in the Twenty Palaces series are:
Child of Fire Game of Cages Circle of Enemies
Dying Bites (The Bloodhound Files)Jace Valchek is an FBI profiler whose specialty is tracking down serial killers. Because of that talent, she is ripped from our world into an alternate reality – one where creatures such as vampires and werewolves are the norm. In fact, they are the majority: 33% of the world’s population is vampires, 47% are werewolves and 19% are golems (artificial constructs magically brought to life). Normal humans number less than 1 million people – the result of various activities over the years, including the forced transformation of millions during the alternate reality’s version of World War II.
A serial killer is stalking and killing supernaturals in this new world Jace finds herself in. Because vampires, werewolves and golems don’t suffer from mental illness, the killer – presumably – is human. Moreover, the lack of mental illness means that the authorities have no skill in this area, thus the reason for “borrowing” Jace from her own reality. In tracking down the killer, Jace also has to adjust to a world where she’s suddenly part of a dwindling minority, and the supernaturals have cute little nicknames for normal people, like “O.R.” (which stands for “original recipe”). Not to mention the fact that, in many ways, she sympathizes more with the killer she’s chasing as opposed to his victims.
This series makes a nice departure from the typical paranormal stories, where all of the things that go bump in the night are kept under wraps and hidden from plain humans. Here, all of the supernatural beings are out in the open, and it’s Jace who has to masquerade as something else – a werewolf, courtesy of a specially formulated body spray – in order to avoid detection for what she truly is. All in all, it’s a good read with great supernatural elements, mystery and action. The novels in the Bloodhound Files are:
Dying Bites Death Blows Killing Rocks
Needless to say, there are plenty of other fantastic series out there. These are just a few that I've come across and found worthwhile, but I also welcome any suggestions others may have.
Paranormal is the New Normal
There was a time in the not-too-distant past when reading paranormal novels - outside of Dracula and Stephen King books - was something other than mainstream. Now, thanks to the success of series like Twilight and the Sookie Stackhouse novels, there's a glut of them. So many in fact, that there's an entire section at Half-Priced Books devoted to this new genre called "Paranormal Romance." (And it's a big section.)Still, a deluge of paranormal novels doesn't mean that they're all great reads, and there is an abundance of awesome stories that probably get lost in the process. With that in mind, I thought it might be worthwhile to mention some paranormal series that I felt would be worth your time and attention if you're trying to separate the wheat from the chaff in this arena.
Sandman Slim (The Sandman Slim Series)James Stark is a young man who can perform magic – real magic – when he is dragged down to Hell (while still alive) and forced into gladiatorial combat for the entertainment of Hell’s denizens. Although – as a mere human – he was not expected to survive, he does the impossible and not only manages to stay alive during 11 brutal years in the arena, but develops a supernatural toughness in the process. Garnering the nickname “Sandman Slim,” he also becomes a feared supernatural hitman. After 11 years Stark manages escape, returning to Earth and vowing vengeance on the men who sent him to Hell and killed his girlfriend.
This is actually one of the best series I’ve come across in a long time. Needless to say, Sandman Slim is more of an anti-hero, combing the seedy streets of an L.A. underworld filled with magic, monsters and supernatural beings while seeking revenge. He is hard and completely fixated on revenge – but surprisingly humorous (which helps make such an uncompromising character likeable) – and tough enough not to take smack from anybody. For example: after beating back a surprise attack, Stark stands bleeding in Lucifer’s penthouse hotel suite. (Hey, Old Scratch has got to stay somewhere when he’s in town – you thought the devil camped out?) Stark is about to take a seat when he is told by Lucifer – the devil himself – “Don’t get blood on my couch.” Stark replies, “It’s not your couch,” and sits anyway.Equal parts mystery, paranormal fiction, and high-octane adventure, the books in this dark urban fanatsy series (by Richard Kadrey) are as follows:
Sandman Slim Kill the Dead Aloha from Hell
(On a side note, the first book, Sandman Slim, is purportedly being developed as a feature film.)
Staked (The Void City Novels)
In the supernatural world of Void City – which includes, demons, werewolves, witches and more – vampires come in four flavors:
Drones – Barely immortalSoldiers – Tough, but not too hard to get rid of Masters – Very powerful Vlads – Top of the food chain, and almost impossible to kill for good. Cut their heads off, and they can be reattached; blow them up, and their bodies eventually reform; etc.
Which type of vampire a person arises as after being turned is somewhat haphazard, although it tends to be related to force of will and personality. And there really isn’t a way to rise up the ladder, e.g., a vampire that arises as a drone will stay a drone forever (or until he gets killed).
Eric Courtney is a vlad famously known for having blackouts and an extremely poor memory. He chalks it up to having been embalmed before arising as a vampire. He can’t even remember how he came to be undead in the first place, and no other vampire has ever stepped forward to declare himself Eric’s sire. His legendary blackouts are usually the result of someone making him angry, and whenever he comes out of it there’s usually a dead body (or several) nearby. In fact, the first novel opens with Eric shouting at someone as he comes out of a blackout, looking at the decomposing vampire body and wondering who he’s killed. Moreover, he soon finds himself framed for the murder of a werewolf, who just happens to be the son of the local pack leader. Now he just has to prove himself innocent, find out who set him up (and why), and – among other things – avoid the werewolf assassins that he knows will be coming after him. Not the easiest thing to do for a guy who typically can’t remember who he ate the night before.In the Void City novels, the author – J.F. Lewis – has created something other than the typical vampire storyline. His is a dark and gritty world with its own unique vampire mythos. It’s a world where a magical veil over the city keeps normal humans oblivious to the monsters in their midst, and a corrupt police force gets rid of bodies and covers up crimes for supernaturals with enough money to pay the “fang fee.” Moreover, nothing is what it seems: one of Eric’s associates, Talbot, resembles a handsome Black man, but – as he tells a female character who doesn’t like his behavior towards her, “You keep expecting me to act human. I’m not…” (Talbot is, in fact, a rather unique creature, but to say more would be to risk spoiling it for some.)
The action is fast-paced, fun, and totally engrossing. The Void City novels are:
Staked Revamped Crossed
Child of Fire (The Twenty Palaces Series)
The Twenty Palaces Society is a group of warlocks dedicated to rooting out the use of magic by people trying to exploit it to gain power. Basically, there is a myriad of horrific, otherworldly beings – any one of which is capable of stripping all life from Earth – who generally promise power to any person who calls them forth. Needless to say, these creatures are nearly impossible to control, and death and destruction usually follow in their wake. Thus, the Twenty Palaces Society ruthlessly exterminates anyone they feel is guilty of the unauthorized use of magic, which basically seems to be any use of magic at all - other than their own, of course. (Their attitude towards other practitioners reminds of a line from one of my favorite video games, Fallout 3 , when a villain tells his henchman, "Shoot anybody that isn't you, and isn't me.")
Ray Lilly is a small-time crook and petty thief who serves as a driver for a member of the Twenty Palaces Society. Because he betrayed her once, his boss doesn’t trust him and wouldn’t mind seeing Ray in a pine box. (In fact, Ray is designated a "Wooden Man," which essentially means that his job is to literally get himself killed if it helps his boss complete her mission.) When his employer gets hurt, Ray – with a single spell to his name and a few magical tattoos on his arms and chest – must go alone after an otherworldly monster capable of controlling not only people, but also time itself.
The action is fast and furious from the very start. Like the other novels in this post, this is dark urban fantasy – no lubby-dubby supernaturals here. It’s tense and violent, but utterly enjoyable. The books in the Twenty Palaces series are:
Child of Fire Game of Cages Circle of Enemies
Dying Bites (The Bloodhound Files)Jace Valchek is an FBI profiler whose specialty is tracking down serial killers. Because of that talent, she is ripped from our world into an alternate reality – one where creatures such as vampires and werewolves are the norm. In fact, they are the majority: 33% of the world’s population is vampires, 47% are werewolves and 19% are golems (artificial constructs magically brought to life). Normal humans number less than 1 million people – the result of various activities over the years, including the forced transformation of millions during the alternate reality’s version of World War II.
A serial killer is stalking and killing supernaturals in this new world Jace finds herself in. Because vampires, werewolves and golems don’t suffer from mental illness, the killer – presumably – is human. Moreover, the lack of mental illness means that the authorities have no skill in this area, thus the reason for “borrowing” Jace from her own reality. In tracking down the killer, Jace also has to adjust to a world where she’s suddenly part of a dwindling minority, and the supernaturals have cute little nicknames for normal people, like “O.R.” (which stands for “original recipe”). Not to mention the fact that, in many ways, she sympathizes more with the killer she’s chasing as opposed to his victims.This series makes a nice departure from the typical paranormal stories, where all of the things that go bump in the night are kept under wraps and hidden from plain humans. Here, all of the supernatural beings are out in the open, and it’s Jace who has to masquerade as something else – a werewolf, courtesy of a specially formulated body spray – in order to avoid detection for what she truly is. All in all, it’s a good read with great supernatural elements, mystery and action. The novels in the Bloodhound Files are:
Dying Bites Death Blows Killing Rocks
Needless to say, there are plenty of other fantastic series out there. These are just a few that I've come across and found worthwhile, but I also welcome any suggestions others may have.
August 17, 2014
The Best Thing About "Guardians of the Galaxy"
I am without question a scifi/fantasy devotee. Thus, my love of the genre - combined with an inherent affection for Marvel comics - meant that going to see the new Guardians of the Galaxy movie was almost mandatory for me.
Thankfully, the film did not disappoint. From my perspective, it contained an entertaining dose of the requisite elements required in such movies: action/adventure, comedy, special effects, etc. Apparently, lots of other people agree with my assessment; thus far, the movie has cleaned up from a fiscal standpoint, raking in over $400 million at the global box office.
However, despite all those other pleasing qualities, what I found the best - and most surprising - feature of the movie was actually something I usually don't give a great deal of thought to with respect to films: the soundtrack.
Sure, there are movies which will contain a song that will hit you in the gut or make sit up and you take notice because of the way it captures your fancy or suits a scene (eg, Jim Croce's Time in a Bottle in X-Men: Days of Future Past), but this was a little different. This was an occasion where the music not only fit the visual on the screen, but was so embedded in the action that it almost seemed to have a role in the film. From the early scene with Star Lord grooving to Redbone's infectious Come and Get Your Love (see the video below) to the Jackson 5's immortal I Want You Back, the music in this instance just seems to capture the essence of the film.
Moreover, it's patently obvious that I'm far from the only person who was impressed with the music. The soundtrack recently hit #1 on the Billboard charts - a nice feat for a bunch of songs from the '60s and '70s. I guess it's true what they say: everything old is new again.
The film's director, James Gunn (who also co-wrote the screenplay), was the person responsible for selecting the songs used in the movie. As far as I'm concerned, he should be given an Academy Award just for that. (You have to admit that even the name of the soundtrack is pretty cool: "Awesome Mix Vol. 1")
Long story short, the movie was great - but the soundtrack was absolutely fantastic! The only downside is that, when I look to the future, I'm not worried about how the movie sequel will compare to the original film; I'm sure it will do fine (and set the stage for a third film). However, "Awesome Mix Vol. 2" will have the unenviable task of trying to measure up to its predecessor, and that, my friends, is a high bar to hurdle. Mr. Gunn, sir, you have your work cut out for you, but you are merely a victim of your own success.
If you would like to be notified when I release new books, please subscribe to my mailing list here .
Thankfully, the film did not disappoint. From my perspective, it contained an entertaining dose of the requisite elements required in such movies: action/adventure, comedy, special effects, etc. Apparently, lots of other people agree with my assessment; thus far, the movie has cleaned up from a fiscal standpoint, raking in over $400 million at the global box office.However, despite all those other pleasing qualities, what I found the best - and most surprising - feature of the movie was actually something I usually don't give a great deal of thought to with respect to films: the soundtrack.
Sure, there are movies which will contain a song that will hit you in the gut or make sit up and you take notice because of the way it captures your fancy or suits a scene (eg, Jim Croce's Time in a Bottle in X-Men: Days of Future Past), but this was a little different. This was an occasion where the music not only fit the visual on the screen, but was so embedded in the action that it almost seemed to have a role in the film. From the early scene with Star Lord grooving to Redbone's infectious Come and Get Your Love (see the video below) to the Jackson 5's immortal I Want You Back, the music in this instance just seems to capture the essence of the film.
Moreover, it's patently obvious that I'm far from the only person who was impressed with the music. The soundtrack recently hit #1 on the Billboard charts - a nice feat for a bunch of songs from the '60s and '70s. I guess it's true what they say: everything old is new again.
The film's director, James Gunn (who also co-wrote the screenplay), was the person responsible for selecting the songs used in the movie. As far as I'm concerned, he should be given an Academy Award just for that. (You have to admit that even the name of the soundtrack is pretty cool: "Awesome Mix Vol. 1")
Long story short, the movie was great - but the soundtrack was absolutely fantastic! The only downside is that, when I look to the future, I'm not worried about how the movie sequel will compare to the original film; I'm sure it will do fine (and set the stage for a third film). However, "Awesome Mix Vol. 2" will have the unenviable task of trying to measure up to its predecessor, and that, my friends, is a high bar to hurdle. Mr. Gunn, sir, you have your work cut out for you, but you are merely a victim of your own success.
If you would like to be notified when I release new books, please subscribe to my mailing list here .
August 4, 2014
The Speculative Fiction Blog Hop
I've been fortunate enough to be tagged as the next contributor on the Speculative Fiction Blog Hop, wherein individual authors discuss and provide an overview of their writing process.
I was tagged by the uber-talented Cora Buhlert, who was born and bred in North Germany, where she still lives today - after time spent in London, Singapore, Rotterdam and Mississippi. Cora holds an MA degree in English from the University of Bremen and is currently working towards her PhD. She has been writing since she was a teenager, and has published stories, articles and poetry in various international magazines. When she is not writing, she works as a translator and teacher. Visit her on the web at www.corabuhlert.com or follow her on Twitter under @CoraBuhlert.
As part of the blog hop, each participating author answers four questions about their writing process, which are as follows:
I. What Are You Working On?
There's an entire heap of projects (in various genres) that I've actually started. However, I've mentioned on several other occasions that I tend to write the story that's making the most noise in my brain. These days, that's a scifi novel that I hope to finish very soon. I've also started the next Kid Sensation novel, which is my most popular series.
II. How Does My Work Differ From Others of Its Genre?
The question is a little tricky to answer since my fiction currently encompasses two series - the Kid Sensation series and the Warden series.
With respect to the Warden books, I suppose the most distinguishing characteristic is that I've chosen to fill those books with non-traditional monsters/antagonists. Rather than vampires, werewolves, and the like, I've chosen to populate my books with a number of other creatures that generally don't get as much airplay: Thus, over the course of three books, my protagonist has entered fiends such as Wendigos, lamias, revenants, selkies, aswangs, and more.
As to the Kid Sensation series, which encompasses superhero novels, one of the things that may be different is that I've tried to incorporate some of the physics into the stories. For instance, if someone can fly at 1000 miles per hour, there's a sonic boom heard by those nearby. If someone runs at high speed, the friction (eg, their thighs rubbing together) can wear out their clothes.
That said, I believe that - in general - the work of writers in the same genre is bound to vary naturally just based the authors' own thoughts, views, experiences, etc. - just as in other realms of entertainment. By way of example, there were two Hercules movies released this year. It was the same subject matter, but two totally different takes on the story. Likewise, I generally think that each author's work, even in overcrowded genres, is as unique and distinctive as the individual writer himself.
III. Why Do I Write What I Do?
As I mentioned, I've actually started quite a number of projects in various genres: mystery, romance, action/thriller, western... In essence, I read a wide spectrum of books and find myself interested in a diverse range of subjects. This, of course, affects my writing. In essence, like so many others, I write whatever interests me.
Nevertheless, I am - at my core - a scifi/fantasy author. (Works in other genres will quite likely be published under a pen name.) That being the case, I suppose I write what I write because I enjoy it. I like being a storyteller, and writing books that people of all ages can enjoy. Plus, writing scifi/fantasy gives me the option to explore the limits of my imagination. There's really no idea that's too far-fetched for me to put into a story.
IV. How Does My Writing Process Work?
I suppose it all starts with the notebook: I have a composition notebook that I take with me everywhere. If I get a good idea for a story, I write it in the notebook. Moreover, each story idea typically gets a couple of pages in the notebook, so that if I get a thought about a scene, dialogue, or anything else, I write it down under the proper story. My notebook is basically my bible.
With respect to actually writing, I typically don't do outlines; for me, the story tends to tell itself. In other words, when I sit down and start typing, it's more like the characters are telling their own story and I'm just taking dictation. This happened in dramatic form with
Sensation
, the first novel in my Kid Sensation series; I had an idea of the story I wanted to tell, but in the course of writing the novel veered away so drastically from the book I originally intended to write that no one would believe me if I told them what I'd had in mind initially.
As I mentioned, I don't do outlines. I usually know how I want the story to start and how I want it to end, but not much more than that - the rest is the journey. I do, however, check my notebook throughout the drafting process to make sure I incorporate any worthwhile thoughts. I also usually edit as I write.
When I finish, I typically read through the draft at least twice before sending it to my editor. Quite often, in addition to typos, I'm looking for what I call "logic gaps" - scenes where characters are doing things that advance the story, but which really don't make much sense. For instance, I watched a movie just yesterday where the main character took on a gang of about three dozen bad guys in a warehouse, and everybody was fighting with baseball bats, crowbars, etc. It was a great scene, but at one point my thought became, "All these bad guys are fighting the protagonist, and not one of them has a gun?" I would have bought into any reason they presented for why nobody had firearms (eg, potential gas leak), but they never gave one. It's with things like that I mind that I try - and hopefully succeed - in avoiding logic gaps.
When I get the manuscript back from my editor, I usually read it at least two more times. If I'm comfortable with it at that point it's ready for publishing.
That about sums things up for me, so my thanks to those in charge for being included in the blog hop. Next up is the amazing Ceinwen Langley, an Australian television writer and author. Her debut YA novel, The Edge of the Woods, has been described as dystopian Jane Austen, the Hunger Games meets the Stepford Wives and Margaret Atwood spear-tackling Twilight. (Okay, she said that last one herself.)
A full time writer, Ceinwen has contributed short stories to Birdee, an online magazine for young women, and has taught and spoken at universities and high schools. She spends her spare time trying to grow European wildflowers in a West Australian climate and taking pictures of her dog with things on his head. You can find out more about Ceinwen on her blog: www.ceinwenlangley.com .
.
I was tagged by the uber-talented Cora Buhlert, who was born and bred in North Germany, where she still lives today - after time spent in London, Singapore, Rotterdam and Mississippi. Cora holds an MA degree in English from the University of Bremen and is currently working towards her PhD. She has been writing since she was a teenager, and has published stories, articles and poetry in various international magazines. When she is not writing, she works as a translator and teacher. Visit her on the web at www.corabuhlert.com or follow her on Twitter under @CoraBuhlert.
As part of the blog hop, each participating author answers four questions about their writing process, which are as follows:
I. What Are You Working On?
There's an entire heap of projects (in various genres) that I've actually started. However, I've mentioned on several other occasions that I tend to write the story that's making the most noise in my brain. These days, that's a scifi novel that I hope to finish very soon. I've also started the next Kid Sensation novel, which is my most popular series.
II. How Does My Work Differ From Others of Its Genre?
The question is a little tricky to answer since my fiction currently encompasses two series - the Kid Sensation series and the Warden series.
With respect to the Warden books, I suppose the most distinguishing characteristic is that I've chosen to fill those books with non-traditional monsters/antagonists. Rather than vampires, werewolves, and the like, I've chosen to populate my books with a number of other creatures that generally don't get as much airplay: Thus, over the course of three books, my protagonist has entered fiends such as Wendigos, lamias, revenants, selkies, aswangs, and more. As to the Kid Sensation series, which encompasses superhero novels, one of the things that may be different is that I've tried to incorporate some of the physics into the stories. For instance, if someone can fly at 1000 miles per hour, there's a sonic boom heard by those nearby. If someone runs at high speed, the friction (eg, their thighs rubbing together) can wear out their clothes.
That said, I believe that - in general - the work of writers in the same genre is bound to vary naturally just based the authors' own thoughts, views, experiences, etc. - just as in other realms of entertainment. By way of example, there were two Hercules movies released this year. It was the same subject matter, but two totally different takes on the story. Likewise, I generally think that each author's work, even in overcrowded genres, is as unique and distinctive as the individual writer himself.
III. Why Do I Write What I Do?
As I mentioned, I've actually started quite a number of projects in various genres: mystery, romance, action/thriller, western... In essence, I read a wide spectrum of books and find myself interested in a diverse range of subjects. This, of course, affects my writing. In essence, like so many others, I write whatever interests me.
Nevertheless, I am - at my core - a scifi/fantasy author. (Works in other genres will quite likely be published under a pen name.) That being the case, I suppose I write what I write because I enjoy it. I like being a storyteller, and writing books that people of all ages can enjoy. Plus, writing scifi/fantasy gives me the option to explore the limits of my imagination. There's really no idea that's too far-fetched for me to put into a story.
IV. How Does My Writing Process Work?
I suppose it all starts with the notebook: I have a composition notebook that I take with me everywhere. If I get a good idea for a story, I write it in the notebook. Moreover, each story idea typically gets a couple of pages in the notebook, so that if I get a thought about a scene, dialogue, or anything else, I write it down under the proper story. My notebook is basically my bible.
With respect to actually writing, I typically don't do outlines; for me, the story tends to tell itself. In other words, when I sit down and start typing, it's more like the characters are telling their own story and I'm just taking dictation. This happened in dramatic form with
Sensation
, the first novel in my Kid Sensation series; I had an idea of the story I wanted to tell, but in the course of writing the novel veered away so drastically from the book I originally intended to write that no one would believe me if I told them what I'd had in mind initially.As I mentioned, I don't do outlines. I usually know how I want the story to start and how I want it to end, but not much more than that - the rest is the journey. I do, however, check my notebook throughout the drafting process to make sure I incorporate any worthwhile thoughts. I also usually edit as I write.
When I finish, I typically read through the draft at least twice before sending it to my editor. Quite often, in addition to typos, I'm looking for what I call "logic gaps" - scenes where characters are doing things that advance the story, but which really don't make much sense. For instance, I watched a movie just yesterday where the main character took on a gang of about three dozen bad guys in a warehouse, and everybody was fighting with baseball bats, crowbars, etc. It was a great scene, but at one point my thought became, "All these bad guys are fighting the protagonist, and not one of them has a gun?" I would have bought into any reason they presented for why nobody had firearms (eg, potential gas leak), but they never gave one. It's with things like that I mind that I try - and hopefully succeed - in avoiding logic gaps.
When I get the manuscript back from my editor, I usually read it at least two more times. If I'm comfortable with it at that point it's ready for publishing.
That about sums things up for me, so my thanks to those in charge for being included in the blog hop. Next up is the amazing Ceinwen Langley, an Australian television writer and author. Her debut YA novel, The Edge of the Woods, has been described as dystopian Jane Austen, the Hunger Games meets the Stepford Wives and Margaret Atwood spear-tackling Twilight. (Okay, she said that last one herself.)
A full time writer, Ceinwen has contributed short stories to Birdee, an online magazine for young women, and has taught and spoken at universities and high schools. She spends her spare time trying to grow European wildflowers in a West Australian climate and taking pictures of her dog with things on his head. You can find out more about Ceinwen on her blog: www.ceinwenlangley.com .
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July 29, 2014
How To be More Productive in Your Personal and Professional Life
Isn't There More You Could Be Doing?
It seems that we're all busy people. We always have someplace to go, something to do, a phone call to make, etc. And yet, for all that hustle and bustle, we never seem to get caught up. We are never quite as productive as we'd like to be.With that in mind, it makes sense to take stock of how we are spending our time, and look at things we can do to be more productive.
Quit Your Second Job: Turn Off the TV
Most Americans have a second job and don’t even know it. It’s called watching TV. Believe it or not, the average American watches approximately 34 hours of television per week.
34!
That’s a lot of man-hours – practically enough to work full-time somewhere. (Now you know the reason I referred to it as a second job…) That’s why one of the first steps in being more productive – and I know it’s hard – is turning the television off. Right now, most Americans are like addicts; they have to get their television fix or they feel like they’ll go bananas. But trust me, after you turn it off and get used to having it off, you’ll be shocked by what you can get accomplished.
That said, I know most people won’t be able to shut television out completely. However, it’s an epidemic, much like obesity. Thus, you need to curb your appetite for television – take in fewer broadcast calories. I would suggest you try to limit yourself to a maximum of 10 hours of television per week. Thus, you need to pick the programs you absolutely must watch, and jettison the rest. (And with television now being a rare treat, you can justify watching your programs on a nice set.)
Make a List of Goals and Things You Want to Accomplish
Statistics have shown that people who write down their goals come a lot closer to achieving them than those who do not. Therefore, your productivity is likely to increase if you make a to-do list of things you want to accomplish.In short, no matter what your goal is – whether it be losing weight, competing in a triathlon, or writing the great American novel – you stand a better chance of making it happen if you write it down.
Keep the list close – maybe in your wallet or purse – and review it a couple of times each week. And as you accomplish the things you’ve written down, check them off. (And maybe add some new objectives.) And the goals don’t all have to be lofty; they can be simple things, like baking a cake for a friend, finally getting around to cleaning out the garage, and so on. You’ll find that after you complete a couple of the items on your list, that feeling of accomplishment and success is something that you’ll want to experience again and again.
Exercise for Energy
Studies have shown that regular exercise not only increases your energy level but also fights fatigue. Wouldn’t you be more productive if you stayed energized? If you didn’t get tired very easily?Thus, you should adopt a regular exercise regimen. It doesn’t matter if it’s lifting weights, riding a bike, walking or pilates. The important thing is to do some form of exercise. Moreover, after you make it part of your regular routine, you’ll soon find that you feel out of sorts if you somehow fail to exercise on a day when you were supposed to.
In retrospect, it can be fairly easy to become more productive. Cutting down on your television viewing will give you gobs of time. Making a to-do list will give objectives to shoot for. Finally, regular exercise can give you the energy to get the job done. In brief, this is a workable plan for becoming more productive. (And once you’re more productive you can turn your hand to other things you may be interested in.)
July 15, 2014
Television Shows I Can't Believe Were Greenlit!
I'm just going to put it out there: these are TV shows that I can't believe got a green light. I'm not trying to say that all - or even any - of these shows were bad. I'm just saying that I can't believe some studio honcho gave the thumbs up to them, because on paper I'd think they sounded wacko. That said, without further ado...
Bigfoot and Wildboy
Okay, to me this show always made me think that somebody wanted to make a Tarzan series, but with Tarzan being from the U.S. Since great apes are not indigenous to North America, and the boy-raised-by-wolves thing was being done on the show Lucan (read below), who did that leave? Bigfoot! Yes, Bigfoot gets to raise a kid!
Set in the Pacific Northwest, Bigfoot and Wildboy is supposedly premised on the concept of Bigfoot finding a lost kid and raising him. (And rasing him right – with morals and ethics and all that jazz. Pretty cool for a creature that couldn’t speak!) To be frank, I’ve always wondered what was going through the head of whoever said, “Yes” to this show. Of course, it was from Sid and Marty Krofft, who practically owned Saturday morning television back then. Those guys could get anything they wanted on television. (They never even bothered making pilot episodes; they just went in with sketches of what they wanted to do, and the bigwigs just seemed to always say, “Okay.”) Plus, I actually enjoyed the show, although some of is laughable – especially the intro. Still, if the opportunity presents itself, you should check it out.
Lucan
This was a boy-raised-by-wolves adventure series that aired during primetime in the ’70s. The premise of Lucan centered on a boy found in the wilderness after having been raised by wolves the first 10 years of his life. He is brought back to “civilization” for study and indoctrination into society. Although feral at first, he gradually – over the course of the next 10 years – becomes civilized while living – and being studied – at a research institute.
Source: http://ctva.biz/US/Adventure/Lucan_ad... of his doctors is basically a father-figure to him, and when it seems that Lucan is in danger he encourages the young man to leave and try to find his true identity. He becomes a David Banner (Incredible Hulk) wanderer type, going from place to place and helping people along the way. Lucan has certain wolf powers: his eyes turn red when he’s angry, and he can see and smell with the senses of a wolf.Basically, this was The Jungle Book transplanted to America. (Notice how U.S. studios have to Americanize everything?) The show only lasted a season, but again it’s one of those that you wonder how it got the go-ahead in the ’70s disco era. (Hmmm, maybe if Lucan occasionally cut loose in a club in a white bell-bottom suit – or if they had the BeeGees write a theme song – the show would have lasted longer.)
Anyway, I’m probably making it sound worse than it was, because it memory serves it was actually an okay show. You can see the intro here .
Manimal
In Manimal, wealthy Jonathan Chase supposedly learned the secrets of shapshifting in deepest, darkest Africa while he was a boy. Now, he uses his abilities to help the police solve crimes.To be honest, I thought this was a pretty cool series. I can only recall the guy shifting into one of three animals – a hawk (nice), a panther (cool) and a slow-moving snake (huh? What’s the purpose of that?). However, according to the promos, I think he was supposed to be able to change into any animal he wanted. (Of course, this was almost 30 years ago when the series aired, so maybe I just don’t remember.) Anyway, it’s another series that didn’t go the distance – but it was fun while it lasted!
The Man from Atlantis
Before he became a heartthrob on the mega-hit Dallas, Patrick Duffy was an amnesiac called Mark Harris, whom scientist believe to be from the lost city of Atlantis. He had webbed fingers and toes, and gills in addition to lungs so that he could breathe underwater.To be frank, this was actually a neat series. I just can’t believe anyone in Hollywood was gutsy enough to get on board with it, because the premise was a little different. The lead character gets found in the ocean (I think he gets caught in a fishing net or something) and when they examine him they discover that he has all these marine attributes. Hmmm…this would probably make a great feature film. (Of course, I hear an Aquaman film is already in the works, but that hasn't kept Hollywood from releasing similarly-themed movies before - eg, in a few weeks I think we'll get the second "Hercules" movie of 2014.)
Regardless of whether you think they were good or bad, I'm really happy to see that shows like this were actually being made. It showed that someone in Hollywood had an imagination.
July 4, 2014
Book Review: Logan's Run
I don't think it comes as a big surprise to anyone that I'm huge sci-fi/fantasy fan. Therefore, I'm occasionally asked what's my favorite book in that arena. But like most avid readers, there's no single novel I could point to and say with absolute certainty that it's my all-time favorite (and that goes for any genre). However, there is one book that I always thought was an incredible read: Logan's Run, by William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson.
Let me be perfectly frank: the book completely blew my mind. I've never read anything like it before or since.
First of all - before the story itself even begins - there was the incredible dedication page. On it, the authors list a host of individuals, characters, and even other books, dedicating the novel to everyone from Frankenstein and Jiminy Cricket to the Marx Brothers and The Most Dangerous Game. I interpret this as the authors thanking those people (factual and fictional) and stories that inspired them. Like the rest of the book, I've never come across anything else like it.
The novel itself was originally published in 1967 and takes place in a future when human society seems to have achieved Utopia. Everyone is young and beautiful. (And if you don't like your appearance, you can easily change it.) You can have anything you want, go anywhere you want, do anything you want. In short, it's a sex-drugs-and-rock-n-roll culture where personal bliss can be obtained either naturally or artificially. There's only one catch: you have to die at age 21.
In the world of Logan's Run, everyone has a crystal flower embedded in their palm at birth that tracks their age: up until age 7, the cyrstal is yellow. From 7-14, it's blue. After age 14, it becomes red.
On your 21st birthday, the crystal starts to flash, alternating between it's normal red color and black. This means that you are on "Lastday" and have twenty-four hours before reporting for mandatory "Sleep." After twenty-four hours, the crystal goes permanently dark. If you haven't reported for Sleep by that point, you are said to be "on Black" and are considered the worst kind of criminal - a "Runner." Agents of the Deep Sleep organization - popularly known as "Sandmen" - rigorously enforce the law by hunting down and mercilessly killing all Runners, with no exceptions.
Logan is a Sandman - one of the best. But when his own crystal starts to blink he has a critical decision to make. By almost blind luck, he stumbles across information about a legendary place called Sanctuary, where people can allegedly live out their lives in peace and die of old age. Eventually he teams up with another Runner named Jessica, and they decide to seek out Sanctuary together.
In terms of characterization, Jessica is a fairly straightforward individual whose motivations are easy to understand: she wants to live, plain and simple. Logan, on the other hand, is clearly a tortured soul. He's dedicated and devoted everything he is to being a Sandman and upholding the law, but at the same time he clearly has reverence for his own life. For much of the novel - as he and Jessica traverse an exotically dangerous futuristic landscape that includes everything from undersea cities to arctic prisons to killer cyborgs - it's not entirely clear whether Logan wants to find Sanctuary in order to save himself...or destroy it. Further complicating matters is the fact that the two Runners are being relentlessly pursued by Logan's friend and colleague, Francis (whom even Logan admits is probably the most competent Sandman alive).
Of course, the novel can be seen as an allegory of contemporary society in a lot of ways. In the book, almost nobody cares or seems to understand that they're living in an oppressive culture. Few are attentive enough to see that they are under the control of a dystopian regime until they're on Lastday, at which point it's too late. (How much societal change can you realistically effectuate in 24 hours?)
Likewise, in the real world, people often don't realize that they're part of an oppressive society until they experience that oppression themselves. Even worse, in Logan's Run there are constant signs that the current system - which is run by a gigantic computer known as the Thinker - is corrupt (in the sense of decaying, as opposed to being dishonest) and breaking down, but no one seems willing to do anything about it.
Now that it's pushing up on 50 years of age, you don't hear a lot about Logan's Run these days. However, the novel was popular enough to have spawned two sequels, a major motion picture (which I personally consider a sci-fi classic), a television series, a comic, graphic novels and other adaptations. A remake of the movie has supposedly been in development hell for years, but hopefully it will eventually get the green light. (On a side note, I penned my own version of a Logan's Run screenplay years ago, but that's a story unto itself.)
In essence, the novel is a depiction of a world that had to deal with an ever-expanding population in the face of limited resources. The result is a society where mandatory death is the only way to ensure that everyone has at least a chance at life - even if it's greatly curtailed. Thus, one of the fascinating things about the novel, I think, is the question that it silently proposes: Would you be willing to die at a designated time in exchange for a life of constant pleasure? Is the trade-off worth it - no worries in exchange for cashing in your chips on a date that you can circle on the calendar?
And, in a completely hedonistic society, do you eventually tire of it all? Also, what motivates you to do anything when almost everything you want is at your fingertips? (I think this is the issue that some people see in the concept of inherited wealth. I believe it was Warren Buffett who said that you should leave your kids enough money so that they could do anything, but not enough so that they can do nothing.)
In short, Logan's Run is an absolutely fantastic piece of science fiction and probably the best dystopian novel I've ever read. It can certainly be viewed as a representation of some of the problems in the modern-day world, but I think you'll get the most enjoyment out of it by treating it as the exciting, action-packed yarn the writers seemed to have wanted it to be.
If you would like to be notified when I release new books, please subscribe to my mailing list here .
Let me be perfectly frank: the book completely blew my mind. I've never read anything like it before or since.First of all - before the story itself even begins - there was the incredible dedication page. On it, the authors list a host of individuals, characters, and even other books, dedicating the novel to everyone from Frankenstein and Jiminy Cricket to the Marx Brothers and The Most Dangerous Game. I interpret this as the authors thanking those people (factual and fictional) and stories that inspired them. Like the rest of the book, I've never come across anything else like it.
The novel itself was originally published in 1967 and takes place in a future when human society seems to have achieved Utopia. Everyone is young and beautiful. (And if you don't like your appearance, you can easily change it.) You can have anything you want, go anywhere you want, do anything you want. In short, it's a sex-drugs-and-rock-n-roll culture where personal bliss can be obtained either naturally or artificially. There's only one catch: you have to die at age 21.
In the world of Logan's Run, everyone has a crystal flower embedded in their palm at birth that tracks their age: up until age 7, the cyrstal is yellow. From 7-14, it's blue. After age 14, it becomes red.On your 21st birthday, the crystal starts to flash, alternating between it's normal red color and black. This means that you are on "Lastday" and have twenty-four hours before reporting for mandatory "Sleep." After twenty-four hours, the crystal goes permanently dark. If you haven't reported for Sleep by that point, you are said to be "on Black" and are considered the worst kind of criminal - a "Runner." Agents of the Deep Sleep organization - popularly known as "Sandmen" - rigorously enforce the law by hunting down and mercilessly killing all Runners, with no exceptions.
Logan is a Sandman - one of the best. But when his own crystal starts to blink he has a critical decision to make. By almost blind luck, he stumbles across information about a legendary place called Sanctuary, where people can allegedly live out their lives in peace and die of old age. Eventually he teams up with another Runner named Jessica, and they decide to seek out Sanctuary together.
In terms of characterization, Jessica is a fairly straightforward individual whose motivations are easy to understand: she wants to live, plain and simple. Logan, on the other hand, is clearly a tortured soul. He's dedicated and devoted everything he is to being a Sandman and upholding the law, but at the same time he clearly has reverence for his own life. For much of the novel - as he and Jessica traverse an exotically dangerous futuristic landscape that includes everything from undersea cities to arctic prisons to killer cyborgs - it's not entirely clear whether Logan wants to find Sanctuary in order to save himself...or destroy it. Further complicating matters is the fact that the two Runners are being relentlessly pursued by Logan's friend and colleague, Francis (whom even Logan admits is probably the most competent Sandman alive).Of course, the novel can be seen as an allegory of contemporary society in a lot of ways. In the book, almost nobody cares or seems to understand that they're living in an oppressive culture. Few are attentive enough to see that they are under the control of a dystopian regime until they're on Lastday, at which point it's too late. (How much societal change can you realistically effectuate in 24 hours?)
Likewise, in the real world, people often don't realize that they're part of an oppressive society until they experience that oppression themselves. Even worse, in Logan's Run there are constant signs that the current system - which is run by a gigantic computer known as the Thinker - is corrupt (in the sense of decaying, as opposed to being dishonest) and breaking down, but no one seems willing to do anything about it.
Now that it's pushing up on 50 years of age, you don't hear a lot about Logan's Run these days. However, the novel was popular enough to have spawned two sequels, a major motion picture (which I personally consider a sci-fi classic), a television series, a comic, graphic novels and other adaptations. A remake of the movie has supposedly been in development hell for years, but hopefully it will eventually get the green light. (On a side note, I penned my own version of a Logan's Run screenplay years ago, but that's a story unto itself.)In essence, the novel is a depiction of a world that had to deal with an ever-expanding population in the face of limited resources. The result is a society where mandatory death is the only way to ensure that everyone has at least a chance at life - even if it's greatly curtailed. Thus, one of the fascinating things about the novel, I think, is the question that it silently proposes: Would you be willing to die at a designated time in exchange for a life of constant pleasure? Is the trade-off worth it - no worries in exchange for cashing in your chips on a date that you can circle on the calendar?
And, in a completely hedonistic society, do you eventually tire of it all? Also, what motivates you to do anything when almost everything you want is at your fingertips? (I think this is the issue that some people see in the concept of inherited wealth. I believe it was Warren Buffett who said that you should leave your kids enough money so that they could do anything, but not enough so that they can do nothing.)
In short, Logan's Run is an absolutely fantastic piece of science fiction and probably the best dystopian novel I've ever read. It can certainly be viewed as a representation of some of the problems in the modern-day world, but I think you'll get the most enjoyment out of it by treating it as the exciting, action-packed yarn the writers seemed to have wanted it to be.
If you would like to be notified when I release new books, please subscribe to my mailing list here .
June 15, 2014
Update on eBook Sales: 25,000 Sold
So the other day I crossed the 25,000 mark in ebook sales. It's not anything that crept up on me unannounced or unexpected; it was a milestone that I'd been looking forward to for a while. (I had actually hoped that I might cross it within the first year of publishing my fiction, but I'll take it at 13-and-a-half months.) In fact, I've had my eye on that figure since at least October of last year, when I crossed the 10K ebook mark (which you can read about here if you're so inclined).
Looking back over the past year, there's no doubt that GOD has blessed me tremendously in terms of my writing. First of all, readers have just been absolutely amazing; there's no way I could put into words how much support and encouragement they've given me. I was also fortunate enough to connect very early on with other professionals who helped improve what I had to offer, like my editor ( Faith Williams ) and my cover artist ( Isikol ).
Of course, it's often hard to put something like sales into perspective. On the one hand, there are people who have been at this a lot longer than I have and who would kill for my sales. On the other hand, there are those for whom my 25K in sales nothing - they do that every month. So is 25K annually - or any particular level of sales - good or bad? Personally, I'm not sure if there's a single answer to that, because - in my mind - the final arbiter of that decision has to be the author and what his/her goals are.
Basically, you as the author have to decide what level of sales constitutes success. For some, it may be no sales; they have a story to tell, and they're not concerned with whether it makes money. For others, it may be earning enough to pay a few bills. Somebody else might say it has to be enough for them to quit their day job.
For me, I think I was initially one of those people who just felt that I had stories to tell (although I wasn't particularly adverse to earning a little moolah along the way). Thus, I didn't really have a set goal in mind with respect to how I realistically expected my books to perform. That said, I believe there were other authors out there whose sales trajectories I was hoping to mimic. (Frankly speaking, I was inspired by those who achieved success, which is a large reason why I'm sharing my numbers here - assuming others find anything impressive about how I've done thus far.) I also kept my fingers crossed that, as I wrote more books, my sales would gradually increase over time.
As to the how the numbers have actually shaken out, here's what I come up with:
1) I sold 10,000 ebooks within the first six months. That works out to an average of about 1,667 books per month.
2) Over the next 7.5 months, I sold 15,000 ebooks, which averages out to 2000 books per month.
(It goes without saying that there are a lot of ways to break down the numbers. In this instance, I focused on divvying them up based on what I considered significant milestones: 10K, then 25K.) The good news, obviously, is that my average monthly sales seem to be increasing over time as I publish more books. But, as almost any indie author will tell you, those numbers will start a steady, gradual decline unless you keep putting out new material. Hence, the perpetual (and rock-solid) advice that almost everyone gives: one of the best things you can do for your career as an author is to write the next book.
Bearing that in mind, I am currently hard at work on my next novel. Self-publishing has been an absolute thrill-ride thus far, and I'm looking forward to it [hopefully] continuing well into the future.
If you would like to be notified when I release new books, please subscribe to my mailing list here .
Looking back over the past year, there's no doubt that GOD has blessed me tremendously in terms of my writing. First of all, readers have just been absolutely amazing; there's no way I could put into words how much support and encouragement they've given me. I was also fortunate enough to connect very early on with other professionals who helped improve what I had to offer, like my editor ( Faith Williams ) and my cover artist ( Isikol ).
Of course, it's often hard to put something like sales into perspective. On the one hand, there are people who have been at this a lot longer than I have and who would kill for my sales. On the other hand, there are those for whom my 25K in sales nothing - they do that every month. So is 25K annually - or any particular level of sales - good or bad? Personally, I'm not sure if there's a single answer to that, because - in my mind - the final arbiter of that decision has to be the author and what his/her goals are.
Basically, you as the author have to decide what level of sales constitutes success. For some, it may be no sales; they have a story to tell, and they're not concerned with whether it makes money. For others, it may be earning enough to pay a few bills. Somebody else might say it has to be enough for them to quit their day job.
For me, I think I was initially one of those people who just felt that I had stories to tell (although I wasn't particularly adverse to earning a little moolah along the way). Thus, I didn't really have a set goal in mind with respect to how I realistically expected my books to perform. That said, I believe there were other authors out there whose sales trajectories I was hoping to mimic. (Frankly speaking, I was inspired by those who achieved success, which is a large reason why I'm sharing my numbers here - assuming others find anything impressive about how I've done thus far.) I also kept my fingers crossed that, as I wrote more books, my sales would gradually increase over time.
As to the how the numbers have actually shaken out, here's what I come up with:
1) I sold 10,000 ebooks within the first six months. That works out to an average of about 1,667 books per month.
2) Over the next 7.5 months, I sold 15,000 ebooks, which averages out to 2000 books per month.
(It goes without saying that there are a lot of ways to break down the numbers. In this instance, I focused on divvying them up based on what I considered significant milestones: 10K, then 25K.) The good news, obviously, is that my average monthly sales seem to be increasing over time as I publish more books. But, as almost any indie author will tell you, those numbers will start a steady, gradual decline unless you keep putting out new material. Hence, the perpetual (and rock-solid) advice that almost everyone gives: one of the best things you can do for your career as an author is to write the next book.
Bearing that in mind, I am currently hard at work on my next novel. Self-publishing has been an absolute thrill-ride thus far, and I'm looking forward to it [hopefully] continuing well into the future.
If you would like to be notified when I release new books, please subscribe to my mailing list here .
June 8, 2014
Editor Interview: Faith Williams of The Atwater Group
Today I'm very excited to be interviewing Faith Williams of The Atwater Group. Faith is an accomplished proofreader and copyeditor who has worked on several bestsellers. Needless to say, she stays fairly busy, so scoring this interview was something of a coup.
Please tell us a little about yourself.
I grew up in a small town (population less than 5,000 when I was a kid). My town was so small we didn’t have our own high school, so I went to a private Catholic high school (even though I’m not Catholic) about thirty minutes away from my house. I have two older brothers, but we also took in foster kids. Some stayed a few days; others stayed for years. I met my future husband when I was working in a bookstore and he came in to order a copy of Mr. Boston’s Bartending Guide. (My co-worker insisted on being the one who called him when it came in. I was all like, “Whatever.”)
How would you characterize the type of work you do - editing, proofreading, copyediting…what?
Most of the work I do is light copy-editing, but I also do proofreading. I like copyediting because I can play with the words more than I do in proofing, but proofing is quicker! J
How did you get into editing and how long have you been doing it?
I’ve been proofreading and copyediting since 2011, ever since I left my position as an administrative assistant. My first paying gig was for a Chinese university’s academic club: the students were applying for college programs in the US and needed a bit of fine-tuning on their essays. It was challenging, especially when the papers explained a scientific process or experiment that demonstrated their skills but I enjoyed reading their personal statements. My favorite description of a student: Moreover, Xidi is a Sunshine girl as well. She always wears a warm smile and makes people comfortable. I found that her classmates always went to her and asked her questions during the break time and she always answered them patiently. The students all speak highly of her because of her kindness.
Are most of your clients self-published or traditionally published, and does the distinction matter to most editors?
I’d say most of my clients are self-publishing, or at least a hybrid author. I guess it depends on the editor whether it matters or not. I’ve found that comments from other editors on self-publishers range from very positive (authors are willing to listen andobey accept my suggestions) to very negative (I’d never work for anyone who couldn’t make it through a publishing house). I made a conscious effort to work with self-publishing authors, so I’m fine with it. Plus, I get to see some great manuscripts that don’t fit neatly into a publisher’s preconceived notion of what a “good” book is or don’t fit into a specific genre.
What types of books make up the bulk of your work?
Well, it’s definitely fiction, that’s for sure. It seems to go in spurts: some weeks, I am reading romance and chick-lit; some weeks, it’s science fiction and fantasy everywhere! I am starting to see an uptick in shorter manuscripts, in the 20-25K range but I still can count on a few authors to clock in over 120K!
Do you do any leisure reading, and if so, what’s your favorite genre?
“Leisure?” I need to consult my dictionary to see what that is…oh, yes, freedom or spare time provided by the cessation of activities. Hmmm…I vaguely remember leisure. Seriously, though, I do get breaks from reading to well, read. Interestingly enough, I typically get my recommendations from my authors posting on Facebook or Twitter on people theyread. I don’t tend to read the big names (typically traditionally published authors or some of the bigger indie authors) unless I’m re-reading something. I just picked up Barbara Taylor Bradford’s Woman of Substance. I’d read it as a teenager and now have it on my Kindle. I’d forgotten how much it made me cry, so I’m pacing myself through that one! My favorite genre—that’s like asking me to pick my favorite child (except I only have one kid, so maybe that’s not a good example!). I typically pick up romances, but I’m pretty happy with science fiction and fantasy. My least favorite is, well, I guess I don’t have a least favorite in the fiction realm.
When you’re working on an author’s project, do you ever get a feeling like “This will be a bestseller!” or “This will be a dud”? (And if so, how often are you right?)
Some books really resonate with me personally, so I’d like to think they’d be bestsellers. I’ve had several go on to the New York Times and USA Today Bestseller lists. I would say there is one book that sticks in my mind as a complete dud (and no, it’s not one of yours, Kevin!). It’s hard to say if I’m right or wrong on my personal barometer of what should be a success because I don’t get to see sales reports for my authors (I could look at Amazon rankings, but that changes every hour, it seems, so it hardly seems like a good use of my time!). I hope that my authors succeed, in whatever way they define success: a traditional book publishing contract, 10 sales a week, or 100 sales a week.
If you weren’t an editor what would you be doing?
I’m not sure; this is really my dream job. As I tell people, I get paid to read and tell people when they are wrong—what could be more perfect? So maybe I’d be running a book blog…that might a close second as a dream job.
What are some of the more common problems you come across when editing?
Each author seems to have their own quirks. Some are real errors (like a misspelled word), but sometimes authors like things a certain way that doesn’t conform to the Chicago Manual of Style, which is the standard style for fiction. There’s always the to/too/two and their/there/they’re types of errors that can trip anybody up; I also often see “common” phrases that are spelled the way they’ve been heard, not the way they should be spelled: could of is really could have or the phrase If you think X, then you have another thing coming is really If you think X, then you have another think coming.
Do you have an opinion on the things indie authors can do to sell more books?
Write, write, write! I think it’s a bit like acting in a way: you are in the public’s mind with each new project. If you only write one book and then not write/publish for a year or more, you lose momentum. The more you have to sell, the more you can sell. As an indie author, it seems you have to do everything. This double-edged sword means you have control, but also that you are in charge of writing, editing, cover design, formatting, and promotion. You can hire out for some of those, but ultimately it’s your baby and your work out there. It’s a balance between the writing time and the business side (marketing, promotion, etc.)—and you can’t ignore either of those things.
Have you ever had the urge to write a book yourself? Why or why not?
As evidenced by my blog, I am not a writer by instinct. I don’t have any characters in my head trying to get out and tell their story. I do better improving a story rather than creating one.
Before we close, is there anything in general you’d like to share with our readers?
If you are a writer, thank you for your stories. Even if you only sell one copy a month (and it’s to your long-lost cousin who just found you on Facebook), you have created something unique and wonderful. Don’t get discouraged. If you are a writer, write. Don’t worry about the “success” of others; don’t judge your journey with theirs.
If you are a reader, write a review or write to the author to tell them how much you enjoyed the book. A nice three-sentence email can make an author’s day!
And for those who may be interested in your services, how can you be reached?
My website is www.theatwatergroup.com. My blog is http://theatwatergroup.blogspot.com/. I have a Facebook page (www.facebook.com/TAGProofreading) and you can follow me on Twitter (www.twitter.com/FaithProofing). But be prepared: it can be a few months before I have availability on the schedule, so plan ahead!
My thanks to Faith for taking time out of her busy schedule for this interview. As I've said many times on this blog, it's practically impossible to edit your own work (a lesson I learned very early on); you really do need expert help. Thus, I'd encourage any and all indie writers to have your work professionally edited. Your readers - and you, yourself - deserve nothing less.
If you would like to be notified when I release new books, please subscribe to my mailing list here .
Please tell us a little about yourself.
I grew up in a small town (population less than 5,000 when I was a kid). My town was so small we didn’t have our own high school, so I went to a private Catholic high school (even though I’m not Catholic) about thirty minutes away from my house. I have two older brothers, but we also took in foster kids. Some stayed a few days; others stayed for years. I met my future husband when I was working in a bookstore and he came in to order a copy of Mr. Boston’s Bartending Guide. (My co-worker insisted on being the one who called him when it came in. I was all like, “Whatever.”)
How would you characterize the type of work you do - editing, proofreading, copyediting…what?
Most of the work I do is light copy-editing, but I also do proofreading. I like copyediting because I can play with the words more than I do in proofing, but proofing is quicker! J
How did you get into editing and how long have you been doing it?
I’ve been proofreading and copyediting since 2011, ever since I left my position as an administrative assistant. My first paying gig was for a Chinese university’s academic club: the students were applying for college programs in the US and needed a bit of fine-tuning on their essays. It was challenging, especially when the papers explained a scientific process or experiment that demonstrated their skills but I enjoyed reading their personal statements. My favorite description of a student: Moreover, Xidi is a Sunshine girl as well. She always wears a warm smile and makes people comfortable. I found that her classmates always went to her and asked her questions during the break time and she always answered them patiently. The students all speak highly of her because of her kindness.
Are most of your clients self-published or traditionally published, and does the distinction matter to most editors?
I’d say most of my clients are self-publishing, or at least a hybrid author. I guess it depends on the editor whether it matters or not. I’ve found that comments from other editors on self-publishers range from very positive (authors are willing to listen and
What types of books make up the bulk of your work?
Well, it’s definitely fiction, that’s for sure. It seems to go in spurts: some weeks, I am reading romance and chick-lit; some weeks, it’s science fiction and fantasy everywhere! I am starting to see an uptick in shorter manuscripts, in the 20-25K range but I still can count on a few authors to clock in over 120K!
Do you do any leisure reading, and if so, what’s your favorite genre?
“Leisure?” I need to consult my dictionary to see what that is…oh, yes, freedom or spare time provided by the cessation of activities. Hmmm…I vaguely remember leisure. Seriously, though, I do get breaks from reading to well, read. Interestingly enough, I typically get my recommendations from my authors posting on Facebook or Twitter on people theyread. I don’t tend to read the big names (typically traditionally published authors or some of the bigger indie authors) unless I’m re-reading something. I just picked up Barbara Taylor Bradford’s Woman of Substance. I’d read it as a teenager and now have it on my Kindle. I’d forgotten how much it made me cry, so I’m pacing myself through that one! My favorite genre—that’s like asking me to pick my favorite child (except I only have one kid, so maybe that’s not a good example!). I typically pick up romances, but I’m pretty happy with science fiction and fantasy. My least favorite is, well, I guess I don’t have a least favorite in the fiction realm.
When you’re working on an author’s project, do you ever get a feeling like “This will be a bestseller!” or “This will be a dud”? (And if so, how often are you right?)
Some books really resonate with me personally, so I’d like to think they’d be bestsellers. I’ve had several go on to the New York Times and USA Today Bestseller lists. I would say there is one book that sticks in my mind as a complete dud (and no, it’s not one of yours, Kevin!). It’s hard to say if I’m right or wrong on my personal barometer of what should be a success because I don’t get to see sales reports for my authors (I could look at Amazon rankings, but that changes every hour, it seems, so it hardly seems like a good use of my time!). I hope that my authors succeed, in whatever way they define success: a traditional book publishing contract, 10 sales a week, or 100 sales a week.
If you weren’t an editor what would you be doing?
I’m not sure; this is really my dream job. As I tell people, I get paid to read and tell people when they are wrong—what could be more perfect? So maybe I’d be running a book blog…that might a close second as a dream job.
What are some of the more common problems you come across when editing?
Each author seems to have their own quirks. Some are real errors (like a misspelled word), but sometimes authors like things a certain way that doesn’t conform to the Chicago Manual of Style, which is the standard style for fiction. There’s always the to/too/two and their/there/they’re types of errors that can trip anybody up; I also often see “common” phrases that are spelled the way they’ve been heard, not the way they should be spelled: could of is really could have or the phrase If you think X, then you have another thing coming is really If you think X, then you have another think coming.
Do you have an opinion on the things indie authors can do to sell more books?
Write, write, write! I think it’s a bit like acting in a way: you are in the public’s mind with each new project. If you only write one book and then not write/publish for a year or more, you lose momentum. The more you have to sell, the more you can sell. As an indie author, it seems you have to do everything. This double-edged sword means you have control, but also that you are in charge of writing, editing, cover design, formatting, and promotion. You can hire out for some of those, but ultimately it’s your baby and your work out there. It’s a balance between the writing time and the business side (marketing, promotion, etc.)—and you can’t ignore either of those things.
Have you ever had the urge to write a book yourself? Why or why not?
As evidenced by my blog, I am not a writer by instinct. I don’t have any characters in my head trying to get out and tell their story. I do better improving a story rather than creating one.
Before we close, is there anything in general you’d like to share with our readers?
If you are a writer, thank you for your stories. Even if you only sell one copy a month (and it’s to your long-lost cousin who just found you on Facebook), you have created something unique and wonderful. Don’t get discouraged. If you are a writer, write. Don’t worry about the “success” of others; don’t judge your journey with theirs.
If you are a reader, write a review or write to the author to tell them how much you enjoyed the book. A nice three-sentence email can make an author’s day!
And for those who may be interested in your services, how can you be reached?
My website is www.theatwatergroup.com. My blog is http://theatwatergroup.blogspot.com/. I have a Facebook page (www.facebook.com/TAGProofreading) and you can follow me on Twitter (www.twitter.com/FaithProofing). But be prepared: it can be a few months before I have availability on the schedule, so plan ahead!
My thanks to Faith for taking time out of her busy schedule for this interview. As I've said many times on this blog, it's practically impossible to edit your own work (a lesson I learned very early on); you really do need expert help. Thus, I'd encourage any and all indie writers to have your work professionally edited. Your readers - and you, yourself - deserve nothing less.
If you would like to be notified when I release new books, please subscribe to my mailing list here .
June 3, 2014
New Book Release: Warden Series Boxed Set (Books 1 - 3)
Finishing the third book in my Warden series felt great for a number of reasons - not the least of which is that I can now release the first
Warden Series Boxed Set
.
As with the boxed set of my Kid Sensation Series , it still feels weird to me that I've written enough books to be able to bundle them together like this. I mean seriously, just a little over a year ago - before I started publishing my two series - who would have thunk it?
Moreover, last year at this time, it felt odd to me to look at my Amazon Author Page and see two books listed. Seeing nine of them now (including the two boxed sets) is something that I still have a tough time wrapping my mind around.
Of course, it goes without saying that I'm loving every minute of being an author. Even more, I feel blessed that readers seem to be finding and enjoying my work. Hopefully that's something that will continue for a long time to come. For now, however, I've got to get back to grinding on the next book.
***FYI: The Warden series is available for only $4.99 - a steep discount to the cost of buying the three books separately. (In fact, that's a discount even if you bought the first book at the price of $2.99!)
If you would like to be notified when I release new books, please subscribe to my mailing list here .
As with the boxed set of my Kid Sensation Series , it still feels weird to me that I've written enough books to be able to bundle them together like this. I mean seriously, just a little over a year ago - before I started publishing my two series - who would have thunk it?
Moreover, last year at this time, it felt odd to me to look at my Amazon Author Page and see two books listed. Seeing nine of them now (including the two boxed sets) is something that I still have a tough time wrapping my mind around.
Of course, it goes without saying that I'm loving every minute of being an author. Even more, I feel blessed that readers seem to be finding and enjoying my work. Hopefully that's something that will continue for a long time to come. For now, however, I've got to get back to grinding on the next book.
***FYI: The Warden series is available for only $4.99 - a steep discount to the cost of buying the three books separately. (In fact, that's a discount even if you bought the first book at the price of $2.99!)
If you would like to be notified when I release new books, please subscribe to my mailing list here .
May 21, 2014
Removing "Said" From Your Vocabulary as an Author
A few days ago, I was talking to another author who is on the process of writing her first book. She mentioned hat she was having a problem with dialogue - in essence, she couldn't get away from using the word "said":
He said...She said...Barb said...
And so on, ad nauseum. All conversation seemed to require the repetitious use of "said."
I understood her dilemma, but - as I informed her - in truth there are dozens of words that can be used in place of said:
CommentedRepliedRespondedStatedMentionedRemarked
And if you need to see examples:
"You dyed your hair," Bob observed."Your dog is sick," the vet noted."I will hate her for as long as I live," David solemnly declared.
In fact, it's not even required that you use an indicator of speech:
Bob arched an eyebrow skeptically. "Oh, really?"Angie stared at Muffin, then turned to James with a look of incredulity. "What the hell did you do to my dog??!!"
Basically, you don't have to use a word that specifically indicates that speech is occurring - the quotation marks will do that. (That's essentially the point of having them - to denote dialogue or speech of some sort.) You just simply have to make it clear who the speaker is. As long as you've got that base covered, you're home free with respect to this issue.
