Amanda Meredith's Blog: Writer's Ramblings, page 3
July 14, 2015
Weekend Review - Defective by Susan Sofayov
I know it's not currently the weekend, but honestly, I couldn't wait to write this post. :)
I'll start off right away with my rating and review of Defective. It's 5 out of 5 stars for me. Honestly I couldn't put it down. I mean, I did. I couldn't let the family starve, and the stack of dishes was starting to stink, but as soon as I could, I was picking it back up. Such a great novel.
Amazon review of Defective:
Wonderful, wonderful story!
I received a copy of Defective in exchange for a honest review.
I give this novel 5 out of 5 stars.
Usually, when I'm reading for a review, I nit-pick the entire thing, making notes as I read it. Not the case with Defective. I could not put it down. From page one, I connected with maggie, feeling her pain, fears, and despair. I wanted to find answers with her. I felt relief when she did. And her happy ending felt like MY happy ending.
Susan has written a touching story, bringing to lift hard issues that many people face. If I hadn't known this was her debut novel, I'd say she's been on the New York Times best seller lists for years. Well done Susan!
* * * * * * * * * * *
Warning: Possible spoilers ahead!!!!!
A more detailed review of Defective:
The story centers around young Maggie, a law school student with an evil twin living in her head. From the start, you know something is wrong but you aren't looking at it objectively. You're in Maggie's head, listening to that evil voice spewing venomous thoughts. You FEEL lost in the darkness. And when her fiance, Sam, leaves her because of her seemingly split personality, it finally spurs Maggie to try and find some answers to her problems.
Finally, through visits to a therapist and psychiatrist, Maggie discovers what was wrong all along. She's bipolar 2, and there's hope that medicine can bring some normalcy to her life. But Maggie's idea of normal is having Sam back in her life, though it's becoming increasingly clear that a re-do of her life is not going to happen. Even if you've never been there, fighting to salvage a lost relationship, you FEEL like you know exactly how it is. In the back of your mind, you know there's nothing you can do, but you convince yourself that there's a chance.
Throughout this chaos, Maggie discovers secrets that her family has buried for years. Secrets that could have given her answers to her problems years ago. Bitterness threatens, but Maggie intends to never let secrets plague her family again. Through some great friends (and cousins), Maggie begins to think about a fling she had years ago, and finally reconnects with Nick, now an orthopedic doctor. Though Maggie's brain insists she's only having a friendly conversations, that all changes when Nick knocks on her door one day. The back of her mind still insists that life with Sam is possible though, and her willingness to listen to that one thought, ruins things with Nick.
Maggie finally sees the truth after a desperate conversation with Sam. She sees that he was never the one, and in that moment realizes that it had always been Nick from the start. Then comes a mad dash to find Nick and fix everything. You'll feel your own heart pounding as she races to catch up with him and the sigh of relief when he wraps his arms around her again.
When I started Defective, I assumed it was not going to be a happily-ever-after type story. Mental illness is difficult to diagnose and treat, and for some, even with help, they lose themselves in the darkness, permanently. It was great to see a good ending to what could've been a tragic story. I feel that Defective could not only be a great read, but also inspirational to those that struggle with their own minds. I cannot reiterate how much I loved this story.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
NOW, some information about Susan!
Susan Sofayov lives in scenic, Pittsburgh, PA and runs a real estate management/development company with her husband. She is the mother of three children and the owner of the most hated dog in the neighborhood.
You can find Susan here:
defectivethenovel.com
Goodreads
YouTube
You can find Defective here:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Black Opal Books
Kobo Books
And a little more about Susan:
What inspired you to write your first book?
A combination of events inspired me to write the book, but the most important was my own diagnosis of bipolar 2 disorder at age 46. I wanted people to understand that though not curable, mental illness, in many cases, can be controlled and people with mental illnesses are everywhere, living productive lives. I'll stop now. This is a subject I can ramble on about forever. But, if you read the book and see yourself in Maggie, please reach out for help.
What do you think is more important: Characters or Plot?
I think they're both important, but for me, characters are easier to write.
What does your family think of your writing?
Well, my mother is a one-woman marketing department. My daughter is a terrific beta reader. My sons are waiting for the Spark notes, and my husband claims he’ll read it when it’s translated into his native language, which is not English. Sad to say, but my only brother passed away two months before the release of Defective. The book is dedicated to him and my father.
If you could cast your main character(s) in a Hollywood adaptation of your book, who would land the roles?
Wow, that’s a hard one. These characters are completely real to me, asking the question is almost the same as asking me who would play my husband and children. I’ll give it a try. I think Jennifer Lawrence would make a great Maggie. Amanda Seyfried could play Stephanie. I think Anna Kendrick would make a good Amy. I don’t have any idea who could plan Sam or Nick.
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Taller, just kidding. Honestly, I remember a whole list of things I wanted to be. Even now, if I could go back to college, I’d still be undecided. There are so many things that interest me, which is evident by the wide variety of jobs I’ve held.
What do you like to do when you aren't writing?
Cook, read, spend time with my family and friends.
What is a talent you have that no one knows?
It’s so secret, I don’t even know what it is.
What is one tip you'd give to up & coming authors?
One, join a critique group or find a critique partner who has different strengths than you do. Personally, I can’t use a comma properly to save my life, but I’m pretty good at identifying plot issues. My critique group inserts commas into my work and I help plug their plot holes. Also, go to conferences! They're worth the money.
If you could spend the day with one person, alive or dead, who would it be and why?
My dad. He died many years ago. I would like to introduce him to my husband and his grandchildren. Also, I think he would be thrilled with all the technology we have today.
10) What's next for you?
I just finished my second novel, The Kiddush Ladies.
July 12, 2015
The End Of A Magical Journey - Thursdays with the Author
Well I've done it, finally. I finished The Irish Treasures Saga. Irish Truth went live yesterday in print and eBook editions. I had immediate sales. I had immediate reviews. I had immediate tears.
(Here's the link for Irish Truth)
It's been a magical time. It's like I watched my babies grow up and then go off to college. I'm a bit sad, but more proud than anything. Just being done with the writing/editing/formatting is such a load off my shoulders. Seeing five books now available on my author central page is astonishing. I hope to see many more before I'm done.
(Here's the link for ALL my books: Author Amanda Meredith
It's the end of a series, but definitely not the end of the books I'll be bringing you.
I'll have a children's picture book coming out sometime next year. My kids are very excited that I'll finally have time to sit down and commit to working on the illustrations. They were really the ones that pushed me to delve into children's. They're my light so I couldn't say no.
I have a few more romance novels that are currently just works in process...
One is a beach setting, the Alabama Gulf Coast to be exact. A marine biologist working to save endangered sea turtles. A children's author that brought his family to the coast to heal after losing his wife to cancer.
One is set it Nashville. Two high school sweethearts, one, the sweet girl-next-door with an amazing voice, the other, the guitar-playing rebel from a broken family. Their happily ever disappears until they find each other at a show in a Nashville bar. Sparks fly, but so do the secrets they've been hiding. Secrets that could keep them apart for good.
And a historical romance...
She's the daughter of a renowned horse trainer in Victorian England, pretending to be a boy to hide from an aristocrat determined to break her. Her father's death at the hands of her assailant sends her to the outskirts of London, searching for the only man her father could trust to keep her safe.
He's the third son of a duke, thrust into being the sole heir of his father's dynasty. He's determined to save his father's lands with success in the horse business, but to do that, he must rely on a young stable boy, clearly on the run. The young lad has a gift with horses but all is not what it seems, and when the truth comes to light, so does the danger surrounding them both.
There's also some thoughts on continuing the story with a few characters from The Irish Treasures Saga, particularly the Brubaker triplets: Max, Douglas, and Jamie, as well as their sister, Moira. Liam and Tierney may also get their own stories, but that would be a long way down the road. :)
I will also be featuring a lot of new reviews on the blog from a variety of authors and genres. There should be new Weekend Reviews coming up by the end of July! :)
So there's the update for the summer of 2015. I hope you are all enjoying my books. :)
Stay tuned for more!
(Here's the link for Irish Truth)
It's been a magical time. It's like I watched my babies grow up and then go off to college. I'm a bit sad, but more proud than anything. Just being done with the writing/editing/formatting is such a load off my shoulders. Seeing five books now available on my author central page is astonishing. I hope to see many more before I'm done.
(Here's the link for ALL my books: Author Amanda Meredith
It's the end of a series, but definitely not the end of the books I'll be bringing you.
I'll have a children's picture book coming out sometime next year. My kids are very excited that I'll finally have time to sit down and commit to working on the illustrations. They were really the ones that pushed me to delve into children's. They're my light so I couldn't say no.
I have a few more romance novels that are currently just works in process...
One is a beach setting, the Alabama Gulf Coast to be exact. A marine biologist working to save endangered sea turtles. A children's author that brought his family to the coast to heal after losing his wife to cancer.
One is set it Nashville. Two high school sweethearts, one, the sweet girl-next-door with an amazing voice, the other, the guitar-playing rebel from a broken family. Their happily ever disappears until they find each other at a show in a Nashville bar. Sparks fly, but so do the secrets they've been hiding. Secrets that could keep them apart for good.
And a historical romance...
She's the daughter of a renowned horse trainer in Victorian England, pretending to be a boy to hide from an aristocrat determined to break her. Her father's death at the hands of her assailant sends her to the outskirts of London, searching for the only man her father could trust to keep her safe.
He's the third son of a duke, thrust into being the sole heir of his father's dynasty. He's determined to save his father's lands with success in the horse business, but to do that, he must rely on a young stable boy, clearly on the run. The young lad has a gift with horses but all is not what it seems, and when the truth comes to light, so does the danger surrounding them both.
There's also some thoughts on continuing the story with a few characters from The Irish Treasures Saga, particularly the Brubaker triplets: Max, Douglas, and Jamie, as well as their sister, Moira. Liam and Tierney may also get their own stories, but that would be a long way down the road. :)
I will also be featuring a lot of new reviews on the blog from a variety of authors and genres. There should be new Weekend Reviews coming up by the end of July! :)
So there's the update for the summer of 2015. I hope you are all enjoying my books. :)
Stay tuned for more!
Thursdays with the Author - The End Of A Magical Journey
Well I've done it, finally. I finished The Irish Treasures Saga. Irish Truth went live yesterday in print and eBook editions. I had immediate sales. I had immediate reviews. I had immediate tears.
(Here's the link for Irish Truth)
It's been a magical time. It's like I watched my babies grow up and then go off to college. I'm a bit sad, but more proud than anything. Just being done with the writing/editing/formatting is such a load off my shoulders. Seeing five books now available on my author central page is astonishing. I hope to see many more before I'm done.
(Here's the link for ALL my books: Author Amanda Meredith
It's the end of a series, but definitely not the end of the books I'll be bringing you.
I'll have a children's picture book coming out sometime next year. My kids are very excited that I'll finally have time to sit down and commit to working on the illustrations. They were really the ones that pushed me to delve into children's. They're my light so I couldn't say no.
I have a few more romance novels that are currently just works in process...
One is a beach setting, the Alabama Gulf Coast to be exact. A marine biologist working to save endangered sea turtles. A children's author that brought his family to the coast to heal after losing his wife to cancer.
One is set it Nashville. Two high school sweethearts, one, the sweet girl-next-door with an amazing voice, the other, the guitar-playing rebel from a broken family. Their happily ever disappears until they find each other at a show in a Nashville bar. Sparks fly, but so do the secrets they've been hiding. Secrets that could keep them apart for good.
And a historical romance...
She's the daughter of a renowned horse trainer in Victorian England, pretending to be a boy to hide from an aristocrat determined to break her. Her father's death at the hands of her assailant sends her to the outskirts of London, searching for the only man her father could trust to keep her safe.
He's the third son of a duke, thrust into being the sole heir of his father's dynasty. He's determined to save his father's lands with success in the horse business, but to do that, he must rely on a young stable boy, clearly on the run. The young lad has a gift with horses but all is not what it seems, and when the truth comes to light, so does the danger surrounding them both.
There's also some thoughts on continuing the story with a few characters from The Irish Treasures Saga, particularly the Brubaker triplets: Max, Douglas, and Jamie, as well as their sister, Moira. Liam and Tierney may also get their own stories, but that would be a long way down the road. :)
I will also be featuring a lot of new reviews on the blog from a variety of authors and genres. There should be new Weekend Reviews coming up by the end of July! :)
So there's the update for the summer of 2015. I hope you are all enjoying my books. :)
Stay tuned for more!
(Here's the link for Irish Truth)
It's been a magical time. It's like I watched my babies grow up and then go off to college. I'm a bit sad, but more proud than anything. Just being done with the writing/editing/formatting is such a load off my shoulders. Seeing five books now available on my author central page is astonishing. I hope to see many more before I'm done.
(Here's the link for ALL my books: Author Amanda Meredith
It's the end of a series, but definitely not the end of the books I'll be bringing you.
I'll have a children's picture book coming out sometime next year. My kids are very excited that I'll finally have time to sit down and commit to working on the illustrations. They were really the ones that pushed me to delve into children's. They're my light so I couldn't say no.
I have a few more romance novels that are currently just works in process...
One is a beach setting, the Alabama Gulf Coast to be exact. A marine biologist working to save endangered sea turtles. A children's author that brought his family to the coast to heal after losing his wife to cancer.
One is set it Nashville. Two high school sweethearts, one, the sweet girl-next-door with an amazing voice, the other, the guitar-playing rebel from a broken family. Their happily ever disappears until they find each other at a show in a Nashville bar. Sparks fly, but so do the secrets they've been hiding. Secrets that could keep them apart for good.
And a historical romance...
She's the daughter of a renowned horse trainer in Victorian England, pretending to be a boy to hide from an aristocrat determined to break her. Her father's death at the hands of her assailant sends her to the outskirts of London, searching for the only man her father could trust to keep her safe.
He's the third son of a duke, thrust into being the sole heir of his father's dynasty. He's determined to save his father's lands with success in the horse business, but to do that, he must rely on a young stable boy, clearly on the run. The young lad has a gift with horses but all is not what it seems, and when the truth comes to light, so does the danger surrounding them both.
There's also some thoughts on continuing the story with a few characters from The Irish Treasures Saga, particularly the Brubaker triplets: Max, Douglas, and Jamie, as well as their sister, Moira. Liam and Tierney may also get their own stories, but that would be a long way down the road. :)
I will also be featuring a lot of new reviews on the blog from a variety of authors and genres. There should be new Weekend Reviews coming up by the end of July! :)
So there's the update for the summer of 2015. I hope you are all enjoying my books. :)
Stay tuned for more!
The End Of A Magical Journey
Well I've done it, finally. I finished The Irish Treasures Saga. Irish Truth went live yesterday in print and eBook editions. I had immediate sales. I had immediate reviews. I had immediate tears.
(Here's the link for Irish Truth)
It's been a magical time. It's like I watched my babies grow up and then go off to college. I'm a bit sad, but more proud than anything. Just being done with the writing/editing/formatting is such a load off my shoulders. Seeing five books now available on my author central page is astonishing. I hope to see many more before I'm done.
(Here's the link for ALL my books: Author Amanda Meredith
It's the end of a series, but definitely not the end of the books I'll be bringing you.
I'll have a children's picture book coming out sometime next year. My kids are very excited that I'll finally have time to sit down and commit to working on the illustrations. They were really the ones that pushed me to delve into children's. They're my light so I couldn't say no.
I have a few more romance novels that are currently just works in process...
One is a beach setting, the Alabama Gulf Coast to be exact. A marine biologist working to save endangered sea turtles. A children's author that brought his family to the coast to heal after losing his wife to cancer.
One is set it Nashville. Two high school sweethearts, one, the sweet girl-next-door with an amazing voice, the other, the guitar-playing rebel from a broken family. Their happily ever disappears until they find each other at a show in a Nashville bar. Sparks fly, but so do the secrets they've been hiding. Secrets that could keep them apart for good.
And a historical romance...
She's the daughter of a renowned horse trainer in Victorian England, pretending to be a boy to hide from an aristocrat determined to break her. Her father's death at the hands of her assailant sends her to the outskirts of London, searching for the only man her father could trust to keep her safe.
He's the third son of a duke, thrust into being the sole heir of his father's dynasty. He's determined to save his father's lands with success in the horse business, but to do that, he must rely on a young stable boy, clearly on the run. The young lad has a gift with horses but all is not what it seems, and when the truth comes to light, so does the danger surrounding them both.
There's also some thoughts on continuing the story with a few characters from The Irish Treasures Saga, particularly the Brubaker triplets: Max, Douglas, and Jamie, as well as their sister, Moira. Liam and Tierney may also get their own stories, but that would be a long way down the road. :)
I will also be featuring a lot of new reviews on the blog from a variety of authors and genres. There should be new Weekend Reviews coming up by the end of July! :)
So there's the update for the summer of 2015. I hope you are all enjoying my books. :)
Stay tuned for more!
(Here's the link for Irish Truth)
It's been a magical time. It's like I watched my babies grow up and then go off to college. I'm a bit sad, but more proud than anything. Just being done with the writing/editing/formatting is such a load off my shoulders. Seeing five books now available on my author central page is astonishing. I hope to see many more before I'm done.
(Here's the link for ALL my books: Author Amanda Meredith
It's the end of a series, but definitely not the end of the books I'll be bringing you.
I'll have a children's picture book coming out sometime next year. My kids are very excited that I'll finally have time to sit down and commit to working on the illustrations. They were really the ones that pushed me to delve into children's. They're my light so I couldn't say no.
I have a few more romance novels that are currently just works in process...
One is a beach setting, the Alabama Gulf Coast to be exact. A marine biologist working to save endangered sea turtles. A children's author that brought his family to the coast to heal after losing his wife to cancer.
One is set it Nashville. Two high school sweethearts, one, the sweet girl-next-door with an amazing voice, the other, the guitar-playing rebel from a broken family. Their happily ever disappears until they find each other at a show in a Nashville bar. Sparks fly, but so do the secrets they've been hiding. Secrets that could keep them apart for good.
And a historical romance...
She's the daughter of a renowned horse trainer in Victorian England, pretending to be a boy to hide from an aristocrat determined to break her. Her father's death at the hands of her assailant sends her to the outskirts of London, searching for the only man her father could trust to keep her safe.
He's the third son of a duke, thrust into being the sole heir of his father's dynasty. He's determined to save his father's lands with success in the horse business, but to do that, he must rely on a young stable boy, clearly on the run. The young lad has a gift with horses but all is not what it seems, and when the truth comes to light, so does the danger surrounding them both.
There's also some thoughts on continuing the story with a few characters from The Irish Treasures Saga, particularly the Brubaker triplets: Max, Douglas, and Jamie, as well as their sister, Moira. Liam and Tierney may also get their own stories, but that would be a long way down the road. :)
I will also be featuring a lot of new reviews on the blog from a variety of authors and genres. There should be new Weekend Reviews coming up by the end of July! :)
So there's the update for the summer of 2015. I hope you are all enjoying my books. :)
Stay tuned for more!
May 10, 2015
Weekend Review - Acquiescence - Velya Jancz-Urban
For this Weekend Review, the spotlight will be on Velya Jancz-Urban and her novel, Acquiescence.
First, getting to know Velya:
Velya Jancz-Urban, and her Acquiescence protagonist Pamina Campbell, have a lot in common. Both are teachers and hoodwinked Brazilian dairy farm owners, and both share a 1770 Connecticut farmhouse with a spirit woman. Velya has been married for 32 years, and is the mother of two grown children. She has a few too many rescue dogs and cats, is happiest with a fresh stack of library books, loves thrift shops, and is passionate about alternative medicine. Velya is the creator/owner of How Cool is That?! (Hands-On Science (more info at www.howcoolisthat.name), as well as the East Coast Instructor for Earth Adventure's Earth Balloon. her entertainingly informative presentation, The Not-So-Good Life of the Colonial Goodwife, is a result of the research for Acquiescence.
Now to get to know Velya a little better:
What is your book about?
When Pamina Campbell learns of a murder committed over two hundred years ago in her Connecticut farmhouse in order to avenge an unforgivable crime, she accepts that she has no idea how the universe works, except that it requires acquiescence at every point. Two plot threads twine in Acquiescence, as one woman calls to another across three centuries. One story, featuring Susannah Mathews, takes place in the late 1700s, while Pamina's story is set in modern day. Pamina learns that disaster - the sort of disaster that leaves you numb on a park bench or aching for your husband to come back to you - can be a freaky thing of beauty. As Pamina and her family try to piece their lives back together in their 1770 home, little do they know that secrecy, homophobia, and a ghastly confession await.
Is there a message in your novel you want readers to grasp?
The message in Acquiescence is that even though a person may have no desire to re-live a challenging or difficult time in their life, the obstacle can play a role in shaping who you become. If you allow adversity to become an opportunity for growth, you may become a different person.
Do you have a favorite snack food or favorite beverage that you enjoy while you write?
While I don’t have any particular type of snack or drink at my side as I write, I did have a food-incentive-as-reward for when I received my first Offer of Representation for Acquiescence. Although I don’t eat them (because years ago I gave up corn syrup, GMOs, and wheat), I’m crazy about Vienna Fingers cookies. A year ago, when I started sending out query letters, I decided to buy a package of Vienna Fingers and keep them on top of an exposed, hand-hewn beam in our kitchen. I promised myself that on the day I got my offer, I would welcome “corn syrup coma” and gobble down the entire twenty-four pack, along with a cold glass of raw milk. The enticing red and yellow package stared down at me every time I walked under the beam. With every rejection letter, the rounded-end finger-shaped cookies taunted me. I could almost hear them sneer, “Ha! Ha! We’re safe up here. You’re never gonna eat us!” And then, came my Offer of Representation from Second Wind Publishing. As I triumphantly dunked each crème-filled vanilla cookie, every “unfortunately, this manuscript does not fit our needs at this time” rejection drowned in the glass of milk.
What advice you would give to an aspiring author?
The best advice I would give an aspiring author is a quote by literary agent, Dan Lazar: “The best rule of thumb is always to start the story where the story starts.” This was one of the stumbling blocks in my first drafts. Where does the story start? Until you, the author, have that straight in your mind, the story’s flow won’t be right. Also, although it’s difficult, being able to summarize your book in one sentence clarifies its goal.
If you could have lunch with one person, real or fictitious, who would it be?
If I could have lunch with one person, it would probably be Alva Vanderbilt. Ever since my first trip to Newport, Rhode Island as a little kid, I have been fascinated by the Gilded Age. I was never envious of Alva’s life, just intrigued by her drive. I love the fact that she went from a seen-better-days Southern belle, to an unconventional, multi-millionaire, American socialite, and then became a major figure in the women's suffrage movement. For our twentieth-fifth wedding anniversary, my husband bought me a set of her “Votes for Women” china.
Which is more important to your story, character or plot?
Character is the heart of story. Readers relate to stories through character. Plot frames the conflict and action. Why would we want to pick one over the other when we can – and should – have both?
What is a talent you have that no one knows?
- As a hands-on science teacher, I can identify any bone that comes out of a regurgitated owl pellet.- Although I’m an atheist, I can recite the books of the Bible – Old and New Testament – in order. - From hours of quizzing my pre-teen son, I still know all 100 answers to the 4-H Poultry Showmanship questions.
Why will readers relate to your characters?
Every family has a moment that changes everything. Things happen - things you can’t even imagine - and in a minute the world is changed. Readers will relate to my characters because, just as in real life, they’ll like some and despise others. In my novel, Acquiescence, the Campbell family finds the courage to overcome adversity, realize that love never dies, and accept that there are bigger forces out there that know no limit. They learn that it’s not what happens to you, it’s how you deal with what happens to you, and that the best revenge is living a happy life.
What famous literary character is most like you?Although I look like Liza Minnelli, I think my personality is similar to Ma Joad’s in John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath. I’ve never decapitated a chicken, but, like ‘Ma,’ I’m the backbone of my family. When we first meet Ma Joad, she is a strong woman. When we see her in the very last chapter, she is a strong woman. Her strength only grows throughout the course of the novel. In fact, her initial strength transforms into a different kind of strength - one that it is dead set on survival – the survival of her family. As her family meets obstacle after obstacle, Ma Joad keeps it together. She is the strongest supporter of family and togetherness. Ma expresses this best when she directs Rosasharnto breast-feed the starving man at the novel’s conclusion. Both Ma Joad and I know that even the most horrible circumstances can be surmounted with grace and dignity.
Did you do any research for the book?
Moving into a 1770 Connecticut farmhouse ignited my interest in the colonial era. Behind the walls of our house, surprises and secrets waited to be exposed, and this became the spark for my novel, Acquiescence. While researching my novel, I became obsessed (in a good way) with colonial women. I wanted to find out what life was really like for them - the stuff we’ve always been curious about. How did they deal with menstruation at a time when women didn’t wear underwear? How about sex and birth control, childbirth, sickness and medicine? I put together an entertainingly-informative presentation called Colonial Goodwife: The Not-So-Good Life of the Colonial Goodwife (www.colonialgoodwife.com) to help promote my novel, as well as to let today’s women see that although we have a long way to go, it’s amazing how far we’ve come.
What are 3 words that describe your writing style?
Breezy, honest, unpretentious.
What's next for you?
I have a hands-on science children’s fiction series under contract. As a hands-on science teacher, (www.howcoolisthat.name) I know that the new importance placed on standardized testing doesn’t leave enough time in a school day for hands-on activities. Standardized tests don’t encourage a love of learning. A kid is more than a test score. I offer inquiry-based, hands-on/minds-on science activities like Dissecting Owl Pellets, Making Chicken Mummies, Grossology, Shampoo Analysis Lab and Gotta Brain/ Getta Helmet! Not every child can participate in one of my classes, but soon they will be able to take part through my book/science kits with the summer 2015 launch of One Lucky Mealworm! and Whooo Eats What? I’m also cooking up a follow-up to Pamina’s story titled Woman on the Rock.
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your work-in-progress?
Working title: The Woman on the Rock For forty years, Chuck Ehrismann stared at a black and white photo of an unknown, stunning woman – the only clue was ‘1949 Keansberg, New Jersey’ penciled on the back, but Chuck suspected she was family and held the key to his own identity.
Where can we learn more about you and your book?
Acquiescence is available from Second Wind Publishing: Second Wind Publishingor, Amazon
You can find Velya at: www.acquiescencethebook.com www.colonialgoodwife.com Facebook Acquiescence Facebook Page Twitter Blog
And now, for my review!!!
Acquiescence by Velya Jancz-Urban
A wonderful story of the hardships of two women who lived hundreds of years apart, yet helped each other heal.
5 out of 5 stars
Acquiescence is a wonderful read that blends the life of a modern-day woman with the past of a colonial era wife. Velya writes so well I wasn't sure if I was reading a memoir-like fiction, or if I was becoming the character I was reading about. Acquiescence does touch on some sensitive subjects that might be offensive or uncomfortable for some people. If you read it with an open mind as the wonderful story it is, you won't regret it! The main character, Pamina Campbell is a confident, self-assured mother and wife that pushes through some very difficult circumstances; from a verbally and emotionally abusive father, to being conned by a family friend and losing everything. With an amazing husband and two wonderful children, they pull through the obstacles and their family ends up settling in a colonial era farmhouse in Connecticut.
Once in their new home, we get to meet a new character, Susannah, the spirit of a colonial era mother. Susannah's story is a sad one, full of heartbreak and hardships, but as more of her story is uncovered, she provides more healing for Campbell family. Pamina focuses on uncovering what happened to Susannah and her family, uncovering some gruesome and shocking truths. With events that eerily parallel their own unique family, Susannah's tragic life shows the Campbell family how blessed they are.
Reading through Acquiescence had me vowing to stop evil people like Pamina's father or Susannah's husband. It made me want to be supportive and understanding like Pamina's husband Jim. And I want to be as open, loving, and caring as Pamina.
I loved the colonial details and history Velya added to her story without it sounding like an info dump. It flowed with the story so well, I didn't realize I was being taught! ;)
Great, great job Velya!
I recommend this book for ages 18 and up due to some adult language and content. I was given a copy of Acquiescence in exchange for an honest review.
First, getting to know Velya:
Velya Jancz-Urban, and her Acquiescence protagonist Pamina Campbell, have a lot in common. Both are teachers and hoodwinked Brazilian dairy farm owners, and both share a 1770 Connecticut farmhouse with a spirit woman. Velya has been married for 32 years, and is the mother of two grown children. She has a few too many rescue dogs and cats, is happiest with a fresh stack of library books, loves thrift shops, and is passionate about alternative medicine. Velya is the creator/owner of How Cool is That?! (Hands-On Science (more info at www.howcoolisthat.name), as well as the East Coast Instructor for Earth Adventure's Earth Balloon. her entertainingly informative presentation, The Not-So-Good Life of the Colonial Goodwife, is a result of the research for Acquiescence.
Now to get to know Velya a little better:
What is your book about?
When Pamina Campbell learns of a murder committed over two hundred years ago in her Connecticut farmhouse in order to avenge an unforgivable crime, she accepts that she has no idea how the universe works, except that it requires acquiescence at every point. Two plot threads twine in Acquiescence, as one woman calls to another across three centuries. One story, featuring Susannah Mathews, takes place in the late 1700s, while Pamina's story is set in modern day. Pamina learns that disaster - the sort of disaster that leaves you numb on a park bench or aching for your husband to come back to you - can be a freaky thing of beauty. As Pamina and her family try to piece their lives back together in their 1770 home, little do they know that secrecy, homophobia, and a ghastly confession await.
Is there a message in your novel you want readers to grasp?
The message in Acquiescence is that even though a person may have no desire to re-live a challenging or difficult time in their life, the obstacle can play a role in shaping who you become. If you allow adversity to become an opportunity for growth, you may become a different person.
Do you have a favorite snack food or favorite beverage that you enjoy while you write?
While I don’t have any particular type of snack or drink at my side as I write, I did have a food-incentive-as-reward for when I received my first Offer of Representation for Acquiescence. Although I don’t eat them (because years ago I gave up corn syrup, GMOs, and wheat), I’m crazy about Vienna Fingers cookies. A year ago, when I started sending out query letters, I decided to buy a package of Vienna Fingers and keep them on top of an exposed, hand-hewn beam in our kitchen. I promised myself that on the day I got my offer, I would welcome “corn syrup coma” and gobble down the entire twenty-four pack, along with a cold glass of raw milk. The enticing red and yellow package stared down at me every time I walked under the beam. With every rejection letter, the rounded-end finger-shaped cookies taunted me. I could almost hear them sneer, “Ha! Ha! We’re safe up here. You’re never gonna eat us!” And then, came my Offer of Representation from Second Wind Publishing. As I triumphantly dunked each crème-filled vanilla cookie, every “unfortunately, this manuscript does not fit our needs at this time” rejection drowned in the glass of milk.
What advice you would give to an aspiring author?
The best advice I would give an aspiring author is a quote by literary agent, Dan Lazar: “The best rule of thumb is always to start the story where the story starts.” This was one of the stumbling blocks in my first drafts. Where does the story start? Until you, the author, have that straight in your mind, the story’s flow won’t be right. Also, although it’s difficult, being able to summarize your book in one sentence clarifies its goal.
If you could have lunch with one person, real or fictitious, who would it be?
If I could have lunch with one person, it would probably be Alva Vanderbilt. Ever since my first trip to Newport, Rhode Island as a little kid, I have been fascinated by the Gilded Age. I was never envious of Alva’s life, just intrigued by her drive. I love the fact that she went from a seen-better-days Southern belle, to an unconventional, multi-millionaire, American socialite, and then became a major figure in the women's suffrage movement. For our twentieth-fifth wedding anniversary, my husband bought me a set of her “Votes for Women” china.
Which is more important to your story, character or plot?
Character is the heart of story. Readers relate to stories through character. Plot frames the conflict and action. Why would we want to pick one over the other when we can – and should – have both?
What is a talent you have that no one knows?
- As a hands-on science teacher, I can identify any bone that comes out of a regurgitated owl pellet.- Although I’m an atheist, I can recite the books of the Bible – Old and New Testament – in order. - From hours of quizzing my pre-teen son, I still know all 100 answers to the 4-H Poultry Showmanship questions.
Why will readers relate to your characters?
Every family has a moment that changes everything. Things happen - things you can’t even imagine - and in a minute the world is changed. Readers will relate to my characters because, just as in real life, they’ll like some and despise others. In my novel, Acquiescence, the Campbell family finds the courage to overcome adversity, realize that love never dies, and accept that there are bigger forces out there that know no limit. They learn that it’s not what happens to you, it’s how you deal with what happens to you, and that the best revenge is living a happy life.
What famous literary character is most like you?Although I look like Liza Minnelli, I think my personality is similar to Ma Joad’s in John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath. I’ve never decapitated a chicken, but, like ‘Ma,’ I’m the backbone of my family. When we first meet Ma Joad, she is a strong woman. When we see her in the very last chapter, she is a strong woman. Her strength only grows throughout the course of the novel. In fact, her initial strength transforms into a different kind of strength - one that it is dead set on survival – the survival of her family. As her family meets obstacle after obstacle, Ma Joad keeps it together. She is the strongest supporter of family and togetherness. Ma expresses this best when she directs Rosasharnto breast-feed the starving man at the novel’s conclusion. Both Ma Joad and I know that even the most horrible circumstances can be surmounted with grace and dignity.
Did you do any research for the book?
Moving into a 1770 Connecticut farmhouse ignited my interest in the colonial era. Behind the walls of our house, surprises and secrets waited to be exposed, and this became the spark for my novel, Acquiescence. While researching my novel, I became obsessed (in a good way) with colonial women. I wanted to find out what life was really like for them - the stuff we’ve always been curious about. How did they deal with menstruation at a time when women didn’t wear underwear? How about sex and birth control, childbirth, sickness and medicine? I put together an entertainingly-informative presentation called Colonial Goodwife: The Not-So-Good Life of the Colonial Goodwife (www.colonialgoodwife.com) to help promote my novel, as well as to let today’s women see that although we have a long way to go, it’s amazing how far we’ve come.
What are 3 words that describe your writing style?
Breezy, honest, unpretentious.
What's next for you?
I have a hands-on science children’s fiction series under contract. As a hands-on science teacher, (www.howcoolisthat.name) I know that the new importance placed on standardized testing doesn’t leave enough time in a school day for hands-on activities. Standardized tests don’t encourage a love of learning. A kid is more than a test score. I offer inquiry-based, hands-on/minds-on science activities like Dissecting Owl Pellets, Making Chicken Mummies, Grossology, Shampoo Analysis Lab and Gotta Brain/ Getta Helmet! Not every child can participate in one of my classes, but soon they will be able to take part through my book/science kits with the summer 2015 launch of One Lucky Mealworm! and Whooo Eats What? I’m also cooking up a follow-up to Pamina’s story titled Woman on the Rock.
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your work-in-progress?
Working title: The Woman on the Rock For forty years, Chuck Ehrismann stared at a black and white photo of an unknown, stunning woman – the only clue was ‘1949 Keansberg, New Jersey’ penciled on the back, but Chuck suspected she was family and held the key to his own identity.
Where can we learn more about you and your book?
Acquiescence is available from Second Wind Publishing: Second Wind Publishingor, Amazon
You can find Velya at: www.acquiescencethebook.com www.colonialgoodwife.com Facebook Acquiescence Facebook Page Twitter Blog
And now, for my review!!!
Acquiescence by Velya Jancz-Urban
A wonderful story of the hardships of two women who lived hundreds of years apart, yet helped each other heal.
5 out of 5 stars
Acquiescence is a wonderful read that blends the life of a modern-day woman with the past of a colonial era wife. Velya writes so well I wasn't sure if I was reading a memoir-like fiction, or if I was becoming the character I was reading about. Acquiescence does touch on some sensitive subjects that might be offensive or uncomfortable for some people. If you read it with an open mind as the wonderful story it is, you won't regret it! The main character, Pamina Campbell is a confident, self-assured mother and wife that pushes through some very difficult circumstances; from a verbally and emotionally abusive father, to being conned by a family friend and losing everything. With an amazing husband and two wonderful children, they pull through the obstacles and their family ends up settling in a colonial era farmhouse in Connecticut.
Once in their new home, we get to meet a new character, Susannah, the spirit of a colonial era mother. Susannah's story is a sad one, full of heartbreak and hardships, but as more of her story is uncovered, she provides more healing for Campbell family. Pamina focuses on uncovering what happened to Susannah and her family, uncovering some gruesome and shocking truths. With events that eerily parallel their own unique family, Susannah's tragic life shows the Campbell family how blessed they are.
Reading through Acquiescence had me vowing to stop evil people like Pamina's father or Susannah's husband. It made me want to be supportive and understanding like Pamina's husband Jim. And I want to be as open, loving, and caring as Pamina.
I loved the colonial details and history Velya added to her story without it sounding like an info dump. It flowed with the story so well, I didn't realize I was being taught! ;)
Great, great job Velya!
I recommend this book for ages 18 and up due to some adult language and content. I was given a copy of Acquiescence in exchange for an honest review.
April 24, 2015
Weekend Review - Anna Larson - The Horse That Haunts Dreams
This weekend's review features freelance writer, Anna Larson, and her memoir, The Horse That Haunts Dreams, a touching story of the life of her beloved horse, Hobo.
Here's my Review:
A story every horse enthusiast can relate to and love.
The horse that haunts dreams is a touching memoir about a young woman and the horse that she will never forget. Full of wonderful stories and memories of her beloved Hobo, Anna tells a wonderful tale that spans Hobo's life. Most horse enthusiasts have experienced the same one-of-a-kind bond that Anna describes, and reading her collection of memories brings our own journeys back to life in our hearts. Anna makes her journey with Hobo a compelling, humorous, and heart-touching read.I would've liked to see it written more as a narrative than a memoir, as it jumped about a few times. Some of the stories could've been expanded and elaborated to make it sound less journalistic. But as it's written, it is still a solid 4 star read, partially due to it reminding me of my own unforgettable horse, a APHA gelding named Leroy. :)
Where to find Anna Larson:
Blog
Goodreads
Smashwords
Where you can find The Horse That Haunts Dreams:
https://www.createspace.com/4384530
http://www.amazon.com/The-Horse-That-Haunts-Dreams/dp/1495250539
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-horse-that-haunts-dreams-anna-larson/1120911435?ean=2940149907908
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/432828
More Thoughts:
To elaborate: The memoir bounces back and forth from a narrative storyteller, to a more factual, journalistic approach. Both styles are fine, but personally, (as a fiction reader and writer) I prefer the more narrative style. By sticking with the storytelling instead of the reporting narration, Anna could have expanded on her and Hobo's stories quite a bit. The book itself could have doubled in size, if not more. Still, I want to make it clear that I enjoyed reading it and since I am a horse-lover myself, I could really connect with Anna and her wonderful horse, Hobo.
Getting to know Anna Larson:
Anna Larson is a freelance writer and long time horse owner. She attended New Mexico Military Institute in Roswell, New Mexico and Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, Louisiana. She obtained her Bachelors of Science degree in Equine Science before enlisting in the U.S. Army as a veterinary technician. After leaving the Army she returned to New Mexico where she still lives with her partner and her horses.
A little more from Anna:
What inspired you to write your first book?
In 2007, a horse I'd owned since he was a baby, died at the age of 23. Shortly after that he started haunting my dreams. Every night I'd have this dream about another horse that was "in the dream", a reincarnation of my dead horse. Three months later, I found a baby horse that almost matched the descriptions in my dreams. I bought that foal and the next day the dreams stopped. It was the freakiest thing that's ever happened in my dreams or real life. The foal I bought was so much like my old horse, right down to being allergic to vaccinations, that it's scary. As for writing, that dream did start me on the writing path. I had no plans to be a writer before that, but I had to write that story down.
What books have most influenced your life?
Every book I've ever read has something to teach me. The truly badly written ones show me what not to do and the well written ones give me a guide for my own work. However the most influential book in my life I would have to say would be "Mustang, Wild Spirit of the West" by Marguerite Henry. Without that book I wouldn't have had my own Hobo.
If you had to pick only one, who would be your favorite author?
That's really tough to choose between my childhood favorite Marguerite Henry or my adult favorite Dick Francis.
If you could cast your main character(s) in a Hollywood adaption of your book, who would land the rolls?
That's a really hard one since it's difficult to cast a horse and a mule. As for me, I think Emma Watson in her short hair would most closely resemble a younger me.
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
At first I wanted to be a truck driver, but my dad took me to the truck stop and one of his buddies let me look into the cab of the truck. I remember thinking I was way too tiny to ever grow big enough to drive a truck so I changed my mind and decided on being a jockey instead.
What do you like to do when you aren't writing?
I ride my horses, keep up the farm, garden, and crochet. I'm also an avid reader and spend a part of every day with "my nose in a book" as my mom likes to say.
What is one tip you'd give to up & coming authors?
Make sure to get an editor. No matter what, you will need an editor. Even with an editor, mistakes will happen. You can minimize your mistakes and your negative reviews by making sure your work is as mistake free as possible. I run my manuscript through beta readers, an editor and then I convert it to a kindle format and have my kindle text to speech read the text back. It's amazing what mistakes, awkward sentences and so forth you will find by listening to the story read back. Having the text to speech option keeps your eyes from playing tricks with your mind. You hear the mistakes instead of the eyes skipping over them.
If you could spend the day with one person, alive or dead, who would it be and why?
I'm a huge fan of horse racing and I used to work at several race tracks, but I wasn't old enough to have been around the famous Bill Shoemaker when he was in his riding prime. I watched as many races as were televised way back when was a kid. I always idolized the man and his riding skills.
What's next for you?
I'm debating between Equine Fantasy of some type or a western revolving around a horse, but nothing solid yet.
A big thanks to Anna Larson for being such an 'open book', no pun intended! Your tip on the Kindle text speech is brilliant! :)
March 27, 2015
Avoiding the Cliche Cover - Thursdays with the Author
We've all seen the 'typical' cover for the genres we like to read.
In Historical Romance you see the dashing aristocrat with tight breeches being clung to by the beautiful woman with her dress halfway off her body. Or the muscled Scotsman, kilt, and not much else, ripping the woman's dress off with a look of masculine passion.
In contemporary romance, long legs with high heels, even though she's wearing nothing else. Or the sexy man in a suit, his rippled abs bared beneath his jacket. Because what savvy business man wears a shirt beneath his suit jacket?
In mystery and suspense we have a blade or weapon in the forefront and perhaps a shadowy figure looming in the background. Shattered glass with a perfect bullet hole, or crime scene tape and police car lights.
In Women's fiction, recently, you get a house, maybe in the woods or on the beach, with a front porch or smoke curling from the chimney. You might get lucky and have an animal somewhere on the cover, or something on a table that might have something to do with the book.
In YA just a close-up shot of a girl's face, maybe even the whole body, usually doing nothing that has to do with the book.
In Dystopian you get a symbol or some type of unknown imagery that won't make sense until the book has actually been read.
In Westerns, particularly the Romance kind, you'll have a hot cowboy, not a speck of dirt on him, maybe throwing hay without his shirt on, because there's no way hay is itchy in anyone's skin, and definitely no way that a cowboy's work will actually make him dirty. Just a regular ole' Western? Expect a regular ole' cowboy on a regular ole' horse.
In paranormal you can get a sexy vampire that looks completely human, not counting the fangs dripping in blood. Or a shape-shifting hottie, with a well-defined 6-pack, a bunch of tattoos, and walking around in leather pants without a shirt, because a half-naked, tattooed, muscle man is a sure sign of a shape-shifter.
The only genres that seem have the most original covers are fantasy, sci-fi, and children's, mostly because each world is completely made up, so no one else is going to have the same cover.
Of course, not every novel has the same cliche, stereotypical, cookie-cutter cover, and kudos to those authors that bucked the trend. Still don't believe me? Go to Barnes and Noble, or any book section, in any store, and check out the different genres. Look at the romance section: Can you count on two hands how many covers have at least one person missing clothing? Or making out? Or both? You'll probably need more than ten fingers to count. Check the western section: Lone horse and rider? Cowboy half clothed? Scene with said cowboy doing something that no actual cowboy would do? How about YA: Strangle symbol? Single girl's face or body doing something like standing, or sitting?
Go check it out. The amount of covers that all look the same are astounding.
Am I saying you shouldn't put any of those 'traditional' images on your cover? Yes and No. It really depends on your novel and what you think fits. But what you don't want to do is have your cover looking like everyone else's. Remember my tip from the Creating A Cover For Your Book - What You SHOULD Do, I recommended going to the store and taking a picture of the books in your preferred genre. Take it home and compare your book to those in the picture. Do you stand out? Are you unique and eye-catching? Do you stand out too much?
Don't automatically go for the cliche and stereotypical. You risk getting lost between the dozens of other books with the same cover.
You know how people say, 'You can't judge a book by it's cover,'? You shouldn't, but the sad fact is that people DO judge a book by it's cover. Half the time, when they're doing an online search, the cover is the ONLY thing that comes up. They have to click on it to read your blurb. People at book stores don't pick up every single book to read the back when deciding. They look at the covers, for the author's name, title, and imagery, to help them decide if they'll like the book. IF the cover catches their eye, they'll click on it, or turn it over, and read the blurb. The blurb, or back of the cover, needs to be just as good as your cover. Because the cover AND the blurb are what gets people to click buy or put it in their shopping cart/bag.
I've written on the cover of subjects MULTIPLE times on this blog and mentioned it in MULTIPLE posts because I believe it is very important. And it's one of the things authors neglect the most.
You can find my cover posts at the links here:Creating a Cover for Your Book - What NOT To Do
Creating a Cover for Your Book- What You SHOULD Do
The Publishing Process - Part 2 - Self-Publishing and My Choices
Comparing To Other Writers
In Historical Romance you see the dashing aristocrat with tight breeches being clung to by the beautiful woman with her dress halfway off her body. Or the muscled Scotsman, kilt, and not much else, ripping the woman's dress off with a look of masculine passion.
In contemporary romance, long legs with high heels, even though she's wearing nothing else. Or the sexy man in a suit, his rippled abs bared beneath his jacket. Because what savvy business man wears a shirt beneath his suit jacket?
In mystery and suspense we have a blade or weapon in the forefront and perhaps a shadowy figure looming in the background. Shattered glass with a perfect bullet hole, or crime scene tape and police car lights.
In Women's fiction, recently, you get a house, maybe in the woods or on the beach, with a front porch or smoke curling from the chimney. You might get lucky and have an animal somewhere on the cover, or something on a table that might have something to do with the book.
In YA just a close-up shot of a girl's face, maybe even the whole body, usually doing nothing that has to do with the book.
In Dystopian you get a symbol or some type of unknown imagery that won't make sense until the book has actually been read.
In Westerns, particularly the Romance kind, you'll have a hot cowboy, not a speck of dirt on him, maybe throwing hay without his shirt on, because there's no way hay is itchy in anyone's skin, and definitely no way that a cowboy's work will actually make him dirty. Just a regular ole' Western? Expect a regular ole' cowboy on a regular ole' horse.
In paranormal you can get a sexy vampire that looks completely human, not counting the fangs dripping in blood. Or a shape-shifting hottie, with a well-defined 6-pack, a bunch of tattoos, and walking around in leather pants without a shirt, because a half-naked, tattooed, muscle man is a sure sign of a shape-shifter.
The only genres that seem have the most original covers are fantasy, sci-fi, and children's, mostly because each world is completely made up, so no one else is going to have the same cover.
Of course, not every novel has the same cliche, stereotypical, cookie-cutter cover, and kudos to those authors that bucked the trend. Still don't believe me? Go to Barnes and Noble, or any book section, in any store, and check out the different genres. Look at the romance section: Can you count on two hands how many covers have at least one person missing clothing? Or making out? Or both? You'll probably need more than ten fingers to count. Check the western section: Lone horse and rider? Cowboy half clothed? Scene with said cowboy doing something that no actual cowboy would do? How about YA: Strangle symbol? Single girl's face or body doing something like standing, or sitting?
Go check it out. The amount of covers that all look the same are astounding.
Am I saying you shouldn't put any of those 'traditional' images on your cover? Yes and No. It really depends on your novel and what you think fits. But what you don't want to do is have your cover looking like everyone else's. Remember my tip from the Creating A Cover For Your Book - What You SHOULD Do, I recommended going to the store and taking a picture of the books in your preferred genre. Take it home and compare your book to those in the picture. Do you stand out? Are you unique and eye-catching? Do you stand out too much?
Don't automatically go for the cliche and stereotypical. You risk getting lost between the dozens of other books with the same cover.
You know how people say, 'You can't judge a book by it's cover,'? You shouldn't, but the sad fact is that people DO judge a book by it's cover. Half the time, when they're doing an online search, the cover is the ONLY thing that comes up. They have to click on it to read your blurb. People at book stores don't pick up every single book to read the back when deciding. They look at the covers, for the author's name, title, and imagery, to help them decide if they'll like the book. IF the cover catches their eye, they'll click on it, or turn it over, and read the blurb. The blurb, or back of the cover, needs to be just as good as your cover. Because the cover AND the blurb are what gets people to click buy or put it in their shopping cart/bag.
I've written on the cover of subjects MULTIPLE times on this blog and mentioned it in MULTIPLE posts because I believe it is very important. And it's one of the things authors neglect the most.
You can find my cover posts at the links here:Creating a Cover for Your Book - What NOT To Do
Creating a Cover for Your Book- What You SHOULD Do
The Publishing Process - Part 2 - Self-Publishing and My Choices
Comparing To Other Writers
Thursdays with the Author - Avoiding the Cliche Cover
We've all seen the 'typical' cover for the genres we like to read.
In Historical Romance you see the dashing aristocrat with tight breeches being clung to by the beautiful woman with her dress halfway off her body. Or the muscled Scotsman, kilt, and not much else, ripping the woman's dress off with a look of masculine passion.
In contemporary romance, long legs with high heels, even though she's wearing nothing else. Or the sexy man in a suit, his rippled abs bared beneath his jacket. Because what savvy business man wears a shirt beneath his suit jacket?
In mystery and suspense we have a blade or weapon in the forefront and perhaps a shadowy figure looming in the background. Shattered glass with a perfect bullet hole, or crime scene tape and police car lights.
In Women's fiction, recently, you get a house, maybe in the woods or on the beach, with a front porch or smoke curling from the chimney. You might get lucky and have an animal somewhere on the cover, or something on a table that might have something to do with the book.
In YA just a close-up shot of a girl's face, maybe even the whole body, usually doing nothing that has to do with the book.
In Dystopian you get a symbol or some type of unknown imagery that won't make sense until the book has actually been read.
In Westerns, particularly the Romance kind, you'll have a hot cowboy, not a speck of dirt on him, maybe throwing hay without his shirt on, because there's no way hay is itchy in anyone's skin, and definitely no way that a cowboy's work will actually make him dirty. Just a regular ole' Western? Expect a regular ole' cowboy on a regular ole' horse.
In paranormal you can get a sexy vampire that looks completely human, not counting the fangs dripping in blood. Or a shape-shifting hottie, with a well-defined 6-pack, a bunch of tattoos, and walking around in leather pants without a shirt, because a half-naked, tattooed, muscle man is a sure sign of a shape-shifter.
The only genres that seem have the most original covers are fantasy, sci-fi, and children's, mostly because each world is completely made up, so no one else is going to have the same cover.
Of course, not every novel has the same cliche, stereotypical, cookie-cutter cover, and kudos to those authors that bucked the trend. Still don't believe me? Go to Barnes and Noble, or any book section, in any store, and check out the different genres. Look at the romance section: Can you count on two hands how many covers have at least one person missing clothing? Or making out? Or both? You'll probably need more than ten fingers to count. Check the western section: Lone horse and rider? Cowboy half clothed? Scene with said cowboy doing something that no actual cowboy would do? How about YA: Strangle symbol? Single girl's face or body doing something like standing, or sitting?
Go check it out. The amount of covers that all look the same are astounding.
Am I saying you shouldn't put any of those 'traditional' images on your cover? Yes and No. It really depends on your novel and what you think fits. But what you don't want to do is have your cover looking like everyone else's. Remember my tip from the Creating A Cover For Your Book - What You SHOULD Do, I recommended going to the store and taking a picture of the books in your preferred genre. Take it home and compare your book to those in the picture. Do you stand out? Are you unique and eye-catching? Do you stand out too much?
Don't automatically go for the cliche and stereotypical. You risk getting lost between the dozens of other books with the same cover.
You know how people say, 'You can't judge a book by it's cover,'? You shouldn't, but the sad fact is that people DO judge a book by it's cover. Half the time, when they're doing an online search, the cover is the ONLY thing that comes up. They have to click on it to read your blurb. People at book stores don't pick up every single book to read the back when deciding. They look at the covers, for the author's name, title, and imagery, to help them decide if they'll like the book. IF the cover catches their eye, they'll click on it, or turn it over, and read the blurb. The blurb, or back of the cover, needs to be just as good as your cover. Because the cover AND the blurb are what gets people to click buy or put it in their shopping cart/bag.
I've written on the cover of subjects MULTIPLE times on this blog and mentioned it in MULTIPLE posts because I believe it is very important. And it's one of the things authors neglect the most.
You can find my cover posts at the links here:Creating a Cover for Your Book - What NOT To Do
Creating a Cover for Your Book- What You SHOULD Do
The Publishing Process - Part 2 - Self-Publishing and My Choices
Comparing To Other Writers
In Historical Romance you see the dashing aristocrat with tight breeches being clung to by the beautiful woman with her dress halfway off her body. Or the muscled Scotsman, kilt, and not much else, ripping the woman's dress off with a look of masculine passion.
In contemporary romance, long legs with high heels, even though she's wearing nothing else. Or the sexy man in a suit, his rippled abs bared beneath his jacket. Because what savvy business man wears a shirt beneath his suit jacket?
In mystery and suspense we have a blade or weapon in the forefront and perhaps a shadowy figure looming in the background. Shattered glass with a perfect bullet hole, or crime scene tape and police car lights.
In Women's fiction, recently, you get a house, maybe in the woods or on the beach, with a front porch or smoke curling from the chimney. You might get lucky and have an animal somewhere on the cover, or something on a table that might have something to do with the book.
In YA just a close-up shot of a girl's face, maybe even the whole body, usually doing nothing that has to do with the book.
In Dystopian you get a symbol or some type of unknown imagery that won't make sense until the book has actually been read.
In Westerns, particularly the Romance kind, you'll have a hot cowboy, not a speck of dirt on him, maybe throwing hay without his shirt on, because there's no way hay is itchy in anyone's skin, and definitely no way that a cowboy's work will actually make him dirty. Just a regular ole' Western? Expect a regular ole' cowboy on a regular ole' horse.
In paranormal you can get a sexy vampire that looks completely human, not counting the fangs dripping in blood. Or a shape-shifting hottie, with a well-defined 6-pack, a bunch of tattoos, and walking around in leather pants without a shirt, because a half-naked, tattooed, muscle man is a sure sign of a shape-shifter.
The only genres that seem have the most original covers are fantasy, sci-fi, and children's, mostly because each world is completely made up, so no one else is going to have the same cover.
Of course, not every novel has the same cliche, stereotypical, cookie-cutter cover, and kudos to those authors that bucked the trend. Still don't believe me? Go to Barnes and Noble, or any book section, in any store, and check out the different genres. Look at the romance section: Can you count on two hands how many covers have at least one person missing clothing? Or making out? Or both? You'll probably need more than ten fingers to count. Check the western section: Lone horse and rider? Cowboy half clothed? Scene with said cowboy doing something that no actual cowboy would do? How about YA: Strangle symbol? Single girl's face or body doing something like standing, or sitting?
Go check it out. The amount of covers that all look the same are astounding.
Am I saying you shouldn't put any of those 'traditional' images on your cover? Yes and No. It really depends on your novel and what you think fits. But what you don't want to do is have your cover looking like everyone else's. Remember my tip from the Creating A Cover For Your Book - What You SHOULD Do, I recommended going to the store and taking a picture of the books in your preferred genre. Take it home and compare your book to those in the picture. Do you stand out? Are you unique and eye-catching? Do you stand out too much?
Don't automatically go for the cliche and stereotypical. You risk getting lost between the dozens of other books with the same cover.
You know how people say, 'You can't judge a book by it's cover,'? You shouldn't, but the sad fact is that people DO judge a book by it's cover. Half the time, when they're doing an online search, the cover is the ONLY thing that comes up. They have to click on it to read your blurb. People at book stores don't pick up every single book to read the back when deciding. They look at the covers, for the author's name, title, and imagery, to help them decide if they'll like the book. IF the cover catches their eye, they'll click on it, or turn it over, and read the blurb. The blurb, or back of the cover, needs to be just as good as your cover. Because the cover AND the blurb are what gets people to click buy or put it in their shopping cart/bag.
I've written on the cover of subjects MULTIPLE times on this blog and mentioned it in MULTIPLE posts because I believe it is very important. And it's one of the things authors neglect the most.
You can find my cover posts at the links here:Creating a Cover for Your Book - What NOT To Do
Creating a Cover for Your Book- What You SHOULD Do
The Publishing Process - Part 2 - Self-Publishing and My Choices
Comparing To Other Writers
Avoiding the Cliche Cover - March 26, 2015 - Thursdays with the Author
We've all seen the 'typical' cover for the genres we like to read.
In Historical Romance you see the dashing aristocrat with tight breeches being clung to by the beautiful woman with her dress halfway off her body. Or the muscled Scotsman, kilt, and not much else, ripping the woman's dress off with a look of masculine passion.
In contemporary romance, long legs with high heels, even though she's wearing nothing else. Or the sexy man in a suit, his rippled abs bared beneath his jacket. Because what savvy business man wears a shirt beneath his suit jacket?
In mystery and suspense we have a blade or weapon in the forefront and perhaps a shadowy figure looming in the background. Shattered glass with a perfect bullet hole, or crime scene tape and police car lights.
In Women's fiction, recently, you get a house, maybe in the woods or on the beach, with a front porch or smoke curling from the chimney. You might get lucky and have an animal somewhere on the cover, or something on a table that might have something to do with the book.
In YA just a close-up shot of a girl's face, maybe even the whole body, usually doing nothing that has to do with the book.
In Dystopian you get a symbol or some type of unknown imagery that won't make sense until the book has actually been read.
In Westerns, particularly the Romance kind, you'll have a hot cowboy, not a speck of dirt on him, maybe throwing hay without his shirt on, because there's no way hay is itchy in anyone's skin, and definitely no way that a cowboy's work will actually make him dirty. Just a regular ole' Western? Expect a regular ole' cowboy on a regular ole' horse.
In paranormal you can get a sexy vampire that looks completely human, not counting the fangs dripping in blood. Or a shape-shifting hottie, with a well-defined 6-pack, a bunch of tattoos, and walking around in leather pants without a shirt, because a half-naked, tattooed, muscle man is a sure sign of a shape-shifter.
The only genres that seem have the most original covers are fantasy, sci-fi, and children's, mostly because each world is completely made up, so no one else is going to have the same cover.
Of course, not every novel has the same cliche, stereotypical, cookie-cutter cover, and kudos to those authors that bucked the trend. Still don't believe me? Go to Barnes and Noble, or any book section, in any store, and check out the different genres. Look at the romance section: Can you count on two hands how many covers have at least one person missing clothing? Or making out? Or both? You'll probably need more than ten fingers to count. Check the western section: Lone horse and rider? Cowboy half clothed? Scene with said cowboy doing something that no actual cowboy would do? How about YA: Strangle symbol? Single girl's face or body doing something like standing, or sitting?
Go check it out. The amount of covers that all look the same are astounding.
Am I saying you shouldn't put any of those 'traditional' images on your cover? Yes and No. It really depends on your novel and what you think fits. But what you don't want to do is have your cover looking like everyone else's. Remember my tip from the Creating A Cover For Your Book - What You SHOULD Do, I recommended going to the store and taking a picture of the books in your preferred genre. Take it home and compare your book to those in the picture. Do you stand out? Are you unique and eye-catching? Do you stand out too much?
Don't automatically go for the cliche and stereotypical. You risk getting lost between the dozens of other books with the same cover.
You know how people say, 'You can't judge a book by it's cover,'? You shouldn't, but the sad fact is that people DO judge a book by it's cover. Half the time, when they're doing an online search, the cover is the ONLY thing that comes up. They have to click on it to read your blurb. People at book stores don't pick up every single book to read the back when deciding. They look at the covers, for the author's name, title, and imagery, to help them decide if they'll like the book. IF the cover catches their eye, they'll click on it, or turn it over, and read the blurb. The blurb, or back of the cover, needs to be just as good as your cover. Because the cover AND the blurb are what gets people to click buy or put it in their shopping cart/bag.
I've written on the cover of subjects MULTIPLE times on this blog and mentioned it in MULTIPLE posts because I believe it is very important. And it's one of the things authors neglect the most.
You can find my cover posts at the links here:Creating a Cover for Your Book - What NOT To Do
Creating a Cover for Your Book- What You SHOULD Do
The Publishing Process - Part 2 - Self-Publishing and My Choices
Comparing To Other Writers
In Historical Romance you see the dashing aristocrat with tight breeches being clung to by the beautiful woman with her dress halfway off her body. Or the muscled Scotsman, kilt, and not much else, ripping the woman's dress off with a look of masculine passion.
In contemporary romance, long legs with high heels, even though she's wearing nothing else. Or the sexy man in a suit, his rippled abs bared beneath his jacket. Because what savvy business man wears a shirt beneath his suit jacket?
In mystery and suspense we have a blade or weapon in the forefront and perhaps a shadowy figure looming in the background. Shattered glass with a perfect bullet hole, or crime scene tape and police car lights.
In Women's fiction, recently, you get a house, maybe in the woods or on the beach, with a front porch or smoke curling from the chimney. You might get lucky and have an animal somewhere on the cover, or something on a table that might have something to do with the book.
In YA just a close-up shot of a girl's face, maybe even the whole body, usually doing nothing that has to do with the book.
In Dystopian you get a symbol or some type of unknown imagery that won't make sense until the book has actually been read.
In Westerns, particularly the Romance kind, you'll have a hot cowboy, not a speck of dirt on him, maybe throwing hay without his shirt on, because there's no way hay is itchy in anyone's skin, and definitely no way that a cowboy's work will actually make him dirty. Just a regular ole' Western? Expect a regular ole' cowboy on a regular ole' horse.
In paranormal you can get a sexy vampire that looks completely human, not counting the fangs dripping in blood. Or a shape-shifting hottie, with a well-defined 6-pack, a bunch of tattoos, and walking around in leather pants without a shirt, because a half-naked, tattooed, muscle man is a sure sign of a shape-shifter.
The only genres that seem have the most original covers are fantasy, sci-fi, and children's, mostly because each world is completely made up, so no one else is going to have the same cover.
Of course, not every novel has the same cliche, stereotypical, cookie-cutter cover, and kudos to those authors that bucked the trend. Still don't believe me? Go to Barnes and Noble, or any book section, in any store, and check out the different genres. Look at the romance section: Can you count on two hands how many covers have at least one person missing clothing? Or making out? Or both? You'll probably need more than ten fingers to count. Check the western section: Lone horse and rider? Cowboy half clothed? Scene with said cowboy doing something that no actual cowboy would do? How about YA: Strangle symbol? Single girl's face or body doing something like standing, or sitting?
Go check it out. The amount of covers that all look the same are astounding.
Am I saying you shouldn't put any of those 'traditional' images on your cover? Yes and No. It really depends on your novel and what you think fits. But what you don't want to do is have your cover looking like everyone else's. Remember my tip from the Creating A Cover For Your Book - What You SHOULD Do, I recommended going to the store and taking a picture of the books in your preferred genre. Take it home and compare your book to those in the picture. Do you stand out? Are you unique and eye-catching? Do you stand out too much?
Don't automatically go for the cliche and stereotypical. You risk getting lost between the dozens of other books with the same cover.
You know how people say, 'You can't judge a book by it's cover,'? You shouldn't, but the sad fact is that people DO judge a book by it's cover. Half the time, when they're doing an online search, the cover is the ONLY thing that comes up. They have to click on it to read your blurb. People at book stores don't pick up every single book to read the back when deciding. They look at the covers, for the author's name, title, and imagery, to help them decide if they'll like the book. IF the cover catches their eye, they'll click on it, or turn it over, and read the blurb. The blurb, or back of the cover, needs to be just as good as your cover. Because the cover AND the blurb are what gets people to click buy or put it in their shopping cart/bag.
I've written on the cover of subjects MULTIPLE times on this blog and mentioned it in MULTIPLE posts because I believe it is very important. And it's one of the things authors neglect the most.
You can find my cover posts at the links here:Creating a Cover for Your Book - What NOT To Do
Creating a Cover for Your Book- What You SHOULD Do
The Publishing Process - Part 2 - Self-Publishing and My Choices
Comparing To Other Writers
Comparing To Other Writers... Why You Should Be Doing Just That - Thursdays with the Author
Comparing To Other Writers - Why You Should Be Doing Just That
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I was recently reading submission guidelines for a publisher and came across something I hadn't seen very many publishers ask for. One of the requirements for the query letter was this:
" Please provide titles for up to three comparative books published in the past five years. These should be books that have a similar audience to your book and that you feel will compare with your book in the marketplace. Explain how your manuscript is different from these books. "
I must say, I was a bit thrown off by this at first. My book is supposed to be different and unique! Why would I want to compare it to other books?
But this publisher has the right idea. As a writer, you have to know what your competition is. You have to be BETTER than your competition. More original, more memorable. If you don't know what your competition is with the book you are writing then you are definitely NOT ready to publish. How are you going to know how your book stacks up to the hot new releases and best seller lists if you aren't even paying attention to other writers?
Part of how we grow and learn as writers is by reading. It's one of the MOST important things we can do to improve our craft. Especially when it comes to the genre you write for. Are you writing a romance but only read mystery? Are you writing children's but never read any books for kids? Are you writing a YA/NA and have only read adult romance? You're bound to get something wrong. You're sure to have the wrong tone and inflection. You're nearly guaranteed to get the language wrong.
Even the cover can make or break your book. Go to your local bookstore or grocery store and find the section of books for the genre you're writing for. Take a picture of all the different covers. Take a picture of the blurbs on the back cover. Take a picture of the whole shelf. (Or write notes if you're worried about looking crazy for taking pictures at your local grocer.) Does your book stand out? Does it fit in at all? Is the blurb memorable compared to all the others there? Because if it stands out like a sore thumb, a reader might wonder if your book was maybe put in the wrong section. But at the same time, if your book looks and sounds like every other one on that shelf, they why is the reader going to buy YOUR book?
If you are writing romance, you need to be reading the top-sellers in that genre. Of course, there's a million sub-genres in romance, so you'll need to zero in on that as well. Contemporary romance? Nora Roberts, Danielle Steel, Robyn Carr, Nicholas Sparks. Historical Romance? Johanna Lindsey, Mary Jo Putney, Mary Balogh. Romantic Suspense? J.D. Robb, Jayne Ann Krentz, Carla Neggers. Western? Diana Palmer, Dorthy Garlock.
Same with any other genre! Young Adult? Veronica Roth, Rick Riordan, Stephanie Meyer, Suzanne Collins. Science Fiction or Fantasy? Anne McCaffrey, George R.R. Martin, Anne Rice, J.R.R. Tolkien. Mystery/Suspense? John Grisham, Carol Higgins Clark, Catherine Coulter. Military? Tom Clancy, Tim O'Brien, Clive Cussler.
How about children's? Picture books? Dr. Seuss, James Dean, Mo Willems, Anna Dewdney. Early Chapter Books? Herman Parish, Mary Pope Osborne, Megan McDonald, Barbara Park. Chapter books to Middle Grade? Dav Pilkey, Jeff Kinney, Rick Riordan.
Look at the reviews for some of these author's books. Were the readers content/happy with what they read. Did they think it was missing something or had too much of something else? Reader opinion is highly valuable (though in some cases {like trolls} it should be taken with a grain of salt. But if a majority of reviewers are saying the same thing, then there's something wrong. Take what they are trying to say to the other authors and apply it to your own writing.
Read the books, surround yourself in the genre, look at the covers, read the reviews. Learning from other writers is the key to becoming a better writer yourself. And with some publishes, the key to getting your book out of the slush pile.
[image error]
I was recently reading submission guidelines for a publisher and came across something I hadn't seen very many publishers ask for. One of the requirements for the query letter was this:
" Please provide titles for up to three comparative books published in the past five years. These should be books that have a similar audience to your book and that you feel will compare with your book in the marketplace. Explain how your manuscript is different from these books. "
I must say, I was a bit thrown off by this at first. My book is supposed to be different and unique! Why would I want to compare it to other books?
But this publisher has the right idea. As a writer, you have to know what your competition is. You have to be BETTER than your competition. More original, more memorable. If you don't know what your competition is with the book you are writing then you are definitely NOT ready to publish. How are you going to know how your book stacks up to the hot new releases and best seller lists if you aren't even paying attention to other writers?
Part of how we grow and learn as writers is by reading. It's one of the MOST important things we can do to improve our craft. Especially when it comes to the genre you write for. Are you writing a romance but only read mystery? Are you writing children's but never read any books for kids? Are you writing a YA/NA and have only read adult romance? You're bound to get something wrong. You're sure to have the wrong tone and inflection. You're nearly guaranteed to get the language wrong.
Even the cover can make or break your book. Go to your local bookstore or grocery store and find the section of books for the genre you're writing for. Take a picture of all the different covers. Take a picture of the blurbs on the back cover. Take a picture of the whole shelf. (Or write notes if you're worried about looking crazy for taking pictures at your local grocer.) Does your book stand out? Does it fit in at all? Is the blurb memorable compared to all the others there? Because if it stands out like a sore thumb, a reader might wonder if your book was maybe put in the wrong section. But at the same time, if your book looks and sounds like every other one on that shelf, they why is the reader going to buy YOUR book?
If you are writing romance, you need to be reading the top-sellers in that genre. Of course, there's a million sub-genres in romance, so you'll need to zero in on that as well. Contemporary romance? Nora Roberts, Danielle Steel, Robyn Carr, Nicholas Sparks. Historical Romance? Johanna Lindsey, Mary Jo Putney, Mary Balogh. Romantic Suspense? J.D. Robb, Jayne Ann Krentz, Carla Neggers. Western? Diana Palmer, Dorthy Garlock.
Same with any other genre! Young Adult? Veronica Roth, Rick Riordan, Stephanie Meyer, Suzanne Collins. Science Fiction or Fantasy? Anne McCaffrey, George R.R. Martin, Anne Rice, J.R.R. Tolkien. Mystery/Suspense? John Grisham, Carol Higgins Clark, Catherine Coulter. Military? Tom Clancy, Tim O'Brien, Clive Cussler.
How about children's? Picture books? Dr. Seuss, James Dean, Mo Willems, Anna Dewdney. Early Chapter Books? Herman Parish, Mary Pope Osborne, Megan McDonald, Barbara Park. Chapter books to Middle Grade? Dav Pilkey, Jeff Kinney, Rick Riordan.
Look at the reviews for some of these author's books. Were the readers content/happy with what they read. Did they think it was missing something or had too much of something else? Reader opinion is highly valuable (though in some cases {like trolls} it should be taken with a grain of salt. But if a majority of reviewers are saying the same thing, then there's something wrong. Take what they are trying to say to the other authors and apply it to your own writing.
Read the books, surround yourself in the genre, look at the covers, read the reviews. Learning from other writers is the key to becoming a better writer yourself. And with some publishes, the key to getting your book out of the slush pile.
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