Ingrid Hall's Blog, page 25
July 2, 2014
Excavating your Soul! – Indie and Proud
A few weeks ago, I invited you all to submit your indie related articles for inclusion on my blog. Today’s post by Sally Ember is the first in what I hope will be a long series. If you have an article that you feel would help indie authors in some way, the email address to send it to is ingrid@grannyirene.com
Writing as Excavation of the Soul
by Sally Ember, Ed.D.
For me, writing fiction and poetry always involves digging up artifacts and dirt. My own and others’ buried treasures, junk, secrets and lies are uncovered, examined, deemed worthy “as is” or refurbished, cleaned up and presented within the text.
Writing Clara Branon, as her and about her, is the most autobiographical fiction I’ve ever written. I decided to gift Clara with most of my own “stories” and history, to see what would happen when a version of me is involved in the circumstances and relationships Clara encounters. It’s a roller-coaster for me, delving into my own life to pull up people, events, emotions, reactions, wishes, fears, griefs and successes and foist them onto Clara.
Usually, she does a lot better than I do or I already have with these events and has a much higher “success” rate with Clara’s conversations and intimacies than I can claim. In many ways, I feel envious of her. I also do not want her life, especially the public part. But, I do sometimes wish I had her personal strength and courage.
Oh, wait; I do. I must. I also have Clara’s creativity, the fire that burns within her, since I gave it to her. Of course I do.
Then, why is it so much easier to see this in Clara than in myself? I believe I make a character in my own image and deliberately make her better than I am only to discover that she can’t be better than I am because I made her. Not to put too fine a point on it, but the whole “God-made-humans-in-’His’-own’-image” story has similar issues, yes?
As a fiction and poetry creator, as a Buddhist well aware of the illusory nature of all phenomena, as a fabricator and dreamer, I am well aware of the fantasies I make into a semblance of reality with each paragraph or stanza I put into words. I paint pictures of scenes, drawing upon deep emotional bonds and reactions in order to do it, but we all know none of this is “real.” Right? Except for the parts that are true, that is.
The exhilarating, terrifying ride of writing one’s own stories in whatever forms is that others are going to read them and get to know things about me and my inner world I would never tell them, otherwise. My best defense, then, is to mix these true tales with pure fiction.
Sometimes serving up this admixture seems to be a cop-out move on my part, as I feel a taunting voice within me saying: “Na, na, na, na, na: you can’t know me! You don’t know what parts of this are ‘mine’ and which are completely made up. So there! Try and figure it out. I’ll never tell!”
This is the gauntlet every writer throws down to one’s readers: “Catch me, if you can!”
I do leave breadcrumbs for your journey, especially on Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/sallyember and here in my blog posts. Happy treasure hunting, readers! Please let me know what you find and what labels you decide to put on each trinket. We can compare later.
Next, if you’re an author, review your own fiction and put it to the same tests: are these siblings yours? Those parents? That spouse or significant other? What about the children? Which one of the characters is most like you? I invite readers to do the same when reading books by authors you know.
The renowned Carl Jung posited that everyone in our dreams, human or not, is actually an aspect of ourselves. That probably applies to we authors’ fictional characters as well?
Links for my website and ebooks:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HFELTG8 Vol I, now PermaFree
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KU5Q7KC Vol II
July 1, 2014
Essay and Memoir Writing Competition…
Just a quick reminder about this competition. This is a perfect opportunity to start flexing your creative muscles!
Originally posted on Author Ingrid Hall:
Following the success of our recent Short Story Competition, I am pleased to announce that I have once again teamed up with The Writer’s Drawer to bring you an Essay and Memoir Writing Competition!
All submissions will be posted in the Essays and memoirs sections of The Writer’s Drawer, subject to the conditions laid down in the creative writing section (no erotica or entries that offend religious, ethnic or religious sensibilities). The essay/memoir should be an original piece and not appear elsewhere either in published form or on the internet.
The prizes for the winning entry are:
A LIMITED HARD COPY, and beautifully illustrated edition of Scorpion Soup, by best-selling author Tahir Shah;
· A print (paperback) edition of the children’s/YA story Fraud at Snowfields, by Indie and Proud author Daniel Klock;
· A print (paperback) edition of my novella about a Near Death Experience, The Tunnel Betwixt…
· A…
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June 29, 2014
Worth a Look…Giveaway
Hi,
Following on from earlier posts about the book reviews, I have decided to introduce a new feature called worth a look…
The problem with being down to only reviewer is that I am receiving a lot of requests for books which are well written, and which I KNOW other people would love, but for whatever reason the plot is just not connecting fully with me. My goal is to support as many indie authors as possible, and it would be a shame if these great books were not featured, just because they didn’t grip me enough to read them fully and review them.
So, let’s kick off Sunday big time, with my first worth a look book!
SONG AND SIGNAL BY M.E. PATTERSON
Blurb/Back cover
Seventeen year old genius Zakari Sharp has never stood on the surface of a planet, never seen a sun-streaked sky. He lives on a corporate owned mining facility at the edge of the solar system, with a mute alien for a guardian and brainwashed, musclebound, ex-convicts for company. The day his father vanished was so long ago that Zak though he would never hear from him again.
Zak was wrong.
Now, chased off station by a cabal of near-mythical assassins, Zak and his best friend Elizabet embark on a harrowing journey across the galaxy, to find his father’s hiding place and learn the universe-shaking discovery that hides with him. But their enemies will stop at nothing to steal the secret themselves.
Can a teenage boy change the fate of the universe? Or will a nanotech-wielding killer reach him first?
I received a paperback copy of this book a long time ago, and while I have picked it up several times, I just am not sufficiently invested in the plot to continue reading. The story is well written, it is fast paced, there is action from the word go, and I am one-hundred percent convinced that fans of the Y.A. or Sci-Fi genres would love this book. I think for me the problem is that the plot lacks originality. It feels re-cycled and I am tired of the whole boy must fight zillions of aliens to rescue his long lost father theme.
THE BOOK HAS TRAVELLED EXTENSIVELY IN MY BAG TO COFFEE SHOPS, HOWEVER, IT IS STILL IN VERY GOOD CONDITION AND I AM HAPPY TO GIVE IT AWAY! SIMPLY MENTION A LINK TO MY BLOG ON YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA AND THEN LEAVE A COMMENT ON THIS POST (WITH A LINK TO YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA SO THAT I CAN CHECK AND I WILL CHOOSE A WINNER AT RANDOM…
You can find more at: http://devils-hand.com/
June 27, 2014
Book Review – Update!
Hi everyone,
A ridiculous email from a publicist on behalf of an author has prompted me to post this. I know the majority of you understand that when submitting a book for review, you are going to get an HONEST opinion and that I can and will post that review on whichever social media sites/GoodReads…wherever, I choose!
DO NOT send a request for a review if either you, or your publicist wishes to vet the review so that you/they can filter out any negative comments. That is not the way the review system works, and frankly any publicist worth their salt would never ask a reviewer to do that. To say that I am FURIOUS right now is an understatement. Any such requests will in future be automatically deleted…although, I have indulged in an email rant at this particular publicist on this occasion!
Please also be aware that it is just me on my lonesome undertaking the reviews at the moment, as Lenora is busy with other things, therefore, due to the volume of requests that I am receiving it is impossible for me to give any guarantees. It is a fact that while I am always happy to receive requests for reviews and receive MOBI’s PDF’s or physical copies, some books that I receive never actually make it to review.
There are various different reasons for this, the most common of which are the following:
1. The book is written/edited/formatted to such a poor quality that I would only be able to give a 1 or 2 star review.
2. The plot just doesn’t grab me and I have lost interest.
3. The book is clearly more suited to Lenora, and I am saving these ones in the hope that one day, she will be able to pick back up on them!
So, to recap.
1. You are are welcome to send your reviews (Mobi or PDF – contact me if you require a postal address)
2. The email address to send them is ingrid@grannyirene.com (No need to query – just send)
3. If I review your book, I will write an HONEST review, and will not be subject to attempts to airbrush out anything the author or publicist doesn’t like.
June 25, 2014
Review of 21 Nights by Cloud Buchholz
21 Nights is an erotic (borderline pornographic) account of a young couple who agree to a no-strings, sexual relationship. Read the full review at http://lunaballantyne.wordpress.com
June 21, 2014
Review of Dual Void by Cliff Hays
Cliff Hays is a programmer and author from the U.S.A and his primary influences are mathematics, philosophy and science. He has written two Science Fiction short stories, Dual Void and IHU, as well as one work of mathematics, two works of epistemology and philosophy of science as well as essays covering issues such as agnosticism, metaphysics, cosmology and gravity!
Not only do I have a backlog of books waiting to be reviewed, but I also have a backlog of books that I have read waiting for me to post reviews. Unfortunately, while I do manage to read most evenings, my days have been so busy lately that I haven’t had a chance to post them! So, I am going to try and catch up over the course of the next week and there is currently an erotic novel which will be reviewed by Luna Ballantyne, as well as 3 Science Fiction reviews, of which Dual Void is the first. Yes, it wasn’t intentional, however, I am enjoying a Sci-Fi fest right now!
Don’t be put off or intimidated by this author’s credentials. Yes, the man is clearly a genius and that is definitely apparent in Dual Void, an INCREDIBLY well written short story, however, while his love of mathematics and fascination with metaphysics is apparent, this story is completely accessible and relevant. The story is the first person account by KES (Knowledge Expert System) A computer program, which, as a result, of a programming error now has feelings and is as alive as you and me. The fact that this is the story of a computer program enables the author to indulge his love of all things geeky and technical and there is a LOT of jargon in a very short space. The beauty of this though is that because KES is real, and talking to you, then you can absorb as much or as little of the jargon as you want. Personally, I chose to allow some of it to go over my head and didn’t trouble myself with trying to understand phrases such as Disjunctive Syllogism, and simply focused on the heroine of the story, the incredibly endearing KES.
This is a short story of many layers, and in addition to pulling you briefly into her world, the author also deals with issues such as death, or more precisely our fear of it, and KES’s fear of shutting down and never re-booting and the measures that she puts in place to protect herself is heartfelt…If only we all had the capacity to protect ourselves from the inevitable! Imagine that!
You have probably figured by now that I highly recommend this story!
You can find out more at: http://cliffhays.weebly.com
June 17, 2014
Indie and Proud – Do you want some free promotion?
When I launched Indie and Proud at the end of last year the aim was not only to promote some fab indie authors, but hopefully also provide some food for thought and helpful advice for other indies…Unfortunately, I also had no idea how busy and complicated my life was going to become in 2014 – which would mean that I wouldn’t have as much time to develop Indie and Proud as I would have liked.
I have been quiet on this subject for the last couple of months, and as such we have had a couple of people drop out of the campaign. The fabulous J.D. Miller a.k.a. Lady of Kaos has, however, kindly stepped up and offered to take over the day to day running of it.
So, we are looking to re-energize the campaign throughout the rest of the year. The good news is that there is now a LOT of opportunity for YOU to get some free promotion across various blogs/Facebook and Twitter. You don’t have to make any form of commitment. Simply send us your indie related articles and we will give you a date as to when they will be posted.
Please note, we are not looking for blatant self-promotion. We are looking for anything that is going to help other indie authors, whether that be tips on blogging/marketing/selling books/good grammar/what not to do/top tips.
If you feel that you have something to offer, simply email the article as well as a jpeg of yourself and or book cover and either J.D. or myself will arrange to post it. The email address is ingrid@grannyirene.com
June 16, 2014
Review of the Job Pirate by Brandon Christopher
Brandon Christopher is an artist, novelist and journalist. He has published over a dozen short stories and essays in magazines, and anthologies. He is also the author of Dirty Little Altar Boy. He is also a writer and producer of several different T.V documentaries.
Over a twenty year period Brandon Christopher had a ridiculous amount of jobs (Over 50, I believe) and The Job Pirate is based on his recollections of some of the most memorable and outlandish of these jobs. Everything from picking up newly dead bodies and taking them to a funeral home, to editing and writing porn for a publication, to working as a removal man, is covered in what is at times an incredibly witty and funny book. Each chapter deals with a different job, and the fact that they are not laid out in chronological order doesn’t matter: if anything it further reinforces the chaotic nature of the author’s life.
My problem with the book is that just about anyone who has had a variety of jobs could have written it. I too have had a ridiculous amount of jobs over the years – it’s an occupational hazard of being a free spirit, but I have no desire to chronicle them for posterity. I think that had the author taken his real life and humorous tales and turned them into fictional short stories, or a mini-series, then it would have been a stroke of genius. In it’s present form, I found my attention constantly wandering. I am being asked to review a lot of real-life, memoir type books at the moment and unfortunately, I am discarding most after a few chapters, as I am just not sufficiently engaged in reading about the guy next door’s woes, no matter how tragic/interesting they may be.
The Job Pirate has only made it to review because I was literally wetting myself with laughter in places.
To sum up, this book is ideal for when you want to be entertained in quick bursts. (While waiting for a train…sitting on the toilet…that kind of thing) It’s not the kind of book that I would curl up with and sink into.
You can find more at http://thejobpirate.wordpress.com
Indie and Proud…Ingrid and Yves talk dirty!
I was incredibly lucky to be interviewed by Yves Fey over on her blog and we talked about everything from writing an erotic novel, to sex with a stranger, to whether or not I need to be in love with my hero in order to be able to write a sexy book…Be warned, the answers to her questions might shock you!
Check it out http://yvesfey.com/premieres/interview-with-ingrid
June 12, 2014
Is it all right to use alright?
We all know that the English language can be a labyrinth to navigate and since I have started editing for clients, I have noticed that people are making the same mistakes over and over. So, (time allowing) I am going to try each week to put up a brief post highlighting the most common problems that people encounter. I hope this helps!
So, what’s the deal with all right and alright?
First of all the definition of all right is:
Of a satisfactory or acceptable quality (my dinner was all right) OR In a satisfactory manner or to a satisfactory extent ( I get on all right with Lenora)
All right should ALWAYS be written as TWO words, and if you want your work to be grammatically correct, then you should follow this simple rule. End of.
However, life isn’t as easy as that, and somehow alright has crept into the collective consciousness and people are using it ever more frequently. It even has an air of respectability about it…Think of alright as a conman dressed in a designer suit. A conman is always a conman, and alright will never be all right…
You can find more about my editing services here.
