D.B. Nielsen's Blog: D B Nielsen's Author Blog, page 6

December 2, 2014

One Lovely Blog Hop


ONE LOVELY BLOG HOP

This blog hop is designed to show our readers a more personal side to ourselves. We've been challenged by another author/ blogger (somewhat like the 'ice bucket' challenge) to list seven interesting facts to help cast light onto that tough writer’s/ blogger's persona we all like to project. But we want to show that behind every story is a story, our story, my story, and like everyone else I have dreams, hobbies, problems and goals. This blog hop is a way to share some of them with you, my readers.

The rules are that I share 7 Lovely Facts about myself, and links to at least 15 blogs that I enjoy reading. If I’ve nominated your blog, please don’t feel any obligation to join in but, if you do, please link back to the blog of the person who nominated you (that would be me - DB Nielsen), share 7 facts about yourself and nominate 15 blogs (or as many as you can).

I was reading some of the other blogs on this tour. There are some remarkable and gifted writers here and I’m happy to be in their company. Many thanks to LA Starkey, author of Deceived, for adding me to the blog hop! L.A. Starkey is the YA/ urban fantasy author of Deceived and its sequel Destroyed. I have my copy of this really interesting book and am looking forward to reading it! Her blog features her writing muses and love of music.

So, here are my 7 fun facts, in no particular order. Enjoy :-)
I collect champagne corks of all the special occasions I’ve enjoyed. If I’m out celebrating at a restaurant, I request that the sommelier or waiter save me the cork from my champagne bottle. When I get home, I tag the cork, marking it with the occasion, place and date, and who was present. Finally, I place the cork in a glass display jar. I now have hundreds of champagne corks (vintage Bollinger, Krug, Moet & Chandon, Pol Roger, etc…) and several large glass jars on display – and I can revisit these special occasions whenever I like. It also makes for a great conversation starter. I collect old and rare books. I have framed pages of medieval manuscripts and Dickens’ serial pamphlets and beautifully leather-bound, gilt-edged books in my favourite room in my house; the library. It is typically Victorian in style with a high wing-back chair and ottoman, brass floor lamp, Persian carpet, floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, framed photographs and prints, and a tray table with cut crystal decanters filled with whisky.I am a neat freak. I’m not quite OCD but probably close to it. I hate mess. I can’t bear to look at mess. I feel the need to clean up and make things sparkle again. When my kids make a mess with their toys scattered around the house, I have to clean it up (for all the good it does me – as twenty minutes later, it looks a mess again!). I don’t mind housework (I just hate ironing – it’s the one chore I prefer not to do!) and often use it as an excuse to procrastinate when I’m not in the mood to write. If my friends tell me they’re dropping by, I feel the need to clean my house so they don’t think I live in a pigsty. I love Afternoon Tea. Quite British of me, I know. But I do. I love the whole ritual of it – the time of day, the scones with jam and clotted cream, the tea leaves steeping in the teapot, the finger sandwiches and bite-sized cakes, etc… I can’t explain it but it’s just so … civilised.  As a child, I wrote to pen pals all over the world from Suomi in Finland to Wellington, New Zealand. Some of my oldest friends are those I began writing to when I was about ten-years-old. I’ve kept their correspondence to me and they’ve kept mine – so together we have a diary of our growing years and friendship. My favourite film is The Princess Bride – it has all the crucial elements of a great story: swashbuckling adventure, romance, humour, revenge, and true love. I almost can’t imagine a better way to say ‘I love you’ than ‘As you wish’. I once worked in the theatre, behind-the-scenes at Phantom of the Opera. I was there for a couple of years and have a special commemorative jacket to prove it. I must have seen the performance hundreds of times – still get chills when listening to the opening sequence.
I won't go into any extreme detail here. All I have to say is that those nominated below are simply great people who love to read and/or create worlds for us to enjoy! Don't believe me? Follow the links to find out more about them.

Jonathan M. Dixit, author of BabyWorld. Find out more via his blog

Robert A. Palmer co-author of Relyk

JC Brennan author of A Fine Line
K.S. Marsden author of The Shadow Rises 
Emily Goddard, blogger at English Bibliophile Blog
Kirby Howell author of Autumn in the City of Angels 
C.L. Schneider author of The Crown of Stones
Keeley vblogger at ABibliophilesJourney
Join in the hop and nominate some people who love books as much as I do!



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Published on December 02, 2014 18:22

December 1, 2014

BLOG TOUR Day One

Book Blast, Giveaway & Interview: Seed: Keepers of Genesis I by @db_nielsen
http://authorkarenswart.blogspot.com.au/2014/12/book-blast-giveaway-interview-seed.html?showComment=1417471894237#c9173043128641195304

Check it out.

Love

Dee
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Published on December 01, 2014 04:25

November 30, 2014

Message From Mark Shaw #IndieBooksBeSeen

Message from Mark Shaw re #indiebooksbeseen PART 1
PART 2

Thank you Mark for taking the time to give us an update on #indiebooksbeseen :-)
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Published on November 30, 2014 23:36

BLOG TOUR December 2014


Blog Tour DatesDecember 1 Interview
Author Karen Swart
www.authorkarenswart.blogspot.com
December 2 Spotlight
Cassandra M's Place
www.cassandramsplace.comDecember 3 Character Interview
Eclipse Reviews
www.totaleclipsereviews.blogspot.comDecember 4 Interview
Deal Sharing Aunt
www.dealsharingaunt.blogspot.comDecember 5 Guest blog
Counter Culture Critic
http://www.guyvestal.com/home/2014/12/seed-keepers-of-genesis-i-by-db-nielsen%e2%8f/December 8 Spotlight
The Reader's Hollow
http://thereadershollow.weebly.com/home/book-giveaway-seed-urban-fantasyDecember 9 Spotlight
Lisa’s World of Books
www.lisasworldofbooks.netDecember 10 Guest blog
Books and Tales
http://booksandtales.blogspot.co.uk/December 11 Interview
Roxanne’s Realm
www.roxannerhoads.comDecember 12 Spotlight
Share My Destiny
http://sharemydestiny.blogspot.comDecember 15 Guest Blog
Fang-tastic Books
www.fang-tasticbooks.blogspot.comDecember 16 Interview
The Creatively Green Write at Home Mom
www.creativelygreen.blogspot.comDecember 17 Spotlight and review
Fang Freakin Tastic Reviews
www.fangfreakintasticreviews.comDecember 18 Guest Post
Mythical Books
http://www.mythicalbooks.blogspot.ro/December 19 Interview
Mom With A Kindle
http://momwithakindle.blogspot.comDecember 22December 23 Review
Paranormal Romance and Authors That Rock
www.pratr.wordpress.comDecember 26 December 29 Guest post and review
Lissette Manning
http://www.simplistik.org/lissetteemanningDecember 30 Guest blog
Penny Writes
www.pennybrojacquie.blogspot.comDecember 31 Spotlight
3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too!
http://3partnersinshopping.blogspot.com
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Published on November 30, 2014 22:05

Timing is everything


Well, I guess it's time I write another blog entry. I'm sorry I haven't written one earlier but my excuse is that I'm trying to write Book Three of the Keepers of Genesis series and I'm hoarding all the time I can get in order to write.

But before I begin this blog in earnest, I wish to touch on some thoughts I've had over the last month since I heard about the incident of the writer who stalked a blogger for giving her a bad review (and some stuff about trolling and catfishing and all that, which I'm not going to go into). So my thoughts ran like this:

(a) well, of course, writing is personal. It's like having a child. You carry this story around inside you for so long and then you give birth to it. You create. You write. It's a part of you (even if it is a fantasy or sci fi novel or such like). You become attached to it. You become attached to your characters. So, let's face it, when someone says something negative about your book, it's like how you might feel if someone says something negative about your siblings/ parents/ children/ home/ etc... It's personal.

BUT

(b) why feed the trolls?

AS

(c) despite what you may believe, it isn't meant to be a personal attack for most bloggers. It isn't personal. Most bloggers, in my experience, are lovely people who want others to make intellectual discoveries about books/ literature and other interests... They give their honest opinions about the books they read and review. And, as I've said before, not everyone is going to like your book. Even if it happens to be the best thing since Shakespeare.

So enough about that (though I probably didn't say anything at all!!)

Okay, so this blog is firstly to let you all know that I'm still waiting for the green light to publish Book Two, Scroll. It should have already been out. Except that the US tax laws changed and, for foreign writers, this left a few issues to be sorted out. And despite submitting all my paperwork to the IRS over a month ago, they misplaced it or lost it or something and have asked me to resubmit everything. So that Christmas deadline I set myself is drifting further and further away...

But I will endeavour to give you snippets of the novel to whet your appetite. Bear with me guys ... I'm hoping the long wait will be worth it.

And speaking of which...

I have to say that I hate it (as a reader) when authors take forever to get their books published. What's an appropriate time period? A year? 18 months? I don't know. It seems dreadful when a series takes forever to finish - I have been reading a few such series and one series (which I started in high school) is still unfinished (seven books later and waiting...) whilst another (I absolutely loved) after twelve books (two series back to back) I didn't know if I could persevere with. I'm waiting till they are all written and then I'll buy them and read them. That's not a comment on how I want readers to read my series but I hope to produce them in a decent time period.

I know that sometimes it isn't the fault of the author but there are times when readers have a right to gripe. I sympathise as a reader. I overheard an interview where George RR Martin (of Game of Thrones fame) became angered at the suggestion that he might pass away before finishing his series and leave fans in the lurch. His response is unprintable, I'm afraid. But I know that for someone who began reading his series before it became a megablockbuster bestseller, the wait is excruciating (compounded by the fact that the TV series seems to sort-of-but-not-quite follow the plot by going off on tangents and digressions).

But then, as a writer, it takes me FOREVER to write a novel (okay, so my novels are around 160,000+ words in length) but when my BETA group speed through it in an adrenaline-rush-hell-for-leather-burn-the-midnight-oil sitting, I'm both thrilled/ elated/ humbled and horrified.

I'm like: Do you know how long it took me to write/research/edit that?

And they respond by: What do you mean "I can't believe you've read the whole book already!" What am I supposed to do when it's open and there are words on the page?

So yeah, my dilemma.

Well, I guess that's all for now. I will be blogging again soon (stay tuned for 7 interesting facts about me on my blog hop) but, for now, take care.

Love DB
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Published on November 30, 2014 21:58

The Writer-Reader Contract


This is my first blog. Ever (well copied from my Goodreads Blog!). And so I hope that you'll forgive me if it seems a bit of a ramble. I'm new to this.

I guess this blog post is borne out of a few articles I was reading this week and my reaction to them as a debut author, which is why the title of this post is the writer-reader contract. Of course, no such physical contract exists, but my belief is that there is a bond, a dynamic, between the writer and reader - one formed by the reader's generosity in reading my book in the first place, and my commitment to delivering the best novel/s I can.

I guess I had better explain where this is coming from.

This week I read a writer's blog (not naming names) where the author wrote that after publishing several books in her series, she was 'out of love' with her characters, indifferent to finishing her series (despite pre-orders for her next novel) and just wanted to chuck it all in and begin anew, begin a different (better) series. Her readers/ fans were sympathetic, though one reader (the voice of reason) claimed that if she didn't finish this series, why should anyone invest themselves in her new series. Well, I tend to agree.

My view is that when you decide to publish (and it is a decision - you don't just fall into this, despite the ease of self-publishing nowadays), you commit yourself to the task of finishing your series (if that is what you are writing) and you commit yourself to the reader. Readers matter. I feel indebted to each and every one of my readers for taking the time to read my novel. And, yes, in case you're wondering, I fully intend to finish my series (wouldn't even contemplate not finishing my series!) - though I can understand where this author is coming from as it is disheartening to get a bad review. But you have to accept that there will always be readers who won't like, maybe even hate, your novel. After all, I'm sure that writers themselves when they read do not find that they like everything they read. I certainly don't. Hell, there are books I would do anything to avoid re-reading, even it meant the pain of punishment (which is how I would view re-reading those particular books). Sorry, I'm rambling. But what I mean to say is that no matter how many 'true' readers you have (a term some bloggers use to describe committed fans) - even if it is only half a dozen - you owe it to them to finish a series. They are as invested in it as you are.

If you are an author at a traditional publishing house and they refuse to invest any more in your series (yes, this can happen!) then perhaps it's time to consider becoming a hybrid author and self-publishing to finish that particular series, whilst continuing writing for the publisher other novels.

Well, enough with the advice.

So, the other thing that prompted me to write a blog about this was the issue of bad reviews. For a writer, this is a tough one. You can get 99 great reviews and 1 bad review and that's the one that you remember. Of course, you could avoid reading reviews altogether but that really isn't going to happen until you get to be a mega-bestselling novelist and you just don't have the time to read those reviews any more. I see you raise your eyebrows in disbelief. Look, I'm using my imagination here as I have yet to reach those dizzying heights.

I'm okay with bad reviews - really - though I'm much happier without them. I read that even the blockbuster novels have thousands of bad reviews - so misery loves company. But sometimes I think reviewers on GoodReads or Amazon miss the point of a bad review - a review is about giving insight to other readers what you found good/ bad about a book in terms of plot, characterisation, setting, pace, accuracy (if it has history, etc...), etc... Writers use this information to construct better stories next time. Some (when self-published) use it to re-work their novel and resubmit. Readers often use reviews to see if the novel will interest them. But a bad review that is just mean or a gripe or three words is, in my mind, not worth the paper it's printed on (metaphorically speaking). To be honest, at this point, I haven't had that many bad reviews though I know they will come (it's par for the course) but I hope they will be valuable to readers as much as the good reviews are valuable to readers.

So, here's the thing. As a writer, I have made a commitment to my readers. I value my readers. I thank them for their generosity and support. I appreciate it when they write reviews. And if they give me a bad review (look, I'm not asking - no way canvassing - for a bad review!!) I hope it will assist other readers to make up their minds whether they wish to read my novel. In other words, I hope it's constructive and informed. But, even if I got a fistful of bad reviews, I am committed to writing my series for the readers who love my novel - who love the characters and the plot and want more.

So this is the writer-reader contract. I'll write as long as there are readers out there who want to read what I write.

Simple.
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Published on November 30, 2014 21:56

November 15, 2014

Timing is everything

Well, I guess it's time I write another blog entry. I'm sorry I haven't written one earlier but my excuse is that I'm trying to write Book Three of the Keepers of Genesis series and I'm hoarding all the time I can get in order to write.
But before I begin this blog in earnest, I wish to touch on some thoughts I've had over the last month since I heard about the incident of the writer who stalked a blogger for giving her a bad review (and some stuff about trolling and catfishing and all that, which I'm not going to go into). So my thoughts ran like this:
(a) well, of course, writing is personal. It's like having a child. You carry this story around inside you for so long and then you give birth to it. You create. You write. It's a part of you (even if it is a fantasy or sci fi novel or such like). You become attached to it. You become attached to your characters. So, let's face it, when someone says something negative about your book, it's like how you might feel if someone says something negative about your siblings/ parents/ children/ home/ etc... It's personal.
BUT
(b) why feed the trolls?
AS
(c) despite what you may believe, it isn't meant to be a personal attack for most bloggers. It isn't personal. Most bloggers, in my experience, are lovely people who want others to make intellectual discoveries about books/ literature and other interests... They give their honest opinions about the books they read and review. And, as I've said before, not everyone is going to like your book. Even if it happens to be the best thing since Shakespeare.
So enough about that (though I probably didn't say anything at all!!)
Okay, so this blog is firstly to let you all know that I'm still waiting for the green light to publish Book Two, Scroll. It should have already been out. Except that the US tax laws changed and, for foreign writers, this left a few issues to be sorted out. And despite submitting all my paperwork to the IRS over a month ago, they misplaced it or lost it or something and have asked me to resubmit everything. So that Christmas deadline I set myself is drifting further and further away...
But I will endeavour to give you snippets of the novel to whet your appetite. Bear with me guys ... I'm hoping the long wait will be worth it.
And speaking of which...
I have to say that I hate it (as a reader) when authors take forever to get their books published. What's an appropriate time period? A year? 18 months? I don't know. It seems dreadful when a series takes forever to finish - I have been reading a few such series and one series (which I started in high school) is still unfinished (seven books later and waiting...) whilst another (I absolutely loved) after twelve books (two series back to back) I didn't know if I could persevere with. I'm waiting till they are all written and then I'll buy them and read them. That's not a comment on how I want readers to read my series but I hope to produce them in a decent time period.
I know that sometimes it isn't the fault of the author but there are times when readers have a right to gripe. I sympathise as a reader. I overheard an interview where George RR Martin (of Game of Thrones fame) became angered at the suggestion that he might pass away before finishing his series and leave fans in the lurch. His response is unprintable, I'm afraid. But I know that for someone who began reading his series before it became a megablockbuster bestseller, the wait is excruciating (compounded by the fact that the TV series seems to sort-of-but-not-quite follow the plot by going off on tangents and digressions).
But then, as a writer, it takes me FOREVER to write a novel (okay, so my novels are around 160,000+ words in length) but when my BETA group speed through it in an adrenaline-rush-hell-for-leather-burn-the-midnight-oil sitting, I'm both thrilled/ elated/ humbled and horrified.
I'm like: Do you know how long it took me to write/research/edit that?
And they respond by: What do you mean "I can't believe you've read the whole book already!" What am I supposed to do when it's open and there are words on the page?
So yeah, my dilemma.
Well, I guess that's all for now. I will be blogging again soon (stay tuned for 7 interesting facts about me on my blog hop) but, for now, take care.
Love DB
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Published on November 15, 2014 23:52

September 14, 2014

The Writer-Reader Contract

This is my first blog. Ever. And so I hope that you'll forgive me if it seems a bit of a ramble. I'm new to this.
I guess this blog post is borne out of a few articles I was reading this week and my reaction to them as a debut author, which is why the title of this post is the writer-reader contract. Of course, no such physical contract exists, but my belief is that there is a bond, a dynamic, between the writer and reader - one formed by the reader's generosity in reading my book in the first place, and my commitment to delivering the best novel/s I can.
I guess I had better explain where this is coming from.
This week I read a writer's blog (not naming names) where the author wrote that after publishing several books in her series, she was 'out of love' with her characters, indifferent to finishing her series (despite pre-orders for her next novel) and just wanted to chuck it all in and begin anew, begin a different (better) series. Her readers/ fans were sympathetic, though one reader (the voice of reason) claimed that if she didn't finish this series, why should anyone invest themselves in her new series. Well, I tend to agree.
My view is that when you decide to publish (and it is a decision - you don't just fall into this, despite the ease of self-publishing nowadays), you commit yourself to the task of finishing your series (if that is what you are writing) and you commit yourself to the reader. Readers matter. I feel indebted to each and every one of my readers for taking the time to read my novel. And, yes, in case you're wondering, I fully intend to finish my series (wouldn't even contemplate not finishing my series!) - though I can understand where this author is coming from as it is disheartening to get a bad review. But you have to accept that there will always be readers who won't like, maybe even hate, your novel. After all, I'm sure that writers themselves when they read do not find that they like everything they read. I certainly don't. Hell, there are books I would do anything to avoid re-reading, even it meant the pain of punishment (which is how I would view re-reading those particular books). Sorry, I'm rambling. But what I mean to say is that no matter how many 'true' readers you have (a term some bloggers use to describe committed fans) - even if it is only half a dozen - you owe it to them to finish a series. They are as invested in it as you are.
If you are an author at a traditional publishing house and they refuse to invest any more in your series (yes, this can happen!) then perhaps it's time to consider becoming a hybrid author and self-publishing to finish that particular series, whilst continuing writing for the publisher other novels.
Well, enough with the advice.
So, the other thing that prompted me to write a blog about this was the issue of bad reviews. For a writer, this is a tough one. You can get 99 great reviews and 1 bad review and that's the one that you remember. Of course, you could avoid reading reviews altogether but that really isn't going to happen until you get to be a mega-bestselling novelist and you just don't have the time to read those reviews any more. I see you raise your eyebrows in disbelief. Look, I'm using my imagination here as I have yet to reach those dizzying heights.
I'm okay with bad reviews - really - though I'm much happier without them. I read that even the blockbuster novels have thousands of bad reviews - so misery loves company. But sometimes I think reviewers on GoodReads or Amazon miss the point of a bad review - a review is about giving insight to other readers what you found good/ bad about a book in terms of plot, characterisation, setting, pace, accuracy (if it has history, etc...), etc... Writers use this information to construct better stories next time. Some (when self-published) use it to re-work their novel and resubmit. Readers often use reviews to see if the novel will interest them. But a bad review that is just mean or a gripe or three words is, in my mind, not worth the paper it's printed on (metaphorically speaking). To be honest, at this point, I haven't had that many bad reviews though I know they will come (it's par for the course) but I hope they will be valuable to readers as much as the good reviews are valuable to readers.
So, here's the thing. As a writer, I have made a commitment to my readers. I value my readers. I thank them for their generosity and support. I appreciate it when they write reviews. And if they give me a bad review (look, I'm not asking - no way canvassing - for a bad review!!) I hope it will assist other readers to make up their minds whether they wish to read my novel. In other words, I hope it's constructive and informed. But, even if I got a fistful of bad reviews, I am committed to writing my series for the readers who love my novel - who love the characters and the plot and want more.
So this is the writer-reader contract. I'll write as long as there are readers out there who want to read what I write.
Simple.
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Published on September 14, 2014 01:23 Tags: blog, reader, reviews, writer

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D.B. Nielsen
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