Shiloh Walker's Blog, page 126
January 10, 2012
For all those authors who seek to destroy their competition…
May I introduce you to the brilliance that is Meljean Brook…
Re-Tweeted all author contests — if readers get other books for free they will buy mine. Saw that K.C. finally came online again to promote her new book and Tweeted so I Re-Tweeted her Tweet. Make note: I supported her, can remind her of it when I ask for quote.
Re-Tweeted last Tweet of all NYT authors. Should get awesome quote soon.
Checked Amazon rankings. Checked rankings of all other PNR authors. Saw N.S. much, much higher than me. Made new Amazon account. Voted down all five-star reviews for her books. Wrote three-star review. "Was hoping for something more like M.B.'s incredible work, but N.S. only delivered something okay. Who spells 'hawk' with an 'e'? Also, M.B. is a more engaging and friendly Tweeter."
And…because I can't resist…*G* from comments…
by Shiloh Walker on January 10th, 2012 | [image error]Well, all you have to do is send SW some books, damn it. Geez, it's not like I'm hard to bribe. Geez.
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by meljean on January 10th, 2012 | [image error]Note to self: Get off internets, finish damn book, send to S.W. Include note in book about DESTROYING PEOPLE WHO LIKE AUTHORS EQUALLY. Be vague enough to make S.W. wonder if I am referring to her.
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by Shiloh Walker on January 10th, 2012 | [image error]Excellent. That will feed into SW's paranoia. Now get off the internets so I can sleep. Or…well. Not. Because if I'm not sleeping, I'm not writing tomorrow.
FYI…if you're not sure what this insanity is about… well, it has to do with that purple unicorn rant. I think. Or maybe Meljean is just crazy. Who knows. After all…it IS Meljean.
If You See Her… Reader Giveaway…
So I don't have an ARC…there was an issue and I'm ARC-less. But I do an actual, real, live book.
Yup… the published copy of IF YOU SEE HER.
For a reader.
One who comments here.
O.o
Want it? Tell me you want it…and because just that is boring, tell me one other book you've been looking forward to. (No, I'm not sending you that, too, I just need book recs.)
**FYI…make sure you read my disclaimer. You have to check back to claim the prize. We'll post the winner at the end of this week or early next.
**This is the second book in the series. This series is very tightly connected. Please don't be upset with me if you read it and don't follow as well because you haven't read the first book…you've been warned.
**No reviews are needed although if you read it and post an honest review at the place of your choosing, it will make me happy.
Other rules…
entering the contest means you've read the disclaimer and agree to it.
void where prohibited by law.
odds of winning depend on number of entries
do not post to sweepstakes sites
entries must be made to my blog via my website
read the disclaimer (link above) for the rest of the rules
The Departed Giveaway winner…
A LOT of entries on that puppy.
So here we have a winner…
elaing8.
elaing8, you can use the contact form to get in touch with me! Thanks so much to all who entered!
January 9, 2012
January 8, 2012
Be warned…
I can't alter a few things I need to alter on the theme I was using. So I'm going to find a new one. If my site looks like it's going haywire… well, it might be. For a while.
I read this. I loved this.
You want this. But you probably have to wait. But not too long.
3/6/2012
When Grace Andreas's sister, Petra, and her husband are both killed, Grace inherits the Power and responsibilities of the Oracle of Louisville, as well as her sister's two young children–neither of which she is prepared for. Then Khalil, Demonkind and Djinn Prince of House Marid, decides to make himself a part of the household both as guardian and counterpoint to Grace's impudence towards the Elder Races.
January 7, 2012
YOU SHOULDN'T POST NEGATIVE REVIEWS….
(warning…sarcasm and weirdness ahead)
Because…um…well… I said so… no, wait! That's not why…this is why…
authors read them
you might want a career in publishing some day and you'll be BLACKBALLED
librarians say so
a fluffy pink unicorn dies every time you do it
it's not nice
kittens don't like it
Ah. Screw it.
Here's the thing. And it's been said 10000000000 times.
Reviews. Are. An. Opinion.
Authors don't have to like it. And guess what…readers/reviewers don't expect us to like the negative reviews.
But damn it. They are entitled to their opinion. And when you say…
YOU SHOULDN'T POST THAT.
DON'T BE SO NEGATIVE…IT'S CAN SCREW UP YOUR CAREER IN WRITING BEFORE YOU HAVE ONE
AUTHORS READ THOSE BLOGS (WON'T SOMEBODY PLEASE THINK OF THE CHILDREN…) okay…i added that on my own, but those whining about the negative reviews…um. Well…
Or anything variation of the above…you know how this translates?
You challenge their right to an opinion. Plain and simple. Perhaps that's not how you intended to come off.
Yes, yes, I realize, you slaved and labored and worked so hard on that book.
Hey, check out the header up there… I read. I write. Yes, I write. I'm a writer. Published since 2003 ( I think). I don't know how many published works, because I stopped counting them. But I'm a writer. Full stop. End of.
But being published doesn't entitle you to special treatment.
No. Wait. Maybe it does. It means you get paid for your books. If you go to a store and they have your books, you can ask to sign them, and that's kinda cool. And when people ask what you do for a living, you get to say… "I write."
That doesn't translate to…
"I get to deny other people their right to an opinion."
"I get to tell people how or where they should voice their opinions."
"I get to determine which opinions are valid and/or acceptable."
Think that's a little over the top? Maybe it is. But when you rant about a negative review, that's the message you're sending.
That negative review isn't going to kill your career. Will it stop a few people from buying your book? Possibly…because that book may not be right for them.
And FYI, one of the rants lately was that negative reviews discouraged people from reading. That comment is so fricking ludicrous I can't even began to voice how many ways that is wrong.
But here's a clue…and I'm not using these authors to mock or poke or malign. I haven't read these books, but I'm familiar with the authors and their works…'kay?
Laurell K Hamilton… on Amazon, Bullet-300+ reviews, and 147 are 1 star. And you want me to believe people are still not buying/reading? They are buying and reading her like crazy.
Stephanie Meyer on Amazon 5000+ And day-yum…guys I need more reviews!… anyway. 600 something negative reviews for Twilight. And Stephanie Meyer…. still getting bought like mad.
Yes, these are big names. I realize that. But readers aren't discouraged by 'bad' reviews.
And guess what…that negative review may be the very thing that entices another reader to buy your book.
Example…over at Dear Author… there are several different reviewers.
I generally tend to like books that reviewer Janet likes… if she likes a book, chances are I'm going to, and I've often found myself disliking the same books she's disliked.
So if she didn't care for a book I'm on the fence about? Yeah, I might not buy.
However… Jane's negative reviews? I very often have enjoyed books she hasn't. I'm hit or miss on the books she's liked so a positive review from her isn't necessarily going to be the push I need to get me to buy. But a negative one very often is the push I need if I'm on the fence. I really don't think I'm the only person who does things like this.
And it's a book I'm really, really interested in? Reviews don't matter. I'm probably going to take a chance on it. Unless you're one of these authors who are having fits about people having opinions your books, because you're an author I'm never going to try. I'm full of opinions and nobody gets to dictate how I get to voice them, where, when…etc, etc, etc.
I don't want to come off as being harsh. But seriously…some of these writers who are having meltdowns lately over negative/critical reviews?
I just have these thoughts in mind.
You need to get a couple of good, solid friends to vent to. OFFLINE
You need to get your big girl pants/big boy pants…and put them on….people are going to dislike your work. That's all there is to it.
Accept it. Be prepared. Your life will be easier for it, I promise you.
If you don't think all of this makes sense… look at all the blow-ups that happen when an author rants over a review disliking a book. Think them through… how many of them ended well for the author? I can't think of one. It reflects badly.
And it can cost you readers. The internet… she doesn't forget.
ETA: Please… think of the unicorns:
Author Author Cat pic made @ the LOL Cat builder
Saturday Snippets… Warm Places
This one was harder! But hey… a beach is mentioned…
There were places a guy wanted to be in life—in bed with a long, lean woman wrapped around him? That topped the list, as far as Law Reilly was concerned.
Although he wouldn't mind a cabin in the mountains, just him and his laptop. He'd be fine with swapping out the laptop for a long, lean woman.
Or even a shack on a beach, just him and his laptop. Again, the swap-out—his laptop for a long, lean woman? That would work. And some beer on hand.
The place he didn't want to be, though?
A wedding in small-town Kentucky.
Namely, Ash, Kentucky, where he'd been living for the past ten years. Long enough that he could call the place home, long enough that most of the people knew him by face, by name…and by bank account, even if most of them didn't entirely know where the money came from.
due out next month…read more
Other authors doing the snippet go round
Eliza Gayle
Rhian Cahill
Anne Rainey
Jody Wallace
Lissa Matthews
Mari Carr
McKenna Jeffries
Taige Crenshaw
Alison Kent
Delilah Devlin
HelenKay Dimon
Lacey Savage
Leah Braemel
Selena Robins
TJ Michaels
January 6, 2012
The Friday 56…
This is from my current WIP, THE REUNITED which is the next book in the FBI Psychic series. I think it's due out late this year or early next.
Grace had been lovely, there was no doubt about that, but she hadn't been smart.
Ella was much more suitable.
About the Friday 56
Grab the book nearest you. Right now
Turn to page 56.
Find the fifth sentence.
Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of this blog.
Post a link along with your post back to this blog.
Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.
January 5, 2012
New winner chosen…
So the thrills and chills winner must not want her Nook. This is the second winner.
So now we have a third. Another name, randomly drawn. And it's…
jepebATverizonDOTnet who commented:
Trying to post again….
jepebATverizonDOTnet
