In the past I have never, ever set a goal for how many books to read in a year. This is the year I want to change that. I have - literally - almost 50 books that I own that I have not read yet. (Just ask my husband...) So this year, I am going to set a goal.
Since starting up a book review the first Sunday of every month mainly for Self-Publish and Small Press books, I have a goal to read 12 of these types of books. That is one for every month. Thankfully, January's is down. So only 11 more to go! Here are a few of the books I have lined up, in no particular order:
Front Row
Baylyn, Bewitched
Cat, Charmed
Edgelanders
Sorrow's Peak
Shatter; Sins of the Sidh 1
Shine; Sins of the Sidh 2
All of the above can be found in my "to-read" file on Goodreads.
But what about traditionally published books?
Ideally I would decimate my TBR list, but alas, I have a full time job, I blog, I write, I edit, and actually have date nights with my husband, and it's just not realistic.
I think I would be happy with reading 10 traditionally published books this year. So in total my goal is 22 books in a year. Not too bad of a goal. I think it will be attainable, I just have to actually make time to read more. Hopefully I won't have to cheat and go for all thinner books! Some of the other books on my TBR shelf include the following:
The Slow Regard of Silent Things
The Name of the Wind
Guardians of the West (The Malloreaon #1)
Cinder
Beyond the Pale
Again, all of these can be found on my "to-read" shelf on Goodreads. (The link is at the top in the Social Interactions page)
So here goes...creating another challenge for myself. Though honestly, I think I will be able to handle it. You can follow along on my Goodreads account, otherwise I am sure there will be updates here. What about you? Anyone else creating a goal for reading in 2016?
Friday, January 29, 2016
Wednesday, January 27, 2016
Books for Writers Part 2
Thanks for checking back in! Today is part two of my series of books for writers. This week it's all about a few of the books that I have found helpful as a fantasy writer. The books are as follows:
Writing Monsters by Philip Athans
The Writer's Complete Fantasy Reference with an introduction by Terry Brooks
Writing Fantasy & Science Fiction with sections by Orson Scott Card, Philip Athans, Jay Lake
Writing Monsters is a relatively new acquisition that I haven't had as much time as I would like to have spent flipping through the pages. This book first attempts to define what a monster is, what makes them scary, and their origin story. It also discusses monsters as literary devices such as a metaphor, an obstacle, an agent, a source of pity, or as a source of magic or technology. The book also has many fantastic charts or worksheets that help to outline the monsters that you create or will be using in your fiction.
The Fantasy Reference guide is one that I have had for many, many years. It has proved useful several times over. I currently have the page on types of magic system bookmarked, as well as sections on arms, armor, and armies. There is also a great section on medieval clothes and terms which I have referenced, as well as the castle and fortress diagrams. These references have all been irreplaceable while outlining and writing my fantasy novels.
Once again Writing Fantasy & Science Fiction is a newer acquisition. The world building chapters are great, and covers both creating a fantasy world as well as a science fiction one. They are incredibly detailed and cover such topics as time travel and magic systems. There is even a large section on steampunk which, a long with fantasy and science fiction, is experiencing a boom in popularity.
As a fantasy writer these books have been a wealth of resources for me. Especially before I used the internet to do more research. There is something about the feel of a book, highlighters, and sticky notes in hand that a computer just doesn't have. Plus, if the computer doesn't work, or I don't have the internet I have a resource for information.
Again, this post was not sponsored or promoted by Writers Digest, just a strange and to me humorous coincidence.
Stick around, next week is all about the books that I have found useful in the self-publication process!
Writing Monsters by Philip Athans
The Writer's Complete Fantasy Reference with an introduction by Terry Brooks
Writing Fantasy & Science Fiction with sections by Orson Scott Card, Philip Athans, Jay Lake
Writing Monsters is a relatively new acquisition that I haven't had as much time as I would like to have spent flipping through the pages. This book first attempts to define what a monster is, what makes them scary, and their origin story. It also discusses monsters as literary devices such as a metaphor, an obstacle, an agent, a source of pity, or as a source of magic or technology. The book also has many fantastic charts or worksheets that help to outline the monsters that you create or will be using in your fiction.
The Fantasy Reference guide is one that I have had for many, many years. It has proved useful several times over. I currently have the page on types of magic system bookmarked, as well as sections on arms, armor, and armies. There is also a great section on medieval clothes and terms which I have referenced, as well as the castle and fortress diagrams. These references have all been irreplaceable while outlining and writing my fantasy novels.
Once again Writing Fantasy & Science Fiction is a newer acquisition. The world building chapters are great, and covers both creating a fantasy world as well as a science fiction one. They are incredibly detailed and cover such topics as time travel and magic systems. There is even a large section on steampunk which, a long with fantasy and science fiction, is experiencing a boom in popularity.
As a fantasy writer these books have been a wealth of resources for me. Especially before I used the internet to do more research. There is something about the feel of a book, highlighters, and sticky notes in hand that a computer just doesn't have. Plus, if the computer doesn't work, or I don't have the internet I have a resource for information.
Again, this post was not sponsored or promoted by Writers Digest, just a strange and to me humorous coincidence.
Stick around, next week is all about the books that I have found useful in the self-publication process!
Friday, January 22, 2016
Judging a Book by its Cover
Judging a book by its cover...some of us have done it, maybe some haven't. But the majority of people will come right out and say that they will judge a book by its cover.
This is so wrong on so many levels. At least crack the book open and take a peak at the meat of the story! This is the very reason why Amazon and other book sellers offer a "Look Inside" feature. Not all covers are created equal.
Whether this is due to the graphic artist, the publishing house, or an independent author who does not have a large budget, it is a sad reality. In an ideal world, all books would have equally exciting and grand covers. But this isn't an ideal world- far from it in fact.
True, a book's cover is very often the first thing a potential reader will see. It should catch the eye of the reader, at least for them to pick up the book, or click to see more. What I don't understand is why people often don't give a book a further look. Books are made up of much more than what is on the outside. To truly get an idea of the book, you have to spend time flipping through and reading a few pages, if not chapters. If I pick up a book, I know within reading the first few pages if I want to continue reading or not.
And it doesn't matter if it's a traditionally published book, or an independent one. I will always pick them up, or click the "Look Inside" button. Because as a reader, and a writer, I know what really matters to a book. And it has nothing to do if the cover is flashy or not.
Sadly all too many people will simply glance over a cover and move on.
I say it's time to give those books a second glance, or even a flip through. I for one have found some amazing books that at first glance didn't catch my eye.
I challenge you, the next time you glaze over a cover of a book to go back for a second look, flip through, check out the writing. You might be surprised at what you find!
This is so wrong on so many levels. At least crack the book open and take a peak at the meat of the story! This is the very reason why Amazon and other book sellers offer a "Look Inside" feature. Not all covers are created equal.
Whether this is due to the graphic artist, the publishing house, or an independent author who does not have a large budget, it is a sad reality. In an ideal world, all books would have equally exciting and grand covers. But this isn't an ideal world- far from it in fact.
True, a book's cover is very often the first thing a potential reader will see. It should catch the eye of the reader, at least for them to pick up the book, or click to see more. What I don't understand is why people often don't give a book a further look. Books are made up of much more than what is on the outside. To truly get an idea of the book, you have to spend time flipping through and reading a few pages, if not chapters. If I pick up a book, I know within reading the first few pages if I want to continue reading or not.
And it doesn't matter if it's a traditionally published book, or an independent one. I will always pick them up, or click the "Look Inside" button. Because as a reader, and a writer, I know what really matters to a book. And it has nothing to do if the cover is flashy or not.
Sadly all too many people will simply glance over a cover and move on.
I say it's time to give those books a second glance, or even a flip through. I for one have found some amazing books that at first glance didn't catch my eye.
I challenge you, the next time you glaze over a cover of a book to go back for a second look, flip through, check out the writing. You might be surprised at what you find!
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
Books for Writers Part 1
New year, new series! *cheers all around*
As stated in my "new years post" I want to start running a few series centered around a central topic. They are going to center around books that I have found helpful as a novelist, a fantasy writer, and as a self published author.
First up? The books that I find immensely helpful as a novelist/writer. There are four of them, and they are in no particular order:
45 Master Characters by Victoria Lynn Schmidt
20 Master Plots by Ronald B. Tobias
Writing Fiction by Janet Burroway, Elizabeth and Ned Stuckey-French
Between the Lines by Jessica Page Morrell
I currently have a section on Archetypes V.S. Stereotypes bookmarked with a sticky note in 45 Master Characters. This is one of my favorite things to reference since I write mainly genre fiction, and there is a distinction between the two. In 20 Master Plots I have the section about Story V.S. Plot bookmarked. Once again there is a distinction between the two that should be understood. Both of these I try to reference and keep in mind while writing.
Writing Fiction and Between the Lines focus on your craft. In fact Writing Fiction was actually one of my assigned textbooks from a creative writing class. Honestly, I know that I am a bit of a pack rat, but in the case of my writing courses, I usually kept the textbooks. We only would use a fraction of it each semester, and if when flipping through I saw other chapters or sections I thought could be helpful, I kept the book. Writing Fiction was one of those books. There are some great writing exercises, and chapters of characterization.
Between the Lines was a book that I actually picked up on my own at Barnes and Noble years ago. I have read this book at least twice, and have gone back and referenced several sections. While there are some great writing exercises, I really prize this book for how easily understood the chapters are. Everything is written clearly and is easily understood in a plain language. If you only buy one writing "instruction" book, this would be the one I recommend.
One thing that I found humorous through writing this post and looking at these books was that three out of the the four were from Writers Digest Books. Not that this was a promoted post in any way, as I have had these books far longer than I have had this blog. Just something that I found funny. :)
Friday, January 15, 2016
Current Research
Sometimes I wonder if someone did a history search on my computer they might think I was off my rocker. Especially recently.
Let me 'splain.
Not only have I been looking up forging weapons, sword fighting techniques, and medieval information for my Ryder Chronicles, but I've also started research on other writing projects. These projects include a historical fiction set in colonial America, a modern day romance set in Ireland, a middle grade/YA type fiction/fantasy set in an alternate world that runs parallel to ours, a urban fantasy trilogy about loup garu set in Chicago, a urban fantasy/mystery series set in New York following a female detective, and a urban fantasy/romance involving a medical student and a vampire set in New England.
Phew...and there's even a few more projects that I have on the back burner. Now, before people start crying out too badly. No, most of these do not have titles, or even idea for when they will be released. Right now many of these stories are simply in the formulation stages. And for several of them, they are extremely research heavy.
So my search history has been ranging from colonial speech patterns and Native American tribes in the specific area, to medical advances in blood diseases. Sadly, for the romance in Ireland I actually have bookmarked a street view in Doolin as inspiration for the buildings that are there, and where to plant the buildings I've made up. I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing to admit, but hey, it's there.
Even slightly creepier is the information I am needing for the urban fantasy in New York. If you've read The Dresden Files, that is more the type of book I am going for. I am hoping to strike a balance between fantastical and hard detective/mystery elements. This character came to me from no where, and she has an especially interesting story to tell. I do know the main character, the antagonist, and that there will be 13 books in the series. This is one long haul series I am looking forward to!
The other books set in Chicago involving loup garu will bring into play my knowledge of Celtic and Irish lore. Though the research will still be there, especially for the setting. I have visited Chicago, but never lived there. It's also been interesting discovering the many types of shape shifters and werewolf stories that are out there. The lore is all so different, so there is a lot to choose from. I first stumbled across the main character during college when I wrote a short story based on the main character. The professor said he had never given an "A" to a genre story....I forced him to change his track record ;)
So again for some of these stories it's pretty innocent: locations, local flora and fauna, speech patterns etc. And then again, some of it's not: blood spatter patterns, poisons, the hierarchy of different governmental organizations, gun and ammunition facts etc.
Oy Vey, why did I have to be interested in such different genres? I just hope I'm not the only one!
Can anyone else relate to researching things that would be considered "strange"?
Let me 'splain.
Not only have I been looking up forging weapons, sword fighting techniques, and medieval information for my Ryder Chronicles, but I've also started research on other writing projects. These projects include a historical fiction set in colonial America, a modern day romance set in Ireland, a middle grade/YA type fiction/fantasy set in an alternate world that runs parallel to ours, a urban fantasy trilogy about loup garu set in Chicago, a urban fantasy/mystery series set in New York following a female detective, and a urban fantasy/romance involving a medical student and a vampire set in New England.
Phew...and there's even a few more projects that I have on the back burner. Now, before people start crying out too badly. No, most of these do not have titles, or even idea for when they will be released. Right now many of these stories are simply in the formulation stages. And for several of them, they are extremely research heavy.
So my search history has been ranging from colonial speech patterns and Native American tribes in the specific area, to medical advances in blood diseases. Sadly, for the romance in Ireland I actually have bookmarked a street view in Doolin as inspiration for the buildings that are there, and where to plant the buildings I've made up. I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing to admit, but hey, it's there.
Even slightly creepier is the information I am needing for the urban fantasy in New York. If you've read The Dresden Files, that is more the type of book I am going for. I am hoping to strike a balance between fantastical and hard detective/mystery elements. This character came to me from no where, and she has an especially interesting story to tell. I do know the main character, the antagonist, and that there will be 13 books in the series. This is one long haul series I am looking forward to!
The other books set in Chicago involving loup garu will bring into play my knowledge of Celtic and Irish lore. Though the research will still be there, especially for the setting. I have visited Chicago, but never lived there. It's also been interesting discovering the many types of shape shifters and werewolf stories that are out there. The lore is all so different, so there is a lot to choose from. I first stumbled across the main character during college when I wrote a short story based on the main character. The professor said he had never given an "A" to a genre story....I forced him to change his track record ;)
So again for some of these stories it's pretty innocent: locations, local flora and fauna, speech patterns etc. And then again, some of it's not: blood spatter patterns, poisons, the hierarchy of different governmental organizations, gun and ammunition facts etc.
Oy Vey, why did I have to be interested in such different genres? I just hope I'm not the only one!
Can anyone else relate to researching things that would be considered "strange"?
Wednesday, January 13, 2016
Uniquely Me
Writers all get the same basic letters, expressions, and punctuation. So what sets each author apart from the other? More importantly what makes you unique from the myriad of people writing and producing books?
At first, when I was just starting out on my writing path, I thought that I was different because I was writing about dragons, magic, and sword fights when all of my friends were writing about boys, and love. I thought that my setting and genre was set apart. But after reading more, and losing some my naiveté, I realized that it wasn't too different after all. So how was my writing different, unique?
I have often been told that the way that I phrase sentences is unique, and that some don't really like my style. Sadly one such person was my capstone professor in college...but that is a story for another time. All through middle, high school, and most of college, people would tell me that my structure was different. I tend to break paragraphs up not only based on subject matter, but also for emphasis. Almost akin to how lines of poetry are split apart to either get the reader to slow down, or speed up.
But what else could I do to make myself unique? (See what I did there ;) )
Find your voice. Find your genre. Find what you like writing about.
Honestly that is the best thing I can tell people.
For me, I write across many genres. I write High Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Romance, Historical Fiction, Urban Fantasy-Mystery, Christian Fantasy, and some Science Fiction. Each genre has its typical tropes and recognizable aspects, and you do want to use them. But how you use them is what makes you and your writing unique. I think that by writing not just one genre, but across several, people learn how to craft different settings, create unforgettable characters, and how to successfully weave intricate plots.
Does it take time to do this? Yes.
It takes practice to learn how to write effectively. It also takes practice to learn how to edit yourself. I don't let anyone see my work until I've gone through it at least twice, if not three times. Not that I think it's bad. I just don't want someone correcting the stupid typos that happen if I can help it. I want them to focus on other things of the story.
Not only do I like the genres I write it. I also found that writing strong female characters, especially in genre fiction, is critical. Strong and distinct characterization is what I like the most, and watching these characters arcs. How the events in the novel change them, and not always how I planned, is something that I love watching and being a part of. I love exploring the "nature vs nurture" question, and how our choices in life affect how we live, and how we view the world around us.
I also find excitement in exploring topics of faith, hope, and love.
Have I found my voice? Yes, every book, series, or character I write sounds different and sometimes it shocks even me.
Have I found my genre? Several.
Have I found what I like writing about? Yes, topics and ideas intrigue me.
Will I continue to change as I write? Definitely.
Being an author/writer is not a destination, but an ever changing journey.
At first, when I was just starting out on my writing path, I thought that I was different because I was writing about dragons, magic, and sword fights when all of my friends were writing about boys, and love. I thought that my setting and genre was set apart. But after reading more, and losing some my naiveté, I realized that it wasn't too different after all. So how was my writing different, unique?
I have often been told that the way that I phrase sentences is unique, and that some don't really like my style. Sadly one such person was my capstone professor in college...but that is a story for another time. All through middle, high school, and most of college, people would tell me that my structure was different. I tend to break paragraphs up not only based on subject matter, but also for emphasis. Almost akin to how lines of poetry are split apart to either get the reader to slow down, or speed up.
But what else could I do to make myself unique? (See what I did there ;) )
Find your voice. Find your genre. Find what you like writing about.
Honestly that is the best thing I can tell people.
For me, I write across many genres. I write High Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Romance, Historical Fiction, Urban Fantasy-Mystery, Christian Fantasy, and some Science Fiction. Each genre has its typical tropes and recognizable aspects, and you do want to use them. But how you use them is what makes you and your writing unique. I think that by writing not just one genre, but across several, people learn how to craft different settings, create unforgettable characters, and how to successfully weave intricate plots.
Does it take time to do this? Yes.
It takes practice to learn how to write effectively. It also takes practice to learn how to edit yourself. I don't let anyone see my work until I've gone through it at least twice, if not three times. Not that I think it's bad. I just don't want someone correcting the stupid typos that happen if I can help it. I want them to focus on other things of the story.
Not only do I like the genres I write it. I also found that writing strong female characters, especially in genre fiction, is critical. Strong and distinct characterization is what I like the most, and watching these characters arcs. How the events in the novel change them, and not always how I planned, is something that I love watching and being a part of. I love exploring the "nature vs nurture" question, and how our choices in life affect how we live, and how we view the world around us.
I also find excitement in exploring topics of faith, hope, and love.
Have I found my voice? Yes, every book, series, or character I write sounds different and sometimes it shocks even me.
Have I found my genre? Several.
Have I found what I like writing about? Yes, topics and ideas intrigue me.
Will I continue to change as I write? Definitely.
Being an author/writer is not a destination, but an ever changing journey.
Friday, January 8, 2016
Has your writing grown?
2015 the year of doing really big scary things, it was also a big year of growth for my writing.
Not only did I write more, but I also spent a large amount of time editing. Nothing makes you a better writer than editing. When you are editing, your are viewing your work as a reader enjoying the work, but also with a critical eye toward the details. This may include spelling of names, consistency with wounds or scars, and may even nit pick down to punctuation and word usage.
I have learned that I tend to use a few words a little too often. The top contenders are: "managed to", "glanced/looked", and "towards". Now each word or phrase is not "bad" in and of itself, but when they are used too frequently they can become a problem. There are better, and stronger, descriptors for the movements of the characters.
One great example is using the work "walked". There are so many different words that are much more descriptive than just walked. Instead try glided, sauntered, sulked, strode, paced, strutted, ambled, shuffled, or shambled. Each of these are far more descriptive, and vividly paint a picture in the readers mind of how the character is moving. By switching out to a different word, your writing gets stronger. (Now in some cases using "walking" is completely acceptable, FYI)
Another piece of advice that I received this year when I had the first ten pages of two stories critiqued professionally was: On each page be sure to use at least three descriptions of the five senses. This means put in details about the smells, sounds, tastes, touches, and visual surroundings that your characters are in. Using this many senses envelops your reader in the world that your character inhabits, but doesn't get too overwhelming with descriptions. Again, on some pages and scenes it is necessary to have more or even fewer, but this is just an average to shoot for when revising.
When writing, I typically don't worry overmuch about these things. But because I am aware of them as I am writing, I have less to correct in revisions. Even the revision process has gotten better as I know what to look for in myself. Another great practice to shape up your writing, is to critique another's work. Get a writing buddy or two. By analyzing another piece of work, you often can find weaknesses better in your own.
And above all, remember to have patience with yourself and your writing. No great novel was written, or edited, in a day. It takes consistent work and effort to produce a polished piece of work.
Not only did I write more, but I also spent a large amount of time editing. Nothing makes you a better writer than editing. When you are editing, your are viewing your work as a reader enjoying the work, but also with a critical eye toward the details. This may include spelling of names, consistency with wounds or scars, and may even nit pick down to punctuation and word usage.
I have learned that I tend to use a few words a little too often. The top contenders are: "managed to", "glanced/looked", and "towards". Now each word or phrase is not "bad" in and of itself, but when they are used too frequently they can become a problem. There are better, and stronger, descriptors for the movements of the characters.
One great example is using the work "walked". There are so many different words that are much more descriptive than just walked. Instead try glided, sauntered, sulked, strode, paced, strutted, ambled, shuffled, or shambled. Each of these are far more descriptive, and vividly paint a picture in the readers mind of how the character is moving. By switching out to a different word, your writing gets stronger. (Now in some cases using "walking" is completely acceptable, FYI)
Another piece of advice that I received this year when I had the first ten pages of two stories critiqued professionally was: On each page be sure to use at least three descriptions of the five senses. This means put in details about the smells, sounds, tastes, touches, and visual surroundings that your characters are in. Using this many senses envelops your reader in the world that your character inhabits, but doesn't get too overwhelming with descriptions. Again, on some pages and scenes it is necessary to have more or even fewer, but this is just an average to shoot for when revising.
When writing, I typically don't worry overmuch about these things. But because I am aware of them as I am writing, I have less to correct in revisions. Even the revision process has gotten better as I know what to look for in myself. Another great practice to shape up your writing, is to critique another's work. Get a writing buddy or two. By analyzing another piece of work, you often can find weaknesses better in your own.
And above all, remember to have patience with yourself and your writing. No great novel was written, or edited, in a day. It takes consistent work and effort to produce a polished piece of work.
Wednesday, January 6, 2016
Accomplishments and Goals Pt 2
Welcome to Part Two, I hope that you had a lovely almost full week since the last time I posted!
Last week I reviewed the large events that happened in my writing career in 2015, now I'd like to turn my attention forward to what I am working towards in 2016.
If 2015's theme was doing big and scary things, 2016 is simply part two of that.
To start off the year with a bang, I am releasing not only the second book in my trilogy, but also a novella containing two side stories from the first book! They will be available the first weekend in February. This is only SIX months from when the first book was released! And boy did the time fly by. I am so excited to be able to publish the books closer together. As a reader I hate waiting, in some cases, years for the next in a series. The novella is just a bonus, and will be listed at just above cost for the paperback, and .99 on Kindle.
I will once again be attending the Writers Institute conference in Madison this year. I am sure I will talk more about that process later, as well as the experience. An evening and 3 days of writerly fun awaits in April, and I am so excited for it!
While I was at the South East Wisconsin festival of books, I made a writer friend. She was nice enough to share that the West Allis public library will be hosting an event where writers can come and have a table to sell their books. This time I will have two novels and a novella to sell, plus I know more about setting up a table, and catching the attention of passersby.
I hope to be a part of the same book festival I was this past year in Port Washington. This event is usually held near the end of July, early August. Once again, I feel like I will be better prepared, I can talk more about my novels and attract more positive attention. Thankfully the event is held right around the time I am publishing the final book in my first trilogy! I also plan on putting out another little novella with the third book. Hopefully at that table I will have three novels, and two novellas. Not bad for the span of one year's work!
In November I would also like to return to the South East Wisconsin Festival of Books. Through everything this year, and then everything I hope to attend in 2016 I feel like I will be better prepared for these events.
I also hope to be invited to speak at a school. I found out that the entire homeroom of a school nearby has been reading my first book, and several of the girls are huge fans. I think it would be such a great opportunity to reach out to younger people, future writers, and showing kids that if they put their mind to it, they can accomplish anything.
Being an introvert these events can be a bit difficult for me. But this year I really want to push out more, and work on selling my books. Often times the day after these events I am physically, emotionally, and mentally worn out, just ask my fiancé! But I know that these events are not only fun and exciting, they are also part of the process of my growth as a writer. I look forward to the challenges this year will bring, and hope that you will come along with me!
Last week I reviewed the large events that happened in my writing career in 2015, now I'd like to turn my attention forward to what I am working towards in 2016.
If 2015's theme was doing big and scary things, 2016 is simply part two of that.
To start off the year with a bang, I am releasing not only the second book in my trilogy, but also a novella containing two side stories from the first book! They will be available the first weekend in February. This is only SIX months from when the first book was released! And boy did the time fly by. I am so excited to be able to publish the books closer together. As a reader I hate waiting, in some cases, years for the next in a series. The novella is just a bonus, and will be listed at just above cost for the paperback, and .99 on Kindle.
I will once again be attending the Writers Institute conference in Madison this year. I am sure I will talk more about that process later, as well as the experience. An evening and 3 days of writerly fun awaits in April, and I am so excited for it!
While I was at the South East Wisconsin festival of books, I made a writer friend. She was nice enough to share that the West Allis public library will be hosting an event where writers can come and have a table to sell their books. This time I will have two novels and a novella to sell, plus I know more about setting up a table, and catching the attention of passersby.
I hope to be a part of the same book festival I was this past year in Port Washington. This event is usually held near the end of July, early August. Once again, I feel like I will be better prepared, I can talk more about my novels and attract more positive attention. Thankfully the event is held right around the time I am publishing the final book in my first trilogy! I also plan on putting out another little novella with the third book. Hopefully at that table I will have three novels, and two novellas. Not bad for the span of one year's work!
In November I would also like to return to the South East Wisconsin Festival of Books. Through everything this year, and then everything I hope to attend in 2016 I feel like I will be better prepared for these events.
I also hope to be invited to speak at a school. I found out that the entire homeroom of a school nearby has been reading my first book, and several of the girls are huge fans. I think it would be such a great opportunity to reach out to younger people, future writers, and showing kids that if they put their mind to it, they can accomplish anything.
Being an introvert these events can be a bit difficult for me. But this year I really want to push out more, and work on selling my books. Often times the day after these events I am physically, emotionally, and mentally worn out, just ask my fiancé! But I know that these events are not only fun and exciting, they are also part of the process of my growth as a writer. I look forward to the challenges this year will bring, and hope that you will come along with me!
Sunday, January 3, 2016
January Book Review!
Welcome to the first of hopefully many reviews! These will focus on self published or small press published books. I may throw in a traditionally published book every now and again, but I want to focus on the more "Indie" types of publishing. I know that promotion for "Indie" books can be hard to come by, so I want to help others as much as I can!
The first book up is actually an anthology from a small press. The anthology is titled: Psychopomps: Shepherds of the Dead. The publisher is Misch Masch Books, if you would like to check them out: http://mischmaschbooks.com/
The Anthology is made up of 4 original short stories, and 4 stories (or selections of stories) from writers past. Honestly I only read the original (new) stories, as several of the selected pieces I have read before, so that is what I am basing my review on. Further, each story will be broken down with each individual rating and comments.
As long as I'm being honest I would like to add that while I did receive this book free, it was through a blind giveaway, and was not given out for the purpose of a review. The lovely Raychel Rose, check her out here: https://raychelrose.wordpress.com/ , ran the giveaway, and I actually won! (If you don't know me, I never win anything, so I was shocked)
The first story that I read was Little Bundle of Death by Ben Lane Hodson.
Here is the blurb from Goodreads: "A teenage girl's fight to save her newborn brother from the phantom of death who seeks to steal his soul."
Sounds pretty interesting, right? The description really grabbed me. The story was extremely well paced and kept the reader engaged. The girls in the story "won" the day with only their mettle, and did not have any special abilities. A gripe that I had was I never really got a good understanding of what the girls looked like, nor how old they were. There were also a few instances of grammar mistakes, and wrong word typos. The description of the "bad" guys though...that was fantastic! As was the mythology that was throughout the story. I would have liked a bit more information about why the girls weren't put to sleep in the first place, and unable to wake like everyone else. And the ending was fantastic and there was some mystery left.
Overall this story was a 3/5 stars for me.
The second story was The Sea of Ghosts by Rachel Rose.
The blurb from Goodreads: "A pirate's redemption from infernum to aeternus with the guidance of a sea reaper mermaid."
This story drew me in from the get go. The only thing that gave me pause was that it is written in first person- of which I am not usually a fan. However, with that said, the descriptions of surroundings and of the other characters were amazing. Using a historically accurate event as the basis of the story was fantastic. Everything had a jumping off point, and I felt that it really grounded the story. There were a few typos, and the word "skit" was used a few times. I actually had to look it up. Compared with the other words used in the story it seemed oddly out of place and stuck out to me. The ending, while awesome, did tend to tie things up simply. Which can be great, but after everything in the story I didn't think that would happen. Plus, the idea that mermaids are sea reapers? I had never heard that before. I love, love, loved the mythology that was used in this story.
Bottom line? This story was a 4/5 stars for me.
The third story was Mobile Dusters by E.W. Fainsworth.
The blurb from Goodreads: "A Corpse Duster's initiative to out-program death."
Honestly, this was the most disappointing story out of all of them. I felt absolutely no attachment to the main character. Not joy, happiness, or sympathy. Simply nothing. The story felt very post-apocalyptic which seems to have saturated the market. Most, if not all, of the important events happen "off screen", and we are told about it later. Very bland voice, almost monotone. The one uptick for this story was that I found no typos!
Overall, it was a 1.5/5 stars for me.
The fourth, and final new story is The Resurrectionist's Kiss by Cindy Grigg
The blurb from Goodreads: "A British soldier's escape from limbo after his Valkyrie goes rogue."
This was the story when I read the blurb that I immediately got excited about. I LOVE mythology, especially Norse mythology. And this story did not disappoint. The legends were very well done, and included in the story line. As this was set in a historic period the use of "shishkebabed", while appropriate for the situation, felt out of place. I think this story was the shortest of them, but it packed the most into its length. I was left wondering a few things though: such as would a catholic priest have a son? And how someone can "frown in approval"? There were a few typos scattered about, but nothing too terrible. I absolutely loved the use of the Valkyrie and the cameo of Hel. Their descriptions were well done, and I was left with wanting to know what happened next.
I would give this story a 3.5/5 stars.
So, this review may be a little more awkward and longer, than a normal book review since it was an anthology. I hope to start a general format with the next month's post, and get you readers acquainted with how I review books.
Until next month, keep reading! :)
The first book up is actually an anthology from a small press. The anthology is titled: Psychopomps: Shepherds of the Dead. The publisher is Misch Masch Books, if you would like to check them out: http://mischmaschbooks.com/
The Anthology is made up of 4 original short stories, and 4 stories (or selections of stories) from writers past. Honestly I only read the original (new) stories, as several of the selected pieces I have read before, so that is what I am basing my review on. Further, each story will be broken down with each individual rating and comments.
As long as I'm being honest I would like to add that while I did receive this book free, it was through a blind giveaway, and was not given out for the purpose of a review. The lovely Raychel Rose, check her out here: https://raychelrose.wordpress.com/ , ran the giveaway, and I actually won! (If you don't know me, I never win anything, so I was shocked)
The first story that I read was Little Bundle of Death by Ben Lane Hodson.
Here is the blurb from Goodreads: "A teenage girl's fight to save her newborn brother from the phantom of death who seeks to steal his soul."
Sounds pretty interesting, right? The description really grabbed me. The story was extremely well paced and kept the reader engaged. The girls in the story "won" the day with only their mettle, and did not have any special abilities. A gripe that I had was I never really got a good understanding of what the girls looked like, nor how old they were. There were also a few instances of grammar mistakes, and wrong word typos. The description of the "bad" guys though...that was fantastic! As was the mythology that was throughout the story. I would have liked a bit more information about why the girls weren't put to sleep in the first place, and unable to wake like everyone else. And the ending was fantastic and there was some mystery left.
Overall this story was a 3/5 stars for me.
The second story was The Sea of Ghosts by Rachel Rose.
The blurb from Goodreads: "A pirate's redemption from infernum to aeternus with the guidance of a sea reaper mermaid."
This story drew me in from the get go. The only thing that gave me pause was that it is written in first person- of which I am not usually a fan. However, with that said, the descriptions of surroundings and of the other characters were amazing. Using a historically accurate event as the basis of the story was fantastic. Everything had a jumping off point, and I felt that it really grounded the story. There were a few typos, and the word "skit" was used a few times. I actually had to look it up. Compared with the other words used in the story it seemed oddly out of place and stuck out to me. The ending, while awesome, did tend to tie things up simply. Which can be great, but after everything in the story I didn't think that would happen. Plus, the idea that mermaids are sea reapers? I had never heard that before. I love, love, loved the mythology that was used in this story.
Bottom line? This story was a 4/5 stars for me.
The third story was Mobile Dusters by E.W. Fainsworth.
The blurb from Goodreads: "A Corpse Duster's initiative to out-program death."
Honestly, this was the most disappointing story out of all of them. I felt absolutely no attachment to the main character. Not joy, happiness, or sympathy. Simply nothing. The story felt very post-apocalyptic which seems to have saturated the market. Most, if not all, of the important events happen "off screen", and we are told about it later. Very bland voice, almost monotone. The one uptick for this story was that I found no typos!
Overall, it was a 1.5/5 stars for me.
The fourth, and final new story is The Resurrectionist's Kiss by Cindy Grigg
The blurb from Goodreads: "A British soldier's escape from limbo after his Valkyrie goes rogue."
This was the story when I read the blurb that I immediately got excited about. I LOVE mythology, especially Norse mythology. And this story did not disappoint. The legends were very well done, and included in the story line. As this was set in a historic period the use of "shishkebabed", while appropriate for the situation, felt out of place. I think this story was the shortest of them, but it packed the most into its length. I was left wondering a few things though: such as would a catholic priest have a son? And how someone can "frown in approval"? There were a few typos scattered about, but nothing too terrible. I absolutely loved the use of the Valkyrie and the cameo of Hel. Their descriptions were well done, and I was left with wanting to know what happened next.
I would give this story a 3.5/5 stars.
So, this review may be a little more awkward and longer, than a normal book review since it was an anthology. I hope to start a general format with the next month's post, and get you readers acquainted with how I review books.
Until next month, keep reading! :)
Friday, January 1, 2016
Accomplishments and Goals Pt 1
Happy New Year! I thought I would follow the trend of new years post, but with my own twist. This will be a two part post, as you may have noticed from the title. Part one will concentrate on what I set out to do in 2015, and part two will take a look at what goals I have for 2016, and how I plan to get there.
2015 was my year of doing really big and scary things.
This was the year that I had decided to self publish my first book. This was such a huge decision for me that took a lot of thought. Originally I had thought to doggedly pursue traditional publication and keep writing the series while I shopped the first book and series around, but in the end I didn't want anyone telling me how I should be naming characters, or constructing the plot. I wanted the freedom of creativity that self publishing brings.
To hit this goal, I rewrote, revised, got a few trusted beta readers, reached out to an artist for a custom piece for the cover, and started really concentrating on building a social media presence. While much of it was fun, it still was a lot of work. And completely worth it! The only aspect to self publishing I am having a little harder time with is the promotion. When you self publish everything-including promoting the book- is on the author. Promotion would have been so much better with an agent and traditional publishing, but I wouldn't be able to put out the books in the way I wanted, and on the schedule I wanted had I gotten a contract. But I will address more of the self publishing process in a later post.
In 2015 I also attended several events geared towards writers, readers, and work-shoppers.
The first of which happened at the end of March. I attended the 26th Annual Writers' Institute in Madison, WI. This was the first conference I attended, and I picked a fantastic first one! I couldn't have been more pleased with not only my experience, but the general atmosphere. Everyone who was there, was there to learn, to better themselves in some way. It was an amazing weekend, and I am already planning my trip to this year's event in April!
If any one is curious, here is the link to their site: https://uwwritersinstitute.wisc.edu/
The same weekend I released my first book I attended a book festival in a town north of me. It was fabulous. The weather was great and many of my friends stopped by. I didn't sell many books, and it was where I was first introduced to genre/cover-biased people (more to come in a later post), but it was a learning experience. Plus I got to share the table with my writing buddy, and editor, Rebekah Bryan! Please check out her books and website! http://rebekahnbryan.com/
I held my first release party! Not many people came, but having a smaller audience was fantastic for my nerves. Thankfully my career is writing and NOT public speaking. But I faced my fear, and had a great time. My aunt drove all the way from Michigan and surprised us with a visit. It was amazingly wonderful to have her support in my work.
In October my fiancé Josh, and my writing buddy Rebekah Bryan attended the first annual Nerdcon: Stories. It was an experience I am glad to have, and it made for a great getaway weekend. You can read about my trip there here: http://malindaandrews.blogspot.com/2015/10/nerdcon-stories.html
Of course I participated in NaNoWriMo for the third time this November. The first weekend one of the regions I am a part of had their kick off celebration where the South East Wisconsin Festival of Books was being held. I was able to get a table, and even sold a few books while there!
You can read about that experience here: http://malindaandrews.blogspot.com/2015/11/south-east-wisconsin-festival-of-books.html
Needless to say I want to go back next year!
All in all this was a fantastic year filled with new experiences and growth. I am so proud of myself for stepping out of my little introverted bubble. I met so many people with the same interests as me, and also picked up some tips on how to market my books a long the way.
Part two of this post, which will address my goals for 2016, will appear next Wednesday.
As a bonus for getting all the way through this post, I am running a free book giveaway through Goodreads starting today through the 31st! You can enter by clicking the icon on the top right hand side of the main page. Unfortunately it is only available to US residents. Good luck!
2015 was my year of doing really big and scary things.
This was the year that I had decided to self publish my first book. This was such a huge decision for me that took a lot of thought. Originally I had thought to doggedly pursue traditional publication and keep writing the series while I shopped the first book and series around, but in the end I didn't want anyone telling me how I should be naming characters, or constructing the plot. I wanted the freedom of creativity that self publishing brings.
To hit this goal, I rewrote, revised, got a few trusted beta readers, reached out to an artist for a custom piece for the cover, and started really concentrating on building a social media presence. While much of it was fun, it still was a lot of work. And completely worth it! The only aspect to self publishing I am having a little harder time with is the promotion. When you self publish everything-including promoting the book- is on the author. Promotion would have been so much better with an agent and traditional publishing, but I wouldn't be able to put out the books in the way I wanted, and on the schedule I wanted had I gotten a contract. But I will address more of the self publishing process in a later post.
In 2015 I also attended several events geared towards writers, readers, and work-shoppers.
The first of which happened at the end of March. I attended the 26th Annual Writers' Institute in Madison, WI. This was the first conference I attended, and I picked a fantastic first one! I couldn't have been more pleased with not only my experience, but the general atmosphere. Everyone who was there, was there to learn, to better themselves in some way. It was an amazing weekend, and I am already planning my trip to this year's event in April!
If any one is curious, here is the link to their site: https://uwwritersinstitute.wisc.edu/
The same weekend I released my first book I attended a book festival in a town north of me. It was fabulous. The weather was great and many of my friends stopped by. I didn't sell many books, and it was where I was first introduced to genre/cover-biased people (more to come in a later post), but it was a learning experience. Plus I got to share the table with my writing buddy, and editor, Rebekah Bryan! Please check out her books and website! http://rebekahnbryan.com/
I held my first release party! Not many people came, but having a smaller audience was fantastic for my nerves. Thankfully my career is writing and NOT public speaking. But I faced my fear, and had a great time. My aunt drove all the way from Michigan and surprised us with a visit. It was amazingly wonderful to have her support in my work.
In October my fiancé Josh, and my writing buddy Rebekah Bryan attended the first annual Nerdcon: Stories. It was an experience I am glad to have, and it made for a great getaway weekend. You can read about my trip there here: http://malindaandrews.blogspot.com/2015/10/nerdcon-stories.html
Of course I participated in NaNoWriMo for the third time this November. The first weekend one of the regions I am a part of had their kick off celebration where the South East Wisconsin Festival of Books was being held. I was able to get a table, and even sold a few books while there!
You can read about that experience here: http://malindaandrews.blogspot.com/2015/11/south-east-wisconsin-festival-of-books.html
Needless to say I want to go back next year!
All in all this was a fantastic year filled with new experiences and growth. I am so proud of myself for stepping out of my little introverted bubble. I met so many people with the same interests as me, and also picked up some tips on how to market my books a long the way.
Part two of this post, which will address my goals for 2016, will appear next Wednesday.
As a bonus for getting all the way through this post, I am running a free book giveaway through Goodreads starting today through the 31st! You can enter by clicking the icon on the top right hand side of the main page. Unfortunately it is only available to US residents. Good luck!
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