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Friday's Round Up - February 1, 2013

Info Dumps Aren't Evil

Are Small Publishers the Future of the Industry?

A different way of looking at plots: Plot is a Four-Letter Word

Did Hemingway not write the six-word story: "For Sale, Baby Shoes, Never Worn"? (via Dear Author)

Indie Book Review - The Rock Star’s Daughter by Caitlyn Duffy

The Rock Star’s Daughter is a book about 15-year-old Taylor Beauforte and how her life changes when her mother dies and she has to go on the road with her rock star father.  As a whole, I really enjoyed this book.  Caitlyn Duffy manages to make Taylor seem real as well as act like a smart, yet naïve teenager.  While the rock tour situation may be a bit unlikely, the actions that Taylor takes feel real.  Going in to this book, I thought it would be clichéd and flat, but I could really see a young girl doing what Taylor does, making some questionable decisions, and growing up as a result.

I also like that though Taylor grows up during the course of the story, it did not turn into an issue book.  She deals with a lot of things, but still manages to learn from her decisions and the actions of others without losing her self-esteem or personality.

The only weakness is that, while Taylor is relatable, the other characters’ actions sometimes felt forced; it was as if they were just vehicles for Taylor’s growth and not something that a three-dimensional character would do or say.  You could say that this was on purpose since the book is told from Taylor’s point of view and most teenagers look at the world around them in terms of themselves.  However, those were the only instances when I was removed from the story.

The writing is strong and the typos are kept at a minimum.  I would recommend it for teens or adults who are looking for something light and fun.  The book is the first book in the Treadwell Academy series which feature students that go to Treadwell, like Taylor.

This book can be found on Goodreads or Amazon

-Patti

Friday's Round Up - January 25, 2013

This week, I feature some lists.  Lists are never the "end-all-be-all" for any topic, but they do point out interesting things and allow us to think of other scenarios.

Jennie Nash on 5 Surprises of Self Publishing

Lit Reactor gives 9 Modern Tools Every Writer Should Use.  Also, a lot of writers swear by Scrivener, but it really depends on how you write and spend your time.  There isn't a magic tool or app for everyone.

Better Plotting: 7 Ways Your Characters Can Screw Up Their Decisions

Write on Edge briefly talks about six ways to self-publish.

Indie Book Review - God Has Better Things to do Than My Laundry by Heather Nestleroad

This book is a collection of essays from Heather Nestleroad with quirky perspective about being a wife of a pharmacist and mother of three children living in suburbia. Each chapter contains humorous and honest musings about balancing everything while loving her family, practicing her Christian faith, and enjoying life. She shares her own stories of a “full house” including a letter to Martha Stewart requesting advice about removing her kitchen all together, a declaration of love for skinny coffee drinks, and the top 12 reasons why Nestleroad will not Zumba.

There are a number of great things about Nestleroad’s first book. Her engaging personality and lightheartedness sustain the reader through repetitive portions. Despite the lack of an overarching theme, plot or storyline, I enjoyed my time learning about the trials and rewards of being a mom to two teenage daughters and a young son. (Oh my!) From other reviews it seems that references to Nestleroad’s faith troubled some people. Personally, her dialogue about God did not seem inappropriate or irrelevant since the book is composed Nestleroad’s personal observations and views. Overall, I found the book pleasant to read.

While I read the full book within two days, it would be a perfect to read it by chapter periodically as each chapter stands well on it’s own. Reading a chapter or so a day with a mug of your favorite hot drink in hand would be the perfect cure the winter blues as well as minimize any distraction or frustration with repetitive content. You can find God Has Better Things to do Than My Laundry (And Other Observations From an Overly Dramatic Mom) on Amazon or Barnes and Noble. You can also follow Heather Nestleroad’s blog: www.NestledinSuburbia.com.

-Sarah

Friday's Round Up - January 18, 2013

Kelly Thompson on LitReactor analyzing her experience using Kickstarter.  Would you ever consider using Kickstarter to publish your book?

New York Time Magazine's Steve Almond talks about the importance of a good narrator (via Page Turner)

Article on procrastination in the New York Times (via Book View Cafe)

7 Strategies to Outsmart Writer's Block (also from LitReactor)

Marie Lu at Pub(lishing) Crawl on dealing with rejection as an author.

Have a lovely weekend!

Indie Book Review - Broken Bulbs by Eddie Wright

“There’s nothing like that millisecond when thoughts and feelings and dreams and creativity and pride pile on top of each other to form a mountain of hope that you can climb to overlook all the shit that clouds your existence.”

                                                            -Wright, Broken Bulbs

Everybody wants to be or do something in life, and that “something” can sometimes feel nearly impossible to achieve. Frank Fisher is a struggling writer and addict who will stop at nothing to find the inspiration that will help him return from the physical and mental rot in which he finds himself. Frank depends on his eccentric lady-friend, Bonnie, for a fresh supply of inspirational “seeds” that Bonnie must inject directly into his brain. As Frank receives the doses he needs, he finally and climactically completes the macabre screenplay that screamed for escape for so long.

Eddie Wright takes his audience on quite a trip (did you catch that pun?) throughout this surreal, existential novella. Broken Bulbs is a stream of consciousness description of real time moments in the creative struggle of main character Frank Fisher. Wright creatively intertwines Frank’s highs with the script of the screenplay that Frank is desperately trying to complete, allowing the audience to indulge in two plotlines:  Frank’s drug laced race against “Nothingness,” and the reckoning of Frank’s screenplay’s disturbed main character, Rusty, by way of a posthumous father and a scorned, six-foot hamster (Yes, seriously). Wright paints a vivid picture of these two sets, so much so that it could be easily translated into a stage play or a graphic novel. With this duality, Wright uniquely interprets a semi-autobiographical fictional depiction within a semi-autobiographical fictional depiction of a person’s quest for meaning and recognition.

This work satisfies a narrow audience, mostly creative types, possibly addicts, and definitely fans of existentialism. Broken Bulbs is not a traditional or light read. If you are seeking a character-based novel with relationships and a beginning, middle, and end, this book is not for you. Suggestion: Read in one sitting. It is a quick read that contains so much choppy stream of consciousness writing that it takes a bit of time to adjust it. Trying to come back to it mid story causes a loss of momentum and intent.

Find Broken Bulbs on Amazon, and to learn more about author Eddie Wright’s influence, inspiration, and writings, follow his blog.

-Joan

Friday's Round Up - January 11, 2013

Seven Publishing Trends that Will Define 2013 (via Dear Author)
New Year's Confession: Literary Fiction Scares Me — This is an interesting take on genre fiction vs. literary fiction and one man's experience working with both.

Is your New Year's resolution to write more or write consistently?  The Positivity Blog has some tips on how to make that resolution stick.

Galley Cat talks about How to Apply for a National Endowment for the Arts Grant

Indie Reader has a post on how to decide whether to read a self-published book that contains many great tips to consider when you think you are ready to publish.

Indie Book Review – Steel City: Part One by William Carlson II

The world as we know it is gone. After the devastating, airborne TD1 virus wiped out most of the population in 2013, the ones that survived now live in a post-war world of fear and chaos. The City of Pittsburgh perseveres with its own military for protection and a medical team searching for a cure. One night a group of refugees appear seeking medical attention for a sick child. The medical unit checks the drifters for TD1 and other contagions, while the child’s father tells them about the world outside the walls of Pittsburgh. He warns them of a sociopath currently eradicating religious sects in Ohio. The madman, Roland Damien, will probably come for Pittsburgh next. He has a vendetta against the Steel City and Lincoln Adams who has sworn to protect it.

William J. Carlson II makes his debut with Steel City: Part One. A quick read, Steel City begins as a straightforward post-apocalyptic novel: no zombies, no meteor, just a killer cold. The book is one long bated breath: anxious and intense moments give way to teaser action scenes. Snippets of imagery and details help to liven up the dialogue. While many of the characters seem underdeveloped in this first installment of a series, Sarge, Adams’ commanding officer, does not disappoint. He brings a patented, hardass military demeanor and memorable axioms to the story. Readers only get a peek of villain Damien in this book, but he is efficiently drawn as a believably heartless war machine.

The ebook format was a challenge to read, with paragraphs seemingly indented by E.E. Cummings. The book could also be improved with a small amount of technical editing to correct tense changes, and extra and missing words.

Despite some technical shortcomings, this is a post-apocalyptic story that deserves a read. It has its ups and downs; and though it leaves readers with numerous questions, it also promises to deliver in the forthcoming books of this planned trilogy.

This book is available on Amazon. Steel City: Part Two is scheduled for release in March 2013. 

-Kristen

Know Your Readers

In this day of customized-everything, everyone expects to be able to get their coffee, their pens and notebooks, and everything else just to their liking. To make this happen, they seek out the places that cater to their preferences. 

The reader experience is no different. Readers go to a certain shelf in the bookstore or a certain blog to read reviews of the kind of books that they prefer. They hop on Goodreads to check out one of the site’s many Top Ten genre lists or over to Amazon’s unlimited number of suggestions.   

It is more important than ever to know who your readers are. As the writer, you know your book better than anybody else. Think about who you envision reading your book. Now think about what else that reader would have on his shelf or stocked in their ereader. What genre is it? Horror? Romance? Self-help?

Now dig deeper and really think about what sub-category your book would fall under. So it’s horror – are there ghosts? Zombies? Crazy people? Now think about the reader some more – How old are they? Young adults? Teens? Your average 30-something workaholic? 

By narrowing your book’s genre and envisioning your reader, you give yourself a starting point and focus in your promotion efforts. Now go connect with them.