"Success doesn't come to you; you go to it." Marva Collins
It bears repeating: authors need to market themselves. I don't care whether you're a first-time small press debut author or a NY Times best-seller. You need to spread the word about your books, and you need to interact with the public and reach your readers. Best-selling authors, of course, have a little advantage when it comes to a reliable readership. But even new and small-press authors can reach more people by being VISIBLE.
And why am I talking about this? Last weekend I spent Saturday at a booth at the local craft fair in my childhood hometown. It's my 3rd time participating, and I've always had pretty good sales - yes, because I grew up there and people get a kick out of owning a book by someone they knew when we were both 10. But also because even those who don't know me are fascinated by a hometown-girl-turned-published-author.
This past Saturday, I actually sold out of the books I brought with me - 34 total sales for the day, which is a record for me. Better than that, I got contacts from 3 community members who want me to come to their groups and give readings or talks. Of course I said yes (you should too, even if it makes you nervous!), and I can't wait. Even if you aren't the most outgoing person in the world, if you've published a book, you can get up in front of a group of people and read from it. You can talk about your own experiences getting published
And every time you meet another person, you meet another potential new reader. Many of those new readers become regular readers. You don't ever know...so get out there! Participate in signings, in readings, in craft fairs. You don't have to shout from the rooftops or even peddle your books to every person that walks by. But if you have a chance to set up a booth or a table or appear for a few minutes one night to a local community group, take advantage of it! It's all about growing your name.
Good luck!
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Friday, July 16, 2010
Friday Fun Facts
Fun Fact#1: I finally put down Thirteen Reasons Why, a YA novel I was trying so hard to get through. Got halfway and finally gave up. Why? Whiny, unsympathetic main character (and I feel like a schmuck saying that, since she's dead from the start) and unbelievable events that are supposed to make me feel sorry for her. I felt like asking the author, really? You think every teenager doesn't go through all this crap? Talk to some teens or spend time in a high school before writing about what really causes them angst. Sorry. Maybe some of you out there liked it. I just couldn't.
Fun Fact#2: I'm spending tomorrow at the BIG craft fair in my (childhood) hometown, the one where everyone turns out with their extended family and you see people you haven't seen in at least a year, maybe 10 , and you find out all the latest gossip. I love going because I don't live there anymore, so I get to visit with childhood friends. Plus they treat me like a local celebrity, which is kind of nice too.
Fun Fact #3: I opened my royalty statement from Samhain earlier this week to discover that yes indeed, the Kindle Freebie promo that featured my novel One Night in Boston back in May definitely translated into June sales! Very exciting...not only did my sales for that book go up, but for my backlist as well. In fact, I've never seen those kinds of numbers on my royalty statements before, so I did a little jig of glee. I also sent off an email thanking the folks at Samhain for choosing my book as one to feature, since it's not one of the "hot" ones they're known for. One of the marketing staff wrote back and told me my book had the highest number of free downloads of any they featured. So, very cool!
Fun Fact#2: I'm spending tomorrow at the BIG craft fair in my (childhood) hometown, the one where everyone turns out with their extended family and you see people you haven't seen in at least a year, maybe 10 , and you find out all the latest gossip. I love going because I don't live there anymore, so I get to visit with childhood friends. Plus they treat me like a local celebrity, which is kind of nice too.
Fun Fact #3: I opened my royalty statement from Samhain earlier this week to discover that yes indeed, the Kindle Freebie promo that featured my novel One Night in Boston back in May definitely translated into June sales! Very exciting...not only did my sales for that book go up, but for my backlist as well. In fact, I've never seen those kinds of numbers on my royalty statements before, so I did a little jig of glee. I also sent off an email thanking the folks at Samhain for choosing my book as one to feature, since it's not one of the "hot" ones they're known for. One of the marketing staff wrote back and told me my book had the highest number of free downloads of any they featured. So, very cool!
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Writers' Wednesday: A Word About Voice
You hear it a lot in the writing world: authors should develop a strong voice. A distinct voice. Their own voice, above all. For some, that's easy. For others, it's a struggle. What is voice, exactly? Simply put, it's a writer's individual style. It how an author uses language to bring to life his/her characters and storyline. While voice can be learned and developed, I also think it's one of those things that is naturally inherent to really brilliant writers.
The voice I'm loving right now is that of YA author John Green. Looking for Alaska is wonderful - if you haven't read it, you should. Paper Towns is also good, though I didn't think the story was as strong. And I'm only partway into Will Grayson, Will Grayson (cowritten with David Levithan). In all 3 books, though, Green's voice is distinct and brilliant enough to make me green with envy. His male first-person protagonists come to life in the very first pages, and he develops all his characters, really, in just a few brush strokes.
A couple of examples:
On the second page of the Prologue of Paper Towns, Quentin describes Margo, his next-door neighbor and earliest crush. Look how at once, we get a sense of who 10-year old Quentin is AND the kind of girl Margo is, as well:
I always got very nervous whenever I heard that Margo was about to show up, on account of how she was the most fantastically gorgeous creature that God had ever created. On the morning in question, she wore white shorts and a pink T-shirt that featured a green dragon breathing a fire of orange glitter. It is difficult to explain how awesome I found this T-shirt at this time.
And from Will Grayson, Will Grayson, on the first page, we get a terrific account of Tiny Cooper, one of the protagonist's closest friends. Again, it takes Green just a paragraph or two to establish who these guys are:
Tiny Cooper is not the world's gayest person, and he is not the world's largest person, but I believe he may be the world's largest person who is really, really gay, and also the world's gayest person who is really, really large. Tiny has been my best friend since fifth grade, except for all last semester, when he was busy discovering the sheer scope of his own gayness, and I was busy having an actual honest-to-God Group of Friends for the first time in my life, who ended up Never Talking to Me Again due to two slight transgressions:
1. After some school-board member got all upset about gays in the locker room, I defended Tiny Cooper's right to be both gigantic (and, therefore, the best member of our shitty football team's offensive line) and gay in a letter to the school newspaper that I, stupidly, signed...
Honestly, any writer, experienced/published or not, would be smart to read and study John Green's style. Great voice. Just great.
The voice I'm loving right now is that of YA author John Green. Looking for Alaska is wonderful - if you haven't read it, you should. Paper Towns is also good, though I didn't think the story was as strong. And I'm only partway into Will Grayson, Will Grayson (cowritten with David Levithan). In all 3 books, though, Green's voice is distinct and brilliant enough to make me green with envy. His male first-person protagonists come to life in the very first pages, and he develops all his characters, really, in just a few brush strokes.
A couple of examples:
On the second page of the Prologue of Paper Towns, Quentin describes Margo, his next-door neighbor and earliest crush. Look how at once, we get a sense of who 10-year old Quentin is AND the kind of girl Margo is, as well:
I always got very nervous whenever I heard that Margo was about to show up, on account of how she was the most fantastically gorgeous creature that God had ever created. On the morning in question, she wore white shorts and a pink T-shirt that featured a green dragon breathing a fire of orange glitter. It is difficult to explain how awesome I found this T-shirt at this time.
And from Will Grayson, Will Grayson, on the first page, we get a terrific account of Tiny Cooper, one of the protagonist's closest friends. Again, it takes Green just a paragraph or two to establish who these guys are:
Tiny Cooper is not the world's gayest person, and he is not the world's largest person, but I believe he may be the world's largest person who is really, really gay, and also the world's gayest person who is really, really large. Tiny has been my best friend since fifth grade, except for all last semester, when he was busy discovering the sheer scope of his own gayness, and I was busy having an actual honest-to-God Group of Friends for the first time in my life, who ended up Never Talking to Me Again due to two slight transgressions:
1. After some school-board member got all upset about gays in the locker room, I defended Tiny Cooper's right to be both gigantic (and, therefore, the best member of our shitty football team's offensive line) and gay in a letter to the school newspaper that I, stupidly, signed...
Honestly, any writer, experienced/published or not, would be smart to read and study John Green's style. Great voice. Just great.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Monday's Mentionables: A Word on Submissions
"Everybody walks past a thousand story ideas every day. The good writers are the ones who see five or six of them. Most people don't see any." ~Orson Scott Card
Happy Monday! Over the weekend, I had a book signing at my local Borders - a little light, since it's a big travel/grad party weekend, but it did give me a chance to chat with my fellow authors that I rarely see, except 2-3x a year at these events. What did I find out?
Samhain is currently taking submissions for a "Springtime Just Romance" anthology (yes I probably should have known this, since they're my publisher, but I hadn't checked their sub page in a while). Interestingly enough, they want "sweet heat" only for this one. This, of course, is great for me, since that's what I write, but interesting for Samhain, since what they're known for, and what they sell, is hot-hot-hot erotic/menage. I guess maybe they're trying to reach out and appeal to a different/wider audience, but I just wonder how successful that will be.
Anyway, the submission info is here. They're looking for stories in the 20-25K range, with a submission deadline of November 1, 2010. So get working, or pull out those stories and polish them up!
*****
And in other interesting submission news (thanks to Kristin Nelson's blog) Tin House Books is requiring all authors submitting unsolicited ms. to include a receipt for a recent bookstore purchase. How great is that?! Apparently they're concerned that many aspiring writers aren't reading as much as they should be - or at all. You can read more about it here...very interesting!
Happy Monday! Over the weekend, I had a book signing at my local Borders - a little light, since it's a big travel/grad party weekend, but it did give me a chance to chat with my fellow authors that I rarely see, except 2-3x a year at these events. What did I find out?
Samhain is currently taking submissions for a "Springtime Just Romance" anthology (yes I probably should have known this, since they're my publisher, but I hadn't checked their sub page in a while). Interestingly enough, they want "sweet heat" only for this one. This, of course, is great for me, since that's what I write, but interesting for Samhain, since what they're known for, and what they sell, is hot-hot-hot erotic/menage. I guess maybe they're trying to reach out and appeal to a different/wider audience, but I just wonder how successful that will be.
Anyway, the submission info is here. They're looking for stories in the 20-25K range, with a submission deadline of November 1, 2010. So get working, or pull out those stories and polish them up!
*****
And in other interesting submission news (thanks to Kristin Nelson's blog) Tin House Books is requiring all authors submitting unsolicited ms. to include a receipt for a recent bookstore purchase. How great is that?! Apparently they're concerned that many aspiring writers aren't reading as much as they should be - or at all. You can read more about it here...very interesting!
Friday, July 09, 2010
Friday Fun Facts:
First off, for any of my local friends, I'm having a book signing with a few other Samhain authors tomorrow, Saturday the 10th, at the Borders in the Galleria Mall (Middletown, NY), from 2-4 pm. One Night in Napa will be available in print for the first time, so stop down and say hello if you're in the area!
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And now, some photos from my 4th of July weekend in Newport, Rhode Island (if you've never been, I highly recommend it. No photos of the amazing mansions that sit on the cliffs overlooking the harbor, but only because we've visited them before. If you haven't, that's something you can't miss when you're there).
Standing in front of the oldest library in the country
The Cliff Walk, overlooking one of the harbors
Newport Harbor, from our outdoor dinner table on the 4th
Fireworks over Newport Harbor
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And now, some photos from my 4th of July weekend in Newport, Rhode Island (if you've never been, I highly recommend it. No photos of the amazing mansions that sit on the cliffs overlooking the harbor, but only because we've visited them before. If you haven't, that's something you can't miss when you're there).
Standing in front of the oldest library in the country
The Cliff Walk, overlooking one of the harbors
Newport Harbor, from our outdoor dinner table on the 4th
Fireworks over Newport HarborWednesday, July 07, 2010
Writers' Wednesday: Thoughts on Jellicoe Road
Whew! Heat wave here in the Northeast, for about the 4th straight day. It's been at least 100 the last 2 days, though I think it's finally supposed to be a little lower than that today (you know, like 95 or so). Still, that kind of heat and humidity just saps the energy out of me! Actually, over the weekend we traveled to Newport, RI, for a little getaway - beautiful! And right on the water, which tempered the weather a little. It's funny: as I was walking the streets, I thought, huh, maybe One Night in Newport has some potential as a story...all these old homes, narrow winding roads, water and boats and the mansions at night...
But I don't know if I have any more One Night books in my future. We'll see.
I did read Jellicoe Road over the weekend. I got it a while back and had really been looking forward to it, as so many people recommended it as an outstanding Young Adult novel. And I'll tell you: while it was good, it wasn't as good as I was expecting, and I think this is because IT TOOK SO LONG to get moving. I won't even try to explain the plot here, save to say that it's really two storylines, about two groups of friends, set in the same location about 20 years apart. The main character, Taylor Markham, is an angry, self-absorbed 17 year old girl who is thrust into a leader role of a House at the boarding school where she lives. She has to interact with the other House leaders as well as leaders of the other groups of kids in the town, and it goes from there. The only adult she trusts, a woman named Hannah, disappears at the beginning, and all taylor wants to do is find her...which leads to her discovery about this other group of friends and their relation to the school on Jellicoe Road.
The book is 400 pages long, and while much of the second half is compelling, the first half is so deliberately fragmented, with pieces of a mystery and unnamed characters, that it's difficult to decipher. I know this is supposed to be part of the novel's beauty, the way both storylines unfold and come together, but I just didn't care enough about the characters or the school or the "territory wars" they fight with the Townies, at least at first. By the end, however, I cared madly about them, and Taylor's friendship-romance with Jonah Griggs is beautifully developed, one of the best I've read in YA.
By why oh why does it take Melina Marchetta so long to get there? If I were a teen reader, I doubt I would have made it past page 50. And that's a shame, because as I said, the second half of the book really picks up, and the character and story resolutions are beautiful and made me cry.
Anyone else read Jellicoe Road? Thoughts?
But I don't know if I have any more One Night books in my future. We'll see.
I did read Jellicoe Road over the weekend. I got it a while back and had really been looking forward to it, as so many people recommended it as an outstanding Young Adult novel. And I'll tell you: while it was good, it wasn't as good as I was expecting, and I think this is because IT TOOK SO LONG to get moving. I won't even try to explain the plot here, save to say that it's really two storylines, about two groups of friends, set in the same location about 20 years apart. The main character, Taylor Markham, is an angry, self-absorbed 17 year old girl who is thrust into a leader role of a House at the boarding school where she lives. She has to interact with the other House leaders as well as leaders of the other groups of kids in the town, and it goes from there. The only adult she trusts, a woman named Hannah, disappears at the beginning, and all taylor wants to do is find her...which leads to her discovery about this other group of friends and their relation to the school on Jellicoe Road.
The book is 400 pages long, and while much of the second half is compelling, the first half is so deliberately fragmented, with pieces of a mystery and unnamed characters, that it's difficult to decipher. I know this is supposed to be part of the novel's beauty, the way both storylines unfold and come together, but I just didn't care enough about the characters or the school or the "territory wars" they fight with the Townies, at least at first. By the end, however, I cared madly about them, and Taylor's friendship-romance with Jonah Griggs is beautifully developed, one of the best I've read in YA.
By why oh why does it take Melina Marchetta so long to get there? If I were a teen reader, I doubt I would have made it past page 50. And that's a shame, because as I said, the second half of the book really picks up, and the character and story resolutions are beautiful and made me cry.
Anyone else read Jellicoe Road? Thoughts?
Saturday, July 03, 2010
Happy Fourth of July!
Happy Fourth of July weekend to all my U.S. readers! It's supposed to be a hot but gorgeous one here in the Northeast. Hubby and I are going away for the weekend with another couple, and I'm still debating whether or not to bring my laptop. Part of me wants to unplug...part of me wants to work on my YA project!
Do me a favor: when you listen to the national anthem, really pay attention to the lyrics. They still give me goosebumps.
I'll see you back here on Monday with some pictures from our weekend...until then, enjoy!
Do me a favor: when you listen to the national anthem, really pay attention to the lyrics. They still give me goosebumps.
I'll see you back here on Monday with some pictures from our weekend...until then, enjoy!
Monday, June 28, 2010
Monday Mentionables: Summer Vacation Begins!!
“Sometimes it pays to stay in bed in Monday, rather than spending the rest of the week debugging Monday's code” ~Dan Saloman
First off, a big congrats to my cyber-writing comrade, Charity, whose YA novel The Geek Girl's Guide to Cheerleading was a winner in the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence Contest! And how do I know this? I was flipping through my latest issue of Romance Writers' Report when I saw the full page announcement of all the winners. I love seeing fellow writers recognized nationally!
***
Second, dance of elation because today is the FIRST official summer vacation for Yours Truly! (Well, I mean, school ended last Friday, but I don't count the weekend. Today was the first weekday I didn't have to get up with my alarm clock!)
***
Third, I'm making decent progress on my YA novel, tentatively now titled All the Girls. I abandoned the idea of making the heroine psychic, even though I really liked the idea and it's requiring a lot of rewriting to get rid of all those bits. But after some serious thinking, I decided I did want to go more mainstream/contemporary, without the paranormal aspect - even though I know paranormal is still hot-hot-hot!
We'll see...my goal is to finish my second revision this week (a lofty goal, but I'm on page 60 of 114, so it's possible) and to then finish a third revision and send out query letters by the end of July. I really want to see what kind of feedback I get from agents and editors, because I really have no sense if what I'm writing is marketable or not...
OK, I'm off to write and revise. Happy Monday :)
First off, a big congrats to my cyber-writing comrade, Charity, whose YA novel The Geek Girl's Guide to Cheerleading was a winner in the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence Contest! And how do I know this? I was flipping through my latest issue of Romance Writers' Report when I saw the full page announcement of all the winners. I love seeing fellow writers recognized nationally!
***
Second, dance of elation because today is the FIRST official summer vacation for Yours Truly! (Well, I mean, school ended last Friday, but I don't count the weekend. Today was the first weekday I didn't have to get up with my alarm clock!)
***
Third, I'm making decent progress on my YA novel, tentatively now titled All the Girls. I abandoned the idea of making the heroine psychic, even though I really liked the idea and it's requiring a lot of rewriting to get rid of all those bits. But after some serious thinking, I decided I did want to go more mainstream/contemporary, without the paranormal aspect - even though I know paranormal is still hot-hot-hot!
We'll see...my goal is to finish my second revision this week (a lofty goal, but I'm on page 60 of 114, so it's possible) and to then finish a third revision and send out query letters by the end of July. I really want to see what kind of feedback I get from agents and editors, because I really have no sense if what I'm writing is marketable or not...
OK, I'm off to write and revise. Happy Monday :)
Friday, June 25, 2010
Friday Fun Facts: July/August 2010 Writer's Digest
"You have to really love what you're writing about to write a really good book..." ~Charlaine Harris
Sharing the latest news from Writer's Digest ~ this month's issue focuses on memoir writing, which isn't really my thing, but they always have some interesting articles for all writers. Among them:
"Based on a True Story" recounts one writer's chance encounter with James Frey, the infamous author of A Million Little Pieces who was lambasted by Oprah for fabricating large parts of his memoir. Many people called him a fraud, among other things, but the author of this article doesn't feel that way at all. She argues instead that all memoirists fabricate to a certain extent, because they are writers telling a story. (By the way, I don't agree with her. Because Frey couldn't sell his story as a novel, he marketed it as a memoir, which in my mind suggests much more "truth" than a novel does. If all of us seeking the elusive contract simply lied to get it, where's the integrity? But I digress...)
"Emerging as a Writer" talks about the value of MFA creative writing programs. While they require absolute devotion of huge amounts of time and energy (and money too, I'd guess, though the article doesn't mention that), they're also greatly rewarding. They allow you to surround yourself with fellow writers and delve really deeply into your own strengths and weaknesses. Not sure I'd ever go through with getting my MFA, but I wouldn't mind taking a class or two.
"In Her Blood" discusses the tremendous success of author Charlaine Harris, who writes the Sookie Stackhouse series (basis for the TV show "True Blood"). I've read some of her books and really liked them, even though I'm not a big vampire fan. Interesting to find out that she took exactly one creative writing class in her life and also that she spent many years writing "cozy mysteries" before she broke out of her own mold and tackled paranormal. And while she definitely credits the vampire/paranormal trend with boosting her own success, she also says giving herself the freedom to do something different, something she really wanted to try, added to it as well.
There's also an article called "Raising the Stakes" that I haven't looked at yet, about adding tension/stakes to your story. Definitely looking forward to that one!
Thanks again to the editors of Writer's Digest for producing another helpful issue!
Sharing the latest news from Writer's Digest ~ this month's issue focuses on memoir writing, which isn't really my thing, but they always have some interesting articles for all writers. Among them:
"Based on a True Story" recounts one writer's chance encounter with James Frey, the infamous author of A Million Little Pieces who was lambasted by Oprah for fabricating large parts of his memoir. Many people called him a fraud, among other things, but the author of this article doesn't feel that way at all. She argues instead that all memoirists fabricate to a certain extent, because they are writers telling a story. (By the way, I don't agree with her. Because Frey couldn't sell his story as a novel, he marketed it as a memoir, which in my mind suggests much more "truth" than a novel does. If all of us seeking the elusive contract simply lied to get it, where's the integrity? But I digress...)
"Emerging as a Writer" talks about the value of MFA creative writing programs. While they require absolute devotion of huge amounts of time and energy (and money too, I'd guess, though the article doesn't mention that), they're also greatly rewarding. They allow you to surround yourself with fellow writers and delve really deeply into your own strengths and weaknesses. Not sure I'd ever go through with getting my MFA, but I wouldn't mind taking a class or two.
"In Her Blood" discusses the tremendous success of author Charlaine Harris, who writes the Sookie Stackhouse series (basis for the TV show "True Blood"). I've read some of her books and really liked them, even though I'm not a big vampire fan. Interesting to find out that she took exactly one creative writing class in her life and also that she spent many years writing "cozy mysteries" before she broke out of her own mold and tackled paranormal. And while she definitely credits the vampire/paranormal trend with boosting her own success, she also says giving herself the freedom to do something different, something she really wanted to try, added to it as well.
There's also an article called "Raising the Stakes" that I haven't looked at yet, about adding tension/stakes to your story. Definitely looking forward to that one!
Thanks again to the editors of Writer's Digest for producing another helpful issue!
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Writers' Wednesday: Two Nice Reviews
“Be happy. It's one way of being wise.” ~ Sidonie Gabrielle
I love the casual reviews I get from readers every now and again. The other day on one online forum I frequent, a fellow author wrote "Woo hoo - those "One Night" books are a hoot! I love them - didn't realize they were yours, Allie!" (I'm not exactly sure what she means by a "hoot" since they're love stories, but it sounds like a positive response).
And then last night I received this lovely email from one of the women at the Ladies' Literary Society, where I spoke a couple of weeks ago:
"I finished your latest book last evening and it is THE BEST YET! I really enjoy your writing and spoiler here so I deleted it... The happy ending really gave me a lift after an extremely stressful day. Thank you!"
They both made my day :)
I love the casual reviews I get from readers every now and again. The other day on one online forum I frequent, a fellow author wrote "Woo hoo - those "One Night" books are a hoot! I love them - didn't realize they were yours, Allie!" (I'm not exactly sure what she means by a "hoot" since they're love stories, but it sounds like a positive response).
And then last night I received this lovely email from one of the women at the Ladies' Literary Society, where I spoke a couple of weeks ago:
"I finished your latest book last evening and it is THE BEST YET! I really enjoy your writing and spoiler here so I deleted it... The happy ending really gave me a lift after an extremely stressful day. Thank you!"
They both made my day :)
Monday, June 21, 2010
Monday Mentionables: Win a SONY eReader!
Hey all, yesterday was my day as featured author over at Tilly's Greene's blog, and every comment during this ENTIRE month enters you to win a SONY eReader...so hop on over, read, and comment if you'd like! (I have to admit: reading comments from people I don't know, who've read and enjoyed my other books, is still such a thrill :)
*****
I'm pleased to say that we have found homes for all 6 kittens that have been growing up in and around our garage these last few weeks! Can't believe how big they've gotten: check out these pictures!
Stretched out in a flowerbox (apparently the towel-lined boxes weren't good enough. or dirty enough)
Sometimes, flowerpots are even preferable to flower boxes...
And even better with a friend
Of course, exploring the world outside is nice too... Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Writers' Wednesday: Working on Galleys, and an Upcoming Signing
So this week, I'm working my way through my galleys for Summer's Song, which releases in print the first week in November. Galleys are the final chance for authors to read through the work before it goes to print for good. Usually when I read galleys, I find quite a few minor errors. But this time (so far), only 2. I'll admit it's tough sometimes, though, to read through a story that (1) you finished writing a while ago and (2) you've probably read a zillion times before. So yes, it's tedious. But once it's done, it'll be ready for release November 2, so mark your calendars!
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And speaking of marking calendars, for any local readers, I have a book signing at the Borders in Middletown (Galleria Mall) on Saturday, July 10th, from 2-4 pm. One Night in Napa will be available in print for the first time! Hope to see some of you there...
****
And speaking of marking calendars, for any local readers, I have a book signing at the Borders in Middletown (Galleria Mall) on Saturday, July 10th, from 2-4 pm. One Night in Napa will be available in print for the first time! Hope to see some of you there...
Monday, June 14, 2010
Monday Mentionables: What's Selling, Who's Buying...
One basic rule you often hear in the writing world is never to write to a trend. What does this mean? Well, if you're a new writer, don't just jump on the "right now" bandwagon. If vampires are selling in 2010, and you decide you can write a vampire story as good as any out there, the chances that agents and editors will still be buying them in 2011 (if you're a relatively fast writer) are kind of low. Consider that an agent has to pitch your work to a publisher who then will take anywhere from 1-3 years to release it in print. Trends usually fade more quickly than that.
That's why those in the know will tell you to write what you really love, while considering market trends but not following them as gospel. It's also really tough to predict what the next "big thing" might be, which brings us back to the "write what you love" camp.
But here's my latest dilemma: my YA originally was a straight contemporary. Then I looked at the market, thought about how hot paranormal is right now, and decided to give my YA a small (really small) paranormal twist. A few members of my local writers' group really liked the idea. Then I shared the premise with a few online writing friends. Almost 100% of them said they were getting tired of paranormal and didn't think it would still be selling as strongly in the next year or two.
Agent Kristin Nelson reported something similar , that while YA paranormal is definitely still hot, she thinks readers/publishers/agents are getting a little bored by the flooding of that genre.
But then a friend of mine just attended the Long Island Romance Writers' luncheon conference, and she said that every single agent and editor there still wanted paranormal submissions, either in romance or YA.
So what's a girl to do? Looks from these few reports that the jury is still out on what's new, next, and on its way out when it comes to YA.
Sigh.
What do you think??
That's why those in the know will tell you to write what you really love, while considering market trends but not following them as gospel. It's also really tough to predict what the next "big thing" might be, which brings us back to the "write what you love" camp.
But here's my latest dilemma: my YA originally was a straight contemporary. Then I looked at the market, thought about how hot paranormal is right now, and decided to give my YA a small (really small) paranormal twist. A few members of my local writers' group really liked the idea. Then I shared the premise with a few online writing friends. Almost 100% of them said they were getting tired of paranormal and didn't think it would still be selling as strongly in the next year or two.
Agent Kristin Nelson reported something similar , that while YA paranormal is definitely still hot, she thinks readers/publishers/agents are getting a little bored by the flooding of that genre.
But then a friend of mine just attended the Long Island Romance Writers' luncheon conference, and she said that every single agent and editor there still wanted paranormal submissions, either in romance or YA.
So what's a girl to do? Looks from these few reports that the jury is still out on what's new, next, and on its way out when it comes to YA.
Sigh.
What do you think??
Friday, June 11, 2010
Friday Fun Facts: I'm Famous! (Well, Sort Of...)
So here's some exciting news, faithful blog readers: a couple of months ago, the publicist for Samhain contacted me with a somewhat strange request: a Brazilian TV station wanted to do an interview with me. Why? Well, this was during the 2-week period when my debut novel One Night in Boston was being offered as a Kindle Freebie, and the producer was doing a piece on the new iPad and wanted to include an ebook author. It didn't hurt that I live outside of NYC, either, which is where their affiliate station is located.
Soo.....a reporter and cameraman came to my house and filmed me! Very cool, and they were both very nice (and spoke English quite well). It was a little bit of a surreal experience, but I guess it turned out OK, because they included about a minute of the interview in their eventual piece on the iPad. Long story short: I finally got the online link for it, and I'm sharing it with you!
Now, it's in Portuguese, so you'll mostly have to just follow the visual (unless you happen to speak the language). And if you want to skip forward to my part, it's around the 3:45 minute mark (but why would you? the whole thing is about 5 minutes long, and it's a kind of cool intro to the iPad craze). Yes, I did get to use one, and it was very cool. If it wasn't so much $$, I might actually consider buying one (since I still don't have an ebook reader). The quality was AMAZING.
As it is, though, for now I'm content to enjoy my little 15 minutes of foreign language fame (although I hate, hate, the way I look in the video...I'm so vain hahaha) Hope you enjoy it too!
Soo.....a reporter and cameraman came to my house and filmed me! Very cool, and they were both very nice (and spoke English quite well). It was a little bit of a surreal experience, but I guess it turned out OK, because they included about a minute of the interview in their eventual piece on the iPad. Long story short: I finally got the online link for it, and I'm sharing it with you!
Now, it's in Portuguese, so you'll mostly have to just follow the visual (unless you happen to speak the language). And if you want to skip forward to my part, it's around the 3:45 minute mark (but why would you? the whole thing is about 5 minutes long, and it's a kind of cool intro to the iPad craze). Yes, I did get to use one, and it was very cool. If it wasn't so much $$, I might actually consider buying one (since I still don't have an ebook reader). The quality was AMAZING.
As it is, though, for now I'm content to enjoy my little 15 minutes of foreign language fame (although I hate, hate, the way I look in the video...I'm so vain hahaha) Hope you enjoy it too!
Wednesday, June 09, 2010
Writers' Wednesday: And the Winner Is...
I almost forgot! Thanks to everyone who posted comments over at Eclectic Writer over the weekend, in response to my author interview. I'm giving away a signed copy of my latest release, One Night in Napa, to... Charity!
Charity, email me your mailing address to tboniface@frontiernet.net and I'll get that in the mail to you!
And just because they're cute, here are some new kitten pictures, about 5 weeks old. All developing their own personalities now!
Monday, June 07, 2010
Monday Mentionables: Win a SONY E-Reader!
Last week I participated in not one but TWO book signing/speaking events. Wednesday I was in my hometown talking the Ladies' Literary Society (which is celebrating its 130th year!!). Though I did speak for a bit about my background and my books, it was fairly low-key. Most of the women were 60+, with two 90-year old members! It was their end-of-season luncheon, which meant we just ate and chatted. I did sell 14 books, though, so that was nice.
And then over the weekend I was at a Barnes and Noble with 5 other romance authors, mostly from the Southern Tier RWA chapter. Lovely, lovely women! I sold 6 books, which was OK since it was pretty slow overall (nice weather + a local music and food festival drew most people away, I think). It's always nice to chat with fellow authors and also make connections with bookstore managers. I highly recommend it!
Finally, I need to mention fellow Samhain author Tilly Greene's AWESOME June giveaway contest. She's giving away both a SONY e-reader and a box chock-full of goodies from the recent RT Conference, to two lucky people who leave comments on her blog this month. She's featuring one author each day (I'm June 20th - I'll remind you again before then!), and every time you comment, you're entered into the contest.
Click on the button below for more info...and happy Monday!
And then over the weekend I was at a Barnes and Noble with 5 other romance authors, mostly from the Southern Tier RWA chapter. Lovely, lovely women! I sold 6 books, which was OK since it was pretty slow overall (nice weather + a local music and food festival drew most people away, I think). It's always nice to chat with fellow authors and also make connections with bookstore managers. I highly recommend it!
Finally, I need to mention fellow Samhain author Tilly Greene's AWESOME June giveaway contest. She's giving away both a SONY e-reader and a box chock-full of goodies from the recent RT Conference, to two lucky people who leave comments on her blog this month. She's featuring one author each day (I'm June 20th - I'll remind you again before then!), and every time you comment, you're entered into the contest.
Click on the button below for more info...and happy Monday!
Friday, June 04, 2010
Friday Fun Facts: Win a Print Copy of One Night in Napa!
OK folks, just for kicks (and to reward my faithful blog readers), I'm giving away a signed print copy of my latest release, One Night in Napa. All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on yesterday's guest blog post over at Eclectic Writer. Janet Lane Walters is a fellow member of my local RWA chapter, and she was kind enough to host me, so I'm showing the love by encouraging you all to hop on over and check her (and me) out!
I'll let this contest run through Sunday at midnight, so comment away! The winner will be announced back here on Monday! (US only please, since shipping outside the US gets pricey...sorry...)
I'll let this contest run through Sunday at midnight, so comment away! The winner will be announced back here on Monday! (US only please, since shipping outside the US gets pricey...sorry...)
Wednesday, June 02, 2010
Writers' Wednesday: An Invitation to the Ladies' Literary Society
“What is wonderful about great literature is that it transforms the man who reads it towards the condition of the man who wrote.” ~E. M. Forster
Today I'm in for an interesting experience: I'm a guest at the Ladies Literary Society in the town where I grew up. Sounds like I should be wearing gloves and a hat, right? Actually, it's a book club that's been around for 100+ years, so that notion isn't far off. I didn't know much about it until one of the members asked me to attend as her guest. Their theme this year is "Author Author" and each member chooses an author to read and discuss each month. While I think their tastes usually run to the classic literature end of the spectrum, I'm looking forward to sharing some info about the romance genre and what makes it so appealing, so commercially successful, etc. Yes, I brought books and bookmarks and business cards and a lot of stats on recent market sales, famous romance authors they may or may not know, and more :)
So...I'm off to prepare. I'll be back with a full report on Friday - and always remember, fellow authors, what I say about taking the opportunity to get your name out there!
Today I'm in for an interesting experience: I'm a guest at the Ladies Literary Society in the town where I grew up. Sounds like I should be wearing gloves and a hat, right? Actually, it's a book club that's been around for 100+ years, so that notion isn't far off. I didn't know much about it until one of the members asked me to attend as her guest. Their theme this year is "Author Author" and each member chooses an author to read and discuss each month. While I think their tastes usually run to the classic literature end of the spectrum, I'm looking forward to sharing some info about the romance genre and what makes it so appealing, so commercially successful, etc. Yes, I brought books and bookmarks and business cards and a lot of stats on recent market sales, famous romance authors they may or may not know, and more :)
So...I'm off to prepare. I'll be back with a full report on Friday - and always remember, fellow authors, what I say about taking the opportunity to get your name out there!
Monday, May 31, 2010
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Writers' Wednesday: The Pros and Cons of Writers' Groups
So I've been thinking a lot about writers' groups the last few months. When I first decided to take the plunge and consider writing for publication, about 9 years ago, I looked around online and found a wonderful website where you could both take writing courses and join an online group. I took just one course (the intro one, I think), but I ended up joining 2 groups, and I will be forever grateful for the people I met there who helped shape my writing and my awareness of the writing world. There, I learned to take and give criticism, to do research about publishers, and to share beyond just the writing with a core group of fellow scribblers, some of which I am still in touch with today.
Then, about 3 years ago, I contacted my local RWA writers' group and found another support network, this time filled with local women who were writing in a similar genre - some published, some not. I continued to learn, to share, to socially interact with new faces - these in person instead of in cyber world, which was refreshing.
Now, however, I'm in the position of trying to decide whether I should continue my membership in the local group (my origial online groups disbanded a while back, sadly). While I am still a member of RWA, I attend the local meetings very infrequently (both because of my busy schedule and because I didn't feel I was getting out of them what I needed/wanted to). The membership fee for the local isn't much, so it's not the money. But I rarely attend meetings anymore, so I suppose I should consider why that is, and whether I'd be better served seeking feedback and support elsewhere.
I think part of it is that at the last few meetings I went to, attendance was super-low, and most of the discussion was either (1) gossip in small groups around the table or (2) critique that was decidedly biting. The former I can deal with; the latter, not so much. I am a huge fan of providing and gaining feedback - and indeed, for a while I attended critique group every other week (though it was an hour drive one way). I liked the camraderie, the laughter, and the learning. A couple of our members besides myself are published, and it's wonderful to hear their insight. But somehow over the last few months, it stopped being both fun and beneficial. This is probably more because of where I am in my writing pursuits - thinking about switching genres, published with a well-established small press whereas many of the other members are not published - than anything else. Still, I'm starting to think my needs might be better met somewhere else.
Absolute Write is a wonderful resource, and a place where I've been spending quite a bit of online time. I think what I most appreciate about it is that there is a wide variety of writers hanging out there, from the well established/multi published to those still learning the craft from the bottom up. I find that my questions are better answered, my writing better critiqued.
So what about you? What do you look for in a writers' group? Online support, or in person? Or both? Does it matter what genres people write, or the level of their experience? Or do you prefer to go it alone?? I'm interested - please share!
Then, about 3 years ago, I contacted my local RWA writers' group and found another support network, this time filled with local women who were writing in a similar genre - some published, some not. I continued to learn, to share, to socially interact with new faces - these in person instead of in cyber world, which was refreshing.
Now, however, I'm in the position of trying to decide whether I should continue my membership in the local group (my origial online groups disbanded a while back, sadly). While I am still a member of RWA, I attend the local meetings very infrequently (both because of my busy schedule and because I didn't feel I was getting out of them what I needed/wanted to). The membership fee for the local isn't much, so it's not the money. But I rarely attend meetings anymore, so I suppose I should consider why that is, and whether I'd be better served seeking feedback and support elsewhere.
I think part of it is that at the last few meetings I went to, attendance was super-low, and most of the discussion was either (1) gossip in small groups around the table or (2) critique that was decidedly biting. The former I can deal with; the latter, not so much. I am a huge fan of providing and gaining feedback - and indeed, for a while I attended critique group every other week (though it was an hour drive one way). I liked the camraderie, the laughter, and the learning. A couple of our members besides myself are published, and it's wonderful to hear their insight. But somehow over the last few months, it stopped being both fun and beneficial. This is probably more because of where I am in my writing pursuits - thinking about switching genres, published with a well-established small press whereas many of the other members are not published - than anything else. Still, I'm starting to think my needs might be better met somewhere else.
Absolute Write is a wonderful resource, and a place where I've been spending quite a bit of online time. I think what I most appreciate about it is that there is a wide variety of writers hanging out there, from the well established/multi published to those still learning the craft from the bottom up. I find that my questions are better answered, my writing better critiqued.
So what about you? What do you look for in a writers' group? Online support, or in person? Or both? Does it matter what genres people write, or the level of their experience? Or do you prefer to go it alone?? I'm interested - please share!
Monday, May 24, 2010
Monday's Mentionables: More Cute Kitty Pics!
"No matter how much cats fight, there always seems to be plenty of kittens." - Abraham Lincoln
Woooo - weee! What a week it's been! I've graded 240 student papers in the last 7 days, and my eyes are about ready to fall out of my head! But today was the last day of the semester (for my college students; the high school ones are with me for another month), so no more heavy-duty papers until September!
Obviously, I haven't done any writing of my own lately. But my YA book is simmering, oh yes it is, and I hope to get back to it soon enough. Also this week, though, I want to talk about writers' groups - what they can do for you, and when it's time to think about cutting loose and finding a new one (or going it solo). I'd love to hear your input on that!
Until then, enjoy some new pictures of the kittens living under our porch - they're 3 weeks old and discovering their legs...too cute!
Woooo - weee! What a week it's been! I've graded 240 student papers in the last 7 days, and my eyes are about ready to fall out of my head! But today was the last day of the semester (for my college students; the high school ones are with me for another month), so no more heavy-duty papers until September!
Obviously, I haven't done any writing of my own lately. But my YA book is simmering, oh yes it is, and I hope to get back to it soon enough. Also this week, though, I want to talk about writers' groups - what they can do for you, and when it's time to think about cutting loose and finding a new one (or going it solo). I'd love to hear your input on that!
Until then, enjoy some new pictures of the kittens living under our porch - they're 3 weeks old and discovering their legs...too cute!
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Meet Author Jeffrey Leever!
[Readers, pay attention to the information at the end of this post, for a chance to win an autographed copy of Jeffrey Leever's new book!]
Dark Chocolate & Dark Mystery by Jeffrey Leever
When I see Allie’s heading above with the website’s name and the hearts, for whatever reason the first thing I think of is dark chocolate – and the fact that studies have shown it’s good for the heart. One of the things I like to do at my book signing events is to have some dark chocolate available at my table. Besides the enjoyment I get from occasionally eating the inventory, there is a bit of a tie-in with the title of my first book, Dark Friday. People seem to like it enough that I’ve continued the practice at events for my latest mystery novel, The University.
My palate, of course, has been telling me for many years that dark chocolate is “good.” Researchers at The Journal of the American Medical Association and elsewhere seem to agree. Apparently, small portions of the dark stuff lowers high blood pressure. The antioxidants present in dark chocolate (but not white or milk chocolate, sadly) tend to devour the kinds of destructive molecules that cause high blood pressure like a sumo wrestler at an all-you-can-eat buffet. Only sweeter.
Whenever I give people a square of Ghirardelli’s Dark or a Dark Hershey’s KISS, I always tell them, “A dark mystery novel is good for your heart, too.” I get some surprised looks on occasion. Then I talk about something that I can’t prove with a medical study but nevertheless believe: Dark mysteries that also manage to have a heart are good for the soul. They’re also a great choice (whether authored by yours truly or someone else) to give to a person who thinks they aren’t a reader, or someone who usually struggles to make it through a book.
I believe in fast-moving, heart-pumping, easy-to-get-through stories. I also believe in writing novels that include all the requisite stresses, twists, chills, and thrills of the mystery genre, but that have some real-world meaning beyond just the plots themselves. Books that can move people, occasionally leave them crying (and I don’t mean in fear), or make them want to talk through certain topics with others afterward. My favorite reviews and reader comments are when people notice this aspect and/or are surprised when I “take them there” amid all of the chaos.
My most-recent book, The University, deals with a college student who is trying to figure out why his best friend disappeared. He ends up battling a cult group. And falling in love. Meanwhile, an investigative journalist cracks an unsolved murder case from two years ago and helps a former police officer find redemption in the process.
It’s a story that’s both dark and has a good heart. Give it a try sometime if you have the chance.
* * *
JEFFREY LEEVER (www.jeffreyleever.com) is on virtual tour this week with the Omnimystery family of websites (http://jeffrey-leever.omnimystery.com) and is giving away a free copy of The University. He lives in Blue Springs, Missouri, with his wife and daughter. Like Allie, he loves pets. He owns a turtle (Frodo), a newt (Gingrich), a rabbit (Neo), and a cat who showed up in 2008 and has never left (Sebastian).
About The University
Ah, college life at Tremont University. A place for learning. Partying and dating. And murder.
When investigative journalist Kevin Gibson lets his cousin, a former cop, talk him into looking into a student's disappearance at Tremont University, he gets more than he bargained for. A former student — injured in a brutal attack two years ago and in a coma — may hold a critical piece of information that can solve the mystery. Meanwhile, an attractive coed continues to hide a very dark secret.
Tremont junior Brett Duncan is determined to find out what happened to his best friend, who's gone missing. Along with his girlfriend Ciera Kindle, Brett is drawn into a cunning world few know exist -- a conspiracy involving faculty, students, and some well-connected people in high places.
Beneath the campus’ Hallmark-card exterior lie many secrets, and a pulse-racing mystery with plenty of chills along the way.
When I see Allie’s heading above with the website’s name and the hearts, for whatever reason the first thing I think of is dark chocolate – and the fact that studies have shown it’s good for the heart. One of the things I like to do at my book signing events is to have some dark chocolate available at my table. Besides the enjoyment I get from occasionally eating the inventory, there is a bit of a tie-in with the title of my first book, Dark Friday. People seem to like it enough that I’ve continued the practice at events for my latest mystery novel, The University.
My palate, of course, has been telling me for many years that dark chocolate is “good.” Researchers at The Journal of the American Medical Association and elsewhere seem to agree. Apparently, small portions of the dark stuff lowers high blood pressure. The antioxidants present in dark chocolate (but not white or milk chocolate, sadly) tend to devour the kinds of destructive molecules that cause high blood pressure like a sumo wrestler at an all-you-can-eat buffet. Only sweeter.
Whenever I give people a square of Ghirardelli’s Dark or a Dark Hershey’s KISS, I always tell them, “A dark mystery novel is good for your heart, too.” I get some surprised looks on occasion. Then I talk about something that I can’t prove with a medical study but nevertheless believe: Dark mysteries that also manage to have a heart are good for the soul. They’re also a great choice (whether authored by yours truly or someone else) to give to a person who thinks they aren’t a reader, or someone who usually struggles to make it through a book.
I believe in fast-moving, heart-pumping, easy-to-get-through stories. I also believe in writing novels that include all the requisite stresses, twists, chills, and thrills of the mystery genre, but that have some real-world meaning beyond just the plots themselves. Books that can move people, occasionally leave them crying (and I don’t mean in fear), or make them want to talk through certain topics with others afterward. My favorite reviews and reader comments are when people notice this aspect and/or are surprised when I “take them there” amid all of the chaos.
My most-recent book, The University, deals with a college student who is trying to figure out why his best friend disappeared. He ends up battling a cult group. And falling in love. Meanwhile, an investigative journalist cracks an unsolved murder case from two years ago and helps a former police officer find redemption in the process.
It’s a story that’s both dark and has a good heart. Give it a try sometime if you have the chance.
* * *
JEFFREY LEEVER (www.jeffreyleever.com) is on virtual tour this week with the Omnimystery family of websites (http://jeffrey-leever.omnimystery.com) and is giving away a free copy of The University. He lives in Blue Springs, Missouri, with his wife and daughter. Like Allie, he loves pets. He owns a turtle (Frodo), a newt (Gingrich), a rabbit (Neo), and a cat who showed up in 2008 and has never left (Sebastian).
About The University
Ah, college life at Tremont University. A place for learning. Partying and dating. And murder.
When investigative journalist Kevin Gibson lets his cousin, a former cop, talk him into looking into a student's disappearance at Tremont University, he gets more than he bargained for. A former student — injured in a brutal attack two years ago and in a coma — may hold a critical piece of information that can solve the mystery. Meanwhile, an attractive coed continues to hide a very dark secret.
Tremont junior Brett Duncan is determined to find out what happened to his best friend, who's gone missing. Along with his girlfriend Ciera Kindle, Brett is drawn into a cunning world few know exist -- a conspiracy involving faculty, students, and some well-connected people in high places.
Beneath the campus’ Hallmark-card exterior lie many secrets, and a pulse-racing mystery with plenty of chills along the way.
*****
Want to win a copy of The University? Just visit Jeffrey Leever's tour page and enter this pin # (unique to Allie's Musings): 4637. Good luck, and thanks for visiting with us here today!
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Writer's Wednesday Becomes Thinker's Thursday This Week
Well, I was just trying to be cute and clever with today's blog post title... :)
But really, I'm hosting author Jeffrey Leever right here TOMORROW on his blog tour, so please join me back here for a chance to find out all about his new book, The University, and have a chance to win it!
But really, I'm hosting author Jeffrey Leever right here TOMORROW on his blog tour, so please join me back here for a chance to find out all about his new book, The University, and have a chance to win it!
Monday, May 17, 2010
Monday's Mentionables: A YA Excerpt
I actually had a chance to do a little work on my YA novel over the weekend (amid TONS of papers to be graded, but that's another story). So I thought I'd share an excerpt. This one happens about 1/3 of the way in, when the main character, Annie (who is psychic and can hear dead people inside her head) decides to suggest a way for the girls at her new school to rein in their hard-partying boyfriends. Of course, she's just met Mr. Dreamy, which complicates things more than a little. (If you recall, this story is loosely based on the Greek play Lysistrata, and this is one of the first times it's referenced.)
Hope you enjoy it!
*****
The whole rest of the night, I’m floating. Nothing can bother me. Not the tight knot of tension around the dinner table, not the English paper that’s due tomorrow, nothing. I think of Manuel kissing me, winding his fingers through mine, and my heart squeezes until it feels like it might burst. I haven’t been this happy in a long time. I even offer to do the dishes and haul the garbage to the curb for tomorrow’s early-morning pickup. Outside, the sun is settling into the hills, and it’s turned a little cool. I don’t care. I wrap my arms around myself and breathe in the scent of freshness. Of possibility. The leaves are beginning to turn all these burnt orange and red colors, and they’re so gorgeous they take my breath away. I stand at the end of our driveway for a while and just take it all in.
My good mood lasts until almost eleven, when Heather pops up on You’nverse. “Hey you there?” she types.
“Yeah.” I click the Print button on my computer and wait as three pages of my paper slide out. There. A pink paper clip in the upper left corner, and I’m done. Now I can curl up under the covers and dream about –
“I wanna kill myself.”
The paper falls from my hand. “What?” My fingers slip on the keys.
“Not really.”
“Oh. What’s up?” I know she’s still upset about Bradley-and-the-prank, but it sounds like the guys are getting off pretty easy, with just a week’s suspension. The administration at school might bring in the drug dogs, or try to crack down for a while, but I’m betting everything will go back to normal after too long.
“The college recruiters called Bradley today.”
“And?”
“All of them are pulling their offers.”
I stare at the computer screen. That does suck.
“How is he?” I type after a minute.
“Won’t even talk to me.”
“How’s Tom?”
“Still in the ICU.”
I sink onto my bed and pull the laptop onto my crossed legs. Kenny was right when he said What a total mess. Maybe this is more serious than I thought. I mean, the five guys who got caught during the prank don’t fall into just one social group, as far as I can tell. Bradley and Derrick are starters on the football team, but Les is a brain in the drama club, Philly’s the cool, dangerous guy with the pimped-out car, and Tom’s the stoner who makes everyone laugh. I’m beginning to find out that in a school as small as Parker’s Point, there’s a lot of crossing over.
Which means that this fiasco didn’t just cut the legs out from under one clique. It pretty much cut the legs out of the school.
I still don’t know what to say to Heather, who’s filled the chat box with “????????????”
Then my eyes fall on the stack of books on my desk. At the very top is the copy of “Lysistrata,” the play about the women who stop the war between Athens and Sparta. I read it over the weekend, when I was avoiding Manuel and Mom and pretending to escape to ancient Greece.
Now I’m wondering if those women were onto something.
“Here’s a crazy thought,” I type.
“What?”
“Maybe we can change things.”
“Change what things?”
All the partying, I want to say. And the ridiculous pranks. But I don’t want to come across like a total prude.
“It’ll be like a social experiment.” There. Dad would be proud of that.
Dad… The happiness in my chest from Manuel is replaced by the sting of loss.
“What r u talking about?”
“There’s this story,” I begin to explain. “Well a play actually. About a bunch of women who got their men to stop acting like idiots.”
“How?”
“They refused to sleep with them until they cleaned up their acts.”
The screen stays blank for almost a minute. I wonder if Heather thinks I’m totally insane.
“Forget it,” I finally type. “Stupid idea.”
“No not really. But who’s gonna do it? I mean, every girl in the school?”
She raises a good point. There’s no way two hundred girls are just going to drop their boyfriends – especially if their boyfriends aren’t the ones acting like idiots in the first place. What did Lysistrata do? I pull out the play and begin flipping pages. She just kept talking to the other women until she convinced them to listen to her. I shake my head. I don’t think I have that much power here.
Then my gaze falls on the blue sheet of paper still lying on my desk. Winter Formal. Two months away.
“How about no girl goes to Winter Formal unless the guys stop partying at the Cove?”
“R u kidding? Winter Formal’s amazing.”
“U said most guys spend the night drinking and puking in the bathroom. What’s so amazing about that?”
There’s another long pause. I can almost see Heather thinking it over, her face frowning and her blue eyes filling as she thinks of her super-star boyfriend reduced to a common felon.
“OK I’ll talk to some of the girls.”
“I’ll talk to Charise.” She has connections with the smart crowd, seniors included, ‘cause she’s taking a lot of advanced courses and electives. I cross my fingers. If we’re lucky, some of them might get a kick out of reenacting a centuries-old play. Brainiacs are like that.
“C u tomorrow? Talk more then?”
“Yeah.” I shut down the computer and return to my fantasy of kissing Manuel. This time, though, we’re in my bedroom instead of on the back porch, and his hands go to places they never went this afternoon. I pull a pillow into my arms and pretend it’s him I’m holding. Then I sit straight up. What the hell am I thinking? This brilliant idea to cut off all the guys in school includes him. No more kissing. No more walks home. Definitely no invitation to Winter Formal.
I feel like the biggest fool in town.
Hope you enjoy it!
*****
The whole rest of the night, I’m floating. Nothing can bother me. Not the tight knot of tension around the dinner table, not the English paper that’s due tomorrow, nothing. I think of Manuel kissing me, winding his fingers through mine, and my heart squeezes until it feels like it might burst. I haven’t been this happy in a long time. I even offer to do the dishes and haul the garbage to the curb for tomorrow’s early-morning pickup. Outside, the sun is settling into the hills, and it’s turned a little cool. I don’t care. I wrap my arms around myself and breathe in the scent of freshness. Of possibility. The leaves are beginning to turn all these burnt orange and red colors, and they’re so gorgeous they take my breath away. I stand at the end of our driveway for a while and just take it all in.
My good mood lasts until almost eleven, when Heather pops up on You’nverse. “Hey you there?” she types.
“Yeah.” I click the Print button on my computer and wait as three pages of my paper slide out. There. A pink paper clip in the upper left corner, and I’m done. Now I can curl up under the covers and dream about –
“I wanna kill myself.”
The paper falls from my hand. “What?” My fingers slip on the keys.
“Not really.”
“Oh. What’s up?” I know she’s still upset about Bradley-and-the-prank, but it sounds like the guys are getting off pretty easy, with just a week’s suspension. The administration at school might bring in the drug dogs, or try to crack down for a while, but I’m betting everything will go back to normal after too long.
“The college recruiters called Bradley today.”
“And?”
“All of them are pulling their offers.”
I stare at the computer screen. That does suck.
“How is he?” I type after a minute.
“Won’t even talk to me.”
“How’s Tom?”
“Still in the ICU.”
I sink onto my bed and pull the laptop onto my crossed legs. Kenny was right when he said What a total mess. Maybe this is more serious than I thought. I mean, the five guys who got caught during the prank don’t fall into just one social group, as far as I can tell. Bradley and Derrick are starters on the football team, but Les is a brain in the drama club, Philly’s the cool, dangerous guy with the pimped-out car, and Tom’s the stoner who makes everyone laugh. I’m beginning to find out that in a school as small as Parker’s Point, there’s a lot of crossing over.
Which means that this fiasco didn’t just cut the legs out from under one clique. It pretty much cut the legs out of the school.
I still don’t know what to say to Heather, who’s filled the chat box with “????????????”
Then my eyes fall on the stack of books on my desk. At the very top is the copy of “Lysistrata,” the play about the women who stop the war between Athens and Sparta. I read it over the weekend, when I was avoiding Manuel and Mom and pretending to escape to ancient Greece.
Now I’m wondering if those women were onto something.
“Here’s a crazy thought,” I type.
“What?”
“Maybe we can change things.”
“Change what things?”
All the partying, I want to say. And the ridiculous pranks. But I don’t want to come across like a total prude.
“It’ll be like a social experiment.” There. Dad would be proud of that.
Dad… The happiness in my chest from Manuel is replaced by the sting of loss.
“What r u talking about?”
“There’s this story,” I begin to explain. “Well a play actually. About a bunch of women who got their men to stop acting like idiots.”
“How?”
“They refused to sleep with them until they cleaned up their acts.”
The screen stays blank for almost a minute. I wonder if Heather thinks I’m totally insane.
“Forget it,” I finally type. “Stupid idea.”
“No not really. But who’s gonna do it? I mean, every girl in the school?”
She raises a good point. There’s no way two hundred girls are just going to drop their boyfriends – especially if their boyfriends aren’t the ones acting like idiots in the first place. What did Lysistrata do? I pull out the play and begin flipping pages. She just kept talking to the other women until she convinced them to listen to her. I shake my head. I don’t think I have that much power here.
Then my gaze falls on the blue sheet of paper still lying on my desk. Winter Formal. Two months away.
“How about no girl goes to Winter Formal unless the guys stop partying at the Cove?”
“R u kidding? Winter Formal’s amazing.”
“U said most guys spend the night drinking and puking in the bathroom. What’s so amazing about that?”
There’s another long pause. I can almost see Heather thinking it over, her face frowning and her blue eyes filling as she thinks of her super-star boyfriend reduced to a common felon.
“OK I’ll talk to some of the girls.”
“I’ll talk to Charise.” She has connections with the smart crowd, seniors included, ‘cause she’s taking a lot of advanced courses and electives. I cross my fingers. If we’re lucky, some of them might get a kick out of reenacting a centuries-old play. Brainiacs are like that.
“C u tomorrow? Talk more then?”
“Yeah.” I shut down the computer and return to my fantasy of kissing Manuel. This time, though, we’re in my bedroom instead of on the back porch, and his hands go to places they never went this afternoon. I pull a pillow into my arms and pretend it’s him I’m holding. Then I sit straight up. What the hell am I thinking? This brilliant idea to cut off all the guys in school includes him. No more kissing. No more walks home. Definitely no invitation to Winter Formal.
I feel like the biggest fool in town.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Friday Fun Facts: A Litter of Kittens!
"Cats are dangerous companions for writers because cat watching is a near-perfect method of writing avoidance." ~Dan Greenburg
And now for something completely unrelated to anything writing: last Friday, hubby and I discovered a litter of brand new baby kitties underneath our front porch. And yes, we were completely surprised! I had seen a cat hanging around about a month ago, but I thought she just belonged to a neighbor and was wandering. Nope.
Turns out she is a very affectionate, very young mama (that I'm guessing was dumped, because she loves people, so she was probably someone's pet) with a litter of six. She managed to wedge herself through a gap in the boards of our porch, and now she's raising her babies in a warm, dry, safe place.
But what to do with them? I actually mentioned them to my students, a couple of whom might be interested in adopting. I do volunteer at a no-kill shelter, so that might be a possibility. As it is right now, I'm guessing the kittens are around 2 weeks old, so we'll keep them here, feed mama so she doesn't have to spend her time hunting, and take it from there, I guess.
Want to see some pictures? They're so tiny - last week all 6 could've fit in the palms of both my hands!
And now for something completely unrelated to anything writing: last Friday, hubby and I discovered a litter of brand new baby kitties underneath our front porch. And yes, we were completely surprised! I had seen a cat hanging around about a month ago, but I thought she just belonged to a neighbor and was wandering. Nope.
Turns out she is a very affectionate, very young mama (that I'm guessing was dumped, because she loves people, so she was probably someone's pet) with a litter of six. She managed to wedge herself through a gap in the boards of our porch, and now she's raising her babies in a warm, dry, safe place.
But what to do with them? I actually mentioned them to my students, a couple of whom might be interested in adopting. I do volunteer at a no-kill shelter, so that might be a possibility. As it is right now, I'm guessing the kittens are around 2 weeks old, so we'll keep them here, feed mama so she doesn't have to spend her time hunting, and take it from there, I guess.
Want to see some pictures? They're so tiny - last week all 6 could've fit in the palms of both my hands!
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Writers' Wednesday: Blog Hopping
We're heading into the last couple of days of my blog tour for One Night in Memphis (the audio book) and One Night in Napa (print release celebration)...so please check out the links below and join me! Lots of goodies to be won... ;)
Spotlight Author at The Long and the Short of It
Blogging with Nicole Zoltack
Blogging at The Perils of Pauline
Happy Hump Day!
Spotlight Author at The Long and the Short of It
Blogging with Nicole Zoltack
Blogging at The Perils of Pauline
Happy Hump Day!
Monday, May 10, 2010
Monday's Mentionables: Spotlight Author at LASR...All Week Long!
Beginning today, I'm the spotlight author over at The Long and the Short of It - all week long! This is my celebration of One Night in Napa's print release. That means each day you'll find a new post by Yours Truly, as well as a chance to win...well, don't you want to know? Head on over to LASR and find out!
Also, I'm still blog hopping and talking about my One Night in Memphis audio release - today I'm over at Marta's Meanderings. Remember, every time you leave a comment, you're entered to win your choice of my audio books!
And finally, Brenda Novak's online auction is going strong...and my One Night Gift Package is currently at $22.00 - a steal for 3 signed books and a funky beaded bracelet! Don't you want to enter a bid - on this or on one of the many other terrific items there?!
Also, I'm still blog hopping and talking about my One Night in Memphis audio release - today I'm over at Marta's Meanderings. Remember, every time you leave a comment, you're entered to win your choice of my audio books!
And finally, Brenda Novak's online auction is going strong...and my One Night Gift Package is currently at $22.00 - a steal for 3 signed books and a funky beaded bracelet! Don't you want to enter a bid - on this or on one of the many other terrific items there?!
Wednesday, May 05, 2010
Writers' Wednesday: Still Blog-Hopping to Talk about One Night in Memphis!
Blogging today over at You Gotta Read Reviews - won't you join me?
Oh, and by the way, not sure I mentioned it or not, but one commenter from all the posts/comments left (drawn randomly) during my One Night in Memphis tour will receive a free copy of the audio book!
Hope you're having a wonderful week...
Oh, and by the way, not sure I mentioned it or not, but one commenter from all the posts/comments left (drawn randomly) during my One Night in Memphis tour will receive a free copy of the audio book!
Hope you're having a wonderful week...
Tuesday, May 04, 2010
Print Release Day for One Night in Napa!
IT'S HERE!!!
Print release day for One Night in Napa, my third "24-hour romance" novel with Samhain. I love this story (well, I love all my stories), because of the setting - romantic Napa Valley wine country - the heroine - she's a tough-as-nails broad with super-short spiky hair and facial piercings - and the story-within-a-story that provides a little bit of a twist ending.
Today I'm blogging at Liana's Place - hope you'll drop by and leave me a comment!
Monday, May 03, 2010
Monday's Mentionables: A New Print Release!
"Behold the turtle. He makes progress only when he sticks his neck out." ~James Bryant Conant
It's almost here: release day for One Night in Napa!! Tomorrow, May 4th, is the magic day. In fact, I'll drop by here again and give you all the updated purchase link, as well as let you know where I'm guest blogging (today: The Life [and Lies] of an Inanimate Flying Object).
And just because it's so darn cute, look what we found yesterday afternoon in our back yard, the size of a quarter:
Friday, April 30, 2010
Friday Fun Facts: Follow my Blog Tour!
Follow me as my blog tour gets underway for One Night in Memphis! Yesterday I was over at Sherry Gloag's little corner of the web; today I'm at Word Wranglers. Next Monday & Tuesday I'll be at The Life (and Lies) of an Inanimate Flying Object and Liana's Place, and I'd love to see you!
Have a great weekend - it's supposed to hit 80 degrees here tomorrow! (And yet it snowed in upstate NY and New England just this week...Mother Nature must be drinking again hahahaha....)
Have a great weekend - it's supposed to hit 80 degrees here tomorrow! (And yet it snowed in upstate NY and New England just this week...Mother Nature must be drinking again hahahaha....)
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Writers' Wednesday: Get Ready for Brenda Novak's Online Auction!
Hey folks, Brenda Novak's annual online auction to raise money for juvenile diabetes research begins MAY 1ST!! I can't even begin to list all the amazing things that are up for auction this year, for readers, writers, and a general audience as well. You can browse now, and get those bids ready for May 1st! And if you click on the banner above, you'll go straight to my auction page, featuring a "One Night" gift package.
Hope you'll bid and help raise money for this great cause!
Monday, April 26, 2010
Monday's Mentionables: One Night in Memphis Audio Book Release Day!
One Night in Memphis releases as an audio book today! And to celebrate, I'm launching a 2-week blog tour beginning this Thursday, thanks to the ladies at Goddess Fish Promotions. I'll try to stop by here each day and give you the link where I'll be chatting, so please visit me as I travel! I'll be giving away the winner's choice of the audio book of Lost in Paradise or One Night in Memphis to one lucky commenter, plus you'll find out all kinds of tidbits about me you might not have known :0
Here's the purchase link for One Night in Memphis (and a listen, if you'd like) - it should be active by the end of the day Monday!
Here's the purchase link for One Night in Memphis (and a listen, if you'd like) - it should be active by the end of the day Monday!
Friday, April 23, 2010
Friday Fun Facts: Helpful Websites for Writers
"Weekends don't count unless you spend them doing something completely pointless." ~Bill Watterson
TGIF!
Got my latest Writer's Digest yesterday. Among the articles (how relevant!): Romance: Why It's Hot and How to Break In (read and read some more, learn the subgenres and the heat levels your audience expects); Young Adult: Top Editors and Agents on What it Takes to Make It (be original, don't follow a trend, don't talk down to teens); and Top 101 Websites for Writers.
Of those top 101, I check a few pretty regularly and recommend them:
Absolute Write - the forums are terrific ~ you'll find an answer to any writing-related question you might have
Agent Query - up to date profiles on agents, what they're seeking, and how to query them
Preditors and Editors - lets you know who you can trust and who you can't, in the publishing biz
Nathan Bransford's Blog - this YA agent is personable and honest about what's going on the world of young adult publishing
WOW! Women on Writing - publishes monthly e-zines filled with information for writers of all levels and all genres
******
It's been a crazy week for me, so I'm hoping to do a little relaxing, yard work, and writing this weekend. What about you?
TGIF!
Got my latest Writer's Digest yesterday. Among the articles (how relevant!): Romance: Why It's Hot and How to Break In (read and read some more, learn the subgenres and the heat levels your audience expects); Young Adult: Top Editors and Agents on What it Takes to Make It (be original, don't follow a trend, don't talk down to teens); and Top 101 Websites for Writers.
Of those top 101, I check a few pretty regularly and recommend them:
Absolute Write - the forums are terrific ~ you'll find an answer to any writing-related question you might have
Agent Query - up to date profiles on agents, what they're seeking, and how to query them
Preditors and Editors - lets you know who you can trust and who you can't, in the publishing biz
Nathan Bransford's Blog - this YA agent is personable and honest about what's going on the world of young adult publishing
WOW! Women on Writing - publishes monthly e-zines filled with information for writers of all levels and all genres
******
It's been a crazy week for me, so I'm hoping to do a little relaxing, yard work, and writing this weekend. What about you?
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Writers' Wednesday: I Need More Hours in my Day!
Busy! Busy!! No time today to write anything long, and here's why:
1. I'm trying to proof the audio files for One Night in Memphis, which is behind schedule for release.
2. I'm trying to write blog posts for my upcoming One Night in Memphis release tour, which begins (yikes!) next week.
3. I'm trying to put together promo for One Night in Napa's print release, which is May 4th (ooh, just got my author copies in the mail yesterday - beautiful!).
4. I'm trying to help hubby finish the master bathroom renovations and keep the house relatively free of dust in the meantime.
5. Oh, and I also have that full-time teaching job with ALL the papers to grade.
Whew ~ I'm off! Have a great day and I'll see you back here Friday!
1. I'm trying to proof the audio files for One Night in Memphis, which is behind schedule for release.
2. I'm trying to write blog posts for my upcoming One Night in Memphis release tour, which begins (yikes!) next week.
3. I'm trying to put together promo for One Night in Napa's print release, which is May 4th (ooh, just got my author copies in the mail yesterday - beautiful!).
4. I'm trying to help hubby finish the master bathroom renovations and keep the house relatively free of dust in the meantime.
5. Oh, and I also have that full-time teaching job with ALL the papers to grade.
Whew ~ I'm off! Have a great day and I'll see you back here Friday!
Monday, April 19, 2010
Monday's Mentionables: YA Conference in Review
This past Saturday I attended WPU's Spring Writers' Conference, with a focus on "Writing Childhood." What did I think?
Breaskfast: Not enough variety. A few small pastries and that was it (hey, I can be picky if I want to be...)
Keynote Speaker, David Means: Really enjoyed the two short stories he read, "The Knocking" and "The Botch." High literary writing, which means a focus on language and character rather than plot. He was engaging and funny, though not a terrific lecturer - had a hard time answering questions.
Morning Workshop, Panel of YA Authors: I loved this workshop. 3 featured authors all talked about their books and their approach to writing/YA. My favorite by far, though, was Neesha Meminger, whose debut YA novel Shine, Coconut Moon has received lots of accolades AND was on sale there, so I managed to snag a copy and have it signed. I loved her the minute she started talking about her background and confessed that she writes erotic romance under a pen name! We talked afterwards about the fact that I'm also a romance author looking to write YA, and why that's such a natural bridge - I think because in both genres, you're exploring how love (and life) can be all-consuming. So interesting!
Lunch: Yummy! A great variety, lots of fresh fruit, and to-die-for brownies. Made up for the skimpy breakfast!
Afternoon Workshop, Coming of Age Fiction: This one was run by one of the authors in the morning panel I saw, Marina Budhos. A lovely, lovely woman, speaker and teacher - I confess I wouldn't mind taking a class from her someday. She had us do some hands-on activites and writing prompts related to coming-of-age experiences. I liked it but it wasn't long enough to really dig deeply into the things she was presenting.
And that was it! It was small, probably only about 100 attendees, but that really allowed for a nice connection with the presenters. I'm inspired and ready to write~
Breaskfast: Not enough variety. A few small pastries and that was it (hey, I can be picky if I want to be...)
Keynote Speaker, David Means: Really enjoyed the two short stories he read, "The Knocking" and "The Botch." High literary writing, which means a focus on language and character rather than plot. He was engaging and funny, though not a terrific lecturer - had a hard time answering questions.
Morning Workshop, Panel of YA Authors: I loved this workshop. 3 featured authors all talked about their books and their approach to writing/YA. My favorite by far, though, was Neesha Meminger, whose debut YA novel Shine, Coconut Moon has received lots of accolades AND was on sale there, so I managed to snag a copy and have it signed. I loved her the minute she started talking about her background and confessed that she writes erotic romance under a pen name! We talked afterwards about the fact that I'm also a romance author looking to write YA, and why that's such a natural bridge - I think because in both genres, you're exploring how love (and life) can be all-consuming. So interesting!
Lunch: Yummy! A great variety, lots of fresh fruit, and to-die-for brownies. Made up for the skimpy breakfast!
Afternoon Workshop, Coming of Age Fiction: This one was run by one of the authors in the morning panel I saw, Marina Budhos. A lovely, lovely woman, speaker and teacher - I confess I wouldn't mind taking a class from her someday. She had us do some hands-on activites and writing prompts related to coming-of-age experiences. I liked it but it wasn't long enough to really dig deeply into the things she was presenting.
And that was it! It was small, probably only about 100 attendees, but that really allowed for a nice connection with the presenters. I'm inspired and ready to write~
Friday, April 16, 2010
Friday Fun Facts: Off to a Saturday Conference!
"The good writing of any age has always been the product of someone's neurosis, and we'd have a mighty dull literature if all the writers that came along were a bunch of happy chuckleheads." ~William Styron
Tomorrow I'm heading to a Spring Writer's Conference at William Paterson University. Really looking forward to it, since the focus is "Writing Childhood" ~ perfect for me who's attempting her first YA novel!
Even better, I'm going with 3 of my close writing friends, and it's a wonderful conference (I've been before): breakfast, lunch, keynote speaker, and 2 workshops...all for $50! It's one of the best bargains around. I'm taking the "Panel: Publishing Adolescent Writing" and "Coming of Age Fiction" workshops.
Will be back here Monday morning with a full report!
Tomorrow I'm heading to a Spring Writer's Conference at William Paterson University. Really looking forward to it, since the focus is "Writing Childhood" ~ perfect for me who's attempting her first YA novel!
Even better, I'm going with 3 of my close writing friends, and it's a wonderful conference (I've been before): breakfast, lunch, keynote speaker, and 2 workshops...all for $50! It's one of the best bargains around. I'm taking the "Panel: Publishing Adolescent Writing" and "Coming of Age Fiction" workshops.
Will be back here Monday morning with a full report!
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Writers' Wednesday: Learning to Deal with the Hard Stuff
“I take rejection as someone blowing a bugle in my ear to wake me up and get going, rather than retreat.” ~Sylvester Stallone
For my blog tour next month, I'm going to be writing a post about 10 things I wish I'd known about being an author...or something like that. Anyway, I was thinking about it, and one thing I've learned over the last 2 weeks - and wish I'd known - is how to deal with harsh words and bad reviews.
Here's the thing: you learn to deal with rejection pretty quickly before you become a published author. Unless you're incredibly unique, you're going to get rejection letters (or emails) from agents and editors before you get that first contract. Then, once you're published, you're probably going to get reviews you won't like.
Case in point, One Night in Boston, which for the last 2 weeks has been featured as a Kindle Freebie over at Amazon. Wonderful experience, as it's been in the top 4 the entire 2 weeks - mostly in the #2 spot. And I've seen the rankings of my other books, all of them, ebook and print, improve as well. Terrific.
I've also seen the number of reviews on my book increase from 2 to 24. Great, I thought at first, reader feedback. But interestingly enough, those reviews range from the 4-and 5-star raves to the 1-star pans. Really. I stopped reading the 1-star reviews after I saw comments like "There's a reason this is free - don't waste your time" and "Not smart, not funny, not well-written." Ouch. I'm gonna be honest - it hurts. And now I know why some movie and music stars don't read their reviews. Not to say I'm anything close to a star, but I still get it. Poor reviews can really make you start second-guessing yourself.
So that's one thing I wish I knew: that people will probably dislike your work, even after you're published, after an editor has worked through it with you, after review sites have praised it and friends and unknown readers have sent you fan mail about it. I will read future reviews with more than one grain of salt, and I won't read any more scathing reviews. I know people have different tastes, and I know some people simply won't enjoy my book or my writing. But I don't have to dwell on the negative things they have to say, either, or let them bring down my self-esteem.
Soldier on, fellow writers!
For my blog tour next month, I'm going to be writing a post about 10 things I wish I'd known about being an author...or something like that. Anyway, I was thinking about it, and one thing I've learned over the last 2 weeks - and wish I'd known - is how to deal with harsh words and bad reviews.
Here's the thing: you learn to deal with rejection pretty quickly before you become a published author. Unless you're incredibly unique, you're going to get rejection letters (or emails) from agents and editors before you get that first contract. Then, once you're published, you're probably going to get reviews you won't like.
Case in point, One Night in Boston, which for the last 2 weeks has been featured as a Kindle Freebie over at Amazon. Wonderful experience, as it's been in the top 4 the entire 2 weeks - mostly in the #2 spot. And I've seen the rankings of my other books, all of them, ebook and print, improve as well. Terrific.
I've also seen the number of reviews on my book increase from 2 to 24. Great, I thought at first, reader feedback. But interestingly enough, those reviews range from the 4-and 5-star raves to the 1-star pans. Really. I stopped reading the 1-star reviews after I saw comments like "There's a reason this is free - don't waste your time" and "Not smart, not funny, not well-written." Ouch. I'm gonna be honest - it hurts. And now I know why some movie and music stars don't read their reviews. Not to say I'm anything close to a star, but I still get it. Poor reviews can really make you start second-guessing yourself.
So that's one thing I wish I knew: that people will probably dislike your work, even after you're published, after an editor has worked through it with you, after review sites have praised it and friends and unknown readers have sent you fan mail about it. I will read future reviews with more than one grain of salt, and I won't read any more scathing reviews. I know people have different tastes, and I know some people simply won't enjoy my book or my writing. But I don't have to dwell on the negative things they have to say, either, or let them bring down my self-esteem.
Soldier on, fellow writers!
Monday, April 12, 2010
Monday Mentionables: A YA Contest and a Bathroom Reno
"The whole difference between a construction and a creation is exactly this: that a thing constructed can be loved after it is constructed; but a thing created is loved before it exists." (G. K. Chesterton)
First to mention for today: any YA author might be interested in this contest: a FREE edit of your completed manuscript by Dear Editor. More details here - the deadline is this Wednesday, April 14th!
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And second to mention is non-writing related: we've been renovating our master bathroom over the last 2 weeks, and I think the end is almost in sight! Hubby did some of the work, and friends in the construction biz helped out, and we hired people to do the tiling... and here are a couple of preliminary pictures. We're hoping to get the rest of the furniture (new vanity, medicine cabinet, fixtures, etc) this week, but so far I love it!
The original jacuzzi tub/shower combo
Bare bones, tub gone, new shower (with seat!) being planned...
Walk-in shower newly tiled!
Friday, April 09, 2010
Friday Fun Facts: Respect Yourself Around the 'Net
"My religion is simple. My religion is kindness." ~Dalai Lama
One Night in Boston is still #2 over at the Kindle Store, thanks to the Amazon Freebie program! I've gotten 5 more reviews over the last week, too - not all terrific, but reviews all the same. And promo is promo, spreading the word about your name and what you write. I'm so thankful to Samhain for supporting this Freebie program and selecting one of my books to be featured.
I'll mention here something I believe whole-heartedly: people pay attention to the way you act, in the world of publishing and certainly around the Internet. Treat people with respect. Be kind and honest as much as possible. Don't spread rumors. Don't attack others. It's amazing to me how quickly word can spread about those who are and are not professional. Remember that! And so, I do believe publishers know and value their authors who are mature, responsible, respectful, and who work their a** off to promote themselves. Be one of them!
One Night in Boston is still #2 over at the Kindle Store, thanks to the Amazon Freebie program! I've gotten 5 more reviews over the last week, too - not all terrific, but reviews all the same. And promo is promo, spreading the word about your name and what you write. I'm so thankful to Samhain for supporting this Freebie program and selecting one of my books to be featured.
I'll mention here something I believe whole-heartedly: people pay attention to the way you act, in the world of publishing and certainly around the Internet. Treat people with respect. Be kind and honest as much as possible. Don't spread rumors. Don't attack others. It's amazing to me how quickly word can spread about those who are and are not professional. Remember that! And so, I do believe publishers know and value their authors who are mature, responsible, respectful, and who work their a** off to promote themselves. Be one of them!
Wednesday, April 07, 2010
Writers' Wednesday: Upcoming Blog Tour for One Night in Memphis!
Heads up: My next audio book release, One Night in Memphis, will be featured in a 2-week blog tour beginning on April 26th. If you're interested in hosting, you can find out more information from Goddess Fish Promotions, or click the graphic above. Should be lots of fun - plus there will be chances to win free downloads of both this audio book and the current one, Lost in Paradise.
Join me!
Monday, April 05, 2010
Monday Mentionables: A Great Review and a Great Spot on the Best-Seller List!
"The successful always has a number of projects planned, to which he looks forward. Anyone of them could change the course of his life overnight.” –Mark Caine
I know, I know, I'm a little late getting this blog post up BUT it's the last day of my spring break, it's goregous weather outside, and I'm trying to squeeze every little last bit out of the day that I can!
Two quick mentions for today:
One Night in Boston is still #2 on the Amazon Kindle Store Best-Seller List, and it's still a FREEBIE if you want to pick it up for your Kindle and haven't. It's been a great promo opp so far I think (fingers crossed), and it's gotten a couple more reviews on the Amazon site, so that's always encouraging :)
Lost in Paradise (audio book version) received a lovely review from Seriously Reviewed over the weekend. In part, the reviewer said, "Well, done, Ms Boniface and Audio Lark for crafting and putting together a story and presentation that kept me coming back until I heard every last word." (Click here to read the whole thing). And AudioLark already has the review snippet posted on their site. I really like working with them so far!
I know, I know, I'm a little late getting this blog post up BUT it's the last day of my spring break, it's goregous weather outside, and I'm trying to squeeze every little last bit out of the day that I can!
Two quick mentions for today:
One Night in Boston is still #2 on the Amazon Kindle Store Best-Seller List, and it's still a FREEBIE if you want to pick it up for your Kindle and haven't. It's been a great promo opp so far I think (fingers crossed), and it's gotten a couple more reviews on the Amazon site, so that's always encouraging :)
Lost in Paradise (audio book version) received a lovely review from Seriously Reviewed over the weekend. In part, the reviewer said, "Well, done, Ms Boniface and Audio Lark for crafting and putting together a story and presentation that kept me coming back until I heard every last word." (Click here to read the whole thing). And AudioLark already has the review snippet posted on their site. I really like working with them so far!
Friday, April 02, 2010
Friday Fun Facts: Kindle Freebie!
“Make it simple. Make it memorable. Make it inviting to look at. Make it fun to read.” ~Leo Burnett
Just one major announcement for today: my novel One Night in Boston is being featured from April 1 - April 13 as a Kindle Freebie over at Amazon! That's right, you can download it absolutely FREE for your Kindle ~ so pass along the word to anyone you might know who has one!
This is a pretty exciting bit of marketing for me. Samhain chooses books/authors to feature each month, so I was thrilled to be selected. The idea, of course, is that people will take the free read, like it, and then want to purchase your other books.
Right now, thanks to this promotion, One Night in Boston is #2 on the Amazon Kindle Store best-selling list, #1 in Romance, and #1 in General Ficition. Very exciting!!! Even better, one reader already left a 4-star review saying "Finally a Kindle Freebie worth the download" and went on to tag my other two One Night books for her To Be Read list.
Here's the link to buy (well, to download for free) ~ happy Friday!
Just one major announcement for today: my novel One Night in Boston is being featured from April 1 - April 13 as a Kindle Freebie over at Amazon! That's right, you can download it absolutely FREE for your Kindle ~ so pass along the word to anyone you might know who has one!
This is a pretty exciting bit of marketing for me. Samhain chooses books/authors to feature each month, so I was thrilled to be selected. The idea, of course, is that people will take the free read, like it, and then want to purchase your other books.
Right now, thanks to this promotion, One Night in Boston is #2 on the Amazon Kindle Store best-selling list, #1 in Romance, and #1 in General Ficition. Very exciting!!! Even better, one reader already left a 4-star review saying "Finally a Kindle Freebie worth the download" and went on to tag my other two One Night books for her To Be Read list.
Here's the link to buy (well, to download for free) ~ happy Friday!
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Writers' Wednesday: Book Recommendation: The Absolutely True Diary...
"If you let people into your life a little bit, they can be pretty damn amazing." ~Sherman Alexie
OK, I have a book recommendation for you. Yes, it's Young Adult, since I've been reading a lot of that lately, and yes, adults as well as upper-level teens will like it.
I had seen this book recommended on a number of “Must Read” lists of Young Adult fiction – but I’ll be honest, the rather awkward title put me off. Don't make this same mistake! The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie is a brilliant, heart-breaking, funny, powerful story that will remain with you long after you finish the final page.
I loved it.
Absolutely loved it.
Arnold “Junior” Spirit is a teen living on a Spokane Indian Reservation. He’s the awkward, cross-eyed, friendless son to drunken but well-meaning parents, and he’s also too smart to stay on the “rez." After sitting in class one day realizing that life on the rez means a dead-end life, Junior decides he wants to attend the all-white school twenty-two miles away.
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian tells the story of Junior’s freshman year as the only Indian at Reardan High School (well, besides the mascot). He’s picked on, ignored, beat up – and then, miracle of miracles, accepted, not only by fellow nerd Gordy, but by the beautiful. blonde Penelope and even the jocks. Amid this adjustment, though, Junior has to deal with the fact that his best friend on the rez, Rowdy, is furious (and heart-broken) at being deserted. The rest of the Indians aren’t any more forgiving, either.
The brilliance of this book is Junior’s voice. It is poignantly honest, funny, offensive at times, smart and smart-assed, and it doesn’t shy away from telling the horrible truths about what life is like on an Indian reservation – and what happens when you’re the single minority in a brand new school full of white faces.
One warning, however: there are a lot of sexual references and vulgarity, so even though it’s tagged as appropriate for grades 7-10, I’d recommend this book for older readers rather than middle schoolers.
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is a brilliant piece of YA fiction that deserves every accolade it’s received. I loved it!! Anyone else out there read it?
OK, I have a book recommendation for you. Yes, it's Young Adult, since I've been reading a lot of that lately, and yes, adults as well as upper-level teens will like it.
I had seen this book recommended on a number of “Must Read” lists of Young Adult fiction – but I’ll be honest, the rather awkward title put me off. Don't make this same mistake! The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie is a brilliant, heart-breaking, funny, powerful story that will remain with you long after you finish the final page.
I loved it.
Absolutely loved it.
Arnold “Junior” Spirit is a teen living on a Spokane Indian Reservation. He’s the awkward, cross-eyed, friendless son to drunken but well-meaning parents, and he’s also too smart to stay on the “rez." After sitting in class one day realizing that life on the rez means a dead-end life, Junior decides he wants to attend the all-white school twenty-two miles away.
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian tells the story of Junior’s freshman year as the only Indian at Reardan High School (well, besides the mascot). He’s picked on, ignored, beat up – and then, miracle of miracles, accepted, not only by fellow nerd Gordy, but by the beautiful. blonde Penelope and even the jocks. Amid this adjustment, though, Junior has to deal with the fact that his best friend on the rez, Rowdy, is furious (and heart-broken) at being deserted. The rest of the Indians aren’t any more forgiving, either.
The brilliance of this book is Junior’s voice. It is poignantly honest, funny, offensive at times, smart and smart-assed, and it doesn’t shy away from telling the horrible truths about what life is like on an Indian reservation – and what happens when you’re the single minority in a brand new school full of white faces.
One warning, however: there are a lot of sexual references and vulgarity, so even though it’s tagged as appropriate for grades 7-10, I’d recommend this book for older readers rather than middle schoolers.
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is a brilliant piece of YA fiction that deserves every accolade it’s received. I loved it!! Anyone else out there read it?
Monday, March 29, 2010
Monday Mentionables: Release Day!!
Happy Monday everyone!! It's release day for Lost in Paradise - the audio book. I'm so excited! Click on the fantastic cover below to go to Audio Lark's website and hear a clip (and I love my narrator, by the way). And just in case you're visiting for the first time, here's the original trailer for the book, too. I have had so many people write and tell me how much they fell in love with Eddie......
Friday, March 26, 2010
Friday Fun Facts: I'm Like a Kid in a Candy Store...
"We should read to give our souls a chance to luxuriate." ~Henry Miller
I've just scheduled another book signing, for Saturday June 5, 2-4 pm at the Barnes and Noble in downtown Ithaca, NY. If you're in the area, please mark your calendars and stop by to say hello!
***
Yesterday was my "kid in a candy store" day, since this week is Educator Appreciation Week at Borders, which means 30% everything if you have your school ID. Now, Borders usually has pretty good deals/sales anyway, but still, this is a treat for me :) I actually asked my students today which books they'd like to see on our "borrowing bookshelf" in the classroom (most of those I get from used book sales, paperbackswap.com, donations, or the few I buy I myself). These are the ones they suggested that I was actually able to find in the store (and thanks to gift cards left over from Christmas, I didn't spend a cent!):
Jellicoe Road
Thirteen Reasons Why
Shutter Island
An Abundance of Katherines
We Need to Talk About Kevin
Have you read any of them? I'll give a report as I do!
I've just scheduled another book signing, for Saturday June 5, 2-4 pm at the Barnes and Noble in downtown Ithaca, NY. If you're in the area, please mark your calendars and stop by to say hello!
***
Yesterday was my "kid in a candy store" day, since this week is Educator Appreciation Week at Borders, which means 30% everything if you have your school ID. Now, Borders usually has pretty good deals/sales anyway, but still, this is a treat for me :) I actually asked my students today which books they'd like to see on our "borrowing bookshelf" in the classroom (most of those I get from used book sales, paperbackswap.com, donations, or the few I buy I myself). These are the ones they suggested that I was actually able to find in the store (and thanks to gift cards left over from Christmas, I didn't spend a cent!):
Jellicoe Road
Thirteen Reasons Why
Shutter Island
An Abundance of Katherines
We Need to Talk About Kevin
Have you read any of them? I'll give a report as I do!
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Writers' Wednesday: Hunt for Eggs and Prizes!
Awake, thou wintry earth -
Fling off thy sadness!
Fair vernal flowers, laugh forth
Your ancient gladness! ~Thomas Blackburn, "An Easter Hymn"
Fling off thy sadness!
Fair vernal flowers, laugh forth
Your ancient gladness! ~Thomas Blackburn, "An Easter Hymn"
Very exciting news! The Long and the Short of It review site is sponsoring a FANTASTIC Easter Egg Hunt, beginning next week. But you can find out all about it right now (and there are tons of prizes) by clicking on the graphic above. Don't you want to play??
Monday, March 22, 2010
Monday's Mentionables: A Hodge-Podge of Things
"She said she usually cried at least once each day not because she was sad, but because the world was so beautiful & life was so short." ~Brian Andreas
Hmm, what's worth mentioning today? Let's see, I think a hodge-podge of things:
First and most exciting, I'll be reading from Summer's Song at Lady Jane's Salon on November 1, 2010. Yes, I know that's a while from now BUT mark your calendars! Very very exciting for me...reading from one of my books in a swanky Manhattan nightclub to friendly romance readers and fellow authors. And the book releases in print the very next day, so I'm hoping it will be a great promo opportunity!
***
I play the NCAA March Madness brackets at my workplace every year. Some years I do pretty well - others not as much. This year even though the weekend saw some top seeds knocked out (Nothern Iowa over Kansas? I still can't believe it) I have somehow managed to be in 3rd place out of 9o+ sheets. (This, of course, won't last, but it's still kind of fun bragging rights now).
***
It was GORGEOUS here over the weekend - flirting with the high 60s both Saturday and Sunday, which inspired me to do some spring cleaning outdoors. Ugh. First off, our lawn is huge, second, it's covered with leaves and sticks, and third, my body's crying out after 2 straight afternoons of raking and lifting and hauling and...
I suppose since it's only March, I have some time, but still. The weeks fly by!
***
I officially put my most recent romance novel, Entwined, to the side (well, actually it's with 2 beta readers) - so I'm not going to look at it again for a while. Instead, think I'll go back to my YA novel and do some work on that. Interestingly enough, my massage therapist knows a 16 year old psychic and gave me her phone number - which is perfect since that's exactly what the heroine of my book is going to be. Soooo...I'm glad I have someone "authentic" to tap for research, but I'll be honest - I'm a little nervous about what I might find out after talking to her!
***
OK, that's all for this Monday. I'm off to tackle the first of 5 days 'til Spring Break - can't wait!!!
Hmm, what's worth mentioning today? Let's see, I think a hodge-podge of things:
First and most exciting, I'll be reading from Summer's Song at Lady Jane's Salon on November 1, 2010. Yes, I know that's a while from now BUT mark your calendars! Very very exciting for me...reading from one of my books in a swanky Manhattan nightclub to friendly romance readers and fellow authors. And the book releases in print the very next day, so I'm hoping it will be a great promo opportunity!
***
I play the NCAA March Madness brackets at my workplace every year. Some years I do pretty well - others not as much. This year even though the weekend saw some top seeds knocked out (Nothern Iowa over Kansas? I still can't believe it) I have somehow managed to be in 3rd place out of 9o+ sheets. (This, of course, won't last, but it's still kind of fun bragging rights now).
***
It was GORGEOUS here over the weekend - flirting with the high 60s both Saturday and Sunday, which inspired me to do some spring cleaning outdoors. Ugh. First off, our lawn is huge, second, it's covered with leaves and sticks, and third, my body's crying out after 2 straight afternoons of raking and lifting and hauling and...
I suppose since it's only March, I have some time, but still. The weeks fly by!
***
I officially put my most recent romance novel, Entwined, to the side (well, actually it's with 2 beta readers) - so I'm not going to look at it again for a while. Instead, think I'll go back to my YA novel and do some work on that. Interestingly enough, my massage therapist knows a 16 year old psychic and gave me her phone number - which is perfect since that's exactly what the heroine of my book is going to be. Soooo...I'm glad I have someone "authentic" to tap for research, but I'll be honest - I'm a little nervous about what I might find out after talking to her!
***
OK, that's all for this Monday. I'm off to tackle the first of 5 days 'til Spring Break - can't wait!!!
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Writers' Wednesday: Online Auction to Benefit New Bookstore
Announcement: Firepetal Books, a newly-opened young adult/children's bookstore in is opening near Salt Lake City, is running an online auction to raise money for children's programming, now through March 20. Among the items up for bid: both children's books and a variety of agent/editor critiques for those writers out there.
Check it out!
Check it out!
Monday, March 15, 2010
Monday's Mentionables
I've said it before, and I'll say it again (and probably again, if you hang around long enough): networking is crucial, and attending author events can give you contacts you'll never get if you sit at home in front of your keyboard. Case in point:
I had a book signing at my local Borders over the weekend. I didn't have any new releases, so I wasn't planning on big sales. I sold 3 books total, but better than that, I had a chance to chat with my local author friends, whom I rarely see, confirm that I'll be sitting on a couple of panels at at the Authors After Dark conference in September, and meet a new author, Leanna Renee Hieber.
Leanna is lovely, gracious - and the author of The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker, published by Dorchester. She was accompained by a self-confessed "groupie" named Biz, who turns out to be a professional photographer from NYC who offers huge discounts for authors. If I ever get important enough to need a new/professional head shot, guess I know where to go!
Even better, though, Leanna is the founder of Lady Jane's Salon - a romance readers' group that meets monthly at a swanky bar in Manhattan where romance authors read from their works and mingle with a friendly crowd. She invited all of us to contact her for spots in the upcoming year and I'll admit, I'm thrilled. How much fun would that be???
Bottom line: you never know who you're going to meet at a signing, conference or other kind of author event. Keep your mind and your options open - every person you talk to about your book is one more potential reader. And who knows how many readers that person has the power of reaching?
I'll let you know when I'm "appearing" at Lady Jane's Salon. Ooh, I get goosebumps just thinking about it!
I had a book signing at my local Borders over the weekend. I didn't have any new releases, so I wasn't planning on big sales. I sold 3 books total, but better than that, I had a chance to chat with my local author friends, whom I rarely see, confirm that I'll be sitting on a couple of panels at at the Authors After Dark conference in September, and meet a new author, Leanna Renee Hieber.
Leanna is lovely, gracious - and the author of The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker, published by Dorchester. She was accompained by a self-confessed "groupie" named Biz, who turns out to be a professional photographer from NYC who offers huge discounts for authors. If I ever get important enough to need a new/professional head shot, guess I know where to go!
Even better, though, Leanna is the founder of Lady Jane's Salon - a romance readers' group that meets monthly at a swanky bar in Manhattan where romance authors read from their works and mingle with a friendly crowd. She invited all of us to contact her for spots in the upcoming year and I'll admit, I'm thrilled. How much fun would that be???
Bottom line: you never know who you're going to meet at a signing, conference or other kind of author event. Keep your mind and your options open - every person you talk to about your book is one more potential reader. And who knows how many readers that person has the power of reaching?
I'll let you know when I'm "appearing" at Lady Jane's Salon. Ooh, I get goosebumps just thinking about it!
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