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?

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!

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~

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!

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!

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!

**************************

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 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!

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 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!

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!

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?

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 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!

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"

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'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!!!

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!

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!

Friday Fun Facts: Weekend Book Signing!

“Life is partly what we make it, and partly what it is made by the friends we choose.” ~Tennessee Williams

Tomorrow (Saturday), I have a book siging at Borders in the Galleria Mall in Middletown, New York, from 2-4 pm. I'll be there with Stella Price, Cat Johnson, and Tilly Greene. If you're in the area, stop by and say hello!

Writers' Wednesday: I'm Blogging over at Samhain Today!

"What a lot we lost when we stopped writing letters. You can't reread a phone call." ~Liz Carpenter

Yes, that's right: today I'm blogging over at Samhain Publishing. Want some insight about one of the people in the dedication of my latest release? Check out what I have to say about long-distance friends and old-fashioned letter writing (and leave a comment if you'd like)!

Monday's Mentionables: Guest Blogging Today!

“If ever there is tomorrow when we're not together.. there is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we're apart.. I'll always be with you.” ~from Winnie the Pooh

Hey, I'm blogging over at Ann Lory's Blog Bites today ~ please stop by and visit!