Envy is a part of being human. I'm certainly guilty of feeling envy at times. What I don't understand, as it relates to being an author, is how some authors can become so envious of another's success that they try to sabotage that success. For example, I've heard stories of authors leaving bad reviews for other books in the same genre, books they haven't even read, just to bring down the ratings of other authors' books.
When I hear about another indie author's success, I'm happy for them. Success stories like Amanda Hocking are what inspired me to publish my books. When I heard about Hugh Howey's big publishing deal, I congratulated him on it. (It's great how the Internet lets you do that!)
That's not to say that I don't envy other authors. There are two things about some authors that I absolutely envy: productivity and great writing.
Dean Wesley Smith is an author that I've learned a lot from. One thing he's preached over and over is for an author to spend time writing, not marketing. Recently, he even posted a daily log showing how he wrote a novel in ten days! Another author who is unbelievably productive is Elle Casey, who has written 18 books in 15 months! She recently wrote a post describing how she does it. It's quite an eye opener. It typically takes me about ten months to write a book. I would love to be able to write faster because I've got a lot more story ideas than the bandwidth to write them.
I also get envious when I read a book that's so well written that I immediately fall in love with the writing. I start wishing that I could write as well as the author, and oftentimes, I refer back to their works when I'm writing. For example, it's no secret that I love The Hunger Games. When I was working on Beyond New Eden, I re-read The Hunger Games and kept going back to it because Beyond New Eden was the first book I wrote from the first person POV, and The Hunger Games is the best first person novel I've ever read. A couple of other writers I discovered this year who fall into that category are Susan Ee, author of Angelfall, and Katie French, author of The Breeders and a guest poster on this blog earlier this week.
For the authors I envy, I wish them all the success in the world because I believe they deserve it. I can only hope to learn from them and become a better writer myself.
May 18, 2013
May 13, 2013
Guest post: Why I Write Dystopian by Katie French
Earlier this year, I read The Breeders, a YA post-apocalyptic novel from author Katie French. I loved the book, and in the process, Katie French became one of my favorite indie authors. In February, she published Nessa, a companion story to The Breeders, and just last week, the first book in her new YA trilogy, Eyes Ever to the Sky, was released. For fans of YA and dystopian, I highly recommend picking up one of her books.
Not only is she a fantastic writer, but Katie also agreed to a guest post on my blog today! So without further ado, here she is with a post about why she writes dystopian novels.
A few days ago, as I was watching the critically acclaimed show, The Walking Dead, I had a thought. Just as Andrea was about to stab a screwdriver into a zombie's eye socket, I wondered what exactly was wrong with me. Just an hour before I was listening to Justin Cronin's The Twelve, an equally brutal look at possible human annihilation by vampires. Prior to that I was on the treadmill reading Fuse, Julianna Baggot's masterpiece about survivors of an atomic blast that left them fused to the objects, animals or people they were touching when it detonated. Looking back on my day, I realized there might be something really psychologically wrong with me. Why would I spend copious amounts of time amerced in human destruction? Why would I be draw to stories that start with the basis that everything we love and value has been destroyed? Conclusion: I need a good therapist.
Yet, I am not alone. I know that if you have picked up The Breeders and liked it, you might be a little sick in the head like me. The third season finale of The Walking Dead pulled in a whopping 12.8 million viewers. Hunger Games books were on the New York Times Best Seller list for over 100 consecutive weeks. That's a lot of us crazies walking around out there. So, humanity is fascinated with its own demise. But why? Folks, I have a theory.
In general many of us read for entertainment and escape, but those of us who read dystopian also read for a third purpose, to prepare. Do we all think we'll die soon by a North Korean missile and build bomb shelters in our basements? No. But, many of us might wonder, late at night, how we would act if society suddenly came to a halt. Would we be those that took up arms, marched to the aid of others and rallied those left to a new America? Or would we be zombie food? We read to ponder the multitude of ways it could go down. We read to quantify those qualities it takes to overcome. And when and if that bomb drops, we'll be the first to roll out our super secret Zombie survival plan. (Mine includes a visit to my local Outdoor World.)
There's one more reason I believe people read dystopian. There's something so magical about basic human survival. When all this commercial garbage is stripped bare, the human soul and its capacity to overcome is astounding. We know that about our race, that we never go down without a fight. There's a scene in episode two of season two of The Walking Dead where Hershel, the veterinarian turned surgeon, is speaking to Rick. Rick is destraught, wondering what's the point? Why go on in such a broken world? Hershel turns to him and says (I'm paraphrasing here, so don't get mad at me Walking Dead fans). "This is just a bump in the road. It's just nature's way of resetting itself. That's the beauty of humanity, we always overcome." Well said Hershel.
So, my lovely dystopian readers, if you need some recommendations here are some of my recent favorites. Happy reading.
Fuse and Pure by Julianna Baggot
Wool by Hugh Howey
A Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
The Scourge by A.G. Henley
Open Minds by Susan Kaye Quinn
The Dog Stars by Peter Heller
The World of Shell and Bone by Adriana Ryan
Not only is she a fantastic writer, but Katie also agreed to a guest post on my blog today! So without further ado, here she is with a post about why she writes dystopian novels.
A few days ago, as I was watching the critically acclaimed show, The Walking Dead, I had a thought. Just as Andrea was about to stab a screwdriver into a zombie's eye socket, I wondered what exactly was wrong with me. Just an hour before I was listening to Justin Cronin's The Twelve, an equally brutal look at possible human annihilation by vampires. Prior to that I was on the treadmill reading Fuse, Julianna Baggot's masterpiece about survivors of an atomic blast that left them fused to the objects, animals or people they were touching when it detonated. Looking back on my day, I realized there might be something really psychologically wrong with me. Why would I spend copious amounts of time amerced in human destruction? Why would I be draw to stories that start with the basis that everything we love and value has been destroyed? Conclusion: I need a good therapist.
Yet, I am not alone. I know that if you have picked up The Breeders and liked it, you might be a little sick in the head like me. The third season finale of The Walking Dead pulled in a whopping 12.8 million viewers. Hunger Games books were on the New York Times Best Seller list for over 100 consecutive weeks. That's a lot of us crazies walking around out there. So, humanity is fascinated with its own demise. But why? Folks, I have a theory.
In general many of us read for entertainment and escape, but those of us who read dystopian also read for a third purpose, to prepare. Do we all think we'll die soon by a North Korean missile and build bomb shelters in our basements? No. But, many of us might wonder, late at night, how we would act if society suddenly came to a halt. Would we be those that took up arms, marched to the aid of others and rallied those left to a new America? Or would we be zombie food? We read to ponder the multitude of ways it could go down. We read to quantify those qualities it takes to overcome. And when and if that bomb drops, we'll be the first to roll out our super secret Zombie survival plan. (Mine includes a visit to my local Outdoor World.)
There's one more reason I believe people read dystopian. There's something so magical about basic human survival. When all this commercial garbage is stripped bare, the human soul and its capacity to overcome is astounding. We know that about our race, that we never go down without a fight. There's a scene in episode two of season two of The Walking Dead where Hershel, the veterinarian turned surgeon, is speaking to Rick. Rick is destraught, wondering what's the point? Why go on in such a broken world? Hershel turns to him and says (I'm paraphrasing here, so don't get mad at me Walking Dead fans). "This is just a bump in the road. It's just nature's way of resetting itself. That's the beauty of humanity, we always overcome." Well said Hershel.
So, my lovely dystopian readers, if you need some recommendations here are some of my recent favorites. Happy reading.
Fuse and Pure by Julianna Baggot
Wool by Hugh Howey
A Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
The Scourge by A.G. Henley
Open Minds by Susan Kaye Quinn
The Dog Stars by Peter Heller
The World of Shell and Bone by Adriana Ryan
May 11, 2013
Book review: Placebo by Steven James
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Description:
While covertly investigating a controversial neurological research program, exposé filmmaker Jevin Banks is drawn into a far-reaching conspiracy involving one of the world's largest pharmaceutical firms. After giving up his career as an escape artist and illusionist in the wake of his wife and sons' tragic death, Jevin is seeking not only answers about the questionable mind-to-mind communication program, but also answers to why his family suffered as they did.
Rooted in ground-breaking science and inspired by actual research, Placebo explores the far reaches of science, consciousness, and faith. Readers will love this taut, intelligent, and emotionally gripping new thriller from master storyteller Steven James.
Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)
Review:
Last year, I read the first two books of Steven James's Bowers Files series, The Pawn and The Rook, and liked them both, so when I saw that he had a new book out that wasn't part of the series, I wanted to check it out. Placebo is the first book in the Jevin Banks series. Jevin Banks is a magician who is tormented by the death of his wife and twin sons. He gave up his career as a successful stage magician to produce a TV show debunking psychics and other seemingly paranormal phenomenon.
This book starts with Banks looking into a claim of human connectivity arising from quantum entanglement. As part of his team's investigation, they stumble upon a larger, more sinister plot. I found the premise interesting, hoping that the author would delve more into the physics of the communication between people who are separated by distance. As a thriller, Placebo starts off well, but once the plot unfolds, the story becomes less realistic and less interesting. I was somewhat disappointed with what the ultimate conspiracy involved. If I was in the bad guys' shoes, I'd look for a much simpler means of achieving my goals than the one they chose in the book.
I should also note that the book is written in two different points of view. When a scene focuses on Jevin Banks, the story is told in first person POV by Banks. However, when the action shifts to other characters, the author changes to a third person point of view. I found the POV changes to be jarring at times, distracting from the flow. However, when there was a long stretch from Banks's POV, I found the story to be engaging. The novel would've worked better if it stayed in first person throughout.
Overall, this book is worth 3.5 or 4 stars. It was good, but not as good as the Bowers Files novels I've read.
I read this book as part of the Authors A to Z reading challenge. Next up: Epic by Conor Kostick.
May 4, 2013
Do or do not. There is no try.
In case you didn't know, the title of the post comes from a quote in The Empire Strikes Back, when Luke Skywalker doubts his abilities and wants to give up. Luke says he'll try, and Yoda tells him, "Do or do not. There is no try." You either see a task to completion or don't bother attempting it. Don't say you'll do something but then give half of your effort.
What does that have to do with me? Other than being a big fan of the Star Wars movies (well, episodes 4 through 6 anyway), the quote reminds me of when I tell someone that I've published a novel. Many times, right after "Congratulations" or "Good for you", I hear about how they've always wanted to write a novel too. Maybe they've even started one at some point but never finished. There are a lot of people whose bucket list includes "Write a novel." However, I bet that less than 1% of people who consider writing a novel actually finish one.
If you're among the 99%+, I'm here to tell you that it's not as hard as it seems if you put your mind to it. Before I wrote my first novel, George and the Galactic Games, the idea for it bounced around in my head for years. I already had scenes imagined long before I put them on paper. The difference between it continuing to live just in my imagination and the book being published for the world to read was that I decided in the beginning of 2011 that I was going to write it that year, come hell or high water. I made time for it. Whenever I had some free time that I would have otherwise devoted to TV, for example, I'd work on George and the Galactic Games. It took many months to complete a novel that was barely more than 50,000 words long, but I had finally done it.
With one book under my belt, I then knew I had it in me to write a novel. My second novel, In the Hands of Children, was easier to write, and Beyond New Eden was easier still. Now writing is part of my weekly routine. My family is used to seeing me carrying a notebook around and scribbling furiously in it whenever I have a free moment.
As with many things in life, if you want to accomplish something like writing a novel, it takes more than just saying you'll try. If you want to do it, then do it.Yoda was right.
What does that have to do with me? Other than being a big fan of the Star Wars movies (well, episodes 4 through 6 anyway), the quote reminds me of when I tell someone that I've published a novel. Many times, right after "Congratulations" or "Good for you", I hear about how they've always wanted to write a novel too. Maybe they've even started one at some point but never finished. There are a lot of people whose bucket list includes "Write a novel." However, I bet that less than 1% of people who consider writing a novel actually finish one.
If you're among the 99%+, I'm here to tell you that it's not as hard as it seems if you put your mind to it. Before I wrote my first novel, George and the Galactic Games, the idea for it bounced around in my head for years. I already had scenes imagined long before I put them on paper. The difference between it continuing to live just in my imagination and the book being published for the world to read was that I decided in the beginning of 2011 that I was going to write it that year, come hell or high water. I made time for it. Whenever I had some free time that I would have otherwise devoted to TV, for example, I'd work on George and the Galactic Games. It took many months to complete a novel that was barely more than 50,000 words long, but I had finally done it.
With one book under my belt, I then knew I had it in me to write a novel. My second novel, In the Hands of Children, was easier to write, and Beyond New Eden was easier still. Now writing is part of my weekly routine. My family is used to seeing me carrying a notebook around and scribbling furiously in it whenever I have a free moment.
As with many things in life, if you want to accomplish something like writing a novel, it takes more than just saying you'll try. If you want to do it, then do it.Yoda was right.
April 27, 2013
Book review: 24 Hours by Greg Iles
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Description:
24 HOURS --- that's how long it takes a madman to pull off the perfect crime. He's done it before, he'll do it again, and no one can stop him.
But this time, he's just picked the wrong family to terrorize. Because Will and Karen Jennings aren't going to watch helplessly as he victimizes them. And they aren't going to let him get away with it.
Rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Review:
This was the first time during the Authors A to Z reading challenge that I had difficulty finding an author with the appropriate last name. Who knew so few authors have last names beginning with I? The only two authors I recognized were Greg Iles and John Irving, and the books by the other authors unknown to me didn't sound interesting. I've seen Greg Iles's name before and considered reading his books but never found the time to. Now I have a reason.
24 Hours revolves around Will and Karen Jennings and the kidnapping of their daughter, Abby. The events that make up the plot are engaging if somewhat predictable. Although I often knew what was coming next, I still wanted to read the author's description of the scene because he did a good job moving the story along. My biggest problem with the novel is that I didn't find the couple to be sympathetic characters. I felt bad for young Abby, but I didn't care as much what happened to the parents, which I believe was the point of the book. In fact, I had more sympathy for two of the kidnappers than for Will and Karen! For a story in the thriller genre, I think it's vital that the reader root for the protagonists, like Lee Child is able to do with his Jack Reacher novels. In 24 Hours, Greg Iles fails to do that. It's not a bad book though. It just didn't have anything extra to push it beyond average.
I read this book as part of the Authors A to Z reading challenge. Next up: Placebo by Steven James.
April 20, 2013
To market or not to market
As I've mentioned before, I spend some time on the KBoards (formerly Kindle Boards) Writers' Cafe forums. Many of the topics in the forum have to do with marketing books -- what works, what doesn't, what should we try. Occasionally, the question also comes up about how much of an author's precious time should be spent marketing.
The answer to that question seems to depend on how much experience the author has. The newbie author who's just published his or her first book tends to want to spend most of the time on "marketing", whatever that activity really means. They want to market the heck out of their one book in the hopes that it becomes the next indie bestseller. I know I used to think that way. The only thing that kept me from spending all of my time marketing was that I didn't know what I was supposed to do!
More experienced writers will tell you something different. They will go as far as to say that you shouldn't spend any time marketing at all. They advise that you just keep writing and cranking out new books.
Here are two quotes from Joe Konrath's blog on the subject:
Similarly, another author who I follow, Dean Wesley Smith, advocates spending your time writing and publishing, not marketing.
Personally, I'm starting to see the wisdom of authors like Konrath and Smith. Sure, there are stories of marketing efforts leading to big sales, but there are also stories of books that become wildly popular without marketing. Hugh Howey admitted that he didn't market Wool, and he now has a lucrative publishing contract for the series!
So, am I saying that you should stop marketing completely and turn off your blog and your Facebook and Twitter accounts? No. But as for me, I'm not going to worry about marketing through those venues. I plan to keep updating this blog and posting on Twitter. I even started a Facebook page recently. But my main reason for maintaining those sites is not to promote my books. I write this blog because it's another avenue for me to write and express my thoughts on things, talk about books I've read, and what's going on with my writing. More and more of my Twitter usage has been geared to connecting with other authors and readers. I enjoy interacting with them and won't give that up. I doubt that my blog or Twitter feed or Facebook page generate many sales if any. That's not the main reason I have them.
The bottom line is, I will probably spend some time on what people call marketing, but I'll focus more of my precious free time on writing my next book. If my books do one day wind up selling beyond my wildest dreams (yeah, right), it'll because I've written a bunch of good books, not because I've marketed the heck out of them.
The answer to that question seems to depend on how much experience the author has. The newbie author who's just published his or her first book tends to want to spend most of the time on "marketing", whatever that activity really means. They want to market the heck out of their one book in the hopes that it becomes the next indie bestseller. I know I used to think that way. The only thing that kept me from spending all of my time marketing was that I didn't know what I was supposed to do!
More experienced writers will tell you something different. They will go as far as to say that you shouldn't spend any time marketing at all. They advise that you just keep writing and cranking out new books.
Here are two quotes from Joe Konrath's blog on the subject:
- From "Konrath's Resolutions For Writers" - I really think it is possible to make a very nice living by writing and not worrying about anything else.
- From "Joe Answers Your Questions" - If you've already done the Four Important Things (written a great book, gotten a great cover, have a great book description, and priced it reasonably) there's really not much else to do, other than wait for luck to strike.
Similarly, another author who I follow, Dean Wesley Smith, advocates spending your time writing and publishing, not marketing.
Personally, I'm starting to see the wisdom of authors like Konrath and Smith. Sure, there are stories of marketing efforts leading to big sales, but there are also stories of books that become wildly popular without marketing. Hugh Howey admitted that he didn't market Wool, and he now has a lucrative publishing contract for the series!
So, am I saying that you should stop marketing completely and turn off your blog and your Facebook and Twitter accounts? No. But as for me, I'm not going to worry about marketing through those venues. I plan to keep updating this blog and posting on Twitter. I even started a Facebook page recently. But my main reason for maintaining those sites is not to promote my books. I write this blog because it's another avenue for me to write and express my thoughts on things, talk about books I've read, and what's going on with my writing. More and more of my Twitter usage has been geared to connecting with other authors and readers. I enjoy interacting with them and won't give that up. I doubt that my blog or Twitter feed or Facebook page generate many sales if any. That's not the main reason I have them.
The bottom line is, I will probably spend some time on what people call marketing, but I'll focus more of my precious free time on writing my next book. If my books do one day wind up selling beyond my wildest dreams (yeah, right), it'll because I've written a bunch of good books, not because I've marketed the heck out of them.
April 13, 2013
Book review: The Line by Teri Hall
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Description:
An invisible, uncrossable physical barrier encloses the United States. The Line is the part of the border that lopped off part of the country, dooming the inhabitants to an unknown fate when the enemy used a banned weapon. It's said that bizarre creatures and superhumans live on the other side, in Away. Nobody except tough old Ms. Moore would ever live next to the Line.
Nobody but Rachel and her mother, who went to live there after Rachel's dad died in the last war. It's a safe, quiet life. Until Rachel finds a mysterious recorded message that can only have come from Away. The voice is asking for help.
Who sent the message? Why is her mother so protective? And to what lengths is Rachel willing to go in order to do what she thinks is right?
Rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Review:
When I read the book's description, I was intrigued by the Line and what might lay beyond it. Were there horrible monsters? Mutants? Something I couldn't imagine? As it turned out, The Line didn't focus much on those topics (and what's on the other side of the Line turned out to be pretty boring). Instead, it's another tale of an oppressive government and the life of a girl and her mother under the government's rule.
Once I figured out what the book was about, I was prepared for a different kind of read, but this book didn't live up to that genre either. Too much time was spent on the mundane life of Rachel, her mother Vivian, and their employer Ms. Moore. I kept waiting for something to happen. At a few points in the story, the author provided hints of possible conflict or action, but then there was no follow through. I was pretty bored through the first half of the book.
The only thing that saved this book from getting a lower rating was that the second half picked up a little as we got more back story about what the government did, and the last 20 pages of the book really got interesting. By then, however, even the ending couldn't save the book, or to make me want to read the sequel. Overall, I'd say this book was between 2 1/2 to 3 stars.
I read this book as part of the Authors A to Z reading challenge. Next up: 24 Hours by Greg Iles.
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