Saturday, September 30, 2006
Free Online Writing Workshop
Mar just gave me this link for The Muse Online Writers Conference which is to take place October 9-13. Signups close on Wednesday October 4th, so if you're interested, hop on over and check it out. I'll be doing the same on Monday when I'm on the computer that isn't on dial-up...
Friday, September 29, 2006
Violet Dawn, Day 3
Brandilyn Collins is the author of Violet Dawn and a whack of other suspense type books. This novel is the first of a new series based in the mostly fictional town of Kanner Lake in the Idaho panhandle.
In rummaging around the internet following the various links other bloggers have posted regarding Brandilyn and her career, I discovered that she was in marketing before she began writing. I think it shows. At her blog Forensics and Faith she details her long road to publication.
She admits here that she was a reluctant blogger, but started at the advice of her publisher's marketing team. To launch the Kanner Lake series, she created a new blog written by...other writers, who auditioned for the privilege.
I asked her, "How did you come up with the idea of the Scenes and Beans blog--and has the outcome met your hopes?"
Brandilyn answered:
I also asked her, "What are the best ways (in your opinion) for a writer to aid in marketing their books?"
Brandilyn answered:
If you're curious, as I was, how someone comes to think of writing a novel where someone finds a dead body in their hot tub, check out this interview. I could visualize it so clearly...LOL.
In rummaging around the internet following the various links other bloggers have posted regarding Brandilyn and her career, I discovered that she was in marketing before she began writing. I think it shows. At her blog Forensics and Faith she details her long road to publication.
She admits here that she was a reluctant blogger, but started at the advice of her publisher's marketing team. To launch the Kanner Lake series, she created a new blog written by...other writers, who auditioned for the privilege.
I asked her, "How did you come up with the idea of the Scenes and Beans blog--and has the outcome met your hopes?"
Brandilyn answered:
I read a lot of marketing books, and the bottom line of all the new ones is the idea of marketing through grassroots. Call it tiger marketing, guerilla marketing, pyromarketing, what have you--it's all the same. Getting people to talk about your product is the key. I wanted to give readers a reason to talk about my Kanner Lake series--more reason than the books themselves. I wanted to get readers involved in my fictional town and in the lives of my characters. I wanted to offer them something that would be entertaining, plus would benefit them in other ways. The writers for Scenes and Beans gain recognition for their own writing, plus they earn an autographed copy of Violet Dawn. Currently the original SBGs (Scenes and Beans bloggers) are writing the posts through December. But auditions have already opened up for any reader of Violet Dawn to submit a post. These reader posts will begin running in January. Details for auditioning--and what you receive in return--are on this page of the Kanner Lake web site.
Scenes and Beans blog is quite new, so the end results of this marketing idea are yet to be seen. I have seen positive results in the lives of the SBGs. Some of them have been written up in their local papers due to their winning their roles--very nice, long articles with photos. Some are seeing increased traffic to their own blogs, due to links from Scenes and Beans. Some have seen recognition from editors/agents at the recent ACFW writers conference due to the fact that they write for Scenes and Beans. Longterm for the blog, however, I want to build readership, and this is what I'm working on now, and will continue to work on.
I also asked her, "What are the best ways (in your opinion) for a writer to aid in marketing their books?"
Brandilyn answered:
Come up with a clever idea to get people talking about your book. Also, at a minimum, have a professional-looking Web site that features first chapters of your books, plus shows something about you as a writer. Build an email address list for a newsletter (remember--people MUST sign up for this, or you'll be considered spam.) Reach out to booksellers. They're the ones on the front lines who are selling your product.
Most of all--write a quality book! And understand that name recognition (which equals sales) takes time to build. You're not likely to hit great sales right away. It's a process that can take years and numerous books.
If you're curious, as I was, how someone comes to think of writing a novel where someone finds a dead body in their hot tub, check out this interview. I could visualize it so clearly...LOL.
Thursday, September 28, 2006
Violet Dawn, Day 2
Did you notice that the author of the book I'm plugging, Brandilyn Collins, commented yesterday on my blog and practically OFFERED me the position of president of the BHCC? I accept, Brandilyn!! I accept! Am I off the hook now?
If you, dear reader, are NOT a charter member of the Big Honkin' Chicken Club, you may enjoy Brandilyn's newest novel Violet Dawn. Tomorrow we'll talk a little more about her marketing methodology, including the virtual blog set up to help promote this new series.
If you, dear reader, are NOT a charter member of the Big Honkin' Chicken Club, you may enjoy Brandilyn's newest novel Violet Dawn. Tomorrow we'll talk a little more about her marketing methodology, including the virtual blog set up to help promote this new series.
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Violet Dawn
Remember last week how excited I was cause I got a whole box of books to review and not one of them was suspense? I spoke too soon. The very next day Violet Dawn arrived. This is the second book by Brandilyn Collins that has come my way.
With fear and trepidation (okay, I'm exaggerating--but not much) I opened the novel yesterday evening and read the first few chapters. The question is: what would YOU do if you couldn't sleep at two in the morning and decided to relax in your hot tub...and discovered a dead body in it? And if, for some reason (which I'm sure I'll eventually figure out) you don't want to call the police, don't want your picture on the news? What would you do? Well, I can tell you what Paige would do but it would be more fun if you read the book yourself!
For the record, Brandilyn has written something like eleven novels with the trademark Seatbelt Suspense. Read her books, but don't forget to breathe. In her publishing journey, she's learned a few tricks of the trade as far as web promotion goes. (I mean, look at me promoting her books, and they're not even my favorite genre!) Later this week I want to have a closer look at her promotion because I think there's a lot we can all learn from it. For now, though--if you're curious--head over to Scenes and Beans, the virtual blog for the fictional characters from this series of novels about the small town of Kanner Lake, Idaho.
With fear and trepidation (okay, I'm exaggerating--but not much) I opened the novel yesterday evening and read the first few chapters. The question is: what would YOU do if you couldn't sleep at two in the morning and decided to relax in your hot tub...and discovered a dead body in it? And if, for some reason (which I'm sure I'll eventually figure out) you don't want to call the police, don't want your picture on the news? What would you do? Well, I can tell you what Paige would do but it would be more fun if you read the book yourself!
For the record, Brandilyn has written something like eleven novels with the trademark Seatbelt Suspense. Read her books, but don't forget to breathe. In her publishing journey, she's learned a few tricks of the trade as far as web promotion goes. (I mean, look at me promoting her books, and they're not even my favorite genre!) Later this week I want to have a closer look at her promotion because I think there's a lot we can all learn from it. For now, though--if you're curious--head over to Scenes and Beans, the virtual blog for the fictional characters from this series of novels about the small town of Kanner Lake, Idaho.
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Little things
It's amazing the things we want to find out to make a novel read believably...and how hard it is to find some of these details. I've spent half an hour googling trying to figure out how far a person can see out over the ocean: i.e., distance to the horizon. And here's the answer!
You'd think I should be writing already, but I also got majorly sidetracked researching Pop-Eye.
Yes, it's all needed. I wrote Quest during Nano, remember? I just *wung* it.
You'd think I should be writing already, but I also got majorly sidetracked researching Pop-Eye.
Yes, it's all needed. I wrote Quest during Nano, remember? I just *wung* it.
Monday, September 25, 2006
Quest...
I'm finally past the new material in the opening scenes and into revision material. For now that means it's going faster. All of the preliminaries have taken place: Teagren has been introduced as the champion for the Timberlanes, she's received the Kiss of Promise, her father has cautioned her, and the High King has instructed the contestants. She has just opened the magical door to her first quest. Word count: 4616.
Friday, September 22, 2006
Something That Lasts
I finished reading Something That Lasts last night. I wasn't planning to, but I really enjoyed it. It's not a happy book, but I think it is quite realistic and has a bittersweet ending rather than a happily ever after. Well, maybe I shouldn't have given that away!
Yesterday afternoon I popped over to James David Jordan's website and did some poking around. It's a really clean site that well reflects Jim's first novel. I had to chuckle, though, at this bit from his bio page:
Anyway, if you're curious, please look the book up!
Yesterday afternoon I popped over to James David Jordan's website and did some poking around. It's a really clean site that well reflects Jim's first novel. I had to chuckle, though, at this bit from his bio page:
Several years ago, James David Jordan set out to write a book of lessons for an adult Sunday school class. He soon found himself embellishing the Bible stories with details that he thought could, or should, have happened. Concerned that the Lord might not view a University of Missouri journalism degree as sufficient qualification to edit His work, Jim decided that the more prudent approach was to weave the stories into the plot of a novel about a family's struggle with faith in the face of scandal and tragedy. The result of his efforts is Something That Lasts, a book about the hope that only faith can provide.
Anyway, if you're curious, please look the book up!
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Quest Update
Quest to be Queen now has an entirely new opening scene of 1316 words. And lest any of us get too excited, it's taken me nearly a week to pull that many words together. Today I got sidetracked researching titles of royalty while I finetuned Cecil's full name: His Royal Highness The Crown Prince Cecil, Protector of Dhaneira, Knight of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Dragon, Great Steward of the Order of the Spine, Protector of the Spices.
If I think of something to add as I work my way through the novel, I will. And if some of the title seems a tad tongue-in-cheek, rest assured that the whole novel is a spoof. So far Teagren, who is sadly unRoyal, has discovered who her competition is for the hand of the High Prince, and she is trying to hold onto her initial cockiness. She'll get the full spring back in her step in the next scene, but the seeds have been sown.
The original opening scene will be revamped as the third scene, and then things ought to go faster. Snort. Like it would be hard for it to go much slower.
If I think of something to add as I work my way through the novel, I will. And if some of the title seems a tad tongue-in-cheek, rest assured that the whole novel is a spoof. So far Teagren, who is sadly unRoyal, has discovered who her competition is for the hand of the High Prince, and she is trying to hold onto her initial cockiness. She'll get the full spring back in her step in the next scene, but the seeds have been sown.
The original opening scene will be revamped as the third scene, and then things ought to go faster. Snort. Like it would be hard for it to go much slower.
Something That Lasts
Yesterday was a little bit like Christmas. A couple of boxes of books (6 books in all) found their way across the international border and into my hands. I couldn't even remember what was supposed to be in them by this time! My system of getting books across the line, while entirely legal, does depend on my American friends showing up on this side of the border, and they've been away for a few weeks.
Anyway, six shiny brand new release books for me to review. And not a one of them is suspense!! (Can you say, 'yay'?) There's a mystery (looks to be part of an ongoing gum-shoe series) and a sassy chick mystery. I'm eyeing that concept askance at the moment. Three chick-lits that look kinda interesting, and glances at the first pages of each prove very different voices.
And one different. The different one is called Something That Lasts. Seemed to me like I'd come across mention of it yesterday on some blogs, lol, and then realized that was because I was supposed to be posting, too... Anyway, I read the first few chapters of it last night.
James David Jordan writes with a unique voice in this 1970s-era story about a preacher caught in adultery who loses his own family on account of it. The basic, factual style of the account makes for quick reading, though it isn't shallow. Even though the part of the story where I am now is ten years from the novel's opening, there is reason to believe that this family will yet be reunited and made into Something That Lasts.
Recommended.
Anyway, six shiny brand new release books for me to review. And not a one of them is suspense!! (Can you say, 'yay'?) There's a mystery (looks to be part of an ongoing gum-shoe series) and a sassy chick mystery. I'm eyeing that concept askance at the moment. Three chick-lits that look kinda interesting, and glances at the first pages of each prove very different voices.
And one different. The different one is called Something That Lasts. Seemed to me like I'd come across mention of it yesterday on some blogs, lol, and then realized that was because I was supposed to be posting, too... Anyway, I read the first few chapters of it last night.
James David Jordan writes with a unique voice in this 1970s-era story about a preacher caught in adultery who loses his own family on account of it. The basic, factual style of the account makes for quick reading, though it isn't shallow. Even though the part of the story where I am now is ten years from the novel's opening, there is reason to believe that this family will yet be reunited and made into Something That Lasts.
Recommended.
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Musings on Writing
Once upon a time in early January I started in with Lazette Gifford's Two Year Novel class (2yn). This class, perhaps to be offered again this coming January at Forward Motion, takes the would-be writer from the kernel of an idea on through development of characters, worldbuilding, plotting, writing, and revising an entire novel. I had taken the 2004 class as well and loved Zette's approach. In fact, I used the notes from the first class to help me work on a couple of other projects in the interim.
For some reason I had a hard time getting latched onto Puppet Prince. I was focused on a difficult revision during the early months of this year. Strangely enough, it was my 2004 2ynovel... Then I carried onto revising Marks of Repentance. Then I was attacked by a new idea in August, which still has some issues to work through. Now I'm trying to do my THIRD revision this year, Quest to be Queen.
Planning and writing seem to take different mental muscles than revising. In January it seemed like a good idea to call this the Year of Revision. After all, for every first draft one writes, the story seems to need several MORE drafts to bring it through to some semblance of complete. So shouldn't a writer who wants to be published spend three times more revising than writing?
Maybe.
As of today, you couldn't convince me of that. I mean, it seems logical. But my writing muscles are weak. I'm afraid of creating another monstrosity that will require way too much revising. Nano is coming, and I want to be ready for it, but I feel like I'm rusty going in. I don't feel ready. I know I don't need to be ready today, but it's not that far off.
I've said I'm not good at multi-tasking in writing, though I'm good at it in Real Life. I'm a working wife and mother; I've had to be. I think the time is coming--and soon--when I need to train myself to multi-task as a writer. I don't think it will be optional in the long run.
Yesterday I opened my 2yn thread and read it, all 52 pages of printout. It hasn't been touched since May 14. It's hard to get back into that headspace. Today I did the next 2 assignments. There's just a couple more before they head into plotting and outlining. I think FM has a marathon for that in mid-October, so I'll probably hold off outlining until then. I love outlining in a crowd! And then, in theory, Puppet Prince will be ready to go November first.
I wish I could re-generate some of my initial excitement though. Hopefully I can rev myself up over the next few weeks. There are a lot of good ideas in the midst of my assignments, kernels of the plot, the conflicts, the themes. All I'm missing is the excitement. Oh, and the outline!
Part of me thinks I should crank up the YA Christian chick-lit that kept me awake in August for Nano, but it honestly isn't ready to be written. There are big enough holes in that mess to drive trains through. It'll come. It's just not there yet.
Part of me thinks I should write the sequel to Marks of Repentance. The characters and worldbuilding are all done for this being as it will continue the initial story. It even has a title, Children of Sacrifice. I have a fair idea of the plot in my head, and I'm totally in love with the world, the characters and the concepts. But I feel like I should be preparing a stand-alone for pitching first. (Marks certainly can stand alone, as far as that goes; it's the sequel that would find it harder...)
And meanwhile, I'm way sidetracked with the cookbook project and fighting to make even enough time to keep poking at Quest. If I need to leave the revision partially done over Nano, I'm not worried about it.
For the rest of this year, I'm going to try to ride out the writing life as I have planned it. Next year, however, is going to require a different strategy. I just need to find one.
For some reason I had a hard time getting latched onto Puppet Prince. I was focused on a difficult revision during the early months of this year. Strangely enough, it was my 2004 2ynovel... Then I carried onto revising Marks of Repentance. Then I was attacked by a new idea in August, which still has some issues to work through. Now I'm trying to do my THIRD revision this year, Quest to be Queen.
Planning and writing seem to take different mental muscles than revising. In January it seemed like a good idea to call this the Year of Revision. After all, for every first draft one writes, the story seems to need several MORE drafts to bring it through to some semblance of complete. So shouldn't a writer who wants to be published spend three times more revising than writing?
Maybe.
As of today, you couldn't convince me of that. I mean, it seems logical. But my writing muscles are weak. I'm afraid of creating another monstrosity that will require way too much revising. Nano is coming, and I want to be ready for it, but I feel like I'm rusty going in. I don't feel ready. I know I don't need to be ready today, but it's not that far off.
I've said I'm not good at multi-tasking in writing, though I'm good at it in Real Life. I'm a working wife and mother; I've had to be. I think the time is coming--and soon--when I need to train myself to multi-task as a writer. I don't think it will be optional in the long run.
Yesterday I opened my 2yn thread and read it, all 52 pages of printout. It hasn't been touched since May 14. It's hard to get back into that headspace. Today I did the next 2 assignments. There's just a couple more before they head into plotting and outlining. I think FM has a marathon for that in mid-October, so I'll probably hold off outlining until then. I love outlining in a crowd! And then, in theory, Puppet Prince will be ready to go November first.
I wish I could re-generate some of my initial excitement though. Hopefully I can rev myself up over the next few weeks. There are a lot of good ideas in the midst of my assignments, kernels of the plot, the conflicts, the themes. All I'm missing is the excitement. Oh, and the outline!
Part of me thinks I should crank up the YA Christian chick-lit that kept me awake in August for Nano, but it honestly isn't ready to be written. There are big enough holes in that mess to drive trains through. It'll come. It's just not there yet.
Part of me thinks I should write the sequel to Marks of Repentance. The characters and worldbuilding are all done for this being as it will continue the initial story. It even has a title, Children of Sacrifice. I have a fair idea of the plot in my head, and I'm totally in love with the world, the characters and the concepts. But I feel like I should be preparing a stand-alone for pitching first. (Marks certainly can stand alone, as far as that goes; it's the sequel that would find it harder...)
And meanwhile, I'm way sidetracked with the cookbook project and fighting to make even enough time to keep poking at Quest. If I need to leave the revision partially done over Nano, I'm not worried about it.
For the rest of this year, I'm going to try to ride out the writing life as I have planned it. Next year, however, is going to require a different strategy. I just need to find one.
EdenStar website, day 3
Today is the last day of the EdenStar Books and Games website tour. Both Blogger and Mozilla Firefox were scheming against me getting this post up. This is try number four.
Even though I am a reader and not a gamer, I had a look at the gaming section of the site. Most of the games available there appear to be LOTR games in various formats. If you think trying a game based on Tolkein's world sounds like fun, check to see whether your system is supported. The few other games listed don't appear to fit the category of sff games, but I could be wrong. Like I said, I'm not really into games.
If you're curious what some other bloggers have to say, check out these links:
Jim Black
Jackie Castle
Bryan Davis
Beth Goddard
Leathel Grody
Karen Hancock
Elliot Hanowski
Katie Hart
Sherrie Hibbs
Sharon Hinck
Joleen Howell
Jason Joyner
Tina Kulesa
Kevin Lucia
Rachel Marks
Shannon McNear
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Cheryl Russel
Mirtika Schultz
Stuart Stockton
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Even though I am a reader and not a gamer, I had a look at the gaming section of the site. Most of the games available there appear to be LOTR games in various formats. If you think trying a game based on Tolkein's world sounds like fun, check to see whether your system is supported. The few other games listed don't appear to fit the category of sff games, but I could be wrong. Like I said, I'm not really into games.
If you're curious what some other bloggers have to say, check out these links:
Jim Black
Jackie Castle
Bryan Davis
Beth Goddard
Leathel Grody
Karen Hancock
Elliot Hanowski
Katie Hart
Sherrie Hibbs
Sharon Hinck
Joleen Howell
Jason Joyner
Tina Kulesa
Kevin Lucia
Rachel Marks
Shannon McNear
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Cheryl Russel
Mirtika Schultz
Stuart Stockton
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Website Review, Day 2
Just a reminder that we're focusing attention on EdenStar Books and Games this week.
One of the cool things is the extensive list of audio cds and cassettes. I've started borrowing books on cd from the library for hubby's long drives to and from work (three and a half hours every two days). They have a limited number that sound interesting to him, though he has fairly eclectic taste.
Of the 65 audio books offered on this site, a good many are Tolkein and Lewis classics. There is a decent representation, however, of more contemporary works. But the price of audio material is so high (it's no wonder my library has so few!) that I find it hard to justify for a novel that a person may only want to *read* once. I understand WHY they're so expensive to produce; its just disheartening to try to get into.
Okay, that was a bit of a side-slip! Check out what some other bloggers have to say about EdenStar's site today:
Jim Black
Jackie Castle
Valerie Comer
Bryan Davis
Beth Goddard
Leathel Grody
Karen Hancock
Elliot Hanowski
Katie Hart
Sherrie Hibbs
Sharon Hinck
Jason Joyner
Tina Kulesa
Kevin Lucia
Rachel Marks
Shannon McNear
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Cheryl Russel
Mirtika Schultz
Stuart Stockton
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
One of the cool things is the extensive list of audio cds and cassettes. I've started borrowing books on cd from the library for hubby's long drives to and from work (three and a half hours every two days). They have a limited number that sound interesting to him, though he has fairly eclectic taste.
Of the 65 audio books offered on this site, a good many are Tolkein and Lewis classics. There is a decent representation, however, of more contemporary works. But the price of audio material is so high (it's no wonder my library has so few!) that I find it hard to justify for a novel that a person may only want to *read* once. I understand WHY they're so expensive to produce; its just disheartening to try to get into.
Okay, that was a bit of a side-slip! Check out what some other bloggers have to say about EdenStar's site today:
Jim Black
Jackie Castle
Valerie Comer
Bryan Davis
Beth Goddard
Leathel Grody
Karen Hancock
Elliot Hanowski
Katie Hart
Sherrie Hibbs
Sharon Hinck
Jason Joyner
Tina Kulesa
Kevin Lucia
Rachel Marks
Shannon McNear
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Cheryl Russel
Mirtika Schultz
Stuart Stockton
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Monday, September 18, 2006
I've started another blog!
Because, you know, I have so much spare time and so much to say. As witnessed by the vast amount of posts on THIS blog.
Oh well. I will continue to chronicle my writing life right here, as well as a good dose of the rest of my life. This remains my main blog.
However, if you're specifically interested in the recipe book project, diet and weight-loss, exercise, and the daily grind of testing recipes and canning tomatoes (in short, anything to do with my efforts at a healthier lifestyle) then feel free to link to me over at The G.I. Way Day by Day. Because this is an ongoing project and a major part of my life it seems like it deserves to be more than a footnote to the story In My Little World.
Besides that, I need a place to begin collecting links to websites and blogs that focus on these topics and don't want to clutter up this sidebar with it! Beware, it's pretty much bare over there at the moment. I only have some history posted as of yet, which regular readers of my blog already know, but the initial posts will serve as a grounding for folks who stumble on the blog at a later time.
Oh well. I will continue to chronicle my writing life right here, as well as a good dose of the rest of my life. This remains my main blog.
However, if you're specifically interested in the recipe book project, diet and weight-loss, exercise, and the daily grind of testing recipes and canning tomatoes (in short, anything to do with my efforts at a healthier lifestyle) then feel free to link to me over at The G.I. Way Day by Day. Because this is an ongoing project and a major part of my life it seems like it deserves to be more than a footnote to the story In My Little World.
Besides that, I need a place to begin collecting links to websites and blogs that focus on these topics and don't want to clutter up this sidebar with it! Beware, it's pretty much bare over there at the moment. I only have some history posted as of yet, which regular readers of my blog already know, but the initial posts will serve as a grounding for folks who stumble on the blog at a later time.
Edenstar Books
This month the gang at Christian SFF Blog Tours has decided to spotlight Edenstar Books and Games. I've had the link to this site up on my sidebar for several months now, though I don't check it as often as I should. Now that my attention has been re-drawn to this site, I'll be going oftener to see what is new.
The mission statement seems to be:
The major categories appear to be Books, Audio, Video, For Kids, and Games. Edenstar acts as an Amazon store-front for these items.
Of course, my favorite area is Books. There is an extensive section of Book Reviews. However, it looks rather out of date as the books topping the list were published in 2003 and 2004. A plus is that they link to reviews on other sites as well as writing their own, giving the reader a broader base from which to make a decision.
There are areas set aside specifically for the classics such as Tolkein and Lewis. There's a good variety in the section for kids. If you're interested, go on over and check it out! Or have a look at some of the other linking sites:
Jim Black
Jackie Castle
Valerie Comer
Bryan Davis
Beth Goddard
Leathel Grody
Karen Hancock
Elliot Hanowski
Katie Hart
Sherrie Hibbs
Sharon Hinck
Jason Joyner
Tina Kulesa
Kevin Lucia
Rachel Marks
Shannon McNear
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Cheryl Russel
Mirtika Schultz
Stuart Stockton
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
The mission statement seems to be:
For those who enjoy a good, clean science fiction or fantasy story, Edenstar Books and Games has a world of resources to explore. With a comprehensive database of over 600 items, we're here to help you find books, videos and games.
The major categories appear to be Books, Audio, Video, For Kids, and Games. Edenstar acts as an Amazon store-front for these items.
Of course, my favorite area is Books. There is an extensive section of Book Reviews. However, it looks rather out of date as the books topping the list were published in 2003 and 2004. A plus is that they link to reviews on other sites as well as writing their own, giving the reader a broader base from which to make a decision.
There are areas set aside specifically for the classics such as Tolkein and Lewis. There's a good variety in the section for kids. If you're interested, go on over and check it out! Or have a look at some of the other linking sites:
Jim Black
Jackie Castle
Valerie Comer
Bryan Davis
Beth Goddard
Leathel Grody
Karen Hancock
Elliot Hanowski
Katie Hart
Sherrie Hibbs
Sharon Hinck
Jason Joyner
Tina Kulesa
Kevin Lucia
Rachel Marks
Shannon McNear
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Cheryl Russel
Mirtika Schultz
Stuart Stockton
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Monday, September 11, 2006
Still here
I really haven't fallen off the face of the planet. I really am still making progress on a variety of fronts. Writing blog posts seems to be the part that's suffering most.
Nearly finished the crit for Maripat's novel.
I'm poking away at the opening scene for Quest to be Queen. In first draft you just jump in and write, especially when it's Nano, but now I'm seeing that was one short scene should be more like four scenes. Plenty happens *before* the quest to set the stage. So my brief creative moments are focused there.
Recipe testing and answering forum emails and uploading recipes and photos is very time-consuming. You'd think I'd have guessed that, right? And I'm trying to build spreadsheets for tabulating and organizing results. Poor Mar. There are days I'm sure she wishes I had more basic tech smarts.
Nearly finished the crit for Maripat's novel.
I'm poking away at the opening scene for Quest to be Queen. In first draft you just jump in and write, especially when it's Nano, but now I'm seeing that was one short scene should be more like four scenes. Plenty happens *before* the quest to set the stage. So my brief creative moments are focused there.
Recipe testing and answering forum emails and uploading recipes and photos is very time-consuming. You'd think I'd have guessed that, right? And I'm trying to build spreadsheets for tabulating and organizing results. Poor Mar. There are days I'm sure she wishes I had more basic tech smarts.
Thursday, September 07, 2006
Does blog buzz work?
For over a year now I have been part of an experiment. I've had the opportunity to hear about, read, and talk about books--books I might never have met any other way. Books sink or swim quickly in the publishing industry. It's hardly fair, really. It takes time for the news of a good book to filter down. Many bookstores, especially small, local ones, can't jump on every bandwagon that comes around. There are limited amounts of resources to go around and it is often hard to guess (okay, impossible) what is going to take off.
Have all the books I've talked about in the past year-and-a-bit taken off? Not to my knowledge. A few were written by folks with somewhat established niches, but most were written by new authors. Several of these authors have had second books out in the meanwhile, or will have soon. I don't know if there is honestly any way to know for sure how much impact *blog buzz* had on the sales of their initial books, but it can't have hurt. Many Christian publishers have chosen to support this radical marketing method by providing ARCs (advanced reader copies) or first run novels to members of this blogging group. Obviously they believe it is making a difference in getting the word out. (The link is in the sidebar if you're interested in signing on.)
Where possible, we are creating the buzz just before a book hits the marketplace, or in the first weeks. This means that the book gets a bit of bonus support right in that initial sink-or-swim time. But I think it makes a difference long term as well.
Several of the books I've mentioned weren't official Blog Buzz books, but may have been books I discovered through folks along the network. I first heard the name Sharon Hinck at another blog. Sharon's first book came out last spring, and it is entitled The Secret Life of Becky Miller. This amused my blogging friend Becky Miller, who has had great fun promoting this book that is not about her in any way. The novel is Christian mom-lit and so, while I was glad to hear about a great read for young mothers, I'm not exactly the target audience. Even though I saw the book on the bookstore shelf in June and glanced at the back cover, I passed it by.
But a month or two later (I don't remember exactly, so the timing of my tale might be off!) the grapevine buzzed a bit about Sharon Hinck again. This time it said that Sharon had been pitching a fantasy series as well as the mom-lit...and that she had just sold the fantasy series to another Christian publishing house.
Well, you know me well enough by now to know that my ears perked up about this. I love reading fantasy. It made me consider Sharon in a whole new light. Not that she wasn't an interesting person before this, but now she was starting to circle closer to my sphere. (Or I to hers, depending on your point of view.) I'd begun reading her blog Stories for the Hero in All of Us and linked it in my sidebar.
So the NEXT time I saw The Secret Life of Becky Miller on the shelf, I bought it. I finished reading it this evening. Even though I am (still) not the target audience, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. Becky Miller dreams of doing Big Things for God, and in her daydreams, she accomplishes mighty deeds of valor. In her daydreams, she really IS SuperWoman. Real life, however, is falling apart at an alarming rate. I totally did not see all the twists and turns coming, and even though all the threads are not tied off (as they aren't in real life either, come to think of it) that only leaves Sharon Hinck a bit of room to maneuver in the next Becky Miller novel. Yes, she has more of those up her sleeve as well.
So being part of this blogging experiment has broadened my reading horizons yet again. I'd say it works. I bought only one copy, but now I'm telling more of you. Maybe some of you will go buy it. Maybe you won't. But like me, maybe the seed of purchase thought has been planted and if you see it on the shelf, you may pick it up, curious. And maybe you'll set it back. But at least it will have crossed your line of vision in a way that it may not have otherwise.
Is it important to talk about the books you read, especially the ones you liked? I think so. Many of us are writers. We need readers. We need readers who BUY BOOKS. I think it's a good thing to spread the word when we find books that are important to us in our own little worlds.
Hey, that reminds me. Who is on your Christmas list this year? Think about giving the gift of books to as many of them as possible. Find new releases that you believe your loved ones would enjoy. Broaden their horizons and spread the BUZZ on books.
Have all the books I've talked about in the past year-and-a-bit taken off? Not to my knowledge. A few were written by folks with somewhat established niches, but most were written by new authors. Several of these authors have had second books out in the meanwhile, or will have soon. I don't know if there is honestly any way to know for sure how much impact *blog buzz* had on the sales of their initial books, but it can't have hurt. Many Christian publishers have chosen to support this radical marketing method by providing ARCs (advanced reader copies) or first run novels to members of this blogging group. Obviously they believe it is making a difference in getting the word out. (The link is in the sidebar if you're interested in signing on.)
Where possible, we are creating the buzz just before a book hits the marketplace, or in the first weeks. This means that the book gets a bit of bonus support right in that initial sink-or-swim time. But I think it makes a difference long term as well.
Several of the books I've mentioned weren't official Blog Buzz books, but may have been books I discovered through folks along the network. I first heard the name Sharon Hinck at another blog. Sharon's first book came out last spring, and it is entitled The Secret Life of Becky Miller. This amused my blogging friend Becky Miller, who has had great fun promoting this book that is not about her in any way. The novel is Christian mom-lit and so, while I was glad to hear about a great read for young mothers, I'm not exactly the target audience. Even though I saw the book on the bookstore shelf in June and glanced at the back cover, I passed it by.
But a month or two later (I don't remember exactly, so the timing of my tale might be off!) the grapevine buzzed a bit about Sharon Hinck again. This time it said that Sharon had been pitching a fantasy series as well as the mom-lit...and that she had just sold the fantasy series to another Christian publishing house.
Well, you know me well enough by now to know that my ears perked up about this. I love reading fantasy. It made me consider Sharon in a whole new light. Not that she wasn't an interesting person before this, but now she was starting to circle closer to my sphere. (Or I to hers, depending on your point of view.) I'd begun reading her blog Stories for the Hero in All of Us and linked it in my sidebar.
So the NEXT time I saw The Secret Life of Becky Miller on the shelf, I bought it. I finished reading it this evening. Even though I am (still) not the target audience, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. Becky Miller dreams of doing Big Things for God, and in her daydreams, she accomplishes mighty deeds of valor. In her daydreams, she really IS SuperWoman. Real life, however, is falling apart at an alarming rate. I totally did not see all the twists and turns coming, and even though all the threads are not tied off (as they aren't in real life either, come to think of it) that only leaves Sharon Hinck a bit of room to maneuver in the next Becky Miller novel. Yes, she has more of those up her sleeve as well.
So being part of this blogging experiment has broadened my reading horizons yet again. I'd say it works. I bought only one copy, but now I'm telling more of you. Maybe some of you will go buy it. Maybe you won't. But like me, maybe the seed of purchase thought has been planted and if you see it on the shelf, you may pick it up, curious. And maybe you'll set it back. But at least it will have crossed your line of vision in a way that it may not have otherwise.
Is it important to talk about the books you read, especially the ones you liked? I think so. Many of us are writers. We need readers. We need readers who BUY BOOKS. I think it's a good thing to spread the word when we find books that are important to us in our own little worlds.
Hey, that reminds me. Who is on your Christmas list this year? Think about giving the gift of books to as many of them as possible. Find new releases that you believe your loved ones would enjoy. Broaden their horizons and spread the BUZZ on books.
Monday, September 04, 2006
Anniversary dinner...backfires!
Some things are so totally not worth it.
We decided to drive to a city two hours away for our anniversary dinner. It would give us time to talk, do a little shopping, and have a nice meal somewhere we don't exactly frequent. I'd made up my mind that, having lost 30 pounds in the past six months, I'd order what I felt like eating and enjoy the meal.
Didn't work. I ate too much fat, too many carbs, and--at 2 am--I am paying for it with discomfort and a sleepless night.
We were still in the restaurant when I knew my plan had backfired. I said to Jim, "I am not going to obsess over what I had for dinner; I made my choice in advance. Once in awhile isn't going to hurt anything. However, I'm uncomfortable and don't want to repeat the performance again any time soon."
We got home about 11 pm, having just caught the last few minutes the border was open. I drank three glasses of water as soon as I walked in the door. (Can anyone say 'too much salt' on top of the other woes?) Had another two glasses before I went to bed half an hour later, feeling sleepy and sluggish.
Jim had had coffee to keep alert for the drive so he stayed up to watch some tv. (He's a night owl anyway, and I'm not.) About 12:30 I woke up from a fitful sleep because I heard the fridge opening and closing, (he was HUNGRY???), followed by the tv going up a couple notches, presumably so he could hear it over the sound of his chewing.
I stretched my toe down to the door near the foot of the bed and nudged it mostly shut. The cat squawked. Okay, fine, I'm awake. For some strange reason I need to pee anyway, so I may as well get up for a minute. Oh, and more water please... Cat wants to play and attacks my ankle. Not impressed. Don't feel like playing.
Stumble to the bathroom, then the water cooler, then back to the bedroom. Cat attacks ankle in the hallway again. Grr backatcha, cat. I get back in bed. Brain turns on. How I hate when that happens.
Stare at ceiling. Can't get comfortable. My hips hurt. I think about that. Okay, they don't hurt, but they're not comfortable, either. Jim comes up to bed and promptly falls asleep. I roll over. I can't get comfortable on that side either. Not on back. Not on tummy. Would my brain just turn OFF so I can ignore my hips and go back to sleep? The alarm will go off at 6:30. I need sleep. Not gonna get it, though.
2:15. Finally I get up again. You've guessed the reason(s). Is it okay to take a painkiller when you're not in actual pain? I take one along with a couple of valerian to try to get back to sleep. Soon they will kick in. Or so I hope. I may as well pee again, being as I'm up.
Have I learned anything? Oh my goodness YES I think so. Minor deviations from diet, fine. Major ones? Asking for trouble, girl. It's not worth it. I'm not sure I can blame the hips on it, but I can try. This isn't a usual problem. None of them are. Can you tell my brain isn't shutting off yet? Yeah, me too... Sigh.
9:30 am. I got to sleep around 3 am and ignored the alarm as best I could while hubby got up for this day's round of haying. Rolled out of bed myself at 8:30, shock. I now have achey knees and a twitchy shoulder to go with the hips. I'm thinking I can't blame all of this on rich food! The morning run feels out of the question.
First off, a *normal* breakfast of a peach, a banana, and some Fiber 1 cereal topped off with vanilla yogurt. Let's see if I can get my system back on track. I have a lot of tomatoes to can today.
We decided to drive to a city two hours away for our anniversary dinner. It would give us time to talk, do a little shopping, and have a nice meal somewhere we don't exactly frequent. I'd made up my mind that, having lost 30 pounds in the past six months, I'd order what I felt like eating and enjoy the meal.
Didn't work. I ate too much fat, too many carbs, and--at 2 am--I am paying for it with discomfort and a sleepless night.
We were still in the restaurant when I knew my plan had backfired. I said to Jim, "I am not going to obsess over what I had for dinner; I made my choice in advance. Once in awhile isn't going to hurt anything. However, I'm uncomfortable and don't want to repeat the performance again any time soon."
We got home about 11 pm, having just caught the last few minutes the border was open. I drank three glasses of water as soon as I walked in the door. (Can anyone say 'too much salt' on top of the other woes?) Had another two glasses before I went to bed half an hour later, feeling sleepy and sluggish.
Jim had had coffee to keep alert for the drive so he stayed up to watch some tv. (He's a night owl anyway, and I'm not.) About 12:30 I woke up from a fitful sleep because I heard the fridge opening and closing, (he was HUNGRY???), followed by the tv going up a couple notches, presumably so he could hear it over the sound of his chewing.
I stretched my toe down to the door near the foot of the bed and nudged it mostly shut. The cat squawked. Okay, fine, I'm awake. For some strange reason I need to pee anyway, so I may as well get up for a minute. Oh, and more water please... Cat wants to play and attacks my ankle. Not impressed. Don't feel like playing.
Stumble to the bathroom, then the water cooler, then back to the bedroom. Cat attacks ankle in the hallway again. Grr backatcha, cat. I get back in bed. Brain turns on. How I hate when that happens.
Stare at ceiling. Can't get comfortable. My hips hurt. I think about that. Okay, they don't hurt, but they're not comfortable, either. Jim comes up to bed and promptly falls asleep. I roll over. I can't get comfortable on that side either. Not on back. Not on tummy. Would my brain just turn OFF so I can ignore my hips and go back to sleep? The alarm will go off at 6:30. I need sleep. Not gonna get it, though.
2:15. Finally I get up again. You've guessed the reason(s). Is it okay to take a painkiller when you're not in actual pain? I take one along with a couple of valerian to try to get back to sleep. Soon they will kick in. Or so I hope. I may as well pee again, being as I'm up.
Have I learned anything? Oh my goodness YES I think so. Minor deviations from diet, fine. Major ones? Asking for trouble, girl. It's not worth it. I'm not sure I can blame the hips on it, but I can try. This isn't a usual problem. None of them are. Can you tell my brain isn't shutting off yet? Yeah, me too... Sigh.
9:30 am. I got to sleep around 3 am and ignored the alarm as best I could while hubby got up for this day's round of haying. Rolled out of bed myself at 8:30, shock. I now have achey knees and a twitchy shoulder to go with the hips. I'm thinking I can't blame all of this on rich food! The morning run feels out of the question.
First off, a *normal* breakfast of a peach, a banana, and some Fiber 1 cereal topped off with vanilla yogurt. Let's see if I can get my system back on track. I have a lot of tomatoes to can today.
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