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Dear Readers--

10/20/2013

I try to make it a rule to post about things other than my own works as much as possible. Still, today, I felt I wanted to share with readers in general.

Of late, I have been suffering terribly from writers procrastination syndrome. It is so easy--especially for a new author--to get discouraged and to want to give up. But, I have new incentive! Just today, I got an email from one of the people who won a copy of my first work, OATHTAKER, from a giveaway that I ran on GoodReads some months ago. She was the first of the winners to contact me. I hope, if she sees this post, that she does not mind my sharing her comments here. They have given me new incentive and because of them, I have renewed my commitment to get back to it and to stop procrastinating! Here is what she said: "Hello! I won Oathtaker a while ago from a giveaway on [GoodReads] and I let my dad read it first, he absolutely loved it! The first thing he said to me upon finishing was, 'When does the next one come out?' So I was wondering the same thing since I am very much liking it so far!! Thank you so much for writing such an exciting book."

So, here is my note to all readers--you are what keeps us going! It is our desire to please you that plays such a big part in our writing. And, when you take the time to let us know your thoughts and to write a review--well, sometimes it is just the incentive that we need to keep going! I do a lot of reviews myself because I know how important they are to those laboring to bring fresh, exciting and new stories to you.

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News!

10/18/2013

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I am pleased to report that I started a new Discussion Group on BookLikes today for FANTASY READERS AND WRITERS. I invite authors to join me there to share information about their work and readers to join us to learn more about fantasy authors, their works, giveaways, special events and more!

When looking through the available BookLikes discussion groups, look for the pic shown above!

I hope to see you all there!

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I'm Falling. . . Falling. . .

10/17/2013

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I can't help it! I'm falling, falling, falling into--the Fall Into Fantasy Giveaway! This is a terrific giveaway, hosted by Ash Krafton, running from October 17 through October 31.

Check out this list of authors: Ash Krafton, Red Tash, Rhonda Parrish, Niteblade Magazine, Sascha Illyvich, Jami Gray, Stacy Claflin, Sharon Saracino, Marsha A. Moore, Kim Smith, Alison Beightol, Prudence MacLeod, Shannon McRoberts, Rosalie Skinner, Tricia Schneider, Liv Rancourt, Debbie Christiana, Fabio Bueno, Carmen DeSousa, Lyndi Alexander, Sheryl Nantus, Sharon Buchbinder, Jane Lebak, Terri Rochenski, Marian Allen, Etta Jean, Angela Brown, Mimi Sebastian, John Hundley, Julia Crane, Lisa Kessler, Gregory S. Close, Nana Prah, James Garcia Jr, Angela Myron, Nicole Zoltack, Robin Lythgoe, Georgia Lyn Hunter, Andrea R. Cooper, Kristine Croto, Cathrina Constantine, M. Pax, Stacy Claflin, Tina Moss and Yelena Casale, Mina Khan, Julie Flanders, Julie Reece, Jocelyn Adams, Elle J Rossi, Kiru Taye, Cesya MaRae Cuono, Jonathan D Allen, Kevin O. McLaughlin, Thomas Winship, Shah Wharton

See the exciting list of books included!

Enter the raffle!

Yes, you too can Fall Into Fantasy!

For more information click here.

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Flash Sale!

10/14/2013

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One day only! Today! A flash sale of As the Crow Flies by Robin Lythgoe. A terrific and fun read! Prepare to be entertained!

Find out more about Robin and her works on her site here.

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The Bookmobile is Here!

10/5/2013

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What are your earliest memories of reading? Of finding yourself surrounded by the musty smell of books that begged you to open their pages, to peruse their inner glories? I know this post will age me, but for me those memories date back to a time —decades ago—when I was growing up in a small rural community.

When I was quite young, we were a single-car family. My father worked elsewhere and “hobby” farmed. My mother was home with us eight—yes, count them—eight children. (Eight “girl” children, to be exact!) As you might expect, this meant that we did not often go places. Entertainment was found in our own backyard, creating stories that we sometimes acted out, encouraging the few other neighborhood children there were to engage with us in our make-believe escapades. One of our favorite pastimes was to play “Harriet the Spy,” a game (obviously) named from the book of the same title. With our notebooks in hand, we would try to creep up unaware on one another, taking notes of what they were doing, leaving behind little tidbits for other to find. . . . Finding someone’s notebook unattended offered a plethora of fascinating information about the antics of others. From whence did ideas of this ilk come? Reading—of course. And, where better to pick up those ideas from the books we checked out from the bookmobile that made its way to our little community from time to time?

I suppose the bookmobile had a schedule. It must be that it showed up every second Tuesday or Thursday (or whatever) through the summer months. Truth to tell, I don’t remember, though my mother might. I’ll have to ask her one day. I just recall hearing those magic words from time to time: “The Bookmobile is here!” The hunt would begin for all those books we’d taken out the last time and perhaps misplaced in the interim so that we could return them and select new ones: new mysteries, like Nancy Drew or the Hardy Boys; new fantasies, like The Little Witch or Mio My Son; new adventures, like The Oregon Trail; new animal stories like Old Yeller or Where the Red Fern Grows. Ah yes, those were the days—when the library came to us.

I have not seen a bookmobile for many long years—but I did a little research. They do still exist. It seems the first “taking of collections of books to people” was in 1893. By 1899 there were 2500 “traveling collections.” It seems Melvil Dewey was the genius behind the idea. (The information and statistics shared here are derived from http://www.tiki-toki.com/timeline/entry/44220/History-of-Bookmobiles/#vars!date=1950-12-30_22:59:08).

In very early days, some book collections traveled by horseback. By 1900 some libraries sent books by mail to those who could not even reach the traveling collections. Then came the first motorized bookmobile in 1912. In 1929 the term “bookmobile” was coined. Check out these statistics: in 1950, there were about 600 bookmobiles; by 1956, over 900; by 1970, over 2000. As might be expected, when fuel costs increased, the number of bookmobiles decreased. By 1990 there were only about 1100 remaining and by 2000, there were fewer than 900—roughly the same number as in 1956.

I think of children today who do not have libraries near them and wonder how many budding geniuses, how many creators of their own stories that could be shared with the world might be lost with the demise of the bookmobile. For my part, I will always hold dear memories of those sticky hot summer days when my sisters and I would heed the call: "The Bookmobile is Here!”

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A Drift of Quills on Peer Reviews

10/4/2013

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Hello readers and visitors! I am honored to introduce to you today:

A Drift of Quills is a small group of writers of fantasy fiction. We will prepare and post on our own blogs, from time to time, a group "article." After selecting a topic, we each will add our thoughts to the subject at hand.

Today our title is: PEER REVIEWS: FAIR OR FOUL?
I learned a great deal in the process of gathering my thoughts for this issue and I learned even more from reading what my fellow authors had to say. So, jump in and enjoy and be sure to follow us all!

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First up, is CMJ Wallace, author of the Rift series, including Sing the Midnight Stars (Rift #1), Flight of Shadows (Rift #2) and This Darkling Magic (Rift #3). Find out more about CMJ on Goodreads or on her website at www.cmjwallace.com.

I’m undecided about exchanging book reviews with authors. A sticky question of ethics rears its ugly head the instant the deal is made because each author writes the review with the understanding that it’s going to be quid pro quo, and however much we tell ourselves that we can be unbiased, it just ain’t so. We’re a morass of prejudices that include everything from food preferences to standards of beauty.

I’ve had two interesting (and enlightening) experiences with review trades. I didn’t know the author of the first one I did. He posted a Goodreads thread asking for review exchanges and we swapped books, I giving him a Smashwords coupon for a free download and he sending me a paperback. He finished mine first and gave it 5 stars on Goodreads without posting his review elsewhere. A week or so later, I finished his and gave it 4 stars. Shortly after that, he posted his review of my book on Smashwords and gave it 4 stars. The lesson? He’d expected me to give his book 5 stars because that’s what he gave mine. Truth be told, his didn’t deserve even 4 stars, but I allowed an element of guilt to influence my rating: He’d spent the time and money to send me a paperback. That’s one problem with review exchanges. What would he have done had I rated his book 3 stars or lower? Unfortunately, indie authors can’t afford to discount the possibility of retributive ratings. That’s another problem with trading reviews.

The second exchange was with a Goodreads friend, but we bought each other’s books through a program on Facebook. I finished hers first and gave it 4 stars because it really does merit that rating, but I pointed out in my review that it had editorial problems. Then she finished mine and gave it 5 stars, which pleasantly surprised me not (entirely) because of the rating but because—let’s face it—friend or not, I really don’t know her and expected strict quid pro quo at best. Did the fact that we’d paid for each other’s books free us from tit for tat? I don’t know. But I do know that I feel more comfortable reviewing books by authors with whom I’ll never have any interaction.

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Next in the hot seat is Kristie Kiessling. Kristie's works include Light and Dark and a short story, Sanguis Dei. You will find Kristie's blog at www.KristieKiessling.Blogspot.com. Kristie--take it away!

The peer review. Just the words are frightening. They should be. When it comes to writing scientific journals, the peer review can often determine whether or not a scientist's paper is published at all and if published, taken seriously. The concept of the peer review is honored by its roots in the dialogues of Plato. In the tradition of Socrates, peer reviews in science are all about questioning, challenging and turning suppositions and pre-suppositions, inside out. Follow the data! What is the truth? Thank goodness that peer reviews in the world of writing are not so consequential. Then again, aren't they?

It can be more than terrifying when an author hands over his or her baby to a group of peers for that precious document to be dissected and evaluated. Often, a writer will take the things said by such reviewers as gospel. Condemnation by one's peers that the work is awful can lead to the thought that one should never publish. The gold star review that says, "publish everything you write! You're amazing! Do it now!" can be just as detrimental. However, when a writer's focus is on the words he or she has written, rather than what he or she thinks others think of him or her, a peer review can be an valuable tool toward improvement. Often, we focus on not being good enough when, delightfully, we can always learn, study and rewrite.

As authors of fiction—be it science, fantasy or historical—we go to our peers for their input because they are the fact-makers. They are the world-builders. Our fictional worlds need to make sense, even when they come completely out of our heads. (I've often been told I'm out of mine...) If one thing does not lead logically to another, even in the most fantastic world, we might be left with the question: "Why is a raven like a writing desk?" A question even Charles Lutwidge Dodgson never really answered to my satisfaction. Still, I thank God that no peer reviewer stopped him from creating such a Wonderland.

In the end, the peer review must be taken with quiet dignity and grace and a few grains of salt. The writer must keep on writing, humbled that others take an interest and encouraged that there is room in the world for all manner of works, no matter what anyone says.

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Next comes one of the first people that I met on Goodreads, Robin Lythgoe. Robin interviewed me for her blog and I interviewed her for mine! Check out Robin's latest work, As the Crow Flies. You can find out more about Robin and her work at http://www.robinlythgoe.com or, of course, on Goodreads.

So, Robin, you're on!

The question of whether or not it’s a bad idea for an author to give critical reviews of the work of other authors comes up frequently on boards and forums all across the internet, and I don’t think it’s one that will some day fade away. While “peer review” can be a delicate undertaking, it can also be a useful barometer. Who better to read and critique the work of authors than other authors (who, we fervently hope, are avid readers, too)? The key is to critique constructively, not to be critical. And you’ve stepped into marshy ground right out of the gates, because true objectivity is nearly impossible to achieve. We humans are subjective. It’s how we’re built.

We’re in an interesting place in the world of publishing. When the “Big Six” stopped being main gatekeepers, a veritable flood of books hit the market. I truly admire the sense of exuberance and determination that comes with the ability to self-publish. And yet… readers expect (and deserve) a certain level of professionalism that is often missing. We have become our own gatekeepers. How does that happen? Through reviews. Reviews are critical to boosting the visibility of any work. Some authors claim that the negative ones lend credibility; working, I assume, on the theory that you can’t please all the people all the time, and even well-known authors get bad reviews. While a single review won’t likely make or break a book, several reviews describing the same flaws can help the author identify weak places and help develop stronger skills. Reviews given in a positive and respectful manner help both the writer and the industry.

However, authors giving bad reviews to other authors opens an icky can of worms. (Are you keeping up here with how I’m mixing my metaphors?) For starters, that bad review is going to hurt more than a negative review from Joe Reader. Authors come with an implied sense of authority, whether it’s truly earned or not. Secondly, the author handing out bad reviews runs the risk of losing readers. Fans of the condemned books will likely decide they don’t agree with you about what makes a good story, and there goes your sale.

And another detail to trip up the unwary? The various places where you can post a rating DO NOT GIVE THE SAME VALUE to stars. Amazon’s 2-stars means “don't like it,” while Goodreads’ 2-stars means “it was okay.” A person can give a 4-star review on Amazon, and when they give a 3-star review with the very same verbiage on Goodreads, it means the same thing. “Liked it.”

So how about the notion of authors exchanging reviews? I did a couple of review exchanges shortly after the release of my book and… I don’t like it. I want the person reading my book to do an honest review, for better or worse, and I want to do the same with theirs. I can’t, in good conscience as one of the industry gatekeepers, give a good review for a terrible book. If I can barely choke out a 2-star review and they worship and adore me with a 5-star review, it seems unfair. Illogical, but unfair. Since those first experiences I’ve adopted the moderately satisfactory practice of not publicly posting reviews under three stars, and offering to pass that would-be review (generally more detailed than I would otherwise write) on to the author. If that helps them at all improve their work, I am pleased as punch. I want to help. I am delighted that people take the time out of their busy schedules to give their opinions of my work, either helping me grow or giving me the thrill of a job well done. Sometimes both!

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Finally, yours truly--

had this to say:

A peer is a person who is “equal to another in abilities, qualifications, age, background and social status.” Thus, I begin by saying that I do not feel I’ve earned the right to call many other writers my “peers.” They have been at this much longer than I and have accomplished much more than I. They are not “equal” to me—they are superior to me. I acknowledge that fact and I honor them for it. Further, I cannot speak to how others might review my work, as I cannot know their intentions. So, I find I am limited to speaking to how I review the works of others. Whether fair or foul, I will leave to you to decide.

To be honest, I divide other writers into groups. First are those who are enjoying the fame of mass publication by traditional publishing companies or who have already made it big as indie authors. While I am in no way the “peer” of such authors, I find it easier to review and rate their works. Why? I suppose because I feel that my rating will make no difference to the success of these writers or to what others might think of their works. Thus, I am free to rate based on nothing more than how much I enjoyed the work.

Then, there are the indie-published authors. Their works are the most difficult for me to review because my reviews of these works might actually matter—to the authors themselves and to prospective future readers who may decide on the basis of my words of praise or criticism, whether to give a work a try. Even so, I still only give a four or five star rating when I find a work truly well written, with an engaging and novel story line, elements of surprise, musical prose and, perhaps, a bit of literary magic. To me, that is fair, both to the author and to prospective future readers.

On the other end of the spectrum are the one- and two-star works. In truth, I’ve only ever read one work that was a one-star work. It was, in short, the single worst thing I have ever read. Ever. Period. I did not post a review for the work. I wrote one (so that I could vent), but I posted nothing. So no harm, no foul. Or, was it? Should prospective readers be made aware of such works before they spend their hard earned money on them? Are other indie authors damaged when poor works are not called out? I will leave that for you to decide. Having said that, an indie work that I rate two stars is one I believe has promise. There are significant issues with the work, but they are not insurmountable. In short, there is something that makes the work worthy of more than a single star.

That leaves the three-star middle. For me, this rating means that the work may not have moved me—personally—in a deep and significant way, but others may very well enjoy the work. It matters not whether the work fits within one of my generally preferred genres or how I might have done something differently. These are simply works that are well enough done that others might truly enjoy them. As a three-star rating is not a poor one, I contend that such a review is a fair one.

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Well, that's it for this time around! Thank you all for joining A Drift of Quills for our first group post! Please, do join us again!

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Patricia Reding

Here is where Patricia has posted interviews of other authors as well as her own thoughts on a wide variety of subjects. As to the interviews, the questions posed are intended to pull from authors, some interesting information about them that might otherwise have gone unknown. . . .

Dear Readers--

News!

I'm Falling. . . Falling. . .

Flash Sale!

The Bookmobile is Here!

A Drift of Quills on Peer Reviews

Patricia Reding

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