Why Indie Authors?

The past few years have seen a flood of new writers clogging up my eReader. New, self published, writers. Why are we seeing so much of these, before unheard of, 'Indie Authors'?

This guy. Right here...
Is my fav piece of technology.
Ever

I'll tell you.

eReaders. Yes, the introduction and subsequent popularity of electronic books has made getting published a piece of cake. Self-published that is. A writer no longer has to send manuscripts off to dozens of publishing houses before seeing their works published. After writing and getting formatting done, they can just upload their work directly onto whichever ebook seller site that they want.

An author now has control over their work; their publication date, the art work, everything about it is firmly in their control.

As a reader, this is amazing. There are tons (like so so so many) books flooding the market right now, so many new things to read. And, because it's cheaper for an Indie author to publish a book, they are usually incredibly cheap. They usually publish more frequently too, so you don't have to wait an entire year for your next 'fix' in a series.

My face after reading some of the
books lacking... good. As in: No Good

I've come across so many incredible books, and series, written by the Indie's... but for every great book I've come across there are two that are in serious, and I mean SERIOUS, need of a good editor. And sometimes it's hard to find a quality work, and it's even harder NOT to get disenchanted with ALL Indie Authors... until you find the gem of a new book that makes you fall in love with Indie all over again.

That's the little rabbit-hole for self published authors, I think. A book isn't ready once you type in 'The End' on the last page; my favorite Indie authors are well aware of this and make a concerted effort to make GOOD edits, get graphic designers (read my interview with a graphic designer here), and all that drudgery that makes a good story into a good book.

Here are a couple of my personal tips for finding the good, and skipping the bad and the ugly.

• Check out the reviews. I'm not saying you have to read every one. I usually read a few of the bad ones, and an equal number of the good ones, sometimes you'll find that the bad reviews are for things you are willing to overlook... like punctuation for me
• ... look at the number of stars. If there are a hundred 4 and 5 star, and only ten 1 and 2 star then go for it. If those numbers are reversed, then walk away.

Are these going to become things of
myth and legend?!?

I can't help but wonder what this new trend will mean for traditional publishing houses. How can they compete with the book prices of the self-published that have cut out the middle man? What does this mean for chain bookstores that have no way to sell eBooks, or don't carry the print version of our Indie books?... I think I feel a few interviews coming... must make some phone calls...


As always, let me know what you think. Do you have any favorite books or authors? Any questions, comments, or irate ramblings? I'd love to hear from you.

AotW: Rachel Higginson!

Ok, so I've neglected my blog for entirely too long.

Sorry about that.

To celebrate my return to the blogging world, this week I'll be focusing on one of my favorites, Indie Author: Rachel Higginson.

My personal writing inspiration, Rachel is the mother of FOUR (that's right) children, and is still pumping out books left and right.

I could go into detail and tell you all sorts of things about Ms. Higginson... But I'm not. If you want to know more about her day to day activities with her full house and her high school sweetheart turned husband, then you should visit the blog on her website http://www.rachelhigginson.com/. There you will also find upcoming releases and information about all her delicious books.

Instead I will tell you that when I downloaded the first book in her Star-Crossed series, Reckless Magic (which is free!), I was hooked within a few pages.

Could.not.put.it.down.

In fact, every single one of her books is completely addictive. So, in celebration of this incredible author, I'll be posting a few reviews on her books. Starting with this one right HERE.

Here are a few links to get you started on your fandom:
Her website
Her Facebook
Her Twitter
and last but not least, her Youtube channel

So go and discover her!

Starbright

Starbright is the first (and so far, only) in a great series by... you guessed it, Rachel Higginson. Ms. Higginson has, once again, created a great read for YA readers of all ages; it is so very appropriate for even the younger readers of the genre. 

Stella is a star, the female version of an angel warrior which are on the lowest ring of Angels that heaven has to offer. That doesn't mean that she isn't important; quite the opposite in fact. Stella is destined to be the future protector of Earth, our dear planet being the last one holding life. One day she will be joined with her counterpart, the male star that she will be connected to in heart, body, and soul. Together they will work to protect Earth from the evil darkness that has been destroying life throughout the galaxy. 

In the meantime Stella is looking forward to life staying the same as it has for the past 16 years, like that of any other small town girl and counting down until her 18th birthday which will mark the complete arrival of her powers. She thought the next few years would consist of going to school, hanging out with her best-friend Tristan, and trying not to glow in the middle of class.

Divergent Book Review

click the pic for more
info at Amazon.com

Selflessness, Bravery, Honesty, Knowledge, Peace. After the fall of modern civilization society has  split itself into five factions, each with their own ideology on maintaining peace and preventing war. Upon maturity each person must be tested to find out where they truly belong. But there are some who belong nowhere, or everywhere; they are Divergent and Beatrice has found herself among their secret ranks. When she leaves behind her Selfless faction to become Dauntless, she must hide what she truly is on the threat of death. Tris soon finds herself fighting for a place in her new faction while trying to ignore her confusing feelings for a boy named Four, but when rumors of a faction war reach her ears she must choose who and what she really is, selfless or brave; Beatrice or Tris... and is there really such a difference between the two?

Let me just say that I loved this book. Veronica Roth did an amazing job in creating a new, yet recognizable world. This is a YA dystopian and thanks to The Hunger Games (which I love btw), it's a genre that is producing a LOT of new stuff, but Divergent still manages to stand apart. Yes, the main character does seem to fit into the well used 'small, yet badass girl underdog' archetype, but Roth doesn't make her a super woman that can somehow beat up people twice her size with similar training. Tris manages to be relatable, even though she lives in an imaginary world that's been decimated by war. 

The ending definitely leaves us reaching for the next book, but not in an obnoxious cliffhanger that makes you want to throw the book across the room.... not that I would ever do that... 

Fun Facts

• Divergent is book 1 in a trilogy. Book 2, Insurgent, is already out, and the last book should be released sometime this year.
• A movie is in the works, set to release in 2014, starring Shailene Woodley as Beatrice/Tris
• There is a romantic subplot, but it isn't overwhelming and only adds to the story
• this book IS age appropriate for all YA readers, featuring some graphic violence but not anything age 13+ can't handle
• Divergent is Veronica Roths first novel, and hit the New York Times bestseller list (so did Insurgent)

Judging a book by its cover, an interview with a graphic designer

He's got his game face on.

It's something that we all do. Maybe it's wrong or shallow, but we really do judge on appearances. Well, the appearances of books at least.

We do that slow shuffle down our favorite book-aisle, skimming through the titles with our heads bent slightly to the side (so we can actually read the book spines). When one finally strikes our fancy, we pull that book off the shelf to check out the cover, then turn it over and read the synopsis... well sometimes we do that. Other times after checking out the cover we put the book back and start that odd looking shuffle all over again. Most of us don't realize we're doing it, just something about the book wasn't interesting anymore so we forget about it and move on. 

We are visual people, and that's a fact that book publishers are well aware of. A good graphic designer can help turn a great book into a bestseller.

I want to give ya'll an inside scoop on how graphic designers do their job, and to do that I decided to interview Bruce Gore, the art director for Howard Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster.

AoW: Kelley Armstrong

For a #1 New York Times bestseller, Kelley Armstrong is pretty unknown. Let's fix that, shall we?

To date, this Canadian author has 29 books and novellas published (30 in July), and that doesn't include the dozens of anthologies she's featured in, or the online freebies she frequently writes. Her first book was published in 2001, so she is a writing machine. She is from Canada and many of her books take place either there or northern U.S. She also has a degree in psychology, which enables her to write a depth to her characters that other authors seem to lack. Go visit her Facebook or website, there's always a contest going for freebies.

So far she has currently has three series out:

Women of the Otherworld has been her main writing-squeeze for the past eleven years. They are definitely Urban/Contemporary Fantasy and include a wide array of supernatural talent: werewolves, witches, vampires, demons, ghosts, and necromancers to name a few. The main character in each book is a supernatural woman, and most of the plot lines are 'who done it' mysteries and tied up by the end of the book. There is usually a romantic subplot, and as such usually has a steamy 'grownup' scene or two, but it isn't over done or corny, and most importantly DOESN'T detract from the story; it will not read like the novelization of an 'adult feature', rather like that of an action film meets romantic comedy. The fact that her July release will be her last in the series makes me sad and proud at the same time. Instead of continuing a series past its finish time just to make more money, she's going to focus on her other works so she can continue to write creative, high quality, new stories (she is saying that a random book or short story isn't out of the question, but only as the muse strikes, not as a contract does).

The Edison Group actually includes two trilogy's so far: Darkest Powers and Darkness Rising. These books are based in the same world as Women of the Otherworld, but are YA with each trilogy focusing on a different heroine and group of teenage supernaturals that are the results of various supernatural gene experiments. I haven't come across too many authors who are able to switch genre's from adult to YA, but Kelley makes it seem easy. They are definitely appropriate for tweens, while able to remain interesting for her adult fans. She writes from a teenager's perspective really well, they think (supernatural) teenage thoughts, and partake in (supernatural) teenage activities... well, they do when they aren't on the run from evil scientist's and their 'experiments'. I'm definitely looking forward to the next book in this series.

Nadia Stafford is the series she's published the least of. This is an action packed series with no supernatural/sci-fi leanings, just pure kick-ass killer woman. I really wonder what kind of research Kelley did with these, because the main characters are mostly hit-men (people?) and she writes the roles very convincingly. I've never met a hit-person before, but I can imagine they act, talk, think, and behave pretty closely to what she's written. Fascinating actually, and I couldn't put these books down even though they aren't in my preferred genres. She really shows that deep down she is a mystery writer, and all the paranormal wrappings in her other books are just that: wrappings. Fortunately for Nadia fans out there, with Kelley finishing up her Otherworld series, she plans on spending some time on this one, with a possible book out in late 2013.

Fans of Laurell K. Hamilton, Jim Butcher, and Kim Harrison should give her books a try. You won't be disappointed. 

AotW: Interview with Marilee Brothers

There are probably a hundred reasons why I love my Kindle and Marilee Brothers is definitely one of them.

She is an author that I probably would never have discovered without it, and an author that I have grown to love these past couple of years. She has several books in The Unbidden Magic series; a YA series about a spunky girl named Allie who discovers her magical talent after a tussle with a satellite dish (she lost). They are great reads, and absolutely appropriate for the young adults, but still fun to read for us older YA readers.

Marilee keeps herself busy; she publishes about a book every year and has a great book blog. As busy as she is though, I've found that she is great about responding to any questions or comments I might write to her on Facebook or twitter. 

So great, in fact, that she agreed to do an interview with me so that you guys can get to know her a bit better.

What kind of jobs did you have before you started writing and when did you

realize you wanted a career change?

I was very young (19) when my husband and I married. Two baby boys quickly

followed. Several years later, we sold all our earthly possessions and moved to a

college town. Through a series of part-time jobs, scholarships, student loans and

juggling baby-sitting duties, we both obtained degrees with teaching certification. We

began teaching. Another baby boy came along. (Gee, how did that happen?) Later, my

husband went into school administration and I became a school counselor. However, I

always loved the world of books. Even though I had very little spare time, I was either

reading or writing. I even managed to sell some poetry. It wasn’t until my kids were

grown and gone that I had the time and energy to attempt a book. My first book was

published in 2008. Since then, I’ve had a book published every year.

What was the most influential book or author you’ve read? Tell us how it

affected or influenced you.

Just one book? You’ve got to be kidding! Here are some that linger in my memory.

Favorite memoirs: The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls and Unbroken by Laura

Hillenbrand. For pure reading enjoyment: The Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon

and Lee Child’s Jack Reacher series. YA series: Can’t beat The Hunger Games. When I

get stuck in my own writing and want to read beautiful, lyrical prose, I read any book

by James Lee Burke. As you can see, I’m a very eclectic reader.

What are you reading right now?

The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown, Bossy Pants by Tina Fey and Roadside Crosses by

Jeffrey Deaver.

Tell us something about yourself that people wouldn’t guess.

I taught physical education and coached a winning volleyball team for a number

of years. I play an ugly game of golf but enjoy hacking my way around the course. I

absolutely love to fish but always give them away because I don’t like eating them.

Out of all your books, is there a character that you relate the most with? Which

one is most like you?

Allie Emerson, my protagonist in the Unbidden Magic series has all the qualities I wish

I’d had when I was her age. She’s brave. (I wasn’t) She doesn’t let her circumstances

hold her back. (I did) I guess you could say Allie is my alter ego. The character I relate

to the most is Allegra Thome, in my adult romantic suspense, The Rock and Roll

Queen of Bedlam. Allegra teaches behavior-disordered teens as I did. Many of the