Confident Reads: Anne Pfeffer Guest Post "Nugget's of Wisdom"

Hello everyone! Confident Reads is a feature I have here each week once in awhile and is a way to open communication between readers and Indie authors.  This  is to help readers feel confident in the books they spend their money on, and for authors to feel confident in the book they publish.

Today I'm excited to welcome back author Anne Pfeffer.  She has a wonderful guest post for us!

Really good advice is hard to come by. In fact, most advice I flee from. But I recently found two nuggets of wisdom--unrelated except that they both pertained to writers—that have helped me a lot. I hereby offer them to you.

Maintain an excellent, professional website closely geared to its target audience.

This advice may seem self-evident, but I, for one, wasn't following it. It came from Josh Adams of Adams Literary in a talk I heard recently.

Josh said to think about who the audience is for your website or blog. If you’re an unknown writer looking to win a traditional publishing deal, your website/blog audience is agents and editors. And if you’re sending out queries and submitting work for publication, agents and editors will visit your website. Guaranteed.

Therefore, your website and/or blog should be designed to impress those people only. Not your future readers, who might be fifth graders or hopeless romantics. And not your friends, with whom you gossip and bemoan all your little setbacks in life. So no cupids and hearts, and no sad posts about your many rejections. Your website should be professional and convince an agent or editor that you're someone they want to work with.

Also, to state the obvious, your website should exist. At the time I heard Josh’s speech, my own website had crashed and burned, and I’d never gotten around to reinstating it.

Boy, did I get religion fast. I should mention that I’m the author of three self-published books, but am now thinking of finding an agent for my fourth. I put together the most professional-looking website I could manage and studded it with anything I thought an agent or editor would want to know about me.

And guess what? Last week I got a call from an agent I’d never met. She had seen my name somewhere, read my website, and asked if I was working on anything new. As a matter of fact, I was! I got a request for the full manuscript.

So, thank you, Josh Adams, for advancing my career when you don’t even represent me. Now that’s a good agent!

When writing the opening sentence of your novel, remember: “Action in books for the young must start before the opening line.”

This advice is from the wonderful children’s book writer, Richard Peck. I came across it in a January/February 2014 SCBWI magazine article titled “First Impressions” by Kim Tomsic. Peck made the statement in connection with children’s books, but I would use it to start even a cook book, or a book about navigational systems in ocean liners.

I repeat: Action in books for the young must start before the opening line.

In other words, your opening line should describe an action that has already taken place. Peck used this technique in his book THE TEACHER’S FUNERAL: “If your teacher has to die, August isn’t a bad time of the year for it.”

Another example, from ALMOST MOON by Alice Sebold: “When all is said and done, killing my mother came easily.”

And from CRANK by Ellen Hopkins: “Life was good before I met the monster.”

This technique drops your reader into the middle of a river that is already rushing along, which gives the opening sentence tension and immediacy. I realized that I had stumbled onto this approach by dumb luck in my latest work-in-progress, called UNDERCOVER HAMSTER. My story starts: “The humans thought they had locked me in.” In all these examples, the action starts before the opening sentence.

These ideas are practical and concrete; they are something you can actually do. Try 'em. They work.

Visit Anne Pfeffer at www.annepfeffer.com

  Description of book:

To nineteen-year-old high school dropout Travis Walker, women are like snowflakes--each one different, but beautiful in her own way.

He can charm any girl he meets, and yet down deep he fears he'll always be a loser like his jailbird father. As the landlady threatens to evict him and his sick mother, Travis takes a job he hates and spends his evenings picking up girls at a nearby night spot.

When he enlists in a teen program at the local fire station, he finds out he’s amazing at it. Then he meets the smoking hot Kat Summers, enlists Kat’s friend Zoey to help him woo her, and falls in love for the first time ever.

But he keeps the details of his life secret. His girl will never love him back if she knows the truth about him….

From the Self-Publishing Review:

Pfeffer’s characters are nuanced and delightful. The story is nicely paced with a balance of tension and resolution that kept me turning pages. But what really makes this book lovely is harder to describe. Pfeffer shows enormous empathy and insight into the complications and humiliations of poverty and homelessness without ever seeming saccharine or preachy…. I predict you will be hearing more about this talented new author. “

http://www.selfpublishingreview.com/blog/2013/05/review-girls-love-travis-walker-by-anne-pfeffer/

Awards

Named one of the best indie books of 2013 by IndieReader.com
Third Place Winner for Fiction 
2013 IndieReader Discovery Awards
Finalist 2013 Indie Excellence Awards
Named an "Irresistible Read"  by www.compulsionreads.com

Young Adult Review: The Wolf's Cry by Natalie Crown

The Wolf's Cry by Natalie Crown

Published: December 2013 

Source: Author

She is his weakness.
And she will ruin everything.

Kammy Helseth's idea of adventure never amounted to more than getting a boat across to the mainland and finally escaping to London. That was until she stumbled through the mouth of the forest into a world beneath our own, the world of the Semei.

Her only wish is to find her way home but when Jamie, her best friend, is taken into this new world of shapeshifters and Crystals she has no choice but to stand up to her fear and to remain beneath the surface. Hunted by Bagor, King of Alashdial, and those that are loyal to him, Kammy finds herself in the company of a group of outlaws led by Jad, a Prince with a bitter past and a similarly bitter demeanour.

They overcome age-old prejudice to find a way to work together. But Bagor knows a secret about the Crystals that threatens to change everything. Kammy and Jad must find a way to thwart the king and to save Jamie, but that is just the beginning. For Kammy is in possession of a Key and the fate of countless lives, both human and Semei, may rest in her hands.

The Wolf's Cry is incredibly unique and creative.  Filled with fascinating characters, incredible journey's and a world that will have you awe, it was certainly a book that will stick in my memory for a very long time.

We start out with Kammy on an island in England.  We see she's desperate to get away and we see what she goes through each day.  We're by her side when she discovers a burrow which leads to another world.  Things go awry quickly and terrified Kammy is sent on an unforgettable journey where she is introduced to a new world and new friends.  Sometimes fueled by desperation and other times fueled by the need to do right, she quickly learns more about this world and soaks up everything she can about it. 

Kammy is a great character and while initially I had thought I might get annoyed at her because she seemed like she might be the sort that just screams in horror and denies the magic around her. That ended up not being the case at all.  Because it's all life or death in the beginning and she's desperate to be safe she has to quickly accept what she sees and move on.  In this world the people are shapeshifters.  It seems like that would give this more of a paranormal feeling, but that wasn't the case at all.  It definitely felt fantasy, and I suppose that's because we are in this other world that is very fantasy'ish.

The world was fantastic!  I felt like it was explained just enough to be able to picture and imagine it.  Any questions I had were answered by the end though I realize that I'm curious about how large it is.  I'm guessing that's something we'll find out as the series continues.  But the world, to me, was brilliant and I'm anxious to discover more of it.

All the secondary characters were fantastic.  While Kammy is definitely the main character we did get brief periods where we are with the others and see more of how they think and what's going through their heads.  It was nice to see the other perspectives and know what was going on elsewhere. 

There's not really a romance in this book, but I feel like there's one possibly developing.  Right now they are finding their footing as friends but it seems there's a layer of something there that I believe will become a romance.  Maybe once things are more figured out and they are able to stop running for their lives.

The ending has me very eager to read the next book!  It's not really a cliffhanger, but very close to one.  And it got those emotions going!  I'll definitively be anxious to see where things go next.

This is a clean read, appropriate for the younger and the older.  The characters are older teens though.

Disclosure: I received this book for review purposes. All opinions expressed are my own and I was not paid or influenced in any way.

Book Links: Goodreads |  Amazon 

My Week in Instagram: New Books, New Gifts and New Tours!

 

Happy Sunday everyone!

This post is in my week according to instagram. It's mostly the books I got but I take random pictures sometimes too.  Also, make sure you follow me on instagram, I follow back! 

Christmas is over and the New Year is upon us!  It's hard to believe it's nearly 2014.

This week was slow for books.  But I've been having trouble getting much reading done anyway, so that's probably good. 

I got an ARC of Night Owls by Lauren M. Roy but since it's just a solid green cover I just snapped an image off of goodreads.  This one releases in March (or very late February).  It sounds great!  Thank you Penguin!

I got Flora & Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo for my daughter for Christmas.  She's been wanting this book for ages!  I read the first chapter and it seems like it's going to be great! (Kate is always great, I love her writing!)

My kids got me the adorable owl mug and the monogrammed coasters for Christmas.  I LOVE them! 

For those who don't know me, I'm all about healthy living. I prefer to avoid chemicals and keep things all natural.  My SIL started selling Arbonne which is all natural, vegan and chemical free.  So I had a party and got some stuff for free and got some other stuff too.  I'm kind of in love so far, I plan to do a post in the future about it all.

 

I made my goal of 200 books!

I have two new tour sign ups posted.

 

Must Love Otters actually  made it on my favorites list for this year so I'm really excited to be putting together a tour for it. It's adult romantic comedy.  If interested in participating, check out the tour page.

The Wolf's Cry was another fantastic read that I'm excited to be doing the tour for. This is YA fantasy, be sure to check out the tour page for info!

That's it for me! I hope you all have a wonderful (and safe) New Year's! 

Saturday Situation- Link Up Your Reviews & Giveaways!

Happy weekend everyone!  Welcome to Saturday Situation! If this is your first time stopping by here's all the details for you:
Saturday Situation is hosted by both Lori at Pure Imagination and myself. It's a linky for you to link your book related giveaways and book reviews (and whatever neglected posts you may have). You'll find the same linky's at Pure Imagination, so don't enter them twice! Keep in mind that you can add your links through the entire week. You can find the newest Saturday Situation posts by the tab at the top of my blog labeled Saturday Situation.
Happy Hopping!

Blog Tour Review: Echo in Time by C.J. Hill

Today I'm excited to be hosting a tour stop on the tour for Echo in Time by C.J. Hill, hosted by Fire and Ice. 

Echo in Time
Erasing Time #2
by C.J. Hill (Pseudonym), Janette Rallison
Paperback, 400 pages
Expected publication: December 23rd 2013
by Katherine Tegen Books
ISBN 0062123963

Book Summary: Echo in Time delivers on "the possibility of an equally thrilling sequel" (Kirkus Reviews) to Erasing Time.

After being pulled 400 years into the future, twins Taylor and Sheridan have found some refuge from the government of Traventon, which used the dangerous Time Strainer to yank the girls from the past. Yet the threat of the dangerous technology still looms. Taylor and an ally, Joseph, are selected to go on a mission to destroy the time machine and weapon. But their actions before they do may have major consequences for the future and the past.

Action-packed and romantic, this futuristic sequel to Erasing Time is perfect for fans of dystopian and sci-fi novels such as The Maze Runner by James Dashner, Across the Universe by Beth Revis, and Matched by Ally Condie.

Echo in Time is super fast paced with almost constant action and very little time allowed to breathe.  With alternating perspectives we see what Sheridan, Taylor and Joseph go through when trying to destroy the time machine.  If you haven't yet read Erasing Time, I suggest you do so immediately!

I found myself having a hard time remembering to breathe while reading this.  It felt like they were constantly running into life or death situations trying to do/save/destroy things.  And as it always seems to go, things don't always go according to plan.  Time travel books are unpredictable because things can be changed, and that's something I always find fascinating.  As far as time travel goes I feel like this isn't too terribly confusing but yet it's complicated enough to have to use your brain a bit to wrap your head around it.  For me this is good, I feel like I have to think a bit but yet never really felt confused.

I love the characters!  Taylor is just such a spitfire!  She can think incredibly fast but doesn't put up with crap from anyone.  She's really, really smart but doesn't go around blabbing about it.  She's loyal to those she cares about, even if she doesn't yet know them real well.  At the same time she's not trusting and is cautious in what she lets people know.  Sheridan is smart too.  She's not as present in the book but is always a main focus.  Without giving too much away, I can just say she has to go through a LOT and it's pretty intense and scary. 

The romance was back burner because of the constant action.  There is a new potential romance though, and it's looking like it could shape up to be something really, really great.  I loved the banter between the two and they seem to mesh well.

The world is CRAZY!  It's the way future and I have to say that Traventon is a city that kind of reminds me of a Dr. Seuss movie (movie more then book because I picture it cartoonish).  People are just so outlandish.  And since they are in a domed city then things are more opened up.  It's just fascinating to me.  I wouldn't mind seeing these books made into movies, I think they'd convert to movie really well!

I highly recommend this series if you haven't yet started it.  Kind of dystopian, very sci-fi, throw in some time travel and a touch of romance and you've got a winner!

Disclosure: I received this book for review purposes, all opinions expressed are my own and I was not paid or influenced in any way.

About C.J. Hill: CJ Hill is a pen name for a YA author who is best known for writing romantic comedies. (Slayers will be her 18th published book.) Her writing has shifted away from the romantic comedy genre, so her editor thought a pen name would be a good idea. (New books will include: dangerous dragons, time travel to dystopian worlds, and flesh-eating beetles.) Since the publisher refused to let her have the pseudonym : The Artist Formerly Referred to as Princess, she chose a name to honor her mother. CJ Hill was her mother's pen name, or at least it would have been if her mother had published. Her mother wrote a few children's books and a middle grade novel but was taken by cancer before she had fully learned the craft.

Most writers' first novels aren't publishable. CJ Junior's first novel wasn't, but somehow was published anyway. Now, even though it is out of print, it remains forever available on Amazon, where it taunts her with its badness. This was another good reason to use a pen name.

CJ Hill has five children, three of whom like her on any given day depending on who is in trouble. She has lived in Arizona for the last half of her life, but is still in desert denial and hopes that one day her garden will grow silver bells and cockle shells or maybe just tomatoes.

Author website/blog/goodreads/macmillan/twitter

Fire and Ice- December 24- Kick Off

Candace's Book Blog- December 27- Review

Clean Teen Fiction -December 28- Review

Fiktshun- December 30- Guest Post

Getting Your Read On -January 2-Review

Two Chicks on Books- January 3- Ten's List

Bittersweet Enchantment -January 4-Review

Tressa's Wishful Endings- January 5- Review

Literary Time Out -January 6- Review

Min Reads and Reviews- January 7- Review

Adult Review: Pale Demon by Kim Harrison

Pale Demon (The Hollows #9) by Kim Harrison

Hardcover, 439 pages

Published: Feb. 22, 2011 by Harper Voyager

Source: Gifted

Condemned and shunned for black magic,Rachel Morgan has three days to get to the annual witches’ conference and clear her name, or be trapped in the demonic ever-after . . . forever after.

But a witch, an elf, a living vampire, and a pixy in one car going across the country? Talk about a recipe for certain disaster, even without being the targets for assassination.

For after centuries of torment, a fearsome demon walks in the sunlight—freed at last to slay the innocent and devour their souls. But his ultimate goal is Rachel Morgan, and in the fight for survival that follows, even embracing her own demonic nature may not be enough to save her.

Spoiler free for the series-
I LOVE Rachel Morgan/The Hollows.  It's one of my all time most favorite UF series out there.  And I can't believe I got so far behind on them!  It started out intentional, I just didn't want the books to ever end.  I got nervous that if I keep up with the series then they'll end and be no more and with being a couple behind then I know when the last book is released then I still have some to read more.  I didn't mean to get so far behind though and that I can blame on the review books I keep accepting.

Diving back into this world was like visiting old friends.  The world, the characters, it all came back to me.  I don't think there's much I have actually forgotten even though it's been a couple years since I read one of these books.  The only issue I have is that it has started to blend together so I can't always remember the consecutive order, which wasn't really a big deal. 

The characters in these books are complicated and crazy.  I love how enemies can end up being the one to save Rachel's butt.  I love how I can hate one character with every fiber of my being at one point in the book and another point I'm totally loving them and hoping that Rachel will make out with them.  There's just so much complicated stuff, you never can guess where things will go.  And Rahel is still out trying to save people (and non-people) even when they deserve to die, so there's that as well...

I get emotional with these books because things end up always being so UNFAIR for Rachel.  People treat her like crap and it makes her super angry, but yet she'll still go out of the way, at risk of herself, to SAVE them!  She's a complicated girl.  And I love her for it.

If you haven't read this series yet, DO.  I highly, highly, HIGHLY recommend!

For those who have read the series through this book, you can read the following bit, if you haven't read them yet, STOP because SPOILERS ahead!

I was really pleased to see some advance in Rachel and Trent's 'relationship'.  Trent managed to infuriate me PLENTY but when I found out what he was up to I was much like 'awwwww' and now I love him again.  He's still a bit of an idiot though. ;) 

AL!  I'm kind of starting to love Al.  And Newt. Now I'm just curious to see where things go with them.

I love Jenks SO much and I was glad that he kind of got away and got to occupy his mind with something and not sit at home in grief.  And Bis, wow, he wasn't as present as I would have liked, but I was SO pleased with what he ended up doing.  Ivy- I'm not sure what to think about her.  I don't fully understand what is going through her head.  And Pierce, even though he thoroughly pissed me off, he totally made up for it.  Kind of love him again but am relieved with where the romance went.

The end.  Oh goodness.  I'm not sure what to say/think about the end.  I think Rachel is making a huge mistake, but I'm dying to know what happens next.  Guess it shouldn't be such a long wait until I read the next book cause I'm pretty much dying to read it NOW!

One niggling issue I had, and I'm not sure if it's just this book or something I've just overlooked in the past, but the dialogue sometimes is hard to follow.  A lot of it is like assuming that people know stuff and so they don't always say what they mean and then when they do it doesn't always make sense.  I guess I found myself having a hard time following the dialogue at times.  It was partly the fast pace as well.  It's not a big issue, but something that I kept thinking about while reading.

Happy Holiday's!

photo credit: jikido via photopin cc

I hope you have a wonderful Christmas Holiday!
This is a picture of Mt. Hood and while I live a bit further away then this, on a clear day this is the stunning mountain I get to look at.

I'll be back tomorrow with a review!

photo credit: lesliebutler via photopin cc

 

 

Middle Grade Review: The Dragonet Prophecy by Tui T. Sutherland

The Dragonet Prophecy (Wings of Fire #1) by Tui T. Sutherland

Paperback, 336 pages

Published: May 1st, 2013 by Scholastic (first published in July 2012)

Source: Purchased

The beginning of a thrilling new dragon saga-- now in paperback!

Clay and his friends have grown up under a mountain, secretly raised by the Talons of Peace to fulfill a mysterious prophecy. The five young dragons are destined to end the war that's been raging between the tribes of Pyrrhia -- but how they'll do this, none of them knows.

But not every dragonet wants a destiny. When one of their own is threatened, Clay and his friends decide to escape. Maybe they can break free and end the war at the same time -- or maybe they'll risk everything ...

I read this book with my kids ages 8 and 4.  While the gist of the story is good I found myself having to skim parts because it was too bloody and violent.  Mostly this was for my 8 year old because she's more sensitive to that, but I'm not sure I would recommend it for any 8 year old.  But maybe that's just me.  Personally I would say 10 and up and remember that it's a bit gory and violent at times.  Sometimes it almost shocked me, especially toward the beginning when they were talking about a scavenger, it came upon them and another dragon bit it's head off (or something similar).  I felt it was obvious that the 'scavengers' are humans because of a prior discussion and so this kind of bothered me for some reason. That was just the beginning of what ended up being a fair amount of very descriptive and gory violence.  (Note that the main characters were not violent and did not eat any scavengers or start any violence of any sort.)

The characters in the book are dragons and it's about a group of dragonet's that are suppose to fulfill a prophecy.  These dragons are actually great. They've been semi abused (in my opinion) being raised for this prophecy and have never seen the outside world.  They are all very close and have each others backs. When one is threatened they decide to break free. Once in the world they are in for a real shock though, and the real world is much more harsh then they ever imagined.

This is just the beginning of a story with these dragonet's and I expect much more to come.  The strength they show in supporting each other is my favorite part of the book. They've been told that they aren't good enough and all that, but with support from each other they do have strength and are far better then their 'teachers' ever gave them credit for and because of the their unique situation and background they have a unique stand point and opinion on things.

I felt the world building was maybe a tad weak but being as it's only the beginning I can kind of overlook that.  Only so much can be explored in one book.  We are also with Clay and only know what he knows or is told (other then the very beginning and very end) so we can't really know any more then he does.

If I get the get the next book I'll be reading it to myself and hold off on reading it to my kids until they are older.  I'm curious to see where things go, especially since at the end we got a peek at some stuff that really infuriated me, so I want to know how it plays out.  Overall it was a decent read but nothing I'm going to rave about just yet.

Guest Post: How to properly harness social media to market yourself as an author

Today I have a sponsored post for you all. I found this one pretty interesting, and while much of it is stuff that many of us know, it's definitely good for new authors and new to the publishing game.

How to properly harness social media to market yourself as an author by Tom Erik Dale

German author, Nele Neuhaus, has recently had Snow White Must Die, the latest in her popular German crime series, published in English. She had already achieved sales in the millions in her native tongue and now she could see her sales soar. However, she started life as an author humbly selling her novels from the reception desk at her husband’s meat packing factory where she worked. Word spread slowly but surely until eventually people came to the factory searching just for her stories, not just sausages. Her work can now be bought from sites such as Sainsbury'seBooks. This tale highlights how difficult self-publicising one’s own work was in the pre-digital age. Relying solely on word of mouth and the small local reach, to get noticed needed perseverance and tenacity.

Today those same two qualities are still prudential to a good unknown author wishing to market their work, but the tools available to assist in the process are infinitely superior. Here I am going to discuss the potential of social media to spread the word about your work and offer some tips on how to best harness these new networks.

Firstly, understanding any system is key to using it to your advantage so take some time to learn about social networks. Look into how people use the different platforms in different ways and how people, rather than businesses, use them. Also, notice what you like in communications from companies or publishers or other authors. See which authors are garnering the most attention, not just those who will have a large following regardless, and see how they are communicating with their readership.

So now you have a basic understanding of the workspace it’s time to get yourself the tools. I suggest having a ubiquitous presence across as many social media as you can or see fit – don’t get a Flickr page if you’re never going to upload photos or images – and maximise all the potential avenues. To start with, set up a Twitter account, Facebook page and a Google Plus account, these are the basics but I believe the first two are the most widely used and therefore the most important; Google Plus is used more inside the industry. Even get an Audioboo or Soundcloud and Vimeo or Youtube accounts so you could upload short snippets of a reading a favourite passage from one of your books or reproduce any media attention you may get no matter how small. Once the accounts are up and running, personalise them! A boring social media presence is almost as bad as none at all so spice up your online presence with an interesting literary related background for your Twitter page or cover photo for your Facebook. Ensure descriptions are well written, clear and to the point and link across platforms i.e. your Twitter page has links to your other social media. There are plenty of helpful guides online to help you make your pages look more interesting and if you’re really stuck for inspiration, have a look at what others are doing. The key here is looking professional and keeping the pages in line with what you do – if you’re a horror author don’t litter the pages with Cath Kidston style flower designs. You want to give the impression that you are a real author, not just someone who writes but someone who has a true desire to get their work out there.

You have the accounts now and your pages are looking good, so what to do with the pages. Regular communication is essential; if you’re not updating your pages and posting regularly it sticks out like the proverbial sore thumb. We will discuss below what sort of content you should be updating with. Secondly, follow or befriend everyone you can, anyone you believe that would be talking about things which would interest you and any publishers etc you come across, big or small. Follow blogs above all else though; bloggers hold a lot of power in the online world and a recommendation from them is worth its weight in gold. As a final note, it may seem obvious but get everyone you know to follow you, the more followers you have the bigger your online presence appears to other users.

Social media are exactly what they say they are and as such you should be attempting to communicate with everyone you can; fellow authors, literary bloggers, publishers, journalists, people of note, anyone you think you can interest in your work – and make it personal, don’t just copy-paste the same characters. It can be difficult to be tenacious and to keep hassling people non-stop but if you want to get your work read and you believe it deserves to be read then you need to cast off the shackles of timidity. It may seem fruitless but eventually, if you get people talking about your work, those who cast you aside will not be able to ignore you anymore. Post about your writing life, the ups and downs, where your work takes you and what others are saying about your work. Also repost any articles, videos, pictures etc that you can relate to your work, if you get any media attention, post it, and regularly!

Hashtags, a very useful concept to be au fait with, originated on Twitter but have since spread to almost all other social networks. The hash symbol - # - before a keyword, denotes a conversation about a particular topic so others can see what is being said about things they are interested in. You need to be aware of what conversations are happening globally on social media and attempt to get involved. There is no shame on jumping on the back of another conversation if you can find a link to your work. Always hashtag your own posts with what you see as relevant. For example if I was posting about a new crime novel I had written which was set in the Lake District and involved a family being torn apart by an abducted child, silly as it may seem I could use any of the following hashtags; #crime #mystery #family #LakeDistrict #novel #AuthorsName #abducted #goodread #pageturner. Notice the lack of spaces, as soon as you use a space the hashtag is over.

The internet has gifted creative people an incredible set of marketing tools which are equally as accessible to the lone, unpublished author as the multi-million copy bestsellers. If you can learn to use them to your advantage, you will set yourself out from other authors and even rival the efforts of top authors with their PR teams. These are but starting points and as you start to use these media you will learn more and realise their capabilities. The most important thing to remember when using these tools though is be tenacious! The internet has so much to offer but if we don’t use it properly, we may as well go back to Nele Neuhaus’ meat factory.

This is a sponsored post.  I received a small amount of money in exchange for posting it.

My Week in Instagram- Early Christmas Gifts for Me, Lovely Cards and More Books to Review!

Happy Sunday everyone!

This post is in my week according to instagram. It's mostly the books I got but I take random pictures sometimes too.  Also, make sure you follow me on instagram, I follow back! 

 

I can't believe this is the week of Christmas!  I'll probably take two days off, but I'm not sure yet.  One for sure, but I'm not sure about Christmas Eve.

 

Anyway, here's what I have for this week! 

 

The awesome folks at Scholastic sent Manor of Secrets by Katherine Longshore and Divided We Fall by Trent Reedy.  I hadn't heard of either but I know I'm excited to read Manor of Secrets.  We'll see about Divided We Fall, maybe it'll surprise me and I'll love it!

I got Birthmarked by Caragh M. O'Brien from paperbackswap. This has been on my WL on there for so long I forgot about it.  It's not a series I have seen much in the blogosphere but it sounds great!

I got Echo in Time by C.J. Hill from Harper. I'm on the blog tour and will be reviewing it Friday.  I loved the first book! 

 

In my package of Christmas presents I ordered I finally got Allegiant and Curtsies & Conspiracies.  And yes, I did buy them, but I bought them WITH the Christmas presents, so that just makes it another present, right?

I got some great cards this week, unfortunately I didn't take pics of them all, but I did take a picture of this one.  I actually read Iron Night the day before I received this Christmas card from ML Brennan.  She wrote a very sweet message on the back too.  I had read and loved Generation V and had her on the blog a couple times this year.  :)

 

That's everything for me!  I have a video of my 4 year old singing Puff the Magic Dragon on my instagram feed but I don't know how to bring the video over so you'll have to go over there to see it.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Holiday week!

Saturday Situation: Link Up Your Reviews & Giveaways!

Happy weekend everyone!  Welcome to Saturday Situation! If this is your first time stopping by here's all the details for you:
Saturday Situation is hosted by both Lori at Pure Imagination and myself. It's a linky for you to link your book related giveaways and book reviews (and whatever neglected posts you may have). You'll find the same linky's at Pure Imagination, so don't enter them twice! Keep in mind that you can add your links through the entire week. You can find the newest Saturday Situation posts by the tab at the top of my blog labeled Saturday Situation.
Happy Hopping!

Young Adult Review: Being Sloane Jacobs by Lauren Morrill

Being Sloane Jacobs by Lauren Morrill

Hardcover, 352 pages

Expected Publication: January 7th, 2014 by Delacorte

Source: Amazon Vine

Meet Sloane Emily Jacobs: a seriously stressed-out figure-skater from Washington, D.C., who choked during junior nationals and isn’t sure she’s ready for a comeback. What she does know is that she’d give anything to escape the mass of misery that is her life.

Now meet Sloane Devon Jacobs, a spunky ice hockey player from Philly who’s been suspended from her team for too many aggressive hip checks. Her punishment? Hockey camp, now, when she’s playing the worst she’s ever played. If she messes up? Her life will be over.

When the two Sloanes meet by chance in Montreal and decide to trade places for the summer, each girl thinks she’s the lucky one: no strangers to judge or laugh at Sloane Emily, no scouts expecting Sloane Devon to be a hero. But it didn’t occur to Sloane E. that while avoiding sequins and axels she might meet a hockey hottie—and Sloane D. never expected to run into a familiar (and very good-looking) face from home. It’s not long before the Sloanes discover that convincing people you’re someone else might be more difficult than being yourself.

This is going to be more of a mini review, I believe.  I just don't have a lot to say about the book.  At times I had a hard time sticking with it and found myself setting it aside to pick up something else.  When I finally got to that last quarter I read it all in one sitting and found myself finally thoroughly enjoying it.  The book has a great concept, even great characters, but unfortunately I just felt very distant from it all and had a lack of connection. 

Each of the Sloane's has a lot of personal things going on with their families and life.  Each one could have used maybe a bit more fleshing out and dealing with each thing a bit more thoroughly.  The same with the romance, it might have been cute but I didn't have enough time to really feel it.  I knew they liked each other, but didn't really understand why because we didn't get enough moments between them.  With Nando and Sloane this wasn't such a big issue since they'd known each other previously, but they really didn't get much time together for us to feel a connection between them. 

The Sloane's switch places, the figure skating Sloane to play hockey and the hockey playing Sloane to figure skate.  Surprisingly it didn't bother me much that this was a bit farfetched and unlikely that either could pull it off and I enjoyed the bit of drama we got with each trying to get into 'character' and be someone else.  I liked the secondary characters, but once again we didn't get to know them well.

I enjoyed the end of the book quite a lot even though it wrapped up rather quickly it answered any questions I had and I finished feeling pretty satisfied. 

Despite a lack of connection with the story or characters I did rather find myself enjoying the book.  I went from thinking it was a 2 star read for me to a 2.5 and I think rounding it up to 3 isn't being too generous.  

Disclosure: I received this book for review purposes, all opinions expressed are my own and I was not paid or influenced in any way.

Favorite Adult Books of 2013

I think I might be getting slightly burned out on YA, I have found towards the end of this year at least I have been enjoying a lot of adult books.  Like really, really enjoying them. When I think of my favorites it's pretty easy to come up with them.  I don't read half as many adult books as YA, but it's possible that that is changing since it seems like I've had a hard time with the YA books I've been reading.  I guess we'll see...

Here's my favorite adult books of 2013 and yes, it's a fairly short list.  I really picked my very most favorites. You can find my favorite YA books of 2013 HERE.

BTW, I'm feeling MUCH better. Thanks for all the well wishes while I was sick.

Nefertiti's Heart by A.W. Exley (Review)

Steampunk with a perfect balance of romance, mystery, characterization and world building. Total WIN! 

 

 

 

Must Love Otters by Eliza Gordon (Review)

Adorable, hilarious and FUN; this one was probably one of the most romantic books I've read this year but the hilarity of the things that she went through elevated this one even more.

 

Tempt the Stars (Cassandra Palmer #6) by Karen Chance (Review)

This is one of my favorite UF series and I'm always SO excited when another book comes out. It seems like the wait in between is SO long! 

 

 

Shadows of Asphodel by Karen Kincy (Review)

Steampunk/Dieselpunk,  a creative and unique world and a romance I TOTALLY loved!  I cannot WAIT for more! 

 

 

The Warrior & the Flower by Camille Picott (Review)

Asian inspired high fantasy and an adorable little girl that stole my heart.  Totally fell for this book! 

 

 

Generation V (American Vampire #1) by M.L. Brennan (Review)

This is a FANTASTIC start to a new UF series!  I actually just finished the 2nd book and it was pretty stinkin' great as well!  If my review was up and it was released before next year I would be adding it here.

 

 

Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder (Review)

This could fit in the YA category as well, I labeled it as both but I guess I consider it more adult even though there's not 'adult' content.  I really loved the start to this new series and the second book was great as well and could probably be on this list too.  

So what were your favorites this year?

 

Book Blast + Giveaway: Mistress of the Wind by Michelle Diener

To post this Book Blast (html) and add your Social Media to the Rafflecopter, email Tressa at wishfulendings(at)outlook.com with "Mistress of the Wind Book Blast" in the subject line!

On Tour with Prism Book Tours

The Bookblast!!

Mistress of the Wind
by Michelle Diener
New Adult/Sci-Fi Fantasy
Paperback, 342 pages
Expected publication: December 19th 2013



Bjorn needs to find a very special woman . . .
The fate of his people, and his own life, depends on it. But when he does find her, she is nothing like he imagined, and may just harbor more secrets than he does himself.

Astrid has never taken well to commands. No matter who issues them . . .
She's clashed her whole life with her father, and now her lover, the mysterious man who comes to her bedroom in darkness and disappears to guard his mountain by day as a bear, is finding it out the hard way. And when he's taken by his enemies, no one is prepared for Astrid's response.

It is never wise to anger the mistress of the wind . . .
A captivating and magical adult retelling of the fairy tale East of the Sun, West of the Moon.

Praise for Mistress of the Wind:

“Diener’s adaptation retains the familiar elements of the original, echoing both the structure and spirit of the classic, but true to form, she puts her own spin both the plot and the narrative, crafting an intricately alluring tale of self-sacrifice, steadfast devotion and enduring love.“ Flashlight Commentary

“The story is fast-paced and never boring, the world a beauty and Michelle’s writing so wonderfully detailed that I felt I was with Bjorn and Astrid on their journey.“ Book Bird Reviews

Author Michelle Diener takes this re-telling to another level. She doesn’t restrict herself to an East of the Sun, West of the moon retelling. Instead we are also given parts reminiscent of Psyche’s quest. Which just allowed for a much more richer story.  Paperback Wonderland

Mistress of the Wind

by Michelle Diener regarding her new book!

Mistress of the Wind is based on the fairy tale East of the Sun, West of the Moon. It's a fairy tale I've loved since I was a child, but it wasn't until I started seriously researching the origins and mythology of East of the Sun, West of the Moon in preparation for writing Mistress of the Wind that I discovered what a unique fairy tale it is in many respects.

Fairy tales are generally grouped into types by folklorists using the Aarne-Thompson classification system, and East of the Sun, West of the Moon is classified as AT-425A, in the 'husband' group of tales, which also includes Beauty and the Beast and Psyche and Eros.

What is unique about East of the Sun, West of the Moon, is that when the heroine goes in search of her lover, the people who help her along the way do not do so because of any action on her part. Usually in a fairy tale--in fact, almost across the board--an elderly, mysterious figure or animal will aid the hero or heroine because of an act of kindness they have shown, or because of a favor the hero / heroine has done first.

In East of the Sun, West of the Moon, the heroine is helped as if it is her due. This really sparked my interest, along with the magical flying horses that are lent to her, and the assumption by all concerned that the four winds will give the heroine their aid.

I approached the story with the question: why would this be so? Because I was writing a full-length novel off of what is, in my fairy tale collection, only 8 pages of text, I obviously had to make the story make sense. Quite often in fairy tales coincidences, strange happenings and the relationships between characters are never explained, but it is assumed the reader will accept them, even though there is no reason behind them. That obviously wouldn't work in a full-length novel. So I decided to explore all mythology relating to the wind, and came across the myth of the Wind Hag, and I just knew I had found the core of my story.

If you are surprised at the use of the Wind Hag as a powerful heroine, let me explain why the crone or hag is a powerful, rather than a pitiable or evil character. And she doesn't have to be old and ugly, either. The book Women Who Run with the Wolves by Dr Clarissa Pinkola Estes first introduced me to the idea of the hag as a force of power and self-determination. Estes looked at a number of fairy tales and myths across many cultures, at a time when the power of the feminine had a strong place in society. As the patriarchal Christian religion encroached on society across Europe, women who understood herbology, kept the (pagan) myths and legends alive and who were respected and whose opinions mattered within the social structure, were a direct threat to the new religion.

It was most certainly in the interests of the Church to demonize and undermine these women and what they stood for, and it is no coincidence that the stereotype of a witch is an old hag or crone. They certainly caught the brunt of the Inquisition's witch hunts, and again, that was no coincidence.

It felt right to weave the myth of the Wind Hag through East of the Sun, West of the Moon, even though it isn't in the original. It fit in some way that was really satisfying, and it felt empowering.

Because this is originally a Scandinavian tale, I used Norse mythology to enrich it, although I made a few of the magical creatures up, from a mish-mash of fairy tale creatures and myth.

One aspect of East of the Sun, West of the Moon which I love is that this is a tale where the heroine rescues the hero. I love how the heroine takes action, refusing to give up even in the face of impossible odds. East of the Sun, West of the Moon has one of the bravest, most proactive heroines of any fairy tale, and her journey is striking in how it can be read from a Jungian point of view.

The Jungian psychologist, Marie-Louise Von Franz, made a life's study out of fairy tales and how they relate to ego and our sense of self. I am in awe of her work. One of the points she makes about fairy tales is how they are reflections of our relationship with ourselves, and I found that true over and over again as I wrote Mistress of the Wind.

I love that the heroine cannot rescue the prince until she has travelled to all four corners of the world, and I saw that very much as an allegory for her needing to explore her strengths and come to understand her own power and worth before she could save someone else.

I wrote Mistress of the Wind continually awed and amazed by the depth and richness of the original tale, and so, while I've woven new things into the story, like the Wind Hag, Norse mythology and some of my own imagination, I also tried to remain faithful to the original tale. I wanted to respect the original, and honor it. And it was certainly a privilege to write it. I just hope I did it justice.

- Michelle Diener

Michelle Diener writes historical fiction. Her Susanna Horenbout & John Parker series, set in the court of Henry VIII, includes In a Treacherous Court, Keeper of the King's Secrets and In Defense of the Queen.

Michelle's other historical novels include Daughter of the Sky, The Emperor's Conspiracy and Banquet of Lies (loosely connected to The Emperor's Conspiracy).

Michelle's first fantasy novel, Mistress of the Wind, is set for a December 23, 2013, release.

Michelle was born in London, grew up in South Africa and currently lives in Australia with her husband and two children.

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$50 Amazon gift voucher
5 copies of Mistress of the Wind, ebook or print, winner's choice.

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