Month: October 2019

Reader’s Block? #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

October 28, 2019

We’ve talked about writer’s block. Have you ever gotten reader’s block?

My first thought when I saw this question was that surely it was a typo. So was my second. Then I thought more and asked, is it really a thing? Reader’s Block?

I don’t try to hide the fact that I read. A lot. When I was a kid, I read everything that I could get my hands on, including the back of cereal boxes. I don’t read as much now, but I still love me a good story.

But there have been times when, for one reason or another, I didn’t read for a long stretch of time. (I define that as a month or two in terms of reading!) Perhaps I was too busy with work. Or family things. Or so wrapped up in my own writing that I didn’t want to spare the time to read someone else’s. Or I didn’t have time to get to the library and didn’t feel like re-reading any of my old favorites. (This was before ebooks, folks!)

And, I am sad to admit, there has been a time or two when I sour on

whatever book I’m reading and I simply stop. Then, because I have this need to finish every book I start, I just don’t. Start reading a different book, that is. I feel guilty about the one I didn’t finish. Until I can forgive myself and push past the shame of abandoning a story, I can’t move on.

There’s also the issue of editing mode. When I’m in the middle of editing my own work, it’s hard to turn that inner editor off. It makes it difficult to simply enjoy a story and not pick it over looking for faults.

How do I overcome it? Time. The answer is always time (unless it’s 42.) Since reading is an addiction, I always come back to it.

So, yes, I have experienced reader’s block, at least the way I choose to define it. How about you? I’d love to hear about your experience in the comments. 

As usual, now I’m off to check out the other writers on this blog hop and find out if they’ve experienced reader’s block. And if you are looking for a good book to break yours, I’d appreciate it if you would check out my stories. You can read all about them elsewhere on this website.

October 28, 2019

We’ve talked about writer’s block. Have you ever gotten reader’s block?

Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter
https://fresh.inlinkz.com/

Original or Popular #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book


October 21, 2019

Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?

It’s a trap! I started to compose my answer and realized I was on the path to insulting authors who are different than me. So here we are, stuck.

Because the two are not mutually exclusive- a good author can be both. I haven’t been that gifted or that lucky.

I strive for both, with some caveats. We’ll talk about that later.

When I first attempted to write a book, I wasn’t worried if I was doing it right. I wrote it without chapters, just one long story. My only focus was getting the words on paper and seeing if I could do it. Write a book, that is. And I did. Not a good book, but a book nonetheless.

So I tackled a second one. And I tried to make it more bookish. With chapters and everything. I even paid some attention to crazy things like point of view and settings. And then a third. 

And somewhere along the way, I decided I was good enough to share a story with the rest of the world. And I really paid attention to all the things that make a book a book and readable by others. What I didn’t know about was things like finding a target audience and genres and readers’ expectations.

But that gave me the freedom to write my stories without worrying about  what readers were looking for. I was more worried about my stories being my stories and not a clone of someone else’s. I read a lot and I was rightfully worried about my stories being original and not heavily influenced by books I’ve read.

With time and experience, I’ve come to understand a bit more about things like market share and reader experience. I also understand that my stories don’t dot all the i’s and cross all the t’s of what “generic” reader expectations might be. My heroines are strong without needed men to save them. My mysteries don’t require murders. And, heaven forbid, my cozy mysteries have the occasional swear word.

Now, remember that thing I mentioned we’d get back to? It’s sex scenes. If you’ve read my books, you didn’t find any. It’s not that I object to them, it’s that I feel my stories don’t need them. And frankly, I’ve read enough of them that they have started to get boring. Or unrealistic. And this coming from someone old enough to remember when even one sex scene in a romance was breaking new ground. Readers may want them, but they don’t get them from me.

So, if I answer the question honestly, I try to be more original. Or maybe try is the wrong word. I wouldn’t write any other way. I have to be true to my characters and their stories. Because that’s what it comes down to- my books are their stories, not mine. And I hope readers enjoy them.

You can find out more about my books elsewhere on my page. The urban fantasy/paranormal (notice I didn’t say paranormal romance?) books can be found HERE. The female sleuth mysteries are HERE

Now, I’m off to visit the pages of the other authors in this hop. You can come along by following the links below.

October 21, 2019

Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?

Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Is The Pen Mightier Than the Keyboard? #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

October 14, 2019

What is your preferred method of writing? (By hand, on a computer, dictate it?)

Somewhere – and I can’t tell you exactly where because I don’t know – I have a box crammed full of tablets and binders. It’s in one of three storage spots, buried under Christmas decorations, old knick-knacks, or outdated computer parts. The pages are filled with my handwritten first and second drafts of various book—most of which you and everybody else have never seen.

Just like I love the act of holding a book in my hand when I read, I love the sensual feeling of a pen slipping across a piece of paper, leaving behind the words flowing from my brain. Even a pencil will do if that’s all I can find. (I rarely have a problem finding a pen these days. The picture is a small segment of my desk.)

And yes, I have written entire books by hand. Not notes or drafts, but the whole darn thing. The words seem to spill more freely when I don’t have to concentrate on finding the right keys on the keyboard and I don’t see those squiggly red lines that tell me I spelled something wrong. I can write faster when I write by hand.

But there’s a catch. Isn’t there always a catch? I’m a better writer when I sit in front of a computer and type my stories. I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s because I can visualize how the words will look on paper or the screen of an e-reader. And yes, I can catch my mistakes and correct them immediately. It also allows me to use words that I might not remember how to spell because the computer will help me to get them right. So, I’m more accurate when I compose my stories on a computer, if slower. In the end, I have less editing to do.

There’s also the issue that it’s tedious to type handwritten pages to transfer them to computer format. There are times when I have a hard time reading my own writing!

I’ve never tried to dictate a story. I can’t imagine it going too well, based on my limited experience in trying to compose text messages using the microphone on my cell phone. You know how auto-correct is, right? It frustrates the heck out of me.

There you go. That’s why I do most of my writing on the computer. It’s not that I prefer that  method, but it’s more logical.

Now let’s check out what the other authors on the hop have to say about the topic. But before  you go, feel free to tell me how you like to write in the comments.

October 14, 2019

What is your preferred method of writing? (By hand, on a computer, dictate it?)

Rules:1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Wolves’ Gambit #MFRWhooks

  By Book Hooks

Meet Lori Grenville from Wolves’ Gambit. She was the runt of the pack, but is determined to not let her size get in the way of her life’s mission.

Excerpt

She didn’t have time to shift. Instead, Lori threw herself to the ground and rolled. The wolf missed, but swiveled on its back paws, bunched its muscles, and prepared for a second attack. Without a weapon, she could only hold it off for a few seconds.

So she did what any human would do. She screamed. Only she dropped the pretense and screamed with her mental voice. The sound of a rabbit’s dying scream. The shrill, high-pitched cry for help didn’t need to be aimed at only one person. It would wake everyone within range. There’d be a lot of headaches in a very short time.

The wolf stopped in its tracks and shook its head. That was all the time Lori needed. A metal snow shovel had been left leaning against the building after the last snow months ago, and she grabbed it. She gripped it in both hands and swung.

Her aim was true. The shovel thudded against the side of the wolf’s head and it staggered. But Lori knew of a more vulnerable spot. She adjusted the direction of the next swing. The awkward angle resulted in a less forceful blow, but still, she hit the tender nose.

The wolf snarled, its teeth glistening, and leaped.

She whirled out the way and swung the shovel at the same time. The blade met the wolf’s front haunches. A cracking sound sent a chill down Lori’s spine. The wooden handle was breaking. She’d only get one more hit. It had to be a good one.

The wolf heard it too. Out of reach of her makeshift weapon, it paced, tongue hanging from its mouth. Left to right, right to left. Only Lori’s eyes followed it. She watched for the telltale signs. The tightening of muscles, the focusing of the eyes, a lowering of the head. The wolf was toying with her. Her heartbeat kept pace with the wolf’s steps. Too fast.

But where was the guard? He’d had time to come to her rescue. Was this one of Carlson’s men? She’d been a fool to trust him. He was just another pack leader. Take advantage of those less powerful and discard them when they are no longer useful.

She wondered how sharp the edge of the blade was. Sharp enough to rip through flesh? There was no time to check. She needed to stay alert for every twitch.

The charge happened in the blink of an eye. One second he was on the ground, the next flying towards her. She didn’t wait. With a loud cry, she held the shovel straight in front of her like a lance and ran to meet the attack.

Blurb:

Wolf-shifter Lori Grenville was rescued from near-slavery and a brutal pack leader by the Free Wolves. To pay back the favor, she’s dedicated her life to helping others in the same situation, leading shifters to safety and a new start, risking her life in the process. She’s faced down alphas and has no qualms in undermining pack structure.

Now she’s challenged with the task of restoring an alpha to his rightful place. If she gets it right, she can stop a war from ripping apart two packs and spreading across an entire state. If she fails, she’ll be among the first to die.

There’s still the option of walking away and letting the Jaeger and Destin packs destroy each other. That means she’ll fail in her original mission of rescuing the daughter of the Jaeger alpha before the girl is forced into marriage for political gain.

Lori hasn’t failed in a mission yet. This one may be the exception.

Although Wolves’ Gambit is the third book in the Free Wolves urban fantasy/paranormal series, each book can be read as a stand-alone. And, for the first time, Lori’s story is on sale for 99¢.

Buy Links:

Apple

Kobo

Nook

You can find more about the Free Wolves series HERE

Reviews- Love ‘Em or Leave ‘Em #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

October 7, 2019

Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones?

Good reviews from readers are like nectar from the gods. And about as hard to get!

Truth is, I’m convinced that readers just don’t like to write reviews. No matter how much they like (or dislike) a book, taking the time to write a review is time they could use to do something else. So it’s high praise when a reader not only takes the time, but gives you a good review.

Yes, I read every one. Even the not-so-good ones.

The good ones are what help keep me motivated to write. To know that someone enjoys my books is the praise I seek. The reassurance that I’m doing something right.

Sure, I’d like to be a world-renowned author, but that hasn’t happened yet. So I’ll take what I can get.

And that includes the “bad” reviews. Although I can’t say I’ve received any. What I consider a bad review is one written by someone who didn’t really read the book. I’ve heard horror stories about those- reviews attached to the wrong books, reviews where the person has problems with downloading the book that have nothing to do with the author’s work, reviews that downgrade a book before it’s even been released! I have none of those.

I do have reviews where the reader didn’t like the book for one reason or another. I’ve read books I didn’t like, even by big name authors. It happens. If they’re fair, I’ll read them as see what I can pull from them as a lesson to help my next book be better. ( I have made edits to a book based on a review)

But since we’re talking reviews, I’ll share a few snippets  of the good ones:

For The Marquesa’s Necklace: I read this one straight through-it was really good–I have no idea where I saw this first but I am certainly glad I took a chance and bought it–now I have to go look into Book #2!!

For Her Ladyship’s Ring: First I would like to say I am a great fan of Mary Higgins-Clark
mysteries. I have now added this author to my favorites list. Like the Marquesa’s Necklace, it was very difficult to put down for life’s interruptions. The suspense was great, and so many surprises at every twist and turn. I love Ms. MacLayne’s style and ease of reading. Now it’s time to order book three of the series via Kindle. I personally prefer books I can hold but once again do not wish to wait two days for the third installment!

For Wolves’ Pawn: The author of this book did something very unexpected in this new novel. She took a shifter book and the customary male alpha, but gave us a no non-sense female heroine that gave as good as she got in the different antagonistic scenes. Smart, funny, sassy, and the ability to improvise in different situations. I was also happy to see that there was definitely romance, but not page after page of sex scenes that normally bore me to tears, and have to quickly skim through before we get back to the story. All in all, I give this book an A+++. 

And one more, for Wolves’ Knight: This fast-paced paranormal is a breath of fresh air. Action packed and full of amazing female characters, I loved reading a book where the women were more bad ass than the men! Great plot and intriguing characters. Highly recommend!

See anything there that interests you? You can find out more about my books elsewhere on this web page.

Before I close, here’s a meme I pulled off another site today. It seems to fit.

 

That last one – say hi and be kind- seems to fit a lot more than supporting writers. Now I’m going to go find out what the other writers on this hop feel about reviews.

October 7, 2019

Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones?

Rules:1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

To Read or Not to Read #IWSG

  By IWSG
 
October 2 optional question:
It’s been said that the benefits of becoming a writer who does not read is that all your ideas are new and original. Everything you do is an extension of yourself, instead of a mixture of you and another author. On the other hand, how can you expect other people to want your writing, if you don’t enjoy reading? What are your thoughts?
 
The awesome co-hosts for the October 2 posting of the IWSG are Ronel Janse van Vuuren, Mary Aalgaard, Madeline Mora-Summonte, and Ellen @ The Cynical Sailor!
 
Full Disclosure: I am a reader. I’ve been a reader since I first figured out the meaning of those weird shapes in books. I used to read a book a day. I love to read. I’ve slowed down, but I still read. I can’t imagine not reading.
 
Now, I have made the decision to not read books in the same genre I am writing in. That satisfies my need to keep my books fresh and original.  But I write in two different genres, so I can trade off, and there are plenty of books  still out there that I can read.
 
And the concept of ideas being all yours- I can’t fathom it. My ideas are a conglomeration of things I read, things I see, people I talk to … you get the idea. Sure, I try to put those ideas together in a new-to-me way, but I don’t downplay the influence of the world around me. After all, we all know there’s nothing new under the sun.
 
I find no shame in building upon the legacy of our ancestors. Sure, the language has changed and vocabulary shifted, but isn’t that what we, as authors are still doing? Sitting around a campfire and telling our stories?
 
So, read on, fellow authors.