Tag: books

The Habits of Readers

What makes you want to read a book? For me, there’s one sure way to guarantee I’ll read a book: if it’s by an author I’ve read and enjoyed before. That’s a safe bet. But for a new (or new-to-me) author, what’s a good way to get me to pick up the book–and then make an even bigger investment of time and money–and buy it?

The cover of the book is one way. It’s hard to place too much importance on the book cover. Honestly, I can’t even tell you the number of book covers that have intrigued me enough to actually buy the book. Here are three book covers that intrigued me enough to buy the book:

There aren’t really any common elements between. They are all just really well-done covers. If it catches my eye on a bookshelf, at the very least I’ll pick it up, flip it over, and read the back cover copy.

Cover copy is another way to attract readers. Last week, I saw the blurb for Coleen Patrick’s new book Come Back to Me:

Whitney Denison can’t wait to start over.

She thought she had everything under control, that her future would always include her best friend Katie… Until everything changed.

Now her life in Bloom is one big morning-after hangover, filled with regret, grief, and tiny pinpricks of reminders that she was once happy. A happy she ruined. A happy she can’t fix.

So, she is counting down the days until she leaves home for Colson University, cramming her summer with busywork she didn’t finish her senior year, and taking on new hobbies that involve glue and glitter, and dodging anyone who reminds her of her old life.

When she runs into the stranger who drove her home on graduation night, after she’d passed out next to a ditch, she feels herself sinking again. The key to surviving the summer in Bloom is unraveling whatever good memories she can from that night.

But in searching for answers, she’ll have to ask for help and that means turning to Evan, the stranger, and Kyle, Katie’s ex-boyfriend. Suddenly, life flips again, and Whitney finds herself on not only the precipice of happy but love, too, causing her to question whether she can trust her feelings, or if she is falling into her old patterns of extremes.

As she uncovers the truth about her memories, Whitney sees that life isn’t all or nothing, and that happy isn’t something to wait for, that instead, happy might just be a choice.

I was so intrigued by the description of the book, I clicked on the link and bought it immediately (Great read, btw!) Again, there’s no list of ingredients for how to write great cover copy, but using active descriptions instead of boring passive-voice is a must, as is giving the reader just enough details to whet their appetite (and have them chasing the carrot).

A great title is also a way to get me to commit to a book. Gena Showalter’s Alice in Zombieland is a fantastic example of this. I would have bought this for the title alone (even without the great cover and fantastic cover copy). As a writer, coming up with the perfect title is something I tend to obsess about, so I love to check out other authors’ titles, hoping to find something that will give my own Muse a nudge in the right direction.

What about you? What gets you reading?

Re-thinking this whole writing thing

…okay, not really re-thinking. Let’s just say I’m going to try something new (or, actually, old). Confused yet? Let me explain. Have you heard of Holly Lisle? If you haven’t, well, you don’t know what you’re missing out on. Holly is a rarity: a mid-list author who actually makes a living with her writing. She’s smart, she’s a great writer, she knows what she’s doing, and, more importantly, she’s really big on paying it forward (she did start Forward Motion, after all). She spends a lot of her time helping her fellow writers out. To that end, she has created lots of helpful things, from the smaller workshops like How to Create a Language, How to Create a Character, How to Write Page-Turning Scenes…and she has also created huge, incredibly detailed classes Like How To Revise Your Novel and How To Think Sideways.

I was in the original HTTS class, as well as the original HTRYN class, and I can’t even begin to tell you how much difference these two classes made in my writing. The way Holly thinks, the way she breaks things down using plain language, worksheets, examples…well, it got me thinking in ways I’d never thought before (which was the point, right?). Since I don’t have much done on The Fall–in reality, I have only a handful of pages written, basically no pre-work, and haven’t touched it in weeks–I’ve decided that I’m going to take it through HTTS. I know the end result will be much closer to the story I have in my head, much more true to the vision I can see for the story. It will just be better. Yeah, it’ll be a lot of work and it will take me a while, but in the end, it’ll be worth it.

I’m a huge fan of Holly’s writing in general, and I know her courses can really get results–if you’re willing to do the work. I am. I haven’t been published, but I’ve gotten some partial manuscript requests because of her courses, and I want to give everything I can to The Fall. I’ve also decided to become one of Holly’s affiliates. I do believe whole-heartedly in her methods, her teaching, and her results, and if you have any interest in checking it out for yourself, go here. If you aren’t a writer, but you’d like to read a great book, you can check those out as well.

All Our Foolish Schemes, by Raymond Esposito

“All Our Foolish Schemes,” the second book in Raymond Esposito’s The Creepers saga, is available now. Once again, Mr. Esposito’s writing evokes echoes of Stephen King and Richard Matheson, in this tale of a world gone mad.

A devastating virus has swept the world, changing most of humanity into mindless, ravening monsters in a matter of days, sometimes hours. Even the government’s “extreme measures” could not contain this horrific virus, and the world changed to a terror-filled nightmare overnight. Too bad the zombies aren’t the only horrors the survivors have to face.

Though the group made it out of Fort New Hope, they still aren’t safe. With some of them wounded—and changed more than they know—they are now in a desperate race to stay ahead of Connor, and his pack of undead monsters. There is no doubt the Creepers are changing, evolving into something even more horrific, and they face tough choices and insurmountable obstacles in their battle to reach a safe haven. But not all of them will make it out alive.

With more page-turning action and vibrant characters, “All Our Foolish Schemes” carries on the story of The Creepers saga. Amidst a dark and desperate world, the characters readers have come to know and love fight for their very existence while trying to stay true to each other.

‘You and Me, Against the World,’ by Raymond Esposito

You and Me, Against the World is the first volume in The Creepers saga, by Raymond Esposito. Mr. Esposito is a long-time fan of Stephen King and Richard Matheson, and has written many short horror stories. You and Me, Against the World is his first novel.

Dr. Russell Thorn is thrust into this new world without warning, and the Creepers ,as the zombie-like victims of the virus are called, lay siege to his home, as he searches desperately for escape amidst the chilling revelation that the Creepers are changing…growing more intelligent. Dr. Thorn’s rescue by a group of young survivors starts him on a desperate quest to find the last safe place on earth. But the evolving Creepers are not the only thing standing in the path of safety.

You and Me, Against the World is a chilling tale that zombie fans will love. The action starts on the first page and never lets up. The story is filled with non-stop twists as the group of survivors battles the Creepers and dangers they never imagined in a thrill-packed, blood-chilling adventure.

This book had me up half the night reading it. I literally could not put it down! I read a lot of zombie stories–I’ve even written a couple myself–but I loved the unique twist the author puts on his “zombies.” Not to mention how quickly the virus spreads. And the cats…(shudder)…the cats really creeped me out. I found myself watching my own cats a little more closely. You should DEFINITELY read this!

Aurora Sky: Vampire Hunter

Nikki Jefford is “a third generation Alaskan who loves fictional bad boys and heroines who kick butt.” Ms Jefford is the author of the Spellbound trilogy (Entangled, Duplicity). Aurora Sky: Vampire Hunter is her newest novel. Full of action from the very first page, Aurora Sky is a book that will have the reader hanging onto every word, staying up late into the night to in out just what is going to happen next!

Aurora Sky has had all of Alaska she can take. She just wants to finish her senior year, get on with her life, and never look back. She’s had enough cold and snow to last a lifetime and she can’t wait to go to college anywhere else. But all that changes with a car crash on an icy road. Suddenly, getting out of Alaska is the last thing on her mind.

When she wakes up after the wreck, Aurora discovers she’s been saved by government agents because of her special blood type. In return for a medical miracle, now she’s forced to become a vampire hunter. Worse than the thought of having to kill monsters she never dreamed actually existed is the fact that she can’t leave Alaska.

Now, instead of worrying about college essays and making good grades, Aurora spends her free time training and thinking about a certain mysterious boy from school. Her old best friend doesn’t talk to her anymore, so she makes friends with some vampire groupies in an effort to find out more about the undead scene…and finds out that the boy of her dreams is more than he seems.

‘A Natural History of Dragons,’ by Marie Brennan

Marie Brennan is a former academic with a background in archaeology, anthropology, and folklore, which she now puts to rather cockeyed use in writing fantasy. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. In addition to many short stories and novellas, she is also the author of A Star Shall Fall and With Fate Conspire (both from Tor Books), as well as Warrior, Witch, Midnight Never Come, In Ashes Lie, and Lies and Prophecy. You can find her online at SwanTower.com.

You, dear reader, continue at your own risk. It is not for the faint of heart—no more so than the study of dragons itself. But such study offers rewards beyond compare: to stand in a dragon’s presence, even for the briefest of moments—even at the risk of one’s life—is a delight that, once experienced, can never be forgotten. . . .
All the world, from Scirland to the farthest reaches of Eriga, know Isabella, Lady Trent, to be the world’s preeminent dragon naturalist. She is the remarkable woman who brought the study of dragons out of the misty shadows of myth and misunderstanding into the clear light of modern science. But before she became the illustrious figure we know today, there was a bookish young woman whose passion for learning, natural history, and, yes, dragons defied the stifling conventions of her day.

Here at last, in her own words, is the true story of a pioneering spirit who risked her reputation, her prospects, and her fragile flesh and bone to satisfy her scientific curiosity; of how she sought true love and happiness despite her lamentable eccentricities; and of her thrilling expedition to the perilous mountains of Vystrana, where she made the first of many historic discoveries that would change the world forever.

Marie Brennan introduces an enchanting new world in A Natural History of Dragons.

‘A Natural History of Dragons’ brings the Victorian era to life with stunning details and such lifelike depictions that the reader will truly feel like they are on an expedition to study dragons. From the very beginning, when Isabella was just a child and fascinated with sparklings, the majesty and mystery of dragons shrouds every page. Though mystical, magical creatures to the reader, Ms Brennan brings them to startling life with each tiny detail revealed. The beautiful illustrations bring the entire world to life.

Isabella is no shrinking violet, and her rather madcap adventures grow from the natural curiosity of a child to mould her into the Darwin of dragons. Ms Brennan masterfully and evocatively tells this memoir-style tale of one girl’s love of dragons, and her willingness to sacrifice everything to study them.

Find ‘A Natural History of Dragons’ at these retailers:
Indiebound
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Powells

(Galley provided by Tor Books via NetGalley)

P.S. I really enjoyed this book. I’ve always loved Victorian-era fiction, if done well, and this one is done extremely well. I could totally relate to Isabella searching for sparklings behind the house, since I used to always be on the lookout for different animals and plants when I was a child. If there had been tiny dragons around, well, my joy would have been boundless. I had the pleasure of meeting Ms Brennan several years ago at Conestoga Writers Conference, and really enjoyed her thoughts on the different panels. She was nice enough to answer questions from aspiring writers, and her kindness made a huge impression on me. I’ve read most of her books (Witch, Warrior, Midnight Never Come, In Ashes Lie), and loved them all. If you’re looking to read something a little different, I highly recommend them.

Bribing Myself

So, despite loads of homework and reading for school, I managed to do mini-outlines for two more chapters in the werewolf story. Progress, although of the infinitesimal, snail-like variety. Three chapters down, 29 to go…but it will get done. And I promised my best friend/co-writer that I would convert ONE chapter of our zombie story to first-person this weekend. I’m also thinking about trying out Scrivener. Anybody out there used it or have any opinions or comments about it?

I also have this sitting on my desk, waiting to be read:

Personal bribery at its best... — Personal bribery at its best…

I know, I know. The Wheel of Time series has dragged on forever. I’ve heard all the complaints. Seen all the bad reviews for the series in general. I know. Also, I don’t care. I haven’t opened it yet. IF I get all the stuff done that I need to this weekend–homework, writing, revision, blogging, cleaning, re-decorating, planting–THEN I will start reading it. If not, well, it’ll have to wait. It’s been years since I started reading the series, I don’t think a few more days will hurt me.

Where Have I Been?

…that’s a good question. Let me see if I can give you the simplest answer. (Simple. Ha. There IS no simple answer. But I’ll try to explain.). For the first time ever, I started NaNo but didn’t finish it. I think I wrote about 18k words, and then hit a wall. Not a wall in my writing, a wall in my life. For the past four months, I’ve been struggling with depression. And also, apparently, denial. But about halfway through November, I hit this wall, and realized I wasn’t getting any better on my own. I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t focus on anything (Good luck with writing…). I didn’t want to be around people. I was sad and hopeless all the time. Thank God, I have good friends, some of whom have been through this. I finally listened to them, saw a counselor and my doc, and now, six weeks later, thanks to meds and some other changes I’ve made, I’m feeling MUCH better. It’s hard to overstate just how much better I feel now. I feel like myself again. And that is SO nice.

I’ve started being active in my crit group again. I’ve started revising my Werewolf story (again). I’m even planning on starting a new story, if not today, then Saturday. And I plan to start blogging here regularly again. I’m back. You’ve been warned….

True of Blood, by Bonnie Lamer

True of Blood is the first in the Witch Fairy series by Bonnie Lamer. This series, available only in eBook format, combines witches, fairies, and ghosts in an intriguing contemporary young adult fantasy world.

Xandra Smith has gotten used to living a weird life. Home is a remote, snowbound mountain, and she and her little brother, Zac are homeschooled and have no friends. Not to mention her parents are ghosts….killed three years before in a car crash. Now their scientist aunt takes care of them so people don’t ask questions about their unique family life.

Things get even weirder on Xandra’s 17^th birthday, when she finds out that her mother was a powerful witch who fell in love with the King of the Fae and got pregnant. The child was prophesied to open the Fae realm, bringing death and destruction to the human world. In an effort to save to the life of her unborn child, Xandra’s mother renounced her magical heritage and fled.

Now, with Xandra’s powers unbound, the Fae have tracked her down, aiming to deliver her to her evil father, who wants to use her dying blood to complete the prophecy. But not all of the Fae want the prophecy fulfilled. Kallen, a true-blood fairy, agrees to protect her and teach her how to use her magic. However, Xandra’s Witch Fairy powers are greater than anyone suspected, and learning to control them proves a dangerous and difficult task. Now Xandra must fight not only the evil Fae who want her dead, but also her own untamed magic to save her family and her world from those who would see it in ruins.

True of Blood is a well-written, engaging read that combines witches, fairies, and ghosts together in a unique way. Xandra is a typical, if somewhat unconventionally raised, teenager, and her interactions with her family and with Kallen are believable and enjoyable. The bickering between her and Kallen is amusing, and the growing feelings between them subtle and well done. True of Blood is a good beginning to what promises to be an enjoyable series.

What I’ve Read Lately

Okay, so I’ve been slipping lately. I haven’t blogged about books in…weeks. Sad. I know. I’ve been reading, I just haven’t had time to blog! But I’m going on vacation this week for two weeks (Yay for going home!), so I thought I’d do a quick and dirty review of what I’ve read lately.

Patrica Briggs, Silver Borne: I like this series a lot. Great MC, very nice love interest, and the character is always getting in way over her head. What’s not to like about werewolves, shapeshifters, vampires, and the fey all rolled up in one well-written story?

Simone Elkeles, Rules of Attraction: I just discovered Ms Elkeles (courtesy of Kristen Nelson’s blog), and was hooked from the first page of Perfect Chemistry. Rules of Attraction is about the brother of the MC of that book, and I was hooked just as quickly and just as thoroughly this time around. Gritty, realistic writing about teenagers in general, and teenagers involved in gangs in particular. I’ll be checking out her other books as well.

Diana Rowland, Blood of the Demon: I have a somewhat nebulous connection to the author (I know her mother), which is how I discovered her first book (Mark of the Demon). I read the first book straight through in less than two hours, and this one as well. Lots of action, tension, a flawed but likeable MC, not to mention a murder mystery, a hot cop, and a smoking demon. You better believe I’ll be buying anything else Ms Rowland writes.

Rachel Caine, Kiss of Death: I love this series (Morganville Vampires). LOVE. I loved this before I started reading Ms Caine’s other series (Weather Warden, Outcast), which I also love…but not as much as these books. This one didn’t disappoint, either. (Okay, confession time: I got four much-anticipated books in the mail in one package, which made choosing which one I read first QUITE difficult, but this one won, hands down.) Claire’s a great MC, and I love her to death, but I love Shane, Michael, and Eve, too, and they’re always getting in more trouble than I can even imagine.

P.C. and Kristin Cast, Burned: Another series I love. Although the previous book in the series ended in a devastating (for me, anyway) way, and I wanted to fling the book across the room. This book…was more about internal conflict. All of the characters struggled with major issues, but there wasn’t a lot of overt action. Still a good read, though. Can’t wait for the next one. (And, for the record, I think this series and the Morganville series are both WAY better than Twilight. Just sayin’.)

Jenna Black, The Devil’s Playground: I sound like a broken record, but…I liked this book a lot. The series is fantastic. Great premise. An exorcist with an attitude in a world where demons are not only known about, but they can legally possess willing humans? You gotta love the originality of that idea!

Lisa Shearin, Bewitched & Betrayed: Not only does the MC of this series have an awesome name, Raine, she has a great family background—they’re all thieves—and a smart mouth which lands her in trouble frequently. This book…okay, at the risk of sounding juvenile, I’ll just say it…ROCKED! I. Couldn’t. Put. It. DOWN! It was like it was glued to my hand! I was just as frustrated as Raine was with all the crap that kept getting dumped on her head, but I knew she’d figure a way out of it. I just couldn’t imagine how. And…Mychael. I love Mychael. He is one of the best male characters I’ve run across, and I’ve now officially put him on the list of Fictional Guys I Adore with Rhett Butler and Jaime Fraiser. ‘nough said.

Jamie Ford: Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet: This book is not my usual fare, being more mainstream and literary than everything else on this list, which is definitely skewed sharply in favor of fantasy. (I can’t help it. I love fantasy.) But this book…was very moving. Touching. Made me laugh. Made me cry. Made me want everything to work out just right so BADLY! If you haven’t read it, you should.

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