Reader/Writer Tidbits -- May 28, 2011

BEA was this week.  As always, lots of publishing news emanated from the conference.  I'll share a few tidbits here, starting with B&N's announcement of the new Nook Touch.  (The old Nook will be discontinued.)  This is Paul Biba's steno notes, so to speak, from B&N CEO William Lynch's talk, but you get the gist:  what's new, how it compares to the Kindle and why Barnes & Noble's strategy is on track.

Want to know what will be the next "big book"?  At BEA, booksellers weighed in with their thoughts, including what the next big children's/YA book might be.

What the industry big wigs thing about the current role and future of ebooks in the changing publishing landscape, a panel moderated by Tom Turvey of Google Books.

Back to the usual tidbits...

"I Shopped It Till I Dropped, But Nobody's Buying."  One in a recent series of blog posts from agent Rachelle Gardner  discussing how she handles difficult conversations with her clients.

J.A. Konrath, the guru of self-publishing, shares Why You Won't Succeed as a Self-published Ebook Writer.

Then, he shares how some indie bookstores are electing to boycott his books.  (Sad, but true.  Why would a bookstore elect to boycott books and possibly alienate customers?)

I'm sure Konrath's not too unhappy.  Amazon announced it will now publish mystery and thrillers too, including his.

Let's talk social media.

You're on Twitter and Facebook, but if you're looking for freelance writing gigs, freelance writer and consultant Carol Tice says it's all about LinkedIn.  10 Ways Writers Can Use LinkedIn to Find Freelance Gigs.  And to help you further connect, MediaBistro offers 42 LinkedIn Groups for Publishing Professionals.

You've heard of "direct to video" (or these days, DVD)?  Well, there's now "direct to ebook".  Tyndale House announced its new ebook publishing arm, DigitalFirst.

How often should you update your blog, post to your Facebook page or Tweet?  I often hear writers wondering how to keep up.  Well, copyeditor Katharine O'Moore-Klopf has put together the 1.5 Hour Daily Social Media Schedule. 

First, Amazon had a proprietary format for the Kindle (that's changing, as we noted earlier this week).  Now, Barnes & Noble is limiting the amount of storage space for anything not purchased from them.  Wuh?!  Let's see.  Is this likely to attract more buyers?  Uh, no.  So much for their strategy being on track. Mixed messages?

No wonder they're for sale.

What, just having a FB fan page and posting about my books isn't enough?  7 Biggest Fan Page Marketing Mistakes

10 Ways Freelance Writers Can Become More Productive.  Freelancing is all about minimizing your time to maximize your dollar, stir and repeat, but I think anyone doing anything can benefit from the tips offered here.

It's the Memorial Day Weekend.  (You can click on the link for a little history about what used to be known as Decoration Day.)  Take a moment to remember those who lost their lives defending America.

Then, have a great weekend!

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

Conflict: What's the Problem?

Author Gail Gaymer Martin has begun a blog series about conflict.  She references three types of conflict:  inherent, internal and external, then throw in a fourth, extra personal, borrowed from Story author Robert McKee.

What makes for good conflict in a story?

I've read some books recently wherein the conflict was off the charts.  I wondered whether there was any way, any at all, that the characters could resolve their conflict in 300 pages.  1,000 pages didn't seem as though it would be enough.

Then there have been books wherein the conflict has felt weak, watered down, even contrived, and I've wondered whether the author really intended for anyone to finish the book.

Again I ask, "What makes for good conflict?"

Ms. Martin mentions things like setting, bad memories, competition and a character's" fears, weaknesses, doubts, or failures".  I'd like to add one thing to the mix, something over which writers have no control:  the reader.

Readers bring the whole of themselves to each reading experience.  I remember learning about the need to suspend belief when reading fiction.  This simply means when I want to say, "No way could that happen", instead I say, "Okay, could happen.  Let's see where this goes..."

Good conflict keeps the reader turning pages.  My mind literally thinks along these lines:  I can't believe she just did that.  How's she going to get out of this mess?  How will they react?  What happens next?

In books I've read where the conflict has been less than riveting, I have no doubt that the author, agent and editor thought they had something really meaty going on.  I try to work with them, often reading well past the point of my frustration.  But sometimes, no matter how hard I try, I find the conflict wanting.  Maybe I know too much about the subject.  Maybe I believe the circumstances are too far-fetched or too easily resolved.

Even as I have these thoughts, however, I fully realize another reader might find the conflict real and meaningful. The author has no control over how one reader reacts versus another, after they've written the best book they can.  What's a writer to do?  Go back one sentence.  Writers must write their best book.

I like books with meaty conflict, even if the overall tone of the book is lighthearted or humorous.  I don't like conflict that is primarily a never-ending argument.  There are certain external situations that I just won't read about, like rape,  child abuse or incest.  Definitely meaty topics, but not my cup of tea.  I also don't like conflict wherein there seems to be an obvious solution that the characters are avoiding only to elongate the story.

I like conflict wherein  two characters are each resting on their principles, but their principles are at odds.  I like conflict that surprises me in some way, where I never thought about that happening and now that I'm faced with it, I don't know what I would do or what the character should do.

What do you think makes for good conflict?  What types of story conflict don't work for you?

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

Fully Engaged by John Busacker

I'm over at my other blog today, hosting Fully Engaged by John Busacker.  This tiny book will get you thinking, inspire you and push you to make the most of your life, be it your writing life or your whole life.  Check it out.

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

Teaser Tuesdays: The Deal, the Dance and the Devil

"'Someone needs to...because you're acting like you know of God, but not like you know God.  Because if you really knew Him, there would be no way that you could advise Evia this way, Brooklyn.'" -- page 57, from The Deal, the Dance, and the Devil by Victoria Christopher Murray

VCM, as many of her fans fondly call her, has been one of my favorite writers for years.  You may have heard of her most infamous character, Jasmine Larsen Cox Bush, who shows up in a number of VCM's books.  In between Jasmine's exploits, Victoria has managed to pen some great single titles, each riveting and thought-provoking in its own right.  (She also has one of the biggest hearts for aspiring authors!)


The Deal, the Dance, and the Devil is no less so, putting a fresh spin on a premise familiar from the old Demi Moore movie, Indecent Proposal.  A family in dire economic straits and running out of solutions is faced with offering up one of the marriage partners to a third party in exchange for a great deal of money.  In this case, it's the husband for $5M, instead of the wife for $1M, and here, the couple are Christians.  Obvious response, you say?  Not quite...

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page (in the comments or via link to your own blog)
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Reading anything interesting?  (Even if you don't post the meme, psot a comment to tell us what you're reading!)

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

Amazon's Kindle to Accept ePub Format

Last week, Good eReader reported a major change from Amazon as far as ebooks are concerned.

Amazon is peeling back the layers a bit and will soon allow writers to submit their books in ePub format rather than the MOBI format the Kindle is known for.  Readers eventually will be able to read ePub books on their Kindles.

For me, and likely a bunch of potential buyers who have been sitting on the sidelines, this is a game changer.  My biggest knock on Amazon's Kindle was the proprietary format.  Take that away, and it makes it very, very difficult to justify any other ereader, given the size of the Kindle bookstore already.   I'll even have to reconsider my coveted NookColor.  I still think NookColor would be great for the kids, but for me, since the books I read largely don't have pictures and because so many more books are available from Amazon and that's the first place I go when looking for books online, the Kindle will automatically rise to the top of my list.

What about you?  Were you put off by the proprietary nature of Kindle?  Does Amazon's opening the Kindle up to the ePub format make a difference to you?

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

Reader/Writer Tidbits -- May 21, 2011

Breaking News:  Liberty Media puts a bit in to purchase Barnes & Noble.

Author Lyn Cote releases her annual update of Christian book publishers.

Have you heard of AutomatedEditing?  It's a new software package designed to help writers edit their work.  Robyn Chausse of Wow! Women on Writing talks about her experience with it, including screen prints here.

Is Amazon really going to take on Apple?  (Why wouldn't they?)  Rumors of an Applet Tablet continue to abound...

Google announced the release of Chromebooks.  Described as tablets with keyboards, a better description, I think, is laptops with no harddrives.  Everything's in the cloud.

MediaBistro offers 5 Free Formatting Guides on How to Publish Your Ebook.

Amid the constant changing and increasing noise of social media, have you considered vlogging?  Jennifer Wilkov discusses vlogging, otherwise known as "video blogging", over at Rachelle Gardner's blog.

Saw this little bit of humor on Janet Reid's agent blog when I was catching up from being offline for two weeks (and feeling a little discouraged, a little off-center about my writing).  If you feel that way, or simply want a quick pick-me-up, check out this cartoon inspiration.

Creative writing teacher Traci Borum talks about the difference between a hook and a gimmick.  Which do you have in your writing?

Still trying to make sense of Twitter?  Here's a blog post aimed at freelance writers but good for anyone with links to some great Twitter advice.  And if you're going to be on Twitter, consider participating in TwitterChats. But if you worry that all this social media stuff is a waste of time and don't know how to measure its effectiveness, there's Klout to help you along.  (Note:  all three of these links come from the WM Freelance Writers Connection, a great resource for freelancers and writers in general.)

Anne Widmer, another freelancer writing blogger who offers tips great for any writer, is in the middle of "30 Days of Writing Tips", but you can get the entire archive here.

Writing instructor Margie Lawson is hosting an open house for her new online writing school, the Lawson Writer's Academy, June 9-10.  Enter the drawings for class registration fees and lecture packets.

This inspirational post from SheWriters writer Deborah Siegel was just what I needed this week, as I've tried to reconnect with the groove I had going before my recent hiatus...or find a new one.  Never mind that the title references the current season.  The advice will be useful year round. 20 Ways to Rejuvenate Your Writing Life This Spring.

Writers, have you dreamed about having an assistant to help you keep your calendar straight, deal with those pesky promotional tasks and more?  Virtual Author's Assistant Melissa Hermann shares insights into what she does for authors and why an assistant might work for you.

Susan Johnston of The Urban Muse offers this roundup of posts related to the business side of writing:  The Ultimate Money Guide for Freelance Writers.

Are you concerned about how the Internet really works?  If so, you might be interested in The Filter Bubble, a new book by Eli Pariser that investigates and calls out the big guys--Microsoft, Facebook, Google and more--on the secretive workings of the Internet.  Here's a speech he gave at this year's Technology, Entertainment, Design (TED) conference:

Enjoy the weekend!  Off to celebrate the 50th birthday of my sister-in-law and childhood friend, hang out with the family and do some writing.

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

2011 INSPY Awards Open for Nominations

The 2011 INSPY Awards is taking nominations for Christian books that meets the following criteria:

• The book must have been originally published in the United States between July 1st, 2010 and June 30th, 2011. Reissues are not eligible.
• The book must have been published in hardcover or trade paperback original.
• The book must possess exceptional literary qualities including but not limited to: innovative, original writing, and depth of characterization.
• The book must respectfully grapple with some element of the Christian faith.
• The book must not have excessive profanity or explicit sex scenes.

The categories have been reorganized and simplified for this year.  They are Romance, Literature for Young People, General Fiction, Speculative Fiction, Mystery & Thriller and Creative Nonfiction. 

Last year, I was one of the judges for the inaugural INSPY awards.  Not an easy task.  The nominees were very, very good, some of the best fiction I read last year.  Our team had quite a discussion prior to determining the winner in our category.  

I hope to judge again this year.  I'm wiping my reading slate clean now (should be done by mid-June) so by the end of the year, I'll be ready to sink my eyeballs into some really good books.

If you've come across some really great inspirational reads in the past year, as I certainly have, please be sure to nominate them for consideration.

What do you think makes for an "exceptional" read?

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

Making the Most of Self-Publishing: The Backlist

Yesterday agent Alan Rinzler blogged about the value of an author's backlist.  He also offers steps for publishing them.

For those new to publishing, the backlist is the entire catalogue of an author's previously published works.  In many cases, the original publisher retains the right to publish these titles, which you sometimes see when there's a reissue of a previously book.

In other cases, authors, either because so much time has passed or because they have specifically pursued it, have had a reversion of their rights, meaning they reclaims the right to publish their work from the publishing company.  Herein lies the big opportunity.

For authors who own the rights to their backlist, today's publishing opportunity rests in re-releasing these older works independently vai platforms like Kindle, Nook, Smashwords and others.  Often these titles were no longer available to readers so publishing them in ebook format puts them back out there for old and new fans alike to enjoy.  You may wish to take a moment to review the stories, to see whether they still hold up, in terms of the quality of your writing or whether certain elements date the story, and decide to update them.  Or, as many authors are doing, you may simply decide to release them "as is" to reap whatever rewards you can.

For new writers who have yet to accumulate a backlist, don't despair.  If you're thinking strongly about self-publishing your first book, go ahead.  You'll get a feel for what it means to publish independently, and if you continue to do so, eventually you too will have a backlist.  Another tack is to build up a small cadre of stories, maybe three to five, before publishing so that readers who love the first title they select readily will be able to find more.  Success in self-publishing, I'm told, frequently depends on having more than one title to offer.

For authors signing new publishing contracts, I'd admonish you to take a long view.  Make sure there's clarity as to when and under what circumstances your rights will revert back to you.  I have no data to suggest this is happening, but I wouldn't be surprised to see publishers start to get tightfisted in this area, wanting authors to wait longer than ever, if ever, to reclaim their rights.

Are you a published author with a backlist?  Do you own your rights or will your publisher relinquish them?  Have you considered self-publishing your backlist?

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

The Stages of a Writer

Are there stages to the writing journey?  Author Janice Hardy explores ten stages to a writing career while author Roz Morris talks about three stages. (Note:  You'll have to overlook all the times she writes "age" when she means stage.  Generally, Roz offers pretty good advice and much better typing.)  I find that their different takes on this subject work in concert.

I see the stages of writing kind of like the phases of a novel--beginning, middle, climax, end-- and I'm smack dab in the middle.  In the beginning days, everything was new.  Every acronym, concept, piece of jargon, hot button industry issue.  All new.  It was exciting and electrifying to get online each day and soak up all that new information.

I took baby steps to write and submit, choosing to get my feet wet in online articles for websites I felt sure would accept my writing\and short stories (aka "confessions").  I was amazed at my success at writing confessions.  All but one or two of my stories were published.  Not bad for a newbie.

Then, I ventured out.  I published a story in an indie anthology and contracted another with a royalty-paying e- publisher. I started this blog. I took some online classes and attended an online conference or two.

Time to begin the novel.  I quickly realized novel writing was more than a notion. I had a lot to learn.  I scoured blogs and email loops on everything from point of view to critique groups.  I studied craft books. I connected with writers, editors and agents.  I joined writers' organizations and crit groups.  I read.

Over time, I can't tell you how many stories I've started.  Started, not finished.  I finished one that needed lots of work, so much that I found it overwhelming. I put it aside and decided to learn a few things about plotting.  Most significantly, I learned the differene between a first draft and a finished manuscript.

Since then, I've entered contests for feedback.  I've begun freelancing to earn some money, and I suspect, to feel better about not finishing all those stories.  I know how to begin, explore and end whatever the topic in an article.  Not so for novel writing.  Much more difficult, I find.

Still, I dream about my name on the cover of a novel in a bookstore (or at least in the Kindle or Nook bookstores).

Writing has become like losing weight.  Lately, there's little new information in the blogs or on the loops.  At this point, I know what I need to do.  The thing now is to do.

If I were look at Janice's list, I'd say I float across stages two, three and four.  I've worked on craft, I write pretty well and I know what I want to accomplish.  I'm determined.  Yet, where I come up short is putting in the time.  Sure, I have a busy life, one that seems fraught with unexpected curve balls, but so do many writers.

Using Roz's delineation, I'm definitely in stage two, not trusting my instincts, and trying to break free of the restraints resulting from all the writing craft and industry knowledge.  Writing paralysis. Losing faith in my ability. Taking a step back when forward motion is tough.  Spending time on easy things although the more difficult have potential for greater reward.  This is huge.  

Mind over matter, you say?  yeah, but this is like nothing I've ever dealt with at any other point in any other arena in my life.  I've always been able to set my mind on something, work hard and make it happen.  Until now.

Given recent personal events, I'm very clear on how tenuous my hold on this life is.  I plan to make the most of what I have remaining I've already made some changes this year, like significantly decreasing the number of books I'm reviewing to free up my time.  I've stopped volunteering for things that don't move me forward. It's been hard, but feels right.  

Now I need to make writing a bigger priority, finding balance between the novel writing and freelance work, and dismissing the little voices in my head that impede my progress.  

Like the old Nike slogan, "Just Do It".  Or, to quote many an urban lyricist, "Don't talk about it, be about it".

That's my focus.

NOTE:  I almost decided to burn this post between yesterday when I wrote it and this morning.  Then, I decided to rewrite it to be a whole lot more upbeat.  Then I read this blog comparing writing to marriage and it made me laugh.  My journey is my journey.  May be slower than I want and bumpier than I desire, but it's mine.

What stage of writing are you in and how do you feel about that?

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

Snitch by Booker T. Mattison

On the streets of Jersey City there is a simple code. You don’t talk to the cops. You don’t snitch. Period.

Thus begins the blurb for Snitch, the latest release from author, filmmaker and teacher, Booker T. Mattison.

Booker's debut novel, Unsigned Hype, an inspirational multicultural YA novel, was one of my Top 10 reads  in 2009.  For me, books are one way in which I explore the world with my teenager,  so I shared it with my son who quickly became a huge Booker fan.  I crowed about this book to anyone and everyone who would listen.  I recommended it to everyone I knew who had teen sons, a population that gets short shrift when it comes to uplifting fiction.

Both my son and I looked forward to a sequel, but Booker's latest novel, Snitch, heads in a different direction.  Written for an adult audience, but equally pleasing for mature teens according to my very discriminating son, Snitch deals with moral consequences of our decisions in the face of life's unexpected turning points.   

ABOUT THE BOOK

When young bus driver Andre Bolden witnesses a crime on his route, he is compelled to make a choice. If he keeps silent, he might lose his job and be gnawed by his conscience. If he snitches, he could lose his family—even his life.

This explosive story explores the clash between a working man and the code of the street. Gifted storyteller Booker T. Mattison has crafted a realistic tale full of tension and raw suspense yet infused with spiritual truth. Snitch rewrites the rule to mind your own business, peers into the hearts of those who seek revenge and redemption, and celebrates the ability of a community to triumph over violence and intimidation. 


Check out the book trailer:

BOOK REVIEW

In Snitch, Booker T. Mattison has another winner.  Definitely more adult than Unsigned Hype, this story follows the travails of Andre Bolden, a young man trying to keep his head above water working as a bus driver after one stupid mistake cost him a more promising future. Now with a child by his college sweetheart, he's surviving.  Except another mistake has them separated, by his choice, and he doesn't know how or if he can undo these circumstances.  When Andre sees a guy gunned down in front of his bus one night, and the shooter sees him, his already fragile life begins to unravel.

Snitch illuminates how early life traumas can affect later decisions, and how each decision plays a part in how and where we end up.  Bad decisions have bad consequences.  But it also shows that at any point in time, we can choose to make better decisions and change the course of our direction, even if there are still lingering consequences from our prior decisions.

Author and publicist Dee Stewart interviewed Booker for this month's Christian Fiction Online Magazine where he talks about the differences between novel writing and songwriting, ponders God's sovereignty and clarifies his thoughts on a writer's responsibility.  He notes that Tom Wolfe's Bonfire of the Vanities (you may remember the movie with Tom Hanks) was an influence in writing this book, and I clearly see the similarity. Random, split-second things happen, causing the characters to deal with the ramifications of those things as well as the actions of others also trying to make the best of the hand they've been dealt.

Booker has a flair for unique characters.  In Snitch, I really enjoyed Rock, the pseudo-religious ex-gang member, Frederick, the Wall St. hedge fund manager and entrepreneur and Hakeem, the psychologist who sets up shop in the hood, all secondary but pivotal to the message and the enjoyment of the story.  I wasn't as crazy about the female lead, Shontae, who made choices equally as bad as Andre's, but somehow seemed to imply that her bad choices were his fault.

Snitch was a pleasurable read, one I hope many young people will pick up, especially in light of how snitching has become an expanded, controversial topic for younger generations.  Perhaps reading Andre's story may help someone to navigate those muddy waters.

Just as I did with Unsigned Hype, I'm now telling everyone who will listen to read Snitch (while I wait for the Unsigned Hype film project.)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Booker T. Mattison is an author and filmmaker who wrote the screenplay for and directed the film adaptation of Zora Neale Hurston's classic story "The Gilded Six Bits," which aired on Showtime. It starred Chad Coleman ("The Wire"), T'keyah Keymah ("That's So Raven," "Cosby," "In Living Color"), Wendell Pierce ("Treme","The Wire," "Ray") and Novella Nelson ("The Antwon Fisher Story"). The Hollywood Reporter said of the film that, "Mattison's direction and feel for her characters match up to Hurston’s sterling piece of fiction. The short is full of atmosphere and strongly developed characters."

Mattison's novel Snitch was published May 1, 2011. Publishers Weekly said that, "Author and filmmaker Mattison's sophomore outing reads like its ready for screen adaptation... Mattison has a superb ear and his skills keep on growing." His debut novel, Unsigned Hype, was published in June 2009 and is in its third printing. Producer Stephanie Allain Bray ("Hustle and Flow," "Black Snake Moan" and the forthcoming "We the Peeples") is attached to produce the film adaptation of both books.

Mattison received his Master of Fine Arts in film from New York University and his Bachelor of Science in mass communication from Norfolk State University.

Mattison has taught Literary Criticism at the College of New Rochelle in New York, film production at Brooklyn College and Advanced Directing, Screenwritng and Directing Actors at Regent University in Virginia.

Learn more about Booker, his books and films at his website, http://www.bookertmattison.com/, or friend him on Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/booker.t.mattison.

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

Reader/Writer Tidbits -- May 16, 2011

Blogger's major snafu of last week caused this post to be late.  Here's the tidbits from last week:

It's that time of the year again!  May ushers in the Brenda Novak Online Auction for Diabetes Research, which runs May 1 - 31.  There's something for everyone, whether you're a reader or a writer, from ereaders to critiques to mentoring packages to jewelry to vacations and more.

Writer sometimes fear sharing their ideas, afraid their best thoughts might be stolen.  Seems it's not uncommon for more than one person to come up with the same idea at the same time.  Authors Eileen Cook and Lara Zielin talk about their experience with "simultaneous discovery" in their debut novels.

Shelfari, LibraryThing, GoodReads...  There's another online book organizer/sharing site, ShelfLuv.  Aside from the usual cataloging, reviewing and sharing features, this one offers book recommendations based on previous reads.

Public relations representative and consultant Laura Cerand instructs writers how to make the most of the ever-changing social media landscape in "Social Media for Authors:  Forever in Search of Buzz".

An interview with bestselling author Harlan Coben in which he talks about writing female protagonists, coming up with story-ending twists and pushing past a writer's "self-hatred".

MasterWriter gathers writing tools to help with parts of speech, synonyms, idioms, definitions, pop culture references and more, all within a single software package.

Award-winning author of Leaving Atlanta and Silver Sparrow Tayari Jones (also host of the popular SheWrites column, Surviving the Draft) offers "Five Things I Wish I Had Known When I Published My First Book".

For writers of women's fiction, I've stumbled upon another blog, Women's Fictions Writers.  Look like some pretty good posts and tips specific to the women's fiction genre.

Wonder how much those Publishers' Weekly starred reviews make a difference for an author?  Authors Booker T. Mattison and Trice Hickman, recent recipients of PW starred reviews, share their thoughts.

Amazon delves further into the publishing realm with its fourth imprint, Montlake Romance, dedicated to, of course, the romance genre.  The debut author will be bestselling romance writer Connie Brockway with The Other Guy's Bride, to be released later this year.

Ebook formatting tips from the EBook Format Guy.

Writing those dedication and acknowledgement pages, a few tips from Pam Hillman and the Seekers.  (Some people never read them; I always do.)

If you're a fan of Christian fiction, you absolutely must check out the monthly digital magazine from FamilyFiction.  Author interviews, new releases and this month's issue includes the 2011 Reader Choice Awards winners.

I was all done with this week's tidbits, when this one came out.  It's big.  Writers on FB, be aware that the rules have changed.  Facebook Restricts Authors' Ability to Host Contests.

As you know, I recently lost my brother, age 49.  But Mom turned 90 last Friday  9-0! Losing him so early makes me appreciate her longevity even more.  Happy Birthday, Mommy!  And Happy Birthday to Most Honorable Son Number One who turns 16 today.

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

Returning But Not Quite The Same

I'm back.  After several weeks largely away from the Internet, and in which time both moved quickly and stood still as I dealt with the unexpected death of my brother Daniel, I'm back.  Many of you reached out to me with words of comfort and prayers that meant so much.  Words cannot express my thanks.

I'm in that strange place following the death of a close loved one where my world will never be the same, but the universe as we know it has marched on without me and now I have to catch up.

I've spent the better part of this week doing just that.  Wading through nearly 2,000 emails and nearly as many blog posts.  In many cases, I simply deleted or "marked as read" things that in the big picture, it probably won't matter whether I ever look at them.  I tried not to miss any personal messages, and I'm practicing my speed reading skills once again to catch up on blogs and prepare for this weekend's Reader/Writer Tidbits.

I haven't posted before now because, frankly, I'm at a loss for words.  My brother's death weighs heavily on me. I feel as though my axis in this universe has shifted permanently, and I'm not quite sure yet what that means for me in the long run.

The one thing I did manage, even while traveling, working through the final arrangements and beginning my return to normalcy, has been to read.  I've read some amazing books I can't share just yet since I'm judging them for a contest, but I will, soon.

I did little writing.  Last we spoke, I was in the middle of a plotting workshop, but I had to drop out.  I can't lose myself in writing the same way I can in reading a book.  But I'm getting back in the swing, slowly.  If anything, I'm more determined than ever to see my writing dreams come true.  My brother, the ex-fire fighter, fire marshal and fire instructor who was going to be my expert for a future novel centered around a firehouse, was only 49 years old.

While I was gone, I had a guest post over at Write It Sideways post.  Ironically, "Take a Chance with Your Writing" was about taking risks, something I'm giving a lot more thought to.  In my current mindset, time is short.  (If you'd like to vote for my article, you can find instructions here.  Voting ends May 15th.

I won't belabor my feelings here.  I'm still working through them.

Just wanted to let you know that I haven't forgotten you.    The reading and writing go on.

 Daniel would want that.

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.