Ereading vs. (Physical) Book Reading

There are some neat things about ereading, especially as a writer who reads:

• Ability to highlight passages with my finger
  
  
• The book always returns to exactly where I left off
  
  
• Portability -- Yes, physical books are portable, but this is much more so.  Hundreds of books fit in my pants pocket and are very lightweight.
  
  
• Quick downloads.  If I hear of it and want it, a couple of clicks and it's mine. No trip to store necessary.  (I think that's a "green" strategy in some way.)
  
  
• Most books I only read once.  You probably do too.  Ereading works well for one-time reads with lowered price ebooks and the ability, should I really not enjoy something, to remove it from my e-library.
  
  
• The lighted face of my smartphone makes it possible for me to keep reading without lighting entire room

There are some difficulties, some of which may result from using the apps vs. actually owning a device and/or my limited knowledge of the apps:

1. Search?  How do I search within my library for a particular book?  Right now, I scroll.
   
   
2. Grouping ebooks for easy finding?  I believe this is possible but haven't figured it out yet.  That means my oldest downloads are almost lost in app-space.

That's about it, and that's not much.

I'll miss laying a book on my face and inhaling the scent of the paper while I cop a short, pleasant doze as I move more toward ereading and away from phsyical books.

I'll also miss being able to simple hand a book off to someone I know will enjoy it, without some 2-week lending window.

Then there are some challenges:

• Like dropping device on floor.  Damaging my phone is a more costly proposition than dropping a book.
  
  
• The light of ereader a tad annoys Hubby at night.  (He rolls over and I hide under the covers like I did as a child.)
  
  
• It's harder to stare at and visually take in a book cover.  Ebook covers are too tiny, especially on my phone.

If you've given it a try, what you like/dislike about ereading? (No offense, but if you haven't, you can't really answer this question.  You're speculating and might find yourself pleasantly surprised should you ever put a toe in the ereading waters.)

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

Reader/Writer Tidbits -- Oct 29, 2011

Photo credit:  Lindsey Otta

Have some ePub ebooks that you really want in Kindle format?  Not so hard to do, as long as there's no DRM  (digital rights management) attached.  TeleRead tells you how.

My how a little time makes a difference?  Back in February, I included a link about the Espresso print-on-demand book machine.  Sounded intriguing.  Still does, but now I see less of a need for one, what with the explosion of e-readers and ebooks just this year.  Because if publishers simply turn out-of-print books (for which they retain rights) into ebooks, they'll continue to make money and readers will download them.  Now I'm thinking the Espresso may simply be a way of trying to hold on...

Win a one-on-one pitch session with a leading YA agent and feedback from editors at Scholastic, Harlequin Teen, Random House, Viking, Disney, Roaring Book Press, Sourcebooks and Kimani Tru.  Serendipity Literary Agency, Sourcebooks and Gotham Writing Workshops are teaming together to host the 3rd Young Adult Novel Discovery Competition.

Author Kaye Dacus shares what she's learned from writing three 3-book series, about ending a book within a series and ending a series.

Author Bonnie Grove talks about the most important aspect of writing.

Kristin Lamb talks "Why Pen Names Suck & Can Make Us Crazy".

"The Most Intriguing Ebook Market in the World".  What digital publishing and ebook readership look like in the world's largest market, China.

Formattting your book for Kindle? 5 things you need to know about Kindle Format 8 (KF8), Amazon’s new ebook format.

This is the last weekend before the start of this year's NaNo effort.  I'm participating.  50k words in 30 days.  I have a story outline and some fairly fleshed out characters.  I think I have a good shot.

Along the way, there will also be work, church, regular daily tasks, soccer practices and games, youth basketball practices and games, varsity basketball practices and games, rehab appointments, college information meetings, doctor appointments, Thanksgiving and I don't know what else.

Should be interesting.

So I'll enjoy this last weekend, hanging with the family, doing a little reading and tweaking my character profiles a little bit in preparation for the start of NaNo on Tuesday.

Let's end with a post from author and writing consultant Kristen Lamb who puts the whole desire for publication thing in perspective, just in time for NaNoWriMo:  "Are Successful Writers Just Lucky?"  (Kristen has  penned We Are Not Alone--The Writer's Guide to Social Media and Are You There, Blog?  It's Me, Writer.)

Are you participating in NaNo?

Happy Readin' N Writin'!

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

What is The Intrinsic Value of a Writer's Work?

Is Amazon Doing a Disservice to Writers via Low E-book Pricing?

This is the question raised in the RT Book Reviews article linked above, and it's a good question.

For years, readers have argued that they shouldn't have to pay nearly the price of a hardcover for an ebook, what with the physical paper and printing costs as well as the distribution and bookstore overhead costs not a factor.  Ebooks, it has been posited, should cost significantly less because the book is delivered electronically from publisher or bookseller direct to the consumer.

But should they?  What portion of the price of a book represents the value of the story?  How does a reader, author, bookseller, publisher...anyone place an economic valuation on the writer's work?

Writing is hard work.  We hear that a lot, and I can certainly attest to this maxim being true.

But what is the value of that work?

Writers nor publishers calculate the countless hours that are put into dreaming up a story, planning and researching the story, drafting the story, revising and polishing the story, querying, and contracting the story, all the stuff that happens before the publisher's "cost" to bring the story to publication begins to be tallied.

Do those writerly activities count for naught, or, as in today's ebook pricing world where many books are available for $2.99 or less, for very little?

I admit to being one who has argued that ebooks should be sold for significantly less than hardcovers.

I even enjoyed today's ebook pricing with nary a sleepless night.

But the RT article gave me pause.  As does the graphic at the top of this post.  Because the graphic gets to the crux of the matter.  Forgetting the value of the author's work.

There may not be an explicit financial outlay required to write a book, but there is a cost.  There's an opportunity cost, as I learned in my first economics cost, many years ago.  It's the value associated with time, time that could be applied to other things that might potentially have a higher yield.

There has to be intrinsic value to the writer's work, much like there is intrinsic value to a painting.

We don't see anyone reproducing and selling artists' renderings for $2.99 or less, at least I haven't.

This is one of those times when Arsenio Hall's old phrase applies:  Things that make you go hmmmm....

What do you think?  How might you place a value on a writer's work?

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

What is Johnny Reading?: Sex, Violence and Ebooks

Should ebooks come with warning labels?

Ebooks are the new publishing frontier.  Ereaders are flying off the shelves, especially now that Amazon's leading device, the Kindle, can be had for as low as $79 brand new.  Authors are dusting off previous releases, in some cases updating them, and re-releasing them.  New authors are bypassing the traditional query, wait, contract, and wait cycle by publishing in ebook format.

But slow down a minute.

Just who can buy what ebooks?

The answer is anyone.

The answer includes young people, as young as imaginable, if they have access to an ereader, a credit card (or 1-click account, as with Amazon).

Ebooks don't have labels.

Back in the 1980's, Tipper Gore, wife of the then senator and future vice president Al Gore (now ex-wife), campaigned relentlessly for labels on music due to the excessive violence, sex and drugs found in the lyrical content.  She co-founded the Parents Music Resource Center, dedicated to helping parents have more control over the music their children listened to by convincing the major record labels to slap warning stickers on their potentially offensive product.  Some did voluntarily, only to have major sale outlets, like Walmart, refuse to stock them.

There were great discussions and even Senate hearings about music content and censorship.

Nobody wants censorship, but parents do want to know what their children are being exposed to and have some influence over the selection.

That brings me back to ebooks.

There is no labeling of ebooks.  Ereaders are solitary devices.  Any reader can download any ebook and read it.

What's to stop kids today from downloading pornographic or excessively violent ebooks?

What was in place to stop them from buying this type of reading material in physical book stores?

I have no idea, but this article got me to thinking about this topic.  Technically, this goes beyond ebooks to music, video games and anything else that can be downloaded to a personal device.

There are people concerned about ebook content.  In 2009, Apple rejected an ebook from its app store based on objectionable content.  This year, Smashwords added an adult filter to its ebook store, which prevents first time visitors and others who choose from seeing content rated "adult" by the author/publisher.  Amazon, perhaps the biggest seller of ebooks, seems to have an uneven policy with regard to adult content, as evidenced in this 2009 article about removing adult content from Amazon sales rankings and this blog post about Amazon and deranking erotic literature. In their Content Guidelines, Amazon explicitly states they do not accept pornography (or even books which provide a "poor customer experience"), but that still leads a whole lot of stuff that we may not wish for our little ones to see.

How do we as parents know what our children are downloading?

Should there be some type of labeling or rating system to help young people make good decisions and not inadvertently download something they'd rather not be exposed to?

How can technology help us even as it broadens the availability and accessibility of information?

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

Sometimes The Difference Is The Teachers

A pretty enjoyable weekend.  A few bumps, as there always are, but largely enjoyable.

I hung out with the family, watching favorite movies and reality shows, mall-walking, and baking biscuits for Sunday dinner and pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, a favorite this time of year.

I finished reading a book by a favorite author.

The best part, aside from those cupcackes, is that I completed an intense 3-day free writing workshop taught by authors Miranda Parker and Shelia Goss:  How to Plot Your Novel and Bring Your Characters to Life.

I came away from that workshop with a few things:

Increased confidence in my story planning process

A better understanding of the Hero's Journey and how to apply it in story planning

A new set of writer friends who plan to support each other through NaNo next month and beyond.  (Some are not so new, in that we follow each other online, but we'd never connected before.)

Most of all, a fully outlined story!  Fastest I've ever gotten one done and I feel pretty good about it based on the feedback from Miranda, Shelia and my classmates.

Sometimes you just need the right instructors to make the same information you've known or heard before click.

Shelia is wonderful at asking the questions that make you think hard about your characters and their motivations, and Miranda, well... Ms. Parker applies a magnifying glass to your story and finds every hiding plot hole, shallow or deep.  Then she relentlessly questions you until you come up with plausible answers to fill them.

The timing of this workshop couldn't have been better as I now am prepared for the start of next month's 50,000 word writing adventure, otherwise known as National Novel Writing Month.

My focus for these remaining October days is on tying up some loose characterization strings and planning the work, i.e. how many days I expect to write and how many words I'll need to write in order to meet the 50k goal.

I'm psyched!

What writing classes or workshops have made a big difference in your writing?

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

Reader/Writer Tidbits -- Oct 22, 2011

19th annual St. Petersburg Festival of Reading is today.  If you're in central FL, stop by to meet over 40 authors, including Connie May Fowler, Lisa Unger, Tom French and N. M. Kelby.

If you're a writer and you've never clicked on any of the links I've post here each week, click on this one.  Book doctor Jason Black talks about plot motivation vs. character motivation, which readers prefer and how most writers miss it.

Online marketplace giant, Amazon, took on the booksellers.  Now it's the publishers and the agents, as Amazon publishes 122 books this fall with a publishing division run by a publishing veteran and most recently offering $800k to actress/director Penny Marshall for publication of her memoirs.  Is Amazon trying to corner the entire publishing industry?

Berkeley/NAL announced it's new ebook imprint, Intermix, which will "operate much like a mass market paperback publisher", releasing a mix of new titles and reprints in women’s fiction, romance, mystery/thriller and science fiction/fantasy.

Worry that you won't be able to get children to ever read the classics?  Don't despair yet.  Try the new Booksurfers series, a set of multimedia books that invite children into classic stories via url links and a hunt for "fictional artifacts".

In honor of the National Day of Writing, Writer's Digest posed questions to Sol Stein, author of On Writing and How to Grow a Novel.  Author Sol Stein on overcoming writer's block and using writing prompts.

John Truby believes writing a script is more difficult than brain surgery.  Called "the best script doctor in the movie industry", Truby shares "Why 3 Acts Will Kill Your Writing."

Enjoy cozy mysteries?  Literary agent Chip MacGregor has teamed up with a host of Christian authors to publish The Spyglass Mysteries, "modern day whodunnits with colorful characters and plenty of whole romance."  Available in ebook format only, new cozies are released every Thursday.

I'm working through a 3-day writing workshop online via FB and Tumblr, taught by authors Miranda Parker and Shelia Goss.  It's really intensive but a lot of fun too.  Working through the story for my NaNo effort.  Only a few days remain Nov 1st.  This is my first relatively calm weekend in a couple of months, and the last one for some time since all the sports for the three boys kick off next week.  I'll be reading, writing and baking pumpkin cupcakes.

You?

Happy Readin' N Writin'!

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

How A Modern Baby Thinks About Reading

This has been all over the Internet.  I actually intended to post it last week, but failed to do so.

Babies learn from what they see, of course, so no surprise that today's babies will be trying to swipe at everything that comes their way.  I don't think ramifications will be huge because I honestly think it will be a long time before elementary schools get rid of books.  Today's babies will learn to live with both physical books and ebooks, right from the start.  What's more scary are the children who, for lack of access to computers, smartphones, and ebooks, won't know what to do when, as teens or even college students, they encounter such.

What do you think?

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

One Year God's Great Blessings and Bound for Glory

Today I'm featuring two inspirational books on my other blog today, One Year God's Great Blessings Devotional and Bound for Glory, both from author Patricia Raybon and Tyndale House.

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

National Day On Writing

Tomorrow is the National Day On Writing.  It's sponsored by The Writing Project, whose mission is to improve "writing and learning for all learners", the focus of today is on why people write.

I hardly remember a time when I didn't write.  But I'm not one of those people who always knew I would be a writer, who has always written of personal choice.

No, I mostly wrote because I had to.

Early poems/stories in grade school.

Book reports.

Term/research papers.

Business proposals.

Analysis reports.

Pretty much whatever the teacher, job or period in my life called for.

I thought about being an editor.  In my junior year of a 4-year engineering program, it seemed like the perfect profession for me.  Except it would have required changing majors and spending at least another two years and maybe a summer on campus.  Who was paying for that?  Not the companies sponsoring my engineering-based scholarships.

So I became an engineer.

I hated engineering.  So I took a job in IT.

I've had a love/hate relationship with that career.

In high school,  I had to propose a new business.  I'd been working in the local library--see, books have always been there!--and I proposed a bookstore which would double as a lending library.  I came from a low to middle class economic environment and wanted to make sure everyone would access to the books.  It would have a cafe/lounge where readers could hang out.  This was in the 1970s in the suburbs of NYC.  Didn't know anything about Borders, which had been founded in 1971 in Ann Arbor, Michigan.  Teacher told me my proposal made no sense.  First time I can recall having a dream of mine squashed.  Not the last.  I never gave it another thought.

But somewhere in the early years of marriage, I began to think about writing.  I thought about writing non-fiction inspirational/Christian living type books.  Maybe business books since I had a newly minted MBA.  Never did anything with that.

Then, I had two distinct incidents in which I envisioned a book.  I had whole outlines in my head and goosebumps on my arms.  I had no idea where or how to start, and I was at home on maternity leave both times.  But I remember feeling as though these ideas weren't just mine, but ideas that had been planted in me by God. These were books to be written.  I did nothing.  In both cases, a couple of years later, I learned of a debut author who was publishing a book nearly identical to the one I'd envisioned.

After that, I said, "Why not?"  And I began to write.  As I immersed myself in the writing community, I got more and more ideas.  I've had challenges, personal and professional, and periods of just complete lack of focus and/or effort.  But still I write.

I've taken online classes, attended online conferences, gone to an actual  reader/writer conference, joined critique groups, joined a professional organization (ACFW), networked with scores of writers, editors and agents, blogged, freelanced, written book reviews...so many things.

I'm working on my storytelling craft.  I think I have great ideas, but don't always know how to put the story that's in my head on paper.

I'm also working on my commitment.  To me.  Earlier this year, I finally said, "Why not me?" and have taken steps to move closer to my goal of becoming a published author.  Disruptions and loss of focus, otherwise known as life continue, but I've written more words this year than I probably wrote in the past four years total.  I'm proud of that.

I know a few things.  When I write, I feel a lightness of being I don't feel at other times.  I feel as though I'm positioning myself to make a contribution to the world, to having a lasting legacy.  I feel as though I'm doing something that will make my children proud, and perhaps encourage them to pursue their dreams.  I'm expressing on paper what I cannot or do not express otherwise.

So I write.  I have stories to tell and I plan to tell them. Maybe someone will be interested in reading them (and even better, paying for the privilege).  Maybe very few someones.  But I will be a published author with stories I feel good about.

What about you?  Why do you write?

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

Reader/Writer Tidbits -- Oct 15, 2011

Regardless of whether you are a fan of Christian fiction, one of the publishing industry experts always worth listening to is Thomas Nelson's CEO, Michael Hyatt.  Hyatt has now released two ebooks:  How to Write a Winning Non-Fiction Book Proposal and How to Writing a Winning Fiction Book Proposal.  Author a former literary agent, former publisher and the NYT bestselling author of seven books, he knows of what he speaks, and he's offering a money-back guarantee.

Still a bit intimidated by the thought of self-publishing your ebook but don't haven't found the right service to assist you?   The Perseus Group has established a new self-publishing service with a 70/30 author/company revenue split to aid authors who don't want to go it alone.

Astraea Press publishes sweet romance, from inspirational to mainstream, in ebook format.  They're looking for submissions.

Carina Press is seeking submissions for its normally by-invitation-only 2012 Holiday anthology.  They're specifically seeking science fiction stories.  Go here for more details.

Magnolia:  A Journal of Women's Literature is also seeking submissions:  socially-engaged fiction, creative non-fiction and poetry by women.

RT Book Reviews takes a look at the semi-annual report on publishing deals that US Publishers Marketplace compiles.  The whole economy has not rebounded but publishing seems to have righted its ship.  Not so many "major" deals (in excess of $500k) but many significant and good deals (in excess of $100k).  Seems that the steam has been let out of thrillers and inspirational fiction whereas mysteries and crime novels are on an upswing.

Isn't this stuff cyclical?

Novel writing from a TV director's point of view.  Director Mark Capell talks about how directing film prepared him to write his debut novel, Run, Run, Run.

Writer and psychotherapist Jeannie Campbell aka The Character Therapist has published the results of her plotters vs. pantsers survey.  The results may surprise you!

Lots going on this weekend!  First, MY WORK PROJECT IS OVER!!!  Some loose ends to wrap up, but I have my life back.  Live-blogging from the Women of Faith conference.  Soccer, basketball, church and more with the family.  A little reading and some writing.

Good times.

What do you have going on this weekend?

Happy Readin' N Writin'!

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

Lessons in Publishing and NaNo, Here I Come!

Author Bettye Griffin talks about the challenges she's experienced in the publishing industry, her lessons learned as an independently published author, both physical and ebook format, and why she thinks " this is an exciting time to be an independent author."

(Read Bettye's article.  It's worth the extra time.  We'll be here when you get back.)

I think these are exciting times in publishing too.  Working on freeing myself up--fewer book reviews, completing an all-consuming project on day job--to better position myself to get some writing done before the end of the year and to take advantage of whatever the next few years bring by way of technology, new business models and new publishing opportunities.

I'm going to start by taking advantage of this year's NaNoWriMo.

I'm for NaNo, but I'm no zealot.  NaNoWriMo is convenient.  I planned on doing some marathon writing between mid-October and the end of the year anyway, but hey, if I can write 50k words in a month, that will be something and maybe NaNo will help.

I've been following along with the NaNoWriMo preparation primer--Nail Your NaNoWriMo:  31 Empowering Posts in 31 Days--that author/writing instructor Larry Brooks has been featuring on his Storyfix blog.  (It starts here, then find the remainder of the lineup to date here.)

Some other authors have been offering preparation tips as well, notably Alexandra Sokoloff and Martha Alderson aka The Plot Whisperer.

Folks, I've come to understand that it's all in the preparation, followed by a true commitment to meet the goal.  I've participated in NaNoWriMo before but I was never truly committed to that 50k nor was my story prepared in advance.

This year I'll be ready.  I'm working on my characters, got my FPP (first plot point, per Mr. Brooks) and SPP (Second Plot Point), several scenes leading up to and then a few scenes afterward.  I need to uncover my pinch points and do a beat sheet (list of scenes).

I'm being careful not to do too much planning, though because overplanning sucks the wind out of the story.  For me.  But I'm doing enough planning, hopefully, so that I don't find myself 50-75 pages in and wondering how I got there, who these people really are, and why anyone would care?

Are you participating in NaNoWriMo?  Are you thinking about how to make the most of the current publishing environment and if so, how?

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

Reclaiming Lily by Patti Lacy

Two Women. Two Cultures. A Troubled Teen

About the Book

A storm the size of Texas brews when Gloria Powell and Kai Chang meet in a Dallas hotel. They have come to discuss the future of Lily, the daughter Gloria adopted from China and the sister Kai hopes to reclaim. Kai is a doctor who had to give up her little sister during the Cultural Revolution and has since discovered that an inherited genetic defect may be waiting to fatally strike Lily.

Gloria's relationship with her daughter is tattered and strained, and the arrival of Kai, despite the woman's apparent good intentions, makes Gloria fearful. Gloria longs to restore her relationship with Lily, but in the wake of this potentially devastating diagnosis, is Kai an answer to prayer...or will her arrival force Gloria to sacrifice more than she ever imagined?
About the Author

Patti Lacy graduated from Baylor University in 1977 with a BS in education. She taught at Heartland Community College in Normal, Illinois, until she retired in 2006 to pursue writing full time. She and her husband, Alan, have two grown children. Visit Patti at http://www.pattilacy.com/


Trailer

Review


It is difficult to find words to describe this exquisite novel from Patti Lacy.  Reclaiming Lily is much a tale of how some Chinese families, those branded as dissidents, were treated during the era of Chairman Mao and the Cultural Revolution, as it is a story of sisterhood and faith.  Beneath the deadly specter of PKD, polycystic kidney disease, we're taken on adventure and treated to the enchanting sisters, Kai and Lily, the two youngest of four sisters born to teachers.  Kai's life was wonderful until the day when everything changed.  Her parents were never the same, and even though baby Lily came later, hers was not the happy event that one might wish, given the strict rules relative to having children to which Chinese families were expected to adhere.


Still, Kai grew up to become Dr. Chang Kai, and Lily went on to be adopted by an American family.  And there the story, at least the contemporary portion, begins.  For Reclaiming Lily is two stories, one about Kai and her family in China some 30 years ago, and one about Kai in America and her desire to reconnect with and reclaim her family on U.S. soil.


Patti Lacy writes with such an emotional command of language that she forces her readers to see, think and feel what is necessary to fully grasp the many facets of her story.  The horrors of Kai's early life unfold in bits and pieces through flashback even as we see and understand how her present day life is informed by those early days and how her life today is not quite all that she desires.  Hence, her driving need to find Lily, now Joy, the sister adopted by a loving and well-intentioned, if not quite capable, Texas couple.


What makes Kai's current homelife less than ideal is that she's clearly had issues assimilating into American culture, and her parents have been ill-equipped, if not reluctant, to help her.  It makes one wonder about all the foreign children who are being adopted by Americans today.  How much are these children encouraged to learn about and connect with the people, customs and culture of their places of birth?  Do adoptive parents do these children a disservice by wanting and expecting them to become and operate like native Americans?  How much should or can the children expect to reconcile with their roots?  What is the impact on their lives when they are unable to do so?

Reclaiming Lily is also a story about faith, as expressed in different cultures.  Are these two at odds?  Might the different approaches toward faith have some connection?  What does it mean to be gifted by God and how should that gifting influence one's life pursuits?  The family that adopts Kai, a pastor and his wife, have faith, but their faith is put to the test as Kai treads upon their safe, if rocky, existence and causes them all to think about God's hand in their lives in a different way.


I loved the pace of this novel and found it to be a gripping tale, such that, despite having things that I needed to accomplish, I somehow managed to read the nearly 400 pages of Reclaiming Lily in a single day.  It is a satisfying read, one that, as did Pearl S. Buck's The Good Earth and Any Tan's The Joy Luck Club, among other novels set in China, made me long to visit this fascinating place.  Reclaiming Lily is most assuredly a Top 10 read for 2011.

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

Teaser Tuesday -- Bring On The Blessings

"He didn't know anyone anymore who could dig up the dirt he needed on her, or stop her licensing and building permits from going through, or audit her operation.  With one phone she'd sent a decades'-old scam crashing to the ground-one phone call and there was nothing he could do to pay her back." -- from the Kindle version of Bring On The Blessings by Beverly Jenkins

Bring On The Blessings is book one in the Blessings series.  I'd already read book 2 and book 3, and loved them, so when I saw an opportunity to snap up the first book on a Kindle free promotion, I had to get it.  Then, when I'd finished two heavy reads back-to-back and was looking for lighter but still meaty fare, it was the perfect read.  I hope Ms. Jenkins finds it in her heart to write more about the Henry Adams clan.

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.

Pattern of Wounds by J. Mark Bertrand

Author J. Mark Bertrand extends the Roland March Mysteries series in fine fashion with the latest release, Pattern of Wounds.  It took me forever to read this book.  Not because of its pacing, which is stellar, or content, which is excellent, but because I had only snippets of time for the better part of two weeks.  Until I couldn't take it anymore.  Who was the killer?  Why did the clues point toward--and away from--a copycat killer?  What does Det. Roland March know in his gut but can't yet prove?  I finally hunkered down late one night, in the bathroom so as not to disturb Hubby, and finished the book.

I was sleepy for the next two days.

It was worth it.  

ABOUT THE BOOK

In Pattern of Wounds, it's Christmas in Houston, and homicide detective Roland March is on the hunt for a killer. A young woman's brutal stabbing in an affluent neighborhood bears all the hallmarks of a serial murder. The only problem is that March sent the murderer to prison ten years ago. Is it a copycat -- or did March convict the wrong man?

Alienated from his colleagues and with a growing rift in his marriage, March receives messages from the killer. The bodies pile up, the pressure builds, and the violence reaches too close to home. Up against an unfathomable evil, March struggles against the clock to understand the hidden message in the pattern of wounds.

AN EXCERPT

A long, narrow swimming pool glows aqua in the darkness, an inky cloud floating near one side, transected by a pair of pale, bare legs. I can see her now, her arms outstretched like she’s reaching for something, her skin bone white apart from the pattern of wounds flaying her back. Puncture wounds, long and thin, running up and down her spine and across the shoulders, too many to count.

Her brown hair is still damp, the tangled locks arranged to leave her face clear. One cheek hidden, the other waxy and pearlescent with rain. Her eyelids gently shut like they might blink open at any time. Like she might notice us suddenly and cover up in embarrassment.

“Does this remind you of anything?” I ask. “It’s just like the Fauk scene."

“Why does that ring a bell? Wasn’t that your big case? The one they wrote the book about?"

“The Kingwood Killing,” I say.

The victim’s name is Simone Walker. She’s the one I'm here for. Whatever was done to her, I'm going to make it right. Not that I can save her. I’m too late for that.

I’m always too late for that.  

There are doors to knock, interviews to conduct, and still a chance to find some physical evidence the rain hasn't washed away. And there's a suspect to run down. When I find him, there is one question I am going to ask: Does he have a copy of The Kingwood Killing? Because whoever murdered Simone Walker had a picture of that crime scene in his head. I'm convinced of that.

Find the book and I’ll find the killer.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

J. Mark Bertrand lived in Houston, where the series is set, for fifteen years, earning an MFA in Creative Writing at the University of Houston. But after one hurricane too many he left for South Dakota. Mark has been arrested for a crime he didn't commit, was the foreman of one hung jury and served on another that acquitted Vinnie Jones of assault. In 1972, he won an honorable mention in a child modeling contest, but pursued writing instead.

Learn more about J. Mark Bertrand's book at his website and connect with him on Facebook.

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

Reader/Writer Tidbits -- October 8, 2011

Indie authors wear a lot of hats, including, in some cases, graphic artist.  How Self-Published Authors Get Their Covers Right.

Want to publish an ebook but overwhelmed or uninterested in the technical aspects?  Try The E-book Editor.

 A Book Proposal Checklist from Strang editor, Jevon Bolden.

With ebooks, there's no "walk by and stumble upon" as with books in a physical bookstore.  So just how (do) ebook buyers discover ebooks?

2 Ebook Price Comparison Tools, to insure you always get the best price or perhaps help you to make that final ereader decision.

Writers tend to hang out with other writers.  We read each others' blogs, follow each other on FB, tweet to each other... But what about Readers Who Are Not Writers?  Do they care about show vs. tell, the hero's journey or any of the other things writers obsess about?

Have you noticed a change in Harlequin's titles?  No more The Millionaire's Secret Baby.  Check out the title changes Harlequin is making and why.

Don't have an agent?  Don't despair. From RT Book Reviews, "Ten Places You Should Consider Submitting Your Manuscript."

Need to tighten up that prose?  Mark Nichol offers "30 Wordy Phrases Beginning with 'In'."

I know last week's Tidbits had a host of articles about the Kindle, but here's one more, perhaps the best one I've seen since the ereader was launched.  Paul Biba of TeleRead offers "A Look at What the Kindle Touch 3G offers".  Some of what we've all said (including me) is simply not true.  Look at the host of formats the Kindle supports.

Then Jon Cog summarizes the Kindle features you might not infer from the marketing materials, but might find important:  The 10 Biggest Surprises About Amazon's New Kindles

Still, the more I think about it, the less I want an ereader.  I'm leaning toward a tablet.

Do you use writing software?  Just learned of a software that is not so much for writing as it is for brainstorming.  It's called XMind.  Here's a video demonstration of the Basic Features and one of the types of mapping structures included.

I think I'm going to play with the XMind thing a bit.  Looks like fun and like it could be helpful.  But not this weekend.  Still on the day job project, but that's beginning to wind down.  Next weekend is a women's conference, so I won't begin writing in earnest again for another 10 days or so.  I did sneak in a little writing yesterday, including a timed 30 min write session with Candace Havens.  Candace hosts some great online classes and writing challenges.

Work, some fun stuff with the boys, maybe some baking...  It's a full weekend for me.  Hope you have great plans too.

Happy Readin' N Writin'!

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

Putting The Book Down

When I say I've read a book, I really have.

I'm one of those people who has to finish the book.  Maybe the story needs time to develop.  Maybe the pacing will pick up.  Maybe the characters will become more likable, more sympathetic, funnier...

Maybe not.

I find it near impossible to stop a book I've started. Oh, it's happened, but only when I've read past the point of not liking the book, past the point of being frustrated, past the point of being annoyed, all the way to the point to being angry and feeling as though I'm completely wasting my time.

Usually I finish before that happens, perhaps with a vow never to read that author or subject matter again.

I find now, with ebooks, that I read differently.

I've started and stopped a number of ebooks.

Some will never be graced by my eyeballs again.

Most of my ebooks were free downloads.  If I didn't spend any money and I don't like the book, why make matters worse by allocating precious time to it?

With physical books, I've either purchased them and want some return on my investment, or I received them for review purposes and feel obligated to read the book in order to complete the review.  (I simply don't get how people review books that they haven't completed.)

Second, every time I open my Kindle app, it either takes me back to where I left off or to the list of titles in my library.  Something different might catch my eye and I think, "Let's see what this is about."

I thumb through a few pages and if it grabs me more than what I'm already reading, I switch.  It's about my mood in the moment. Mood is not an issue with physical books. Once I start, I'm in until The End.

Third, it's easier to read multiple ebooks.  Right now, I'm reading a devotional, a writing craft book and two novels, one of which isn't working for me.  But that still leaves me with three ebooks in progress.

Ebooks are changing how we read in ways beyond the format and delivery mechanism.  I used to be a one-book woman but I've been liberated.

What about you?  Are you ereading?  Do you find your reading habits changing as a result of reading ebooks?

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

How Long Will Bookstores Last in Light of the Ebook Revolution?

Last week, Amazon announced four new versions of Kindle, the bestselling ereader, including the new Kindle Fire, which is more of  a multimedia device than an ebook reader.

I still haven't bought an ereader.

I may never buy one.

What I did purchase recently was a smartphone.  A Samsung Galaxy.

I love my phone.  It came with the Kindle app pre-installed.  Just signin and voila!, all of my Kindle downloads and purchases were instantly available.  Even without an ereader, I have well over a hundred Kindle titles downloaded, mostly free ebooks.  Some from authors I hoped to read, but when faced with the decision to shell out my hard-earned cash, I passed.  Given the opportunity for a freebie, I snatched them up.

Some are books I've already read.  I downloaded these because I'm hedging my bets on the value of physical copies of commercial fiction.  The stuff you buy and enjoy...once.  That accounts for 99% of my reads.  If I weren't such a packrat, I could give away the vast majority of my books and be just fine.  I'll never read them again.

Some are ebooks I've purchased.  Yes, I've actually paid for a few.  Books I really want to read, and in some cases, annotate, like writing craft books.  I can highlight on the Kindle using my fingertip, and that is way better than writing in the margins of a physical book, something I just can't abide.  (Kindle highlighting is also erasable.)  I also bought authors I particularly wanted to support economically because I admire their work and/or their business savvy.

I'm growing an ebook library.  And I don't need an ereader to do it.

I had both the Kindle and Nook apps downloaded to my computer before I got my phone.  I'd read a few books on the Kindle app, none on Nook as yet, but I find I don't like reading on my computer.  Not so for the phone.  On the phone is not so bad.  Portable and I can easily enlarge the text  for ease of viewing.

I'm becoming a huge fan of ebooks.  Which means I will be even less likely to invest in physical books.  For me, the question now centers around (1) is it a collector's item?, (2) do I think I'll read it more than once? or (3) is it something I want to share with someone else, like my kids? (Ereader manufacturers still don't have that sharing thing quite worked out for ebooks, as far as I know.)

Ebooks are here to stay, and they've found legitimacy.  They are no longer the second-best option, a hideaway for authors who couldn't get traditional contracts.  Today many authors are choosing indie ebook publishing as a first or concurrent option, and I say "Bully for them!"

Yes, I know there's a bunch of junk out there.  I've picked up some authors I've never heard of, but their book blurbs sound interesting.  Will I actually read their books?  Maybe, maybe not.  If the ebook was free, does it matter?  If I paid for it, probably.  No different than with a physical book.

Will I ever read all of the ebooks I've downloaded?  Probably not.  But so what?  No different than having a house full of physical books I'll never read.  (I've never had that because I try to read everything in sight, but ebooks aren't "in sight"...until I power up my Kindle app and scroll through my downloads.)  I like the challenge.

Me who reads at traffic lights like the idea of always having a book at my fingertips without weighing down my pocketbook.  I still carry a physical book with me at all times. It's a hard habit to break.  Still, I'll always carry my phone, and should I find myself without it, as long as I can get to a device where I can access the Kindle web app, I'll be able to read.  It's hard these days to be somewhere where's there no access to the Internet.

So ebooks and I are building a merry future.  John Biggs of TechCrunch makes a dire prediction:  the death of bookstores by the end of the decade.  I don't know about that.  I'm no prognosticator.  But will people begin to purchase more ebooks and likely fewer physical books?  I'd say yes.

Some already have.

I certainly will.

What about you?  Have you purchased an ereader?  Are you reading ebooks?  What do you think will happen with physical books?

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

Why is forgiving ourselves so hard?

Kim Cash Tate shows how God cherishes us and provides our hearts’ desires.

As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.  Kim Cash Tate explores Psalm 103:12 as she takes her readers down the path to God’s forgiveness and reconciliation in her newest novel, Cherished.  Readers will discover that God can still use them in spite of their worst choices.  And He doesn’t just forgive them, but they are truly cherished!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Before healing can begin for Kelli and Heather, they need to believe they are worth cherishing.

 Kelli London once dreamed of being a songwriter. As crazy as it seemed, she hoped that God would use the lyrics that came to her even while she slept. She dreamed about Brian too, that the love they shared as high-school students would grow into marriage. But choices that still haunt her destroyed those dreams. Until now-when a series of love letters reawakens her hope for the future.

Heather Anderson's life has spun out of control-first, an affair with a married man, then a one-night stand with the drummer of a popular Christian band has left her devastated. Broken and alone, she cried out to the only One able to save her. He met her there, but it was just the beginning. Because now she must take a different path. And the one God has planned for her looks nothing like the one she envisioned.

As Kelli and Heather awaken to their true worth, they find the freedom to pursue their dreams-and relationships-based on the security of knowing God's unconditional love. 

REVIEW

I love, love, love Kim Cash Tate's novels.  In Cherished, Tate causes readers to consider just what it means to be cherished.  Is it possible to be loved, to be cherished, when you've made mistakes you knew were wrong?  When you've hurt the ones you love?  When you've done the seemingly unthinkable?  With a prose imbued with gentleness and compassion, Tate, through her characters and engrossing storyline, reveals the depth of God's love and mercy for each of us.  Learning to forgive oneself and others is one of the hardest lessons we each must learn.  Tate illuminates this in a story that has multicultural flavor yet universal in its presentation and appeal.


Tate's books are rich with a diverse cast of characters, but Tate inserts them in such a way that she only calls attention to their ethnicity when and if the story requires it.   As such, readers of all races can enjoy a Tate novel and do so without immediately being included or excluded from connecting with the characters on one level.  The individual ethnicities eventually become clear, through language and cultural references, but by then, it's also clear that the ethnic backgrounds of the characters really don't matter.  Readers will simply like or dislike characters and otherwise be too involved in the story to care about their race.

Many authors put together video trailers for their books these days, but how many have a recorded song inspired by their novel?  Kim Cash Tate has.  Cherished is featured on the Christian rapper Da' T.R.U.T.H.'s latest release, Whole Truth.  See the video in which both Da Truth and Kim talk about what it means to be cherished:

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kim Cash Tate was a speaker for the Women of Faith conference in both 2010 and 2011.  She appeared on the cover of the May 2011 issue of Empowering Everyday Women and is featured in the September 2011 edition of Significant Living.  A song based on Cherished will be featured on the newest album for Da’ T.R.U.T.H., a Christian rapper.  Tate is also the founder of Colored in Christ Ministries.  Her appeal as a Bible teacher and a “big sister” in ministry, as well as her messages of hope, are what attract discerning fiction lovers worldwide. 

Tate is also the author of More Christian Than African-American, a memoir that came of out her experiences of coming to knowing her identity in God while living out her identity as a Black woman in America.    

Tate's other novels include Heavenly Places and Faithful.   Her characters reflect the poor choices we all make, but readers walk away knowing that despite their worst mistakes, they are cherished by their Creator.  “The enemy will try to make you feel guilty about your past, and he’ll use your own thoughts or he’ll use other people.  But if you know who you are, he won’t succeed,” says Tate.

Cherished by Kim Cash Tate

Thomas Nelson/September 2011

ISBN: 978-1-59554-855-9/336 pages/paperback/$15.99

www.kimcashtate.com

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

Reader/Writer Tidbits -- October 1, 2011

This week, Amazon unveiled two new products:  Kindle Touch, a touch-controlled version of the Kindle, similar to the Nook Touch, and Kindle Fire, a 7" tablet designed to compete directly with iPad2.  (You can read the live blog of Amazon's announcement event for more details and pictures here.)

Author Joanna Penn sums out what the new Kindle releases (4 of them) mean to you, as a writer and as a reader.

If you're a glutton for punishment and you want to compare and contrast the 14 possible Kindle configurations available (not to mention the 18 iPad variations), you can use this:  Pick a Kindle, Any Kindle.

Enough about Kindle.

Does Studying Rejection Letters Hinder Writers?

Wanting to go on a book tour but your publisher isn't crazy about financing it?  Perhaps you can catch the eye of a bookseller.  Unusual Benefactor Finances Book Tour

BlogHer is hosting its first ever writers' conference, BlogHer Writers '11, a one-day conference on October 21st in New York City with authors including Carleen Brice and Anne Napolitano, literary agents and publicists.

Although I'm really starting to love ebook reading, I too wonder what to does it bode for those lacking digital access?  Not everyone can afford an ereader (I still don't have one), and before you mention the free reading apps, take a moment to realize that not everyone has a computer or smartphone.  And no, not every library in America is reasonably equipped or easy to get to, either.  So for those who don't have easy electronic access, as more and more books move to ebooks, what does this mean?  RT's Whitney Sullivan and author Mira Grant consider "Across The Digital Divide: E-books and the Poor".

Author and writing instructor James Scott Bell instructs us about "What Makes a Novel a Page Turner?"

I've never met Mr. Bell, but from his tweets and blog posts, I can tell he has an engaging personality.  You get a sense of it from "An Open Letter to Traditional Publishing", a letter to the publishing industry in which he acknowledges its worth but makes a few suggestions to ward off its demise.

YA writer Ingrid Sundberg has done a series on plotting that's worth a look if you're the plotting type or curious about it.  She begins with the differences between narrative, story, plot and structure.  Not sure?  Take a look.

Author Dana Marton offers "7 Tips to Improve Your Novel's Pacing."

A wonderful NPR interview with author John Edgar Wideman, picked up from Alicia Rasley at Edittorrent.

There is so much help for writers who want to plot or outline their stories.  What about those who can't imagine outlining, who stare at the blank page?  Character therapist and author Jeannie Campbell offers a short series on tips and tricks for the pantser.  (This is the final post in the series, but be sure to go back and find the first two.  It's a great series.)

And lest you think Amazon isn't trying to corner the reading market, Kindle titles are now available at 11,000 libraries for borrowing.

Okay, that was one more Kindle article than you needed or wanted.  I know.

Transformers on the IMAX screen this weekend (yes, I know the DVD just released but it's Transformers!), the usual running around for errands, art lessons and such, work, and maybe, just maybe, a little rest.

How about you?

Happy Readin' N Writin'!

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.