Using the geeky D&D Die of Doom, I have randomly determined the winner to be...
lynnsplanet!!!!!!
Send an e-mail to melhiers at comcast.net with your choice of book from this month's list. Everybody, thanks for visiting!
Friday, May 16, 2008
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Abusing the TBR Pile: Readers' Advisory For Writers - The Vampire Edition!
It's the inaugural Abusing the TBR Pile series post! Woot! I suspect I'm probably the only person really excited about it. Which is why I'm giving away a copy of one of these books to one lucky TM reader who comments before 11:59 p.m. central time today! I'll announce the winner, who will then squee, and directly afterward e-mail his or her choice to me. If you choose an e-book, your prize will be in the form of Fictionwise micropay credits/publisher gift certificate for the amount of the book. Violating e-book copyrights is bad, m'kay?
So, what's up with the AtTBRP book lists? Back in February I posted an entry called "Books that Suck and the Readers Who Love Them." We discussed how performing peer critiques and analyzing some of the published work we read can help us improve our own writing.
I decided to use my Librarian Readers' Advisory Superpowers to make balanced lists of books for writers who are analyzing genre markets.
We'll abuse our TBR piles every month with a different genre and giveaway, as close to the 15th as we can get.
Two caveats:
These lists are by no means comprehensive. Omission or inclusion of a title makes no statement about the its quality. I will, more than likely, repeat genres as older titles go out of print and new ones get published.
AtTBRP book lists aren't just for writers! Bibliophiles of all flavors can use them to discover new authors and expand their reading.
Ready? Since we Title Magicians all write paranormal (among other things, of course!), I figured it would be appropriate to start with a paranormal subgenre. This month? It's all about vampires.
Blood Ties: The Turning by Jennifer Armintrout
Nocturne by Elizabeth Donald
Evermore by Lynn Viehl
Kiss Me Forever/Love Me Forever by Rosemary Laurey
Lord of the Night by Robin T. Popp
Tall, Dark, and Dead by Tate Halloway
Sweeter than Wine by Bianca D'Arc (E-book)
Night Rising by Chris Marie Green
Wicked Game by Jeri Smith-Ready
Lover Unbound by J.R. Ward
So, tell me. What genres are you most interested in?
*Today's list was compiled with the help of Gale Group's "What do I Read Next" database , AquaBrowser's Fiction Connection, LibraryThing, Vampire Romance Books and the book Genreflecting: a guide to popular reading interests by Diana Tixier Herald
**Edited for clarity. Never let me post pre-caffeine again.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Tips On Promotion For American Title V
Following on from Mai’s excellent advice yesterday, other members of Title Magic have come up with the best advice we have for this year’s American Title V contestants on how we promoted ourselves and what worked best. Different tactics seem to have worked for each of us, so the contacts you currently have, your personality and what you’re comfortable doing, and the area in which you live will all influence your choice of promotion.
Anitra
Well, what really worked for me was contacting my local library. The community coordinator helped me send fliers to all the libraries in Utah. I also distributed those fliers to bookstores and western wear shops (since I was using the whole Wanted Poster idea). I also printed homemade business cards that I could hand out to people wherever I went. I think doing the web page didn't help much but it is something I will need in the future. Oh, and sending out the press releases was almost a total waste of time. I sent out about 40 and only got two bites that ended up going nowhere. My dad and step mom took out an ad in their local paper that got me a lot of votes but my family name is very well known in Moab.I do think what helped the most was interviews on blogs--that drove people to my website and hopefully to vote.
Trish
I was very conscious of the fact that I sold my first book after the contest began, so I was very careful not to be obnoxious about promo efforts. Other than e-mailing family and friends and posting to my various e-mail loops each time a new round started, I really only did two other things:
1. During the first round, I did a blog tour. I guest blogged on a different person's/group's blog every day during the two-week voting period.
2. I ordered special business cards from VistaPrint that said, "I NEED YOUR VOTE! To get my book published," then my name, American Title Contest finalist with Out of Sight, Online voting at www.romantictimes.com" and then the dates for each voting period. Several of my friends took batches of these cards and handed them out to potential voters."
Evonne
My contribution to this would be what I picked up from the contest - the desirability of having a track record of success in other contests, so that your name is known, plus an excellent supporters' network, to keep you in the race until the momentum from readers of RT fully kicks in. I didn't have either, which I was well aware of before the thing even started, but it was still a wonderful experience and one I would not have missed.
Mel
Everything I know about self-promotion, I learned from American Title IV. And, like just about everything else I've ever had to learn, I got more out of the many mistakes I made than the few things I managed to get right. Most of it boils down to these things: Don't freak out. (Well, every finalist is allowed a little freak out at first. But keep it to a couple of hours, tops.) Get yourself a posse to help get out the vote. In my case, word of mouth/keyboard was MUCH more effective than offline media. Don't be shy! Talk in loops and message boards. Comment on blogs. Contribute. Not just to say,"Hey, vote for me!" But to meet people. Make friends. And make sure to tap into all of your sources - not just the obvious ones. It didn't occur to me that it might be a good idea to put something on the Tennessee Library Association loop until after I was eliminated. (I mean, I work in a Tennessee library. Duh, right?) I made a lot of mistakes. But I feel that ATIV gave me an opportunity to make those mistakes without having to worry about sales, earning out my advance, etc. And, when I do make my first novel sale, I'll be much more prepared than I would have been without the American Title experience.
Savanna
What do you do now? You've just won a coveted position as one of the American Title V finalists. Yay! How do you round up those all-important votes? Okay, you spread the word like a were-mad thing loosed beneath the full moon. But then, *boohoo* you're eliminated in the first round. Like me. Why? Well, perhaps, you don't have major networks of voting support, like I didn't. Or, perhaps, your cherished manuscript just doesn't have that special appeal needed to win. Who knows why? What you do have as an American Title finalist, is an all-important entry card with publishers, especially with small print and e-publishers. Use that card. If you have other manuscripts to offer a publisher, whether you only want that NY contract or prefer the current e-opportunities. Now is the prime season to get that writer's foot in the door, and keep it stuck there.Using myself as an example, `cause that's all I've got. I had submitted to an e-publisher who advertises in Romantic Times magazine and announced they were open for submissions prior to my finalist status. Siren publishing offered me a contract. From there everything snowballed, granted in slow motion, yet the avalanche continues. Because I kept submitting the manuscripts I did have (yep, there were rejections), I now have two current e-novel releases. And three other manuscripts under contract. And I am crazed-busier than a bee in a blooming clover field. Moral of the American Title story. Use every opportunity there is as a finalist to make your dreams come true as a published author, regardless of when your entry is eliminated. If you go all the way, winning the contract from Dorchester Publishing, that's just yummy-huge creamy-sweet icing on the cake of your career as an author.
All Shades of Blue Paradise ~ available at Siren Publishing. Red Lioness Tamed ~ available at Liquid Silver Books. When a Good Angel Falls ~ coming from Siren-BookStrand Publishing late 2008. Tangerine Carnal Dreams ~ coming from Aspen Mountain Press. Pleasures of Blue Lotus Oil ~ coming from Siren Publishing.
Lexie
I have so little to add...I basically considered every avenue where I have contacts and then emailed and/or sent flyers. I couldn't, however, contact people having to do with my work so that severely limited me! My church, my neighborhood, my sisters and their co-workers, their co-worker’s friends and family, my daughter's swim team, local libraries and bookstores, and, of course, my local writing chapter. I would also state that I have joined more writing groups because of this contest. I learned more about networking than I actually networked at the time!
I would also ditto Savanna's comments about moving quickly and sending queries--while I haven't had the call, I have gotten some nibbles where no one nibbled before--interest in my writing, keep those minds on track, people:)
Helen
Finally, let me tell you what worked best for me. :)
Obviously, I emailed all my writing loops and writing friends with the news I was a finalist. During the years I’ve been writing I’ve made a reasonable number of contacts, but I was certain that alone would not be enough to get me far. Primarily, I looked outside the writing community for my votes. Lucky for me, I have a whiz of a salesman for a husband and he runs his own business. During each voting period he promoted me to everyone he met. We also mailed or emailed all our customers and asked them to vote for me in the final two rounds. The rest of my family also promoted me to their friends and business contacts. I think each round the number of people who knew about my involvement in the contest grew. Friends told friends who told friends! Unlike Anitra, I found sending out press releases useful. Two local newspapers ran articles on me and I was interviewed on the local BBC radio station. These contacts will now be useful to me in promoting The Magic Knot when it’s published by Dorchester next February.
And my top tip: have a gorgeous half-naked man pictured on your promo material. (I am not joking!)
Good luck to everyone entering American Title V. This final year of the contest should prove the most interesting yet with the mix of genres. We’re looking forward to reading the finalists entries and casting our votes!
Anitra
Well, what really worked for me was contacting my local library. The community coordinator helped me send fliers to all the libraries in Utah. I also distributed those fliers to bookstores and western wear shops (since I was using the whole Wanted Poster idea). I also printed homemade business cards that I could hand out to people wherever I went. I think doing the web page didn't help much but it is something I will need in the future. Oh, and sending out the press releases was almost a total waste of time. I sent out about 40 and only got two bites that ended up going nowhere. My dad and step mom took out an ad in their local paper that got me a lot of votes but my family name is very well known in Moab.I do think what helped the most was interviews on blogs--that drove people to my website and hopefully to vote.
Trish
I was very conscious of the fact that I sold my first book after the contest began, so I was very careful not to be obnoxious about promo efforts. Other than e-mailing family and friends and posting to my various e-mail loops each time a new round started, I really only did two other things:
1. During the first round, I did a blog tour. I guest blogged on a different person's/group's blog every day during the two-week voting period.
2. I ordered special business cards from VistaPrint that said, "I NEED YOUR VOTE! To get my book published," then my name, American Title Contest finalist with Out of Sight, Online voting at www.romantictimes.com" and then the dates for each voting period. Several of my friends took batches of these cards and handed them out to potential voters."
Evonne
My contribution to this would be what I picked up from the contest - the desirability of having a track record of success in other contests, so that your name is known, plus an excellent supporters' network, to keep you in the race until the momentum from readers of RT fully kicks in. I didn't have either, which I was well aware of before the thing even started, but it was still a wonderful experience and one I would not have missed.
Mel
Everything I know about self-promotion, I learned from American Title IV. And, like just about everything else I've ever had to learn, I got more out of the many mistakes I made than the few things I managed to get right. Most of it boils down to these things: Don't freak out. (Well, every finalist is allowed a little freak out at first. But keep it to a couple of hours, tops.) Get yourself a posse to help get out the vote. In my case, word of mouth/keyboard was MUCH more effective than offline media. Don't be shy! Talk in loops and message boards. Comment on blogs. Contribute. Not just to say,"Hey, vote for me!" But to meet people. Make friends. And make sure to tap into all of your sources - not just the obvious ones. It didn't occur to me that it might be a good idea to put something on the Tennessee Library Association loop until after I was eliminated. (I mean, I work in a Tennessee library. Duh, right?) I made a lot of mistakes. But I feel that ATIV gave me an opportunity to make those mistakes without having to worry about sales, earning out my advance, etc. And, when I do make my first novel sale, I'll be much more prepared than I would have been without the American Title experience.
Savanna
What do you do now? You've just won a coveted position as one of the American Title V finalists. Yay! How do you round up those all-important votes? Okay, you spread the word like a were-mad thing loosed beneath the full moon. But then, *boohoo* you're eliminated in the first round. Like me. Why? Well, perhaps, you don't have major networks of voting support, like I didn't. Or, perhaps, your cherished manuscript just doesn't have that special appeal needed to win. Who knows why? What you do have as an American Title finalist, is an all-important entry card with publishers, especially with small print and e-publishers. Use that card. If you have other manuscripts to offer a publisher, whether you only want that NY contract or prefer the current e-opportunities. Now is the prime season to get that writer's foot in the door, and keep it stuck there.Using myself as an example, `cause that's all I've got. I had submitted to an e-publisher who advertises in Romantic Times magazine and announced they were open for submissions prior to my finalist status. Siren publishing offered me a contract. From there everything snowballed, granted in slow motion, yet the avalanche continues. Because I kept submitting the manuscripts I did have (yep, there were rejections), I now have two current e-novel releases. And three other manuscripts under contract. And I am crazed-busier than a bee in a blooming clover field. Moral of the American Title story. Use every opportunity there is as a finalist to make your dreams come true as a published author, regardless of when your entry is eliminated. If you go all the way, winning the contract from Dorchester Publishing, that's just yummy-huge creamy-sweet icing on the cake of your career as an author.
All Shades of Blue Paradise ~ available at Siren Publishing. Red Lioness Tamed ~ available at Liquid Silver Books. When a Good Angel Falls ~ coming from Siren-BookStrand Publishing late 2008. Tangerine Carnal Dreams ~ coming from Aspen Mountain Press. Pleasures of Blue Lotus Oil ~ coming from Siren Publishing.
Lexie
I have so little to add...I basically considered every avenue where I have contacts and then emailed and/or sent flyers. I couldn't, however, contact people having to do with my work so that severely limited me! My church, my neighborhood, my sisters and their co-workers, their co-worker’s friends and family, my daughter's swim team, local libraries and bookstores, and, of course, my local writing chapter. I would also state that I have joined more writing groups because of this contest. I learned more about networking than I actually networked at the time!
I would also ditto Savanna's comments about moving quickly and sending queries--while I haven't had the call, I have gotten some nibbles where no one nibbled before--interest in my writing, keep those minds on track, people:)
Helen
Finally, let me tell you what worked best for me. :)
Obviously, I emailed all my writing loops and writing friends with the news I was a finalist. During the years I’ve been writing I’ve made a reasonable number of contacts, but I was certain that alone would not be enough to get me far. Primarily, I looked outside the writing community for my votes. Lucky for me, I have a whiz of a salesman for a husband and he runs his own business. During each voting period he promoted me to everyone he met. We also mailed or emailed all our customers and asked them to vote for me in the final two rounds. The rest of my family also promoted me to their friends and business contacts. I think each round the number of people who knew about my involvement in the contest grew. Friends told friends who told friends! Unlike Anitra, I found sending out press releases useful. Two local newspapers ran articles on me and I was interviewed on the local BBC radio station. These contacts will now be useful to me in promoting The Magic Knot when it’s published by Dorchester next February.
And my top tip: have a gorgeous half-naked man pictured on your promo material. (I am not joking!)
Good luck to everyone entering American Title V. This final year of the contest should prove the most interesting yet with the mix of genres. We’re looking forward to reading the finalists entries and casting our votes!
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
My Self-Promotion Journey Through American Title
Since learning I was a finalist in the American Title Contest, I definitely had to take a crash course in marketing and self-promotion. Luckily for me, I was already on that track prior to finaling. The contest just pushed me to speed the process up some.
The biggest promotional tool a writer should have is a website. It needs to be something that is clean, professional, and reflects your style and writing. It also needs to be kept up to date and should have all the necessary information: who you are, your writing, any writing accomplishments, and contact information. Being a web designer, I already had a website up that had enough content and readership to put me on the top of Google’s web search if you type in my name, “Mai Christy Thao”. That’s very important, by the way. You need to make sure you’re easily found on Google. Your website should make the number one slot – as mine does.
Another huge promotional tool a writer should have is either a blog or social networking page – or both – just something so you can easily connect and interact with your (potential) readers. I had to create a myspace page. In the spans of a month (the amount of time I had before voting started), I had up to 800 friends, I believe. These weren’t just any friend I accepted. These were targeted people who read and/or write books – and a few of my personal friends. Currently I’m at 4746 friends. It’s slowed down a great deal since the beginning of the year because I haven’t been as active on myspace as I was during the height of the competition. Again, this page needs to be professional, clean, and reflect your writing style.
The “secret tool” of my marketing strategy though has be the network of friends and writing acquaintances I’ve made over the course of my writing. This is something that can’t be achieved overnight. I spent years actively participating in workshops, chapters, writing loops, forums, contests, conferences – you name it, I did it. I met anyone I could meet and made it a point to really get to know them. I made friends and acquired name recognition because of the amount of time I spent helping out, volunteering, holding chapter positions, and mentoring newbies. This made it easier for me when the time came for me to ask for votes.
Some of the votes I received came from places I would have never considered before. My mom’s entire workplace gave me votes. My realtor sent out emails asking for votes to her network of friends and realtors in the Carolinas. I got in touch with former co-workers and they helped out with votes. I also had relatives I’ve never known before casting votes for me. Oh, I had an entire church vote for me, courtesy of my aunt who attends there.
One of the biggest promotions I did for the contest was the Sylvia Day blog. All it took was an email to Sylvia. She listened to my idea, proposed something I would have never dared propose, and promoted the heck out of the contest for all the finalists. The interviews conducted on her blog even made it into The Romantic Times Magazine! She is just one of the many writers and authors who’ve gone out of their way to help promote the contest. Pat Rice also was very gracious to host a dialogue chat on her blog for me. If I continued naming names, this post will never end.
One of the more unique approaches I took with promoting myself was contacting Asian forums and Asian magazines. I had two featured articles written about me as a rising Asian star. That was very exciting.
I’ve learned a couple of very valuable things from this process. Here, I’ll list the top ten.
1. It never hurts to ask. In fact, asking will only open more doors and create/strengthen relationships.
2. Always be gracious.
3. Remember and repay even the smallest of gestures.
4. No one said self-promotion was easy.
5. Develop the mantra, “It’s all about me.” – But be humble about it.
6. When there is no time, make time. Make time to write; make time to promote; make time to network; make time to learn; make time to help others.
7. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Grow thicker skin.
8. Having your work ripped to shreds in front of millions of viewers isn’t the end of the world. You pick yourself back up and come back stronger than before.
9. Don’t be afraid to take risks and step outside of your comfort zone. Only then will you be able to grow.
10. Winning isn’t important.
Oh, and most importantly – Have fun and enjoy the ride!
The biggest promotional tool a writer should have is a website. It needs to be something that is clean, professional, and reflects your style and writing. It also needs to be kept up to date and should have all the necessary information: who you are, your writing, any writing accomplishments, and contact information. Being a web designer, I already had a website up that had enough content and readership to put me on the top of Google’s web search if you type in my name, “Mai Christy Thao”. That’s very important, by the way. You need to make sure you’re easily found on Google. Your website should make the number one slot – as mine does.
Another huge promotional tool a writer should have is either a blog or social networking page – or both – just something so you can easily connect and interact with your (potential) readers. I had to create a myspace page. In the spans of a month (the amount of time I had before voting started), I had up to 800 friends, I believe. These weren’t just any friend I accepted. These were targeted people who read and/or write books – and a few of my personal friends. Currently I’m at 4746 friends. It’s slowed down a great deal since the beginning of the year because I haven’t been as active on myspace as I was during the height of the competition. Again, this page needs to be professional, clean, and reflect your writing style.
The “secret tool” of my marketing strategy though has be the network of friends and writing acquaintances I’ve made over the course of my writing. This is something that can’t be achieved overnight. I spent years actively participating in workshops, chapters, writing loops, forums, contests, conferences – you name it, I did it. I met anyone I could meet and made it a point to really get to know them. I made friends and acquired name recognition because of the amount of time I spent helping out, volunteering, holding chapter positions, and mentoring newbies. This made it easier for me when the time came for me to ask for votes.
Some of the votes I received came from places I would have never considered before. My mom’s entire workplace gave me votes. My realtor sent out emails asking for votes to her network of friends and realtors in the Carolinas. I got in touch with former co-workers and they helped out with votes. I also had relatives I’ve never known before casting votes for me. Oh, I had an entire church vote for me, courtesy of my aunt who attends there.
One of the biggest promotions I did for the contest was the Sylvia Day blog. All it took was an email to Sylvia. She listened to my idea, proposed something I would have never dared propose, and promoted the heck out of the contest for all the finalists. The interviews conducted on her blog even made it into The Romantic Times Magazine! She is just one of the many writers and authors who’ve gone out of their way to help promote the contest. Pat Rice also was very gracious to host a dialogue chat on her blog for me. If I continued naming names, this post will never end.
One of the more unique approaches I took with promoting myself was contacting Asian forums and Asian magazines. I had two featured articles written about me as a rising Asian star. That was very exciting.
I’ve learned a couple of very valuable things from this process. Here, I’ll list the top ten.
1. It never hurts to ask. In fact, asking will only open more doors and create/strengthen relationships.
2. Always be gracious.
3. Remember and repay even the smallest of gestures.
4. No one said self-promotion was easy.
5. Develop the mantra, “It’s all about me.” – But be humble about it.
6. When there is no time, make time. Make time to write; make time to promote; make time to network; make time to learn; make time to help others.
7. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Grow thicker skin.
8. Having your work ripped to shreds in front of millions of viewers isn’t the end of the world. You pick yourself back up and come back stronger than before.
9. Don’t be afraid to take risks and step outside of your comfort zone. Only then will you be able to grow.
10. Winning isn’t important.
Oh, and most importantly – Have fun and enjoy the ride!
Monday, May 12, 2008
Flying through the Fog
I will immediately give credit to the many writers who have come before me and let you know—I did not create that phrase. But I love it.
This past weekend, one of my sisters (the third of us is very pregnant and opted out) and I, our daughters, and our mother traveled to the Biltmore for Mother’s Day weekend. The Biltmore, for those of you who don’t know (forgive the excessive detail, for those of you who do), was built in the late 1890s by George Vanderbilt. George’s grandfather, Cornelius, made all the money and his son, George’s father, doubled the fortune. From what I can tell, George did nothing other than spend.
And he did that very well. He traveled to the Blue Ridge mountains, fell in love with the mountains, and built a 250 room house—99 bedrooms, 43 bathrooms, indoor pool, bowling alley, all for a family of 3. He purchased 100,000 surrounding acres and shipped in artisans, housing them in a nearby village—which he also purchased. The house is beautiful, the gardens lovely, but I am still drawn to what drew him—the land.
All of this is an aside to the point I want to make. Driving from one side of South Carolina to the other, and then into North Carolina, took me through the mountains. Going up was breathtaking—the fresh spring green white oaks and poplars blooming. Coming back Sunday, through the morning fog, held mystery, and an illusion—that you could drive right off the side of a mountain and the clouds would hold you up.
I think that’s how I’ve approached writing in the past. I love the thrill of just putting my bottom in a chair and flying. Wherever the stories take me, whatever the characters want to reveal, I’m game.
Flying through the fog works sometimes, particularly if you’re actually in an airplane and have good directional instrumentation.
But, sometimes it doesn’t. I have a manuscript from three years ago,--223 pages into it, I quit. I hate to say I flew over the edge, but I think I did. It’s not too painful, thank goodness, because, unlike in the real world, we have tools to get back on track. I’ve picked up a book by Karen Weisner, First Draft in 30 Days, and am re-plotting to see where I drove off the cliff, if the car is totaled, and so on. I think it’s working.
One final but, however. There’s not the thrill of fog flying here. I have to push myself to go back and edit. I have a million and one things to do around the house—unpacking, for one. So, this fog flier is going to allow myself to work on another manuscript for fun while being a plot
ter the rest of the day.
So, question—do others find a combination works best—or are there strict plotters and pantsers out there?
Friday, May 9, 2008
Guest Blogger ~ Ariana Dupre'
Hi Title Magicians all. Today we have an amazing lady and author with us. I first heard her, yes, ‘heard’ because I listened to her blog radio show. There was a link on the Passionate Ink forum, and being a radio fan (not to mention curious) I tuned in. Impressively, Ariana Dupre’/Melissa Alvarez interviewed authors and publishers. She also gave a ‘psychic’ reading or two, which, personally, I find even more impressive. Having dabbled in that arena myself and listened to several outstanding psychics over the years, I kinda know what rings true.Ms. Dupre’ also rings true as a superb author. She is a paranormal author with Cerridwen, and her current novel, the Talgorian Prophecy, is receiving outstanding reviews. One after another! So many it makes my head spin. And, nope, I’m not possessed by an earthbound spirit! Contrary to popular opinion.
Without further adieu...
To Be Or Not To Be…..
That really is the question isn’t it? As authors we can be ourselves or we can be someone else and use a pen name. Since I write under a pen name I thought this would be interesting topic for today but before I start I’d like to thank ya’ll (yep, I’m a Southerner) for having me here today. I thoroughly enjoy your blog and am honored that Savanna asked me to participate as a guest blogger.
I saw that Mai posted about pen names not too long ago (so go check the archives because it’s a great post) and I’d like to add my experience to the mix. Why would an author decide to use a pen name? Well, there are a couple of reasons that I know of:
A) They want to protect their privacy.
B) They don’t want anyone to know what they write because it could adversely affect their day jobs.
C) They are so prolific that no one would believe they could write that many books in a year.
D) They write in multiple genres and don’t want the two confused.
E) And this list could go on and on and on and on like that little pink bunny.
I decided to use a pen name for several reasons. First, I’d worked as the guide to About.com for over a year and a half and I knew a lot of people in the industry. I was also the owner of a publishing company. I wanted my work to stand on its own – to either fail miserably or do well – based solely on the writing and not on my name. As in every industry some people may like you and some may not and I didn’t want the book to be given great reviews because someone liked me or poor reviews because they didn’t so I used a pen name that I’d come up with years earlier. I was fortunate in that the book received rave reviews and won awards – all without anyone knowing my identity. But having a secret pen name is crazy hard! Here’s an example. In 2004 with the original release of Night Visions, I was invited to the Cataromance Reviewer’s Choice Awards chat where they revealed all of the winners. Since I have quite a few authors with New Age Dimensions, I was pretty sure that one of our books was going to receive an award – I just didn’t know which one. So here I am sitting in the chat as Melissa Alvarez, owner of and publisher at New Age Dimensions, when they announced the winner of the Winner of the CataRomance.com Reviewer's Choice Award for Best Single Title Paranormal Romance 2004 – it was Night Visions by Ariana Dupré. I was so shocked that I couldn’t even type for a minute and then when I was able to answer I had to accept on Ariana’s behalf because she wasn’t there. But I really was! LOL Can you imagine – accepting a book of the year award on for yourself and not being able to tell everyone? After that I decided that it was just too hard having a secret identity so I held a contest (which was tons of fun) to reveal Ariana’s true identity. If you decide to go with a secret pen name you have to be prepared to celebrate successes by yourself unless everyone knows you only by that name.
I also write in multiple genres so that was another consideration for me to write under a pen name. I actually have a few. I write paranormal romantic suspense as Ariana Dupre, nonfiction as Melissa Alvarez and am self publishing two children’s books as Jara Jordan. By having multiple pen names people know exactly what they can expect from each of my names (engaging romantic suspense, eye opening nonfiction or fun and educational children’s books) even though it’s not a secret they all of those names belong to me.
When you’re thinking about the pen name that you’d like to use consider why you need one to begin with. Then take advice from Mai’s post and look at the importance of the type of name you choose and it’s marketability. Keeping a pen name secret is hard but it can be done.
Thanks again for having me here today! It’s been great fun.
Smiles,
Melissa Alvarez/Ariana Dupre
Talgorian Prophecy On Sale Now
http://melissaa.com , http://aspsychichaven.com
SIMPLY ROMANCE REVIEWS: TALGORIAN PROPHECY ~ GRADE: A
What would you do if you were a famous psychic and your son was just kidnapped by a ruthless serial killer? Go the police? I think not, especially when they don’t believe a word you say. You head off to find him, and that’s just what Megan Cassidy does in Talgorian Prophecy.
No one believes she can find her son but she knows she can, her visions become more and more haunting and she has no choice but to ask for the help of her ex-fiancé Brody Phelps. She has never stopped loving him but he has never forgiven her for the loss of his parents seven years ago.
But Megan has a secret she’s kept from Brody and when he finds out and agrees to help her find Robbie they learn even more unbelievable truths as they hike through the mountains of Virginia.
What is the Talgorian Prophecy? Well you’ll have to read this fast paced, hold on to the edge of your chair book by Ariana Dupré to find out. I’m not going to spoil one word of this excellent story. Can you say "what a twist?" You will and more as you hike along with Megan and Brody on their desperate search for Robbie before time runs out.
I really loved this book, it had a couple of really great surprises and it was never slow. The characters were well rounded from the obnoxious police officer (I swear I wanted to kick his butt myself) to Megan, our heroine, who loved her son so deeply nothing not even the threat of death would keep her from rescuing him. One warning, make sure when you start Talgorian Prophecy you have plenty of time to read because you won’t want to put it down until you have turned the last page. I can’t wait to read more by this very talented author. ~Reviewed by Lynda
I saw that Mai posted about pen names not too long ago (so go check the archives because it’s a great post) and I’d like to add my experience to the mix. Why would an author decide to use a pen name? Well, there are a couple of reasons that I know of:
A) They want to protect their privacy.
B) They don’t want anyone to know what they write because it could adversely affect their day jobs.
C) They are so prolific that no one would believe they could write that many books in a year.
D) They write in multiple genres and don’t want the two confused.
E) And this list could go on and on and on and on like that little pink bunny.
I decided to use a pen name for several reasons. First, I’d worked as the guide to About.com for over a year and a half and I knew a lot of people in the industry. I was also the owner of a publishing company. I wanted my work to stand on its own – to either fail miserably or do well – based solely on the writing and not on my name. As in every industry some people may like you and some may not and I didn’t want the book to be given great reviews because someone liked me or poor reviews because they didn’t so I used a pen name that I’d come up with years earlier. I was fortunate in that the book received rave reviews and won awards – all without anyone knowing my identity. But having a secret pen name is crazy hard! Here’s an example. In 2004 with the original release of Night Visions, I was invited to the Cataromance Reviewer’s Choice Awards chat where they revealed all of the winners. Since I have quite a few authors with New Age Dimensions, I was pretty sure that one of our books was going to receive an award – I just didn’t know which one. So here I am sitting in the chat as Melissa Alvarez, owner of and publisher at New Age Dimensions, when they announced the winner of the Winner of the CataRomance.com Reviewer's Choice Award for Best Single Title Paranormal Romance 2004 – it was Night Visions by Ariana Dupré. I was so shocked that I couldn’t even type for a minute and then when I was able to answer I had to accept on Ariana’s behalf because she wasn’t there. But I really was! LOL Can you imagine – accepting a book of the year award on for yourself and not being able to tell everyone? After that I decided that it was just too hard having a secret identity so I held a contest (which was tons of fun) to reveal Ariana’s true identity. If you decide to go with a secret pen name you have to be prepared to celebrate successes by yourself unless everyone knows you only by that name.
I also write in multiple genres so that was another consideration for me to write under a pen name. I actually have a few. I write paranormal romantic suspense as Ariana Dupre, nonfiction as Melissa Alvarez and am self publishing two children’s books as Jara Jordan. By having multiple pen names people know exactly what they can expect from each of my names (engaging romantic suspense, eye opening nonfiction or fun and educational children’s books) even though it’s not a secret they all of those names belong to me.
When you’re thinking about the pen name that you’d like to use consider why you need one to begin with. Then take advice from Mai’s post and look at the importance of the type of name you choose and it’s marketability. Keeping a pen name secret is hard but it can be done.
Thanks again for having me here today! It’s been great fun.
Smiles,
Melissa Alvarez/Ariana Dupre
Talgorian Prophecy On Sale Now
http://melissaa.com , http://aspsychichaven.com
SIMPLY ROMANCE REVIEWS: TALGORIAN PROPHECY ~ GRADE: A
What would you do if you were a famous psychic and your son was just kidnapped by a ruthless serial killer? Go the police? I think not, especially when they don’t believe a word you say. You head off to find him, and that’s just what Megan Cassidy does in Talgorian Prophecy.
No one believes she can find her son but she knows she can, her visions become more and more haunting and she has no choice but to ask for the help of her ex-fiancé Brody Phelps. She has never stopped loving him but he has never forgiven her for the loss of his parents seven years ago.
But Megan has a secret she’s kept from Brody and when he finds out and agrees to help her find Robbie they learn even more unbelievable truths as they hike through the mountains of Virginia.
What is the Talgorian Prophecy? Well you’ll have to read this fast paced, hold on to the edge of your chair book by Ariana Dupré to find out. I’m not going to spoil one word of this excellent story. Can you say "what a twist?" You will and more as you hike along with Megan and Brody on their desperate search for Robbie before time runs out.
I really loved this book, it had a couple of really great surprises and it was never slow. The characters were well rounded from the obnoxious police officer (I swear I wanted to kick his butt myself) to Megan, our heroine, who loved her son so deeply nothing not even the threat of death would keep her from rescuing him. One warning, make sure when you start Talgorian Prophecy you have plenty of time to read because you won’t want to put it down until you have turned the last page. I can’t wait to read more by this very talented author. ~Reviewed by Lynda
p.s. She has horses. Beautiful gorgeous horses. Check out melissaa.com.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Stones that dance?
I first got into the idea of stone circles when I was a child. There was a small park near where I lived -- climbable trees, with the added attraction of a ring of tall grey stones in the centre. We always called them the Druid Stones and imagined that they had been there for centuries. It was years before I discovered the proper name of the park. I know now that the circle was a modern Gorsedd -- not ancient and not much to do with druids, but erected to commemorate the holding of an eisteddfod -- a traditional Welsh celebration of music and poetry.
In due course, I visited the ultimate UK stone circle -- Stonehenge. In those days you could still walk amongst the megaliths. They were huge, and imposing, but I found them disappointingly un-atmospheric. That part of the country is strewn with stones and circles and I have to say that I found other, less well-known sites, often come upon unannounced in the middle of a field, to have more magic. Particularly if you happened on them when the sun was beginning to set…
Wales has a number of sites with standing stones -- including two near where I live, which I've never visited, but are on my list for this summer, though not at midnight! The Tinkinswood Burial Chamber dates from 3,500 BC and the capstone is thought to be the largest in Europe. Like most circles, they have their own share of creepy stories attached to them. The St Lythan’s site, which has never been excavated, has a saddled horse that cannot be ridden, which appears on moonlit nights. On Midsummer Eve the capstone is reputed to twirl around three times, while the stones go to the river to bathe, and at Halloween wishes whispered to the stones are granted.
Wales has a number of sites with standing stones -- including two near where I live, which I've never visited, but are on my list for this summer, though not at midnight! The Tinkinswood Burial Chamber dates from 3,500 BC and the capstone is thought to be the largest in Europe. Like most circles, they have their own share of creepy stories attached to them. The St Lythan’s site, which has never been excavated, has a saddled horse that cannot be ridden, which appears on moonlit nights. On Midsummer Eve the capstone is reputed to twirl around three times, while the stones go to the river to bathe, and at Halloween wishes whispered to the stones are granted.
The magical stories about the origins of stone circles usually involve giants being caught by the first rays of the rising sun, or groups of women turned to stone while dancing. The historical reality, to me, is no less fascinating. Massive structures that are thousands of years old, put in place at a time when the only way of maneuvering them would have been by manual labour. Created for purposes we don't really understand, frequently associated with significant events in the calendar, such as the summer or winter solstice, many containing old burial chambers -- I think that this ‘history in the mists of time’ element attracts me, as a writer, more than the myths and ghost stories.
I am not the only one who finds these stones intriguing. Standing stones and stone circles occur in some of my favourite reading. I think that it was Mary Stewart's fictional account of Me
rlin bringing the stones from Ireland to create Stonehenge, told in her book The Crystal Cave, that first made me want to visit. In Nora Robert’s Circle trilogy a stone dance is the portal into Geall. The work of British thriller writer Robert Goddard, often set in the West Country, draws on the atmosphere of the Avebury stones in Sight Unseen, a story that begins with the disappearance of a child. I’d be interested to hear if anyone knows of any more examples.
rlin bringing the stones from Ireland to create Stonehenge, told in her book The Crystal Cave, that first made me want to visit. In Nora Robert’s Circle trilogy a stone dance is the portal into Geall. The work of British thriller writer Robert Goddard, often set in the West Country, draws on the atmosphere of the Avebury stones in Sight Unseen, a story that begins with the disappearance of a child. I’d be interested to hear if anyone knows of any more examples.As far as I'm aware, standing stones are a particularly European phenomena, appearing most significantly in a swathe from Scotland to Brittany, on the French coast -- but I'd love to know if there are any similar or comparable sites elsewhere in the world.
I suspect that at some stage a book will come to me that has a stone circle in it -- and it will probably be one out of my imagination, so that I can give it all the characteristics and atmosphere that I want. Tall stone pillars, looming out of a chilly mist, waiting for the first thin, pale touch of the rising sun. Or maybe silent and watchful, bathed in bloody light as the sun dips down over the horizon. Or under a new moon, or a single star. Or maybe just sitting in a field, grey, sleek and dripping, on a typically wet Welsh morning …
Image of Stonehenge: FreeFoto.com
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