with John W. Howell
The boss is a piece of flash fiction which Kori Miller on her Kori Miller Writes site has posted. You can go here to read it. I certainly want to thank Kori for putting it up on her space. There is also an imposing picture of me there, but you can avert your eyes.
Kori’s site has a number of authors featured as well as information on pod casting. Definitely worth a visit.
Finally Friday and time to get ready for the weekend. My favorite part of the weekend is not necessarily taking time off, but the thought time off is completely up to me. I have a self-imposed schedule that is a killer, but on the weekend it seems I cut myself some slack and goof off. It usually starts with a Margarita on Friday night to set the mood. It then works its way into actually taking time to relax. This is very hard for me and need to plan to release on a particular project. So this week’s Haiku hopefully captures this spirit. Hope you enjoy it.
The Line by John W. Howell
Friday is a line,
Drawn quite unnaturally . . .
Between life and work.
I hope you all have a great weekend.
Kevin Brennan who writes the blog What the Hell and who is an accomplished author of several books including; the critically acclaimed Yesterday Road , wrote a beautiful review of My GRL on Amazon. You can go here and read all of it, but what caught me was Kevin’s statement “Despite the serious themes and the white-knuckle action, it’s the humor and cleverness in this novel that make me think I ought to give the genre another shot.”
I can’t think of a better compliment than that and I am so glad he enjoyed the book. If you haven’t read Yesterday Road yet, you are missing a wonderful, warm, thought-provoking literary tour de force. You should put it on your TBR list right under My GRL.
Thank you Kevin for the nice words
Yay. We made it to Wednesday. Give yourself a pat on the behind. (Don’t worry no one will think a thing of it as long as it is your behind.). Time for a story. This one is a real experiment brought about by Charles Yallowitz discussing the fourth wall on this post on February 19th. I was very intrigued and decided to give it a try. To review and to quote Charles, “One of the most popular tricks to do these days is ‘Break the 4th Wall’. For those that don’t know, this means for a character to interact with the audience. The 4th wall refers to where the audience is sitting since a stage would have a back wall, right wall, left wall, and then nothing in the front.” So here goes.
How does it feel? By John W. Howell
“Hey Harry. Look out there.”
“Where?”
“Out there beyond the computer screen. Out where folks are reading what you say.”
“Huh?”
“All those people on the other side of our computer, drinking coffee and, checking out their reader for something interesting.”
“Oh yeah I see them.”
“Pretty funny huh?”
“Can they see what we say?”
“Oh yeah every word.”
“So if we talk dirty they will see us?”
“I wouldn’t do that Harry. They can see every word.”
“What do they want from us?”
“They want to be entertained. Don’t you folks?”
“I can’t hear them.”
“Doesn’t matter. They will agree I’m sure. Who doesn’t want to be entertained? Right you guys?”
“So what do we do?”
“Well . . . we could rant about something. That’s pretty entertaining.”
“I don’t have anything to rant about.”
“Doesn’t matter. A rant is entertaining and people love it. Watch. How about those stupid people in Washington? Can’t they get anything right? Am I right people? Does anyone have a solution to the problem?”
“I hear crickets Frank. I don’t think this fourth wall break through is working.”
“Sure it is. Look at all the ‘Likes’ we are collecting.”
“Frank.”
“Yes Harry.”
“Give it up. There is no body there.”
“Is Harry right? I could sing a song . . . Daisy, Daisy give me your answer do.”
I am pleased to say My GRL is now available at the following places:
Smashwords available in epub, mobi, pdf, rtf, lrf, pdb, txt formats
Barnes and Noble dot com in the Nook format
Also My GRL has a Facebook page where you can visit as well
Mondays are Book Tag days and I have been tagged by Jo Robinson. As you may be aware, Jo lives in South Africa and hopes to publish four books this year.
Lesser Being is the first in a collection of novels featuring Judith, a ghost writer specializing in memoirs. Each book tells the life of the person whose memoir she’s currently writing. The first one is Emmaline. Jo describes it as: “This particular story started out as a memory of someone, then turned into a daydream about what route her life had taken, then it became a high-definition movie in my head with surround sound in 3D. All I had to do was write it down, and try not to use too many exclamation marks again.”
Thanks Jo for tagging me.
The rules of this tag are to answer the following four writing questions, and then tag three other authors. Next week, March 3, these three authors will answer the same questions and tag three others, and so the chain continues to grow larger. This will enable readers to get to know more authors and their books. It will also allow everyone to get to know these authors a little better.
Questions:
1. What are you currently working on?
I’m currently putting the finishing touches on the second part of the John J. Cannon trilogy. The draft is finished and now needs editing. The working title is His Revenge and tells the story of the attempt of Matt Jacobs the money and brains behind a small, but dedicated group of terrorists to discredit John Cannon, the protagonist from My GRL. Speaking of My GRL I am still in the heat of marketing. I actually have posted a first chapter on the sidebar of Fiction Favorites.(for those who actually visit the site)
2. How does your work differ from others in the same genre?
Most thrillers have a strong hero-type protagonist who seems immune to any threats or harm. John Cannon is an ordinary guy who has been very successful in his work and wants to relax and enjoy the fruits of his labor. He is not connected with any agency or secret mission team. He is just a man wanting to learn to be a charter boat captain and is caught up in circumstances not of his making.
3. Why do you write what you do?
I have a dream to finish five novels before my brain turns to oatmeal. The subject matter of these works comes to me and I am compelled to write them down. Sometimes I have no idea why I write what I do. Some of my short stories reflect this “in the dark,” scenario.
4. How does your writing process work?
I usually outline a few chapters and then work on a timeline. After that, I start writing and don’t stop until I think the story is finished.
And now time to Tag three other Authors.
The first is Charles Yallowitz whose blog Legends of Windermere is also the name of his series of fantasy novels: The Beginning of a Hero, The Prodigy of Rainbow Tower and Allure of the GypsieS. (Click on the covers below to go to Amazon) Charles has been described as the hardest working author of anyone. He also is a mentor and coach to those authors who need some advice.
Charles is also hard a work on at least three more Legends of Windemere book which I know about. If you have not visited him yet you should go
Helen Valentina is my second choice and is a writer who loves to explore why we do the things we do and how our characters are formed by our beliefs and actions. The essence of the reason for her blog is best said by her: “Like most people, I have a number of sides to me. The most interesting one probably emerges through my writing, hence this blog. I love to read, and also to write, and so this is a way to share both. A visit to her blog will show you how uniquely talented Helen is in her writing. Her poems will cause you to think and ponder and then react.
Not content with poetry alone Helen has written two books The Seed and Curiosity
‘The Seed’ is a dark romance that looks at the impact of dreams and myths on our romantic natures and choices – an intense and sometimes ambiguous journey into the heart of passionate people. The Seed, now available on lulu.com, iTunes (link via lulu.com), Amazon Kindle and POD and on Nook. Helen describes The Seed, “ is a dark romance, exploring passion and the reasons that we choose to follow relationships and the implications that can arise from those choices. For those familiar with my poetry, the mix of passion/love and mystery/ambiguity will be quite familiar.”
‘Curiosity’ is about a man who believes the world has already ended and no-one noticed, and how his beliefs and nature propel him into being an unlikely hero for the modern, media age. She says: “As a black comedy/satire, Curiosity is a major departure from my first novel The Seed. It’s writing style, though of course my own, is lighter and more cynical – more extroverted and action oriented than introspective and contemplative. As I’ve said before, if my novels were my children The Seed would be the moody, passionate artist. Curiosity is a bit of a brat to be honest, but hopefully a clever child, who will one day grow to cut a swathe in public relations or the gossip column industry.”
My third choice Devorah Fox is a fellow member of the Rockport Writers Group and has published three novels. Two: The lost King,and The Kings Ransom are fantasy stories of her character King Bewilliam and his quest to restore his lost kingdom. The third is a departure into a Mystery story Titled: Naked Came the Sharks .
Naked Came the Sharks synopsis: Chasing her dream of becoming an investigative reporter in San Francisco, Holly Rivera Berry has to return to her hometown of Bonafides on the Texas Coastal Bend to settle her recently deceased father’s estate. She discovers that just before he died her father researched the possibility that via an old Mexican land grant the Rivera family owns The Gap, a natural channel to the Gulf of Mexico. Land speculators plan to erect luxury homes, resorts, hotels, and a casino along The Gap and Holly comes to doubt that her father died of natural causes. The more she investigates, the more things don’t add up. One by one her allies fall victim to fatal accidents and it looks like Holly might be next.
Here is the 34th installment of Ten Top Lists of What Not to Do by Marie Ann Bailey of 1WriteWay at http://1writeway.com and John W. Howell of Fiction Favorites at http://johnwhowell.com. These lists are simu-published on our blogs each Monday. We hope you enjoy.
Top Ten Things Not to Do When Writing a Book Review on Amazon or Anywhere Else
10. When writing a book review, do not provide a five-page synopsis of the book before you even start your review. If you do, at best, readers will just skip the synopsis and your efforts will be wasted. At worst, readers will confuse the synopsis for your own work, tweet and blog about the review, causing it to go viral and guaranteeing a negative reaction by the author.
9. When writing a book review, do not simply say, “I liked the book. It was really good.” Readers want to know what you liked about the book. If that is all you say, at best, your reviews will simply be ignored. At worst, readers will ignore you in droves when they see you use the same response for everything from Fifty Shades of Gray to Five Billion Years of Solitude and decide not to take your reviews seriously.
8. When writing a book review, do not simply say, “I hated it. It was a waste of time.” If you really didn’t like a book, explain why so the reader can make an informed decision whether or not to read it. If you don’t, at best, readers will just ignore your review, shrugging you off as someone who probably didn’t even read the book. At worst, readers will take an exception to your condescending attitude and begin to flag all your reviews as “Not helpful,” quickly causing your reputation as a book reviewer to go south.
7. When writing a book review, do not include spoilers unless you make it clear at the beginning of your review that it contains spoilers. If you do, at best, only a few readers will be disturbed by your spoiler review, and they may even kindly point out your error to you. At worst, a flame war among reviewers of the book will erupt, with you likely getting a call from the author’s pro wrestler brother-in-law.
6. When writing a book review, do not think it is funny to suggest the author of the book quit writing and take up dishwashing for employment. If you do, at best, readers will take you for the troll you are and ignore you. At worst, you might find yourself suddenly and uncomfortably associated with bullies and brutes, a group of people who tend to eat their own.
5. When writing a book review, do not think the reader needs to know every single typo, grammatical error, or other such boo-boo in the book you’ve reviewed. If you point all these out, at best, your annotations might simply distract the reader from fully understanding what the book is about. At worst, you may be hearing from the author’s attorney because in your zeal to show your editorial prowess, you essentially duplicated the book in your review.
4. When writing a book review, do not think that speed reading through a stack of books and then spending a weekend marathon writing reviews will necessarily stoke your reputation as a book reviewer. If you do, at best, readers might be impressed, but still wonder at your sanity for producing 60 reviews in 48 hours. At worst, near the end of your marathon reviewing, you conflate Goldfinch with the Peterson Field Guide to Birds and your reviews become the laughingstock of Amazon reviews.
3. When writing a book review, do not think just reading the first and last chapter of a book is enough to enable you to write an intelligent book review. If that’s all you do, at best, you’ll wind up just writing “I liked it” or “I hated it” because you really can’t say anything more. At worst, you get called out by another reviewer when you mention the hero survives World War II when in fact the book is about zombies and the hero turns into one in the penultimate chapter.
2. When writing a book review, do not think you need to become an authority on the author of the book you are reviewing. At best, the author will be a stay-at-home mom with two-year-old twins who will feel flattered you thought she actually lives a life of romance and danger. At worst, the author could be a lawyer trying his hand at writing fiction and who will not take kindly to your suggestion to the effect: Since he writes from the point of view of a serial killer, he then must have experience as a serial killer. In this case, the lawyer may decide to role-play his novel, with you as the victim.
1. When writing a book review, do not think you will gain fans and followers by being snarky and rude in your reviews. Okay, you probably will, but consider what kind of fans/followers they will be. At best, they will just be people with nothing better to do than be anonymously rude and snarky on the web and eventually you’ll get tired of the negativity, change your Gravatar and start writing constructive reviews. At worst, the people following you could hack into your account and download every Gravatar you’ve ever used, as well as, all your email addresses and blogs and previous book reviews, and you will never ever escape them, making your experience an interesting plot for a dystopian novel.
To see how book reviews should be written, visit Ionia Martin’s Readful Things Blog at http://www.readfulthingsblog.com.
The nicest thank you (for doing very little) from a rising star. Can’t wait for the book. Well . . . I can, but don’t want to.
This is an entertaining book and right now is the time to get it. FREE? You kidding me. (excuse the alliteration) Don’t wait since this has to be the best give-a-way of the year.
Cover Art by Jason Pedersen
On February 24th, Legends of Windemere: Beginning of a Hero will be 1 year old. To celebrate, I’ve done the following:
And don’t forget the rest of the series!! Click on the cover art to go to the Amazon site!!
Cover Art by Jason Pedersen
Cover by Jason Pedersen
Paperback cover
e-book cover
Unless you have been unconscious for a few months, you must know Helena Hann-Basquiat the author. She has a wonderful blog which is listed below and has also put together her volume one (oh goodie it means there is a volume two for those who love her) of her memoirs. This is really good news for the literate of the world since there may be stunning revelations as to who this person is anyway. In typical fashion for a Dilettante, you are treated to the vision of the cover before being able to go inside.
Memoirs of a Dilettante is a collection of reminiscences, following Helena Hann-Basquiat, a self-proclaimed dilettante who will try anything just to say that she has, and her twenty-something niece, who she has dubbed the Countess Penelope of Arcadia, in their off-beat antics in such places as common as the local McDonald’s or the comic book store, to their travels to Miami for the search for the perfect Cuban sandwich. Interspersed between wacky one-off adventures, Helena tells personal, sometimes painful stories from her past in order to try to make sense of her life as it has played out, tempering everything with an indomitable sense of humour.
Cummerbund Bandersnatch, the Accidental Plagiarist, strippers, rock stars, geeks, freaks, and the Barista With No Name — these are just a few of the characters you’ll meet inside.
Discover Helena’s tales for the first time or all over again, with new notes and annotations for the culturally impaired — or for those who just need to know what the hell was going through her mind at the time!
If you just can’t wait and you want a taste of Helena’s writing, follow her blog: http://helenahannbasquiat.wordpress.com/
If you just can’t get enough Helena, or you want updates on further goings on, release dates and miscellaneous mayhem, follow Helena on Twitter @hhbasquiat
I understand I am doing clean-up on the cover reveal tour, so if I were you, I would go see Helena now since this will be the last post on the schedule. Damn I had to wait so long.
