Tag: author

Friday JohnKu – TGIF

~ John W. Howell ~ 23 Comments

 

Friday finally. Hope your week was a good one. I was sorry to see both daughter and granddaughter leave and as usual the visit was way too short. All is back to normal and the house is quiet again. Can’t say this is a good thing, but it is what normal sounds like. I suppose if the two lived here full-time I would be happy to see them take a trip. All I can do is watch the airplane lift off and look forward to the next time. Daughter did leave the grand dog with us as she takes care of some travels where dogs aren’t welcome. I know she will be back soon. Granddaughter is going off to Mexico for a year. I know she won’t have the opportunity to return for at least that length of time. This week’s JohnKu (term coined by Words4jp) reflects a bit of lonely.

Time to Go…. By John W. Howell

Leaving time creeps in,

While laughter rings throughout home…

Switches smile with frown.

Wednesday Story Day AKA Hump Day

~ John W. Howell ~ 15 Comments

 

Wednesday is upon us again. I have a feeling since it is the Wednesday after the Fourth of July holiday the week has been moving faster for some reason. I think it is because my granddaughter is visiting me from Indiana. You know how time flies when you are having a good time. So it is with this visit. She is sixteen and a real joy. She will be an exchange student in the fall and it is exciting to see how well her life is developing. I have to give full credit to her mom and dad. They are hands on parents and it really shows. My youngest daughter is visiting at the same time so the house is full of chatter and laughter. Daughter’s life is developing well also. She is a fraud analyst working for a start-up company. Okay, I’ll take part of the credit.

The Fourth of July weekend was the inspiration for the story today. There were so many people and so much trash. You would think none of these folks had the kind of parents who would teach them to behave as if they are human rather than a sty dweller. The story is titled Trash. I hope you like it. Yes, Frank is in it so we know there is a problem right away.

Trash by John W. Howell

“Look at that ass throwing the beer cans in the water.”

“I see him. Do you know him?”

“Nope. I can tell he is from San Antonio though.”

“How can you tell that?”

“Can’t you see the GO SPURs on his wife beater shirt?”

“Yeah, I can.”

“Also he has more beer in a HEB store plastic bag in his hand. Dead tip-off.”

“Should we say anything? I hate that littering.”

“Yeah, you stay here. I’ll go see what he thinks he’s doing. Hey fella.”

“You talkn’ to me.”

“Yeah, I’m talking to you. I was wondering why you were throwing the beer cans into the water.”

“They’re trash man. I’m throwing them away.”

“How about that trash barrel that is oh maybe ten steps away.”

“You got a problem?”

“I don’t like litter on the beach.”

“Well then that’s your problem.”

“Pick it up.”

“Make me.”

“What’s your name?”

“Gerry. What’s yours?”

“Frank.”

“Why do you want to know my name?”

“I always like to know who I’m killing with this here 9MM. Bye Gerry.”

 

Top Ten Things Not to Do When Writing with a Toddler Around

~ John W. Howell ~ 22 Comments

This is the 53rd edition of What Not to Do. This week Charles Yallowitz famed Fantasy author of the Legends of Windemere series of Fantasy novels and blogger extraordinaire has authored the list. If you would like to join the fun e-mail me at johnhowell.wave@gmail.com.  This list will appear on Legends of Windemere post as well as on Fiction Favorites.

Top Ten Things Not to do When Writing with a Toddler Around

10. If you are trying to write your book while supervising a hungry toddler, do not give them the entire box of their favorite cereal in lieu of cooking dinner. At best, they will scatter the contents of the box around the room and give you an hour of focused vacuuming to do during your break. At worst, their cereal will be high in sugar and you will spend the rest of the week gluing all of your wife’s pottery back together.

9. If you are trying to write your book while supervising a loud toddler, do not wear headphones to drown them out with heavy metal music. At best, you will find that they took advantage of your obliviousness and cleaned all of your underwear in the toilet. At worst, you will find that they started a ‘Pet Breakfast Club’ in the basement with the hamster, the bird, and a cat that you have never seen before.

8. If you are trying to write your book while supervising an energetic toddler, do not put them in the backyard to wear themselves out while you ‘watch’ from inside. At best, you will find them trapped in a tree, under the bushes, or at the top of their swing set. At worst, you will find that they drove the riding mower throughout the neighborhood and now you have to throw a BBQ to make peace with the neighbors.

7. If you are trying to write your book while supervising a sleeping toddler, do not fill the silent void with music. At best, they will stay asleep, but your concentration will break every time the music sounds a bit too loud. At worst, they will wake up and take screeching vengeance on the parent who dared disturb their slumber.

6. If you are trying to edit a print out of your book while supervising an imaginative toddler, do not leave your manuscript alone for more than a few seconds. At best, you will find that someone played ‘editor’ with a pink highlighter and left their sweating sippy cup on your chair. At worst, you will return to find the pages strewn across the office by a child who announces himself as ‘Princess Else’ and asks if you want to make a snowman. This is also when you realize that Microsoft Word doesn’t automatically put page numbers on documents.

5. If you are trying to write your book while supervising a talkative toddler, do not try to continue typing while holding a conversation. At best, you will write gibberish because your fingers have slipped one key to the left and you never noticed. At worst, you will unknowingly include the conversation in your manuscript and give your editor more embarrassing ammo to tease you with. Even worse, your editor doesn’t catch the issue and you publish with the hero and villain discussing why big boys don’t poop in their underwear.

4. If you are trying to write your book while waiting for the toddler to come home from school, do not ignore the clock and push your time to the final minute. At best, you will have to go running out to the bus without shoes and wearing your lucky ‘Hello, Kitty’ author shirt. At worst, you never hear the bus, your toddler is trapped for the rest of the route, and you get a delightful call from the bus company that they are not transporting your child.

3. If you are trying to write your book while supervising a curious child, do not scream at them for asking the same question 13 times. At best, they will get upset and throw a tantrum that signifies the end of your writing day. At worst, you will teach him several colorful words that he will gladly repeat to his mother, grandparents, teachers, strangers in public, and the head of your church/synagogue.

2. If you are trying to write your book while supervising an attentive toddler, do not read what you’re typing out loud. At best, you will be bombarded by questions about your book that will cause you to realize that you have no idea what you’re doing. At worst, your toddler will learn about what mommy and daddy do behind closed doors because you happened to be writing a graphic sex scene.

1. If you are trying to write your book while supervising a rambunctious toddler, do not duct tape them to the wall for a few moments of peace. At best, the child will get free and collect various objects on the tape while rushing around the house. At worst, your spouse will come home with parents in tow and you’ll wake up in the hospital with a police officer and divorce lawyer hovering over you.

Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt

~ John W. Howell ~ 26 Comments

 

This post is part of SoCS: http://lindaghill.wordpress.com/2014/07/04/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-july-514/ The prompt is Body and I have been counseled to think about it a minute and maybe a number of things will come to me. As some of you know the rules state that the writing needs to flow without much editing. No need to think too long I think I have it.

Body by John W. Howell

“Ok students. Today we are going to begin our exploration of the human body.”

“Uh. Mr. Turner?”

“Yes Cynthia what is it?”

“I’m really uncomfortable with the word body.”

“Excuse me?”

“The word body bothers me. I don’t have a very good self-image of my body.”

“Cynthia, I’m sorry to hear that, but we aren’t talking about your body we are going to learn about body parts and their function.”

“Mr. Turner?”

“Yes Cynthia what now?”

“I am uncomfortable with the terms body parts and function. You see my body parts have long been kept under cover and I don’t want to expose them now. Also I think functions should be private.”

“Cynthia. You are making it difficult to conduct this class. No one wants to see your body parts. We are going to look at the parts of someone you don’t know. The body parts will be pictures. We won’t even be using real body parts. As far a function is concerned I am talking about how the part works and not about private things. Can we proceed?”

“Well I guess, but I am still a little uncomfortable.”

“Ok class now that Cynthia is somewhat comfortable the first part of the body I want to discuss is the heart. Please open your folder to page three and we’ll begin.”

“Mr Turner?”

“Yes Cynthia.”

“When do we get to the penis?”

Rave Reviews Book Club Spotlight Author -Kenneth J. Kerr

~ John W. Howell ~ 21 Comments

I am very pleased to host the Rave Reviews Book Club spotlight Author Kenneth J. Starr. Like me, Ken started writing after a career in business and has published two novels. He has an interesting story about his self-publishing journey. If you would like more information about Rave Review Book Club just click HERE and you will be taken to the website. Welcome Ken.

 

Author Photo

About the Author

Hi. My pen name is Kenneth J. Kerr, but most people call me Ken. I am retired after a successful business career, which included extensive international travel and living overseas in Hong Kong and Tokyo, Japan for almost a decade. After retirement, I lived in Russia for a year as a Peace Corps volunteer. I began my writing career ‘late in life,’ just over two years ago. My second novel, “The First Madam President (and the dirty bombs)” was published in May 2014 and is available as an e-book or paperback on Amazon and as an e-book in all formats at Smashwords.

Madam President

Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JYKNS3S
Smashwords:  http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/432665
Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/thefirstmadampresident
Twitter:  http://www.twitter.com/kkerr19963
Website:  http://kkerr19963.wordpress.com

 

My journey in the self-publishing world

When I decided to write my first book in 2012, I gave little thought to the publishing process. I was more concerned if I could write enough words to make a whole book. Finally, after several months I had a manuscript that had been written and re-written and edited by me a few times. Now it was time to go get it published. I spent time on the internet investigating the conventional publishing process, realized I needed to find a literary agent first and sent off a few letters to literary agents introducing myself and my book. Not surprisingly, I got no interest, a couple polite turn downs, but mostly no responses. I quickly concluded an unknown author and a first book face an almost impossible uphill climb to get into the conventional publishing world. So, I started learning about self-publishing, again online, and found this looked like a better alternative. I chose Xlibris, a company in Indiana, who offered me a variety of services at different prices. I chose a package of copy-editing, cover design, copyright and ISBN services, some limited marketing assistance and publishing my book as an e-book, paperback, and hard cover. My evaluation is that Xlibris did a good job of the publishing process and produced quality books for me. The marketing services were basic and, in hindsight, were not as valuable as I had hoped.

Since that initial experience I have learned a great deal about the business of self-publishing. For my second book, “The First Madam President (and the dirty bombs)” I used three self-publishing companies; CreateSpace.com for the paperback, and KDP and Smashwords for the e-book. I used KDP for the Kindle e-book and Smashwords for all the other e-book formats. All three companies offer a wide variety of services for a fee, but if you are willing to do your own formatting and editing and cover design, etc. all three companies offer their self-publishing services for FREE. I am very happy with the products they published for me.

 

Book Excerpt

The President had only met Ann once before, but her initial impressions of the young lady were very positive. She smiled inwardly realizing that the CIA Director had given Ann a more important role in this meeting.

“Ann, you and your Director were here previously on the suspected plot, and I said come back when you have more evidence that will stand up in court. Do you think we are there yet?”

Ann responded, “Madam President, with all due respect, you may be using the wrong standard. My team is tasked with following Al Qaeda, collecting intelligence, analyzing the intelligence and the situation, and preventing another terrorist attack on the United States. Sometimes we collect intelligence in ways that would not meet the standard required in a court of law. We may have that situation facing us now. It is highly likely that a cell of terrorists plan to attack sites in Washington D.C soon. It could be tomorrow, or the next day or several days from now. Hopefully, they are using fake explosives and will be unsuccessful. I don’t want to take that chance. And Madam President, I don’t think you should take that chance either. We have reliable intelligence that indicates an attack is imminent. I don’t believe you want to be known as the President who had intel about an attack and did not act. There are times when the standard for evidence useable in a trial, may be too high. This may be one of those times.”

The President stared at Ann. Everyone else in the room was dead silent, wondering how the President would respond to Ann’s comments.

 

Wednesday Story

~ John W. Howell ~ 21 Comments

 

 

Wednesday is upon us so fast this week. I think I may have some kind of attention problem because as I get older the time seems to go faster. I guess the regulars all read on Monday that Marie Ann Bailey can no longer write for the Top Ten Things Not to do feature on our blogs. The understanding of her need to focus on a few priorities does not lessen the fact I will miss her support and guidance on those posts. I am going to continue posting and am trying to think of some ways to find another victim author who may want to share in the collaboration. I am also thinking of hosting a guest Top Ten List of What Not to do series. Let me ask you, if you would like to guest with a Top Ten list send an e-mail to me at johnhowell.wave@gmail.com. I think also if you would like to collaborate let me know that as well. I think we should start with the guest list and then let you get a taste of what collaboration looks like before you make your decision. The week’s story is about missing someone and features Frank in the role of a person who misses his co-worker. It is titled Missing Me?. I hope you like it.
Missing Me? By John W. Howell ©2014

“Yeah, hello.”
“Hey Frank this is Gerry.”
“Gerry. I am so pleased to hear from you. What a nice surprise.”
“I told you we would stay in touch didn’t I?”
“Yes you did, but you know how that goes.”
“No tell me.”
“People promise to stay in touch, but they never follow-up to make it happen. I’m so glad you called.”
“You miss me there at work?”
“You bet I do. I have to do not only my work, but yours as well.”
“Gee, that must be a pain. They didn’t replace me then?”
“Nope. Just told me to take over.”
“Boy. That’s too bad.”
“Yeah, I know. How about you? How are you doing?”
“Oh, just great. I have a new roommate now and things are better.”
“New roommate?”
“Real strong guy. Keeps the others off my back. It’s great. Oh by the way Frank. Did you ever get that little thing handled for me?”
“Little thing?”
“Yes, you know the bank account. I was to take the embezzlement rap and you were going to set up an account in my name.”
“Gee Gerry there must be something wrong with the line. You on a payphone?”
“You know damn well I’m on a payphone. They don’t allow cellphones in the pen.”
“Hello Gerry. Can you hear me?”

Top Ten Things Not to do On Your First Anniversary

~ John W. Howell ~ 15 Comments

Here is the 52nd 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.

Happy-Anniversary

The Top Ten Things Not to do On Your First Anniversary

  1. If it is your first wedding anniversary, do not think your spouse will find it funny if you pretend to forget your wedding date.  If you do pretend to forget, at best your spouse will forgive you after you’ve recited a dozen mea culpas and treated your spouse to a romantic candlelit dinner at the most expensive restaurant in town.  At worst, your spouse will demand, in addition to the mea culpas and romantic dinner, you be solely responsible for cleaning out your cat’s litter box until your second wedding anniversary.
  2. If it is your first wedding anniversary, do not assume your spouse will want to celebrate the anniversary with all your family, friends, and the same people at your wedding.  If you do, at best your spouse will grudgingly put up with a crush and noise of partygoers.  At worst, your spouse will commit a disappearing act (sneaking out of the house to have that nice, quiet dinner your spouse really wanted), leaving you to be solo host, as well as clean-up crew after the party.
  3. If it is your first work anniversary, do not think you should necessarily expect some congratulations from your boss and coworkers.  At best, you will get some recognition for having stayed in the job for a year since no one else (including your boss) has, an insight which might cause you to start looking for another job.  At worst, you try to throw your own party during lunch time in the conference room which coincides with your boss’s own planned luncheon with the CEO, CFO, CIO, and COO, and you wind up playing caterer to them since you are now too embarrassed to admit the food was for your own party.
  4. If it is your first work anniversary, do not insist on going to the most expensive restaurant to celebrate with your boss and coworkers.  If you do, at best, no one will complain about the fact that all any of them (except your boss) can afford is the Caesar salad and a glass of ice water.  At worst, in honor of your anniversary, your boss will publicly suggest you pay the bill for the entire table since your anniversary grants you a 1.0% raise which, after taxes, translates to a 0.3% raise which after a year will cover the cost of the meal.
  5. If it is the first anniversary of your first date, do not think your significant other will be unaware of the fact.  If you do, at best, your significant other will accept your apologies for forgetting and you make a promise to yourself not to forget the second anniversary.  At worst, your significant other will accept your apologies and then suggest perhaps it’s time to see other people, letting you know in no-uncertain terms there will not be a second anniversary.
  6. If it is the first anniversary of your first date, do not think a simple greeting card will be enough to celebrate the event.  If you do, at best, your significant other will simply sigh and make arrangements for a nice dinner at the restaurant where you had your first date.  At worst, your significant other will make reservations at a very expensive restaurant you’ve always wanted to go but never had the money and then after dessert tell you its time for you both to see other people.  For the cherry on top, your significant other will abruptly leave, grabbing the foil wrapped coq au vin, but leaving the check which, of course, you cannot pay except with long hours of dishwashing.
  7. If it is your first blogging anniversary, do not think no one will care if you ignore the event.  If you do, at best, your readers will likely be confused when you start writing posts beginning “When I began blogging over a year ago ….”since it’s fairly common to celebrate such an event and they won’t understand why you didn’t.  At worst, you’ll be out spotlighted into shame by your fellow bloggers who go ahead and post about their first-year anniversary while you sit and watch their readership grow as yours sinks.
  8. If it is your first blogging anniversary, do not think you can crowdsource your way to a fancy restaurant to celebrate.  If you do, at best, you’ll gain enough for a tip  and your readers will just shake their heads over your impudence and continue to read your blog anyway.  At worst, a number of fellow bloggers will show up at a fancy restaurant expecting you to share your crowdsourced meal for one with all of them, forcing you to eventually crowdsource to get enough money to pay the bill so you don’t have to wash the restaurant’s dishes for the next month.
  9. If it is the first anniversary of your book, do not think it would be gauche to promote the hell out of it on your important day.  If you do, at best, an ardent fan will realize the date and promote your book for you, giving you an uptick in sales which you otherwise would not have had.  At worst, you miss your window of opportunity and your post-first anniversary sale bombs since no one understands what a year and a day anniversary is all about.
  10. If it is the first anniversary of your book, do not hesitate to promote the hell out of it on that important day.  If you do hesitate, at best, you’ll get a lukewarm response of increased sales from your lukewarm effort.  At worst, your promotion will be so tepid none of your readers will understand what you are promoting and miss the opportunity to purchase your book at less than the cost of a tall skinny Vanilla latte.

I am saddened by Marie Ann Bailey’s announcement that she will not be continuing as a collaborator on this feature. Her plate is full and needs to devote more time to other priorities. Since this post is the first year anniversary of our collaboration I think I forgot a gift and she believes it is time to see other people. I will miss her collaboration but will retain her friendship. Plans to continue are in place and you can read about them on Wednesday.

Author Interview – Devorah Fox

~ John W. Howell ~ 10 Comments

kingsredressfrontcover

I am very happy today to have Devorah Fox author of four great novels: The Lost King, The Kings Ransom, Naked Came the Sharks, and just released, The Kings Redress visit Fiction Favorites.

Devorah’s latest novel The Kings Redress, to be released on July 4th is book three in The King Bewilliam series. The books in The Bewildering Adventures of King Bewilliam series have a once-upon-a-time quality, but they address contemporary issues like post-traumatic stress disorder, divorce, career displacement, parent/child relationships, and the conflict between duty and personal ambition.

The King’s Redress asks, “When everyone you trust turns against you, what do you do?” Dragon slayer of renown, Robin, King Bewilliam, has bested both man and beast to battle his way back to the Chalklands and reunite with his sons, but discord threatens the kingdom’s hard-won peace and prosperity. War breaks out and Robin finds that there is no one he can trust, not even his closest knights. Fighting for his throne pits him against a shocking, unsuspected rival. With his own life and lives of all his imperiled subjects at stake, Robin faces off against his fiercest enemy in mortal combat.

 

Devorah Fox

John:  Devorah Fox has written for television, radio, magazines, newspapers, and the Internet. Publisher and editor of the BUMPERTOBUMPER® books for commercial motor vehicle drivers, she is also developer of the Easy CDL apps for the iPhone and iPad and author of the literary fantasies “The Lost King” and “The King’s Ransom” and “Naked Came the Sharks,” a contemporary thriller. Born in Brooklyn, New York, she now lives — yes, with the requisite feline writer’s companions — in The Barefoot Palace in Port Aransas on the Texas Gulf Coast where she writes the “Dee-Scoveries” blog and columns of the same name for “The Island Moon” newspaper. Visit http://devorahfox.com or email her at devorahfox@aol.com.

So without further hesitation I want to welcome you, Devorah Fox to Fiction Favorites. Please pull up a chair and make yourself comfortable. First of all, thank you for agreeing to an author interview on my blog.

Devorah: Thank you John. I have been looking forward to our interview. Since I live right down the street, I was very grateful not to be forced to do anything more complicated than to walk to your sumptuous writing studio by the sea.

John: Yes the sea is very relaxing. Thank you for referring to my dining room as my sumptuous studio. Can I get you anything to eat or drink? A margarita perhaps?

Devorah: Ah, an adult beverage to loosen my tongue so that I will reveal my deepest darkest secrets. A sly maneuver ….

John: Here you are, I hope you enjoy. Well, now that we are comfortable, I have some questions that I’m sure readers would want to know about you and your books. The first is on the subject of your latest book The Kings Redress. What was the inspiration for the third story in the Bewilliam series which this new release represents?

Devorah:  When I set out to write Book Two, The King’s Ransom, there was a topic that I wanted to explore. The characters had other ideas and I ended up writing about something else but I still wanted to tackle that subject, thus the third book. In many ways, I was also urged to write it for fans of The Lost King and The King’s Ransom. Like me, they have become invested in King Bewilliam and want to spend more time with him.

John: How far do you think the series will go? Do you plan to continue the Bewilliam adventures?

Devorah: Frankly, I’m astounded to report that it appears that way. Just this weekend I read something and saw something on TV and found myself thinking What Would King Bewilliam Do? I guess I’ll be writing another book to find out.

John: How much of the character, King Bewilliam is taken from people you know or is he truly out of your imagination?

Devorah: While the character of King Bewilliam developed his own personality and his own psychology, the man and his dilemma in Book One, The Lost King, were definitely inspired by a real person. Apparently, though, his isn’t a unique experience. Many readers told me that they felt The Lost King told their story.

John: It is said your stories although set in a fantasy past are really modern tales. How did you come to make this juxtaposition as you created your characters and stories?

Devorah: My intent with The Lost King was to take an actual set of circumstances, imagine a different outcome and make it all end “happily ever after.” I found myself writing the story as if it were a fable, a tale set in an imaginary time and place. It was simply how the story wanted to be told.

John: You also have released Naked Came the Sharks a thriller. How easy or difficult was it for you to cross genres for this story?

Devorah: Writing contemporary thrillers is somewhat easier than the literary fantasies. I have to do so much research for the King Bewilliam stories. I had to do research for Naked Came the Sharks, too, but there was a lot more information available and it was easier to find. Also, to write the King Bewilliam stories I have to transport myself into The Zone so I can see, hear and feel what it was like to live in the Middle Ages. I have to get into The Zone to write the contemporary thrillers, too, but getting there is a shorter trip.

John: I understand you are working on releasing another thriller. Can you tell us a little about it and when we can expect its release?

Devorah: Dead Line is slated for winter 2014-15. It’s a historic thriller because the action revolves around a specific February, 1993, event. Like all my stories, it’s about a fairly ordinary someone who is simply going about his business and ends up facing an extraordinary challenge. In Dead Line, that’s a suspected Presidential assassination plot.

John: Thinking now about all your books. Which was the most difficult in terms of story flow and character development for you to write?

Devorah: I’d have to stay “what happens” is the most difficult part of storytelling because I start out with a good idea about who the characters are and how they’ll respond.

John: Which is harder for you to write, the beginning, middle or conclusion and why?

Devorah: The conclusion has proven to the hardest. I believe it’s because I fall in love with the characters and don’t want to say goodbye to them. They prove to be complex people and even though a particular story arc is finished, I’m not done with them, or they’re not done with me. I’d also have to say that the beginning is difficult. I think I know what the story is about when I start. Once I’ve gotten into it I discover that it’s really about something else. Then I have to go back and reframe the beginning to suit what the story turned out to be. And OK, the middle isn’t easy either. Let’s face it, John, writing is just plain hard work.

John: This is a question I ask all authors since other authors are always interested in the style of others. Are you a plotter (very planned approach to writing) or a pantser? (seat of pants)

Devorah: I started out being a planner and plotter. Increasingly, especially in the King Bewilliam series, I’ve been a seat-of-the-pants writer. However, I’m finding that to be stressful. There are days when I am in a sheer panic because I don’t have a clue about what to write, so for future projects I’m going to do more planning and plotting, less pantsing and panicking.

John: What is the best advice you were given by another author?

Devorah: “Take your hands off the wheel.” There comes a point when the story has its own momentum. At that point, it’s best for me to stop trying to steer it, to get out of its way and simply go where it wants to go.

John: So I don’t totally exhaust you I think this will be the last question. You are releasing Dead Line, a contemporary thriller slated for winter 2014. Do you have plans for the next book and if so will it be more like Naked Came the Sharks or The Kings Redress?

Devorah: Thanks, John. I’ve been yammering away and have barely touched my margarita! I do have other books simmering, waiting to move to the front burner. I have in mind another contemporary Texas Coastal Bend story. It’s a murder mystery. I know who’s dead, I just don’t know why or whodunit (minor details). This is the classic case of “don’t anger a writer because you’ll end up dead in her next novel.” Also, Sir Maxwell from the King Bewilliam books has been lobbying for his own book. I think his story would make a good Young Adult novel and I’ve been urged to write for the YA genre, so young Sir Maxwell may very well get his wish.

John: I’m sure all of us will look forward Dead Line as well as your next release. In the meantime; all should pick up and read The Kings Redress and any of the other Bewilliam books; The Lost King, The Kings Ransom, as well as the thriller, Naked Came the Sharks.  Thank you Devorah it was a real pleasure to chat today. Please come back again.

*****

amazon.com buylink: http://www.amazon.com/Kings-Redress-Bewildering-Adventures-Bewilliam/dp/0977824551.

Interview with The Talented Ionia Martin

~ John W. Howell ~ 26 Comments

Ionia Martina books-31

 

John:  Before we start and before Ionia gets here, I have to tell you I am as nervous as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs. I have the opportunity to ask Ionia Martin a series of questions which have been designed to gain additional knowledge about this talented and beautiful person’s decision to become a reviewer. So why be nervous you ask? Why not be nervous? Can you imagine having the opportunity to ask really good questions of an icon and then come up short? . . . Er . . . let me rephrase that. Can you imagine having the opportunity of asking really good questions and then falling flat on your ass because the questions are too mundane or have been asked one hundred times before? To prevent this catastrophic situation I did extensive research and memorized every single interview Ionia has done over the last two years. I will not ask the same questions, so maybe I will be okay. Now let me give you some information about Ionia and then I will call her out of the sound proof Green room and we will get started.

Ahem. What do we think about when we hear the name Ionia Martin?  If you are like me I think of great and extensive reviews of hundreds of books on her blog Readfulthings, Amazon and Goodreads. I think of a generous person who is ready to help a struggling author with her time and more importantly her energy. I think of a person who is raising a family and who is in love with a wonderful man.  I think of a person who has seen more than her share of tragedy and yet has the resilience to cheer up a fellow human or adopt another stray pet. I think of all this and in addition think of a person who takes time to see the funny and weird in the world and add her own special sauce to make it even better. Ionia is the kind of person others want to be, but don’t have the courage or charitable nature to pull it off.  She inspires, entertains, develops, nurtures, and befriends those who should forever be grateful for knowing her. If you know Ionia, you know what I am saying. If you don’t know Ionia you are missing a lot and you should try to correct that as soon as possible. I have taken too much time and I think it is time to introduce Ionia Martin.

John: Welcome Ionia to Fiction Favorites. I am so pleased to have you with me today.

Ionia: Thank you John. While I was walking from the Green room I heard some of your introduction. Did you really mean all that?

John: Of course, I did.

Ionia: You know I’m engaged.

John: Yes and to a lovely person.

Ionia: Thank you for saying those nice things, but you may be a little overgenerous.

John: I don’t think so. Are you ready to begin the interview?

Ionia: Yes. I must say your Green room is quite unusual.

John: You mean because it is a screened porch, not air-conditioned and it is ninety degrees here on this coast?

Ionia: That’s a start all right. I was more thinking of lovely sounds of the insects out there.

John: Yes they’re quite relaxing and I’m glad they are on the outside.  I actually wrote my first book out on that porch.

Ionia: Yes the atmosphere had a distinctive author funk about it.

John: *laughs* Tell me Ionia. You are a mom, reader, blogger, writer, poet, gardener, classic pianist, outdoors person, animal rights activist, editor, thespian, student and now wife to be. How do you manage it all?

Ionia: To me, living is not a matter of managing things it is a matter of loving things. I find I love doing many activities during my day, so I pick those things to do that I actually love doing. It just so happens that at the end of the day I have had a rich experience and have covered a lot of ground. I also have a very simple sense of organization which is along the lines of “needs done, do it.”

John: What is your most enjoyable thing to do? Um let me rephrase that. What activity of those I mentioned do you enjoy most?

Ionia: *smiles* It’s really hard to pick one, but hands down the time spent as a mum and fiancé are tough to beat.

John: Speaking of fiancé, have you and Julian set a date yet?

Ionia: We have, but need to work out matters with the immigration service before we can make it public.

John: For those who don’t know, Julian Froment, Ionia’s fiancé, lives in London and Ionia in the US and so far Julian can only get limited visa’s to stay in the US. Sadly he has not been able to get a permanent one yet.

Ionia: Yes and Uncle Sam does not have a romantic bone in his body.

John: How did you become interested in doing book reviews?  Yours are so to the point and extremely helpful to both readers and authors.

Ionia: One day I was reading a review written by someone who obviously had not a positive thing to say about the book being reviewed. I more or less felt sorry for the author who I’m sure went through hell reading the same words. I thought at the time such a vicious review was totally unnecessary and more importantly did not serve any purpose other than to vent a rant of some dried up reviewer. I thought then and still think now there is a better way and have tried to do honest reviews which have as goals to inform not injure. That is how I got started reviewing. Also, I needed a hobby besides collecting animals. I didn’t want to be on hoarders. Get down, Howell. Good boy.

John: Again for you who don’t know Howell is Ionia’s adopted boxer puppy. Named Howell since she is aware our family volunteers for a Boxer rescue organization. He is a good boy. Now where was I? Oh yes. Not to put you on the spot and you don’t have to mention names, but is there a review you did which if done over again would not turn out the same way.

Ionia: Oh yes. I have done some reviews where the author had some problems with the plot or the writing was extremely unusual. In a couple of cases, I actually gave the author the benefit of the doubt and rated the book a three star given the good or redeeming value of the book totally. The two authors I am thinking about became highly incensed and weren’t very nice in their comments. Today they would have gotten a two star rating and probably I wouldn’t spend the time writing a review.

There are also a couple of cases where I wish I had been a bit less harsh with an author than I was. When I first began reviewing, there were a couple of times when I let my hostility toward plot holes or bad endings get the best of me.

John: So there are occasions when you will finish a book and not write a review?

Ionia: I try to be efficient in selecting books that have the highest probability of being good enough to read. Occasionally this fails. When that happens I either stop reading, or I go forth with the intent of finding at least a few redeeming qualities about the book. Rarely do I ever dislike something enough that I can’t find anything good to say about it. If I don’t finish it, usually it is because I find I don’t know enough about the subject to write an objective review, or because I see that the book is not going to be worth recommending to anyone.

John: Would a critic to this notion be able to say, “Yes, but how can you protect the reading public by not reviewing stinkers.”

Ionia: Number one, the reading public has a lot of information available on books of all kinds. If they are waiting for me to tell them what to read they are in a sad situation. Number two, really poor books are found out quickly. It doesn’t take a serious reviewer to expose them. Word of mouth or maybe I should say, word of Internet carries a lot of weight today.

I do write negative reviews. I just try to do it with a measure of grace and remember that it is the book I am after, not the author. I see no point in finishing a book if I absolutely hate everything about it. I don’t review books that I haven’t finished. I see nothing wrong with a one or two star review if the reviewer is honest and has reasons to support their star rating.

John: How does an author get a review from Ionia Martin?

Ionia: I no longer accept unsolicited books for review. I don’t accept requests directly from authors not represented at this time. If I have worked with an author previously this does not apply. Whilst I love indie authors and appreciate all of the hard work they do, there are many, many books out there and I am but one (really short) woman. It got to the point where I couldn’t reach the top of the stack anymore.

This is always subject to change, but for the immediate future, I choose to protect myself from emails that begin with “Dear Reviewer, read my book, I need the review by July 1st. Thanks.” I am always open to working with authors that truly care about their craft and understand the time constraints on reviewers.

John: You mentioned not represented. How about those who have an agent or publisher?

Ionia: If a publisher or a publicist would like me to consider the author’s works for review, please contact me at readfulthings@gmail.com. I am also willing to arrange dates for interviews, press and promo through this blog. If the author is interested have the agent, publisher or publicist contact me at the email listed above.

I do still feature indie authors prominently on my blog, taking part in promos, blog tours, interviews, etc. I’m just not currently accepting review requests unsolicited.

John: Is there one piece of advice which you think if followed is critical to the author’s career?

Ionia: With risk of sounding like a Hallmark card: Remember why you did this and apply the golden rule. If you have a good product, you can still kill it with a sour attitude. Some reviewers are kind and thoughtful, some not so much. For every glowing review, there may be a less stellar one that may even come off as rude or insulting. Ignoring the truly distasteful ones will get you farther than starting a battle you can’t win. Write them into the next book and give them a hell of a sendoff. Being the bigger person will win in the end.

John: I see it is time to stop now. I have enjoyed having you visit my little writer’s cottage here by the sea. I hope we can do this again sometime. Before we go any final thoughts?

Ionia: I am still trying to figure out how to live up to the introduction you gave me. I’m pretty sure that my cheeks are redder than the arse of a baboon. I really appreciate you giving me space on your blog to appear here. You are an excellent example of what authors should strive to be.

John: I’m the one blushing now, Thanks again Ionia