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Saturday Miscellany – 4/30/16

On April 30, 2016

Odds ‘n ends over the week about books and reading that caught my eye. You’ve probably seen some/most/all of them, but just in case:

Amazon Unintentionally Paying Scammers To Hand You 1000 Pages Of Crap You Don’t Read — huh
Don DeLillo’s New Novel Isn’t Even Out Yet, But the TV Show Is Already in the Works — DeLillo doesn’t seem like the kind of writer that would translate to TV, but — sure, I’ll give it a shot.
The Perils of Choose Your Own Adventure Books — interesting, not sure that it’s convincing, but it’s interesting.
Lyndsay Faye on Jane Eyre, Murder, and more — The author of Jane Steele on a pretty interesting episode of Beaks and Geeks. Man, I’ve got to find time for this book.
Interview with Jo Perry — By the Letter Book Reviews has a nice little interview with Jo Perry, the author of Dead is Better and Dead is Best (which has been sitting unread on my Kindle for far, far, too long).

Arf by Spencer Quinn — The sequel to last year’s Woof by the author of the Chet and Bernie Mysteries. Woof was loads of fun, I bet this will be, too.
The Worst Night Ever by Dave Barry — the sequel to last year’s The Worst Class Trip Ever should be a hoot if it’s 2/3 as good as the first.

Lastly, I’d like to say hi and welcome to Vijayalakshmi Harish and allysonyj for following the blog this week.

What’s Scary About Books?

By HCNewton

On April 29, 2016

In News/Misc., Quotations

No new piece today, Dadding takes priority (usually). So, I’ll just share this clip that I’m going to be quoting for a long time…

Guest Post: The Machine Keeps Feeding Me by Clay Johnson

By HCNewton

On April 26, 2016

In Book Tour, Fiction, News/Misc., Writing

Welcome to Part Two of our participation in the Off to See the Wizard Book Tour (see Part One), a couple more posts will be up in a while. This is a Guest Post by Clay Johnson, the novel’s author, about his process:
—
I have to hear the words in my head before I start writing, or I’m pretty much hosed. I used to plan out the whole story, or at least try to. I spent a lot of time thinking about it, picturing the action and the plot points, really getting into the thing. I did a lot of imagining while listening to music. I figured if I could see what I wanted to write, then I was golden. Unfortunately, when it came time to actually sit down and do it, I’d hit a dry spot. It wasn’t writer’s block, though; it was more like I was incredibly bored. What I pictured so vividly in my head just wasn’t coming out anywhere nearly so thrilling, and in the few instances that it did I still wasn’t particularly captivated by the process. I kept trying though, and I kept ending up with a bunch of barely started or, at best, half-finished manuscripts.

One day, somewhere around senior year, of high school, instead of an idea, I had just a line. It wasn’t a particularly good line. It was something like: Bill woke up to find death staring down at him and asking if they had any nachos. But I liked what the line made me think of, and I was bored in class, so instead of trying to plan out what that story might be I just went with it. The result was an awesome mess. But it was an “awesome” mess. It was full of great little moments, and a lot of threads that led nowhere. I couldn’t use the story for anything, but I felt invigorated the whole way through. In working on that story I finally figured out my problem. If I knew where the story was going, I didn’t care. I’d already thought that part out; I just wanted to move on to the next story. Somewhere in the transition from over-planning to not planning, I’d found my voice.

I started riffing on just a line, or a vague idea built around a specific image. But the trick was that I had to be able to hear at least the opening line in my head. I had to be able to hear the voice the character would use. As long as I could tap into that, then I could continue the story. The rest seems to take place beneath the surface.

It feels like there is some constantly running story machine cranking away somewhere in the basement of my mind, and while I’m busy doing other things, it’s making connections and drawing paths between two unplanned plot points. Those are the moments I love the most when I write, those moments where two bits that I wrote on a whim meet up and fit together so well that I can’t believe they weren’t planned. Writing this way makes it harder in the revision process, because I end up with a lot of gems I want to keep and can’t, and there’s also a lot of connections that still have to be made after the fact, but almost always less of them than I would expect. As long as I can tap into the sound of the story, the way the words flow and the beat of the thing, the machine keeps feeding me.

April 30 – Independent Bookstore Day

By HCNewton

On April 25, 2016

In Books, Calendar Items, News/Misc.

You like books, right? Otherwise, why are you here? You like bookstores, too, right? Nothing against Barnes & Noble or any of the dozens of great online booksellers — but there’s nothing like a good Independent Bookstore. Staff who know their wares; possibly get to know your tastes; care about books, writing, etc.

(and better for the local economy than chains, too, but that’s out of my wheelhouse to discuss)

Basically, they’re great resources, community centers, and places to spend your money. To celebrate/promote them, 400 Indie Bookstores around the country are celebrating Independent Bookstore Day this Saturday. Go, check a local store out — see the exclusive items just for the day. If you’re in Southwest Idaho, Rediscovered Books in Boise is the place to go (there are a couple of other decent shops in the area, but not as good, IMHO).

Guest Post – 5 Must-Read Books for Harry Potter Fans

By HCNewton

On April 25, 2016

In J. K. Rowling, News/Misc.

As part of Reader’s Legacy’s Rowling celebration, they’ve provided me with a few Guest Posts to draw attention to their Sale (through 4/30!) and a Grant Program created in order to give away 1 million physical books in support of literacy programs — be sure to check those out!
—

Harry Potter is one of the most popular book series ever written!

Its whimsical characters and magical adventures have captured the hearts of millions. If you’re a Potter Maniac, you probably think that no story can compare those of the mystifying Hogwarts and the boy with the lightning bolt scar on his forehead. But have you read these spellbinding masterpieces?

***Attention Harry Potter Lovers: In honor of J.K. Rowling being named the Top Followed Author on Reader’s Legacy in 2015 we’re holding a 1 week sale on ALL of her books. From April 25th-30th, 2016 any Rowling book is 20% off AND double the LitCoins will be loaded into your account just for purchasing. Click the link to check out this limited time offer! ReadersLegacy.com/JKRowling***

1. The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis – http://bit.ly/1NygYMp

Like Harry Potter, this series comes in 7 installments and features a secret world full of wonders, its magical inhabitants, and the child-heroes who must save it from destruction.

2. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien – http://bit.ly/1VeZwof

A prequel to the famed “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, this delightful classic takes readers far from reality as it follows a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins on an unexpected and perilous quest to help his friends reclaim their home, which has been taken over by a gold-loving dragon.

3. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien – http://bit.ly/1qCCSJj

Told in 3 parts, this is the story of Bilbo Baggins’s nephew Frodo who, with the help of some unlikely allies, must travel to the ends of the earth to destroy an ancient ring, before its evil power brings his world to ruin.

4. Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland by Lewis Carroll – http://bit.ly/1YDW3NQ

This endearing story tells of an imaginative young girl who falls down a rabbit hole and finds herself in a world full of whimsical (and more-than-slightly backwards) characters, where nothing is practical and anything is possible. Alice and her topsy-turvy friends return in the sequel, Through the Looking Glass (http://bit.ly/1rcoVmm).

5. The Inheritance Series (Eragon) by Christopher Paolini – http://bit.ly/1WbUnfs

4 fantastic novels tell what happens when a farm boy named Eragon finds a mysterious dragon egg, it hatches, and his life is eternally changed as he becomes the last known Dragon Rider…and the primary target of a rising evil empire.

These are just some of the countless wonderful fantasy novels out there. By expanding your literary horizons you will gain a deeper love of reading, and acquire a tasteful appreciation for other authors/genres – even ones that may not be your favorite. Check out these books, or one of your own finding, and tell us what you think!

As an added perk of Reader’s Legacy’s Rowling celebration, we will be holding a special 20% off sale for each of her novels from April 25th to April 30th – ReadersLegacy.com/JKRowling.

The sale not only celebrates J.K. Rowling, but was also brings attention for a special grant program we have created in order to give away 1 million physical books in support of literacy programs! Spreading a love of books, and ending illiteracy around the world is 100% possible, and with the help of reader’s on the site, we believe will be one step closer to achieving that goal! Get in on this sale HERE.

Saturday Miscellany – 4/23/16

By HCNewton

On April 23, 2016

In Books, News/Misc.

Odds ‘n ends over the week about books and reading that caught my eye. You’ve probably seen some/most/all of them, but just in case:

Authors Guild denied appeal to stop Google scanning books — humbug
Tak: A Beautiful Game — Rothfuss is Kickstarting a version of Tak? I’ve gotta go diving in the couch for change.
The Secret Life of Novelizations — gotta listen to this.

The Drafter by Kim Harrison is in Paperback — Harrison’s best, if you haven’t read it yet.
Dead is Best by Jo Perry — Charlie & Rose are back in this sequel
Scarlett Epstein Hates It Here by Anna Brewslaw
Almost Infamous by Matt Carter — a superpowered teen becomes a super villain to avoid the paperwork involved in becoming a super-hero.

Lastly, I’d like to say hi and welcome to Bijoux Alisoa for following the blog this week.

Saturday Miscellany – 4/16/16

By HCNewton

On April 16, 2016

In Books, News/Misc.

Odds ‘n ends over the week about books and reading that caught my eye. You’ve probably seen some/most/all of them, but just in case:

Lighting It Up with Fahrenheit Press — I haven’t read as many of Fahrenheit Press’ books as I want to, but I really dig their approach to marketing, publishing, and their zeal for their books. Even more than that, I like the books of theirs that I’ve read. Good piece about them.
Julian Fellowes’s BELGRAVIA: Why the Serialized Novel is More Relevant Than Ever
Judy Blume, Bookseller — because she needs another career, I guess. Shame the writing thing didn’t work out for her 😉
Delilah Dawson shares some important tips: How to have the most impact helping authors
Johann Hari: ‘The opposite of addiction isn’t sobriety – it’s connection’ — The Guardian talks to an author of a book we talked about last year — that I can’t stop thinking about — about the book, his writing of it, and what’s happened to him since.
Blowing my Own Trumpet — Friend of IR, S. C. Flynn, announces his upcoming book. You’ll be seeing more about this.
Top 10 fictional towns in children’s books
The most famous book set in every state — A different (but with similar results) approach than the one we’re using for the <a href="http://125pages.com/united-state-of-books/ " target="_blank" United States of Books project .
Ten Celebrity Books We Do NOT Need in Our Lives — the worst is, I could see some of these being printed
9 Websites For Readers Who Think About Books All Day, Every Day — I’m sure we would’ve made the list if there’s been 10. . .

Strike by Delilah S. Dawson — Sequel to Hit, which is enough to get me stoked. But when she tweets about it, saying that it includes “A villain based on Boyd Crowder” – I’s amazing that I haven’t read it three times already this week.

Lastly, I’d like to say hi and welcome to Stormy Vixen for following the blog this week.

BookGrabbr: A great way for readers to discover new books and an innovative marketing tool for authors.

By HCNewton

On April 12, 2016

In Book Tour, News/Misc.

BookGrabbr: A great way for readers to discover new books and an innovative marketing tool for authors.

For Readers:

BookGrabbr is a social media-marketing tool that allows authors to share both full books and previews of their books with readers. Readers, you can have access to these books by signing in through Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn and using their ability to share as a form of currency. The “Share” is the payment! Share the book, and it will allow you to read it. Just click the “Grabb this book” button next to the book and our system will prompt you to share in exchange for reading!

BookGrabbr contains books of many genres, so visit today, “grabb” a book that catches your eye and start reading!

For Authors and Publishers:

Through their unique marketing tool and platform, BookGrabbr helps authors connect to readers that they wouldn’t generally be able to connect to through their friends and their friend’s friends. The noise in the marketplace is deafening, and at times can be a bit overwhelming for authors trying to promote their books.

BookGrabbr created a way to generate some more buzz by harnessing the power of each individual author’s social media platform. Once you create your profile on BookGrabbr it allows potential readers to read a preview of your book or the full copy and then directs them to your site of choice to purchase your book in the format that you desire. And since BookGrabbr doesn’t make any money on book sales, you can send them to a retailer, or to your own personal page or wherever you choose! BookGrabbr’s purpose is to help you sell more books, gain momentum and generate exposure.

See how it works:

How does iRead Book Tours help?

For Readers:

We help you discover new authors that have put their profile and books on BookGrabbr through our BookGrabbr Promotion Service.

For Authors and Publishers:

Don’t have time to dedicate to yet another marketing campaign? Let us take care of it for you. Through the BookGrabbr Promotion Service we create your profile, help you share your books on your social media and ours too, of course. In addition, we provide you with ideas and the support on how to best use your BookGrabbr profile. This is a cost-effective, efficient way to publicize your books! Contact us to see how we can help you spread the word about your book through BookGrabbr.

Like the idea? Enter this giveaway to win a BookGrabbr Promotion Service worth $75 and $100 in cash!

Not an author? You can still win the $100 in cash.

Giveaway starts March 14 and ends April 15, 2016. Just scroll to the bottom of the post (that looks an awful lot like this one) to be taken to the Rafflecopter Entry.

Saturday Miscellany – 4/9/16

By HCNewton

On April 9, 2016

In Books, News/Misc.

Odds ‘n ends over the week about books and reading that caught my eye. You’ve probably seen some/most/all of them, but just in case:

Beverly Cleary’s Birthday Party of the Century — yeah, already talked about the event in this space, but this is big enough to warrant another article (at least one) — this is about her publisher gearing up to celebrate it. Kate DiCamillo writing a The Mouse and the Motorcycle introduction? Sounds perfect.
J.K. Rowling’s chair sells for $394K — You have got to be kidding me. . .
The Case for Very Short Novels — I’d never heard of Cynan Jones, but I like what he has to say here.
This week, Harry Connolly wrapped up his Kickstarter campaign with the update, The Greatest (Final-est) Update of All!, which included word of a new Twenty Palaces novella. Oh yeah! (read that in the Kool-Aid Man’s voice)
Friend of the blog, S.C. Flynn, was featured in this week’s Mind Meld from SF Signal: Books We Want to Re-Read Like it Was the First Time — which would be worth reading even without Flynn’s contribution, but it’s better with it.
Songs by Metallica Inspired by Literature — I pretty much included this one for my son’s sake, but I did enjoy it.
7 Different Kinds of Readers: A Parks and Rec Edition — I like to think I’m a Leslie Knope (or, better a Joan Callamezzo), but I’m probably just a Ben Wyatt.

Burned by Benedict Jacka — Alex Verus #7 finds Alex sentenced to death? Something tells me he finds away to stop that, but it won’t be easy . . .
Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire — the buzz around this one is practically deafening, it’s sitting just a few inches way and I really want to open it up. Actually, so is Burned. The temptation is strong here.
Waylaid by Kim Harrison — I blogged about this yesterday, you might want to check it out.
There Will Always Be a Max by Michael R. Underwood — a new Genrenauts story set in the Post-Apocalyptic region of of Action world.
Shadow Rites by Faith Hunter — Jane Yellowrock #10

Lastly, I’d like to say hi and welcome to Got My Book for following the blog this week.

Meet Bricksley!

By HCNewton

On April 2, 2016

In News/Misc.

So it doesn’t take a dedicated reader of this here blog to know that I’m an Anton Strout fan — read both his series, frequently plug his podcast (The Once & Future Podcast). My daughter is a pretty big fan of his, too — especially his Spellmason Chronicles series.

A couple of months back, I saw that another Strout fan had made a plush version of the brick golem, Bricksley, from the series and was selling them on her Etsy page. You can even get her to customize the facial expression.

We celebrated my daughter’s birthday today, and I gave her her very own Bricksley. It took her no time at all to recognize him (impressive, since she last read the books in October, 2014) — and I think it’s pretty clear that she liked him.

Anyhow, we were pleased enough (quality work, pleasant to do business with, etc.) that I wanted to take the time to share a plug — be sure to check out Mellie’s Monsters…and cuddly critters for all your cuddly monster needs.