Thursday, May 16, 2013

Indie Author Series: Categorizing Your Book

This week the YA Author Club will be talking about the importance of categorizing your book. It seems simple, and it some cases, it is. In others... well... not so much.

 While I started off specifically writing a young adult book (Warriors of the Cross) that my daughter would enjoy and one we could talk about together, I quickly realized the book (and the next 3 books in the series) could never be categorized with something as simple as young adult. There were just so many other genres that fit the book's characteristics: romance, action, suspense, medical, paranormal, fantasy, saga, ghost, tragedy, and adventure.

 For me the book's variety makes it interesting and unexpected and a great read. At the same time, it made it much harder for me to find the perfect audience for the series. 70-80,000 books later, I can safely say the series has found its way. Its path was just a little less traveled because it was not an exact replica of stories, characters, twists, and turns already written and re-written.

 For my latest series, I opted - yet again - for the path less traveled. While Grave Bound is new adult... romance... action... adventure... tragedy... saga... suspense... erotica, it is not like anything else written, making it equally difficult to pigeon hole into one genre. Because it is labeled as 18+ only, the readers adding it to their TBR list appear to enjoy reading erotica. Of course, the hard-core, erotica-loving readers are often disappointed by Grave Bound because it is a real story (novel and not short story) about life-like characters. They don't start off AND end up having sex. There's a world that had to built (only because it was so different than anything we know) and characters that had to become endearing. This is mostly because I'm not big on writing (or reading) about characters that I'm supposed to instantly care about. Like my best friends, I have to get to know them before I love them enough to become emotionally vested in their tribulations.  Don't get me wrong, there is sex in this Grave Bound. It is earth-shattering and passionate. It is not gratuitous or hard-core erotica. 

 Because I have to, I label my books with a genre. I can assure you they are never perfect, but they do represent a tiny portion of what the book is and who its characters would appeal to. I have to believe others outside of the identified genre could/would enjoy the stories if they gave them a chance and stopped judging them by their 'genre'.

 In some ways, assigning my books to a specific genre is similar to labeling my every role (wife, mother, sister, daughter, friend, co-worker, boss, nurse, author,...) and saying I can only be one thing. For me, that's an impossible task. It depends on where I am and who I'm with as to which role I'm playing. The same can be said for my books. The genre depends on which character you are reading about, where they are in the story, and what challenges they are facing.

In order to show you how many different literary genres exist, I've included WiIKIPEDIA's list of genre's and subgenres. After you see them, you will understand how daunting the job can be when it comes to labeling books. The links are included so feel free to explore the options.

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Friday, May 10, 2013

Feature Follow (107)

Alison Can Read Feature & Follow
Meme: Feature Follow

Day: Friday 


Premis: The meme hosts will 1) feature two (2) blog sites and 2) propose two questions that participating bloggers will answer on their blogs sites and give their followers the chance to join in.

This week's featured blogs: The Nerd Herd and Counting in Bookcases

 *Follow these sites 

This week's featured questions: Don't forget to leave a comment.

Q: Happy Mother's Day! Who is your favorite mom from fiction?

A: Hands down, my favorite fiction mom is Brody Kennedy's mother, from Warriors of the Cross (Warriors, #1).  After Lita, my mother-in-law died, I created the character, basing Brody's mother off Lita's characteristics. Lita was a wonderful woman, friend, mother, mother-in-law, and grandmother. My husband and I began dating when I was sixteen and he was seventeen. Lita instantly accepted me, took me in, and mentored me until the day she died. She stood by my side and held my hand when my children took their first crying breaths, and I was fortunate enough to be with her when she took her last graceful breath. For the rest of my life, I'll have a special place in my heart for her. ❤

Warriors of the Cross (Warriors, #1) Excerpt:
Without interrupting my peacefulness, three women exited through the glass doors. They had to be The Sisters recruited to watch me for the weekend.

They possessed a natural and effortless kindness, which very few people in the world exhibited. Treating me like a long-lost friend, their excitement at having me as a guest was as sincere as Brody’s. Without question, it would be easier to escape from Brody this weekend than it would be to evade them.

“Allie, Brody has told us so much about you. Thank you for staying here this weekend,” said Brody’s mother, Lita.

It was instantly obvious Lita and both her sisters looked alike. Their Native Indian heritage was evident in the high cheekbones and black hair. Like my family members fortunate enough to inherit those genes, they were all breathlessly beautiful. It was as if their bodies stopped aging at forty-five. In fact, it was almost unbelievable each of these women was nearing their seventies. Their similarities extended beyond their physical traits. They frequently shared thoughts and spoke them at the same time while constantly finishing each other’s sentences. I heard of identical twins with that type of intuition and made a mental note to read up on sibling telepathy. 

FEATURE FOLLOW RULES (as described on Parajunkee)

To join the fun and make new book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:
    • (Required) Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Hosts {Parajunkee & Alison Can Read}
    • (Required) Follow our Featured Bloggers
    • Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing. You can also grab the code if you would like to insert it into your posts.
    • Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say “hi” in your comments and that they are now following you.
    • If you are using WordPress or another CMS that doesn’t have GFC (Google Friends Connect) state in your posts how you would like to be followed
    • Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don’t just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don’t say “HI”
    • If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love…and the followers
    • If you’re new to the follow Friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!
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Sunday, May 5, 2013

❤ Happy Nurses Week ❤


I'm so, so fortunate to be able to call myself a nurse. I mean really! Are there better people in the world than those who have knowingly pursued a profession that requires you to be selfless by its very definition? Then, after we study hard, endure sleepless nights, and give ourselves to our profession (mind, body, and soul), we are allowed to call ourselves a nurse. Believe me, it is a privilege that has to be earned and not gifted.

A few weeks ago, I witnessed a situation that solidified my commitment to this profession. Let me preface this story by telling you I work in the middle of the Texas Medical Center, a tight-knit community of medical professionals.

Anyway, I was leaving my office and heading to a meeting that was 5-6 miles away. I hadn't gone one block when I saw a sedan stopped in the middle of the road and faced in the wrong direction and another awkwardly pulled up and parked on side street. The fact that a wreck had just happened was obvious. In fact, it was so fresh there was not a police officer or ambulance in site. What was there was a team of pedestrians gathered around and making the necessary calls.

When I got close enough to make out people, I saw a friend of mine (my beta-reader) was one of the people gathered near the car. As soon as he saw my car, he flagged me down. I quickly pulled up right in front of the car most damaged. My friend rushed over and said, "There's a man who may be dying."

Those words are the ones that jump-start nurses, doctors, and EMT's. We train our entire lives to intervene in these types of situations. Without another word, I fly out of my car. Work heels, shift dress, jacket and all. Sight unseen, I was completely prepared to do whatever necessary should the victim of this accident be lifeless or breathless.

Here's the kicker. My friend had no idea, but there were already two nurses at the scene. They'd both ran from their office which was across from the accident. One was on the phone with EMS and shouting, "He's breathing. Leave him in the car."As you know, nurses can be quite persistent when they want or need something. 

Since I was not the first on the scene and the patient was breathing, I didn't feel the need to do much other than stay put in the event the patient deteriorated before EMS arrived.

Seconds later, two nurses come running down the road yelling, "We have an AED." An AED is an automated external defibrillator, and of course, we assured them it was not necessary at that moment. Before we finished talking to the two newest nurses, a car stopped behind the accident and another woman ran up to the scene saying, "I'm a nurse." We reiterated the fact that he was breathing and had just regained consciousness.

A minute or two later, EMS and a fire truck arrived, and those professional took control of the scene, freeing the Good Samaritan nurses to go about their way with the confidence that the patient would receive the care necessary.

While I am a nurse and this story is a tribute to the profession I've embraced, I don't want to pretend there weren't other people from all walks of life standing around and making themselves available should this man need anything. For example, a truck driver stopped the instant the wreck happened, grabbed a fire extinguisher from his truck, ran over to the car with the unconscious man, and busted out the window so others could get inside the locked car and check on the man.

When you gauge our world and its people based on all of the horrible things we hear on the news, you begin to wonder if all is lost. Then, these types of situations occur, ones where a team of strangers come together to for the sole purpose of giving aid to a person who needed help. Standing by and witnessing the selflessness I saw that day, rekindled my faith in the world we live in while solidifying my pride in the people who've given their lives to the profession of nursing.

If you know a nurse, remember to thank them for all they do every single day. Their jobs are not glamorous. They are necessary, and it takes a special person to take on the challenge.

If you are a nurse, Happy Nurses Week!



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Thursday, May 2, 2013

Feature & Follow #20

Alison Can Read Feature & Follow
Meme: Feature Follow

Day: Friday 


Premis: The meme hosts will 1) feature two (2) blog sites and 2) propose two questions that participating bloggers will answer on their blogs sites and give their followers the chance to join in.

This week's featured blogs: Pretty Deadly Reviews and Boarding with Books

 *Follow these sites 

This week's featured questions: Don't forget to leave a comment.

Q: Give us a sneak! What are you reading? Tell us about a fun or fail scene in your current read.

A: I just completed April's NaNoWriMo and am officially a 2013 winner. As such, the only book I've even looked at recently is the book I'm writing, Underground (Secrets, #2). I've been eating, sleeping, and breathing Emily Riddle's world, one that is unlike anything most of us could ever imagine because it's one where women are not equals... they are more like slaves and baby factories than actual human beings.

 This book is nowhere near finished (or edited), but I thought it would be nice to share one of my favorite (so far) excerpts from it. Please know, I will change this a hundred times before it gets published, but it will give fans of Grave Bound (Secrets, #1) a glimpse into Emily's newest adventure. Believe me when I say that  Grave Bound (Secrets, #1)  may have been filled with twists and turns, but it doesn't have anything on Underground (Secrets, #2). ❤

Excerpt (Emily):


There's no way he'll find me.

I stop, lean my hand against one of the forest's many giant oaks, bend over, and rest until my breathing slows and my lungs are no longer burning. Time does nothing for my legs. They are still contorted with searing cramps that won't seem to go away. Unable to run—or walk—another step, I slip to the ground near the tree and curl up beneath it. I scoot closer to it several times and don't stop until I'm as far into the base of the oak as I can squeeze. The last thing I want right now is for Noah to find me.

After a few minutes, I pull Levi's cellphone from my pocket, turn it on, and study it. I'm surprised the device is still charged. I search through it's folders... desperate to discover something new about the man I loved... longing to hear his voice.

Levi has dozens of people listed under his contacts. The name that catches my attention right away is Tope Bryson, DA. Without thinking, I push the call button. I'm not sure I really want to talk to him, but I dont' want to be alone either.

"Hello?" Tope says, cautiously.

I don't say anything. I just needed to hear his voice.

"Who is this?" Tope asks and there is hope in his voice. His hope may have been silent, but it spoke to the place in me that is broken, beaten, battered, and bruised.

"It's me," I whisper.



FEATURE FOLLOW RULES (as described on Parajunkee)

To join the fun and make new book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:
    • (Required) Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Hosts {Parajunkee & Alison Can Read}
    • (Required) Follow our Featured Bloggers
    • Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing. You can also grab the code if you would like to insert it into your posts.
    • Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say “hi” in your comments and that they are now following you.
    • If you are using WordPress or another CMS that doesn’t have GFC (Google Friends Connect) state in your posts how you would like to be followed
    • Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don’t just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don’t say “HI”
    • If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love…and the followers
    • If you’re new to the follow Friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!
Posted by at 7 comments:

Indie Author Series: Keywords & Tags


This week's Indie Author Series is all about Keywords & Tags and the important role they play in an indie author's success.


Keywords/Tags are among the most enigmatic aspects of marketing . They're hard to get your arms around because they're not instantly visible and/or you can't prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are as important as everyone claims. 

Regardless of what you think of them, you will benefit by meticulously planning the keywords/tags that you will use. There are tools that will help you decide which will result in the highest chances of a web search hit for your word... and ultimately your book. 

 Before you access the tool, you should create lists of keywords that pertain to your book. If you are an indie author, many will fit the bill. I'll use myself as an example: new adult; indie; series; romance; suspense. 

Take that list and enter it in Google's Keyword Tool (it requires that you sign up but it is FREE). If you look below and follow the sites instructions, you will see that the tool allows you to identify words/phrases that are highly searched. The important thing here is to make sure the 4-5 keywords chosen are balanced and that they accurately represent your book.




Once you've studied the statistics associated with these searches and you've decided which keywords/tags you will be using, you can add them to Amazon, B&N, Smashwords, etc. Doing so will allow potential readers to access your book quickly and easily, and it will help search engines rank your book. 

 This entire process is relatively easy and painless, which means there's no reason not to take a few minutes to plan this out. After all, you've spent months (or years) building worlds and creating characters. You might as well give your book as much of an advantage to be seen and read as you possibly can.

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Thursday, April 25, 2013

Feature & Follow {46}

Alison Can Read Feature & Follow
Meme: Feature Follow

Day: Friday 


Premis: The meme hosts will 1) feature two (2) blog sites and 2) propose two questions that participating bloggers will answer on their blogs sites and give their followers the chance to join in.

This week's featured blogs: I'll Tumble For YA and Beauty But A Funny Girl

 *Follow these sites 

This week's featured questions: Don't forget to leave a comment.

Q: Is there a song that reminds you of a book? Or vice versa? What is the song and the book?

A: I'm an author who listens to lots of music while I'm writing. With every book, I connect with one of two songs/singers, and I listen to them over and over again. It's like the words or the singer's passions/emotions embody the spirit of the character or the story line I'm writing. Right now, I'm writing Underground (Secrets, #2), and I can't get enough of Lindsey Pavao when she sings Say Aah. She is amazingly talented! ❤

FEATURE FOLLOW RULES (as described on Parajunkee)

To join the fun and make new book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:
    • (Required) Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Hosts {Parajunkee & Alison Can Read}
    • (Required) Follow our Featured Bloggers
    • Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing. You can also grab the code if you would like to insert it into your posts.
    • Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say “hi” in your comments and that they are now following you.
    • If you are using WordPress or another CMS that doesn’t have GFC (Google Friends Connect) state in your posts how you would like to be followed
    • Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don’t just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don’t say “HI”
    • If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love…and the followers
    • If you’re new to the follow Friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!
Posted by at 8 comments:

Friday, April 19, 2013

Feature & Follow #145

Alison Can Read Feature & Follow
Meme: Feature Follow

Day: Friday 


Premis: The meme hosts will 1) feature two (2) blog sites and 2) propose two questions that participating bloggers will answer on their blogs sites and give their followers the chance to join in.

This week's featured blogs: Bookworm's Avenue and Words Fueled by Love

 *Follow these sites 

This week's featured questions: Don't forget to leave a comment.

Q: If you could hang out with any author (living) who would it be and what would you want to do?

A: Holy smokes! I have to pick just one? I'm going to have to go with Cassandra Clare. Our time together would be completely boring to the rest of the world because I would like to just sit and watch her write so I could have an opportunity to learn from the best-of-the-best! ❤


FEATURE FOLLOW RULES (as described on Parajunkee)

To join the fun and make new book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:
    • (Required) Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Hosts {Parajunkee & Alison Can Read}
    • (Required) Follow our Featured Bloggers
    • Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing. You can also grab the code if you would like to insert it into your posts.
    • Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say “hi” in your comments and that they are now following you.
    • If you are using WordPress or another CMS that doesn’t have GFC (Google Friends Connect) state in your posts how you would like to be followed
    • Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don’t just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don’t say “HI”
    • If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love…and the followers
    • If you’re new to the follow Friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!
Posted by at 1 comment:

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Indie Author Series: Editing (Which Type to Use, When to Use It, & Where to Get It)


This week's Indie Author Series is all about editing. Most indie authors are desperate to find (and keep) someone who can get the job done effectively and efficiently.
I'm sharing with you the types of services offered, the price for each version, and places (or people) where you can go to get what you need.
Editing services as offered by Createspace (Amazon)... and independent editors:

Basic Copyediting
Fine-tune your manuscript's technical elements with a round of editing focused on grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
✧    Basic Copyediting is the most popular and least expensive option and should be used if you only need someone to read your book and identify the most obvious issues, ones you will not see because - as the writer - you see the words the way they appear in your head and not in the document.
o        Createspace's pricing: $120.00 up to 10,000 words or $0.012/word for 10,000+ (independent editors prices usually begin @ $0.003/word)
               ·         Grammar
               ·         Spelling
               ·         Punctuation
               ·         Consistency

Comprehensive Copyediting
Refine the stylistic and technical elements of your manuscript, including grammar, spelling organization, and tone, with an in-depth and thorough review looking for problems.
✧     Comprehensive Copyediting will help you identify plot holes, character inconsistencies, fact errors, or syntactical issues.
o        Createspace's pricing: $160.00 up to 10,000 words
$0.016/word for 10,000+ (independent editors up to $0.025/word)
Stylistic elements
·         Concept
·         Intended word use
·         Organization
·         Tone
·         Characterization
·         Genre-specific writing conventions
Technical elements
·         Grammar
·         Spelling
·         Punctuation
·         Consistency

Comprehensive Copyediting Plus
Strengthen your manuscript's overall composition and correct technical elements; this service is well suited for first-time authors, and non-native English speakers.
✧    Comprehensive Copyediting Plus will help you identify plot holes, character inconsistencies, fact errors or syntactical issues.
o        Createspace's pricing: $220.00 up to 10,000 words
$0.022/word for 10,000+ (independent editors ??)
Composition
·         Sentence structure
·         Possible reorganization of the manuscript
·         Rephrasing text for smoothness and clarity
Stylistic elements
·         Concept
·         Intended word use
·         Tone
Technical elements
·         Grammar
·         Spelling
·         Punctuation
·         Consistency
o        Comprehensive Copyediting Plus is not a ghostwriting service.

I've had the opportunity to work with two great editors: Cassie McCown (of gathering leaves has lots of best selling authors on her client list) & Ashley's Freelance Editing (Ashley has several New York Times Bestsellers List Authors).

Cassie's Affordable Pricing:
Standard Pricing for Proofing and Copy Editing:  $0.003 - $0.009 per word

Standard Pricing for Content Editing: $0.008 - $0.025 per word

Rates are determined with a sample edit of 7-10 pages.


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Thursday, April 11, 2013

Feature & Follow Friday #43

Alison Can Read Feature & Follow
Meme: Feature Follow

Day: Friday 


Premis: The meme hosts will 1) feature two (2) blog sites and 2) propose two questions that participating bloggers will answer on their blogs sites and give their followers the chance to join in.

This week's featured blogs: Dear Restless Reader and Mab is Mab
Follow these sites. 

This week's featured questions: Don't forget to leave a comment.

Q: We are about to see a lot of posts and tweets about reader conventions, RT, BEA, ALA and many more are starting soon. Which one would you love to attend? Where and why?

A: I attend so many conventions for my day-to-day job that the word 'convention' is synonymous with work/dread/boredom. As such, I don't get the happy feelings everyone else apparently gets with the mere thought of participation. I suspect if I ever attended one of these conventions, I'd find they are nothing like the boring healthcare ones I've attended in the past... and I'd forever be hooked. Mental note, 'Research the conventions and attend at least one in your lifetime.' ❤


FEATURE FOLLOW RULES (as described on Parajunkee)

To join the fun and make new book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:
    • (Required) Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Hosts {Parajunkee & Alison Can Read}
    • (Required) Follow our Featured Bloggers
    • Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing. You can also grab the code if you would like to insert it into your posts.
    • Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say “hi” in your comments and that they are now following you.
    • If you are using WordPress or another CMS that doesn’t have GFC (Google Friends Connect) state in your posts how you would like to be followed
    • Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don’t just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don’t say “HI”
    • If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love…and the followers
    • If you’re new to the follow Friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!
Posted by at 10 comments:
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