Review Group discussion

Tell us what you want us to know!
What do you like to read/write? Who are your literary icons?
What are your achievements and aspirations?
How can we help you?

Well, Seeing as how nobody has ever heard of me, I'll start out and see where that takes us.

I'm an avid reader, mostly A/A, suspense, crime novels, and I was seriously into horror/psychological thrillers for many years. I read 2-3 books a week as a rule.

While at sea in the Navy, I read 2-3 books a day at times, many of them serial stuff about bad-ass dudes shooting up the bad guys, or the inhabitants of Tor, or Tarzan, or....well, just about anything I could get my hands on.

I really like Stephen King, because of his character development and writing style. I like Robert McCammon, because he wrote one of my three favorite books, "Mine". I have a strong affection for all the writers cranking out series about the Lou Boldts, Bob Lee Swaggers, and all the other bad-asses I don't have room to mention here.

My idea when I first started writing what turned out to be "D*E*D, DEAD" was to make a few copies, put them in 3-ring binders, and show them to some friends. As the story grew, I became attached to it in a way I didn't anticipate. I wanted people to read it, by God! My wife was the driving force behind making me actually publish it. Then came the website, PayPal buttons, a business license, copyright stuff, all the not-so-fun stuff.

Nobody has ever accused me of being shy, so I get out and push the book. I'm involved in making some video trailers, and gearing up to do a audio version, and a member of the Colorado Film commission is trying to entice investors to make a film or mini-series.

Maybe nothing will happen at all, but I'll feel like I gave it my best shot. And the sequel will happen, no matter what. I'm too invested in the characters as well as the readers to stop now.

When I was about 6, it occurred to me to wonder how books came to be (the Book Facts of Life). My mother explained that human beings actually wrote them! (Otherwise known as The Book Talk). I started writing directly after that and have been writing since.

However, I didn't publish anything until 2005, when I wrote two non-fiction shorts for two anthologies, about my two rescued Australian Cattle dogs. Later I published another two non-fiction shorts in two more anthologies. Encouraged, I first tried to sell a mystery, and then began hawking a fantasy trilogy. It was picked up late last year by a small publisher, Malachite Quills.

Since then, I've learned a heckuva lot about this whole affair, including self-publishing via Kindle Direct (I have my shorts (short stories!) up that way) and publicity, marketing, etc. I've had a great deal of fun making animated gifs for book trailers and making the trailers themselves. I've got a couple new websites going, an author facebook fan page, etc., etc.

I read a wide range of things, from classics through non-fiction Western (U.S.) immigrant history, from fantasy through true crime. I enjoy books on biodiversity, environment, evolution, layman science. If I like a book enough I'll read it again, and again, and again. I'm looking forward to reading some things outside my usual genres - broadening my horizons.

I would love to be able to retire some day and supplement my retirement income with what I'm earning on my writing. Right now I have a day job (park ranger - no, it's nothing like you probably think it is, and it's no more a dream job than any other federal employment). I spend my spare time working with my dogs, writing, reading, and doing outside stuff (hiking, mountain biking, skiing, snowshoeing, etc.).

Factoid: I've been to Prague twice and use my impressions of it and its historical constructions freely within my books, including the catacombs under the Vysehrad, St. Vitus, the Hunger Wall, and the Old Town/Jewish Quarter.

Larry wrote: "Well, Seeing as how nobody has ever heard of me, I'll start out and see where that takes us.

I'm an avid reader, mostly A/A, suspense, crime novels, and I was seriously into horror/psychological t..."

Wow! Sounds like you're a busy man, Larry!

With all the experience you've gotten with your own book, you could probably do well going to work for other writers, publicizing their work....

Hi everyone I have self publishing an annual anthology of art and literature to raise money for charity. Our second volume is now in production and we are very excited about it. I am always looking for more talent and I am also always very thankful for reviews. I will have a pdf of selected pieces from volume 2 to share with you shortly. This is our website unokudo.blogspot.com

That's very philanthropic, Erin. It doesn't say on your site which charity you support. Could you tell us some more about it?

Thank you Jay Volume one raised money for 826.org a children's literary organization. As of now we are going to continue with this charity for VOL 2 We love that 826 provides creative outlets and growth for children. It's a cause close to the hearts of the artists and writers in our community.

Perhaps you'd like to post details on this thread?
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1...

Hey there...this sounds like an interesting idea. I don't know if I'm going to register yet due to time, but I'm definitely going to be paying attention.

I just published my first book, To Hell With Fate; or, Why The Best Valentine's Gifts Come From Mini-Marts, a young adult book that I like to think bends the rules of Young Adult romance a bit. For one, no vampires... :) I've been exploring the world of SP/IP books ever since.

I'm not very genre-oriented. I do enjoy good fantasy stuff, though the market has become so saturated by that. I also enjoy some young adult stuff, if only because I like the innocence and generally good morals. But my tastes range the gamut, as does my writing. The wit of Mark Twain and Neil Gaiman rank as my biggest influences.

I've been writing in some form or another since high school: Poetry, journalism (including recently 10 years of covering minor league baseball), and several attempts at screenplays. I got into novel-writing because I hadn't tried it before, and my first attempt was well-received, at least by the people who I would hope receive it well.

Other than the stories I'm working on, I currently do a webcomic about being a fan of baseball's San Francisco Giants. It's a wonderful exercise in writing short and quick bits. I also have a day job working for a fruit company, and showing people how to use our products.

I look forward to participating a lot in here.

Hi Kevin, good to meet you here :)

It sounds like I'd enjoy your work. My worst review of my first novel called it 'too twee' and another reviewer was a bit disappointed that my characters were all 'nice people' lol! The way I like to write is to look for the good in life. There's way too much bad already so why invent more? People have problems, but family and friends generally rally round, or so I've found.

Are you sure you can't fit in 1 review per 3 weeks over the next 9 or 12 weeks? We have a slot suddenly vacant in Group 1 for 3 rounds, or Group 3 is itching to get started and need one more member.

You're welcome, whatever you decide, and do keep checking back as Mike has lots of ideas bubbling - videos, interviews, sharing indie news items, that kind of thing. Personally, I think we need lightening up a little so I intend asking him to set up a jokes thread too. I hope he and Marie-Anne agree with me.

I disagree! (joke) (heh)

I'll see what I can do. After the next few weeks, life will get easier...but hopefully I can find a way. I'll keep checking back...

"For one, no vampires... :)"

LOL, is that a jab at how I'm using vampires? I owe you big time for your suffering through reading it. :)

I didn't know you've attempted screenplays. I wrote a children's musical back before Toy Story that involved toys and spoofed several well-known songs. It was performed originally at one local elementary school, but word of it spread and next thing you know, the theater group was getting requests for it from locations as far away as 60 miles, not a huge deal until realizing it was a high school theater group, low budget, no advertising, oh, and I wrote it in a weekend by myself. Good times.

Nope, Alys...that's a jab at how Stephanie Meyer is using them. I don't think you disagree with me there.

And the screenplays...were a long time ago. To Hell With Fate's beginnings as a story were as a screenplay, but you wouldn't recognize it. Quite a different medium. That's pretty amazing about the musical. Damn, I can't imagine doing anything like that with music.

Wouldn't it be neat if you could programme into your e-book where the e-reader should start playing the music the characters are hearing? You'd be straight up to the top of the charts, Alys!

Hello everyone!

My name is Susie and I am an adult Urban Fantasy author. On occasion, I do write reviews of the books I read on my author blog, but writing, family and other commitments keep me from having much time to read so it is sporadic and I don't really take requests.

However, I am very interested in getting some reviews for my new book MUSE. It is an adult urban fantasy about a woman who finds out she is a Muse and it throws her into the path of some unsavory characters. She has to get a handle on her new powers in order to save herself and her children.

To find out more about me and my book visit my website at www.susiemhanley.com

Thanks!

Welcome to the group, Susie .. Alys .. Kevin! Wow -- I'm really slacking on my greeting duties.

Good thing I don't work as a greeter at Wal-Mart.

I've seen plenty of pictures of the people who use those Walmarts of yours... You don't dress like that, do you, Mike? If so, let me out of here!!!!

PS - welcome, Susie!

Jay wrote: "I've seen plenty of pictures of the people who use those Walmarts of yours... You don't dress like that, do you, Mike? If so, let me out of here!!!!"

I've been featured on a website or two.

Ooh, do tell!

In July I published an ebook through Kobo Writing Life. It is a novel called "Oh My Blessed Father" which is a story about growing up in the 50's and 60's in mainly smalltown Ontario with an alcoholic and abusive father. It relates how the family of seven children and loving mother were able to live through these times which often involved seeing the humour in many situations. You can read more about the book by searching for the title on Kobo or through other sites such as Indigo/Chapters in Canda and W.H. Smith in the UK.

If you want to know more about my background, you may visit my Goodreads Authors page.

I look forward to belonging to a group involving other Indie authors. I read many genres but my favourite current writers include John Irving, Richard Russo, Bernard Cornwell, Stephen R. Donaldson, Ian Rankin, David Richards Adams, and many, many more. I am a Sherlock Holmes addict and have a whole cabinet of books and other Sherlockian keepsakes. Basically, I just like good literature regardless of the genre.

Thanks for the welcome, Jay.

Ted

Good to have you join us, Ted :)
If you want to register an interest in joining one of the reviewing groups this is the thread you need:
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1...

If you would like to know a bit more about Anne Carlisle, our English Prof member, she recently joined in an author interview here:

http://brenda-steve.blogspot.com

I popped over as I'd not experienced one of these before so the invite intrigued me. I thought she handled it well.

73 members already! This is great because it allows for more non-reciprocal reviews!

I love the rate at which this group is growing because it's high enough to keep the pool of reviewers from stagnating, but low enough to keep the whole process manageable.

Thank you for joining, everyone. It's great to see you here and I hope we can get you some great-quality reviews in the near future. I'm working on an FAQ that should be posted within the next few days. Hopefully, this will make things go more smoothly for new members.

Jay wrote: "If you would like to know a bit more about Anne Carlisle, our English Prof member, she recently joined in an author interview here:

http://brenda-steve.blogspot.com

I popped over as I'd not exper..."

Thanks so much for the visit and the post, Jay! Full disclosure: the interview site is owned by erotica diehards. (Hmmm....diehards, a pun I never thought of before). My academic background is a bit stiff (oops! there I go again) for that crowd, but we hooked up on Twitter, and it turns out they interview paranormal romance authors as well as the Fifty Shades folks. The process was easy; they emailed me the questions in advance, I answered them, and then they posted it for the agreed on dates. They spelled my name wrong, but hey, erotica authors aren't known for their spelling talent, and I'll gladly take the free publicity.

I agree with the "free publicity" thing - I have a similar type interview posted on a Style site. I was amused when I first checked out the site to see a woman dressed only in pasties on the front page...

Edible undies for the man who likes some meat, eh?

Graeme Smith. Fantasy writer. I'd love to say 'mostly comic fantasy' - but I don't think I can. Because you can't write comic fantasy. Actually, I don't think you can write 'comic' anything. Because it only becomes comedy if and when the reader smiles or laughs while, um, reading it. But sure, let's say it anyway. So I write mostly comic fantasy (which is fantasy intended to make you laugh, not fantasy in comics :-P).
Having Graeme Smith as my pen name is convenient, since it also happens to be my real name. I might try to be funny and say my pen's called Graeme, but then I'd have to admit I don't use a pen. Maybe I should call my keyboard Graeme instead.
Maybe that's it. Maybe I'm just a keyboard called Graeme :-).
When I'm not writing (well, or editing my writing. Or re-writing. Or editing my re-writing. Or... Quite. You get the picture), I'm doing other things. Things like online gaming (if you know Bard Elcano, you know me. If you know a grumpy old dragon called Sephiranoth, you know me. If you know a tall, dark, handsome but brooding vampire, charming witty and brilliant - we never met. That's someone else.) Some less fun. But you don’t care about those. Especially the not fun. You want to know about me. You want to know about me, what I write, or where you left your car keys (No, I don’t know where they are either. But feel free to keep reading while you think about it). Because right now I’m the most fascinating thing in your universe. Yes, I am!
Bugger. Where did I put that pocket watch? Right. Let’s try that again. Watch the swinging watch…
Damn. Now you fell asleep.
So there you are. Graeme Smith. Me. Short, fat, bald and ugly (fortunately my wife has lousy taste in men). Time was, I worked on a psychiatric ward. Now I write about people who believe in magic and dragons, and who live where the crazy folk are the ones who don’t :-).

Welcome to the group, Graeme! Invite all your friends. If you haven't already, you'll want to register so we can get you into a group. Group 4 is forming at this point.

Hi there - Thanks for the invite to join this group. As a newbie self published author this group is exactly what I'm looking for.
I've just published my first Contemporary Romance E-Book Love in the Vines and I'm still getting used to the fact - I did it:)
I definitely feel at home writing, and holding internal conversations with any number of people.
Born in New Zealand to Dutch parents I love salt liquorice and sheep.
As a wannabe marathon runner, I try to balance the art of keeping fit and healthy with my love of red wine. This is a constant work in progress.
If truth be told, I'm a cat lady in training.
I've always got a couple of books on the go. Although I'm not genre specific, I do tend to favor reading contemporary urban books.
I'd love to have the opportunity to read and write reviews.

Hi, Magdalena! Now I'm imagining you running through a field of sheep, refreshing yourself afterwards with licorice and red wine.

If you haven't already, go on up to the Registration thread and someone (probably Jay!) will add you to a review Group from there. I think we're getting close to completing Group 4. There's also a set of FAQ to browse through to see how things work...

Thank you, Magdalena, for reminding me of that fabulous, never-to-be-repeated feeling of 'I've done it!! Yay!!'. It's a bit surreal for quite a while, after years (in my case 8!) of striving.

Anyways, back to the realities of the present - get in fast with a registration as there's just one place left in group 4. The next group could take weeks to form up.
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1...

Huzzah! to the review group & Jay and company. Thanks! I believe in authors helping authors.

Name: Peter O'Donnell, publish as Peter Prasad
I've been a paid writer for 40 years. I look at plot, character development and pacing. I struggle to create value and insight in whatever I write and in my reviews. Growing up in Florida, I knew John D. MacDonald. Bernard Cornwell is my hero. My Campaign Zen is a free download (www.smashwords.com/books/view/180984) until after the election. I'm working on a murder mystery, Poisoned Wine, set in Sonoma County. Can a sheep-dairy cheese maker prevent the murder of the governor?

Hi group, I've just joined up and just (self) published a collection of short stories in the literary erotica genre. I've previously been published in anthologies and online.

My favourite writer is Murakami though I don't know if I'd claim him as an influence. I have also been reading heaps of Japanese historical fiction lately. Samurai murder mysteries - who even knew that was a genre?

My achievements are getting published and paid (one of my big hates is getting published for the "glory" esp by commercial enterprises) and winning a few competitions.

Goals - I have a novel I want to write, getting away from the erotica genre and more into ... well not a "happily ever after" romance (I'm too cynical to write one of those) but a historical relationship type story.

I really enjoy short stories, Kathryn. Mind, that's only happened since I started writing them about 20 years ago. I haven't had any formal literature education\training and it was only in the writing that I started to appreciate the intricacies and dynamics of the form. I think it might be rather the same for poetry, for me anyway, but I haven't dared try that yet.

Jay wrote: "I think it might be rather the same for poetry, for me anyway, but I haven't dared try that yet."

Poetry is difficult, I find. With a good short story or novel, you can enjoy the story even without going into a deeper analysis about the meaning but poetry seems to be all about hidden meaning.

My name is Samuel Choy and I'm a writer.

Actually, I'm a technical writer, so I'm blessed to get to write for a living, though I'd rather be writing about fairies and knights than computer chips. However, I'm not living under the fantasy that just because I can write a computer manual I can automatically write a good novelist.

I like to write YA fantasy and urban fantasy. My stuff has religious themes but not preachy in-your-face stuff.

My goal is to get published. However, that hasn't stopped me from recently putting a book out on Amazon. I have, though, had some short stories published on a couple of web-zines. And both of them put my stuff in their print anthologies, which I was happy about. My pay was a free copy of the anthology, but I'm not complaining.

As far as the writers I like, there's a lot of them: Terry Brooks, Suzanne Collins, Stephen King (some of his stuff), Dean Koontz, Stephen Lawhead, D.J. MacHale, Donita K Paul, Rick Riordan, JK Rawling, Timothy Zahn. Those are the ones who come to mind, anyway.

Well....enough rambling. I look forward to meeting you all, reviewing your writing, and being reviewed.

Samuel wrote: "Actually, I'm a technical writer, so I'm blessed to get to write for a living, though I'd rather be writing about fairies and knights than computer chips...."

Hi Samuel. It's a pity you can't combine the two. It would make for much more interesting computer manual :)

I've done a bit of tech writing and it's hard. It take a whole different mindset to fiction.

Hi, Samuel, that's pretty much how I got started, too. I do some technical writing at work and a few years back I had several short stories published in anthologies! I used that as a springboard when writing queries - after all, I could claim to be a "published author". I eventually got a trilogy picked up by a small publisher. So I would say you're on the right track - although you might end up preferring to stick with self-pubbing through KDP, as it seems a lot of folks nowadays do. (I've also got a couple things up on KDP...)

Kathryn wrote: "Samuel wrote: "Actually, I'm a technical writer, so I'm blessed to get to write for a living, though I'd rather be writing about fairies and knights than computer chips...."

Hi Samuel. It's a pit..."

There have been some times when I had to document a product that was unreleased and not yet working that I felt like I was writing fiction.

K.A. wrote: "Hi, Samuel, that's pretty much how I got started, too. I do some technical writing at work and a few years back I had several short stories published in anthologies! I used that as a springboard wh..."

It's always nice to meet another tech writer!

Hello!

I'm new to this group, but it looks like it's a good place to be. Lots of potential connections with other writer/readers! I wrote a memoir titled "Fisheye" (published this month) that is currently part of a Goodreads giveaway contest: http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sho... So glad to be here!

Trish

Hi Trish, welcome :)
I've just seen your profile and your comment here. How excited you must be right now, having just published your book. Good luck with it!

Thank you Jay!

I too have a technical/advertising writing background. I got fried having to pump excitement every new model year over "one extra inch of headroom." You can imagine it was a small foreign car, but fun while it lasted. It's wonderful experience to be paid to face a blank page and express yourself in compelling fashion. Huzzah authors!Campaign Zen: 500bc - 2012.

My name is Bart Baker, I'm a screenwriter by trade and my first novel, HONEYMOON WITH HARRY was published this summer. The reviews have been pretty terrific on the book and it's still selling so that makes me happy. I sold the movie rights to the book when it was in galleys. Presently, Bradley Cooper is attached to star. If that moves forward, the book should really take off. But I've been in the entertainment business long enough to never count on anything, enjoy the surprises when they arise and ride the wave for as long as I can.

I moved back to the midwest a few years ago to raise my two young sons after 30 years in Los Angeles. I'm still an active screenwriter but I also teach screenwriting now, more to be around creative people which is the one thing I truly miss about Los Angeles. I miss walking out my door and knowing the guy next door is a painter, and the woman next to him is a choreographer and the person next to them is an actor, etc. I loved that. If you want to know my screenwriting career, you can look me up on IMDB.com. I have a pretty solid track record of getting film produced.

I'm presently finishing novel #2 IMMEDIATE FAMILY, which will be out either later this year or early next year. I'm proud of this novel and I have rough draft finished of the first in a YA series I'm creating, AFTER OZZ.

As far as literary influences. There are three writers I love, Hunter Thompson, Ernest Hemingway and Pat Conroy. Two are dead and the other doesn't write enough. I am blessed now to have authors that I know, best sellers and some less so, who are so gifted at storytelling, which is what I cherish in reading, great storytelling, that I am inspired.

I would love to ask a question of the writers in this group. HONEYMOON WITH HARRY received some really terrific reviews (a few good to okay reviews also but always with great quotes.) Other than putting them on Amazon or my own web site, is there much I can do with them other than reprint them in the book? I'm green at this but it feels there's more I could be doing with good reviews to help PR the book. Thanks!!!

Welcome, Bart :)
Hope you enjoy your time with us here. Re the marketing, this is the area where we indie/self-published authors fall down. We're writers, not marketers. I don't have any answers for you - or for me! Would you like to start a discussion thread here in the General topic and see what insights we can share? There are also lots of other threads in various groups on GR you might want to check out, but I didn't get any real insights about how to achieve success. Mind, that could well be a factor of me not having the enthusiasm for the subject to tempt me away from the things I love doing, rather than the information not being there.

I go by my middle name, Deanna. My mom and I shared the same first name, so that simplified things. Adding to the confusion, I also have a nickname, DeeDee. Talk about your identity crisis!

I write fantasy, light science fiction, and the paranormal. Until recently I've written only for myself, but I put my first novel online this September. I wrote it several years ago. Getting it online was an experiment, my guinea pig, a practice round (so to speak). My second book, the one that I shed blood and tears over, is now online at Amazon. Getting it noticed is going to be an uphill battle.

I am working on two other novels at the moment and I've stalled on both of them. Yowser. I think it has to do with the fact that reality has settled in--writing the book is easy compared to finding people who actually want to read it.

Welcome, Deanna :) Hopefully coming here and getting those first few reviews up will help.

Everyone - remember when you post a review, if you liked the book then click that Like button. It all helps! Even if you didn't like it you could check out whether you want to agree with the tags. Amazon orders search results by number of agreements with tags (among other things) so the more people agree with a tag the more likely it will be to appear in the first couple of pages of results.