Category Archives: Authors

News and a Giveaway

I really need to be better about consistently blogging, but lately, I’ve been putting everything I have to say in the YA I’m working on. You can catch me at The Writing Bug, however, every other Wednesday. But while I’m words-smithing away, the writing world keeps spinning, so here’s some newsworthy tidbits to pass along. Plus, I’m giving away a copy of Bobbing for Watermelons . . .

2015_Hot-Chocolate-Press-Library

My Bobbing publisher, Kerrie Flanagan of Hot Chocolate Press is at Patricia Stoltey’s blog today discussing the good, the bad, and the ugly of being a small publisher. It’s a great interview, plus Kerrie is giving away a book, so head over and leave a comment.

The Water Holds No Scars

The Water Holds No Scars: Fly Fishing Stories of Rivers & Rejuvenation, edited by Dean K. Miller, is  now available from Tulip Tree Publishing. This is a compilation of essays from various authors about their healing experiences of fly fishing. Proceeds benefit the Platte Rivers Chapter of Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing.  I’m anxiously awaiting my copy to arrive in the mail.

 

 

The Devil's Lament

I highly recommend Kenneth W. Harmon’s ebook, The Devil’s Lament. Ken is a longtime member of my critique group and this book has always been one of my favorites of his. He set is aside for a few years, so I was thrilled when he finally decided to shop it. It didn’t take long for his publisher, Winlock Press to snag it. “It is 1932. The world has turned to dust. Lucifer stills walks among us, testing the faithful at every turn. Then he discovers the reincarnation of Eve in a Dust Bowl revival tent … and their ancient passion threatens the world again. When Lucifer and Eve were together in Eden, their relationship changed the fate of humanity.” An excellent read.

 

NCW Top of the Mountain Book AwardThe 2016 Top of the Mountain Book Award is underway. Deadline is February 1, 2016, but wouldn’t it be great to get your submission in before the craziness of the holidays? Top prize is $1,000 given in two categories: Fiction and Creative Nonfiction. Fiction entries tend to outnumber the nonfiction ones, so please pass along the contest to all your memoir writers!

Bobbing for Watermelons by April J. Moore

Finally, what  you’ve all been waiting for, right? I’m giving away a copy of Bobbing for Watermelons to one (outrageously) lucky and (obviously) smart reader. Just leave a comment (preferably a nice one) by next Monday, the 7th at midnight, PST. Open to U.S. residents only.

And if you read any of these books I mentioned (or any book for that matter) leave an honest review on Amazon, Kobo, B&N, and/or Goodreads. It helps authors out a great deal, especially considering there are roughly 750,000 books published a year!

Happy reading!

Get Over It, Harper Lee Fans (or ex-fans, as it may be)

Harper Lee booksAdvice to authors: watch your back, because if you have the audacity to not meet your readers’ demands, you will be skewered. I feel for Harper Lee. It took only a matter of days to rip her down from a place of reverence and admiration (a position readers have bestowed upon her over the last fifty-five years) all because readers sanctified one of her characters.

(A character who the amazing Gregory Peck gave a nice, polished finish to.) 

Go Set a Watchman tells the truth and the truth can hurt. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Finch is defending the law, not supporting desegregation. We see Atticus through the eyes of his adoring 6-year-old daughter, so it’s not hard to imagine readers becoming the same 6-year-old who later discovers disappointing truths. But to say things like, Harper Lee ruined my life; and To Kill a Mockingbird is no longer my favorite book, is childish and petty. To suggest that Lee owed readers a happy ending to the lives of these fictional characters is selfish. You don’t have to like it, but to tear her down because of it, is terrible. Get over it.

To Kill a Mockingbird took on a life of its own and it’s no wonder Lee didn’t publish anything until now. If anyone wants a happy wrap-up to the lives of Scout, Jem, and Atticus, then take to the fan fiction boards and write your own damn sequel. 

Lee didn’t owe us a thing.  

 

Help a Writer and an Illustrator Out (Not talking about me)

David Kulczyk is a talented author friend of mine who is published under the same imprint as my first book, Folsom’s 93. David’s previous titles, Death in California, California’s Fruits, Flakes & Nuts, and California Justice are excellent true crime reads; I highly recommend them. For his forthcoming book, about the murdering ladies of the golden state, he’s hired an illustrator to provide original drawings. David is working with Oalf Jens, an amazing illustrator, but of course, it costs money. If you’d like to help a couple of guys out, check out David’s Go Fun Me; every little bit helps.

Go Fund MeAs David says, “being a writer is a tough row to hoe.” Because of my own fondness for whacked out, historical true crime, I’m enthusiastic about this new book. Also, tune in and listen to David on True Murder podcast; it’s a great interview.

Thanks!

California Fruits, Flakes & Nuts

Ivan Doig

Ivan DoigThis is Ivan Doig, my favorite author. I just read that he passed away today, and it breaks my heart. He wrote 15 books, his first one, This House of Sky, was his beautiful memoir. His 16th, Last Bus to Wisdom is scheduled for an August release. From the first page of the first Doig book I read, I fell in love with his writing style and his characters. Doig was a master of witty, one-of-a-kind descriptions that always made me stop and re-read, out of sheer awe. He had a way of developing characters, who within a page or two, became people you wish you could meet in real life. What a loss. I encourage you to check out Doig’s work. My recommendation is to start with The Whistling Season or English Creek.

Rest in peace, my friend, and thank you for your contribution to the literary world. You’ll be missed.

A is for Androgynous

A is for Androgynous A to Z Challenge, April J. Moore

Oh, goodness. 1989, aged 12. Around this time, I had been in California visiting family and spent a day playing with a kid named Ray, a friend of my cousin’s. Apparently, the whole afternoon, he thought I was a boy. He obviously hadn’t caught my name, so when it came time to leave, something came up about names. “April? But that’s a girl’s name,” he said. Androgyny happens . . . especially when sporting a pre-pubescent short haircut. But I think I could go either way in this picture.

In 1832, poet, Samuel Taylor Coleridge said, “The truth is, a great mind must be androgynous.”

In A Room of One’s Own, Virginia Woolf interpreted Coleridge’s quote by saying, “And I went on amateurishly to sketch a plan of the soul so that in each of us two powers preside, one male, one female . . . The normal and comfortable state of being is that when the two live in harmony together, spiritually co-operating . . . Coleridge perhaps meant this when he said that a great mind is androgynous. It is when this fusion takes place that the mind is fully fertilized and uses all its faculties. Perhaps a mind that is purely masculine cannot create, any more than a mind that is purely feminine . . .”

Woolf asserted that “an androgynous mind is present when one is working at the absence of sex-consciousness, thus producing output at its highest capacity, without impediment and free from gender-biasness.” (source) Woolf believed that “to write without consciousness of sex is to see the piece of work for itself not as its author.” Much of this theory stems from the sexist treatment she and other women writers had endured. 

Woolf received a great deal of criticism for this view, resulting in a ping-ponging of arguments, but the whole idea of having an androgynous mind is fascinating to me. Recently, author, Andrew Smith got speared for some comments he made when asked why his books lack female characters:

“I was raised in a family with four boys, and I absolutely did not know anything about girls at all. I have a daughter now; she’s 17. When she was born, that was the first girl I ever had in my life. I consider myself completely ignorant to all things woman and female. I’m trying to be better though. 

A lot of The Alex Crow is really about the failure of male societies. In all of the story threads, there are examples of male-dominated societies that make critical errors, whether it’s the army that Ariel falls in with at the beginning, or the refugee camp, or Camp Merrie-Seymour for boys, or the doomed arctic expedition, they’re all examples of male societies that think that they’re doing some kind of noble mission, and they’re failing miserably.”

Some authors accused him of calling women “less than human,” while others said Smith was only being honest; that the underpinning issue is that as a culture, a book’s default is to feature white males.

So where am I going with all of this?

I’m not entirely sure, but I found Woolf’s theory intriguing. Can “a single person of either sex  [embody] the full range of human character traits, despite cultural attempts to render some exclusively feminine and some exclusively masculine?” And thus, create authentic emotions and insights of characters of both genders? Is it even possible? Or are we merely guessing when we write the viewpoints of the opposite sex? 

I wasn’t offended by Smith’s comments. I think he unintentionally kicked a beehive. I’d be interested to hear what Woolf would say, however. Are authors (particularly male authors) obligated to include female characters in their books? (And of course, they can’t be gun-toting, bikini-wearing blondes, right?) 

I realize this is a much deeper issue than what I’m making it out to be, but in order to scratch the surface, I’d like to know, 1.) Is it possible to write with androgyny? and 2.) Are we being sexist if we don’t?

A to Z Challenge 2015

Artists Behaving Badly

Just yesterday, I was talking about toddlers and temper tantrums, so I’ll continue with that thread and talk about Kanye West. On Sunday, during the Grammy award show, he nearly repeated his infamous onstage rant of 2009, when he hopped on stage after Beck won for album of the year. He didn’t follow through with his tirade, but later pouted and cried, telling US Weekly Magazine:

The Grammys, if they want real artists to come back, they need to stop playing with us. We ain’t gonna play with them no more. Flawless, Beyoncé video, and Beck needs to respect artistry and he should have given his award to Beyoncé. And at this point, we tired of it because what happens is, when you keep on diminishing art, and not respecting the craft, and smacking people in the face after they deliver monumental feats of music, you’re disrespectful to inspiration.” 

Wow. Talk about arrogance on an epic level. Chrissy Teigen, wife of musician John Legend, defended West, laughing about it on The Today Show, saying she thought it was a joke. Legend called the incident “funny.” Even jokes can be low-class and tasteless and shouldn’t be defended with giggles and eye rolls at those who find it distasteful. This isn’t about free speech either. It’s about being a sore loser, whether it’s he himself who lost, or someone he was rooting for, in this case, Beyonce. 

I’ve always liked Beck’s music, and his response makes me respect the guy even more (although I thought it was almost too nice). Aside from West’s immature and disrespectful behavior, the sad conclusion, I see, is that he’s in it for the accolades. He wants his music and the music of his friends to be recognized. Apparently, that’s how he measures his self worth, which is unfortunate, because an award shouldn’t validate you. The guy’s a talented musician, no doubt about it, but is that license to take away another musician’s incredible moment? 

This sense of entitlement translates to all professions, including writing. Late last year, author Ayelet Waldman threw a fit for not making the NYT’s “100 Notable Books of 2014.” Is that what’s she’s in it for? Is that why anyone does what they do? To be recognized in front of millions? Sure, that would be nice, but if that’s what you’re in it for, excuse me for not supporting your quest for stardom. Isn’t selling millions of copies or even having thousands of 4 or 5-star reviews enough? 

Perhaps when you reach a certain level in your career, you feel you’ve earned that award, or that coveted spot on some list, but to me, the second you step away from your humility and grace, is the second you start losing the respect you’ve spent so much time garnering. I doubt I’ll ever be that in position anyway, but at least I write because I love to, not because I want to fill a space on my shelf with an award.

That’s my rant for the day. I’m going to go download Beck’s album now.

Writing Blogs to Follow

I know, all of you probably only follow me and hang on my every word, but I’ll let you in on a secret: I get my wisdom from other writers and industry professionals. Here’s my top 8 writing blogs I like to follow:

  • Make a Living Writing Carol Tice is a freelance writer based in Seattle and her posts are full of amazing advice. 
  • Jody Hedlund Hedlund is an award-winning author who offers tons of advice from creating strong characters to how to navigate the publishing industry.
  • Terrible Minds Chuck Wendig . . . I’ll let him tell you what his blog is about: “novelist, screenwriter, and game designer. This is his blog. He talks a lot about writing. And food. And the madness of toddlers. He uses lots of naughty language. NSFW. Probably NSFL. Be advised.”
  • Helping Writers Become Authors K.M. Weiland is a bestselling author who talks about (among many topics) common writing mistakes, how to structure a book, and writing inspiration.
  • Writer Unboxed Focusing on the business and craft of writing fiction.
  • Write it Sideways: “Write It Sideways’ has been helping you see the world of writing from a fresh perspective. Our experienced team can help you learn new skills, define your goals, increase your productivity, and prepare for publication.” Need I say more?
  • Live Write Thrive Get your grammar on here with novelist, copyeditor, and writing coach C.S. Lakin.
  • Quick and Dirty Tips from Grammar Girl Mignon Fogarty is a true grammar maven. She makes remembering grammar rules easy.

What are some of your favorite writing blogs?

A Weekend of Writing

A weekend of writing events, that is.

Folsom's 93: The Lives and Crimes of Folsom Prison's Executed Men

Yesterday, my publisher emailed me and asked if I could do a live, one-hour radio interview this Saturday to discuss Folsom’s 93. I thought, ‘Gee, I don’t know. An hour to talk about my book? Writers hate that stuff, right?’ I did have to cancel my luncheon with Beyonce, but she’s always calling to come over, so I’m sure we’ll reschedule. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to chat with George Yates, host of “Justice For All,” a radio show broadcasting out of Chesapeake, VA on WHKT. We go live at 2 p.m. EST/12 p.m. MST, but if you can’t tune in, don’t fret; it’ll be available online—I’ll update with a link. UPDATE: CLICK HERE to listen in.

Hot Chocolate Press Festival

Then it’s off to more book bliss with the Hot Chocolate Festival happenin’ Saturday evening from 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. I will be joining other Hot Chocolate Press authors for readings and book talk. I’ll be revealing the cover for my women’s fiction, Bobbing for Watermelons, and I have to say, I love how it came out! (And I hear that Boardwalk Gallery will be decked out like a winter wonderland for the event . . . who’d want to miss that?!) Click the link for more information.

The Eclectic Reader Bookstore

The Eclectic Reader bookstore is having their first-ever Open Mic Night January 10th from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. The night will feature “Fragmentary Writing.” From their website:
“‘Fragmentary writing,’ what’s that?” you ask. Well, that’s what most of us do first (before we publish our Opus Majus). It’s bits and pieces of stuff, snippets, shards of thought, letters, diary and journal entries, short prose pieces, poetry, aphorisms, short essays, punchy letters to the editor and character sketches Oh, and songs…so music is welcome, too.
We’ll put out a money jar for a prize…winner takes all. Audience to be the judge.
Join us for some fun.
On the night of this frenzy of exposition, all books in the store will be 20% off.
Questions? Call 970-223-4019

Have a great weekend and happy writing!