Who received an eReader as a present?

So, how many people received a shiny new eReader as a Christmas present? Or perhaps a gift card for Amazon.com or B&N.com with the intent to purchase eBooks? I can imagine A LOT of people did! I already owned a Nook, but my husband bought me a Kindle 3G, which I did request! There's nothing wrong with my Nook, by the way. It's 1 1/2 years old and just fine. But Amazon and its popular Kindle seem to rule...and I didn't want to be left out not having the privilege to own one, too! I also received some nice, cool cash from my sister-in-law and decided to set it aside specifically for buying more eBooks whenever I'm in need of a reading fix - which is often! Yay!

My two published books: Unknown Touch-Werewolf Series-Book 1 and Unknown Scent-Werewolf Series-Book 2 are available in both print and eBook versions. I've noticed the rise of my books purchased as an eBook vs. the number of paperbacks sold. I'm not at all surprised. Personally, I still buy some physical (print) books by specific authors or when I want a technical, detailed, teaching type of book. But most of my fun, entertaining type of books I buy as an eBook now.

Happy reading everyone!

Organize the Outline - Out with Old, In with New

My latest work-in-progress has had my mind paralyzed, stumped, and slushing along at a turtle's pace  trying to complete it. I believe I've discovered my problem (I refuse to use the words "writer's block").

When I created the outline for this particular novel, I typed it in great detail - as in approximately 25 pages - front and back! My other published books did not have anywhere near that lengthy of outlines when I wrote them. Also, I had revised the storyline at an early point while writing the book. Some of those revisions were massive and I needed to rearrange events I'd already mapped out or to add entirely new points/chapters to the book and even forced deletions of specific scenes in other places. Those changes should create tons of additional suspense and thrilling action for the reader's pleasure.

But when I made all those changes, I did so using a pen on the printed pages of the outline. I never went back into the computer to make the changes on the outline there and to print out a brand-spanking new outline for my reference and constant use as I write the novel. I thought, "I can read all the hand-written changes just fine on the original print-out. Why waste time typing up all these changes I just spent a ton of time writing down? That's doing the work twice - No need to..." HA!!! Wrong! And I consider myself an organized person, too!

So, that means I've been attempting to work with the equivalent of a jigsaw puzzle, otherwise known as my outline...having to literally hunt down and piece together the next portion or chapter or even notes scribbled on notebook paper (shoved into the rest of the pages) of the outline among pages scattered on my desk in a zigzag fashion. For example: I moved Chapter 17 -- it became Chapter 6. Or perhaps a paragraph from another chapter moved to somewhere else in the book. Or huge sections were crossed out. Or arrows drawn on the paper indicating to move those sentences "up here" or "down there"!! Eeeek!

And that brings us to what I believe is the reason (or at least it's high on the excuse list) of why I've struggled writing this current book. I CANNOT READ (or easily follow through) MY OUTLINE anymore!!  It's confusing and a big wadded mess! (The new cat was a major distraction, too!!)

I'm excited to announce that last night I started updating the outline (in my computer) in an efficient manner and greatly condensing it, too. Once I find "what happens" next in the novel on the old, printed outline that I've written changes on, I am now making those changes on the computer version for a new, easy-to-read, soon-to-be printed outline. I like to physically have an outline in my hands - not just saved on the computer. I should have it done this afternoon and back in the swing with writing the story. Yay!

I am working on Chapter 7 in this book...the title has changed several times...but it is a paranormal thriller, urban fantasy, young-adult trilogy written in the style of my Werewolf Series. This one highlights the Bigfoot species and has a spunky girl and her brother in it and they run into some serious trouble of the supernatural type...of course!

That's all for now!

Watched "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" on DVD - Thumbs Up (all the way to the ceiling!)



Amazon Link

I absolutely LOVED this movie! I don't care if someone says they hated it to my face or thought it was so-so because to me it doesn't matter - (and that is a rare statement from me as I'm always worried about what other people think) I say again - I LOVED "Rise of the Planet of the Apes"!!!

And, yes, I just posted on my "other" blog/site: Enter Paranormal this exact post about "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" and thought I'd include most of the post here, too. (I know-shame on me using the same post on both of my blogs, but gosh-darn, this movie was super fabulously good and I wanted to tell people connected to me through my author site HERE, too!!) To continue...

I'm also a huge fan of the entire "Planet of the Apes" movie franchise. Over the summer my husband and I watched all the original movies filmed/created way back starting in 1968. I purchased through Amazon the "Planet of the Apes" Legacy Collection. I'll admit, a few of the movies in between the first one and the last one were a tad weak and even bordering on weird...but we watched and absorbed all the good with the bad.

Back to my thoughts: It was exciting to see tie-ins to the older movies; an example: the water hose scene -- in the old movie, the human was blasted with the water vs. in this new one, it was the ape. The facial expressions and emotions of the apes (mainly Caesar) completely ripped open my own heart and played with my feelings. Several times I found myself crying. Throughout the movie, I kept making connections to the original films, so anyone who is a major fan and remembers and loves those old movies, will be thrilled watching this new one. Clues or even full-blown explanations are presented about what humans did...what caused the end of life as we know it now. If you can recall important "Planet of the Apes" plot details and the storylines from the old movies, then this new "Rise..." works out perfectly and makes sense. Even if a viewer didn't watch or doesn't remember any of the old movies (which would be a shame, but) they should still enjoy "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" for the engaging plot, the awesome & realistic special effects, of course what it does to mess with your emotions plus realizing what the consequences are when things go terribly wrong with lab experiments.

Official Synopsis for "Rise of the Planet of the Apes":
During experiments to find a cure for Alzheimer's disease, a genetically-enhanced chimpanzee uses its greater intelligence to lead other apes to freedom.

Here's the official movie trailer link.

Click HERE for an official movie clip.

From Internet Movie Database:
"Rise of the Planet of the Apes" (2011)
Stars: James Franco, Andy Serkis and Freida Pinto

PG13 - 105 min -Action | Drama | Sci-Fi - August 5, 2011 (USA)

Ratings: 7.7 score out of a 10 from 95,903 voters

I'd never write a book if I had to use a typewriter

Death to typewriters! Thank goodness! I would NEVER have written a book if I had to use a typewriter. I'm constantly editing and revising my sentences, making full use out of the backspace and delete buttons/keys on my computer's keyboard. Or I'm jumping back many pages into the story to change something. Typing individual pages on pieces of paper would never, ever work for me. I'd need to buy my own paper factory with all the tons of paper I'd go through and waste. I honestly don't know how any author ever finished a book using such a contraption.

I do own an electric typewriter. Really. And it still functions just fine. At least it did the last time I used it many years ago to type an address on an envelope. It's hidden under a sheet, covered in a nice protective layer of dust by now, on a storage shelf. Somewhere. I remember it had the correction tape feature, of which I made absolutely sure I had extra correction tape on hand. And how sloppy and obvious it was when I used that option. For me that was often. I'm referring to the use of correction tape, NOT how much I actually used the typewriter. That wasn't very often.

With the popularity and excitement of computers, I bought my first one back in about 1995. Wow. Suddenly all those mistakes I made typing, and if I decided to change my mind about anything at all I'd previously typed, wasn't an issue anymore. (Gee, I guess I shouldn't apply for any jobs relying on speed typing with accuracy!!)

Enter the idea of writing a book. Of course it wasn't until years later, as in 2009, that I wrote my first complete novel and had it published. Which reminds me...I AM supposed to be plunking away on my third book...and any errors be gone instantly with my magical powers of deletion (*waving my magic wand to and fro*...ha - tapping at the backspace key :) !

Official Website of Gina Marie Long

It appears all went well with the re-directing of my domain address & this is now officially my author website.  A few things have been altered from the original site...more like refreshed - by streamlining my content better. I hope all enjoy and please contact me with questions or comments!

(All can ignore this next bit...it's for Technorati to verify I am the author of this blog: PSBS7V64PRUD )

This blog site is now my Official Author Website!

My author site address: www.ginamarielong.com may be down for a day or so as I transfer/redirect the domain name to this blog: http://www.ginamarielong.blogspot.com . I've tossed out my original author website hosted by Microsoft in favor of using the Blogger site here as my permanent author website because of massive changes Microsoft will be enforcing come about February. I've spent the last few days spiffing up this new official author site (copy/pasting, uploading, arranging, trying to figure out the redirecting process, etc.). The blogspot address will still be functional, too. Just wanted to update in case you couldn't access www.ginamarielong.com over the next day or so. And when you do, it will direct you right here :) Thanks!

Why do YOU like to read? My answer...

And to turn the question around: Why do I like to read?

I like to escape from the real world every now and then. Reading takes my mind off of other chaotic or stressful things going on in my life. It's entertainment for me.  I love reading about things, people and places that are fantasy or scifi or supernatural - what is considered "not real". It's relaxing. And it's exciting! To feel like you really know the characters you read about - to care for them or even hate some of them - but to have an emotional attachment to the story is invigorating. And when you can't wait to get back to reading more in the book or it's 2 A.M. and you should've gone to bed 4 hours earlier - then you know you've fallen in love with the story and it's a wonderful feeling!

I don't consider myself to be a romance book reader but many of the books I read do have a heavy romantic element worked into them. I'm suckered in by supernatural storylines and most do have romance in them yet I wouldn't label them a strict romance novel. Make sense? As mentioned already, I also enjoy fantasy and scifi plus urban fantasy and young-adult stuff. Of course, these are also the type of novels I write!

Getting back to WHY I like reading...it's like a hobby for me. I don't really have any other hobbies and am not involved in groups or organizations, so instead of gardening or painting or card playing or video games or crafts - I read!

Every story idea has been told...

And because of this, writers must add their own twists and turns as best they can which still usually means several different story ideas are mixed together. Nothing is new. Really...how can it be with thousands and thousands of books published over the years?! What hopefully distinguishes similar stories from one another is the author's own "voice". I believe the emotions and any dialogue the writer gives the characters is especially important in helping that book stand out a little more from others of the same genre.

It's still tough, though. I find myself thinking, "Isn't my manuscript like blah-blah that I just read?" Or, "Is this too similar to what I just published?" Then I'll realize something different about it...some new turn of events, romantic relationships which are not the same, character flaws or strengths unlike a previous character I've read/written about, the good vs. evil elements shoot off in a different direction even if some portions might be familiar, the threat to the main character could be a group of baddies in one story but an individual meanie in another, and so on.

I'm sure every single writer has been influenced in some way by some thing they've read or watched in a movie. Which is a compliment to the influencing factor. We just need to warp that idea into our own and give it new life. And it never hurts to toss in a new creature or two ;) (coming from the mind of a paranormal thriller, urban fantasy writer, of course!)

"Grimm" Show, General Updates

I posted on my Enter Paranormal Blog about the new show "Grimm" - which I love! Here's a tiny excerpt from that blog post (or just click here to read all of it):
"Grimm" - The previews over the last few months caught my attention. I'm already watching many evening shows as it is, and wasn't convinced I would start up another one. I'm so glad I did. Even my husband, who is Mr. Critical, enjoyed it. He gets rather tired of watching all the paranormal/supernatural/fantasy/sci fi TV shows (and movies) that I love. I feared he'd barf at one more in that genre that my curiosity beckoned we at least check out. It racked up a 7.4 out of a 10 score at www.imdb.com. I think that's pretty impressive. Hopefully it can continue keeping its audience glued to the screen for the ten episodes filmed in this first season (according to IMBD-it shows 10) and keep the ratings up. I'd like to see it get picked up for an additional season.
(much more to the post...)

In other news: My new cat, Jessie, is keeping me entertained and has adjusted well to indoor living. Several house maintenance chores checked off list with several more to go. Fiddling with which free security software to install on computers once my "paid for" security suite expires in three weeks (testing AVG and Zone Alarm on one, Avast and Comodo on another. Plus have Spybot and MalwareBytes set as on-demand scanners. And have Windows UAC set to ON.) Also I am slowly grinding away at my third book. Too many interruptions in life that derail my writing attempts, though. The National Novel Writing Month (affectionately aka NaNoWriMo) is currently in session. For those who don't know what it is - you write a book of at least 50,000 words in a month. Bonk me if I'm wrong on the word count, but I know it's around that number. I have sworn to myself that I would complete my current work in progress this month. Hmm...then I suppose I need to get busy & bounce out of here, as I should be writing my story now (*bonk* to get on it!)  Cheers!

What's Happening? or Go Away! (Posting Frequency)

Finding that perfect balance with how often an author should post messages is a tough one. Fans/Friends/Followers/Family (now isn't that weird all the "f"s?!) will either wonder if we crawled into a hole and died if we don't give status updates often - or - the complete opposite and wish we'd just shut up and quit rambling about every little thing.

It's an awkward moment as I sit at my computer and contemplate whether I should mention the antics of the stray cat I adopted (hiding under the bed & me shaking a coffee can of pennies while firmly yelling at it that it should not be under there *shake shake shake can*)  or anything else in my personal life.

Concerning my writing life, I have to be cautious I don't give away spoilers or too much detail about the current work in progress. I'd love to chat about the chapter I'm presently writing, but how much is too much information and ruins the story for future reading? Ah, such a dilemma.

I've researched many authors to see what they do with their social networking and marketing, both in frequency of posting and what type of content they post. Well, nothing is set in stone it seems. Obviously there is a difference between fiction and non-fiction writers, too. The non-fiction authors can dish out their knowledge pertaining to the subject they wrote about...kind of like being an expert with that material/in that field. Some authors rarely post; others post every day and sometimes many times within one day. That goes for both fiction and non-fiction.

I do feel that posting too frequently creates a negative effect on F/F/F/F (remember the 4 "f"'s above), as they will barely skim over or completely skip/delete the posting and/or think Sheesh-does this girl ever shut up? Whereas a posting every few days would hopefully throw a spotlight on me and have them think Hey-There's a post from Gina. Haven't read anything from her lately. Wonder what's up?

So, anything in particular you want me to talk about? Questions, comments, concerns?

Hmm...I'm listening to Pink right now and wondering why my iPod is occasionally making some songs "skip". The new cat hates vacuum cleaners but has done well with litter box training. And I'm working on Chapter 5 in my latest novel - a paranormal thriller, urban fantasy, young-adult story. The word "Bigfoot" is in the title and it has other beings thrown in the mix, too. I'd love to tell you more about it, but every time I start to type something, I hit "delete" as I worry I'm leaking out details that I shouldn't be divulging. How's that for "what's happening?"

Conflicting Mythologies of Supernatural Beings

Paranormal, supernatural, urban fantasy, many young adult storylines...

The various and conflicting mythologies, legends and background "rules" of supernatural characters is exactly what keeps this genre of story so popular. For example, if I'm watching a movie with vampires or reading a book with werewolves, it's so exciting to discover what "type" of creature the writer has created. Do the vampires burst into flame in the sun or merely get a sunburn or chill in a lawnchair with no ill effects? Can the werewolves shape shift whenever they want to or are they limited to a full moon? If demons are involved, what kind are they and what wacky, over-the-top feats can they perform? Any witches on hand? - What powers do they have, how far-reaching can their witchcraft or black magic alter people, places, things?

If all stories (books, TV shows, movies) stayed stuck in a rut using the same abilities, oddities and general mythology (example: vampires are hideous, blood-sucking, fearing the sun creatures) we'd be bored to death! Thank goodness writers are creative and willing to step out of the comfort zone/box to entertain us with a variety of storylines.

Bring on the baddies! The good guys (and gals) who beat the crap out of the baddies, we love you, too!

Acting out scenes in my book

Yes, I do actually get off my chair and act out a few of the physical scenes in my novels. These tend to be fighting segments or figuring out where and how characters need to be standing, who's looking at who, etc. My husband is handy during some of those times when I need to step-by-step play out the motions of the characters. I'll read him the portion of the book that contains the scene HE needs to be able to picture in his mind, which means if he can see it like a movie playing out, then my readers should be able to, too. Then I'll pretend I'm a particular character and how they should be moving through their motions in the portion of the story I just read to my husband. He stands there, hopefully nodding his head "yes" that he can "see" it or adds his suggestions. Especially with the fight sequences. I haven't been widely known for my kick-buttedness, like say Buffy the Vampire Slayer, so there are those times when writing  my stories that "some assembly is required." :)

Bring on the Creepy!

Just posted this on my "other" blog: http://enterparanormal.blogspot.com
I wanted to post here, too, since I love this genre of entertainment and paranormal goodies in various forms is what I write about:

'American Horror Story' - Anticipating the Creepiness

I am so psyched for this new show - 'American Horror Story' - to premiere! Tune in to FX on Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at 9:00 CENTRAL (my time).

Here's their official website:
http://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/originals/ahs/

Guess what? I just clicked on the link at the official website "About the Show" and I received an error message saying the site was too busy!! To check back later!! Does THAT tell you anything about the audience chomping at the bit to learn more about the show?!

Here's what the synopsis says:
American Horror Story revolves around the Harmons, a family of three who moved from Boston to Los Angeles as a means to reconcile past anguish. The all-star cast features Dylan McDermott as “Ben Harmon,” a psychiatrist; Connie Britton as “Vivien Harmon,” Ben’s wife; Taissa Farmiga as “Violet,” the Harmon’s teenage daughter; Jessica Lange in her first-ever regular series TV role as “Constance,” the Harmon’s neighbor; Evan Peters plays “Tate Langdon,” one of Ben’s patients; and Denis O’Hare as “Larry Harvey.” Guest stars for the series include Frances Conroy as the Harmon’s housekeeper; Alexandra Breckenridge as the Harmon’s housekeeper; and Jamie Brewer as Constance’s daughter.

The television previews first captured my attention a few months ago. At the time I had decided I already had too many other new shows (& returning shows) to watch for the fall/winter season. But seeing those previews/trailers over and over lured me in big time. Then I found myself reading about the show on the internet...then hearing early screening reviews announcing that the show was outstanding and a must-see finally had me hooked!

From what I understand, it is meant to creep you out, to shock you. After all, it IS titled 'American Horror Story'. Obviously this isn't everyone's cup of tea. I think it WILL be something different from other shows offered...kind of like a horror movie made into smaller segments for TV. One of the producers/creators commented how he liked the movies 'Halloween', 'Rosemary's Baby' and 'The Shining' and those movies have an influence on his style in creating the show. It definitely seems like it will be playing on viewer's emotions and giving them that spooky scary feeling while watching. Cool! Can't wait!

Bad Distraction, Bad!

That title post doesn't sound like I've lost my mind at all, does it? Distractions are my downfall. They come in numerous forms, including a stray cat making itself at home on my back porch.

But the biggie is the internet. It sucks me into a black hole and spits me out hours later, although it feels like only thirty minutes have passed. Social networking on the bazillion different sites I have accounts with is fun. But hogs up valuable time that I should be writing my next novel. Don't get me wrong -- I said I enjoy interacting with people plus it's crucial for a writer to make others aware we and our books actually exist and would love readers to purchase them!! I simply (ha!) need to figure out how to do all that interacting/social networking/marketing and still have time to write a book. I have "fans" requesting when will the next book be available and I have no established, firm answer. Every time I set a goal, it gets shoved forward another month. Eeek!

I'm on Chapter 4 of my new series. It's coming along, but slow. I tend to edit as I write. I've tried to let it flow onto the paper, fast and furious, and to come back later to revise. I can't. Back to distractions...

So, I have tried mapping out blocks of time on certain days to write. You know, like a regular 5 day work week with 8 working hours per day. I have downloaded "timers" onto my computers. I set the timer for 30 minutes and do whatever I'm supposed to do during that time. I have two computers and am trying to use one for internetting and another for writing my books. I even moved the laptop to a different room, setting it up on a table as my workstation to write. I try to NOT visit all the different sites I have accounts with every single day. For example, MySpace (which isn't very popular anymore) I visit every couple of days. The same thing with LinkedIn. I used to write movie articles for Examiner.com - I quit doing that as I didn't think it was the most productive use of my time. I try to write one blog post per week instead of several. My emails -- I try to delete, delete, delete all the extra stuff I don't HAVE to read (I'm subscribed to all kinds of things). I try to keep my responses to emails and other messages shorter than what I used to (I tend to babble, can you tell?).

These are the majority of my actual examples I'm attempting to put into play to focus or allow more time to write! Are they working??? Some. But not every day. Like today.

Better go feed that stray cat now. She will hopefully find a new home soon (I'm working on it) and will be one less distraction for me :)~

Tentatively Chose Cover for Next Book

I have tentatively chosen my cover art/image for the current book that I'm writing. Ah...another thing to distract me from doing what really needs to be done - which is to actually WRITE the book! I AM writing but I have managed to fall off the little choo-choo tracks once again. After clicking through hundreds (who knows? maybe thousands?) of images and spending six hours of precious (should've been writing) time at my favorite go-to site www.istockphoto.com , I jotted on paper 7 possibilities for the book cover (print and ebook) to my new Bigfoot Saga. Out of that batch, I am truly salivating over two of them. Whichever one I decide upon, will still need some tweaking to "incorporate a specific look" for the cover.

I have also come to the conclusion that due to my Master Micro-Organizing Skills (AKA Disorder), I spend more time organizing and planning things in my life than it sometimes takes to just DO those things and instead I end up losing/wasting enormous chunks of time writing out to-do lists! Trying to change and break the bad habits...

Recently I was prodded by a fan to hurry up and get the third book written in the Werewolf Series. It made me chuckle and does encourage me to keep at it. As soon as this Bigfoot paranormal thriller is complete & published (which this series I am self-publishing-so excited!!!) I promise to switch back to the Werewolf Series. After all, I can't leave everyone hanging...wondering how things will turn out for Kara...and Daniel...and Dominic :)

Looking forward to New TV Shows

Cannot wait! Tons of NEW TV shows coming out for the 2011 Fall/Winter Season. It's impossible for me to watch all of them and still have some semblance of a life, but I'll be watching a few along with several returning shows, too (thankfully)!

Fall/Winter 2011 NEW TV Shows - Paranormal & SciFi:

"American Horror Story" (FX), Premieres: Wednesday, Oct. 5 at 10/9c
***Will be watching***

 

"A Gifted Man" (CBS), Premieres: Friday, Sept. 23 at 8/7c

***not watching***

 

"Grimm" (NBC), Premieres: Friday, Oct. 21 at 9/8c
***Will be watching***

 

"Once Upon a Time" (ABC), Premieres: Sunday, Oct. 23 at 8/7c

***not watching***

"The Secret Circle" (CW), Premieres: Thursday, Sept. 15 at 9/8c

***not watching***

 

"Terra Nova" (Fox), Premieres: Monday, Sept. 26 at 8/7c
***Will be watching***

 

Some other New Shows my husband & I will be checking out (not under Paranormal/SciFi): "New Girl", "The Playboy Club", "Ringer", "Whitney".

 

And finally, Returning TV Shows we'll watch (all categories): "Sons of Anarchy", "Survivor", "Bones", "The Vampire Diaries", "Fringe", "Supernatural" and "Being Human" (BBC version).

 

Mid-season "Alcatraz" and "The River" sound very interesting. We'll see...;)

 

'Finding Bigfoot'

I posted the following on my other blog: http://enterparanormal.blogspot.com
Since I'm currently working on a Bigfoot paranormal series, I just had to include it here, too:

'Finding Bigfoot', on the Animal Planet, starring Matt Moneymaker. First, that dude needs to change his last name. NO ONE is going to think him to be serious or credible with that last name! My husband is sarcastically yelling, "Be sure to commit slander when you're posting that!" haha. I need to state that we do believe in Bigfoot...or whatever he is...BUT this TV show is just plain silly and lacks common sense when trying to find evidence of Bigfoot during location stake-outs. Let me explain:

1) Matt Moneymaker - he really should've used a different last name from the get-go (as I previously mentioned). Every time I see his name on the screen, I cringe. And I must mention the other man named BoBo. Hmmm...a bit unusual.
2) Being so noisy they may as well have been banging pots & pans together in the woods - not likely to find Bigfoot that way. Then again, if they found Bigfoot in the first episode, the stars would be out of a job.
3) Stomping around and talking is a big no-no (kind of repeating #2). I would assume the big furry guy has excellent hearing, so when they're saying, "What was that? Did you hear that?" Then the other person whispers so loudly, "What? Is that you?" that any nearby Bigfoot would be long gone.
4) Walkie-talkies emit noise. *screech, blip, TALK, blip, screech, beep, buzz* Are they purposefully trying to scare ALL the animals away?
5) There's a possibility the night vision equipment on their cameras and headgear could be visible to a Bigfoot. Who knows what kind of light spectrum different animals can see? Many animals can see in the dark. So as they are stomping about (making noise), the night vision light is bouncing in every which direction, possibly alerting creatures to flee. EEEEK!
6) What's with using an abbreviation for Sasquatch? I about puked when I heard "Squatch".
7) Hanging out one or two days/nights isn't giving them much of a chance to just happen to luck out and have a Bigfoot cross their path. Camp out in the designated spot for at least a week, preferably two weeks. Become part of the environment, blend in, and not stick out like a sore thumb...AND SHUT UP!

I am not stating I hate the show. It's interesting. I enjoy watching and learning more about Bigfoot. But when it comes to the stake-outs, obviously no one has explained to use stealth to their advantage!!

And during the last few minutes of the show, I look at my husband, smile and prepare myself...as sadly, the end results in finding Bigfoot evidence tend to scream at the viewer, which simultaneously I bellow with cupped hands at my mouth: "INCONCLUSIVE!"

Write, Research & Stuff

MY Status: writing latest book on my Bigfoot paranormal, urban fantasy series; new research (time suck but fun) for book; pulled my lower back Sun AM (painful but pumped up on meds - can you say Tylenol #3 with codeine?), my little right broken toe is better (can't wear certain shoes yet) and tonight is Pizza & Movie Night - will be watching "Beastly".

Been reading "Origin" - J.A. Konrath. Finished Morgan Rice's "Destined, Book #4" last week. Lovin' my Nook :)

Watching some of 9/11 documentaries & memorials on TV lately...so sad & still shocking. I DO cry seeing all of it.

My books are now available for the Nook at B&N!

My publisher has uploaded Unknown Touch and Unknown Scent to Barnes and Noble for the Nook as an additional purchase option besides the print version that's been available. Here are direct links to B&N:

Unknown Touch-Werewolf Series-Book 1

Unknown Scent-Werewolf Series-Book 2

Very excited about this additional option in today's environment with heavy focus on ebooks!! Love it!!

My latest movie article on 'Priest'

With the large number of vampire, werewolf, demon-type movies, etc. that have been and will continue to be created, we tend to feel like we've "seen it all" and nothing new will cross our paths pertaining to storylines and characters and action sequences. Well. Priest impressed me, kept my full undivided attention and my husband never drifted off to sleep (that in itself means the movie was decent). Read entire article here:

http://www.examiner.com/speculative-fiction-in-st-louis/priest-on-dvd-vampires-that-are-not-cute-review

My Writing Updates-Werewolves, Vampires, Bigfoot - Oh My!

Here's the latest on my writing endeavors:

1) I AM writing! It's slow, but coming along. I've been crazy distracted the last few months and low on motivation.

2) The current work-in-progress is a new series. I've spoken of it before, but to refresh: paranormal thriller, young-adult, urban fantasy -- a Bigfoot Saga. It's outlined in great detail, many many pages long. So don't say I have writer's block - the storyline is staring me in the face - I just need to take action and quit surfing the net so much...oops-I confessed to one of my sins aka "distractions." I engorge myself on knowledge and reading and marketing and research and ... well, you know.

3) I will return to the Unknown Touch-Werewolf Series (Book 3) ASAP...like once Book 1 in the Bigfoot Saga is completed.

4) I am SELF-PUBLISHING the Bigfoot Saga. I will focus on ebooks with Amazon Kindle, B&N Nook, Smashwords, possibly others. I will ALSO create a print version through Amazon's CreateSpace. I am very excited about this project!

5) I plan to keep the Werewolf Series with my current publisher - as long as they will "have" me. If not (meaning if they don't want to publish my future books - currently the Werewolf Series), don't worry, I'll self-publish them then.

6) These actions keep my foot (or feet!!) in "both doors". I maintain having a publisher for certain books plus I do my own self-publishing for other books!

7) I'll be writing way less Speculative Fiction Movie articles for Examiner.com now. Writing those articles takes up valuable time that should be spent writing my books. I can't give Examiner the significant amount of time needed to heavily promote my articles (in order to rack in tons of article views which would equal higher pay for me). There aren't enough hours in the day to write articles, write books, market/promote/social network for the books, take care of household stuff, etc., etc., etc.

8) I'm in the process of adjusting how I will move forward in my writing career. I'm not getting any younger. There are a few successful authors that I look up to and massively admire and respect. I've decided to not try and reinvent the wheel or keep flailing about in ten directions stretched out to the max. What's that expression? Something about...insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

9) I have found an accountability partner who will hopefully keep me in line and kick my butt when needed. And who I can bounce ideas off of (storylines, character flaws, dialogue, etc.)

10) Last...I came across this awesome program:
"Workrave is a program that assists in the recovery and prevention of Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI). The program frequently alerts you to take micro-pauses, rest breaks and restricts you to your daily limit." http://www.workrave.org/  Kim Komando (for those who've heard of her) recommends it...which means she checks it out for safety, performance, etc.  http://www.komando.com/
And NO - I'm not getting any benefits by mentioning these two sites! But my wrists (mostly right one) hurt from typing and using the mouse and this program is neat in that it brings to my attention when I need to take a break. You set up your own time limits, etc. so it also helps keep you focused on a project.

That is all!

Fellow Writer Offers Detailed Tips for Building Author Platform

My previous blog posting (Excerpt from Writing Speech: Author Platform & Cover Art, Post 6) caught the attention of Christina Katz who posted:

"Your readers might be interested in this article I wrote on the topic of fiction writing and platform. Hope it's helpful!"

http://www.writersdigest.com/writing-articles/by-writing-goal/get-published-sell-my-work/elements-of-a-successful-fiction-platform

I read it and agree that it does offer suggestions in great detail. Check it out! Thanks Christina! 

Excerpt from Writing Speech: Author Platform & Cover Art, Post 6

This is an ongoing topic -- it is the 6th and final excerpt from my writing speech:
~~~~~~
Remember, these are just my opinions and suggestions. Nothing is set in stone. Other writers could answer quite differently and argue with me over my answers. What works for one person may not work for another.
~~~

OK…next topic…I mentioned an author platform earlier which goes along with the question about social networking. YOU ABSOLUTELY MUST CREATE AN AUTHOR PLATFORM even if your book isn't completed!!! Now I'll amend that statement: Ask yourself WHY are you writing a book? Are you writing it for the joy and passion of writing, as a fun, creative hobby and are NOT that concerned with whether it ever gets published? OR do you plan on publishing it to earn a few bucks, or a lot of bucks, plus the joy of writing? If you want your book to be PUBLISHED AND FOR READERS TO KNOW THAT YOU AND YOUR BOOK EXIST AND YOU WANT IT TO BE BOUGHT AND READ AND TALKED ABOUT then you MUST CREATE AN AUTHOR PLATFORM! The author platform in general is used to impress agents and publishers. Portions of it are also used to interact with readers and draw attention to yourself. The platform includes any previous type of writing you've done: books; articles or stories in newspapers, magazines, anything to do with writing, editing, publishing, copyrighting, marketing in this field. And a ton of your author platform involves the internet: articles & online content you've written, actively blogging on specific sites, maintaining your own blog, having your own author website that you keep updated, possibly a bulletin board, newsletters. Your author platform involves building fans or friends or simply having a good number of decent contacts on: Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Goodreads, and maybe LinkedIn. (UPDATE: And now we have Google+ !)It's advantageous if you have a blog where you consistently write enticing, informative content and can start to build a base of followers. But you also want to come across as a real, live person with other interests in life besides just trying to chat about your book. If you don't throw in other off-topic comments a little here and there, people will be turned off by the constant advertising of your books in their face. WHY, you ask, is it so important to have an author platform? Because, as I stressed earlier, if your goal is to SELL your books, people have to know you and your book EXIST! That's especially critical if you're with a small publishing house and they are limited on how much they market your book. Of course, your book needs to be entertaining and well-written, but FEW people will know about it until you build a base of contacts and friends you can CHAT with or post to about your book & your writing endeavors. That's assuming you want people to BUY your book! Hopefully some WILL get excited about your book, purchase it, love it and then tell others about it – word of mouth advertising!! An author platform shows people - which could be your prospective agent, publisher or current and future fans of your books –it shows off your books and projects, credentials, talents, references, interests, your influence, your involvement in the writing field, your quantity and quality of contacts and efforts made to increase your contacts and that you are serious about networking to aid in your endeavor to succeed as an author.

The internet is your friend and enemy. The points I just covered explain how it is your friend. The internet can become your enemy easily, as it is a gargantuan time suck. Occasionally I'll set timers to ring so I don't play around on the internet too long. And even they don't always work – because I ignore them.

So, don't be afraid to set up accounts on the main social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter and get a blog going at Blogger.com. Your blog, if set up properly, can even serve as your author's website! Track down people you already know and Friend or Like or Follow them…Start looking for other authors to connect with. Find blogs that discuss the genre you write in or cover a subject you write about. Post comments. Make friends. Invite them to your blog or Facebook page, etc.

The last topic is cover art. Many different situations or agreements or contracts could affect how cover art is dealt with. In MY situation, with my publisher, I was able to choose my own cover art for my book. I also had an option to use their artist for free to create the book's cover. I really like photo images, though. At least for what I felt I wanted the cover of my book to portray. And honestly, I did work with two, young, local artists who drew covers for me. Both were drawings that didn't quite turn out the way I wanted the cover to look. The second artist explained that what I was seeking would probably have to be done with paints. And she didn't do that. And I was staring at a deadline of one day left to submit my chosen book cover to the publisher. She suggested using a photo from an online site that sells images. I purchased photos from that particular site and that's where my covers for my books came from! Both photos were tweaked for the covers to get the right look. From what I understand, many publishers assume the responsibility of creating the cover art for you and send it to you for approval. A lot of authors are at a complete loss for what to do about covers, which is why publishers handle that for them. I'm sure in many cases, though, the authors who DO have ideas for their own cover make suggestions and go from there. Their ideas could be shot down or happily embraced by the publisher.

So, cover art is something that may not be determined until you decide if you're going with an agent/publisher and if THEY'LL choose the book cover or if you'll have any input in design, like I did with mine. It doesn't hurt to have ideas, sketches, or photos set aside of what you like. That way you know in advance how you want the cover to look, maybe some feature that you specifically really want on it…Just don't spend days and days dwelling over it, though, and then later discover your publisher has complete control on that issue and makes their own decision, possibly with no input from you.

Of course, if you're self-publishing, it's all up to you, baby! You're in control!

~~~~~Note: I do NOT know everything there is to know about publishing. These are simply my experiences and opinions. This is the last segment/posting of my writing speech.

'Rise of the Planet of the Apes' Weekend Success-Apes Rock! - my latest article

Rise of the Planet of the Apes premiered in the Number One spot at the box office this weekend with $54 Million (August 5-7, 2011). That was about $15 million to $20 million more than analysts expected. It was still below the $68.5 million opening of Tim Burton's Planet of the Apes remake 10 years ago. Read full article:

http://www.examiner.com/speculative-fiction-in-st-louis/rise-of-the-planet-of-the-apes-weekend-success-apes-rock

Yes, I wrote a different article about this film a few months ago. But since it just released & is having so much awesome success (and I LOVE the original Planet of the Apes) I wanted to write another article. So exciting!

Excerpt from My Speech: Submissions, Agents/Publishers/Self-Pub-Post 5

This is an ongoing topic -- 5th excerpt posting from my writing speech:
~~~~~~
Remember, these are just my opinions and suggestions. Nothing is set in stone. Other writers could answer quite differently and argue with me over my answers. What works for one person may not work for another.
~~~

Back in the summer of 2009, I found my lists of who to submit to at www.writersmarket.com. They are legit. I chose to deal directly with publishers at that time and skip the agent route. Whether you choose to find an agent or a publisher, and whether you use the lists at writersmarket.com or elsewhere, you need to figure out what your genre is & search out the agents or publishers who are interested in only your genre.  Do NOT blindly submit to everyone out there. If your book is sci-fi then don't submit a query to someone who represents romance. You're wasting your time & theirs.

I literally searched through 750 publishers at writersmarket.com. Through a process of elimination, I narrowed the list down to 30 or so. A lot of the choices were easy to cross off simply from the name of the publishing house. Many names were so obvious as to what they published and I knew they wouldn't be a match with my category of writing. Still, this takes many, many hours to go through. I think I spent over 2 days just picking out possible publishers.

Once you have picked good candidates and have a more workable list, you'll need to scan each of those agents or publishers for more detailed information. Sometimes what you need is posted right there with all the listings, but probably you'll need to go directly to individual websites and double-check that they have an interest in what YOU write, and if they are CURRENTLY taking any submissions, and EXACTLY how they want your submission sent to them and what it should include – plus if they'll (hopefully) take email submissions or require it be sent regular mail.

Once I had dwindled down to which publishers I would actually submit to, I ended up with only about 15. This was the best of the bunch that suited my situation. I knew I could go back to the list and try others later if those got me nowhere. And the publishers I picked -  I didn't have to send any of my submissions by regular mail. All the query letters were emailed – some included the synopsis, some chapters, some the full manuscript. If you're lucky, a note might state how long it takes to hear back from them. It's shocking! Some warn it could be over a year or two!!!!! I didn't contact ANY that stated it could be over 5 months before I'd hear back from them. That's just me – I'm impatient. Keep track of the people or places you sent submissions to. And you will get rejection letters. Some never respond.

With my experience, a couple of weeks after I sent off those initial submissions, one publisher in particular asked that I send him the full manuscript by email. Then he contacted me only a few days later and basically wanted to publish my book. He sent a contract, I read and thought it over along with several other people I enlisted for guidance, and decided to sign. My publisher is a very small publishing house. I like them and it's only taken a few months to get a book published. I haven't had any real problems & I'm allowed a great deal of input in the process of publishing my books… BUT because of how small they are, they cannot afford & don't have the time or manpower to constantly be marketing my books.They do take care of some basic promoting and press releases when the book is first released and setting up at internet sites for the book to sell at – example would be Amazon.com.

Being involved in promoting your book is something most publishers and agents EXPECT an author to do – even the big ones expect authors to do some kind of marketing in this day and age. It's never-ending and another monster topic all to itself. Bookstores, what few there are, want to stock books that will move quickly off their shelves from known authors and bigger publishers and authors that have had tons of media attention. They don't like taking chances on books that sit and gather dust from authors that few readers are familiar with when those bookstores financially do not bring in massive profits. My books are for sale at all the major online sites where you can buy books (like Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books A Million, thru my publisher), and from me, and they're currently stocked at Box TV and Walgreens in Highland.

OK…back to agents vs. publishers vs. self-publishing. Agents normally get 15% commission off book sales (although I'm sure that varies some). They are supposed to make your life easier by representing you and your book and being the one who deals with getting your book sold to a publisher for the best deal and to handle all the confusing contracts that are drawn up between everybody. But the agent has their own contract with YOU that you're still going to need to review. You want to really know your agent, do research on them, and understand the terms of their contract. Some agents lose interest in your work and don’t try to promote it as they should or fall short on the whole multi-step process of getting your book published. You see – there's a chain of people involved in getting a book published the traditional way. YOU the writer, an agent (if you go that route), the publisher, editor (or sometimes agents work with editors first on your book & then it's off to the publishers or perhaps your agent also steps in and does the job of an editor, too), the printer, publicists, distributors and bookstores or other wholesalers who can finally sell the retail book to a reader. Whew! Are you sweating yet?!

For my situation, several of those steps are not in the mix. So, as I was saying about an agent, if you choose to pursue one, you want to do your research on them, hope you get a decent one who is as passionate about your work as you are and maintain good communication with them, and keep them fired up about your current book she's representing and any of your future projects. If the agent is doing her job properly and your book is making progress out in the big, wide world, her commission is most likely worth it.

Also, many publishers won't even take a glance in your direction if you don't have an agent. This can be a problem if you chose to bypass an agent and you had your heart set on a certain publisher and then discover – nope, they do NOT take unsolicited submissions – which usually means you HAVE to have an agent that submits on your behalf. Submission guidelines will state this for you – whether you have to have an agent or if an author can submit and deal directly with the publisher. If you forego an agent, and the publisher will accept queries/submissions from an author, then YOU will deal with the contract that is written up by the publisher - or your lawyer if you choose. Again, it IS a contract so be sure to understand what you're signing and that the publisher isn't trying to swindle any type of royalties that should be in your pocket instead of theirs.  Some publishers, especially mid-size and larger, will offer more services that automatically come with having them as your publisher, but the smaller the publisher, the more extras YOU will have to step up to the plate and help out with.

Another thought – if you go the agent route –your manuscript actually has to impress someone TWICE to get published. FIRST – an agent that you're trying to capture, and SECOND - THEY have to capture the attention of a publisher. This can be an excruciating process that takes many months if not years until a book is finally published. So, if you manage to land an agent, that does NOT always mean your agent is already working with a publisher who will automatically accept and publish your book. Many times, your agent has to go through a similar process that you went through in getting him/her as they try to FIND a publisher interested in your book.

Self-publishing is something 2 years ago I had zero interest in. The publishing industry has changed so fast and so much since then, I am now all for self-publishing. My next book, in a different series, WILL be self-published using Amazon.com's services. I will offer the book in paperback format but will focus promoting it more so in the Kindle ebook format. I will also upload it on Barnes and Noble and Smashwords as an ebook. The reason I'm going the way of self-publishing for this new series is that although I don't have any issues with my publisher, I feel I can do the publishing myself with what is available now. In a way, I'm already playing the part of agent, partial editor and publicist! As mentioned previously, there is minimal promotion that my publisher can offer, especially once the book has been published for a month or so. I completely understand their limitations with promoting my books and am not cutting them down. In fact, I am pleased with their quality and service with what they can offer me.

Another MAIN, HUGE reason I'm switching to self-publishing with the new series is the amount of money I can pocket is drastically higher than the royalties (or commissions or profit) I'm currently making with a publisher. Also, I can set the price of my ebooks on Amazon to a lower price. The process to format my manuscript into an ebook is smoother and has become less complicated over the last year, too. I love working on computers and enjoy marketing, so I'm actually looking forward to creating an ebook!

And another thing with self-publishing, the final product, the book – is made available to the public much faster than all the waiting that is common in traditional publishing. Again, I admit – I'm impatient. I can also have a lower price on the paperback books, compared to what my publisher charges, and I'll make the paperbacks available through Amazon's CreateSpace.

~~~~~

Note: I do NOT know everything there is to know about publishing. These are my experiences and opinions so don't anyone throw rotten tomatos at me!! Another segment from my speech will be posted in a few days!

My latest movie article on '11-11-11'

'11-11-11' (2011)

Horror | Thriller   - To be released in theaters on November 11, 2011 (USA) - bet you would've never guessed that!

A horror-thriller set on 11:11 on the 11th day of the 11th month and concerning an entity from another world that enters the earthly realm through Heaven's 11th gate.

There is internet chatter about the meaning of that date, stirring up much curiosity. Read full article...
http://www.examiner.com/speculative-fiction-in-st-louis/11-11-11-2011

Interview with an Aspiring 16 Year Old Writer

INTERVIEW WITH AN ASPIRING 16 YEAR OLD WRITER

Let's welcome to the blog my guest, Alex Kuhn. He's a young writer bursting with creativity and who displays a talent meshing ideas and words into stories. Alex is currently working on a new project that will become his debut novel. So keep his name in mind for future reading. I hope you enjoy the Q and A session below!

GINA: Alex, can you tell us a little about yourself?

ALEX: I am a 16 year old male. I would call myself a "guy", not an "author" at this point, since I haven't finished a book, yet... I live in the southern Illinois area in a small town about 28 Miles from St. Louis, Missouri. I LOVE to play video games such as: Legend of Zelda, Mario, and my personal favorite, POKEMON!! I have been known as the "Video Game King" to some of my friends! I honestly wouldn't consider that a great thing to be called, seeing as I have over 3000 hours on the Pokemon series since about 2004! I think that's enough time to write a book. Something I absolutely HATE is when people use the word retard – it is a disease that many people laugh at, rather than care about. Also, I usually write with no idea of what I'm going to write about. I just sit there, staring blankly at the screen and eventually something comes to my mind and gets me going!!

GINA: Do you have any links or methods for people to contact you that you'd like to share?
ALEX: http://alexmkuhn.webs.com
GINA: And I'd like to note that this is a new site recently created, so it's under construction.

GINA: When did you realize you wanted to write a book? Even when you were little, were you making up stories then?

ALEX: I was usually told I was good at either poetry or writing stories since I was little and I don't mean to suck up, but...it was Gina Marie Long that inspired me! I read on the back of her book that she was from the same area as me. I thought,"Hey! If I'm good at writing, maybe I could type up a story and see if it was possibly "publishing" material!" Later, I found that my mother went to school with her, too! That helped me become her friend!

GINA: What genre/category do you write about?

ALEX: I like to write about the supernatural and paranormal. But I keep switching around which story I'm writing because I'm getting so many ideas. It will probably be similar to Gina's books which would fall under the urban fantasy, paranormal, young adult genre.

GINA: Can you give us a little hint on what you're currently writing about?

ALEX: I can't really choose yet what I'm going to focus on. I keep switching between different stories and ideas to see which seems the best. I have typed up notes, brief outlines and even partial chapters on stories with vampires, werewolves and other paranormal subjects.

GINA: Do you have any favorite authors or favorite books?

ALEX: I'm pretty sure almost everybody has heard of my favorite book series: Harry Potter. I also enjoy the books Gina Long's writing. And I hope to aid Gina in her fight against boring books!!
GINA: Awesome!

GINA: Any favorite TV shows?

ALEX: I don't really watch TV much other than the news. But I'd have to say the Full-Metal Alchemist series. It's a pretty interesting show. I'd recommend it to people who may watch shows that use a few cuss words!

GINA: Did you create an outline and notes for the book you're writing or do you just dive in writing, wing it and not have a clue what happens next?

ALEX: I type up a bit of an outline for a chapter or two, write from that outline, then create another outline for the next few chapters and write from there.

GINA: What part of writing DON'T you like?

ALEX: Well, I don't like WRITING but I do like to TYPE the stories! And I really don't like how my computer "suggests" words for me to use. I prefer to do things MY way!

GINA: What's your FAVORITE part of writing?

ALEX: I think I like creating stories because it is a productive way to kill time.

GINA: When reading another author's book, is there anything a writer does that drives you crazy? Or something that might make you completely give up reading a book?

ALEX: The book can't be boring. It's hard for me to explain what I consider to be boring about a book...but I won't really give up on reading a book unless it's my Algebra book! Most books are boring at some point, but as you keep reading, they usually get better.

GINA: When is your best time to write? Day, night, weekdays, weekends?

ALEX: Anytime that is considered my free time.

GINA: What are your thoughts on the e-reader/e-book explosion?

ALEX: I think it's ok to have an e-reader and e-book collection but if you aren't careful with it, you might lose all of your books. I think it's better to have the real books because of what I just mentioned and also the physical books can be reused by giving them away and recycled.
~~~~~~~~~~~

GINA: Five Flash QUESTIONS – ALEX, ONLY ANSWER WITH: YES, NO or SOMETIMES for the next 5 questions:

1) Do you read book reviews?

ALEX: No

2) Do you think a book's title helps to sell a book?

ALEX: Yes

3) Can a book's cover alone capture your attention enough to make you consider picking it up or seeing what it's about?
ALEX: Yes

4) Do you watch book trailers?

ALEX: No

5) Do you or do you know if your friends go to book signings?

ALEX: No
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GINA: What is your favorite food? Favorite drink? (Gotta have something off-the-wall here!!)

ALEX: Food: Pizza and my favorite drink? I LOVE soda, just about any kind!

And now a big round of applause for Alex Kuhn! [*clapping, cheers!!*] Thanks again Alex for taking the time to be "interrogated" and providing great answers and insight that come from the mind of a young writer. I wish you the very best of luck with your writing adventures!!

Excerpt from Speech: Agent vs. Publisher vs. Self-Pub, Post 4

Recently, I gave a one hour speech to a writing group and have decided to post segments of it here over the next few weeks. All of the speech is in response to questions I had received in advance and then prepared my answers for the group. This is Post 4 of the speech.
 ~~~~~~
Remember, these are just my opinions and suggestions. Nothing is set in stone. Other writers could answer quite differently and argue with me over my answers. What works for one person may not work for another.

The next question or topic was about making the choice between an agent or to submit directly to a publisher or to self-publish. I cannot say, "DO IT THIS WAY ONLY." It's totally a personal choice and plain luck plays a huge part in the outcome. Questions to ask yourself: Do you know anyone in the writing business (such as: an agent, a publisher, someone who works for those people or places that could be on your side to help you) and if so that may be a deciding factor to push you one direction or the other. Consider: How you prefer to work WITH others, how much time, effort, possibly money you're able to devote, your marketing know-how, the technical and computer skills you possess, the length of time you're willing to wait for an agent or publisher to offer you a contract – to represent you (WHICH FOR SOME AUTHORS – NEVER HAPPENS), if you're going to submit directly to publishers are you only going to deal with the "big time" publishers or will you be happy with a small publishing house, and how long you want to wait until the book actually gets published…Those are not in any particular order but they are all things you need to ask yourself in making the decision to submit to either an agent or a publisher or to choose to self-publish.

YOU should NEVER HAVE to pay anything out of your pocket to an agent or publisher. IF you choose to purchase your own books to have some in stock to sell, well of course you'll PAY for the books (although usually the publisher will give you a set number of free copies) but to have an agent or publisher represent you and all that they do – you do NOT pay them a dime.

If you choose to self-publish, any & all costs WILL come out of your pocket. Depending on which company you self-publish through, the expenses can range from very low to ridiculously high.  BUT, using Amazon as an example, the cost is extremely minimal. To setup your book on Amazon is about $20- $30. Now, for the cover art, it depends on what you plan on using because you could use something of your own creation – which costs nothing - or fork over hundreds of dollars for someone to design something. Or anything in between. Another example: you may choose to PAY someone to edit your book. Or maybe you know people who'll do it for free. Marketing is another area of self-publishing: will you PAY for a publicist OR decide to handle the marketing yourself or do you know people who will help for free?

See what I'm getting at? As an author, there are many different avenues you can take in the pursuit of getting your book published. There is no right or wrong way. There are no "set in stone" costs or expenses that affect every single author the exact same way.

From what I've researched, don't submit to both agents AND publishers at the same time. Pick either agents or publishers, unless of course you're self-publishing. If after a lengthy period of time one option doesn't work, you can switch to the other. And so much keeps changing in the publishing industry it makes your head spin! I even read that some agents are like a hybrid – multi-performing – especially when it comes to ebooks -- taking on the duties of an editor, publicist and they do all the work to format & upload your book to the internet. Getting back to hunting down an agent or a publisher -- Now here's where something can you bite you in the butt: I've heard that if you start out with publishers THEN switch to agents, it could get dicey, because IF you land an agent and THEY start to submit to publishers on your behalf, because they're now representing you,  – well – if the agent ends up submitting to any of the SAME publishers YOU'VE already made an attempt with, chances are, your name & book title will be tossed out because that publishing house will recognize you and will see that they had previously decided that they're NOT interested. Another thing – AGENTS don't like the fact your manuscript has been shopped around. So, to expand on that a bit: if you've been sending your queries to publishers (some of which may have requested your manuscript) but after a period of time you hit a dead end with the publishing houses then decide to try the agent route, the agents who show an interest in your work just might flat out ask you if you've already submitted to publishers. You don't want to lie and get caught in the lie later…so you tell the prospective agent – "Sure, I've been in contact with 10 publishers who all rejected it." That agent is going to say, "PASS!"  Whereas, if you start out with an agent and they promote your fresh-unseen manuscript to publishers, you might have a better chance that a publisher will be interested in your book...because they've never seen it yet. The way I just described it, the problem arises when you decide to switch from seeking one type of representation to another form =  as in an agent  to  publishers or vice versa.

Confusing, huh?! It REALLY is a personal choice whether you choose to have an agent represent you or submit directly to publishers or strike out on your own to self-publish.

~~~~~~
The next segment from my speech continues on the topic of agents vs. publishers vs. self-publishing. Should post in a few days. Thanks!

My latest movie article: 'Strigoi: The Undead' - on DVD

My latest movie article on 'Strigoi: The Undead' (DVD):

Synopsis: After failing to start a life of his own, 20-something Vlad is forced to move back to his grandfather’s old farming village in Romania. Though the village seems like a typical Eastern European haven, a mysterious death suddenly thrusts Vlad into the heart of a murder mystery. As he sets out to investigate, his trail leads him to the Tirescus — an ex-Communist couple who happen to be the richest landowners in town. Though Vlad is determined to confront the Tirescus, his quest takes a detour when he learns that the two bullies may be bloodsuckers in more ways than one…

This is considered a dark comedy, strangely, with a different type of vampire mythology.

Read full article here:
http://www.examiner.com/speculative-fiction-in-st-louis/strigoi-the-undead
 

Excerpt about Submissions from Speech, Post 3

Recently, I gave a one hour speech to a writing group and have decided to post segments of it here over the next few weeks. All of the speech is in response to questions I had received in advance and then prepared my answers for the group. This is Post 3 of the speech.

Remember, these are just my opinions and suggestions. Nothing is set in stone. Other writers could answer quite differently and argue with me over my answers. What works for one person may not work for another.

Some other points to remember that go along with query letters and submissions: You should create a synopsis and have it ready before starting to query agents or publishers because sure enough, someone WILL request a 1 – 2 page synopsis - and it's very convenient to have it already prepared to send off at any given time. Be sure to follow any instructions on how that particular agent or publisher wants submissions/synopsis to be formatted - that info should be found at the website. An example would be that double-spacing is the norm for a synopsis – but NOT the query letter. SAVE all the original documents you create & you can always adjust it, or make a separate copy to alter, to meet specific requirements of whomever you're submitting it to. That goes for the query letter, the synopsis, the manuscript, the first 3 chapters, etc.

By the way, within the query letter, that "hook" I mentioned, in case you're unfamiliar with the term, is really just an incredibly short synopsis or summarization of the book! Sometimes it's called a teaser.

Also, pick 1 or 2 excerpts from the book that are about a page long. They shouldn't be spoilers, but make sure they capture the reader's attention making them wonder what happens next.  An excerpt might be requested by an agent or publisher (although usually not). Not only that, but excerpts are fantastic to use for marketing and creating excitement about your book right before and after it's published.

Make sure the entire manuscript is formatted properly – using the standard recommendations found at those websites I mentioned. (A few examples: Hopefully as you wrote your book you didn't use the TAB key, but instead used settings that will automatically indent the first line after a hard return – like when you're ready to start a new paragraph. Another example: unless the submission guidelines request something different, use Times New Roman, 12. And margins are usually 1" all around. These are only a few of the standard rules of thumb in formatting a manuscript – these aren't "law".) Some agents/publishers could request the manuscript be formatted a "specific" way so perhaps save another copy of your manuscript to play with and make those adjustments. I think I had 2 or 3 different formatted versions of my manuscript saved to my computer.

Speaking of saving – make sure you backup your work in whatever method you prefer – CD, USB Flash Drive, separate external hard drive or online backup. I use a flash drive AND backup online at Windows Live Skydrive. Just backup!

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The next excerpt from my speech will be about making the choice between an agent or to submit directly to a publisher or to self-publish.

True Blood Recap - June 24, 2011

I watched one of my favorite shows Sunday night - True Blood. I jotted down notes for the entire show...my own little attempt at creating a recap or giving a play-by-play of what happened in that episode. Whew! That was WORK especially when I had to type it up from my scribblings! Not sure that I'll do that again as it took away from my own entertainment and enjoyment of the show since I was feverishly writing in a notebook. Anyway, it provided some fun content for my blog...and now...

True Blood, Sunday, July 24, 2011 - "Me and the Devil"

RECAP:

Tommy gets into a brawl with his parents and ends up killing them. He didn't intend on killing his mother, but she ran into the middle of the fight and was a casualty. I hated that creepy Joe Lee - walking around in his baggy underwear.

Marnie admits to a witch spirit possessing her and casting spells on Eric and Pam.

After Arlene's baby (or the ghost of Rene, the baby's father) wrote on the wall, Terry suggests they call the Reverend for an exorcism.

Eric dreams of Godric pushing him to drink Sookie's blood and embrace his true vampire nature. That's freaky since Godric is dead - and this isn't the first time such a vivid form of Godric has appeared to Eric. The Dream Godric seems evil compared to the one that was alive. Eric discovers he's in Sookie's room, she awakens and wonders what the heck he's doing there. He said, "I had a bad dream." And Sookie lets him stay with her in bed till the sun comes up.

Hoyt and Jessica have saved Jason. Well, Jessica actually did after finding him almost dead on the road and she gave him her healing blood. Hoyt and Jessica have an awkward moment when she acts "distant" to his affection.

Bill glamours Portia, who is his great, great, great (you get the point) granddaughter as a means to keep her away from him. It didn't seem to bother her to continue a sexual relationship with Bill, knowing that they were related. Bill clearly wanted nothing to do with her anymore.

Eric asks Sookie: "Am I evil?' She comments that he was but she likes the new Eric. He's sweet.

Pam waltzes into Bill's office looking like a beekeeper in order to conceal her rotting flesh - courtesy of Marnie/witch spirit's spell.

Lafayette and Jesus are going to Jesus' Grandpa's place in Mexico. He's a shaman. Jesus talked about a goat sacrifice he was involved in as a child with his Grandpa. He felt power surging through his body from that sacrifice and knows his Grandpa might be able to help them with the spells cast upon Eric (who currently doesn't even know he's ticked off at them) and Pam. Lafayette and Jesus, being involved with the witches, are terrified the vampires will come after them to seek revenge.

Tara's girlfriend in New Orleans discovers that Tara has been lying to her about her identity. They talk on the phone.

Tommy brings his dead parents to Sam and needs help in disposing of the bodies.

Jason tells Hoyt about being raped by several women and thinks his past lifestyle is to blame. Jason hears mention of a full moon coming soon and flips out.

Terry and Arlene have the Reverend Daniels and Tara's mom, Lettie Mae, who is now married to the Reverend, perform the exorcism in the house. We learn evil likes to hide in corners.

Sookie visits Marnie's shop to check her out. Sookie claims she wants a reading. Marnie senses Gran and Sookie can hear the thoughts. Gran says Sookie's new love interest is temporary, to look out for Jason and that Marnie is evil and Sookie should run.

Sam and Tommy have their parents bodies in a van and are driving somewhere to dump them. But Andy pulls them over and insists on seeing inside the van. Tommy shapeshifts into a gator to throw Andy off and stops him from inspecting the back of the van. Andy doesn't see the bodies.

Marnie is apprehended by Bill's men and taken to a cell to be interrogated.

Tara tells Sookie about the lesbian relationship she has in New Orleans and how she hates Bon Temps. She tells Sookie how she has lied to her girlfriend about who she is.

While in her cell, Marnie prays to the witch goddess and has a vision. She sees witches in prison, priests arrive to visit the witches, but guess what the priests are? Vampires.

Confrontation between Eric and Tara. He emerged from his hiding place in Sookie's house and Tara sees him and screams - telling Sookie she's a hypocrite. Tara condemns Eric for the many terrible things he's done and runs out the door.

Bill questions Marnie about the witches, curses and spells; in particular wondering where is Eric? Marnie doesn't know crap.

Lafayette and Jesus get to Jesus's Grandpa's house and Gramps says to them, "I've been expecting you."

Alcide gets a visit from the Packmaster for that vicinity he's living in. The Packmaster is not a happy camper that Alcide has not registered with the pack. Alcide tells the Packmaster to take a hike.

Sam and Tommy dump their parents' dead bodies into a swamp. Sam tosses in marshmallows to draw the gators up to the surface at which time they can chow down on the dead bodies. Tommy feels guilty. Sam confesses he's killed two people who robbed him and says Tommy killed the parents in self-defense or an act of war.

Terry and Arlene go to bed and assume all is well with the baby and ridding the house of any ghosts or evil. Except a book of matches ignites out of the blue. That's not good.

Since Jason drank Jessica's blood, they have a bond and she enters his dreams and seduces him. Hoyt pops up in the dream, too, freaking out Jason.

Eric asks Sookie if he really did all those bad things Tara accused him of. She said yes, but he's different now. Eric said: "There's a light in you and I couldn't bare it if I snuffed it out." He takes off and Sookie runs after him…shouting to not go. He returns to her then they KISS!

Bill has a meeting with his sheriffs, still wondering where the hell is Eric and figures the witches are behind it. Vampires throughout history have always held important, powerful roles in high places of society. We learn that Marnie's goddess and the spirit that possesses her was a sorceress and necromancer named Antonia. At one time, she commanded a power that made vampires walk out into the sun and die. Some want to kill Marnie but Bill insisted no human casualties. Pam is visibly upset and lets something slip…Pam and Sookie had a deal that Pam was to keep her mouth shut about Eric hiding out at Sookie's…but Pam's loose lips reveal that Eric's memory has been erased. Bill forces Pam to tell him where Eric is at…Sookie's. Bill races out of the house and we assume he's zooming to Sookie's place. Soooomebodyyyyy's in troooouble… ;)