Five Links 6/28/19 Loleta Abi

tulip

Five Links…6/28/19

Loleta Abi

Writing:

1. https://amp.theguardian.com/books/2019/jun/19/midlist-author-kerry-hudson-louise-candlish “Four years ago, Kerry Hudson had just won a prestigious French literary prize when one late payment left her unable to make the rent on her sublet flat in Whitechapel. Could she continue as a writer? Or would she have to return to her old job in the charity sector?

Louise Candlish had 11 novels under her belt when, a couple of years ago, she found herself considering quitting. “Some of them had really flopped,” she says. “I had got myself into that catch-22, where your sales figures aren’t as healthy as they once were or as good as retailers would like. So, then your book comes out and it’s not stocked in as many places, so it doesn’t sell as well. Then you’re writing your next one and it won’t earn as much money, as they’re looking at what happened to the one before. You’re almost doomed to continue the pattern.” I agree, the money could make a huge difference between who pursues writing and who doesn’t.

2. https://stevelaube.com/what-are-average-book-sales/ “A writer asked me, “What does the average book sell? An industry veteran at a writers conference recently said 5,000. What??? I know it all depends …. but … nowhere near 5,000, right?”

My simple answer?

It’s complicated.
It depends.” Wow, the average hoped for: 10k or more.

3. https://romanceuniversity.org/2019/06/25/how-to-get-free-ebooks-and-audiobooks-from-your-library/ “What if I told you that you can get instant access to countless ebooks and audiobooks on the phone, tablet, or computer you’re on right now and it wouldn’t cost you a thing? You’d likely say I was selling you a bridge to nowhere. But it’s true. Using just the device you’re looking at right now, you can start reading and listening to your favorite authors while discovering new books you’re sure to love. All you need is a library card.” I’ve done this but I don’t like the limited time they give you to read it.

4. https://stevelaube.com/030-pros-and-cons-of-indie-publishing/ “Is independent publishing for you? Find out as we talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly of indie publishing.

But first, some background:

• I am an indie author.
• Worked with some very successful and profitable indie authors over the last 10 years.
• Also worked with a lot of indie authors who were frustrated and disillusioned.  
• Bottom line: I am not a partisan in the indie vs trad battle. I see good and bad in both.”

5. https://ryanlanz.com/2019/06/24/get-rid-of-repetition-pleonasms-in-your-writing/ “Did you know that when you use more words than necessary to express something (like blowing windor frozen ice), you are committing a pleonasm, which is the fancy Greek way of saying you’re being redundant? Redundancy in writing sounds like a simple thing to spot—and sometimes it is. But some types of redundancy can be tricky to identify, and that’s because we tend to speak in expressions in English, so redundant phrases become little package deals, like a true fact or a free gift. (I hate to break it to you, but if it’s not free, you’re doing gifts wrong.)”

Research & Fun Bits:

1. https://www.suecoletta.com/how-to-investigate-serial-murder/ “Active serial murder investigations present many challenges to law enforcement, according to the FBI. Some of the pressures include public outcry, the media, law enforcement management, and the frustration of investigators at not being able to identify the suspect. In the vast majority of male serial killer cases, there is no identifiable relationship between the suspect and the victims. Female serial killers are a different breed entirely, which we’ll delve into more deeply in future post.

For this post, when I say “serial killer” or “offender” I’m talking about men who murder three or more people with a cooling off period (apparently, the new definition of serial killer is someone who murders two or more people, but I haven’t found a logical reason for lowering the bar).

With most violent criminal investigations, a recognizable connection emerges between the killer and his victim. Which is why investigators first look at victimology and the people closest to them: spouses, lovers, friends, acquaintances, business partners, and rivals. When investigating serial murder, however, the normal link is often missing.”

2. https://awriterofhistory.com/2019/06/25/the-state-of-historical-fiction-hns2019/ “On the topic of whether this is a golden age for historical fiction (see this NYTimes article for reference), one panel member reflected on readers’ desires to look back at earlier times to gain an understanding of today’s cultural and political difficulties. Others spoke of growing interest in hearing from voices across the spectrum, seeking to appreciate experiences of previously marginalized groups, and of a desire to read about extraordinary women in extraordinary times, particularly in light of the #metoo movement.

Diversity in historical fiction was another topic. Agents and editors spoke of their desire to discover stories reflecting the trauma, accomplishments, and joys of different groups and countries. With publishing still being “monolithically white”, there is a feeling that the industry—agents, publishers, retailers, and readers—needs to be more proactive about finding these stories and fighting the view that such stories serve niche markets.”

3. https://somethingferal.com/2019/06/25/field-of-sheaves/ “…I have a bad feeling about this place.

But Wen insists, and when Wen insists… not even graphic descriptions of the steepness of the hill itself could deflect her… so here we are… half way up the climb… resting on a convenient wall and even from this point the view is impressive…”

4. https://jamigold.com/2019/06/9th-annual-blogiversary-contest-prize-me-waiter-what/

5. https://awriterofhistory.com/2019/06/27/writing-about-an-iconic-man-by-elaine-cougler/ “Historical fiction author Elaine Couglerturns her talents to a book about Ron Calhoun — the man behind the Terry Fox Marathon of Hope and other successful cross-Canada runs. In this book, Elaine has captured Ron’s incredible dedication to causes such as cancer and the complex organization involved in supporting such inspiring events.”

Some Things More Serious:

1. http://booksbywomen.org/when-dark-became-all-the-light-i-knew/ ““Surely all art is the result of one’s having been in danger, of having gone through an experience all the way to the end, where no one can go any further. The further one goes, the more private, the more personal, the more singular an experience becomes, and the thing one is making is, finally, the necessary, irrepressible, and as nearly as possible, the definitive utterance of this singularity.”  – Rainer Maria Rilke in his Letters to a Young Poet.”

2. http://thesilenteye.co.uk/2019/06/27/three-days-of-the-oyster-catcher-part-3-a-pictish-headland/ “The Moray Firth is vast, wild and beautiful. Examined on a map it resembles a child’s geometry exercise in triangles, with the coast between its ‘origin’ at Inverness and far-away Fraserburgh being a virtually flat west-east baseline. From Fraserburgh the great inlet of the Moray Firth reaches northwards into the North Sea. The final line in the triangle, from Inverness moving north-east, ends at the tip of Scotland: John o’ Groats.”

3. https://thepbsblog.com/2019/06/27/throwback-thursday-jam-india-aire-because-i-am-a-queen/

4. https://maeclair.net/2019/06/27/thats-my-plan-and-im-sticking-to-it-publishing/ “No one is wild about change, and it usually happens when you least expect it. Several weeks ago, my publisher informed me they would no longer be considering new material from me. I wasn’t entirely shocked, given Cusp of Night and End of Day have not followed in the path of my previous releases. A Thousand Yesteryears, A Cold Tomorrow, A Desolate Hour, and Myth and Magic did very well for Lyrical Underground/Kensington Publishing, and they expected the new series to perform in the same vein. Sadly, those numbers have been lacking. To top it off, the senior editor who liked my work, and requested new material from me, took a position with Marvel shortly after contracting Cusp of Night. I believe he would have taken another series given my past numbers, but the new editor is not inclined.”

5. https://coldhandboyack.wordpress.com/2019/06/26/did-a-lot-but/ “Today was my flex day and I had a pretty good list of projects. This was the list:

• Editing on Serang
• Work up three small critique sections
• Send out the shtick for a new Lisa Burton Radio show
• Read more of a fantastic novel

I got a lot done, but never got all the way to reading.” I sent off a guest blog, worked on my YA WIP, worked on my world for edits, researched agents, read some books on Kindle, and worked on the links.

Teaser Fiction & Poetry:

1. https://colleenchesebro.com/2019/06/25/colleens-2019-weekly-tanka-tuesday-poetry-challenge-no-133-synonymsonly/

2. https://carrotranch.com/2019/06/27/waiting/ “We wait in line. We wait for life. Waiting is not something most people like to do but everyone has to do it. What we wait on might be universal, some as different as our reactions.

Writers wrote about the wait and what it could mean. They wrote surprising stories you won’t want to wait to read.”

3. https://syl65.wordpress.com/2019/06/27/dont/

4. https://jenanita01.com/2019/06/26/to-be-touched-poetry/

5. https://jessicabakkers.com/2019/06/26/15-word-story-all-that-glitters/

Book Reviews, Cover Reveals, & Author Interviews:

1. https://writershelpingwriters.net/2019/06/introducing-the-conflict-thesaurus/ “What elevates a story from good to great? CONFLICT. 

A car breakdown in the middle of the zombie apocalypse. A jealous ex who is interfering with the hero’s new relationship. A loss of power when the heroine needs it most. Big or small, conflict creates problems for our characters, tests their motivation, and forces them to prove just how much they want to achieve their goals.

Conflict is the writer’s sacred tool, a kaleidoscope of temptation, pain, and strife that makes the character’s journey more challenging. It comes into play at turning points, pinch points, and whenever we feel like cranking up the heat because we’re evil.”

2. https://kriswrites.com/2019/06/25/the-years-best-military-adventure-sf-with-voting/ “David Afsharirad chose my story “Once On The Blue Moon,” for The Year’s Best Military & Adventure SF, Volume 5. I had hoped to read the volume before it appeared, because I had the galley, but no such luck. So I’ll be reading it with you. And here’s something fun…readers. You can vote for the best story in the book, and the writer(s) will receive the award at Dragoncon. You only have until August 15 to vote.”

3. http://lizlovesbooks.com/lizlovesbooks/latest-reads-the-bad-place-m-k-hill/ “The newspapers called it The Bad Place. A remote farm out on the Thames estuary, where six children were held captive for two weeks. Five of them got out alive.

That was twenty years ago. Now adults, they meet up annually to hold a candlelit vigil for their friend who died. The only rule is that no-one can talk about what happened the night they escaped. But at this year’s event, one of them witnesses a kidnapping. A young girl, Sammi, is bundled into a van in front of their eyes.

Is history repeating itself? Is one of them responsible? Or is someone sending them a twisted message?

DI Sasha Dawson, of Essex Police, is certain that the key to finding Sammi lies in finding out the truth about The Bad Place. But she also knows that with every second she spends trying to unlock the past, the clock ticks down for the missing girl…”

4. https://blondewritemore.com/2019/06/25/bookreview-10-steps-to-hero-sacha_black-tuesdaybookblog/ “This book How to Craft a Kickass Protagonist – 10 Steps To Hero has become a permanent feature in my writer’s handbag and it has really helped me on my journey to publication. If only the author, Sacha Black, knew how bendy I’ve made the book spine (from excessive use), how many pages are now dog eared and how many pages are adorned with messy fingerprint marks.

I have read Sacha’s 13 Steps To Evil which is all about crafting superbad villains and I loved it. The nifty thing with Sacha’s books is that she gives you a little writing pep talk as you go along. You can’t beat her use of humour, sarcasm and wit. Sacha also knows all of your bad writing habits when writing characters and will get inside your writing mind. I found myself rushing to a notebook after reading Villains.”

5. http://mariacatalinaegan.com/2019/06/27/crepe-expectations-the-pancake-house-mysteries-5-by-sarah-fox-genre-cozy-mystery/ “When a murder case from the past heats up again, it’s up to Marley
McKinney to sort through a tall stack of suspects in the latest
Pancake House Mystery. . .

Although it’s a soggy start to spring in Wildwood Cove, the weather clears up

just in time for the town to host an amateur chef competition. Marley McKinney,
owner of the Flip Side pancake house, already signed up to volunteer,
and chef Ivan Kaminski is one of the judges. But when Marley visits
her landscaper boyfriend Brett at the site of the Victorian mansion
that’s being restored as the Wildwood Inn, she discovers something
else pushing up daisies: human remains.

The skeleton on the riverbank washed out by the early-spring floodwaters belonged to
eighteen-year-old Demetra Kozani, who vanished a decade earlier.
While the cold case is reopened, Marley must step in when some of the
cook-off contestants fall suspiciously ill. Stuck in a syrupy mess of
sabotage and blackmail, it falls to Marley to stop a killer from
crêping up on another victim. . .”