About Pinterest for Authors

I discovered an  article written by Chris Robley that was helpful. I'm posting it here with a link to his website:  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2012/07/7-ways-to-sell-more-books-with-pinterest/

10.4 million people currently use Pinterest, and that figure is climbing fast; some data shows that Pinterest is the fastest growing standalone website ever.

What exactly is Pinterest?

Pinterest is a combination of a digital pin-up board and a scrapbook. It’s a bit like Twitter, only for pictures and videos instead of 140-character tweets. From your Pinterest page you can create different boards for different interests– one for book covers, one for photos of characters in your book, one for pictures of you and your readers, one for photos of your writing desk, etc. Plus, other people can pin things to your page (if you allow them to become “contributors” to a particular board), which encourages more sharing and interaction.

How authors can use Pinterest as a promotional tool

Well, if you’ve spent much time on social networks, you know that shouting “Buy my book!” every couple days is a sure way to annoy your followers. You have to be more subtle, more sideways, more creative. Pinterest is a great way to enhance your author “brand,” build your platform, and create compelling content that supports your book promotion efforts. And since Pinterest users can create unlimited “boards” for each new interest or topic, you’ve got options.

Here are a few ideas:
1) Create a Pinterest board for the main characters or settings in your book. Ask your fans to add photos they think help make those people and places feel real. What does the mysterious hero look like? What about pictures of that icy field where the murder took place? (Note: you’ll have to add these fans individually as “contributors” to that particular board before they can pin their own content to it).

2) Give us a behind the scenes glimpse into your process. Show fans your desk, your typewriter or computer, your waste basket of discarded poems, the view outside your window, etc.

3) Get aspirational. Where do you want to travel on your book-tour? Where would you love to spend a week writing? Show us the photos! One great example of this is author Priscilla Warner’s Pinterest page. She has a board called “My Dream Writing Studios.” Amazing photos.

4) Ask for inspiration. You can create boards to bring your previously created characters into 2D. But the process can flow the opposite direction, too. What about asking your readers for help when you’re just developing a new story? Are you searching for the right details about pistols to put into your Western? Ask for some photos of old guns.

5) Promote your friends and heroes. Social media followers are turned off by constant self-promotion, but pimping books by other folks can go a long way. You’re giving solid recommendations to your fans, and the writers you promote will be thankful.

Some basic rules for using Pinterest

Again, if you’ve been using Facebook or Twitter for a while, the same general guidelines apply to Pinterest.

1. Stay engaged in the conversation. Don’t just post your own content and call it good. You need to re-pin, like, and comment on other people’s Pinterest content. Follow the Pinterest boards of writers you admire.

2. Put the “P” symbol on your site or blog so your readers will know they can also follow you on Pinterest.

3. Make sure the names of your boards have catchy titles.

4. Large photos are best. Pinterst is all about the visual. Pick great pics.
I hope this intro is helpful for anyone just getting started on Pinterest. If you’ve been using it for a while to promote your writing, we’d love to hear about your experience. Feel free to comment in the section below.

About Chris Robley

Chris Robley has written 225 posts in this blog.

Poet, songwriter, producer, blogger, person, & marketeer.Edmund White said, "Biography can be the most middle-class of all forms, the judgment of little people avenging themselves on the great."

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As a results of learning more about Pinterest, I have set up my Pinterest account at:  http://pinterest.com/featherauthor/

My Boards:

Feather's Passion

Feather's Life Map

The Guardian's Wildchild

How to Write & Remain Sane

Reviews of The Guardian's Wildchild

Beautifully Written Paranormal Dystopia, July 19, 2012

By

D. Chapman "Ellepaul" (TEXAS) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Guardian's Wildchild (Paperback)

This beautifully written paranormal dystopia is a book that captures you and doesn't let go. It is a fast paced read about powerful but peaceful Guardians who only want to protect the world and help those who have forgotten that they too are Guardians.

The story is mainly about a girl named Sidney Davenpport. When she was young it was prophesized that she would help the earth from those who were bent on leading it into darkness. She is gifted and a bit wild, which is why her mentor calls her Wildchild.

She and her brother, Danik, are asked to break into a military based to retrieve some information. While doing this she is caught and is ordered to be executed. She is sent to the USS Nonnah where she meets ad eventually falls in love with the captain, Samaru Waterhouse.

The Guardian's Wildchild is filled with New Age thoughts and wisdom. It has a bit of a surprising ending to it that I will admit bothered me somewhat. Overall I really enjoyed this book and the journey it took me on.

My wife bought it... but I was the one who loved it., July 15, 2012

This review is from: The Guardian's Wildchild (Paperback)

It's hard to surprise an old dog like me, but every now and again....
So I saw this on my wife and I's kindle and started reading - and couldn't stop. I've never read the games, and never much been into of any near-future stuff to be honest, but if it's anywhere near as good as this, I'll have to check it out. Ms. Stone is a hell of a writer; this work was bare-knuckle raw, and the end ... well endings are something I normally see a mile or so off, but not this time.

Dear friends: If you came knocking, looking for my usual Sunday meditation post, you'll find your favorite at:
http://www.featherscircle.blogspot.ca

The characters in my garden.

I have been gardening since my mother put a hoe into my hand and instructed me to get rid of the weeds in the veggie garden. I might have been five. At the time I didn't take much interest except when I chopped off the tops of the carrots or got the creeping charlie mixed up with the peas.

Later on, I was encouraged to enter the country fair fresh flower arrangement competition. When  you arrange a group of flowers, vegetation, twigs, and a variety of other greenery into a vase, you begin to appreciate the nuances of balance, texture, symmetry, flow, complementary colors, framing, and presentation.

Some flowers are so vibrant and interesting, they require very little background or accompaniment. Others become more exquisite when juxtaposed with another complimentary color.  Some can do solos when placed in a classic container giving an aire of sophistication. Others presented in bunches, falling and stretching in every direction make an amusing and informal focal point on the table.


While tending to my flower beds I'm mindful of the placement of plants. Colors and characteristics of the leaves and blossoms, blooming time, space requirements, soil preferences, ability to thrive regardless of the enviromental issues, tendancy to spread and invade and choke out neighboring plants, tender and fragile, and if they require special support to remain upright - these are the characters of my flower beds.

I have a plant that has no significant flowers, its leaves are very dark purple. By it self, you would scarcely notice it. However, I have placed a Silver Mound beside it, another group of smaller plants with lovely blue flowers on spikes, lilac colored border plants, a large Peony behind with its bright green leaves and rose blossoms and framed with a few rose rocks. It has become the center piece in the flower bed. People stop and ask what is 'her' name. Because of her companions, she is noticed and has a unique personality.

With that in mind, I consider the development of the characters in my novels. How does one character influence the characteristics of the others - by contrast in values, humor, integrity, etc. If I adjust the personality of one character, will it have a positive impact on the other, on the scene, on the plot and outcome? How can I ensure the 'background' cast supports the main characters? What personality traits should be in the leading male to compliment the leading female, maintain balance. What will compliment a character who is funny, nervous, or hostile, etc. And are my main characters strong enough that they can hold the reader's rapt attention even if the plot slows down momentarily?

If you've read my novel, The Guardian's Wildchild, you will note that I was focused on the characters being fully developed. Each one had strengths as well as faults. Each one matured, or changed not so much because of the events but by their association with their companions, good or evil.

Events do shape our lives and build character. However, I think the people we associate with, give our heart and caring to, our circle of family and friends have the greatest impact on how the chapters of our life evolves. And so it is, I believe, in creating a novel that readers will not forget.

The Future Of Book Publishing

Recently, I connected with Brian Feinblum and read a few of his posts. The one below was relevent to my recent post concerning choosing to publish via traditional publishers or to self publish. Here is Brain's point of view. In his article, he points out the realities of the future of publishing and the impact upon authors.

Brian Feinblum ....

It is difficult to predict too far into the future, given the industry is subject to changes in technology. It didn’t used to be that way. Books are now becoming commoditized products that will depend on technology on all aspects—to research, write, and edit books; to sell them; and to market, promote, and advertise them. So the book publishing industry will sink or sail based on the path technology leads it.

I predict shifts in power, consolidation, an increase in ebooks but not a disappearance of paper, and continued bundling of books (with other products such as a magazine or movie, or with other books), Book apps and enhanced books will grow. Netflix-type subscriptions will increase for books. Further, author memberships will be sold, where we will be able to sign on with an author at a discount for his future books, access to earlier works, and revisions or updates or expansions of existing books.

There will be a greater emphasis placed on independent book reviewing sources to tell us what to read, since there are so many book choices and fewer bookstores to make recommendations.

The bug threat to the industry is Amazon. It must be contained now—before it’s too late. The other threat is illiteracy. We need the book-buying market to grow. Another threat is competing forms of entertainment. There are more movies, music albums, and magazines to read than one has time for and all of this -- plus expanded cable-TV options—compete with book publishers for eyeshare.

Another threat is free content circulating from authors and publishers as well as a zillion blogs, Web sites and emails—all free—that undermine the idea one should pay for content like a book.

Another threat is the translation of foreign books. As more books become available in English, many more books will flood our marketplace.

Books will have ads. They will have sponsors.

Books will get shorter and longer, chopped up and repackaged and resold. No book ever goes out of print but many will need to be updated, revised, and enhanced—which they will be. Backlists will die if printed books and bookstores dwindle because who is pushing the discoverability of an old book by a dead author? Being stumbled upon in a store is one thing, but online, you are digital toast without someone actually pushing your book.

The trend of more books being published will continue but at some point many writers will need to get a new job because publishing will just be a hobby. According to a Harper’s magazine article five years ago, which quoted Nielson Book Scan, nearly 1.5 million different titles were sold in the US in 2006 BUT 78% of those titles sold fewer than 99 copies. Only 483 sold over 100,000 copies.

In 2011, Bowker (the book industry bible), noted just over three million titles were published in 2011. Only one in ten—316,000—came from recognizable, traditional publishers. The vast majority—2.75 million titles -- came about via self-publishers and print-on-demand outfits. Still, that’s nearly 59,000 new titles flooding the marketplace each week in the US—not to mention the millions of other books already on sale at Amazon and elsewhere. There’s a new book released nearly every 10 seconds every single day in America. There just aren’t enough people with enough money and time to support the avalanche of books out there.

But there will always be books, in whatever form they are in, and there will always be people writing, reading, selling, promoting, marketing, and consuming them. Bring it on, future!

Brian Feinblum’s views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog are his alone and not that of his employer, the nation’s leading book publicity firm. You can follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more important when discussed in the third-person

Posted April 25, 2012 at:  http://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.ca/2012/04/future-of-book-publishing.html

10 reasons to skip traditional publishing

Feather: I am sharing an article that hit on a subject I've been wondering about, Robert Bidinotto's "10 reasons to skip traditional publishing" article. The article below is from C.S. Lakin, a novelist, a copyeditor, a writing coach, a mom, a backpacker, and a whole bunch of other things.

Here is the link to her website: http://www.livewritethrive.com/

and Robert Bidinotto's website:
http://pjmedia.com/lifestyle/2012/05/29/10-reasons-you-should-skip-the-traditional-publishers-and-self-publish-ebooks-instead/

C.S. Lakin:  I so enjoyed this list of 10 reasons to skip traditional publishing by Robert Bidinotto at PJ Media.com under their Lifestyle section on May 29th that I’m going to repost (reiterate) them here. After having “waited” 23 years to get published, spending all that time hearing my agents (six of them in total) tell me what a great writer I was and how they were sure they’d be able to sell my book(s) any second, I finally did get my first traditional publishing contract through a contest I entered. It was a big contract with one of the “Big Six” publishers. I thought when that book came out (my suspense/drama Someone to Blame), I would finally, finally, be on my way to best-sellerdom. It was a breakout novel—a shoo-in. Was I wrong.

The waiting was agonizing—from winning the contract until the book actually came out in print took nearly two years! It’s so hard for us authors to complete a book and then wonder how many years it will take to sell, then more years to come out in print. It’s agonizing, to say the least. And to my shock, when I spoke to the marketing/sales rep at a retail show I attended for the trade, he said that although my book had sold well in the presales, that was all the marketing and promotion I was going to get. It was summer; my book was in the fall catalog, but now he was selling the spring “line,” and so my few minutes of promotion had already passed by—months before my book released.

A No-Brainer

We’ve all heard the stories—how only big-name writers get any marketing dollars pushed behind their books. We all know that even if we get a traditional publishing contract, we still have to market just as much as if we self-published. So, think about it—really! If that’s the case—and the pluses of going indie SO outweigh going with a traditional publisher AND the stigma of self-publishing is really going away (gone, in my book), then isn’t this a no-brainer?

I still have books under contract with a small traditional publisher, and I really enjoy my relationship with everyone on the team. I have the privilege of being in control of my cover art and design, PLUS I pretty much write anything I want and turn it in without even having to tell them what my book is about.

Yes, it’s a sweet deal and a lot of fun. But unless my seven-book fantasy series eventually becomes a huge (I mean huge) success, I won’t see any money from it. And I have author friends who’ve made up to $50k a month self-publishing and yet they are still trying hard to get a traditional publishing contract. I asked one friend why, and she said she just wanted to be able to say she’d done it—and wanted the publisher to do the print books, which she felt were burdensome for some reason.

I’m sure she knows she will make pennies compared to what she’s been making as an indie best-selling author, but this seems important to her. But for me—I’ve been there, done that. There is no great fame or benefit from being able to say “I’ve been published by the Big Six” unless you broke out and made it to the top. And good luck having that happen.

Okay, Pay Attention

So . . . in case you are still thinking you want that old-fashioned contract, here are 10 reasons you should self-publish instead (taken from the article I mentioned above). I wonder how many articles like these we authors have to read before we get the picture.

1. Nobody Can Stop You from Publishing Your Book. Along the path to a legacy book contract you’ll be confronted by hordes of gatekeepers: literary agents, acquisition editors, editorial committees, bean counters, and publishing-house CEOs, all answering to the international conglomerates that actually own most major “American” publishers. Odds have become vanishingly small that you can run this gauntlet without being stopped dead in your tracks by a rejection letter.
2. You’ll Make a Lot More Money. Under standard book contracts, royalty terms for authors are terrible—especially for eBooks. Most eBooks are sold through online retailers like Amazon. Let’s say you’re a traditionally published author, and assume your publisher priced your eBook at $9.99. On each sale, Amazon takes 30% of the list price, leaving about $7.00 for the publisher, agent, and you to split. However, your publisher will keep 75% of that $7.00, or $5.25. He’ll pay you, the author, only 25% of that $7.00—just $1.75. And out of that measly amount, you then must pay your agent his 15% commission—or 26 cents. Bottom line? You will net just $1.49 on each $9.99 ebook sale. (And that’s assuming your publisher honestly reports your sales and royalties; there is serious doubt that many do. Now, by contrast, what happens if you self-publish your eBook at that same price? On each sale of your $9.99 eBook, Amazon takes its 30%, leaving you $7.00. But guess what? You get to keep all $7.00—because you won’t have a publisher or agent to share your royalties.
3. You’ll Get Paid Much Faster. When a publisher accepts your book, he offers you an “advance” against sales. But advances usually are paid in installments stretched out over long periods. Publishers also report sales and pay royalties slowly: Royalty statements are issued semiannually, and checks sometimes arrive even later. You’ll often wait months to find out how well your book is selling. Which means it’s often impossible to anticipate your income when you’re budgeting. By contrast, eBook distributors like Kindle Direct Publishing and Barnes and Noble’s Pubit, and print-on-demand services such as Amazon’s CreateSpace, report your sales virtually in real time. In addition, they pay your royalties monthly, with just a sixty-day lag from the time sales began.
4. You’ll Keep All Rights to Your Work. Legacy book contracts are a minefield for the author. The sheer complexity of negotiating a contract can be confusing and intimidating. If you aren’t a lawyer, odds are you’ll unwittingly sign away forever secondary and subsidiary rights that could be a gold mine.
5. You Can Publish Your Book Incredibly Fast. One of the worst things about legacy publishing is that it takes forever to get a manuscript published. Time = Money for authors, too. Most publishers insist that you submit your manuscript through a literary agent. It can take months of query letters to enlist one. Then you’ll wait days or weeks to sign a contract with her. Then more weeks working together to hone an acceptable “pitch” that she’ll send to publishers. Maybe she’ll also want you to rewrite some of your book. Next come months—maybe a year or more—of submissions to publishers. In the increasingly unlikely event that your agent corrals an interested publisher, weeks of contract negotiations follow. The publisher may insist on more rewrites and editing. Then the book goes onto their publishing schedule. Due to long lead times, it will be another year, eighteen months, or even longer before the book rolls off the presses. So if you’re really, really lucky, you’re looking at a minimum of about two years from the time you query agents till you see your baby sitting on bookstore shelves.
6. You Can Publish At Your Own Pace. Traditional publishing operates on a fixed calendar. Writers often don’t.
7. You’ll Have Total Control. The typical author treasures her book. It’s her baby. But unless she’s already a big-name author, she’ll have almost no input, let alone control, over what her publisher decides to do to her baby. As a legacy author, you can’t pick the cover, set the price, or select the interior design and fonts. You won’t have any say over the dust-jacket copy, ads, marketing pitch, or overall budget. You’ll have zero influence over where your book is distributed, or for how long. And subtle terms in your book contract can be ticking bombs. Without warning, your publisher may even drop your book—or you, as one of their house authors.
8. You’ll Have Complete Creative Freedom. When a writer puts himself in the hands of an agent and publisher, he may be hoping for a lot of things. Maybe validation and affirmation of his writing talent. Certainly, somebody else to do the grunt work of publishing and marketing. Availability of his work in bookstores and retail outlets. Reviews, bestseller lists, travel, book signings, big advances . . .
9. You’ll Have Time to Find Your Audience. The production, marketing, distribution, and sales infrastructure established by Legacy Inc. demands a constant churn of new titles on the shelves of bookstores and public retail outlets. Because that infrastructure is so expensive to maintain, retail shelf space is precious. Each book must carry its own weight in sales or be replaced quickly by one that will. That’s why even best sellers disappear so quickly. A typical book has a six-to-eight-week shelf life in stores before a new title takes its place. And eventually, it will probably go “out of print.” It’s completely different for today’s self-published books. Self-published books never have to go “out of print.” They have unlimited time to find their readers. Indie authors are discovering that they can successfully relaunch “backlist” titles long out of print—and also that books which didn’t sell well at launch can take off any time later and become bestsellers.
10. Finally, You’ll Be on the Right Side of History. The constant struggle to maximize returns from scarce bookstore shelf space has habituated legacy publishers and authors to a “scarcity mindset,” says successful self-publishing author Kristine Kathryn Rusch. “In fact, their entire business is built on it.”

Bidinato sums up by saying: “No, self-publishing isn’t for every writer. Is it hard work? You bet. Is it time consuming? Sure is. Is there a learning curve to master? Absolutely. Self-publishing success requires those things, plus an entrepreneurial spirit and a measure of luck, too. But if you compare closely the legacy vs. indie publishing models, which do you think represents the future of publishing? More importantly: Which offers you the greatest potential rewards as a writer? My fellow scribe, I urge you to give it a shot. The rewards are many. And there is no downside risk.”

Your thoughts?

The list of famous writers who were rejected is long. Rejection and writing go hand-in-hand, but sometimes it feels that those pesky publishers simply don’t know what they are talking about.
We all know that quality of writing isn’t the only reason for reaction. Perhaps your book is not a good fit for the publisher, or the agent is looking for something ‘different’ or your work has just been misunderstood. Yet, no matter what the reason those rejection letters still sting!
Here’s eleven famous writers who were rejected and show that writers might just be right after all…

1. Madeline L’Engle’s book, A Wrinkle in Time, was turned down 29 times before she found a publisher.
2. C.S. Lewis received over 800 rejections before he sold a single piece of writing.
3. Margaret Mitchell’s Gone With the Wind was rejected by 25 publishers.
4. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance was rejected 121 times.
5. Johathan Livingston Seagull was rejected 40 times.
6. Louis L’Amour was rejected over 200 times before he sold any of his writing.
7. The San Francisco Examiner turned down Rudyard Kipling’s submission in 1889 with the note, “I am sorry, Mr. Kipling, but you just do not know how to use the English language.”
8. An editor once told F. Scott Fitzgerald, “You’d have a decent book if you’d get rid of that Gatsby Character.”
9. The Dr. Seuss book, And to Think I Saw it on Mulberry Street, was rejected for being “too different from other juveniles on the market to warrant selling.”
10. George Orwell’s Animal Farm was rejected with the comment, “It’s impossible to sell animal stories in the USA.”
11. The manuscript for The Diary of Anne Frank received the editorial comment, “This girl doesn’t, it seems to me, have a special perception or feeling which would lift that book above the curiosity level.”

I hope that these famous writers who were rejected will give you a little bit of hope on those dark rejection letter days!

Feather Stone's Quirks

What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?

Oh, God. I’m limited to revealing just one. I could lose all my excess weight by writing. I will write all day, given the opportunity, and not eat a thing. The writing will grab me, mercilessly. My body becomes some distant entity that is subservient to my imagination. It’s the passion, the excitement of wondering what is going to happen next in the story. The journey is all that matters for hours. When I finally tear myself away, all I can think about is the next line of dialogue, or a new subplot sneaks into my story. It is torture to wait until I’m back to the keyboard.

Where do you get your ideas or inspiration for your characters?

The characters, I believe, are more important than the plot. If the readers don’t have a ‘feel’ of the characters as being real, the plot will flop. For me to stay with a book, I have to feel I know the depth of the characters beyond what they say and do. And, the characters must go through a growth, become something more than they were at the beginning. The reader’s connection with the characters should carry on even after the last page of the story. The reader can visualize the characters living on, giving the reader the impulse to create an extended story after the end of the book.

Where did Sidney Davenport and Samaru Waterhouse come from?

It’s complicated, and surreal.  Perhaps they were part of the cosmos when I began the story. Perhaps it was they who inspired me to write their story. When writing some dialogue or action, I would turn to the character and look for a response indicating they were pleased with what I was writing or thinking. Okay, I know it’s weird but that’s how I write. I let go of my ego’s need to be the creator and allow some other process or dimension to influence the story’s progress.

My job is to word it so the reader can experience it fully. I did have to start somewhere though. Initially, I fashioned Sidney as a person I would like to be, given enough time and courage. Sam is physically a man who I’m attracted to, and has mystery and strength that engages me to want to figure him out, and then probably fall in love with. That’s how they came to life in the beginning of the book. Then, they took it from there and I followed.

What books have most influenced your life?

The first book, about twenty years ago, that shook my world was Gary Zukov’s “Seat of the Soul.” I read all of his books, then moved on to study Buddhism and the Dalai Lama’s books. These led me to become a Reiki Level II practitioner. From there I became a student of Dr. Deepak Chopra and studied various forms of meditation. From pages of philosophy readings, to healing with my hands, to re-evaluating my spiritual beliefs, my life took on a new path and continue to evolve.

What are you reading right now?

Oh, that I had time to read. I started on Gabriel’s Inferno, but had to put it down until my marketing projects were fully developed. I have a stack of other books waiting for my attention. And, I have my second book half completed. It is haunting me, making me feel guilty that I’ve abandoned Eliza and Hashim to their perilous situation with no hope of survival, thus far. There are not enough hours in the day.

What do you like to do when you are not writing?

There’s a list. I’ll give you the abbreviated version. Watercolor painting, visit family, gardening, playing with my animals, knit, sit in a forest, play poker (live and online). Please note, house cleaning is absent from that list. I do laundry when I’m out of underwear. Thankfully, my husband likes peanut butter sandwiches.

What was the most difficult part of writing The Guardian’s Wildchild?

The most difficult part was cutting out about five hundred pages, then another two hundred. The first draft had one thousand pages. It took me about three years to look at each paragraph and ask the question, “Does this add to the story?” If the answer was no, the delete key was punched. Many other paragraphs were consolidated into one line. That was the challenge, and a good exercise.

The second most difficult part was giving the book to the world. Up until September 27, 2011, it was mine. Then, like a mother, I had to let my wildchild step into the world, to risk criticism and rejection.

Guardian's Sunday Meditation

The Problem with Book Reviews

What does it take to find the book that is going to keep you riveted to your chair, or, at the very least, not regret in spending your hard earned cash? I asked a friend if she enjoyed a particular movie. "Oh," she said dramatically, "don't waste your money!" I went anyway, and loved it. And so it is with books. Not everyone loves a book.

I found an article by Sam Sattler, http://bookchase.blogspot.ca/2008/08/rating-system-for-books.html
where he describes his disappointment with the current rating system for books. As an author, I concur with his disfavor. In the past, one went to a bookstore and determined which book was worth your cash by reading a few pages. Generally, you did not get influenced by the opinions of reviewers and a star system.

Opinions. Yes, everyone can tell you what is thee best book. It probably is thee best in their world, but not necessarily in yours. And a reviewer can give it five out of five stars but you'll never be sure if the reviewer was the author's best friend, and wishes to remain best friends. And you can read the hype, zippy media ads, tweets and be amazed at the sales records. But is it a book you'll love.

It appears I'm not the only author/reader who is concerned about the current quality of book reviews. Here is one post that described the consequence of false good reviews.

http://tossingitout.blogspot.ca/2012/07/is-it-better-to-be-nice-or-honest-guest.html

Did you read a book's synopsis which gave glowing remarks about the characters and plot and discovered the story wasn't so glowing? Did you read the author's bio and wonder, hmmmm, how much is fabricated? Was there any warning that the book contains language and/or expresses views or scenes which may be offensive to particular age group, culture, gender?

"So what?" you may ask. The world is full of misleading ads, products that are little more than crap, and lousy service. You've learned to live with it, accept it as the norm, perhaps?

Let me by crystal clear. Reviews are vital to authors and publishers. However, I get suspicious if a book gets 5 out of 5 stars from every reviewer. Not every loves Gone With the Wind, or JK Rowling's books. The point here is that the bad or irresponsible reviewers are making the review system a bit of a mockery.
And you may be wondering if my complaining is due to receiving poor reviews about my book. Not the case. In fact, I'm very pleased with the reviews I've received. However, many authors are plagued with malicious reviews. I've learned that anyone can post a review, even if they haven't read the book.

I know, I've probably insulted a few reviewers and readers. I don't know of any surveys that have identified who is a good reviewer or by what or who's standards they would be measured against.

****

My Proposal:

When it comes to commenting on a novel's construction, character development, plot flow, grammar, spelling, sentence structure, etc. that should be left to the professionals trained in the proper components of writing - objective.

It's also very important to get feedback from readers. A separate review category, subjective, should be for the readers. Perhaps a basic check list needs to be developed that indicates what they liked or didn't like, and recommend what kind of reader would enjoy the book.

The reviews, objective and subjective, should each have their key components, a form which prevents insulting adjectives.

****

Let me know where you stand with respect to book reviews and reviewers and why. Click on the 'comment' button and let me have it = both barrels if you must.

I have a poll on my right side bar which is waiting for your vote on how you choose a book. Please check one or more of the options.

Thanks for stopping by. Feather

On THE GUARDIAN’S WILDCHILD… my favorite Guardian

The Guardian’s Wildchild sounds so interesting and original. I have to say, I’ve never read a book set on a naval ship. Can you tell us a bit about what we can expect from The Guardian’s Wildchild?

One reviewer told me that The Guardian’s Wildchild took her to a place she’s never been before.  The story may challenge your beliefs.  The story may cause the reader wonder about the possibility of secret communities of powerful spiritual beings.  You might even wonder if we have powers that have remained dormant for eons.  The Guardian’s Wildchild is a story of a free spirited woman’s struggle to survive while having to give up what she values most.

What was the inspiration behind The Guardian’s Wildchild and the characters?

The inspiration arose from one of my paranormal experiences. The event was so powerful I decided to sit down and write about it.  Images of remarkable people and their challenges inspired me to continue writing and the story began to take shape.  I continued on writing for five years.

If you could meet one of your characters in person, which one would it be?

That’s a tough one.  I loved them all, even the evil ones in a sort of motherly way.  Sidney’s brother, Danik Davenport, will always have a special place in my heart.  He’s just plain lovable, funny, and intensely loyal to his Guardian people.  His down to earth sense of humor gave some relief to the intense dark personalities of the evil characters, and helped create a sense of human-ness of his fellow Guardians.

Which character was the most challenging to write?

Sidney was the greatest challenge.  She had a complex personality being free spirited and yet devoted to her Guardian people’s high standards of conduct.  She went through growth, maturing throughout the story – rather quickly as the storyline was less than two weeks.  She was conflicted in much of the scenes fighting to maintain her “life without rules” philosophy, and yet cope with the need to be protected by the captain’s rulebook – and yet frustrated with his attachment to rules.  In each scene I had to adapt her character slightly, moving forward to becoming less ‘wild’.

I love the cover! Did you have any say it at all? Are you happy with it?

This cover is beautiful.  The talented Omnific Publishing staff worked wonders, giving the female subject on the cover an air of mystical qualities.  And, the male on the back is lined up perfectly so that when the two are looking at each other, well – you get a feeling of their connection.

What can we expect from you writing-wise in the future?

Great things are in store.  I’m very excited about my current writing project, tentatively called “FORBIDDEN.”  It is another complex story that is requiring a lot of research.  The setting is Persia which is why I’m reading the Quran.  I’m learning a lot about the Islamic culture and finding it’s quite different from the media hype.  I’ve met a few Muslims during the course of my research.  They are very fun loving and peaceful people.

The basic plot of the story involves a woman who while travelling in Persia discovers something she was not supposed to and requires the protection of the captain in the local police service.  Of course, there are challenges due to the differences in their faith and their lives become entangled in dark forces.  And, as with my first book, the paranormal complicates their lives.

If you could be asked any question, what would that be? What would your answer be?

This has been a tough question.  The only question I can think of is, “What is it like to be an author?”  My answer is that it’s the hardest job I’ve ever taken on.  Even working as a paramedic wasn’t as difficult.  We always worked in pairs or groups.  Working as an author, I find that I’m isolated a lot of the time.  I’ve spent the better part of the day staring at the computer monitor, reading, editing, deleting, searching for just the right word or phrase.  If I was paid for the hours of research and typing, no one could afford to buy the book.

Since The Guardian’s Wildchild was published by Omnific Publishing I was welcomed by a large group of other Omnific authors.  I’ve enjoyed their camaraderie and guidance into the world of online book marketing.  It was quite unexpected.  I’m very grateful to Omnific Publishing’s staff and authors.  Through these wonderful people I’m able to connect with readers for whom I wrote The Guardian’s Wildchild.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Guardian's Sunday Meditation

Last Sunday, I presented the 35 physiological benefits to meditation. Below are the psychological benefits.

Psychological benefits:
36- Builds self-confidence.
37- Increases serotonin level, influences mood and behaviour.
38- Resolve phobias & fears
39- Helps control own thoughts
40- Helps with focus & concentration
41- Increase creativity
42- Increased brain wave coherence.
43- Improved learning ability and memory.
44- Increased feelings of vitality and rejuvenation.
45- Increased emotional stability.
46- improved relationships
47- Mind ages at slower rate
48- Easier to remove bad habits
49- Develops intuition
50- Increased Productivity
51- Improved relations at home & at work
52- Able to see the larger picture in a given situation
53- Helps ignore petty issues
54- Increased ability to solve complex problems
55- Purifies your character
56- Develop will power
57- greater communication between the two brain hemispheres
58- react more quickly and more effectively to a stressful event.
59- increases one’s perceptual ability and motor performance
60- higher intelligence growth rate
61- Increased job satisfaction
62- increase in the capacity for intimate contact with loved ones
63- decrease in potential mental illness
64- Better, more sociable behaviour
65- Less aggressiveness
66- Helps in quitting smoking, alcohol addiction
67- Reduces need and dependency on drugs, pills & pharmaceuticals
68- Need less sleep to recover from sleep deprivation
69- Require less time to fall asleep, helps cure insomnia
70- Increases sense of responsibility
71- Reduces road rage
72- Decrease in restless thinking
73- Decreased tendency to worry
74- Increases listening skills and empathy
75- Helps make more accurate judgements
76- Greater tolerance
77- Gives composure to act in considered & constructive ways
78- Grows a stable, more balanced personality
79- Develops emotional maturity

"About people who learn to trust, and then love."

Review by

Paranormal Romance Guild

= 4 Stars

The Guardian's Wildchild
Author: Feather Stone
Publisher: Omnific Publishing-Dallas
Genre: Romance/Paranormal
Rating: Adult

In The Guardian's Wildchild, we are taken into the future where the Earth has been decimated by tsunamis, quakes and every possible kind of trauma, so much so, that maps have become obsolete. There is martial law and curfews and the government has total control over everyone and everything.

 

It is during this time that Sidney Davenport is destined to meet Samaru Waterhouse, and their meeting will change the future.

Sidney belongs to a secret society known as the Guardians; they believe in a higher good and have many powers. She has always been a stubborn and willful child going against what she is told and trying new things that could be dangerous. Her constant refusal to obey orders has given her the nickname Wild Child and now at age twenty-three she is still the same. In her attempt to help the underground fighting against the government's oppression, she is caught on the US Naval Base and sentenced to be executed. The executions take place onboard the USS Nonnah run by Captain Samaru Waterhouse. Her execution is ordered to take place the minute she arrives on the ship, but Sam has other ideas. He is determined to get her to confess what she was really doing on the Naval Base before she was caught.

Sam's wife, Joy, had been killed in a car accident a year earlier. Joy inadvertently found secret documents belonging to Admiral Garland, and he is convinced that Sam knew all about it. As punishment, the Admiral takes Sam's two boys, Nathan and Simon to live with him and forces Sam to run the Nonnah and execute prisoners sent to him. 

He is as much a prisoner of his circumstances as some of the men sent for execution. Anything he does could result in harm coming to his boys. So when Sidney is sent to him he is fully willing to see that she is executed but on his terms. Little by little, the two grow to trust each other. Can that trust lead to love? How is it possible for Sidney to escape her fate when she is on a ship in the middle of the ocean? 

The trust that Sam and Sidney develop eventually leads to a discovery that could mean the end of the Earth. The secret documents that were retrieved from the Admiral's computer contain information that is beyond belief. Is there hope that the Earth can be saved, and at what cost?

This was such an interesting book filled with amazing characters. Sidney, in spite of being a prisoner facing execution, never loses her sense of humor. She is brave and stands up for herself. Sam is a man who has closed his heart to anything but his sons until Sidney. This is such a beautiful love story where two people learn to trust and then love. I recommend this book very highly.

Reviewed By: Linda Tonis

Member of the Paranormal Romance Review Team

http://www.paranormalromanceguild.com/reviewsfeatherstone.htm

About Life in CANADA

What does it mean to be Canadian?

It means to be happy to be north of the USA border, embraced by the Pacific, Arctic, and Atlantic Oceans. It means we are bilingual, French and English speaking with a multitude of other languages spoken throughout the ten provinces and three territories. It means freedom to practice my spiritual beliefs and voice my criticism of government without fear.


Canada is the world's second largest country by land mass. Canada has the longest coastline in the world, with a total length of 202,080 kilometres (125,570 mi); additionally, its border with the United States is the world's longest land border, stretching 8,891 kilometres (5,525 mi).

Canada is the world's eleventh-largest economy, with a 2011 nominal GDP of approximately US$1.74 trillion. It is a member of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the G8, and is one of the world's top ten trading nations, with a highly globalized economy. Canada is a mixed economy, ranking above the US and most western European nations on the Heritage Foundation's index of economic freedom. The largest foreign importers of Canadian goods are the United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan.

The immense Athabasca oil sands give Canada the world's second-largest proven oil reserves, after Saudi Arabia. Canada is additionally one of the world's largest suppliers of agricultural products; the Canadian Prairies are one of the most important global producers of wheat, canola, and other grains. Canada is a major producer of zinc and uranium, and is a leading exporter of many other minerals, such as gold, nickel, aluminum, and lead. Many towns in northern Canada, where agriculture is difficult, are sustainable because of nearby mines or sources of timber. Canada also has a sizable manufacturing sector centered in southern Ontario and Quebec, with automobiles and aeronautics representing particularly important industries.


Canadians are diverse. We celebrate a multitude of cultures, not in a melting pot, but as distinct, creative, talented peoples. Canadians know themselves as individuals who enjoy unlimited possibilities to grow and express their unique characteristics that magically blends in with the values of the whole.

That's all lovely. But what does it really mean to be a Canadian in the year 2012?


Canadians are passionate, quietly passionate. Our passion extends beyond our borders or self serving ideals. It travels the globe, to villages in Africa, and to the deserts of the Middle East. Canadians prefer to shake hands rather than carry a gun. We carry our flag in our heart rather than wave it on foreign lands.


Only once has another country attempted to invade Canada. Never again.

Watch The Canadian Perspective on PBS. See more from The War of 1812.

A country united




Some of the most Famous Canadian Singers!




Canadian Sports: author James Bisson and learns that there is more to Canadian sports than hockey as we take at look moments throughout sports history that define Canada.




Feather: Where ever I go, from the eastern maritime provinces, to the western sunshine coast, from the southern prairies to the northern land of the Eskimos, I am home. People of all cultures, the First Nations, are my people. The forests, the rivers and all the creatures that move through these lands, I stand on guard for thee.

Oh, Canada, I love thee.

I stand on guard for thee.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CANADA