Category: The Blogging Life / The Writing Life

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I’m Going to be on Stacey Cochran’s Book Chatter Show This Friday, 10/22

So psyched – I’m going to be on popular Claws author Stacey Cochran‘s internet show, Book Chatter, this Friday, 10/22. The show begins at 9 p.m. EST. It’s live-streamed so you can participate if you want by going to the website where you can send in questions or comments via IM Chat. I’ll be on the show with a couple of other authors. I’ve never done this before (not a live-streamed show anyway), and have no idea what to expect, so it should be fun!

Also, Swallow has recently received several more interesting blog / website reviews, at: Read All Day; A Nut in a Nutshell; Spellbound by Books; and Style Substance and Soul. I’m really grateful for all of the reviews I’ve received, both positive and more critical. I’m really thrilled that people are taking the time to read it closely and really think about it.

Several reviewers now have said they found the part about 9/11 very compelling – in fact one of the most engaging parts of the book. I’m so glad because before I published, some had told me they thought including 9/11 in the plot may be a big turn-off to readers. So I’m glad readers have felt drawn in by that part of the narrative, and that they felt like they were there. My next book is about, not 9/11, but something unsettling as well that’s based on an event that really happened. And I feel that most of this next book is written in a style similar to the latter part of Swallow.

Anyway, maybe I’ll hear from you Friday night. If the time is not good, he records the shows and keeps them on the Book Chatter website, so I’ll link to it!

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Blog Talk Radio Interview Today!

I’m going to be interviewed by Arizona author Leslie Kohler on her Blog Talk Radio show, “The Writer’s Inspiration,” today at 11 a.m. Phoenix time (PT), which is 2:00 p.m. EST. You can dial 347-945-7939 to listen in to the live conversation. The interview will focus on my novel, on inspiration for characters, etc., on book marketing tips, etc. etc. If you want hear the interview but can’t tune in at that time, no worries; it’s taped and will be up on the BTR site for a while. I’ll link to it when it’s up!

Okay, here’s the recording!

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Thank You, English Person, Who Bought My Book and Put Me on the Map in the Amazon UK Store :)

Hehe, I am all giddy because I just made my first UK sale! This officially puts Swallow on the Amazon UK bookstore map since it now has a ranking – and believe it or not, is currently ranked number 2 in legal fiction and number 32 in literary fiction there! Just realized it’s also ranked in the top 50 in literary fiction in the US store as well, and this marks the sixth week that it’s in the top 10 in legal fiction here. I really couldn’t be more thrilled. I am so happy that people are reading my book and (most anyway!) are liking it. I am really curious to see how the Brits, and others outside of the US, like it, so am really happy it’s at least available in one foreign bookstore. My dream would be to get a big publisher and have it translated and mass distributed in physical bookstores and all that, but we’ll have to wait and see on that… In the meantime, I’m beyond thrilled with my e-book sales – am just about to reach a major milestone 😀

Also, I just received a really wonderful, detailed, well thought-out review from a new blogger, Media Mover, who is an American ex-pat living in Mexico and who I met on Kindleboards. In a short time, she’s already become a top 1000 Amazon reviewer, and has recently started this blog as well. She’s an excellent writer and reviewer (and not just because I love what she said about my novel ;)), so please read her other reviews as well. She’s posting one review every Sunday, and she’s reviewing indie books. Yes! We need more reviewers of indie books!!!

I’ve been very fortunate to receive lots of blogger reviews, for which I’m immensely thankful. I haven’t posted about every one so as not to sound like I was constantly pumping myself (I probably do sound like that sometimes anyway…sorry!), but am linking to them all now on the “reviews” page.

One other thing regarding my book and then I’ll shut up. I just wanted to call attention to this excellent program, Operation E-Book Drop, which another indie author (and former Army Sergeant) who I also met on Kindleboards, has founded and which I have just begun participating in. Authors join and give free ebooks to our troops overseas. If you happen to be an author, please consider donating. And, also, join Kindleboards!

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A Psychologist Likes Swallow!

Swallow just received a very good review from a psychologist and top 10 reviewer on Amazon! I was a bit worried since the book is mainly about a psychological condition, and a psychologist is one of the main characters, so I’m thrilled she liked it. The psychologist in the book is very Freudian, which is I guess is not the norm today. Anyway, it definitely helped me to get over the sting of my first one-star review! That’s okay – knew I’d have to get one at some point…

I’m also having fun sending the book out to international bloggers. It recently received a good review from a blogger, Violet Crush, in Singapore, and Blue Archipelago Reviews, in England. And I just sent it out to a blogger in Australia. I’m having too much fun 🙂 The kindle version recently went up on the Amazon U.K. site. I don’t think as many readers in the U.K. use e-readers and my Amazon.com reviews don’t seem to be transferring, so if any British readers of this blog would like a review copy (or if anyone else wants to review it), please let me know!

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BRIEF BLOGGING BREAK

Hey you guys, I just wanted to let you know I’m in the process of re-modeling my website a bit. I should have the new site up very soon – I’m hoping the beginning of next week. At this time any new posts here are not automatically going to transfer over which means I’ll have to manually add everything. So, I probably won’t be posting again until the new site is up.

Thank you SO much to everyone who is being so wonderfully supportive of my book, by the way. The Kindle version is still on the Amazon top 100 list and is still at this time at number 1 on the legal fiction and anxiety disorders lists. I’m more thrilled than I could ever express. I’m just so happy people (well over 1,000 now!) are reading it.

Anyway, will be back soon! In the meantime, happy first international dance day everyone!

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PLEASE PLEASE!

Hey you guys! I have the hugest favor to ask 🙂

So my novel in e-book form has been climbing the Amazon best-seller charts, winning awards and getting good reviews. I’ve been told that if it continues with this success that there’s a chance I could get picked up by a good publishing company, which is my dream beyond dreams! So, I’m just asking you all to spread the word! It’s about a young Manhattan attorney with an anxiety disorder called Globus Hystericus, and it’s comical in places, but also very serious. Reviewers have found it both entertaining and thought-provoking. People who like books about lawyers, women’s fiction, or books about anxiety disorders seem to be liking it the most. It’s currently 99 cents in e-book form and is $14.99 in the paperback version. But since the e-book version is doing so well and people seem not to mind taking a chance on a new author at that price, I’m trying to get the word out about that one. So if you know anyone who reads e-books (the Kindle version is downloadable onto any e-reader as well as a PC or Mac) and likes the kind of fiction mentioned above, please let them know!

Thank you so much you guys!

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KINDLE AUTHOR INTERVIEW

I am today’s interviewee on the new blog, Kindle Author, which is for people who are thinking about publishing their books via Kindle. I think it’s my longest interview yet and I blabber on and on about my own writing and publishing journey, the reader outreach I’ve tried to do, and the advantages I’ve found of publishing in e-book form. If you’re an aspiring author, I highly suggest subscribing to that blog; he’s got some really good interviews up.

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DRIVE-THRU INTERVIEW, AND SWALLOW MAKES LEGAL THRILLER BEST-SELLER LIST ON AMAZON

Today I have a short, “drive-thru” interview on fabulously wonderful indie author Jenna Elizabeth Johnson’s blog, Hello Kruel, Kruel World.

I met Ms. Johnson on the Kindleboards, where I’ve connected with a number of really kind and supportive indie authors. I joined Kindleboards after hugely successful indie-turned-traditionally published author, J.A. Konrath, suggested the site as an excellent way to connect with other authors and readers of Kindle books.

It seems to have worked in my favor sales-wise as well because last week, due largely I’m sure to my reducing the price of my Kindle book to 99 cents (for at least the duration of the summer), my Kindle sales skyrocketed, putting Swallow on a couple of Amazon top-seller charts: Anxiety Disorders, and Legal Thrillers. Sales have slipped a bit over the weekend but it spent nearly all of last week in the top 10 of those two lists, which was really surreal.

Funny thing is, strictly speaking of course my novel is not a legal thriller, but the way Amazon categorizes things, since it’s legal fiction and since Amazon reviewers have tagged it with words like “lawyer,” “legal,” and “criminals,” it was categorized as legal, and the only root category for legal fiction it seems is Mysteries & Thrillers. So I guess that’s how that worked. Others have mentioned they had the same thing happen: a legal comedy and a novel whose protagonist was a lawyer but had no other connection to the law were both categorized as a legal thrillers too. Anyway, it’s not like I don’t have a product description and several reviews for people to read before deciding whether or not to purchase.

And, even though my book focuses on the main character’s anxiety disorder, it is largely about her job as a criminal appeals attorney, and representing a certain segment of society. That’s one huge thing I was hoping people would come away knowing more about after reading. So, although I worried at first about it being mis-categorized, I think it’s actually a good thing that it ended up there; it’s a sign to me of what I should be writing anyway. The book I’m working on now is more in that vein – it’s about a shooting witnessed by various people, from different perspectives.

Anyway, I’m just so thrilled some people are reading it. Thank you again to all of my wonderful, wonderful blog readers who have been so supportive! And to my new indie friends 🙂

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I WRITE LIKE … NABOKOV?!

I write like
Vladimir Nabokov

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

Okay, I’m having a bit too much fun with this, which I just saw on Galley Cat. When I put in a couple paragraphs from the opening pages of my novel, I got Nabokov. Which was kind of funny – thought for sure I’d get Nick Hornby or Helen Fielding or perhaps Martin Amis. But Nabokov?! But then when I put in an excerpt from one of my blog posts I got J.K. Rowling. Hmmmmm.

I write like
J. K. Rowling

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

Try it, it’s ridiculous fun!

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WHAT INSPIRES YOU? DANCERS AND CONVICTS OF COURSE!

There’s a short interview with me, about my book, up on Kipp Poe’s blog.

I met Mr. Poe, an author, on the Kindleboards, which I’ve just recently found. If you have a Kindle, or have downloaded a Kindle app onto another kind of e-reader, it’s an excellent message board where you can chat with other Kindle owners and readers, as well as authors of Kindle books. If you don’t have some kind of e-reader – I can’t believe I’m saying this – but I highly recommend one. A lot of e-books are really low-priced compared to physical books (owing to the comparatively low production and distribution costs), and I’ve found reading books digitally surprisingly enjoyable, which I never thought I’d say. They’re easy to fit in your bag, you can read anywhere because of the internal light, and, like I said, you can buy books for a small fraction of the regular price.

About a year and a half ago, when I needed a new cell phone, I bought  an iPhone and downloaded the various e-reader apps to test how I’d like reading books digitally. I didn’t think I would but I needed a new phone and was sick of T-Mobile so I figured what the hell. Now I read so much on my iPhone – not everything but a great deal. You can buy Kindle books (if you have an Amazon account) directly through the phone without having to be connected to a computer. And of course they download right away; no waiting for delivery. Only real drawback of the iPhone is the short battery life… I’ve heard the Kindle and iPad don’t have those problems though.

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GUEST POST ON "PUDGY PENGUIN PERUSALS"

The wonderful Kaye, who writes the charming book blog Pudgy Penguin Perusals, has a rather long write-up on my book today, for which I am immensely grateful!

I am really so grateful, beyond words, for all the bloggers who are helping me get the word out about my first book. The book blogging community is really tremendous – it’s got to be the largest arts blogging community in existence – and I’m so thankful for it and for all the wonderful writers who are so willing to help a first-time novelist get her start! Because I don’t think there’s anything harder than starting a writing career in this current publishing climate.

Anyway, thank you again, Kaye!