My deepest, humblest apologies to those of you who have stopped by my blog, taken precious time out of your day to read & comment on posts, and then found that your comment never showed up, even several days later.

It turns out that ALL comments since November have been rerouted into the spam folder, for no logical reason that I can currently comprehend. I’m doing my best to figure out and fix the problem, but until then, I promise to spend at least 15 minutes per day sorting through the spam comments and finding YOURS, and approving them to post. I found a number of them today, and have replied to as many as I could.

Again, I apologize. I had no idea this was happening, and I didn’t catch it until today. I really am very grateful for all your visits and comments, and I hope that this won’t deter you from coming back in the future. I’ll do everything I possibly can to approve all comments at the end of each day (at least)… and hopefully get the filter fixed in the meantime!!!

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Tags: comments, spam

Wesley the Owl – Stacey O’Brien (Nature/Science)

Wow. Wow, wow, wow. Several people told me this book was amazing, and I’d even read about it months before that and thought it looked interesting, but nothing, and I do mean nothing, prepared me for how much I would learn and be awed by in this book. Every single page taught me some other incredible thing about barn owls (which I promptly shared with whoever was closest to me – I think my husband is sick of barn owl stories at this point, hah!), and although I don’t entirely buy all of O’Brien’s philosophical speculation in the final chapters, by the end of this book (and Wesley’s life – and that’s not a spoiler, because all animal books have this at the end) I was bawling like a baby: Out of emotional attachment to the owl I’d just read about, out of a deep sense of loss for the author who’d spent 19 years with this remarkable creature, and out of a sense of amazement and wonder toward one of this earth’s creatures that I would have otherwise simply taken for granted.

I strongly believe that many people have lost their sense of connection with animals and nature, and take these things for granted. There is an intelligence and personality in so many animals that we interact with or see from afar, on a daily basis, and we think nothing of their presence in our lives. The story of Wesley the owl, and how he learned – interacted – changed – developed – LOVED – and connected with the world around him is truly stunning. You will never look at birds, owls in particular, the same way again, and I hope that this book will help others reconnect with that childlike sense of amazement of the natural world around us.

Rating: 5 coffees out of 5

Exploring the Old Testament – Volume 1: A Guide to the Pentateuch – Gordon Wenham (Biblical Studies/History)

I had to read this for a course I was taking on the Pentateuch, and for once… it was actually quite an enjoyable textbook! Wenham breaks down the various aspects of each book in the Pentateuch without dwelling on minute details that bog down so many other commentaries & explorations of these first five books. He also included comparative historical detail, with reference to outside ancient literary works, and also made mention of archaeological controversies over various elements found within the text. All in all, an excellent guide to the Pentateuch for someone looking to do an overview of these five important and influential ancient scriptures.

Rating: 3.5 coffees out of 5

Tags: 5 coffees, animals, books

Have you heard? Been reading your copy of ‘Shelf Awareness’ e-newsletter every morning, if you’re a librarian or bookseller? Done a Google search for YA publishers lately?

If you haven’t kept up with what’s going on, it’s pretty big news: Harlequin is jumping on the YA bandwagon with a new imprint, called Harlequin Teen. The website isn’t complete yet, and there are only 3 titles officially announced so far, but this is big stuff. With the popularity of teen/young adult fiction, I suppose it was only a matter of time before everyone jumped on the bandwagon… and for ‘unagented’ authors like myself, a new imprint such as this is a hynotizing, flashing neon sign.

Before you jump out of your seat in outrage, thinking of all the horrible possibilities for teen-directed Harlequin romances, I’ll remind you that in the past decade, Harlequin has branched out create a new image. Yes, they still sell smut, but they also have imprints for Christian romance, fantasy/paranormal fiction, chick lit, historical romance, and now… teen fiction.

For this imprint, they’re looking for:

“Fresh, authentic teen fiction featuring extraordinary characters and extraordinary stories set in contemporary, fantasy, paranormal, science-fiction and historical worlds.”

Hmm. Interesting. The first book in the imprint comes out July 29th, called My Soul to Take, about a teenage bean sidhe (ie. banshee). Now that sounds like an interesting concept! (I wish I’d thought of it… hrrmph.) To help promote this first novel, the author is offering an 80-page e-book prequel for free on the book’s website – which I plan to read. If it’s not half bad, I plan to pick up the book when it’s released, and see how that is. If it’s not half bad as well, I plan to wait for the August & September releases, read those, and see what they’re like.

The good thing about Harlequin imprints is that they take unsolicited manuscripts, and many a writer has begun their career with Harlequin. In the past, that’s meant writing smut and moving upward, but thanks to their new imprints, that isn’t always the case…

Then again, it’s still a publisher known for the “romances” it publishes. Would I be comfortable, morally speaking, being published by a place like this? That’s a question only I can answer for myself (and you for yourself), but it’s something worth considering in the process.

At the very least, it’s a new opportunity to think about, pray about, and examine carefully. Many changes in the publishing industry have recently been viewed as negative – small presses closing, imprints shutting down – and it’s easy to forget all the new and exciting things that are happening. This could be one of them! And I, for one, will be watching closely.

Tags: Harlequin, publishers, teen fiction, YA

Howl’s Moving Castle – Diana Wynne Jones (Children’s Fiction)

This was the first book I’ve ever read by Wynne Jones, and I can gladly say that it won’t be the last. That doesn’t mean I loved the book, however… in fact, I found that it dragged in a few places, and I had a hard time liking the main characters at first. After awhile, they grew on me, and I finished the book thinking “that was pretty good, I’d like another, please” – so I’ll give her another go and see how it is. I might even track down the film that was made based on this book…  I hear it’s actually quite good!

Rating: 3 coffees out of 5

Stupid American History – Leland Gregory (History/Humor)

I received this book through the LT Early Reviewer’s program, and… well… at least it wasn’t a lengthy read. At best, it’s bathroom reading material, but beyond that…? The humor isn’t all that funny, and the “stupid history” anecdotes aren’t always stupid. It was mediocre, mildly entertaining at times, and thoroughly frustrating to someone who is used to reading books that actually reference their source material.

Yes, that’s right. Gregory provides absolutely zero references for his ‘history’ book, which – even in a popular history, bite-sized information style book – is incomprehensible, not to mention just plain sloppy and ignorant. Even the Uncle Joe’s Bathroom Reader series provides references for most of the material in it. If you don’t source, how can we know that you’re telling us the truth? What if someone wants to read more about a certain ‘historical anecdote’, how will they know where to start looking for the so-called ‘truth’ that Gregory reveals?

That – plus a completely illogical way of organizing the anecdotes (ie. there was no organization) – made this ER book more frustrating than fun. Stupid American History is right.

Rating: 1.5 coffees out of 5

Tags: ARC, books

In a previous post, I mentioned the issue of writers as speakers. Let’s face it: If you’re an author, you’re going to be doing public speaking, whether you like it or not. No question. It could be a lecture, a book reading, an interview, or a sales pitch – but public speaking is going to become your new best friend.

Why?

Because public speaking sells books. Public speaking generates awareness about your topic (if it’s non-fiction) or interest in your material (if it’s fiction). Public speaking improves your platform as an author, and that’s really what it’s all about these days. Unfortunately, most writers tend to run screaming at the thought of standing up and talking… all alone… in front of hundreds of people. I know what you’re thinking: Can’t someone else read it for me? Why can’t I just write the speech and then have someone else say it? Writers don’t want to talk to people for real, that’s why they’re writers!!!

Not in today’s publishing industry, sorry to say. You may be a writer first, but you’re a speaker second. And in order to be an effective speaker, you need to learn a thing or two about becoming a dynamic public speaker. Again, you ask: Why? What’s the point?

If you can’t learn to be an engaging and exciting public speaker… who’s going to stick around to listen? Do you think anyone will want to buy your book if you stare at your page, speak in monotone, and fumble over every second word? I’m sorry, but your audience members are going to start staring at their watches and daydreaming about the evening’s dinner plans. Of course, you won’t notice – your eyes are glued to the page.

What does it take to become an effective public speaker? David Malasarn over at The Literary Lab wrote an excellent blog post a few days ago dealing with this exact topic, pertaining in particular to book readings. In my experience, even the best book ever written can become boring and lifeless when read by someone who looks and feels uncomfortable in front of an audience. Here are a few little techniques I employ when speaking (or, reading out loud) to an audience:

• Make eye contact.

From the moment you step behind that microphone, to the time you step off the platform, you need to make eye contact with your audience. I would say that the most important moments for this are: right BEFORE you speak, and as SOON as you finish. When you step up to the microphone, gaze over your audience. Smile. Look people in the eye. Introduce yourself & the work/passage you’re reading while looking at the audience. If you absolutely cannot look at individual people, train your eyes to look just above their heads, but just – it will still look like you’re addressing the audience, but too far overhead will make them wonder what’s on the ceiling that happens to be so interesting…

At the end of your reading, look up! Say “thank you” to the audience (not to the ceiling, or the paper in front of you, smile (yes, again!!!), and then step down.

What about while you’re reading? I’m trying to suggest baby steps here, but honestly, you should be looking up at your audience while you’re reading. Presumably you’ve practiced your reading enough times to know it fairly well, so that you don’t have to read word for word off the page. Looking up and making eye contact with audience members is one of the author’s most powerful tools when speaking. You’ll be able to see if people are interested, if they’re having trouble following, if they’re on the edge of their seats… and even if your story is crud, if you gave a dynamic reading, guess what? They’ll probably still buy your book. You’re selling a product. Make it exciting, even if it isn’t.

• Intonation makes or breaks your reading.

If you read your passage entirely in monotone, you’ll lose at least 50% of your audience (but I’m guessing far more) within the first ten minutes. People’s attention spans, regardless of how exciting you are, tend to wander around 35 minutes into a speaker’s presentation, so you can imagine how quickly a boring speaking will lose his or her audience. Make it exciting! Get loud with the action, quiet with chilling suspense, alter how quickly or slowly you read according to the needs of the text. You don’t need to do accents or voices – in some cases, this might just annoy people (think of a few audiobooks you’ve tried to listen to lately… yeah, exactly). But give your story life in real time! The more invested you are in the reading as a speaker, the more invested your audience will be. And guess what happens then? That’s right: They buy your book.

• Slow down.

Practice before you get there. Read over your piece once, twice, a hundred times, until you know it inside out and can get through it without stumbling. And then? Once you’re up in front of that microphone, smiling at your audience, first sentence ready to roll off your tongue? Take a deep breath… and read. Slowly. No, slower than that… almost, almost… are you hitting every syllable (within reason, of course)? If you start to trip over words, you’re reading far, far too quickly and will lose your audience. Look at a nearby clock. Did you have 15 minutes slotted, and you’re already halfway through the piece after 5 minutes? You’re still too fast. You need to read at a pace that is too slow to your own ears. Don’t be ridiculous about it – no one likes a speaker who drones on forever – but the correct pace, the perfect pace, will seem far too slow to you at first. Get used to it. The best way to do that? More public speaking!

If you’re a competent writer but an incompetent public speaker, you’re going to find yourself struggling within this industry, especially in today’s market where the author is required to push 50-60% of her own books. You do that by getting out into the community, talking to others, and using your platform to build your profile to the point where people want to read your books. Public speaking is perhaps the most crucial way to do this, but if you don’t get it right… you’ll find your efforts do more harm than good.

Who knows… after a few tries, you might actually enjoy it!

***

Question: What has your experience been with public speaking? Do you enjoy it? Is it your worst fear? What steps have you taken to conquer your fear, and what are your tips for others who are still trying to overcome it?

Tags: public speaking

Potatoes Not Prozac – Kathleen DesMaisons (Health/Self-Help)

This book was recommended to me by a friend who knows all about my ridiculous mood swings and occasional lapses into mild depression. I’d been wondering for some time if they were being triggered (or perhaps just worsened) by the food I was eating, so I wondered if changing my eating habits would make a difference. The first few pages of this book described my symptoms perfectly… and I realized that, without a doubt, I am what is called a “sugar-sensitive” individual. Mmm… oh dear, even thinking about sugary foods is making my mouth water right now… okay, okay, book review. Stay focused.

So, the premise of this book is not to be a “diet book”, but to change your eating habits so that your blood sugar is stabilized, your seratonin doesn’t spike and drop (which can cause a lot of problems in mood, energy, etc), and your sugar cravings are controlled. Apparently she’s done quite a bit of research into sugar sensitivity and actually uses the program she’s described in this book to help alcoholics become 100% reformed (is that the right word?). Apparently 90% (or some crazy stat like that) of the people she’s treated never have a relapse, as compared to only 20% in a typical AAA program. But anyway, that wasn’t why I was reading this, just thought I’d mention it because it was interesting. Also, apparently this system is excellent for weight loss, because it reduces cravings and offers healthier alternatives for those times when you really just need to eat something. Again, not why I was reading the book, but my friend read it looking for some weight/health suggestions – and she was very pleased with what she read – and I believe has implemented some things mentioned in the book.

The title itself, “Potatoes Not Prozac” really just refers to a concept DesMaisons introduces in her final step of the book (I believe there are 7 steps), which involves eating a potato before you go to bed. The idea is that potatoes are nature’s perfect food, and eating one before sleeping will release regular amounts of seratonin while you sleep, helping you feel better and wake up refreshed. This part of the book was really the only thing I took issue with, because I heard from another doctor (on a radio program) that there is no scientific proof that this kind of thing has any effect whatsoever. I also mentioned the concept to a medical student, who laughed… so, while I can’t recommend eating a potato before bed (who knows, maybe it does work for some people?), I would recommend reading this book if you think you might be sugar sensitive and are looking for change/improve your diet.

That said, it doesn’t mean that I’ll be giving up ice cream or cake anytime soon. It just means that I’m going to be more aware of the effect that sugar has on me (ie. just thinking about walking through a bakery makes me salivate) and can make wiser choices according to my food “needs” and “wants”.

Rating: 3 coffees out of 5

Tags: books, health

Sabriel – Garth Nix (YA/Fantasy)

I’m so glad I took the recommendation to read this… and I’m also very glad I pushed through the first 50 pages! I’ll be honest, I was around page 45 and thinking “I really hope this picks up soon… why don’t I like it yet?!?!”, but just a few more pages in and I was hooked. It was entertaining, unique, and for the most part, well crafted. For the most part.

Nix obviously did his world building first, then placed his characters and story inside… because he neglects to explain how things work, and acts like the reader already knows the rules. Well, we don’t, and it would have been nice to have a little rundown. Even a cliche monologue to tell us the rules. Anything. Really!

Fortunately, after page 50 or so, you get used to it and just figure it’ll all work out in the end. It kinda does, and kinda doesn’t, but the story is still very good and leaves you wanting more. I’ll be searching out the next two books in the series, and hope that Nix takes the time to explain more (any?) world rules as the books progress.

With that warning in place: I definitely recommend this book. Let’s face it, with a female necromancer as the lead character, how can you possibly pass it up?

Rating: 3.5 coffees out of 5

Tags: books, fantasy, YA

Yes, I’ve been slacking at getting this up… here we are, nearly 3 weeks later and I still haven’t pushed past the daily summaries and delved into the pile of things I learned. Oh well. Not like this blog is going anywhere, so without further ado…

• 9:30-10:30am – Continuing Class (Part 5 of 6)

Good information, good discussion, and some great ideas. Memories of the continuing class still blur together, but I have everything typed out on my laptop. Which, I should add, was incredibly useful to have with me instead of trying to write it all down by hand.

• 11:00am – Workshop C: Five Critical Things You Must Do With New Media

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect with this one, and I admit, I chose it because it sounded better than the other things on the list during this time slot. I figured it would probably end up as one of two things: outdated (or just wrong) information, or the pompous ramblings of some tech-savvy youngster. Mercifully, it was neither, and I came away pleasantly surprised. There really wasn’t much that I didn’t already know, but the people around me were learning quite a bit (judging by the facial expressions and questions asked). I suppose you could say I was affirmed in what I’m already doing, and encouraged to do even more with new media.

The woman leading this session was Denyse O’Leary, a Toronto-based journalist who has written extensively on evolution vs. intelligent design, neuroscience and faith, and other scientific topics. She wasn’t the best speaker in terms of grabbing one’s attention, but I gained an enormous amount of respect for this woman as she related to us all the things she’s done to build her own platform in the industry, and how she’s embraced changing technology quickly with each step. I thought, “my goodness, there are so few people of her generation that are as open and willing to changes in technology… she is such a leader in this area!” Not only that, but I plan to track down her books and subscribe to a few of her blogs. A female journalist covering scientific topics intelligently, who embraces new media? Here’s someone to look up to and respect.

• 11:45am – Appointment with Mags Storey

I had to leave the workshop a bit early to head to my second 15-minute appointment, but it turned out that Mags got tied up at the session she was in and arrived late to our meeting (and the one before). The girl ahead of me took my appointment time since she’d missed hers completely, and we decided that I’d track Mags down later for ours. No problem! I headed back to the end of the workshop and finished that off.

I came back around 12:20 or so, and Mags was still hanging around the appointment area, so I was able to sit down with her then. What can I say? Mags is dynamic, personable, and tells it like it is. She’ll talk to you straight (…or maybe just if she thinks you can handle it ?) and lays down what it means to call yourself “a writer”. I’d made the appointment with her because I was looking for some encouragement and direction (and a wonderful lady named Kim, who I met on the first day, suggested I talk to Mags for it), so she went through a summarized version of the talk she’d given the day before in her own workshop (which I certainly would have enjoyed more than the one I was in… sigh).

They started closing up the bookstore as we chatted, and that was when we realized that lunch had started and Mags hadn’t cleared out her room yet (which was supposed to be done before lunch). So, we continued our conversation while Mags packed up her stuff, and then I helped her cart it off to the car. Can’t say I started the weekend planning to be a valet, but I really didn’t mind. During our talk, Mags offered to read my manuscript when I’m ready to let it go… and after talking with her, I felt better about my first completed piece of work being a chick lit novel. That doesn’t mean I think it’s any good (and boy, does it need a lot of work), but the fact is that I wrote it, I finished it, and I now have something that I wrote to work with. How many people go through their lives saying “I’ve always wanted to write a book”, and yet never make time to actually do it? Well, I did. Hah. 80,000 words (approximately) worth of book, and guess what? That was me. I wrote it. It might be crap, but at least I wrote it.

And that was the essence of our discussion. I definitely respect Mags – she’s a very real kind of Christian, and I saw a lot of myself and how I approach being a Christian in her. Plus, she grew up in the Middle East. How awesome is that? *wistful sigh* I really do think I left a part of me (no, not in the organ harvesting way) on that side of the world. I can’t believe it’s only been 4 years since I was there… wow. A lot can happen in 4 years. BUT, I’m getting off track, so I’ll move on now…

• 12:45pm – Lunch

Alright, so I didn’t actually get there until well after 1pm, but there was still some food left at the table I found with a vacant seat (full of mostly middle-aged men… the majority of which were professors from Tyndale and/or pastors… honest, I just grabbed the first open seat I found and then tried not to act surprised when I realized where I’d ended up… I wonder if it worked, I wish there was a hidden camera so you could have seen my face!… haha).

• 2:00pm – Continuing Class (Part 6 of 6)

Our final session with Valerie! We finished off the material she’d planned to teach, and left some time for people to stand and share what they’d been working on over the weekend. I was thinking about sharing… seriously considering it… and if there had been time for one more, I would have shot my hand up. Seriously! I’m not just saying that. I had the document open and was reading it through & making corrections as we talked about the last person’s work (but participating at the same time, I can multi-task, so please don’t be offended if it was you!). I was surprised and delighted by the quality of work that was presented, though it became very clear, very quickly, that most of the people there needed to work on their presentation skills.

When you’re writing for children, inevitably you’re going to be reading your story out loud. Not all kids reading picture books can actually read, and as an author, you’d better be scheduling story readings at libraries, book clubs, mom & tot groups, etc, and if you can’t present your story in a dynamic way to those kids, you’re going to lose them very quickly. Your voice needs to be vibrant, colorful, entertaining, and bring your story to life, just like the pictures that accompany it.

But, that was just my own observation. Maybe I’ll write something on authors as speakers sometime in the future…

• 3:30pm – Plenary Session with Ray Wiseman: “Adversity Sharpens Your Pencil”

Ray Wiseman was a great speaker… very entertaining, and refused to let us take notes so that we’d simply listen & absorb what we were hearing. Unfortunately, people absorb information differently, and I need to take notes while I listen to a speaker or else my brain will wander off (yes, even if I doodle instead), so I took some notes anyway. So there. But honestly, he was a great speaker and had some excellent things to share. Here’s the blurb about his talk in the registration package:

“Ray’s journey as a writer has followed a circuitous route. He will show how seemingly random events have coalesced to change him from a dyslexic dropout in the past, to a journalist and author in the present, his life attuned for future adventures. Sometimes our greatest strengths as writers come from life’s discord, hardships, and errors.”

After Ray finished speaking, people were able to share some of the good things that had happened to them this weekend and what the conference meant to them, which was followed by draws for door prizes… and I won $25 for Chapters/Indigo.ca! Whoo-hoo! Talk about a great way to end the conference.

I wasn’t able to stick around and say goodbye to anyone (it seemed like most people were eager to get home anyway), as I had to perform in a show that evening and needed to rush to rehearsal, but all things considered, it was a good day.

And So…

Was it worth it? Absolutely. Was it exhausting? You bet. Would I go back next year? Without hesitation.

I met a lot of people. I learned a lot of new things. I was encouraged and affirmed in my calling. I made some great contacts, and let’s not forget, had some great food. There were a few disappointing spots, but in all, they didn’t tarnish the weekend’s shine.

Another bonus: 13/15 of my one sheets were picked up, as well as a number of business cards. Does that mean anything? Not really. Mostly, it means people thought my write-up was interesting enough to want to learn a bit more about me, but there are no guarantees that it will turn into additional work (unless you do need content for your website… in which case, contact me!). The simple truth is that my name is out there. In a miniscule, insignificant way at the moment, but it’s out there.

It may have also helped that I chose to wear clothing that stood out all weekend, so that I could be easily recognized as “that young girl from the one-sheets”. I have no idea if it worked, but hey, at least I got plenty of compliments on my outfits! LOL. I figure it’s just “part of my platform”.

And now, to make good use of the things I learned.

I have a long journey ahead of me… but at least I know where I’m going.

Tags: platform, speaking, Write!Canada, writing

The Graveyard Book – Neil Gaiman (Children’s Fiction… hah)

Let me start by saying: everyone in my town must be crazy, because I got this from the library and there isn’t even a waiting list. What?!? So strange. But anyhow, did anyone else see Gaiman talk about this book on the Colbert Report? Gaiman is incredibly quick witted, and the interview was quite funny… he held his own against Colbert, and it’s definitely worth checking out! It certainly improved my level of respect for the man: he can speak well AND write well!

But, back to the book. So much has been said about this book that I feel there’s little I can add, other than to go ahead and recommend it. There were a few occasions when the events of specific chapters seemed a bit random (but they were still very entertaining!) and I wonder if that’s the influence of the Jungle Book coming through, perhaps those were chapters that were modeled after Kipling’s work? After reading this, I think I will track down a copy of the Jungle Books and read them, as I suspect they’ll be very worthwhile and nothing like the Disney film (as great as it is!).

I wouldn’t say that the Graveyard Book is necessarily great reading for children on their own, but you know what? Children need more healthy fear in their lives, because sheltering them suppresses imagination… if I had a kid, I’d probably read this book with them and talk about it together.

In the end, it was a fun read with great writing, from an author who refuses to cater to the “norm” of today’s children’s fiction. I read it all yesterday afternoon, without a break – so when you pick this one up, be sure to give yourself a nice chunk of time to sit and enjoy it!

Rating: 4 coffees out of 5

Tags: books, Gaiman