Remember in my last post I mentioned I had a couple of pieces of good news I was waiting to share? Well I’m super-psyched to share the first one with you…thanks to a dear friend, MontiLee Stormer, I’ve been given the chance to spread my writing wings (fingers?) a little wider and be a content provider for Film Obsession. This means I get see new movies…before they’re officially released…and write reviews on them.
Let me repeat that…they want me to watch lots of movies…and write about them.
I don’t think I need to spell out my reaction or how loud I screamed or how fast I typed YES PLEASE THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! Movies and writing, two of my favorite things in the entire world!
Please head over and check out the site…I was actually already a fan well before this happened because it’s chock-full of honest reviews, news, giveaways(!!!), and all-around awesome good stuff. And *deep breath* my first official review is live too, you can see what I thought about Nerve.
I won’t be cross-posting all my future movie reviews here, but if you follow TTB’s Twitter or my own personal Twitter, I’ll be Tweeting when one is posted. When (I refuse to say if) a movie is made based on a book by one of us hard-working indie writers, that review will absolutely be posted here because DUH!
I’m thinking the second piece of good news will be posted here this weekend. Talk to you soon!!!
-Kate
P.S. – I’m having some fun with Snapchat too, feel free to add me as a friend, my username is strikesncharms!
Don’t you hate it when bloggers start off by apologizing for not writing and end up writing more about that than about the real reason they finally cracked open ye olde blogging software again? Me too! I actually have two pieces of good news that I can’t wait to share with you, but I have to finish one, and there’s a reason I’m waiting a couple of days before I share the other one (hints: no, Sub Rosa the book isn’t complete and no I’m not pregnant or gave birth, so there).
I have been reading like a fiend, though…I’ve always been an incredibly fast reader and due to some health issues I’ve found myself on bedrest more often than I’d like recently. Rather than write a review for each one, I’m going to take the lazy route and screenshot my most recent reads below, along with the star rating, then I’ll tell you what I’m currently reading.
So first, what I’ve recently finished:
Of these, I’d recommend Harry’s Rules for the most entertaining (although Down the Rabbit Holewas a close second, disqualified because I couldn’t determine if it was really an autobiography or some kind of freaky hallucinogenic dim rambling), and then Light of the Fireflies as my favorite overall, although it’s the kind of mindfreak that makes my husband ask “Why do you read this stuff??”
Currently I’m reading Neanderthal Seeks Human by Penny Reid and although I’m only 31% through, I’m really enjoying it so far. Plus it’s currently FREE for Kindle, so dash over there and download that bad boy!
If you’d like to shoot me a friend request on Goodreads, please do! I normally write a lot more reviews than I have been lately…plus a lot more writing in general is in my future. That’s the biggest hint you’re going to get from me right now, but keep your eyes peeled over the next couple of days!
Approximately a week ago, one of my favorite authors answered a reader’s question on Goodreads regarding why she’d deleted all of her many (spot-on and often hysterical but always honest) reviews. She replied and confirmed that she would no longer be writing reviews as it has led to stalking, trolling, deliberate low ratings on her own books, and in truth, full-on harassment.
I’m going to pause here and say that NO, once again I won’t be providing links for this. If you know who I’m talking about, you know, if you don’t I’m not going to provide a giant neon arrow pointing toward an author who has unfortunately been targeted to the point where it was impacting her professionally and personally.
This author also made the good point that has been brewing in the back of my mind as well…I don’t remember the last time I left a review for a book on Amazon since it became book-eBay. About the only time you see a genuinely thoughtful review was when it was cross-posted from a blog and/or Goodreads. And so years ago, many migrated to Goodreads, where the reviews were more honest (and funny, with sparklepony GIFs), a community where the authors were free to interact without fear of reprisal.
I don’t know and I can’t say if Amazon now basically OWNING Goodreads has changed that atmosphere, or if it was just a matter of time, but Goodreads is slowly turning into Amazon. Bullying, selective moderation, and yes, retaliation has been creeping in for a while now.
It makes me sad that the author I mentioned before has decided to stop reviewing in light of it, but I can’t say I blame her. To be honest, it’s crossed MY mind more than once. I’m brutally honest in my reviews, but if a book is hideous, I don’t Tweet my review or blog it. I’ll leave a review, yes, because THAT’S THE POINT, but I’m not going to use social media to get people to read my often-snarky reviews, because at that point it becomes about ME and MY FUNNY MEAN REVIEW GO READ NAOW.
At the same time, though, I’ve wondered if it paints a giant target on your own back as an author. Right now TTB and Pistils are small potatoes compared to other indie authors, but it takes one pissed-off fangirl to start a riot. I’ve read multiple books from one author who is notorious for targeting what she considers to be bad reviews/reviewers and basically throwing them onto her social media with a go get ’em! attitude. Have I ever reviewed one of her books? Nope nope nope, not with a ten foot pole.
If you’re an author, do you ever self-censor when it comes to reviews or worry about retaliation? And as a reader, what do you think about authors who leave thoughtful but negative reviews…is it integrity or detrimental to a community?
And lastly, to the author I write about…you go girl. Just keep writing cuz you love it and cashing the checks cuz it pays the bills. Take that load off your shoulders, as authors I think we all understand.
Ooooooeee it’s dusty in here!!! I promise we didn’t intend to neglect the blog for so long, but my only excuse is this…I think of the last week or two of November as the beginning clickity-clack uphill climb of a roller coaster. Thanksgiving is like the pause at the top of the hill, and then WHOOSH it’s all a crazy fast exhilarating rush to Christmas! Parties, shopping, wrapping gifts, decorating…it eats up all your time in a glorious wonderful holiday glow!
Yes, I love Christmas, it’s my favorite holiday! Can you tell??
As our holiday gift to you (although it’s more of an any-day gift), Britt and I are tickled pink to announce that we’ve busily co-signed and stocked up on BOOKPLATES! Do you have a hard copy of Pistils that you’d love to have signed by both of us? Just drop us an e-mail at twintypebooks@gmail.com with BOOKPLATE as the subject and pretty please include the following:
1) Mailing address (within the U.S. only for right now)
2) Who you’d like the bookplate personalized for (yourself or a giftee)
3) How you’d like it personalized, e.g. “To Mary from her book-obsessed niece, Jane”…or we can surprise you with something fun!
And where do you pay? Well there’s the best part…YOU DON’T!!!! As a genuine heartfelt THANK YOU from us to you, we’re truly pleased to offer these personalized and signed bookplates FOR FREE to carefully place inside your Pistils paperback. See the bottom of the post for more details.* Additionally, HELLO and WELCOME to all our new followers (and a big squeeze to all our loyal ones, of course)! Feel free to let us know in the comments how you came upon our humble online home!
And finally, are you buying a book-related holiday gift this season? I am…a set of Little House on the Prairie books for one of my nieces who I’m convinced will fall in love with them just as much as I did years ago! If you’re gifting someone with a book or books, let us know, we love to hear what others will be unwrapping in the coming weeks!
Talk to you soon!
Kate
*Free bookplate details: YES, THEY’RE FREE! We promise, no cost or shipping fees! We just ask that you please agree to the following…kindly limit the number of bookplates you request to the number that will actually be matched into books. Orders of five or more may get a side-eye. Well, except for Amanda (she knows who she is). To keep costs realistic and bookplates FREE for all fans, they will be shipped in a standard business envelope via First Class Mail, and we can’t guarantee delivery dates (e.g. Christmas). We’ll mail them out as they’re requested.
To protect your privacy, the mailing address you e-mail us will NOT be used for any other purposes, and your e-mail will be permanently deleted after your bookplate is mailed out.
If you have a special request (e.g. upgraded shipping or even the book hard-copy personalized by both Britt and Kate, gift-wrapped and mailed to the recipient), shoot us an e-mail with your request, and we’ll honestly reply with a price estimate.
First off, an ENORMOUS thank you to the hard-working staff of Leon & Lulu for putting on the most amazing, eclectic, fun book-signing known to Metro Detroit! No dull staid bookstore signing here, no siree! Leon & Lulu has always been my go-to store for gifts when the recipient is impossible to buy for, they’re a community favorite, and they return the favor by hosting great events like this one!
The one pall over the day was Britt’s absence, but we weren’t quite sure she’d make the nine-hour trip back home in time to be at work (even crossing timezones)…but we’ve vowed next year will see your favorites twins together signing copies! Britt was there in more than just spirit, though…and there will be FINALLY be details about that in the next blog post. You’ll love it, trust us, everyone did. Other keywords: Get You Some and Free.
There are a few more pics over in the Facebook album, but here are the highlights of the day:
The backdrop was EPIC and PERFECT and (believe it or not) a complete coincidence!
It’s us!
Britt burned the midnight oil getting our display graphics PERFECT, and they looked fabulous!
Three copies = automatic Superfan Status!
Kate and her Vry Srs Author look. (Oh, and the unlit candle to her left was to combat the horrid stinky BACON-SCENTED Yankee Candles just outside the frame. Much shame Yankee Candle, much shame.)
Tablemates and new friends Kenzie and Dan! Check them out!
FINALLY it’s time to spill the beans about the BIG NEWS we’ve hinted at over the last couple of posts!
Live in Metro Detroit? Have friends or family there, or could maybe drive yourself to Metro Detroit? Listen up!
Leon and Lulu (aka “the best place to find THE PERFECT GIFT for that person who is impossible to buy for”) is having their Books & Authors event Sunday the 26th, and Twintype Books is going to be there!!!!
You can find out more info here, Kate will be there in person with hard copies of Pistils, and Britt will be there in spirit…AND MORE! Want to find out how Britt and Kate can sign books together despite the miles separating them? Well, we’re clever that way, come check it out and see!
Can’t come in person? Here’s your FURTHER incentive to help regardless…the event benefits the Oakland Literacy Council! So pretty pretty please share this news via Twitter, Facebook, etc…local authors + great cause + great store = automatic win!!!
At this annual October event, 30 local authors share and sell their books to promote a Michigan literacy non-profit organization. In 2014, the event will benefit the Oakland Literacy Council which has provided over 527,000 hours of tutoring to over 12,000 adult learners in Oakland County since it began in 1984. Ten percent of proceeds from the day’s event will benefit the OLC, as well as 100% of tips.
Come out to say hi and support an awesome local cause! 11am-5pm, Leon and Lulu is (basically) at the northwest corner of Main/Livernois and 14 Mile in Clawson, MI, there’s plenty of parking and lots of fun local shops and restaurants!!!SUSHI!!!! nearby. Hope to see you there!!!!
Sooooo…I thought that would be a clever blog post title, considering the content and also since I love oldies…until I put the song on in the background and remembered how depressing a cheerful song can be. Well…at least I didn’t bust out with any Gary Puckett! *shudderbarf*
Bits & Pieces #2: Dixie Minor, we got your Social Media Tag, and will be pouncing on it ASAP…quite possibly with snippets/hints from the next book!
Bits & Pieces #3: METRO DETROIT PEEPS! Big big news coming in the next couple of days…yes, the same news I hinted about previously. Including FREE STUFF FOR EVERYONE EVERYWHERE! Because who doesn’t like FREE STUFF?
Bits & Pieces #4: If you know Kate and/or Britt in real life, we’ll FINALLY have in our possession a pile of paperbacks in case you’ve been patiently waiting to buy one from us instead of Amazon.
Bits & Pieces #5: And getting back to FREE STUFF…reading Pistils through the Kindle Lending Library will be ending this month. Don’t forget to go borrow if you’d like a chance to read it as part of your Amazon Prime/Unlimited membership!
Some quick news…Twintype Books has a Facebook fan page now! Won’t you pretty please come on over and Like us? As with our Twitter, we promise not to spam…instead you’ll get a notification when there’s a new blog post, and we’ll be putting up pictures and other fun random stuff there too. It’s a great way to interact with us (we especially love book recommendations, comments, and pictures from YOU!) if you don’t use Twitter.
Next up…so the last two books I finished reading ended with a *dun dun dun* dreaded cliffhanger. Obviously cliffhangers are nothing new in books…my personal favorite is the “Nancy Drew cliffhanger.” You know what I’m talking about (the original series was especially notorious for these)…the chapter ends with something along the lines of “Nancy was just reaching for the attic door handle when suddenly an icy hand gripped her shoulder and the room plunged into darkness!”
Of course the very first sentence of the next chapter reassured you with a “Nancy whirled around, only to see Ned Nickerson standing there with a concerned look on his face.” Every. Single. Chapter. Some manufactured drama to end with a “thrilling” note, only to immediately resolve it and move on with the sleuthing. At times I thought that Carolyn Keane just didn’t know how to end a chapter. As I grew older, I discovered that Michael Crichton was bad about this too.
Now I know that there’s nothing new under the sun, but I’m sure most of you will agree with me that ending a book on a manufactured cliffhanger has gotten out of control recently. You know what I’m referring to. The book ends in a way that is a blatant ploy to get you to buy the next one.
I’m not referring to books that can and do stand alone, yet end in a way that leaves you satisfied and eagerly anticipating the next one. I read Marcus Sakey’s A Better World specifically because of how Brilliance ended. That is doing a cliffhanger right. The story was told in its entirety…but the next book provided another story in the same world, with the same characters. Each book can stand on its own.
Doing a book cliffhanger wrong is, at its heart, a blatant money-grab. There are some books that literally end mid-scene, sometimes even mid-dialogue (and in romance/erotica, often just as the manly lover smirks and approaches the heroine with wicked intent). They are designed to make you thank the Amazon Gods for One Click Purchase, but unfortunately for the authors who employ this dubious tactic, it seems to be backfiring. If I finish a book convinced that either a) my Kindle didn’t download the entire thing or b) the “series” is actually just one book arbitrarily chopped into parts to maximize earning potential, they will not get another purchase from me. They will get an “Oh look, a cliffhanger” tag on Goodreads and definitely a warning to potential readers in the review. Judging by what I’m seeing in other reviews, I’m not the only one who feels this way.
Lest I sound like a complete and utter bitch about books whose titles INCLUDE something like “The McHotty Billionaire Bad Boy Series, Book #1,” I think it’s tragic that some extremely talented authors (and some who aren’t) are shooting themselves in the foot by alienating readers in such a way. I’m to the point now that when I’m on the fence about purchasing a book, if any of the reviews mention “Yes, it ends on a cliffhanger,” I will almost always skip it. If the cliffhanger is SO cliffhanger-y that it merits mention in the reviews, I’m going to choose not to be manipulated by the author into spending more money to read a complete story arc.
And that, to me, is The Thing. You should want to read another book by the same author that includes or expands on the same world and the same characters. They should have done such a good job telling a solid complete story that you pounce on the opportunity to see them do it again. You should not be gritting your teeth and buying the sequel because you’ve already invested time, money, and your heart in the first part, and you’re going to see it through to the end dammit!
What are your thoughts? Do you think this trend is out of control? What are some of your favorite examples of a cliffhanger done right?
No, believe it or not, I’m not referring to myself in that title…the novella is still in very good shape and I’m feeling more and more excited the closer I get to the end! (In a good way. Not in a Oh thank God it’s almost done way.)
In my last post, I mentioned that the Vivian novella was going to be pushed back a little bit due to real life, etc., and that my next post had something to do with that topic. Continue reading →
15. What inspired the current or most recent story you’ve completed?
We were chatting one day and the topic of how ridiculously easy it is to find out information on people these days came up. One thing led to another and we gave ourselves a challenge…we picked a random person that we followed on Twitter, and based on her Tweets, pictures, and details she’d shared across the internet, managed to track down and Google Map her address. We would like to emphasize that we DID NOT DO ANYTHING WITH IT, we were just stunned at how easy it was to find her HOME with very innocent details…a sign in the background of a picture she’d posted, a mention of the mall she’d just visited…it was creepy. But it got us thinking that if we could do that in twenty minutes with nothing but Google, what could real private investigators do? The snowball started rolling from there.
Obviously some people don’t understand the concept of “overshare” on social media…they’re the ones who Facebook or Instagram pictures of the Easy Mac they had for lunch…with jaunty filters! They’re also the ones whose sexually graphic, bitchy, or vulgar Tweets are enough to make your eyes pop out.
Some people choose not to participate in social media at all.
As authors, we’re in an interesting position. You may think you’re dull-as-dishwater boring, but a lot of readers want to know at least a little bit about the authors they enjoy. I definitely do! Especially authors who are a bit more relateable to us and our writing lives (as opposed to Stephen King or Danielle Steel), it’s really cool to read about their motivations or even writing or promotional tips they generously share. I follow a large number of writers’ blogs and it definitely feels like a community, especially since I’ve “met” writers that I feel comfortable calling friends now.
On the flip side of this, however, is the fact that creepers, stalkers, and other a-holes lurk all over the internet. I’ve had my identity stolen before (and bank account subsequently drained) and it isn’t an experience I’d wish on my worst enemy. Britt and I originally had links to this blog on our old ff profiles, until a series of disturbing and borderline-threatening reviews were left on several of my stories. Down came the links that could lead people to this site (with its pictures of us, etc). We can’t keep all the weirdos away, but we can try to minimize the ways they could find us!
Hence the tightrope we walk.
Personally, I’m very close-lipped (okay, fine, probably paranoid) about revealing ANYTHING about my personal life, so Britt had to do a lot of hand-holding and reassuring to get me to even feel comfortable putting a picture of myself on the blog and my Amazon profile. Sharing my hobbies and other personal information required more back-patting. In the time since we’ve started this blog I’ve become a bit less paranoid uptight, but I still pick and choose or rephrase quite a lot of what I share.
A lot of bloggers do an excellent job of balancing the share vs. overshare tightrope: sharing anecdotes but not identifying details; using pseudonyms for loved ones’ names; blurring out giveaways in photos; and of course authors have been using pen names for centuries. And for as much of many of them share, it’s worth remembering those posts are just the tip of the iceberg in a person’s life.
What are your thoughts? Do you have a “professional filter” when it comes to what you put online? Where do you draw the line? Have you ever had an uncomfortable moment when reading about someone’s life? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!
