Fun, Fiction and Fulfilling the Dream in Florida!

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9 November 2011

Novelist, Inc. Writer’s Conference

Novelists, Inc. or “NINC” is a professional and long-standing organization. Over 200 professional authors attended the NINC conference in sunny Florida in late October to discuss issues regarding writing and the publishing industry.

The Mission Statement of Novelists Inc. says-

Novelists, Inc., in acknowledgment of the crucial creative contributions novelists make to society, asserts the right of novelists to be treated with dignity and in good faith; to be recognized as the sole owners of their literary creations; to be fairly compensated for their creations when other entities are profiting from those creations; and to be accorded the respect and support of the society they serve.

In keeping true to their mission, the conference reflected their goals as may workshops, lectures and panels spoke to the future of publishing and what authors need to know. Many workshops discussed self-publishing, the future of the publishing industry and marketing for both traditional and digital works.

The conference boasted some of the top industry professionals in the US as guests and speakers. Don Weisberg from Simon & Schuster Publishing, Liz Scheier of Barnes & Noble, Mark Coker CEO of Smashwords, Sheila English CEO of Circle of Seven Productions, Barbara Vey of Publisher’s Weekly, Linda Quinton of Tor-Forge, Carolyn Pittis of HarperCollins, Joan Schulhafer, David Wilk, Lou Aronica and many other notables shared their experience and expertise on a variety of topics specific to the professional author.

The panels included how to work with professionals to get your book marketed or distributed and how to go it alone for the DIY crowd. Many attendees sent out tweets during panels. You can find the record of those NINC tweets at #NINC.

Some of panels that caused a lot of discussion included Linda Quinton’s lecture A Marketing Discuss where she shared how Tor-Forge was working to promote books and what seemed to really be working well for them.

The ever-popular Publisher’s Weekly blogger Barbara Vey did an overall recap of author etiquette, social media and opportunities for authors.

Barnes and Noble’s Liz Scheier had standing-room-only for her talk Making Digital Self-Retailing Work For You: How to Profit & Gain an Audience with your backlist. Liz talked about epublishing an author’s backlist including what makes a good book cover, what format is needed, suggestions on how to release those books and a multitude of other insights.

David Wilk’s talk Marketing is Not Your Enemy was a big success with attendees. His no-nonsense approach to marketing was refreshing and inspiring. He talked about sites where you can promote your book and marketing tools. He suggested that YouTube is underutilized by authors and recommended authors take a video camera and do an author interview themselves just to get out into the video realm.

The panel for Promoting Your Work in 2011 and Beyond included Sheila English, Rebecca Crowley, Joan Schulhafer and Marc Milot who talked about the industry overall and what kind of marketing was working. Discussions about transmedia, book trailers, QR codes and ebook marketing were all hot topics.

Undoubtedly the highlight talk of the event came from the CEO of Smashwords, Mark Coker whose talk on The Five Biggest Trends Shaping the Future of Publishing—and why there has never been a better time to be an author was insightful, humorous and inspiring! Coker was quoted heavily in the Twittershere where he spoke about self-publishing statistics and trends. He talked about how ebook buyers discover books and shared some statistics from his blog.

His top trends included “Honor your reader with a great book”, “Publish another great book”, Maximize Distribution”, “Give (some of) Your Books Away for Free”, “Patience is a Virtue”, “Trust your Readers and Partners” and “Marketing Starts Yesterday”. He spoke about the importance editing your book well, that self-publishing is more of a long-tail than an instant cash cow situation and that you should get your book to as many outlets as possible.

The event wrapped up with a general assembly meeting where it was revealed that NINC would be publishing an anthology in the future written by members of NINC. No pub date was mentioned, but with the high caliber of authors who are members of the organization it’s one book that will be worth waiting for.

All in all the event held promise, positive outlooks and an excitement for authors who are looking to further their career.

The Ultimate Masterwork from Philip K. Dick is Now Available

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8 November 2011

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The Exegesis of Philip K. Dick by Philip Dick

Philip K. Dick was a brilliant author whose novels delved deep into topics such as political and corporate control, pure science, and the true nature of identity and the perception of reality. Much of his work is classified as science fiction, but it is unfair to believe that simply because the genre holds no appeal for you that you will fail to enjoy the final and ultimate work by this progressive and remarkable author. The Exegesis of Philip K. Dick was the last piece by this late genius. The book is a collection of notes, journal entries, letters, and sketches that deal with Dick’s religious visions and his experiences with faith. The work, which was compiled and introduced by editors Pamela Jackson and Jonathan Lethem, serves as a powerful reminder of Dick’s incredible mind and helps to enlighten readers with its peculiar but broad scope. Many of Dick’s novels and short stories have been adapted to film (Blade Runner, A Scanner Darkly, Minority Report), but the potency of his writing is something to behold. Although he passed away a few decades ago, his writing is still very much relevant, and there are some who consider Dick a sort of precursor to post-modernism.

The Exegesis is perfect for any reader of science fiction (and it is likely that true science fiction fanatics are already familiar with Dick’s novels), but do not limit yourself. This ultimate work would also be much appreciated by any reader who enjoys intelligent work that explores topics such as religion and faith, the potential for a truly objective reality, and what it means to have an identity in this strange and sometimes unbelievable world. Dick’s writing is lucid and sometimes surreal. It will likely be appreciated by any reader who happens to stumble upon its brilliance. Do not miss The Exegesis of Philip K. Dick by Philip Dick. For more information about this specific piece and the author, please visit the following web address: http://www.philipkdick.com/new_exegesis.html.

The Time Has Come to Broaden Your Scope…

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8 November 2011

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For any reader who is unfamiliar with the author Philip K. Dick and his many published stories, I hope that after reading this article you realize what you are missing and you subsequently work to resolve the matter of this deficiency immediately. In other words, please find Dick’s novels and read them as if you have been touched by madness. Be a voracious reader with an insatiable appetite for knowledge. You cannot miss the brilliance of this author.
Philip K. Dick passed away a few decades ago but he left us with a remarkable and vast collection of novels and short stories, most of which would be classified as science fiction. Even if you are not a fan of this genre, Dick’s writing goes well beyond this sometimes limited territory and deals with aspects of religion, philosophy, and pure science. In case you did not know, much of his writing has been adapted for film. Films such as Blade Runner and A Scanner Darkly come directly from Dick’s collection, and even films like Minority Report were inspired by some of his shorter writings. He was a true genius who lived an unusual life complete with visions (of a spiritual nature) and ripe with complications. Some consider him a sort of precursor to or partial founder of post-modernism, especially with regard to his focus upon the sociological, political, and cultural experiences in our world.
Now, his final (and extensive) work is about to be available for your pleasure and (perhaps if you keep an open mind) enlightenment. The Exegesis of Philip K. Dick is the final collection of writing to be offered by Dick to the world. It serves as a means of better understanding his peculiar but powerful views on a wide range of topics but particularly religion and the true nature of the spiritual reality. As an author, he delved deeply and with great care into topics such as personal identity, perception, and the impossibility of a truly objective reality. The Exegesis is a journal-style collection of notes, entries, story sketches, and letters, all of which relate to Dick’s remarkable and sometimes surreal experiences with faith and religion. The editors of the work, Pamela Jackson and Jonathan Lethem, have taken great care in compiling and arranging this epic and potent piece. You will not be disappointed…
…If you wish to test yourself with a work that is far from ordinary and almost painfully provocative in its uncanny awareness, do not miss The Exegesis of Philip K. Dick, the final novel from Philip Dick. If you are a lover of science fiction (then you should by this point be familiar with Philip Dick’s work and you have this novel ordered or already in your collection), do not miss this release. Even if you have no interest in science fiction whatsoever, the importance of this piece cannot be lost. For anyone with an interest in spirituality, the true nature of perception and reality, or science, The Exegesis must at this point be considered a must-read. You will not regret this purchase. For more information about this ultimate work from author Philip K. Dick, look to the following website: http://www.philipkdick.com/new_exegesis.html.

The Eighteenth Scroll by B A Hoffman Book Trailer

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8 November 2011

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FBI Special Agent Frank Jackson Turner is reassigned to the San Antonio, Texas office to investigate the murder of a Border Patrol Agent. A mysterious, ancient box brought to the US by an illegal alien and confiscated by the Border Patrol Agent sparks a desperate chase to find the box. Learn about the book here http://bit.ly/18thScroll Learn about the author here http://bit.ly/vxkpan Thriller, suspense, mystery

You’ll WANT to Vote for these Candidates

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8 November 2011

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L.McMaken
11-8-11
Cincinnati, OH

If Election Day has you frustrated with the candidate choices, jump over to Goodreads. (After you vote!) They have so many great choices, you won’t know who to vote for in their Goodreads Choice Awards.

There are 22 categories with 15 nominees. Cast your vote in your favorite genres until November 13th. The top votes will then be announced for the second round of voting. The winners will be announced in December.

Vote for your favorites!

Sandstorm A Sigma Force Novel by James Rollins Book Trailer

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7 November 2011

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An explosion rocks the antiquities collection of a London museum, setting off alarms in clandestine organizations around the world. Now the search for answers is leading Lady Kara Kensington, Safia al-Maaz and Omaha Dunn, into a world they never dreamed existed to a lost city buried beneath the Arabian desert. Learn about the book here http://bit.ly/t5aIIk Learn about the author here http://bit.ly/JamesRollins Thriller, Suspense, Mystery

Occupy Wall Street

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7 November 2011

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Occupy Wall Street began on September 17, when approximately 1,000 people began sitting in lower Manhattan’s Zuccotti Park (which they renamed “Liberty Plaza”) to protest the social and economic inequalities they believe are perpetuated by the financial influence of corporations and wealthy individuals over lawmakers through political contributions, which makes reform difficult if not impossible. Over the last month and a half, the movement has spread outside New York City, with demonstrators occupying public spaces in other cities across the United States—occasionally, as we saw in Oakland in mid-October, meeting violent resistance from the police.

The “Occupy” movement is more than just the people sitting out in the open, though. A few weeks after the demonstrators settled in at Liberty Plaza, journalist Jeff Sharlet, along with Kiera Feldman and Nathan Schneider, began organizing a website, OccupyWriters.com, that was both an online petition and a place where writers could share their thoughts about the protests and the issues involved. The online community quickly took notice, especially after Neil Gaiman tweeted about one of the first essays posted, “Thirteen Observations made by Lemony Snicket while watching Occupy Wall Street from a Discreet Distance.” The host server was soon overwhelmed by traffic, prompting immediate upgrades. Snicket’s wry observations went for the heart of the problem, encouraging empathy with the protestors without slinging political rhetoric: “Someone feeling wronged is like someone feeling thirsty,” went one point. “Don’t tell them they aren’t. Sit with them and have a drink.”

Since then, among other contributions, Alice Walker has sent poems, Sara Paretsky offered a historical perspectiv, and authors like Cara Hoffman and Jerry Stahl have shared on-the-scene impressions of protests across the country. And hundreds of authors (including me) have signed the home-page petition in support of the Occupy movement, with more names being added every day.

Meanwhile, when the Asian American Writers Workshop held its annual Page Turner book festival in late October, they invited several authors who have been participating in Occupy Wall Street to share their experiences in a panel discussion. These writers were already committed political activists, so they were able to frame their participation in the context of fighting for campaign finance reform, as Monica Youn does, or using poetry to help disenfranchised workers find the means to express themselves, like Mark Nowak. Travis Holloway, a poet in the MFA program at New York University, described how taking part in the protests made him hopeful for the possibility of radical democratic reforms, but he also saw the potential for a powerful new art form in “the people’s microphone,” a form of call-and-response that carries speakers’ messages across the demonstration space when megaphones and other electronic amplifiers are prohibited. Statements only get validated, Holloway explained, when the audience makes the conscious choice to accept and repeat them—imagine what a poetry reading run along those lines might look like, he suggested.

Holloway also fielded a question from an audience member who was concerned about the approaching winter, wondering what could be done to prevent protestors from having to stay out overnight in increasingly colder temperatures. He assured her that members of Occupy Wall Street were working with local authorities to find a peaceful compromise to that issue, but also quipped, “There’s a reason revolutions happen in the spring.” Are plans already in the works for the Occupy movement to continue into 2012? Whatever happens in the months ahead, we can be sure that there will be writers there ready to help spread the word.

Occupy Wall Street Panel. From left: Travis Holloway, Joel Whitney, Dora Calott Wang, Monica Youn, and Mark Nowak

“Wicked” No More

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7 November 2011

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L. McMaken
11-7-11
Cincinnati, OH

With the release of “Out of Oz: The Final Volume in the Wicked Years”, author Gregory Maguire will end his “Wicked” book series. The wildly successful series based on the The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, has consistently topped bestseller lists and has taken Broadway by a storm of flying monkeys.

Out of Oz is the fourth book of the series and is nearly 600 pages and the author states he had to create his own “Wicked” encyclopedia to keep track of all the details. In this last book readers will find that; “Glinda is under house arrest, Dorothy comes back to Oz for a second visit and is put on trial, and the Cowardly Lion is a witness in her defense.”

Mr. Maguire says he is taking some time off from writing, but we haven’t heard the last from this eclectic author.

eBooks to be Included in Bestseller list

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6 November 2011

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L. McMaken
11-6-11
Cincinnati, OH

Nielsen BookScan in a joint agreement with the Wall Street Journal will now make available bestseller lists that include eBooks. Until this agreement, the bestseller list was composed of hardcover and paperback print books only.

Beginning this week, there will be four bestseller charts provided by BookScan; “combined eBook and physical sales for fiction and non-fiction, and eSales only for fiction and non-fiction.” The data for the lists will be gathered from Amazon, B&N, Apple and Google.

Jonathan Stopler, VP of Nielsen BookScan said in a press release: “As consumers and booksellers continue to embrace the potential of eBooks, we are very happy to be working with The Wall Street Journal to produce the most accurate bestseller charts available. These new charts uniquely reflect what people are really buying and reading and will most definitely advance the industry’s understanding of eBook bestsellers.”

Meet “soon-to-be-bestselling” author Ann Gabhart

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5 November 2011

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L. McMaken
11-5-11
Cincinnati, OH

I had the good fortune to stop at author Ann Gabhart’s table during Books by the Banks. It isn’t often I meet such a genuinely sweet, warm person. The conversation drifted easily from books, to kids to where we grew up. Her books reflect the same kind of warmth, depth and inspiration. I’d like to introduce you to author Ann Gabhart.

First, tell us a bit about yourself. Where you’re from? Past jobs, awards, the usual bio stuff.
I’m a country girl, born and raised in Kentucky. Growing up, I helped my dad on the farm and then I married a farm boy. So, of course, the first thing we did when we could afford it was buy a farm. We still live on that farm but our farming these days is limited to a few beef cows. I’ve known I wanted to write since I first discovered storybooks, so that’s always been my focus along with raising my family and being a farmer’s wife. Always, always I was writing that next story. I have worked some temporary secretarial jobs along the way, but only until the need to write overpowered the need for the extra income. Our three children are all grown and married now. They’ve blessed us with nine beautiful grandchildren.

I’ve published twenty-two books with five more contracted to come out in the next few years. My first Shaker book, The Outsider, was a finalist in the fiction category for ECPA Book of the Year. The Scent of Lilacs was selected as one of Booklists Top Ten Inspirational novels for 2006. The Believer and Summer of Joy were ACFW Carol Book Award finalists. And I just found out that Angel Sister was one of RT Book Reviews Magazine’s Best Inspirational Novels for 2011. I’m excited!

What do you write?

I’ve written a lot of different kinds of books. My first published books back in 1978 and 1980 were historical romances for the general market. Then I published eleven books for young people. These were mostly coming of age stories with maybe something a little spooky or mysterious and a dollop of romance. Now I’m writing for the inspirational market, but I’m still writing different types of books. I’ve written family dramas, like Angel Sister, and historical stories set in a Shaker village – most recently The Blessed – and novels with other historical backgrounds. My next book, Words Spoken True, releasing in February 2012, is a historical romance with some suspenseful elements. So you can see I like to keep my writing options open. My goal is to claim the genre of a good story, but I do enjoy writing for the inspirational market where I can explore my characters’ faith journeys no matter which type story I’m writing. What we believe or do not believe is such an important motivator in how we live.

Who has been the most difficult character for you to write?

I don’t know that I’ve had one particular character who was difficult, but when I first began writing Angel Sister that has a background I borrowed from the stories my mother told about growing up during the Great Depression, I had to find a way to separate my fictional characters from the real people in her stories. While I did base much of the background and setting on Mom’s memories and did give one of my main characters Mom’s can-do attitude, my characters and their actions had to rise up out of my imagination. I left just the whisper of the actual people in my characters as they lived out their completely fictional story.

What characters are lying on your “office floor”? Why didn’t they come to life on the page and do you think they ever will? Or why not?

I’m sure I have had characters who didn’t come to life for me, but if so, they’ve not hung around in my memory. I think I’m more likely to have story ideas that fail to come to life on the page and a few that are still lurking in my computer saying maybe someday. Most of the time, I’m so stubborn that if I think up an idea, I stick with it and work through the times when I seem to be in the writing doldrums. Eventually the wind of storytelling will start up again and the characters will get on with their stories.

How much time does it usually take you to write a book?

My best schedule would be a year. That’s a good rhythm for me. I like having plenty of time for research and pre-writing to allow my characters to come to life and also time at the end of writing to polish and pare to make my story the best I can make it before anybody reads it. However, I have written books in six months when I had deadlines pushing me.

Any funny “researching your book stories” to share with readers?

Coming up completely blank on this one. I must be a boring researcher. Mostly I pore over history books and feel as though I’ve discovered a treasure trove when I find a book of letters or a journal of the time period that’s caught my interest. As for anything dangerous that my characters attempt, I figure that’s why I have an imagination!!

What do you find is the hardest part of writing?

The hardest part is getting the story out of my head down on paper or into my word processor. Especially when I hit those doldrums I talked about earlier. That nearly always happens at some point in every story. But then the hardest part is also the best part – spilling out the story and having my characters come to life in my mind.

Wait, on second thought, maybe the hardest part is answering hard questions in interviews like this. {smile}

If you could be one of your characters for a day which character would it be? Why?

Definitely Kate Merritt in Angel Sister. That would be like going back in time and walking in my mother’s shoes for a while. Kate’s not Mom, but she lived in Mom’s world.

Who is your favorite hero that you’ve written? Why?

That is such a difficult question to answer. I get close to each of my heroes while I’m telling his story, so it’s sort of like this one now and that one then. I did like Victor in Angel Sister because he loved Nadine so much and yet he stumbled in trying to be the husband he thought she needed. I suppose I identified with his desire to be better than he was able to be. And I really like Blake Garrett in Words Spoken True. He is such a strong character he practically leaps off the page. He’s a man who has a lot of confidence in who he is and what he’s doing and yet he’s a little unsure of himself when it comes to love. He’s also very handsome. That never hurts when you’re thinking about favorite heroes. Then there’s Ethan in The Believer. I open that story with Ethan as a little boy and he was so young and innocent. Love turned his world upside down.

Who is your favorite fiction hero written by someone else? Why?

Father Tim in Jan Karon’s Mitford Series. He was so real, so human with such a big heart and he never took himself too seriously. He made me smile while I was reading.

What do you think makes a good hero?

I suppose when I’m reading about that hero, I want one who makes me smile. And that’s not a bad thing when I’m writing about a hero too. But I also want my heroes to be strong characters who are willing to fight for what they believe. At the same time, I want them vulnerable in some way and to need to love and be loved.

If you could have dinner with any writer living or dead, who would it be and why?

C.S. Lewis. It would have to be enlightening to talk one on one with such a talented and imaginative writer who was able to share so many spiritual insights with his readers. Also he was close friends with J. R.R. Tolkien who was the other writer I was considering for my dinner date. Maybe I’d just let them have dinner together and I’d eavesdrop from the corner and hope some of their creativity would spill over on me.

Name your five favorite authors. Yes, only five!

I might have an easier time with five favorite books, but I’ll give it a try. Chaim Potok, Barbara Kingsolver, Max Lucado, Leon Uris, Mary Stewart.

What authors are in your TBR pile?

Craig Nelson, Laura Frantz, Sarah Sundin, Laurie Alice Eakes, Patrick O’Brian, Kristin Hannah, Ted Kerasote – to name only a few.

What authors do you always read?

I read a wide range of authors now, but here are some of the authors I used to search out when picking books to read. Jan Karon, Tony Hillerman, Dick Francis, James Michener, Leon Uris, Robert Ludlum, Mary Stewart.

Do you have a secret talent readers would be surprised by?

A secret talent? I don’t think so. Not unless you count country cooking. I make yummy sourdough bread and can make a pretty mean pie, but baking doesn’t stay a secret. Those wonderful odors coming from the kitchen give you away every time. So if I have a secret talent, it’s so secret even I don’t know about it.

What is the one question you never get asked at interviews, but wish you did?

Can you tell me about those grandchildren? Just kidding. I’d have to write a book to tell you about all nine of them.

How does it feel to have your book on the New York Times bestseller list? Oops, I guess that might be a nice dream, but not a question I could answer – yet. (She added with a big smile and a large measure of hope.)

How about those Cats? I’m a huge University of Kentucky basketball fan, but I know not everybody is. (Sigh)

Think writing related questions, Ann! Okay, this is the question I’m picking. Seriously.

What are the two most important things a person can do to continue to improve as a writer?

Oh, I suppose you want me to answer it too? All right. The two most important things a writer can do are keep writing and keep reading.

Thanks so much for inviting me over to chat about writing. And I do hope some of you will check out my books. Angel Sister and The Blessed are both new in 2011. Then watch for Words Spoken True coming in February 2012. It is definitely the most romantic book I’ve written for the inspirational market, perhaps for any market.

In closing, I do enjoy hearing from readers and I do my best to respond to each person who contacts me. You can e-mail me from my website, www.annhgabhart.com, follow me on Twitter (AnnHGabhart), or comment on my Facebook author’s page, https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ann-H-Gabhart/132862247566 or my blog, One Writer’s Journal, www.annhgabhart.blogspot.com.