The Naked Gardener Giveaway

Author Laura B Gschwandtner and I are very excited to announce a great giveaway opportunity!

Laura has offered up 10 copies of her new novel The Naked Gardener, which was released by CreateSpace this past August, to be read and discussed as part of a sidebar group read for TNBBC in the month of November.

Here is the book description as found on Goodreads:

In a remote forest of northern Vermont, Katelyn Cross takes five women on a wilderness canoe trip where they hope to come up with ideas for saving their dying town. Although the river is not always what it seems and the women have not left their problems behind, a painting ritual creates a new way to look at the world - and themselves.

Artist Katelyn Cross loves Greg Mazur and he loves her. He wants to be married but a previous relationship that went sour has made Katelyn overly cautious about any permanent commitment. And what about Greg's first wife? He lost her to cancer and Katelyn worries that he's only looking for a replacement. What's a girl to do? Canoe down a river with five gal pals, camp out, catch fish, talk about life and men. The problem is, a river can be as unpredictable as any relationship and just as hard to manage. On their last day, when the river turns wild, the women face the challenge of a lifetime and find that staying alive means saving themselves first while being open to help from a most unlikely source. As Katelyn navigates the raging water, she learns how to overcome her fear of change in a world where nothing stays the same. When Katelyn returns to her garden, she'll face one more obstacle and the naked gardener will meet the real Greg Mazur.

What readers are saying about The Naked Gardener: Lyrical ... Scandalous ... Empowering ... Exhilarating ... Honest ... Sensual ... Fun ... Gentle ... Pleasurable ... Transporting ... Timeless

In her first novel, award winning writer L B Gschwandtner explores the push and pull of love, a woman's need to maintain her individuality within marriage, and the bonds that can make women stronger even when the world feels as if it's breaking apart.

Laura has agreed to ship 2 of the 10 copies of The Naked Gardener internationally.

In order to win a copy of this novel:

1- You must post a comment to this thread including a way for us to contact you if you win, and what country you live in.

2- You must agree to participate in a group read book discussion that will run during the month of November over at TNBBC on Goodreads. Laura has agreed to participate in the discussion and will be available to answer any questions you may have for her.

3 - You must be one of the first 2 people internationally to comment in order to qualify for the international copies. You must be one of the first 8 people in the US or Canada to qualify for those copies. Yup! It's first come, first serve!

Remember to put your country in the comment! If you do not tell me which country you live in, you will not qualify for a copy.

By commenting, you are agreeing to read the book and join the group discussion at TNBBC on Goodreads (the thread for the discussion will be emailed to you at the first of the month).

This giveaway will remain open until the 10th copy has been claimed. I will confirm the copies that have been claimed in the comment section here so you can see how many copies are left to claim.

Upon it's close, I will email all the winners and announce them here on my blog. Good Luck!!

In the meantime, check out these links: The Novelette.com and Laura's Twitter page.

What I Want To Know

Welcome to TNBBC's "What I Want To Know" - a mini series of sorts that will hopefully answer some of the questions and quiet some of the concerns I know fellow bloggers, authors, and publishers have regarding how to choose a reviewer or book to review, review etiquette, how to pitch and be pitched.. among other things.

I sent out a request via Twitter a few weeks ago, soliciting feedback from various publishers, authors, and bloggers to get their take on 5 specific questions. Those that expressed interest were emailed the same 5 questions and asked to answer them openly and honestly.

My hope is that this series opens up some discussion - Share your thoughts and feelings on the questions and topics we cover here, recommend other topics or questions to help the series grow and evolve!

Let's get started!

The first question I wanted to tackle was this:

What do you look for in a reviewer? What catches your attention? What turns you off?

This question was sent out to the authors and publishers, and I thought it was a great place to start because, really truly, as bloggers, how can we ever stand a chance at building a relationship with them if we don't even know what they want from us? What is it about us that makes them agree to ship out review copies? What can we do to keep them coming back?

Here is what they had to say:

"At Graywolf, we really try to be selective about only approaching bloggers to pitch our books if we think the book is a good fit for the publication/blog and that publication’s audience. We don’t want to waste a reviewer’s time by sending a poetry collection to a reviewer/blogger that only reviews mystery novels, for example. So we try to pay attention to what the publication seems to focus on.

Enthusiastic blogs really catch our attention. Certainly we love getting coverage in a publication with a huge circulation rate or a huge audience, but you don’t always have to have the biggest circulation to have the most passionate readers. Even if a blog has only ten followers, if those ten followers are all voracious literature lovers that are going to read your book, get behind it, and tell everyone they know about it, then you have an extremely valuable readership. Word of mouth goes a long, long way in selling books." - Marisa, Graywolf Press

"Traffic numbers, word-of-mouth recognition, a vibrant community, and a destination site." - Lucinda, Book Marketer

"I like reviewers who are succinct and can sum up their thoughts in 2-3 paragraphs, because when I'm reading reviews I like to read quite a few to get an idea of the range of emotions and ideas that a book can inspire. I understand that there is a market out there for longer, critical reviews, but I wonder if blogs or GoodReads etc. are the appropriate place for such analysis--I personally don't have the time to read multiple reviews that are 1000 words or longer. I would rather devote that time to reading the book in question." - Andrew Shaffer, HuffPost columnist and author of GREAT PHILOSOPHERS WHO FAILED AT LOVE (Harper Perennial, Jan '11)

"I want someone who is going to read the entire book, not just skim it. It's easy to tell when a reviewer has only read part of the book and relied on other reviews, jacket copy and publicity material to flesh out the piece. I HATE reviews that move into personal attack, rather than offering critique of the work. It seems lately that many reviews have become more entertainment writing than actual critique." - Collin Kelley, Poet, journalist, social media consultant, author of Conquering Venus

"Comments and interaction from and with readers, Interest and familiarity with our genre, and Google Page Rank.

We look to see if the blogger has lots of visitors and interactions with their readers. The more readers, the more likely we will want to pitch them. So, lots of comments catch our interest. We look and see what kinds of books they review and if they review the kind of work we publish. We check their google page rank, which is the number that indicates their traffic and how likely they are to come up in the top for listings on search engines." - Vagabondagepress, Arts/Lit Online 'Zine The Battered Suitcase

"Obviously a certain amount of erudition is something I look for. If the reviewer writes well, doesn't make spelling errors (for self-edited blogs) and can describe why they liked or disliked the book without at the same time revealing too much of the plot, that's a rare and good thing. Turnoffs would be if the reviewer has basically the same thing to say about each book." - Gene Doucette, author of Immortal

I was amazed by the similarities, and the differences, in what publishers and authors look for.

Sometimes bloggers get hung up on their blog stats - # of comment, # of unique hits, # of returning hits, # of sites that get traffic through them - and while these comments give some weight to stats, it appears that publishers and authors are more interested in YOU and how you blog. They understand the power of a review, and pay attention to what you are reading, and what you like.

When I first started blogging, I pitched publishers and authors for novels to review more often than they were pitching me. Even though I had been running TNBBC on goodreads for 3 years, I was still fairly unknown in the publishing community - at least concerning my status as a 'reviewer'. I had no stats to speak of, so I had to sell myself, my confidence in what I liked, and my ability to give them the word of mouth their novels deserved.

Don't sell yourself short, and assume that if you aren't raking in 100+ hits a day, and have less than 500 followers, that publishers and authors won't take you seriously. Work hard at developing your writing and identifying a unique style, create a niche to market yourself through or an easy way for authors and publishers to know what you types of books you like to review, and those review pitches should come pouring in!

What did you think?

Was this post helpful and insightful? Was there anything here that shocked you? What interactions have you had with publishers or authors that support or negate what you read here?

Next week, we turn the tables, and ask the bloggers what they look for in a review pitch. So authors and publishers, be sure to check back and see what they have say!

Review: The People Who Watched Her Pass By

Read 10/9/10 - 10/11/10

4 Stars: Strongly Recommended

Pgs:146

God, I love indie publishers. They put out some of the most interesting books I have ever read.

The People Who Watched Her Pass By is author Scott Bradfield's fifth novel, though it is the first book I have read by him.

And it's a horrifying concept - a 3 year old girl kidnapped from her home by the hot water heater fixer. Not only does this guy kidnap her, he deserts her too. And it's the story of this 3 year old girl wandering from house to house, being taken in, and then being let go, over and over and over again. Until she takes matters into her own hands and chooses when she will be taken in, and when she will walk away.... Until the world finally catches up to her.

So, although it's every mother's worst nightmare - to have her child stolen from her, and not being able to find her, or know what has happened to her - and not a very easy novel to digest, it has some of the most amazing and quotable lines I have read in a very long time.

Bradfield twists and manipulates the english language so beautifully that you actually forgive him for writing a book about such a terrible and unspeakable crime. He takes the life of 3 year old Salome and turns it into poetry.

Seriously. Read this line:

"Life is a sweet mistake that happened when the world wasn't looking."

I love this line so much that I almost want to take it to a tattoo parlor and have it etched into my skin so I can keep it with me forever.

And this one, that describes a major turning point of sorts between Salome's previous life (of living in a laundromat) and her next life:

"We can only have one home at a time. But if we are not ready to appreciate it, or we forget the keys, then we can't have any home at all."

One more, I promise:

"When we die... All the things we ever loved become furniture. The hollowness we feel turns into a house. There aren't any other people in it, and that's one of it's blessings. It's just filled with the ghosts of objects we used to own, things we used to feel, memories of patience and heat... In the afterlife, everything is already over. We don't have anything to regret or anything to look forward to."

The entire novel is peppered with these gorgeous moments that simultaneously grab you by your heart and break it in two.

It is this strange, surreal account of a little girl who wanders almost aimlessly through backyards, and down dirt roads, into and out of peoples lives, people who for some reason don't call Child Services, who don't question this little blonde haired angel they have suddenly crossed paths with, who seem hell-bent on bestowing words of wisdom and advice on her, on telling her their sad soul-crushing stories, on giving her a temporary place to stay...

It is not a book for everyone. It will stir some strong emotions. It will piss some people off. It is a book to be experienced, at the very least.

It is the type of book that only an indie publisher would take a risk on, and bravo, Two Dollar Radio... for the opportunity to review it!

Will the Real TNBBC Please Stand Up

So, I admit it. I google myself from time to time, just to see what other people see when they search for me. Imagine my surprise when I see this pop up out of almost nowhere:

TNBBC.blogspot.com

Needless to say, this isn't me. Nor are they trying to be. Anyone who is looking for me will most certainly discover that fact once they take one look at it. It's some japanese dude who uses this blogspot account to support some other facet of his life. But man - it's kinda freaky to see my acronym being used for something that is not mine. I mean, how does he even get TNBBC out of those words? I don't it!

The really strange thing, though, is that this blog account opened in Sept 2007, the same month and year that I created The Next Best Book Club on Goodreads. Tell me that isn't some weird shit!! And it has never appeared in any of my google searches before...

Heed this, followers and fellow bloggers - always google yourself and your sites to see what other nefarious, poser-like things may be lurking out there, tricking curious web searchers into their dark and scary webs.

The real TNBBC has spoken!

Review: Marvellous Hairy

Read 10/5/10 - 10/9/10

3.5 Stars - Strongly recommended to readers familiar with genre

Pgs:263

Mark A. Rayner is an author with a fantastical sense of humor and a dangerous imagination. Part big corporation take-down, part scientific bizarro experimentation, this novel is perfect for fans of the strange and unlikely!

Full of mayhem, madness, and monkey-business, Marvellous Hairy takes the reader on a roller coaster of a ride through the many layered friendships of Nick, a man who is willing to sell his body to science for a couple of bucks; Max, a doctor who takes recreational drug use to the next level; Hot Helena, who works as a VP for Gargantuan Enterprises and it's slightly insane head honcho Ted; and our narrator Rob, BFF to Nick, our monkey man in the making.

Mix in some unauthorized highly secretive genetic manipulation, a ghost haunting, two kidnappings, and a pair of unstable drug dealers, and you now have a recipe for disaster.

While reading the proof for the novel, which was signed and sent to me by the author upon my request for review, I found myself overlooking the editing issues (hence the reason I noted it was a proof copy) and thoroughly enjoying the storyline.

The back cover blurb leads the reader to believe the novels sole plot is to follow Nick Motbot through his transformation from man into monkey, however there really is soooo much more to it than that.

Rob worked as a temp on a super secret scientific project involving a weather satellite at Gargantuan Enterprises, when he discovers his best friend Nick has signed on with the same company for some experimental testing. Concerned for his friends well-being, and increasingly strange behavior, Rob enlists the help of the company's VP of Marketing, and his old college buddy Helena, to root around and dig up information on the classified test.

The group of friends stumble upon some pretty unethical and downright scary stuff, and decide to take matters into their hands - Kidnap the CEO, publicize what they know to bring the company crashing down around his knees, and hopefully save their banana-loving, bow-legged, devolving buddy at the same time.

How can you NOT want to read this??

I want to just take a moment to clarify something:

The novel is marketed as "Literary Fiction" under the subcategory "Fabulist Satire" (as found on the back of the book), and I think it's for good reason. Readers who like straight up, no nonsense fiction may find themselves confused and frustrated with the crazy capers and high-jinx that populate this novel. Those readers who love to indulge in a good old medical mystery novel might find themselves tsk-ing and tut-ing over the numerous other story lines that flow throughout the book.

That being said, Rayner's novel is romping good fun, and begs you to pay more attention to your inner monkey and lizard - the normal animalistic parts of the human psyche that we force into submission! Everyone... It's time to "Release the Monkey's"!!!

Review: The Report

Read 9/29/10 - 10/5/10

4 Stars: Strongly Recommended

Pgs:235

Many thanks goes out to Graywolf Press for allowing me a copy of this book for review. I have mentioned in a past review that I tend to steer clear of books that deal in and around war, however @totesmarisa swore by Jessica Francis Kane's novel and talked me into giving it a shot. And I am so thankful that I did.

While The Report does partially take place during World War II, it's focus is solely on the Bethnal Green London Tube Disaster, in which 173 civilians died in a horrific accident on the steps of an air raid shelter.

Jessica does a brilliant job of creating a fictional version of the events that took place on that terrible night in March 1943.

She draws us in using sparse, specific prose to guide us through the panicked London streets as that fateful air siren went off, ushering the townspeople towards the shelter, and onto the crowded staircase... enabling us to visualize the slip and crush of bodies on the steps of the tube entrance, the suffocating death of those unfortunate souls who were unable to escape the twisted mess of bodies that piled one on top of the other in an effort to get under cover from the bombs they thought were coming.

She allowed us to listen to the interviews that were conducted, the survivors and shelter volunteers recounting what they remembered of that night, where they were, what they thought was going on, how they attempted to help, or walk away alive. We understood the frustration that Magistrate Laurence Dunne felt when each testimony seemed to contradict the one that came before.

She introduces us to the cover-up, the true details of the event that took place on those steps in the stairwell, the real story spoken to him by an innocent eight year old girl, a truth that Dunne knew should never be revealed to the public.

She plagues her characters with guilt, and shame, crippling loss, and a fierce determination to make things right.

To think that people once had to live in a state of blackout - heavy curtains drawn over windows, no lights allowed after dark - and struggle with food and flower bans, to live every moment in fear of the enemy dropping bombs on their town, rushing to the nearest shelter when the air raid sirens went off, scurrying and cramming into underground tube stations until given the all clear... To think that this was once a normal way to live.

I could not imagine living a life like that, let alone raising a child through it all. My generation is so far removed from that type of fear. We have been spoiled by free wi-fi, and gourmet coffee, and designer sunglasses. We cry and pout if we can't have what we want the moment we want it.

Jessica's novel helped me to gain a greater appreciation of the life I am living today, and opened my eyes to the way the world used to be. Her book encouraged me to research a moment in time that, up until I began reading The Report, I never even knew existed.

For more information on The Bethnal Green Tube Disaster, follow these google links and videos .

Scary Story Retro Review: Come Closer

The leaves are lying on the lawn; the air is brisker, cooler; the days are getting shorter; the smell of burning logs escapes our neighbors chimney... There is no denying that Fall is officially here.

And with Fall comes every child's favorite dress-up holiday: Halloween. Which, of course, gets me thinking about some of the creepy, crawly, twisted, terrifying reads I have ever read.

I usually take time during the month of October to indulge in a seasonal book reading binge - where books containing Vampires, Werewolves, Ghosts, Monsters, Witches, or Magic get bumped to the top of the TBR pile. This year will be first year, due to my review priorities, that I won't be able to read October Themed novels. So, instead, throughout the month of October, I plan to showcase the best of the best scary stories I have read over the years...

Starting with this one:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Read Dec'2007)

4 Stars - Strongly Recommended

Pgs:224

Looking for a scary book you can read in one sitting? Try out Come Closer by Sara Gran.

It's quite short, barely 200 pages.. and a terrifyingly quick read. I think I worked myself up about it a bit too much, based on the reviews I had read.... afraid to start it until I was sitting in full daylight, fearful that it would be way too creepy and have me sleeping in bed with my kids....too chicken to risk a nite in bed alone...

Chilling and creepy, sometimes leaving me with that tingle-up-my-spine feeling...

A very cleverly, conversationally written book about a woman who slowly and knowingly gets posessed by a demon, slowly sinking into its clutches...

I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a quick, kinda-creepy read that is unlike much of anything you've read before.

Thank You all for Following TNBBC's Blog!

It's taken 10 months to get there, but I have finally joined the 100 followers club. Phew! I want to thank my long time followers for being there through the thick and thin, for putting up with my crazy posting schedule (I'm not as organized as other bloggers, scheduling posts ahead of time and setting up guest posts when they know they will be off-line for awhile), and commenting on my reviews and silly ranting and ravings.

Welcome to my newer followers! I hope you find things on this blog that are worth sticking around for, and support me by letting me know what you like and what you would like to see more of!

If you like what I'm doing, help spread the word!

I know it's only a number, but a few more TNBBC fans wouldn't hurt, right?

You guys rock!

Indie Spotlight: Two Dollar Radio

Have you met The Two Dollar Radio Movement yet? No??

May I be the first to introduce you? Wonderful! Ok. Here we go. (A-hem)....

Two Dollar Radio, meet TNBBC!

TNBBC, meet Two Dollar Radio!

My own introduction to TDR was a happy accident. I was poking around on Goodreads and random blogs searching for some newer unknown novels, and I stumbled across their website. (For the life of me, I cannot recall who exactly linked me there - oh the frustrations of a too-young-to-be-senile mind!)

The books they were showcasing on their site were so quirky and odd - right up my alley! -and I emailed them for a copy of one or two in the hopes that I could review them. Eric Obenauf, the Editor in Chief and Publisher, shipped me off two novels: The People Who Watched Her Pass By and Termite Parade - which I should be starting sometime in late October.

Here's a little background:

Brian Obenauf, Eliza Jane Wood, and Eric Obenauf created Two Dollar Radio Movement in early 2005 after the group read "The Business of Books by Andre Schiffrin, which inspired (them) to start (thier) own new idealistic book publishing company, following the footprints left by the likes of John Martin and Barney Rosset".

The name came from an overly rowdy old timer at a bar, who, when he realized he was putting people off, said “Don’t mind me, I make more noise than a $2 radio.”

They characterize the books they publish "as bold literary fiction: subversive, original, and highly creative".

And check this out - Two Dollar Radio Movement is giving away a free lifetime subscription to any hardcore fan willing to brand themselves with their tattoo. If you send them a photo of the tattoo while it's in progress, and once it's completely healed, you will receive a copy of every book TDR has ever or WILL ever publish!

How cool is that? And it's a cute little tattoo isn't it?

If that's not a great way to spread the word about an Indie Publisher, I don't know what is!

Stop by their website, take a look through their catalogue and you never know, you might just find yourself a Two Dollar Radio Movement fan!

*text in parentheses and italics were quoted from the Two Dollar Radio Movement Bio page*

Review: Dog Blood

Read 9/24/10 - 9/29/10

4 Stars - Strongly Recommended

Pgs:322 (Book two of the Hater trilogy)

It's war baby, and the Unchanged don't stand a chance.

In Dog Blood, the sequel to David Moody's novel Hater, No one cares about what caused the Hate anymore. Self-preservation is the priority. The world is beginning to fall apart, buildings rotting away or damaged in battle. Food and clean water is becoming harder and harder to come by. Unchanged men, women, and children slowly begin to move into the cities, cramming themselves into office buildings, and apartments, waiting for their food rations to be doled out. Soldiers take teams of volunteers out beyond the exclusion (or safe) zones to seek out people who have been surviving on their own, to bring them back to the home base. They feel safer and stronger in groups.

Haters join together and attack these rescue missions, picking off the Unchanged one by one. The war between "us" and "them" is inescapable. And it won't stop until one or the other are wiped off the face of the planet.

One Hater, our Hater, Danny, bounces from place to place, preferring to remain alone. He finds comfort in the shadows and the outskirts, believing that his ability to remain hidden, his hunger for killing, and his desire to find his 5 year old daughter Ellis is what has kept him alive this long. Yet, ironically enough, it's during his search for Ellis that Danny finds himself captured by a group of Unchanged people... who are determined to teach Danny how to hold the Hate.

Can Haters be taught to control the urge to kill? Will they ever be able to walk among the Unchanged and blend in with society again?

David Moody creates a bleak and devastating world in which man has turned against man, where trust and companionship no longer live, a world of constant turmoil and chaos. He takes us deeper inside Danny's head and introduces us to the filthy, brutal life of a Hater. Though Danny appears to be selfish and self serving, we discover that looking out for number one is the only way to ensure ones existence. It's the new way of life, and one that most people quickly adapted to.

Brilliantly narrated, violent and ferocious, unlike anything I have read before it - With his Hater Trilogy, Moody ushers in the newest fiction monster craze! Say goodbye to Zombie and Vampire Lit, shelf the wanna-be-breakout novels about Angels and Unicorns. Moody's Haters are taking the world by force, and leaving a sea of bloody corpses in their wake. And their sights are set on you!

A gigantic thank you goes out to author David Moody, who made these review copies available to me!

Hater

Read 9/18/10 - 9/24/10

5 Stars - Highly Recommended/ The Next Best Book

Pgs:281 (Book one of the Hater Trilogy)

When a book begins with a man brutally gutting a female stranger with an umbrella, I'd say "Buckle those seat belts, readers! Looks like we are in for one helluva ride!".

David Moody, author of the novel Hater, paints a grim and twisted picture of "us" against "them", a world where people have to learn to live in fear of being suddenly and violently attacked by strangers, coworkers, and loved ones. It can happen almost without warning. And no one knows for sure why it's happening. Or how to stop it.

Imagine walking to work, and finding yourself a witness to a seemingly unprovoked street fight. You watch in awe as one person beats the other unconscious. And continues to beat him. You are one of many within the crowd, yet no one moves a muscle to come to the others defense.

Later that week, you and your spouse and children are eating dinner out at a restaurant. Before you can clean your plate, you watch in horror as two people at the bar suddenly engage in a violent fight that ends when one man brutally stabs the other with a steak knife. Everyone is paralyzed with fear, not sure what is going on, and urgently heads for the front doors.

When you get home, you turn on the television to see news reporters covering multiple acts of violence that have been occurring around town. They seem unrelated, though they sound so much the same - random, sudden, brutal, unexplainable. The body count is climbing.

You think that the news is playing a part in all of this - sensationalizing the murders, encouraging others to go out and instigate more of the same with little to no consequence.

A few more days pass... you can't seem to head outside without watching people attacking each other. They seem to turn on a dime. One minute they are walking by you, or having a normal conversation with each other, and then there's this blank stare and then BAM - you are fighting for your life as they thrash and slash and smash you. Now the news reporters request you do not leave the house unless absolutely necessary. They suggest creating a "safe room" for you own protection. They warn you to be wary of people who display any signs of anger or aggression. They say they have it under control. Yet no one is saying what exactly is happening. Stores and cars are being looted. It's not safe to go outside... but DON'T PANIC?!?

Written in first person narrative, David Moody sucks the reader right into the middle of the confusion and chaos that is taking place. We know only what our narrator Danny knows, which, for most of the novel, is not much. Unable to process what is going on, Danny and his family move through myriad emotions as the violence and brutality increases, and moves closer and closer to his front door.

What I find most amazing about this novel is the fact that it's author self-published it online back on 2006, and sold it's film rights to Gueillermo del Toro, all without the help of an agent! How could any publishing company have turned this away?

Packing punch after punch, chapter after chapter, Moody kept me turning the pages faster and faster, and I found myself on the edge of the seat time and time again.

You've seen vampires, zombies, and nuclear bombs that helped issue in the end the world as we all knew it. Now it's time to meet the Haters!

A brilliant kick-off novel to a trilogy that screams to be read by lovers of post apocalyptic novels with a strong stomach and a head for thrillers.

Go ahead, get your Hate on! I dare you!

To learn more about David Moody and his novel, check out these links:

http://www.djmoody.co.uk/
http://www.djmoody.co.uk/Books.htm
@davidjmoody

When Authors Attack

Momma Said Knock You Out

It's a rough, tough world out there for authors these days. With social media sights like Goodreads, Library Thing, and Shelfari, the rise of book blogs, and the networking vehicles of Facebook and Twitter, it is nearly impossible to hide from what the world thinks of you and your novel.

Most novelists have jumped in feet first, making themselves accessible by creating their own personal accounts on these sites in an effort to update the public and remain in contact with their fans. They review the work of other authors, comment on the reviews readers have written on their books, and even participate in online group read discussions to answer whatever questions readers may have, thanking members for helping to spread the good word.

But what happens when the word that is being spread about an authors book is not so... good?

Do they have a right to initiate contact and plead their case? Should they shame the person, degrade the person, or beg the person to reconsider, to ask the reader or reviewer to put themselves in the authors shoes and see how damaging a bad review can be to their image and their livelihood? What if they created mass fake "profile" accounts to back themselves up, show support for themselves, or force reviews and votes to get their novels out to the public?

Butting Heads Is a Bad Idea

The urge to retaliate, to want to show someone the error in their thinking, leads to nothing more than a locking-of-the-horns. A head-to-head battle of ego and willpower. An unprofessional verbal catfight.

It's really boils down to a case of intent versus impact.

The authors intent, when they reach out to someone who shared negative feedback, is to persuade them to take a second look at what they wrote, or said, or decided. I believe we are all in agreement here, yes? The intent is never to harass or bully someone. The author may be seeking the persons empathy by describing how hard they worked on their book, the numerous attempts at getting someone to sign it, the years they devoted to promoting it, or by sharing a sad, heartbreaking story to get you to change your mind.

The impact, however, is quite different. It can be received by the reader/reviewer as pushy, forceful, or unprofessional. It may leave a bad taste in the persons mouth, turning them off of your future or past novels. It can be seen as an attack, and when faced with the threat of an attack, natural human reaction is "fight or flight". Do I engage this author in an attempt to further explain myself? Or do I ignore them?

I Choose To Fight

When my integrity is called out on the line, I choose to defend it, and for good reason (though not always with good outcomes!).

As creator and sole moderator of the goodreads group The Next Best Book Club, I owe my members a friendly, safe, and enjoyable experience. I love being able to share great books with them, and allowing them the opportunity to interact with their favorite authors.

When a member alerts me to a situation that is occurring within the group that revolves around the behavior of an author or the way they promote their novel, I owe it to that member to investigate and, if necessary, control it.

In my eyes, if an author is ignoring group guidelines or attacks a member (or myself, for that matter) due to negative or constructive feedback, ignoring the situation not only allows the author to believe their behavior is acceptable, it also sets a standard to anyone else who follows that that behavior is acceptable. Silence is acceptance.

In the early days of TNBBC, I used to banish the authors (and new members) who misbehaved to "The Spammers Circle in Hell" - which was a comical way to showcase those who felt they were above the rules that were created for behavior within the group. I have since grown up, and also understand I have more options than simply embarrassing people.

I am proud of the relationships I have built with authors, publishers, and lit agencies over the years and I understand the power and influence I can have in regards to them. Wasn't it spiderman's uncle who said "With great power comes great responsibility"? I choose to use my influence for good.

Putter There Pardner

Authors and reviewers/readers/moderators should not be working against one another. We should be seeking out opportunities to work with one another. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could live in a world where there was no such thing as a negative review? I know I sure would!

But that is unrealistic, isn't it? So how do we find a middle ground? How can we give an author constructive feedback without turning things into a verbal beat down? How can an author remain open to feedback, and reduce the natural urge to defend themselves and their novels?

Looking for your feedback and experiences! Bloggers, reviewers, writers, authors, publishers.... What do you struggle with when it comes to interaction? What do you find helpful, hurtful, unnecessary? Let's reach out a hand and build partnerships. Let's get past the defensiveness, let's put the ego to bed, and throw away those personal barbs. Let's get better at giving each other feedback.

"The Wilding" Winner

Congrats to Jamie of The Perpetual Page Turner and The Broke and the Bookish.

She won the signed copy of The Wilding with this post describing an experience in the woods/camping:

Eh the woods/camping. I think nature is BEAUTIFUL but not liking bugs/snakes/dirt/my hair getting icky etc. put camping lower on my to-do list. I'm sure you could have guess that by meeting me this weekend that I'm not too outdoorsy.

Every camping/woodsy experience goes like this-- "EW! OMG! Ehh get that bug! What is that? I heard an animal! I'm going to get eaten. Are you sure a snake isn't going to get in here? NO--I refuse to poop in the woods!" Etc. Etc.

I really do love nature though..which is why I keep torturing myself :)

I sure hope this book doesn't ruin her already fragile feelings on the great outdoors!

The Wilding

Read 9/11/10 - 9/18-10

4 Stars - Strongly Recommended

Pgs:258

Dark and suspenseful, a bit twisted, and certainly not for the weak of stomach, The Wilding is going to make you think twice about camping out in the woods!

Graywolf Press sent me the arc for this novel quite a few months ago. The premise - grandfather, father, son, and dog head deep into Echo Canyon for one last camping trip before it's destroyed and replaced with an Indian Casino - caught my attention and something about the title and the blurb whispered "creepy read"....so I added it to my review pile and there it sat, patiently awaiting it's turn to be read.

About two weeks ago, Graywolf surprised me by sending me the Hardcover edition of the novel, which goes on sale next week. When I thanked them, I was informed that the author was going to be reading from the book at the Brooklyn Book Festival (which took place on Sept 12th, and of which I was already planning on attending!).

To the very top of the review pile it went!

I had the fascinating pleasure of listening to Benjamin Percy read a chapter from this novel (during the BKBF panel entitled "What Fresh Hell is This" - and what a fitting title name that is!) while I was still in the process of reading the book myself. His deep and booming voice stuck with me for the remaining days as I finished reading his novel. In my head, I could hear him narrating as the characters moved through their strange and terrifying experiences within Echo Canyon.

This novel is a tricky little devil. The suspense builds from page to page, at times creating a nail-biting urge within me to shout out loud through the pages to the characters to warn them of what I am afraid is coming. There were moments of false build up, where I felt myself release a breath that I did not realize I had been holding. And other moments where Benjamin twisted and turned me down a path I was not expecting.

A good portion of my teenage summers were spent camping out in the middle of the woods that was interestingly named Devil's Hole. Waterfalls and a decrepit water mill stood hidden, deep in the woods, in the middle of two developments. My friends and I would rough it out there - no tents, certainly no weapons, just sleeping bags, blankets, hamburger meat and hot dogs to cook over the fire, and some cheap booze to keep us warm when the stars were twinkling in the cool dark of night.

Never once did we think we were putting ourselves in danger of a bear attack, though we knew the area was crawling with wildlife, and luckily one never crossed our path out there. And I count those nights in Devil's Hole as some of my fondest memories. However, after reading The Wilding, I doubt I would ever venture out into the middle of the woods again, at least not without the proper protection. Or let my children have similar experiences as they get older, for fear of what might be waiting out there for them.

Benjamin not only scared the camp-girl out of me, but he also played around with the human / animal element throughout his novel.

Owls can be found throughout the story - one falls down the chimney of our main character Justin's fireplace, flapping its smoking wings throughout the house until his wife ushers it out the door. Others can be heard in the woods when Justin, his father Paul, and his son Graham are sitting around the campfire in Echo Canyon. According to owl lore, they are thought to symbolize dread and death, and I do not think it is by accident that Benjamin included them in his novel, since dread and death are abundant and at the very core of this story.

While camping out in the canyon, our three men hunt for deer, and happen to shoot and track one down into a bone graveyard. As the men stand over the dying deer, preparing to gut and skin it, they realize that the walls of the cave they are standing in houses caveman-like drawings that mirror their exact situation. Some depict men holding spears, others show men attacking a bear, some are very old, while others look fairly new. Though the scene was quite gruesome and heartwrenching (the deer in his final moments, the son asking if deer know they are dying), there was something poetic and ... normal... about that moment. A history of man vs animal laid out before them, the survival of the strongest, or smartest. The thrill of the hunt, and the excitement of the kill.

The Wilding will have you locking your doors, replacing those burnt out flood lights around the house, and carrying a flashlight when you head out for your late night strolls. It will keep you huddled around the campfire, if you're brave enough to go camping at all. One thing I know for certain - It will keep you up late into the night as you refuse to put the book down, and find you pulling those covers up around you tightly.

Support Your Indies

No! I didn't mean Undies. I meant Indies! I finally jumped on the IndieBound bandwagon. I am very excited about this partnership for two reasons :

(1) 90% of what I read and review comes from self published authors and independent publishers. It simply makes sense that I promote these wonderful novels and companies through independent bookstores as well.

(2) Every time you click on the indiebound link located on my blogs sidebar, and purchase a book (whether or not it is one that I've reviewed here), I will receive a small percentage of the sale. This money will go towards bigger and better giveaways for you, my dear friends. How exciting is that?

Independent bookstores need our business. They are hard working, book loving folks, like you and me. Their shops were built on a foundation of love for the written word. Help them thrive and grow by making all of your book purchases through them.

I invite you to share your favorite independent bookshops here. Which bookstores do you shop at? Is there a story behind their shops name, or history? Do you have a favorite sales associate?