On "Being Indie" : Lorena Bathey

On "Being Indie" is a new monthly feature that will be hosted here on TNBBC. We will meet a wide variety of independent authors, publishers, and booksellers as they discuss what being indie means to them.

Meet Lorena Bathey. In 2005, she self-published her first book Happy Beginnings: How I Became My Own Fairy Godmother. Unwilling to buckle under the pressures agented/published authors were having, she went on to develop her own publishing company and calls it Lorena B Books. In celebration of her new novel Beatrice Munson, Lorena shares what being indie means to her.

What is an Indie Author?

I = Independent: Is a nice way to say self published or balking the conventional publisher/agent route to do everything yourself. I like the moniker Indie author because it fits the definition more than simply self-published. As an Indie author you must be writer, editor, printer, sales, marketing, publicity, and promoter all rolled into one. A tough but satisfying job.

N= Nervous: Being an Indie author can be nerve wracking. Success is happening for Indie authors, especially with eReaders, but it's still a gamble. Being an Indie gives you control over the things that make you nervous like publicity and promotion. You then can get more involved with wonder

D = Dedication: To win in the Indie genre you have to be dedicated. You must know your work, the promotion, and the Indie publishing industry. But mostly you must dedicate yourself to writing. Wearing all the hats means dedicating time for all aspects that aid your success as an Indie author. Stay the course; don't give up if you don't make a million dollars with your first book. You need to build a platform of fans.

I = Innovative: This medium changes quickly so you have to pay attention to the trends. Be clued into sites that tell the scoop in the Indie world then get to know individuals that are forerunners of the concept. Sites are popping up every day giving advice to help keep your work out there, be noticed, and creating an Indie author community. The market sees the intelligence of this rapidly growing format. Even established authors with success at standard publishing houses are now self-publishing to reach those using the newest technology.

E= End Result: We Indie authors write because it lets others feel and experience. Creating a printed book, eBook, poetry, etc, you have something that someone centuries from now can pick up and read. That is a thrilling concept for us. We also like the idea that whatever profit is made from the hard work is ours to keep. This is a strong motivation!

Self-publishing is changing, but it can only continue to do this if the writing is strong and the package it arrives is professional. Editing and marketing take time, ingenuity, and some cash, too. Those that go Indie but don't take the time to create quality work make it more difficult for other authors to break into the mainstream.

I'd like to introduce you to Beatrice Munson.

Being released today, April 13th, my first novel is a trip to a neighborhood and a group of women that you may recognize. Released by Lorena B Books (www.LorenaBBooks.com) it is available in both print and as an eReader.

"In Vista Heights, the women of the neighborhood have started to look like their homes, varying shades of beige. Lost in this world of suburbia, Marissa Lyons learns her high school nemesis has bought the house right across the street from her. Afraid that her arch enemy, Beatrice Munson, will arrive with Marissa’s high school crush as her husband and cause Marissa to relive the insecurity of high school in her forties she decides to face the music and heads to Beatrice’s house with warm cupcakes. But what Marissa finds is something she never expected.

How will Marissa and the rest of the women of San Martino deal with someone like Beatrice Munson, whose defining moment in her life was to get a boob job or go on a trip to Egypt.

This story is about friendship, love, learning to look at things differently, and great parties."

You can find the print version at www.amazon.com or download for most eReaders at http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/48084 . Those with an eReader can receive a 20% discount as a Beatrice Munson birthday present! Just input this code BD76M on the Smashwords page. This coupon will be valid until April 16th.

Thank you to TNBBB for letting me stop by and share what I know about the world of Indie authors and publishing.

Review: Us

Read 4/9/11 - 4/9/11

5 Stars - Highly Recommended / The Next Best Book

Pgs:184

Michael Kimball has blown me away with his upcoming release Us - a beautiful, heart-wrenching novel about a husband who wakes up to find that his wife is not breathing.

Though Us is a fairly quick read, it packs a lasting punch. Cutting straight to the emotional core of each moment, Kimball uses sparse sentences and first person narration to work his spell on the reader.

The subject matter is one that most of us have had to deal with -whether the death of a beloved pet, grandparent, close friend, perhaps even a parent. In some cases, those we lost were taken from us quickly, unexpectedly. In others, we had time to make our peace and come to terms with their inevitable passing. In no case has it ever been easy.

Us strips this husband's experience with death down into 7 parts, which I find to be similar to some of the phases of grief - Denial: the refusal to believe his wife could die. Bargaining: the belief that his actions and thoughts can exert a certain control over her ability to remain alive. Acceptance: soaking up what time they have left together. Depression: the inability to change out of his funeral clothes or wash her smell off of her dirty laundry, and the sad act of dressing up a lamp in his wife's clothing.

If nothing else, Us will force you to remember to appreciate the people you love, because you never know when you might wake up to find them no longer there.

Here is an excerpt from the novel, on which the book trailer below is based on:

How I Danced With the Floor Lamp

I pulled one of my wife's dresses off a hanger in her closet and pulled it down over the length of a floor lamp. I pulled on a hat of hers down over the lampshade. I glued a pair or her shoes down onto the base of the floor lamp and waited for the glue to dry. I plugged the floor lamp into an outlet in the living room, turned the floor lamp on, and her head lit up.

The dress was floor length and it had long sleeves. I held onto the cuff of one long sleeve of her dress with my palm and fingers and tucked the cuff of the other long sleeve into my waistband at the small of my back. I placed my other hand behind the long stand of the floor lamp just above where the base of her spine would have been if the floor lamp were my wife.

I waited for the music to start playing in my head. I pulled the floor lamp up against my body and felt the heat form the light on my dace. I tipped the floor lamp back with my one arm and leaned over with her. I stood back up and spin the floor lamp away from me along the edge of its round base and along the length of my arm and the long sleeve of her dress. The base of the floor lamp made a scraping noise against the hardwood floor and so did my shoes.

I could see myself dancing with her on the living room walls. I could see the shadows of us dancing ont he walls all the way around the living room.

Many thanks to Michael Kimball and his publishing company, Tyrant Books, for making this book available for review. Us will release on May 10th, 2011.

Review: The Last Werewolf

Read 3/30/11 - 4/9/11
5 Stars - Highly Recommended / The Next Best Book
Pgs:346

Glen Duncan does good Werewolf. Man, oh man, does he do good Werewolf.

A huge fan of Glen Duncan's previous novels (I, Lucifer; Death of an Ordinary Man; Weathercock; A Day and a Night and a Day), I went ahead and took a shot at securing a review copy of his newest novel, The Last Werewolf. When it arrived, I broke every review policy I have and placed it on the top of the TBR pile... and I am so happy that I did.

Duncan does not hold back in this violent, moody, and not surprisingly intellectual look at what it means to be hunted as the last of your kind. After decades of running from WOCOP Hunters (an organization whose number one goal is to drive werewolves into extinction), Jacob Marlowe, upon discovering that he is the last, has finally lost the will to go on. He plans to make the best of the next few days leading up to the full moon, and fall quietly into the hands of Grainier - head of WOCOP with a personal grudge against Marlowe.

Of course, things don't work out the way Marlowe plans and Grainier finds a way to get Marlowe's head back into the game, ensuring the final hunt will be one worth savoring.

In my opinion, The Last Werewolf rises above most "monster" novels. It focuses more on the human side of The Curse, entertaining the idea that werewolves retain their human thought processes throughout the entire transformation. Do not confuse it with other novels that share it's subject matter - it's unlike any that has come before. Duncan is on a quest to redefine werewolf - as a tortured, purposeful creature.

When I started the novel, I tweeted #thelastwerewolf as a hashtag for anyone who was hungry for a taste of the writing. Duncan's skillful phrasing jumps off the page and inserts itself into your brain like no other. Like many of his previous novels, there are trickles of atheism that weave their way through the story in the form of beautifully crafted one liners that scream to be shared:

"Every now and then you look out at the world and know its gods have gone utterly elsewhere."

"Humans go to their graves with none of the big questions answered. Why should werewolves fare any better?"

"The universe demands some sort of deal."

A powerful look at survival, loneliness, guilt, and love in the face of the unknown. How do you come to terms with yourself when you don't know what you are or how your kind came to be? How do you quiet all the questions?

Immortal Blog Tour - Interviewing Adam

Welcome to Day 9 - The Second Leg of The Immortal Blog Tour!

I was thrilled to be among one of the first to read and review Gene Doucette's first person narrative Immortal. You can find my blurb on the first page of the book:

"Part science fiction fantasy, part action adventure and thriller, Gene Doucette creates the perfect balance of humor and edge-of-your-seat anticipation in this genre-defying story of an immortal man named Adam, who finds himself battling demons and bounty hunters in his eternal search for Eve, the red haired mystery woman of his dreams. Witty and wonderful, with a bite of sarcasm, Immortal is a five star read for any fiction lover. "

The novel is a first person narrative where we are introduced to Adam, our immortal but not invincible quazi-hero. With his witty sarcasm, quick quips, and an uncanny knack to self-preserve at all costs, he quickly endears himself to you. Let's have a quick chat with Adam to dig a little deeper and discover what makes him tick...

How have you survived all this time?

If you mean biologically, I don’t know the answer. My body just doesn’t age, and I can’t seem to get sick. I have had people go out of their way to make me sick, too. I don’t mean like sneezing on your hand and then shaking mine, I mean like injecting me with concentrated doses of lethal viruses. Nothing seems to take.

In every other sense, I guess I have a talent for figuring out what can get me killed and then not doing that, which is not as easy as it sounds. Every society has some sort of fundamental dysfunction, and most of them are difficult to guess. I remember a tribe—this was… well, it was a really long time ago—that thought a particular rock was sacred. In every other sense the people of this tribe were the happiest, friendliest bunch you could imagine just as long as you never touched the rock. So I never touched the rock.

It may seem stupid, but you’d be amazed how many cultures can be boiled down to that one rule: don’t touch the rock.

I was expecting alcohol to come up in that response.

So was I.

Alcohol didn’t enable me to survive, it just made portions of that survival more bearable. And I’ve gotten a lot of less-than-positive feedback about saying things like that, which I understand. I just don’t think my perspective has been fully appreciated. For one thing, it’s the only thing I’d call a “drug” that actually works on me. For the same reason I can’t be poisoned or infected, I also don’t enjoy the more beneficial aspects of other recreational drugs. (Also, and this is just karma, aspirin does nothing for my hangovers.) So if the question is why alcohol instead of some sort of opiate, that’s why.

Two other points: one, you have no idea how dull history has been. I mean it. Pick any point in history, and unless there is a volcanic eruption or something equally catastrophic going on at that exact moment there is a very good chance everyone is either mind-numbingly bored, or having sex. The second point is that alcohol has been more important to humankind than anyone from this age can imagine. Compared to most of humanity for most of history, I am a lightweight.

Speaking of sex…

Uh-oh.

…you’re not shy about your interest in young women. Some might even use words like “lecherous” or “misogynistic” to describe you.

Might they? I don’t know; I think I’m fairly advanced, all things considered. I grew up at a time when clubbing a woman until they were semi-conscious was foreplay. And I’m really not joking.

I will concede a degree of boorishness, but only because I’m in the United States, and this country is outrageously uptight. I have never seen a more advanced country that was more terrified of its own genitalia than this one. Seriously. I knew an Anglican bishop who kept regular company with a succubus. He’d spend a night with her and then six nights flagellating himself. Every week. America is like that bishop, except you all seem to enjoy the self-flagellation more than the succubus.

And you’ve had relationships. Do you keep in touch with Clara?

I have had plenty of relationships, and I suppose many of them were “long-term” by the standards of a normal human lifespan. And no, I’m not currently in touch with Clara, but I’m sure we’ll come across one another again eventually. The world is too small not to.

(end of interview)

I want to thank Adam for stopping by the blog and be sure to stop by Feeding My Book Addiction tomorrow for more of the Immortal Blog Tour!

Who Doesn't Love a Good Interview?

Check out my bloggish interview at The GateKeepers Post.

Here's a short excerpt from it:

"The more an author or publisher personalizes their pitch, the more interested I am going to be in working with them. If they not only address me (or my blog’s title), but also speak to specific authors or books I have discussed on the blog, that’s a win! They’ve got my attention now. If they share their website, book site, book trailer, twitter page, etc. in their email, that’s a win! I am not going to chase those things down on my own, but if you include it in the pitch, you can be sure I am going to take a peek at it... if you’ve read my review policy and you’ve seen the type of books I review, please don’t pitch me your YA Historical Romance Non-Fiction book with the disclaimer “ I know you usually don’t read this type of book but….”. That’s just a big fat hairy fail. I stop right there. You’ve just lost me.

"What Are You Reading" Wednesdays

"What Are You Reading" Wednesdays is really just my way of sneaking a peek at your night-stand, coffee-table, book-shelf... where ever it is that you stack your current reads, when you aren't reading them! And of course, returning the favor by allowing you a peek at mine...

In the right hand column of my blog, you will see a section called "currently reading". I update this as I start each new novel. Today, I am currently spending time with Glen Duncan's The Last Werewolf.

Having read many of his previously novels (I, Lucifer; Death of an Ordinary Man; Weathercock; A Day and a Night and a Day) I had very high expectations for this one! And Duncan is not letting me down. A fresh spin on what is quickly becoming a tired genre, Duncan explores what it would be like to be last of your kind. The werewolf in question - Jacob Marlowe - is being hunted, and has decided to go down without a fight. That is, until he uncovers the whereabouts of "Quinn's Diary" - a book that he has been searching many many years for, which documented the origins of the werewolf.

The book contains amazing one-liners that I have been tweeting like a loon under the hashtag #thelastwerewolf. Here are a few:

"Falling in love makes the unknown known. Falling out of love reverses the process"

"The devil wants meaning just like the rest of us"

"Every now and then you look out at the world and know its gods have gone utterly elsewhere"

"Telling the truth is a beautiful act even if the truth itself is ugly"

"The Bird Sisters" Giveaway

TNBBC is giving away copies

of the book that everyone on Twitter

has been dying for!

Author Rebecca Rasmussen and Crown Publishing

have agreed to give away 10 copies of the Bird Sisters

to US and Canada residents.

Here is the description from Goodreads:

When a bird flies into a window in Spring Green, Wisconsin, sisters Milly and Twiss get a visit. Twiss listens to the birds' heartbeats, assessing what she can fix and what she can't, while Milly listens to the heartaches of the people who've brought them. These spinster sisters have spent their lives nursing people and birds back to health.

But back in the summer of 1947, Milly and Twiss knew nothing about trying to mend what had been accidentally broken. Milly was known as a great beauty with emerald eyes and Twiss was a brazen wild child who never wore a dress or did what she was told. That was the summer their golf pro father got into an accident that cost him both his swing and his charm, and their mother, the daughter of a wealthy jeweler, finally admitted their hardscrabble lives wouldn't change. It was the summer their priest, Father Rice, announced that God didn't exist and ran off to Mexico, and a boy named Asa finally caught Milly's eye. And, most unforgettably, it was the summer their cousin Bett came down from a town called Deadwater and changed the course of their lives forever.

Rebecca Rasmussen's masterfully written debut novel is full of hope and beauty, heartbreak and sacrifice, love and the power of sisterhood, and offers wonderful surprises at every turn.

In order to snag a copy, you must:

1 - Post a comment here telling us what your favorite bird is and why, be a resident of the US or Canada, and leave me a way to contact you. If your comment is missing any of this information, it will be considered ineligible.

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

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).

It's first come, first serve so the first 10 commenters who agree to the above term will secure a copy for themselves for the group read.

The contest ends when the last copy has been claimed.

* please note that I moderate comments before they are posted so it may appear that there are copies available before I publish them.

So don't hesitate!

However, if you are not a winner, no worries. You can purchase a copy of the novel or simply join in on the discussion to ask Rebecca questions about the writing and publishing process... All are welcome!

An Overnight Scavenger Hunt in NYPL

This is probably the coolest bookish thing I have seen in a long time. If it weren't for BEA the week after, and all the vacation time I have already put in for that.. I would totally attempt to do this!

Visit this page of the L.A. Times to learn more about who, how, and why.

"The Time Traveling Fashionista" Giveaway

Attention fans of Fashion and Fiction!!!

TNBBC has a great giveaway

for YA lovers....

We are giving away 3 International copies

of Bianca Turetsky's

The Time Traveling Fashionista

Here is the description from Goodreads:

"When Louise Lambert receives a mysterious invitation to a traveling vintage fashion sale in the mail, her normal life in suburban Connecticut is magically transformed into a time traveling adventure.

After a brief encounter with two witchy salesladies and donning an evening gown that once belonged to a beautiful silent film star, Louise suddenly finds herself onboard a luxurious cruise ship in 1912. As Alice Baxter, the silent film star, Louise enjoys her access to an extensive closet of gorgeous vintage gowns and begins to get a feel for the challenges and the glamour of life during this decadent era. Until she realizes that she's not just on any ship-- she's on the Titanic!

Will Louise be able to save herself and change the course of history, or are she and her film star alter ego, destined to go down with a sinking ship in the most infamous sea disaster of the 20th century?"

In order to enter for a chance to win a copy of the novel,

a luggage tag, and a widget for your blog,

you must:

1. Tell us what moment in history you would most like to travel back to, and why.

2. Leave a way for us to contact you if you are chosen to win.

3. Promise that if you win, you will read the novel and post your review on Goodreads and Amazon.

The contest will remain open until

April 15th.

The 3 winners will be announced here on April 16th.

Winners will be chosen by me, so hit us up with some great moments to time travel back to!!!!

In the meantime, please visit TNBBC on goodreads and chat with Bianca! She has joined the group to help promote the release of The Time Traveling Fashionista and would love to answer any questions you may have her.

And Good Luck!

Tell Me A Story - Ben Tanzer

Welcome to TNBBC's 3rd edition of Tell Me A Story.

Tell Me a Story is a monthly series that will feature previously unpublished short stories from debut and Indie authors. The request was simple: Stories can be any format, any genre, and any length. And many amazing writers signed up for the challenge.

This month's story comes to us from Ben Tanzer. His newest novel, You Can Make Him Like You, is a sort of "coming of age novel" for adults. It illustrates the unexpected craziness that comes with being in a relationship and having a baby, while also demonstrating the bravery of breaking through those new boundaries.

I am pleased to announce that this previously unpublished short story has been picked up by Ben's publisher, Artistically Declined, and will be released April 12th in a limited edition short story chapbook titled "Party Pit", as a companion to You Can Make Him Like You.

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

The Intern

It is a book reading. The intern is there. She isn't really your intern any more, hasn't been, but she will always be the intern to you. She was the first. She is your favorite. She was so young then, awkward, terrific. You were protective of her. Paternal. Careful too. Always appropriate. Had to be. Others would come and go. Many were fantastic, smart, and only one turned out to be a stalker of sorts. But she is the reference point, always will be, like your first girlfriend or first born. You learn with them and as time advances and memories fade they slowly hold a place in the firmament of your brain, their greatness exaggerated, their time with you filled with nostalgia. And now she is here, there, right in front of you, so mature, classy, like Claire Danes, or Natalie Portman, all grown-up before your eyes. You are reading from your new book, and in it you take a small swipe at the Peace Corps, or more accurately, people who join the Peace Corps, not at all people though, just an old boss actually, someone you could have never made fun of in person, too sensitive, too cognizant of how little your other boss thought of her. But here, in this book, here was a chance, cheap maybe, but funny, selfish, but well-matched to the moment. The thing is, she, the intern, the intern for life, she too has since served in the Peace Corps, and she too has the read the book, and she has let you know that maybe that Peace Corps dig is not so funny to her, even if she says it with a smile. And now she is here, at the reading in front of you, and you know that you will need to reference her reaction to the book, it's funny, cute, and will relax the crowd, but that's not all, because there is a new book, its nascent, not a line has been written, not one moment spent with pen on paper, but it is marinating, taking form, and you already know how it will start. The protagonist will be in bed, no strike that, the protagonist will be on top of an intern, and you will have to say something about that at the reading as well, how if she, the intern, isn't digging the Peace Corps reference, connection, how will she feel when, if, she is there as you read the next book. Not that she is the model for that character, not remotely, no one truly is, the character is what interns, young women frankly, represent to the aging male, possibility, youth, vigor, freshness, all that is slipping away day by day, moment by moment. And yet she is the intern, will always be the intern, and she is all grown-up, and she will be hanging out with you tonight, having drinks, running around, because she is not so young any more, and does not work for you, and it means something, or says something, and you know that, even if you refuse to acknowledge or explore it except for on paper. You also know, that maybe you shouldn't even joke about it with her in the room, but you do, because its not her, or you, and you will keep saying that like a mantra, and then you write the book, actually write it, and the opening scene unfolds as you always thought it would, and now, now, you will read it, here, there, everywhere, and maybe, just maybe she will be around when you do.

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

I want to thank Ben for participating in TNBBC's Tell Me a Story. If you like what you've read, please support Ben by checking out his website and book. Help spread the word by sharing this post through your blog, tumblr page, twitter and facebook accounts. Every link counts! And be sure to check back with us next month for the next installment....

Review: Flowing in the Gossamer Fold

Read 3/24/11 - 3/29/11

3.5 Stars - Strongly Recommended to readers familiar with genre

Pgs: 164

Meet Malcolm. He is a motivational speaker who is about to lose his motivation, and eventually his mind, after his wife asks him to leave.

Malcolm's life is told in a string of events that are not necessarily laid out in order. Sometimes they follow each other sequentially, other times the chapters run parallel to the main plot. Each chapter varies in length - some are only a few paragraphs, while others span 10 pages.

The real events of Malcolm's life are sometimes difficult to distinguish from events that might be taking place in his head. Post divorce announcement, a girl who heard one of Malcolm's presentations blows him in the front seat of his car. His wife leaves him a small plastic bag with her pubic hair in it as a parting gift. These things, I believe. But when he describes how part of his wife splits off and becomes a sparrow that follows him around whispering logical and cruel things to him - like "You can't leave, where will you go?" - and talks about the mannequin that is always there in his peripheral vision, I begin to question poor Malcolm's mental stability.

When Malcolm moves out of his marital home and into a strange cabin with countless holes in the walls and floors, he - and his story - seem to lose their grasp on reality. And here is where the reading can either become interesting... or frustrating.

Author Ben Spivey experiments with language, sentence structure, and clarity in a way that challenges his readers to focus, pay attention, and decide for themselves which events are truly taking place and which ones are taking place only in Malcolm's mind.

In Flowing in the Gossamer Fold, the inside of our protagonist's head is like a wall in a house. Everything looks great until you start peeling away the wallpaper, and discovering the tiny cracks and nicks it had been covering up. Once exposed to the air, those cracks and nicks begin to deepen and widen and the dry wall suddenly starts to crumble and fall to the floor.. slowly at first, then gradually in larger and larger chunks, which causes the ceiling above it to begin to sag and leak, and quickly put the integrity of the home into question.

Spivey's novels is very much unlike anything you have ever read before and will read in the future, though fans of Blake Butler would appreciate this novel as the writing techniques are somewhat similar.

Thanks to Ben, and his publishing company Blue Square Press, for making this review copy available.

10 Authors Who Deserve More Recognition

The Broke and the Bookish host Top Ten Tuesday - which, as the title suggests, asks bloggers to compose a list of their top ten...whatevers. This week's top ten caught my eye because it's highlighting authors who deserve more recognition.

I decided to jump on the back of this bandwagon, not because I am a follower or giddy lover of meme's, but because I support Indie and Self-Published authors... and they could ALL use a little more recognition.

I promise to keep my list to just ten, although you and I both know that there are enough indie and self-published authors out there to generate a never ending list! * Note, a large percentage of authors listed here are currently independent. This is not strictly a list of indie/self-published authors.

So let's get started:

1. David Maine - He was the first author to reach out to me on Goodreads (back in the day) and thank me for reviewing his novel Fallen. He was also the first author I went out to NYC to meet and the first to sign my copies of his novels. He writes amazing biblical fiction and is the most down-to-earth, thoughtful, humble author I have yet to meet.

2. Joshua Mohr - Not only is this guy an incredibly adorable, incredibly loyal indie author, he is also an incredibly talented writer as well! His novel Termite Parade takes a deep dark look at lying and the internal turmoil that guilt can cause. He also wrote a kick-ass story for my new blog feature, for which I am extremely grateful!

3. Ben Tanzer - This guy right here is one of the most active, interactive authors out there right now. He runs a blog, online 'zine, podcast page, guest posts, tweets, raises his kids, and runs...! Phew! How does he manage to write as much as he does with a schedule like that? In novels like You Can Make Him Like You and Most Likely You Go Your Way and I'll Go Mine, Tanzer rips open the heads and hearts of his male characters so you can see what's really going on in there. His novels also have this comfortable retro-90's feel to them, which I adore.

4. Michael Kimball - Michael is another one of these incredible multi-taskers. He writes life stories on a postcard, blogs, created (and hosts) the Five:Ten author readings, and even gives out thoughtful advice when asked how someone like little ol' me can start my own reading series here in town. Oh, and did I mention that his novel Dear Everybody is amazing?

5. D.R. Haney - Ok, world. Are you listening? (Tap..Tap..) Is this thing on? Can you hear me back there? Duke is probably one of the most lowest flying "under the radar" authors out there. His novel Banned for Life was a nine year, self-published project. His non-fiction collection Subversia was the first book published under The Nervous Breakdown's brand new publishing label. He might be quiet but his writing packs a superhuman punch.

6. Greg Olear - Not only is Greg a great writer, but he introduces me to other great writers! His awesomely twisted novel Totally Killer is a 90's retro look into the world of publishing, as only Greg can tell it! He is also the senior editor for The Nervous Breakdown, an indie 'zine (and publishing company) that should be read by each and every one of you!

7. Blake Butler - Another high energy internet author, Blake runs two blogs, tweets, and recently pulled a marathon reading in NYC for his newest novel There is No Year. His previous collection of connected stories, Scorch Atlas, has created quite an underground buzz.

8. David Moody - if you like Zombie books, you have to check out David Moody. He puts an interesting spin on zombies in his Autumn series, and has created a brand new sympathetic monster in his Haters series. He is a brilliant story teller who works hard to promote his novels. Did you know his novel Autumn was released as a film?

9. Glenn Duncan - Hold on tight to your religion people, because this author is sure to tear it right out of your hands. Glenn's novels deal with Satan in human form, the after-life, priests who witness miracles, and a terrorist crucifixion, you are certain to be wowed and awed by his writing. I have his latest novel, The Last Werewolf, lined up and ready to go!

10. C.G. Bauer - Another great story-teller, Bauer knocked me over with his gothic, small town mystery Scars on the Face of God. He plagues his characters will intense flaws, and masters the whole suspense thing. You really need to check out this novel. There is something in it for everyone.

A Digitally Interactive Chapbook?

No words on the pages. Just a barcode that is read by your laptop's webcam. Which projects images of text onto the screen. Kinda neat, kinda weird. Worth the hype? Download a page here and test it out for yourself.

A nod to The Big Other, who posted about this interesting chapbook on their blog.

Review: Drinking Closer to Home

Read 3/17/11 - 3/23/11

4 Stars - Strongly Recommended

Pgs:336

Taste is a funny thing. My taste in novels, for those of you who may not know, tends to run a bit left of centre. I prefer burying myself nose-deep in bizarro, drug-induced, run-on sentenced, experimental fiction. Or inhaling amazing "fly so low under the radar that there is no radar low enough to fly under" indie fiction. Very rarely do I indulge in what I like to call straight-laced, main stream "your mom could totally read this book" fiction.

And yet, when I do indulge in it, more often than not, I find myself thoroughly enjoying it. Of course, it certainly helps when said main stream fiction contains some one of the most dysfunctional cast of characters I have read about in a long, long time.

You've heard of escapism fiction, yes? Books that are marketed as "beach reads" that require no thinking whatsoever and promise to magically whisk you away from your stressful, hectic, crazy life?

Well, Jessica Anya Blau's novel is the complete opposite! Drinking Closer to Home is the type of book you read when you want to escape your boring hum-drum life to be magically whisked into a world where everyone is having affairs, and is addicted to drugs, sex, and drinking. Where your grandparents humiliate you by showing off your soiled underwear, inviting their friends to check out your "tits" and announcing that you are so dumb you had to attend dummy school. Or a world where your parents grow pot in the backyard, and treat your sisters bouts of bulimia and anorexia like they were passing fads. Where your stay at home mother announces that she quits being a mom and teaches you how to care for your siblings, cook, clean, and do laundry. Or where everyone around you appears to have a "Stinky" (family nickname for the people your family members are having an affair with), while your husband has left you for a stinky of his own.

It's the story of going home again and all of the unexpected baggage that brings. It's about coming together as a family and accepting one another, when everything you've put behind you is attempting to bubble back up to the surface.

Doesn't sound like your typical straight-laced, main stream fiction novel, now, does it?

I want to thank author Greg Olear for initially pointing this novel out to me, and to Jessica for reaching out to me and making a copy available for review. I promise that their kindness did not influence my positive review.

Take a peek at the book trailer for Drinking Closer to Home, which I posted on the blog yesterday. And be sure to grab yourself a copy the next time you hit the bookstore. If for nothing else, do it for the dysfunction!

"What Are You Reading" Wednesdays

"What Are You Reading" Wednesdays is really just my way of sneaking a peek at your night-stand, coffee-table, book-shelf... where ever it is that you stack your current reads, when you aren't reading them! And of course, returning the favor by allowing you a peek at mine...

In the right hand column of my blog, you will see a section entitled "currently reading". I update this as I start each new novel. As you can see, I am currently spending time with Jessica Anya Blau's second novel Drinking Closer to Home.

Though it is not typically what I read, I can't tell you how refreshing it is to read a book that contains a family with more issues than my own! This novel has great book club potential - there are so many layers to the story line and the characters that it begs to be discussed.

If you post what YOU are reading on your blog, link me back to it by commenting here.