So over the holiday weekend I took a break from writing/restructuring/proofreading/what have you and did some reading on some books and some forums and ran into something that, quite frankly, puzzled the hell out of me! In one particular forum there was a discussion about (and I'm paraphrasing the ever living shit out of this) how some readers and reviewers found that it was completely inappropriate for authors to contact their readers, especially via commenting on a reader's review.
ASDJKF!! *Minion moment* Whhhhhaaaaaat?
I didn't comment, finding that usually explanations are forthcoming if you wait a while and let the story unfold and zomgwtfbbqsauce! What a story!
Apparently an author I will henceforth refer to as Lady V. (As in she who shall not be named...) has not only contacted readers via commenting on the reviews on her work, but has come un-freaking-glued when that review wasn't what she considered a good review.
*Screeching tires, breaking glass.*
I wouldn't have believed it, but links were provided and I read the entire train wreck for myself, over 100 comments back and forth long! I felt sick.
Why?
Because as an author I understand not everyone is going to like what I write and I feel bad about it, but not enough to engage in an argument with someone over their opinion. I thought it was a constructive thing to open dialogue with my readers and found this whole shenanigans perplexing until I saw the reason for it! Now I'm left scratching my head but fully understanding the negative backlash I received from one of my recent blog posts.
It saddens me, it sickens me and to be honest Lady V. needs to grow a freaking brain! (My opinion, feel free to come and argue with me on that point, but I'm telling you it'll be pretty one-sided because I won't engage...)
When it comes to reviews, I read them all. I would hope if I get a negative one, it is something I can fix in future installments, for example: downgraded on technical merits such as grammar or punctuation. That I can fix.
If the story line wasn't your thing, meh, not much I can do about that, I hope that as a reader that someone would stick with me to see if future installments are better, but if it's not your thing I'd also hope that something out there is and I'm sorry I couldn't entertain, but by all means, please don't torture yourself with future installments of my stuff if you really can't stand me! We're all out here working for a living and I don't want you to feel like you've wasted your money! I really don't.
Circling back here, if my stuff isn't a reader's thing, then it's simply not your thing. I'm not one to sit here and try to tear someone a new one for not liking my stuff. If I feel like I missed the mark then sure I might have a conversation about it but I see that as different, and I'm not trying to change anyone's mind, just describe the intent behind this or that scene. I do not want to be perceived as being a Lady V.
However, all this being said, the precedent has been set and that really sucks. Like really sucks, because what I had intended to do innocently was perceived as malicious and that's never fun, so I say this.
I will still thank people for their honest reviews, pop in and give a little insight here and there for what's coming up next without giving too much away and will generally try to remain a positive force in the writing community and not let the shitty shenanigans of Lady V. and others like her get me down, because if I do, then the troll wins and I for one will not feed the trolls.
Happy reading everyone! Enjoy your opinions as I have enjoyed mine!
Monday, July 7, 2014
Tuesday, July 1, 2014
On a roll/Honor roll... Same difference.
I've been on a roll. In the last, roughly, two months I've completed and released Shattered & Scarred, I've completed Broken & Burned (SHMC Book II), put it through a first and second round of edits, put it through some extensive rewrites and sent it through a third round of edits (I think it's about done...) and just yesterday I finished the first draft of Cracked & Crushed and sent it out for review.
I'm on a roll, but looking back at the swath of destruction I've wrought via MS Word on my trusty Surface tablet, I'm pretty sure I deserve to be on an Honor Roll somewhere too.
Now I don't want people freaking out about the fact I complete stuff in such a short amount of time. I promise you, the nature of my schedule and things... I have the luxury of devoting 9 to 12 hours a day to writing. That's a lot of time, and sometimes that's not just five days a week, that's seven.
For the most part I jot notes and write long hand during the day and go ape shit at night with the typing. My fiancé is a patient man and right now, we're working opposite schedules which sucks, but on the flip side it gives me even more time to write when I get up before dawn to get him off to work then have four or five hours to kill before I go off to work.
Readers reap the benefits, my editor gets stuff to do so she isn't dying of boredom while she's laid up and me... I just get exhausted but it's worth it! It's so worth it because I'm really in love with my own characters and it is an amazing amount of fun writing them.
It's not so much fun screwing with them, but life is a lot like:
So I understand it has to happen.
Anyways. I'm done rambling for now and I promise I'm completely approachable so if anybody is actually reading this and has questions about the series or whatever, feel free to message me. I get back to folks pretty quickly.
I'm on a roll, but looking back at the swath of destruction I've wrought via MS Word on my trusty Surface tablet, I'm pretty sure I deserve to be on an Honor Roll somewhere too.
Now I don't want people freaking out about the fact I complete stuff in such a short amount of time. I promise you, the nature of my schedule and things... I have the luxury of devoting 9 to 12 hours a day to writing. That's a lot of time, and sometimes that's not just five days a week, that's seven.
For the most part I jot notes and write long hand during the day and go ape shit at night with the typing. My fiancé is a patient man and right now, we're working opposite schedules which sucks, but on the flip side it gives me even more time to write when I get up before dawn to get him off to work then have four or five hours to kill before I go off to work.
Readers reap the benefits, my editor gets stuff to do so she isn't dying of boredom while she's laid up and me... I just get exhausted but it's worth it! It's so worth it because I'm really in love with my own characters and it is an amazing amount of fun writing them.
It's not so much fun screwing with them, but life is a lot like:
So I understand it has to happen.
Anyways. I'm done rambling for now and I promise I'm completely approachable so if anybody is actually reading this and has questions about the series or whatever, feel free to message me. I get back to folks pretty quickly.
Friday, June 27, 2014
Hmm... Spoilers, so if you haven't read Shattered & Scarred, don't read this!
So I go stalker status when it comes to my books. I don't just read reviews but also different forums, scoping them out to see what's what, or just plain heading over when someone alerts me, "hey your stuff is being talked about over here!"
One of the things I've noticed is that my latest book, Shattered & Scarred, is getting mostly positive things said about it but there are one or two things I've noticed that have been bothering me over this last week. I had hoped that by opening up my blog for a Q&A I would get to answer a couple of questions and address some of the concerns I've seen voiced about S&S but no one bit, and I really hate beating around the bush. It's not my style, so here we go:
#1 "This book was too 'fluffy' there wasn't enough 'angst' in it and it wasn't gritty enough."
Nope. There wasn't a whole lot of angst. I'm sorry you see it that way, and I'm sorry it disappointed you but you have to start somewhere and I wrote S&S that way because, I (and at least one person that has reviewed the book on amazon appreciated it) for one got tired of reading a bunch of depressing non-stop angst fests. When I read a romance, I want to feel a wide range of emotions and leave the experience feeling like the couple made it. I don't like leaving a book feeling like the couple have ripped each other to shreds emotionally and are both standing in the middle of the wreckage they created shrugging going "Well I guess we still have each other."
I am a sap, I like myself a happy ending, that doesn't mean that going forward it will always be so, that in the world of SHMC it's all unicorn farts and rainbows, because it's not and it won't be and that is as much as I am going to say on it because I don't want to give anything away. Just know this: There are at least six books and two novellas planned but it doesn't necessarily mean that it stops there.
#2 (And this is where in at least one posting my brain melted a little bit) I didn't like that the H shared the h with his BFF.
Why did my brain melt? Because someone said they didn't think the novel was real enough and gritty enough and then went 'ewe threesome!'
Wait what?
Number 2 bothers me because I feel, that as the author, I failed.
The threesome depicted wasn't supposed to be some raunchy "Hey buddy! You gotta try my girl's vajayjay! It's awesome!" No. No. No and did I say NO?
No what it was, was the ultimate declaration of love and trust, not just between the H & h but also the BFF. It was a one time deal and was more about the trust than the act its self. This was about the h saying without words to the H and the BFF 'I trust you, not just with my body but with my heart and with my mind as well." She'd been through a hell of a thing and this was something for her. To prove to herself that she was free and could make her own decisions and to declare to herself that her body was hers with which to do as she pleased as well as a declaration that despite the shot she went through before, that she was brave.
It was a very big step for her and a very needed step for her in her healing process, without that bit of emotional healing she would have never been able to handle things the way she did later on. So to those of you that have read the book, I apologize for failing you.
I will endeavor to do better in the future.
Those were really the only two things I've seen out there bothering me. Like I said, for the most part, everything I've seen about Shattered & Scarred has been positive. By no means is this to be taken as me being defensive all though I am sure to some it's being taken that way.
I just felt like, as an author, I missed the mark and that some sort of explanation was owed on these two points. Especially the second one. Over all, I feel like this needs to be said:
To all who have read, are reading or are going to read Shattered & Scarred: Thank you. Thank you for taking a chance on me, and for taking a chance on this cast of characters. Some of you have fallen in love, others can't wait to see what happens and then there are those of you who couldn't care less. Still. Thank you. Thank you for buying it. Thank you for reading it and thank you for letting me entertain you for just a little bit. I understand this book and my writing aren't for everyone and that's okay!
For those of you that are waiting for book two, and I know there are some of you out there I've been lurking remember? Hang in there. It'll be out in early September.
Again, thank you so very much for reading my stuff. I am ever so grateful!
One of the things I've noticed is that my latest book, Shattered & Scarred, is getting mostly positive things said about it but there are one or two things I've noticed that have been bothering me over this last week. I had hoped that by opening up my blog for a Q&A I would get to answer a couple of questions and address some of the concerns I've seen voiced about S&S but no one bit, and I really hate beating around the bush. It's not my style, so here we go:
#1 "This book was too 'fluffy' there wasn't enough 'angst' in it and it wasn't gritty enough."
Nope. There wasn't a whole lot of angst. I'm sorry you see it that way, and I'm sorry it disappointed you but you have to start somewhere and I wrote S&S that way because, I (and at least one person that has reviewed the book on amazon appreciated it) for one got tired of reading a bunch of depressing non-stop angst fests. When I read a romance, I want to feel a wide range of emotions and leave the experience feeling like the couple made it. I don't like leaving a book feeling like the couple have ripped each other to shreds emotionally and are both standing in the middle of the wreckage they created shrugging going "Well I guess we still have each other."
I am a sap, I like myself a happy ending, that doesn't mean that going forward it will always be so, that in the world of SHMC it's all unicorn farts and rainbows, because it's not and it won't be and that is as much as I am going to say on it because I don't want to give anything away. Just know this: There are at least six books and two novellas planned but it doesn't necessarily mean that it stops there.
#2 (And this is where in at least one posting my brain melted a little bit) I didn't like that the H shared the h with his BFF.
Why did my brain melt? Because someone said they didn't think the novel was real enough and gritty enough and then went 'ewe threesome!'
Wait what?
Number 2 bothers me because I feel, that as the author, I failed.
The threesome depicted wasn't supposed to be some raunchy "Hey buddy! You gotta try my girl's vajayjay! It's awesome!" No. No. No and did I say NO?
No what it was, was the ultimate declaration of love and trust, not just between the H & h but also the BFF. It was a one time deal and was more about the trust than the act its self. This was about the h saying without words to the H and the BFF 'I trust you, not just with my body but with my heart and with my mind as well." She'd been through a hell of a thing and this was something for her. To prove to herself that she was free and could make her own decisions and to declare to herself that her body was hers with which to do as she pleased as well as a declaration that despite the shot she went through before, that she was brave.
It was a very big step for her and a very needed step for her in her healing process, without that bit of emotional healing she would have never been able to handle things the way she did later on. So to those of you that have read the book, I apologize for failing you.
I will endeavor to do better in the future.
Those were really the only two things I've seen out there bothering me. Like I said, for the most part, everything I've seen about Shattered & Scarred has been positive. By no means is this to be taken as me being defensive all though I am sure to some it's being taken that way.
I just felt like, as an author, I missed the mark and that some sort of explanation was owed on these two points. Especially the second one. Over all, I feel like this needs to be said:
To all who have read, are reading or are going to read Shattered & Scarred: Thank you. Thank you for taking a chance on me, and for taking a chance on this cast of characters. Some of you have fallen in love, others can't wait to see what happens and then there are those of you who couldn't care less. Still. Thank you. Thank you for buying it. Thank you for reading it and thank you for letting me entertain you for just a little bit. I understand this book and my writing aren't for everyone and that's okay!
For those of you that are waiting for book two, and I know there are some of you out there I've been lurking remember? Hang in there. It'll be out in early September.
Again, thank you so very much for reading my stuff. I am ever so grateful!
Thursday, June 26, 2014
What have I been doing?
Well. Let's see. I put out Shattered & Scarred the Sacred Hearts MC Book I on June 9th. Since then I have finished writing Broken & Burned The Sacred Hearts MC Book II... twice, and have gone over some extensive edits and rewrites with my super heroine, editor/proofreading, BFF, maid of honor, rock star just total woman of awesome, Tracie Warren (Seriously people. You have no idea.)
To top that off, I've written about two thirds of Cracked & Crushed the third installment of the Sacred Hearts series.
In short.
I've been busy!
It has absolutely no signs of letting up either. My muse is working overtime, kicking ass and taking no prisoners and I'm beat. I need a vacation and unfortunately this means I have had very little time for blogging. Not that it really super matters seeing as I am pretty sure no one reads this one anyways. /shrug.
Still I figured I would get my ass over here and show it a little love anyways. So here you go. An update on what I've been doing. OUCH! Shit. Muse is cracking the whip again. /sigh... See you guys later.
Keep the shiny side up!
To top that off, I've written about two thirds of Cracked & Crushed the third installment of the Sacred Hearts series.
In short.
I've been busy!
It has absolutely no signs of letting up either. My muse is working overtime, kicking ass and taking no prisoners and I'm beat. I need a vacation and unfortunately this means I have had very little time for blogging. Not that it really super matters seeing as I am pretty sure no one reads this one anyways. /shrug.
Still I figured I would get my ass over here and show it a little love anyways. So here you go. An update on what I've been doing. OUCH! Shit. Muse is cracking the whip again. /sigh... See you guys later.
Keep the shiny side up!
Thursday, June 19, 2014
Armchair Critics
I wonder if people who give three star and lower ratings realize how much it makes an author wonder. I don't think readers on good reads or even amazon realize how greatly a few simple words helps us as writers to be better.
"***" tells me nothing.
"*** I thought the plot line was too obvious." Or "*** There were too many grammatical errors" or even "*** The story just wasn't my thing" are so much more helpful than "***".
So please, as an independent author, I beg you, if you read it and feel the need to *, **, ***, **** or even *****, drop a one or two sentence note telling us writers WHY you felt it was one star over another! It makes it so much better for me going into a new book, and really does allow me to grow.
You really have no idea just how insightful your musings are to me!
"***" tells me nothing.
"*** I thought the plot line was too obvious." Or "*** There were too many grammatical errors" or even "*** The story just wasn't my thing" are so much more helpful than "***".
So please, as an independent author, I beg you, if you read it and feel the need to *, **, ***, **** or even *****, drop a one or two sentence note telling us writers WHY you felt it was one star over another! It makes it so much better for me going into a new book, and really does allow me to grow.
You really have no idea just how insightful your musings are to me!
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
Thursday, June 5, 2014
Write write read write write...
So since becoming an author, I have to say I've become a horrible reader! I used to read so many books in a month (no joke I averaged about a book a day and I'm talking full length novel nothing short) and then I started writing and the world in my head just became more interesting.
In the beginning this was great because *gasp* look how much money I was saving! Then I had to buy cover art and now I'm looking at ISBN's and yeah, not so cheap anymore... but whatever! My point is, I stopped reading other people's stuff. Granted that was also in part because I'd read everything that had interested me and I was stalled out, waiting for the next book in the series.
Just so happens that two of the author's I've been keeping up with released books about a week apart...
But but but! I whined in my head... I'm writing!
No joke, I'm in the middle of writing the 3rd Sacred Hearts MC novel and I was afraid that if I picked up these two books, never mind they aren't even the same genre, that I was going to loose my 'voice' and it was going to ruin what I was writing as a result... Even though I was hitting a wall on where to go next with the story.
The siren's call, it was too much, I read the damned books. Devoured one right after the other in two days then sat down looking at the blinking cursor in front of me and wouldn't you know it? The opposite of my fears had come true. I plowed through my little wall and wrote close to two chapters in one sitting and stopped, not because I didn't know where to go but because, damn it, I needed sleep!
So here I am today, writing in my blog to immortalize this moment.
Sometimes, when you hit a wall you need to stop fretting and you need to stop chasing yourself around inside your own head trying to force the story to appear.
Put down the pen or fold up the laptop, go read something else, go watch a movie, go immerse yourself in someone else's creativity for a minute and come back refreshed.
Do I think that either book I read has influenced my story so far?
Nope. Not a bit. Opposite worlds and all of that.
Do I think I need to put down the blog, step away from it slowly and go write some more reader's crack? Yes, yes I do, because wouldn't you know it? I have a fan. A fan. At least one fan! But hey look at that! There is at least one person that I know of that is out there reading my books as fast as I can write them being entertained by what I've written and that is what I am in this for, why I do it. So I am extremely grateful to know that I have a fan that wants more so I'm going to get back to it and give them just that... more.
So... Later!
~A.J.
In the beginning this was great because *gasp* look how much money I was saving! Then I had to buy cover art and now I'm looking at ISBN's and yeah, not so cheap anymore... but whatever! My point is, I stopped reading other people's stuff. Granted that was also in part because I'd read everything that had interested me and I was stalled out, waiting for the next book in the series.
Just so happens that two of the author's I've been keeping up with released books about a week apart...
But but but! I whined in my head... I'm writing!
No joke, I'm in the middle of writing the 3rd Sacred Hearts MC novel and I was afraid that if I picked up these two books, never mind they aren't even the same genre, that I was going to loose my 'voice' and it was going to ruin what I was writing as a result... Even though I was hitting a wall on where to go next with the story.
The siren's call, it was too much, I read the damned books. Devoured one right after the other in two days then sat down looking at the blinking cursor in front of me and wouldn't you know it? The opposite of my fears had come true. I plowed through my little wall and wrote close to two chapters in one sitting and stopped, not because I didn't know where to go but because, damn it, I needed sleep!
So here I am today, writing in my blog to immortalize this moment.
Sometimes, when you hit a wall you need to stop fretting and you need to stop chasing yourself around inside your own head trying to force the story to appear.
Put down the pen or fold up the laptop, go read something else, go watch a movie, go immerse yourself in someone else's creativity for a minute and come back refreshed.
Do I think that either book I read has influenced my story so far?
Nope. Not a bit. Opposite worlds and all of that.
Do I think I need to put down the blog, step away from it slowly and go write some more reader's crack? Yes, yes I do, because wouldn't you know it? I have a fan. A fan. At least one fan! But hey look at that! There is at least one person that I know of that is out there reading my books as fast as I can write them being entertained by what I've written and that is what I am in this for, why I do it. So I am extremely grateful to know that I have a fan that wants more so I'm going to get back to it and give them just that... more.
So... Later!
~A.J.
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