5 Things I Learned About Getting Published

by Paula Wiseman

Any new experience brings a fistful of lessons learned. In December 2010, Contingency, my first book released, followed closely by my second book, Indemnity, in April 2011. Here are a few things I’ve discovered on this adventure.

1. Writing a book is just the first half of publishing a book. All that stuff I’d spent years learning, the how-to-write stuff… it was no help once I became a marketer. The learning curve is just as steep but with a huge time crunch added on. I learned to listen to the readers, and I noticed what they respond to. For example, we learned my readers are big Kindle fans, and they enjoyed seeing preview quotes and chapters before the book came out. Every book and audience is different, and figuring out what doesn’t work is valuable information, too.

2. There is a ton of good advice out there. I couldn’t possibly follow all of it. I also learned that occasionally that advice contradicts itself, and sometimes it just doesn’t “fit”. For example, if you write by the seat of your pants, then advice on a systemic, highly structured, note card-driven plot-mapping technique will make you nuts.  I discovered a few industry professionals- writers, agents and editors- that I really like and I stick with them. I follow them on Twitter, subscribe to their blogs, fan them on Facebook.

3. My second book was a lot like my second child. I knew more of what to expect, but it was still a unique experience. The release didn’t garner as much hoopla from others, but I was just as excited. Of course, as with a second-born, it’s tempting to bury all the excitement in a flurry of comparisons. The truth is, the two books work together bolstering each other.

4. ISBN numbers are much cooler when they are yours. I never knew I could be so proud of a 10 or 13 digit number. Also, the Library of Congress registration certificate comes in an envelope that looks a lot like junk mail. Be careful not to toss it!

5. Expect the unexpected. Even though I researched the process, and had a decent idea of what to expect once the books published, there was much more to it. Shipping, display ads, taxes, crashing websites, blog guests, reader emails, and more. Every day brings new surprises and challenges, and except for the occasional hiccup, I wouldn’t trade any of it. With a new book releasing in the fall of 2011, it looks like the lessons won’t stop any time soon.

After working several years as research chemist, Paula Wiseman was blessed with the opportunity to stay home with her children and follow the writer’s path. Contingency: Book One: Covenant of Trust Series, her debut novel, spent time on the Amazon.com Christian Fiction bestsellers list, and was also the #1 Hot New Release in Christian Fiction.

Indemnity Book Two: Covenant of Trust Series is her second novel.

Paula blogs on matters of life and faith at www.paulawiseman.com.  Connect with her on facebook at www.facebook.com/paula.wiseman.author and Twitter at www.twitter.com/paulawiseman.

Tags: 5 Things, contemporary Christian Fiction, contemporary fiction author, contemporary fiction book, five things, getting published, Guest Blogger, Indemnity, Paula Wiseman

Title: Homecoming: Osguards: Guardians of the Universe
Author: Malcolm Dylan Petteway
Publisher: Rage Books
Paperback: 300 pages
ISBN: 0984364501
Genre: Science Fiction

For centuries the planets of Kulusk and Chaktun have battled in the heavens above Earth. In 1860, twin Chaktun princesses, Laurona and Nausona Osguard, fled to Earth and were beaten and raped as slaves in the United States’ antebellum south. Unbeknownst to the people of 21st century Earth, their descendants, the Osguards now govern a universal peacekeeping organization called the Universal Science, Security and Trade Association of Planets—USSTAP. The First Osguard, Michael Genesis leads the Osguards in protecting the 60 known galaxies of the universe from Kulusk tyranny. Now Earth has become an unwitting pawn in the Kulusk Empire’s thirst for revenge against the people of Chaktun, forcing Michael to prepare USSTAP, for the first time, to go on the offensive and wage an all out universal war. If he is successful, many people will die, and if he is not, Earth will be destroyed.

Book Excerpt:

Book Trailer:

Author Bio:

Malcolm Dylan Petteway is a senior military analyst, a retired military officer and a twenty-year veteran of the United States Air Force. He flew B-52’s as an Electronic Warfare Officer and has 3,000 flight hours and 300 combat hours. In his distinguished career, Malcolm has used his knowledge in the art of war, military weapons and combat defenses in planning over 400 combat sorties.  Besides his Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters and numerous other awards, Malcolm is the recipient of the U.S. Air Force Air Medal and the U.S. Air Force Air Achievement Medal for his actions during Operation Enduring Freedom. Malcolm Petteway is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy and California State University.

His latest book is Homecoming – Osguards: Guardians of the Universe (Book 1).

You can visit Malcolm at http://www.ragebooks.net.

Tags: book spotlights, Homecoming, Malcolm Petteway, science fiction, science fiction author, science fiction book, science fiction novel

Title: My Heart Stopped Beating
Author: Chamed
Publisher: Mindleaves
Paperback: 142 pages
ISBN: 8890597704
Genre: Memoir

Fourteen year old Italian girl, Chamed, is a living miracle after fighting illness since birth to live a normal life. Now fourteen years old, she feels a thrill of freedom when she convinces her parents to let her stay home alone while they go on holiday. She soon regrets that decision when she receives a call from her aunt Patrizia that the worst has happened: her parents have died in a car accident.

Things only get worse for Chamed as she mourns the deaths of her parents and suffers under the care of her aunt and uncle. Her aunt repeatedly abuses her and convinces others that she is an evil child. When Chamed’s best friend’s father sexually harasses her, the blame is placed on Chamed. Deeply depressed, she attempts suicide, only to find herself waking up in a mental hospital. Her nightmare is only beginning as she is subjected to electroshock therapy against her will – and worse from the nurses and doctors.

Finally she finds hope again in Dr. Franco, but will he be enough to save her from this living nightmare?

Book Excerpt:

“Why am I here? I am in a mental hospital! Dad, would you have thought it? Help me.”

I dragged my body out of that mortal icehouse.

With great effort I started walking, but my energies abandoned me and I ensconced myself on the ground.

Don’t remember where, but I was out, in the garden.

A man approached me, staring at me and crying. In his eyes I could see his soul shining.

He said: “You fell from the sky. And men have cut your wings!”

Weeping, I replied: “I’m afraid! Tell me why I’m here. How do I go?! Can you help me?”

“Angels are not afraid.” And he went away.

Book Trailer:

Author Bio:

Chamed is not the registry office name of the author, yet it is not a pseudonym. She lives in Tuscany, she works mostly abroad, as a painter on canvas and porcelain. Some of her porcelain works are displayed in exhibitions in Italy, Sweden and Poland, France, Portugal and Brazil. My Heart Stopped Beating is her first novel. A second novel by her is forthcoming.

Tags: Chamed

Pump Up Your Book is proud to host the authors and publisher of Zumaya Publications at their 5 year birthday bash chat book giveaway!  The party will be held on Tuesday, July 26, 2011 starting at 8 p.m. eastern, 7 p.m. central, 6 p.m. mountain and 5 p.m. pacific time) and ending at 11 p.m. (eastern time).  Tell your book friends that not only will this give them an opportunity to chat with the authors and editor of Zumaya Publications, but they will be eligible to win lots of goodies including  A FREE KINDLE E-READER!

Click here for details!

Tags: book giveaway, chat, Elizabeth Burton, free kindle, Pump Up Your Book, Zumaya Publications

One question I am often asked is how Bloodmaiden came into existence. One question I would like to answer today is: How did the four dynasties of Sulaimon come into existence?

To answer this, I must talk a little how the book came into being at all. I originally had an idea for a book where the heroes traveled to the four kingdoms of four corners of a land to collect parts of a powerful, magical song called the Aria. The book would be called The Quest for Aria. Later on, when I decided to incorporate other ideas, namely those in the opening chapters of Bloodmaiden, the book took on a darker, more serious feel and thus needed a darker, more serious title.

The four kingdoms in the four corners of the land needed to be unique, because I had done quest-related stories before and don’t want to ever make any two books too similar. I had never done a fantasy with dragons before, namely because I’d never really read any dragon fiction I really liked. So, I decided to write a book with dragons that I myself would enjoy reading.

It’s always hard to remember which concepts came first for each aspect of the story. In this case, I’m uncertain whether using dragons, having four Aria, having a dynasty where dark rituals were followed, came first. Eventually though, as things came together, I conjured the idea of there being four dynasties where humans and dragons lived in harmony. For each dynasty, the dragons protected the humans. In turn, the humans offered a yearly tribute, such as the best of their crops. For each dynasty, the tribute would be different. And for one dynasty, Tynan, the tribute would have turned corrupted and horrible over the years.

Next came naming the dynasties and creating them. The entire world in which the dynasties are set became “Sulaimon”, a name I made up because it was close to “Solomon”. In the Old Testament of the Bible, Solomon is the richest king to ever live. I wanted “Sulaimon” to reflect the land as a very rich, prosperous land.

The four dynasties were each meant to have their own type of dragon race, human race, and culture. I did a bit of online research for types of dragons and, as ever, added details to make the dragons and their dynasties my own. Here is a glimpse into the process that crafted these dynasties.

Zale is my favorite dynasty. It’s very oriental, from its structures to its dragons, with their long snaky bodies and wise, meditative character. Although, interestingly enough, the human race there is more Jamaican as far as looks and speech. The name Zale is actually a Greek name meaning “sea strength”, which is perfect considering the dynasty of Zale is set off the coast of Sulaimon. The dragons of Zale are a kind, patient breed, and it is here that Crisilin learns that not all dragons are vicious creatures to be feared.

Gauthier is a German name meaning “people of power” or “army of power.” This dynasty is meant to reflect a medieval European feel. These dragons are all about brute strength and bravery, as opposed to the quieter wisdom of Zale. Here Crisilin will learn that all dragons have weaknesses just like humans; they are not alway as all-powerful as meets the eye.

Varden has a more tropical feel. I was thinking South American when I created the dynasty, though others may imagine otherwise. They are a dynasty rich in art and culture and focus on the intellectual side of life, their great love being riddles of all kinds. Varden means “from the green hill”, reflecting Varden’s rich agriculture. It is set in a deep valley which is literally a tropical rain forest. In Varden, Crisilin and the others actually partake in the dragons’ riddling and, more than learning about their dragons, learn about their own, deepest desires and fears.

Finally, our heroes must return to Tynan. Tynan is a cold place. The dragons are icy white, reflecting the condition of their hearts. Their white can also represent a blankness, an ignorance though, which will come into play towards the end of the story. One could even think of their white as an ironic purity representing what they consider a purifying yearly ritual. Tynan comes from the Gaelic for “dark, dusky”. An appropriate name for a dynasty living in perpetual darkness, upon which dusk has fallen until it can be saved.

Crisilin does not necessarily expect to, but in returning to Tynan, she learns something about those dragons as well. However, I’ll not spoil that. I’ll leave my readers to join Crisilin on her adventure and discover the truth for themselves.

Christine E. Schulze has been creating books since she was too young to even write them in words. Her collection of YA fantasy books, The Amielian Legacy, is comprised of series and stand-alone books which can all be read separately but which weave together to create an amazing fantasy. She hopes to inspire readers throughout the world with these books by publishing in both traditional and electronic formats to make them available to all readers.
Christine has published several stories with Calliope and Kalkion magazines and is an active member of the WE book online writing community. She has also published several Christian/fantasy books which are available at various online retailers, as well as publishing several eBooks via Writers-Exchange.

Her latest and most exciting venture includes her publications with Old Line Publishing: Bloodmaiden and Tears of a Vampire Prince: the First Krystine. She also anticipates her upcoming publication with Old Line, Lily in the Snow, as well as releasing The Chronicles of the Mira with Writers-Exchange in both paperback and electronic forms.

Christine currently lives in Belleville, Illinois in her first and most thrilling apartment.

You can visit Schulze at Goodreads at http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3242087.Christine_E_Schulze or her blog at www.goldenhealeratwork.blogspot.com. Connect with her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/Chasmira or Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/Chasmira. Like her Fan Page at http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Christine-E-Schulze/158265555890.

Tags: Bloodmaiden, Christine Schulze, Guest Blogger

Do You Love To Eat?

When did enjoying good food become a sin? Seriously, it’s ridiculous and I never understood this. Why should I count the calories, worry about what every single bite contains, and stress each time I get hungry?

Good food is one of the pillars of Italian Dolce Vita. In Italy, food is the cure to every illness you can think of. Food is the cure to heartbreak. Food is the ultimate flirting tool. Food is a way to meet new friends and keep in touch with old friends. Food is the heart of every home. Food is fun, food is love, food is pleasure. Food is something to be enjoyed. And cooking is an ingenious craft, a delicious art, and an essential part of the mating game. My Milanese friend, the chef of a wonderful local trattoria who makes the best tagliatelle quattro formaggi in the whole world (and looks like Adonis in the process), says: “If God didn’t want us to enjoy food, He wouldn’t give us taste buds.” And he usually adds: “A cook is the doctor of the nation. If everyone ate in my trattoria, you wouldn’t need supplements.” Amen.

Let’s be honest: Do you take the time to enjoy every single meal? Do you cook for yourself and your friends, do you savor every bite, do you have fun with those you love when enjoying a delicious dinner at least once a week? Is eating something that you do to stay alive, or is it something you look forward to every day?

Each time I go to Italy, I submerge myself in all the delicacies this wonderful country has to offer. Croissants and cappuccinos for breakfast, creamy risottos, juicy steaks and scrumptious pasta for lunch, my aunt’s chocolate desserts after every meal, pizza and wine with friends for dinner, and little snacks throughout the day. And do you know what happens after this Lucullan feast alla Milanese? I actually lose weight. At least five pounds. Every single time.

How is it possible? Well, I have a theory. When I’m in Italy, I enjoy the food I eat with all my senses. Without feeling guilty or thinking that “I really shouldn’t eat this”, I simply let go and welcome the spirit of the epicurean pleasure. What’s more, everything you eat in Italy is full of the Italian sun, sea breeze, passion and love. Can the Italian sun, sea and passion and love be fattening? I don’t think so.

Therefore, to bring a piece of your own Dolce Vita into your days this week, eat what you love and eat it with those you love. You’ll see that your life will be much sweeter. (Plus, guys everywhere in the world love girls who eat. Really. Take my Italian word for it.)

Barbara Conelli is an internationally published author and Chiquenist on the mission to bring Fantastic Fearless Feminine Fun into women’s lives. In her charming, delightful and humorous Chique Books filled with Italian passion, Barb invites women to explore Italy from the comfort of their home with elegance, grace and style, encouraging them to live their own Dolce Vita no matter where they are in the world.

Barb learned to read and write at the age of four, and a year later, she wrote her first bestselling book that became a big hit in local kindergartens. She turned into an overnight success that lasted for twelve exciting hours. Since then, she has never separated from her writing endeavors. Barb writes even in her sleep and she can often be seen sitting on her bed at three a.m. with a flashlight frantically processing her somnambulant ideas. A born nomad and adventurer, she’s been there, she’s done it, and she’s not afraid to write about it.

An entertaining storyteller, Barb has a unique ability to capture the magical atmosphere of the places she writes about. Through the pages of her books, Barb takes your hand and guides you through the irresistible beauty, captivating secrets, unrepeatable spell and fugitive moments of Italy. She makes them come alive easily and spontaneously, and her writing is like a magic carpet that carries you to Italy and back in the blink of an eye. She introduces you to fascinating women who have created the face of Italy, lifts the shroud of their mysteries, and reveals adorable places off the beaten track where the authentic Italian heart hasn’t stopped beating.

As a naturally curious person who loves traveling, meeting new people and discovering their life stories, Barbara founded Chique Show, an entertaining radio show for women and about women. On Chique Show, Barbara shares her Dolce Vita adventures and interviews inspiring women authors and experts who show listeners how to live their sweet life with gusto.

Barb lives between New York and Milan, and as a real globetrotter, she’s always on the move, accompanied by her adorable and very spoiled beagle. To her, writing is like breathing, and she’s currently working on her new book.

Her latest book is Chique Secrets of Dolce Vita, a narrative travel nonfiction book full of charming, poetic, delightful and humorous travel and life stories about extraordinary Milanese women, men who have succumbed to their temptation and the art of living your own dolce vita no matter where in the world you are.

You can visit her website at www.barbaraconelli.com or connect with her at Twitter at www.twitter.com/barbaraconelli or Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/barbaraconelli.

Tags: Barbara Conelli, blog tour, book promotions, book tour, Chique Secrets of Dolce Vita, eat, eat food, food, Guest Blogger

Tags: blog tour, book promotions, book publicity, Jaime McDougall, So You Want to Write a Guest Post, virtual book tour

We have a special guest today. Steve DeWinter, author of the suspense thriller, Inherit the Throne, is here to give us his thoughts on book stores closings.

Retail book sales are down. Stores are closing. The traditional publishing world is in a panic. Why?!

Two words: convenience and abundance. Customers no longer need to go to a bookstore (i.e. burn precious fossil fuel while hitting every red light on the way, run through the rain slicked parking lot because the only spot left was in the back by the dumpster, set aside a couple of hours to peruse the shelves yet not find the exact book you want and then stand in a long line because only one register is open) to buy a book.

The truth of the matter is, I can’t walk up to the register at a Barnes & Noble and purchase an eBook for myself or for a friend. eBooks can only be purchased online or via the eReader itself, by the person who is going to read it. No eBooks as presents this Christmas. But, the book purchase as a gift issue aside, you still just click a couple of buttons and voila, you are reading your newly purchased book; all from the comfort of wherever you happen to be. eBooks are convenient. And abundant.

Authors who I am just now finding out about, but were published twenty years ago, are giving their books a second life by publishing their backlist as eBooks. Books that were pulled from the brick and mortar stores because there wasn’t enough interest in these books to take up valuable shelf space. Books that are now selling like hotcakes and making the authors even more money than they did before. Is it a bad thing that the bookstores are closing? Not necessarily.As a consumer, I will always choose convenient and abundant over inconvenient and limited.

Does this mean that printed books are going away? Again, not necessarily. Maybe the bookstore, as a destination (all your eggs in one basket) retail spot, will fade into history, but I can still buy print books at WalMart, Costco, my local grocer, etc. As an indie-author, my books never made it onto brick and morter shelves, but I don’t mind. And do you know why? Because I know that my books will still be available for sale a year from now, or even ten years from now. Even if I only sell a few copies a month. Amazon is not going to send back my eBook or pull it from the digital shelves because it didn’t become a besteseller within two weeks of its release. I am my own publisher and I will not make the decision to “retire” any of my books because of lackluster sales.

To find out more about Steve visit www.stevedw.com

Tags: Guest Blogger, Inherit the Throne, Steve DeWinter, suspense thriller

The Literarily Speaking Book Panel talks to authors on different subjects regarding books, book industry topics, book selling, book promotions, and whatever catches our fancy. Today we are talking about book store closings and how it affects us.  Are book stores on the way out?

Our Distinguished Panel of Authors

Several of Hugh Aaron’s short stories have been published in national magazines and 18 of his essays on business management have appeared in The Wall Street Journal. He is the author of Business Not as Usual: How to Win Managing a Company through Hard and Easy Times. Currently he’s writing and producing plays. His latest book is a short story collection, Stories From a Lifetime.

You can visit his website at www.stonespointbooks.com or his blog at www.businesswisdom.blogspot.com.

Lilian Duval lives with her husband George, a native of Singapore, in a small house in New Jersey overlooking a large county park. They have two sons and a daughter, all independent and ambitious, and several cats. She’s an amateur classical guitarist and enjoys attending concerts and plays in New York City. But writing has always been her calling. In her own words, “The most enjoyable activity I can imagine is to invent some characters, make them a little larger than life, set them bickering and thrashing against each other and their fates, and enact a fictional resolution that makes more sense than the chaos and unpredictability of our complicated lives.” Lilian’s latest book is You Never Know: Tales of Tobias, an Accidental Lottery Winner. You can visit Lilian’s website at www.lilianduval.com.  Connect with her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/lilianduval and Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lilian-Duval/121776657899250?sk=wall.

C. Elizabeth lives in St. Albert, Alberta, Canada.  She stumbled upon writing, it found her, she finds writing a peaceful escape and is very excited to have her characters come alive in her readers’ minds. Her contemporary romance novel, Absolute Obsession, is about 42 year old Rose Gerbaldi who by an intervention of fate unites her heart and soul with 30 year old British movie star, Michael Terrance. Please visit and blog with her at www.celizabeth.ca. Connect with her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/search/users/CElizabeth4 and Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1567713637.

James Mace is the author of the historical fiction novel, Soldier of Rome: The Legionary. He has started work on a pair of historical novels about the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879. The working title for the first book is “Brutal Valour”. He is tentatively planning for it to be released sometime in 2012, along with the fifth book in The Artorian Chronicles, “Soldier of Rome: Judea”.

You can visit James at http://legionarybooks.net

L.L. Reaper is two multi-published, award-winning authors who decided to write under a pen name for their dangerously sexy suspense series, Black Widow and the Sandman.

You can visit their website at www.llreaper.com or connect with them at Twitter at www.twitter.com/llreaper and Facebook at www.facebook.com/AuthorLLReaper.

Greg Messel has always loved writing.   He worked as the news editor and sports editors of the Daily Rocket-Miner newspaper.  He won a Wyoming Press Association award for his column.  He also submitted and had published articles in various sports magazines.  He left the newspaper business in 1981 and began a 27 year career with Pacific Power.  Greg retired in 2008 and moved to Seattle.  He has written two unpublished memoirs and published his first novel with Trafford in September 2009.   His first novel was called “Sunbreaks.”   The second novel “Expiation” was published in the spring of 2010 with Trafford.  A third novel is in the works.  Visit his website at www.gregmessel.com. Connect with him at Twitter at www.twitter.com/gregmessel and Facebook at www.facebook.com/greg.messel.

Rie Sheridan Rose has been writing professionally for the last ten years.  She has published 4 novels, 1 short story collection, 2 chapbooks of collected stories, and five poetry collections as well as contributing to several anthologies.  Her latest book is The Luckless Prince, published by Zumaya Otherworlds. Rie lives in Texas with her husband Newell and several cats, all spoiled rotten. You can visit her website at www.riewriter.com. Connect with Rie at Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/riesheridanrose.

Christine E. Schulze has been creating books since she was too young to even write them in words. Her collection of YA fantasy books, The Amielian Legacy, is comprised of series and stand-alone books which can all be read separately but which weave together to create an amazing fantasy. She hopes to inspire readers throughout the world with these books by publishing in both traditional and electronic formats to make them available to all readers.  Her latest and most exciting venture includes her publications with Old Line Publishing: Bloodmaiden and Tears of a Vampire Prince: the First Krystine. She also anticipates her upcoming publication with Old Line, Lily in the Snow, as well as releasing The Chronicles of the Mira with Writers-Exchange in both paperback and electronic forms. You can visit Schulze at Goodreads at http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3242087.Christine_E_Schulze or her blog at www.goldenhealeratwork.blogspot.com.  Connect with her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/Chasmira or Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/Chasmira.  Like her Fan Page at http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Christine-E-Schulze/158265555890.

A native of upstate New York, Frank Zaccari earned a degree in finance from California State University at Sacramento after serving as a military medic in the U.S. Air Force. He spent over 25 years in the high-tech industry holding positions from account representative to CEO, and for nearly 20 years specialized in turn-around management of companies under 100 million dollars. After becoming a single, custodial parent after nearly 25 years of marriage, he left an industry that he loved to buy a small business in order to be home to raise his children. He is currently the owner of an insurance agency and resides in Sacramento, California. Frank Zaccari’s previous book is From The Ashes: The Rise of the University of Washington Volleyball Program. His latest book is When the Wife Cheats. You can visit his website at www.frankzaccari.com. Visit him on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001207722973.

In 2006 Wayne Zurl began writing crime fiction. Seven of his Sam Jenkins mysteries have been produced as audio books and simultaneously published as eBooks. His first full-length novel, A New Prospect, traditionally published by Black Rose Writing, debuted in January 2011. Zurl left New York to live in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee with his wife, Barbara. For more information about Zurl or his writing, visit www.waynezurlbooks.net. Follow his book signing tour at www.booktour.com/authors/show/31206. Connect with Wayne at Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/waynezurl or Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001483038544.

Literarily Speaking July 2011 Book Panel: “The Closings of Book Stores – What Happened?”

Hugh Aaron:  “Over the years as the giant bookstore chains established themselves in communities around the country the local bookstores suffered partly because they didn’t have the inventory, the variety,  and partly because they couldn’t compete on price. Also with the rise of Amazon-com and it’s discounted prices the small bookstores and as well as the chains have further suffered. More recently as electronic books have gained popularity due to the widespread distribution of Kindle like devices, not only are the local bookstores taking a further hit, but so are the bookstore chains, one even going bankrupt. However in the smaller communities distant from the chains many local bookstores are surviving, partly because of customer loyalty and partly because of convenience. Since I have had a long term relationship with the half dozen small bookstores in our area they have welcomed my books, especially since I’m an in-state author. Also Amazon.com offers my books at a discount to the public and promotes them via reviews. As a result I offer my titles to our local bookstores for the same wholesale price that Amazon.com pays.”

Lilian Duval:  “The last chapter on bookstores is that people love convenience. They would rather shop from their home or office computers than browse in a bookstore. Because of this, online book sales continue to grow, even while bookstores continue to close. First, it was the independent bookstores. Chain bookstores followed, felled by the mightY Amazon.com. As an author, I’ve pounded politely on the doors of many independent bookstores, coming close in some cases, but no sale. A surprise was one bookstore in Santa Monica, California: I walked into a Barnes & Noble and handed the Help Desk person one of my specially printed bookmarks. After I told him about the book, he immediately ordered two copies and said he’d order more if those sold. You never know! (Incidentally, the title of my novel is YOU NEVER KNOW!)”

C. Elizabeth:  “The demise of our bookstores, I believe, is directly linked to this day and age’s technology.  With everyone being extremely busy, most are unable to find the time to stop into a store to peruse the shelves, many find it easier to sit at their kitchen tables to quickly look through cyberspace shelves and are still able to juggle their household duties, kids, and the like, multitasking, if you will.  I myself prefer to hold a book in my hands, the idea of looking at it on the computer screen simply doesn’t have the same power to get my emotions running, especially when we stare at a computer screen all day.  I like to feel the realness of the work.  As for getting my novel, Absolute Obsession, on the shelves in a brick and mortar bookstore, well that has been difficult.  However one large chain and two or three small bookstores have been willing to carry my book on consignment, as well as allowing me to do book signings.  So far it has been a very pleasant experience.”

James Mace: “The demise of book stores, if that is an appropriate term, falls along the lines of the decline of video rental stores. It was precipitated by technology that increased the ease of access for readers, while at the same time deeply cutting prices. When I first started writing, the rule was still that you had to find an agent and get picked up by a major publishing house. If you went the self-publishing route, you were deemed a failure and often mocked by the literary community. Getting picked up by a traditional house and getting into brick and mortar bookstores was the only real sign of success. The explosion of the ebook, particularly Amazon Kindle, changed everything. While ebooks had been around for a while, the immense popularity of the Kindle brought them out into the mainstream. Perhaps one of the smartest marketing ploys by Amazon was allowing readers to download the Kindle software for free onto pretty much any device; i.e. laptop, smart phone, etc. This allowed anyone not wishing to fork out the money for a Kindle reader to still purchase ebooks through Amazon. One point of frustration from my own experience is that I had no say in the pricing of my paperback books, and like most print-on-demand books, I feel they are overpriced. Ebooks gave the power back to the author. Digital books can be sold at whatever price the author chooses, and as there are no production costs or overhead involved, prices can be tailored to what readers are willing to pay. An interesting note is that I make less on a trade paperback that sells in book stores for $18.95 than I do on a Kindle book that I sell for $4.99. In addition to costs, another factor is the idea of impulse buying. Consumers are far more likely to purchase something if all they have to do is click a button. Let’s be honest, all of us who’ve ever shopped online have been guilty of it. While the lower costs and ease of purchasing may not have made traditional book stores completely obsolete, they have certainly gouged a significant chunk out of the market. Book stores are also expensive to maintain and have enormous overhead costs in renting of space, employee salaries, etc. The cost of selling ebooks is pretty much negligible. The one dynamic that is still up in the air, and which the traditional publishers hold the advantage at the moment, is marketing and advertising. Traditional marketing is extremely expensive and far beyond the ability of a novice writer to afford. Internet and the blogosphere are starting to change that, and traditional publishers have started to take notice. Blog marketing gets enormous amounts of exposure and is currently inexpensive to do. All of this has completely turned the publishing world upside down. Authors now hold the power, not the publishing houses and so-called ‘experts’ who stifle creativity by saying there is no market for a particular story. If there is a downside to this, it is that absolutely anyone can publish anything on digital books. This leads to a potential flooding of the market of books that are simply badly written.  Thankfully, the cost of digital books is often very low, so it is a minimal investment to the reader. And if there is in fact no market for a story, the reading audience will decide, rather than the literary experts. As for my own publishing journey; when I wrote my first book, Soldier of Rome: The Legionary, I attempted to go the traditional route and get an agent. I was turned down more times than I can count. Oddly enough, no one said they didn’t like it. Rather, the response I got every time was, “There is no market for this.” This left me scratching my head, and I assumed they had never seen the movies Gladiator or 300. I eventually elected to go with self-publishing and decided that I would let the readers tell me whether or not there was a market for my stories. For about the first five years I went through what pretty much every self-published author did. Though my books sold better than probably most of my peers, royalty checks were still insignificant and my writing was little more than a hobby, even after I published my fourth book in the series. Only a small handful of brick and mortar stores carry my books, and these are because they are locally run and operated and I happen to know the owners. Within the last year Amazon Kindle has become my new best friend. Sales have skyrocketed, and I now sell far more ebooks in a single day than I used to sell trade paperbacks in an entire month. Whereas only a year ago I was writing simply as a hobby, I now make substantially more in royalties than I do at my regular job and can focus on being a full-time author. Mind you, it has been a rough journey at times, with many painful lessons learned, but I would not change it. So has the lack of having my books in traditional stores hurt me at all? Perhaps a little bit, though I really do not notice it anymore. I believe there will always be a market for actual books, so I do not see the brick and mortar stores going away completely. In the end, the mass popularity of the digital book has leveled the playing field and given aspiring novelists a chance to tell their stories to the reading public. Could we ask for anything more than that?”

Greg Messel:  “Several years ago, one of my favorite pastimes was browsing music stores and looking for new CDs or obscure CDs by bands or artists that I knew.  “The hunt was part of the joy of browsing the shelves for CDs.  Then I bought my first iPod.  Then I began burning my CDs into iTunes so my music library could be loaded onto my new iPod. Soon I needed a bigger iPod to hold more music. For a while, I still visited the music stores. I would find CDs I liked and go home and download them from iTunes onto my iPod. However, it was not long before it occurred to me–”what’s the point of visiting the music stores? I will just browse through the online store and buy what I want. In fact, I don’t need to buy a whole CD any longer. I can just buy the songs I want. Apparently others were having the same experience I was having since music stores started disappearing. I found myself feeling sad when a great independent music store closed and then one of my favorite chain stores, Tower Records, closed. Amidst my sadness at their demise I realized that it had been a long, long time since I had purchased anything at these stores. I now incredibly see bookstores starting to close. I bought myself a Kindle for Christmas a year ago and I haven’t been back to a bookstore since. I love my Kindle and I do not plan to buy an actual book for the foreseeable future. When I wrote my first book over two years ago, my number one goal was to see my book or books on the shelves of the local bookstore. It would be incredible to go the Borders or Barnes & Noble at the nearby mall and see my book there. I discovered that was a very difficult task. A few independent bookstores were willing to put my books on their shelves. However, Barnes and Noble and Borders were like storming the castle. I felt like I was walking into a McDonald’s offering a new recipe for a cheeseburger. One Barnes & Noble store gave me a four page application and said I could fill it out and send it with a copy of my book to an address in New York City to be considered worthy to be on their shelves. This was clearly the old business model and didn’t allow self published books or indie authors into their carefully controlled world. I was able to have two book signings at a local Borders. I was a real rush to see people checking out at Borders buy my book. I would occasionally stops in at the bookstores which had accepted my book to see if it was still on the shelf. The good news was my book was still on their shelf. The bad news was that my book was still on their shelf. I soon realized that having 3-5 of your books tucked away in the fiction section of a huge brick and mortar bookstore is not as big a thrill as I anticipated. The volume is painfully low. Between the time my first book was published and now, as my third book is being published the whole world has changed. The dynamics of the on line purchasing of books and now the e book format is spreading my books world wide. I am concentrating my efforts in on line marketing. I live in Seattle but I have sold books all over the United States, in England, Saudi Arabia, the Philippines and Canada. One of my favorite all time tweets was received from a woman in London, England who said, “I’ve read both of your books and loved them. I’m looking forward to you new book.” What a thrill! How long would it have taken that to happen if I were trying to place my novels with individual bookstores?”

LL Reaper: “Bookstore chains came in and underpriced independent book stores until many of the independent stores had to close. Then the era of the Internet began, and people shifted from purchasing in brick and mortar stores to buying many of their books online. The overhead for running a large chain clashed with the shift, so now large chains are suffering. I believe independent bookstores will come back. Not as strong, but there is still a niche market that brings in billions in revenue from those of us who enjoy walking the bookstore aisles and finding those hidden treasures. I purchase mostly eBooks now, but still enjoy the bookstore experience that online can never replace. When I take the baby to the bookstore or library, the excitement in his eyes in anticipation of the adventures we’ll be reading just isn’t there when I’ve shown him books online that we can order.”

Rie Sheridan Rose:  “I think many factors have led to the demise of the Book Store we used to know.  The economy is hard on everyone, and disposable income took a hit.  That’s undeniable.  Of course, book lovers will still find a way to buy books, but there is so much more available online than any brick and mortar store can hold that the online retailers had a distinct advantage.  The physical restrictions of space and stock disappeared on Amazon, and you didn’t even have to leave your chair to get a book.  Then there came the one-click away, why would you want to run down to the shopping mall and deal with the hassles?  There are still flourishing bookstores, but they are usually either used books – where people can look for those hard to find classics or they myriad volumes not translated to ebook yet – or they are small independents where the owner and staff get to know their clientele and buy stock to cater to their needs.  The little bookstore in my hometown has always been happy to take some of my books on consignment, and they do this for many local authors.  I have never had any trouble getting my books on the shelves, but I never tried to get them in the chains – I focused on the independents – I think that is the future of bookstores.”

Christine Schultze:  “I actually sort of feel it is a shame that it is so difficult to get one’s book into a brick-and-mortar store if one is published by a smaller press. I do understand that there are probably a lot of independent publishers who don’t take as much care with their books as others, and these stores don’t want to bother with riff-raff that won’t sell. However, I’ve also seen books by major traditional publishers that don’t seem that great, and there are plenty of books by smaller presses that deserve more clout than they get. I personally went to a couple major bookstores and approached them about book-signings, but they said they would have to actually carry my book first. I understood that, but the process of trying to get the book in the stores proved impossible for me. I could have tried things like getting the necessary number of reviews and sending the book off to the bookstores’ headquarters to be reviewed and possibly accepted into the stores. But there were other requirements, such as the book needing to be one hundred percent refundable for the bookstores, which I had no control over. I’m not entirely sure how this affects my sales, as I tend to sell more eBook versions of my books than print anyways. However, I still aspire to see my books in stores and especially to be able to take part in physical book-signings. That’s one reason I’m preparing to seek the aid of an agent for one of my books soon, to hopefully break into a big publisher and thus the traditional brick-and-mortar stores.”

Frank Zaccari:  “I am deeply saddened by the demise of the local bookstores. I recall growing up spending hours in these stores and finding many wonderful books. The growth, ease of data access and the convenience provided by the internet had a devastating affect on bookstores. Unfortunately, my books have not been carried by brick and mortar stores.The convenience of online purchasing has taken away some of the intimacy of browsing through the aisles and meeting local authors.”

Wayne Zurl: “Book stores, like any other small or large business feel the crunch of our poor economy. Overhead keeps going up and sales have fallen down drastically. Over the last few years two excellent storefront book shops in Knoxville, TN, one of the Davis Kidd chain and Carpe Librum, an independent shop, were forced to close their doors. Likewise, a few discount book warehouses in the area went the way of the dinosaurs. A friend who owns a used and rare book shop says her business fell off by 50% since 2009. Jobs are scarce. So is ready cash. Regardless of what the government tells us about a stable cost of living, this claim is manipulated by dismal housing prices. Who can deny prices of everyday necessities and fuel have escalated.  The last time I looked, Amazon accounts for 44% of all books sold in the US. With the discounts they often offer and even a slightly higher shipping cost than what a walk-in customer may pay in sales tax, that buyer gets a better deal from the big dot com company at a time when every penny counts. Then there are eBooks. I’ve read that although polls indicate the average reader would rather hold a real book in their hands, Amazon’s gross book sales are 30% or more via Kindle. Then there are Nook, Kobo, and all the variations sold by Smashwords and their rivals. Paper, printing, and most everything to do with traditional publishing is expensive. However, if the big houses continue to demand at least $27.95 for a new novel, something that may two months after purchase get donated to the public library’s used book sale, the demand for hard copies may disappear.”

Tags: book stores, book stores closings, C. Elizabeth, Christine E. Schulze, Christine Schulze, Frank Zaccari, Greg Messel, Hugh Aaron, James Mace, L.L. Reaper, Lilian Duval, LL Reaper, Rie Sheridan Rose, Wayne Zurl

Blanca Beyar, also known as (Lavanya) wears many hats. She is a Doctor of Natural Health, a Reiki Master, Shaman, Spiritual Counselor and beloved Guru. Her purpose and passion in life is to assist humanity in raising their consciousness, to help them unveil their divine radiance and achieve spiritual and emotional wholeness. Blanca honors her calling for service through her healing work and also through her writing. Her latest book, “The Goddess Speaks” is a sacred dictation that she received from the Mother Goddess that lovingly reaches out to humanity as only a Mother could. Each page is filled with inspiration, spiritual history and a promise for a brighter and wholesome tomorrow. Blanca also produces and hosts her own cable television show, “Spiritual Teachings With Lavanya” where she offers insight and guidance on spiritual principles. She has authored four other self-help/spiritual books and maintains a private holistic practice in Staten Island, New York. You can visit her website at SpiritAscend.com.

Blanca is on a virtual book tour this month with Pump Up Your Book and is here to answer a few questions about it.

Can you tell us how you found out about virtual book tours and why you decided to have one set up for you?

I was searching the Internet for ways to promote my book and came across a website promoting virtual book tours. I was very intrigued by the concept of offering interviews and information of my book online. The WWW has been and continue to be one of the greatest venues for communication and social interaction, not to mention the exchange of data. The Internet is the largest library in the world…I was interested!

Now that you’ve had a first hand experience of preparing for a virtual book tour, how has the experience been for you so far?  Did you find out things about your book you never realized before and what about all that hard work?  Was it exhausting?

What I did learn while working on my book tour is that it is harder than I thought to answer questions about the book and myself. The experience of the virtual book tour has taught me that I need to become more comfortable talking about the “writer and why does not writer write.” It was not at all exhausting to conduct the interviews, but it was a bit challenging to answer so many questions about myself. I just like to write; never thought too much beyond that reality.

What words of wisdom can you give others who are thinking about going on a virtual book tour?

I would definitely recommend authors to explore Virtual book tours. It is an easy way to receive exposure for your book without having to invest large sums of funds. In the process, you will learn much about yourself and it will serve you for future interviews and appearances.

You can visit Blanca’s tour page at http://www.pumpupyourbook.com/2011/06/03/mother-goddess-speaks-online-book-tour-july-2011/.

Tags: Blanca Meyar, Goddess Mother Speaks, virtual book tours

Barbara Chepaitis is the author of 8 published books, including The Fear Principle and The Fear of God featuring Jaguar Addams (Wildside Press), and the critically acclaimed mainstream novels, Feeding Christine and These Dreams. Her first nonfiction book, Feathers of Hope, is about Berkshire Bird Paradise and the human connection with birds.   She’s writing a sequel which tells the story of helping our US Troops in Afghanistan rescue Eagle Mitch.  Barbara is founder of the storytelling trio The Snickering Witches, and faculty coordinator for the fiction component of Western Colorado’s MFA program in creative writing.

Barbara is on a virtual book tour this month with Pump Up Your Book and is here with us today to answer a few questions about them.

Can you tell us how you found out about virtual book tours and why you decided to have one set up for you?

I found out about virtual book tours through another author, one whose work I admire.  When I found out he was doing one, I thought I should give it a try.  I took some time to study how they were done, and when the time was right, I signed up for one.

Now that you’ve had a firsthand experience of preparing for a virtual book tour, how has the experience been for you so far?  Did you find out things about your book you never realized before and what about all that hard work?  Was it exhausting?

The experience has been really great.  I’ve enjoyed the blog posts as an opportunity to take on topics I wouldn’t otherwise have written about, and as an opportunity to explore my own writing process with more depth.  I teach in a graduate school, and writing about my characters will make it easier for me to talk about them in class.  It really was a great way to consolidate my thoughts, and to have some fun.

Though it took time to do the writing, it was actually much less tiring than other kinds of book tours.  This is more like an extended meditation than anything else.

What words of wisdom can you give others who are thinking about going on a virtual book tour?

I’d recommend writing your blogs well ahead of time, at the rate of one or two per day.  That gives you a chance to check them over before you send them out, and allows you, as a writer, to get as much as possible out of the process.

You can visit B.A. Chepatis’ Facebook page and the Facebook page for Jaguar Addams and the Fear Series.

Visit Barbara’s official tour page at www.pumpupyourbook.com/2011/06/28/the-fear-of-god-online-book-tour-july-2011.

Tags: Barbara Chepaitis, The Fear of God, virtual book tours

5 Things I Learned About Getting Published

Tags: 5 Things, Absolute Obsession, blog tour, C. Elizabeth, contemporary romance, getting published, Guest Blogger, virtual book tour

We have a wonderful guest with us today.  Lilian Duval is the author of the beautifully written novel, You Never Know: Tales of Tobias an Accidental Lottery Winner (Wheatmark, Inc.).

You Never Know is the story of a man who gave up everything he ever wanted in life to take care of his brain-damaged brother who he feels responsible for since that fateful night when both of his parents were killed in an automobile accident.  Tobias had a bright future, then all of a sudden, his life plans changed.  What’s crazy about this is that all of us go through life aiming for a goal (or most of us anyway) and then we find that someone has taken away that goal and your life becomes different.  While Tobias chose to take care of his brother and give up his dreams, certain people came into his life because of it and after he wins the lottery, he finds it changes everything once again.  For the better?  For the worse?  You’ll have to read the book to find out but this has been a book I could not put down.  Seriously.

Lilian is such a gifted and talented writer and she’s here with us today to give us the top ten things she would do if she won the lottery.   If you’d like to let us know what you’d do after winning the lottery, fill out our poll below!

Top Ten Things I’d Do If I Won the Lottery

by Lilian Duval

1. Quit my job as a technical writer and throw a big party for all my former colleagues.
2. Establish, staff, and maintain a huge, no-kill shelter for homeless cats and dogs. Have them all sterilized and vaccinated, and let them live happily ever after.
3. Join the Big Sisters program and help a young girl from a poor community with her schoolwork, and take her out to places like theaters and museums.
4. Get my super-duper tennis-playing husband some first-class coaching at the IMG Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Florida.
5. Enroll at the Mannes College for Music in New York and earn a master’s degree in classical guitar.
6. After that, enroll in a Masters or PhD program at a university such as Columbia or NYU and pursue a degree in either anthropology or physics.
7. Learn to speak both Spanish and Italian fluently, because they are cousins to my first language, French.
8. Spend some time each year traveling in countries where French, Spanish, or Italian are spoken.
9. Make some really nice, major home improvements and pay for them in cash.
10. Get a little bit of plastic surgery and say goodbye to some of my hard-earned wrinkles!

Lilian Duval has been fascinated with lottery winners for years, and they’re the inspiration for her intriguing novel You Never Know, which explores how an ordinary man copes with terrible luck, and later, amazing luck, when he wins the Mega-Millions lottery. Her story collection, Random Acts of Kindness, will be published in 2012.

Lilian and her husband are both survivors of the 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. They live in a small house in New Jersey overlooking a large county park. She’s an amateur classical guitarist and enjoys attending concerts, plays, and movies in New York City.

You can visit her website at www.lilianduval.com or follow her at Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/lilianduval and Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lilian-Duval/121776657899250?sk=wall.

Visit her virtual book tour page at www.pumpupyourbook.com/2011/05/31/you-never-know-virtual-book-tour-june-july-august-2011.

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Tags: Guest Blogger, how to win lottery, Lilian Duval, lottery, lottery numbers, lottery post, lottery ticket, lottery winners, lottery winnings, You Never Know

The First Page is one of Literarily Speaking’s newest features. Here we get a glimpse into an author’s work and what better place to begin than the first page? Authors share their first pages and answer a few questions about why they started their books off the way they did. Today we welcome Rie Sheridan Rose, author of the epic quest fantasy, The Luckless Prince (Zumaya Otherworlds).

…………………………………………………….

The Luckless Prince
by Rie Sheridan Rose
THE FIRST PAGE

“If you look here, Your Highness…” High Chancellor Marcell Tolkot pointed one thin finger at the large vellum map spread on the oak conference table. “…you will see how the face of the continent altered when your grandfather united the provinces of Bellesaria and Fellstone in the year fourteen- twenty-one and settled his capital here at Crown Keep.

“He chose this castle as his stronghold because of its long history as a seat of power and culture. This final action effectively created the consolidated kingdom of Irthlan on the mainland with your uncle, Duke Roderick, as your father’s representative in the south. Of course, since the duke’s untimely death, his son has assumed those duties, acting as

viceroy in the lower provinces.”

Stefan craned his neck, trying to see the map from his position at the back of the room. As a mere squire, his presence in the class was no more recognized than that of a prize hound, but he was much more interested in the subject than his master.

Prince Roland Frederickson had no head for history or politics, preferring to spend his time with sword in hand or a book of romantic tales. The only lessons to capture his attention were those of tactics and strategy—earning him consistent praise from his fencing master and General Teodore Gunderson, but headshakes from Tolkot.

The high chancellor shook the sleeves of his robe into place with a self-important sniff, continuing his lecture.

“Of course, there are still the island chieftains, who claim sovereignty, but they are of little consequence.”

Roland leaned back in his chair, eyes on his quill as he slowly riffled the spines against the grain. He murmured a response in a cool, matter-of-fact calm that made Stefan uneasy.

Welcome Rie. Can you tell us what your book is about?

The book is about a young prince going stir-crazy at the palace. His father is persuaded to let him go on a trading mission down river. Once he and his squire are aboard the traders’ raft, they find themselves with more adventure than they ever bargained for.

The first page is perhaps one of the most important pages in the whole book. It’s what draws the reader into the story. Why did you choose to begin your book this way?

I wanted to set up a bit about the personalities of the characters right away. And get a bit of exposition dealt with as painlessly as possible. The history lesson Roland is getting holds important clues to future events, and Roland and Stefan’s reactions to it rather define their characters.

In the course of writing your book, how many times would you say that first page changed and for what reasons?

Oh, it’s changed many times. I believe the first version started out something like “High in the Rainbow Hills overlooking the vast Golden Heath lay the castle of Woodbridge Point.” I decided eventually that a geography lesson in the first sentence was a bit much. Then, for a long time, there was a prologue, which showed events that are later discussed in context. My current editor weaned me from the prologue saying that it would just spoil later revelations if I used it, because it was very obvious who I was talking about, no matter how cleverly I thought I had hidden it. (And no, I won’t elaborate. ;) )

Was there ever a time after the book went to print you wished you had changed something on the first page?

Sometimes I think it might have been better to have a more action oriented first page, but since this is one of the few points in the story when things are following an everyday routine, I think that it works to be more quiet and sedate than it will be later. That’s my opinion at least.

What advice can you give to aspiring authors to stress how important the first page is?

It is commonly said that when you submit something to an agent or editor, they will read the first little bit — sometimes as little as three or four paragraphs — and if you don’t grab their attention, or at least pique it, they throw it onto the reject pile. Sometimes you get lucky, and they’ll give you a bit more of a chance…but they are incredibly busy people, and it is to your advantage to grab them as soon as you can. I’ve heard it said that the first page should be polished more carefully than any other page in the book — but you also want to keep it balanced. If every other page in the book disappoints when compared with the first page, that initial hook that you set will not be enough to keep the reader through the entire story. I guess what I am trying to say is write a great book, and then polish up the welcome mat.

You can visit Rie’s website at http://riewriter.com.

Tags: blog tour, book publicity, epic quest fantasy, Pump Up Your Book, Rie Sheridan Rose, The First Page, The Luckless Prince, virtual book tour, Zumaya Otherworlds

In an excerpt from Barbara Conelli’s new book, Chique Secrets of Dolce Vita, we get to understand just what living a dolce vita life means – having the eyes to see the real beauty, having the nose to smell intoxicating scents, having the ears to hear dreamy sounds, having the mouth to taste delicate flavors, having the body to perceive soft sensations. In a nutshell, it means being aware of yourself, of your emotions and desires, and finding happiness in ordinary unique things. In Barbara’s new book, she uncovers all the sweet, passionate, and dark Milanese secrets that have up to now remained unrevealed. The chique secrets that will teach you to live your own dolce vita no matter where in the world you are. Because la vita e bella, life is beautiful, and the most amazing wonders of this world often hide in the simplest things.

* * *

If we were to attribute human traits to a city, Milan has a refined spirit, ingenious brain, sensual body, elegant walk, and a sweet soul, maybe the sweetest of all Italian cities. Nowhere else will you find so many cafés, patisseries, and bakeries smelling of vanilla than here. All the sweet traditions of sweet-toothed Italy have met on this Milanese crossroad to show off the best that has been pleasing the soul and tongue of Italians for centuries.

Pasticceria Da Antonietta, or Antonietta’s confectionary, in Via Fontanelli, is a sweet-smelling corner of Southern Italy where the sweet charms of Napels and Palermo have been welded for twenty years. That’s where confectioner Antonietta’s parents came from many years ago to look for work. Antonietta grew up surrounded by traditional southern delicacies enriched with ingredients proven over generations that could not miss on Fiduccis’ table at any family lunch or dinner. She studied the intricate alchemy of icings, creams, and fragile dough, she baked, fried, candied, and filled, until rumor of her exceptional art spread all over Milan.

Antonietta started to create sweet surprises for family celebrations, weddings, and various holidays; her sweet hands were as skilful as the hands of reputable confectioners in restaurants of famous names, maybe even more so, and her creations were even more delicious because she made them with the authentic Neapolitan passion.

When Antonietta was twenty-one years old, her heart got broken by seductive, bewitching Francesco, for whom she had been making his favorite profiterole, fluffy cream puffs with a scrumptious filling, for two years. Antonietta found out that Francesco exchanged her sweet love for a daughter of a Milanese councilman, who did not know how to make profiterole but had a fat dowry from her daddy. When Antonietta recovered from Francesco’s betrayal, she decided she would never again dedicate her sweet art only to one man. She opened Pasticceria Da Antonietta, which soon became a far-famed place and a favorite destination of all the Milanese with a sweet tooth.

Today, Antonietta is forty-one but you would say she is at least ten years younger. Her raven-black hair smells of cinnamon, and her Palermo curves that she had inherited from her Sicilian mother drive young Felipe from next door insane, as well as decent seventy-something Mariano from the opposite house. Although she could have made a much bigger business out of her confectionary a long time ago, she still keeps her small store on the corner and makes all the pastry with her own hands. And although her patisserie is full of delicacies from the whole of Italy and even from neighboring France, most clients come back mostly for the irresistible Neapolitan sfogliatelle, pastiere, and the Sicilian cassata. This is the pastry of Antonietta’s childhood, the treasure of the Fiducci family, and Antonietta’s big love. Its baking runs in her blood and she has taken it to complete and unbeatable perfection. And what’s more, over a cup of mint tea, she will tell you its history because Antonietta knows absolutely everything about the sweet love of her heart.

Sfogliatelle are fluffy sweet rolls from Napels, first created by monks from a certain Neapolitan monastery. For many years, the recipe was a secret domain of the monks, simply because only those within the monastery walls had enough time to bake the laborious sfogliatelle. Sfogliatelle are made of fragile dough that is rolled to create several layers, cut into pieces and then filled with orange ricotta or almond paste. The main ingredient is candied lemon peel, giving sfogliatelle their typical scent. Antonietta has her huge lemons delivered directly from the Amalfi coast where they ripen under the Neapolitan sun and are saturated with sea breeze.

Pastiera is a dessert of many aromas, whose origin goes back to the pagan celebrations of the spring. In the middle ages it was rediscovered by a Neapolitan nun who, led by purely spiritual intentions, created this divine yet sinfully profane temptation. This woman of God wanted to prepare an exceptional dessert that would celebrate Christ’s resurrection and smell like orange trees in the convent garden. She mixed flour with home-made ricotta, added eggs as the symbol of a new life, water smelling of infused orange blossoms, the convent’s very own cider, and a combination of oriental spices that gave a spark of pagan sensuality to her devout doings.

The Sicilian cassata was brought to Italy in the ninth century by Arabs, who ruled Sicily for three hundred years. After they left, nuns of Palermo convents took the cassata to perfection, and thanks to them, the cassata of today harmoniously combines the spicy sweetness of Arabic pastries and fruity
flavors of Sicily. This colorful dessert proves that convents were not just a place of asceticism and spiritual contemplation and that they also witnessed completely unspiritual epicurean pleasure. The Palermo cassata is made of a light sponge biscuit that nuns soaked in chaste-fruit juice, which Antonietta replaced with a totally unchaste liqueur that she invented herself. Slices of the sponge biscuit are then pasted together by layers of ricotta and vanilla or chocolate cream. This base is then poured over with a marzipan icing and on top of that, pink and green sugar icings create colorful stripes on the white marzipan. Finally, the cake is decorated with deep-red Sicilian cherries and juicy citruses. What is there left to say? Maybe only Antonietta’s loving words dedicated to cassata: “Just as well the nuns of Palermo didn’t keep this sweet secret to themselves.”

Whether you decide to savor mint tea and Neapolitan pastries in Antonietta’s sweet-smelling paradise or in any of the countless Milanese pasticcerias, you won’t regret it. Milan literally lures you to lose yourself in the delicious delights the city offers wherever you go. Italian’s sweet life is really sweet, and in Milan, maybe twice as much.

Excerpted with permission from Chique Secrets of Dolce Vita, by Barbara Conellia. Available from Flagrans Press. Copyright © 2011.

Barbara Conelli is an internationally published author and Chiquenist on the mission to bring Fantastic Fearless Feminine Fun into women’s lives. In her charming, delightful and humorous Chique Books filled with Italian passion, Barb invites women to explore Italy from the comfort of their home with elegance, grace and style, encouraging them to live their own Dolce Vita no matter where they are in the world.

Barb learned to read and write at the age of four, and a year later, she wrote her first bestselling book that became a big hit in local kindergartens. She turned into an overnight success that lasted for twelve exciting hours. Since then, she has never separated from her writing endeavors. Barb writes even in her sleep and she can often be seen sitting on her bed at three a.m. with a flashlight frantically processing her somnambulant ideas. A born nomad and adventurer, she’s been there, she’s done it, and she’s not afraid to write about it.

An entertaining storyteller, Barb has a unique ability to capture the magical atmosphere of the places she writes about. Through the pages of her books, Barb takes your hand and guides you through the irresistible beauty, captivating secrets, unrepeatable spell and fugitive moments of Italy. She makes them come alive easily and spontaneously, and her writing is like a magic carpet that carries you to Italy and back in the blink of an eye. She introduces you to fascinating women who have created the face of Italy, lifts the shroud of their mysteries, and reveals adorable places off the beaten track where the authentic Italian heart hasn’t stopped beating.

As a naturally curious person who loves traveling, meeting new people and discovering their life stories, Barbara founded Chique Show, an entertaining radio show for women and about women. On Chique Show, Barbara shares her Dolce Vita adventures and interviews inspiring women authors and experts who show listeners how to live their sweet life with gusto.

Barb lives between New York and Milan, and as a real globetrotter, she’s always on the move, accompanied by her adorable and very spoiled beagle. To her, writing is like breathing, and she’s currently working on her new book.

Her latest book is Chique Secrets of Dolce Vita, a narrative travel nonfiction book full of charming, poetic, delightful and humorous travel and life stories about extraordinary Milanese women, men who have succumbed to their temptation and the art of living your own dolce vita no matter where in the world you are.

You can visit her website at www.barbaraconelli.com or connect with her at Twitter at www.twitter.com/barbaraconelli or Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/barbaraconelli.

Tags: Barbara Conelli, Chique Secrets of Dolce Vita, Italian customs, Italian food, Italian women, living in Italy, virtual book tour

Zumaya Publications, a small press publisher based in Austin, Texas, and headed by the magnificent and articulate Elizabeth Burton, is celebrating its fifth year birthday this month (Happy Birthday Zumaya!) and as part of the birthday celebration, the authors are going around to different blogs talking about how they were published by Zumaya to help you understand how important their small press publisher is to them.  Today we have as our guest, Cindy Lynn Speer, who is going to talk about how she was accepted by Zumaya.  Cindy’s latest book is Unbalanced.

Once in a blue moon

by Cindy Lynn Speer

Once upon a time, as some of you may remember, I was a book reviewer. I reviewed for many sites — The SF Site, Mostly Fiction and many others. This was…nine, ten years ago, now. I received copies from all the fiction publishing companies you could think of…Tor, Harper Collins, and, of course, small presses, including Zumaya. I was impressed by the book…and by the quality, even back then, of the work. I was doing two other things at the same time as reviewing…trying to get my own book published, and trying to make money as a free-lance editor.

For the first point, I was trying to publish two books: Balancing Act and Blue Moon. I was doing everything you are supposed to…networking, looking for leads. I had very little luck…agents were encouraging but not interested (Not another fantasy author? I can hear them say…) and publishers were either nice (It looks interesting, but we don’t have room for it.) or downright dismissive. After all, they get millions of submissions every year. They didn’t need me.

For the second, I was working for a few places, including companies that do editing, in the hopes of making ends meet. I was unemployed because I’d attempted to go back to University…they decided to get rid of the degree I wanted to pursue…and was hoping to manage, somehow, to live the dream of being able to make a living through words. I submitted my skills to Zumaya as an editor, and was hired after an exceptionally rigorous process. That was the first thing I learned about Liz Burton, the publisher…she takes editing seriously. I wasn’t an editor for long…I had some significantly bad luck as an editor, there were two occasions where I did not get paid, one because the woman running the imprint kept terrible records and then left, another because the magazine folded. I’d been applying to jobs all along…I’m more practical than a Fantasy writer should be, really, and when I was offered a job as a secretary I took it.

I was also done with the big publishers and agents. So, I submitted to Zumaya, both hoping that the fact I’d done some editing work would help me get in the door…and that my stories were good enough that they did not need any help.

Elizabeth Burton accepted Blue Moon fairly quickly, then, after a few months I submitted the other book, which has just recently come out under another title: Unbalanced. I have had the chance to watch Zumaya change and grow over the years, and I feel proud to be a part of this press. Happy birthday, Zumaya! It’s been an amazing ride so far…and I look forward to continuing on it.

# # #

Cindy Lynn Speer is an author, a swashbuckler, and a darned good secretary. When she’s not saving the world through sword or organization, she can be found sewing, gardening, or making up quirky bios of herself. She has written Unbalanced and Blue Moon, both published through Zumaya, and The Chocolatier’s Wife and the fiction collection But Can You Let Him Go?, published through Drollerie.

You can read excerpts and more at her website, http://www.apenandfire.com.

You can pick up a copy of her latest book, Unbalanced, buy visiting Amazon or the publisher’s website.

Tags: Cindy Speer, how to get published, publish with small press, small press, Unbalanced, Zumaya Publications

Join a talented and diverse group of 36 authors promoting 35 books and a publisher celebrating “Five Years of Irresponsible Reading,” as they tour with Pump Up Your Book! Virtual Book Tours during the month of July 2011.

Follow them as they travel the blogosphere from July 5^th through July 29th to discuss their books. This month is filled with a variety of genres:  fantasy novels, memoirs, short story collections, historicals, and more!

The month of July finds us host to short story collections from Hugh Aaron, Garasamo Maccagnone, and Dangerous Lee. Are you an author considering using the blogosphere to promote your book? Then be sure you don’t miss “So You Want to Write a Guest Post,” by Pump Up Your Book’s! Jaime McDougall.

Thrillers come to you from Steve DeWinter, Julia Madeleine, Aaron Patterson, and L.L. Reaper. Young adult fantasy novels are being promoted by Kara Bartley, Lory Kaufman, and Christine Schulze, along with other fantasy novels from F.J. Dagg, Maria Lucia, and Rie Sheridan Rose. And don’t miss the YA Dystopian Mythology novel, “Solstice,” being promoted by P.J. Hoover.

Emily Sue Harvey continues her tour in July with the inspirational novel, “Homefires,” and Daren Krupa is touring with his coming of age novel, “Such a Nice Boy.” Also on tour in July are Lilian Duval, Larry Jukofsky, and Paul Levine.

Authors Carole Eglash-Kosoff, James Mace, and Greg Messel are all talking about their historical novels, while C. Elizabeth will be sharing her contemporary romance, “Absolute Obsession.” Other fiction titles come to you from B.A. Chepaitis, Susan Still, Frank Zaccari, and Wayne Zurl.

Nonfiction titles we are hosting in July come from Blanca Beyar, Chamed, Barbara Conelli, Tom McLaughlin, and Nzingha West. Ever wonder what it takes to make it in Hollywood? Follow the tour of Bryan Hidalgo & Gail O’Donnell, who are promoting their book, “Making it in Hollywood.” We’re also thrilled to have author Steven Verrier back in the Pump Up Your Book folds to promote his new book, “Class Struggle: Journal of a Teacher In Up to His Ears.”

Last, but definitely not least, we want you to join us as Zumaya Publications celebrates “Five Years of Irresponsible Reading.” We’ll be featuring a variety of Zumaya authors all month long!

Visit YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iorCkMNhmcI to view a video trailer introducing our authors on tour in July.

Pump Up Your Book! is a virtual book tour agency for authors who want quality service at an affordable price.  More information can be found on their website at www.pumpupyourbook.com.

Tags: book announcements, book news, book promotion companies, book publicity, online book promotion, promote your book, Pump Up Your Book, sell your book, virtual book tours

Join Lilian Duval, author of the literary fiction, You Never Know: Tales of Tobias, an Accidental Lottery Winner (Wheatmark, Inc.), as she virtually tours the blogosphere June 6 – August 26 2011 on her first virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book!

Lilian was born in New York City to French-speaking parents and went to public school with a French accent so thick that she was assigned to the slowest of four first-grade classes. “Thunder, not TUNDER!” the teacher scolded her in front of the class. “Mother, not MUDDER!”

“I got rid of my accent all right,” Lilian says in perfectly generic American English. “I also gained a lifetime habit of imitating people’s pronunciation. One of these days someone is going to punch me in the nose for that!”

She continues, “In those days, nobody worried about kids’ self-esteem. Medals for everybody? Forget about it! And those classrooms—they were labeled 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, and 1-4. You knew where you stood from Day One.”

Undeterred, her mother cajoled the principal into moving Lilian to class 1-1, where she spent her extra class time making up little stories in the margins of her schoolwork. The teacher in P.S. 89 was not happy about those marked-up papers and let her know it.

“Things got better in the third grade,” she remembers. There was a school-wide writing contest at her elementary school in North Bellmore, Long Island. The topic was libraries. “I was pretty hopeless at sports,” Lilian admits. “If someone threw a ball, I ducked. But I liked books.” In her essay, she wrote that books in the library were like houses on a street, and the rows of shelves were like roads. The rest of her metaphors were good enough to win her the first prize, presented at a school assembly: the book “A Child’s Garden of Verses” by Robert Louis Stevenson. “I read it over and over, but was disappointed because I’d really wanted a trophy, like the athletes got.”

That contest was the beginning of Lilian’s writing career. Along the way she has held an improbable array of jobs. Here are some of them, in chronological order: Nurse’s aide in a nursing home at age 16, where her specialty was emptying bedpans. Bookkeeper’s assistant at O. Henry Steak House in Greenwich Village. Suburban reporter for the Daily Hampshire Gazette in Northampton, Massachusetts, where a highlight was a report on the local pickle factory. Teacher of English as a second language to Indochinese refugees in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Instructor of computer programming at a professional school.

And, for 16 years, computer software developer for a long string of financial institutions in New York City, culminating with Lehman Brothers in the World Trade Center.

On September 11, 2001, Lilian was on a NJ Transit commuter train heading to New York when the terrorist attacks took place. Arriving at Hoboken Terminal, passengers were told to board trains and return home. All the PATH trains and ferries were carrying people one way only—west across the river to New Jersey.

Lilian’s husband, George, was already in his office at a brokerage firm on the 25th floor of One World Trade Center. “We couldn’t call him. He couldn’t call us. We panicked and couldn’t do anything.” Not until 2:00 p.m. did she and their three grown children learn that he’d escaped on foot across the Brooklyn Bridge while the towers were crumbling. Five days later, he revealed to his family that he’d been invited to a technology meeting at Windows on the World on the 107th floor that morning, but was so busy with administrative duties that he’d forgotten to attend.

“For two weeks after the attack, everyone at Lehman cried, hugged, and comforted one another,” she recalls. “We were installed across the Hudson River in Jersey City and crammed together into small cubicles. Our windows faced the Manhattan shoreline, where we watched smoke rising from the collapsed towers for weeks. It was devastating.”

Then the programmers were moved to midtown Manhattan and seated in the middle of a trading floor. It was chaotic. With 400 traders standing on their feet and yelling into their phones all day, writing a line of coherent software code was almost impossible. “So I went to Staples, bought a sheet of poster board, and set up a barrier between me and the guy opposite me at this long, narrow table. I could still hear him, but at least I couldn’t see him jumping and gesticulating.”

That act of defiance marked the end of her programming career. Fired from Lehman (”that was easy!”)—while there still was a Lehman—she became a technical writer for a software company and continued writing fiction on the side—lots of fiction. Her two books, You Never Know and the forthcoming Random Acts of Kindness, were inspired in part by those shattering events and a passion to capture what life means to us all.

Lilian Duval lives with her husband George, a native of Singapore, in a small house in New Jersey overlooking a large county park. They have two sons and a daughter, all independent and ambitious, and several cats. She’s an amateur classical guitarist and enjoys attending concerts and plays in New York City.

But writing has always been her calling. In her own words, “The most enjoyable activity I can imagine is to invent some characters, make them a little larger than life, set them bickering and thrashing against each other and their fates, and enact a fictional resolution that makes more sense than the chaos and unpredictability of our complicated lives.”

You Never Know: Tales of Tobias an Accidental Lottery Winner asks the question, “What happens when an ordinary person becomes extraordinary?”

Tobias starts out in life much the same as any of us—not rich, not poor, with imperfect parents and unlimited ambition. When he’s twenty years old, his future is altered in irreparable ways after a tragic car accident pushes him down a new path. The once-promising anthropology major is forced to abandon his dreams in order to care for his orphaned, brain-damaged younger brother.

In his late thirties, Tobias works in a bookstore, trying desperately to make ends meet to support his family. His daily grind only reinforces the sadness that broken dreams and bad luck bring in their wake.

How many times have you heard someone say, “If only I won the lottery?”

When Tobias finds he has won the Mega Millions lottery, his unimaginable bad luck seems to have changed into unimaginable good luck … or has it?

Over peaks and valleys, this uplifting journey will challenge the limits of luck, life, and what we value most.

Find out more about the complications of Tobias’s friendship and rivalry with his best friend, Martin; the effects of all this bad luck and good luck on his marriage; and the struggles of his brother, Simeon, once a talented cartoonist, in … You Never Know.

If you’d like to visit Lilian Duval’s official virtual book tour page, click here. Lilian will be on hand to answer all your questions and giveaway a few of her books, too!

You can visit Lilian’s website at www.lilianduval.com.  Connect with her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/lilianduval and Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lilian-Duval/121776657899250?sk=wall.  Watch her book trailer at YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=TcjPlyKrX9I.

Pump Up Your Book is an innovative public relations agency specializing in online book publicity for authors looking for maximum online promotion to sell their books.  Visit our website at www.pumpupyourbook.com to find out how we can take your book to the virtual level!

Tags: blog tour, get rich, Lilian Duval, lottery ticket, Pump Up Your Book, virtual book tour, win lottery, You Never Know