Bookvetter.com - some serious teething issues?

A while back I was shouting the praises of Bookvetter.com, a website for readers and authors, where reviews are exchanged anonymously, the basic premise being that if you (the author) want reviews then you also have to give back by reading and reviewing other books - I still like the idea, it's simple and fair. Of course it is open to abuse, as is just about everything on the internet, but it's early days yet, and I think the road-map is both ambitious and has potential.

However, (as opposed to 'but'.) there are some issues with it's functionality that you need to be aware of if you are going to use this site:

1. The format that you submit your manuscript in. This is not an problem exclusive to Bookvetter, as I had the same issue with an Amazon submission, Somewhere between uploading a Pdf and it arriving on the site, there seems to be a glitch where-by double lettered words lose a letter - 'all' becomes 'al', 'filling' becomes 'filing' and 'call' becomes 'cal'. but only on certain devices.

2, Talking of 'certain' devices; gone are the day's where a book was read purely on paper. The birth of the e-book was a massive evolution; the use of modern technology take affordable reading to the masses should not be under estimated. But 'technology' is advancing at an unbelievable rate, now people are reading books on kindle, laptops, ipad, mobile phones - and on and on... The problem here though is the PDF does not transpose well across these different devices, the formatting goes haywire.

Six reviews:

Formatting:

Perfect  2

Amatuer  4

Unacceptable  0

Grammar:

Acceptable  4

Moderate  1

Unsatisfactory  1

This in turn leads to some dissatisfied readers!

If someone can come up with a standard format for both upload and read (regardless of device) then there is money to be made. From an authors perspective it is not good news in the current model, unwittingly exposing readers to a substandard experience goes a long way to tainting a reputation, something one can ill afford in such a cut throat market.

So BEWARE!

Should the book have been published?

Exceptional 1

Average 3

No  2

I still think Bookvetter.com has a positive future, I am just concerned about the damage that can be done in the short term.

The mood of writing -

Seeing as I'm the only Author I know, or at least the only Author I know well, I have no idea if this is normal or not, but I find  the mood of the writing dictates the mood of the household, and vice-versa. (I just know that there are people reading this and slapping their foreheads, or maybe a face palm. 'Of course numb-nuts!'.)

Russian Redemption was my first book so every experience was new to me; I didn't even realize a lot of what was going on at the time, it was only afterwards that things became apparent. 

And there were time when writing specific sections of Russian Redemption effected my own mood, and ultimately the mood of the household. By stark contrast, the unabated fun and carefree ambience generated whilst writing a YA story, Elementals, was brilliant for the whole family -  and, knowing this, I wonder why the wife has never suggested I write a FSoG...!!

It's a two-way relationship though, the writing can influence the mood, and the mood can influence the writing. Work crap, outside influences, stress... you have to shake those bad boys off if you want to write to your potential. And I don't worry too much if I'm struggling to get into the proverbial zone, I just don't write that night. (Now I know there are people that say you should write everyday, but ya have to live in the real world sometimes eh, even though it sucks.) 

As stated previously, I don't feel the need to be alone and in silence when writing, I am capable of shutting out the outside world. I even find that a little background noise can be quite comforting.

It is also always the case that when somebody gives an opinion on the internet, there is going to be someone that completely disagrees with the above - and that's fine, honest.

I don't consider myself to be an exceptional author of modern works of art, I confess that my diction is not equal to some, but I don't write books. The best way that I would describe me is someone that tells stories and puts them into words. Are they one and the same? I don't think so.

Side Note - my latest project (temporarily known as Ariana's Law) - is at 53,000 words, I'm quite pleased with that in month one.

http://www.ajwilsonbooks.net/

https://www.facebook.com/AJWilsonbooks

Stephen King tells the secrets - Part 2...

I thought I'd bored you enough in the first one but for those that are just a gluten for punishment, and want to read the other ten, here they are...

(The full story is available on the Barnes and Noble blog below)

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/stephen-kings-top-20-rules-for-writers/

11. There are two secrets to success. “When I’m asked for ‘the secret of my success’ (an absurd idea, that, but impossible to get away from), I sometimes say there are two: I stayed physically healthy, and I stayed married. It’s a good answer because it makes the question go away, and because there is an element of truth in it. The combination of a healthy body and a stable relationship with a self reliant woman who takes zero shit from me or anyone else has made the continuity of my working life possible. And I believe the converse is also true: that my writing and the pleasure I take in it has contributed to the stability of my health and my home life.”

I think this is a good insight, especially for authors where writing is not their primary income. To be able to spend a day at the office, come home and spend hours writing is only possible if the family support you as a writer. However, a warning - don't loose track of the fact that you have a family!

12. Write one word at a time. “A radio talk-show host asked me how I wrote. My reply—’One word at a time’—seemingly left him without a reply. I think he was trying to decide whether or not I was joking. I wasn’t. In the end, it’s always that simple. Whether it’s a vignette of a single page or an epic trilogy like ‘The Lord Of The Rings,’ the work is always accomplished one word at a time.”

13. Eliminate distraction. “There should be no telephone in your writing room, certainly no TV or videogames for you to fool around with. If there’s a window, draw the curtains or pull down the shades unless it looks out at a blank wall.”

I'm not signing up to this one in its entirety although I see the point that he is trying to make. There is nothing worse than being submerged in the plot, living it so you can capture the essence, and being hauled out of your 'special place' by an annoying distraction. Me, personally, I find silence unnerving at times, my brain seems to work better with a little background noise to the point where I don't actually hear it but take comfort in knowing that it is there.

14. Stick to your own style. “One cannot imitate a writer’s approach to a particular genre, no matter how simple what the writer is doing may seem. You can’t aim a book like a cruise missile, in other words. People who decide to make a fortune writing lik John Grisham or Tom Clancy produce nothing but pale imitations, by and large, because vocabulary is not the same thing as feeling and plot is light years from the truth as it is understood by the mind and the heart.”

Yup - absolutely agree, enough said.

15. Dig. “When, during the course of an interview for The New Yorker, I told the interviewer (Mark Singer) that I believed stories are found things, like fossils in the ground, he said that he didn’t believe me. I replied that that was fine, as long as he believed that I believe it. And I do. Stories aren’t souvenir tee-shirts or Game Boys. Stories are relics, part of an undiscovered pre-existing world. The writer’s job is to use the tools in his or her toolbox to get as much of each one out of the ground intact as possible. Sometimes the fossil you uncover is small; a seashell. Sometimes it’s enormous, a Tyrannosaurus Rex with all the gigantic ribs and grinning teeth. Either way, short story or thousand page whopper of a novel, the techniques of excavation remain basically the same.”

Hmmm, a modern take on the old adage "stories come from within" - can't argue that one.

16. Take a break. “If you’ve never done it before, you’ll find reading your book over after a six-week layoff to be a strange, often exhilarating experience. It’s yours, you’ll recognize it as yours, even be able to remember what tune was on the stereo when you wrote certain lines, and yet it will also be like reading the work of someone else, a soul-twin, perhaps. This is the way it should be, the reason you waited. It’s always easier to kill someone else’s darlings that it is to kill your own.”

As mentioned earlier, the first draft is complete within 3 months. Now you have to switch from writer to reader; the whole book made sense to you when you were writing it, now you have to give time for the writers thoughts to leave the mind, and the reader steps in. As Mr King says, this can be a truly inspirational phase, and one I always find enjoyable (don't be afraid to pat yourself on the back either!)

17. Leave out the boring parts and kill your darlings. “Mostly when I think of pacing, I go back to Elmore Leonard, who explained it so perfectly by saying he just left out the boring parts. This suggests cutting to speed the pace, and that’s what most of us end up having to do (kill your darlings, kill your darlings, even when it breaks your ecgocentric little scribbler’s heart, kill your darlings.)”

The darling killer - If, as a writer, you have done your job properly, your 'darlings' will be the readers 'darlings' too, so killing them off can be an emotional experience for all parties concerned. I'd probably word this slightly differently to Mr King - Don't be afraid to kill your darlings off. As for leaving out the boring bits - I concur - but it's what I think is boring.

18. The research shouldn’t overshadow the story. “If you do need to do research because parts of your story deal with things about which you know little or nothing, remember that word back. That’s where research belongs: as far in the background and the back story as you can get it. You may be entranced with what you’re learning about the flesh-eating bacteria, the sewer system of New York, or the I.Q. potential of collie pups, but your readers are probably going to care a lot more about your characters and your story.”

I am someone that does research the crap out of the subject mater, all in the name of plausibility, but I try and keep it quite subtle. In my current WiP there are a few scenes set on the Harvard Uni campus back in 1986/87 - I'm British, living in New Zealand, and have never been to Harvard. However, I have no doubt that some of my readers have so I have to make it believable. The research is fun, and the fact that very few (if any) care is neither here nor there: In the story "the lift opens" - big deal - but to make something as simple as that plausible you need to understand that there were only three high rise accommodation blocks at that time, and the lifts ONLY stopped on specific floors so my characters accommodation had to be on one of those floors or they would have to use the stairs to go up or down a floor to catch the lift! Plot Fail! That said, I take on board the point that Fiction is not a documentary; information overload leads to DNR.

19. You become a writer simply by reading and writing. “You don’t need writing classes or seminars any more than you need this or any other book on writing. Faulkner learned his trade while working in the Oxford, Mississippi post office. Other writers have learned the basics while serving in the Navy, working in steel mills or doing time in America’s finer crossbar hotels. I learned the most valuable (and commercial) part of my life’s work while washing motel sheets and restaurant tablecloths at the New Franklin Laundry in Bangor. You learn best by reading a lot and writing a lot, and the most valuable lessons of all are the ones you teach yourself.”

Could not agree more!

20. Writing is about getting happy. “Writing isn’t about making money, getting famous, getting dates, getting laid, or making friends. In the end, it’s about enriching the lives of those who will read your work, and enriching your own life, as well. It’s about getting up, getting well, and getting over. Getting happy, okay? Writing is magic, as much the water of life as any other creative art. The water is free. So drink.”

Again, totally agree with this. Going back to one of the earlier answer, write for yourself first, embrace and enjoy the experience - if you can't do that then I would suggest a new vocation be sought. Very very few authors make it big, you need money behind you or a huge stroke of luck. So, if you are writing to get rich (or any of the other options Stephen King offers) then your motivation is all wrong, and your disappointments are almost guaranteed. write for yourself, for your own satisfaction, joy and well being and see what happens.

To repeat the top bit - if you do want to read the whole article it is on the Barns and Noble blog: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/stephen-kings-top-20-rules-for-writers/

Stephen King tells the secrets.....

I saw a great FB post today advertising 'Stephen Kings Top 20 tips for writers', clicked on it and gave plenty of time and consideration to what Mr King had to say. I also had a completed unrated (but just as interesting) email conversation with Bookvetter - that's the read/review site I spoke about on here back in January. Unfortunately I probably wouldn't hold your attention long enough to read two different articles, so I'm gonna leave the Bookvetter one for another time (It will be worth reading though, some good information for authors in that one!)

Anyway, back to Stephen King. Firstly, I must confess... I'm not a great fan, (Sorry Stephen, just not my preferred genre). Secondly, the whole article is available here:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/stephen-kings-top-20-rules-for-writers/

And so I'll move on...
One of the things I like about this version is that it understands we aren't all mind readers; unlike some sites that have published this article, they haven't butchered it down to just the bold black print heading. Here you get the eye catching header, and then a short blurb so that idiots like me can understand the meaning behind those big bold headings. Another thing I like is that they haven't added their own opinions to what the very successful author has confided - If they had of done that then this post probably wouldn't of happen.

1. First write for yourself, and then worry about the audience. “When you write a story, you’re telling yourself the story. When you rewrite, your main job is taking out all the things that are not the story. Your stuff starts out being just for you, but then it goes out.”

Right, good start, I absolutely agree and abide by this one! I do write for me, it is my passion, mine I tell you. I write stories from inside my head - I have no idea where they come from they just seem to turn up and then they become incredibly tenacious about getting put in print. I am very grateful for them to, because I love writing and they give me the fuel. During this stage the story is only for me, I write it as quickly as I can to get the story out of my head.

2. Don’t use passive voice. “Timid writers like passive verbs for the same reason that timid lovers like passive partners. The passive voice is safe. The timid fellow writes “The meeting will be held at seven o’clock” because that somehow says to him, ‘Put it this way and people will believe you really know. ‘Purge this quisling thought! Don’t be a muggle! Throw back your shoulders, stick out your chin, and put that meeting in charge! Write ‘The meeting’s at seven.’ There, by God! Don’t you feel better?”

This one is not so obvious to me. I don't really understand a timid writer, but I do understand a timid character in a story line. As strange as it may seem, when I'm writing I am that character for the time that I'm writing the lines - complete escapism! Obviously if EVERY character in a story is timid then there could be a problem, (and I'd probably question the quality of the story).

3. Avoid adverbs. “The adverb is not your friend. Consider the sentence “He closed the door firmly.” It’s by no means a terrible sentence, but ask yourself if ‘firmly’ really has to be there. What about context? What about all the enlightening (not to say emotionally moving) prose which came before ‘He closed the door firmly’? Shouldn’t this tell us how he closed the door? And if the foregoing prose does tell us, then isn’t ‘firmly’ an extra word? Isn’t it redundant?”

OK - I understand this, and it is a good reminder. To be able to get readers to be able to envisage the scene, and hear the voices, is a real skill, one that I certainly strive for. The thing is, not all readers can do that. I confess to a little 'dumbing down' just to expand the potential reader base, BUT it is only a little.

4. Avoid adverbs, especially after “he said” and “she said.” “While to write adverbs is human, to write ‘he said’ or ‘she said’ is divine.” - Solid advice, I'm working on it!

5. But don’t obsess over perfect grammar. “Language does not always have to wear a tie and lace-up shoes. The object of fiction isn’t grammatical correctness but to make the reader welcome and then tell a story… to make him/her forget, whenever possible, that he/she is reading a story at all.“

Hallelujah to that! My grammar is not too brilliant, and that's why I use an editor & proof reader for my books. But here, here I am me so suck it you grammar nerds; don't hate me for my ignorance, hate me for a whole host of other available reasons.

6. The magic is in you. “I’m convinced that fear is at the root of most bad writing. Dumbo got airborne with the help of a magic feather; you may feel the urge to grasp a passive verb or one of those nasty adverbs for the same reason. Just remember before you do that Dumbo didn’t need the feather; the magic was in him.”

Very inspirational, and very true. I think this is the reason why I write the way I do; My working environment can be very stressful at times - sour-stick, unripe lemon sour, head-banging type of stressful! This stuff goes round and around in my head day and night sometimes, it is that stressful (and frustrating). But when I sit down to write all that stuff gets pushed to the back, right back. That allows copious amounts of empty space to let the story's in - and that little cinema that I use to watch the stories unfold. It's that stressful stuff that pays the bills, the writing has no potential to negatively impact my life financially so I can write free of worry, free of stress... free of fear. (At this stage I'm writing for me, any fear comes after the book has been finished, the fear of the opinions of others).

7. Read, read, read. “You have to read widely, constantly refining (and redefining) your own work as you do so. If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write.”

Reading is everywhere! Web based newspapers, books, magazines, even menus at restaurants. I don't think he is limiting the reading to books, just highlighting that any reading can be helpful to an author.

8. Don’t worry about making other people happy. “Reading at meals is considered rude in polite society, but if you expect to succeed as a writer, rudeness should be the second to least of your concerns. The least of all should be polite society and what it expects. If you intend to write as truthfully as you can, your days as a member of polite society are numbered, anyway.”

I think I understand this, and I'm certainly not questioning Mr Kings ability to be rude - but I think there is a possible confusion over the words. I think there is a bit of 'write for yourself' and 'don't try and please everyone 'cos it just ain't gonna happen' in this one; with a dash of 'thicken up the skin' cos it could get messy' warning.

9. Turn off the TV. “Most exercise facilities are now equipped with TVs, but TV—while working out or anywhere else—really is about the last thing an aspiring writer needs. If you feel you must have the news analyst blowhard on CNN while you exercise, or the stock market blowhards on MSNBC, or the sports blowhards on ESPN, it’s time for you to question how serious you really are about becoming a writer. You must be prepared to do some serious turning inward toward the life of the imagination, and that means, I’m afraid, that Geraldo, Keigh Obermann, and Jay Leno must go. Reading takes time, and the glass teat takes too much of it.”

I seem to be very lucky where I can completely zone out when I'm writing. Don't get me wrong, quiet is good, but sometimes I find that a little back ground noise can help.

10. You have three months. “The first draft of a book—even a long one—should take no more than three months, the length of a season.”

This is true. The first draft is about capturing the story in its entirety, after that's done it is time to go back through it from the start. I have found that taking long breaks, or not writing quick enough, has one of two effects;

1. Excitement wains, concentration becomes hard work - writing a story should never be classed as work, it can't be a chore.
2. It stops being fun! (see above)

... To Be Continued...

Talking of being a chore, you've probably had enough of this by now so we'll take a break. If you can't wait to see the next ten you can see the whole article at:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/stephen-kings-top-20-rules-for-writers/

All good - Write, then write some more...

It's one of those side track moments...

Over the last few days it has been reported that over in Zimbabwe, Cecil the Lion was hunted and killed by an American dentist.

https://www.distractify.com/stick-to-cavities-1270093558.html?xrs=RebelMouse_fb

What an amazingly handsome beastie he was, but, thanks to a dentist, a corrupt ranger and $55,000, Cecil is now nothing more than a wall decoration - You selfish dickhead!

Anyway, not getting on my high-horse, I was keen to understand how others had taken this news - and it ain't pretty.

I suppose by way of a disclaimer, I have never hunted for decorative purposes - hunting for food, killing for protection, pest control or to end the suffering of an animal is a completely different topic of conversation, and I am not against any of them. (Oh, I should tell you that I am no tree hugger, nor do I have hippy tendencies, and vegetarianism is definitely not something I practice).

Decades (and a lot of them) ago, long before Walmart or Tesco's, or 'The Warehouse', were established, hunting probably was a multifaceted pastime - a good feed for the family, a new coat or blanket, even a draft excluder for the cave, all from one hunt - and the head got put up to possibly act as a hat rack or coat stand, or somewhere to hide the family jewels whilst waiting for Chub to invent the safe. Today's modern hunter hunts with a camera, a way of preserving the spectacular images of these (and other such) creatures in the wild, safe in the knowledge that they 'could' have killed the animal, but intelligent enough to understand that there is no need to.

Qualifying as a sniper during my military career, I enjoy shooting, and have participated in a number of shoots inside and outside of my Army day's - but ALL with good reason. I also fish whenever possible; the same rules apply - If I'm killing it, I'm eating it. (With the exception of protection, pest control [mainly rabbits and rats] and euthanasia, I can think of no other justification.

There are a few that say it is the 'thrill of the chase' - fine, chase it, but you don;'t have to kill it; take a picture and brag to your friends how you tracked it through the outback for two days, leopard crawled through dense bush and croc infested swamps, blah blah blah. Crikey, you can even get the picture custom enlarged so it covers that blank space of a wall. Then pat yourself on the back and go and get a McD's - kudos. How is killing such a majestic animal challenging? High powered rifle (probably with scope) fired from a safe distance versus what? Where is the thrill in that?

Apparently, there are places where wild boar are herded into enclosures and shot - I am assured that this is because, in those parts of the world, they are dangerous to the locals, destroy crops and their population is in need of control, (the meat is distributed locally), This ticks many of the boxes and, although the idea will still upset some people, I am ok with it.

Now there is a huge social media backlash aimed at this American dentist, and he wonders why? I'm not an advocate of bullying, or personal attacks, and would be equally appalled should this backlash take on a more sinister form.

Just to add to the whole mess, it is reported that the shoot was illegal, something that the dentist denies. I'm pretty sure that there will be some sort of PR exercise where we're told that Cecil was old, or in ill health, and that killing him was probably a good thing! No, never! Morally, ethically and for the love of God, I am sure that the $55,000 could have been used in a far more constructive way, that would have brought greater satisfaction to the individual than robbing the planet of something so majestic - Dickhead!! -

Just my personal thoughts on this tragedy.

A warning to all new authors...

OK, I think I'm safely far enough along the Author path to be able to give this piece of advice, and it's important for two reason's; 

1) because I assure you that this will impact your peace and quiet.

2) because no bugger told me!

You are told to 'write what you know', this refers to drawing from your own knowledge and personal experiences. But that doesn't mean that you've done everything you write about, right?! Crikey, if that was the case I'd be in a whole host of trouble, actually probably just prison. Don't judge me - I wrote one story that involved some pretty horrendous medical experiments, a wee bit of killing and some other un-pleasantry's, set in Russia; One that is a tragedy romance and the last, a modern war, kill pirates, special forces tale. I can honestly say that I've never been to Russia, and certainly not in 1940 something - well not in this lifetime anyway. BUT, as more and more friends, family and colleagues read the material it is amazing how many of them think a character or scene is based on either them, you, or actual personal experiences. And be warned, they take some considerable convincing otherwise. 

I make no apology for writing a scene, or creating a character, that has such authenticity it can resonate to that degree; but, in truth it's very difficult not to write something that somebody, somewhere hasn't already experienced, and not be writing fantasy. Authors tend to be a little more observant of people and environment, it's a sixth sense that hunts out potential story lines or character traits, and it stores them in the sub-conscious for future use. If you add to that that an author always leaves a part of themselves in every book, be that an emotion, a specific phrase or word, or one of a thousand other ways, it's hardly surprising that there will be some familiarity to the reader; even if you've only left an inherited trait shared by other members of your family. 

Writing 'what you know' is one thing, but you'll be amazed how much more you get to know with a decent amount of research. 

It's really ironic that your first 'hater' will be from within your family, friends and colleagues!  :-) But it's also kinda logical.

To date, ALL of my hate mail (that's probably a bit strong) has come from that group - then again, maybe I haven't sold that many copies outside of that group - dammit.

In reviews, where the reviewer has mentioned that the authors 'personal experience is evident', (or words to that effect), I take it as a real compliment, even if there is no personal experience, or true event, behind it/them. So, despite the fact that one of your stories may cost you a friend, family or colleague, you could lose them to a compliment.

I'm only mentioning this because it is something that had never occurred to me, nor did it occur to anyone else to warn me about it.

Anyway, there's a new story coming people, 23,000 words into an American Drug/political thriller,  it's gonna get messy.

http://www.ajwilsonbooks.net/

https://www.facebook.com/andrewj.wilson.3

ajwilsonbooks@gmail.com

Elementals - The editing begins...

Well, it's that time again - the latest 'Work in Progress' begins the transition from my lap top to (eventually) the next Amazon publication - Yes, it's editing time. As I hand over the manuscript to Judi there is an air of excitement building in the pit of my stomach, or it could be nerves! 

This story is of Young Adult genre, sort of Harry Potter meets Indiana Jones, meets Lord of the Rings. I think I'm always nervous when I hand over the script, all the questions race through my mind... is it good enough, is it the best it can be, what if Judi doesn't like it... I still have the doubts. Strangely the doubts don't go away, ever! If you look at Russian Redemption and Invictus Part 1, they have some brilliant reviews, huge compliments from complete strangers, but it still doesn't eradicate the doubts or fears. 


Something else that doesn't help is rereading the story - not just the five or six times, that's fine, but when you get to the point that your mind 'auto corrects' spelling or grammar errors so the eye doesn't even see them, then it is time to stop, it is no longer effective or efficient. But it is so bloody frustrating.


Anyway, the WiP - Elementals. We start the editing phase, and I hate it. When the sections come back with red ink all over the place I feel depressed - we're not talking throwing myself off a tall building depressed, more of 'humph, how did I get that so wrong' depressed. I dream of the day I'll submit a manuscript to Judi and it comes back with almost no red writing highlighting my errors - I fear we are a way off from that place. On the upside, at least it stops Judi from getting bored, eh? I absolutely loved writing it though, probably more than any I've written to date. To immerse myself into a child based fantasy was like washing off forty years of grown up. To reconnect with an innocence that sees the world a whole lot differently than adults, and to be able to walk, talk and observe the world without the burden of real life was exhilarating. I had the help of my twelve year old daughter to keep me 'young' as we planned story boards, explored scenario's and recorded details through the eye's of a child, another fantastic experience - talk about role reversal!


There also seems to be a bit of a perception that a YA story requires less research - this is completely untrue. As an author there is a responsibility to have just as much detail as any other book, the challenge is to communicate it in an appropriate manner. Why? Well, it is my view that a good book fuels the imagination of the reader, and no one has an imagination quite like youngsters. My writing is fiction, it's not real, but I love to weave the story's with facts, with real locations, with actual truisms; during a recent visit to the Amazon forums I saw a poster called Anna Karenina describe the difference between fiction and fantasy as being:-

"One hasn't happened, but could - the other hasn't happened and can't"

And that is why I research so much, I want the reader to think 'hmmm, this could be true', it brings a different dimension to the story.

An example is a book titled 'View from the 6th Floor - an Oswald Story' by Elizabeth Horton-Newton. A really enjoyable read that makes various references to the JFK assassination; it's not a conspiracy theory story, it's a kind of romance between old friends but suggests enough fact to make the reader ask 'did it happen that way?', it certainly lays it out in a manner that suggests that it could have - and that's a great achievement from a book.

That is the same reaction I want from readers of my books, I want them to be drawn into the story, invest in the characters, and have enough fact to anchor them to the real world, whilst encouraging the imagination to wander outside of the confines, to explore alternative avenues, not quite alternative realities.... yet.

So now Elementals starts to breathe. With Judi's skills and advice the story of Granddad Bert and the family adventure will take on it's own life, released onto the Amazon stage to do it's own thing. (hopefully before Christmas). Now I have to look at cover options and the other peripheral requirements needed to complete the wrap and pack. If anybody fancies reading an Advance Review Copy let me know.

Onwards and upwards! 


http://www.ajwilsonbooks.net/
ajwilsonbooks@gjmail.com