Book Reviews Please!

Do you ever feel like a beggar when you're asking readers to write a review? 

Yes. People are busy and forget, so it doesn't hurt to remind them, right? It still feels a little like begging to me. But without reviews how will new readers find our stories?

A good review is priceless!

Therefore, I will continue to ask everyone to write them. Reviews create a buzz. It's called marketing, and it takes time. But Buzz sells books. Personally, I love when a friend tells me about a new book they enjoyed. It goes on my "to read" list, or in my Kindle, or they sometimes even share the book. That's always fun. Many of my books have been through the hands of family and friends before I donate them to the library.

What about a bad review?

That's an excellent question, right? The fact is our stories will not appeal to everyone. I cried when I got my first bad review, but I noticed something resulting from it. A bad review can promote discussion, and that is the best way to learn about new books - Word of Mouth!

Do you write reviews?

OMG, yes. I try to review every book I read. I, too, occasionally forget though, then I feel terrible for a moment until I write it. Stories that stick with me are easy to go back and write reviews for, and I don't mind doing it a bit. If it has been too long, I pop over to Amazon and reread the synopsis and that generally brings it back to me. If I just can't remember I will reread it before I write a review.

Where do you write or read book reviews? 

Amazon.com is always good, but my favorite is Goodreads.com. Anywhere that you purchase a book, you can usually write a review - BN.combn.com, Smashwords.com, iBooks.com, Kobo, GooglePlay, etc. You can also post reviews on social media - Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Google+ and many more that I don't currently subscribe to or haven't used yet.

Do you always write a good review? 

No. But I share my likes first and stay professional and concise with my dislikes. Again, not every book will resonate with every person. And sometimes as authors, we are asked to review a book that needs additional work/editing/, etc. When that happens, I write the author directly and explain what I am thinking - not for the world to see. We all deserve an opportunity to improve upon the story before it is in front of the masses.

Enjoying the journey, talking to authors.

Don't forget to help authors by writing book reviews.

http://bdtharp.com
Amazon Author Page

Edit Schmedit

“Put down everything that comes into your head and then you’re a writer. But an author is one who can judge his own stuff’s worth, without pity, and destroy most of it.” ― Colette

As you all know self-publishing has grown exponentially over the past five years. There are still concerns by the reading and authoring community regarding the saleability of some of the books being self-published. We know the value of editing and the self-pubbed books worth reading have been thoroughly edited - they are professional and ready for prime time.

When I first started writing for publication I longed to write a beautiful first draft that leaped off the page with its glorious phrasing and description. What I've learned in the past sixteen years is first drafts are never perfect.

There are tons of books and software out there on how to edit and I've read some and used one or two. Here are my recommendations (these have a permanent place in my library):

• Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Browne & King (personal fave that I've shared a lot)
• On Writing Well  by Zinsser
• The Elements of Style by Strunk & White (I've already worn out one copy)
• Writers Digest magazine has a great section called WORKBOOK with exercises & tips for honing your craft
• Grammarly is a great tool for catching passive voice, wayward comma's and repetitive phrases

 "Find out what works for you and exploit it." ~Mark Twain


If you can afford to invest in a professional editor, that's great. Your manuscript will no doubt be much improved, but your pocketbook may be thinner.

A critique group is one of the most valuable tools out there for editing. By sharing your work with other authors they often see things we've become blind to. And if two or more of them remark on the same issue - well, it would definitely be worth a second look.

WORD to the WISE: Careful with critique groups, however, they are not all created equal. Critiques should be positive and motivate the author to make the story better. Criticism is negative and can destroy the fragile creative flame. And EVERYONE should have equal time to share their work and get the group's input. No diva's, please.

This post is not advocating self-publishing, although it is a more viable option now than it was six years ago. What I do recommend is stepping back from your work and look at it with an objective eye and if that doesn't work for you, get some help from your author buddies. It's a struggle for all of us to "kill our darlings."

Enjoy the journey.
Bonnie (BD) Tharp, author of women's fiction: Feisty Family Values and Patchwork Family. With a new Young Adult mss ready for an agent or publisher, whichever comes first.
For more information http://bdtharp.com

The importance of Networking.

Although we know the importance of networking in the author business we often have our heads down writing and miss opportunities to do it. I love the people part of writing (readers, book sellers, publishers, reviewers, bloggers, other authors...), but when I'm feeling the pressure of a deadline my vision of focus shifts to the page. In that part of the process we are alone.

And while the alone part can be daunting, critical and fun - networking is key to getting the word out about our work. With no traveling troubadours going from town to town sharing our wonderful stories, we have to do it ourselves. I have a decent voice, at least I used to, and could probably make up a song to sing about the stories I write - but that's not really what works these days. It's social media and the impressions (hopefully good ones) we make on the people we meet in our authoring travels.

Making a habit of hanging out at your favorite bookstore is so easy to do. Watermark Books & Cafe is one of my favorite places to be. They have tons of great books for sale, events for readers and authors, and a delightful cafe. A good cup of tea, a book, a cookie - OH BOY! Nothing better, in my humble opinion.

Writer workshops and conferences are a great way to meet and greet all the wonderful people associated with this profession. If funds are tight you can usually find one within driving distance of your home and probably someone to share a room with. (Check out Shawguides Writers Conferences to find one in your area.)

Some of my best writing buddies were a result of conference attendance over the years - sharing a spare room or hotel - and the fun and educational experience together. People who love writing are the coolest people, don't you agree? And no one understands the plight of a writer like another writer. It's also a great way to connect with publishers, agents, editors and book sellers.

But most of all, don't forget the readers. You'll find them anywhere and everywhere. For example: There's a boutique in the Old Town part of Wichita that I love. Shopping and buying gifts there is an adventure and doesn't hurt my growing earring collection any. It's called Lucinda's. I've made friends with the owner and she has a wonderful group of sales gals working for her. I love it so much that I put the store in my last novel (Patchwork Family). And guess what, my books are selling very well there!

Another favorite spot of mine is the library, where books and book lovers can always be found in abundance - so make it a point to donate copies of your work to your local library so they can share it with the world. Tell your friends and family to ask their local library to stock your books as well. My first novel Feisty Family Values can be found in Australia and thirty of the fifty states in the union.  Not a bad bit of networking.

Enjoy the journey, my friends.
~~~~
Born and raised in Kansas, Bonnie Tharp spent much of her formative years in her grandmother’s kitchen as official taste tester. Although not much of a chef herself, she enjoys good food and believes all the best discussions happen at the kitchen table.
Bonnie is the author of Patchwork Family, published in March 2014 by Belle Bridge Books. It’s the sequel to 2010’s Feisty Family Values, a novel of women’s contemporary fiction.

Literary Ladies Guide to the Writing Life

I just finished reading THE LITERARY LADIES GUIDE TO THE WRITING LIFE by Nava Atlas.  A writer friend of mine told me about one of the metaphors Madeleine L'Engle uses about letting her ideas simmer slowly, with several pots cooking at once, she drops ideas in each one until the pot is full and then brings it to the front of the stove. That's the story she begins to write. I really enjoyed it!

[On Writing] "To work on a book is for me very much the same thing as to pray. Both involve discipline... Ultimately, when you are writing, you stop thinking and write what you hear." 
~ Madeleine L'Engle

Some of the authors that Atlas shares with us include Jane Austen, Louisa May Alcott, Charlotte Bronte, Willa Cather, Edna Ferber, Virginia Woolf, Edith Warton and many more notable women writers. What I found most amazing was from the mid 1600's to today all women writers struggle with writing time, developing a voice, recognition of their work, fighting inner demons, handling rejection, making money and finding inspiration. They found their stories in not only day-to-day issues, but global ones as well. From letters and interviews we learn a lot about these classic authors. And personally, it warmed my heart to see that we still share the insecurity and the heady excitement as such esteemed authors.

[On Reviews] "You read these things, you hear them, you face them as you would face any misfortune, with as much good grace as you can summon. Success or failure, you go on to the next piece of work at hand." ~Edna Ferber

We're all familiar with Uncle Tom's Cabin, A Wrinkle in Time, My Antonia, Pride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre, Little Women, A Room of One's Own, just to name a few of the notable works we've been hearing about since we were children. Many we've read or seen the motion picture, so the stories and characters are familiar.

[On Writing] "Risk is essential. It's scary. Every time I sit down and start the first page of a novel I am risking failure." ~ Madeleine L'Engle

I like to think that what Jacqui, Susan, Maggie, Mary and I are trying to do at Author Expressions is similar. Sharing our experiences and encouraging other authors along the path. I hope you'll ask questions, share ideas and concerns with us and keep the discussion going. And if you get a chance to read this book, it's a good glimpse into the lives of some of the greats.

Enjoy the journey my author friends.

How do we contain the excitement of a new book?

Personally, I can't contain my excitement. It's like Christmas and giving birth all rolled together. Yes, it's painful and takes a long time, but when the book comes out it's a wonderful gift.

Last week I was given a copy of the new cover. I think it's beautiful. For those of you that read Feisty Family Values you know just how important the kitchen table is to the Morgan's story. All the best conversations happen there. It's that way in a lot of families, especially with my generation, my parents, grandparents and way back.

Sadly now days, meals are often eaten on the run, in the car on the way to a sports event or school, in front of the television or with everyone poking buttons on their tablets. (But I digress...)

Patchwork Family is the second book in the feisty family series and the story picks up a year after Feisty Family Values ends.

• A year after Annabelle became guardian of two teens and a tween, she is feeling more than her age. (Grandkids can wear you out and she can’t send them home.)
  • Regina is comfortably housed with Sam, but has yet to say “yes” when he asks her to marry him. (Silly woman.)
  • Peggy, the oldest granddaughter is growing up way too fast and madly in love with a boy at school. (She has the whisker burns to prove it.)
  • Tilly is happily married to Joe and enjoying being on hand whenever someone in the family needs her, whether it’s to cook a gourmet meal or referee a case of sibling rivalry.
  • Tad’s on the basketball team and the assistant coach seems to like his ladies full bodied like our dear Annabelle.
  • And after a decade Tom returns and wants to see the kids. This sets off a chain reaction that might just destroy them all. 
  
  Now comes another fun part. In a couple of weeks the book will be out and I'll be able to hold it in my hands, smell it, and feel the breeze as I flip the pages. My eReader friends (I have a Kindle Fire) will be able to get it and read all about what happens next. Readings and signings will begin at bookstores, book clubs, women's clubs,  libraries, anywhere where people enjoy reading--I plan to be there. (To set something up just send me an email at bd@bdtharp.com.)
  
  Another big plus of the huge migration to eBooks, we authors will be able to have our books in print practically forever.  The digital world has simplified the publishing process (no more typesetting required) and no need for a huge warehouse of inventory.
  
  The first book in the series came out in 2010 in a beautiful hardback. It went out of print two years after it was published, however. I bought up all available stock and there are still books available for you to buy if you want one. The second book, Patchwork Family will be in eBook and paperback (print on demand), so it'll be just as lovely and a wee bit cheaper.
  
  All the sweat, lack of sleep, eye twitches and achy wrists from hammering the keyboard have come to fruition. Patchwork Family is coming the end of March. Stay tuned. (See, dreams really do come true.)
  
  
  • How do you feel when your book is complete? 
  • How do you feel when you see your book available for purchase? 
  • Which is more satisfying seeing your eBook for sale or holding a traditional book (paper or hardback) in your hand?