Tag Archive | books
Dear Jackass, The Book Review Edition
Dear Jackass, So you want to get your book sold, do you? And you think that a glowing review of your work will get readers interested? I have to agree with you there. There have been several books that I purchased based on a strong review by someone whose opinion I trusted. Oh, you don’t [...]
A Look At Book Cover Design
I recently made the decision to expand this blog from simply talking about writing to talking about stories. Stories told in film, in images, and – most often – in words. Though many of you know that I my field of study is art history, what you may not know is that I specifically study [...]
Current State of the “To Read” Pile, Nov 2011 (Or, Why I Can’t Buy New Books For A Long, Long, Time)
My life has been chaotic for the last year or so. A lot of what’s happening in my life is happening to other people, and therefore not things I can easily control. I get sidetracked and redirected without warning, trying to keep up with the changes around me, and not doing very well at keeping [...]
I Like Men. There, I Said It.
Recently Don, who happens to be both a man and a writer, talked about how he needed to read more male writers. He’s a voracious reader and especially loves indie writers, and has introduced me to some of the women who now live in my “favorite writers” list. As he says: Everyone who does know [...]
Your Book Synopsis Should Never Be This Bad
Searching through my Netflix instant viewing options, I was struck by the similarities between a movie blurb and a book blurb. When we’re pitching our novels, especially in person, we often have to be able to explain our brilliance in only a few sentences. Even when talking about our work with other writers, it’s helpful [...]
I Haven’t Felt Write In a While
I haven’t felt like much of a writer lately, nor much of an editor either. I’ve let my real life distract me, with changes and drama and illness and the maelstrom of everything that nibbles at you all at once, wanting attention. Life does that sometimes. It rises up to meet you, and you rarely [...]
Getting Back in the Swing of Things
After losing myself to the first few weeks of a new day job, I’m finding myself settled enough to get back to the parts of my life I can’t live without. Reading, editing, and (of course!) writing, have been gnawing at me, begging for my attention. Projects were due, emails needed answering, and people I [...]
My “To Be Read” Shelf
After reorganzing my bookshelf last week I ended up with enough space to have a dedicated “to be read” shelf. Most of what I’ve got in my collection are books I’ve already read, with a healthy mix of classic fiction, non fiction (either for academic or personal research), comics/graphic novels, books about zombies and big [...]
I’m Not Afraid to Fall in Love, it Just Happens So Rarely
I’ve been open to the idea of love since I was old enough to think I knew what it was. I know what I’m looking for, what I like and what I don’t, though I’ve also been surprised by someone unexpected who turned out to be wonderful. It’s been over two decades since that first crush, [...]
