Let's Keep the Giveaway Going

I just chose (at random) my first four winners of the huge, gorgeous (sorry to be immodest, but I'm really crediting the printing process) coffee-table-size softcover edition of 365 Days of Gratitude: Photos from a Beautiful World. 

They are Kit Cooley, Rose Lamatt, Fran Simmons Schouten, and Claudia Robinson.

Now. I always feel bad for all the people whose names I didn't draw. But I have a lot more of these. So what I'd like to do is extend this to a monthly giveaway.

If you didn't win, but still want one, leave a comment below. At the end of June, I'll draw another winner, and we'll start again for July. That way everybody gets another chance. (And another. And another.)

As always, please do leave your email address in the comment form. I promise I won't use it for any other purpose but to notify you if you win. Don't leave your email address in the body of your comment unless you want everybody to see it. And remember the "author" in the comment form is the author of the comment, not the book. In other words, you.

More winners is better, right?

Update on 2014-07-03 17:21 by Catherine

Sorry for the delay on this, but I was out of town. Choosing a name this morning.

Update on 2014-07-03 17:29 by Catherine

The winner of the 365 book for June is Melissa Caudill. But don't worry if you're not Melissa. We'll be starting a July giveaway any minute now.

Better Than Blurbs: Lost in Transplantation by Eldonna Edwards

Because I no longer write blurbs, but still very much want to help other authors, I've launched a blog series called Better Than Blurbs. The authors and I will have in-depth discussions about their books, which I hope will help readers identify whether they'd enjoy reading them. This is the eighth post of the series. The author is Eldonna Edwards, and the book is Lost in Transplantation: Memoir of an Unconventional Organ Donor.

Me: Eldonna, please Tell us about the book in your own words:

Eldonna: Lost in Transplantation isn't just a chronicle of a living donor, it's a book about life and the decisions we make when given difficult choices. The memoir is interwoven with stories about growing up as a Bible-thumping preacher's kid, my work as a massage therapist, raising children—mostly as a single mother—and the seesaw transitions of menopause. There’s a good deal of humor in the book to balance the serious topic. My goal is for others to relate to me as a real person rather than putting me on a pedestal for giving a kidney to a stranger, thereby dismissing me as an anomaly. I believe we are all capable of being someone's hero and you don't have to undergo surgery to achieve that end.

The memoir describes my journey as an organ donor but it also tells Kathy's (my intended recipient) story and hopefully the reader's as well. We all struggle, we all have dreams and hardships, but it's our attitude that alters one’s perception of those challenges.  Lost in Transplantation seeks to connect with that place in each of us that wants to make a difference. My hope is to inspire others to take steps—no matter how small—toward balancing the inequality and unconscionable inhumanity that persists in the world. You never know exactly how far the results of your actions reach— and the life it alters the most just might be your own.

Me: I want to ask a set of questions that will establish my focus on organ donation in the past. So I’ll ask you (and I suppose ask my readers at the same time): Have you read Second Hand Heart, which is about organ donation, but not living donation?

Did you know that one of the UK editions included a real-life living kidney donor story that I also wrote about on my blog? And for those who have no access to that UK edition, I also wrote it up for Positive Impact Magazine. (But I can't seem to establish a direct link, so readers can use the link to their home page and search for Betty Ann and erin or organ donation). 

I’m also wondering if you’ve heard about Garet Hill and the National Kidney Registry. They form donation chains that start with an altruistic donor like yourself, and just keep going. (He was kind enough to be in contact with me, because the Pay It Forward connection is easy to see). They even made it into the New York Times.

Yes, I realize this is a long question. I also realize that no two living donors are alike. So can you tell us how you feel when you read these stories? How much are they like you, and in what ways are they different? How much change do you think we might see in the world if this kind of giving gets a foothold?

Eldonna: I have read Second Hand Heart. What interests me most is the cellular memory aspect of the story. I’ve communicated with many transplant recipients who voice a strong desire to reach out to the families of cadaveric donors. I think that in addition to gratitude, recipients feel a connection beyond what can be explained or expressed. My recipient claims to have lost an appetite for a few things that I don’t care for, like lamb and ice cream. I’m still waiting for my former kidney to switch the recipient’s political parties. ;-)

In answer to the second part of your question, my surgery was the very first at CPMC (California Pacific Medical Center) to occur as a result of a National Kidney Registry match! I was the initial domino in a series of surgeries beginning December 16, 2010. Fortunately transplant chains have since become the norm. I recently had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Alvin Roth, who won the 2012 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences. The algorithm he co-developed increased NKR matches by up to 167% over the previous method.

Me: Of course the best way readers can get this question answered is to read your book. But it’s on everyone’s mind. So please give us a sneak peek at the answer to the big question: Why?

I get this a lot. Here’s how I explain it in the book:

Wealth might make you comfortable but it can’t save you from eventual death. Education might keep you from poverty but it can’t prevent disease. Geography might help protect your civil rights but it can’t protect you from unpredictable tragedy. Where we’re born and most of the opportunities we’re born into all come down to chance. Some disease is generated by bad habits like smoking or diet, some is environmental like chemical exposure or lack of available prenatal care, and some is just wonky DNA.

Perhaps one day science will figure out how to prevent or cure a lot of the diseases that are inherent in our society. I recently heard NASA has invented a 3-D printer that can print “food” for astronauts so it doesn’t take up valuable space. Maybe printing a human kidney isn’t that far off. But for now, beyond one’s belief in a higher power, all we have to sustain our hope is the grace of our fellow human beings to help us through our struggles.

A logical or left-brained person might look at the data, decide the evidence is overwhelming against self-sacrifice to aid others, and leave it to politics or science to determine another's fate. And here is where I invite Captain Obvious into the conversation to state that I am not left-brained. In fact I am so right brained that I sometimes wonder why my head doesn’t rest on my right shoulder. I’m a touchy-feely, tree-hugging, artsy-fartsy human being who truly believes we are all brothers and sisters in this world, and that by helping one person you help the collective. I believe each of our deeds, good or bad, creates a ripple. Birth might be about circumstance but life is about choices within the events that occur year to year, day to day, and most importantly, moment to moment.

The encounter with Lucy might or might not have been chance—I don’t know. Had I not moved to California with my son, had he not attended Cuesta College, had I not chosen one class over another, I never would have met her. What looks random in the immediate moment might seem like fate for those that believe in predestination. For me, it was merely an encounter with another human being who raised my consciousness about a particular form of suffering and I chose to act upon it.

No matter how hard I try to communicate the need for donors, people remain skeptical. No matter how deeply I underscore the extraordinary sense of purpose in helping another human being, I continually bump up against fear. What I’ve gradually come to understand is that it’s naïve to presume anyone’s motivations for donating or not, other than my own.

Me: I know you have a writing background that predates this book. Will you please tell my readers more about how you came to the written word and what else you have done?

Eldonna: I love language and have always taken great delight in the satisfaction of stringing together a tapestry of words that results in a good story or poem.  I used to facilitate journal-writing workshops and later turned the exercises into a couple of journaling workbooks. Loose Ends and Journaling from the Heart were published in 1999/2000 respectively.  I currently have other works-in-progress but I set the novels aside to work on this memoir. Living donation is a timely subject and I'm compelled to get it out there ahead of the fiction.

Me: I have no idea if anyone reading this is considering becoming a living donor. But I know it must be a big decision. And I know that, no matter how sure the donor may be, it’s often a hard subject to broach with family members. Any advice to someone considering this gigantic act of selfless giving?

The best thing a potential donor can do is to become informed. I regularly participate in several living donor and kidney patient forums where people like me offer support, encouragement and advice to potential donors. In terms of sharing plans with loved ones, you have to stay centered in your intention and not let well-meaning family members pull you off course. When challenged, I would usually say, “I hear your concerns and I appreciate you supporting me in my decision.

Me: Can you sum up for us how this act and this book changed your life? Yes, I do know it’s hard to compress it. But if you had to write a paragraph or two about it, what seems like the most important thing to say?

Eldonna: Having witnessed their pain and suffering up close, I am truly humbled by the strength and determination of all the people on dialysis who don’t know if they’ll get a kidney in time. The act itself didn’t change me so much as it reinforced my belief that when you help others it takes you out of yourself and your own struggles. But I definitely came away from the donation with a deeper sense of purpose and believing my life had more meaning. People talk about what an amazing gift I’ve given but I feel equally blessed by the experience.

As a donor, my goal was to inspire people. As a writer, I hoped to inspire readers in an entertaining way. Since writing the book I’ve been overwhelmed by enthusiastic support not only from the standpoint of living donation, but from readers who reported that they were moved to “be a better person” after reading Lost in Transplantation.  I can’t tell you how much it means knowing this story has had such a profound an effect on people. I’m unable to read the reviews without tearing up. It’s one thing to tell a story that touches people, but to be acknowledged for the art of the telling itself is icing on the proverbial cake.

Me: Please write your own question, and answer it.

Eldonna: You were the subject of a documentary titled “Perfect Strangers”. What was that experience like?  What’s next? (You meant two questions, right?)

While researching living donation I couldn’t find a single film on the topic so I contacted Jan Krawitz, the Director of the M.F.A. Documentary Filmmaking Program at Stanford. I told her someone needed to make a film about this so that the tragic need for donors would reach more people. We met in a coffee shop and talked for four hours. By the time the meeting ended she’d decided to make a film and I’d agreed to let her follow my journey. Her crew was amazing and I often forgot they were in the room. (Word of advice to anyone thinking of being in a film: Turn off your wireless mic before using the bathroom!)

Over the course of four years Jan and I became dear friends. I’ve attended several screenings of the film, which has played to enthusiastic audiences all across the country. I think she did a fantastic job of artfully capturing the experience of both donor and kidney patient. We’re hoping to show it locally again soon but I also host public and private screenings. The DVD will be available this summer. You can view the trailer at www.perfectstrangersmovie.com.

As a result of the film and the book, I’ve been invited to book clubs, film Q&A’s, and conferences to speak about my experience. I realize not everyone is a candidate for living donation (but hopefully some of you are!) so I tend to talk about altruism in the grander sense of how one can find happiness through kindness and compassion.

I love my work as an advocate for living donation, but I’m also making time to write. What’s next is a coming-of-age novel set in the sixties about a psychic little girl born into a fundamentalist Christian family who feels threatened by her paranormal gifts. The opening of This I Know recently won the Lillian Dean Award for fiction.  The novel is planned for publication in 2015.

Thank you so much, Catherine, for all that you do to promote kindness through your non-profit and to support other authors through this blog. In hopes of inspiring others to offer hope to desperate patients, I’m asking your readers to spread the word about Lost in Transplantation. You can find me on Facebook and on the web at my website, where I’ve just started a blog. I’m available to answer questions about how to donate as well as inquiries about speaking engagements.

The book is availableon Amazon as an eBook and in paperback, and at Barnes & Noble. It’s also available for Kobo and iTunes.

Cover Reveals: The Backlist Gets a Big Makeover

My wonderful agency and I took a look back recently. When we first put out our own independent ebook editions of my backlist novels Funerals for Horses, Electric God, and Walter's Purple Heart, we didn't really know what to expect. We didn't know how much interest there would be for these titles. Plus, I was working on a shoestring.

The titles are doing quite well, I'm happy to say, due to a great number of wonderful new readers (thank you, wonderful new readers!) who are going through the full body of my work.

We all agreed it was time to give these ebooks a makeover. Help them stand right up there with my newer titles.

So here are the wonderful new covers. If you haven't read the backlist, maybe this is a great time to start. The ebook editions are affordable at only $2.99. And they will give you something to read while you are waiting for my two brand new novels to come out this year.

Hope you like the new look!

The 365 Photo Book is (Almost) Here!

This is actually the proof of the huge, gorgeous coffee-table-size softcover edition of 365 Days of Gratitude: Photos from a Beautiful World. This is the one I promised to give away lots of copies of. (Bad sentence, but good sentiment, right?) And I plan to keep that promise.

I wanted to show it to you so you could get some idea of the size and quality of the book in question.

My next step is to order several cartons of them. And start giving them away on this blog, and maybe also on my Facebook author page.

As always, all you have to do is comment that you want one. Do leave your email address in the comment form. I promise I won't use it for any other purpose but to notify you if you win. Don't leave your email address in the body of your comment unless you want everybody to see it.

I'm not sure when I'll have more copies, but let's start the giveaway now for three. It will end when I have the books in hand. I'll choose three commenters at random.

I'll give away a lot more. Maybe one a month. Maybe I'll get more creative. But I'm excited, now that I've seen how well the paper book turned out. So let's get started!

Update on 2014-05-23 15:17 by Catherine

Okay, it's here. I have copies. So I'm going to give it just over the Memorial Day weekend for people to add their names. And then early next week I'll do a drawing for three of these. Comment away!

Walk Me Home is a Kindle Monthly Deal

All this month my novel Walk Me Home is being offered as a Kindle Monthly Deal for May. The promotional price is $1.99. That's a fifty percent savings.

I always want to make sure my readers know about price promotions, because I honestly believe that faithful readers deserve book bargains.

This is also a great month to suggest Walk Me Home to your book group, especially if the people in your group have ereaders. It's a book that lends itself well to group discussion, and the price is good.

Hope you'll give it a try if you haven't already, and I hope you enjoy it! 

Don't Let Me Go is $0.99

I'm guessing that about 95% of the people who see this blog have already read the book in question, Don't Let Me Go. Then again, I could be wrong. Either way, I want to let my faithful readers know that the book is on a Kindle Countdown Deal right now. The Kindle ebook is $0.99 today, tomorrow, and Thursday (April 29th and 30th and May 1st) before going back up to its normal price in daily increments.

If you haven't read it, I'm happy to offer it to you at this discount, because I firmly believe that people who buy and read books deserve bargains now and then.

If you have read it, I hope you enjoyed it enough to tell your friends about this deal. Or your book club! I know book clubs like to read books that not only come recommended, but can be bought inexpensively.

In either case, if I'm going to put a book on special price promotion, I'll always make sure my faithful readers hear about it. Word-spreading is always much appreciated. 

To Celebrate International Pay It Forward Day...

Did you know International Pay It Forward Day is today this year, April 24th?

Here's how I'm celebrating. Actually, I'll celebrate a number of different ways, most involving acts of kindness. But this is cool, and I wanted to share it with you.

Simon & Schuster has put out a press release announcing that the book will soon be released in a young readers' edition, suitable for middle grade students.

I'm linking to the press release HERE and it should download when you click the link. If not, you can view it HERE. Please feel free to repost anywhere and everywhere. It's all about spreading the word.

Can you imagine a world where kids read Pay It Forward in school when they're eight, or ten? I can. But let's not imagine. Let's have that world and see what changes. Things can only get better from here.

The Bet: We Still Crazy

California ChromeNo, that was not a typo in the title of this post. I'm practicing my trash-talk voice.

For those of you unfamiliar with the concept of The Bet, it goes a little something like this. Well, actually, it goes a lot like this. Author Brian Farrey read an article somewhere about Steven King making a bet that involved, rather than money, the writing of a short story. The "winner" got to dictate the title to the "loser." (Now I ask you, how can you be a winner if you don't get to write a story and a loser if you do?) He proposed the idea on Twitter to see if any authors were crazy enough to take him up on it. Fortunately for Brian, authors are nothing if not a crazy bunch.

The call was answered by authors Andrew Smith, Kimberly Pauley, and yours truly. But I'm pleased to say that this year, year four(!), we are being joined by the wonderful author David Lubar.

Here's how it works: We each pick a horse in the Kentucky Derby. For the purposes of The Bet, they are--or might as well be--the only horses running. In other words, they don't need to win. They just need to beat each other. The person whose horse comes in first dictates a title to the author whose horse comes in second, and so on. The "winner" doesn't get to write a story, and the last place "loser" doesn't get to dictate a title.

My horse this year is the very winning California Chrome. I'd tell you their horses, but two have already been scratched and the bettors will have to choose again.

Stay tuned on derby day. And if you want something to read in the meantime, here are some links to my stories from previous years: The Art of Being Stuck Here, Uncle Mo Hold a Grudge, and Even Pidgeons Can Sing. Wish me luck. I haven't won yet. Then again, I like to write stories. So I'm not complaining. 

Update on 2014-04-23 20:11 by Catherine

Here's a little update to The Bet 2014. As mentioned, I have California Chrome. Kimberley has We Miss Artie. Andrew Smith, whose new book The Grasshopper Jungle is eating up the world, takes Hoppertunity. That fits. Brian has Dance with Fate and David has Wicked Strong. And so it begins. 

Update on 2014-05-03 23:42 by Catherine

And here are the results. I WON! Not only did my horse win the inner "The Bet" race, he won... well, the race. First time in four years. I give a title to The Bet newcomer David Lubar. David gives a title to Brian Farrey who gives one to Kimberly Pauly who gives one to Andrew Smith.

The title I'm giving David, in honor of California Chrome's intrepid owners, is "The Dumbass Partners." Go David. 

Better Than Blurbs: Long Live the Suicide King by Aaron Ritchey

Because I no longer write blurbs, but still very much want to help other authors, I've launched a blog series called Better Than Blurbs. The authors and I will have in-depth discussions about their books, which I hope will help readers identify whether they'd enjoy reading them. This is the seventh post of the series. The author is Aaron Ritchie, and the book is the brand new YA novel Long Live the Suicide King.

Me: Let's start in the usual way. Aaron, please tell us about the book in your own words.

Aaron: Long Live the Suicide King came out of my own experiences with addiction, depression, and suicidal ideation. 

Well, that’s not a very happy way to start, but I did get to use the word “ideation” which is cool.  Yes, it’s a contemporary YA novel with addiction, depression, and suicide in it, but it’s more of a young man’s search for meaning in this beautiful, broken world.  And the book is funny because the world is funny and good.  A bad world wouldn’t have donuts, and we have donuts.  I could say don’t read it for the deep, spiritual themes, read it for the donuts.

Uh oh, now I’m talking about spiritual themes, which leads people to think I’m talking about religion, which is going to alienate readers.  Dang.  What was the question again?  My own words.  My book in my own words.

Friendship, meaning, desire, kindness, selflessness, compassion, sorrow, death, divorce, mocha lattes, and race relations in America.  Oh, and Christianity, Buddhism, atheism, and Geddy Lee from the progressive rock band Rush.  These are a few of my favorite things.

Okay, now that I’ve confused everyone.  I’m ready to start the interview.

Me: You strike me as someone who could write just about any damn thing you please and do it well. What drew you to YA fiction? It’s okay to be honest if the answer is the health and fitness of that genre in an otherwise ailing industry. But if there’s something that draws you to YA, I’d like to hear about it. Will you always write YA, or is this just one of many directions you see yourself going?

Aaron:  Gosh.  Thanks, Catherine.  Gosh.

About genre.  Genre!  Why do you task me so?

Short answer is that I spent the first ten years of my writing working on  doorstop-sized multi-genre masterpieces no one could read.  Part sci-fi, part epic fantasy, part Russian novel, part lost Gnostic gospel.  I couldn’t pitch these books.  I didn’t know how to talk about them.  They were too epic!

And then I read Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.  And I said, hey, what about doing a book like that?  Then I sarted reading YA, and boom, I could write cross-genre novels, call them YA, and they would have  a shelf to sit on.   

But more than genre, having young adult readers is awesome and talking books with teens is fun, and there’s just so much excitement there.  My YA books have an edge, though.  They’re not happy angels or lovesick werewolves.  At the same time, they aren’t full of eviscerations and R-rated skinny dippings.

And I like that.  My parents can read my books, grandmothers can read my books, I’ve cornered the YA market for octogenarian nuns (I have two such fans), and I don’t have to be embarrassed by what’s inside.  

Will I always write YA?   I think so.  I like the characters, I like the conflict.  I like the coming of age themes.  Someday I’ll come of age.  I have faith.

Me: What do you say to Meghan Cox Gurdon? For those (fortunately, in my opinion) unfamiliar, she is the author of the Wall Street Journal article “Darkness too Visible,” criticizing YA fiction for not being cheerier.

Aaron: I wasn’t familiar with the article, but I’ve thought about all of those things while I was working on my books.

I think there is a line drawn between YA and adult books.  A definite line, and I would argue that line is more about rating than genre.

I approach that line, but I don’t cross it. My books are rated a solid PG-13.  In real life, all of my characters would walk around cursing with staggering grammatical displays of vile genius, but what’s the point of that?  To show I can cuss?

In some ways I agree with her.  If someone is throwing F-bombs and going into graphic details about sexual abuse, is that YA?  Yeah, I’m thinking the author crossed the line and it becomes an adult book with YA characters.  Most readers read up, so really, a lot of the YA readers are in middle grade.  Something I  keep in mind.

So rating is one thing, genre is another. 

Darkness, violence, despair, troubling sexuality, all fit perfectly fine in the YA genre. 

For example, I found adolescence horrific.  Suddenly, the fairy tales of my youth were stripped away and I was presented with reality, where people do cut themselves, people are sexually abused, and bad stuff happens. 

I couldn’t run back into the fairy tales.  Once you know the world is broken, you know. 

Instead, I read lots and lots of Stephen King because I had this passion to try and understand the gore, the horror show, the nightmares.  Which I think is why teens are drawn to darker themes in YA literature.

As a writer, I’m still trying to understand the suffering, sadness, and sorrow in the world.  And what’s a better way to do that than walking with someone who is in the middle of suffering, sorrow, sadness? [Me, note: I agree completely. You don't pretend there is no darkness. You light a path through it.]

Jackie Morse Kessler’s Riders of the Apocalypse series is brilliant.  In Hunger, an anorexic teenager becomes Famine.  Is it all prettiness and sparkling vampires?  Uh no.  Is it real, gritty, gruesome?  Yes.  Is there hope and salvation?  Yes.  Because a key component in many YA novels is change.

One last F-word on this subject.  In Long Live the Suicide King I use the F-word once.  I debated long and hard if I should keep it in.  Then  I talked with a fourteen-year-old hardcore homeschooled Christian kid about it, and he said, “Keep it real, man.  If you can’t curse God, who can you curse?”  So it stayed.  It fits.  And I use it once.

Me: You said a few things to me that suggested that the road to publication didn’t go the way you expected. Of course you realize that doesn’t make you stand out much among your fellow authors. It really just makes you… a writer. Please tell us as much as you are willing to tell about your writer’s journey. The brick walls, the eventual breaks. (Breaks in the wall, breaks in you—we’re wide open here.)

Aaron: Oh, Catherine, oh me, oh life.  I wanted to be rich, famous, lauded as a genius, given keys to cities, honorary degrees, lear jets.  Instead, I write words, unagented, ignored by the big huge publishing industry, and really without a lot of external praise and certainly not the adoration I want. 

Which is probably good in the long run.  I can totally see me Lindsay Lohanning into flames.

I’m like a guy who couldn’t find a prom date.  I went around and asked all these agents and editors to go to the prom with me, and they all said no.

I went to prom anyway.  I might be out on the dance floor by myself, but I’m publishing books I adore, and I’m dancing.

And I’m not alone.  I’m dancing with editors from small presses, I’m dancing with other writers, and I’m dancing with readers.

But make no mistake, I’m dancing.

Me: I love Inga Blute. And her dog. I think she makes a great counterpoint of light to play off JD’s darkness. And I think she’s a wonderful way for the reader to see the value of life, even if the protagonist currently can’t. Okay, that’s a comment. It’s not so much a question. But if you wanted to speak to her character for a bit—what she means to you, how it felt to write her, what part she played in the development of the story in your head—that would be a good thing.

Aaron:  Inga in a very real sense saved the book.  Thanks, Inga!  But guess what?  She wasn’t in the first drafts.  After getting feedback from beta readers and contest judges, I knew some people just didn’t like JD, my main character, my POV character!  So I knew I needed to add someone who would let the readers know that JD is a good guy.  He’s a hot, suicidal mess, but he’s still a good guy. 

That’s where Inga comes in.  JD takes care of her, worries over her, and in the end, is transformed because of some of the things she said. 

Inga wrote herself.  I would sit down, and she would tell me things, and I would write them down.  Not to spoil anything, but I had no idea that she had a long history of mental illness before I wrote her scenes. 

Yeah, I love Inga too.  And Schatzi, her very happy dog.

Me: I’m interested in your choice of an overtly Christian teen character, Marianne Hartley. Her religion is, of course, at predictable odds with your protagonist. But as the books goes on, she becomes more and more layered and human. Refreshingly so. There’s such an enormous rift this days between the religious and the secular. Talk to us, please, about your choice to bring her into the story.

Aaron:  Yes, there is an unfortunate rift between the religious and the secular.  Not to make a gross generalization, but too often the religious can be ignorant and the secular can be narrow-minded.  Gross generalization.  Ew. 

Both sides should remember that trying to understand God is like trying to pour an ocean into a thimble. 

While Inga has rebellious, heretical theology as far as God is concerned, Marianne Hartley seems like a goody-two shoes Christian girl who prays to Jesus at night, does her homework, and reads Sweet Valley High novels.  No dark YA for Marianne Hartley. 

JD think he has her all figured out.  Except one of the major themes in the book is the Grand Canyon gap between our perceptions and reality. 

Marianne is human.   Painfully so.  Between her and Inga, they give JD the answers he needs. I have lots about God in my book, which I know will push some readers away, but these are the books I was born to write.

I love being an atheist. I can’t accept any sort of god running the universe.  And I love being a Catholic, because how can there not be a God?

If God can’t be bigger than that paradox than he’s like some crappy Walmart god and shouldn’t exist.

I’ve known lots of girls like Marianne Hartley. Not in the biblical sense either. So that was some of my own history shining through.  And I’ve learned, as JD does, don’t compare your insides with other people’s outsides. 

Me: I won’t do spoilers, but when we find out more about what has this guy in such a dark place, it feels very textured and honest and real. There was another very successful book on teen suicide; I’ll let it be nameless. I never bought the suicidal reasoning in that one. I think that, unless we are suffering from overwhelming depression already, we don’t want to kill ourselves because we blame others, or because of our opinion of others, or because of what others do. I think the problem is with ourselves. How much did your personal experience inform these choices? Or is there a place early on in the writing process where imagination kicks in and Jimmy is just different, just himself? Or both?

Aaron: My book really is an autobiographical novel. 

And I had trouble with that other nameless suicide book as well.

If you haven’t been in front of a mirror, trying to slash your wrists, I think the average non-suicidal person likes the idea that people kill themselves because of some specific reason.  The Ordinary People reason for suicide.  I let my brother drown, so now I want to die.

It’s clean.  It’s tidy.  It makes sense.  I couldn’t write a suicide book like that.  That wasn’t my experience.  Like JD, I had all the outside stuff, but I needed meaning.  I needed answers.  My brain doesn’t work sometimes and I needed help to manage my thinking, which can be horribly negative. 

There’s an old joke about two kids on Christmas morning.  One wakes up to a roomful of toys, and one wakes up to a roomful of horse poop.  The first kid plays with some of the toys, gets bored, gets angsty, and wanders off.  That’s me.  Give me a roomful of toys, and I’m going to tell you in great detail, which toy is missing, why the toys aren’t right, and why life sucks.

The other kid?  He is playing around in the horse poop, running around, all happy.  Someone finally asks him, “Hey kid, what’s your damage?”

He replies, happily, “With all this manure around, there must be a pony in here somewhere.”

That’s who I want to be.

Me: What’s next? Do you have another novel “in the can?” If so, how much are you willing to tell us about it, and when do we get to find out for ourselves? In what ways is it like Long Live the Suicide King? In what ways is it unique? If you don’t have anything else finished, you can just imagine where you’ll go from here and answer anyway.

Aaron: Actually, I’m juggling four different projects, all so much fun.  I got a contemporary romance (very different), I got a YA sci-fi romance (Blade Runner meets Twilight), I have a YA steampunk family drama (very Firefly), and I have what I hope will be my next published book, Elizabeth’s Midnight.  I’m in talks with another small press, but I haven’t signed a contract yet.

Elizabeth’s Midnight is a contemporary YA with fantasy elements.  Oh, it’s so great.  It has France in it, and treasure hunting, and love, and doing the impossible.

It’s about an overweight, emotionally handicapped teen who finds herself on the run with her grandmother.  Both are being chased by the teen’s mother, who wants to stop them from travelling to France to see the grandmother’s lover from World War II.  You don’t know if the grandmother is crazy and lying, or if she is telling the truth about her lost love, since yeah, she claims he’s a sorcerer-prince from another world.

It really is a sweet book, solid PG, and Meghan Cox Gurdon would approve.

However, there is some darkness in the book.  Elizabeth starts out so shut-down, so out to lunch, and her mom is such a monumental dragon lady.   But those are the characters I like: real, hurt and hurting, dragging themselves through their days until that special something happens, that spark, which drives the wounded character forward until they find healing.

And we can be healed in this world.  Perhaps, that is exactly why we are here in the first place.  To find healing.  To find a home.

So we can dance and dance.

Life is sweet.

Me: (Everybody gets this one:) Please write your own question, and answer it.

Aaron: Your questions were so good!  I couldn’t add another one!  Perfect interview!

My bio:

Aaron Michael Ritchey's first novel, The Never Prayer, was published in March of 2012 to a fanfare of sparkling reviews including an almost win in the RMFW Gold contest. Since then he's been paid to write steampunk, cyberpunk, and sci-fi western short stories, two of which will appear in a new fiction magazine, FICTIONVALE. His next novel, Long Live the Suicide King, will give hope to the masses in April of 2014. As a former story addict and television connoisseur, he lives in Colorado with his wife and two ancient goddesses posing as his daughters. 

For more about him, his books, and how to overcome artistic angst, visit www.aaronmritchey.com. He's on Facebook as Aaron Michael Ritchey and he tweets - @aaronmritchey.

My First Photo Book is Here!

It's here! The ebook edition of 365 Days of Gratitude: Photos from a Beautiful World. It's a big file, so don't be surprised if it doesn't show up on your computer/Kindle/tablet as instantly as most ebooks. But it's available for purchase.

I'll be honest and say that in the not-too-distant future it will be discounted for a few days of promotion. Probably to $0.99, probably mid-May. So if you buy it now for $3.99, it should be because you want to, or because you don't want to wait. It shouldn't be because I kept that to myself so you didn't have the option.

As I mentioned in my previous blog about this book, the paperback will be along soon. It won't be for sale, because you wouldn't like the price I'd have to put on it. But I'll be giving quite a few away on this blog. 

So, just to recap, ebook HERE, large 8 1/2 x 11 format paperback, watch this space for more news!

Cover Reveal: The Language of Hoofbeats

Nothing makes me much happier than a good cover reveal. Unless it's two cover reveals in less than a month. In March I shared the new cover for Take Me With You, which will be released in the U.S. on July 15th. (Sorry, I know I said June 10th, but it changed.)

Today I am absolutely thrilled to show you the brand new final cover for The Language of Hoofbeats. It will be out in December, worldwide, from Lake Union (Amazon Publishing). If you want to know more about it, check out the new The Language of Hoofbeats page on this site. Or just go straight to its Amazon page, because it's already available to preorder.

It's going to be a good year!

Taking Giveaways to a New Level (Soon)

Not too long ago I wrote a blog post called "No More Ebook Only." I had made the decision to add paperback editions of my three books that had previously been available only in Kindle. (The Long, Steep Path, Always Chloe and Other Stories, and Subway Dancer and Other Stories.) I made my initial choice because I knew these books--an essay collection and two story collections--would not sell quite as briskly as my novels. And the vast majority of my book sales are in Kindle these days. So I didn't expect to see a great deal of sales on those paperbacks. But when I could afford to, I added them anyway. Because some of my readers still love paper, and some read exclusively in paper. I didn't want them to be left out.

Then along came 365 Days of Gratitude (well, it will be coming along... soon) and a conundrum. The book consists of some text, yes, but mostly 365 high-resolution color photos. My production cost on a paperback is likely more than you would want to pay. Once I have it distributed to bookselling sites, and they take their cut, the price tag I'd have to put on it would be downright silly.

But I made a decision. I'm going to have it set up for paperback anyway. But I'm not going to sell it. I'm going to start by ordering fifty copies for my own use, with the option for more. And I'm going to offer them to readers, but as gifts and giveaways. That way I can honestly say that none of my books are available in ebook only.

So keep an eye on this blog. It will take awhile to get the paperback set up. But I promise to keep you posted when it's here, and available to be won. I'll probably give some away on my Facebook author page as well. 

More news as it becomes available.

Update on 2014-03-22 14:49 by Catherine

I got a question by email from Susan Schleuss about people being able to buy them if they are willing to pay the high price. Well, the price would be about $60 just for me to slightly more than break even.

So that should settle that.

But it gave me a great idea. Anyone who wants one of these books and isn't having any luck winning one is welcome to buy a copy... from the author. I'll sign a book and mail it to anyone who asks, and only charge what it cost me, which is about $27. That might work, right?

But don't be too quick to jump at that idea, because I'm going to give a bunch of these puppies away! Stay tuned!

Discussion Guide for When I Found You

I've been getting a great number of requests from book groups who are reading When I Found You and looking for discussion questions online. The book has enjoyed a huge swell of popularity in the past ten months or so. And I'm happy to say lots of people are reading it.

As to questions... well... there weren't any.

The book was first published in the UK by Transworld (Random House Group) and about half the time they come up with a discussion guide. For this one they didn't. I don't think of myself as being very good at writing those, so in response to the requests, I asked my wonderful editor at Amazon Publishing if a guide sounded like a good idea. He thought it was a great idea! He said he'd be happy to post one as soon as I came up with it.

Oh. Me.

Well, it seemed like time to give it a try. But, as I say, I don't have a lot of faith in my abilities with these. I've done maybe one guide before. But I drafted this out, and I would really love some book group feedback on it. If you are a member of a book group, I'd appreciate it if you'd take a quick look and tell me if it looks like something that would lead to a good discussion. If you're part of a book group who's planning to discuss When I Found You, please do take this for a test drive. Let me know if there's something you think would make it better.

Meanwhile it's definitely progress!

You can view/download the guide HERE.

All thoughts welcome.

Cover Reveal: Take Me With You

This is the one I've been so excited about, folks. It's brand new. You've never read it in any form. It's due out June 10th* from the new Lake Union imprint of Amazon Publishing. It's called Take Me With You.

And this is its cover.

It's not just me, right? This really is the best cover ever. Right? 

*PS: Wonderful UK readers, I'm sorry. It will get to you later, and with a different cover. Now for the good news: With luck, this is my last apology to you. My next novel, due out in December, will be published by Lake Union worldwide!

Cover Reveal: 365 Days of Gratitude

We've just finalized the cover of my very first photo book ever. It's 365 Days of Gratitude, an ebook compiling the "best of" the Daily Gratitude photos I post online every day.

Even if you follow my online posts, there will be many photos in this book you have not yet seen.

I don't have a final release date, but you know I will keep you posted.

Meanwhile I've just given 365 Days its own book page on this site.

Stay tuned for more news, including a cover reveal for my novel Take Me With You (due out June 10, 2014 from Lake Union Publishing) which I hope will be coming up very soon. (Hint: I've seen it. You'll like it.)

More will be revealed.

-Catherine 

Better Than Blurbs: Teaching the Cat to Sit by Michelle Theall

Because I no longer write blurbs, but still very much want to help other authors, I've launched a blog series called Better Than Blurbs. The authors and I will have in-depth discussions about their books, which I hope will help readers identify whether they'd enjoy reading them. This is the sixth post of the series. The author is Michelle Theall and the book is Teaching the Cat to Sit, a memoir that fits in very well with my well-known position on LGBT issues and equality. (I'm for it. Equality.)

Me: Let's start in the usual way. Michelle, please tell us about the book in your own words.

Michelle: While the book covers a lot of ground, family, religion, parenting, bullying, sexual identity, gay adoption, social and cultural norms—at its heart, it’s a mother/daughter story. The importance of that first relationship that we have with our mothers tends to imprint (positively and negatively) on children like we’re goslings. It’s inescapable. But no one can live up to a parent’s expectations completely, which means we have to learn to navigate disappointment, loss, maybe even abandonment, in order to find our own way in the world. I was so desperate to hold onto my mother’s approval that I lied and acquiesced to get it. What’s funny is that as long as I was pretending to be someone else or compromising, I could never know she loved the “real” me—just some semblance of me. It was easier to be ostracized by the church, friends, the pope, and society than to risk losing my mom. You’d think it wouldn’t take over forty years, but maybe I’m a slow learner. In fits and starts of bravery, I had to let her truly see me in order to start living my life. Of course, then all hell broke loose. 

Me: I know you are probably already “out.” When you’re raising a child with another woman, you can’t very well be in. But with the release of this book, you’re out in a whole different way. Any qualms? I think it’s a great thing to do (as anybody who knows me will know), but I think it’s important that people understand how it feels to do it.

Michelle: I’m terrified. Anyone who reads the book will know straight away what a chicken I am. I’m afraid of being judged, wounded all over again because I stuck it out there. I’m afraid of the crazies who are out there hating gays. I’m afraid for the book to do well because if it does the story (and I) will embarrass my mom, feed that shame that’s still smoldering. On the flip side, I’m afraid no one will read it or care—that I just spent years of my life on something completely irrelevant. Did I mention I’m terrified?

Me: I love both the cover image and the title. Will you please tell my readers how the title fits in with the overall story? (I know, but they probably don’t yet.) Did you get any argument from the publisher for using that title rather than something more sensational? And the cover image… did the cover designer simply find it for you, or is there a story behind it? It certainly is a perfect fit, and very appealing.

Michelle: Teaching the Cat to Sit is a real thing and also a metaphor. I was a lonely kid growing up and about the only friend I had was our cat, a long-haired Siamese/Himalayan mix, named Mittens. But, I wanted a dog. So I forced her to learn to sit and shake. She did all those things because she loved me, but she was never going to be a dog, and I should have accepted her for the awesome cat she was. Same thing with my mom wanting a certain kind of child, and getting me instead. On another layer, I’m the cat and I need to learn to sit still and accept who I am, instead of running from it. For the title, I got lucky. My agent and editor loved it and didn’t want to change it. The cover designer just found that photo. My agent and editor also loved it, but I needed some convincing. I thought it looked a bit too sad and maudlin. My book has some humor in it that the cover doesn’t convey. But in the end, I think they got it right. I think seeing that first cover shot they sent me just made it real and scary.

Me: I bookmarked page 98 while I was reading. Because someone once said to me, well-meaningly I suppose, that for me to be hurt by what she was saying suggested I was giving her too much power over me. We’ve all heard the theory that no one can hurt you without your permission. But there’s a level at which that’s bullshit. And I said so. I said, “Imagine if I were to say to you, ‘Screw you. I don’t care about you.’ And then, when you looked hurt, said, ‘Well, if you choose to be offended by what I said…’” If nine out of ten people would be hurt by it, it’s probably hurtful, and if a good number of people find it offensive, it probably is. But there’s also a level at which there is truth to it. If someone is judging me, I can give up caring about their opinion. But it’s not absolute, and it can’t be done all at once, like throwing a switch. Okay, too late to make a long story short. Are you any more able, as a result of the way you’ve been judged, to, as they say, “consider the source” and feel less damaged?

Michelle: Nope. Rejection hurts, and no one is all bad or all good, which means it’s tough to dismiss anyone out of hand. I really don’t think people can control what they feel…that’s why they’re called feelings. It’s like a pain response if someone were to physically strike you. We can control what we do about those feelings, but not whether or not they come up for us. That said, my mom is the queen of saying things she doesn’t mean the minute she feels it, out of anger or an attempt to manipulate (probably both), but she does still love me. I can put up better boundaries or decide to sever the relationship altogether. Right now, we’re at the boundaries stage. I’d like to tell everyone with bad or mean things to say the same thing I tell my eight year old when he loses his verbal impulse control, “Please keep your words inside your mouth.”

Me: I’ve now received a hardcover copy with the most astonishing list of praise I think I’ve ever seen with my own eyes. Other than the fact that it’s a good book (in my opinion), how were you able to get so many people to weigh in? Or is this something your editor was able to accomplish? I ask the question because this blog is followed by a lot of writers, and I thought they’d be interested.

Michelle: It was a mixture of my asking and my editor and agent asking. I think the key is not to be shy and to simply ask. I wanted Jeanette Walls and Augusten Burroughs to blurb me, and sent a personal note with an advance copy to each of them. But they didn’t bite. I love their work, so I would have been over the moon to know that they had even read a paragraph of something I put on paper. But it didn’t happen, and that’s okay too. Piper Kerman (Orange is the New Black), Kelley Corrigan (Glitter and Glue) and Sara Corbett (A House in the Sky) were so generous with their praise for my book, and it was really humbling. I guess all new writers should know that almost every published writer was once in the same place you’re in, with their hat in their hands asking for blurbs for their books. Even J.K. Rowling or Stephen King. Everyone has to start somewhere.

Me: A quick note. I got the same kind of cold request from Augusten Burroughs, back before the release of Running With Scissors. I liked the book, but I figured most of my fan base, which was highly Pay-It-Forward-related at the time, would not. So I ultimately had to turn him down. Which further cements my feelings about the death of the blurb. (As with equality, I'm for it. The death, not the blurb.)

Now. I looked at your website to see if this was a debut. It seemed both that it is, and that your career in publishing is extensive. Will you tell my readers a little bit about your background?

Michelle: I’m currently the editor-in-chief of Alaska magazine, coming off a year with Backpacker [Me: I subscribe!] and Climbing magazines. I’ve been in publishing for 20 years, mostly with niche adventure sports and travel titles. I started Women’s Adventure magazine in 2003 for the 74 million women who participate in outdoor adventures and travel. I sold it in 2008 and continued to run it for the new owners through 2010. I stepped away to focus on writing Teaching the Cat to Sit. I actually wrote two “little” health and fitness books in 2007, but this is my first “real” book. Oh, and when the spirit moves me, I run writing and photography conferences www.facebook.com/creativeconf.   

Me: This is an unanswerable question. But, lucky you, I’m going to ask it anyway. What do we do about this mess? LGBT people want the same rights as everybody (myself included) and religious people want the religious freedom to reject those rights. And yet, as I’m fond of pointing out, freedom of religion also guarantees freedom from religion. Well, that’s easy for me to say, because I never tried to be accepted by a church. But back to the original question. How are we, as a society, ever going to box our way out of this paper bag? Are you confident about the future?

Michelle: You’re right that there is no answer, except maybe live and let live…agree to disagree. It’s weird to come back to what I tell my elementary school child, but here it is: You have the right to be angry, sad, indignant, or furious, but you don’t have the right to hurt me or others. We have the right to our feelings and beliefs, and we have many options if we don’t want others who are different from us to inhabit our space. If I don’t like the laws of this country, I can move to Canada. If the United States is too liberal, people can move to Uganda. I’m not asking to be married in the Catholic Church or for people who believe that being gay is wrong to change their minds. If you believe being gay is wrong and that it’s a choice, then don’t be gay. I can choose which tax-exempt church I belong to, one that accepts me and my family. But, I do pay my taxes and I am a US citizen, so because there is a separation of church and state, I expect to be afforded all the same rights as all US citizens. None of this is an answer. But I know for sure that hate and discrimination aren’t either.

I just read yesterday in the New York Times that conservatives have come out with a new study about how children raised by gay parents do in school and society. They are using this to fight against gay marriage in Michigan. The study seemed to focus less on gays and more on broken families of both kinds. I have to wonder what this means for the 400,000 kids languishing in foster care in the US, who have no parents or families at all. My partner and I are in the process of being recertified as foster parents seeking to adopt one or two more children for our family. Is being raised by us worse than having no family at all? Where’s the morality in that? And yes, I’m confident about the future. Progress is being made.

Me: Please ask your own question, and answer it.

Michelle: What happened to some of the people in your book? And, is your mother still speaking to you?

I’m working on my web site www.michelletheall.com in giving updates on all the people in the book who readers might wonder about: Father Kos, Holly, Ann, and others. You’ll have to stay tuned regarding my mom and her reaction to the book. She has told me that she won’t read it, and I’m relieved. But, I have to be realistic that the shit will hit the fan and it’s only a matter of time. I have learned that I have a choice in whether or not to have her in my life and expose my son to her bouts of rage and condemnation. But I will always hope it doesn’t come to that. I also don’t want her to completely abandon me—because as I say in the book—who is the child whose mother cannot love her? It’s complicated. It always is.

An update to this blog and interview: Teaching the Cat to Sit is now available in paperback.

I received this cover image in an email from Michelle, with the message: "I’m attaching a copy of the paperback cover of Teaching the Cat to Sit, in case you want to comment on how much courage it takes to use your own gawky, childhood photo on your memoir. The paperback edition is out. Thought the attached, at the very least, would make you smile."  

It does. And my comment would be that it's brave, but it makes a very good cover. If you were waiting for a less expensive paper edition before giving the book a try, here's your opportunity. It's gotten terrific reviews.

No More Ebook Only!

Here's a happy announcement. When I first published My two newer short story collections, Subway Dancer and Other Stories and Always Chloe and Other Stories, I published them as ebook-only. I don't sell nearly as many paperbacks as ebooks, and it was a little faster and less expensive. But I had an incredible year, and I feel it makes sense to reinvest in my independent titles. And not everyone embraces ebooks (and even among those who do, sometimes a paper book is nice).

Now both of these collections are available in paperback.

The next bit of good news is that my collection of creative nonfiction The Long, Steep Path: Everyday Inspiration from the Author of Pay It Forward, will very soon be released in paperback as well. Watch this space for more announcements.

One last bit of fun: if you are one of the people who "like" my author page on Facebook, I'm doing a giveaway with these books. In a couple of days I'll be choosing six people at random from among those who comment that they enjoy short stories and paper books. I'll give away three of each of these. And when The Long, Steep Path is ready, I'll give away some of those, too. So if you are not following my Facebook author page, now might be a good time to start.

As always, happy reading!

Better Than Blurbs: Loren Kleinman and Indie Authors Naked

Because I no longer write blurbs, but still very much want to help other authors, I've launched a blog series called Better Than Blurbs. The authors and I will have in-depth discussions about their books, which I hope will help readers identify whether they'd enjoy reading them. This is the fifth post of the series. The author is really the editor in this case, though she is an author as well, with a second book of poetry due out this year. She is Loren Kleinman, and the book is Indie Authors Naked. Which you just know will lead to a good discussion on the state of independent publishing.  

Me: Let's jump right in. Loren, please tell my readers a little about the book.

Loren: Indie Authors Naked explores and defines the world of independent publishing. 

Comprised of a series of essays and interviews by indie authors, booksellers and publishers, readers will get a look at the many aspects of the indie community, where publishing professionals of all types come together with the simple goal of creating something unique; something that speaks directly to the reader, no middleman necessary.

Some of our contributors include James Franco, Hugh Howey, McNally Jackson Books, Sarah Gerard, OHWOW Books, Raine Miller, David Vinjamuri, Toby Neal, Rachel Thompson, Eden Baylee, Christoph Paul, Jessica Redmerski, Dan Holloway, Orna Ross and more.

Me: The thing I like best about this book is that it explodes myths about the new direction of publishing. And these are myths I’ve been trying to explode for a long time. (I guess I’m saying the thing I like best about this book is that it backs me up.)

I particularly like that you include an interview with a representative of a bookstore that has an Espresso Book Machine. This explodes two important myths at once. First, that the indie/digital revolution is synonymous with the end of paper books. Second, that it will put little independent bookstore out of business. Will you tell my readers more about this book printing machine and what you imagine for the future of the little bookstore?

Loren: The best way to describe the Espresso Book Machine (EBM) is that it offers Print On Demand (POD) publishing. What’s amazing about EBM is that it allows readers to access books that might have been out of print as well as have immediate access to various book titles. An author can send a PDF version of the book to the EBM operator and the machine binds and trims a paperback.  The idea of the EBM was that it could also fit into a small store, which would allow smaller shops or libraries to be able to offer quick and accessible print runs.

I think McNally Jackson said it best in their interview with IndieReader: “Independent bookstores are committed to bringing a wide variety of new and exciting books to their customers. As the technology grows and becomes more economically feasible, I would imagine not only bookstores but also libraries and universities introducing self-publishing programs.”

To add to that, bookstores will become much more than bookstores, they’ll become a user/reader experience so to speak. While Amazon will offer readers opportunities to discover new books and authors, bookstores will offer a complete reader/writer experience: reading clubs and events, self-publishing options, and individualized attention to readers’ tastes. I don’t foresee independent bookstores fading any time soon. If you’re like me, while I love ordering a book on Amazon, there’s something primal about pulling a book from a wooden shelf and curling up in a corner of the store with a coffee and getting lost. Independent bookstores will have to look to other ways to make money rather than just selling books. McNally Jackson is an excellent example of offering a reader experience from in-store events, to their EBM, book recommendations and online bookstore featuring EBM books and various other services. They’re an example of the future of independent bookstores. They do it their way and I love watching them evolve.

I consider reading a very intimate experience. Don’t get me wrong, I love eBooks; I also love my stack of paperbacks on my nightstand. 

Me: There are a number of different ways traditional book contracts can hurt authors, but to my mind maybe none more extreme than the fact that ebooks have freed us from the concept of “out of print.” In general this is a great thing, but when working with traditional publishers it often results in rights that never revert to the author. Do you think this is a big factor in why so many authors are reluctant to give Trad a try? Do you hear much mention of this when talking to indie authors? It seems to me a bit of a hidden trap, and maybe most authors are concerned with broader topics such as rate and speed of payment and artistic control. But it’s one drawback an author can’t eventually reverse. I’d like to hear your thoughts on that.

Loren: OK. So there are two themes I notice when talking to indie authors about choosing to self publish:

1.     They want to have artistic control.

2.     They might want to get picked up by a large press (which does and/or might happen as a result of an author’s success).

And, to traditionally publish:

 1.     Distribution and marketing perks. Though, marketing is becoming more and more the author’s responsibility. 

I think the best way to go is hybrid. Traditionally publish and self publish. Why not? You experience the best of both worlds (pardon the cliché). But, seriously, as a hybrid author you can have creative control and you also get help with distribution. Some books you can choose to self publish, while others you might want to go the traditional route. Again, it’s the writer’s preference, but I think gaining perspective from both sides of the street make for a healthy authorial mix. Such a mix could allow authors to make more money, reach more readers, and allow for more cross promotion and networking.

Again, I always think it’s best never to pigeonhole yourself. Branch out. You have so much to gain from opening yourself up to various opportunities. The whole point, after all, is to write, is to create, is to share that creation. Otherwise, why do it? [Me: Note, as a decidedly hybrid author, I second that.]

Me: I’m wondering how much of a rift you see in the indie world between those who meticulously produce their books, such as hiring professional copyeditors, cover designers, and proofreaders, and those who feel that indie has finally freed them from the need to jump through those hoops. Do you have thoughts on this, and have you seen any public clashes on this subject break out?

Loren: I think finding a good editor is like dating. You have to find the right fit both emotionally and professionally. It’s so important to produce the best work you can. Now, everyone’s best varies. I’m a bit obsessed with producing the perfect book. But, really, is that possible?

I often see the misrepresentation or misunderstanding of the word “raw.” Raw does not equal a literary “mess.” Raw (to me) means the writing moves you to a feeling that is humane and basic. I don’t mean to say basic as simple, but basic in the way that it is from the earth, it is true to its own being, and that truth connects you to your truth.

There are too many books that lack copyediting, proper formatting, etc. It seems a rushed job. That is raw in the unfinished sense. Writing is a process. You can’t rush the process. If the book takes you three years then it takes you three years. If the book takes you three months then it takes you three months. If you rush the process readers will notice.

It took me seven years to write, edit and publish my second collection of poetry The Dark Cave Between My Ribs (Winter Goose Publishing). Indie Authors Naked took two years between the interviewing, editing, etc. My point is it’s called a process for a reason. If you rush it then you don’t trust it.

Essentially, my feeling is to always put out the best work you can. That should be a promise you make to yourself. It’s also the first rule of Write Club, or maybe that was to not talk about Write Club.

Me: I can’t help noticing that the schism between traditionally published authors and indie authors can be quite vitriolic at times. It’s easy to see how the sides line up: everybody is backing their own interests. That’s not necessarily bad, but only great fear could create such venom. Seems to me more choices can only be good. Do you have any theories on why we can’t all just get along?

Loren: Writers want readers. So naturally we’re battling for their attention. Though it sort of feels as if we’re raising our hands in a sea of raised hands.

I think I mentioned this in a previous question, but reading is an intimate experience. It’s up to the reader who they want to read. I respect that. It’s important to me that readers have the option of exploration.

This idea that indie is taking away from traditional publishing’s readers and vice versa is a bit self-indulgent. There are plenty of traditional books that I’d prefer not to read and the same goes for indie. But that’s my choice.

All I know is that the most professional writers have me hooked. The moment I see “bashing” I’m turned off. I think some writers kill their careers before they happen by becoming venomous.

Writers could get so much more from the publishing experience by cross-promoting such as connecting with readers you might not have gotten as a traditional or indie author. You never (never) know how things play out.  Sometimes by letting go of control we can experience a much more heightened, more enjoyable reader-author connection.

Me: Other than reading this book, which I think would be excellent advice, what advice would you give to an indie author just starting out—or to an author who is still weighing publishing paths?

Loren: Stop worrying about publishing. Think about your book first. Write the best one you can.

Writing a book is one of the hardest, most grueling things you can chose to do. And it is a choice.

Write the best book you can. When you’re done, do your research. Review your options. I spent months reviewing publishing houses. Not every publishing house will be interested in what your writing, specifically genre and topic. Take your time and interview editors and formatters and ask for references.

But besides all of that, focus on the craft. Focus on improving your writing. I mean I never met a writer that got worse.

I’ll leave it at this: “Your job as a writer is making sentences…most of the sentences you make will need to be killed. The rest will need to be fixed. This will be true for a long time” (Verlyn Klinkenborg).

Me: Is there anything else you’d like our readers to know about you?

Loren: My second poetry collection, The Dark Cave Between My Ribs, will be out in 2014 via Winter Goose Publishing. I started writing the poetry collection back in 2004 and finally hunkered down to re-write most of the collection this past year. The book is about love and loss, but also about letting go and being open to love, again. The book was primarily inspired by a traumatic experience I went through in 2003, I started writing the book as a way to heal. The process of writing resembles the process of grief in way. In as sense I went through the emotions, explored the sadness through writing, and through revision found a new voice, found new possibilities to live again. While I wrote the book as a way to heal, the book is not just about healing, love and loss are part of the human condition; they are real and raw experiences. Death is part of life, love is part of life, and loss is natural as well as the process of grief. I wanted to write a book that celebrated life, celebrated loss, and love.

I’m also writing a New Adult literary romance novel This Way To Forever. The novel explores how young people deal with love and ambition and the choices that come with each.  Other themes the novel explores are choosing romantic love over security, love as an ideology, and long distance love/dealing with long distance relationships. I’m still working on revisions, and hope to be done with a solid draft to submit for publication by February 2014.

Me: Thanks so much for taking the time to visit my blog, Loren! 

Another Kindle Monthly Deal

I'm delighted to announce that my novel When I Found You is now spending another month as a Kindle Monthly Deal, this time for January 2014. The book had an amazing 2013. It was a Kindle Monthly Deal for July, when it rose to #2 in Kindle Paid and stayed there for most of the month, selling well over 125,000 copies just in that 31-day period. In fact, it just closed out the year at #58 in Kindle bestsellers for 2013.

It's on sale right now for $1.99. If you haven't read it, this might be a good time to give it a try. If you read and enjoyed it, I'm always grateful for recommendations to friends. I think we all feel better recommending books to others when they are affordably priced.

Happy New Year, and happy reading!

BIG Holiday Sale on Ebooks

Starting today, December 23rd, I'm bringing prices down on several of my ebooks in honor of the holiday. And two of my newer story collections are even free.

Here are all the links you'll need in one place:

Where We Belong, the recent winner of two Rainbow Awards, is only $1.99. When You Were Older is also $1.99. And one of my best received novels, Don't Let Me Go, is only $2.99. These prices will hold until December 28th.

The short story collections Always Chloe and Subway Dancer are absolutely free through December 27th.

I figured the novels might make good last-minute stocking stuffers for the readers on your list, and the free story collections can be for you. I honestly believe faithful readers deserve a break on book prices. 

A disclaimer about territories: the three novels are traditionally published (or soon to be) in the UK. Which means, with much regret to my lovely UK readers, I am not at liberty to discount them. That's the bad news. Now for the good news. Always Chloe and Other Stories and Subway Dancer and Other Stories are free worldwide.

Happy holidays, and happy reading!