Author Rock Star Roundup

Busy week last week for me so no roundup. This week I have one rock star on another's blog. Like getting a buy one get one free offer.

David Gaughran was on J.A. Konrath's blog talking about authors embracing change. We have to do that in every part of our lives, not just our careers. Some good advice.

Embrace Change – Guest Post by David Gaughran

Writers have it better than any other creative profession right now but it feels like we don’t appreciate our good fortune and haven’t adopted the mindset where we fully embrace change. The transition to digital is hugely disruptive – and not always in positive ways – but it’s solving a number of long-standing problems, particularly the issue of author earnings.

It’s easy to forget how bad things were before the digital revolution made self-publishing viable and gave us all more options. I was at the International Women’s Fiction Festival in Matera, Italy at the end of September. It’s a great conference in the most beautiful location and very well run, with all sorts of interesting panels and talks. It’s also refreshingly small and you get to meet everybody.

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The Amazon/Hachette dispute is often characterized as David V. Goliath. But which party is David? Hugh Howey talks about that.

Who is David?by Hugh Howey

The negotiations between Amazon and the Big 5 publishers is often framed as a war between David and Goliath. What’s strange is that who gets to play David depends on who you’re talking to. Both sides claim him. The rare moments when people equivocate between the two parties, they state that this is really a case of Goliath vs. Goliath, which is far closer to the truth. We’re talking about multi-billion dollar corporations on either side.

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Subtext: Beyond the Mechanics of Dialogue

By Melissa Snark "Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die." ~The Princess Bride

Do you remember this bit of dialogue from The Princess Bride?

Of course you do. Now, I want you to do something for me. Close your eyes and recall the scene. Summon it forth into your imagination and absorb all of the vivid details. Live it.

Got that?

Good. I'll explain why in a bit.

Let's talk about dialogue. It is one of the most challenging aspects of writing a scene between two or more characters. Good dialogue is snappy and flows. It seldom sounds like actual speech, which is layered with 'ums' and 'ohs'. Wouldn't it be incredibly annoying if your characters fell into the repetitive use of words such as "like" the way real people are prone to do?

Dialogue serves several functions, including defining the relationship between characters, advancing the plot, and building tension. Language quirks such as slang, accents, regional phrasing, and speech impediments influence what your character says and how she says it. If dialogue sounds natural, then the more dramatic speech tags such as "shouted" and "bragged" become repetitive and unnecessary.

There's an added layer to dialogue that goes beyond the simple mechanics. It is deeper than the actual words on the page. In skillfully written dialogue, there is always an underlying subtext. It's not only what is said, but how it's said.

According to Gotham Writers—Ask the Writer by instructor Brandi Reissenweber: "Subtext is the meaning beneath the dialogue; what the speaker really means, even though he's not saying it directly.

"

Done properly, subtext becomes a powerful tool for plotting. Beneath the dialogue, emotions such as joy, love, anger, disappointment, and fear await discovery by the reader. The subtext communicates the deepest desires and drives of your characters to your audience.

Subtext in dialogue adds to the whole of the story, and it is what speaks to us on a primal level. Even when we aren't consciously aware of it, subtext influences our reaction to scenes, characters, and entire works. It tells us what the character is thinking or feeling. It's not the words themselves that matter, but what lurks below.

In the Princess Bride, the subtext is not Inigo Montoya's statement. It is the fearsome gleam in his eyes, and the thick curl of emotion in his voice. The character embodies a grown man who grew up fatherless, nurtured for a lifetime not on love, but rather a relentless determination to seek revenge. His gaze, his face, his passion are evocative–and inspire your empathic rush of sympathy. That is what you recalled when you closed your eyes.

Subtext is a powerful factor in television and films where visual imagery communicates underlying meaning. However, authors face limitations because they work only in words. Now, writing is a craft. If your tool of choice is a hammer, then you bludgeon your reader over the head, telling him exactly what is thought, felt, seen, etc. You not only tell it like it is; you tell how it is.

If there's anything we've learned as writers: telling bad. Showing good.

What then is your tool? How do you show the reader what the characters are feeling? The tools in your toolbox should include the following:

• Context. Dialogue doesn't happen in a vacuum. What is going on around them?
• What are the internal influences acting on the character? Are you effectively communicating your character's desires and drives to your audience?
• Describe the external forces at work on the character.
• How are internal and external factors balanced? Which are the least important? Which are the strongest?
• Have you missed any opportunities to help your reader fully grasp your character's background and motives?

Once you're mastered the art of subtext in dialogue, your readers will no longer be as clueless as Princess Buttercup. Your audience will realize long before she reaches her epiphany–

"As you wish" really means "I love you."

Battle Cry Kindle Scout Giveaway

1. Nordic Lights Jewels of the Moon Pendant Amulet Talisman for Psychic Ability by Maelstrom Odssonn
2. (3) Signed Paperbacks of HUNGER MOON
3. (2) $10 Gift Cards to Amazon
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Rafflecopter direct url:
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/YjkwNjI0Nzk0NTYxZDE3MDFkNGY3NWJlNDc3MjlmOjEx/

Nominate BATTLE CRY to Kindle Scout BATTLE CRY
Book #2 in the Loki's Wolves series
Melissa Snark
Genre: Norse folklore fantasy
Number of pages: 375 approx.
Word Count: 95,000
Cover Artist: Farah Evers

How to Plot

Award winning author and editor, Alicia Dean, shares her process of creating a story, along with bonus tips in Find The Magic – How to Plot a Story in 10 Easy Steps.

*** ON SALE - 99¢ through November 15, 2014 ***

How to write a novel? That is the question. There are probably as many answers to that question as there are people who ask it.

Wanting to write and actually doing it are two very different things. I am well acquainted with the sometimes grueling process of churning out a story. Over the years, I have tried many methods for creating and completing manuscripts, and have tweaked and honed it down to a workable (for me) process.

Using specific examples from one of my own novels, Without Mercy, I share my method in this mini how to book. The first eight steps actually deal with plotting while the last two are designed to help expand your outline into a well-developed draft. There is no one, perfect way to create a story, but there will be a method, or methods that work for you. I’m not sure if this is the one, but it works for me. Only you can decide if it also works for you. Fingers crossed that it does!

Kindle:
http://amzn.com/B00OR0IY0W
Nook:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/find-the-magic-how-to-plot-a-story-in-10-easy-steps-alicia-dean/1120638115?ean=2940150382169
Find Alicia Here:
www.AliciaDean.com

Alicia Dean lives in Edmond, Oklahoma. She has three grown children and a huge network of supportive friends and family. She writes mostly contemporary suspense and paranormal, but has also written in other genres, including a few vintage historicals.

In addition to being an author of more than twenty published works, Alicia is both a freelance editor and an editor for The Wild Rose Press, under the name, Ally Robertson, in their suspense line.

Other than reading and writing, her passions are Elvis Presley, MLB, NFL (she usually works in a mention of one or all three into her stories) and watching her favorite televisions shows like Vampire Diaries, Justified, Sons of Anarchy, Haven, The Mindy Project, and Dexter (even though it has sadly ended, she will forever be a fan). Some of her favorite authors are Michael Connelly, Dennis Lehane, Lee Child, Lisa Gardner, Sharon Sala, Jordan Dane, Ridley Pearson, Joseph Finder, and Jonathan Kellerman…to name a few. Find Alicia here: Website: http://aliciadean.com/ Blog: http://aliciadean.com/alicias-blog/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008364070487 Twitter: https://twitter.com/Alicia_Dean_ Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/aliciamdean/ Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/468339.Alicia_Dean

Romancing Halloween Blog Hop

Pumpkin Decorating Ideas

Found on twotwentyone.net

Found on cdn.homedit.com

Blurb for Corpse Whisperer

Grace Harmony is on the cusp of her thirtieth birthday and about to lose her power to talk to murder victims. She’s happy to lose her gift until she doesn’t solve a murder and must rewind in time again. And again. Each time she lands back in time, she’s closer to her birthday and the stakes have been raised. And each time her relationship with the Zach Holten begins from scratch. Being able to talk to the dead has never been so important. For the first time in her life, Grace may regret not being able to help dead people.

http://amzn.com/B003XVZA76

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Author Rock Star Roundup

What have my author rock stars been up to lately?

Barry Eisler is skewering someone about their ignorance.

Franklin Foer: "Stop Amazon, Keep Publishing Exactly As It's Always Been!"

I promised myself I wasn’t going to blog about Franklin Foer’s New Republic piece on how Amazon is an evil monopoly and must be stopped and we’re all enslaving ourselves by shopping there blah blah blah.

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Building a better industry.

David Gaughran is attempting to give the publishing industry some ideas.

Mike Shatzkin is confused. He can’t seem to understand why self-publishers spend so much time documenting the ills of the publishing industry.

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Cross Keys

Thank you so much for hosting me and my new urban fantasy release! I'm thrilled for the opportunity to tell you a little about my book and to share a Cajun recipe, one of several I brought back from New Orleans while researching the book. (If you look around the blogs listed at the end, you'll find eight more recipes!)

Happy reading...and sampling of the Cajun cuisine. :)

Cross Keys (An Elvenrude Novel) by Ally Shields

Genre: Urban fantasy/Paranormal romance

Rating: PG-13

Book Blurb:

Conspiracy, murder, and magic…and the death of all they hold dear.

When the first wanderer—a common elf who isn’t authorized to use the portal—is spotted on the streets of New Orleans, the king assigns Kameo Ryndel to assist in the elf’s capture. But before she can intervene, humans with guns shoot the wanderer and steal his body. When Seth Lormarc, an Elite elf from a rival guild, appears at the scene, Kam suspects he is involved.

Seth Lormarc is in New Orleans to find out who was behind the portal breach, and his best lead is the intriguing Kam Ryndel. When he stakes out her apartment and finds her sneaking out in the middle of the night, dressed in black and leaping to the top of the nearest building, he knows there’s something unique about the beautiful elf. That kind of feat requires magic. Ancient magic.

As their paths cross during their investigations, they develop an irresistible attraction, although there’s little time for romance. The portal breach is tied to an illegal smuggling operation that has come to the attention of the human CIA. But the stakes are raised when Kam and Seth discover a band of conspirators and a rebellion deep in Elvenrude that promises nothing except destruction of their world.

Buy Links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Cross-Keys-Ally-Shields-ebook/dp/B00NSR0OT4/
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cross-keys-ally-shields/1120425394?ean=2940150347144
Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/books/cross-keys/
Book Trailer on Youtube: http://youtu.be/2GgI4-50QfA

Recipe:

One of my favorites was -

New Orleans Sweet Tea
1 quart boiling water
1 quart room temperature water
1 oz black tea (for loose tea, try an infuser ball) or 3-4 tea bags
1/2 - 3/4 C sugar

Add tea to boiling water, boil one minute, remove from heat and steep for 5-7 minutes. Add sugar and stir. Pour into pitcher and add second quart of water. Refrigerate or serve over ice. Serve with lemon wedges or mint sprigs for garnish.

Terrific with dinner, sandwiches or just a quick pick me up!

About the Author:

Ally Shields was born and raised in the Midwest, along the Mississippi River, and considers herself a "river rat." The setting and folklore of the river regions are often incorporated into her urban fantasy books. After a career in law and juvenile justice, she turned to full-time writing in 2009, and Awakening the Fire, the debut novel in her Guardian Witch series, was released by Etopia Press in September 2012. There are now six published books in that series. Cross Keys is the first novel with all new characters.

When not writing, reading or spending time with family, she loves to travel in the US and abroad. Way too often she can be found on Twitter.

Contact the Author:
Website: http://allyshields.com
Blog: http://allyshields.com/blog.html
Twitter: http://twitter.com/ShieldsAlly
Facebook: http://facebook.com/AllyShieldsAuthor
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6527209.Ally_Shields
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Ally-Shields/e/B009AKNDZU

Special Thanks to the following bloggers who are spotlighting this release during the next few days (eight more Cajun recipes on their blogs!)(dates of post may vary due to time periods, etc.):

Oct. 3: AJ Locke, Kirstin Pulioff, Linda McLaughlin, Margay Roberge, Marie Carhart, Shannon McRoberts, Stephanie Stamm, EE Carter, Susan Taylor, Anne Lange, Kath Boyd Marsh, Dan Levinson, Michelle Browne, Sue Roebuck, Chris Redding, Theresa DaLayne, Anita Philmar, Melanie Robertson-King
Oct. 4: Carmen Stefanescu, Stacy Juba, Lindsey Loucks
Oct. 6: Rebekah Ganiere
Oct. 7: Antonia van Zandt
Oct. 8: Dani-Lyn Alexander

The Flush Pile

I though this post from The Writer's Journey was appropriate in the light of troubles with Ellora's Cave.

The Flush Pile – An Author’s Perspective

Some of you may know the current situation with Ellora’s Cave. If not, this post at Dear Author should get you to the information you need.

The TL;DR is that several authors who write for Ellora’s Cave have said they are not being paid money due them. The rumblings began at least a year ago. Recently, EC laid off all of its freelance staff. Jane at Dear Author recently wrote a post in which she discussed the ongoing situation at EC. The owner of EC has now sued Jane for defamation. Do head over to DA if you want to know more about this situation. I am an author who was with a publishing company that was heading toward bankruptcy. (Dorchester Publishing) This post is about what the experience was like for me. My situation ended up with a silver lining, but the outcome I had was never certain, just as it is not certain for any of the EC authors who are wondering if they’ll ever get paid or if they are going to lose their books.

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