Indie Life - It's All About Attitude

I'm very excited to be part of The Indelibles Indie Life series. These posts run on the second Wednesday of every month and include ideas and articles from a wide variety of indie authors. Check out the links below to learn more about INDIE LIFE.

I have only been doing this a couple of months. So far I have touched on the aspects of balance and quality.

Today I want to talk about attitude.

Being an author, you need a really tough skin. Your work of fiction is a part of you. It's born in the heart and grows over the days and weeks as you put the story together. Finally you have this baby that you want to share with the world...and that's when you're the most vulnerable.

Readers are honest and they have every right to be. You have put yourself out there and they are free to respond to your work as they see fit. Unfortunately that can be a really painful experience. Getting those five star reviews puts you on cloud nine. You feel elated that someone out there thinks your work rocks. You have given them an escape from reality and they have enjoyed it. But then come the one and two star reviews and these sting. Your work is torn to shreds as readers find every mistake and reason not to like it. Ouch! It really hurts.

It's in moments like these that you have to decide what attitude you'll take. As a child I always loathed criticism. I didn't fight it or try to justify it, I just believed it. This whole writing experience has taught me that I don't have to do that anymore.

Reading is subjective. I don't like every piece of fiction I read, so why should everyone like my stuff. I know some authors say you shouldn't read reviews at all, but I feel that if someone has taken the time to write a review for me, then I should take the time to read it...even the bad ones. Yes, they sting, but sometimes I have learned things that I can tuck away for future projects. I have to remind myself that it is just someone's opinion. Sometimes I want to respond, to write to the reviewer and explain why I did something the way I did, but I don't feel like that will get my anywhere. If anything, it'll just make me look desperate for approval. I don't need their approval. I have it from various other places. I wouldn't have even published the book in the first place if my beta readers hadn't told me it was worth it. No matter what, I have to brush off the biting words and focus on the five star reviews. And then I keep writing. I keep working on my craft and I make sure to never let my attitude slump into a place that will stop me from doing what I love.

Writing is a tough job. It can be lonely, frustrating and it takes a lot of work, but if you love it enough, you'll stick with it.

How do you cope with negative reviews?

2012 - Things I'm Grateful For

YA writers and bloggers unite each week to share their thoughts on what it's like going indie in today's publishing world.

Yay for Thanksgiving!! We don't celebrate it in NZ, but it's always so well advertised that we all know about it... and it always gets me thinking.

At Indie Carnival we thought this would be a great chance to mentions some of the highlights from our year and the things we are grateful for.

I have a wonderful life and find myself with a million things to be thankful for, so I'll just stick with the writing related ones in this post.

2012 has been an amazing year for me. I have released three books - Pure Blood (#3 Time Spirit Trilogy), Forbidden Territory (#1 Mica and Lexy Series) and Betwixt.

I am so grateful for...

- every person who has purchased these books. You guys are helping me write my next book... and my next... and my next.

- everyone who took the time to review the book or tell me what they thought about it. I so appreciate all your support, enthusiasm and honesty.

- the marketing & writing lessons I've learned throughout the year. I have come so far and learned so much. I know I have a long way to go still, but I'm definitely a better writer than I was last year. Long may I be able to say that :-)

- the fun I've had putting these books together. I love writing. I just love it!!

 - Brenda Howson, the co-author of Forbidden Territory and the YAlicious blog. Also my graphic designer. I love you, chick :-)

- ZealousDesign, the website that distributes my books for me in New Zealand.

- the schools I've been invited to visit and the awesome kids I've met. Some of them even wanted my signature. How cool is that?!

- librarians!!! I have met so many of you this year and I think you are all wonderful. Your passion for reading and sharing books with the younger generations is awesome. I have so appreciated your support and enthusiasm.

- the amazing people I've met and connected with through Twitter and Facebook. There are so many cool writers and bloggers out there who love to support indies. I have enjoyed building friendships with you and helping to support your careers as well. The writing world rocks!! Squee!

- Inklings - my writing group that I can go to about anything and they always understand. I love you girls.

- Indies Unlimited - another amazing group that has given me so many opportunities this year. I have learned so much from all of you and I love being a part of this awesome team.

- YA Indie Carnival. You guys are an amazing bunch of writers and I am so honoured to be associated with you. Tina & Laura - I have to give you special mention. You have done the most amazing job with this group and I so appreciate your time and effort.

- the coming year. I have four books planned for 2013, plus the launch of my own website. Excitement!!! There is so much to look forward to and on the days I feel low, I just need to think of all the things I mentioned above and all the cool things that await me in the future and I can do nothing but smile.

If you'd like to find out what the other carnival goers are grateful for, you can follow the link below.

And you can also check out the YA Author Club for the latest updates and news on what we're all up to.

1.	Laura A. H. Elliott	2.	Bryna Butler, author Midnight Guardian series
3.	T. R. Graves, Author of The Warrior Series	4.	Suzy Turner, author of The Raven Saga
5.	Rachel Coles, author of Into The Ruins, geek mom blog	6.	K. C. Blake, author of Vampires Rule and Crushed
7.	Gwenn Wright, author of Filter	8.	Liz Long | Just another writer on the loose.
9.	Ella James	10.	Maureen Murrish
11.	YA Sci Fi Author's Ramblings	12.	A Little Bit of R&R
13.	Melissa Pearl	14.	Terah Edun - YA Fantasy

NB: We are taking next week off, so there will be no Friday post from me on the 30th :-)

Book Review

For those of you who haven't seen it yet, I've done a book review for FORBIDDEN by Megan Curd.
Awesome book.

Check it out on my YAlicious blog.

Hope everyone has a great day :)

Starcrossed

I know I'm going to find this review hard to write. My views are a little contradicting, so bear with me :)

Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini.

Firstly I want to say that I loved this book. I would definitely read it again and I highly recommend it, but be warned... it is also hard work.

Helen is a shy, awkward student who can't stand attention. She keeps her head down and gets on with life. This all begins to change when she meets Lucas, the most beautiful boy she's ever seen. To her surprise, she is overtaken by an incredible urge to kill him. An ancient curse means Lucas and Helen are destined to hate each other, but love can be stronger and so begins an epic battle of will power.

What I loved about the book was the awesome characters. The backstory and Helen's history is so cool. I found it really hard to put down, because I wanted to find out more about her, where she came from and all about Lucas' family.

What I found hard going was the fact that Lucas and Helen, in spite of their love, could not be together. It was so frustrating. Every time I got my hopes up, they would once again be dashed. I was constantly battling between elation and disappointment as I turned from page to page.

I am pleased to see that this is only the first book in the trilogy, so my hope for the pair lingers. My advice would be be to wait and read the book closer to May 2012. Book 2 is due out then and it might be easier to slide straight from this book into the next. Having to wait months, is going to be tough.

Definitely add this to your reading list though. In spite of my emotional roller coaster ride, I can't wait to read it again in May :)

Heist Society

This book by Ally Carter not only has a sensational cover, but is a great read. It's packed full of fun characters, good humor and the tension of trying to pull off a heist that seems way above the MC's capabilities.

Katarina Bishop was raised in a family of thieves, she finally manages to escape the life, only to be drawn back in order to save her father. The intelligent sixteen year old has two weeks to form a crew and put in place the perfect plan. As the clock ticks down you are drawn into a story, which gradually expands to become much more.

I first saw this book mentioned in a blog (sorry, I can't remember which one). They were talking about books that would make good movies... this was one of them and I totally agree. I could see the scenes clearly played out. The dialogue is effective and the plot keeps you guessing. Tidbits are revealed along the way that all become clear in the end. A bit like a teenage version of Ocean's 11.

The writing is full of colourful phrases, something I love in a book. In saying that, I sometimes found it pulled me out of the story as I'd have to re-read a sentence again to make sure I understood it's meaning. I think this is really interesting, because I love to write this way and it made me realize that I probably need to tone down a little and make my writing more succinct.

Definitely check this book out. It's a very entertaining read.

The sequel, Uncommon Criminals was just released this year. I'm looking forward to getting my hands on it.

Die For Me

I just finished reading a great book by Amy Plum - Die For Me.

The first thing I liked about it was the awesome cover. Totally stunning with a great byline - "Would you risk your life for love?"

The story is about an orphaned girl who is sent to Paris to live with her grandparents. While she is struggling to come to terms the loss of her parents, she mets a mysterious boy who brings her back to life. Of course a story can never be that easy and as she gets to know this boy she realises that things are not as they seem. This boy is no normal human and she must decide if she's willing to risk her heart on a relationship that might have no chance of survival.

This book definitely has the "hard to put down" factor. I read it in two sessions. It is written in the first person, making it easy to connect with the lead character, Kate. She also falls in love with a very, gorgeous Vincent, who is easy to fall for. He's sexy, charming, intelligent and his family is really cool. He also has that old school romantic thing going on. Chivalry is not lost in this book. Yay for a little old fashioned romance.

I know the writing is also great, because it didn't pull me away from the story. In fact, I didn't notice it at all.

If you like romantic books with a few passionate kisses, lots of action and danger lurking around every corner, then you'll enjoy this book.

Book Review

Just finished "Writing Great Books for Young Adults" by Regina Brooks.

It was fantastic. Loved the way it was set out. It was really easy to follow with heaps of great advice. I'm getting to that point now where the books I'm reading on how to write well are starting to cross over. The same messages are coming through again and again. I think this is great. It narrows down the spectrum of what I have to learn :)

Ms. Brooks highlights areas of particular note for young adult readers. She has a firm grasp on what interests them and how they can spot a fake.

If you're writing for a YA audience, I can highly recommend this book.

Hope everyone is having a fantastic writing week. I am just waiting to hear back from my critique people then I have one week to make changes and send off my manuscript. EXCITING!!!!

Book Reviews

As promised I am back again to tell you about the two books I have just finished reading.
My friend and I have co-authored a YA fiction. Our pitch obviously had something to it, because we had three requests for more material in relatively quick succession. Unfortunately we also heard back relatively quickly that our writing was not up to scratch. One very kind agent in NZ gave us a list of books that might help us along. So my friend and I have been working our way through them, taking copious notes and learning what we can.

My first book...
The Writer's Journey by Christopher Vogler.
This is a great book looking at the structure of story. The author has studied mythology and drawn from his research that most successful stories follow a general pattern for plot outline and also include certain character types. I found it a really interesting read. It is a great book if you are getting started on a new story idea or if you are stuck in the middle of one and are a little sure where to go next. I am currently planning a rewrite of the first book in my trilogy and am finding this helpful in working out the kinks in my plot.

The second book...
Story by Robert McKee
Awesome, awesome, awesome! It is actually written for screen writers, but so many of the lessons apply to storytellers whether it's for the stage, screen or novel. It is really in depth and highlights so many excellent points about how to make... characters interesting, scenes pacey and filled with conflict, the structure of a story arc appropriately, dialogue realistic and punchy . I took 30 pages of notes. If you're serious about writing I highly recommend this book.

My next book on the shelf is The Art of Fiction by John Gardner. I look forward to getting my teeth into and will let you know how I go.

Before I start that though, my next goal is to thoroughly map out my rewrite of my latest manuscript. I have so many new lessons to apply to my work and I'm REALLY hoping for good results. I think one thing that keeps coming back to me over and over again is that I need to slow down, take my time, plan thoroughly, do my research and get it right. I have the tendency to enthusiastically rush into my writing and it just creates so much more work.

I hope everyone is having a great week and getting all the writing they want done :)