Hello and Happy Friday--again,
I’m writing—I have to—but I’m also doing a lot of reading and not just fiction, non-fiction as well, and it’s wonderful. I usually don’t read much non-fiction because I believed (or once believed) most especially the scientific works would be above my head—too intellectual—or worst; boring. But I’ve found it not to be true by seeking out books I find deeply interesting and are written on a level that’s down to earth and understandable and if a good story is throw in them I’m sold.
For example, I read this great book titled: Superthief: A Master Burglar, the Mafia and the Biggest Bank Heist in US History. Now, with a title like that I couldn’t keep away from it and I found to my delight it was a terrific narrative for a number of reasons, one; it was written with Phil Christopher, the main character of the story telling about his life in his own words, the author of the novel, Rick Porello, jumped in now and again but he let Mr. Christopher tell his own tale and it made for easy and enticing reading learning about Mr. Christopher and his criminal adventures. Two, Mr. Christopher was from my hometown and named many places I knew which kept me turning the pages because of the familiarity as if he were a neighbor--a crooked neighbor--but a neighbor just telling me his story, an absolute great read.
Another title: Satan’s Circus: Murder, Vice, Police Corruption and New York’s Trial of the Century, it sounds so great I hope it lives up to my expectations. Bottom line, it’s all non-fiction and what it has in common that makes me so eager to read them is that the topic of each novel is intriguing, they are written in a concise and not overwhelming manner and are about topics I find interesting,this combination makes me look forward to devouring the next and the next knowing I’ll learn in the bargain as well as be delighted by the larger than life stories.
Talk to you soon and keep on writing.
If you have any comments or suggestions I have a new e-mail address at: mathewsla@hotmail.com
Friday, April 25, 2008
Hello and Happy Friday,
I promised two posts today because I forgot to publish last weeks, I created it but forgot to click publish the post; sometimes my mind just gets away from me. Well anyway, here's the first of today's posts and I promise to make them brief since you get double the post and double the fun.
I of course know very little about the things I love to write about so need help on many occasions. A few weeks ago I found D.P. Lyle, a physician, who's also an award winning writer, a consultant to crime and medical shows and who hosts a site called The Writers Forensic Community -- D.P. Lyle, MD The Writers Medical and Forensic Lab http://www.dplylemd.com , you have to review his site because the assistance he provides is outstanding. I sent a question to him about Owen who lands in a terrible situation in the second novel and if he could die in this situation and Dr. Lyle not only answered my question in the same day, what really put the icing on the cake was that he thinks both as a doctor and as a writer; he was able to give me a few points on why this or that couldn't work in the story plus answer my medical questions.
Having someone willing to help and is as informative as Dr. Lyle is invaluable to us writers; especially writers who want to make sure what we put out there to our readers-- though fiction is close to fact making the experience of our stories as real to the readers as we can get.
If you have any comments or suggestions, please e-mail me at: matwrite1@hotmail. com. I’ll love to hear from you.
Until next time, God willing,
Lori
I promised two posts today because I forgot to publish last weeks, I created it but forgot to click publish the post; sometimes my mind just gets away from me. Well anyway, here's the first of today's posts and I promise to make them brief since you get double the post and double the fun.
I of course know very little about the things I love to write about so need help on many occasions. A few weeks ago I found D.P. Lyle, a physician, who's also an award winning writer, a consultant to crime and medical shows and who hosts a site called The Writers Forensic Community -- D.P. Lyle, MD The Writers Medical and Forensic Lab http://www.dplylemd.com , you have to review his site because the assistance he provides is outstanding. I sent a question to him about Owen who lands in a terrible situation in the second novel and if he could die in this situation and Dr. Lyle not only answered my question in the same day, what really put the icing on the cake was that he thinks both as a doctor and as a writer; he was able to give me a few points on why this or that couldn't work in the story plus answer my medical questions.
Having someone willing to help and is as informative as Dr. Lyle is invaluable to us writers; especially writers who want to make sure what we put out there to our readers-- though fiction is close to fact making the experience of our stories as real to the readers as we can get.
If you have any comments or suggestions, please e-mail me at: matwrite1@hotmail. com. I’ll love to hear from you.
Until next time, God willing,
Lori
Monday, April 21, 2008
Friday, April 11, 2008
Hello and Happy Friday,
I just sent an e-mail to Ms. Karen Long; he book editor for my city’s main newspaper, The Plain Dealer. Ms. Long and I have written a few e-mails back and forth because I’m asking if she'd consider reviewing, You Don’t Know Me. I sent the book to her (along with my press kit) a few months ago but didn’t hear a thing. A couple of weeks ago I got up the nerve to send her an e-mail and she responded. Ms. Long let me know she receives three to four hundred books—published by traditional press mostly—weekly, can you believe it? So, if any self-published show up in the count they are out of luck for that reason and for another, she does not normally review self-published novels. Yet, Ms. Long let me know if I sent her the book again she would give it a second look; I wonder if she’d given it a first and didn't like what she saw?
Anyway, I sent the book last week and of course haven’t heard a word. I let Ms. Long know I would accept a good or bad review; the bad, because I believe Stephen King (I could be wrong) said, " A review is a review—someone’s paying attention--and you can learn from them all." Between you and me, I’m on the glass-is-half-empty side when it comes to the review; I don’t expect a good one for a number of reasons, some not based on fact, most on feelings. On the fact side, a number of people go to self-published work with the already established belief it will not be good, though I don’t know if Ms. Long falls into this category as a well-renowned book editor, I can’t imagine she does, though you never know. I don’t want to expect a good review because the chances I will get a good one are not very good—too many goods; but its how I’m feeling. And oh my God, if I get a bad review and every one sees it, terrible. Oh well, it’s what I asked for and I’ll have to get over it. Lastly, Ms. Long may not want to review it at all, making all my angst for not.
I did a cable tv interview for the book on Wednesday and wasn’t frozen nervous while doing it, I was able to talk about the book so folks could understand what I was saying and surprisingly for my first television interview, it was fun. I will be hosting a book signing next month at my local Barnes and Nobles and I’m looking forward to it and not trying to worry too much that only my family and friends will show, I’m going to try to make it the best signing I’ll ever have (I mentioned this last week) I mean it. About the review, if it’s done (a possible big if) I know for sure it’ll be good or bad so it's best I concentrate on what I can control, that those readers who see the interview or come to the book signing; know I’ve written the best book I could and that they should take a chance on it because it will be worth their time.
Keep at the writing.
If you have any comments or suggestions I have a new e-mail address at: mathewsla@hotmail.com
Until next time, God willing.
I just sent an e-mail to Ms. Karen Long; he book editor for my city’s main newspaper, The Plain Dealer. Ms. Long and I have written a few e-mails back and forth because I’m asking if she'd consider reviewing, You Don’t Know Me. I sent the book to her (along with my press kit) a few months ago but didn’t hear a thing. A couple of weeks ago I got up the nerve to send her an e-mail and she responded. Ms. Long let me know she receives three to four hundred books—published by traditional press mostly—weekly, can you believe it? So, if any self-published show up in the count they are out of luck for that reason and for another, she does not normally review self-published novels. Yet, Ms. Long let me know if I sent her the book again she would give it a second look; I wonder if she’d given it a first and didn't like what she saw?
Anyway, I sent the book last week and of course haven’t heard a word. I let Ms. Long know I would accept a good or bad review; the bad, because I believe Stephen King (I could be wrong) said, " A review is a review—someone’s paying attention--and you can learn from them all." Between you and me, I’m on the glass-is-half-empty side when it comes to the review; I don’t expect a good one for a number of reasons, some not based on fact, most on feelings. On the fact side, a number of people go to self-published work with the already established belief it will not be good, though I don’t know if Ms. Long falls into this category as a well-renowned book editor, I can’t imagine she does, though you never know. I don’t want to expect a good review because the chances I will get a good one are not very good—too many goods; but its how I’m feeling. And oh my God, if I get a bad review and every one sees it, terrible. Oh well, it’s what I asked for and I’ll have to get over it. Lastly, Ms. Long may not want to review it at all, making all my angst for not.
I did a cable tv interview for the book on Wednesday and wasn’t frozen nervous while doing it, I was able to talk about the book so folks could understand what I was saying and surprisingly for my first television interview, it was fun. I will be hosting a book signing next month at my local Barnes and Nobles and I’m looking forward to it and not trying to worry too much that only my family and friends will show, I’m going to try to make it the best signing I’ll ever have (I mentioned this last week) I mean it. About the review, if it’s done (a possible big if) I know for sure it’ll be good or bad so it's best I concentrate on what I can control, that those readers who see the interview or come to the book signing; know I’ve written the best book I could and that they should take a chance on it because it will be worth their time.
Keep at the writing.
If you have any comments or suggestions I have a new e-mail address at: mathewsla@hotmail.com
Until next time, God willing.
Friday, April 04, 2008
Hello,
I’m apprehensive today because of something I have to do next month, my first book signing. I’m nervous which is understandable; it’ll be my first but what makes me wring my hands is that I’m not going to be doing the signing alone, but with another writer named Kimberly Mckenzie (http://www.booksbykim.com). I checked out her site which is pretty nice and read about her first novel and the announcement that she has four more ready for future publication. She appears to be a very smart person, a seasoned and ambitious writer; so, I’ve been picturing the session and the picture has not been perfect.
I see Ms. McKenzie having people lined up at the door to sign her novel and she's so poised and confident as she works her crowd while I’m the opposite, near paralyzed with out a reader in sight. Okay, my imagination is working over time as usual; the only things that quell my nervousness-turning-to-sick-nervousness are a couple of points: she and I write different types of novels; I write crime/mystery/thriller fiction and she appears to write more African-American romance novels; I may pull in the mystery readers and she the romance; the day of the signing will be a day before Mother’s Day and people might take a chance on picking up something new and fresh to read to give as presents to their moms and give my novel go and lastly, I will be getting the word out as much as I can about my book before the session to bring in people (I hope) who are eager to read about Owen and his trials and tribulations.
So should I still feel nervous about my first signing? Of course; I can’t help it; I’ll feel this way until its over, but what I must do is make this the first of the best book signings I'll ever have, push the nervousness out, smile, and act as if I hadn’t a worry in the world all in the name of selling novels and more importantly, finding readers who will love the novel and the future ones.
Talk to you soon and keep on writing.
If you have any comments or suggestions I have a new e-mail address at: mathewsla@hotmail.com
Until next time, God willing.
I’m apprehensive today because of something I have to do next month, my first book signing. I’m nervous which is understandable; it’ll be my first but what makes me wring my hands is that I’m not going to be doing the signing alone, but with another writer named Kimberly Mckenzie (http://www.booksbykim.com). I checked out her site which is pretty nice and read about her first novel and the announcement that she has four more ready for future publication. She appears to be a very smart person, a seasoned and ambitious writer; so, I’ve been picturing the session and the picture has not been perfect.
I see Ms. McKenzie having people lined up at the door to sign her novel and she's so poised and confident as she works her crowd while I’m the opposite, near paralyzed with out a reader in sight. Okay, my imagination is working over time as usual; the only things that quell my nervousness-turning-to-sick-nervousness are a couple of points: she and I write different types of novels; I write crime/mystery/thriller fiction and she appears to write more African-American romance novels; I may pull in the mystery readers and she the romance; the day of the signing will be a day before Mother’s Day and people might take a chance on picking up something new and fresh to read to give as presents to their moms and give my novel go and lastly, I will be getting the word out as much as I can about my book before the session to bring in people (I hope) who are eager to read about Owen and his trials and tribulations.
So should I still feel nervous about my first signing? Of course; I can’t help it; I’ll feel this way until its over, but what I must do is make this the first of the best book signings I'll ever have, push the nervousness out, smile, and act as if I hadn’t a worry in the world all in the name of selling novels and more importantly, finding readers who will love the novel and the future ones.
Talk to you soon and keep on writing.
If you have any comments or suggestions I have a new e-mail address at: mathewsla@hotmail.com
Until next time, God willing.
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