Book Reviewing Tips

For some reason, many people who would not hesitate to leave a Yelp review for a restaurant or a physical product review on Amazon are more reluctant to write book reviews.  Perhaps it reminds us too much of the school assignments of our childhood.  Perhaps people think that book reviewers need some kind of qualifications.

Well, I am here to tell you that your perspective as a reader is valuable both to authors and to your fellow readers.  This is true regardless of your background or grades in English class.  And if you don't quite know where to start with your review of a recent read, here are a few tips to get you started.  You can discuss one of these points or all of them.  No matter how long or short your review, I guarantee that someone will appreciate it.

Some points you can highlight include you opinion of the story, the characters, the world-building, and the writing. You can discuss some or all of this issues as you please and in as much detail as you desire. This isn't school. You're doing this for fun and to help your fellow reader decide if they might enjoy the book. And you might help an author you like create a new fan. How cool is that?

Dialogue Tips for Writers

I've been told that I write dialogue well.  I don't know how true that is, but I certainly enjoy writing dialogue.  I like how it allows me to explore my characters, their personalities, and the images they try to portray of themselves when they communicate.  My favorite dialogue role model is Hilary Mantel.  Do yourself a favor and read Wolf Hall and A Place of Greater Safety.  The woman is a master.

Here are my tidbits of advice when it comes to writing conversation.

1) Your characters should talk like people actually sound.  Unless you have some real reason for your characters to speak strangely (different time period, aliens, second language, whatever), your characters should sound like they grew up on this planet conversing with other human beings.  Even when there is a reason for someone to speak strangely, it can be really off-putting and distracting if done in excess.

2) Readers should be able to tell who is speaking.  I don't mean every line needs a dialogue tag, but if you use so few that readers stop out of confusion, then you need to be more explicit about who is saying what.

3) Repetition is boring.  Don't write the same conversation multiple times.

4) Dialogue should accomplish characterization.  If a character's words and the way he speaks tell us nothing about him, then something is wrong with the writing.

5) Your imagination can help you create an effective voice.  If you don't have a clear sound and image in mind, try "fantasy casting."  Imagine which actor would play that character in the movie of your book.  How would she sound?

6) Conversation isn't just about the words spoken.  It includes body language, gestures, facial expressions, and what is left unsaid.  People don't communicate with only their words.  On the other hand, don't overdo the adverbs and descriptions.  A taste is enough for the reader to fill in the details.

What are some of your favorite tips for writing dialogue?  What are some of the greatest pitfalls?

The Lessons of Twilight or Avoidable Mistakes in Vampire Fiction

In the world of vampire fiction, there are several names that loom large.  There's Dracula.  There's Anne Rice.  There's Sookie Stackhouse.  And, of course, there's Twilight. 

In writing She Dies at the End, one of my goals was for it to be the anti-Twilight.  Now, don't get me wrong.  I read all the Twilight books.  They are page turners.  There's no denying that they're fun.  But there are some things about them that really bother me. 

First, I shall complain about the romance.  Edward emotionally abuses Bella.  He's incredibly controlling, and her worship of him is disturbing.  Her total nervous breakdown after he leaves her paints a terrible picture to young girls of what it means love someone and of how you process your feelings after it goes bad.  This is one reason that November goes through a failed romance in Book 1 of my series.  I wanted to show that a girl can be sad about a first love gone wrong but still stand up for herself and move on.  I also wanted to acknowledge the fundamental creep factor of an ancient vampire going after a teenage girl.  The power dynamics of that are really unacceptable, no matter how much you try to gloss it over by saying that he's a virgin or that she's his one true love.  

The vampire-human romantic situations in my book are portrayed as sketchy because they are, in fact, sketchy.

Another thing that irritates me about Twilight is the lack of diversity in the main cast.  You do have Native American werewolves, but otherwise, it's white people as far as the eye can see.  The only Black dude has a handful of pages and then dies.  Why are all the Cullens white?  There is no reason for that.  Representation matters.  When the default race for every character is white, that sends a strong, negative message to people of color, especially young people.  I deliberately create my characters to reflect the diversity of the world around me, here in the San Francisco Bay Area.  I think that makes my books more interesting and sends a positive message to all readers.

Finally, there's the total lack of any consequences for bad decisions.  In the Twilight series, Bella knows that if she becomes a vampire, she is likely to kill someone.  Her vampire friends tell her this over and over again.  Some of the Cullens even take bets on how high the body count will be.  And yet, Bella wants to become one anyway, so she can be with Edward forever and never get old.  And instead of having to face the consequences of what is fundamentally a selfish decision, she's conveniently such a special vampire snowflake that she can resist her urge for human blood with no mistakes.  I find that to be an unsatisfying cop-out, one I try to avoid in She Lights Up the Dark.  

My mixed feelings about Twilight have definitely informed my writing, and serve as an example of how helpful it can be to read within your genre.  It helps you to see the elements you love as well as those that are more problematic.  I will likely never have the level of success achieved by Stephanie Meyer, but I'm proud of the story I've created.  I think it is enjoyable, interesting, and socially conscious.  I hope you'll agree.

Read more about my vampires, fairies, and werewolves in She Dies at the End, She Lights Up the Dark, and She Marches Through Fire.

A New Excerpt from Unclean

Today, I bring you another excerpt, this one from Chapter 3 of Unclean. If you want to go in blind, avert your gaze!  It describes the predicaments facing Shiloh and Silas at the beginning of the book. Don't forget to pre-order your copy. :-)

Silas opened his eyes. They fell upon the bricked-up window in his new quarters in the Dark Tower. Morning sun snuck through the gaps in the mortar. If he’d been a praying man, he would have prayed that the dawn’s light fell upon a free Shiloh, but he dared not hope it. Esta would not have made her move against him without first being sure Shiloh was firmly in the Patriarch’s grasp.

Rather than locking him up in the official jail cells of the High Tower, Queen Esta had chosen to hold Silas in the very rooms her mother had occupied for five years after her father had discarded Mirin and chosen his second wife. Esta had shared her mother’s quarters for the final year of Mirin’s self-imposed exile of protest. Silas supposed the new queen’s revenge had a certain logic to it.

The furniture was different. Mirin had taken everything of value with her when she had departed for the Southlands. The mirror Silas had used to spy on her was gone, as was her makeshift throne. The room was furnished with a mish-mash of odds and ends. There was a bed, a small table, and two chairs, along with a washbasin with a towel and a large jug of water. The adjoining room, he remembered, held the privy. There was no fire in the grate, which given the winter weather, was rather unpleasant. But there were plenty of blankets, and Silas was grateful for them.

Carefully, he sat up and stretched his limbs. The guards hadn’t beaten him as badly as he’d feared they might when they had dragged him from his study the day before. After all, Silas had always treated them with consideration and respect when they had answered to him, and tipped them generously besides, so their queen’s ordered mistreatment of the former Chief Minister had been executed rather half-heartedly. Still, the bruises ached. At least I didn’t lose any teeth.

He ran his hands over his clothes, feeling to see if his hidden treasures remained on his person. The guards had taken his wand, of course, and the knife he kept in his boot. One of the them had stolen Silas’s wedding ring. He made a mental note to exact vengeance for that at his earliest opportunity.

He found, to his pleasure, that the search had not been sufficiently careful to remove what he needed most. I’d better wait to rip out the seams, he cautioned himself. I think I hear footsteps on the stairs.

A guard named Cane opened the door. “Breakfast,” the man gruffly announced, then dropped the tray onto the table.

“My heartfelt thanks,” Silas replied. “I don’t suppose I could have some books.”

Cane shrugged. “Dunno.”

“Would you mind inquiring on my behalf?” Silas asked, taking his seat at the table.

“I guess.” And with that, Cane lumbered out and clomped down the stairs.

The prisoner heaved a sigh and looked down at his plate. They hadn’t been stingy, but the fare was dull and bland: a large hunk of brown bread, a wedge of cheese, an apple, and some rapidly congealing porridge. The tea looked like dishwater, but at least it was warm. He could imagine Queen Esta dining on pastries and chocolate, with berries from the greenhouse.

He forced himself to eat every bite, knowing that she might well try to starve him at some point, remembering how thin poor Daved had gotten when his appetite had failed him in prison.

I wonder what Shiloh is eating this morning. Is she locked in the Citadel? Still on the road? Did she escape?

His hope for the latter dimmed when an agitated Daved, Lord Redwood, appeared at Silas’s door. One look at the poor boy’s face was all Silas needed to know what rumors were swirling in the palace.

“Is it true?” Daved demanded, his pubescent voice cracking. “They’ve taken her to the Citadel?”

“You would know better than I,” Silas replied heavily, “but very likely.”

“But how could anyone think Shiloh is a heretic? She loves the Gods. I’ve never met anyone who loves them more.”

“Her innocence isn’t relevant,” Silas replied. “And you must take care not to express your sympathy in public, lest you suffer a similar fate.”

Daved collapsed into the second chair, face bleak. “I know. But I can’t do nothing. She’s my dearest friend,” he protested. “She stood by me when no one else did.”

“I know that,” Silas replied. “And I am glad for it. The best thing you can do for her is to rise in the queen’s estimation and trust. Then you will be positioned to act for Shiloh when it will count for something. Come see me regularly, and I can advise you how best to do so. Let people think you’re coming here to gloat over my fall. The other noblemen will applaud such an impulse, I am sure.”

Daved swallowed heavily and nodded. “Very well.” He laughed a bitter laugh. “I suppose I could bring you some books.”

Silas smiled weakly, remembering how faithfully Shiloh had brought books to Daved when the boy had been imprisoned under Silas’s own orders. “I would very much appreciate that.”

Daved glanced down at the remnants of Silas’s meal. “You fed me better than that.”

“I fed Mirin better than this, too. I suppose no teenaged girl is immune from a touch of pettiness, our queen included,” Silas replied with a sigh.

“If Shiloh had married me instead of you, this wouldn’t be happening to her. Her Grace hates you,” Daved accused, flushing red with sudden temper.

Silas felt his chest constrict, but then shook his head. “If she’d married you, the queen would have to kill her,” he said softly, “instead of merely locking her up out of sight.”

“What? Why?” Daved demanded.

Is it time to let Daved in on the secret? Or do I only make things worse? Perhaps Silas was swayed by his sense of isolation when he admitted, “The Usurper was Shiloh’s mother. A marriage with you would have strengthened her claim to the throne.”

Daved leaned back in his chair and let out a forceful breath. “Holy Mother above . . . That explains a lot.”

“I imagine so.”

“You killed the Usurper,” Daved pointed out.

“Aye.”

“You made her marry her own mother’s killer,” Daved accused, eyes again ablaze.

“Aye. I am, indeed, rather a monster,” Silas confessed. “In my defense, that particular murder saved Shiloh’s life. Not that I, at the time, expected it to last very long.”

***

What do you suppose Silas has hidden in his bclothes? And how do you think they will manage to get themselves out of this mess? Check out the blurb and order your copy here.  Happy reading!

Sexism in Fantasy Novels

We all live in a sexist world, though less so than it once was.  In our fantasy novels, however, more explicit sexism is often alive and well.  This is partly due to the fact that in many fantasy novels, especially of the high or epic fantasy variety, the society portrayed is quasi-historical or what I call "medieval-ish."  There's usually an aristocracy run by men, and a religion run by men, and an expectation that a woman must marry and have children.  Even when women do seize power, they have to contend with the mysogyny of their societies.

Take Cersei from Game of Thrones for an example.  None of the men in that series, odious as they might be, would ever have to take a "walk of shame."  Or Danerys, who rose to power only after her husband's death.  Westeros is a man's world, at least until things really start to unravel.

Even conttemporary fantasy Harry Potter portrays its share of sexism.  There are only two female Death Eaters named, for example, not counting Narcissa Malfoy, who is more of a hanger-on.  In the pro-Voldemort worldview, a woman's first duty is to produce pure-blooded wizards.

Then you have the works of fantasy that, rather than portraying a sexist world as a way to criticize misogyny, instead promote a sexist message themselves.  I would put Twilight into that category, as it glorifies controling behavior by a male partner.

There are plenty of examples of sexism in my own work as well.  The world of Hexborn is not kind to its women.  My imaginary country of Bryn is a largely agrarian society dominated by a male-centered magical aristocracy.  As it was during certain times and places in our own history, women are treated as the property of their fathers or their husbands, and the only path to a relatively independent life as a scholar is by entering a religious order and forgoing marriage and motherhood. 

Especially among the nobility, many women are married off at young ages, sometimes to men old enough to be their fathers or even grandfathers, and no one seems to think much about it.  Many of the girls with magical ability, at least the marriageable ones, drop out of school early lest they become too powerful or educated, and thus too threatening, to prospective husbands.  The queen’s value lies in producing a son, and woe betide her if she fails. I think you get the picture.

The sexism in this society even extends to the titular affliction.  Our main character, Shiloh, was born with a medical condition caused by the overuse of dark magic during pregnancy.  The extreme stigma around this condition is caused partly by the misogyny of the culture, which does not even consider the possibility that the mother might not be entirely to blame for this situation.

Shiloh, in some ways, steps outside the gender order.  Being hexborn makes her infertile, and her facility with fighting magic makes her too useful as a weapon to confine her to domestic duties.  This leads some to treat her, essentially, as an honorary man, as if they can’t bear to admit that she is a powerful woman.  Thus, she has to walk a fine line in order to remain “acceptable” while retaining her value to those in power.

Who are some of your favorite examples of women stepping outside of convention, either in fiction or history?  And how well do things work out for them?

What's an ARC Team and Why do I Care?

ARC stands for "Advance Review Copy."  An ARC Team is a group of people an author sends early copies of an upcoming book in the hope that those readers will read the book in advance and post reviews in the first few days following the book's release.  Typically, these folks are fans of the author's work.

What is the difference between an ARC reader and a beta reader?  Beta readers read the work at an earlier stage in its development and provide feedback about what major changes need to be made or problems need to addressed before the work is complete.  The ARC reader comes in after the book is finished but before it is released.  Of course, if an ARC reader finds an error, they should share it with the author.

Why would a writer want to forgo the income of selling books to these fans by giving them a book for free?  Those early reviews build credibility with browsers and help the book in the all important and myserious Amazon algorithms.

What do the readers get out of being on an ARC Team?  Well, you get first crack at a new work well in advance of release, and you get to build a relationship with a writer whose work you enjoy.  Your insights may even help influence future work by that author.  That sounds like fun, doesn't it?

Here are a few things for authors to remember about building and using an ARC Team:

• You cannot actually require a review in exchange for a free copy.  I mean, how would you even enforce that in the first place?  All you can do is ask for an honest review.  And speaking of honesty . . .
• Give people plenty of notice.   Don't expect folks to turn a review around in a week.
• Make sure to thank your team members.

ARC readers, here are some tips you should keep in mind:

• Your review should be honest.  You do not need to give the book five stars if you don't think it deserves it.  A varity of star ratings looks more credible anyway.  Your author will not hate you for being honest.  He or she cannot grow without constructive criticism.
• Don't stress about your review.  This isn't going in the New York Review of Books.  It's just an Amazon review.  A few sentences about what you enjoyed or about your favorite aspects of the book will do just fine.
• Don't sign up if you know that you can't read and review in a timely manner.  The author is anxious about his or her new release and is counting on you.
• Feel free to email the author to discuss your thoughts.  Believe me, any writer not thrilled to get a message from you about their book is probably popular enough not to need an ARC Team!

How do you start an ARC Team?  

• If you have social media accounts or an email newsletter for your writing, start there by asking for signups.   
• You can create a form in Google Forms or Mailchimp to gather information from your prospects and share the link to the form.  I ask for name and email address, obviously.  I also ask why they want to join the team and if they have ever reviewed any of my books before.
• Some people give a free copy of an older book to a prospective team member as soon as they sign up and allow them one month to post a review.  If they don't do so, they are cut from the team.  It's your team.  You can decide what your standards are for participation and what the consequences are for a lack of participation.

If you are interested in joining my own ARC Team, you can sign up here.

Sending a new book to your ARC Team is an exciting moment for both writer and reader.  So remember to enjoy it!  We write and read for pleasure, after all.  Happy reading and reviewing!