Maria Savva's Blog - Posts Tagged "competition"

B-Sides and Broken Hearts is a must read for all music lovers. It's one of the best books I've read this year, and I'm very happy to be introducing you to the author, Caryn Rose. I met Caryn when I requested her book for review on Bookpleasures.com recently.

I wanted to spread the word about this fabulous book so I invited her to my blog for an interview. Caryn has generously agreed to give away 3 ebook copies of her book. All you have to do to enter is leave a comment below, or simply 'Like' this blog post. The winners will be picked at random on the 3rd December 2011.


Here's the interview:



In B-Sides and Broken Hearts, Lisa’s life is changed for ever when she finds out that Joey Ramone has died. As a music fan I could relate to this emotional reaction. It really grabbed my attention and made me want to read on. In fact, I think it’s one of the best opening chapters I've read in a book recently. Have you ever been that affected by a musical icon passing away, and are there any memories you can share with us about this?


I was terribly impacted by John Lennon's death as a teenager. It was definitely a life-changing moment. I felt like it made me grow up or at least took me out of the bubble I had been living in. My parents wouldn't let me go in to the Dakota to stand vigil but my mother did take me into the city so I could go to the memorial in Central Park. Johnny Thunders made me extremely sad; I was living thousands of miles away at the time and an old friend from college went to considerable trouble to find me and make sure I knew. John Entwistle was another big loss for me personally (I actually have a manuscript in the drawer where the Who's first concert after John's death is a pivotal moment for the main characters) because the Who were such a huge band for me. Of course, our recent loss of the Big Man, Clarence Clemons was just devastating. And there are plenty of other ones in between.

I'm sure someone's going to ask "What about Kurt Cobain" but I didn't feel Nirvana's music on that kind of deep, essential level. I thought it was a horrible loss and my heart just went out to the kids who looked up to him, especially the ones who had trouble explaining to their parents why he meant so much. I was lucky that my parents' reaction at Lennon's death wasn't "Well, he was just a rock musician."



In your book, Lisa and her friends collect old vinyl records, first editions, limited editions etc., is this something you have ever done as a hobby, and do you own any rare records?



Guilty as charged. I have a large vinyl collection that I just can't seem to let go of. I miss the ritual of record shows and record collecting. I know I can just go on the internet now and find whatever I happen to be looking for, but mostly I miss the social aspect of going to stores in different cities and meeting people at record fairs. I'd love to list the things I'm proud of but I'd rather not tempt fate. Sorry. Paranoid New Yorker.




Your book is written in the first person, with Lisa as the narrator. I was often left with the feeling that I was reading a memoir as the characters are so realistic. Did you base any of the characters on people you know? And following on from that, how auto-biographical is the book?


I get asked this question a lot and I will just say that while I appreciate that readers care so much about the book, it really is a novel. B-sides is not thinly-veiled memoir, it is absolutely fiction. The book is true emotionally and it doesn't matter whether or not thing X happened to me in exactly the same way Lisa experienced it. Just like any writer, I based my characters on little bits of people I have known over the years, but there is no one-to-one mapping. Everyone thinks they know who the band is and who some of the characters are, and I love the enthusiasm behind that, but unfortunately they aren't correct!




As well as being a talented writer, I see from your website that you’re also a photographer who documents rock and roll, baseball and urban life. Tell us a bit more about that.


At one point in my life I thought I might pursue professional photography, but eventually went in another direction. I picked up a camera when I first moved back to New York in 2004 and with the advent of Flickr, suddenly found myself taking images that people were enjoying. When I started getting into baseball, around the same time, the camera came with me. I take less concert photos these days because it's harder to do than when I first started but I still like taking photos of what's around live music.


Do you have a favourite photograph that you’ve taken?


I have a few, but one of my favorites is the photograph on the cover of B-sides! The feet belong to Dave and Serge Bielanko of the band Marah.




Do you have plans to write any more fiction?


Yes. I plan on releasing one book a year for the next five years, including a sequel to B-sides! There will probably be more, but right now I have the next four planned.




How long did it take you to write B-Sides and Broken Hearts?


It took me a year, but I started a very long time ago. Revision and querying agents took another two years. And then the book sat with an agent for about six years, while I tried to write another book that she liked. When she rejected the second manuscript, that was when I decided to publish myself. I can finish a book in about a year and now that I'm self publishing that's what I'm going to try to aim for.



Who is your favourite ever band/musician?


I wish I had just one, but one thing I share with Lisa is her broad love for music. It would be a long list - the Ramones, the Who, the Rolling Stones, the Clash, Patti Smith, the Replacements, Bruce Springsteen, the Afghan Whigs - you'll find those all in heavy rotation on my iPod.

[image error][image error]

What’s the best ever gig you’ve attended, and why?


I have trouble limiting it to the 10 best let alone narrowing it down to just one! They all share the same element of once-in-a-lifetime, energy from band and crowd feeding off each other-ness. I can tell it was good if my hands hurt and my throat is sore and my feet ache.



Much of your book revolves around the main characters’ love of the bands of the ‘70s. How do you think the current music scene compares with that of the ‘70s?


I do not subscribe to the popular theory that "all music today sucks, it was better back in the [insert decade here]". You can't compare this decade to the 70s because the landscape has completely changed. A kid sitting in the middle of the Midwest with a computer can put out a record and sell it internationally without leaving his or her house. I do wonder sometimes about what we miss out or what we lose on when bands can no longer afford to tour and when there aren't enough venues for a fledgling band to play enough gigs to learn how to play live.

Do you keep up to date with new popular music, and if so, what are your current favourite bands/artists?


I don't have any big recent favorites. The most recent bands I decided I liked was Arcade Fire and the Hold Steady, and they're not even new. The last opening act I saw that blew me away was an act called She Keeps Bees.

It's tough. I listen to a new band and can pull apart the influences immediately, whereas a kid who hears them for the first time is, well, hearing them for the first time. I went to see Lou Reed with a younger friend and she said that she spent the first half of the show thinking, "I don't understand why he's such a big deal, he sounds like everyone else" until she realized "OH WAIT, it's the other way around."

Do you have any tips for someone who is considering self-publishing their own book?


Edit, edit, edit and edit again. Self-publishing is a lot of work and you have to be super super super organized. I could do an entire interview just about the self-publishing process. If you want to be taken seriously, be as professional as you can. Of course, your mileage may vary but this has worked for me.

Read up as much as you can about the process and learn from other people's mistakes. So many self-published, indie authors are generous with their advice and there are countless blogs & articles out there if you just look.


Is there a book you own that you’ve read more than once?


More like dozens. I read To Kill a Mockingbird every year it seems, I love re-reading Joan Didion, and I've even reread Don DeLillo's Underworld twice. I love revisiting YA books I loved like The Phantom Tollbooth or Harriet the Spy to remember why I got excited about books in the first place.


Are you reading any books at the moment?


I am reading two: Inferno by Eileen Myles, The Last Sultan by Robert Greenfield. I just finished You Can Make Him Like You by Ben Tanzer.




What do you think of ebooks compared to print books?


Ebooks allow me to read more, so I love them. I still purchase print books (and indie books, and best sellers, and used books) but ebooks let me use as much of my spare time to read as possible. I was shocked by how many ebooks I sold - i thought the ebooks would be an afterthought and that everyone would want a paperback. I imagine this will change, a lot, as the years roll by.



How important are reviews for you as a writer?


I believe that reviews are important so that readers can assure themselves that they aren't going to waste their money. I think that any kind of press gets people interested in buying your book and then reviews help assure them that they're making the right purchase. I try hard to take the advice to not read reviews of my book but the first time out it's been tough to stick to that advice. But they are absolutely necessary.



How did you go about choosing the cover for your book?


I hired a professional designer to put the cover together. I have seen a lot of terrible covers for self-published books and believed that a sharp, professional-looking cover was going to matter a lot. (And I was right - most people, including professional book reviewers, did not know the book was self-published.) I knew I wanted to use original photography and I had it narrowed down to two photos. I looked at the web sites of every single cover designer I could find before I found someone whose work I liked. Then the artist disappeared for two months, and I had to start over again. The saying "You get what you pay for" is absolutely true in the case of cover design - not just from a design perspective, but finding someone who could meet the print standards for my printing house and not just leave it to me to flail around and try to get it right. I know a lot of people say that it doesn't matter and that you can do it yourself but I felt that design and editing were the two areas that self-published books regularly shot themselves in the foot and I wanted to do everything I could to give my book a fighting chance.



Where can people buy your book?


You can buy signed copies (and I can sign Kindle versions) on my site: B-Sides and Broken Hearts

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Indiebound

Powell's

Barnes & Noble

If you live in New York City, WORD in Brooklyn carries it; in Seattle, Vain on First Avenue carries the book.


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thank you, Caryn, for answering my questions!

Remember, you can win an ebook copy of B-Sides and Broken Hearts Just leave a comment or click 'Like' to enter!! Good luck!!

I've just found out about a self-publishing award, organised by Writing Magazine and supported by the David St John Thomas Charitable Trust. It's described as the 'most prestigious prize' of the year for self-published authors. I am going to submit my latest novel, Haunted.

The contest is open to all writers as long as your book was published in print form in 2012.

Here's a link to the Competitions page on Writers Online: https://www.writers-online.co.uk/Writ... You can download the entry form by clicking on the link for 'Self-Published Book of the Year'.

There are also other competitions on the website that you might like to enter.

Good luck if you do decide to enter any of the competitions!

Today I'm thrilled to be introducing you to Eden Baylee. She's a very talented writer who has written many novels and short stories. Eden also contributed stories to Triptychs (Book 3 in the Mind's Eye Series). She's one of the friendliest authors I know and she's always very supportive of fellow writers.

Eden has also offered to give away one of her books to one of my blog readers. Keep reading this post to find out how you can enter to win.

INTERVIEW WITH EDEN BAYLEE




Welcome to my blog, Eden, it's lovely to have you as a guest. Firstly, tell us where does your inspiration come from?

It doesn’t come from any one person or place. I can name a few writers I’ve admired for various reasons: Charles Bukowski for his brash honesty and brevity; John Fowles for his imaginative storytelling; John Steinbeck for his masterful prose; and countless poets who’ve inspired me to think differently about my writing.

Many musical talents have also inspired me with their lyrics and style – Paul Simon, David Bowie, the Beatles.

I believe inspiration can hit at any time if we are open to it. Whether it’s at an art show, live theatre, or an encounter with someone who makes me see something outside the norm, I am always ready to be amazed. It doesn’t happen too often, but it’s great when it does.

Tell us about your latest book.

My latest book is a novella called The Lei Crime Series: Charade at Sea for the Lei Crime Kindle World. I wrote it to unite two characters I introduced in my first two books for the series.

In A Snake in Paradise, I introduced Lainey Lee, a recently divorced woman trying to make it on her own after years in a bad marriage. She travels to the Big Island as a gift to herself but falls into the middle of a crime ring.

In the second book, The Lei Crime Series: Seal of a Monk, Lainey returns to Hawaii and meets ex-Navy SEAL, Max Scott in Kauai. They work together to find a missing girl and romance is hinted at the very end of the book.

In Charade at Sea, the storyline focuses on the developing romance between Lainey and Max. The setting is a cruise ship around the Hawaiian Islands.

Unfortunately, these Kindle World books are available only on Amazon.com for now.



How much research do you do when writing a book?

It really depends on the story. For the Lei Crime series, I knew nothing about Hawaii, tattoos, and Navy SEALS. I had to research each of these topics as my stories unfolded. The old adage of “Write what you know” is a great one, but it also points out how much I don’t know!

Ha, ha!

As well, if I were only to write what I know, it would be a less interesting journey for me as I enjoy learning new things.

Very true. I agree. One of the great things about writing is that we learn about a lot of things we would otherwise never know about!

In my novel, Stranger at Sunset, I was familiar with the setting of Jamaica where the story took place, but there were many plot points I had to research. As an example, the story involved murder using an unusual substance, so I consulted a Professor of Pharmacy to ensure the scenario I wanted to write was possible.

An author can make up some things, but unless you are writing fantasy or science fiction where you create new worlds, it’s still important to get the facts straight.



Who does your cover design? Is there anyone you’d recommend?

All of my cover designs are done by JBGraphics.

Full disclosure. He is my husband, so we work closely on every aspect of my book design and media. My best advice for anyone looking for design work is to visit a designer’s website. See if their style is something you might like for your own designs. In my case, I am lucky I have a lot of input into how my covers ultimately turn out.

For me, book covers are important in presenting a mood and an idea for what the story is about. The clearer you are able to convey this to the designer, the better he/she will be able to give you what you want.


What type of music do you prefer to listen to?

I’m an audiophile and I love most music. I tend to listen to classic rock if I have a choice. It’s familiar and always good, and I can sing along to it. I also listen to a lot of blues and jazz if I’m just relaxing. I grew up in the disco age, so I know that era of music very well, but it’s not my “go-to” music.

I have an open mind for most types of music, so if there is something new or different, I will give it a listen before I decide whether I like it or not. Music tends to sit deeply in my unconscious. A song can conjure an old memory for me, and if it was a pleasant memory, then I fall in love with the song all over again.

When writing a novel or story, do you think word count is important? If so, what is the ideal length?

I use word count as a guideline for readers, so it’s more important for them than it is for me. In my novellas for the Lei Crime Kindle World series, the stories range from 18K-24K. A novel can be anywhere from 50K – 100K. Depending on where you get your information, these numbers may differ.

I don’t know if there is an ideal length for readers. The trend toward shorter stories, packaged in a series, as opposed to the 100K-word novels might lead one to think it’s better to write novellas or short stories, but I think this would be a mistake.

Ultimately, you cannot chase the trends, and the only thing an author has control over is their story. The story will dictate the number of words necessary to tell it. Whether you decide to break up the final product into a series of shorter books or sell it as a novel is just packaging.

Agreed

Do you have any advice for writers as to how to deal with bad reviews?

Yes. Read it and move on. Don’t dwell on it. If you think there is merit to the review such as bad grammar, the plot had holes in it, the characters were wooden, etc, then learn from it for the next time. If you think the review is bogus, ignore it.

Readers can love or hate a book for any reason. They do not need to justify themselves in a way that satisfies the author, so there is no point in getting upset or telling the whole world about it.

Bad reviews can teach us much more than good ones. For example, if you are getting bad reviews consistently, and the reviews are all saying the same thing, then it’s worth taking a step back. Read your book again with objectivity, and remove your ego from the equation. Learn how you can improve. Writing is a lifelong process, and there is always something we can learn!

Wise advice!

Thanks you for joining me here, Eden!

Thanks so much, Maria, for inviting me for an interview. I truly appreciate your generosity.

As a gift for your readers, I’d like to offer a commenter an e-book from my Lei Crime Kindle Worlds series. They can choose the one they like. Though readers outside the USA cannot buy it, I can still send them a gift of it.

I’ll let you choose the winner!

Thank you, Eden, that's very generous!

****************************************

About Eden

Eden Baylee left a twenty-year banking career to write and is now a full-time author of multiple genres.

She has written three collections of erotic novellas and flash fiction ~ Spring into Summer, Fall into Winter, and Hot Flash.


In 2014, she launched the first novel of her trilogy with Dr. Kate Hampton—a psychological mystery/suspense called Stranger at Sunset. In addition to working on her next novel, Eden created Lainey Lee for the Lei Crime Series, a feisty divorcée who finds adventure and romance in Hawaii. 

An introvert by nature and an extrovert by design, Eden is most comfortable at home with her laptop surrounded by books. She is an online Scrabble junkie and a social media enthusiast, but she really needs to get out more often! 


To stay apprised of Eden's book-related news, please add your name to: her mailing list.


For more information about the author, visit her website: http://www.edenbayleebooks.com or find her on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/edenbaylee and Twitter: https://twitter.com/edenbaylee

You can also follow her on: Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/Eden-Baylee/e/... or Amazon.UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Eden-Baylee/...

*****************************************

Remember, for your chance to win a copy of one of Eden's Lei Crime series books, just leave a comment below. I'll pick a winner on Friday 12th August!


Good luck!