Self-Published Only Club discussion

Our February BOTM is Diary of a Shy Backpacker: Awakening Down Under by Bruce Spydar

This is a Travelogue and unlike our past BOTM reads, so I'm excited to see us branching out.

Use this thread to post your feedback, as well as your reviews when you're done.

Abby wrote: "Our February BOTM is Diary of a Shy Backpacker: Awakening Down Under by Bruce Spydar

This is a Travelogue and unlike our past BOTM reads, so I'm excited to see u..."

A bit of background on Bruce Spydar and the Shy Backpacker

Bruce Spydar
Before writing, I led the resources functions of an international environmental organization for nearly two decades, before a work restructure precipitated a major re-evaluation of life and a search for something new. My career had been spent finding creative solutions for business operations and for people working around the world, allowing front-line conservation efforts to progress towards making the planet a better and more sustainable place for nature and people. My professional life involved strategic, business, finance and people planning and management, together with experiences in the roles of trainer, coach, mentor, sounding board, and agony aunt …

Self-help books:
My first books were self-help books. They are primarily aimed to get your brain thinking in different and perhaps unconventional ways about life, and how you might become happier, or more at peace with yourself.
• Crossing the Wilderness: Stepping through the midlife crisis
• Spydar’s Web: How to capture happiness
• Simply Happy: Pocket book of positivity
I then turned towards experience-based fiction …

Diary of a Shy Backpacker
… is a series of adventures tracing a young man trying to make some sense of his life during his gap year travels. It is life-based fiction written around and expanding from some of my own adventures several years ago. It is a (semi) fictional, humorous, travel romance, tracking the adventures of a young man in a quarter-life crisis in search of some meaning and direction. Awakening Down Under begins the journey in Australia, before moving on in Eye on the Prize to New Zealand, and then in No Looking Back, towards Canada. Caution: Adult language and some content of a sexual nature.

Abby wrote: "Our February BOTM is Diary of a Shy Backpacker: Awakening Down Under by Bruce Spydar

This is a Travelogue and unlike our past BOTM reads, so I'm excited to see u..."


Thanks Abby,
Just to say again how delighted and humbled I feel, that the Shy Backpacker has been selected by the group. I really hope the group has fun with it ... and if so, there is certainly more to come. Although I am still feeling my way around Goodreads, I will try to engage as best I can, and I would certainly be happy for people to connect with me on Instagram @brucespydar

Bruce wrote: "Abby wrote: "Our February BOTM is Diary of a Shy Backpacker: Awakening Down Under by Bruce Spydar

This is a Travelogue and unlike our past BOTM reads, so I'm exc..."

I love all you said, Bruce! I'm looking forward to reading it!

Hi Joanie,
That's wonderful. I hope you enjoy it.

Hi! I'm Julie. I'm new to this group and am looking forward to finding more indie author gems to read. I reviewed Bruce's book a couple of weeks ago, so not sure if I can post my review on this thread too?

Hi all.
I'm an indie author too and Bruce is so supportive of other authors.
Enjoy his book.

T.A. wrote: "Hi all.
I'm an indie author too and Bruce is so supportive of other authors.
Enjoy his book."

Thank you for your kind words.

Julie wrote: "Hi! I'm Julie. I'm new to this group and am looking forward to finding more indie author gems to read. I reviewed Bruce's book a couple of weeks ago, so not sure if I can post my review on this thr..."

Yes, Julie, please do.

Bruce wrote: "Abby wrote: "Our February BOTM is Diary of a Shy Backpacker: Awakening Down Under by Bruce Spydar

This is a Travelogue and unlike our past BOTM reads, so I'm exc..."

Thank you so much for joining us, Bruce. I really enjoy getting to know an author as I read their books, and I think others will too.

Reading now. So cheeky!

Mel wrote: "Reading now. So cheeky!"

Agreed!

Abby wrote: "Our February BOTM is Diary of a Shy Backpacker: Awakening Down Under by Bruce Spydar

I purchased it on Kindle yesterday and started reading it today. Got to 9%, and it's not a book for me. Too much raging testosterone! Might have enjoyed this one 40 years ago, but not now. I won't leave a negative book review.

Trana wrote: "Abby wrote: "Our February BOTM is Diary of a Shy Backpacker: Awakening Down Under by Bruce Spydar

I purchased it on Kindle yesterday and started reading it today..."

I am sorry to hear that, but I know that my books are not for everyone.

Not every book is for every one. That's the great thing about books, something for everyone. I'm enjoying it, actually, but I can also see what Trana is saying about the testosterone level lol. But so far, it hasn't been an issue for me.

Mel wrote: "Not every book is for every one. That's the great thing about books, something for everyone. I'm enjoying it, actually, but I can also see what Trana is saying about the testosterone level lol. But..."

Hi Mel, I am pleased that you are enjoying it. You can't hope to please everyone, but as long as some people enjoy it, that's great for me.

Review of Diary of a Shy Backpacker: Awakening Down Under by Bruce Spydar

I’ve never visited Australia, but after reading Bruce Spydar’s Diary of a Shy Backpacker, I now feel as if I have! Not only is this an engaging and often-times hilarious account of young Bruce’s time Down Under, but also a journal of his travels, the wonderful descriptions of his explorations bringing Australia to life on the page.

Shy Bruce takes a courageous leap and leaves his home in England to travel to Australia. He has two goals; adventure and romance, both of which he finds, despite his shyness. Bruce’s self-deprecating humour along with the narrative of his one-track mind gave me many laughs. Girls may elude him at home, but in Australia he’s suddenly finding himself quite popular. His self-consciousness was both refreshing and moving to read in a market where the ‘ideal’ male is puffed up on ego and arrogance when it comes to romance.

Diary of a Shy Backpacker has a great balance of dialogue, description and Bruce’s inner narrative. It’s a fun, light-hearted read with a great ending. I’m curious to see how the adventure develops, so I’ll be reading the sequel!

Julie wrote: "Review of Diary of a Shy Backpacker: Awakening Down Under by Bruce Spydar

I’ve never visited Australia, but after reading Bruce Spydar’s Diary of a Shy Backpacker, I now feel as if I have! Not onl..."

Great review!

I loved and truly appreciated the story! Shyness or social awkwardness creating inhibitions can be overcome when left to your own devices. The point about shyness and introversion being a disadvantage due to society’s constant pressure to change is an essential issue that deserves awareness.

I have a son with high-functioning autism. Back in primary school, at recess, he kept to himself and was perfectly content. Teachers were bothered by this, which bothered me that they could not just let him be. In second grade, the teacher suggested that I should tell him if he made a friend, I would reward him with a video game.

After telling him, he quietly walked away. He came back shortly with the most distressed expression and asked if there was an easier way to get a video game. Seeing the sadness over the difficulty of the task, rather than an enthusiasm for my promise, the answer was an obvious yes through my actions of buying him the video game of his choice. Now, in his early 20s, he too has achieved a comfortability in social situations, on his own and in his own timing.

Here is my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Joanie wrote: "I loved and truly appreciated the story! Shyness or social awkwardness creating inhibitions can be overcome when left to your own devices. The point about shyness and introversion being a disadvant..."

Thank you so much for reading the Shy Backpacker; I'm pleased that you enjoyed it.

Curiosity got the best of me so I continued on:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Joanie wrote: "Curiosity got the best of me so I continued on:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."

I know, I think I'm gonna start book 2 this coming week. In the middle of a different on right now.

I just noticed my review didn't post on Amazon or Goodreads. So, I've posted it seperately on Goodreads and I'm going to keep trying on Amazon. Sorry, Bruce Spydar

Here's my late review for Diary of a Shy Backpacker: Awakening Down Under

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Joanie wrote: "Curiosity got the best of me so I continued on:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."

It's exciting to see our members find our BOTM's good enough for them to keep reading and reviewing. That's exactly why I created this group!

Joanie wrote: "Curiosity got the best of me so I continued on:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."
Hi Joanie Thank you so much for continuing on ... that is wonderful. I am aiming to bring the final book of the series out this May, so I hope you are not too frustrated on the cliff edge.
Hugs, Bruce

Abby wrote: "I just noticed my review didn't post on Amazon or Goodreads. So, I've posted it seperately on Goodreads and I'm going to keep trying on Amazon. Sorry, Bruce Spydar"

Thanks Abby, I appreciate you trying. And I know what Amazon is like, I keep getting rejected reviews, and it is really frustrating.

Abby wrote: "Here's my late review for Diary of a Shy Backpacker: Awakening Down Under

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."

Hi Abby, thank you so much for the review, and I am so glad you enjoyed it. You aren't the only person who has said they didn't expect to enjoy it ... if you have any great ideas as to how I could better pitch it? Thank you so much for taking a chance with it. Bruce.

Bruce wrote: "Abby wrote: "Here's my late review for Diary of a Shy Backpacker: Awakening Down Under

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."

Hi Abby, thank you so much for the review..."

I think you're doing a wonderful job, Bruce. And I don't think there's anything you could do better in the pitch department. My thoughts that I wouldn't like it had nothing to do with you, and everything to do with my pigeonholing lol I tend to stick with one genre, and your book is an example of why I need to stop doing that. Ha ha!

Abby wrote: "Bruce wrote: "Abby wrote: "Here's my late review for Diary of a Shy Backpacker: Awakening Down Under

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."

Hi Abby, thank you so much ..."

Thanks ... and it's quite difficult to define its genre in the first place.

Bruce wrote: "Abby wrote: "Bruce wrote: "Abby wrote: "Here's my late review for Diary of a Shy Backpacker: Awakening Down Under

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."

Hi Abby, thank..."

Epic Romance Travelogue seems fitting lol

Abby wrote: "Bruce wrote: "Abby wrote: "Bruce wrote: "Abby wrote: "Here's my late review for Diary of a Shy Backpacker: Awakening Down Under

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."

..." Epic might be pushing it! lol

Bruce wrote: "Abby wrote: "Bruce wrote: "Abby wrote: "Bruce wrote: "Abby wrote: "Here's my late review for Diary of a Shy Backpacker: Awakening Down Under

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/..."

lol