Get Them While Their Young, Keep Them Until Their Old - Guest Post by Sarah Noffke

I recently had the pleasure of reading Suspended by Sarah Noffke. Since I've also written a book about a dark circus (The Nightmare Birds), I was especially anxious to read her story. Needless to say, I wasn't disappointed. :)

The more I discovered about Sarah, the more I was intrigued by this "superwoman". She's written fifteen books and is currently working on two more! I'm delighted that she found the time to share this guest post with you today.  Enjoy!

Get Them While Their Young, Keep Them Until Their Old

Scroll the feed on Instagram and you’ll come to a few conclusions. They might be: she definitely shouldn’t be wearing that, is that dude out of his mind, and holy batman young adults love their books. I follow more than a few book addicts on Instagram and they all happen to be ones who are obsessed with taking pictures of their bookshelves, rather than their freckled faces. When was the last time that you saw Helen, the retired widow, arranging her books in the garden so she could take a pretty picture to post on social media? So what’s my point? It’s that we need to be catering to this hungry market. Young adults crave the actual pages of books. They use the hashtag for cover love more than anyone else. Young adult fantasy is especially hot right now, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. And if we know this knowledge, then we might should be using it.

When I was a young adult, I didn’t think I liked to read. Stop gasping and listen to me. It’s because the books I was forced to read were Heart of Darkness and Frankenstein. Now before you forever loathe me for complaining about being exposed to classic literature, please hear me out. While those novels are amazing in their own way, they aren’t something relatable for a young adult. I know, you’re shocked, I’ve never, not once, sailed down the Congo. It wasn’t until later that I accidentally picked up a young adult novel that I fell in love with books. I remember the exact moment. It was like Prince Charming walked into the room and I was instantly in love. That passion for young adult literature then grew and now I read books of all genres. However, too often I think we force the classics before we’ve hooked the young reader. I think we cater to the adult readers, not realizing that it’s the teens of the world that are going to break down doors to get a fresh paperbacks. They are obsessed with covers. Obsessed with collecting spicy fantasy novels. And most importantly, they are consumers who have decades of reading ahead of them.

Having written five young adult and new adult series, I’ll claim to know a little bit about the genre. New adult is this relatively recent category that is just starting to emerge. It has less rules than young adult and is relatable to a larger audience. However, I will disclose that most of the readers of my young adult series are thirty-something-year-old women. The reason for the wide appeal is that young adult characters have more potentials and I’ve polled readers and found there’s an irresistible draw to that. It’s fun when a character is still developing and doesn’t know who they are, what they want or who they love. The key to good young adult fiction is exploring these potentials. And the key to happy readers is to find the stories that they can relate to, while also creating surprising potentials. Finally, because I like sets of three, the key to success for authors, libraries and retailers is tapping into this hungry market. Hooking the young and young at heart readers is a great strategy. From my experience there aren’t more loyal followers than those who post their TBR lists on social media.

I keep hearing a rumor that the book market is over saturated. Honestly, I can’t find relevant data to support this. If my Instagram feed serves as antidotal evidence then young adults actually don’t have enough books. If I see another picture in my feed of the Harry Potter series with a newly released cover then I’m chunking my phone across the room. #coverlove

~~~

 

Bio:
Sarah Noffke writes YA and NA sci-fi fantasy and is the author of the Lucidites, Reverians, Ren and Vagabond Circus series. She holds a Masters of Management and teaches college business courses. Most of her students have no idea that she toils away her hours crafting fictional characters. Noffke's books are top rated and best-sellers on Kindle. Currently, she has fifteen novels published. Her books are available in paperback, audio and in Spanish, Portuguese and Italian. To get a free book from the author, go here: http://www.sarahnoffke.com/free-book/

Connect:

www.sarahnoffke.com
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2n0rnJO
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/officialsarahnoffke?ref=hl
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9830676.Sarah_Noffke
Twitter: @RealSarahNoffke
Instagram: @sarahnoffke

~~~

Have you checked out these other articles? You might enjoy these, too:

• How to Write Historical Fiction Without Really Trying - Guest Post by Christie Stratos

• How to Write Fantasy and Have Fun While Doing It - Amie Irene Winters

• Don't Write for the Market - Guest Post by J.D. Estrada

The Little Ninja

So I'm sitting at a cafe writing a fight scene for my new book, when I get the feeling that I'm being watched.

I was right.

A ninja was watching me from the crevice!

I'm wrapping up Chapter 14 right now and hope to have more writing updates soon. :D

10 Famous Writers’ Fascinating and Pecuilar Hobbies

Need some inspiration for a new hobby to pick up? In today’s post, I’ve put together a list of ten famous writers and their fascinating (and sometimes peculiar) hobbies. Enjoy!

Neil Gaiman: The master of fantasy enjoys beekeeping in his spare time. How awesome is that!? Sylvia Plath was also into beekeeping.

Ernest Hemingway: The Nobel Prize-winning author loved spending time outdoors, hunting, and fishing. He went on several African safaris and was an accomplished deep sea fisherman.

Susan Dennard: The Truthwitch author unwinds by practicing martial arts:

“I was immediately hooked. Everyone was so nice! The class ranged from all ages—kids to grandmas, other UGA students to officers off the nearby army base. Best of all, no one was competing with each other. The whole karate philosophy was about competing with yourself. A “be better than you were last time” mentality.”

She's also way into steampunk culture.

Madeleine L’Engle: Best known for A Wrinkle in Time, L’Engle would play the piano when she had writer's block:

"Playing the piano is for me a way of getting unstuck. If I’m stuck in life or in what I’m writing, if I can I sit down and play the piano. What it does is break the barrier that comes between the conscious and the subconscious mind. The conscious mind wants to take over and refuses to let the subconscious mind work, the intuition. So if I can play the piano, that will break the block, and my intuition will be free to give things up to my mind, my intellect. So it’s not just a hobby. It’s a joy."

Ransom Riggs: He unwinds by collecting creepy vintage photos:

"I have an unusual hobby: I collect other people’s pictures. The ones I love are old and orphaned and have found their way into flea markets or swap meets or into the hands of collectors. I have thousands, some of which have found their way into my books. Here are 18 that inspire me but have never been published."

Beatrix Potter: Potter was a successful breeder of sheep and well regarded for her work to protect the beautiful countryside she adored.

J.R.R Tolkien: When not writing, Tolkien invented new languages, many of which (e.g., Elvish) he used in his writing. He wrote songs and poems in his fictional languages. In addition, Tolkien worked to reconstruct and write in extinct languages like Medieval Welsh and Lombardic.

Agatha Christie: The British murder-mystery writer lived quite an adventurous life. She frequently accompanied her husband on his archeological digs.

Leo Tolstoy: The Russian writer was an avid chess player. He learned how to play as a young boy and recorded many of his games.

Ayn Ryad: Although she spent most of her time writing and promoting her philosophy of Objectivism, she was also a passionate stamp collector:

"I feel tired after a whole day of writing, I spend an hour with my stamp albums and it makes me able to resume writing for the rest of the evening. A stamp album is a miraculous brain-restorer.”

~~~

If you're curious how I unwind, I cook. A lot. Primarily Mexican and Italian dishes. I just got a dehydrator and have been busy making fruit rolls, dry rubs, and homemade jerky. My specialty is baking desserts though. I have a major sweet tooth. 

Book Impressions - Fantasia Reviews Strange Luck

"A fantastic story. Miss Winters has woven a tale that will enthrall readers and leave them begging for more."

"She paints in broad strokes and fine details, giving us food for thought and imagery to fawn over – we loved it."

"Miss Winters possesses and abundance of talent and imagination that she has poured onto the pages of this book to deliver something that is not only delightful, but worth reading, and that is a rare talent indeed."

I'm absolutely ecstatic about this review!!! These kind words mean the world to me :)

Read what else Fantasia Reviews had to say about Strange Luck in their five-star review.

This Old Dog's New Tricks - Guest Post by Joe Compton

The first thing I think about when I hear the name Joe Compton is GoIndieNow - an online platform that highlights, fosters, and supports Indie Artists of all art forms. A few months ago, I had the privilege to participate in a GoIndieNow author panel discussion called Women in Publishing/Exhibiting Strong Leadership. Not only was it a blast, I met some really talented authors, including Joe (who's a fellow metal head by the way :)) Since then, GoIndieNow has added a bunch of really cool new features and hosted more awesome panels. Joe is an incredibly talented and dedicated individual whom has graciously agreed to write a post today about the importance of having an online video presence as an author.

Take it away, Joe...

This Old Dog's New Tricks

How do we market ourselves at a pace that keeps up with the world’s rapid growth and advancements? Are we holding on to tightly too tried and true methods that prevent our actual growth?

Let’s face it, virtually gone are the days wherein authors and artists use mailers and press releases. Even book festivals and writer’s conferences that were once the only quick fire way to have direct contact with industry folks and readers have dwindled in not only attendance but hierarchy. One of the more prominent reasons is the average median age of someone publishing their first novel is between 36-38.

I bring up the age thing because at 36 you are more likely to have a steady job and a family with responsibilities that are not just financial but time consuming. Which makes conferences and festivals logistical nightmares, as most of them fall on a weekend or take place over the course of several days and are very expensive (even if you find one local to you).

Age also slows you down or make your priorities shift. No matter how you might view that statement, it’s fact. You can’t do what you did at 24 or care about what you cared about at that age. That usually equates to missing the best part of the conference or at least the most productive part, the networking events.

Even if you curtail your intake or don’t drink at all, you most likely will be mainlining coffee for 6 hours to keep your eyes open for the next day’s conference lectures, panels, and group exercises. Even if you go to the networking events but leave early you just might miss out on that one or two agents or publishers because they went up to their room or sat in the lobby doing business on a call or on their laptop, and couldn’t get down to the fun till well after your bedtime.

Now if you are 21-30, you might be more apt or in a better place to do these conferences but then again if you are the only one at the bar or in your age range, then it becomes that measuring stick of is it really worth for you as well.

Sure all this doesn’t mean conferences are useless. There is still a lot of great knowledge to glean and opportunities to pitch yourself to established professionals that can help you. It’s all a matter of what it means for you to be there.

Book festivals are an even more harsh reality. As most will tell you, the goal is to sell but in reality the goal quickly becomes to get as many names for your mailing lists or hand out as many rack cards/bookmarks as you can. Half way through the day you start to realize that breaking even on sales would be almost a victory.

Now, again, there are some festivals that are better than others. Sometimes it’s just perspective as they are better for the person next to you or across from you for whatever reason. There are even some unconventional conventions (i.e swap meets, craft fairs, comic cons, etc.) where you fall into a groove and just sell your ass off. Truth of the matter is though, those happen only in 1 out of every 4 and they almost never repeat themselves the next year.

So with these 2 very prominent ideals being on the tail end of their lifespan and almost being shoved into the publishing hospice to be left for dead, what’s an author, especially an indie author to do?

Well social media is redefining itself and its effectiveness everyday for sure. Even that has uneasy and unsettling results though. One month Facebook parties are the best. The next they are stale, and that depends on who you ask. Some look at it like those happy hours that were such a huge part of the physical conference ideal. Some think it’s just seeing the same 6 facebook postings over and over, to the same audience as the last 1 or 5. One month Twitter is the best. Then Instagram kicks Twitter right between the .jpegs. Then there is the cool kids hangs like Pinterest, Hootsuite, or LinkedIn. Interesting to explore, no doubt, but for some hard to understand the appeal and for others it morphs into something else. Then there are the out of touch, who still look to MYSQL/Proboards’ Message boards, GoodReads, and even have the nostalgic love for MySpace.

I have no doubt that some will defend their personal favorite(s) to the death. We certainly lock on to what works and fight for their relevance. Yet the merits are debatable at best but still essential.

Right now though we all can agree that audiences are quick and need to be fed within an arm’s length of them passing you by and that they never or rarely look back. So if you miss them, there is no getting them back or going after them because if you go after them, the next wave comes by you as well. Before this becomes a generational divide argument (which it’s not in my mind) and for as much as we might want to blame or play “the millennials don’t have the attention span and have driven patience away” game, it isn’t just them. All of our lives are faster and we only have so much time in a day, let alone a week, a month, and a year. That means you have to hook and connect them almost before they get to you instead of by you.

Hmm, I wonder where this principle came from? Sounds super familiar doesn’t it?

Yes book festivals and writer’s conferences do hold a merit after all. If nothing else, for the relevance of the audience not being much different. If you sit at your table at a festival, looking disinterested, scared, or downright bored, nobody will stop; not even for a second. You have to get up, engage, and sometimes drag them, even if they are kicking and screaming, to your table. You have to hone your pitch and have answers to questions you never thought of until you went to a festival or pitched to an agent or publisher at a conference. At the very least you have to know your source material so well, like it was your child. So with those principles being what an audience is, and if they are no longer at these festivals or conferences, where then? Where did our audience go? You see it’s not generational, it’s just a different way audiences go looking now.

I give you YouTube, Vimeo, and DailyMotion. Yes, video platforms. You can throw Skype, Facebook live, Snapchat, Vine, Periscope, and Zoom in there for an even more measured two prong approach to this type of marketing.

Why? Why this method?

YOU STILL HAVE TO BE SEEN!

Let me repeat that..YOU STILL HAVE TO BE SEEN!

While they may not be leaving their living rooms or workplaces, they are Hunkered down on some computer, somewhere. So you being seen makes the connection and makes the metaphysical actually feel physical again. What I mean by that is we are actually conversing in real time and looking at each other. The trick is to turn your conversation to your source material and your expertise.

Honestly here’s the great thing about doing this and doing this right now...you don’t even need to have the best camera, know the best editing methods, be tricky, and/or be so technical that your resolution and pixelation have become resolute and in HD. Just make sure people can hear you and see you. Even seeing you, is not always necessary, as some people use these videos as background and listen more than they watch.

I mean the curve of forgiveness as far as quality goes, right now, is medium to high. Especially right now because not many are doing it perfectly. So it’s just as cool to be out there with it. Eventually you will just get better, you will find what works for you and your audience, and even more so start to get into the technical aspects. Which of course might just benefit you, as those tedious things become important and help you separate yourself from everyone else.

I know, one more thing to stress about but I am telling right now if you aren’t out there with a youtube channel or at very least participating in others endeavors to be out there, you will be left behind and wondering why you are one of the first 2 at the happy hour at the hotel bar at the 22nd Annual Bland Conference. Could it be that maybe, just maybe, you are the only 2 at the bar because everyone else is doing a youtube video or facebook live about their experiences at the same convention you are at right now? Just look at your facebook feed or twitter feed and you will see the answer is yes. It is already happening. I counted 3 facebook friends this week alone who have done just that.

See people are even using this new marketing wrinkle at the old marketing methods. If that isn’t telling you its relevance, nothing ever will, and you can go back to your MySpace profile now. Tell AOL4life on the book tours message board I said hello.

Look there is no wrong way. That’s not what I mean to say when I talk about old methods. Those still work to a degree and for some people it works how they wish it to work. If you are doing all the things people have done since the beginning of time or since the boom of self publishing, and are happy with that, sobeit; more power to you.

However if you are hungry and looking for that game changer and getting to the next level, then follow me into this world.

I spent nearly an entire weekend online, on camera in 2016 at the Brain to Books Cyber Convention. I was up and streaming live for 47 hours. I also created 7 hours of content that ran when I wasn’t online live. That’s how much content I have in my folder on my youtube channel from just that weekend. You can go check it out at my YouTube channel.

It’s under the 2016 Brain to Books Cyber Convention Video Playlist there.

Am I crazy? Yeah probably but that’s what I decided to do. Why you might ask? Well the simple reason is I am crazy, but really it’s because I know making those connections were invaluable. I paid $0 to be a part of that convention. Ok, not true I bought a new camera for $29.95, and posters for another $30, plus all the coffee I drank while I was there. Still I did not need a hotel, still got my drink on, and still had a ton of networking done throughout the weekend in pajamas. I even made 4 sales from it. Pretty awesome considering I wasn’t even talking about my book at this event nor had a goal of making sales for the most part. I was mediating conversations and keeping conversations about other people’s works going.

My point is, there are not that many opportunities like that out there but there is going to start to be. The ones that are out there already are growing and growing faster than they probably even thought they would. Booktubers is a thing. NaNoWriMo has a youtube channel. For those 2 specifically it’s being used as the fun way to connect commonalities we all thought no one else shared.

There are other such formats like Panel discussions. Panel discussions are sharing the most interesting ideals and life lessons within a peer group. It’s invaluable information that is being shared and put out there. If you watch a panel discussion and don’t learn something, wow I feel sorry for you.

Look I know all about the introvert or anonymity thing. Most would feel these are good reasons and yes I will acknowledge that if you have genuine fear or get hurt by the judgemental aspects of being online and criticized, or are a high profile or very private person not wanting to mix your lives with this endeavor, you have some claim to not being or wanting to be a part of this new found glory. However the bottom line is you are the only one hurt by your resistance, no one else. SO you can’t complain about being left behind. I am sorry, you can’t.

I am really sorry, and understand I am not making light of these reasons I have heard for someone not to come on one of my shows or be a part of a Cyber Con or have a youtube channel. I understand, They are real fears and concerns. I can’t imagine what you must go through. It could explain why you are an author and not an actor. I get it but then be who you are and embrace that. Don’t look to the future and think you will reinvent the wheel or that what you are doing now will come back to style so why change. Technology is moving too fast and what I am sharing here may be out of date by the time you get done reading this.

You can’t avoid being swallowed or engulfed by the darkness without stepping one of two ways; forward or to the side. To the side gets you that light and warmth you know but it never rewards you for taking a forward step. It comforts you and leaves you be. There is nothing wrong with that but I guarantee that you all have friends taking those steps forward and they are going to get further away and then you are all alone. If you are good with that, cool. If not why not take that person’s hand who you know is not afraid to step forward and step with them, It is always better to have a friend because they won’t let you fall or be hurt. The buddy system works, remember as a young kid how much better you felt with that ideal? Well right now your buddies are lining up, they are ready to step forward, are you?

Go get yourself a youtube channel, a camera/webcam, and smile. Then take my hand, I promise I won’t let you down.
~~~
Great post on how to be seen, Joe. You provided some excellent ways to get out there. You also shed some light on the reality of what events are like for authors, something I don't think many people are aware of. It's been awhile since I've made a new video for my YouTube channel, so this is certainly the kick in the pants I need to start making videos again. :)
~~~  
 

Bio:
Joe Compton is the author of the crime thriller Amongst The Killing, published in March of 2015 under his publishing company Never Mind The Fine Print Publishing LLC. Joe also runs a subsidiary company called GoIndieNow which is an online platform that highlights, fosters, and supports Indie Artists of all art forms. He does this mainly through his youtube channel where he produces, writes, and hosts a few different shows that post on a regular basis there, Joe has made a half dozen short films, 3 of which he wrote and directed. He also served his country in the United States Marine Corps. Joe is working on a sequel to Amongst The Killing entitled, "We The Moral Majority".

Book Links:

Amazon USA (available in Kindle ebook, paperback, and audiobook)

Amazon UK (available in all 3 formats there as well)
Barnes & Noble (Available in NOOK and Paperback):
Smashwords:(available in electronic formats only)

Social Media Links:
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Email
Youtube 
Audio podcast version of show 
Instagram
Pinterest
Vimeo

Crazy Socks and Haunted Antiques - My Interview with J.D. Estrada

  
Did I write Strange Luck based on the advice of a fortune cookie?

Do I seriously only wear "crazy" socks?

Is a haunted shell the most expensive item in the antique shop?

Find out the answers to these questions (and others quirky ones) in my interview with the uber-talented J.D. Estrada. Enjoy!

Mapping Strange Luck

Did you know that all of the places described in Strange Luck are based on real-life places in California? It's true. I'm a California native and the fictitious town of Sea Salt is actually based on some of my favorite places in CA - Half Moon Bay, Loma Mar,  La Honda, and Pescadero.

Explore these real-life places by clicking this interactive map. You'll also get to read fun excerpts from the book about each location. Enjoy!

Loki's Birthday

Guess who turned 1-year-old today? LOKI!!!

Can you believe he used to be this small?

And then briefly turned into an ewok?

And now he's so big I can barely hold him?

 Happy b-day, my mischievous pup.

Help Choose My New Book Cover!

As an avid reader, I love engaging with my favorite authors, especially when they ask for input from their readers. Readers have the power to make or break a book. As an author, I greatly value your feedback, which is why I want YOU to help me choose my new book cover.

I've narrowed it down to four gorgeous designs. All you have to do is click the link below and select your favorite design. Comments are welcome. And if you haven't already, check out the official blurb of The Nightmare Birds here. Thank you so much for contributing :)

PICK THE OFFICIAL NIGHTMARE BIRDS BOOK COVER 

 

Why I’m a HeForShe Author - Guest Post By Ben Starling

Today I'm happy to share my very first guest blog post by the amazing Ben Starling. Ben recently interviewed me for his blog and I've been wanting to feature a guest post for quite some time, so I asked him if he'd be willing to contribute. Spoiler: He said yes ;)

Ben had recently seen me participate in the Women in Publishing/Exhibiting Strong Leadership panel and liked the idea of contributing an article about women in publishing. I absolutely loved the idea and I'm thrilled to be able to share such an important post with you on The Golden Cricket.

What is HeForShe? 
On September 20^th, 2014 UN Women Goodwill Ambassador, Emma Watson, gave a rousing speech at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. 

Watson said, “If we stop defining each other by what we are not, and start defining ourselves by who we are, then we can all be freer.” She pointed out that men are also harmed by gender inequality, and issued an invitation to all men and boys to join a new campaign as agents of change.

“HeForShe is a solidarity campaign for gender equality initiated by UN Women. Its goal is to engage men and boys as agents of change for the achievement of gender equality and women’s rights”. (Wiki) 

UN Women are campaigning so we can all be our own best self in a happier, more equal world for everyone? Well, sign me up. 

I support HeForShe because I feel it is the right thing to do. Gender equality is so simple and obvious, I’m amazed we even have to talk about it in the 21st Century.

As Canada’s recently-elected PM Justin Trudeau said last year when explaining why he made choosing a gender-balanced cabinet a priority: “Because it’s 2015.”  

It’s about time.

What kind of men join HeForShe?

Quite a few apparently. Barack Obama for one. Matt Damon, Tom Hanks, Russell Crowe, Tom Hiddleston, Harry Styles, author Neil Gaiman for a few more.You can find lists of celebrities who have signed up to show support on the internet. Here are just two examples:  

http://www.elle.com/culture/celebrities/news/a23840/heforshe-emma-watson-famous-men-celebrities-feminists/

http://www.heforshe.org/en/impact

In the first 3 days of the HeForShe campaign, the goal of 100,000 men signing up was easily reached (Wiki). That number included men from every country on earth. Good news and a great start.

Why HeForShe is important to me
I support HeForShe because I have a daughter. And a son.  

And I want both of them to have the chance to be their best possible selves in this world. The same fair chances, respect, and a full range of choices and opportunities. I have always hoped for this and believed it was paramount. 
 
When my daughter, aged five, expressed an interest in boxing, I bought pads and mini gloves and showed her how to punch. Her interest fizzled out after a while, but it was fun while it lasted. Did this childhood experience help her progress towards her ultimate chosen career as a portrait artist? I hope in some way it has - sport is a critical part of wellbeing. 

And boxing is an excellent form of fitness, builds confidence and teaches discipline, all of which are important life skills, no matter one’s gender. I didn’t want my daughter to miss out.

 

I’ve also been an equal son/daughter hugger, encouraging my kids to show their emotions. Grieving, for example, can be cathartic. Men and boys need to be encouraged to express emotions too, rather than forced to hide behind stiff upper lips. 

My son has grown up to be a caring and generous young man. I hope knowing he was unconditionally loved had something to do with it.

By contrast, I was raised (a while ago) in a nearly all male world. I was one of three brothers, and went to all-boys elementary and high schools. My college at Oxford only accepted men at the time. I started my career in finance. I boxed. In my first quarter century, there were not a lot of opportunities to interact with women, develop friendships, to learn about and understand alternate points of view. A real loss, as I look back on it.

I am still learning what the other half of the world experiences, what this all means and what my part in helping create a more equal world might be. Inevitably I will not get it right the first time. But I am trying.

What’s a HeForShe Author?

Here’s a way I hope I am supporting these goals today: through my writing.

Themes, characters, worlds. Positive plot arcs that showcase powerful women (and men) who are leading actors and problem resolvers in their own lives. An equal number of female and male characters. Roles that challenge stereotypes.

Any and all aspects of written work have the potential to support gender equal concepts. There are always new ways to approach and achieve this goal in writing.

A HeForShe author is anyone whose writing supports concepts of gender equality. 

Women make up half the world. I worry about where they are in our literature, our media, our films - it seems to me they are too often absent or sidelined. The upside of this current imbalance is that there is so much opportunity to develop fascinating female characters. It’s an exciting time to be an author. 

When the hero of my first full-length novel showed up nearly fully-formed in my brain and turned out to be a woman - I knew I would have a lot of learning to do. And this hero was not just any woman, but Teal, an ambitious journalist, who wanted to tell her own story from her own point of view. Telling a story from a woman’s point of view…me? 

Fortunately, I was very lucky that my outstanding editor turned out to be a woman and that all my beta-readers have been outstanding women as well.  Strong ones.  Who tell me exactly where I went wrong. Kind too, as they suggest ways to get my hero ‘telling her own story from her own point of view’ again, and back on track.  

Do you support Gender Equality? 
Are you comfortable with the word feminist? Beyoncé is.  

At the 2014 MTV Music Video Awards, she performed her song Flawless in front of a giant screen illuminated with the F word in capital letters. And accompanied it with Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s definition of feminism: “social, political and economic equality of the sexes”.

Yet a lot of people I know don’t feel comfortable with the word feminism. It has been smeared, misused and negatively caricatured by voices with more power and a personal stake in maintaining current social structures. 

As an unfortunate result, too many men and women I know begin sentences with: “I’m not a feminist, but…” and end these sentences with resounding support for women’s equality. 

Do you believe women should be able to vote? Own property in their own name? Open a bank account without their husband’s permission? 

Me too. 

If you believe
If you believe any of the above, then you are in fact a radical feminist. Not too long ago of course, women couldn’t vote (not until 1920 in the US (1), 1928 in the UK (2) and 1971 in Switzerland (3) ), and could not control their own money or property completely - until 1974 in the US, women could not sign any kind of credit application without a man to co-sign.(4) More examples in a timeline of women’s legal rights can be found at Wikipedia (5).

If you say yes to any of the above questions, you are a radical feminist today. There are still too many countries where, for women, all of the above remain a distant dream.

But if you aren’t comfortable with the word “feminism”, I hope you could instead stand with me to support “gender equality”. For you, me, my kids and yours. 

How to show your support 
At heforshe.org you can find a link where everyone is invited - both men and women - to sign up to show their support.  

There are lots of ideas for other ways to show your support and fascinating facts at this website too.

Your reasons?

I believe achieving gender equality is a critical part of creating the best possible world for all of us. And that it’s the right thing to do.

Having a world where both my daughter and son can become their best possible selves, having a chance for both men and women to be equally recognized as parents, and being able to express emotion without censure are just a few personal reasons for my supporting gender equality. 

What are yours?  

Ben Starling is passionate about gender equality, marine conservation and boxing, all central themes in his work. His interest in marine life has taken him across three continents over the past three decades. He boxed competitively until recently and continues to coach. Ben graduated from Oxford University with a Master of Arts and a Master of Philosophy. www.ben-starling.com

 

Something in the Water, featuring journalist Teal Douglas, is available now at Amazon.

You can read the first chapter here. 

***
(1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women's_suffrage_in_the_United_States

(2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women's_suffrage_in_the_United_Kingdom

(3) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women's_suffrage_in_Switzerland
(4) http://www.theguardian.com/money/us-money-blog/2014/aug/11/women-rights-money-timeline-history
(5) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_women's_legal_rights_other_than_voting

Thank you for sharing this truly inspirational post, Ben! I'll definitely be further promoting this important movement and plan on posting more articles about women in publishing in the future.

Five Star Review of Strange Luck By J.D. Estrada!

Yesterday, author J.D. Estrada left a fantastic review of Strange Luck. He told me he finished the book in three days. How cool! He also gave the wonderful suggestion that I write some Nedder Fedder short stories. What a lovely idea! I'm definitely going to explore that. In the meantime, here's the full review:

Memories are a powerful thing and to a certain degree our greatest treasures. Think about it, what is life but an accumulation of experiences. That first kiss, that warm summer day where everything flowed perfectly, that candy that takes you directly to the brightest spot in your trail in this life.

Within the pages of the book of the same title, Strange Luck is a lovely antique shop of oddities that gives home to a variety of haunted (or at least reportedly haunted) pieces to entice people who want to invite a little oddity and a little bit of luck into their lives, even if it is of the strange kind. Wallace is the owner of the store and Daisy is his daughter. She dreams of traveling and writing although her immediate future has her inheriting Strange Luck, which isn't exactly the most wonderful outcome in her books.

Among the countless fascinating objects within the store, there is a particular envelope that brings much attention... especially since it was supposed to be given to a Mr. Farnsworth and has been passing from generation to generation for the last century... until an odd looking man comes claiming said letter as his own.

That's when things start getting interesting and where Strange Luck takes you headfirst into an adventure that feels a bit like the Neverending Story and Alice in Wonderland while exploring a lot of new territory in the Nameless, a world sold as Utopia and which is far from it. As beautiful as it is frightening a concept, the idea does tantalize the mind.

Amie Irene Winters does a wonderful job of keeping you interested in seeing what happens next until the book is over, and you're wondering if you didn't just lose a memory along the way. Daisy is a likable character as well as Roger, her best friend, but where this book shines is in the details, the could have beens, the side stories, and the rich foundation of a place called the Nameless. I felt myself standing in an area that was the fantasy equivalent of the vast caverns in Journey to the Center of the Earth.

It is a beautiful book that made me smile and often surprised me with so many wonderful premises I can't help but wonder what a collection of side stories would be like. What are fairies really like?

Definitely recommend this book to any and all who love a good slice of fiction that leaves you wondering what if, over and over again, which is the sign of a story that sticks with you and would no doubt be a memory worth being stolen.

I love the last line of the review and how it ties into the whole story. If you’ve read Strange Luck, please post a review or share your thoughts below. I'd love to hear from you.

And, don't forget to check out J.D. Estrada's awesome books. Next on my list to read is Only Human. I can't wait!

Why I Root for the Villain - My Interview With Ben Starling

Today I had the privilege of being interviewed by the awesome Ben Starling! He interviewed me about my writing life, Strange Luck, and my upcoming book. You probably already know that I'm a chocoholic, but do you know what I wear when I write, or why I always root for the villain? Check out the interview here.

While you're on his website, be sure to sign up for Ben's mailing list because you'll get a FREE e-copy of Something in the Air. Happy reading!

TBT Writer - A Sparkling Dog Named Millie

It's Throw Back Thursday (TBT)! If you're a writer, I invite you to share something you wrote way back when and/or a pic of yourself. Whether you wrote a bad story, silly story, or something really promising when you were eight or thirty eight, share it. It's all part of the journey to becoming a better writer. It's also a really awesome feeling when you can look back and see how far you've come. Don't forget to use #tbtwriter when you post. If you're a reader looking for some laughs, you've come to the right place. So without further ado...

Growing up, my house was like something out of Dr. Doolittle. There were a zillion different animals running around, and yes, we had birthday parties for all of them.

Here's Elmer the iguana celebrating his birthday with a delectable fruit salad.

I especially loved our little duckies.

My brother and I feeding the ducks in our pajamas.

So when I got my first dog, Millie, I was beyond thrilled.

Meet Millie.

Millie was a part of every family event from the very beginning.

Have you ever seen a more enthusiastic dog watching someone open an Xmas present?

I guess it was inevitable that I wrote a story about her when I was in elementary school:

Millie

 

When I first got my dog I was very happy and I got to name her Millie. I took her to a park and saw her long ears fly and her beautiful skin sparkle.

Millie come back. Millie is my new dog. She is a Shaffordshire Bull Terrier. She has golden orange fur mixed with white. I like taking her for walks at the park. She's really fast. I love to watch her golden ears fly back when she runs. She is a very strong dog, fun, and lovable. I enjoy taking here wherever I go.

I've loved MANY animals since Millie, but since she was my first dog, she'll always have a special place in my heart.

Bertha the cat. I think I have more hair here than head. :P

My grandparents dog, Matty.

Gomer the pug in his Christmas sweater.

My brother, Bo, and I.

My puppy, Loki, and me.

I hope you enjoyed my writing throwback. I can't wait to post again next month.


Don't forget to check out my other #TBTWriter stories and pics:

• Good Ideas, Sometimes!
• A Nine-Year-Old's First Horror Story
• Confessions of a Sugarholic