Becoming an Author…..

A person likes to write- does that make them an author? Or is being an author like a super-cool-party-people ( note: the Lorelai  Gilmore reference) club?

I blog because I enjoy it.  I read because I genuinely cannot imagine a life without books- good, no great books- books that absorb me, make me look at things in a new light, a new way. Books are my heart and soul- and finding a person who enjoys reading like I do makes me know that we are in the super-cool-party-people book club- a club of people who love to read and discuss books.

Over the past year or so, I’ve had the good fortune to meet some great authors, to get to talk with them and hear about some of the inner-workings on the way to become an author. I’ve met some more established authors and some who are up and coming- but each person, whether they are new to the author club or have been admitted for years, has this brightness about them when they speak of the writing process.

However you are able to live the author dream, whether it’s being self-published or through a more traditional route of becoming an author- it’s an admirable achievement. Finding your voice, your section of readers, promoting the book- it’s tough, but at the end of the day- loving what you do is worth it.

Who would you leave your diaries to?

I’m beginning the book The Unfinished Work of Elizabeth D by Nichole Bernier- I’m about 40 pages into the book and really enjoying it thus far.

Nichole Bernier takes an interesting concept and weaves a story from it. Elizabeth, a friend of Kate’s, has passed away and leaves a request in her will that her journals will be left to Kate-not to Elizabeth’s husband or her children. Kate (at least at the point in the book I’m at) is unsure as to why she left the journals to her.

Now, while the book may take a million different paths and stray further than my mind can anticipate- right now, for me, the fact that Elizabeth left her friend Kate the journals is a delicious turn, with many possible outcomes.

Think about this: Many of us have blogs, Twitter, and Facebook- where we can post our thoughts, comments as much as we want (maybe sometimes more than what we need to!) But out of all the followers and the facebook fans and the internet friends- how many know the “real” you? The you that you would write about in a place where there was no prying eyes, no judgement?

Take it a step further- how many times in real life friendships- do you let the person know all the good, bad, and ugly about yourself?

Elizabeth, in my opinion, has taken a piece of herself- the truest part of herself, one might argue and given it to Kate- with absolutely no way of ever changing Kate’s thoughts if she does not like the Elizabeth in the journal. Elizabeth has let Kate in on secrets that no one else knows. It’s interesting, awe-inspiring, and yes, maybe, even a bit selfish of Elizabeth to show Kate a different side of her, to potentially alter the Elizabeth in Kate’s mind.

Back to original topic: Is there anyone that you would leave the journals to after death? Would you care if anyone saw the “real” you? Would you rather leave instructions for the journals to be burned?

As I was beginning this book, I thought for a minute- While I don’t always write in a journal- I do have some journals and diaries from other times in my life and I’m having a hard time thinking of someone who would know or be able to honor my wishes about the journals if I left them to someone.

Thanks Nichole Bernier- you have given me an interesting topic to think about!

Literary Friday ya’ll….

Friday- it’s a beautiful day and I  have a glass of lemonade- it almost does not get more #southernlit than this.

Deep South Magazine has their Literary Friday up and running- with news of Huckleberry Finn and ABC, James Franco, various festivals and book signings, and writing tips from Mark Twain.

Also, if you’re a fan of Erin Z. Bass- creator of Deep South Magazine (and if you’re not- you need to be; this girl is fantastic, funny, and fabulous!) Erin was a guest on Melinda McGuire’s Southern Creatives blog this week- so click HERE for that!

And  not to toot Deep South Mag’s horn too much- but they are tasting and discovering new Southern Food products and want to know other people’s favorites and must-haves! Click HERE for that article. Personally I feel that Blues Hog BBQ Sauce needs to be on the list- it’s got a sweet, but somewhat tangy flavor, and makes a pork tenderloin great! My next addition to the list, for when a person gets thirsty, would be Fat Mama’s Knock You Naked Margarita Mix from Natchez, MS (but can be found in many stores and even Amazon- if Natchez is too far away!)

Friday Reads- Currently reading Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks and A Teeny Bit of Trouble by Michael Lee West. Both books are good- if you read Gone With A Handsomer Man and loved Teeny- rest assured, she’s back and better than ever.

In addition to Friday Reads- let’s discuss authors- new and old! Any favorite authors coming out with new books that are eagerly anticipated?  See a book by an author that you’ve never read before but are drawn to? Chime in! And do tell- I’m all ears 🙂

If you do the Twitter thing- check out #SRblognetwork- a great group of bloggers that are reviewing books that She Reads Book Club has picked.

Listening to a discussion the other night, and a woman was talking about how she dislikes “chick-lit” and called a couple of books that are really more “Southern-lit” the term “chick lit”. Is there a difference between Southern-lit and chick-lit (I think there is, but do others think that?) Is any book that is written by a female considered “chick lit”? Is “chick lit” dead, evolving, or staying strong in terms of readership?

And finally to end Literary Friday on the cutest note possible- my dog, my wonderful Zeke, pictured earlier on my blog “reading” Wicked Business by Janet Evanovich- the other day, while I was reading the book, sat beside me and kept looking at the book. I imagined him saying “Hey! I wasn’t finished with the book!”

Happy Reading!

 

Yeap- I buy duplicates of books…..

Yeap- I buy duplicates of books. Not because I want 2 copies. But because I see a book on sale (especially one with a beachy cover- I get those confused all the time)- it’s a good price, so I get it. Maybe a little niggling thought of “do I have this at home?” but mainly knowing that if I DON’T- I’d hate missing out on a sale. Then getting home and seeing that I do have it. Frustrating for me- good for my book friends- I give them “unexpected happy-s”!

Hopefully, if I keep up my Books I Own bookshelf on Goodreads- this problem will not happen much anymore.

Am I the only one this happens to? Or are there others that find themselves in same situation?

WWW Wednesdays (Should Be Reading) Aug 22

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

 

1. What are you currently reading?

I’m currently reading Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks and A Teeny Bit of Trouble by Michael Lee West. Teeny is a quirky and fun character and Nicholas Sparks books are pretty good.

2. What did you recently finish reading?

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. It’s been a month or so of reading P&P- but it was totally worth it. Also recently finished was Kill Alex Cross by James Patterson.

3. What do you think you’ll read next?

That’s a good question- I’m wanting to read Dark Places by Gillian Flynn. I have Wallflower in Bloom by Claire Cook. A Brew to a Kill by Cleo Coyle. The Unfinished Work of Elizabeth D by Nichole Bernier. I’m unsure as to which author I’ll pick next.

Teaser Tuesdays (Should Be Reading) Aug 21

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Because being comfortable meant she might lower her guard, and she could never let that happen.

Drawing in a deeply scented breath of hyacinth and fresh-cut grass, she knew she hadn’t been happier in years.

Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks, pg 13

Literary Friday ya’ll…

Friday- TGIF- TGIF! Ok now that I’ve gotten a little Katy Perry out of me, I can start in on Literary Friday!

1. If you missed out on seeing Kimberly Brock, The River Witch,  in both Jackson and Greenwood, MS- 2 things: 1. You missed a great book signing AND 2. Fear not because the ever-so-smart, Erin, from Deep South Magazine thought ahead, took notes, pictures and video- and made it possible for people to experience what we were seeing in real life. To learn more about Deep South Mag’s road-trip through Mississippi on The River Witch tour with Kimberly Brock- click HERE!

2. If you missed my blog entry on The River Witch and Anna Kline and the Grits and Soul band- click HERE for a recap.

3. Yesterday was the 35th anniversary of Elvis’s death- I hope you listened to at least 1 Elvis song or watched 1 Elvis movie- heck, even if you said “Thank you, Thank you very much” in an Elvis voice- you honored the King of Rock and Roll. If you happen to be passing through the Tupelo area- a new statue was unveiled last week of Elvis. Totally road-trip worthy, imo.

4. What are you reading this weekend? The summer season is winding down- will you put the beach books away or not?

Wherever you are, whatever the plan is for the weekend- have a great one & enjoy some great books!

Happy Reading!

Kimberly Brock “The River Witch” book signing

Kimberly Brock and her fantastic book, The River Witch, was the event at TurnRow Books in Greenwood, MS on August 14.  Kimberly did not come alone, though- she brought the fun group, Anna Kline and the Grits and Soul Band with her. The band played for a bit, then Kim spoke about her book and read a bit from it, and then Grits and Soul played a bit more before they headed to Webster’s to play for more music-loving folks.

If you’ve never heard Anna Kline and the Grits and Soul Band- the music is interesting and good. A little hard for me to describe exactly- kind of blues-y, folksy music- music that will make you sit up and take notice because it’s interesting. I highly recommend seeing them perform. Anna Kline told the crowd of how they got the name “Grits and Soul”- she said that some time ago seeing a James Brown album with the title Grits and Soul, and thought that was perfect name to describe the group. I have to agree with Anna, I think the name describes the group to perfection- as well as helps describe the kind of entertaining music a person will be hearing.

Kimberly Brock- her tweets are sweet; but she’s even nice in real-life. Discussing her book, telling of how many years she put into The River Witch, and describing the characters- she was totally in her element. She teased the crowd by talking of the meaning about The River Witch-saying she wouldn’t spoil it for anyone by telling who is a river witch (although there is certainly some contenders for that title) or even if there is a river witch! I like the ambiguity of the title, and I like how she didn’t spoil anything about the book- it’s a book that doesn’t need to have things wrapped up perfectly.

Me and Kimberly Brock “The River Witch”

 

Me and Erin from Deep South Magazine

 

Me and Anna Kline

 

 

Starting a series- beginning or middle or does it matter?

When you start a new book series- do you like to read from the very beginning, or just pick a book and go from there?

Some book series to get the full picture a person has to read them in order (Think The Hunger Games trilogy). While other series, it seems to no matter so much (example Carol Higgins Clark Regan Reily series).

Take Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series and Sue Grafton’s ABC series– they can be read in order; however if they are not, it’s not that big of a deal. Both characters (Stephanie and Kinsey) introduce themselves to the reader and any pertinent backstory is brought up to keep readers current.

Most book series I read are like that- each book can stand alone; but is much better when knowing the characters and backstory.

Thoughts on this? How do you like to start a series? Chime in with thoughts and make recommendations on book series you love!

A little of this, a little of that… List Style!

List-style is how it’s going to be today! Here Goes:

1. Kimberly Brock- The River Witch book signing tonight (Squeal!)

2. Now that things are coming together, I feel like announcing that I’ll be helping review books for She Reads! I’m so excited to help these lovely ladies spread the word about books- for excellent reviews, book suggestions or if you’d like to join an online book club- She Reads is where you need to be! And as soon as I figure out how to put their lovely blog button on my blog- I’ll be having that on my blog, as well.

3. Summer Breeze by Nancy Thayer- light, fun, easy reading. Perfect for that beach chair and cool drink. Recommend.

4. Deck The Halls by Carol and Mary Higgins Clark- while the season is wrong for reading it- I enjoyed the fluffy book. And even though I knew how Jack and Regan met (you can’t read a CHC book without learning that piece of information) I still liked getting the “full story”.

Check back this week for pictures from The River Witch book signing!