By W. J. Howard » authors

Writer Wednesday Blog Hop #22

W J Howard — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 11:00:01 +0000

Every week I weed through over 100 blogs, looking for writing advice and new and interesting books to read. Considering how time consuming this is, I share the posts I find the most interesting here every week. If you’d like me to add your blog to my feeder or a link from my weekly tour, leave a comment on the most current tour or send me a link via Twitter @by_wjhoward.

Spotlight

Over on Fools & Sages, a personal friend of mine struggles with her love/hate addiction to the Twilight series in They Sparkle
I also chuckled when I read The Spork Theory on Jim C. Hines blog

All About Writers

On Blood Reads, Interview with C.J. Ellisson, Author of Vampire Vacation
On Lexington Vampire Examiner, Interview with Mike Duran, Christian vampire author part 1

All About Books

I’m seeing a lot of the same books over and over again, so I don’t have much to add here this week. I also need to clean out my book review feed folder. Too much paranormal romance and I’m slowly giving up on this genre.

In Vamplit’s Library, a review of Drawing Blood by Poppy Z. Brite A Review

All About Writing & Publishing

On Working Stiffs, Let’s Play — The First Five Lines
On A Newbie’s Guide to Publishing, The Time Is Now
FAV! On Wordplay, Why No Writer Knows What He’s Doing
Loved R.J.’s post, Crunch Time on our Bloodlegger’s blog.

Weekly Features

Literary Agent, Nathan Bransford’s This Week in Publishing
Win on Wednesday on All Things Urban Fantasy
This week’s Where Stories are Made: Keri Arthur over at Book Chick City
On Book Lovers Inc., Around the Bookish World: News Week-in-Review

Join the Hop

Are you highlighting writers and books in your blog for Writer Wednesday? Then add your blog to my new blog hop link group. Powered by Linky Tools Click here to enter your link and view the entire list of entered links…

Filed under: Weekly Blog Tour Tagged: authors, publishing, reading, reviews, writing

Writer Wednesday Blog Hop #19

W J Howard — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 12:05:22 +0000

All About Writers

On Enchanted by Books, Guest Author Carolyn Crane & Giveaway! discusses the “Top 6 cool things about being a series author that I never expected”

Books I Want to Read

Book reviews that caught my eye this week, and the books that got added to my GoodReads to-read list:

On Bookgasm, Decoding the Heavens: A 2,000-Year-Old Computer — and the Century-Long Search to Discover Its Secrets AND I Am Not a Serial Killer AND Tooth and Claw
NEW FAV On Book Lovers, Review: Unholy Ghosts by Stacia Kane +Giveaway
Looks like a pretty good list on Farm Lane’s Book Blog in The Best Literary Science Fiction Books?

All About Writing & Publishing

Platform, Shmatform on A Newbie’s Guide to Publishing shows you don’t have to be an established author to be a top seller.
NEW BLOG On Guide to Literary Agents, 7 Tips on Book Publicity. I also watch Livia Blackburne’s blog and she provides excellent advice. On her blog, How to Get (and Keep) People’s Attention was a great read this week
On 1st Turning Point, Marketing Before Publication? How About Before It’s Written?
On Biting Edge, Writers and Readers…what we owe each other
Fear was a focus on Copyblogger in Is F.E.A.R. Holding You Back? AND 7 Quick-Start Techniques for Fighting the Fear to Write
On Editorial Ass, How to Throw an Awesome Book Launch
On Passion on Paper by Gina Leigh Maxwell, Terrible Twos-day: Word Count vs. Words That Count
On Wordplay, 8 Ways Longhand Writing Frees Your Muse
On Richard Dansky’s blog, Seven Things You Should Always Ask A Writer. We used the question about which book you wished you’d written this week on Vamplit Writers
On Leterary Agent Rachelle Gardner’s blog, Getting People to Read Your Book

Weekly Features

Book Blogger Hop at Crazy for Books
Follow Friday for blogs at Parajunkee’s View
Literary Agent, Nathan Bransford’s This Week in Publishing is a blog tour of sorts. I also enjoyed What Makes a Great Setting
Win on Wednesday on All Things Urban Fantasy
This week’s Where Stories are Made: Keri Arthur over at Book Chick City
NEW On Book Lovers Inc., Around the Bookish World: News Week-in-Review
On Overbury Ink, Number 38, part 5 by Ian Eliot LeWinter

Join the Hop

Filed under: Weekly Blog Tour Tagged: authors, novels, publishing, reading, writing

Writer Wednesday Blog Hop #18

W J Howard — Wed, 26 May 2010 14:00:22 +0000

All About Writers

On Fantastic Book Review I really enjoyed the questions asked in, Sensational 7 Q & A with Jennifer Murgia!
On Enchanted by Books, Guest Author Michelle Rowen & Giveaway!
On Paul D. Brazill’s blog, Guest Blogger: Author & ex -cop Johnny Russell.

Books I Want to Read

Book reviews that caught my eye this week, and the books that got added to my GoodReads to-read list:

In Damian Kane’s blog, Book review: A Stir of Echoes, by Richard Matheson
On Fantasy Literature, Wolfsangel: Fine heroic fantasy
On Bookgasm, Neverland
On The Neverending Shelf, Book Review: The Line
On Taliesin Meets the Vampires, Dance on Fire – review
On Writers Gone Wild, How To Spot A Bastard By His Star Sign

All About Writing & Publishing

eBook Royalty: Another Way To Protect on Pub Rants
On Rachell Gardner’s blog, What if My Agent Doesn’t Like My Next Book?
There are some interesting comments over on the Wicked Writer’s Blog this week on muses
On Criminal Minds, Taking a Whiz on Book Marketing . . .
On Jim C. Hines blog, Saying No to a Publisher
On WOW, Women on Writing, Metaphors Are Fun, Creative and Therapeutic
On Vamplit, Loving the Undead
On A Newbie’s Guide to Publishing, DRM Free
On Haunted Dreams, Dark Destinies, Why I Write About Angels and Demons

Weekly Features

Book Blogger Hop at Crazy for Books
Follow Friday for blogs at Parajunkee’s View
Literary Agent, Nathan Bransford’s This Week in Publishing is a blog tour of sorts, and my favorites in his blog this week are Every Writer Gets Rejected and How to Write a One Sentence Pitch
Win on Wednesday on All Things Urban Fantasy.
This week’s Where Stories Are Made: MD Lachlan over at Book Chick City

Filed under: Weekly Blog Tour Tagged: authors, blogs, publishing, reading, writers, writing

Weekly Whine: Kindle Book Prices

W J Howard — Mon, 17 May 2010 10:30:10 +0000

Last week I got half way through One for the Money by Janet Evanovich, which I picked up from the library. The book was suggested to me and I’m absolutely loving it. So, I decided I’d buy the book plus the next couple in the series for the Kindle, but only until I checked out the prices. Now, these books were published ten plus years ago, so there’s a mass market format available for sale as well, but the cost of the mass market format is a dollar less than the Kindle version. I’m not paying more for a Kindle version!! Even if it is only a dollar. And since I got the Kindle, I won’t buy paper anymore. For me it’s a matter of the wasted resources put into producing a paper book and shipping it to my house. Sure I know it costs money to convert a book to kindle and ship it via cyberspace, but the cost to our environment is much less than the cost of recycling the paper, producing the ink, printing a book, and shipping it via ground. Doing my part for the environment is more important to me, but that doesn’t mean I’ll pay more for a eBook.

Wait a second, did I just contradict myself? Maybe. It’s just that I’ve been reading a lot about the evolving publishing industry and I don’t feel sorry for publishers and authors that didn’t prepare for the transition. Nor do I buy into the fear factor of eBook pirating based on music pirating. Whole different market. And don’t try to tell me that authors are powerless. I live with a lawyer and know better. So until they get their act together, Scribner lost out on the sale of 3+ books, and I’ll continue to get the paper books from the library.

Note that most of my opinions on the changing face of publishing come from A Newbie’s Guide to Publishing and my dear friend Gaynor Stenson, the new publisher at eBook Undead in the U.K.

Filed under: Weekly Whine Tagged: authors, eBook, environment, paper, paper book, publishing, reading

Writer Wednesday Blog Tour #16

W J Howard — Wed, 12 May 2010 13:00:08 +0000

All About Writers

On Book Junkie, 10 Things I Wish I Knew About Being an Author I Didn’t Know Before

Books I Want to Read

Book reviews that caught my eye this week, and the books that got added to my GoodReads to-read list:

I might start these books by reading Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Graphic Novel.
Over at Fantasy Literature Morpheus Road, The Light: Winning voice makes up for some plot issues
On JoJos Book Corner a review of Beautiful Creatures.
On Fiction Vixen, a review of Stormwalker by Allyson James
On The Book Whisperer, Review: Branded by Keary Taylor
On Book Lovers Inc, Review: The Better Part of Darkness by Kelly Gay
On Book Chick City, Book Review: A Licence To Steal by Samantha Graves

All About Writing & Publishing

Why You Shouldn’t Write for Other Writers over at Copyblogger
It Is What It Is Ism is an interesting post over at Editorial Ass on hanging in there and editing until your novel is just right.
Let it Sit over at WOW! Women on Writing Blog about being more objective while editing work that has sat for awhile.
On Rants & Ramblings, The Benefit of Hindsight Witemeyer
On Magical Words, Revisions — Dialogue and Fake It Til You Make It
On Book Lovers Inc, a question of ethics in Bookish Rants or Raves: Reader / Author Relationships – The
How to Craft a Great Voice on Nathan Bransford’s blog.

Weekly Features

Book Blogger Hop at Crazy for Books
Follow Friday for blogs at Parajunkee’s View
Literary Agent, Nathan Bransford’s This Week in Publishing is a blog tour of sorts.
Win on Wednesday on All Things Urban Fantasy.
This week’s Where Stories Are Made: Kristine Kathryn Rusch over at Book Chick City

Filed under: Weekly Blog Tour Tagged: authors, Blog, books, ebooks, publishing, reading, writing

Writer Wednesday Blog Tour #15

W J Howard — Wed, 05 May 2010 13:00:01 +0000

All About Writers

Over at the Overbury Ink, an Interview with writer Nikki Curtis of IMP Girl Graphic Novel
Guess I didn’t get enough of it in last weeks subject on the Wicked Writer’s blog. Author Perspective: Dealing With Rejection over on the Neverending Shelf

Books I Want to Read

Book reviews that caught my eye this week, and the books that got added to my GoodReads to-read list:

Over at All Things Urban Fantasy, 5 bats! Early Review: Hunted By The Others by Jess Haines they also posted Hot off the Press: May Urban Fantasy Releases
Locke & Key, Volume 2: Head Games over at Bookgasm got me to put the first in the series in my queue
Over on the Neverending Shelf, Book Review: The Clone Codes

All About Writing & Publishing

Some interesting facts from an agent on releasing your book to the public unpublished or published an Pub Rants in An ISBN That Could Hurt
Natan Bansford posted a great review of iPad!!
17 Easy Steps to Brilliant Blog Posts on Copyblogger.
Over at A Brain Scientist’s Take on Writing, Loading the First Impression for Quick Characterization (The Hunger Games
On Pub Rants Starting A Novel In The Wrong Place
What About Market Research and Guest Blogger: Christa Allan “Keep Your Hand Moving” on Literary Agent Rachelle Gardner’s blog
On Wordplay, When Your Story Doesn’t Turn Out Like You Planned

Weekly Features

Book Blogger Hop at Crazy for Books
Follow Friday for blogs at Parajunkee’s View
Literary Agent, Nathan Bransford’s This Week in Publishing is a blog tour of sorts.
Win on Wednesday on All Things Urban Fantasy.
This week’s Where Stories Are Made: Suzanne McLeod over at Book Chick City

Filed under: Weekly Blog Tour Tagged: authors, Blog, books, library, publishing, reading, writing

Writer Wednesday Blog Tour #13

W. J. Howard — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 12:02:22 +0000

All About Writers & Books

It’s National Library Week and The Neverending Shelf posted Libraries: Your Home Away from Home and The State of Americas Libraries, both great reads. We reposted the later on the Wicked Writer’s blog.
On Fantasy Author Jim C. Hines blog this week I happened across a creative idea for those who need help reviewing books in Mad Lib Reviewing I’m still chuckling. FAV!
Just wanted to quickly mention that I love Paul D. Brazill’s blog.
Author Interview ~ Nicole Hadaway at Listen to the Voices
Book reviews that caught my eye this week, and the books that got added to my GoodReads to-read list:
- Over at Fiction Fixon, Review: Frost Moon by Anthony Francis and Review: Silver Kiss by Naomi Clark
- Over at Fantasy Literature, Waking the Moon: One of my Desert Island books, Under Heaven: Award-worthy, The Stones of Green Knowe: Very sad to see its end, and especially Primavera: A fascinating story
- Review: Hourglass by Claudia Gray at Book Lovers Inc.
- Ex-Heros at Bookgasm is not a favorable review, but I’m still tempted to read. And how could you not add a book like Body World when the review begins, “Imagine if David Lynch and David Cronenberg collaborated on a graphic novel.”
Don’t miss these weekly features:
- Win on Wednesday on All Things Urban Fantasy.
- This week’s Where Stories are Made: Marianne de Pierres over at Book Chick City

All About Writing & Publishing

Publishers + Ebooks = Epic Fail on a Newbie’s Guide to Publishing really makes me want to self-publish FAV!
Nurmal Resources PUBLISH ME! Contest on the Writer’s Beware blog
Daydream or Die on Wordplay
AutoCrit: A Helpful Tool for Editing Flash Fiction is about a fun tool you can try out on the Internet. I especially found the repeated word function helpful. Would love to know if anyone is paying to use this tool.
Choosing the Right Titles for Your Work (Or: Heh, You Said Titular)
James Moore on Deadlines over at Storytellers Unplugged

Other Blog Tours

Blogmania is Sweeping the Web over at Between the Pages is an opportunity to tour blogs and win prizes
Book Blogger Hop at Crazy for Books
Follow Friday for blogs at Parajunkee’s View
Literary Agent, Nathan Bransford’s This Week in Publishing is a blog tour of sorts.

Filed under: Weekly Blog Tour Tagged: Add new tag, authors, Blog, books, library, National Library Week, publishing, reading, writing

The Short of It

W J Howard — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 11:14:05 +0000

We wrote short stories at the Wicked Writer’s blog last week. My post was Served Up Short with a Side of Gore.

Read the other blogger’s opinions:

C. J. Ellison was out this week and Kerri Nelson was her guest blogger in Does Size Matter?
Greg Marshall Smith, The Short and Long of It (Sort of)
David Sartof, My First Time… (or the Virgin Short Story Writer)
Supriya Savkoor, Keeping ‘em Short
Brande Waldron Book Review: Tales of the Red Moon Clan

Filed under: Wicked Writers Tagged: authors, horror, publishing, reading, short stories, writing

Writer Wednesday Blog Tour #12

W J Howard — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 11:28:37 +0000

Every week I weed through over 100 blogs, looking for writing advice and new books to add to my reading queue. Considering how time consuming this is, I share the posts I find the most interesting here every week. If you’d like me to add your blog to my feeder or a link from my weekly tour, leave a comment on the most current tour or send me a link via Twitter @by_wjhoward.

All About Writers & Books

There were a couple of good opinion posts on owning the rights to multiple book formats. A Matter of Ethics on Nathan Bransford’s blog and Questionable Ethics on Writer Beware Blog!, a new blog I added to my watch list this week
Paranormal Summer Fest is Coming at All Things Urban Fantasy
A few March wrap ups on book reviews: Books Read for March 2010 and Being Eaten By Books at Babbling About Books, and More, March Wrap-Up at Book Addict, Month in Review: March ’10 at Book Chick City
5 Incredibly Strange Sherlock Holmes Books at Bookgasm
Interview with Shannon K. Butcher over at DemonLover’s Book Reviews & More!
Book reviews that caught my eye this week, and the books that got added to my GoodReads to-read list:
- Inside Out by Maria V. Snyder-Trailer & Website launch TODAY over at All Things Urban Fantasy. Bitten By Books also did a few reviews of this book along with a review of Sea Glass that was pretty favorable. Fantastic Book Reviews also gave it a 5 out of 5. This book is getting some smokin’ reviews. Might have to go to the top of my queue.
- [ARC Review] – A Certain Wolfish Charm on Anna Vivian’s blog
- Where Angels Fear to Tread by Thomas E. Sniegoski over at Bookgasm
- The Immortality Factor by Ben Bova over at Bookgasm
- Review: Embers by Laura Bickle on Dark Faerie Tales
- Review: Silver Kiss by Naomi Clark at Fiction Vixen
Don’t miss these every week:
- Nicole Hadaway’s movie & book reviews over at her All Things Smart & Scary. She did a guest post over at Fangtastic Books you should check out.
- Win on Wednesday on All Things Urban Fantasy.
- This week’s Where Stories are Made: Jaye Wells over at Book Chick City
- Overbury Ink with a focus on graphic novels and steam punk. This week check out Number 38 – by Ian Eliot LeWinter & #SteamTuesday – Boneshaker by Cherie Priest

All About Writing & Publishing

Click-clack-click-clack-click-ARRRGHHHHH . . . is a fun read on typewriters. I still love ‘em event though I had to use some of the worst of the electric ones while in the Air Force. They were also one of my favorite toys as a child. Still have the old one my grandmother gave me.
WOW! All About Co-op on Nathan Bransford’s blog about how books make it to the front of the bookstore was quite interesting.
Simple Tips for Increasing Your Blog Readership
Drop by and vote for the 2010 Spinetingler Award Nominees and Poll
10 Tricks For Getting Inspired to Write at Copyblogger
What Makes a Lead Title over at Editorial Ass
Things I Look for in a Novel & Epic Character Questionairre on Labotomy of a Writer
Some Thoughts on Book Promotion & Publishing

Other Blog Tours

Book Blogger Hop at Crazy for Books NEW
Follow Friday for blogs at Parajunkee’s View
Literary Agent, Nathan Bransford’s This Week in Publishing is a blog tour of sorts.

Filed under: Weekly Blog Tour Tagged: authors, publishing, reading, writing

Wicked Topics of Our Choices

W J Howard — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 11:13:25 +0000

We wrote on a topic of our choice this week over at the Wicked Writer’s blog. My post was 10 Inspiring Places to Write.

Read the other writer’s opinions:

C. J. Ellison, The Business of Selling Books
Greg Marshall Smith, Authors, Authors Everywhere; Even on a Film Shoot
David Sartof, Sring Time and Thoughts Turn to Plotting
Supriya Savkoor, Research as Muse
And our guest this week, Randall Stone, contributed The Four Marks of the Servant

Filed under: Wicked Writers Tagged: authors, plot, publishing, reading, vampires, writing