The Importance of Book Reviews Especially For Speculative Fiction Tales

 

I'm sure you've heard authors pleading for reviews, and while they are important for all writers, they're even more so for speculative fiction. Romance books get a lot of ratings, and that's followed closely by crime and thrillers. Fantasy/sci-fi/steampunk and everything hard to categorize in speculative fiction are lowest on the list when it comes to reviews.

Why is this? It may be readers feel they can't review something that isn't so easily slipped into a definite genre slot or they're timid about sharing their thoughts on world-building or societal issues. They might be intimidated by what they believe are intellectual books, and there are others who consider speculative fiction "lazy intellectualism." No matter what movies and shows we see in the media, readers still shy away from fantasy and sci-fi books.

No matter the genre though, reviews are beneficial to both the authors and readers.

For authors:

- reviews help them see what readers like and what they don't like.

- they can help motivate authors.

- the more reviews a book has, the more visible it is to other readers.

- reviews help authors and readers connect.

Reviews are even more important to readers. The number one reason a reader buys a book is because they know and like and an author. Yet to gain new readers, the best way to do so is through word of mouth, and that is done primarily through reviews. Over fifty percent of readers state they read reviews before they consider buying a book from an author they don't know.

Sometimes speculative fiction can be hard to categorize, but readers shouldn't feel the need to do so. Reviews can be simple. Something along the lines of: "I liked that there were fairies in a steampunk world flying on airships and using magical cannons." This tells potential readers this is a mix of genres, and even if they are attracted to one aspect of that statement, they may like it as a whole.

While some people may fear one and two star reviews, those can also be very helpful. A person might say: "I hated it. Too much elf politics." Another reader may enjoy politics in a book and be happy to discover there is a lot of it in the story. Not every reader is going to like a book.

Writing a review doesn't need to be complicated. The star rating is easy to follow. Don't feel bad if you give a book three or two stars while saying: "I liked Fred. He made me laugh. I didn't like annoying Marcy." It's not an insult as long as it's an honest review.

Speculative fiction is a great big melting pot of characters, worlds, and ideas. It may intimidate readers who might want to venture into the genre, but reviews will greatly help bring in those readers. I tell myself that writing reviews is like a super power as a voracious reader who wants other readers to like fantasy and sci-fi as much as I do. A super power which you, too, can have if you put the reviewer cape for a minute or two after finishing a book.

Perspectives

How often does a sentence or a single paragraph in a book tilt your world when you read it? Shift your perspective with an emotional punch? Leave you with a lingering sense of awe?

That’s the power of words. The power of story.

Sometimes I even get the gut punch from a character that I wrote—which I find humorous, as well as astounding, as if my words don’t have the same meaning in life until my character speaks them out loud for me to ponder. I suppose that’s the power of my subconscious trying to communicate with me.

Whatever. I eventually get the message.

My life has been through many upheavals lately but something I wrote a few years ago has recently struck that perfect emotional chord. I’ll leave you with this quote from Zoey, one of Cerise Laudine’s (my other penname) characters in the Well of Souls series:

“When I woke up this morning I realized I wanted to live before I died, not die a little each day while waiting for the end.”

It’s a reminder to me not to just mark time, drifting through each day, but to experience each moment as it comes. Maybe it will help you too.

Happy reading!

Book Review: Anchor Leg by Jack Croxall #mystery #sciencefiction #thriller

Stranded 750 million miles from Earth. Stranded with a saboteur. Stranded with a killer.

Humanity has spilled out into the Solar System, into a succession of giant space stations known as the Relay. Seren Temples is a security apprentice running the Relay's remote Anchor Leg. When sabotage strands her vessel near another damaged ship, Seren and her team are sent across to investigate. The second ship is a zero-G graveyard. Inside its vast hold, nothing but a single vial of frozen blood.

My review:

Anchor Leg follows the journey of Seren, a young security apprentice and her tough initiation into life aboard a cargo ship. Set in deep space, she's running away from an over-populated Earth and determined to build a new life for herself. What she gets is a baptism of fire aboard a space ship, with a crime to solve. 

The fast-paced plot grabbed me straight away, and the twists and turns kept me hooked until the end. As well as the superb world building, Croxall managed to bring real life to the characters. I became invested in their futures, and was genuinely sad when the story ended. I wanted more from this world he'd created. 

Anchor Leg skillfully combines the science fiction, thriller, and crime genres. It's a mystery set in space, and I loved it. If you like your crime stories to be dark, taut, and containing a speculative angle, this is the book for you. 

Happy Holidays From Untethered Realms

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

(Image from Pixabay)

“It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled ’till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.” ~ How The Grinch Stole Christmas, by Dr. Seuss

We here at Untethered Realms hope to share with you something a little bit more this holiday season. These books are our favorites, near and dear to our hearts. Perhaps you already love them too, or you may find the gift of a new tale to sweep you away.

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M. Pax: My all-time favorites: Man O' War by Walter Farley, A Wrinkle in Time, Winnie the Pooh, Anne of Green Gables, A Tale of Two Cities by Dickens, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Dune, The Valor series by Tanya Huff, anything by Jane Austen or Thomas Hardy, and Steppenwolf by Hermann Hesse. This year, some of my favorite reads were Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult, The Red Garden by Alice Hoffman, Horizon Alpha by D. W. Vogel, Hidden by Linda Berry, The Dressmaker by Kate Alcott, Daughters of Rome by Kate Quinn, and World Without End by Ken Follett.

Meradeth Houston: My all-time favorite read is A Wrinkle in Time, but this time of year I remember The Christmas Day Kitten by James Herriot with quite a lot of fondness. My mom used to read this to my sister and I around the holidays, and as big animal people (we always had some creature or other living/recuperating in the kitchen) this story always hit home.

Christine Rains: I'm with many people when I say I can lose myself in the Harry Potter series again and again and again. But here are a few you might not have heard about. The Coldfire trilogy by C.S. Friedman is such beautiful and dark alien fantasy. For horror fans, The Necromancer's House by Christopher Buehlman is amazing.

Catherine Stine: Wow, I have so many favorite reads... okay, here are a handful: Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis (for kids); Paula Brackston's witch novels like Winter Witch; and almost any novel by Don Delillo - for instance Libra or Point Omega.

Cherie Reich: It's hard to narrow down my favorite reads, but let's see if I can. For people who enjoy the classics, I loved reading Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray. For fantasy, my all-time favorite is the Harry Potter series, but I also really enjoyed Rachel Morgan's Creepy Hollow series. For science fiction and thrillers, I love anything by Michael Crichton. For writers, I recommend Story Genius and Wired for Story by Lisa Cron. For mystery and historical, I thoroughly enjoyed John Maddox Roberts' SPQR series.

Gwen Gardner: My all-time favorite Christmas read, hands down, is, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. He knew what he was about when he wrote it. The social aspects of the novel are still valid today. But my favorite line is when Mr. Cratchit tells Mrs. Cratchit what Tiny Tim said in Church: He hoped the people saw him in the church, because he was a cripple, and it might be pleasant to them to remember upon Christmas Day, who made lame beggars walk, and blind men see.

Some of my other favorite reads this year were In This Grave Hour by Jacqueline Winspear, The Seagull by Ann Cleeves, and Rather Be The Devil, by Ian Rankin. 

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From our family to yours, we wish you a happy holiday season and a fantastic 2018.

Don't forget we're seeking author guests for the new year. If you're interested, please leave a comment below.

Why We Love Series

I read a lot. And I read fast. Thankfully I've built up my TBR list to such a huge scale that I'll never run out of books.

What I love the most is book series. Most readers feel the same way. As a writer, I can't help but wonder why people love series so much. Stand alone books can be fantastic reads, but series of books attract me much more.

First, and most obvious, is that we can't get enough of what we love. We want more. Series of books fill that need. Finding characters I love make me want to follow them through their whole lives. Exploring wonderful new worlds can have me reading for hours, and I get excited when new parts of the world are revealed as the series goes on.

I get deep into plots that slowly unfurl over time. With a story just in one book, it all has to be tied up at the end, but in a series, there is a longer buildup for the over-arching plot. I want all the details, to wonder what might happen next, and to be taken on all sorts of twists and turns.

Another reason we love series is familiarity. We know the characters and the world. There's comfort in that, and when the author manages to surprise us with something new in our favorite series, it reinforces the adoration.

Choosing from the countless shelves of other books can be overwhelming. Something in the same series makes our next read an easy choice. Less stress is good for us all.

What are your favorite things about reading a series?

I'm celebrating my urban fantasy series, Totem, with the release of the 8th and penultimate book today!

Some say the moon is for lovers, but wise folks know to fear it.

Kinley Dorn must be strong for her family in these dark times. Sometimes she feels she’s all that’s holding them together. But when the frightening Moon Man attacks and bestows a burdensome gift upon her, Kinley might have to do more than simply help her family. She will have to battle a god, but which one? If it’s the sly man hunting her in the astral plane, Kinley might not make it out alive.

Buy it on Amazon.

Add it to read on Goodreads.

What makes a child a reader?

The kids are out of school. You're tearing your hair out, wondering how to steer them away from the video games and internet. They don't want to read a book. That's something you have to do in school, right?

I grew up in a non-book household. No. Books. Anywhere. Strange to think of it now. I was led to a lifelong love of reading by... a movie. Them. Radioactive giant ants! Scared the pants off me when I was little, but it opened my world to science fiction. (The movie also gave me a lifelong loathing of ants, by the way.)

When I started school, I discovered you could borrow books and take them home! Yay! I found stories every bit as good, and better, than that dratted movie.

Maybe your children could find a companion book for their favorite video game and discover a world beyond the screen?

What memories do you have of discovering the world of books?

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And in other exciting news... Fire and Mist, book 3 of the Well of Souls series is out!

Blurb:

Derek Mackay, 16th century laird and Druid extraordinaire, is doubly cursed—with knowledge he isn’t supposed to have, and by a goddess whose wrath he didn’t mean to incur. The curse promises sure death to any betrothed of his, including the beautiful woman surrounded by Immortal magic who suddenly appears in his life and arouses in him a wellspring of bittersweet desire. The only way to save her is to stay away from her.

Erin Kelley is restless, craving the missing piece in an otherwise contented life. Romance. A man to take her breath away. A man to keep for life. A family to cherish with him. Swept back in time on a dare, she’s confronted by an angry Highland laird—an alpha male both irresistible and determined to keep her at arm’s length. His words push her away, but his emotions pull her in. Ordinary contentment will never again be enough—not when the world contains the extraordinary Laird Mackay.

http://amzn.to/2s0xvYA

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Yes, it’s a romance, but it’s also about adapting to the curveballs life throws at us. Struggling to persevere against the odds. Becoming victorious in the end, despite the sorrows we’ve endured in getting there. Okay… and being able to shake our fists at the universe and yell, “You can’t break me,” because that’s a fun thing to do. I hope you enjoy the journey.

And if you haven’t read any of them yet, Immortal Desires, book 1 in the series, is on sale for .99 right now. Go grab your copy!

http://amzn.to/2qZjKq5

About the author:

Cerise Laudine loves sexy Highlanders, seductive alpha males from the Otherworld, and bold women who can bring them to their knees and rock their world. Time-travel, star-crossed, or interdimensional, her stories always have a happily ever after. Though the twisted path of laughter and tears is the real journey, isn’t it? Come walk the paths with her and share in the experience.

She also writes darker tales, using the twisted side of her brain, as River Fairchild.

Cerise’s Amazon page: http://amzn.to/2pR4awe

When Reading Books on #Writing and #Marketing

It's important for authors to read books on the craft and marketing and how to stay sane, or at least making it look like you're sane so they don't take away your computer, pens, and paper.

Sometimes we'll come across a book that will simultaneously light a bonfire of inspiration and make us bang our heads on the desk for doing it all wrong. Books like this are priceless. Sure, they might momentarily derail us from our goal of appearing sane, but this wicked tug-of-war with your writer's soul is a great teaching moment.

Here are four things to remember when reading books on writing and marketing:

1) There is no one right way for everyone. This is vital to remember. I'm sure you've heard every writer's journey is different. Prepare yourself, because no matter how frustrating it might be, it's true. Pantser or plotter? Whatever works best for you, or rather, for your muse. Twitter or Facebook? Hey, maybe you don't need either one. There is no magic formula for success. You just have to try everything.

2) Everything? Okay, you don't have to do it all, but it helps to try new things. This is why you must know your personal limits. What are you willing to write? Some folks won't venture into R-rated works or write stories about horses, and most people will refuse to combine the two. How much time and money can you devote to marketing? A lot of us have no money to spare. Bills must be paid. So when someone declares book ads are the only way to go, you find a different way that works for you.

3) Let the book inspire you. Get excited, talk about it, and let it propel you forward to being a better writer. Even if you don't learn anything new from the author, you still can be roused to greater heights, and that in itself is valuable.

4) Let the book open your eyes to where you're going wrong. Sometimes we can be stubborn about things. We don't want to change. This could be what's holding you back. It might send you into a wailing fit or make you want to throw your manuscript into the mouth of the Kraken, but don't do it. You can save yourself by trying something new. It might be scary and/or difficult, and it might not even work, but breaking away from stale old habits will help in the long run.

We need these books to keep learning and improving. A good writer is forever bettering herself. Even if you only find one or two nuggets of information in a book that will help you, it is one or two pieces of knowledge you didn't have before. Keep reading and you'll find more. Eventually you'll have all the components for your own magic formula.

What books on writing and marketing have inspired you lately?

The Joy of Listening to a Story

(Storyteller John Weaver at Menlo Park Library)

When we get older, we lose one of those wonderful joys in life: the pleasure of having someone read to you.

I remember as a child sitting on the carpet or grabbing a little mat, and taking a place near the teacher or librarian. While I did like looking at the illustrations in the books, I enjoyed watching the storyteller's expressions just as much. The way each person told the same story was always different, and that added to my love of it.

With my son, I get to experience the delight of listening to stories again. I loved when it was my day to assist in his class, and I could sit with the kids while the teacher read to them. Our local library has fantastic programs. We attended one last month called "Summer Scaries." One of the librarians even told the old window wiper tale. I'm sure you know the one!

Yes, we can listen to audiobooks or attend readings by authors of adult books, but I've found little entertainment in those. Either the author reads in a monotone or adds in their personal inflections which then interferes when I'm reading the book on my own. I like to support my fellow writers, but those readings lack something.

When people read to children, there's a lot more emotion and excitement. The storytelling never fails to be dynamic. They don't only read, they put on a show.

Do you remember listening to stories as a child? Share with us your favorite memory of dynamic storytelling.

Real-Life Heroes

Everybody visiting this blog is digitalized. We read anywhere, any time. We let our imagination soar. We discover new ideas. Our minds are opened, and all because we have access to the written word.

There are millions of people in the world who are less fortunate, many of them children. I’d like to highlight a few unique people/libraries striving to make a difference. The people involved are true heroes, as far as I’m concerned.

Maria Keller

photo credit

A fourteen-year-old who founded the nonprofit Read Indeed, Maria has distributed over one million books to kids in need. Her current goal is two million books by the time she turns eighteen. Read about her organization here:

 http://www.readindeed.org/home.htm

Library by donkey

photo credit

Library by camel

photo credit

Garden library

photo credit

You can read about these – as well as other – imaginative libraries here: http://litreactor.com/columns/the-10-most-unusual-libraries-in-the-world

I don’t know enough about these organizations to make any recommendations. Rather, I present them as a starting point for your own thought process to take flight. I truly believe that reading is one of the cornerstones for understanding one another, for accepting our differences across cultures, and for making the world a better place to live in. How about you?

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Want to be a part of the 2015 Realms Faire? 

Sign ups for event hosts and planners now open.

Other creative sites/artists are welcome to join in the fun.

The Realms Faire isn’t restricted to the Middle Ages, all times and universes should join in… like the Worlds Fair, this is the Realms Faire, encompassing all, encouraging play and fun, a different and playful way to make you and your wares visible.

It’s a fun opportunity to promote yourself and your book. Other creative products (besides books) are welcome. Folks will be tweeting, blogging, facebooking, pinteresting, and using other outlets up to and during the event.

As a host, we can help you devise a game to drive traffic to your site.

As a participant, you get your name and book titles/products out in front of the masses who come to play the games.

You can also participate by contributing prizes to our many games and the VelociRaffle.

Go here to sign up!

 Questions? Need more information? Email mpaxauthor at gmail dot com
If you're brave enough to challenge one of my immortals, come stake your claim by
clicking here!

To Be a Kid Again!

wikicommons

Do you read to your children? Do they clamor for a story before going to sleep? Do they try to read along with you? If you answered “yes,” then they are one of the lucky ones. In this day of visual entertainment, I fear the practice is dying out.

Some of my earliest memories are of cherished books. The bedtime stories, reading on my own, letting my imagination take flight. I still remember my favorite book about the Bobsey Twins, a collection of 365 stories, one for every day of the year. That was *mumble* years ago (back in the age of the dinosaurs) and yet the stories shaped my life, instilling a lifelong love of reading for me.

What memories do you have from childhood books? What favorites are lodged in your brain cells? I’d love to have you share them in your comments.

Happy reading!

Awe and Wonder

(Playing with magnets and ferrofluid)

I spend a lot of my time with small children. While I often crave quiet and solitude, I am struck by something amazing when they aren't fighting or screaming. Their sense of awe and wonder.

The littlest things can make their faces light up, and they ask questions about details that I wouldn't have thought about myself. A squirrel twitching its tail came make them laugh for an hour and water dripping from a spout deserves thorough investigation. These things that are mundane in adults' minds are astounding to these young ones.

I know I'm reading a good book when it lights up my sense of awe and wonder. It must be something that not only fascinates me, but brings out that child-like admiration and curiosity.

My favorite books are those of the Harry Potter series. The world Rowling created swept me away and left me forever lost in it. Every nook and cranny holds something of wonder. I could live at Hogwarts and never find it boring.

It's not only books for children that can provoke such feelings. There have been several adult books that have left me wonderstruck.

A fantastic plot and great characters are vital to a good story. Yet if you can provoke that sense of awe and wonder in your readers, you've got them hooked for life.

What books have aroused your sense of awe and wonder?

Books: A Uniquely Portable Magic

In just six words Stephen King has managed to capture exactly what a book is, which is why it's my favourite King quote. When we open a book to read, we're transported to another world. We're given a portal into someone else's life, realm, or world. Even if the book you read is non-fiction, you're still being given a glimpse of a life you don't intimately know.

A book is also something you can take almost anywhere. It's light and easy to transport. With the arrival of eBook readers, it's now possible to take dozens of books with you on a device that weighs less than a paperback novel.

Think about that for a moment. A few years ago your reading choices were constrained by what was available in your local book stores or online book sellers. You also had to consider where to put each new book you purchased. If I had kept every book I bought and read, there would be no room for anything else. Now I can still buy printed books from my favourite authors and have hundreds on my eBook reader. Our reading choices have and will continue to grow. Whatever the technological age brings next, I believe there will always be room for such a uniquely portable form of magic.

What do you think? What is your favourite King quote?