3 Month Update

Today marks 3 months for The Ink Puddle and I want to thank all of you for your support!

We're going to start a little something new. Many blogs do memes, and I thought it would be pretty cool to jump in on the fun. We aren't going to have them everyday, but we'll be doing them a couple of days a week.

Mainstream Monday Mayhem- Completely off the wall, fun book facts
Teaser Tuesday -Turn to a random page in the book your currently reading and share your teaser with everyone!
Wondering on Wednesday - Kindle/ Nook Tips and Tricks
Booking through Thursday - Questions about books you've previously read
Feature Friday - Author Spotlight
Weekend Roudup - Overview of the weeks events as well as what's to come.

Like I said, this won't be everyday. But M and I have tried hard to incorporate what we normally do into these days. And of course we'll still be doing at least 2 reviews a week! Not too much is changing. :)

On another note, did you guys hear about Amanda Hocking's news? Hollowland (or I guess The Hollows series in general) is going to be turned into a graphic novel by Dynamite Entertainment! I haven't personally read this series yet, but it's on my long to read list. So cool! This will definitely be coming out sometime in 2012 and we'll be keeping you updated every step of the way.

Thanks again for supporting us! We love The Ink Puddle and all of you.
-J

Making Notes on Your E-Reader

I'm always baffled when I learn new things that my Kindle can do, for some time I've known that my e-reader had the ability to take notes, but I hadn't actually tried it. Now that I've started highlighting and taking notes, I'm wondering why I never did this before! Hopefully this this will be helpful to all of you! The following are the steps that you need to know to make notes on your Kindle or Nook.

For the Nook Color:

To highlight within a book, open your book and find the passage which you want to highlight. Click on the word you wish you start with and drag your finger to the end of the selection. A tool bar will pop up where you will click "Highlight".
To make notes from that highlight, select "Notes" from the tool bar and type what you want then select "Post".
And unfortunately, from everything I've seen, you can't bookmark a page on any Barnes and Noble's e-reader. It's in their policy somehow. If someone knows differently, comment and let me know.

For your Nook:

To do this on the traditional Nook, click on your book you want to work in, click the menu button then "Highlight". A cursor will appear, touch the screen to the place you want to highlight and click "Begin Highlight." Use the arrow pad to scroll across to the end of the passage and press "End Highlight".
You can make notes from there by clicking "Add Notes" in your menu.

A couple of other little things to know are that your notes on the Nook won't transfer to the Nook Color (for now at least... they could update and fix this in the future.) and many magazines don't support highlighting or notetaking.

For the Kindle:

(These tips are for Kindle 3, I'll be updating everything once the Kindle Fire and Touch come out.)

To highlight words/ passages of a book, place your cursor on the work you want to start the highlight and hit the center button. Now move the cursor over until you hit the end of the passage and press the center button again. Now the passage will appear with a small underline!

Also, if you want to bookmark a page for future use hit Alt + B, you'll see a little tab folded over in the right upperhand corner. To unbookmark a page, just hit Alt + B again.

And while I didn't find a way to do this on the Nook (if I do find a way, I'll update this page and let you guys know.) You can also take notes on your Kindle outside of a book using a PDF type file. Here's how to do that:

1) From your computer upload a Wordpad document and save it as whatever you want it to be, I just used "Notes" as the title.
2) Open the folder you saved this document in.
3) Now plug in your Kindle using your USB cord.
4) Bring up the folder with all of your Kindle things on it. If it doesn't come up right away you can access it by going to My Computer -> Kindle -> Documents
5) Now go back to the folder you saved the document in, and drag and drop your Notes Wordpad page to your Kindle Documents page.
6) Unplug you Kindle, watch it download your new items.

From there you can go on your new document from your Kindle and click on "Menu" then "Add Notes". Type in what you want, and make sure you save your item. Then click "Home" and click on "Notes" again to see your new notes!

Now that you know how to do this on your e-reader, will you utilize it? As a college kid, I'm thinking I'm going to try and get my books on my Kindle next semester and start doing this even more. (Talk about a load off! My Kindle is much lighter than my 50 lbs books!)  What do you guys think?

Review: Abyss of Chaos by David Beem

“Askum, Ethiopia, thousands of miles from home,
& that bitch-commander Khory hasn’t the good grace to simply die.”

“A dying Ethiopian Priest, a cryptic prophecy, a centuries-lost map, and the fabled lost Ark of the Covenant – this is no way for a cellist to vacation. A great evil stirs, but Maxwell Sinclair simply wants to do right by his godfather’s unusually high expectations. As the world teeters on the precipice of chaos, Max hastens to retrace the footsteps of Menelik, son of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, though Max’s actions may have unintended c onsequences. Pack your bags for the thrill of your life, but hurry – the very fabric of reality is at stake.”

When Maxwell Sinclair travels to Ethipia with his godfather Phineas, all he really wants to do is breeze through the trip and maybe pick up some advanced martial arts moves from some history geeks. But when he and Phineas witness the murder of the guardian priest of the Art of the Covenant, Aqabe, is whole world is spun off in a wild new direction. Abyss of Chaos is a fantasy thriller with a touch ofhistory that will have you flying through the pages.

My rating for this book:

Although this particular genre isn’t my favorite, what I really like about what David did, and I’ve said that I liked this before, he switched points of view throughout the book. Although the main character is obviously Maxwell, you get a sense of the other elements in the books through the different key characters. I also like that even though it has a fantasy aspect it also contains current event like aspects that make the story seem real. If you enjoyed The DaVinci Code you will most likely love this book.

David Beem is a cellist and has been in multiple orchestras and has performed in three continents. He has also recorded a few string quartets. Abyss of Chaos is his first novel. To learn more visit http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/MaxSinclair .

To see David’s guest post he did with The Ink Puddle, click here!

David Beem: Why 2011 Belongs to the Indie Author

Please welcome David Beem to The Ink Puddle as he talks about the excitement of being in the Indie business today! To see our review of his book, Abyss of Chaos, click here.

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There’s never been a more exciting time to be an independent author than now.  With the advent of e-publishing, the playing fields have been leveled and readers, not industry elites, get to decide what “good” is.  John Locke, Amanda Hocking, Stephen Leather, these are just a few names blazing the cyber tubes, and are folks who inspire me.

Why do I think 2011 is the year of the Indie?  Well, we’ve been headed that way for some time.  In 2007, Amazon launched its Kindle e-reader and the market changed forever.  Of the idea of being published by one of the larger New York publishing houses, John Locke, author of the Donovan Creed novels, said to the Wall Street Journal, “I don’t want to be told when to publish, I don’t want to soften my character, and I don’t want to be told what stories to write.”
 

Why be an Indie; Enter the Abyss.

 

Taking a page from John Locke’s book, I’ve decided to invent my own genre.  I call it: “Cool-Action-Adventure-Supernatural-Thriller” genre, and Abyss of Chaos is overflowing with the awesome sauce of everything cool.  Jewish mysticism, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, Satanic cults, cutting edge technology and theories based in fringe science – all seamlessly blended with contemporary Middle Eastern faith politics.  Abyss chronicles the adventures of 26 year-old prodigy cellist Max Sinclair and his aging archeologist godfather as they discover their roles in a doomsday prophecy connecting them to the fabled Ark of the Covenant.  Sound cool?  It’s “Cool-Action-Adventure-Supernatural-Thriller” cool!  And because I’m a 21st Century independent author, I get to write what I want.

The Big Six = Big Business.

The largest New York publishing houses, also known as the Big 6, have a vested interest in meddling with their legacy writers’ stories, and interfering with other matters of authorship, because the publishing house thinks it know its readership better than its authors.  They do this because it’s the publishing house’s money that is behind these behemoth publications.  But as an Indie author, writing at the fringes of my imagination, without the meddling of publishers, matters to me.  Writing in that space inside my mind’s eye, with room to spread out, teaches me who my audience is.  I’m betting that Abyss of Chaos strikes people as different.  I’m betting that Abyss of Chaos strikes people as pleasantly unusual.  I trust my readership to recognize its intrinsic quality for what it is.  And I’m doing this because I can.  Because I didn’t have to collect a thousand rejection letters before my book sees the light of day.  I believed in it, and that was enough to make it come true.  As it should be.
Big New York Publishing knows the truth of these sentiments, because it’s a business first.  One which employs people to weed out books that look like they won’t sell.  Maybe your book.  Maybe mine.  But the truth is in the financials.  And this is the picture as seen from the highest floors of corporate offices, looking down at the Indie uprising.

In fact, the real question is: How can the big 6 compete?
 

In March 2011, John Locke sold 369,000 downloads on Amazon alone, all 99-cent eBooks.  At 35-cents profit per title, he’s reporting his Amazon publishing revenue at $126,000 for the month of March, 2011 alone. (You can find his titles at Kobo, Barnes and Noble and Apple as well.)

Then there’s Stephen Leather, another successful 99-cent author. Mr. Leather posted his Amazon sales charts for December 2010 on his blog:  43,827 books sold at 99-cents, as compared to the sales of his 507 “premium” priced books. (The “premium” priced books referenced, today, are selling for £1.98 and £4.45 respectively.)  
And what about Amanda Hocking?  A twenty-something traditional pub “reject” who struck out on her own.  Her story is that she collected “hundreds” of rejection letters before deciding to sell her books for 99-cents online, and last February Hocking sold a whopping 227,515 total units (all nine of her works). Barnes and Noble reported 55,135 units, and CreateSpace another 2,948. Round her sales off at 280,000, factor in Amazon’s 35% royalties for books under a $2.99, and she’s doing pretty well for an author no one wanted to publish.
Of course, the latest news on Ms. Hocking is that she signed a pretty sweet deal.  The New York Times reported that bidding rose above $2 million before St. Martin’s Press (not among the Big 6) secured print and digital rights to a new YA paranormal series.  Why the change of heart?  Says Ms. Hocking, "I'm a writer. I want to be a writer. I do not want to spend 40 hours a week handling emails, formatting covers, finding editors, etc. Right now, being me is a full time corporation."

Amen sister.  That’s one way to approach the bargaining table.  And that’s the route I’m going.  Who’s with me?

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Great post David! Thank you so much for dropping by! So what do you guys think? This week we've had 2 posts on Indie writing/ authors and the business of it all. Has what we posted about made you think differently at all?

Review: Alexander Death by J.L. Bryan

Spoiler Alert!! If you haven’t read Jenny Pox or Tommy Nightmare, the first two books in The Paranormals Trilogy, I would hold off on reading this review.

"While Seth searches for Jenny, Dr. Heather Reynard of the CDC unravels Seth and Jenny's secrets. Alexander opens Jenny's mind to her deep past, and to the full horrific extent of her powers. Torn between her feelings for Alexander and Seth, and between her past lives and her present, Jenny must prepare to face her enemies in the final, catastrophic battle..."

At the end of Tommy Nightmare, Alexander rescues Jenny from Ashleigh and Tommy's riot in Charleston and brings her to safety in Mexico. Safety from the United States government and the friends and family that search for her, this is where he befriends Jenny and shows her not only her past lives, but everything her power is capable of. Alexander is a sexy, dead raising mobster your heart will be pounding over.

Then there's Ashleigh, still up to her old tricks in Esmeralda’s body. She's tangled up with Tommy this time, but you'll see he doesn't play too big of a role. This time Ashleigh is making her way to the top of the government food chain and not letting anything get in her way.

And of course Seth: frustrated and confused about what exactly happened that night and why he did what he did. We get to see a glimpse similar to the one we had with Jenny and the rattlesnake in the opening of Jenny Pox, only we meet Seth's brother Carter in a heart-wrenching scene. He's desperate to find Jenny and will stop at nothing to save the one he loves. After-all, money can buy you everything if you're a Barrett.

In this third and final installment of The Paranormals Trilogy, J.L. Bryan keeps us on our toes as we get to know Alexander and discover for ourselves his intentions. We finally get to see that Jenny isn't just a victim anymore as she's growing up and finding who she is. This is the book that just as you think you have it all figured out, Bryan says, "not so fast..." using his excellent storytelling skills to pull the rug out from beneath you. With everything leading up to this epic finale, there's no other rating I can give than a

Yes, you HAVE to read this book! It's quick, easy and will keep you up all night in anticipation for more. Alexander Death was the perfect end to The Paranormals Trilogy.

Note: J.L. Bryan recommends readers be 18 years or older due to drug use, occassional language and sex.

J.L. Bryan studied English literature at the University of Georgia and at Oxford, with a focus on the English Renaissance and the Romantic period.  He also studied screenwriting at UCLA.  He is the author of five novels and one short-story collection.  He enjoys remixing elements of paranormal, supernatural, fantasy, horror and science fiction into new kinds of stories.  His goal is to provide highly original fiction like you won’t find anywhere else.  He lives in Atlanta with his wife Christina, as well as some dogs, cats, and domestic plants. You can follow him here:

Blog       Facebook       Twitter          Website

A copy of this book was provided to The Ink Puddle by J.L. Bryan.

Every Witch Way But Wicked

Are you looking for a great Halloween book? This could be just what you need.
Nathan Fillion ("Castle") has this organization called Kids Need to Read. So 12 paranormal authors got together and each made a short story that's silly, spooky and fun just for this book, Every Witch Way But Wicked. Rose Pressey and J.L. Bryan are included in this list of writers, both people we've reviewed, as well as Toni LoTempio, who we will be reviewing here in the next month! The book is $0.99 on Amazon and Barnes and Nobles website and all the proceeds go toward this organization. So check it out to enjoy some great stories and help a good cause. I've already bought my copy! I'll be reviewing this book this month, so read along with me and let me know what you think!

-J

Guest Post: Aurora Lightborne

Today I am very happy to welcome Aurora Lightbourne to The Ink Puddle. She is the author of Brass Hearts, a book described as a "Classic romantic tale, set in a picturesque steampunk world". (Seems like steampunk is the thing these days!) Here's a small summary:

"All Dulcy Spry wants in life is to inherit her father's small, family business, and help run it while she waits. But after a fateful encounter with the snobbish Mr Pridget on the roadside Dulcy's best friend, Alise, and younger sister, Rosa, drag the reluctant Miss Spry into high society, where lies, manipulations and family secrets threaten to ruin her peaceful life and cast her into the dismal prison of an unwanted marriage.

Brass Hearts is a Cinderella-esque type story. It is a sweet, old fashioned romance, complete with bad impressions, lies, misunderstandings and social divide."

Without further ado... please welcome Aurora!

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Will readers continue to buy only 'Brand Name' books?

With all the new technology, full service printers and small publishing houses available as options, many talented authors are turning to 'alternative' means of publishing instead of the 'traditional' big companies. The question remains though, will the majority of readers remain 'brand name' book shoppers or will they give the indies a chance?

So far it seems independent authors have an uphill battle in proving they are not rejects that can't take a hint or sub-par writers with no marketable skills, but solid, gifted writers who just happen to want to keep more control over their own creations.

Why would good authors who could have gotten contracts with large companies choose to go the maligned self-published or small publisher route?

I can think of three reasons, and none of them are disgraceful.

1. They want to retain the rights to their work and place them as they see fit.

2.They happen to want to benefit more from the sales of their creations.

I don't think most readers realize that an author, and especially a 'traditionally published' author, sees very little of the money from their book sales. Bookstores alone can require up to 55% of the cover price for their share, add into that the publisher's cut, the printing cost, the agent's cut and the actual creator sees sometimes only 10% or less of each sale, that is less than a customary tip at a restaurant.

Remember, another editor could have edited it, another agent could have handled it, another publisher/printer could have distributed it, but only one author can create it. Without that one creative individual there would be no story. Don't they deserve to benefit more from it?

3.The books they are trying to place is not in the current 'tending topic'. Agents and publishers are looking at one thing, their bottom line. It usually doesn't matter how well a rejected author writes or how good his storyline is. Most of the time the work itself is never read, they only get as far as the genre or basic outline and the answer is; 'this is not the type of book we are looking for at this time'.

I think there is a need to redefine such literary entrepreneurs, to identify them and their worth, and get some distance from the foul reputation that does not fit most of these great individuals. Maybe we can say “Independent Author” or “Independent Literary Artist”.

I mean, we have independent artists of other kinds. Crafters, graphic artists & Music artists are more and more going the independent route, and are none the worse for wear by doing so. So why are independent book writers still looked down on?

Is it because some of the independent books will stink royally? Perhaps, but even many 'brand name' books have typos and bad edits, some have appalling punctuation, terrible story lines and showcase mediocre writing skills. Yet, somehow 'self-published' seems to be held to a higher standard.

I personally do not see a problem with 'Literary Artists' choosing to treat their writing as a sole-proprietor business, if you will. This movement towards writing as a small home-based business will not only benefit the authors in being able to keep control over and benefit from their own works, but it will benefit the reading public as well. More variety of stories will be out, more variety of writing styles will be available. Independent authors are probably not going to 'take over the publishing world' but, I believe, they are going to change the face of it. Make it more personal, more of a direct link from 'artist' to reader.

And seeing as independent authors often price their work competitively while offering rather large chunks as Free samples, I don't see where you can go wrong.
 

Not sure if an unknown author is worth your time? Download their free sample and try out their style. Don't like it? Nothing lost.

So when you see 'Independent Literary Artists' hawking their wares on social networks, inviting you to their online 'book tours' and in-store book signings or being represented in book fairs, don't just turn your nose up at them because they aren't 'name brand'. Give these fine, hard-working artists a fair chance and let them tell you their stories. You might just find a new favorite!

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About Aurora:

I began writing stories almost as soon as I learned to write. From my 1st grade 'journal' full of tales of rabbit adventures to my first full length book at 14.  I have always had a love for writing stories.

Besides words I also have a love for tech. From an early age I built 'bread boards', soldering diodes and components to create such things as a light detecting alarm clock and other such ...useless things.  I moved on to building my first DOS PC at 15. I also graduated School at 15. Later on I became a certified PC tech. 

I am happily married with lots of furry little 'children'.  Most of which I raised by hand when a local rescue group or friends brought me orphaned babies to bottle feed.

Most of my writing is SciFi/Fantasy based, and almost all of it contains humor. I like short, fun, humorous stories.

My favorite authors are Jane Austen and Douglas Adams.

I hope you enjoy reading my work as much as I enjoy writing it.

Aurora is on a Virtual Book Tour Sept 20-Oct 30 2011 with her latest release Brass Hearts-A Steampunk Fairytale.

Follow her blog tour and leave her comments to get in on a prize drawing taking place Nov 1, 2011!

Aurora's tour schedule, book synopsis and buy links can be found on her Website http://alightbourne.netau.net/

Thanks Aurora for taking the time to stop by The Ink Puddle! I hope you guys enjoyed her post and will check out her book!

-J