Another Opportunity – Shelf my book on Goodreads

The Deal

As many authors know, Goodreads has an enormous amount of readers logging in everyday writing reviews, recommending books, and participating in forums.  Similar to Amazon “tagging” and their customer communities, Goodreads has a feature called “shelves”.  From their website they describe shelves as follows:

shelves

You start with three default shelves (read, currently-reading, and to-read), but you can also create your own bookshelves. Shelf names range from classics and coffee-table-books to childrens-lit and sci-fi — you can create any category that suits your personal taste. Some of our favorite shelves include to-reread, guiltypleasures, chicklit and overrated-drivel

When you “explore” books on good reads, you find the following page:

click on the image to go there!

As you can see, there are a number of “popular” shelves.  For example the “young adult” shelf has 25, 329 books!

Wouldn’t it be great to be the top book on the “young adult” shelf?  Unfortunately, that’s a big task, you’d need 1270 people to put your book on that shelf.  That’s a pretty big task (twilight has the top spot – surprise surprise).  But other shelves are not as crowded.

I’m going to show you how to create a shelf and add a book to it.  Here we go!

Create a shelf

I’m going to use Dee Marie’s book Sons of Avalon to illustrate how to do this.  First go to the goodreads page for the book you want to shelf.  At the bottom of the graphic, you can see a section  called bookshelves.  I’ve already placed it on the default “read” shelf as well as a custom “arthurian legends” shelf.  Now I’m going to add a custom shelf call “good read” and place the book on that shelf.

The first thing to do is click on the edit all the way at the end of the bookshelves line.

Choose Shelves

What you will see is a drop down box appear with the standard choices “read”, “currently reading”, and “to read options”.  Below that there is an option to add new shelf. Here, I’ve type in the new shelf name “good read”.

Once I type in the name of my shelf, I click on create and viola, the “good read” shelf is now a choice for my custom shelves.

I can add Sons of Avalon to this shelf by clicking on the box next to the newly created “good read” shelf.

The Result!

Now when I go to the “good read” shelf, here’s the result – Sons of Avalon is number 3 on the “good read” shelf!

New page on TMBOA

For goodreads authors who would like to participate in the “shelf my book on goodreads” project, go to the “Shelf My Book” page and leave a comment which includes:

* The Link to your book on goodreads

* The name of the shelves you’d like your book placed on (around 4 to 5 shelves)

Your book will then be listed on the “Shelf My Book” page where others will go to shelf it!  Please visit the “Shelf My Book” page and shelf other author’s books on Goodreads!  Good luck!

Review – Cutting the Cheese

Cutting the Cheese – Coming out can be Gouda

Rating: 4 of 5

Author: Edward C Patterson
Available: Paperback, Kindle

Uncertain, confused, and feeling lost after coming out, Luke Oliver searches for answers to this new world in which he now belongs.  Finding the bar scene full of too many unspoken rules and regulations unknown to a newbie, Luke suddenly finds himself invited to the ostentatious home of one Roy Otterson where a meeting of a local gay and lesbian activist group is to take place.  Intimidated by not only the grandeur of the home but by it’s occupants, Luke quickly finds himself relegated to the kitchen drafted to the “cheese brigade” where houseboy Kelly Rodriguez and live-in playwright Mortimer demonstrate the proper size and shape for the cheese cubes to be served during the meeting.

One by one, members of this illustrious activist group arrive at the meeting quickly turned party and Luke begins to wonder if perhaps this lifestyle is for him.  But then Branch McPherson arrives whom Luke has admired from afar.  Unfortunately, Luke has invited a date and when Charles (Chaz) Remsen arrives, his personality lights up the party more than the time square crystal ball on new years eve.

Edward C Patterson offers a hilarious and engaging look into the challenges and opportunities one faces when coming out.  Each of Patterson’s characters are carefully crafted and I enjoyed meeting each one and seeing how their hopes, fears, desires, and manias would play out as the ever building collision course of personalities, hormones, jealousies, agendas, and love climaxed at the novel’s conclusion.

As I read Cutting the Cheese, I couldn’t help but be reminded of The Bird Cage though Patterson’s characters are more engaging and entertaining than the best Nathan Lane produced on the big screen.  Patterson’s humor and cadence are spot-on throughout.  For cheese lovers, Patterson offers no less than twenty-eight different cheeses as titles for each of his chapters – enjoy!

Review – Thicker than Water

Thicker than Water – Is Blood Thicker than Water?

Rating: 4 of 5

Author: D.C. Jennings
Available: Paperback, Kindle

Life on the Triple C ranch was everything Clayton Ryan had every wanted – being married to a beautiful woman, raising a strapping son, breeding and caring for horses, living near family, and beginning a career as an expert rodeo team roper.  But ten years into the dream, everything came crashing down.  Without warning, Clayton’s wife Cecily filed for divorce – no explanation given.  He was to leave the ranch immediately.  Clay fought to understand what had happened and why he had to leave.  But Cecily’s only answer was that her feelings for him had changed.  So Clay left and vowed not to return.

Fifteen years later, Clay’s father shows up on his new ranch with news.  He  tells Clay that his son, now twenty-five years old, means to follow in his father’s footsteps and join the rodeo.  Furthermore, the boy is engaged to be married soon.  Intent on ensuring his son not suffer his same fate, Clay decides to return home and see if indeed blood is thicker than water.

In her debut novel, D.C. Jennings creates a heartfelt and heart wrenching story of a family torn apart by secrets initially meant to protect but which only lead to pain.   The characters she creates are extremely credible and readers will immediately connect with them – they all have doubts, flaws, desires and conflicting emotions driving them to places they aren’t even sure of themselves.

Providing further depth to the novel, Jennings’ wonderful description of rodeo team roping – heading and heeling – is seamlessly woven into the fabric of the story along with the special bond and care that riders and horses develop and experience.  Because of this, I felt I was on the ranch, in the rodeo, and experiencing all of the pain, hope, and desires each of her characters experienced.  As I read the final passage, I let out an audible chuckle accompanied by a satisfied grin and nod of approval.  Nice work Miss Jennings, nice work.

Poll – Goodreads

I know many of you are goodreads authors, but I thought I’d check with a quick poll.

Like Amazon, goodreads provides substantial opportunity for author visibility in many of its forums.  More powerful are the popular book “shelves”.  Like tagging, shelves can give an unknown author opportunity to be up there with the bestsellers.

Take the poll below to let me know if you are a goodreads author (if you don’t know what goodreads is, click on the goodreads graphic).

Review – Bobby’s Trace

Bobby’s Trace – A Haunting Love Story

Rating: 4 of 5

Author: Edward C Patterson
Available: Paperback, Kindle

After losing his life partner to AIDS, Perry Chaplin struggles to move on.  Work provides little solace; hiding his lifestyle from his unsupportive boss had always been stressful but after the loss of Bobby, working as an simple computer programmer holds little meaning for Perry.  A co-worker suggests he get out and play the field, but Perry is reluctant.  In his funk, Perry begins to notice odd happenings – pencils once broken mend themselves, rapid temperature changes occur in hotel rooms, and long lost items suddenly appear.  Convinced he is slowly losing his grip on reality, Perry takes the plunge to meet someone new and get on with life.

Perry meets Marlin, a young good looking secretive man uninterested in a relationship but with whom Perry has several common interests including their enjoyment of Gilbert and Sullivan’s comic operas.  After sharing an engaging dinner, Perry begins to think perhaps there is life after Bobby and subsequently decides to spend the night with Marlin.  However, more than just Bobby’s memory haunts Perry.  When strange happenings grow in their intensity, Marlin and Perry both wonder what forces beyond this world have in store for them.

Bobby’s Trace is a beautifully engaging look at life after the loss of a loved one.  In Marlin and Perry, Patterson creates characters struggling to find their way in the world – one who must find meaning in life after love lost, the other who has found meaning but is not accepted for who he is in the calling he has chosen to follow.  Without giving away very satisfying plot twists, Patterson creates a supernatural haunting story of two lovers and religious intolerance.  Readers of all genres will find something special in this novel.

Review – FireDrakes

FireDrakes – Medieval Adventure and Sorcery!

Rating: 4 of 5

Author: David Korinetz
Available: Paperback

Thousands of years ago, elves and humans co-existed peacefully.  But as time marched forward, the occasionally coupling of both species produced a halfling progeny.  These halflings enjoyed the extended life and magical powers of elves but also the more violent lust for power from their human half.  Elfin kind existence was threatened and in a bold move, it was determined the only way to eliminate the halfling threat was to eradicate all magic and disenchant all elves and halflings.  Four talisman’s were created to house their magic as it could not be destroyed.  Unfortunately, the spell that removed the elves magic did not eliminate the halflings’ capabilities.  Equally unfortunate was only the halflings could use and harness the power of the talismans.

One of these same talisman’s was used to create the first FireDrake – a melding of a dragon and elf.  FireDrakes were magical creatures with high intellect, practically indestructible, and imbued with magical capabilities.  However, because they were created by a talisman, they were also under it’s complete control.  Those who control the FireDrakes could rule over all.  Intent on doing just that, the evil sorcerer-emperor Gamel manipulates a young halfling sorceress in possession of such a talisman.  Learning of such a plan, a small band of Damon Knights set about to save their kingdom.  They face incredible odds against an imperial army, witchcraft, were-beasts, FireDrakes, and the evil sorcerers.

David Korinetz’s FireDrakes is an entertaining, face-paced novel of medieval knights and sorcery.  Korinetz creates a detailed a fascinating world with carefully crafted descriptions of the peoples and places in this fabled empire.  The characters have great depth and stay true to themselves as the story evolves.  Furthermore, Korinetz creates plausible scenarios where a small group of relatively powerless knights are able to overcome unbelievable odds and obstacles on their march to confront the sorceress.  Creating such a plausible plot is a difficult task for even a seasoned writer and in his debut novel Korinetz pulls this off masterfully.  I especially enjoyed the sections in the novel involving the history of the elves, the use of magic, and the evil witch’s creation of the were-beasts.  I so hoped I would read the transformation from a human to such a beast and Korinetz delivered!

The ending chapters provide a good climax and close to most story arcs but leave room for future installments without frustrating the reader.  FireDrakes is an enjoyable read and fans of this genre will not be disappointed!

TMBOA featured on the Book Marketing Blog Carnival!

For those of you who don’t know about blog carnivals, they are similar to a online magazine, in that they are dedicated to a particular topic, and are published on a regular schedule, often weekly or monthly.

This month, “tag my book on amazon” is featured on the Feb 11 book marketing blog carnival!

For more information on blog carnivals, check out http://blogcarnival.com/bc/!

New Year, New Look

Makeover

So you’ve probably noticed I’ve changed the layout and look of the blog!

I thought since it was a new year (okay, so I’m a month late), I should spiff up the blog with a new look more closely associated with books!

If you like the new look (or even if you don’t), drop a quick comment to this post and let me know your thoughts.

Poll – How many books of a single title have you sold?

1, 100, 1000, 2500? more?

So a couple of questions I get often are:  how many books have you sold? and how many books sold would be considered successful?

Well, success is in the eye of the beholder.  When I started, I thought I’d be happy if I sold 100 books.  I’ve been fortunate to sell many more than that which for me this was success as I believe most books don’t sell that amount.

My goal is to sell 1000 copies of The Time Cavern.  I’m not there yet, but I can see that it is possible.

A friend indicated to me that success is to sell at least 2500 books whether self published or traditionally published.

So here’s a chance to answer an anonymous poll and see where you fall relative to your fellow authors participating on this site.

Review – Numenon

Numenon – A Collision of Native American Mysticism and Corporate America

Rating: 5 of 5, TMBOA Recommended

Author: Sandy Nathan
Available: Paperback

Leading Numenon, the largest and most powerful corporation on the Earth, Will Duane carries a secret.  Haunted for years by the memory of his demanding and verbally abusive father, Will compensates by driving for ever greater success at all costs.  Ethics, faithfulness, relationships, all take a back seat to his overriding lust for power.  But the success he achieves leaves him empty.  Forever stalked by a dark presence creating a pall over everything in his life, Will finds solace by retreating within himself by physically punishing his body through excessive exercise.  Nearing exhaustion, something special happens.  A heightened state of awareness occurs through a glowing column of light beginning at the base of his spine.  Will achieves what mystics call – Kundalini – here he is safe; here is where he finds peace; here is where he finds answers.

From his lean-to in remote New Mexico, a Native American shaman-known by many names but by his followers as “grandfather”-senses the gathering of evil.  It will be at the annual gathering of his spirit warriors, simply called “the meeting”,  where this darkness will descend and collide with grandfather’s spiritual forces and the corporate power of Numenon.

In Numenon, national award winning author Sandy Nathan takes the reader through the parallel journeys of two very different worlds – that of corporate deals and greed juxtaposed with that of Native American Indians on the reservation.  Alternating between these two realities, Nathan explores each of the characters histories – their lives, choices, and experiences which have led them to the present conditions.  Nearing the spiritually charged ground where the meeting is to occur, each of the characters feel the intensity of what they are about to experience and each must choose their path forward.

This is the first book in the Bloodsong series by Nathan.  Those expecting a tidy closure to all of the plot’s elements will instead find a continuously building pressure cooker leading to a climatic meeting of forces to be resolved in future volumes.  This is a very enjoyable read and those interested in mysticism and Native American Culture will thoroughly enjoy Numenon.

Watch the Numenon Trailer Here!

Review – No Irish Need Apply

No Irish Need Apply – A Gripping Story of Prejudice

Rating: 4 of 5
Author: Edward C Patterson
Available: Paperback, Kindle

Louis Lonnegan had always known he was different from the other boys in school.  He didn’t much care for sports, and he didn’t much care for girls, at least not romantically.  Obvious to everyone, with the exception of his widowed Irish Catholic mother, Louis was frequently ostracized by his schoolmates, occasionally made fun of, and from time to time physically assaulted because of who he was.
Kevin Borden was also the son of a widowed Irish Catholic mother, but he was quite different from Louis in many ways but not all.  Kevin, an attractive athlete had the attention of many of the high school girls and as a result was also the envy of many of the boys.  Paired together with Louis to be study partners, Kevin connects with Louis in ways he hadn’t previously.  He begins to question his own orientation and even though he finds himself drawn to Louis, he refuses to think of himself as “gay”.  But he discovers the feelings he has are real and aren’t to be denied.  Hiding the truth from their parents and schoolmates, Kevin and Louis must choose to continue leading a lie or forever open the door about who they are to the world and the consequences be damned.

In No Irish Need Apply, Edward C. Patterson parallels the persecution and prejudice of Irish Immigrants in our nation’s history to the plight suffered by gays in society.  Integrating the familial and social pressures to conform along with the subtle and sometimes not so subtle persecution of gays, Patterson offers hope to those finding themselves and their place in the world.

A brave, thoughtful, and moving novel, Patterson dedicates his work to the Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) organization.