Juggling Audiobooks: A Fun and Frustrating Pastime

Fun, because, well, audiobooks are awesome! Frustrating because I get my audiobooks from the library and my tastes run to long books. We're talking books that literally take a work week or more worth of hours to get through.  

Just can't seem to finish

For one, I'm working through Brandon Sanderson's Stormlight Archive books, I'm on Oathbringer (have been for a few months now), and after I got booted from the first borrow, I've since been plagued by incredibly bad timing on hold releases and my tendency to not check my email in time to download them. I'm now on another 6 week wait list because Libby decided I must not really want to borrow it and dropped my hold. 😂

But really, borrowing these has been a game changer for me. I can't afford a subscription or to buy the sheer volume of audiobooks I would want to consume, but loading them on my phone with Libby, I can get close!

Just finished

As for recent finishes, I've just completed the audiobooks for the Caraval Trilogy by Stephanie Garber. Holy cow, great series!  Lots of fun, magic, and immortals. Highly recommended in audio, but I would have liked it in print, too. The first one takes us to the mysterious Caraval games with Scarlet, the older sister. The second, Legendary, with Tella, the younger one. And the third ties it all together, giving us a very well named Finale for both sisters. 

On it now

Next, and currently, I'm listening to the Battlefield Earth audiobook by Galaxy Audio. I'm on Part 6 now, where it's getting really good. Terl has found his leverage. Johnny Goodboy Tyler has lost his. I'm looking forward to the coming chapters, having already read this many times in the past. 

There's also a blog, videos (including about the making of the audiobook), and a listing of more books by L. Ron Hubbard, who was a very prolific writer of fantasy and later science fiction, including the one I'm reading, which he called his attempt at writing pure science fiction. If you read or listen to this, you can learn more about what that means by listening to the foreword. In the audio, it's read by Stefan Rudnicki (links to books he's narrated), one of my favorite narrators, who read Ender's Game and the other books in that series.

With that, back to reading (or listening)!

Drop a comment to let me know what you're reading or to chime in on these.

Weekend Update: Upcoming Reviews, Driving Lessons and Editing

So, what am I up to this weekend?

First off, I'm writing some reviews. I have one down and one to go. I've written the review of Cargo by Jen Castleberry, and next up is Amanda Lester and the Pink Sugar Conspiracy by Paula Berinstein. Cargo's a YA scifi dystopian and the Amanda Lester book is a middle schooler and up detective story that reminds me of Harry Potter.

And then it's back to reading Saven: Disclosure by Siobhan Davis. She's a somewhat new author, but I haven't found a book of hers I haven't liked. The book's coming out soonish, maybe in a month? Anyhow, it's pretty exciting.

I'm also planning to give my son some more driving lessons. The first couple were actually pretty fun, which surprised me, so I'm looking forward to that.

And, wow, some huge news I almost forgot to mention. I finished up my editing job for The World of Myth series by Travis Bughi, and now I don't know what I'm going to do with myself though I'm sure I'll figure it out.

Anyhow, check out the books and maybe pick them up.  I can say they're awesome reads, considering I've read each one at least four times and they managed to stay exciting and engaging on each read. Epic fantasy that's great for a reading over and over, perfect.

And, here they are. World of Myth books 1-6, written by Travis Bughi, edited by Patricia Hamill, and cover art by Jack Baker.



Beyond the Plains (World of Myth #1)



 

The Forest of Angor (World of Myth #2)

 



The Fall of Lucifan (World of Myth #3)



 

Journey to Savara (World of Myth #4)

 

Juatwa (World of Myth #5)

 

A Legend Ascends (World of Myth #6)

 

Emily's Saga (World of Myth Books 1-6)

 

 

Well, I'd better get back to it. Time to write one more review and then brace myself for another driving lesson. Wish me luck and let me know what you think of the World of Myth series. I'd love to see it take off.

 



  

Avalee and the Dragon Cover Reveal Sign-ups are Live

Avalee and the Dragon by Patricia Hamill

Every ten years, a maiden must be sacrificed to the dragon to ensure the safety of the village for the next ten. This year, Avalee has been selected....

Big news!
The Avalee and the Dragon cover reveal is scheduled for February 1st. Want to be one of the first to see it and, at the same time, help share this awesome cover with your followers? Sign up here at Lola's Blog Tours.

There will be an excerpt of chapter one and a giveaway to celebrate the upcoming release of this book.

Can't wait to claim your copy?
Never fear, Avalee and the Dragon is now available for pre-order at Amazon. Also, for a limited time, you'll be able to read it as part of your Amazon Prime or Kindle Unlimited subscription (once released, of course).

US        UK        Canada        Australia

 

 

 

 

Funny how most of my books start in fall...

I was doing some formatting and preview loading for most of my books yesterday and noticed something interesting. Most of them start in fall.

Shadows of Valor #1 has Edwin, the main character, racing along a leaf-strewn road right at the beginning. The Freeze, even though the season is indistinguishable from winter due to, well, the freeze, begins right before winter, so, the fall. Fearless, the zombie book, starts right before Halloween, hmm, a trend. And, even funnier, so does Avalee and the Dragon, which starts during a festival, you guessed it, in the fall. Oh, that yet-to-be-named vampire book I've been tinkering with starts at a state fair, which tend to run in the fall.

You may be wondering why this is. I did so I've been considering it, and all I can guess is that perhaps it has something to do with when I actually start writing these stories. All but Shadows of Valor and the in progress vampire book were started in November, when leaves are just starting to turn, the air is getting a bit of bite to it, and the occasional frost drapes the morning landscape. SOV started in winter and the vampire book started in October, hence thoughts of the fair.

Ok, so maybe I need to initiate my writing projects throughout the year because my inspiration is obviously affected by what's going on in real life. That's a good thing, right? Or, perhaps I should take some time to plan out a few stories that start in spring or summer.  We'll see.

Then again, maybe I just like the fall.

Trigger Happy Publishing a Book with the Wrong Cover

Hello folks, I was at it again yesterday. Spent the whole day creating a cover for one of my books, posted it on Facebook for opinions, and then overrode sanity and published the book on Amazon with the untested cover.

And then the feedback rolled in...

And I realized maybe I should have waited for that feedback.  So, Avalee and the Dragon is again unpublished pending a more patient development and crowd testing of the cover, and I am reminded of why I asked for feedback in the first place.

So, here's the cover I made. Not going to pretend it doesn't exist, but I figure it might be a good reminder to myself and an opportunity for others to learn from my mistakes.

I like this cover. I think it's pretty and bright, and the picture is something I took, so no worries about anyone else having it on their covers. Sure, and that's why I did it. After all, if you don't like the cover you come up with it is definitely out. The point is, your own opinion as the creator of the book and as the creator of the cover (if you're both) should not be the only one you consult.  I almost did this right, sharing this with friends and asking for opinions. So, how did I come to the conclusion that this cover wasn't right? Well, here's what I got from my friends (and I know they're good ones because not a one of them told me this was fine).

1. What's the significance of the flowers or the yellow? This is called Avalee and the Dragon, right?

I'm paraphrasing this feedback from a few posts from someone whom I know is not afraid to give some good feedback. What this reveals is perhaps the most important flaw of this cover. It doesn't really reflect the title, and since the title does reflect the story, it doesn't really reflect the story either. The cover really needs to communicate what the story is about, give a feel for it either in details or symbolism that is closely related. If someone is asking what your cover means, that likely means your cover isn't ready or just plain isn't right for the story.

2. One generous offer from another author to help me tweak my covers.

Paired with number one, I was beginning to see that perhaps I'd missed the mark. If someone offers to help you with your covers instead of saying, "That's a good cover," you have probably missed the mark, especially if that someone has designed some rather awesome covers of their own for books that are actually selling. I asked for some advice instead, and I got it. Makes me appreciate this guy very much, that's for sure.

3. An enthusiastic reference from one family member to talk with another who is an amazing artist.

Yep, all the signs are there. That cover is totally wrong for my book. Again, no "that's awesome" or "wow, great cover." But a suggestion to get some assistance is similar to what number two's response indicated. I either need help, or I need to put a heck of a lot more thought into this cover.

4. Silence and silent likes.

No one came out and actually said that cover was terrible, but I can connect the dots. Particularly since, other than the tactful and helpful feedback and offers from one through three, no one else said anything. I got a couple of likes. But no one outright said they liked it.

So, here's what we have, a pretty cover that I like, but it confuses potential readers and, to other authors and even family, screams, "I need help."

I'm glad I asked. :-)

(Now that I look at it again, that's awfully yellow, isn't it?)

NaNoWriMo: One Day Left. You can do it!

I wanted to give a shout out of encouragement for anyone participating in NaNoWriMo this year. I usually post my own progress throughout the month, but I couldn't really think of anything to say, so here I am, on the day before day 30 with a last minute pep talk.

Go team! Hang in there, throw whatever comes into your head onto that page. Be creative and don't worry about being right. Avoid the urge to edit and let those fingers fly across the keyboard. 

Some of you may already have won by now, some may be on track to finish today or tomorrow, and some others might finish a little bit after the deadline. But all of you have tried something amazing and challenging this month, and I for one am proud of you and that effort, win or not.

So, keep writing and keep challenging yourself to greater things. It's how we grow and learn. It's how we see what we're made of and what we can do. What works and what doesn't.

So keep writing and if you don't make it this year, here's to trying again next year. Now stop reading this and get back to writing.

You're in the home stretch.

You can do it!

Reading soon: Under the Empyrean Sky (The Heartland Trilogy #1) by Chuck Wendig

Under the Empyrean Sky (The Heartland Trilogy Book 1) by Chuck Wendig

Description:
Fear the Corn.

Corn is king in the Heartland, and Cael McAvoy has had enough of it. It's the only crop the Empyrean government allows the people of the Heartland to grow—and the genetically modified strain is so aggressive that it takes everything the Heartlanders have just to control it. As captain of the Big Sky Scavengers, Cael and his crew sail their rickety ship over the corn day after day, scavenging for valuables. But Cael's tired of surviving life on the ground while the Empyrean elite drift by above in their extravagant sky flotillas. He's sick of the mayor's son besting Cael's crew in the scavenging game. And he's worried about losing Gwennie—his first mate and the love of his life—forever when their government-chosen spouses are revealed. But most of all, Cael is angry—angry that their lot in life will never get better and that his father doesn't seem upset about any of it. When Cael and his crew discover a secret, illegal garden, he knows it’s time to make his own luck...even if it means bringing down the wrath of the Empyrean elite and changing life in the Heartland forever.

-----

I'm excited to have been approved for this book on NetGalley, though it's already released. This looks right up my alley.

Hey, why not pick up a copy and read along with me? I plan to start as soon as I finish up Siobhan Davis' new book Destiny Rising (True Calling Book 3). 

And check out those covers. Wow!

Shadows of Valor is complete! On finishing a trilogy...

Yeah, I know I've posted about this before, but I'm still excited about it. Even more so now, because I just received my first review for Fight for Valor on the Michaelscifan blog.

 

You know, it's very scary putting out a book. But what's even more scary is putting out the final book in a series or trilogy. There's this overbearing feeling of potential failure, that people will be disappointed, that as an author you'll drop the ball. I've seen this happen with other trilogies. I spent much longer finishing and then editing this one than with any other. I redesigned all the kindle covers so that they had a common feel but were distinct from each other. I read this thing from front to back more than a dozen times, to check for errors, to gage the flow, to confirm, at least to myself, that the story was fun to read and interesting. Finally, I took some deep breaths and hit publish.

 

And then I waited. I posted some links and put half of my books on sale in celebration. I asked for reviews from just a couple of folks who liked the first two books. And last night, late, I saw the first review. I feel like that one person reading and loving my book has made it all worth it.

 

Will everyone love it? Probably not. But I know one person did, and that just makes my day.

 

 

And, if that wasn't enough, he also reviewed my other newish release, The Freeze. I must say I'm pretty excited about this one, too. I think my only regret is that I didn't flesh The Freeze out more. A common thread in all the reviews so far is that it missed opportunities. A good lesson I plan to take to heart. But, still, folks do seem to like it, and that's awesome.

Here's the link to Michaelscifan's The Freeze review.

What day is it? No, it's not hump day...well, it is, but...

It's release day for Fight for Valor!

It almost got away from me, but yes, that's a wrap. The Shadows of Valor trilogy is complete. As my first complete trilogy, this is how I'm feeling right now.

Talk about writing excuses...

I just spent three hours translating an article about the NBA on Duolingo from Spanish to English. Sigh...

The good news is that before I got caught up in the translations I wrapped up my third round of edits for Fight for Valor! (Plus, I suppose I learned a lot of neat sports terms en Español).

So, yeah, soon.  :-)

I'm likely to post this for pre-order on Amazon this weekend. I want to look at it once more, but I think I've pretty much extracted and eliminated all the errors.  I'm still a bit worried about the romantic scenes. I don't take them very far, but they're there, and I'm rather self-conscious about them. I want to clean them up, so to speak, but then again, they aren't that bad, and one of the major interactions is during one. I'm afraid the whole conversation would fall flat without the cuddling and canoodling.

Blogger's going nuts!

Holy bugs, batman. 

Blogger's going crazy. I move my pointer and the all the text and pics shift and follow it around, randomly changing justification and re-positioning. At one point, an image began to spontaneously reproduce itself and leave trails of itself throughout the post. 

I don't know what kind of gremlins have invaded, but I really hope Google can find a way to eliminate them. I've heard sunlight works...

Blog vacation! (maybe I should have announced it first)

Well, here I am. Yes, still blogging. Just not recently.

So, yes, I'm taking a blog vacation. During this vacation I plan to:

• Read too much (of course)
• Think of things to blog about that aren't reviews
• Edit some stuff
• Think out the stuff I'm editing
• Play some Everquest
• Watch some corny SyFy movies
• Edit some other stuff
• Practice some Karate

Yep, good times. I'll check back in a bit later.

So, if you were on vacation, what would you do? Answer in the comments. :-)

New Release: The Freeze by Patricia Hamill

Today is release day for The Freeze, my fifth published book. I wrote this back in November 2013 as part of the NaNoWriMo challenge. That year I had decided not to participate, but halfway through, I relented and managed to finish just in time on November 30. Unlike some stories, this one just flew. Everything worked, and the ideas kept coming.

Anyway, I had a lot of fun writing this, and I hope you’ll check it out. I look forward to finding out what you think. I still get a thrill when I see someone has left a review.

On Amazon: US / UK / CA / AU

The Freeze by Patricia Hamill 
Released February 14, 2015

When life gives you lemons, dig deep and stay there. Ignore reality and pretend everything is fine. Make the kids go to school, pretend they aren't hungry. Make them pretend not to see the worry on every face, poorly hidden. Life doesn't give us lemons, it gives us ice. It gives us ice and hail and destruction. Life doesn't give, it takes. In a frozen future where survivors have taken refuge in an underground tunnel system, Andrea, sick of writing sappy, optimistic essays for what the adults call school, decides to try her luck on one of the scavenging crews. With the help of a boy she likes, she pretends to be a boy and joins the team. But the job isn't at all what she expected, and she soon finds herself separated from the team, lost and alone in the frozen city.


Now available in Kindle and Paperback on Amazon. Check out this and other books by Patricia Hamill on her Amazon Author Page.

Don’t forget to add The Freeze to your shelves on Goodreads or Shelfari!

Reading Lists: Do I need one? Yes, I do...

Well, I'm a bit late posting this week and I have no new reviews to share, so I figured I'd share my thoughts on reading lists instead.

So, reading lists. Lists of things you plan to read. Honestly? I've never really used a list to determine my next book to read. I've always been the kind of girl to browse along the bookshelf or scan through my kindle until a particular cover or title catches my eye and that's worked for the most part. But now that I blog, particularly because I write reviews for two sites and because I signed up for NetGalley, I have found that I can no longer leave all of my reading choices up to chance and whim.

Because of this, I've created a few reading lists and one to manage the overall order I read the books I plan to review. I may even add them to this blog. I've already added my currently reading shelf, which has been sparse at 1 book for quite a while, so it shouldn't be hard to add some more.

I have one for books I plan to submit to Pure Textuality, one for books I get from NetGalley, and one for book reviews requested directly from authors. The to-be-read shelf on Goodreads is too long and clunky to work for a near-future reading list, so I'm using the to-be-reviewed-by-me shelf to organize the reads from those three I just mentioned plus the books I've come across and purchased on my own.

Oh, and I also added a fun little shelf called "on-actual-paper" for books that I've purchased, you guessed it, on actual paper. So, anyway, without Goodreads and those shelves, I'd probably not have any kind of plan, which worked before, but won't work now.


Here are the books I'd like to read and review next. It's a shelf widget, so I think it'll be current for whenever you happen to be reading this. I love those widgets.

Patricia's bookshelf: to-be-reviewed-by-me

The Earth Dwellers

by David Estes

tagged: by-david-estes, to-read, and to-be-reviewed-by-me

Of Shadow and Stone

by Michelle Muto

tagged: netgalley, to-be-reviewed-by-me, and currently-reading

This Shrinking World

by H.L. Cherryholmes

tagged: to-read, pure-textuality-review, to-be-reviewed-by-me, and to-be-bl...

True Calling

by Siobhan Davis

tagged: to-read, netgalley, to-be-blogged, and to-be-reviewed-by-me

From the Ashes

by H.L. Cherryholmes

tagged: to-read, pure-textuality-review, to-be-reviewed-by-me, and to-be-bl...

NetGalley and Other Bookish Things

So, this week's been a bit busy on the bookish side of things. I've read two books this week, three if you count yet another reading of Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer. Besides that, I prepped The Freeze for print publishing and waded through the submission forms on Copyright.gov.  Also, I signed up for NetGalley as a reviewer.

NetGalley
That's where the "professional reader" badge on my blog came from. Don't let that term confuse you though, that's simply the category of reader I best fit into on the site, because I have a book blog and write for another book blog, Pure Textuality. Basically, as someone who reads and recommends books, I can go there and do that for books that haven't hit the shelves yet.

Typically, reviewers, librarians, and others request the opportunity to review these books. As a newbie on the site, I probably won't be handed every book I request. The site says that a good approval rating, something like 80% or better, will encourage publishers to select you to provide reviews. It's likely that at first I'll only be approved to review books submitted to Pure Textuality by the publisher.

That's another interesting thing about the site. It is totally up to the publisher or author who receives a review copy. Sure, that's usually the case, but I like how that decision is formalized, and how the reviewers make the requests instead of the other way around.

When I filled out my profile, it was almost like filling out a profile on LinkedIn. I had to write who I was, but also how I would promote books I read. I posted links to my blog and Pure Textuality. I added my Facebook page and my Twitter profile. I think I even added my Goodreads page, since that's where I post most of my reviews in a place people who enjoy reading will likely read them.

Books I read this week
So, back to those books I read this week. I plan to submit both reviews to Pure Textuality, but I must say, both are great reads.

The first was Continuum, by Shana Lauffey.  This is another in her ten book series of time and space shifting drifters. Recommended for folks who like a more modern historical fiction. I love the pictures and the history the best.

The second was Bones & All by Camille DeAngelis, a modern thriller featuring a young girl wih an appetite. I was blown away by this one. Highly recommended for folks who love thrillers with paranormal and romantic undertones.

I'll share links to my full reviews once they are posted on Pure Textuality.

Reviews in Progress
Next on my reading queue is one I'm reading and reviewing for here. Keep an eye out for my review of Oathtaker by Patricia Reding.  I'm about 15% done with it. It's a fantasy adventure, quite long, but well-written from what I've seen so far. The author requested the review back in July. Yikes, I'm so late getting back, but she was great about it just the same.

The Freeze
Great news is also up for The Freeze. It's now available for pre-order on Amazon and I'm on track for having the paperback released at nearly the same time. Release day is set for February 14, 2015. I'm so excited about this one. I'll post a proper feature for this a bit closer to release date.

Here's proof, I do read too much!

Patricia's 2014-reads book montage

Patricia Hamill's favorite books »