Page 109 of 142

Confessions of an Author: Reviews

November 19, 2012 / Katie L. Carroll

Want an inside peak at my writing ways? I’m guest posting over at fellow Muse author Mary Waibel’s blog today.

Confession #2: I’m a very soft critic of other writers on the interweb.

I recently started writing (very brief) reviews of the books I read on Goodreads. I decided to make the time to start reviewing the books I read because I know how important it is to get the word out about books. And I’m very soft when it comes to rating and commenting about books.

(BTW…I’d love more reviews of Elixir Bound to show up on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and any other place you can post reviews. Sooo, if you’ve read the book, I’d really appreciate if you could rate it and share a few words about it on those sites. I don’t even care if you have criticism for it…I’d appreciate the rating or review no matter what.)

Here’s my approach on my book ratings. Three stars means I liked the book, but it didn’t blow me away. Four stars means I really liked the book, but I didn’t quite love it. Five stars means I really, really liked the book, maybe stayed up late to read it and maybe even loved it. My comments generally give away whether it was a really, really liked five star or a loved five star. I don’t think I’ve ever given a book less than three stars. Anything worthy of less than three stars I probably didn’t finish reading, and therefore didn’t end up on my read list.

Why am I so nice in my ratings? I believe it’s important to publicly build up my fellow authors, rather than tear them down. Until you’ve written a book and actually been through the process of trying to have it published, you have no idea the work it takes to get that done. Anyone who’s been through that process deserves to be applauded. So if I took the time to read a book, it means I felt it was worthy and I have no problem telling the rest of the world I enjoyed it.

On the other hand, if you personally ask me, in person, my opinion about a book, I may be a little more critical and candid. Because now I’m having an actual discussion with a real person about a book, a conversation that is not likely to be shared with the greater online world. A personal conversation is very different than a post on Goodreads or a comment in a blog. I’m much more careful when it comes to the latter.

That’s not to say my reviews are dishonest. They are 100% genuine. I just choose to point out what I liked about a book rather than solely focus on what I didn’t care for. After all, I’m an author, not a reviewer.

Do you review books online? What’s your approach?

What Makes a Good Book Opening?

November 12, 2012 / Katie L. Carroll

Want to find out what makes a good book opening (or rather what doesn’t make a good book opening)? Check out my guest post over at Adventures in YA & Children’s Publishing.

I’m discussing the don’ts of book beginnings, how I created the start of Elixir Bound, and a few of my own favorite YA openings.

“The Bedtime Knight” Is Born

November 9, 2012 / Katie L. Carroll

Today marked the day my picture book The Bedtime Knight, illustrated by Erika Baird, originally released with a company called MeeGenuis. While it’s no longer available there, you can now buy the ebook or signed copies of the paperback on the Purchase Books page.

You also find it at Bookshop, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, or Book Depository (for international folks). Listen to the audiobook on Chirp, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Audible, Libro.fm, Scribd, Audiobooks.com, and Google Play.

When the lights turn off at bedtime, a young mouse’s imagination runs wild. Daddy Knight charges in to the rescue and sheds light on what the shadows really are. Then he empowers his daughter to turn the scary shadows into fun imaginings.

THE BEDTIME KNIGHT is a gentle way to face the childhood fear of the dark. Perfect for a bedtime story or as a read-aloud any time of day.

We Are All Stardust

November 7, 2012 / Katie L. Carroll

I’ve been watching reruns of Discovery Channel’s series How the Universe Works on the Science Channel lately. It’s totally blowing my mind!

I did take physics in high school and college, but I don’t remember it being anywhere as awesome as this program is. Maybe I’m just late to the party, but being a physicist is probably one of the coolest jobs in the world…or the universe (second only to writing, of course!).

The other night I stayed up late to watch an episode about supernovas (exploding stars) and then a second one about stars in general. I learned something that made my skin tingle: We are all made of stardust.

That’s right. When you look up in the sky at night and see those twinkling burning balls of gas, you came from that. Are you wondering How is that possible? I could try and explain how when a star explodes it shoots out the elements that create pretty much everything in the universe, but the Discovery Channel does a much better job of it in this video.

As if it weren’t enough to realize you’re a star-child, here’s another video about just how tiny we are relative to the largest known star. We’re talking size on a level that I can’t even really imagine (and I have a pretty endless imagination).

Okay, now that my mind has been blown apart, I wonder what kind of beings its dust will create?

The Next Big Thing Blog Hop

October 31, 2012 / Katie L. Carroll

Warning: The Next Big Thing Blog Hop has gone viral. On this hallowed day, I’m sad to report I’m the latest victim. That means you’ll have to suffer through hearing all about my latest work in progress, a follow up to my novel Elixir Bound.

This all happened thanks to the virus-spreading Rosalie Skinner, who shared the pestilence of her work in progress last week.

What is the working title of your book?

Elixir Saved

Where did the idea come from for the book?

When I wrote Elixir Bound, I always knew I wanted to write a more epic sequel. Enter Elixir Saved. Three POV characters, an epic battle scene, and life-and-death choices.

What genre does your book fall under?

YA fantasy adventure

What actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

This is a tough one, mostly because I haven’t had power for the last few days, which inhibits my ability to scan the Internet looking for just the right actors.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

Each saved by the Elixir, three survivors must decide how much they are willing to sacrifice with their second chance at life.

Will you book be self-published or represented by an agency?

Most likely neither. I’ll be sending it to the publisher of Elixir Bound once it’s ready.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

Who can say? Hopefully not as long as it took to write Elixir Bound. I’m aiming for less than a year.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

Genre wise I’d say Kristin Cashore’s and Melina Marchetta’s fantasies. Wouldn’t I love someone else to compare me to those writers!

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

My sister Kylene, who died unexpectedly at the age of sixteen. I’ve been very candid about how she has influenced me in my writing career.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

Most of your favorite characters from Elixir Bound will make appearances in this book. Honestly, I’ve grown so much as a writer these last few years, I think Elixir Saved will be even better than its predecessor!

On November 7^th, the next victims of the blog hop will be posting about their own books and works in progress and spreading the madness. Tag, you’re it:

Meradeth Houston

Cheryl Carpinello

Sarah C. Pilon