I found out why The Monomaniacal Middle Grade Reviewer stopped doing reviews. He read “Fur Face” by Jon Gibbs, and really enjoyed it. However, he knew I wanted him to review it, but he was embarrassed to do one because he met the author at a recent book signing.
“Well, did you like the story?” I asked.
“Yeah.”
“Then what are you worried about?”
I got the lip… If you’re a parent, you know what that means.
He was just self-conscious about it because he was afraid of what he would look like in front of an author that he feels like he knows, even though his review would be positive.
Note to self: Introduce the MMGR to authors AFTER he has given the review.
Anyway… The MMGR’s review of Fur Face was:
(I’m paraphrasing from several conversations over the last several weeks)
It was really good. It was about this cat that can talk, who has to find a kid that can understand him to help him do what he has to do.
(Trying not to drop a spoiler there)
He mentioned an intricate plot that would be hard to describe. There was lots of funny stuff and action, and a big mystery about animals that had to be saved. (Right up his alley)
I didn’t get a star rating on Fur Face, but book two is on his list of “I gotta have it” books.
Now that we’re over that hurdle… The Monomaniacal Middle Grade Reviewer should be returning to the blogosphere very shortly. Yay!
After well over two hundred years of publication, The Encyclopedia Britannica has decided to close the doors on its presses.
No more hard bound, tangible versions. It will still, however, be available on-line.
I have mixes feelings about this. Most of them are purely sentimental. An abridged version of the Encyclopedia Britannica (One volume, that weighed about 90 pounds written in typeface you needed a magnifying glass to read) got me through all of high school and some of college. It was an old friend.
I remember those all-too-thin pages that were almost translucent. I remember the gold letters carved out on the sides of the pages to help me find my way.
I loved that book. What an incredible resource.
I believe I still have it. I think it is in my attic
(I know-not a good place for it)
I was thinking over all of the reports that I have done with my kids in the last few years. I could have dug it out, and showed them how to do “tangible” research.
This is no longer our culture. We don’t need to lug around huge volumes of encyclopedias when we can just “Google it”.
Yes, you need to be careful with internet research, but there is a wealth of information out there, and it is updated faster than any print-volume of a reference book. (As Encyclopedia Britannica found out.)
I don’t know. Part of me is still sad to see paper go. But this is a natural evolution of the age we are in.
In my novel, there is a chapter where my main character sees printed books. He is surprised, because printed books are such a luxury.
I wonder how long it will be before this is actually true in this galaxy.
Sorry Little Blue Lady from Mars. I don’t have time to interview you today.
Unacceptable! I will be interviewed!
Wow! Did you just get bigger? Ummmm… Will you answer questions? Give helpful comments?
Ha Ha! No! I am here to take over the world!
.
.
Ummmmm. Maybe next week.
Today we are talking to the lovely and talented Brinda Berry
Hello, Brinda!
(Imagine Brinda waving madly)
Your first novel, The Waiting Booth was published in 2011. It was your very first published piece, right?
Yes, The Waiting Booth was my debut novel.
Do you have an agent?
I don’t have an agent. I have experience in querying agents but not in obtaining one. That was supposed to be funny. If you are an author, you should be smiling.
A brave lady. Publisher direct, Huh? So, How many publishers did you query before finding Etopia?
I have a spreadsheet with the exact number and details, but I’d say I queried a dozen before receiving the offer from Etopia Press.
What was your funniest/most memorable rejection letter?
Most of what I received were form letters. I don’t remember any specific letter that stands out. It’s all a blur. You begin to feel that you can recite the first paragraph of a rejection letter before you read it.
How did you settle down with Etopia press?
I participated in an online conference with authors and publishers. This conference, Digicon, accomplished two things for me. It gave me tons of information about digital publishing as opposed to traditional publishing. It exposed me to the changes taking place in publishing. It also gave authors the opportunity to participate in online pitch sessions with requested publishers. I received two offers as a result of the pitches. I chose Etopia because of the quality of their published works and their input on my manuscript.
I have a fifty pound poodle that could eat your cairn terriers. Either that, or she’d roll around with them making a mess of the lawn.
I hope she’d roll around with them.
Chloe is licking her chops looking over the screen. Don’t let her bows fool you.
Brinda: One of my cairns believes he is a bull mastiff. If challenged, he acts like a lunatic.
Sounds like a two-on-one puppy derby!
Okay, back on topic. Your first novel, The Waiting Booth, was told in “mostly first person” you switched to another POV in a few chapters. New writers are told to shy away from this. How’d you get away with it? Did the publisher have any concerns?
Although I felt this was the right thing for me to do in my story, I did have reservations. I quizzed my editor about the risk in another POV, and she whole-heartedly supported it. She had no reservations and I trusted her instincts. You will see this again in the second book of the series, Whisper of Memory.
So, interdimensional portals hidden in the woods, huh? Where did that concept come from?
I have a wild imagination. What can I say? Actually, I’ve always loved stories about portals. Also, I spend two hours daily in a car for my commute. I enjoy listening to NPR podcasts about string theory, black holes, and alternate dimensions.
Sexy government agents are always a hoot too.
One of mine is a hoot. The other is just sexy.
Just sexy works for me 🙂 Let’s see… If you had a choice between a pound of Godiva chocolate, or a week’s free Starbuck’s coffee, which would you take?
Could I take 1/2 lb of Godiva with the 3.5 days of Starbucks?
Nope.
You are drill sergeant tough. I guess the chocolate. One Christmas, my husband gave me a 5 lb. box of Godivas. The man loves me.
Yeah for thoughtful hubbies!
I hear you’re an internet junkie. What’s your favorite internet site?
I spend most of my time reading blogs. I like Amazon a lot because you can find anything there. I spend a limited amount of time on social media like Twitter and Facebook.
Yeah, I’m not much for Twitter or Facebook either, although I have met some interesting people on Twitter.
Your new novel, Whisper of Memory, is out on March 16. How long have you been working on it?
I worked on it for approximately three months. That does not include time editing after it was submitted to my editor. After submission and contract signing, you can add several additional months.
Because I work a day job, I’m a slow writer. I hope to get faster at some point (or not require a day job).
Quick Brenda Run!
Aaaaaa!
Okay, I just blocked her with my cyber-super-blog-o-blocometer. We’re safe. Quick, before she breaks back in, tell us about your new novel.
Are you sure it’s safe?
Yeah, I’ve got my finger on the blocometer button. go ahead.
Okay. Whisper of Memory is Book 2 in the Whispering Woods series. It was actually more fun to write since I knew the characters so much better. I like to have lots of action, and it was interesting to create problems for my characters. Mia Taylor, the main character, is a high school senior who is a synesthete. Her sensory perception is different from the norm. Beyond the typical synesthesia experience, Mia is able to sense portals. In Book 1, The Waiting Booth, she wanted to find her missing older brother. This book still includes that goal but adds the tension of a romantic relationship.
Did you have this plot in mind when you finished book #1, or did that come later.
I already had this book plotted when I finished Book 1. Otherwise, the first book might have ended differently.
If anyone wants to get a taste of Brinda’s first novel, here is the trailer. You can pick up book one now so you are all ready for the release of book two in a few days.
Check out the book trailer here!
Just curious, did your publisher ask you for another novel, or did you wave and say “Hi, I have more!”
When I pitched my story for the first book, I let them know that I had plans for three in this series. I was asked to give the details for the entire series arc.
What is one bit of advice you can give to “soon to be published” authors?
One rejection does not a failure make. Seriously. Also, authors should be open to new ideas and challenges.
Great! Thanks, Brinda. As you know, Q & A is a prerequisite to stopping by here. Are you ready to answer questions?
Anyway… The MMGR’s review of Fur Face was:
Yes, The Waiting Booth was my debut novel.
Jennifer M Eaton 