My Indie Adventures

The Reality Blogger Award (Yep!)

/ Janna Hill / 8 Comments

A shout-out and thank you to the KnowledgeKnut for this nomination. I haven’t been this thrilled since I won the Biddy award for best supporting actress in Last of the Red Hot Lovers {cough} years ago. I still have that little chicken statue…

There are conditions attached to this award (see below) and answering these questions were part of said conditions.

    If you could change one thing what would you change?

My own tires.

    If you could repeat an age, what would it be?

The Stone Age. Otherwise I’m content with my current chronological phase.

    What one thing really scares you?

The only thing that really scares me resides in my imagination.

    What is one dream you have not completed, and do you think you’ll be able to complete it?

To sell one million books in one month. I’m not sure that is realistic (most dreams aren’t) but I’m optimistic.

    If you could be someone else for one day, who would it be?

Hmm, only one day? I guess I’d better stick to being me.

Another stated condition was to choose up to twenty bloggers. I couldn’t, there are too many great ones so I chose a [diverse group] of seven off the top of my head. Yes, they were just perched up there having tea on my cranium and I had to get them down so…

Island Traveler @ This Man’s Journey

Erika Clay @ Creative Liar

Humbled Pie

Elizabeth @ Mirth & Motivation

Doug @Writingfictionblog

Hillybillyzen

Staci Troilo

Here are the rules. Abide by them if you can 😦

Visit and thank the blogger who nominated you

Acknowledge that blogger on your blog and link back to them

Answer the 5 questions presented

Nominate up to 20 blogs for the award and notify them on their blogs

Copy and paste the award on your blog somewhere

Thank You WordPress. That Will Be All For Now

/ Janna Hill / 2 Comments

It may be shameful but I use WordPress as my personal messenger.  Yep, once I hit publish this will go to twitter and Facebook and I’ll go on to bed or maybe I’ll play Zuma 🙂

Here WP, go tell the folks at twitter and Facebook that I have updated the news section of my author’s website. Apologize for my neglect in promoting the Goodreads giveaway of Unjustified Favor that ends on October 30th. Tell them The Rage Trilogy  is on sale via Nook or Kindle and mention that all of my Amazon Author profiles are complete.

They’re lousy tippers so don’t spend any time over there just tell them to check the News & Reviews section. Hurry up, it’s nearly midnight. That will be all for now.

What the Heck? Door Number Four (IIII)

/ Janna Hill / 4 Comments

What the Heck is Door Number IIII

My proofreader asked that very question along with “where do you come up with this (umm) stuff?”

Answer: Door Number Four (IIII) was a short story concept designed for a specific market.  It was essentially a job interview with the challenge being “Give me something mysterious and unique with a defined beginning and ending tied up in a neat little package in six thousand words or less.” Well I screwed up on the word count (damn you Microsoft Word! 😉 I think it ended up around 6150. As a consolation I was offered $500 dollars for the concept and all rights to the story. That is a months’ worth of groceries but it is also exactly the sort of thing that drove me to becoming an indie using my real name, no matter how sullied that name may become. So here it is I’m sure I could have gone on to add more depth to the story but I really wanted to keep it as limited, raw and original as the first effort/presentation. Am I cutting my nose off to spite my face or am I saving face? Once again time will tell but I’m not going back. I have established the course and set my compass.

Wouldn’t it be awesome if Door Number III sold a million copies and Mr. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ said, “Congratulations you made that $500 bucks the hard way”

Hmmm. Dream on 🙂

Another leg on my journey as an indie.

Book Trailers and the 80’s

/ Janna Hill / 7 Comments

What do Book Trailers have in common with the 80’s?  Apparently not much.

Book trailers are not a new thing, they’re just fairly new to me. But then so is the world I wake up in everyday.

Faith, aka helpy-helper recently introduced me to book trailers. By introduced I mean she gave me a tongue lashing that ended in, “Good lord woman get with the program.1982 is long gone.”

“You don’t have to keep reminding me of that.” I whimpered.

I am not one to pine for my prime it’s just that my mind often resides in yesterday. Okay the yesterday of three decades ago. [sigh] Anywho…

Book trailers? I totally did not understand the concept. Books made into movies, sure. I’m down with that – but book TRAILERS? Really?

I said, “Faith you must be trippin.” She assured me that was not possible as she was planted firmly in her chair. “No one really looks at those things, do they?” I asked. I honestly didn’t think they did until she directed me to a few sites all the while explaining view counts.

“Well f*ck me runnin!” I giggled, then helpy-helper smacked me. She will not abide my cursing. Good for her.

After 90 minutes of browsing I admitted I liked quite a few of them, especially the talking paper-dolls. I couldn’t tell you what book was being promoted but those little paper people were sooo cute! There were several animations that were entertaining as well, you know where the drawing occurs along with the narration? What do you call that? Idk. There were a lot of really good slide shows too. I call them slide shows, someone can correct me later. I do not care much for the cinema effects except for one or two trailers. One being Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. It was really good. No, I do not know the creator or the author.

Did it make me want to buy the book? Heck no, it made me want him to finish telling the bloody story!

I am by no means an expert, on the contrary my knowledge of what goes into making an effective trailer can be stored in a thimble. But I do have an opinion and this is mine – which if added to a ten dollar bill will get you a bagel and small latte.

Thank you Faith.

What Faith accomplished was getting me past my prior prejudice. My assumption that audio and actors were not to be interbred with reading. That imposing visuals onto a book would hinder the imaginative experience. Yeah, I know. Faith is younger, prettier and hipper smarter than me. We have completed six slide-shows now and two of them I actually like. When I figure out how to work youtube (other than how to click on view) I plan to do a couple on my own. Maybe I’ll make my own movie.

Yes! I’ll brush the dust off of my rabbit coat (carefully so the fur doesn’t fall out in clumps), get my big hair going with maybe some hotdog bangs – no, scratch the bangs. Pump up the jam and dance, oh yes it ladies night and the feelings right, oh yes it’s ladies night oh what a night -ohh what a ni-i-ight.

I’m kidding, I lost my rabbit fur coat a long time ago. 🙂

But I am curious. What do others really think of book trailers? Do they convince you to buy the book? Do you watch them strictly for entertainment? Can anyone recommend a great one?

 

 

No Authors Allowed (Here’s Your Sign)

/ Janna Hill / 6 Comments

No Authors Allowed (Here’s Your Sign)

That is sort of a contradictory title because I made this sign just for you 🙂

This is really about reader feedback and what NOT to do.

I enjoy reHere's Your Signader feedback. What writer doesn’t? I encourage it and welcome even the antagonistic.

Negative reviews don’t tend to bother me either, keeping in mind negative is not always a bad thing.

Those reviews can actually be quite beneficial. A negative review might alert the author or their representative to unknown errors, loose ends or confusing plots.

Readers are a good thing and many have a wealth of expertise to offer, so writer don’t get hoity toity and remember this:

Authors are expected to overlook bad reviews as part of this chosen profession. It is considered taboo and unprofessional for an author to respond to any review. Reviews are for readers.

I truly believe in that philosophy and for the most part have upheld that belief.

I said for the most part. However…

First in my own defense let me say (that means I know I screwed up)

I have deleted many emails without replying that were riddled with crude remarks. I have even laughed at a few. Especially those that have nothing to do with my writing. Some people are way too comfortable sitting in their boxers behind a computer screen and a screen name.

A lot of them are rather funny and a few are just… heck. Take Rita Fay for example. She (if that is her real name and she is really a she) was kind enough to send me an email that said “You have a big Irish head.”

???

I don’t know what that has to do with anything I’ve written, but okay.

Honestly I thought it was one of my sisters pulling a prank. Sadly, it was not. Even sadder, it is true – I do have a big Irish head. Rita was only making an observation. 😦 I know. My response?  Delete.

Do I get a brownie point to offset what followed? No.

A few days ago I received an email that read:

Dear Janet Hill,

In reading your book I have made the following observances: you are unlearned, unladylike, your vocabulary is foul and you are grammatically challenged to say the least. I suggest you return to your nursing vocation where less cognitive thought is required.

Mr. xxxxxxxx

Boing! Ouch! I’m not sure why that stung more than the remark about my over-sized cranium but it did. It really REALLY struck a nerve. I had typed as much as “bite me you hateful bastard. You don’t have any idea what it takes to be a nurse and by the way my name is Janna, not Janet you dumb ass!” before catching myself. Delete. That would have certainly proved his point, wouldn’t it? So I took a deep breath and a long walk. Occasionally I paused to smell the flowers kick-box the air and walked farther until I had re-composed my normally genteel demeanor. When I was completely calm I walked back to my desk and replied.

Dear Mr. X,

It was quiet generous of you to spare a moment of your time and share your thoughts on my authoring abilities. Please accept my utmost apology if I have offended you, that was not my intention. You may also rest assured I have given much consideration to your observances while reflecting upon my personal faults and have come to this conclusion: you sir, are not qualified to read my book.

I know! That was a totally self-saboteur smart alack response. But que sera, sera y’all. There was no looking back; it was too late to detour. I had hit send, spilled the milk, broke the glass and lit the match. In the ashes of after thoughts I knew I’d messed up and wondered is this another bridge burned? “Time will tell” I assured myself.

Well I am delighted to tell you I have found a fan and a friend in Mr. X. He promptly replied with an apology and an obvious chuckle. I could almost hear him laughing at his own mischief when I read:

Dear Janna,

My sincerest apologies for ruffling your lovely feathers. I enjoyed your book. Actually I have enjoyed several of your books and wondered which persona might be closest to your personality. Every author breathes their own life into the cast; whether or not an author will admit that is a different topic. I was curious as well to know if you were truly southern or merely using that as a selling point. I am satisfied that you are genuine. Please forgive an ornery old man for having a wicked laugh at your expense.

Sincerely,

P.S. A thing you must learn for your own well being is this: commentators have individual motives, some write simply for the sport of it.

Whew! I dodged my own bullet.

So, have I changed my belief that authors should not reply? No! This turnout was a rare example. A short note saying thank you to a compliment? Sure, for me that is considered polite. But to respond to ridicule (in a public forum or private e mail) is bad practice. My retaliation could have had dire consequences especially for an unknown indie trying to build a fan base. Word spreads quickly among reader communities, especially if you anger someone who has 4899 followers. I was wrong to reply.

What was I thinking when I said “you sir are not qualified to read my book.”? I wasn’t! Even though I thought I had calmed down, I hadn’t. If I had been calm and rational I would have never hit that send button.

Writers are Bizarre

/ Janna Hill / 7 Comments

 

Writers are Bizarre, oh yes they are. I feel certain the majority of authors know this – those who don’t have not yet had their epiphany or come to terms with the fact. If the truth be told they are more than strange, they are obsessive odd balls bordering on schizophrenia. I suspect many have prescriptions but refuse to take the psychotropic medication because it hinders their creativity. They need to feel alive; to interact with the personalities dueling inside their heads, not subdue them. Their characters must be allowed a chance at life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness as well as the right to die.

Writers are bizarre, oh yes they are. From my observations this peculiarity seems to afflict creative writers especially. Creative writers and poets. Oh, poets are creative writers? Okay. Poets are a also a grievous lot. They are constantly imagining, seeing, and feeling or thinking. They are a curious hand with six digits and a raw nerve. Most of them are bereaved with some sort of incurable pain. Odd thing is it’s usually not their pain but the aches of every one and every thing around them as if they carried the weight of the world on their shoulders. On occasion one will write about the joy or beauty found in something. Usually that something is what the rest of earth’s inhabitants dismiss or take for granted on a daily basis.

Writers are bizarre, oh yes indeed they are. They carve out niches for indolent thoughts, sow seeds of cerebration, offer rest to weary secrets, and give birth to imagination.

Now what sort of world would this be without these flaky, freakish, alien-like individuals?

Gone would be the greens and reds, lost to slow decay. In place of all the rainbows bled – a shade of muted gray.

Pace by Numbers

/ Janna Hill / Leave a comment

I am not a numerology freak by any means but I do find the theory fascinating at times. Coincidental? Maybe. Wishful thinking or superstition? Idk. When it’s good news I [like anyone else] want to believe it. When it is doom and gloom I tend to say ah phooey! Today the numbers 1 and 2 have occurred repeatedly, the digits of the day so to speak.

Bad thing (ah phooey) I got a speeding ticket at 11:12 am heading home from the gulf coast.The officer’s ID was 12xx

Good thing for a new indie in my opinion (yee-haw)  according to my August stats sales for Amazon USA 222 copies of Between the Rage and Grace had sold.

Sunrise over South Texas as we began our journey northward home.

I know many other numbers flashed before my eyes as we made our way home but oddly it was the numbers 1 and 2 that caught my eye.

If it means anything at all … maybe it is the Yin and Yang.

Maybe the moral of this story is slow down, pace yourself, it’s gonna be okay.

I made enough money to pay for my speeding ticket and life is still good 🙂

 

Burning Bridges

/ Janna Hill / 4 Comments

Staci Troilo’s recent blog It’s Up To You New York, New York got me to thinking. I know I’m not supposed to do that without the proper adult supervision but I promise not to make any decisions, only reflections.

In January of this year (2012) I decided to become an Indie aka independent author. The decision was fueled by several factors but the main one being I tend to rebel against [what I perceive as] unfairness. The thing about perceptions is if you take a few breaths and calm down they sometimes change. The trouble is I forget to breathe until I’ve already tossed the match. Yep, I have burned a few small bridges in my day. The last little causeway went up in flames when I refused to write anything that didn’t have my real name attached to it and said kiss my _ _ _ (let’s use the word grits instead.) Ahh, I can still smell the singed hair.

** Bobby Bare’s Winner and Frank Sinatra’s My Way are now overlapping in my head**

I whole heartedly expected to struggle as an independent, that’s what real artists do, right? Right! But if I am honest the struggle is a bit more than I anticipated and the road I am on is not the soft sandy path I saw in the distance. Nay! It is a deep rocky rut filled with tar pits and sharp objects that must be overcome. Here there are few if any bridges for burning.

Oh yes, I am guilty of being a pissy little pyromaniac at times. Though I sincerely try not to burn other people’s bridges it occasionally happens.

Twelve years ago we (my youngest son, daughter and I) worked on the set of a local television series. We never had more than a minor part that usually ended up on the cutting room floor but it was fun. The locations varied, the food was always good and the people were so warm and friendly that every assignment felt like a family reunion. Never mind the pay and meeting a few celebrities I would have gone for free chuck wagon.  Rib eye, meatloaf, tacos, pies and pastries…

(Oops- memory lane digression)

As I was saying the people on set were great but there was this one agent who shall remain nameless and unemployed if God answer’s vengeful prayers. In my own defense I did take a deep breath and wait for the perception to change. It didn’t happen. Greedy is as greedy does.

#1 If you agree to fifteen percent and you take twenty that is stealing.

#2 Everyone knows a speaking part pays more. Only a thief would pocket the difference and issue a separate check with a cockamamie excuse.

#3 Never mind.

It wasn’t only my money or I probably would have said “okay, no prob just point me to the catering truck.” No, it was my child’s money and it is bad business to mess with another woman’s child. Amen?  I didn’t just strike a match to that conduit I set a freaking bonfire. Score one for me. Boo-yah! Start doing the victory dance…  Um – yeah. I think my son is still mad at me for that one. You’ve heard the old adage ‘you’ll never work in this town again’? Well I am here to tell you that can absolutely be  true.

My only regret  is the series ended the following year before I could build a new bridge.

So what does this have to do with Staci’s blog other than basic inspiration and the fact that we are all trying to make it? I’ll let you read her blog and decide. I’m really okay with the fact that I will probably never make it in the New York she speaks of; I don’t have the temperament for it.  But I feel the burn, the stretching of ribs and triceps as I reach for a brass ring of my own and reflect on the burnt bridges of my past.

Yippee Another Quiz! Behind the Rage

/ Janna Hill / Leave a comment

The last quiz on Between the Rage and Grace was so much fun I couldn’t wait to do one on Behind the Rage which is the 2nd book in the series. This title was released in March of this year. So without further adieu…