Indie & Self Published Books

As a blogger, I absolutely love being contacted by an author and asked to read and review their book. There's something infinitely special about being chosen to read something someone has put their heart and soul into. It's a fragile child they are putting out there for the first time to either be loved or shredded and it must be one of the most difficult things an author can do.

Looking at that from the standpoint of authors with well-established, big name publishers, it may or may not be very difficult because they have great PR people who comb through lists of trusted bloggers that they know will be fair and objective. The author may know very little about that process unless they read the blogs themselves. Which isn't to say it's not tough to have your children put into the hands of strangers who may or may not like them. But as far as I can see there is a nice layer of detachment between the author signed to a big name publisher and the indie author or the self-published one. I have yet to be asked to read a book by an author signed to a big name publisher (though I have been requested by marketing managers or PR people to do so a few times).

No, it's the authors themselves that request me to review indie or self published books which are usually only available in eBook form. The most recent, Dream Smashers by Angela Carlie, has to be one of the greatest interactions I've had with an author. It was very real and I could tell just how much of her soul must be in the story by the way she spoke to me about it before and after I accepted and began reading the book.

One of the best interactions I've had yet with an author was with Steve Harper who wrote the King's X series of novellas, which I am working on reading at the moment. He took the time to dialog with me about my review of the first part of the story and get a better understanding of what I meant in what I had said. I was flattered that I, as a blogger, was important enough to be scrutinized by the author and I enjoyed the honest back and forth of our mutual feedback.

The thing that I've noticed about the indie and self published stories that I've been requested to read is that they all are fantastic and well written. It makes me wonder just exactly why the author has not been signed to a big name publisher. I invite authors to explain it to me, whether they made the choice to avoid or were rejected. I'm very curious. I've read too many books written by authors signed to big name publishing houses that really should never have put pen to paper and here are these AMAZING stories that are being promoted by the authors themselves rather than marketing managers or PR people.

For years before I started book blogging I had heard that people don't take indie or self published books seriously and that it's a very difficult road to take if you want your book to be read. I was told that if I ever wanted to have a book I had written read by more than 10 people, I would have to win a cosmic lottery and be favored by a book editor at a big name publishing house. Books like In The Storm by Karen Metcalf, Dream Smashers by Angela Carlie, Right Side Talking by Bonnie Rozanski, and the King's X series by Stephen Harper should be receiving MUCH bigger notice than the authors themselves may be able to drum up on their own. I wish I could personally buy 50 copies of each of these crazily well-written, incredible stories and hand them out to 200 people I knew would run with them and make sure every person they knew read them.

But I obviously can't because I don't have that kind of money. So I want to encourage any blogger contacted by an indie or self published author asking them to read and review their book to not discount the request because the book isn't one you've heard of or seen well publicized. I can promise you that you will be missing out on something you will really enjoy. They touch on really great topics including social issues that beg to be heard like meth addiction in Dream Smashers and child abuse in In The Storm or give better exposure to issues like epilepsy like in Right Side Talking or they are just pure fantastical imaginative fun like King's X.

Now I do know that everyone's experiences are different but I have had nothing but the best time reading and reviewing these books. I would hope that anyone and everyone in the blogosphere would aid these authors in spreading the word about their great books.

If you are aware of an indie or self published book that an author is looking to promote, please feel free to send me an email and I'll definitely sneak a blurb up onto my blog or New Books for New Bloggers about it.

Winner: Cleaning My Bookshelf Giveaway #4

Here is the winner for the fourth Cleaning My Bookshelf giveaway. There's still time to enter the Prom & Prejudice giveaway so get cracking!.

Cleaning My Shelf Giveaway #4
Flora Segunda by Ysabeau S. Wilce

and the winner is...
Lacey @ Lacey in the Sky with Books

Congrats to the winners! Be sure to enter the rest of the Cleaning My Bookshelf giveaways!

Waiting on Wednesday #011: Summer 2012

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

No covers available yet so you get author pics instead!

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Riding Backward by Tracy Bilen
Release Date: Summer 2012

From Goodreads.com
Sixteen-year-old Sara and her mom are running away from home. But not until tomorrow. Tonight there's one last dinner with Dad, who still asks why her dead brother is late for dinner.

Sara's mom says to meet her at the Dairy Dream. Then she never shows up. And everything in the suitcase Sara had packed has been put away. Neatly. Like her dad would do.

Where is Sara's mom? Will Sara find her before it's too late?

The whole idea of this book gets me chomping at the bit to read it. I love mysteries and this one looks like it will be a sort of dangerous, claustrophobic story which is something I really like in mysteries. If it also goes into social awareness topics too I will be in heaven.

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The Selection by Kiera Cass
Release Date: Summer 2012

From KieraCass.com
A dystopian romance pitched as "The Hunger Games" meets "The Bachelor", The Selection follows 17-year-old America Singer, one of the eligible women selected to compete to become the next queen, who finds herself falling in love despite only wanting to break her family out of the lower castes and leaving her boyfriend at home.

I can't wait to see the cover for this one. You know that I love The HUnger Games so anything that promises to be similar is definitely on my TBR list. I know that I shouldn't want something that sounds derivative because it's just not cool but so what? I like what I like and The Hunger Games was like candy. Who doesn't want more candy? :D

Winner: Cleaning My Bookshelf Giveaway #3

Here is the winner for the third Cleaning My Bookshelf giveaway. There's still time to enter the other 2 so get cracking!.

Cleaning My Shelf Giveaway #3
Kiss In The Dark by Lauren Henderson

and the winner is...
Khadija @ Black Fingernailed Reviews

Congrats to the winners! Be sure to enter the rest of the Cleaning My Bookshelf giveaways!

In My Mailbox #002

In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by The Story Siren.

ARCs For Review

• Exposed by Kimberly Marcus
• Chime by Franny Billingsley

Book For Giveaway

• Gimme A Call by Sarah Mlynowski
  This is signed by the author, as you can see in the picture, and I'll be giving it away over at New Books for New Bloggers as one of the extra monthly giveaways for members.

eBooks For Review

I was requested to read and review Dream Smashers by Angela Carlie which will be released early next month. I'm about halfway through and really enjoying it. Here is a trailer:

Winners: Cleaning My Bookshelf #1 & #2

Sorry I'm so behind. I'm a little discombobulated getting back into my routine after vacation and we just found out my poor daughter may have early stages of Lyme disease so bear with me.

Now for the good bits! I have winners for the first two Cleaning My Bookshelf giveaways. There's still time to enter the other 3 so get cracking!.

Cleaning My Shelf Giveaway #1
I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

and the winner is...
Alli @ Magnet4Books

Cleaning My Shelf Giveaway #2
Ink Exchange (Wicked Lovely #2) by Melissa Marr

and the winner is...
Mandy @ Embrace Your Oddities

Congrats to the winners! Be sure to enter the rest of the Cleaning My Bookshelf giveaways!

Review: Drought by Pam Bachorz

Drought by Pam Bachorz

Release Date: January 25, 2011
Publisher: EgmonUSA
Pages: 386
Reading level: Young Adult
My Rating:

Ruby Prosser dreams of escaping the Congregation and the early-nineteenth century lifestyle that’s been practiced since the community was first enslaved.

She plots to escape the vicious Darwin West, his cruel Overseers, and the daily struggle to gather the life-prolonging Water that keeps the Congregants alive and gives Darwin his wealth and power. But if Ruby leaves, the Congregation will die without the secret ingredient that makes the Water special: her blood.

So she stays.

But when Ruby meets Ford, the new Overseer who seems barely older than herself, her desire for freedom is too strong. He’s sympathetic, irresistible, forbidden—and her only access to the modern world. Escape with Ford would be so simple, but can Ruby risk the terrible price, dooming the only world she’s ever known?

-- from Goodreads.com

This was a seriously fantastic story to read. It had so many things going on at different times that it was almost never dull or boring. There were so many things going on that even the narrator wasn't aware of in spite of the fact she was the one telling the story. It was fascinating to watch how Ms. Bachorz wove into the story subtle clues to what would happen in the final 50 or so pages. And let me tell you, the last 50 or so pages flew by so quickly that I found myself on the last page and wishing there were so many more.

The characters in this book began a little underdeveloped for my taste. They were somewhat one-dimensional and flat in the beginning, but perhaps one can forgive that because considering it's told in the first person by someone who has lived the same exhausting, repetitive life for 200 years, everything and everyone around would be sort of monotonous and flat. But as the story develops and new pieces of personalities of those around Ruby come to light, we see the gray life of those who harvest water during a dry and colorless drought bloom into bursts of color. And for someone like me who associates color with personalities, this was a real treat.

I especially loved some of the nuances of Ms. Bachorz's writing that tied in the entire drought theme to how people were feeling. Particularly how the blossoming relationship between Ruby and the Overseer Ford was described, in Ruby's words, as, "It feels as if the air between us is like a tender waterdrop; one more move and it will burst." Their romance is saturated in life and immersed in the wonder that is discovering real and true love for the first time in your life. Some may say it happens too quickly but consider the fact that Ruby is over 200 years old and she's been extremely repressed by the society she lives in. It's only natural that she feel on some subconscious level that those she lives with don't have the same value for her as Ford appears to and that she would cling to that. And she does try to fight it for the sake of duty. It's not until something very strongly and forcefully breaks the bonds between her and some in her community that the dam bursts and Ruby's real desires gush forth.

I think the book could have been a little bit more tightly edited. There are some parts of it that felt added in because YA novels have gotten to be so long now and there just needed to be something more added to elongate the book. I think with about 50 fewer pages of Ruby remembering and lamenting the past and people she lost (whether physically or figuratively) it would have been an even faster, more brilliant read. That said, however, I don't think being a little wordy is such a bad thing. I enjoy Charles Dickens after all!

I found the plot twists in the story to be delicious and I liked being able to come to the slow conclusion of Ruby's situation and her true importance to the Elders of her community along with her. Discovering evil in places she hadn't thought existed along with her was fascinating even if truly saddening for her sake. I think Ms. Bachorz brings a bit of literary elegance to this story by bringing the reader along on a slow burn with some of the subplots and major themes of the novel with bright bursts of action in a way reminiscent of Jane Eyre. It's thoroughly well written and perhaps doesn't have all the over-the-top bells and whistles that some seem to need in their dystopias but I was completely satisfied. The ending wrapped up neatly enough that this could be a stand alone (which you know I love in an ending) but left enough possibility open for at least a second dip into Ruby's world.

Vacay Moment

I just wanted to say a brief thank you to everyone who has been so supportive of my blog and of New Books for New Bloggers. You know who you are and you mean the world to me.

Also I wanted to thank everyone who has stopped by and complimented me on my header. I had a lot of fun designing it and the one at New Books for New Bloggers as well. I'm considering offering my talents for a small fee and curious if that would be something anyone would be interested in.

Finally I just wanted to say that I'm on vacation this week in Florida and I may not be around a lot this week. Or I may be around a lot, depending on what my sister decides we're doing. I brought two books and my Nook so I'm definitely going to be reading. What do you take on your vacations (as in books)?

Review: Firelight by Sophie Jordan

Firelight by Sophie Jordan

Release Date: September 7, 2010
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages: 336
Reading level: Young Adult
My Rating:

A hidden truth.
Mortal enemies.
Doomed love.

Marked as special at an early age, Jacinda knows her every move is watched. But she longs for freedom to make her own choices. When she breaks the most sacred tenet among her kind, she nearly pays with her life. Until a beautiful stranger saves her. A stranger who was sent to hunt those like her. For Jacinda is a draki—a descendant of dragons whose greatest defense is her secret ability to shift into human form.

Forced to flee into the mortal world with her family, Jacinda struggles to adapt to her new surroundings. The only bright light is Will. Gorgeous, elusive Will who stirs her inner draki to life. Although she is irresistibly drawn to him, Jacinda knows Will's dark secret: He and his family are hunters. She should avoid him at all costs. But her inner draki is slowly slipping away—if it dies she will be left as a human forever. She'll do anything to prevent that. Even if it means getting closer to her most dangerous enemy.

Mythical powers and breathtaking romance ignite in this story of a girl who defies all expectations and whose love crosses an ancient divide.

-- from Randombuzzers.com

This was the first YA book I had read with dragons written in this way and I was completely fascinated by the idea. The world was so expertly built and woven together that I was able to fall completely into it to the point that I was up all night reading this so that I could finish it. I had to know what was going to happen and each page propelled me further into the story and the world.

The characters were brilliantly distinct and multi-layered in ways that I found to be a lot more mature (in some respects) than the majority of YA novels I've read recently. I felt like I was in the fantastically & inventively imagined world with Jacinda and because of how intimate her voice was in the writing, I sometimes felt like I WAS Jacinda. Her relationship with Will was well-written and took me back to feelings I had back in high school when I was discovering love for the first time. That fluttery, nervous feeling I hadn't felt in so many years. So much fun!

One thing I found a little difficult to get around was the separation of the twin sisters in the way it was written -- it didn't seem natural to me -- but then who knows how one sister being a dragon and the other not would affect real people. I hope that this relationship is explored more in depth and better formed in the sequel, Vanish, which I cannot wait to read.

This was such an excellent book. It was such an intense read that I was sad to send it back to library! I highly recommend it to everyone who loves fantasy elements in reality or really acute romantic tension. Read it! No, really. Now!

Review: The Scorch Trials by James Dashner

The Scorch Trials by James Dashner

Release Date: October 12, 2010
Publisher: Delacorte
Pages: 368
Reading level: Young Adult
My Rating:

Solving the Maze was supposed to be the end. No more puzzles. No more variables. And no more running. Thomas was sure that escape meant he and the Gladers would get their lives back. But no one really knew what sort of life they were going back to.

In the Maze, life was easy. They had food, and shelter, and safety . . . until Teresa triggered the end. In the world outside the Maze, however, the end was triggered long ago.

Burned by sun flares and baked by a new, brutal climate, the earth is a wasteland. Government has disintegrated—and with it, order—and now Cranks, people covered in festering wounds and driven to murderous insanity by the infectious disease known as the Flare, roam the crumbling cities hunting for their next victim . . . and meal.

The Gladers are far from finished with running. Instead of freedom, they find themselves faced with another trial. They must cross the Scorch, the most burned-out section of the world, and arrive at a safe haven in two weeks. And WICKED has made sure to adjust the variables and stack the odds against them.

Thomas can only wonder—does he hold the secret of freedom somewhere in his mind? Or will he forever be at the mercy of WICKED?

-- from Randombuzzers.com

This was not the book I was expecting when I read the summaries on the web. I had pictured a zombie infested world that the boys had to manage their way through which seemed like it would be a bit disappointing after the other out-right zombie series and the way the Maze Runner had not included anything like that previously. What I got was a veritable scavenger hunt through seriously harsh environments with the addition of girls and others who added such color and dimension to the story. I found myself reading as fast as I could, biting my fingernails, and cheering at certain points.

I particularly enjoyed the further development of Thomas's character as he grows beyond the somewhat shy newbie he started out to be in the first book to a strong, hero-like figure toward the end. I struggled with reading the development of Teresa, however, and hope that where we are left with her at the end of this book is not what it seems. When writer's short-change their readers to keep the pair readers are rooting for apart, it can be frustrating. But I trust Mr. Dashner to have a grander plot in mind and I, for one, cannot wait another year for the final installment!

I was up all night with this one, devouring it as fast as Crank can chase you through the underground tunnels. which, by the way, was one of my favorite scenes in the book but I won't spoil you for it if you haven't read it yet. If you haven't read it yet, get thee to the bookstore or library now! Read it!

Follow Friday #009

Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee.com.

 

This Week's Question: How did you come up with your blog name?
For years I've used the name "intothemorning" as my username on various blogging and other sites where a log in is required. It came from the lyrics of the song Into The Morning by a group called The Weekend. It's about young love and staying up all night, into the morning, which is sometimes how I feel about the books I read. It just seemed like a natural thing to name my blog!

Actually since it was mentioned, here's the youtube clip. I had forgotten it was from the DEBS soundtrack. So many years ago!

 

Comment if you decide to follow me. I'd love to read your blog and follow you too!

Giveaway: Cleaning My Bookshelf #5

Summary
Prom & Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg
Format: Hardcover
After winter break, the girls at the very prestigious Longbourn Academy become obsessed with the prom. Lizzie Bennet, who attends Longbourn on a scholarship, isn’t interested in designer dresses and expensive shoes, but her best friend, Jane, might be — especially now that Charles Bingley is back from a semester in London. Lizzie is happy about her friend’s burgeoning romance but less than impressed by Charles’s friend, Will Darcy, who’s snobby and pretentious. Darcy doesn’t seem to like Lizzie either, but she assumes it’s because her family doesn’t have money. Clearly, Will Darcy is a pompous jerk — so why does Lizzie find herself drawn to him anyway? Will Lizzie’s pride and Will’s prejudice keep them apart? Or are they a prom couple in the making? Whatever the result, Elizabeth Eulberg, author of The Lonely Hearts Club, has concocted a very funny, completely stylish delight for any season — prom or otherwise.

Rules
1. You must fill in the form below.
2. You must be 13 or older.
3. You must be from the US or Canada (sorry I can't afford international)
4. You don't have to be a follower but it would be nice!
5. Contest deadline is 12 a.m. EST on April 1, 2011.

Fill Out Form Here

Books & Movies: The Hunger Games - Katniss Cast

According to my fun little Shelf Awareness newsletter:

Oscar nominee Jennifer Lawrence (Winter's Bone) will play the role of Katniss in The Hunger Games, based on the bestselling novels by Suzanne Collins, the Wrap reported. Lionsgate "plans the franchise as a trilogy which will include The Hunger Games, Catching Fire and Mockingjay. Gary Ross (Seabiscuit) is directing the film, which will debut on March 23, 2012."

Several actors are rumored to be under consideration for the role of Peeta Mellark, including Alex Pettyfer (I Am Number Four), Josh Hutcherson (The Kids Are All Right, Bridge to Terabithia) and Hunter Parrish (Weeds), the Wrap wrote.

I guess that means I'm running out to my redbox to snag Winter's Bone and see what we have in store for us. As far as I can tell though she's got a good face for the part. And with an Oscar nomination she's certain to be able to act as well. So congrats, Jennifer.

Giveaway: Cleaning My Bookshelf #4

Summary
Flora Segunda (Flora Trilogy #1) by Ysabeau S. Wilce
Format: ARC
Flora knows better than to take shortcuts in her family home, Crackpot Hall—the house has eleven thousand rooms, and ever since her mother banished the magickal butler, those rooms move around at random. But Flora is late for school, so she takes the unpredictable elevator anyway. Huge mistake. Lost in her own house, she stumbles upon the long-banished butler—and into a mind-blowing muddle of intrigue and betrayal that changes her world forever.

Rules
1. You must fill in the form below.
2. You must be 13 or older.
3. You must be from the US or Canada (sorry I can't afford international)
4. You don't have to be a follower but it would be nice!
5. Contest deadline is 12 a.m. EST on March 31, 2011.

Fill Out Form Here

Review: King's X (Episode 1) by Stephen T. Harper

King's X (Episode 1) by Stephen T. Harper

Release Date: December 13, 2010
Publisher: Novel Endeavor Books
Pages: 75
Reading level: Adult
My Rating:

A young detective working the night shift in Hollywood, Wendell Book has seen plenty of tragic teen runaways, but never one like Molly. Every night, she dreams of violent deaths and whispering voices that push her to do wicked things, like run away from home, steal cars, and break into a stranger's apartment. Wendell Book's apartment.

In time, maybe just in time, Molly begins to see her dreams for what they really are. Memories. The deaths she recalls were all her own, each a link in a long chain of lifetimes. The mercilessly unfolding truth - this overwhelmed girl is the fox in an impossible hunt. She is the guardian of an ancient and mysterious object known only as the King's X. Its true owners have chased her from lifetime to lifetime to get it back.

Now, they have the scent again...

Mini-Disclaimer: Alright, this is not a young adult novel by any means but as I know there are adult readers of my blog I am reviewing this here for your interest because it's a fascinating read.

This novella starts out mid-action and doesn't seem to slow down even when the author is describing delicate women in quiet moments with the men they care for. Which, definitely are not the key elements of the plot of this noir-esque story. There is a lot to absorb on the few pages of this first part. It's a giant feat to be able to fit so much character introduction and unveil at least enough of the wide-ranging plot to keep the reader wanting to log onto Barnes & Noble to read the next episode and Mr. Harper accomplishes it well.

The characters are developed well enough with the simplest of clues and statements that I quickly fell into the world being created. I especially enjoyed the historical segments as I have a fascination with the Crusades and Knights Templar. I felt the characters and description of settings was much richer and more colorful in these sections than in the more modern sections. I found myself more interested in what would happen with Sebastien and Khali than with Book, Molly, and Sara.

All in all, this was a nicely gritty, fun read. I'm impressed with the fortitude it must have taken to weave together something so complicated as I can already feel this story is going to be. I think that if you're an adult (there were some things that I personally don't think young adults would relate to or need to read) and need to take a break from YA for a bit, pick up King's X. You won't be sorry.

Quick Question

So, in spite of all the time that I have to read, I'm finding myself with a total lack of desire to read. I've got a few books on my Nook that I'm just not finishing. Delirium is fantastic but I just can't sit down and get through it. I have books I'm supposed to be reading for review but I'm stalled.

I've had writer's block before but never reader's block. Oy! Do you ever find yourself in this position? What do you do to get out of it?

Waiting on Wednesday #010: The Girl Who Was On Fire

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

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The Girl Who Was on Fire Edited by Leah Wilson
Release Date: April 5, 2011

From Goodreads.com
Praised by writers from Stephen King to Stephenie Meyer, Suzanne Collins’ New York Times bestselling Hunger Games trilogy is dark, captivating, and deeply thought-provoking. Part straight-up survivalist adventure, part rich allegory, and part political thriller, the series has become a new YA favorite.

The Girl Who Was On Fire offers even more to think about for teen readers already engrossed by the Hunger Games. From the trilogy's darker themes of violence and social control to reality television, fashion, and weaponry, the collection's exploration of the Hunger Games by other YA writers reveals exactly how rich, and how perilous, protagonist Katniss’ world really is.

The Girl Who Was On Fire covers all three books in the Hunger Games trilogy.

I am a huge fan of the Hunger Games trilogy so when I saw this I knew I wanted to read it immediately. Except now I have to wait! Drat. I've never read a book of essays so this should be pretty interesting.