Today, I received a review from another author. He is in a group I am in but we are not friends. He did not pay for my book but I sent him a copy of my pdf file to him. I never claimed to be perfect but I thought my book was better than my first which had spelling mistakes I missed and bad formatting caused by the publisher. Before this review, 4 other people reviewed it.
The Past Hunter is my first Christian Romance. I only found one mistake but he pointed out more than one. He said that the book should not be published. I am sorry he felt that way and I am glad I never got a hold of his book to review.
I write because it is a way of escape for me. I know I am not perfect and that is why I asked someone to proofread it before I published it. My next book is in the process of being edited so let's see if people like him will say something like that again.
I know there are authors out there who may be called to write, but I am called to teach. I thank you for being honest, but tell me that my book should not be published is an insult. If God gave you a talent and someone came up to you and said "You shouldn't have that talent" How would you feel? My gut feeling tells me by his review he doesn't know God at all. The only thing positive he said is "Great message"
Monday, March 25, 2013
Friday, March 1, 2013
Christians and paranormal Fiction and others
I am a very devout person, and I was raised with very spiritual convictions. I try to be accepting if my other Christian authors/friends' faith are weak. The Apostle Paul wrote that we should accept him whose faith is weak. Is it my place to tell them "A Christian should not write certain fiction?" Do I have convincing proof that writing books about alien beings is not right for Christians to write? Or that writing about witches and vampires is also wrong? No, I don't. It is between them and God. If they have no convictions about what they write then is it my place to make it clear to them? No, but does it mean I have to agree with their reasoning? No.
However, it doesn't mean these creatures and beings don't exist. Take for example ghosts. I for once thought that only the Holy Ghost exists until I read a verse in the Bible where the disciples thought Jesus was a ghost. As for witches, yes there were witches in the Bible but God told people that they were not suppose to have anything to do with the occult (Witchcraft, sorcery, etc. is the occult) In the Harry Potter Series, Harry and his cohorts are all witches. Yes, you may say it is good versus evil but there is no such thing as good witches. Witchcraft is wrong! Writing about the use of witchcraft is almost like glorifying it. The more you write about it or talk about, the more the devil loves to hear! But what if you write about a Christian who falls in love with a warlock or a witch? The warlock or witch does not tell the Christian who or what they are, but they seem to have some power over them until the Christian realizes that any curse the other person puts on them can not work. In the book of Numbers, Balak asked Balaam to put a curse on God's people, but he could not. He said, "How can I curse what God has blessed?" This had given me an idea to try a paranormal romance!
Another kind of fiction I think is strange for Christians to write are Vampire Fictions! How is that a Christian can become a victim of a vampire if she is blessed? Unless however that Christian is not aware of that. It is not my place to judge. Perhaps God has allowed his people to write such stories. I would like to try paranormal romance sometime if God allows me too. We shall see. By the way, some readers may consider reading HP Series a fantasy but we are not suppose ot chase after fanstasies.
However, it doesn't mean these creatures and beings don't exist. Take for example ghosts. I for once thought that only the Holy Ghost exists until I read a verse in the Bible where the disciples thought Jesus was a ghost. As for witches, yes there were witches in the Bible but God told people that they were not suppose to have anything to do with the occult (Witchcraft, sorcery, etc. is the occult) In the Harry Potter Series, Harry and his cohorts are all witches. Yes, you may say it is good versus evil but there is no such thing as good witches. Witchcraft is wrong! Writing about the use of witchcraft is almost like glorifying it. The more you write about it or talk about, the more the devil loves to hear! But what if you write about a Christian who falls in love with a warlock or a witch? The warlock or witch does not tell the Christian who or what they are, but they seem to have some power over them until the Christian realizes that any curse the other person puts on them can not work. In the book of Numbers, Balak asked Balaam to put a curse on God's people, but he could not. He said, "How can I curse what God has blessed?" This had given me an idea to try a paranormal romance!
Another kind of fiction I think is strange for Christians to write are Vampire Fictions! How is that a Christian can become a victim of a vampire if she is blessed? Unless however that Christian is not aware of that. It is not my place to judge. Perhaps God has allowed his people to write such stories. I would like to try paranormal romance sometime if God allows me too. We shall see. By the way, some readers may consider reading HP Series a fantasy but we are not suppose ot chase after fanstasies.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
My Five Star Review for She Belongs To Me
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13294574-she-belongs-to-me" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="She Belongs To Me" border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1332077582m/13294574.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13294574-she-belongs-to-me">She Belongs To Me</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5407915.Carmen_DeSousa">Carmen DeSousa</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/528139523">5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
(Before I give my review, it looked like Goodreads didn't add it when I updated my status so I didn't just read and finish in one day)<br /><br />I really liked the book! Jordan may have his fault, but he is a wonderful lover and husband to Jaynee! I am glad Carmen didn't let me down! She starts the book with Jaynee being taken to the hospital because she was shot then she leads the reader to a few years back when it all began: how they met, some background about Jaynee. In other words, she takes you from the bad, and fills it with good. She makes you think who put her in the hospital and surprises you in the end! Gret job, Carmen! I want to write like you!
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/17113747-ruthie-madison">View all my reviews</a>
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Book sales and Book signing
I have high hope for myself and I believe that my books will sell. I am not delusional. It is my faith. God said in his word that I am the head and not the tail. So why is it my books not selling? Why can't I get a book signing?
These are the things I struggle with. I hear about how some of my friends' books are selling but mine isn't. I am no different. Most of us are Indie Authors. Am I not marketing my book enough?
I believe it is because I am up against an obstacle-- a spiritual force that does not want my books to sell and he is keeping me from having a book signing. That force is no other than the devil himself. He does not want to see Gods' children succeed.
Maybe you think it is hogwash, but it is not. The Bible says we do not fight against flesh and blood, so it is Satan influences people to not be interested in my books and me. He will not win because I am a fighter and I will succeed! One other note: I have always known that this town is not for me. I went to several businesses and was either met with rejection or they never get back to me.
These are the things I struggle with. I hear about how some of my friends' books are selling but mine isn't. I am no different. Most of us are Indie Authors. Am I not marketing my book enough?
I believe it is because I am up against an obstacle-- a spiritual force that does not want my books to sell and he is keeping me from having a book signing. That force is no other than the devil himself. He does not want to see Gods' children succeed.
Maybe you think it is hogwash, but it is not. The Bible says we do not fight against flesh and blood, so it is Satan influences people to not be interested in my books and me. He will not win because I am a fighter and I will succeed! One other note: I have always known that this town is not for me. I went to several businesses and was either met with rejection or they never get back to me.
Friday, February 1, 2013
To Rewrite Or Not
When I began writing Marge it was with pencil and paper. I wrote to escape so when I finished writing Marge, I wrote another version and I enjoyed finding out the different results, but when I write for publication, it is a different story and a whole new ball game.
I struggle with the issue whether I am good enough. I don't have what it takes to be a best seller and I want to be! The first thing I have to do is believe in myself! I realized that I have been given the ability to tell stories and I have to set up expectations for myself. That is when frustration sets in because I have become self critical.. You know, they say we are our own worst critics? Someone makes a cake and it doesn't measure up to perfection, you berate yourself and you want to do make another cake. Of course, it is more costly to make another cake. What is costly for me is my time. What I thought was perfect was a story I am working on. It is called the Butterfly and the Cocoon.
I wished that I never read a certain book. Although it has been helpful, it told me that the use of "to be" verbs should be very minimal and we should "show" and not "tell" As an amateur author I struggle with that. I write what comes naturally to me and someone comes along and says "It won't sell if you write like that." What do I do? I rewrite. However, it has become a nightmare. Instead of enjoying what I do, I get frustrated and want to quit. No, I don't quit, but I do say "Why bother?" because as I look at what I have written, I am finding it is not good enough.
It is good to take advice from an experienced author. You want to follow in his steps because you know he sold books, but when you set up that person's guideline as your standards, you are bound to be frustrated. If God gives you the ability he will also give you the words to write if you listen to him. If he says to you to take heart and not be discouraged, then look up and say to yourself, "I can do it!" Do not compare yourself to others. God created you to be you not anyone else. You are unique.
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Wanting Redemption
When Marge was first published, I was never so happy! The dream of becoming a published author has come to pass. At that time, I still thought good of my publisher until I found out who they really are.
I received two reviews and one was very critical and it would hurt any chances of anyone wanting to buy my book. How could my aunt do that to me? I never thought there were mistakes in my book! What has been published is published and now for ten years I have to live with it. Not only did I make mistakes but so did they and my book once my pride and joy has turned out to be my shame.
PublishedAmerica would not release me from the contract or give me the rights to my book back. So how can I ever feel redeemed? I know some of you will say that we all learn and must move on, but I can not let it go! I had no one to proofread my manuscript nor did I have Microsoft Office Word which has its own grammar check and Ginger Software works better with it. I could not afford an editor to look at it. I was a poor women with a BIG DREAM! And I still have the dream. Although I have learn never to trust PA again and to have my manuscript proofread before publishing, I still want redemption and I have the faith to believe it can happen not in my or when the contract expires but in God's time.
I received two reviews and one was very critical and it would hurt any chances of anyone wanting to buy my book. How could my aunt do that to me? I never thought there were mistakes in my book! What has been published is published and now for ten years I have to live with it. Not only did I make mistakes but so did they and my book once my pride and joy has turned out to be my shame.
PublishedAmerica would not release me from the contract or give me the rights to my book back. So how can I ever feel redeemed? I know some of you will say that we all learn and must move on, but I can not let it go! I had no one to proofread my manuscript nor did I have Microsoft Office Word which has its own grammar check and Ginger Software works better with it. I could not afford an editor to look at it. I was a poor women with a BIG DREAM! And I still have the dream. Although I have learn never to trust PA again and to have my manuscript proofread before publishing, I still want redemption and I have the faith to believe it can happen not in my or when the contract expires but in God's time.
Friday, August 3, 2012
Ramblings
As you read this, keep this in mind that I am writing from an author point of view. In fact I am thinking right now about a class I took in college called Directing and Script Analysis and I am remembering in one assignment where we had to see how we would rewrite a script,. In other words, changing some actions a character would take and the results of it.
One of my favorite books I just read is called Mind Readers by Lori Brighton. It is about a girl who thinks herself a freak because she has the ability to read minds. In her own eyes the only two people who can is her grandmother and her. Her grandmother controls and makes sure she doesn't tell anyone what she can do. Her grandmother keeps from her that there are others like her, but she finds out from someone named Lewis. She likes this guy but doesn't trust him at first until she realizes that he truly understands her---He is a mind reader too. He was sent by the director of the Mind Reader Society to bring her there so she can be protected and learn more about her ability.
As I read the story between the two, there is somewhat a chemistry between the two until she finds out that there is more to this society than meets the eye. She starts to lose her trust in him and anyone else at that place when she finds out that they were using her. He even told her that he is able to affect her emotions when it comes to love. In other words, he can cause her to fall in love with him. Aaron the director, use her to penetrate into a man's thought-- the man being a member of group called Society for Paranormal investigation. This is the group that wants to use them for their purposes and give them no freedom. After Cameron realizes what she had done and finding out what else Aaron has done, she makes a choice: She must leave the island and go back to her grandmother but not without consequences. Aaron prepares to erase all memory from her of them and that place.
A part of me wishes she would stay. She finds a guy she falls in love with and even though she didn't feel safe anymore, she could have trusted them. I ask myself, would I have done the same thing if I was her? Would I leave the place and go back to where I was, not remembering everything that has happened? Yes, I know it is only fiction, but it would be nice to know how it would turn out otherwise.
The book ends when she is working in her grandmother's beach cafe. Her life is better. What she has experienced after her memory being erased, she calls an illness. She just 18 and her grandmother got her a Vispa. Suddenly someone vaguely familiar comes to her and says the same thing that Lewis said to her months ago: "I was sent to protect you." This is from the same guy who Aaron wanted her to get into his thoughts. The same guy who works for the SPI except only this time, he tells her that her father sent him. This confuses her because what she knows is that he is dead. The last words in the book is what he said "I am pretty much the only thing between you and death." Lori has another book out which I think is a sequel to that book called Mind Thieves. Can't wait to read it.
One of my favorite books I just read is called Mind Readers by Lori Brighton. It is about a girl who thinks herself a freak because she has the ability to read minds. In her own eyes the only two people who can is her grandmother and her. Her grandmother controls and makes sure she doesn't tell anyone what she can do. Her grandmother keeps from her that there are others like her, but she finds out from someone named Lewis. She likes this guy but doesn't trust him at first until she realizes that he truly understands her---He is a mind reader too. He was sent by the director of the Mind Reader Society to bring her there so she can be protected and learn more about her ability.
As I read the story between the two, there is somewhat a chemistry between the two until she finds out that there is more to this society than meets the eye. She starts to lose her trust in him and anyone else at that place when she finds out that they were using her. He even told her that he is able to affect her emotions when it comes to love. In other words, he can cause her to fall in love with him. Aaron the director, use her to penetrate into a man's thought-- the man being a member of group called Society for Paranormal investigation. This is the group that wants to use them for their purposes and give them no freedom. After Cameron realizes what she had done and finding out what else Aaron has done, she makes a choice: She must leave the island and go back to her grandmother but not without consequences. Aaron prepares to erase all memory from her of them and that place.
A part of me wishes she would stay. She finds a guy she falls in love with and even though she didn't feel safe anymore, she could have trusted them. I ask myself, would I have done the same thing if I was her? Would I leave the place and go back to where I was, not remembering everything that has happened? Yes, I know it is only fiction, but it would be nice to know how it would turn out otherwise.
The book ends when she is working in her grandmother's beach cafe. Her life is better. What she has experienced after her memory being erased, she calls an illness. She just 18 and her grandmother got her a Vispa. Suddenly someone vaguely familiar comes to her and says the same thing that Lewis said to her months ago: "I was sent to protect you." This is from the same guy who Aaron wanted her to get into his thoughts. The same guy who works for the SPI except only this time, he tells her that her father sent him. This confuses her because what she knows is that he is dead. The last words in the book is what he said "I am pretty much the only thing between you and death." Lori has another book out which I think is a sequel to that book called Mind Thieves. Can't wait to read it.
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