Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Teaser Tuesday - 7/31/12

Last week I mentioned that I was really enjoying Jennifer Brown's book, Bitter End, even though the subject was heavy. Well, replace the title with Hate List and you have what I'm feeling this week. I actually think this book might be better (and that's saying something, because I really liked Bitter End). It's really pulling at a lot of emotions and forcing me to think about things differently than I might otherwise. I highly recommend it, but it's not going to be for everyone.

Five months ago, Valerie Leftman’s boyfriend, Nick, opened fire on their school cafeteria. Shot trying to stop him, Valerie inadvertently saves the life of a classmate, but is implicated in the shootings because of the list she helped create. A list of people and things they hated. The list her boyfriend used to pick his targets.

Now, after a summer of seclusion, Val is forced to confront her guilt as she returns to school to complete her senior year. Haunted by the memory of the boyfriend she still loves and navigating rocky relationships with her family, former friends and the girl whose life she saved, Val must come to grips with the tragedy that took place and her role in it, in order to make amends and move on with her life.

The rules for Teaser Tuesday are:

  • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
  • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
  • Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
  • Then hit up Should Be Reading to add your link.

And the teaser:

"Do you think he did it for me?" I asked softly.

Duce thought about it, spat on the ground at his feet. "I think he had no idea why he did it, man."

Also, just another quick note that I got a new Facebook page (Tobi Summers), if anyone's interested in heading over to check it out. And if you have a page, let me know so I can Like you (it's just a page, so I can't be friends with anyone, but I can subscribe to a person or like a page).

Monday, July 30, 2012

Facebook Page

I finally caved and created a Facebook page. Come check me out at http://www.facebook.com/TobiSummers!

I'm Mad As Hell

I've had my Nook for a little over a year now, and I love it. I do. I thought I was going to be one of those readers who misses the feel and smell of a real book, and sometimes I do, but the conveniences of an eReader far surpass my sentimentality. I love everything about my Nook. I love having hundreds of books with me at all times. I love that I can prop it up while I'm eating or at the gym and not have to worry about trying to hold it open with one hand. I love that when I run out of things to read, it only takes a few taps before I have a new book. And I love that it's associated with Barnes & Noble, my neighborhood bookstore and the place where I spent most of my time in my youth.

I love everything. Except this: I hate that I can't lend books.

I know Barnes & Noble has a Lend Me system, whereby a friend can read one of your books and, during the time they're reading, you can't. To me, this sounds like a great idea. After all, if I were lending a hardcover or paperback book, I wouldn't be able to read it while it was gone. Unfortunately, this is only available for, like, 12 titles out of the millions of books Barnes & Noble offers.

This seems ridiculous. I live in the same house as my mother, who also has a Nook. You're telling me I can't lend her a book without either loaning her my Nook or signing into my account on hers? And forget the inconvenience for readers. What about the detriment to authors? Every poll in the history of ever has said that most people find new authors to read based on recommendations. For someone who's on the fence about an author--or just doesn't have the money--borrowing a book from a friend is a great way to get a sample of that author's writing. And if someone likes it, he or she is very likely to go on and buy other books by them. Because those polls I was talking about? They say that the way most people choose new books (not new authors, but new books) is based on whether they've liked something by that author before (like this poll).

Need proof? In high school, I loaned the first three Harry Potter books to my best friend because she didn't think she'd be into them. Four more books and eight movies later, I don't even want to think about how much money she's spent on Harry Potter books, movies, and paraphernalia, not to mention how many people she's turned on to the book series.

So why are eReaders getting rid of one of the oldest ways to bond readers together? I understand about DRM and piracy, and why the risk of copyright infringement would be higher for eBooks than print. But I think the people they're deterring from making illegal copies aren't worth the damage that's being done to the free marketing an author gets when someone lends a copy of his or her book out. And I know I'm not the only one who feels this way. As of a week or so ago, Tom Doherty Associates (which owns Tor and Forge Books and is part of Macmillan) announced that none of their books published electronically from this point forward will have DRM protection. They are, to the best of their knowledge, the first division of a Big Six publishing company to provide this option.

Do other authors feel this way? I know many of the ones I've spoken to do. Maybe the better question is, what can we do about it? I'm open to suggestions. Because as the world becomes more and more digital, I think we're going to find more readers and writers being burned by the system.

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Teaser Tuesday - 7/24/12

I've been on a contemporary YA kick lately (although that will change just as soon as my new Kelley Armstrong book gets here *please be today please be today*), so I've been reading Bitter End by Jennifer Brown. The subject matter is heavy, but I like the way she's handling it.

When Alex falls for the charming new boy at school, Cole--a handsome, funny sports star who adores her--she can't believe she's finally found her soul mate...someone who truly understands her and loves her for who she really is.

At first, Alex is blissfully happy. Sure, Cole seems a little jealous of her relationship with her close friend Zack, but what guy would want his girlfriend spending all her time with another boy? As the months pass, though, Alex can no longer ignore Cole's small put-downs, pinches, and increasingly violent threats. As Alex struggles to come to terms with the sweet boyfriend she fell in love with and the boyfriend whose "love" she no longer recognizes, she is forced to choose--between her "true love" and herself.

The rules for Teaser Tuesday are:

  • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
  • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
  • Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
  • Then hit up Should Be Reading to add your link.

And the teaser:

This time when she moved, she moved her whole body, holding me out with her arms so I was forced to sit back and open my eyes. Her face looked haunted, ashen, as if she were just coming back from the dead.

Monday, July 23, 2012

Writing Slump and a Call for a Book Recommendation

You know how, in baseball, batters sometimes wind up in a slump when they're constantly swinging for home runs? And how the best advice they're given is to just try to hit the ball instead of trying to get it over the fence?

I've been swinging for the fences.

Some of you know I'm pretty obsessed with television. It was my major in college and, for awhile, it's where I thought I'd work after graduation. I watch a lot of it, and it's a huge influence on my writing. Except right now I think it's negatively influencing me.

I've been watching The Newsroom every Sunday. As in, I don't miss it, and I usually watch it two or three more times throughout the week. If you haven't seen it, it's a show by the creator of The West Wing that goes behind-the-scenes of a cable news show. It's clever, idealistic, a bit full of itself, and all around wonderful.

But it also has the effect of making me want to go change the world. The characters in this show do. Every day. And what am I doing? As much as I love Capitoline Hill and as proud as I am of it, it's unlikely to be a life-altering book for most readers. I want to change lives.

So I've plotted out a handful of new books recently with the intention of making them epic. I'm assuming I can't possibly be the only one who's done this, so some of you know that when you set out with "epic" in mind, you're almost guaranteed to fall short. I can't imagine J.K. Rowling or Suzanne Collins thought, "I'm going to change the world," when they wrote Harry Potter or The Hunger Games. They thought, "Just make contact with the ball."

I need to refocus on the basics, but how do you balance desires like this with reality? How do you shove aside the "change the world" mentality? I keep falling behind on my word count and starting new stories because nothing ever seems to be good enough to keep writing. I also think I might be making myself a little nuts. So, if you've been in this position before, what advice do you have? Or, you know, if you have an epic idea for me to write, that'd be cool too.

And on an unrelated note: I spent a lot of time talking to my 15-year-old neighbor yesterday. She's not a big reader, but she seems to be open to the idea of trying some books, partly because she has to read one for summer reading and partly because I've been bugging her about it since she was in elementary school. So we're going to take a trip to Barnes & Noble in the next few weeks, and I'd like to have some suggestions for her.

Basically, she likes contemporary YA romances. You know, boy meets girl, boy falls for girl, some conflict ensues, boy and girl live happily ever after. If there's something about a sweet 16 in there more's the better. For a reference, Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally and Knee Deep by Jolene Perry both got "maybe"s. Any suggestions would be very much appreciated.

And last but not least! Kyra Lennon's book Game On is for sale on Amazon! You should go buy it!

Amazon.com kindle version
Amazon.com paperback
Amazon UK kindle version
Amazon UK paperback

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Hangers!

And now here's the second part of the Hookers & Hangers Blogfest. Turns out I'm significantly better at Hangers than Hookers, because it was a lot harder to choose, and that was even after leaving out a few that included spoilers. Thanks to everyone at Falling for Fiction for hosting this (and generally being awesome)! (For my Hookers, click here.)

Capitoline Hill

  1. I nodded, feeling his dark expression in my gut. “Yes sir.”
  2. “The only way we can truly know,” Donovan said, very seriously, “when the other person is dead.”
  3. Which leaves us with two choices: kill them or let them join us.”

Other Books

  1. She watched all these people laughing and having fun and wondered, just for a minute, what was wrong with her that she didn’t enjoy this too. - Defenders
  2. You’re under arrest for murder. - Defenders
  3. That’s how they know what I am. - Angels
  4. I turned my back on him and stormed off. - Angels
  5. "Well," I said when everyone was seated as comfortably as they were going to get, "what do we do now?" - Angels

I really enjoyed reading everyone's Hookers, and I'm looking forward to the Hangers too!

Also, if you're interested in something that sounds really cool, check out DL Hammons' WRiTE CLUB. Click on the picture for more details.

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Teaser Tuesday - 7/17/12

Technically as of this morning, I was still reading Spill Over by Jolene Perry. I finished it just a little while ago, but I'm still going to use it as my teaser. It was a great book, very powerful. I laughed. I cried. I cried some more. Then I cried a little more. It's different than the fantasy books I've been immersed in lately, but I'm glad I took the chance. I highly recommend it.

Antony loves his life in New York. He loves living with his mother and wearing designer clothes. He loves his private tutors for home school. It’s practically necessary since his mom travels the world as a reporter for NBC.

When an assignment overseas gives her the opportunity of a lifetime, she sees it as a chance for Antony to get to know his dad - a guy strange enough to live on a boat. Near dreary Seattle. Antony’s sure that the next few months will feel like a lifetime. He and his dad can’t even fill up a five minute conversation on his birthday call.

When he meets Amber, the girl from five boats down, his prospects perk up, but when it becomes very clear, very fast, that all she’s after is friendship, Antony wonders if he’ll survive the next three months.

He is absolutely. Completely. Totally. Displaced.

And then tragedy hits.

Spill Over is a novel about love, loss, and figuring out what’s actually important.

The rules for Teaser Tuesday are:

  • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
  • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
  • Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
  • Then hit up Should Be Reading to add your link.

And the teaser:

The problem is that she's close. Very close. And it's hard to think about anything but her, breathing her in, what her skin would feel like under my hands.

Monday, July 16, 2012

Hookers!

It's time for the first part of the Hookers & Hangers Blogfest, hosted by the awesome ladies at Falling for Fiction. Because I couldn't decide, I'm going to give you three from Capitoline Hill, then a few from my other WIPs. Enjoy!

Capitoline Hill

  1. The first thing I wanted to say when Geoffrey ushered us into his office was, “It was Lucy’s fault.”
  2. He was a human again, he was pretty sure.
  3. We woke in a naked pile of human bodies.

Other Books

  1. It was official: Shawn sucked at physical training. - Defenders
  2. When Laurie regained consciousness, she was outside the burning house again, flat on her back and staring at the black sky with the swirling grey plumes of smoke dancing patterns before her eyes. - Defenders
  3. Can I tell you a secret? - Angels
  4. My blood ran cold, and Calli whirled on Levi, slashing her sword so fast I barely saw it and stopping just inches from his throat. - Angels
  5. The gun vibrated in her left hand as it recharged, and Bex Addison idly wondered why the magical gun couldn’t reload as quickly as the Beretta in her right. - Bex Addison
  6. Once upon a time, there were three little kids and a big, bad wolf. Capitoline Hill, book 2

That was fun, and I think the Hangers part might be even better. I'm looking forward to reading everyone else's!

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Teaser Tuesday - 7/10/12

I've finally managed to pull myself away from the Kelley Armstrong (well, at least for a few weeks, until Thirteen comes out. Today, I'm reading A Spell for Chameleon, the first book in Piers Anthony's Xanth series.

Xanth was the enchanted land where magic ruled--where every citizen had a special spell only he could cast. That is, except for Bink of North Village. He was sure he possessed no magic, and knew that if he didn't find some soon, he would be exiled. According to the Good Magician Humpfrey, the charts said that Bink was as powerful as the King or even the Evil Magician Trent. Unfortunately, no one could determine its form. Meanwhile, Bink was in despair. If he didn't find his magic soon, he would be forced to leave....

The rules for Teaser Tuesday are:

  • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
  • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
  • Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
  • Then hit up Should Be Reading to add your link.

And the teaser:

The centaur neighed with truly amazing volume. Those needles hurt; each one was two inches long, and barbed, and a hundred of them decorated the glistening surface, tacking the tail to the donkey, as it were. Had the creature been facing the cactus, he could have been blinded or killed as the barbs punctured his face and neck; he was lucky, too, though he hardly seemed to appreciate his fortune at the moment.

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Teaser Tuesday - 7/3/12

Continuing on in Kelley Armstrong's Otherworld series, I read Dime Store Magic last week (and Rachel Vincent's Before I Wake) and now I'm on the fourth book in the series: Industrial Magic (again).

Think your in-laws are scary? Try meeting Paige Winterbourne’s potential father-in-law: CEO of the Cortez Cabal, a multinational corporation…and the supernatural equivalent of the Mafia. Lucas Cortez has devoted his life to ruining the Cabals, though that doesn’t stop his father from expecting him to take over the family business someday. Benicio’s favorite ploy is to appeal to Lucas’s quixotic ideals by asking him to investigate Cabal cases of injustice.

After years of failure, Benicio finally has the perfect case: a teenage witch attacked and left for dead. Refusing will be difficult enough for Lucas…near impossible for his new witch girlfriend. Paige and Lucas soon discover that the young witch wasn’t the first Cabal teenager attacked.

When the infighting among the Cabals threatens to let the killer continue his spree, Paige and Lucas decide it’s up to them to stop him. The chase takes them on a cross-country hunt through the supernatural world, where allies can be found in the strangest places, including a celebrity necromancer, a wise-cracking Celtic deity, a pissed-off ghost, a half-mad clairvoyant, and a group of vampires who’d really rather be in an Anne Rice novel.

The rules for Teaser Tuesday are:

  • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
  • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
  • Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
  • Then hit up Should Be Reading to add your link.

And the teaser:

There were at least a dozen men, ranging in age from mid-teens to post-retirement, all in suits that would have paid our rent for three months, and all of them sorcerers. It reminded me of the day I'd joined the previously all-male computer club in high school. One step through that door and the icy stares nearly froze me in my tracks.

Monday, July 2, 2012

June Wrap Up

Seriously, guys, where did 2012 go? How could it possibly be halfway over already?

On the bright note, June was a way better month for me than May. I think I managed to accomplish most of my goals. Here's the breakdown.

  • Write 10,5000 words. I wrote 10,700.
  • Have a polished MS for CH, along with a complete query letter and synopsis. I don't have a polished CH yet, but I do have a complete(ish) query letter and synopsis. Well, a complete first draft of each. And I'm halfway through another round of edits on CH.
  • Get 125 followers on Twitter and 75 followers on my blog. I have 132 followers on Twitter and 77 followers on my blog. (and a happy dance)
  • Enter at least two bloghops. I did the First Fight, First Kiss Blogfest and the Girls Just Wanna Have Fun Bloghop.

Woo-hoo! Not too shabby! And now for July's goals:

  • Write 11,000 words. The 500 words/day goal is pretty easy, but it worked out well last month because I was able to do a lot more editing. So I think I'll stick with it for another month.
  • Have a polished MS for CH, along with a complete query letter and synopsis. If I keep making it a goal, someday I might actually achieve it.
  • Get 150 followers on Twitter and 100 followers on my blog.
  • Enter at least two bloghops. Right now I'm thinking about the Hookers and Hangers Bloghop and the What If Blogfest.
  • Submit at least one short story for a contest/magazine submission. I finished a short story last month that I'd love to do something with, so I might try to send it out to a few places. It's MG fantasy (dragons and stuff), so if you know of any place that it might fit, please let me know.

I hope everyone else had a productive June. Here's to a great July!