Stop! Stop! Heed My Words! Think Before You Consider The Author by Corbin Dailey...

Krystal and I sat there for a few minutes in silence, as the alcohol began taking a slight effect on us. The music really started sounding awesome, I already liked the song before I was drinking, but now it seemed like one of the most awesome songs ever created. Krystal must've felt the same way, as she had me play it again when it finished. 
We listen to many different heavy metal songs, all of them seemed to go really well with the mood in the room, as Krystal sat in her chair, slightly banging her head to the beat of the music. I refilled our glasses for us, trying to not take my eyes off Krystal the entire time. She was so beautiful, her sweet smile just seemed to melt my heart. I really don't understand how I could ever knowingly hurt someone like her, it didn't seem possible, she seemed like a gift from above, the answer to all my prayers. I was going to make her so proud of me tonight, I was going to start punishing Mike for all of his crimes, every last one of them.

~~~

The Author

By Corbin Dailey

Stop! If you do not want to support a book that is so badly edited that sometimes you have to stop and figure out what word is meant...e.g., tounge for tongue; pining for pinning, seeky, I assume for sneaky--as just a few samples. There is an excessive use of apostrophes also--thrown in so much in some parts of the book that it seems that it was written by multiple people. It is clear that this book has not be edited, not even by the author... Note the incorrect use of force's from the blurb online...

With doubts of his ability to even start writing his next best selling book, John Bennett has hit a rough patch. With divorce taking him on a downward spiral he takes medication with questionable side effects. During a chance meeting he meets a strange woman who quickly controls his heart strings. There are force's at work that will change his life but he needs to make a choice. Will he have a wonderful life or a life of misery, even death.

Stop! If you do not want to be fooled by the beautiful cover and the title and the blurb, like I was. I enjoy books about writers so quickly selected this one recently. The blurb in no way hints at what actually is in the book. The genres listed are mystery, erotica and horror... Still, these are insufficient to provide adequate descriptions. I would list also S&M, drugs, bad trips...

 

The basic premise of the book is that a writer, with a block, has gone to a doctor for help. Along with two types of depression meds, he is given an experimental drug for "brain boosting"...

The first problem I picked up on was that the doctor told him how to take the pills (contrary to how they should have been?).

Then the pharmacy tells him how to take them a different way, apparently the safe way... But that didn't matter anyway, because the writer is supposedly so desperate that he overdoses himself.

"I've never taken other antidepressants, my doc told me a genetic test made me fully compatible with the Lexapro, do you think I'll be okay taking it with
the Amitriptyline?" I asked hesitantly.
"I know people try to kill themselves when they start new meds sometimes."

"You shouldn't have any issues," He replied. " If you do feel suicidal, then please contact me immediately, so we can get you a medication that won't do that to you. I'd suggest going to a nice quiet place, I think with everything that's happened to you lately, you might find the right prescription for you is peace and quiet, especially trying out the new pills. You might get freaky on them at first, you don't want to get all freaky in the city, might end up in jail. I've heard of weird side effects, so if you have anyplace you can go to, even better if in the woods, than in town, I'd head there. You can always let me know where you're at, I can come by and check on you in a few days,
if you 'd like."

~~~

He begins to hallucinate...he winds up heading out on a lake, with a gas can, ready to set fire to himself. This part reads as if this really was a either a dream or bad trip and does gain reader interest in what is going to happen...

Then it happens that a criminal who is being looked for by the police, having escape with the help of his girlfriend, sees what the writer is doing and saves him...

Only to completely go into super-evil criminals who are willing to do harm, even while recognizing that the man is either crazy or tripping...Then we have a scene where the female is overcome with passion for the writer as he seduces her but to me is an assault, which she apparently enjoys, and who, afterwards, promptly goes and takes her boyfriend in the same fashion...

Now these supposed erotic scenes totally turned me against the book. I've read erotica and have reviews on my adult blog...this was almost pornographic assault scenes in my opinion, although some might not think so, given the lack of any restrictions on what is considered these days for general viewing or reading.

A twist comes taking the book in a different direction and the scenes become more and more violent and the female becomes domineering...

This book has been self-published. To me, the sad part about this book is that with a major editing, that should have caught issues like what the doctor said to his patient--go some place by yourself and try out these drugs even though he'd seen some freaky things happened for somebody on new meds! And be sure to call me if you think about suicide! These unrealistic spots could have easily been corrected. And some scenes should have been brought back from the extreme... The point being is that the concept of the story itself is not bad. The actual presentation, however, has been allowed to become so surrealistic that it has gone beyond the believable for most readers. The ending is unique and in line with the type of S&M activities now being explored (unfortunately in my personal opinion).

As I thought about ranking the book, it hit me that with self-publishing, readers can be exposed to R rated material without any early warning. Even the erotic genre is too broad and it prompted me to check--50 Shades of Gray is Sagas and Romance for Genres! This, in my opinion, is a serious issue for the self-publishing movement, don't you think?

In any event, I cannot recommend this book. In ranking it, I've taken off a full "star" for editing problems! Risk it at your discretion...

GABixlerReviews

Dara Beevas Directs Excellent Reference Guide to Writers!

http://www.wiseinkblog.com/

the Indie Author

Revolution

An Insider's Guide to
Self-Publishing

Dara M. Beevas


Most of you know by now that I support Indie Authors activities in this exciting time when changes to the publishing world allow more and more writers to ensure their books are completed and available across the world! During my activities at Rainbow's End Publishing Company, I had the great experience to work with the author and publisher as she wrote a how to, entitled Self-Publish Your Book With Little or No Money! (Note that this book is now outdated. A caution to all for this type of book: Make sure the copyright is fairly new to ensure the latest information.)

Of course, it is a lot more work for Indies, isn't it? That's why I wanted to read and review Revolution by Dara Beevas. Because it is indeed a revolution that is happening as more and more writers choose the self-publishing road. I'm the type of individual that buys this type of book for my personal home library. Once writers start this road, an easy-to-use reference, in my opinion, is mandatory! And this book meets that criteria. Not only is it well-documented with a Table of Contents, Bibliography, and Index, it has further relevant information giving a glossary, resource directory, sample plans and directions on copyrighting. In fact, I should immediately add that this is also an excellent reference for any writer, because the entire process is shown and can help you follow your work through all the necessary steps no matter what route you choose in the publishing world.

I'm not going to spend too much time going over content. If you're a writer, I couldn't think of anything that was not.  included. On the other hand, I can praise Beevas for the quality and quantity of her information; that is, the book itself if very well done...beautiful cover, excellent spotlighting graphics and extra little detailed page highlights that show this individual knows what she's doing!

The second thing I noticed was that she was quick to point out that it is totally up to the self-published writer/author to set a high standard and to ensure that it happens! Kudos to the author for creating a reference tool, but also an excellent example of the quality readers expect in books, in her own published work!

Okay, here's the most important thing I personally learned and it is an exciting addition to the self-publishing process. Did you know  there is now what is called a "Mentoring Press?" The title itself is wonderfully welcomed I am sure. But let's  learn exactly what that means:

A hybrid publisher that guides authors with marketable manuscripts through the self-publishing process. Mentoring presses offer services for a fee that includes coaching, editing, book design, printing, publicity and distribution. Mentoring presses are often selective and emphasize the importance of editing and good design to create successful books.

If you have worked with hundreds of writers like I have, you soon realize that some know some things, but need help on other parts of the process...Knowing about this made reading this book totally worthwhile for me as a reviewer and responder to lots of process questions! Both advantages and disadvantages of this is provided in the Guide.

Little things mean a lot to me, given my business administration background, so I'll also thank Beevas for things like:

• Providing signs that indicate when a publishing expert is not a true expert...
• Providing "The Last Word" and "Indie Author Wisdom: throughout the book 
• Providing same style sheet for submission of manuscript.
• Perceiving the book as "a complete product requiring attention to every detail."
• Reminding writers that galleys are printed while your book is with the proofreader!
• Covering what POD means.
• Including information on multiple writers, book pricing as well as credit card functions!
• Marketing--reviews, complimentary copies {"A word to the wise: be strategic with your complimentary copies...}, and using the Internet as part of the selling process.

Writers, Authors and publishing staff, or service providers in publishing could all benefit from having this book on their resource shelf! Indies: A Must-Read! Get It!

GABixlerReviews

Dara M. Beevas is a writer, editor, blogger, speaker and indie author. She mentors other indie authors as Vice President of Beaver's Pond Press, an award-winning mentoring publisher in the Twin Cities that has helped more than 600 indie authors self-publish. Her passion for authors and the indie author revolution led her to launch Wise, Ink, an online community for indie authors.

For most of her career, Beevas has worked in publishing. She was acquisitions editor for the American Chemical Society and has also worked at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. She received her Master's Degree in publishing from George Washington University and was selected as an emerging writer by the Givens Foundation for African-American literature.

Originally from the Washington, D.C. area, Beevas moved to Minneapolis in 2007 with her husband Tomme Beevas. The Twin Cities' writing community captivated her almost immediately. In her spare time she writes poetry, short stories, and is a speaker on the topic of self-publishing. She's reachable via her blog www.wiseinkblog.com, LinkedIn, and @darairene on Twitter.

Related articles

• Turndog Talks To: Dara Beevas
• Why Twitter Is Better For Authors Than Facebook

BRH Welcomes Chris Lindberg - and He's Ready To Roll!

Comments Wanted!  

Ready to Roll: 

one Author’s Experience

in Self-Publishing 

By Chris Lindberg 

I’ll bet every single Indie Author has a unique story about how we came to self-publish our book, and each story has its share of highs and lows.  The first high comes at the moment you type that last line and hit "save."  You lean back from your keyboard, take a deep breath, and savor the moment, reflecting on your accomplishment -- you’ve just completed your novel, and it feels great.

 

And then the real work begins: it’s time to get your creation ready to meet the real world. 

You might edit it two, maybe three times, adjusting the word count, the story line, refining dialogue, scenes, characters.  Then, once you feel like it’s the best novel it can possibly be, you ship the concept off to the world in the form of a query letter, putting it out in front of editors and agents.  These are the people who can make your novel a reality: someday you’ll see it on bookstore shelves, newsstand racks, in the hands of people on buses, planes, and trains … and of course, on the New York Times Bestseller List.

 

Until that first rejection letter rolls in … then you feel your first real low.   The letter is polite and has a “it’s-not-you-it’s-me” tone to it, but it’s still a “no thank you.”  But it’s just one person’s opinion, so you pick yourself back up, and you eagerly await the next response, knowing the next agent will surely be smarter than the first, and see the true potential of your book.  And then the next rejection comes in, followed by another.  And then another.  And before you know it, you have a pile of letters, all saying your work isn’t quite what they’re looking for.

 

At this point do you doubt yourself, and your work?  Of course, it wouldn’t be human not to.  But luckily you’ve grown a thick skin throughout this process.  And you realize that you didn’t spend three years pouring character, detail, storyline, and scene onto a keyboard just to have a few people tell you it’s not worth bringing into the world. 

So you shake it all off, and you decide to self-publish.  After all the revisions you’ve done, you feel your novel is ready to roll.  Some people tell you not to, saying that self-publishing will place a stigma on your work, but you’re not going to be denied:  your novel is a labor of love, and it deserves to at least see the light of day, even if you’re the only one who winds up reading it. 

So you pick a self-publishing partner (Lulu, iUniverse, CreateSpace, or any number of others), and you move forward: designing a cover, formatting the copy, making final revisions.  It takes weeks, maybe months, but at the end, you’re holding your finished work in your hands, proud of your accomplishment, and ready to see if anyone else will think it’s as good as you hope they will.
 

That was my experience in getting my first novel, Code of Darkness, out there.  I’m currently working on the promotional phase right now: updating Facebook, Tweeting whatever I find worth sharing, doing a Virtual Book Tour, submitting for reviews.  And getting some nice feedback so far!
 

Now I’d like to hear from you: where are you in your publishing process, and what have your experiences been like? 

_____




 

About the Author

Chris Lindberg was born and raised outside Chicago, Illinois. After graduating from Northern Illinois University in the mid-1990s, he headed out to the west coast for a couple of years, where he began writing as a casual pastime.

Some time after returning to Chicago he began attending writers workshops at StoryStudio Chicago, where he wrote two character studies, both of which have since been developed into key characters in Code of Darkness.

Chris now lives outside Chicago with his wife Jenny and their two children, Luke and Emma. You might catch him working away on his second novel while commuting on his morning train into the city.

Chris Lindberg’s first novel, Code of Darkness, was released in August.  You can find out more by visiting www.codeofdarkness.com, or visiting Facebook and searching on “code of darkness.” 

To purchase Code of Darkness in paperback or e-book edition, please check out: http://www.lulu.com/browse/search.php?fListingClass=0&fSearch=code+of+darkness

Or search “code of darkness” on Amazon or BN.com. 

You can also email Chris at chris@codeofdarkness.com – he’d love to hear from you. 

Or find him at Facebook...https://www.facebook.com/chrislindberg7?sk=wall

Check out My Review! But before you do, please take the time to respond to Chris' desire to hear from YOU! You must "follow BRH" to comment - and I certainly hope you look in the right column to do that!!!!