2-Year Blogoversary Celebration: Day Seven ~ Keli Gwyn!

5 Reasons Book Reviewers Rock

by Keli Gwyn

Do you post reviews of books you read? If so, you’ve made many an author’s day.

As a debut novelist whose book released last year, I learned what an important role book reviewers play. I know they write reviews. What I didn’t know was how much that entails and how many other things they do.

As I reflected on the many things book reviewers did for me, I came up with five major ways they serve authors.

Book reviewers are promotion pros.

Even in today’s hi-tech world, the best form of advertising is still word-of-mouth. When it comes to creating buzz, book reviewers are masters.

• They shout out news about cover sightings.
• They share blurbs for upcoming releases.
• They share previews and sample chapters.
• They hold online release parties.
• They interview authors so readers can meet them.
• They spread the word on Facebook.
• They post reviews on booksellers’ sites.
• They post reviews on Goodreads.
• They post reviews on their blogs.
• They tweet links to their reviews.
• They hold contests, helping get books in readers’ hands.

Book reviewers are insightful readers.

When I read reviews, I’m impressed by how deeply reviewers delve into a story. They’ve made observations about elements in my story I hadn’t even noticed. It’s evident how much thought they put into their reviews, doing many of the following.

• They evaluate the plot.
• They assess believability issues.
• They reveal key conflicts.
• They analyze the characters.
• They discuss how well the setting is depicted.
• They scrutinize the historical details of stories taking place in the past.
• They highlight interesting aspects of a story.
• They explore themes and underlying messages.
• They state whether or not a story meets expectations.
• They use labels that help readers, e.g. sweet, gripping, or funny.
• They make comparisons to other books or authors’ styles.
• They offer cautions, as needed.

Book reviewers are encouragers.

As an author, I know firsthand how uplifting it is to read reviews, especially those from readers who enjoy our work. Sure, there will be some readers who don’t care for our stories, but what I’ve found is that while they might point out what didn’t work for them, they’re quick to note what they liked as well. And, oh, how we love it when they ask us to keep the books coming.

Book reviewers are sources of inspiration.

Authors can learn a great deal from reviewers. They point out our weaknesses, enabling us to improve in those areas. They identify our strengths, letting us know what’s working well. But they don’t stop there. They might tell us how they would have handled things differently or what they would like to see in future stories. Such feedback can get our creative wheels spinning.

Book reviewers are great friends.

As I’ve interacted with those who reviewed my book, I’ve enjoyed myself immensely. They’re bright, generous, fun people, and I’m happy to have them as new friends.

Questions for You

If you’re a book reviewer, what do you find most rewarding about writing a review?

If you’re a reader, what elements do you find most helpful in a review?

~~

Some places you can find Keli: Her website, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads.

Giveaway!! 

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2-Year Blogoversary Celebration: Day Four ~ Sandra Byrd!

Why I Love Writing About Ladies-in-Waiting

by Sandra Byrd

Having close friends is an important part of the female  experience from girlhood through womanhood. These friends might be especially valuable when the woman's position is exalted, public, and potentially treacherous — such friendships take on an even more important role. When Oprah Winfrey started her empire she brought along Gayle King. When Kate Middleton was preparing to become Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge her sister Pippa was her constant companion. And when Queens went to court, and stayed, they took their friends, too. 

In Tudor England, Anne Boleyn asked her longtime friend Margaret Wyatt to stay with her throughout her ascent and then her queenship; Wyatt ultimately became her chief lady and Mistress of Robes and likely served Anne all the way to the scaffold.  Henry VIII told Queen Kateryn Parr that she should "choose whichever women she liked to pass the time with her in amusing manners or otherwise accompany her for her leisure," and she did - mostly reformers like herself.  Queen Elizabeth I had ladies from all families and factions serve her, but she seemed to be closest to her Boleyn relatives, such as her cousin Katherine Carey Knollys, whom she could trust without question.  Queens often surrounded themselves with family members, hoping that they could trust in their loyalty because as the queen gained influence, so advanced her family.

Ladies-in-waiting were companions at church, at cards, at dance, and at hunt.  They tended to their mistress when she was  ill or anxious and also shared in her joy and pleasures.  They did not do menial tasks  — there were servants for that — but they did remain in charge of important elements of the Queen's household, for example, her jewelry and her clothing.  As such, they were  intimate gatekeepers, there day and night.  They were privy to the queen when she had her makeup off and was in her dressing clothes and were high enough born to share some secrets with. Because of this, they knew the real woman.

In her excellent book, Ladies in Waiting, Anne Somerset quotes a lady-in-waiting to Queen Caroline as saying, "Courts are mysterious places ... Intrigues, jealousies, heart-burnings, lies, dissimulations thrive in (courts)as mushrooms in a hot-bed."  This is exactly the kind of place where one wants to know whom one can trust.  Somerset goes on to tell us that, "At a time when virtually every profession was an exclusively masculine preserve, the position of lady-in-waiting to the Queen was almost the only occupation that an upper class Englishwoman could with propriety pursue."  Although direct control was out of their hands, the power of influence, of knowledge, of gossip, and of relationship networks  was within the firm grasp of these ladies. I like to write about women wielding whatever power they had, ascribed or taken, using their influence both overtly and subtly.  Ladies-in-waiting did just that.

Appointment was not only by the personal choice of the queen or the king, but a political decision as well.  Queen Victoria's first stand took place when her new Prime Minister, Robert Peel, meant to replace some of the ladies in her household to reflect the bipartisan English government and keep an even political balance.  According to Maureen Waller in Sovereign Ladies,  Victoria was adamant. "'I cannot give up any of my ladies,' she told him at their second meeting.  'What, Ma'am!' Peel queried, 'Does your Majesty mean to retain them all?' 'All', she replied." When ladies-in-waiting turned and became disloyal, as did Sarah Churchill to Queen Anne, they were  very often severed from court.

Even today, the British Sovereign, Queen Elizabeth II,  relies on ladies-in-waiting; two of them, Susan Hussey and Mary Morrison, have served her for more than fifty years apiece.  Sally Bedell, in her book, Elizabeth the Queen, a Modern Monarch tells us that "... the queen from the outset has surrounded herself with an equally capable group of ladies-in-waiting, organized into a strict hierarchy, with medieval titles and clearly delineated tasks." Further, "all the ladies in waiting are adept at circulating through receptions, running interference for their boss by engaging overeager guests in conversation, or arranging for introductions."

When we twenty-first century women wonder who's got our backs, the answer is very likely our friends, whom we trust implicitly and walk through life with.   Our friends wholly know us, strengths and blemishes alike.   When I write about a queen, I want to know the woman behind the gown and crown.  This is why I've loved writing about Ladies-in-Waiting.

Sandra Byrd is the author of more than three dozen books, including her series set in the Tudor Court, Ladies in Waiting.  You can walk through a Tudor Hall and then read more about these books at www.sandrabyrd.com. Her books, To Die For and The Secret Keeper, were chosen by Library Journal as 2011 and 2012 Best Christian Book Picks. Be sure to check out her new book, Roses Have Thorns, which is set to release April 9th, 2013.

Giveaway!! 

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It's Talk Like A Pirate Day and Me Birthday! Guest Post With MaryLu Tyndall Plus Giveaway!!

Ahoy, ye mateys! Today be "Talk Like a Pirate" day and me birthday! Me be very honored that MaryLu Tyndall will be joinin' us today with a guest post and giveaway! Aye, me pirate talk needs a lot of work. Arrrgh! Will have to work on it, aye?

So here's MaryLu, the queen of Talk Like a Pirate Day! :)

Lady Pirate, soldier, gambler, queen, and leader of men!

By MaryLu Tyndall

In honor of Talk Like a Pirate Day, I thought I’d entertain you with a true tale of one of the most fierce lady pirates who ever lived!   Her name was Grace O’Malley but she was also known as “Queen of the West” and “The Great Sea Pirate”    She is said to have buried more than 9 tons of treasure, protected by a curse that is said to have killed treasure hunters up to the present century!

Born in Ireland in 1530 to seafaring parents, her father Owen “Black Oak” O’Malley was the elected chieftain of the Barony of Murrisk, but he also owned several castles and fortresses as well as several ships by which he carried out both legitimate trading and piracy.

As a young girl, Grace’s interest in the sea was evident. She repeatedly begged her father to take her on one of his voyages, but her mother resisted, saying it was no life for a young lady, so one day Grace cut off her long red hair, dressed herself as a boy, and joined the crew anyway. After she proved her worth as a sailor, she told her father who she was and he was happy to take her along on his trips from then on.

Despite a younger brother, Grace was her father’s heir and after his death, took command of the O’Malley fleets and castles. From the many inlets off the coast of Ireland, Grace pirated and waged a war against English ships. While in root to and from Spain and Portugal, she would lie in wait off the coast and swoop down on the slow merchant ships, making them pay tribute for safe passage. If they disagreed, she plundered everything they had on board. She was so effective, Queen Elizabeth put a price on her head of 500 pounds for her capture. She even sent troops to attack Grace’s castle, but they were unsuccessful 

Grace married twice and bore numerous children. However when rebellion raged in Ireland she soon got caught up in tribal wars as well as battles against Englishmen dead set on conquering all of Ireland for the crown. Sir Richard Bingham, an English governor, took a particular interest in Grace and began arresting her family. Besieged on all fronts, in 1593 Grace finally wrote to the ultimate authority, Queen Elizabeth I. The letter, which survives, harps on about injustice and Grace's own advanced age but ends up requesting the Queen, 

"to grant unto your said subject under your most gracious hand of signet, free liberty during her life to invade with sword and fire all your highness enemies, wheresoever they are or shall be, without any interruption of any person or persons whatsoever." Not exactly your usual frail little old lady 

When she didn't receive a reply in time, she sailed to England herself. It was a daring move, not many Irish lords would dare set foot on English soil for fear of imprisonment or execution.

No one knows why Elizabeth agreed to see Grace, but they met in September of 1593. Grace was fluent in Latin and she and the Queen were able to converse freely. Grace explained to the Queen that her acts were not of rebellion but merely acts of self defense as Bingham had taken upon himself to destroy her and all of Ireland. She asked for the release of her brother and son and agreed to use her prowess at sea to help the Queen defeat her enemies.

Grace was very out of place in the English Court. A story is told about the meeting: Grace had sneezed in the presence of the Queen and court members. A member of the court handed her a very expensive handkerchief of lace and delicate embroidery, a costly item indeed. Grace proceeded to blow her nose into the hankie quite loudly and then tossed it into the fire. The court was aghast at her rudeness, but The Queen gently chided her and told her she should have put it into her pocket instead. Grace replied that the Irish did not put soiled articles into their pockets and therefore must have a higher sense of cleanliness.

The court was amazed that the Queen didn't have her arrested on the spot. A nervous chord of laughter began which turned into a loud roar of amusement. The Queen laughed and all was forgotten.

Queen Elizabeth finally agreed to Grace's offer of services and wrote Bingham commanding him to release Grace's family and restore her possessions. Bingham released her son and brother but never did give her back her lands and wealth. She continued to struggle against him for many years while still pirating the seas.

A nineteenth century biographer William O’Brien described Grace as a “gracious and charming lady with “healthy transparent cheeks” and a certain twinkle in . . . merry grey-blue eyes.

When she was over 60 she won her greatest victory off Shark Island against the Spanish. She came on deck in her nightgown, her gray hair flying loose down her back, the scars on her face livid, brandishing a sword in one hand and a pistol in the other. Her appearance was so alarming the Spaniards dropped their weapons believing she as a demon! 

Grace eventually retired to Rockfleet Castle where it is thought she died in 1603, the same year as her Queen.  

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Check out MaryLu's book, The Redemption!

About the book:

Lady Charlisse Bristol sets off on a voyage in search of a father she never knew, only to find herself shipwrecked on a desert island. Near starvation, she is rescued by a band of pirates and their fiercely handsome leader, Edmund Merrick. Will Clarisse win her struggle against the seductive lure of this pirate captain? While battling his attraction to this winsome lady, Edmund offers to help Charlisse on her quest-until he discovers her father is none other than Edward the Terror, the cruelest pirate on the Caribbean. Can Edmund win this lady's love while shielding her from his lecherous crew and working to bring her father to justice?

Giveaway!

Avast! Here be ye chance to plunder MaryLu's book "The Redemption" (Legacy of the King's Pirates #1). If ye win and be from the US ye'll have the choice betwixt a print or eBook copy, but if ye be from somewheres else ye'll git an eBook copy. Open to all the seas!

Enter via the Rafflecopter below. Ye must leave a comment on this here blog post, or else walk the plank. After that, enter the others at will. Savvy?

Just for fun, in yer comment, talk like a pirate! Y'all are probably way better than this here pirate! :)

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Guest Post: Casting Call by Amber Garza

Prowl Trilogy

To visit the official website of  YA Christian thrillers – the Prowl Trilogy - click this link.

Buy PROWL 

PROWL:Prowl Trilogy #1

          Seventeen-year-old Mackenzie Smith is sent away to spend a boring summer at her grandma’s. But then she meets Wesley. He tells her exactly what she wants to hear and has information about her past that no one else knows. It’s almost like he can read her mind.

        

           Only Wesley isn’t who he seems.

         By the time Mackenzie discovers his true identity it may be too late. She’s in too deep and he won’t let her go. Now Mackenzie must call on the strongest power of all in order to save her life.

About the Author:

My name is Amber Garza and I LOVE to write. I’ve had a passion for writing since I was a little girl, making books out of notebook paper and staples. As an adult I’ve worked hard to make my dream of being published a reality. The Prowl Trilogy is my first finished series.. My next series will be out this October.

Click these links to buy my Christian teen thrillers PROWL, ENTICE, UNVEIL Or click here to read my single-title adult suspense novel: ENGRAVED

Blog: http://www.ambergarza.wordpress.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Amber-Garza-author

Casting Call by Amber Garza:

Casting Call for the Prowl Trilogy! If the Prowl Trilogy were made into a movie who would play Kenzie, Tanner and Isaac? Below are the actors/actress that I think would be perfect.

Meaghan Martin for Kenzie

Taylor Lautner for Isaac

Freddie Stroma for Tanner

~

Melanie here:

You can read my review of Prowl here (http://christianbookshelfreviews.blogspot.com/2012/04/review-prowl-by-amber-garza.html). 

Also, be sure and check out the blog's tour page:

http://iluvtours.blogspot.com/2012/09/prowl-trilogy-now-on-tour.html

Guest Post + Giveaway! Do writers have a responsibility to their readers? by Sherri Wilson Johnson

Please welcome Sherri Wilson Johnson, the author of To Dance Once More, to Christian Bookshelf Reviews!!

Do writers have a responsibility to their readers?
Sherri Wilson Johnson

When my children were young, I read to them. Later, they read to themselves books that I helped them choose. We looked for books that entertained and maybe even educated a little bit. We homeschooled, so often the books we read were textbooks or fiction recommended by the curriculum writers to correspond with or at least compliment their other subjects. Because we listened to the recommendations of people we respected, I had no fears about the books my children read. I knew they would not read something that was contrary to our lifestyle; that they would learn good character traits and often even learn something spiritual along the way.

As the years went on, it became harder and harder to monitor what my children read. At the library, just because something was categorized for the young reader, it didn’t mean it was something I deemed appropriate. Even I had a hard time finding something to read that would not crowd my mind with unnecessary garbage. I looked for authors who had built their reputations on writing with a purpose. If I am going to spend my minimal free time reading, I want the book I read, fiction or non, to leave me with something I can apply to my life to make it better – to leave me with a sense of accomplishment, of victory. My children learned to discern whether or not certain books/authors were worth their time just by watching me and the choices I made.

Do writers have this responsibility to their readers? I guess that’s up for discussion. Some writers write simply to entertain and not to impose their values onto their readers and certainly not to offer any type of guidance. The world we live in today is crammed full of bad things though. Readers want to escape the realities of this world. They want to believe that good conquers evil. That’s where the beauty of fiction comes in. It can be an escape. It can be fun. It can take the imagination to unimaginable places. It can also be a clever way to immunize the reader’s mind against the destructive forces of this world. But it doesn’t have to cause someone to stumble into wrongdoings or to open their eyes and desires to things of this world.

As a writer of both fiction and non-fiction, I gladly take on the responsibility to make sure that my readers walk away from reading my books feeling encouraged, entertained, challenged – but never led astray. Since I am a Christian, my books will be marketed as such. I want readers to be able to recommend my books – for a parent of a teen to recommend one of my Inspirational Romances to a parent of another teen – with confidence. I want readers to come back for more. The way I do this is to take on the responsibility of writing with a moral and spiritual compass, knowing that my readers will hold me accountable.

www.sherriwilsonjohnson.com
www.sherrijohnsonministries.com
https://twitter.com/swj_thewriter
http://sherrijinga.wordpress.com

About Sherri Wilson Johnson:

Sherri Wilson Johnson is the author of To Dance Once More and Song of the Meadowlark. She is from Georgia, has been married since 1988, and is a former homeschooling mom. She loves to write, read, eat ice cream, ride roller coasters and make people laugh. She loves Jesus and hopes to spread His love to the whole world through her writing.

About To Dance Once More:

To Dance Once More is the story of Lydia Jane Barrington, a Victorian debutante. Lydia lives on a plantation in Florida under the watchful eye of her father. She's quite an independent young lady who does not want to fall into the trap (as she sees it) that her mother and sisters have fallen into-marriage and motherhood. She wants to travel the world and experience life before giving her heart to a man. One day, her eyes are opened to love and no matter what, she cannot forget the blissful feeling it causes. She begins to believe that love isn't such a bad thing after all. Then she discovers a secret that prohibits any of her dreams from ever coming true. She begins a quest to free herself and her family from a future of bondage. Hearts are broken and lives are torn apart because of Lydia's own selfishness. Will she surrender to a call that God placed on her life and be able to experience love after all? You'll have to read the book to find out. Here's a link to the sneak peek: http://sherriwilsonjohnson.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/to-dance-once-more-media1.pdf

Book Giveaway!


Sherri generously offered to give away an eBook copy of her book, To Dance Once More!! Open Internationally!!

Enter by filling out the Rafflecopter below (here is a tutorial, if you aren't familiar with Rafflecopter). The mandatory entry is to leave a comment on this blog post - after you do that, the other entries will become available. :) 

In your comment, answer this question for Sherri:

"Do you look to Christian authors to lead you in any way? In other words, do you feel authors have the responsibility not to guide you wrongly?"

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