Casting for Hazel

Just what does Hazel look? Someone asked that question at a recent book club meeting, and everyone had a slightly different take. Sure, she's medium-ish size and is colorful, but what exact shape is she? What breed does she mostly look like? Just as readers have different images of Stance and the other human characters, some imagine Hazel as their German Shepherd, while others see her as more of a Lab-type creature.

Flash forward, and the question gets serious when you think about casting. Sure, to pull off Hazel - or any familiar - will require 3D modeling and special effects, but hopefully Stance's companion will be based off of a real animal and not Andy Serkis prancing around on all fours. Given that, what would she look like? A friend sent me a photo that I love, and all I could think about was a line of dogs at a casting call. Unfortunately, like any casting choice (think Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss), some people are bound to be disappointed. Fortunately, for readers, in their mind their dog can always win.

As for Nya, pictured here, even if she doesn't get the lead role, there's always the need for a stunt double. Slap some paint on her, and she's probably good to go assuming the chew toys and other payments are acceptable.

Awesome book club for AFF

Photo by RebeccaA

Last week, I had the great pleasure of attending my first book club for A Familiar Fate. MichelleT was an amazing host - she even managed to serve up pizza bagels (a book reference for those who haven't read it). And, excitedly, there was some beer served along with the wine!

I'd like to thank all those who attended: Catherine, Julie, Heather, Lisa, Nan and Rosa (sorry you couldn't make it, Mary). It's exciting to field questions as well as ask readers about their impressions. For example, one of my favorite things to ask is what Stance looks like. I've heard brunette, blond, cute, average looking, and more. That's fun because, as a reader, I always form my image of a character whether or not an author provides a lot of detail. In reality, Stance and the rest are what you make of them. Of course, one day, we might get to casting, but we can cross that bridge at a later date :)

As I mentioned to the ladies at the meeting, I'm working on the sequel. I try not to drop spoilers, but it's safe to say that things will be interesting given one of the sister's new possessions.

For anyone else interested in a book club, let me know. I'm happy to make a trip - with or without pizza bagels involved.

AFF on the Shelf

A Familiar Fate on the shelves
at the Bookstore of Gloucester

After so much time working with spiral-bound printouts from Staples, it's fun to see A Familiar Fate in true book format and in unfamiliar places - in this case, retail shelves. With a few key scenes based in Gloucester, I'm excited that it's available in town.

The Bookstore at Gloucester might not have much of a website, but you should definitely visit if you get the chance (61 Main Street). Janice, the owner, and Abby will be sure to help you find just what you need. And for dog lovers, make sure you spend time with Diego, the incredibly cute/sweet rescue that watches over the place like a real-world Hazel.

And, speaking of my favorite town, after you finish up at the bookstore, you might:

• Stop by Alexandra's Bread. Check out the amazing fresh bread and other goodies made by Jon and cousin Alexandra. The only problem is that late risers may be out of luck finding what they want. Arrive early. The store is located at 265 Main Street.


• Book a trip with Connemara Bay Charters. The sport season is almost over, but there might be a few trips left with Captain Kevin O'Maley. Sign up for next summer, though, and you'll be sure get to spend time on the local waters with Kevin and his son Kellen. There is a rumor that a fisherman similar to the captain may show up in the sequel to AFF.

Tom Clancy's Hunt for Red October created quite a stir for boys in the 1980s

US Army armored personnel carriers cruise
down the German autobahn in 1985 (US Army)

Tom Clancy passed away on October 1 at the young age of 66 (see the New York Times obituary). His death reminded me of devouring his early books during the mid 1980s at the time when the Cold War seemed pretty hot and my friends and I worried if our Selective Service registration might actually lead us to be deployed in the Fulda Gap (interestingly, I later met a friend who described learning to distinguish silhouettes of Soviet armor for his deployment in Germany). For my kids, this seems more than a far-fetched notion, but at that time we were inundated with entertainment and news that made it difficult to sleep at times (see the section at the end of this post for things I distinctly remember).

Clancy's first novel, The Hunt for Red October was more than just a great read for a boy my age. One of the coolest things about it was the impact it had on people involved with US defense issues. My father had spent part of the 1970s working on such things as the SALT I Treaty, and he and his colleagues were blown away by some of the information the book presented, such as the once mega topic secret SOSUS system designed to detect Soviet subs in the North Atlantic.

Should indie bookstores hate Amazon more than B&N?

Ask the people that run your local, independent bookstore about Amazon and you can watch their blood begin to boil. Most don't just credit the online retailer with attempted murder - trying to eradicate indies - they also see the company as destroying American literature. Basically, the narrative is that Amazon will sell books at any price and co-opt authors in order to sell, sell, sell [insert a variety of goods] regardless of the profit and the health of the book market.

However, an article in The Digital Reader tries to make the case that the "big box bookstores" like Barnes & Noble and the defunct Borders were the real culprits. The evidence? The recent indie bookstore resurgence and the idea that Amazon wasn't a super-strong player in the worst era of indie decline.

In an informal bit of research, I asked an indie owner about this hypothesis and her reply was that Amazon was and is the problem, the argument from The Digital Reader notwithstanding.

The good news is that no matter who is to blame for their period of decline, local bookstores seem to be winning lately and even growing, relying on the personal touch and in-store events to court the ever-shrinking population of book readers (an article in the Atlantic Wire notes that just 50% of adults read literature for pleasure). The possible bad news - that Amazon is killing American literature itself - can't be proven yet, but one thing is sure: indie book owners are not Amazon fans no matter what happens and no matter the evidence.

A Familiar Fate available on the iBookstore

It's sort of a mystery of how long it takes to get from Lulu to online e-stores, but A Familiar Fate finally showed up on iTunes (the iBookstore) today. It's only $4.99 for the eBook, versus $15 for the print-on-demand physical edition available over at Lulu (and eventually Amazon, B&N, and local stores).

Lulu claims the book is available on the Nook (the Barnes & Noble eBook platform), but it hasn't shown up yet when searching that site.

Next up, an eBook at the Kindle Store and then physical editions for purchase at the major online retailers.

As always, spreading the word is appreciated!

eBooks capture about 11% of book buying dollars

The folks over at Bowker, perhaps best known as the provider of ISBN numbers (if you don't want to go through a publisher or other third party), and those at Publishers Weekly have just released their study on the US book market. You can read the press release here.

Called the 2013 U.S. Book Consumer Demographics and Buying Behaviors Annual Review, the $800 report discusses the evolution of the US market. High-level findings include:

• eBooks capture 11% of total book spending, but more in certain categories, such as mystery/detective, romance, and science fiction
• Women have increased their lead in book buying (up to 58%)
• Online retailers (think Amazon) get 44% of the dollars spent on books
• Print-on-demand and Reprint business captures the largest share of new ISBN numbers

Only 9000+ to go

Book promotion, like anything, can be bought. Gaining a spot on The New York Times (NYT) Best Seller's list is the ultimate--easy for some, such as James Patterson (and his multitude of co-authors), and harder for others (like me).

While about a non-fiction title, a Forbes article from February talked about how one author bought his way onto a best seller list. In this case, it was property of The Wall Street Journal, but the point was made: money can gain access, even where systems are designed to catch cheaters.

So, to get on the NYT list, the article says that sales of roughly 9,000 copies in a week are needed. Quite a hill to climb, but it's great to have goals. Any support you can provide is appreciated. Meanwhile, it's time to generate some awareness.

Stephen King: All in the writing family

The New York Times had an interesting article on Stephen King's family of writers -- Dad, mom, two of three children, and a daughter-in-law. One son, Joe (Hill), concealed his identity for eight years from even his agent as he struggled to write his first successful novel. Tabby, Stephen's wife, is working on her ninth book.

A Familiar Fate (physical book) available on Lulu

So, if you or your friends need a great book, you can order a copy of A Familiar Fate over at Lulu. Once I clear a couple of publishing process hurdles, the book will be available on Amazon, at the Barnes & Noble website, and at other retail stores. It will also be something an independent book seller can order.

Sorry about the relatively high price of $15. It's a good read, so I think it's worth it, but the high cost reflects the price of printing on demand for an order of one.

Anyway, head on over to Lulu, let your friends know, and spread the word! Thanks for all your support.

Lulu distribution choices

When you self-publish for the first time (and perhaps each time, given the time in between), it's easy to make mistakes not matter how many FAQs, support sites, and forum posts you read. Case in point: with Lulu, if you want globalREACH distribution--that is, to allow your local bookstore to order your book (from Ingram)--you have to decide that when you create your project. Ooops.

Apparently, it's not too hard to get another ISBN and create a revised project (book) with the right distribution plan. For many, the free plan may suffice, after all, it still gets your book on Amazon. However, for those of with bigger dreams or aspirations (or delusions), the $75 for the plan make sense.

Final cover for A Familiar Fate

Here's the final version (at least so far) of the cover for A Familiar Fate. I originally went with just the last name on the top, but it turns out the book can't be distributed unless the cover info exactly matches the inside information (author name, title, etc.).

See what you think ...

And here's the back cover:

Rowling's stealth publishing

It can't have been easy to keep a secret, but Harry Potter (and Casual Vacancy) author JK Rowling managed to publish a new book without anyone finding out ... until now.

It turns out that The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith is actually from Ms. Rowling. She's not too happy with the pre-mature uncovering of her secret venture, but it's certainly not going to hurt sales of a book that has so far only sold hundreds of copies (despite great reviews).

Read more about the unveiling here.