Interview: Jessica Bennett of Grub Street Reads

Today's interview is a little bit different from what you might be used to here on Nyx Book Reviews. I'm not interviewing an author (well - she is an author, but that's not the focus of the interview), but the co-owner of new indie book endorsement company Grub Street Reads.

The Interview

Nyx Book Reviews: Hi Jessica, welcome to Nyx Book Reviews! Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

Jessica: Hi Celine, I’m really pleased to be here at Nyx Book Reviews. My business partner, Leslie Ramey, and I are both fans of the blog, and we’re excited to share information about our business, Grub Streets Reads, with you and your readers.

Leslie and I are, first and foremost, passionate readers. Personally, my addiction started when a shady friend slipped me my first Goosebumps book at a young age. That was the gateway book, and I’ve been hooked ever since. It shouldn’t be surprising that both Leslie and I knew early on that we wanted to be authors.

Fast forward a few decades, and I found myself sitting across from Leslie in a writer’s critique group. She and I began to meet separately to critique each other’s work and to discuss publishing our work. We both did our own research of the current publishing market and decided to self-publish. It was a really exciting time, but also scary. Self-publishing means that you’re on your own, especially when it comes to marketing your book. Marketing is a task that almost all indie authors struggle with.

During this time, Leslie and I looked at every possible way to market our books. We assumed there was some organization out there that provided endorsements or had developed a quality standard for indie books, but all we found were authors and readers alike asking for this type of service. No one was doing it, even though the need was clear.

Leslie and I spent a lot of time discussing the idea. This included much lip chewing, brain storming, and maybe a few tequila shots, but eventually we decided that if no one was going to step up to the plate, we would. A year – and much, much, much work – later, we’re fit to burst with pride over Grub Street Reads, which officially launches July 9th.

Your company is called Grub Street Reads. What do you guys do?

In a nutshell, Grub Street Reads seeks to encourage higher readership of self-published and indie authors by providing a quality standard for self-published and independently-published novels. The Grub Street Reads endorsement seal is given to those books that pass an evaluation process based on the fundamental qualities of good storytelling.

We believe that the indie book market needs standards and that spotlighting the best indie books on the market with our endorsement is a good thing for authors, readers and the reputation of the indie market.
We’re very open about our evaluation process and endorsement criteria on our website. We also have a fun and kooky video on our home page that explains our business in a little more detail: www.GrubStreetReads.com

You endorse books. How is this different from publishing books, like the big publishing houses do?

One of the biggest differences is that we don’t consider ourselves to be “gatekeepers”. Just a few years ago the only viable way to be a successful author was to get into the big bookstores. In most instances, this required an author to get an agent who would then have to place the book with a publisher. If a publisher didn’t accept the book, the author had a very poor chance of ever getting visibility. Agents and publishers are very picky and only a very small percentage of authors ever got a publishing contract.

At Grub Street Reads, we don’t stop anyone from publishing their book. Even if we don’t endorse a particular novel, that author can still self-publish on Amazon and Barnes & Noble and potentially be a great success.

Our main focus is to spotlight and support quality indie books, not to hold anyone back.

Another big difference is that a publisher will typically handle all aspects of an author’s book publication, marketing and distribution. This includes editing the manuscript, developing a cover, publicizing the book, etc…

At Grub Street Reads, we don’t publish or actively distribute books. We do list all of our endorsed books in the Grub Street Reads Library and include links to where they can be purchased. We also try to support our endorsed authors by acknowledging them on our website, our social networking sites, our newsletters and in many other ways.

What kind of books/authors are you looking for?

Quality is the most important factor when it comes to receiving a Grub Street Reads endorsement. We are very clear about what our endorsement criteria are and even have a “Read Before You Submit” page on our website with Dos and Don’ts.

If you’ve got a great book, we’d love to evaluate it and give you our endorsement if your manuscript meets our criteria.

As far as specifics go, we accept all genres of fiction except for children’s book. We also accept creative nonfiction. We don’t accept poetry or screenplays. Manuscripts must be complete, and at this time we’re only accepting manuscripts written in English. We accept manuscripts that are unpublished, self-published, and traditionally-published.

Do you think indie publishing will take over the market?

I don’t think we’ll be seeing the major publishing companies melt away entirely in the next couple of years, but they’re definitely not the only game in town anymore. . The explosion in self-publishing will only get bigger as more and more authors look at the market just like Leslie and I did and see all the opportunities that abound for indie authors.

It’s easier than ever to self-publish, and the royalty rates offered by Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other online distributors can’t be beat. With the continued and far-reaching adoption of Kindles, Nooks, iPads and other electronic reading devices, readers are buying ebooks in droves. No longer must authors get their novels into (dwindling) bookstores to be successful.

The publishing promise land has come for authors. Unfortunately, that promise land is getting really crowded. The process of self-publishing a novel may be easy, but actually developing a strong readership is anything but. Authors still need to find a way to stand out from the crowd and please readers.

Speaking of readers, I think most of them don’t care whether a book is self-published or comes from a big publishing house. They just want a great story that will sweep them away. Unfortunately, with so many low-quality books floating around, readers are starting to shy away from trying new authors.

The bigger the indie book market gets, the greater the need for Grub Street Reads.

Thank you for answering my questions (:

Thanks for letting me stop by your place to chat! It’s been a pleasure. A couple last things I wanted to mention: Grub Street Reads officially launches July 9th, but our beta site is up, and we already have a growing list of endorsed indie books in the GSR library. We invite readers of Nyx Book Reviews to check out our site, view/mock our kooky video and read more about our endorsement process and criteria. We’re also offering a 25% discount for all manuscripts submitted before our official launch, so hurry up and hustle over.

Thanks so much for your time!

Guest Post: Sheryl Steines on Strong Heroines (Blog Tour)

It's been a while since I participated in a blog tour, but today I present to you Novel Publicity's Whirlwind tour of Sheryl Steines's book, The Day of First Sun. Read on to see how you can win huge prizes as part of this blog tour (including $450 in Amazon gift cards, a Kindle Fire and more).

The Guest Post

The Strong Female

I am always amazed to hear that, in the year 2012, women are still talking about strong female characters. It’s funny that we’re always surprised when one comes along. Even in Hollywood, actresses still can’t find roles to sink their teeth into. As a reader, I look for characters that I can relate to in some way; a character who is more than a damsel in distress but less than an unfeeling, mean, witch. I’m putting it gently, but I’m looking for someone, who when facing a problem, doesn’t necessarily need a man to bail her out--a woman who can take care of herself in spite of her vulnerabilities. Because in reality, women are multi-layered and complex. We don’t fall to one end of an extreme or the other.

When I was younger, I started reading Danielle Steele, but I couldn't read her for long. Her female characters were far too needy and always put themselves in a position of requiring a savior. Even as a child, I couldn't help but wonder why these characters always needed a man to improve their lives. Why couldn’t they simply take care of themselves? It seemed as though female characters fell into two camps, and only two. They were either villains, witches, someone to be hated and despised, or they were weak, pathetic, your classic damsels in distress. Why is fiction lacking real women, women who can simply be human and celebrate all that they are?

As I got older, I found myself drawn to shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I saw in Buffy a strong character. Yes, she could kick ass, kill the vampires and fight the demons. She also had a brain, could plan, and could save the world each week. But she wasn't uni-dimensional. She also has a side that liked clothes, shoes and boys, a side that was feminine, a little vulnerable; a side that, okay, sometimes needed to be saved. She was a complex female character, real and human, a character with whom I could definitely relate.

The strong female character isn’t a caricature or stereotype. She’s not a total wimp like Snow White, and she’s not a total monster like the evil queen. She falls somewhere in the middle. She’s reactive, emotional, human, sexual, confident and sometimes unsure of herself.

When I originally wrote my character Annie Pearce in The Day of First Sun, I wrote her as a no-nonsense person, strong and smart, the girl who could survive on her own. But she didn’t feel genuine. As the story unfolded and changed, I rewrote her, gave her friends and family with whom she could interact. I gave her feelings, gave her stress. I let the other characters take charge once in awhile and offer some support. I melded two halves into one woman--a strong woman, who can take care of herself and ask for help when necessary. We’re not perfect, so why should our characters be? Instead, why can’t we make them simply authentic?

Charlize Theron made a really compelling comment regarding her character in the movie Young Adult. She said, "Women are usually either really good prostitutes or really good mothers. Maybe women are finally getting the chance to play more honest characters," Theron said. "We usually don't get to play bad hookers or bad mothers -- or anything in between."

Maybe it’s time to be a little more real and a little more honest.

The Tour

As part of this special promotional extravaganza sponsored by Novel Publicity, the price of the Day of First Sun eBook edition is just 99 cents this week. What’s more, by purchasing this fantastic book at an incredibly low price, you can enter to win many awesome prizes, including: $450 in Amazon gift cards, a Kindle Fire, and 5 autographed copies of the book.

All the info you need to win one of these amazing prizes you can find here. Remember, winning is as easy as clicking a button or leaving a blog comment--easy to enter; easy to win!

To win the prizes:

> Purchase your copy of The Day of First Sun for just 99
cents
> Fill-out the simple form on Novel Publicity
> Visit today’s featured social media event

Help Nyx Book Reviews win:

The tour blogger who receives the most votes in the traffic-breaker poll will win a $100 gift card. (That is one hell of a big gift card!)When you visit Novel Publicity’s site to fill-out the contest entry form, don’t forget to vote for me! <3

Book & Bio

About the book: When Princess Amelie of Amborix is murdered by magical means, Annie Pearce and Bobby “Cham” Chamsky of the Wizard’s Guard are called in by the FBI. Their job is to help solve the crime while keeping the non-magical world from discovering the existence of the Wizard Council.

During their investigation, Annie and Cham discover that Princess Amelie’s death is connected to a series of other crimes in the Chicago area. A larger plot involving, a vampire, a rogue wizard and an army of soul-less zombies is revealed, but can Annie and Cham discover who is responsible before The Day of First Sun? Get it on Amazon.

About the author: Sheryl Steines’ mind is chaotic and surprising and it shows in her writing. Never one to sit back and see what may come, Sheryl is driven to write everyday. Somehow, amidst the chaos, she finds the time to volunteer and give talks to book clubs and students about her writing. She even walked the Avon Breast Cancer walk two years in a row.

Sheryl’s series Annie Loves Cham is full of surprises and mystery. Refusing to be restricted by genre Sheryl has taken the characters she loves and set them in new situations which test them and their friendships. The second book in the series is set to release in late summer 2012.Visit Sheryl on her website, Twitter, Facebook, or GoodReads.

Guest Post: Emily Cale on Writing

Being a writer is such a mystical job. And the world usually thinks it must be easy, just write some words on paper and make money. Well, Emily is here today to disprove all of the writing myths!

The Guest Post

You might think working from home and writing is all fun and games. Who doesn't want to spend their day sitting at a fancy desk, typing, sipping coffee, and chatting with their author friends? I almost forgot to mention the fun of not having to deal with traffic, coworkers, or an angry boss. When I first imagined being an author, I figured it would be the most glamorous life possible. I forgot about a few things.

1. You actually have to write. Don't get me wrong, I love writing and adore my characters. The problem is that some days they don't love me. In an ideal world, I want to write 5000 words a day when I sit down. I fall short of that goal a lot. Sometimes it is because I'm goofing off on the internet or watching TV. Other times it's because the book simply won't behave and even though my hands have been on the keyboard all day, I have less than a page to show.

2. You have to do more than write books. Yeah, I never thought about that part either. There are multiple sets of edits that take up a huge chunk of time (self edits, content edits, line edits, proofreading). Then there is all the promotion after a book comes out. Writing blog posts (like this one) and dealing with email all take up a huge amount of time, but have to be done. Then there is all the social networking. Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, and whatever sites you are involved on are important ways to network and meet new friends, but they can also turn into a time suck.

3. It gets lonely. Sure, I have friends and a husband, but sometimes living in your head becomes a very solitary place. When I'm at the office for my day job, the other people in my office stop by to chat, my office mate and I complain to one another, and there is a general sense of shared suffering. When I'm in my office at home, it's just me and my cat.

Despite these things, I wouldn't change a thing. Being an author was a dream of mine since I was in elementary school and I am so lucky that I got to make my dreams come true. The truth is that if I was to make a list of the things I love it would take up more space than my general host would allow me.

Okay, question time. Ask me anything. I reserve the right not to answer if the question is too personal, but I'm pretty open.

Bio

Emily Cale spent the majority of her childhood as a visitor to the worlds of her favorite authors. With encouragement from her English teachers, she put pen to paper and began imagining her own stories. Preferring the fascinating lives of her characters, she majored in creative writing. When not lost in a manuscript or a good book, she enjoys crocheting, rock climbing, and playing board games. She
currently lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with her husband and a very spoiled cat. You can find her on her blog (http://www.emilycale.blogspot.com) or on Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/emilycale).

Her Book

Emily's LGBT erotic short Public Display of Affection is out now through Decadent Publishing. Click on the image to read the blurb & to find information on buying it. (I decided not to post the blurb here as it contains content that might offend some of my readers ^^)

You can also find this book on Amazon and on All Romance.

Interview: Brodi Ashton (Everneath)

Everneath is released today, and even though Brodi has a very busy schedule (with her being a debut author and all) she is here today with an interview! Make sure you visit her site too.

The Interview

Nyx Book Reviews: Hi Brodi, welcome to Nyx Book Reviews! Can you describe your book, Everneath, in one sentence?

Brodi: A girl, who has been stuck in the Underworld for a century, has six months to visit her family and her former boyfriend before disappearing forever.

Your book is closely connected to the myth of Persephone. Did you research Greek mythology before writing Everneath?

I didn't have to do much research, because my mom made sure I knew all about mythology when I was a kid. Also, I wanted Everneath to have elements and themes of mythology, but I didn't want it to be a strict retelling, and I didn't want the story to be handcuffed by sticking to the exact details of the myths. :)

Everneath has a stunning cover. Did you have any voice in how it was supposed to look, or was it all decided for you?

I wish I could say I had something to do with the cover, but all of that credit goes to the awesome design team at HarperCollins. But I did have a swirling smoke effect in mind when I pictured the cover. If you've read the book, you'll know why.

What do you like best about being a writer?

Working in my pajamas.

Many people think that ebooks will completely obliterate the physical books market. Do you think that will happen?

I can only guess based on my own actions, and I own a kindle, but I still buy a ton of books. So I think books will survive, no matter what the format!

Do you still find time to read yourself? If so, what books have you enjoyed lately?

I think every aspiring writer should be a good reader first. Recently, I've read and loved Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Under the Never Sky, and Incarnate. Oh, and the final installment in the Dark Divine trilogy The Savage Grace.

Everneath is the first part of a trilogy. Can you give us a little hint of what’s in store for Nikki, Jack and Cole next?

I don't want to give any spoilers, but I will say that if you've read the book, you'll have a pretty good idea of where Nikki needs to go next. :)

Thank you for answering my questions! (:

Thank you so much for having me!

Bio

Because of two parents who were Greek myth geeks, I grew up thinking the latest fashion trends were inspired by Aphrodite, and a good conversational opener was, “So, which mythological character do you most resemble?” Despite these social shortcomings, I found a great husband who’s always my first reader. We live in Utah with our two young boys, who still have no idea why I'm at the computer all the time.

I received a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the University of Utah and a Master’s degree in International Relations from the London School of Economics.

> Read my review of Everneath

***

Interview: KE Payne (me@you.com)

To celebrate the release day of novel me@you.com by KE Payne, I asked her to have an interview here on Nyx Book Reviews! You can read my review of her book here, and of course check her site out too!

The Interview

Nyx Book Reviews: Hi KE, welcome to Nyx Book Reviews! Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

KE Payne: Hi Celine. Well, I started writing seriously in my late-thirties. I’ve written short stories and poems on and off since I was a teenager but working full-time for the British government (and believe me, that sounds far more exciting than it really was!) has never allowed me the time to do it properly.

When I hit 30, I gave up my job and went to university and got a degree in History and Linguistics. Although I did briefly go back to work after I graduated, all I really wanted to do was write. I started off by writing some short stories for UK women’s magazines, and it was also during this period that my first novel, “365 Days” was accepted for publication. That spurred me into leaving work for a second time, and to start writing full-time.

However, I didn’t actually think about getting “365 Days” published at first. I’d found some old diaries of mine during a visit home and after reading them all again, it reminded me of a period in my life when I was pretty unhappy and confused. So I starting writing some thoughts and anecdotes down, through the eyes of a character called Clemmie, but I never dreamt it would ever turn into a complete novel. But once I started writing, I found I couldn’t stop and I wanted to see it through to its conclusion. Friends and family that read it suggested that I send it to some publishers, and Bold Strokes Books accepted it.

It’s all just snow-balled from there, really. My second novel “me@you.com” was subsequently accepted by Bold Strokes Books, and I still continue to write short stories for women’s magazines.

I’m sure that my decision to try writing full-time has been the right one. I certainly get far more satisfaction from writing than I ever did from pushing bits of paper around my desk!

Can you describe your book, me@you.com , in one sentence?

A confused and unhappy teenager finds answers to many of her questions about her sexuality through the people that she meets on an internet message board, finally leading to the happiness and understanding she craves.

What makes your book stand out in the quite extensive young-adult market?

To be honest, I don’t worry too much about the extensiveness of the YA market. I just write from the heart about things that matter to me, and have mattered to me in the past, and hope that it strikes a chord with the reader.

What message would you like people to get from your book?

That there are many ways to discover who you really are, and who is right for you. The main character, Immy, is, on the outside, just your average eighteen year-old college girl with a kind and loving boyfriend. But she finds her life turned upside down when she “meets” a girl called Fickle on the internet and then stresses about her growing feelings for her. She thinks it’s wrong to be attracted to another girl, and tries to ignore her feelings by focusing more on her boyfriend, which makes her feel unhappy and trapped.

I want people to read the book and realise that you can’t help who you fall in love with. Emily—who’s one of Immy’s friends at college—tells her just that; she tells Immy that she can’t help who she really is or who she may just happen to fall in love with, and that it’s not as if Immy woke up one day and decided to be gay just for the hell of it.

I wanted that to be the main message of the book – just follow your heart. There’s no “right” or “wrong” when it comes to love, and you should never be ashamed of who you really are.

What is the best thing about being a writer?

It’s exciting! I have ideas milling around in my head all the time and I can’t wait to switch the laptop on and get all those ideas down. I love that I get to “meet” all these characters, and mould them, and bring them alive, and then take them on a fantastic journey.

How much do experiences in real life influence your writing?

Both “365 Days” and “me@you.com” contain things that have happened to me in the past. Without wishing to sound too clichéd, I found it almost cathartic to write both books, as it allowed me to put some thoughts and questions that I’ve had in my own past into them.

I love writing comedy. Although “me@you.com” isn’t a comedy, my first novel “365 Days” definitely is. The character of Clemmie in “365” frequently says unintentionally funny things throughout the book, and most of the things she says are snippets of things I’ve heard people say. I’m a big eavesdropper! The best one-liners, double-entendres and malapropisms are always unintentional, and I love to keep an ear out for them while I’m out and about. It’s these anecdotes that go into my writing.

You write about quite a controversial topic; being gay. Do you fear negative reactions to this?

To me it’s not, and shouldn’t be seen as, controversial to be gay in 2011. It would be a shame if the book received negative reactions purely because it has gay characters in it, but I don’t fear it at all.

Anyone that’s likely to be offended by reading about a gay character would, I hope, know to find other fiction that’s more suitable for them.

What are your future plans? Any more books coming up?

I’ve already written a sequel to “365 Days” and am just coming to the closing stages of a stand-alone fourth, as yet untitled, YA novel. I’m also working on a couple of short stories, plus a humorous murder-mystery serial idea, so that’s all going to keep me busy writing for the foreseeable future.

Thank you so much for answering my questions! (:

***

Guest Post: Lynna Merrill (The Seekers of Fire)

A little later than planned, I would like to introduce author Lynna Merrill! She has written a character interview for NBR. If you're interested in her books, feel free to visit her on her website.

The Seekers of Fire

The Bers have ruled Mierenthia with fire magic and an iron fist for hundreds of years, but now their magic is failing. The firepipes are dry. The firewells gape cold and empty, and the factories are shutting down. Light, warmth, and food are scarce. Strange creatures appear not only in the distant forests but even in the cities, the Bers' own strongholds.

Amidst this chaos arises Linden, a young commoner woman who dares oppose a Ber with forbidden magic of her own. She is joined by Rianor, the High Ruler of Qynnsent, who defies what the Bers call a noble's greatest responsibility. The two tamper with the half-ridiculed, half-forbidden idea of science and believe that there is more to science than the Bers and mentors would have people think.

Dominick, a young mentor, one of the priestly class who keep people from thinking aberrant thoughts, starts to question the Ber world even as he is trying to save it.

Merley, a young Ber woman who sees things that others cannot, saves a condemned boy and seeks out a reprobate old witch.

As these young people choose the paths rarely taken and make paths of their own, others try to pull their strings and shape the world according to their own wills.

The Interview

Interviewer: So, tell us about yourself. What are your dreams? What are your fears?

Linden: You must know that already. You must have already tried to breach my mind. For the eighteen years of my life I have learned that those who ask the questions already know the answers. At least, they attempt to. There is no safe place in Mierenthia. Not for those with thoughts even slightly diverging from what the Bers and mentors claim we must think. There is no safe place for those who want to make their own choices.

Interviewer: But no one could ever breach your mind.

Linden: None of them ever succeeded. Even the Ber who attacked me could not make me fall.

Interviewer: Why would a Ber attack you? The Bers protect people. They give you all fire and warmth. They are Mierenthia's caretakers and guardians, the ones who make sure that the unspeakable ones who lurk by the world's edges do not creep closer. They are the ones who protect you from your own selves.

Linden: Ask the Bers why. Ask them what happened to the world. Ask them why the firepipes broke in people's homes, or why the factories are failing even though the Bers torture wretches so that Ber magic would continue to exist. This magic does not exist any more. Not really. It is weak, so very weak---and yet we have nothing to replace it with. Ask the Bers why there is no warmth, no food, why the rites of master crafters, which used to give us food, clothes, and even canned food, produce nothing these days.

Most of all, ask the Bers why even the master crafters have no idea how their rites are supposed to work. Ask why even basic tools are denies to us, and why science is rudimentary and ridiculed as nothing more than a trifling pursuit for those with too much time to waste. Magic was what used to run our world. Now, magic is dying, and yet it has gripped the whole world tightly in its fist like a falling giant clutching madly at something, anything.

Even a dying giant's grip can be deadly.

Ask your questions of the Bers. Perhaps they will give you an answer. They gave none to Rianor and me. So, we are taking matters into our own hands.

Bio

Lynna Merrill was accused at an early age that she lived in a world of her own. Since then she has changed the country, continent, and language—but she still lives in worlds of her own. One of these is the world of Mierenthia. A part of it, together with some of its people and conflicts, has recently been chronicled in the first three books of Lynna’s fantasy series, The Masters That Be. Nine books are planned. Lynna also makes her own cover and interior art.

In the real world Lynna has a Master of Science degree in Computer Science from the Ohio State University and has worked on various open source software projects, both as a volunteer and as an employee. She wrote the almost 300,000 words of her first three books in the VIM text editor.

Lynna is interested in books (of course),  computers, and “what if” questions. She lives by lake Ontario with her husband and soulmate, Alex.