We're back again for our second newsletter. This week I'll start out with a question.
I've noticed that a large number of writers I engaged with over the years are no longer around. I realize that much has changed in the publishing business, but many people have seemingly just given up. Did they simply lose interest in writing? Some authors told me they simply got tired of the wonky website crap. I eased off on certain posts of mine because it seemed to me that a lot of people were in attack mode and got downright nasty. My reaction was to simply ignore them and stick to sharing stuff about fellow authors. Even at that, I'd get some people telling me on my own posts that I was wrong. Idiocy. After a while, I realized I didn't have to respond back to them. For the most part, that did the trick. I don't think there's any one solution to handling this. It is what it is. Some people are like that. Others aren't.
Unfortunately, others were ponied up to a press which went under and didn't get their rights back so they could republish their books. Of course, this would leave a bad taste in anyone's mouth. Read the fine print on your contract when you sign on the dotted line. Make sure the rights belong to you. I always have, and I'm certainly happy I followed my instincts. The position I'm in now is a good one. I write what I want to write, when I want to write it. I like being in charge of my work.
To get back to the part about civility, here's a post I wrote a while back about it.
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I tend to get highly agitated by some people. I don’t mind folks having a difference of opinion from mine. That’s their right. But for them to get rude is an entirely different thing.
There are a lot of inconsiderate people popping up in the various groups on Facebook and elsewhere lately. I'm concerned mainly with writers groups. As an example, one author posted her book cover of a soon to be published novel. This should have been a happy time for her, right? It wasn't. Some guy blasted her over it saying it was horrible. I remembered him posting other things of the like in the past. He's rather opinioned, rude, and it seems he sells book covers. Hmm. I checked his credentials and didn't think his covers were all that good. My opinion, of course. Other authors said the same thing. Their covers were also not worth bragging about in my eyes. They were not horrible, but not great either. One guy liked the cover the woman had. Me? I also liked the cover. Obviously, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. Unless you just wish to bring someone down, that is.
The same thing can be found with people finding flaws with formatting, editing, and much more. People come out of the woodwork to attack their peers. Wow! Why? No one is perfect. Remember that. As a rule of thumb, read the free sample on Amazon for a book and base your decision on that.
I am an editor as well as an author. As such, I see some great work and some that is lacking. Thank goodness I don't have to tell individuals when their work is not up to par. Another person handles that part. When I review a book for someone, I only give 5Star or 4Star reviews. If the work doesn't warrant such, I don't bother to leave a review. If the author knows I've read the book and asks me about it, I'll tell her/him in private. Yes, I get some authors who tell me I'm wrong, but I don't care. They asked, and I told them.
Another thing that irritates me are people with high noses who have won many awards and try to lord it over the authors they consider to be beneath them. Sorry, people. I read for the content and not the celebrity. In fact, there are many authors who people love that I just can't get into. Their tastes; my tastes. No one is right or wrong. Also, there is still some stigma attached to self-published authors and their books. There shouldn't be. A good book is a good book. Plain and simple. We don't need gatekeepers anymore. Those days are over.
I suggest that if you want to say something to help out a fellow author that you do it in private and do it in a constructive manner. Otherwise, keep your mouth shut. There's too much negativity in this world today.
One of my author friends was attacked by about one hundred people who objected to the cover of her book and said some vile things online. I won’t mention the author or explain the cover, but these retards stepped over the line with their threats and insults. This was from supposedly God-fearing people on some agenda. We don’t need attacks from these self-righteous clowns.
Another thing that came to my attention was a major attack on a large Facebook group. This is supposedly a responsible group which is not tolerant of writers being slammed because of color, sexual preference, for being anti or pro religion, or gender equality. You get the idea. Everyone appeared to be after everyone else. It got to be quite infantile before it was over. And, for a writers group, there were many illiterate people. That’s another thing I get angry with. If an author posts something, they should put up one with no incorrect words or misspellings. I look at that and never bother to buy their books.
Thank you for reading this.
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My artist this week is Peggy Szasz. She is a master with quilt art. Because Facebook and I don't play nice with each other when it comes to sharing pictures, I'm sending you a link to her Facebook page where you can see some of her stupendous quilts. You'll love them!
https://www.facebook.com/peggy.szasz
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My Woman In Horror Post this week is a very interesting one where I interviewed JD Phillips. Take a read. I'm sure you'll enjoy what this lady has to say.
https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/4527027449764294729/5501000319026198085
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Romantic Shadows is this week's pick of books published by Blazing owl Press. It's a special book for Terri Delcampo and me.
https://books2read.com/u/31rapl
Romantic Shadows, by Terri DelCampo and Blaze McRob, is a collection published by Blazing Owl Press on our wedding anniversary back in 2016. We eased up a bit on our usual horror fare and wrote some romance-themed short stories and poems. Yes, there are certainly elements of horror contained within, but that is not all we present in this tome. Lovers are reunited in magical ways, the Dance Of Love soothes yearning hearts, and much more.
We hope you enjoy the softer side of horror we share with you here.
Blaze McRob
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True love drowned by stormy seas?
Nun and lover brought to knees.
Wig transforms a broken girl.
Lady killed by shrapnel hurled.
Lambada's passion warms the soul.
Tears in heaven are wrath's toll.
Like seeks like when soulmates meet.
Poe's adoring shadow greets.
Will child be mother's resurrection?
Powwow lovers pose for perfection.
Artists' souls joined with paint eternal.
Chilesa's life raft is infernal.
Moon beams and lovers dream – forever
All in this tome – a dark romance endeavor.
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Cover art and poem above done by Terri DelCampo
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https://www.amazon.com/Gothic-Revival-Carson-Buckingham/dp/0692219412?ref_=ast_author_dp&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.g7RgD5C-EZJ8aqF7vyPxcHsbVYaY8CVEHGDG9fG6UwEr8PUpS7Vxk0DMMO9F-Yun9VFwwxRv81Sw9aRXtt85-A0C6CVUU0yGu9PBwbkgRvAJ5IZvu0Phl_1UbXOBqZ0hFOylA6zgcfeavDJCZ6PCn-FSgHGr53Iwx0WaozAgsggW7g5UDtULmZLroaz11Fiu15t0hY830535Ig7-wzA_JU6pQw7Njqg-oEBb_cySME8.LH5aW2defAAzsk1Q6h9gmjZA5HNo3kU-5vJNSvRg_BU&dib_tag=AUTHORHere's my book review for Gothic Revival, by Carson Buckingham. This is a great novel!
Blaze McRob
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Book description:
Alex and Leo Renfield are a husband and wife contractor team who’ve recently moved to the village of Woodhaven, Connecticut to escape the chaos of life in New York. Pretty close to broke, they meet Theodora Hamilton, a somewhat unsavory and odd individual, who offers them an astronomical amount of money to repaint the first floor of her family home.
But along with the huge paycheck comes a set of unsettling rules that must be followed explicitly if they are to accept the offer; one of which is they must reside on the property having no direct contact with the outside world until the job is complete.
Is Theodora Hamilton just an eccentric woman with a peculiar way of doing things, or is there a more sinister agenda that Alex and Leo are unaware of? What exactly does she have in store for this down-on-their-luck couple who have no choice but to accept the offer and the strange requirements that come along with it?
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5.0 out of 5 stars Gothic Revival Is Carson Buckingham's Masterpiece!,
By Robert C. Nelson
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This review is from: Gothic Revival (Kindle Edition)
Gothic Revival, by Carson Buckingham, is the author's best work to date. One would think a 536 page novel would have some slow, drawn-out sections, but not for Carson. She is a master at Gothic story-telling and knows how to keep the story moving.
I am particularly impressed by the fact there is no elaborate over-description involved. To me, that is boring. Give me some action; some psychological horror. Carson gives the reader all the description she/he needs without describing every useless tid-bit a reader doesn't want to know.
How does she do this? Through her skillful use of dialogue. Too many authors are totally without dialogue skills. Carson could write a non-fiction book on the subject. But then again, anyone who reads Gothic Revival will see what I'm talking about. Her dialogue is written the way people actually talk. Fancy the concept! She has hit upon a secret so simple that it eludes far too many authors.
Now I come to a part of Carson's writing that I really enjoy. Her sense of humor. What, you ask, humor in Gothic horror? You betcha. Once more, Master Carson Buckingham comes riding along on her trusty steed and delivers the right amount of humor at the perfect time. Superb!
Take dialogue unmatched by any author past or present, add in humor, suspense, romance, and a foreboding creepy feeling polishing it all off, and you have Carson Buckingham.
You will notice my review does not tell you the details of the story. Yikes! Why do that? Read the description and the free sample for that. I'm here to tell you about the author's skills. Of that, Carson has many. Besides, I wanted to blurt out some goodies, but that would have been a spoiler. Not my style.
Gothic Revival is a masterpiece!
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That's it for this week! I hope everyone got something out of this newsletter.
Blaze McRob
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