Tag Archives: TBR Tuesday

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TBR Tuesday: Giveaway!

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If you enjoyed Marketing Mondays last year, today’s giveaway is for you!


Friends with Benefits: A Social Media Marketing Handbook
by Darren Barefoot and Julie Szabo

More about the book:

The rules of marketing have changed. Savvy marketing professionals know that they must engage with individuals directly on the Web, and smart businesses know that customers can become friends—with benefits. Friends With Benefits shows you how to get into the online marketing game. A guide filled with tips, tricks, and real-world case studies, Friends With Benefits shows how you can increase your company’s online visibility and Web traffic and win over online influencers.

Friends With Benefits explains how to:

  • Connect with potential customers and join their conversations
  • Tweak your website to support your social media marketing campaigns
  • Promote your products or brand and manage the toughest negative online feedback
  • Track marketing campaigns, monitor discussions, and measure success

With viral videos racking up millions of views and Twitter mavens influencing thousands of their friends, social media marketing is an essential new tool for every marketer’s toolbox. The expert authors of Friend With Benefits guide you through the social media landscape, where authenticity and connections are more important than the size of your marketing budget, and real results can be just a few clicks away.

FWB came out over three years ago (an eternity in Internetdom), and while some of the more specific advice is a little dated, the overall principles endure. It’s not tied to any particular platform, but focuses more on the high-level strategies to find potential customers and promote yourself online.

What do you have to do to enter?

  • You MUST leave a comment on this blog post AND fill out the Rafflecopter giveaway form (which will display below, I hope!)
  • Extra entry: Like my page on Facebook
  • Extra entry: Follow me on Twitter
  • Extra entry: Tweet about the giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

What are your favorite marketing resources?

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Reading

TBR Tuesday: My real pile

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Saturday, my husband tackled reorganizing the clutter on a table (all horizontal surfaces attract clutter, did you know?). He sorted the largest pile of our print books. He started off with a system, but in the end, he sorted them by size (trade paperback was his favorite) (he’s a great husband for a writer 😉 ). Then it was my turn to sort them into actionable groups.

DSC01348
Here’s the full pile, sorted into stacks.

The first three:
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Labeled: “Realistically, I’ll never read these. Give away?”

For the sake of kindness, I didn’t display these spines. I did toss an armload right into the charity bin.

(This also contained the oversized books, which we aren’t giving away, but weren’t worth their own pile.)

Next, the pile of books I might actually read:
DSC01350

The First Counsel by Brad Meltzer
Point Blank by Catherine Coulter
The Cat Who Blew the Whistle, The Cat Who Brought Down The House and The Cat Who Saw Stars by Lilian Jackson Braun
Caught by Harlan Coben
Sin and Syntax: How to Craft Wickedly Effective Prose by Constance Hale (I actually bought this one new! Full price! And a year later, it’s still on the pile.)
The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith
My critique partners’ beautiful finished books: Things Hoped For by Emily Gray Clawson and All Fall Down by Julie Coulter Bellon
Contentment by Maria Covey Cole
The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs (probably the oldest member of the pile I still totally intend to read)
A Perfect Spy by John le Carre

And then we get into books that have no business being on my “to be read” pile . . . because I’ve already read them. Nonfiction and reference first:
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Highlights:
The Breakout Novelist: Craft and Strategies for Career Fiction Writers by Donald Maass
You Just Don’t Understand: Women and Men in Conversation by Deborah Tannen
Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass
The Power Of Point Of View: Make Your Story Come To Life by Alicia Rasley
Spunk & Bite by Arthur Plotnik

And fiction, another keep pile:
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Angels & Demons by Dan Brown
Variant by Robison Wells
Tower of Strength by Annette Lyon
Courting Miss Lancaster by Sarah M. Eden
Cold As Ice by Stephanie Black
Not My Type by Melanie Jacobson
Caller ID by Rachelle Christensen
Inside Out by Barry Eisler
Matched by Ally Condie
Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon

Whew! Now to actually act on these stacks—give away, put away and read. And then, tackle the 300 on my Kindle.

Uh yeah.

What’s sitting on your physical TBR pile? What’s been there longest? Pictures? Come share!

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Reading

TBR Tuesday: Auto-buy authors

Inspired by my friend Debbie Cranberry Fries and an Internet meme I’ve seen on Twitter today, I’m sharing a couple of my favorite authors.

To be honest, I don’t spend a lot of money on books. Libraries are my friend 😉 . But there are several authors that I know are worth my money every time.

Tana French

Tana French writes mystery/suspense novels set in Ireland. That was enough to get me to read the first one, In the Woods—but it’s her plotting and flawless writing that have kept me reading everything she’s written. (There’s some language and adult situations—and, you know, murders—in these novels, so be warned if that’s something you avoid.) Hard to pick a favorite, but In the Woods might be it.

Ally Carter

I’ve gushed here recently about her two YA series, Gallagher Girls, about an all-girls’ boarding school for spies in training, and Heist Society, about a family of storied thieves. I first started reading her books because I followed her agent’s blog, and I’m so very glad I did 😉 . Again, it’s tough to pick a favorite among her books, but I think Heist Society has to take the prize.

Stephanie Black

Stephanie writes keep-you-up-all-night suspense novels with LDS characters. I actually met Stephanie by sitting next to her at my very first writers’ conference, and I didn’t know who she was. She was up for an award, and ended up winning, so I immediately read her books, and every one that’s come out since then. If I had to pick a favorite, I think I’d have to go with Cold As Ice, but it’s hard to go wrong!

Edith Wharton

Okay, so maybe there’s not a whole lot of new material coming from this Pulitzer Prize–winner (seeing as how she’s very, very dead), but I love her works exploring the themes of the repressive Golden Age society and love versus obligation. I don’t think I’d like to be one of her characters, though. Favorite? Ethan Frome.

Melanie Jacobson

Melanie writes humorous romance with LDS characters. I love her voice and I find her books hilarious, cute and fun. I read one of her books from the library and liked it enough that I bought her next two. My favorite so far is Not My Type, but I think I have some catching up to do!

James N. Frey’s writing craft books

I honestly wouldn’t care if I were reading the same advice over and over again, and although it does sometimes bug me that a large proportion of his craft books go into detailed examples (then again, it’s super helpful), I can’t stop reading them. I don’t know if I could pick a favorite, since they cover such different areas, but I like that his genre-based books (mystery and thriller) cover the broad strokes from his other craft books and a step-by-step novel construction.

What do you think? Who are your favorite authors? Who would you automatically buy a new novel from? Come share!

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Reading

TBR Tuesday: Bond. James Bond.

Sometimes it’s easy to forget that fiction’s most famous spy started out on the page and not the silver screen. Although Ian Fleming’s books were bestsellers in the 1950s and 1960s, and remain in print, James Bond is probably better known to most through the two dozen major motion pictures starring the likes of Sean Connery, Roger Moore and now Daniel Craig.

While I like spies in fiction, most of the Bond films are a little too campy for my tastes, so naturally I wasn’t very interested in reading Fleming’s novels. But not all of the Bond books are like the movies—in fact, the one I’ve read was nothing like the films.

oatld

The fourteenth and final Bond novel by Fleming, Octopussy and The Living Daylights is actually a collection of several shorter works: “Octopussy,” “The Living Daylights” (surprise surprise), and in later versions, “Portrait of a Lady,” and “007 in New York.”

You’re probably thinking of these right now:


 

Yeah, not so much. Instead of the big show-stopping set pieces, stunts, gadgets, explosives and womanizing we’ve come to expect from the films, these stories show a different side of espionage—and Bond himself. In “Octopussy,” Bond is actually the story’s antagonist (though not the villain)—it’s about a British major retired to Jamaica. And it features a real octopus—but not a beautiful jewel smuggler in sight. However, “Portrait of a Lady” is about the Faberge auction featured in the movie version of Octopussy.

“The Living Daylights” is related to the movie of the same name: the short story describes the events of the film’s “action prologue“ (you know, the cellist-sniper and shooting the rifle out of her hands). However, it presents a Bond that’s a heck of a lot closer to Daniel Craig’s disaffected portrayal than any of his predecessors’.

“007 in New York” . . . was kind of forgettable. A little reminiscent of the end of Quantum of Solace, plot-wise, I guess.

In all, if you’re more into the spy side than the spectacle of Bond, you’d probably like this quick read. (In fact . . . I kind of read the paperback copy my mom sent for my brother-in-law while I was supposed to be wrapping it up for him. Yeah.)

What do you think? Do you like Bond? Ever read the novels? Who are your favorite fictional spies? Come share!

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Reading

TBR Tuesday: Library reads

I don’t know about you, but I’m much better about reading library books than freebies, ebooks and even books I’ve bought (*eyes 6 feet of unread books on the table* *turns away*). What can I say? I guess I read best under a deadline.

So when I’m writing on a deadline, typically I don’t check out more library books—but this time I just couldn’t resist.

My best friend recommended this one last week. Who could say no after this kind of endorsement?

Did you ever read that one book I recommended…
gosh…
about the ghost detective?

Really pretty good, IMO
And I hate most books now
So that’s high praise. haha

She meant this:

nots
The Name of the Star

Naturally, I immediately placed a hold on it. No, really, I did. And also naturally, it came in a lot sooner than I was banking on. My best friend said the voice reminded me of my book that I’m writing a sequel to now, so maybe it’s just the thing I need to tap into that voice a little better.

The other book I have out from the library, I just came across recently . . . but I can’t remember how! I’m guessing it was a recommendation from Amazon after looking at some CIA books (which, apparently, I do a lot).

Spy the Lie: Former CIA Officers Teach You How to Detect Deception
9781250005854

It’s a nonfiction book about gauging the whether someone’s telling the truth. I’ve learned a lot about research-supported untruthful body language in classes on emotions and body language from psychologist Margie Lawson’s classes, but I was interested to read more about this methodology. I’m only one chapter in and I’m already in love: they openly admit that there’s no such thing as a human lie detector (stupid TV gets on my nerves), and one real-life scenario from the book has already inspired a scene in my WIP.

Hm. The reasons for reading seem a little . . . selfish. But then, aren’t they always?

Have you read either of these? What are you reading now? How does what you’re reading influence your writing?

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Reading

TBR Tuesday: Double Crossed

Here’s what I’m reading right now: I’m a big fan of Ally Carter’s two YA series: the Gallagher Girls books, about the adventures of girls in a secret boarding school for teenage spies-in-training, and the Heist Society books, about the adventures of a girl in a family of storied thieves.

And last month, Ally combined the two series in a free novella, Double Crossed!

Macey McHenry—Glamorous society girl or spy-in-training?

W.W. Hale V—Heir to an American dynasty or master thief?

There are two sides to every coin. Whether these two can work together is a tossup.

Born into privilege, Macey and Hale are experts at mingling with the upper class. But even if they’ve never raised an eyebrow at the glitz, neither teenager has ever felt at home with the glamour.

When Macey and Hale meet at a society gala, the party takes a dangerous turn. Suddenly they’re at the center of a hostage situation, and it’s up to them to stop the thugs from becoming hostile. Will Macey’s spy skills and Hale’s con-man ways be enough to outsmart a ruthless gang? Or will they have to seek out the ultimate inside girl to help?

The worlds of Heist Society and the Gallagher Girls collide in Ally Carter’s fast-paced, high-stakes and tantalizing new story. Get a behind the scenes glimpse as Ally delivers an irresistible thriller that is full of her signature style and savvy twists.

The free crossover novella is available in digital formats only (so if you want to read it, pick up a Kindle app for your phone, tablet or computer!)—and it comes out just in time for the third Heist Society novel, Perfect Scoundrels, which releases today! (Uh, yeah, I’m excited.)

The sixth and final book in the Gallagher Girls series will also come out later this year.

What’s on your to-be-read pile? What are you reading now? Any other Ally Carter fans out there?

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Reading

TBR Tuesday: books I’ll read by the end of the world (or year) (or so)

So, either the end of the world or the end of the year is coming up pretty quickly here, and my reading list for 2012 is still pitifully short, so I’m pushing to read a few more books by the end of the year. And library deadlines help out, too.

First, I remembered and recorded that I read Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick by Joe Schreiber. YA author Ally Carter mentioned this book on Twitter, and I like her books, so I decided to check it out. It’s an intense YA action thriller. I really enjoyed it—but I was torn between reading faster to enjoy the story and reading slower to enjoy the incredibly fresh writing. (I do want to note that there’s a lot of violence, language and sexual themes, so it’s definitely an older YA.) The sequel, Perry’s Killer Playlist came out last month. I’ll go stick that in my TBR 😉 .

Next, I’m in the middle of reading two library books: one on my Kindle, and one in paper. The paper one is due today, so I’m hoping I’ll have finished it by the time you read this: The Eleventh Plague by Jeff Hirsch. A bibliophile friend recommended it as a comp for my Nano novel. It’s a YA post-apocalyptic* novel set 15 years after the Collapse—so Stephen, our main character, never knew the world before. When his dad, the only person he has left, is gravely injured, Stephen, may just have to rely on on strangers who seem too good to be true in this world of chaos and backstabbing.

The story is engaging so far, and at times the writing really sparkles—which makes me all the sadder when it doesn’t. My husband devours pretty much anything post-apocalyptic and got to this one first. He liked it.

My Kindle library read is Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver. Confession time: This was due back at the library over a month ago. However, if I keep the WiFi off on my Kindle, I can finish the book and the library is free to loan out that copy (I think?). On the other hand, if I get any Kindle books for Christmas (like I’ve asked), I kinda need to turn the WiFi back on to get them—which returns my library book.

Oh, the story? Pandemonium is the sequel to Delirium, a YA dystopian* novel about a society that has eliminated the root of wars, conflict and strife: amor deliria nervosa. AKA love. A surgical procedure at the age of 18 “cures” love, and 17-year-old Lena can’t wait—until the deliria strikes her.

I’m sad that I’m having such a hard time getting into this one. I really enjoyed the first book in the series, but Pandemonium is switching between two timelines and I’m not fully engaged in either one yet. I’m <10% into the book, so I’m definitely still giving it a chance. The writing—noticing a trend?—is absolutely striking, but even that I enjoyed more in the first book. We’ll see.

I guess I need a backup read-before-the-end-of-the-world book, and that’s an easy choice: Feedback by Robison Wells. I read Variant, the first book in this YA semi-dystopian* “duology,” last year, and it totally freaked me out. It tells story of Benson, an orphan in the foster system who ends up at an exclusive private school, only to find there are no adults anywhere. He has to find a place in the gang-dominated social strata while trying to figure out what the heck’s going on here.

Again, this is a book my husband got to before me. I recommended Variant to him a year ago, and on a business trip last month, he finally picked up my Kindle edition on his phone. The next morning, he texted me to say “There’d better be a sequel to Variant!” quickly followed with “Do you have Feedback?” I waffled for a few minutes only because the book was on my Christmas list, but then I broke down and bought it for him.

I haven’t had a chance to get to it (ahem, see above—books with deadlines), but I’m coming for you, Feedback. Soon. (Also, I’d still like the hardback for Christmas, since I have Variant in hardback, too.)

What are your last few reads of the year? Come share your favorites and your TBRs! And, um, if you know any good adult books? Because this is getting a little crazy here . . . (I swear, I’m a grown up who doesn’t even write YA! Much.)

*Some people classify post-apocalyptic and dystopian novels as the same thing, but they’re not. A post-apocalyptic novel takes place after an apocalypse (what a concept). Sometimes, after the apocalypse, a controlling society that appears perfect and espouses high ideals but actually has a deep flaw that usually means oppressing someone or something. That’s a dystopia, and while the society might still be dealing with the fallout of the destruction, it’s opposition to the dystopia, not surviving in the wreckage of a society, that forms the basis of the dystopian novel’s plot. Rob Wells himself stipulates that Variant and Feedback aren’t really dystopian.

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Reading

TBR Tuesday: top reads of 2012

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I did a terrible job tracking my reading in 2012—after having to play catch up on my 2011 goal, and burying myself in writing, I just didn’t leave nearly enough time for reading, and when I did read, I neglected to tell Goodreads about it—so it’s like it never happened.

However, thanks to Goodreads, I can tell you a little bit about my favorite reads (that I recall…) this year.

Fiction: Young Adult

Again, I know I read more than what I’ve got listed, but as I look over my list, here’s what stands out:


Supernaturally by Kiersten White, #2 in the Paranormalcy trilogy


Spell Bound by Rachel Hawkins, completing the Hex Hall trilogy

Both of these books are fun paranormal stories without really being “creature” paranormal romance. But I’d recommend starting at the beginning of the series for both of them, which makes the next book my top pick of 2012 YA:


The Ugly Stepsister Strikes Back by Sariah Wilson

This book is just. plain. fun. It’s about a Mattie, a rebellious teen and closet artist, whose stepsister Ella has absolutely everything Mattie could ever want, right down to the boy Mattie’s loved since she was 9. Mattie strikes back—she takes charge of her life and runs for class president. Against that boy she’s loved since she was 9. Besides, she doesn’t believe in happily ever after.

Nonfiction: Espionage

This is reeeally tough. I read and scanned a bunch of books on espionage and the CIA this year, and frankly, nonfiction is seldom as engaging as fiction. On the other hand, a nonfiction book that’s DRRRRRRRRYYYYYYYYYYYYY but really informative is something of a success, right?

So, my most informative book on espionage probably had to be:


The CIA Manual of Trickery and Deception by H. Keith Melton and Robert Wallace

As you might have guessed from my intro, this book is, well, dry. It’s actually declassified, two long-lost manuals written for the CIA by magician John Mulholland, designed to train CIA operatives on sleight of hand to deliver pills, powders or liquids into a subject’s food or drink (or person!), or to abscond with things. The former was never used (according to the CIA), but the latter methods, if not the manual, doubtlessly were, and may still be.

But perhaps more important than the manual tricks it describes are the principles of “magic” that include misdirection and other techniques that help any spy.

On the other hand, maybe it’s less the book and more the fun of trying out actual spy trickery and sleight of hand routines yourself 😉 . I didn’t have time to really delve into another book by the same authors, Spycraft: The Secret History of the CIA’s Spytechs, from Communism to Al-Qaeda, but I still felt cool when I got to decipher the one-time pad in its pages 🙂 .

I read a whole bunch of CIA memoirs as well, and garnered so much information on the actual training and daily life of real CIA operatives. However, the Most outstanding CIA memoir I read this year was . . .


The Master of Disguise: My Secret Life in the CIA by Antonio J. Mendez

Yep, that’s the dude Ben Affleck played in Argo. Mendez has released a whole book about on the true story of the rescue of the six houseguests (also titled Argo), but I read about that first in Master of Disguise.

Although the beginning of Mendez’s CIA career was a little tedious—forging passports and “chops,” the stamps used at border crossings, opening envelopes indetectably, etc.—some of the most entertaining and thrilling true stories of spy adventures I read this year came from this book. Plus, it was only $2.09 on Kindle! when I looked it up last night—you can bet I bought a copy. (My first read came from the library.

Honorable mention in this category definitely goes to See No Evil: The True Story of a Ground Soldier in the CIA’s War on Terrorism by Robert Baer. Where Mendez was actually technical support (though he frequently had to travel in the field), Baer was a real operative in the field for most of his decades-long career. This book was the best look into what a CIA operative does in the field that I read.

So, what are your top reads of 2012? What areas did you focus your reading time in? Come join the discussion!

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