A Day at Random House and ... a book haul !!

A little over a week ago, I had the pleasure of spending the day at Random House. It was a day for people who love to read and talk about books. It's between chef Marcus Samuelsson and Anna Quindlen talking to her editor Kate Medina for the best panel. I missed getting Marcus Samuelsson's book Yes Chef, but it's definitely on my list now. I only knew him as the judge on Chopped, but he is so much more. He sounds like a historian or a philosopher when he talks about food and it's role in our culture. As a chef he's also a storyteller, and it's important that come through in his cooking. I was amazed to learn that Kate Medina is the only editor Anna Quindlen has had in her nearly 25 years at Random House. As she put it Kate Medina speaks fluent Quindlen. They seem like such good friends.

The video above pretty much sums up the day.  I feel famous because one of my many Tweets that day made it into the video (takes so little to make me happy)!!!

Here is a picture of the books I picked up at Random House:

Bought:
Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan (not a Random House title but it was recommended during the lunchtime panel)
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
The Twelve by Justin Cronin (I own The Passage but I haven't read it yet!)
The Dog Stars by Peter Heller
Gift bag:
Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake by Anna Quindlen
True Believers by Kurt Andersen

My take on: Shunning Sarah

I must confess, I let Shunning Sarah by Julie Kramer fall by the wayside. I started it in August and didn't finish it until December. It was not a bad book at all, it was actually pretty good. But because I read so many books at once, I often give some priority over others. Anyway, better late than never!!

This was my first introduction to Julie Kramer's books and the character Riley Spartz. Riley is both funny and intelligent in her adventures as an investigative TV reporter. She's always searching for the next big story. She loves hunting down clues and getting to the heart of the matter. Those skills will come in handy in her next assignment. What starts out as a seemingly small story, turns into a large-scale murder investigation.

When a young boy named Josh Kueppers falls into a sinkhole, Riley immediately smells a larger story. Of course she is right, otherwise there would be no point to the book. Josh spent the night cold and scared, but he wasn't alone. Doesn't that sound creepy? In the first few chapters, I was scared for Josh. The eyes of a dead naked woman were staring up at him. He's constantly wondering if he will ever get out and see his parents again. Who is this woman? How did she get there? Does someone out there care about her?

All of the chapters are fairly short, and when I was actively reading the book I was constantly turning the pages to find out what happened. When Riley gets the full scope of the story, she is desperate to get to the bottom of things. Discovering the truth could be the turning point in her professional career and in her personal life. The TV station is still reeling from a mass shooting. I have a feeling some of those details are covered in previous books in the series, but I did get the gist of it. Riley's mentor was murdered in the shooting, and now she has a new boss, Bryce Griffin, who is a total jerk. Ratings and advertisers mean more to him than running an interesting, investigative, and honest news story. Discovering this woman's killer is very low on his list of priorities. Bryce isn't Riley's only stumbling block in this investigation.

The murder victim turns out to be Sarah Yoder, a young Amish woman who was being shunned by her community and her family. Why was she shunned? Did she leave the community on her own or was she forced out? Trying to get answers out of the Amish community proves difficult. They see the "English" and everything they stand for as the enemy. The Amish are not part of modern society. They are closed off in their own world. Finding out who killed Sarah isn't a priority. You can tell some members of the family did care about Sarah, but they're afraid to show it. I just don't understand that. I don't know enough about the Amish to truly understand the principles that they live by. But Riley is determined to understand, despite the danger it puts her in.

I wish we had be given suspects a little earlier in the book. The first real suspect given comes pretty late in the story. I knew right away that the suspect we're given couldn't have done it. There were too many pages left for the book to end on that note. There had to be more to it. When the murderer was revealed, it felt a little rushed. I would have liked to hear more from this character. More about this character's pysche. Reading the book, you learn a lot about Riley. Everything else is more of a backdrop. This seemed like it was more about Riley's efforts to overcome an evil boss and rise up the corporate ladder. The murder was just the next obstacle for her to overcome. Overall, I liked the book, and I would definitely read another book by Julie Kramer again.

Rating: Give it a try

Note: I received a copy of the book from the publisher (Emily Bestler Books/Atria) in exchange for an honest review.

My take on: The Exceptions

I loved David Cristofano's first book The Girl She Used to Be, so I was eager to read his next book The Exceptions. Both books require some stretch of the imagination, but both are very engaging and entertaining. You can read The Exceptions without having read the first book, but I don't recommended you do that. You have a deeper understanding of the characters and their personalities if you've read the first book.

The facts are still the same. Melody Grace McCartney is still running from her past. One day, a six-year-old Melody and her parents left their New Jersey home for a day out in Manhattan. While on that journey, they have the misfortune of witnessing a murder at the hands of mafia boss Tony Bovaro. From that day on the lives of the McCartney family are forever changed. They are forced into the Witness Protection Program. As a teenager, the Bovaro family catches up with Melody’s parents and kills them. Orphaned Melody is now without her anchors – her parents.

Jonathan Bovaro wants to be Melody's anchor. He wasn't much older than Melody at the time of the murder. While the adults in his family saw Melody and her family as threats, Jonathan saw her as a beautiful girl. She was innocent. Her life was worth saving. She deserved a chance to grow up. Jonathan never understood why his family couldn't see Melody the way he did.

The Girl She Used to Be to be is told entirely from Melody's perspective. This is where The Exceptions differs from the first book, it's narrated entirely by Jonathan. You get more insight into his personality. Despite being the son of a mafia boss, Jonathan grew up with a sense of family, except their Sunday dinners were celebrating the elimination of a traitor instead of good grades on a report card. Nothing is normal is about the Bovaro clan.

Violence and intimidation are the norm for the Bovaros, and Jonathan learned from the best. But he wants to be more than a product of his upbringing. He wants a normal life. He has to have something for himself, something that is separate from the Bovaro clan. He turns his passion for cooking into a successful career as a restaurant owner, but the sins of his family will always haunt him. Whenever he's pushed to the limit, Jonathan reverts to what he knows. Like his family, money, violence, and intimidation are his best weapons. But when it comes to Melody, Jonathan feels nothing but compassion and love. Over the years, Jonathan has watched her from afar, slowly falling in love with her. He can see a lot of her in himself. Melody desperately wants her life back. She could have been something before the Bovaros entered her life. If Jonathan can break away from the family, then he can truly become the person he was meant to be.

Every year Melody continues to live, Jonathan reassures his family that he will get it done. Although deep down he has no intention of harming Melody. He wants to free her from the eternal misery of the Witness Protection Program. After two books, I still believe his plan to free her was naive. In the eyes of his family, Melody is a threat and that won't change until her death. Sometimes it felt like Jonathan was obsessing over Melody too much. In his mind, he is the only one who can save her. Only he has her best interests at heart, not the feds. He loves her so much it hurts to be away from her. His passion for Melody was a little too sappy for my taste. He obsesses over kissing her and touching her. Pages and pages are devoted to his obsessive thoughts over Melody. At 465 pages, The Exceptions was a little long for my taste. The first book was so effective in getting to the point quickly. But for readers who loved The Girl She Used to Be, The Exceptions is worth reading.

Rating: Give it a try

Note: I received a copy of the book from the publisher (Grand Central Publishing) in exchange for an honest review.

My take on: The Theory of Everything

"Talk to us enough to think you're okay, but don't say what you really think. It makes us uncomfortable. And God forbid we should be uncomfortable." -- Pg. 57

In The Theory of Everything by J.J. Johnson, fifteen-year-old Sarah Jones is not ok. But she doesn't want her family or boyfriend to know that. Sarah is still reeling from the death of her best friend Jamie. Before Jamie died (BJD) everything was great. Sarah was outgoing and social. In the months since Jamie died (SJD) everything has changed. Sarah is no longer the person she used to be. The other half of her is gone, and she doesn't know how to move on.

How do you go on after losing someone close to you? Jamie died in a tragic accident. It just doesn't seem fair to Sarah that she is alive and Jamie is dead. She blames herself for not doing more to save Jamie. At just 15, Sarah doesn't have all the answers. But you wouldn't know it by the words that come out of her mouth. She is not only snarky to her brother, Jeremy, and her boyfriend Stenn, but Sarah isn't afraid to go toe-to-toe with her parents. She curses and gets into screaming matches with her parents. She cuts classes. She sneaks out at night. She questions their authority at every turn. Like all teenagers, she knows what's best not her parents. It all sounds like typical teenage angst, but Sarah is grieving. How much rope do they give her? A lot in my opinion. Grieving or not, I don't think I would be alive if I ever spoke to my family they way Sarah does. What's Sarah's punishment for skipping classes? Oh she's grounded for the weekend!!

Towards the middle of the book, Sarah's constant sarcasm was getting on my nerves. Not everything is a joke. Sarah's attitude is alienating her from her boyfriend and family. People don't know what they can or can't say to her and it's all because she won't talk about her true feelings. It takes a perfect stranger to break Sarah out of her shell. To repay a debt, the creepy possum dude (read the book to know what I'm talking about) a.k.a Roy forces Sarah to work on his Christmas tree farm. Initially the work is hard, but Sarah comes to see another side of Roy. Sarah comes to realize he isn't a creepy dude, but someone who is struggling with his emotions. A tragic event changed Roy's life, but he channeled his own grief into helping other. You never know what a person is struggling with until you get to know them. If it's ok for Roy to move on, then maybe it's ok for Sarah, too.

I liked Sarah's relationship with Roy the most. To start, Sarah felt slightly intimidated by Roy. There was no point in being snarky with him. Even though they met under unusual circumstances (seriously read the book to know what I'm talking about), Roy helped save Sarah from herself. By the end, of course Sarah doesn't have all the answers because she's a teenager. But you have hope for her future, and that she is finally starting to grow up. 

Rating: Superb

Note: I received a copy of the book from the publisher (Peachtree Publishers ) in exchange for an honest review.

Hank Green said it best....

In light of the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary school, I thought it was appropriate to post this video. I did a lot of retweets on my Twitter feed. But deep down, I'm at a loss for words. I just don't understand. This video by Hank Green sums up what a lot of people are thinking right now.

Note: My first semester of grad school is now over, and I will try to post more regularly, starting with a review (Monday) of The Theory of Everything by J.J. Johnson.

Please Welcome Ron Gavalik!!

A little something different today, Ron Gavalik stops by to talk about Financial Success for Creative Professionals

Achieve Success from Your Creative Talents

Ron Gavalik

Throughout civilized human history, creative minds of every type were comforted by the knowledge that if a publisher, producer, or gallery accepted their work, they’d receive financial support in the form of advanced payments and promotional initiatives. In essence, after years of struggle, rejection, and torment, the creator was chosen by an elite group of tycoons to be idolized above others. In return, he or she wasn’t asked to perform any kind of true marketing efforts, aside from public appearances.

In today’s business world, that’s rarely the case.

The influx of creative small businesses and indie creators has diluted the arts and entertainment markets. That shift in business has forced creative talents to perform their own marketing initiatives to achieve success. Some creative professionals believe this to be an unfair burden. Others herald it as an opportunity to have more control. No matter how you view the circumstances, it’s a reality that must be understood.

It’s astonishing how many talented writers, artists, and performers pour passion and professionalism into their creative endeavors, but then practice marketing initiatives like an amateur. It’s the equivalent of buying a $500 pool stick, but never practicing the game. When it comes time to prove your skills, that shiny pool stick is only as effective as the player who wields it. In other words, it’s simply not enough to have a fantastic creative product. You must know how to market that product to mass audiences to win the game.

That’s why our team developed Financial Success for Creative Professionals. The plan is the first proven set of marketing procedures, guaranteed to achieve long-term success for writers, artists, musicians, and performers of all stripes.

To ensure creative success in today’s market, there are a number of steps that must be completed. Let’s briefly explore each of them.

Understand the truth about marketing artistic creations. So many people believe marketing is subjective, much like abstract painting or poetry. It isn’t. Marketing is really about the science of consumer psychology. You must reach the correct audiences to maximize exposure of your work, draw in potential fans, and then drive revenue. When you truly understand the fundamental theory about generating mass awareness of your creative experiences and know how to shape the perception of your work, it’s hundreds of times easier to get noticed and achieve success.

Most marketing professionals hold advanced degrees. The FSCP marketing plan contains the same resources marketing pros use for success, but developed specifically for creative professionals.

Build your marketing structure. Before an artistic talent can sell work to a base of potential consumers, you must first build your marketing structure. That includes a comprehensive website (not just a simple blog), a strong social media presence, and a uniquely branded market position. You must also use mass communications vehicles (email newsletters, for example) to build relationships with your future fans. No one, and I mean no one will buy a book, portrait, MP3, or any kind of creation without having achieved emotional investment in the creator and your products. The FSCP marketing plan provides you the ability to build your uniquely branded market position, set pricing, and then shows you how to interact with hundreds of thousands of consumers to maximize sales and raise the quality of life for your fans.

Take advantage of media marketing opportunities. The meat of any marketing initiative must include interacting with potential fans. This is referred to as shaking hands and relationship building. Much in the same way a car salesperson walks up to a consumer and extends a hand, the FSCP marketing plan shows you how to use the power of the web to connect with hundreds of thousands of consumers through social media, the news media, and personal print media. Using these techniques provides consumers an easy path to personally identify with your artistic creations and then become emotionally invested. This is sometimes referred to as the “warm fuzzies.”

Once the warm fuzzies are achieved, your potential fans are empowered with the knowledge that purchasing your work will benefit them in some way. Remember, your creative efforts are meant to enhance the lives of others. When a potential fan personally identifies with your creation and they’re given a clear path to enjoy the experience, it’s like taking candy from a baby.

Diversify your income from multiple venues. Success is never achieved by selling one product in one location. That’s one of the biggest mistakes made by indie authors, artists, and performers. Your creations must sell in multiple locations to reach the maximum number of targeted consumers that identify with your style. It’s also paramount that each creator offers several products and accessory items for sale, such as t-shirts or bookmarks.

For example: an indie author with a book released must ensure it’s selling in each possible retail location. Sure, Amazon may have 60% or more of the book buying public, but that doesn’t mean you ignore the other 40% that shops on lesser-known retailers. Furthermore, offering accessories increases revenue and provides depth that large publishers always provide for intellectual property and indies usually lack.

Those are the basic high-level steps that every creative talent must follow to achieve true financial success in each respective field. As stated earlier, the FSCP marketing plan is guaranteed to deliver that success to each creator and it’s why our team is so proud to have published it for your use.

It’s my hope that you’re taking your creative career seriously. It’s not always easy to rise above the chaos, but if you follow the proven plan, it’s an amazing experience to watch consumers around the world swoon over your creations that raise their quality of life. That’s a true gift and your legacy. Be proud of it.

As the tagline goes, “If you pour your passions into each project or performance, you must propel your career to the next level, realize your full potential and achieve financial success.”

Together, we’ll make it happen!

Good hunting.

Ron Gavalik’s Bio:

Ron Gavalik is the author of Financial Success for Creative Professionals and has over 20 years of celebrated experience in corporate and creative marketing. This former Director of Communications has assisted private, nonprofit, and artistic organizations achieve success through grassroots experience marketing initiatives. Gavalik is currently the Publisher for Grit City Publications and creator of the innovative Emotobooks fiction medium. He holds a B.S. in Marketing Communications from Point Park University and an M.A. in Writing from Seton Hill University. His work in the arts has shaped success for countless creative professionals who seek financial independence.

Contact Info:

Website: http://creativesuccess.net

Facebook: http://facebook.com/GritCityPublications

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RonGavalik

My take on: One Good Deed

This is going to be a different kind of review. One Good Deed by Erin McHugh is the type of book that makes you take a hard look at yourself. After reading it, I wish I had her enthusiasm and altruistic spirit. I'm grateful for waking up everyday, but I can't say that I'm truly happy everyday. It doesn't take much for my mood to change. I spend too much time worrying and complaining about what I don't have instead of appreciating what I do have. I don't know if I could follow in Erin McHugh's footsteps. But I could try it in baby steps.

The first time I heard about this book was at BookExpo America. I'm pretty sure that Ms. McHugh came to my table during BEA Bloggers. Several authors came around to our tables during breakfast and lunch. I'm 99% sure I met her, and I'm mad at myself for not giving the book more thought then. I was a little mad that other authors didn't come to the table. My thinking at the time was, one good deed a day? What's so interesting about that? After reading the book, I know it is a very interesting and worthwhile endeavor.

To recapture a sense of charity, Ms McHugh decided to do one good deed everyday for a year. Sound tough? For some it could be. The author had some struggles accomplishing the project but overall she seemed to be a better person for it. She didn't have to save villages from floods or jump into burning buildings, she did small things.

Her journey is told with a mixture of humor and seriousness. One of my favorites has to be when Ms. McHugh decided not to go into work sick. You might think what's so good about that? Over the years, I have worked with several people who came into work sick. They proceeded to cough and sneeze on everything. And then they expect me to pick up a piece of paper contaminated with their germs. Why do people feel the need to come into work sick? You don't have to be a martyr, STAY HOME!! Keeping her germs away from her co-workers was a very GOOD DEED!

I have problems sharing, especially with food and my books. Very rarely do I lend out my books, I would rather buy you a copy than lend it. Hey, that's a good deed right. I'm buying you book, that should qualify? Ok, back to One Good Deed. I mentioned food, because Ms. McHugh did something I would have a hard time with. She shared a rather scrumptious eclair with a total stranger. More power to you, I would have let everyone admire it while I inhaled the sugary goodness.

There a lot of gems in this book. "Spew hate at your own risk." While on line for food, Ms. McHugh overheard a rather loud cellphone conversation. The man on the phone used a gay slur, and it wasn't something she could stand for. She told him how ignorant his comments were. He seemed a little stunned and could only mumble an apology. I overhear a lot of offensive stuff. Most of the time I stand there and stew. I figure that it's none of my business. You never know what type of person you're dealing with, but I can understand her frustration.

The best lesson from this book?

"Pass it on. Sometimes a good deed is just passing something along. Someone sent this to my friend Peter today. He e-mailed it on to me, and now, from me to you: Do something for yourself today. Today, speak as kindly to yourself as you do to others. Allow someone else to help you the way you help other people. Give yourself the same permission to make mistakes that you give to others. Do this for yourself today. You deserve it. -- Of course, I would add to that, buy yourself some ice cream. But that's just me." Pg. 297

First, I have some Peppermint bark ice cream in the freezer, and I intend to eat it when I'm finished writing this review. Second, I think this little nugget is the best piece of advice in the whole book. We would all be much better people if we followed that passage. Maybe it's hard to be altruistic everyday, but every once in awhile give yourself a break, treat others as you want to be treated, and allow yourself to slip.

Rating: O.M.G. !!

Note: I received a copy of the book from the publisher (ABRAMS) in exchange for an honest review.