Saturday, December 31, 2011

Blog Critique by Ali Cross

 And what better time to do some redecorating?

The amazing Ali Cross, author of Become, is also the tekkie person for a writing group I belong to. She offered to do some blog critiques, and I jumped at the chance.Over the last year, as I've read blogs all over the place and attended classes at conferences, I've picked up a few things, but I knew I could do much better.

Here's what she had to say (with my comments in blue):

FIRST IMPRESSIONS:
What worked:
  • loaded fast
  • pretty, bright and cheery
  • nice layout
  • good content
  • comment form pops up and doesn't use captcha - good [At a writing conference I took a class by the awesome Elana Johnson. She said that since checking people's blogs can be time consuming, we need to make this as easy on our visitors as possible. I haven't had problems getting spammed since I took off that protection. Blogger's spam filter does a wonderful job--sometimes too good. The longer it takes to comment the fewer blogs you'll have time to visit.
  • nice friendly picture of you :)
What could be improved:
  • could use a header, incorporating both your blog name and your name [I've been working with one of my artist sons on this, and he's drawn a preliminary header, but it's not "there" yet, and I'm not sure it would fit the template I was considering at the time.]
  • tab titles are obscure and don't immediately tell me what I might find there
  • could consolidate like information together, instead of having it spread out. Use your sidebars wisely, by keeping "general" info in one column and "follow/about me" information on the other:
  • LEFT SIDEBAR:
    • site visitor map isn't important and, if you choose to keep it (I wouldn't), you could move it to the bottom of one of your sidebars [I moved this to the bottom right away. I love my little map]
    • don't need to title the blogfest, let the button do the talking for you
  • RIGHT SIDEBAR:
    • the EVERNEATH and CATCHING FIRE buttons should move to the left sidebar
    • nuke pageviews (they are really only interesting to you, same with the visitor map)
    • I'm personally not a fan of the "share it" widget you have. I'd much prefer info on how to follow YOU, not your content. [Oooo . . . good observation here. Something I never considered.] However, this is personal opinion only. If you want to keep it, move it up to beneath your iWrite badge, so all your social networking items are grouped together. So maybe you'd have ABOUT ME --> FOLLOWERS --> NETWORKED BLOGS --> iWRITE --> SHARE IT --> TWITTER WIDGET
    • reduce the number of updates on your Twitter widget [I also did this right away]
    • you need to add an easy way for readers to follow you in all your places (FB/Twitter/g+ buttons, etc buttons
  • COMMENTS:
    • you could personalize your comment form with a message from you to your followers
PAGES:
Awards:
  • If you're going to have this page, make it the last one [I added this page because I've received so many kind awards that it was too much to keep on the main page]
  • either link each award to the post in which you acknowledged the receipt of the award, or (preferably), add a caption with the giver's name, linked to their blog
Writing Associations:
  • this info would be more interesting in context with YOU [True]
  • add it to an About Me page & don't forget to include your iWrite badge [Duh!]
Are You Talking to Me?:
  • add these as a widget in your sidebar as mentioned above - then you could nuke this page
An Alternate Reality:
  • should be on your About Me page with a description of what it is. That way people can choose if they want to click it or not.
I'm hoping Ali's critique may give you something to think about in regards to your own blog. I have a feeling I may be tweaking things here and there.

She also talked about the issue of branding. But that's a topic for another day . . .

Friday, December 30, 2011

A New Year . . . and Resolutions

Anybody else coming?


It's that time of year to first look back and then ahead.

Definitions
resolution - A firm decision to do or not to do something 
goal - The result or achievement toward which effort is directed; aim; end.

I know a lot of people hate the idea of New Years resolutions. I don't have a problem with them. I'm a goal-setting person and a list checker offer. I love the list I made for myself for the last part of December and the feeling of focus and accomplishment I felt as I've been marking things off.



I'm also realistic. No way will I always be able to achieve the goals I set. But if I don't strive for something--and keep a reminder of it in front of me--I'm guaranteed to do nothing.

And the "keep it in front of you" is important. One year on New Year's Day, I wrote a list of goals for myself for the year in my journal. One included writing in my journal every day.

Um . . . the following year on New Year's Day I opened that journal again for the first first time in a year and saw those goals again.

Epic fail!

Whether I call them resolutions or goals, these are mine for 2012:
  • Query A Change of Plans
  • Make changes suggested by editor
  • Go to Kaua'i for 10 days in January -- I know, this is a tough one, but I gotta visit the grandkids! *sigh* It's such a terrible sacrifice. NOT!
  • Finalize the cover  for A Change of Plans in case I self-publish
  • In February attend Life, the Universe, and Everything (LTUE)
  • In March go back to Kaua'i for grandson's baptism
  • In May attend Storymaker
  • Finish my 2011 NaNo project in time to give the published book to my granddaughter for her  birthday in July (she's the main character).
  • Work through issues with my SciFi project, including doing a simple outline for turning it into a trilogy
  • Attend League of Utah Writers Roundup
  • Get a basic outline for my 2012 NaNo project (sequel to A Change of Plans)
  • Attend the Authors Incognito retreat for NaNo
  • Be glad it's not an election year . . . for me.
What about you? Are you a resolution / goal person? Do you have some things you'd like to accomplish in 2012?

Monday, December 26, 2011

Book Review - "Transcendent"

I recently finished Transcendent, Tales of the Paranormal by
1.Rita J Webb2.Melanie Marks
3.Lani Woodland4.Wendy Swore
5.Melonie Piper6.Heather McCubbin
...and Evan Joseph.

From the back cover:
Discover the secrets of a siren, fly with a hawk girl over the mountains of Montana, and flee supernatural party-crashers as the décor comes to life in this magical journey through paranormal stories.

Along the way, watch for ghosts in a haunted house, or ride through the moonlight with a stranger. Save a comatose boy who has lost his soul, and don’t forget to bring your garlic and wolfsbane—you never know when the shadows will snag you.

Transcendent includes eight stories of magic, love, death, and choice by some of the newest names in young adult fiction. 


It's been a long time since I've read an anthology, and I'd forgotten how much I enjoy them. In fact, it was through an anthology that I discovered one of my favorite authors of all time, Anne McCaffrey, and her amazing Dragonriders of Pern world.

One of the great things about an anthology is you get to taste the writing of a variety of different writers. You can experience their writing styles, world building, imagination, and characterizations. It's can be tough to do a good job of that in a short story, so my hat goes off to everyone who succeeds.

Transcendent reminded me a little of Stephen Spielberg's TV show Amazing Stories from the 1980s. My family loved most of the episodes and even recorded them on tape. Here's a clip from one of our favorites called Mummy Daddy. Seriously, it's hilarious!

Well, I could see the various short stories in Transcendent being made in a TV series. Some of the stories would start out quite normal and turn into the bizarre, and I'd be turning the pages to see what happened next. Other times I knew right from the beginning that something was afoot.

The story of the hawk girl is written with almost hauntingly beautiful language, and the party that goes awry due to the décor is hilarious and creepy all at the same time. I think perhaps my favorite was the story of the boy who gets struck by lightening and ends up trapped in his iPod.

A couple of asides . . .
1. A couple of weeks ago, the charming Ali Cross, author of Become, did a blog critique for me. On New Years Day, I'm going to post her comments and redecorate. She had some great suggestions that some of you may be interested in, so I hope you'll drop by.

2.  I met my goal to finish the latest edit of WIP #1, and the full manuscript is in the hands of an editor. My oldest son is working on a book cover should I decide to self-publish.

I'm not the least bit excited.

(And if you believe that, I've got this bridge I'd like to sell you . . .)

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Season of Celebration

Whether you celebrate this as I do.
This.
Or this.

Or even if you're just happy to be here.
During this special time of year, whatever special occasion you celebrate, I'd like to wish you all the best and thank you for stopping by. I appreciate the friends I've made in 2011 and how much you've all enriched my life. I'm off until January 1, 2012 (except for a book review post next week).

Has it really been that long since everyone was so excited about the Y2K issues?




So,
Merry Christmas,
Happy Hanukkah,
Happy Kwanzaa, and
Party on Dudes!
Happy New Year!

Friday, December 23, 2011

Book Review - Two Souls Are Better Than One

Two Souls Are Better Than One (The Misadventures of a Teenage Wizard) is a hoot!

From the back of the book:

Barely thirteen, Jeremy James Johansen has had more than his share of trouble. His father disappeared without a trace and the police believe he murdered his lab assistant, though his son knows it isn’t true. His dad can’t even handle a knife, let alone a bow and arrow.

A year later Jeremy stumbles across a portal to another world and gets pulled through—but not as himself. Somehow he swaps bodies with the man on the other side before the portal disappears.

Captured by a dragon and a man in black who insists on calling him father, he tries to escape, only to plummet to his death. He awakens in his own bed, believing it was all a bad dream. The problem is there are holes in his memory he can’t fill.

In time, he discovers that the portal holds the answers not only to his forgotten memories, but most importantly, points him down the path to finding his father. 


Poor JJ. He's already having a tough time. His father went missing after his lab assistant was murdered (shot by an arrow, no less). How's that for your social standing in school? JJ's mother is grieving while trying to cope. His twin sister is as irritating as ever while dealing with her own issues. And then the school bullies beat JJ up and when he fights back he gets suspended. Yet this is nothing compared to begin sucked through a portal and into the body of really old guy with a really long beard who has problems of his own. Like people trying to kill him.

And that's just the start.

Karen Hoover does a wonderful job with JJ's youthful sense of humor and wonder when faced with the unbelievable. I felt his grief over his father and his sympathy for his mother. He moans and groans just like a boy his age would but he also finds himself having to stretch, to do more than just look out for himself. JJ learns rather quickly that his problems could have a devastating impact on our world and things seem to spiral out of control.


The book must be the beginning of a series because things are not quite right in the world at the end.

Have you read any good middle grade or early YA books lately? What would be your favorite this year?

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Audiobook Giveaway

You might not have noticed, but I talk a lot about listening to books. I got into audiobooks when I was making a long commute via bus. I talked a little about it in my blog post here back in January of this year. Even though my commute is now five minutes, I still love listening to audiobooks.

Why?

Because anymore I have very little time to actually sit down and "read" a book. But I can listen to an audiobook anywhere! Well, not at church, though I'll freely admit there are times I'm sorely tempted during those late city council meetings.

Audiobooks are great when doing yard work, laundry, housework, grocery shopping--even while doing mindless projects at my day job. And long trips? Fabulous!

So, what's my point?

Earlier this week I posted a book review here for Brandon Sanderson's new book Mistborn: The Alloy of Law. I forgot to mention that I didn't read the paper book. I listened to the audiobook.

And it was freaktastic!

Michael Kramer, who reads all the books in Brandon Sanderson's The Mistborn series and The Way of Kings is well known to me. He and his wife, Kate Reading, are the narrators for the Wheel of Time series. I love their performances. I was thrilled when I downloaded the audiobook for The Host by Stephenie Meyer (which I liked more than the Twilight series) and found out that Kate was the narrator.

I know. I use the word "love" a lot. I think Michael is one of the best readers out there.

In association with the gracious people at  Macmillan Audio, I'm doing an audiobook giveaway--just in time for Christmas! If you've been wondering if you'd like audiobooks, here's your chance to try one out. It would also make a great gift.

It's simple and painless to have your name thrown into the contest mix:
  1. Be a follower of my blog
  2. Add a comment to this post, telling me you want your name entered and include your email address.
At 7 p.m. MST on December 21st I'll let random.org select a winner. I will forward your information to Macmillan Audio, and you will have the choice between a downloaded file or CDs (obviously you won't get the CDs in time for Christmas).

Following is a snippet from The Alloy of Law to give you a taste.

Friday, December 16, 2011

A Query Critque and the Deja Vu Blogfest

I suggest that you stop over at Matt's place at The Quintessentially Questionable Query Experiment.
He's critiquing my query today.


Click here to check out the other participants.
 Today I'm participating in the Deja Vu Blogfest. It's where participants are supposed to look back over our previous posts and repost one of our favorites. It could be one that was particularly brilliant or that got missed because of others things going on. 
Or, in this case, it could be one that might make you smile. It's been a hard week for me, and I needed a laugh on this Friday.

So here is my Nonsense Post from August 8, 2011

I got tagged by the lovely Nancy S. Thompson for this meme. I debated whether or not to take it up, and decided there was some potential for humor here. You can decide if I succeeded or not.

1. What do you call your drawers?
Drawers
Do you have any commonly used nicknames for them?
I think that is the nickname.
source
2. Have you ever had that supposedly common dream of being in a crowded place in only your bloomers?
No, but as a child I would sometimes dream
I had absolutely nothing on. 
However, in the typical way of childhood, that didn't trouble me. 
Now? At my age it's best to cover up as much as possible.
source

3. What is the worst thing you can think of to make long johns out of?
Wool. Absolutely wool. It would itch like crazy.

4. If you were a pair of small clothes, what color would you be, and WHY?
Green. Definitely green. It's my favorite color. 
But I must admit these pirate long johns are quite stylish.
source

5. Have you ever thrown your bloomers at a rock star or other celebrity? If so, which one(s)? If not, which one(s) WOULD you throw your bloomers at, given the opportunity?
Please! Such a waste of fabric! It costs so much to sew anymore. 
To say nothing about being vulgar and unrefined.
source

6. You’re out of clean drawers. What do you do?
Um, wash them. Duh!
source

7. Are you old enough to remember Underoos? If so, did you have any? Which ones?
Ah, yes, Underoos. My older children wore them.
source

8. If you could have any message printed on your long johns, what would it be?
These days, the options are endless. Eve Gaal over at The Desert Rocks and I emailed about this since she got tagged, too, and I like what her brother suggested:
Save Your Soul
Source

9. How many bloggers does it take to put small clothes on a goat?
Zero, since we're in the cybersphere rather than real life.
source
I close with the lyrics that I used for Week 6 of Poetry Summer here
from a song we sang at Girl Scout Camp in the Philippines.

Long Johns
author unknown
sung to the tune of Bye Bye Blackbird (corrected from original post)

I have lost my underwear.
I don't care; I'll go bare.
Bye bye, long johns.

They were very close to me
Tickle me. He he he.
Bye bye, long johns

If you see them you'll know where to find me
With my bare bum stickin' out behind me.

I have lost my underwear.
I don't care; I'll go bare.
Long johns, bye bye.

  Like cyberchocolate that has no fat and no calories, it also has no taste. Just like this meme.
Now I'm supposed to share the wealth, so to speak, and have others give their thoughts about  their unmentionables. 

Hmmm ... who don't I like? 

Just kidding! I won't be the least bit offended if any of you don't take this up.

So, did I make you smile? Or just roll your eyes and shake your head? 

Hey, I titled it Nonsense Post. You were warned.

Thursday, December 15, 2011

The Winner is . . .

The winner of the book King's Envoy
by Cas Peace is Diana!

Query Critique

You  might want to stop over at Matt's place at The Quintessentially Questionable Query Experiment. He's posting my query today and will critique it tomorrow.

I can't begin to tell you how nervous this makes me.

When my daughter was in 6th grade she'd just moved to a new school and decided to run for class president. She told me if she didn't run, there's be no chance she could win. And she wanted the chance.

There's nothing like having an 11-year-old teach you a life lesson.

She won, by the way. I expect this to be a winning experience from what I learn. There really is benefit in finding out what you're not doing right or could do better.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Book Review - Mistborn: The Alloy of Law

Brandon Sanderson's done it again. And that's why he's become one of my favorite authors. You can find an article on the Tor blog here where Brandon wonders if his 14-year-old self would approve of what he did in this fantasy book.

Well, I loved what he did.

Here's a synopsis:

Three hundred years after the events of the Mistborn trilogy, Scadrial is on the verge of modernity, with railroads to supplement the canals, electric lighting in the streets and the homes of the wealthy, and the first steel-framed skyscrapers racing for the clouds.

Kelsier, Vin, Elend, Sazed, Spook, and the rest are now part of history—or religion. Yet even as science and technology are reaching new heights, the old magics of Allomancy and Feruchemy continue to play a role in this reborn world. Out in the frontier lands known as the Roughs, they are crucial tools for the brave men and women attempting to establish order and justice.

One such is Waxillium Ladrian, a rare Twinborn who can Push on metals with his Allomancy and use Feruchemy to become lighter or heavier at will. After twenty years in the Roughs, Wax has been forced by family tragedy to return to the metropolis of Elendel. Now he must reluctantly put away his guns and assume the duties and dignity incumbent upon the head of a noble house. Or so he thinks, until he learns the hard way that the mansions and elegant tree-lined streets of the city can be even more dangerous than the dusty plains of the Roughs.


I'm good with some fight scenes in books. If they drag on too long I find myself getting bored and will skim ahead to see what the outcome is. What's surprising is how much I enjoyed the Mistborn trilogy's fight scenes using the unique magics of the world, both for the Allomancers (people who can "burn" metals and get power from it) and the Feruchemists (people who can store things like health, weight, strength, etc. into "metalminds" on their bodies).

I love what Sanderson's done in this new society where the main character can do both Allomancy and Feruchemy. Oh, my, the things he can do with it. In Brandon's article above, he spoke about the introduction of guns into this world. Adding this element to the already clever and exciting fight was brilliant. I grew up in a day when westerns were big on TV and in the movies. I remember Clint Eastwood before he became famous in the Spaghetti Westerns like The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly back when he was on Rawhide. The feel that Sanderson brought to the book matched well with my memories but, as always, with his own fascinating twist.

Brandon did a great job blending of our turn-of-the-century-type (the one before) technology with trains, horseless carriages, skyscrapers into the culture and political system we were familiar with in the earlier series. I loved what he's done with the place, so to speak.

And the characters. Brandon writes characters I love. I love their flaws (oh, my gosh, Wayne just makes me smile!), their strengths, their humor, and their interactions with each other. In the character Waxillium, you've got a brilliant mind mixed with amazing physical skills all set inside a man who's dealing with a terrible emotional burden. A man with a powerful sense of justice and a need to do something to make things better. Kind of a "saving people thing" that Harry Potter had--only Wax is no kid.

I'm glad this is the start of a new series. As always, Sanderson throws in some great twists that will keep you on your toes. I highly recommend this book.

Tomorrow is the last chance to enter to win The King's Envoy in The Give Books for Christmas Giveaway Hop. 
Click here to sign up. I'm choosing the winner at noon.


Also tomorrow, you  might want to stop over at Matt's place at The Quintessentially Questionable Query Experiment. He's going to post my query and critique it on Friday.

Monday, December 12, 2011

Celebration!

Author Wendy Swore is my 500th follower!
(check out her blog and find out about her new book!)


It's time to Par-tay!

Hmmm . . . maybe not like this . . .
We'll start with a chocolate Hogwarts.
Gotta have some frosted chocolate brownies.
Don't forget the yummy beverage
And other random chocolate goodness and we're good to go! Enjoy!




ETA: What the heck. I've lost a follower, and now I'm under 500 again. Should we cancel the party? 
Nah!

Sunday, December 11, 2011

What's With That?

The Give Books for Christmas Giveaway Hop is still going on. 
Click here to remember the details.

Have you seen this article in the Huffington Post about Amazon's new Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP)? It's been getting a lot of talk among folks in my writing organizations.

The implications are huge.Whether you've ever considered self-publishing or not, this is something to watch.

Is this a good thing for publishing? What do you think?

Friday, December 9, 2011

Grammar Friday - Capitalization (Plus Other Stuff)

Capitalization at a Glance

Source
Days of the week: Monday, Tuesday

Months: May, June

Holidays, holy days:
Christmas, Easter

Periods, events in history: Renaissance, Middle Ages

Special Events: Battle of Gettysburg
( Gettysburg? A special event? Seems like an understatement to me)

Official Documents: Constitution

Trade Names : Kleenex tissues, Honda Pilot
(Gotta pay attention to these in your writing. Like Jeep vs a jeep.

Formal epithets: Attila the Hun

Geographical names
Planets, heavenly bodies: Mars, Pluto, the Milky Way

Continents: Australia, Africa

Streets, roads, highways: Fifth Avenue, Route 66

Sections of a country, of a continent: the Northwest, the Far East

Landforms: Mohave Desert, Blue Ridge Mountains

Bodies of water: Lake Powell, Amazon River

Public areas: Yellow Stone National Park

Things you don't capitalize: 
Seasons, a.m. or p.m., or compass points.

Give Books for Christmas Giveaway Hop 
Click here to remember the details.


WIP Update

I sent the first 50 pages of WIP #1 to an editor.
Should I squeee? Or should I cringe?






































Monday, December 5, 2011

Fine--You Win, Kings, and Hallelujah


 Don't forget you can sign up painlessly to participate in the Give Books Blog Hop and get a book for Christmas (or other applicable gift-giving celebration this time of year). The Hop runs through December 15th, but I'll be cutting it off at noon that day so I have time to contact the winner. I'm supposed to get the book in the mail on the 16th. Click here for details and check out the others books you could win by visiting the following blogs.


Give Books for Christmas Giveaway Hop
1. Inksplasher (US)  7. Maria Hoagland (US)  13. Jennifer K. Clark (US)  
2. Jennifer Hurst (INT)  8. The Last Word (US)  14. Publish Novels or Bust (US)  
3. FALL (INT)  9. Tristi Pinkston  15. Heidi Murphy (US)  
4. Geek Girl (INT)  10. LDS Publisher (INT)  16. Nichole Giles  
5. Heart on a Chain (INT)  11. Carolyn Frank (INT)  

6. Immortal Mine (INT)  12. K.C. Grant Writer's Corner (US)  

Since many of us are recovering from NaNo, and now we're in the throes of one of the busiest times of the year, here's a little something to lighten your mood. These kids just make me smile.



Have you got your shopping done?

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Should I or Shouldn't I?

Don't forget you can sign up painlessly to participate in the Give Books Blog Hop and get a book for Christmas (or other applicable gift-giving celebration this time of year). The Hop runs through December 15th, and I'll be getting the book out on the 16th. Click here for details and check out the others books you could win by visiting the following blogs.

Give Books for Christmas Giveaway Hop
1. Inksplasher (US)  7. Maria Hoagland (US)  13. K.C. Grant Writer's Corner (US)  
2. Jennifer Hurst (INT)  8. The Last Word (US)  14. Jennifer K. Clark (US)  
3. FALL (INT)  9. Weaving a Tale or Two (US)  15. Publish Novels or Bust (US)  
4. Geek Girl (INT)  10. Tristi Pinkston  16. Heidi Murphy (US)  
5. Heart on a Chain (INT)  11. LDS Publisher (INT)  

6. Immortal Mine (INT)  12. Carolyn Frank (INT)  

 
*sigh*

Yes, that's a really big sigh.

My goal this month is to finish the edit for WIP #1 and send the first fifty pages off to an editor. AND I need to finish my query. Well, it's finished. The dang thing's just not right yet. ETA for clarification: This query has been critiqued by both my online and in-person critique groups. It's been critiqued by some other writerly friends and in its essential form given a thumbs up from the author I won the query critique from. But everyone--and I mean every who hasn't read the book--thinks a critical thing referenced in the query (and which is the hook) is a major plot-line. But it's really just a catalyst and sets into motion what happens in the rest of the book.

I've thought of submitting to Matt over at The Quintessentially Questionable Query Experiment, and he said he'd be willing to look at it. Alex and Nancy have both said I should.

I just have this little problem about bearing myself in public, so to speak, and subjecting myself to ridicule. I'm good at my day job, and I work very hard to make sure I'm knowledgeable and up to date with my skills. I have to be because if I screw up I can get sued. Don't even mess with someone's bid to public office, believe me.

But I think the thing that really turns me into a quivering mess is the genre bias I talked about in this post. I'm not worried about Matt's comments. He a consummate professional and tactful besides. When I had one of my sons who's got a bright, creative mind (I love to bounce ideas off him) read an earlier version, his tone dripped with sarcastic cheese.

So, my adventure romance book's query could be said to have a melodramatic tone. If you read it the way my son did. Writing is so subjective I'm sure people will pick up on the cheese factor. And I'm so not into this:


Please note that my son made fun of the version approved by the author I won a query critique from.

It could just be him. Or it could be that the tone is there but fits the genre. The bottom line is that I'm at my wit's end over this thing. So I'm going to let you folks help me decide. On the right sidebar is a poll. Please comment here and tell me why you voted the way you did.

In the meantime, I'm going to be doing this:

Friday, December 2, 2011

Grammar Friday - Emphasis & Give Books Blog Hop

Don't forget you can sign up painlessly to participate in the Give Books Blog Hop and get a book for Christmas (or other applicable gift-giving celebration this time of year). Click here.






Give Books for Christmas Giveaway Hop
1. Inksplasher (US)  7. Maria Hoagland (US)  13. K.C. Grant Writer's Corner (US)  
2. Jennifer Hurst (INT)  8. The Last Word (US)  14. Jennifer K. Clark (US)  
3. FALL (INT)  9. Weaving a Tale or Two (US)  15. Publish Novels or Bust (US)  
4. Geek Girl (INT)  10. Tristi Pinkston  16. Heidi Murphy (US)  
5. Heart on a Chain (INT)  11. LDS Publisher (INT)  

6. Immortal Mine (INT)  12. Carolyn Frank (INT)  


Emphasis

Following are three sentences using commas, parentheses, or em-dashes to set off a portion of the sentence.
The supporters of the trade bill need the votes of three or more senators, the most likely ones to be won over are Smith, Jones, and White, if they are to get approval of the legislation.

The supporters of the trade bill need the votes of three or more senators (the most likely ones to be won over are Smith, Jones, and White) if they are to get approval of the legislation.

The supporters of the trade bill need the votes of three or more senators—the most likely ones to be won over are Smith, Jones, and White—if they are to get approval of the legislation.
Which is correct?

Source
They're all grammatically correct. As to which you should use depends upon your intent for the sentence and what you want to emphasize in it.

If you don't want to draw attention to the aside, commas would be a good option. Using the parentheses draws a little more attention.

Visually, if you really want to draw the reader's attention to the aside, you'd use the em dash because it really makes it stand out.

Bonus Question

And for that matter, what is an en dash or an em dash? Well, and en dash is basically the width of an "n" and and em dash is the width of an "m". Isn't it nice to know there really is some logic in all this? If you're interested in some nice examples of when and how to use dashes, there's a nice article here.

I have to confess that I interrupt myself all the time with asides, so they have a tendency to want to take over in my writing. Do you use dashes? Or are you a dash hater?

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Give Books Giveaway Hop

I'm participating in the Give Books Giveaway Hop hosted by Karlene over at InkSplasher. It runs from December 1-15th. Because of extra shipping costs, I'm going to have to limit possible winners to the continental United States.

The book ARC you have a chance to win is King's Envoy by Cas Peace (it's the first book in the Artesans of Albia trilogy). Here's what the back of the book says: 

Taran Elijah's quest for knowledge uncovers a plot that threatens the world. In Albia, the fourth realm, the precious Artesan gift is dying. Although born to the craft, Taran is struggling to achieve his potential. Against his friends' advice, he embarks on a foolhardy plan to acquire the teaching he craves. Alone, he crosses into Andaryon, the fifth realm, but instead of finding a mentor, he stumbles upon a treacherous plot. In the wake of Taran's actions, Albia suffers a series of vicious raids. Major Sullyan of the High King's forces is sent to oppose them. But a dark and treacherous force is moving through the realms and both Taran and Sullyan will feel its power. Their craft, the lives of their friends, the very existence of their realm are under threat unless they expose and oppose the evil.

And if you'd like to read an excerpt you can check it out here.

 So, what do you have to do to enter?
  1. Be a follower of my blog.
  2. Comment below that you're interested in winning the book.
  3. Include your email address in the body of your comment. It ends on the 15th, and I'm supposed to get the book in the mail to the winner on December 16th, so I'll need to be able to contact you ASAP to get your mailing address.
It must be Christmas or something
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