Guilty Pleasures

I have noticed that you can make things clear in your own head if you try and explain something to someone else i.e. teaching them = teaching yourself.

I was pondering why do I love books, I'm talking physical hard cover, paperbacks and trade softcover books while I still have yet to embrace e-books. I'll come out and say it, I have almost (not completely, but almost) no interest in e-books.

Why?

Because I'm some kind of Luddite?

I sure don't think so.

A huge portion of what I enjoy about books is the discovery.

I am sitting in my office, same one I have used for almost the last five years and the very office where everything I have had published (or to be published) was written. Forever remembering a Ray Bradbury quote, that I am sure I won't get quite right, he said something to the effect of having his office full of curios and inspiration for his writing. That has always stuck with me, so I fill my office with swords, models, music, art, tokens and fetishes of far away lands and...books.

I have not counted in a year or two but I should have around 2,500 books just in my office. There's plenty more around the rest of the house too. At any given time I 'll have several open for research and interest in whatever subject I want to think about - currently its Celt's.
Maybe you can do something similar with multiple open windows on a kindle, I don't know, but I doubt the musty soul is there. (Tell me if I am wrong kids)

This post wasn't meant so much as my rant against e-books as it was on why I have a guilty pleasure in bookstores (which can't exist without books).

I like to peruse bookstores (or librarys) for hours, picking through whatever strikes me fancy. I may be captured by a cover or eclectic font, a name that sounds interesting or a subject matter that moves me-but it is all about discovery and taking my time and letting myself be guided by the dead tree's ink stained soul.

I have discovered a lot of very fine books that were not on anyones review list or recommendation. Even some of my favorite books were chance discoveries. This would not have happened even close to the same with e-books. You can't look over amazon's pages like you can a multi stacked book shelf. The experience is not the same and I am boiling it all down to my own personal guilty pleasure, perusing and discovering books.

I've heard rumors that with the demise of Borders and B&N scaling back, that perhaps the independentts will return.

I pray they do.

Breaking Through Without Breaking Yourself

Another author once told me something to the effect “Publishing is like a wall that you just have to hit yourself against until it breaks.”  I think that’s true. I can take considerable time and effort to get something published, and many attempts to break through the publishing wall, even once you’ve got a finished project. 

The problem I see with some people is that they either get tired of going up against that wall, or the walls breaks them instead of them breaking the wall.  It is easy to get discouraged and let every rejection you get irreversibly wound your self-esteem.

When dealing with rejection, remember that you are not alone.  Rejection is not unique to new authors either.  I recently read that Kathryn Stockett, author of “The Help” (which was recently adapted as a movie), was rejected 60 times before she founds someone to pick up her novel.  Now I’m betting that those other 60 agents/publishers regret turning her down! Just think is she had stopped after rejection 2, or even rejection 22.  She had to run up against the publishing wall 61 times before she finally broke though. 

Sure, each of those rejections must have hurt.  It is okay to be sad about a rejection.  My policy however, is that I can’t dwell on them for more than 24 hours.  Once that time has passed, I promise myself to start looking for the next place to submit my work. 

What do you do to overcome discouragement in writing? Do you have any methods that you think you should avoid?  

The Hidden Sun's release is announced

Sorry for the shameless plug here, ah heck, no I'm not sorry--I'm very excited!

My book, The Hidden Sun, is being released by Walnut Springs Press on August 13th, 2011.

Here is the cover:

Here is the blurb on the back cover:

A faraway kingdom.

A beautiful princess.

A courageous hero.

A ruthless villain.

An impossible choice.

Eliana and Rinan are in love. However, she is destined to become queen of Bariwon, obligated to marry the victor of a competition called the Shoginoc, while Rinan, her royal guardian, is forbidden to marry. Normally they could renounce their titles to be together, but these are not normal times. Abrecan, the malevolent governor of Erd, is determined to win the Shoginoc, thereby placing his easily manipulated son Daimh on Bariwon’s throne. Can Eliana and Rinan find a way to be together without jeopardizing the peace they are so desperately trying to protect?

I'll be launching the book as part of the August Authorama on August 13th at Pioneer Book in Orem.

Here is a nifty flyer with the information:

I'll also be signing books at "Handcarts in the Valley" bookstore on Monday, August 15th from 4 until 6 pm. It's located at 32 S Main St in Heber, Utah.

I'd love to see at either (or both) events!