Goodreads

For years I have been using Goodreads to keep track of books I have read but recently it seems that may not be possible. It looks like I will have to set up my own list. I review every book I read so probably it was getting a bit much. I wanted to have a record of my favourites so that I could look out for more from the same author. Now I shall have to read through the list and just pick out the ones I want to keep and hope I don’t choose the authors I did not admire, when I get books from the charity shop.( or, worse still – pick a book I read before!)

It’s a pity because they let me see the covers but, hey ho – times change.

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Goodreads

I have been listing the books I read on Goodreads for so long that I have begun to find that I have picked up a book I read five years ago and only when I come to list it do I find I reviewed it so long ago that I had forgotten. This comes of getting books from the library, rather than buying them. I do tend to go for dramatic covers and I really didn’t recognise this last one even when I was 100 pages in! Now I don’t know whether to continue or stop. I only gave it three stars so it probably isn’t a story to which I would wish to return.

Goodreads is so helpful as it is a fund of information and advice about books of all kinds and creates long conversations about all aspects of writing, publishing and global experiences. I haven’t done any giveaways recently as they are no longer free for authors but knowing readers can find all my books on the site is encouraging.

Breaking the writing ‘rules.’

Hooray, my blog is back where I can see it. I guess I was too impatient, or my computer didn’t send it properly.

Anyway, more marketing news. I have updated Goodreads and am about to have a go on Amazon Author Central.

I became aware , recently, that i had broken a few writing rules when I wrote ‘A bend in the Lane.’ I think it’s because I have been writing plays and there one can switch from character to character, whereas in books one is advised to stay with one point of view, at least for a chapter.

I found that when my main character was not present I wrote from another point of view, even if it was only for a short ‘scene.’ I didn’t notice while I was writing. It just seemed normal. I suppose that’s why people say my books are like reading a ‘soap.’

I’ll use my bookworm image so folk know this is a writing blog.

Whatsapp

Well, I did it! I didn’t leave you but I added whatsapp to my new phone, understanding that the only people I need to have on there are friends and family.

I tried the selfie phone and ended up with a horrible picture of myself but I left it there for now. All my best pictures were taken by professional photographers. All four of the ‘Lane’ books have a photo of me on the back. I used an old one for ‘A Bend in the Lane’ as I am so white and wrinkly I don’t look so good.

Now my copies have arrived I am choosing who to send them to for a review. Last time I sent ten to Goodreads I only got one review so I won’t be doing that again!

It seems that when I ask for help I get a ‘like’ but not a comment. I wonder what I’m doing wrong. It would be nice to have a conversation, especially as twitter seems to have vanished. I can live without it. Maybe I’ll search for another picture. Diesel again!

Book Titles

Each time I finish a book I write a review for Goodreads but one has to find the correct title first and I so often find a number of copies by different authors with the same titles.

Surely it is the job of the author, publisher or agent to make sure this isn’t the case? Maybe it is clever to use a similar title to a book by a popular author but I have just found four copies of books with the title ‘Hot Milk.’ Why?

When I began self publishing I did not check to see if another author had used the title of my first book but, since then, I have tried to be original.

Maybe , from now on, I’ll search for books by author, not title!

Connecting

One short story and one poem written this week. That’s enough in this heat. I eventually managed to get the photo of the convululus from my phone to the laptop, via my email.

I don’t know if that is the only way to do it, but it worked. Sorry they aren’t in the same post. I have also been writing book reviews for Amazon and Goodreads.I may not be writing much but I am reading.

Giveaways

Over 250 people asked for a free copy of ” A Lesson for the Teacher” on Goodreads. That is so gratifying. As soon as I get home the five winners will get their copies and I’ll put a couple in our local library but I will have to sell the rest.

For anyone yet to see the cover I’ll add it to this post. Thanks, everyone. I hope you enjoy it. I have it

A lesson for the Teacher cover

on kindle and paperback and find the book easier to follow. Best Wishes, J.

The Sixties

I think I’ll have to go on twitter and see if I can find any teachers who remember the sixties as most of the people I used to chat to about writing have been lost to me.

Our workshop on “The Sixties” at WOW in Worthing is at the Ardington Hotel on Bank Holiday Monday, May 30th 2-4.30pm. Wendy Hughes will be guiding us through the era and some of the Sea Scribes will be reading from their books and answering questions about their writing. I’m lucky as “A Lesson for the Teacher” is set in the sixties, as you can see from the cover a few posts back.

It looks like we are getting a good number of replies for the launch on June 3rd. Now all I want are some reviews from the books I have sent out. I’ll be giving away a few copies in goodreads next month.