Category: for the Bookworms

for the Bookworms

A belated GoT post on the power of story from a behind-the-times creative

Amy L Sauder

“Stories matter.”

When googling an image for a Game of Thrones quote, “stories matter” is a different [and non-Game-of-Thrones] quote that popped up. It’s applicable too, compelling.

I think that’s what drives (all? most?) storytellers. And I think it’s the reminder that storytellers need to keep going. Especially at the point of economic difficulties and essential activities, we need that reassurance that what we’re doing matters. I’ve seen those reminders throughout this pandemic in many a post, so this isn’t something new and big and profound I’m mentioning; it’s just another reminder to hopefully hit the feed or inbox at just the right moment for an artist who needs it.

"What unites people? Armies? Gold? Flags? Stories. There's nothing more powerful in the world than a good story. Nothing can stop it. No enemy can defeat it." - Tyrion Lannister from Game of Thrones

I just finished Game of Thrones – I know, wayyyy too late, but I was waiting for the final season to release so I could buy the full series set, and then I was waiting for the full series set to be on sale because I wasn’t ready to spend $200. You either understand, or you’re a Game of Thrones afficionado that now thinks I’m wayy behind the times and have my priorities out of whack, which, fair 😛 I’m usually the person that watches a show much later than everyone else, and I still haven’t figured out why, it just…happens…

I love complex plots and twists and worlds full of characters with depth and themes and foreshadowing and nuance… and of course GoT didn’t disappoint. It brought to mind the power of story, and then of course Tyrion Lannister really came through with the quote above in the final moments to drive it home and bring some sort of semblance of cohesiveness to my thoughts on the show. (Just a semblance though.)

And it must have really been time to fill up on this inspiration, because I stumbled across this other quote in a book I was reading:

Stories are the only thing in this world that are real. Everything else is just a dream.

Then She Was Gone, by Lisa Jewell (affiliate link, I may receive a portion of sales from this link)

So now you ask, when is Amy gonna take all this inspiration and bundle it into all that writing to get that circus story of hers across the finish line? Or, if I had been keeping you in the loop the past year you may have asked that, but by now you’ve probably forgotten. And the answer is, now. I’m easing back into things after a lot.

And I hope whether you’re in a season of rest or a season of creating (or both), these quotes remind you that you can always come back when the time is right. Stories are always there for you, whether to binge and stream, or to string together in the imagination, or to share between friends & family. And all of that matters, whichever one is “your thing” right now. Turn on Netflix, call up a friend, cozy up with a book and chai, or get that pen and paper ready – it all matters, it’s all interconnected, because it’s all story.

for the Bookworms

Stories of an author encountering readers

Amy L Sauder

As an introvert, I was surprised to find one of my favorite things about being an author is in-person events. Because y’all are seriously so fun to meet and connect with. Here are just a few encounters I’ve had in my year of being published:

I don’t know what it is, but kids are always interested in my table. I need kids books.

A girl around 6 years old wanted my psychopathic murderer book. Her mom told her when she got older she’d be able to read a book that big. Skipped right over the whole scary murderous part, just said she needed to work her way up to bigger books. #parentinggoals, am I right?

I told the girl she could take a collectors card instead, and she picked up Cami’s BFF, a real safe choice.

She looked disappointed and said “I want something scary.” Sooooo, I grabbed Villains 1&2 instead for her, and her face lit up.

Like I said, I need kids book lol. Maybe with a little scary.

Another kid, this time a young teen, marched straight up to my booth and quickly spilled out: “I like writing stories and I wanna know what my options are, and my teachers say a journalist, but what are my options?”

It was so cool to tell him that yes, he can be an author if he wants. He can be a journalist if he wants. And besides that, every company in the world pretty much needs writers, for every website and social media post and brochure and email you see. If there’s a company you love, they’re probably in need of a writer.

Related: If you’re wondering what your options are for being a grownup professional writer – Lots!

This summer at an event, a lady was looking for someone to room with to save money. Probably not looking for a murder author, but it didn’t occur to me at the time. So, we coordinated plans and met there, and everything went well. Until…. she volunteered to work at the event’s bookstore…

Later that day, she confronted me: “You wrote a book from the perspective of a MURDERER?! I’m sharing a room with you, and you didn’t tell me?!” Haha, she was totally joking – or she played it off that way so she wouldn’t anger a suspected murderous author I suppose – and we had a grand time.

But now I know, I should probably disclose that info in every interaction. “Hi, my name is Amy, and I wrote a book from the perspective of a psychopathic murderer.” Feel safer now, don’t you? 😉

And finally, best quotes from encounters with readers:

I love murder… mystery! I should finish that sentence!

a person at my booth

We’re a family of murder.

a whole family checking out my book together
(I’m not sure what that means, but mostly, I’m not sure I wanna find out, for plausible deniability and all)

Hmm, this one’s Cami’s BFF. I don’t know, Cami sounds sketchy. I’m gonna keep my eye out for her.

A person picking up a collector’s card of Cami’s BFF from my book

Now I know who not to make mad. You know how to kill and get rid of the body.

A person walking past my booth, upon seeing my book title

How about you? Have you had any intriguing or humorous encounters with authors or with readers? Share below 🙂

And next year, it’s time for us to meet at an event, mmk?

for the Bookworms

5 things to add to your bookmarketing toolkit

Amy L Sauder
  1. Enthusiasm: being passionate about your work sells. If you’re not excited about it, why should anyone else be? And if others are excited about your work – readers, friends, or even your family – even better. Because if others are excited about your work, that builds credibility as they share their enthusiasm through posts, reviews, social media interactions, and in person discussions.
  2. A catchy title: You need to get their attention before they can even consider making a purchase.
  3. A quality cover: People want to buy something that they feel good about having in their home and becoming part of the image they present to the world. Your book can be the best story in the world, but there’s more than that. “Do I want to be known as the type of person that purchases this item?” each reader will have to subconsciously answer, and the cover is more a factor for that decision than the content inside the book. Let your cover make that answer a resounding “yes”.
  4. Delight: What’s one thing that will make the purchase more than just a purchase? What will bring the reader delight?
  5. A unique experience: What sets your sale apart from buying any other book or item out there?

Overall, remember that every reader is purchasing identity and delight. If you find how your product is offering that, you’ll be 5 steps ahead in your marketing plans.

short books - psychological mystery short story "I Know You Like a Murder"
for the Bookworms

The perks of a small book.

Amy L Sauder
Most publishers won’t risk as short a story as this.
 
I will. In fact, I think it’s quite appropriate that my debut book is so small. Here’s why:
 
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I grew up with a love for reading. I devoured books as a kid from a young age, until I didn’t.
 
Ya see, I hit that age where I was supposed to move from short stories to chapter books. Ya know, those bulky things that take forever to get to the point and describe too much because there aren’t pictures to do the describing for it. My kid brain couldn’t handle it. While other avid readers were finding big books to love, I had this hurdle I couldn’t seem to get across as I entered my teenage years.
 
Perhaps my love of reading, my future of writing, perhaps it would have died there. If it weren’t for my mom who didn’t give up, and if it weren’t for TCDC. The Three Cousins Detectives Club series (that’s an affiliate link – I may receive $ from purchases made with that link). Teeny tiny chapter books. 40 pages max. A mystery that kept my kid brain hooked and made the concept of longer stories manageable. My mom bought me every single book in the series (that’s 40 books) once she saw I’d devour them.
 
And that was the gateway to larger books. I pretty quickly jumped from those teeny things to Ted Dekker books like Blink (also an affiliate link – I may receive $ from purchases made with that link), well above my age range. Fast forward to getting an English Lit degree and becoming a writer. And it started with TCDC.
 
Small books get a bad rap, but small books kept my love for reading intact.
 
And small books aren’t just for kids learning to read big books.
 
  • They’re for grownups who want to dig into a good story but don’t have the time to devote to a novel.
  • They’re for stolen moments in frenzied lives.
  • They’re for the non-bookworms, not quite ready to commit to those huge tomes on the bookshelves, yet still wanting a good story in a digestible format.
  • They’re for those who would be readers if reading was just a little more accessible.
 
One of my greatest surprises and delights in publishing I Know You Like a Murder is the number of non-readers who see it and say – “Oh, that I could read!”
 
That thing I found as a kid – that short mystery in quick chapters that pulls me in for a brief adventure – I now get to offer that to others. I think that makes kid me super proud.

 

for the Bookworms, Showcasing other Creatives

Book Review: 49th Mystic & Rise of the Mystics

Amy L Sauder

(Sidenote thought that has no bearing on the review whatsoever: I have so many questions about how the whole “49th” mystic number works. So many questions. And while we’re at it, I have absolutely no idea why the second book was called “Rise of the Mystics”, besides the fact that it’s a fantabulous intriguing title.)

But onto the reviews. I am thrilled to be part of the Rise of the Mystics launch team, but had to jump back and read/review the first book of the series too.

The 49th Mystic

(The above is an affiliate link.
I may receive money for purchases made through that link.)

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The 49th Mystic invites us into the world of the Circle once again. The nostalgia is strong with this one. But it’s not just for Circle fans. It’s a new story, a new character to love, beckoning a new generation of Dekkies I suppose. The story feels familiar and new, all at once. A blind girl who falls asleep and dreams of another world. And the fate of both worlds rests in her hands. See? Familiar, and new. Dekker pulls off a satisfying ending with resolution while also including a cliffhanger that leads into the sequel. Go figure. The good news is, you don’t have to wait. The sequel, Rise of the Mystics, is at your fingertips so you can scoop them both up at the same time.

 

Rise of the Mystics

(The above is an affiliate link.
I may receive money for purchases made through that link.)

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Rise of the Mystics starts more or less where we left The 49th Mystic. Oh, except the story is turned on its head. I won’t spoil it, but it starts in a fresh way, not just same old same old. The pace of this book moves a little slower than the first, but it’s still a satisfying read. More than that, Dekker is one of the few (only?) writers who can weave a sermon into story without being preachy. A parable. A riveting story that makes you think, question your beliefs. And Rise of the Mystics builds to a great ending, a wonderful conclusion to the Circle world (although it’s not the end of Circle stories) that every Circle reader needs in their life. Snag this book for that alone, to end the journey with the promise fulfilled!

 

And a caveat to the whole Circle series I don’t know how to introduce…

One caveat I’ll give, something that disturbed me this time around about the Circle world that I wish I’d noticed years before: The representation of the horde and the albino seems racially insensitive, with traditionally black descriptors (for example, dreadlocks) assigned to the stinky diseased horde and typically white descriptors (like the name “albinos”) for those who have been cleansed. The story includes a brief phrase that clarifies the albinos are called that for the smoothness of their skin, not the color, but that felt a little forced when albino has always been about color not smoothness. I wrestled with this a long time, because I like to give honest positive reviews and I appreciate Dekker’s work. I’m mentioning it because it seems insensitive to me, and I’m surprised that no one else has raised this concern (although TV tropes lists the series under “Fantastic Racism”).

 

psychological thriller book review "In a Dark Dark Wood"
for the Bookworms

Book Review: In a Dark Dark Wood

Amy L Sauder
Leave it to me to bring this book on my vacation in a cottage in the middle of nowhere… (is there any other way???)
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And leave it to me to pinpoint the psychopath right away. So I knew the murderer pretty quick, but I was still entranced by the story, wondering how it all went down and wanting to shake the other characters into seeing what’s happening right in front of their eyes.
If you want a book that keeps you guessing as to who kills and who gets killed, a book with a psychopath’s calculated plan, with clues piling up like a map for the reader, with a theater backdrop… this is that book. Oh, and also, my book is that too! This reminded me of I Know You Like a Murder in a number of ways. It’s like my book, but in grip lit or psychological suspense genre. It had characters like Cami’s BFF, Shy Boy (or in this case girl), Makeup Artist, and of course Cami herself. Read both stories and tell me if you see the resemblance.
If you need a gripping read while you wait for my book release, this can take a day or two of your time. But no longer than that, because you won’t be able to set it down for work, sleep, or social obligations. So grab a chai and settle in. It’s gonna be a long night.
psychological literary fiction
for the Bookworms

Want to be murdered & live to tell the tale? (a bookish giveaway & cover reveal)

Amy L Sauder

Here’s your chance!

You can enter for the chance to have a character named after you in my book “I Know You Like a Murder”. Why, it might even be the murder victim!

Enter to be Murdered*

*But don’t worry, remember, you live to tell the tale 🙂 

Picture it: your name in lights, or in murder. Maybe both 😉

Speaking of picturing it: Here’s the cover! designed by AMBER&GRAPHICS. Isn’t it spectacular!

I Know You Like a Murder

The book is really coming together and it’s just missing one thing: YOU! So jump on board for a diabolical conniving ride of a book.

short horror story greeting card by Ksenia Anske
for the Bookworms, for the Creatives, for the Writers, Showcasing other Creatives

Why I wanna be like Ksenia Anske when I writerly grow up

Amy L Sauder

Although, let’s be real: Ksenia and I don’t plan on actually growing up in our writerly lives. It’s more like staying daydreaming children forever, but then pretending to be grown-up long enough to do the business stuff.

I don’t remember how I discovered Ksenia. But I do remember what stuck in my mind about her:

  • She said, “Reader, you are my publisher. Share my books.”
  • She gave away her books for free, as in all of her older drafts of her story were publicly available to read (maybe still are) and you can even still download her stories for free.

Why did that grab my attention? She saw the value of her readers. That readers are what make or break a story. That’s what I want my philosophy to stay forever.

And she has a mindset of abundance, not scarcity. Those are artistic buzzwords right now, but they ring true. Artists can tend to want to hoard their ideas, their best work for themselves, as if there’s a finite capacity. But we need a mindset of abundance, that we can throw it all out there and celebrate others successes too, because creativity is infinite.

Why else do I want to be like Ksenia Anske “when I grow up”?

  • Curly haired people goals!
  • Quirky personality
  • You are getting to know the person through every online engagement.
  • She is authentic – what she’s learning, what she’s done wrong, it’s all out there. You’re following the journey, the person, not just book sales promos.
  • She’s always learning and sharing what she learns. I’m sure paying attention.
  • She’s not afraid to work out of the box, experiment.
  • It all comes back to her READERS! They support her because she supports them. She listens to their feedback and engages with them.
  • Need proof? Anyone who read her last email newsletter, she requested their address and she sent them a card with a personalized short story.

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the story Ksenia sent me

  • Note the above bullet point also goes back to the concept of abundance rather than scarcity. She didn’t freak that she wouldn’t have enough stories in her for each person or that she wouldn’t be able to send cards to her readers because of the expense. She just said she’d do it, then she did it.
  • okay, I’m losing track of what these bullet points are for and when to use bullet points and when to not….
  • Switch gears!

I’ve read two books of hers:

  1. Rosehead. Magical realism at its finest. If you want a quirky read about a girl and her talking dog and a carnivorous garden, this is it! Everyone’s been looking for a book about a carnivorous garden, right? 🙂

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  2. Blue Sparrow. A collection of tweets on writing, reading, and the creative life. Motivational, inspirational, even instructional (mostly “KEEP WRITING!”). My favorite detail would be that it’s 140 pages long, with 140 tweets. Like an inside joke for us Twitter users 🙂 And to whet your appetite, check out a couple of the tweets:

 

So now you know what I’m working towards. Quirky writing. Lovable hair. Personable interaction. Perspective of abundance. And reader centered. Check out Ksenia’s work for yourself….you won’t regret it!

for the Bookworms, for the Writers

DNA of a writer: how my reading affects my writing

Amy L Sauder

Last week I shared my top 10 books and their commonalities. Now you get to see the top 3 elements that are in more than half of my favorite books.

*Props to Maggie Schoepke guessing there’s a supernatural element in my fav books.
I don’t specify it that way here, but that’s definitely related to these.*

Are you ready? 🙂

The halfway point: Huge cast of characters forced together towards a common goal

  • 6 instances in 5 books

A slew of characters stories intersecting towards one common goal. Often by force, involuntarily, or unwittingly. Often that means multiple protagonists, multiple storylines (see above), etc. If you like stories that span many different characters and their own stories being intertwined, half of my reading list is for you 🙂

 

Very prevalent: Two different worlds

  • 8 instances in 6 books

This element ties in well with the above one, so it’s no surprise that it pops up again and again. Two different worlds doesn’t necessarily mean fantasy (although there is that in my list.) I have so many different genres in my list of favorites, but this theme came into play in different ways: fantastical world, parallel universe of the real world, psychological world versus real world, dual timelines, two perspectives of the same story, etc. If you want to see things from more than one lens, you might like some of my favorite books 🙂

 

The most common element {brace yourself…}: Blurred line between what is real & what is not

  • 11 instances in 7 books

If you choose to read one of the books from my list, you will statistically speaking likely see this element in play in some way 🙂

 

Though I have so many different genres represented in my favorites, there is a blurred line between real-world and not-real-world in many of these. Sometimes it’s a magical universe or an alternate reality. Sometimes the reader is unsure if it’s all in the character’s head: dream, imagination, or madness. Sometimes the story leaves the reader questioning if something magical is going on or if there’s a logical explanation that’s hidden. Sometimes there’s 2 different realities and no idea as to which one is real. Many of my favorite stories leave the reader unsure – sometimes until the end of the story, and sometimes the question is never even answered. If you want to question reality, my favorite books list might be for you 🙂

 

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This reminds me:

636028406905523050-1310144539_supernatural pic

 

Did any of the above sound familiar?

Three of my favorite TV shows share the above elements to some degree:

  • LOST
  • Heroes
  • Vampire Diaries

 

 So I think I’m onto something here 🙂 

 

Now that I have my list of all the things that I really love in books (and also apparently TV shows) and how that may affect my writing style…

What I tend to write – #MyWriteDNA if you will:

I write quirks, obsession, madness, misfits, strangers, and unbelonging. I write bigger than life stories….where small nuances change everything. I write community. I write to connect: characters to each other, disparaging ideas, and narrator to reader. I write awe and surprise and emotion and detachment. I write stories of questioning realities. I write lies and truth. I write the horror between the lines. I write unease and tension. I walk the line between reality and enchantment. Magical realism. Hope, crushed and fulfilled.

 

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for the Bookworms, for the Writers

DNA of a writer: My top 10 books

Amy L Sauder

Ahh, the dreaded question: “What’s your favorite book?”

Rachel Giesel was kind enough to expand it to “What’s your top 5 favorite books?”

I’m taking part in a free online course to figure out my writerly DNA – analyzing who I am, what I read, and what I write to come up with who I am as a writer. #MyWriteDNA if you will. And because I have a website for such a time as this, I thought I’d share with you my favorite books and their themes that contribute to my writing style.

Top 5 favorite books:

  1. The Map of Time (sci-fi series by Felix J Palma)
  2. Arena (speculative fiction by Karen Hancock)
  3. Night Garden (magical realism by Lisa Van Allen)
  4. Then and Always (romantic suspense by Dani Atkins)
  5. Inkheart Trilogy (fantasy YA series by Cornelia Funke)

Because I had a top 10 and somewhat-arbitrarily decided on a top 5 from that list, I give you….

The runners-up:

  1. The 13th Tale (gothic suspense by Diane Setterfield)
  2. Sinner (spiritual thriller by Ted Dekker)
  3. Godmother: the Secret Cinderella Story (modern fairytale retelling by Carolyn Turgeon)
  4. The Shadow Children series (dystopian YA series by Margaret Peterson Haddix)
  5. The Book of Lost Things (fantasy quest by John Connolly)

 

After I picked my favorite books, I analyzed them. I wrote down any elements of the story that immediately popped to mind, be it themes, style, characterization, plot points, etc. These are elements so prevalent that I remembered them off the top of my head, so there may be even more commonalities I’ve forgotten 🙂

 (Note in regard to spoilers: To avoid blatant spoilers, this section will not call out specifically which books have which elements. Of course if you read this section, you will know that any of the above books have some of these elements, but you won’t know which ones. None of these elements are along the lines of “The main character dies at the end” or something hugely spoiler-y. If a main character dies at the end of one of these books, well, I won’t be the one to tell you, muahaha.)

 

The small stuff:

Okay, so this isn’t very small. That more than one of my favoritest of favorite books has these elements probably makes it noteworthy, but it’s still less noteable than what you’ll see in my next blogpost. Anyway, here’s a snapshot of some commonalities:

  • 1 book has an investigative reporter. This is just one book, but that’s a key part of my work-in-progress, so I thought I’d include it in this list 🙂
  • 2 books involve a quest
  • 2 books have the theme of the power of words or story
  • 2 books have a small political change that greatly alters everything
  • 2 books are allegorical, but not preachy
  • 3 books have a noteable narrator – unreliable and/or chats directly with the reader
  • 3 books have romance as a prevalent sideplot – not the main deal, but still a deal
  • 4 books break the 4th wall (haha, 4 & 4)
  • 5 books are of epic proportions, involving an entire world
  • 5 books have changing alliances and deal with the question of who to trust

 

So there’s a snapshot of what I like in my reading and my writing. My next blogpost shows the top 3 elements that were in over half of the books on my favorites list, and then I also include what that actually looks like in my writing.

Any guesses as to the top 3 common elements? First to guess correctly in the comments gets major kudos from me and a shout-out in next week’s post 🙂

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