Adele Harrison - Guest Blogger - Why Bother Reviewing?

Happy Thursday, friends! Today's guest is Adele Harrison, lead book reviewer at Un:Bound. Her post today is on why she reviews - something important to so many of you who do research before putting money down on a book. Without further ado, please welcome her.

Why do I do it?

The long hours trying to find the right way to make a point. The endless archiving and updates. The emails saying we'd love to but we just can't right now. The pressure to treat everyone fairly, get everything out in a timely manner. The hideous confessions that you just can't finish it, it's not for you. The over committing leading to distracted days and sleepless nights. The do I don't I debate over negative reviews. The mountain of laundry you haven't time to deal with. The neglected friends and family who haven't seen you come out from behind a laptop for months. The holidays' sacrificed for Convention attendance. The sleep sacrificed at the conventions. The nail biting anxiety over interview questions. The deciding between one five hundred pager you know you'll love or two, two hundred page teen romances you can finish quickly. The possibility that all this work may have no influence on anything when it comes right down to it. The more terrifying possibility that it might. The realisation this is nearly a full time job and it actually costs you money rather than earning an income.

So why do I do it? Why do I review?

My name's Adele and I can't stop reading. I can't go anywhere without a book and usually a back up book. I have one in my bag, several on my phone, more on my laptop. I have over a thousand in the house and it breaks my heart to think of the hundreds I have parted with over the years. I turn up early for meetings so I can slip in a few minutes reading. I love train journeys because of the uninterrupted hours with a book. I have a stack at the bedside, a stack on my desk and always three on the go at once. Sometimes I read one a day, sometimes more, sometimes only one a week, but I am always reading. If I'm between books, I mean, I've just finished my main read, but I still have my 'bedtime read' and my 'other mood' read on the go, I just need to pick another one to commit to for main.

When I started Un:Bound, a little over two years ago (blog years are like dog years but multiply by ten) it didn't really have a name. There was no logo, no team, just me rambling to myself because I needed to talk about books. The internet allowed me to talk about the books I enjoy as much and as often as I liked. Gradually I discovered there were other people doing the same. A whole community, several really. Those communities have grown in the time I've been doing this. Always in flux. People I talked to when I first started, the people who supported my efforts, aren't all around any more. Many more have joined up. Un:Bound has grown. We have a logo and a team. An awesome team. We do audio and video and have columns on writing and guest posts and get involved in events and rave about the people whose writing we adore. Still, at our core are the reviews. At our core it will always be about the reviews.

My name's Adele and I can't stop telling people about books. I pass books to friends to try, 'just try, I won't be offended if it's not for you but there is something about his humour that will appeal I think'. I recommend them to strangers in bookshops, 'oh if she enjoyed that, then get her this she'll love it, really', I recommend them to people I will never meet, on the internet 'Yay for gun toting chicks who can laugh in the face of horrific death after wiping puke from their mouth'.

We all have our reasons for book blogging, and those have been debated elsewhere, but I'd like to think that most of us are doing this for the same reason I'd like to believe most writers write. We can't not. Whether we do it for months or years, for whatever reason we stop, for a while we are compelled to read and to share. For a while we shout our enthusiasm and passion for books and authors to the world wide web. For a while we eat, sleep and breathe reviewing. For a while we let the written word consume us, take over our lives. For a while we are reviewers. For a while we are book bloggers.

All those things I mentioned? The stress, the anxiety, the neglect to other areas of your life? It's all worth it. Maybe it won't always be. Maybe one day I will leave Un:Bound in someone else's hands or it'll wrap up entirely. Right now though? It's all worth it. I think it will be worth it for a while.


Thank you so very much for bringing your perspective to the table, Adele! In case you didn't notice, she is stationed out of the UK. Be sure to stop by Un:Bound and say hello. She, along with the team, have reviewed a wide variety of books that may float your fancy.

And I guess I should have said at the start of this that reviews are of course important to us as publishers to know that our book is being well-received by our target audience. Of course we would love to see 4 and 5 star reviews constantly, but we realize that our books aren't for everyone. Honest, unbiased reviews are all that we can ask of any book reader/reviewer/blurber.

So, why do you review? Do you have a blog that you like to post them at (we would love to post your link to the right in our 'Thank you for your support' set of links)? How consistent are you at reviewing the books that you read and do you suggest your titles to others outside of your 'reviewspace'? For your web link and input we would like to give you a book to review, winners will be pulled randomly for the first five reviewers. Be sure to get it in by Monday, October 4!

JT Ellison - Guest Blogger - Writing Advice

Hey folks,

Today is the first day of the new round of Guest Blogging. To start off the new segment, JT Ellison has written a great piece on what has worked for her - advice she feels is valid for being a writer for the main stream market.

Writing Advice

I’m always reluctant to bill anything I share about the writing process as “advice” because even though I’m currently writing my 8th novel, I’m still learning. I strive to make each book better than the last, to challenge myself, to seek out new information, to try different writing methods. I stretch and grow and am constantly surprised by what I learn, and not at all surprised by how much I don’t know. Being open is vitally important to me.

But there’s one bit of true advice that I’m happy to share. It’s especially important now, in the world of Internet distractions and the lure of social networking.

The book comes first.

No matter what.

You may have heard that you MUST Tweet, Facebook, Blog, Tour, Guest Blog, etc., etc. That you have to have a platform. That you won’t be taken seriously if you don’t have 1,000 daily active commenters on your blog, a built-in fan page at the ready for promotion, a publicist lined up, and a Twitter account full of rabid retweeters.

But none of that is true.

What’s important to your success in the publishing industry is a little something I like to call Quality over Quantity. Statistics are all well and good, but what’s vitally important is writing the best damn book you can possibly write. Polishing it to within an inch of its life, making each word sing, the story intriguing, the characters relatable, and the ending worthy.

In other words, you’ve written a masterpiece. A book that good will speak for itself.

Yes, it’s easier for publishers if you have an established platform. That’s why non-fiction authors have an easier time with PR – they’ve got a built in platform to speak to. There are times when we as fiction writers have to create our own noise, and therein lies the issue – if we aren’t talking about ourselves, who is?

But there isn’t a single editor in the world who won’t say write the book first, then worry about the social networking. In this new age of distraction, the first rule of writing is write first, tweet later.

I’ll share another little secret with you – social networking can kill your creative spirit.

There, I’ve said it. As much fun as Facebook and Twitter are, they eat into the time you could be spending writing, reading, researching, being with your family – the works. Think about it – since you joined Facebook, has your reading time dropped off? I know mine has. And that damages me as a writer, because the more I read, the better I write.

Ahem. A confession. As I was writing this, I checked Twitter. And what popped up? This, from the Paris Review:

Writers often give advice they don't follow to the letter themselves. - Tobias Wolff

See, this is why I hate giving advice. At heart, we’re all a bit hypocritical when it comes to writing. But it’s so true. We love to preach the gospel according to Writer - do as I say, not as I do.

I try very hard to keep to a solid schedule – my best creative time happens to be 12-4 in the afternoon. That’s when I normally turn off the phones, turn on my great Freedom application, which shuts off my Internet, and get down to it. There are days, though, that this noble schedule isn’t working. Days when I tweet first and write, third, maybe fourth? So the best way to combat this is to have a really solid schedule, a lot of discipline, and a good head on your shoulders. Listen to that gnawing voice in the back of your head that says hey, you really should be working on your masterpiece now, not reading your RSS feed.

Trust me, we all fail at this occasionally. And that’s okay. But if you make a habit out of writing first, make sitting down at your computer and opening your manuscript your priority, you won’t have to worry about the good and bad angels dueling it out on your shoulders.

There are few true rules when it comes to writing, because we all have different paths up the mountain. You have to find what works for you. But the exception is the adage we all live by: Book First. That is truly sacrosanct, for all of us.


Well-stated. Yes, on occasion we all break from our routine, but you are right, staying focused on the task at hand that pays the bills (or will in the near future) should be your top priority. Thanks so very much to JT Ellison for giving us her input on what works for her! Be sure to stop by her website, jtellison.com, for all of her updates, where to distract her socially (couldn't help but throw that in there), and other great writing advice.

So what works for you, writers? When is your best time to write and how long do you write for? Do you find it easy to get pulled away from your writing and sucked into the 'social world'? To make up for this, do you extend your writing time or leave it as is? In this day and age this is a timely subject that I'm sure we all need to keep ourselves in the loop on.

In another regard though, have you noticed increased sales since starting your social networking/marketing? Are you closer to a debut author or a veteran author in the published world? Do you feel that this is a necessary evil that needs to be done to meet your goals as a successful author? Lastly, how long do you spend promoting/networking?

I hope you pitch in, and if you get your input in by Friday 10/1 at 5pm EST, you could win a free ebook from us (random drawing) in your choice of format. Looking forward to your input!

Libraries In Need Of Your Help!

Friday is here, friends! I hope you have plenty of great things lined up for a great fall weekend. I'm back though to stand up on my soapbox and hopefully get all of you involved as well.

Last week I was scrolling through my Facebook "Most Recent" postings and came across author and friend, Jonathan Maberry's, most recent post that went like this:

Do everyone a solid: write your local, state and Federal politicians to ask that they stop cutting funding to libraries! Libraries (like schools) are the heart of every community. If you don't know who to write (go ask a librarian...yeah, they know!)

First off, thanks to Jonathan for posting this. Of course, it was a polarizing post where the majority of the people were in full support of keeping libraries open - no matter the cost, while one person had a comment of (paraphrased) 'if it is taking more money than the service is giving, then maybe that locale should be closed in these tough times'.

While this could get me on an entirely different soapbox (and perhaps for another blog) regarding cuts in funding for our important services like libraries, police/fire, and schools, this got me thinking and reflecting on my past usage of libraries. The days at high school, meeting friends to do research on our science projects, book reports, and other assorted projects. Going on my own terms looking for something new to pass my time, and making friends with librarians who were always there to give you just the right thing. I grew up in Peterborough, NH, the oldest public library in the world (and free to boot!). And while I didn't realize it when i was 15, as I became wiser I came to realize what a gift that truly was.

Unfortunately I don't live in the 'borough any more. I haven't been back to that library since my family left just prior to the turn of the millennium, but I always will have fond memories of that place. The smell, the routes I took to find the books (and towards the end I didn't even need the card catalog), the people. I don't know what I would do or say if that place ever closed.

Have I been back to a library since college and actually use it for what it was meant for? Sadly no. I've not really needed to. Everything I need to find has been found via the internet... does that mean that libraries are archaic? That they can be replaced? Absolutely not! Soon enough I will start teaching my son who just turned two the ins and outs of the library. We've been blessed to have friends and family who know the value of a book and have provided us a home library of books he enjoys reading every night. He needs to know the value of the service they provide to the public. The fact that you can go in, ask for help - no questions asked (within limit), get the help you need and walk out with books free-of-charge (as long as you return them within the time limit allotted, or re-sign them out) to complete the task at hand. Want to learn a new woodworking skill? Go to the library! Need a new audiobook? Check out that building that lends them out. Want to know the best way to contact your local statesperson? Ask that volunteer who donates their time because they want to.

So, what can you do? Well, you already saw that Jonathan would like you to write your local statesperson. You can also go to your local town meetings to make sure that your taxes are going to where you want them to go. Of course, all these things have the same bottom line in common - time... now-a-days I realize that time is already at an all-time low. Many people need to have more than one job to make ends meet, let alone spending time with your family. But in these times of recession and job loss, libraries are more important than ever. They house a free place to work on your resume and cover letter with knowledgeable people who are willing to give you a helping hand, along with being able to look for a job. They are a no-cost alternative to getting books instead of buying them from a store or online (since you are already paying for an incredible service in the taxes being taken from you anyway). And while the argument on taxes are for another blog, use the services you have been given to their fullest extent.

Don't kid yourself though, that isn't the only thing in common... if libraries fail - if they are closed for a lack of funding - so goes the way of society. Is that a big jump... the failure of the library system will be the downfall of a people? For me, no, that isn't a jump, because I have come to the realization of how important a library - any library - truly is. To a child, to a young adult, to parent, to a community.

And as you reflect on the importance of what they provide, please let us know some of your fondest memories. You might have way more pros than cons, more than you realize... You be the judge. You be the jury. Do you side with the libraries... the defendant so to speak, or prosecute them... find them guilty of not deserving the funds they need to keep their doors open to further inspire the next generation? Choose wisely, friends.

David Morrell Straight To Kindle...

Hey folks,

In case you missed the Tweet or Facebook post yesterday, David Morell said via the LA Times that he would be re-releasing his backlist via Kindle, but more importantly that he would be releasing a new thriller straight to Kindle and bypassing the print route entirely! Direct from the posting:

It's not that his paper books don't sell -- there are more than 18 million copies of his titles in print. But the 67-year-old writer thinks he can get farther digitally.

Wow, things certainly are changing. This certainly did create a few heated comments when I posted it via my Facebook page. This in essence creates Amazon as a publisher, and well, many in the industry do not find Amazon to be rating highly on their 'Good little boys and girls' list. Others are upset that he is giving it only to Amazon and what about the rest of us who don't do Kindle or want to support others. But, it is his right, and well, I'm sure I'd take it too if his 'undisclosed' amount of money probably clears the digits many of us only dream of receiving. Not only that, but many of us will benefit from this deal in the way that we will be able to read those hard to find books of his that interested us but never had the chance to read.

So what say you... are you one of the disgruntled or one of the Pro-Morrellies?

Paper or Plastic?

Hey folks,

No, we aren't at your local grocery store, as the publishing world is changing, less paper and more plastic books are being produced, what say you? I know that many of you are strict paper readers, while others have grasped the new lifestyle of e-book readers and don't want to weigh yourself... or your bookshelves, down with more paper. And whether you think you are doing the Earth a favor by not cutting down trees to produce more traditional books (but in turn it takes petrolium distillates, along with heavy metals to create those e-readers), or not, I'd love to hear your take on both sides including your preference.

Here is my take:

I certainly think that there is room for both! Am I taking the 'political route' by staying mid-stream because I want to sell books? No, for those who just like to read and don't truly care to be engaged by their book, e-readers (and multi-taskers like smart-style phones) are really the way to go. The books tend to be cheaper, and after a while the device pays for itself. But for those who want to be enveloped by their book, paper is certainly the way to go. Many of the books we have produced have maps, pencil drawings and intricate chapter headers that engage your mind's eye before you hit your first stylized word that you don't find in the e-category (as some readers don't do picts and all only use basic fonts).

When you come down to it though, reading is reading. Maybe this should go into another post, but in a country where approximately 50% of us are illiterate (a completely staggering number that I heard a few years back at Thrillerfest), anything to get that number closer to zero is a must. So, regardless of your poison - paper or plastic - it's all good. And be sure to share your input; tell others about the books you enjoy. Whether it is on your blog, person to person, or a review on any/all of the various book retailer sites, your input matters to both us and the readers.

Most of all, be sure to engage your youngin's in a story that makes their minds race, get them turned on to reading from day one. Inspire the next set of readers to become an author, mechanic, soldier, or astronaut (all of them must be literate to succeed).

...Whoa, didn't expect the soapbox to come out, but, glad it did. Literacy is a gift and privilege, be sure to share it with everyone you know - adult or child. If you know someone who is illiterate, support them and help them accomplish their goals. It may be frustrating for you at times, but just think how they feel - and they don't require our pity, just paper or plastic, and a little encouragement.

A Novella In 24 Hours!?

Hey all, I just wanted to forward along a message from Steven Savile, author of Silver, that is inviting all his fans to a special event starting tomorrow! Check it out:

Steve Lockley and I have just signed up to do something incredibly dumb, a novella in 24 hours, based upon a cover designed by Neil Jackson that we won't see until it is unveiled at 12pm UK time tomorrow, on Facebook. The entire novella will be written and published inside 24 hrs, meaning hard copies will be available to buy from Ghostwriter Productions at 12:01pm on Saturday, as well as an electronic Kindle edition... feel free to swing by Facebook and heckle as we post updates along the way!

To join in the fun, just click through to Steven Savile and Steve Lockley and let them know how many bricks short of a chimney they really are.

Good luck, gents!

Stan Tremblay - Guest Blogger - What's To Come?

Hey folks, just a play on what today's post is about. Guest blogging will take a short hiatus, but we still have friends to come in JT Ellison and Jon Merz - the first later this month, the other in the new year, and others lined up for when we restart later this month.

I'm looking to get some input from you all, our readers and supporters, on what you have thought so far of our Guest Blogger segment. I would like to bring on some more folks, but want to make sure that you have been thoroughly enjoying this as I have, along with the guest bloggers. We've had some great non-fiction, as well as great works of fiction and creative writing. We've discussed the potential demise of libraries, book stores and works of fiction on paper, inspiration and writer's block, and never giving up on your heart's desires. We've had NY Times bestsellers, New Media pioneers, and debut authors. This has been a very exciting segment for me, and I want to make it better for you.

So, what say you? What would you like to see being covered on the GB segment? More creative writing? More non-fiction pieces related to books, publishing and the decline of standard publishing with the growth of New Media (podcasting, ebooks, etc)? Or something else. Would you like to see more of someone in particular who has been a prior guest, or someone who hasn't been on yet that may be a favorite author... I can't guarantee anything but will do my best to get them here.

We are here for you and because of you. Let us continue to be providers of some great reading pieces, guided by our fans. AND, for your participation, we will give away an e-book of your choice to a lucky commenter (titles chosen from our Smashwords library) usable on your iPhone, iPad, Sony, Nook, Kobo, Kindle, other unstated e-reader or computer. Comment by September 17 for your chance at winning your most desired title.

Looking forward to your responses.

The First Variance Title to Game - Eurostorm!

Good Wednesday everyone! This is a very exciting post on so many levels. In association with Kadamedia, Payne Harrison has been hard at work creating a game playable on the iPhone and iPad working off the concept of his book, Eurostorm. Taken directly from the press release:

Variance has released the new techno-thriller entitled EUROSTORM by New York Times bestselling author Payne Harrison. The story deals with a Nazi conspiracy -- a half century in the making -- that unfolds on the Eurostar bullet train as it travels from London to Paris. The book is available through Apple’s iBookstore® and can be downloaded to the iPhone-iPad-iTouch platforms.

In conjunction with the release of the book through Apple’s iBookstore, Kadamedia has just released a mobile EUROSTORM game for the iPhone-iPad-iTouch devices through the iTunes store.

“The Apple iPhone, iPad and iTouch have opened up new vistas in the field of entertainment content delivery in a revolutionary way,” said R.D. Dasgupta, president of Kadamedia. “To our knowledge, this is the first tandem release of a game and book through the iPhone-iPad-iTouch platforms. The EUROSTORM game was specifically developed for the iPlatforms, and this enables the consumer to have ‘one-stop shopping’ for a dual entertainment experience based on a single theme. And if you’re going to choose a central theme for both an action-adventure game and a book, EUROSTORM is definitely it!”

“Payne Harrison was one of the ‘Founding Fathers’ of the techno-thriller genre with his first book, STORMING INTREPID, about a hijacked space shuttle,” said Tim Schulte, publisher of Variance. “EUROSTORM has it all – from bullet trains, to helicopter assaults, to an incredible mystery that unfolds along the way. We recognize that Apple has introduced a game changer into the entertainment world with the iPhone and iPad. We are delighted to be blazing a new trail with Kadamedia to provide this innovative book-game offering through the Apple platforms.”

Payne Harrison, the author of EUROSTORM, observed, “The world of entertainment content delivery is changing at a geometric rate. A mere three years ago the iPhone did not exist. Six months ago the iPad did not exist. Now, with this joint offering and the Apple platforms, the consumer can be reading an entertaining story, then switch in real time to download and play a game based on the same content. This is an entertainment experience like no other, and it wasn’t possible until Apple unleashed their iBookstore and iPlatforms. It’s exciting to work with two nimble companies like Kadamedia and Variance to provide entertainment content through the Apple channels. It’s a win-win-win for the consumer.”

So yes, the first book-game release has come from a book through this indie publisher! Many thanks to Kadamedia for making that happen, and to Payne Harrison for his hard work and for believing in Variance.

The Dallas News did an article on this first in publishing. It was a great piece, many thanks to Cheryl Hall for such tight journalism.

So, go out and get yours, Apple product users! Then come back here and tell us about it. We would love to hear what you think (1-5 stars).

J. Kent Holloway - Guest Blogger - Lightning-Strike Inspiration Isn't Elusive

Hey folks! I hope those of you who live here in America had a great Labor Day holiday. Today's guest is J. Kent Holloway: author, publisher, and real-life CSI. His post today takes inspiration to a new level and putting it back on the ground where it belongs ... not someplace in the sky where no one can see it or find it.

EUREKA! Lightning-strike inspiration isn’t as elusive as you might think!

Writing. You want to do it. You’ve been told you have the raw talent. You’ve got the passion for it. Heck, you even have some pretty great ideas for some really cool characters for readers to cheer for or loathe. But you’ve been putting it off for so long. Why? Could it be that a story just hasn’t hit you in the head like an anvil falling from the painted sky of a Bugs Bunny cartoon? Besides fear of failure, I’d say that “I just don’t know what to write about” is perhaps one of the biggest excuses I’ve heard from people when I talk to them about writing.

Well, I’ve got bad news for you. After you read this post, that excuse will fly out the window. Let some other schmoe latch onto it to the point of paralysis. It’s just one less person you have to compete against. But I want to you to listen to what I say and I want you to embrace it. I want you to use it. I want you to practice it religiously and you will find that the ideas will start to flow like the River Nile. And guess what…chances are, you already do what I’m about to tell you. You do it every day (many people do it all day long) and aren’t even aware of the potential gold mine they are sitting on.

There are actually three of them. Three simple, little secrets. Want to know what they are? Want to get the inside scoop to this Shangra-la of inspiration? Okay. Here you go.

1. Read.

Um, did he just tell me to read? You might be asking. Well, duh! What kind of a lame-brained secret is that?

Well, keep your pants on ‘cause I’m not finished yet.

You can’t just read any ol’ thing. There are some particular pieces of literature that make the perfect nurseries for ideas of all kinds. I’m talking about news stories and magazine/journal articles. Blogs. Websites. Yellow page ads. I’m talking signs, creditor letters, and even the back of cereal boxes. Non-fiction books that teach us the hidden laws of physics or the biography of important (or even un-important) figures in history work well too. Read voraciously. Absorb it all.

Case in point. Variance Publishing’s own David Sakmyster recently did an interview on my own blog (http://kenthollowayonline.blogspot.com). I asked him how he got the idea for the psychic archaeologists in his most recent novel The Pharos Objective. Know what he said?

He said he was reading a book about a real-life scientific experiment involving a group of psychics and remote viewing to discover secrets behind a great historic mystery. After reading the book, he knew he had the makings of a fantastic story and the Pharos Objective was born.

2. Watch TV.

Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me! Watch TV? Really?

Absolutely. Inspiration strikes when we least suspect it. Whether you’re watching a hard-hitting news report on 20/20 or absorbing raw data on the spotted Outback wallaby on Animal Planet or even vegging out watching reruns of The Six Million Dollar Man…ideas are just floating around in the rectangular vortex sitting against your wall that we call television. For some, TV may rot the brain as our parents and grandparents warn. But for the writer…oh, for the determined author…it is a virtual smorgasbord of sweet, juicy ideas ripe for the picking.

Don’t believe me? Case in point, I’ll use my own book, Primal Thirst. You see, I am a gigantic fan of the SyFy Channel’s “Destination Truth” featuring a team of researchers who travel the world investigating claims of monsters, strange locations such as the Bermuda Triangle, and sometimes even ghosts. But the crux of the show has always been the cryptids…legendary creatures hidden from the rest of the world and just waiting to be discovered.

From the first time I saw that show, I was hooked. I’d never been interested in cryptozoology at all before Destination Truth. One episode in and I couldn’t get enough. I started researching cryptozoology like crazy. Started doing my own hunts for local monsters (um, in Florida, all we have is pretty much the stinky critter known as the “Swamp Ape”, but boy is it testy!)

But one day, after watching the show, I thought how cool it would be to read some kind of novel about a similar team (but it had to have the same level of humor that the host of the show, Josh Gates, had). I started scouring the bookstores, Amazon, and everywhere I could look and found nothing remotely similar. Oh, sure there were books out there about monsters, cryptids, and all sorts of things that go bump in the night. But nothing with the wit, charm, and whimsical fantasy of SyFy’s monster-hunting reality show. And that’s when the notion hit me: Um, Kent…you want to read a book like that? Well, then you’re going to just have to write it. And so I did.

The point is, though I highly discourage you to steal ideas from TV shows, there’s enough inspiration in a single commercial for three or four books! All you need to do is follow the third little secret in order to gain the prize. So, what is the third secret?

3. Observe and ask questions

Well, technically, maybe the third secret could be divided into two separate ones, but honestly, they go hand-in-hand. By profession, I’m an investigator. A forensic death investigator to be specific. I’ve learned in my ten years on the job that both questions and observations go hand and hand. You go to a scene and observe the data in front of you. Then, the stalwart investigator must learn to process that raw data and that can only happen through asking the right questions. The two things are absolutely essential if you want to get the big picture behind the crime scene.

The third “secret” works like this. First, as you read…as you have your eyes glued to the television, be on the lookout. Be observant. Watch carefully. Be on the lookout for some fantastic inspiration. I’ll give you an example:

Last week, I was scanning the AP news wire and ran across a story about a new space shuttle that the military recently sent up into orbit. This space shuttle was probably a worse kept secret than the stealth bomber a few years ago. Everyone seemed to know about. Everybody with a telescope watched the thing shoot off into space and kept their eye on it for a while…that is, until it completely disappeared. There was no explosion. There was no disaster. No cry for help. It simply disappeared from view. Popular opinion is that it’s still out there. That it’s perfectly fine. But that this shuttle, designed by the military, had very top-secret business up there. Perhaps using very top-secret technology.

You see where I’m going with this, right? I read the article. But my brain “observed” something wonderful in it. There’s a story there. Somewhere. But what could it be? Well, that’s where the “questions” part of Secret #3 comes into play. Why’d it disappear? What are all the possibilities? Aliens? Technical difficulties? Stealth technology? What’s its mission? What is the government trying to hide? I could rattle off question after question with this news story, but I think you get the gist of what I’m saying.

When your eyes catch something that could be used for fantastic inspiration, our brains need to start dissecting what we’ve observed by asking all sorts of questions. Once that’s done, you could just have the makings of a top notch best-seller!

See? I told you it was simple. Told you that you probably did it every day. But now, perhaps, you’ll be just a little more mindful of the cornucopia of rich ideas that could be hiding in plain sight right under your nose. Be on the lookout for them wherever you go. You never know when that anvil might just fall out of the sky after all.


As much as these seem like no-brainer comments, we all take for granted the things around us that should inspire us every day. Thanks to Kent for a great post, bringing us back to Earth to find new-old ways of tapping into our creativity. Other ways to check him out instead of his blog would be KentHollowayOnline.webs.com and Facebook, and by checking out his publishing company, Seven Realms.

So, where have you received the most inspiration from? Reading? TV? Dreams? Or someplace else? Also, who do you have at your disposal to be able to ask questionsWe look forward to your input.

Jonathan Maberry and Janice Gable Bashman - Guest Bloggers - Vampires: Dead or Alive

Alright creature-feature folks, today's guests are Jonathan Maberry and Janice Gable Bashman. If you are fans of thrillers you will have seen their names multiple times, whether it be through the International Thriller Writers Organization, Marvel comics, or the numerous award-winning titles that line the shelves of bookstores everywhere. Enjoy this entertaining look into vamps - it's a fun piece that looks into the souls ... or soul-less shells ... of one of media's big baddies.

Vampires: Dead or Alive

So…what is it about vampires?

Why are so many people fascinated with the undead? What’s the draw?


Why we fear vampires is obvious. They bite. They attack, tear, rend, sip, sup and slurp. They don’t regard us as beings of the same species. We’re food, in the same way that chickens and salmon are our sustenance.

So, if these beings are predators, and we know that they bear us ill will...why are we then so utterly fascinated by them? Over the last few centuries we’ve adored vampires so much they are now considered tragic figures, misunderstood, lonely, honorable, deeply romantic, and occasionally sparkly. We have propagandized the vampire into a figure of compelling sexual charisma, which is totally at odds with their nature as presented in folklore. In folklore they’re monsters…even when they use seduction as a lure, it’s still an invitation to a meal in which you are the dish not the guest.

Why the vamp love?

The simplest answer is that we fear death. The one incontrovertible truth is that we are all going to die. Everyone we know, everyone we love--all doomed. Youth, no matter how powerful and perfect, will wither and fade. Vitality, it turns out, is on loan, and when the lease runs out even the strongest will crumble into dust.

The vampire, however, is immortal. Unchanging and eternally powerful.


That is an incredibly seductive image: eternally young and incredibly powerful. It suggests a personal power greater than time, than death. Almost godlike.

It is the appeal of eternal youth, and of perpetual health. Of a life removed from the necessary crudities of human existence. Of power. Of acceptance, either through inclusion in a secret society of vampires or through charismatic attraction. It is the appeal of never having to fear death.

It is the lure of immortality.


Truly, if offered, how many of us could reject immortality without even a moment of two spent in consideration? No more worries about money, disease, job security, stress, weight gain, taxes, politics, bills, dating or anything else. Beauty and health will be perfect and unchanging. That is surely tempting. Since the vampires of folklore are too nasty and ugly and mean, and most of them just kill without any benefit of immortality, it isn’t so hard to understand why fiction writers and filmmakers have taken the core theme of the myth --immortality- and re-imagined it into an ideal solution. If the great masses were not hungry for such an illusion those books and movies would never have sold so well. It is what we all want. To live forever and look good.

Ask yourself...if all it took was a bite on the neck and a moment of pain, would you yield to it if it meant that you would life forever.

Forever young?



Thanks so very much to Jonathan and Janice! For much more on vampires and vampire hunters in myth, legend, history, literature, fiction and pop culture, be sure to grab a copy of WANTED UNDEAD OR ALIVE: Vampire Hunters and Other Kick-ass Enemies of Evil by NY Times bestseller Jonathan Maberry and Janice Gable Bashman. Available in trade paperback from Citadel Press wherever books are sold.

So, what say you? Would you give up your life now to live eternally? Would you miss anything?

Tata Discusses Iraq Drawout

Yesterday, AJ Tata was on America Live with Megyn Kelly talking about the "Endgame Withdrawal" in Iraq. Also a part of the Power Panel was KT McFarland, a national security analyst, and Dan Gerstein, a Forbes columnist.



With the deadline now come and gone, and the president's speech last night, what are your thoughts? Many fear we are leaving too early opening up the country to an up-rise in terrorist actions and harboring, while conversely the other part of the population aren't happy enough to get out of Iraq - granted most of them are going onto another country and fighting another war - but we are moving forward. I would love to hear from some of you military folks out there what your opinion is and if this is the right decision. Unfortunately, this isn't a fiction novel but a true-life game that the phrase 'high stakes' doesn't begin to explain with so many lives in the balance. And this isnt meant to be a current or former president bash-fest, so please leave those comments to yourself.

Thoughts and prayers continue to go out to all of our brothers and sisters in harm's way.