Why do YOU read fiction?

 

I assume you hang out with me on this wee little blog because you are a fiction lover. Me too, of course. When I’m not writing it, I’m squirreled away in a quiet corner stuffing myself with as many fiction books as I can manage. I’ve always been like that, and I imagine you have, too. As a teacher, I see the classroom focus shifting towards more nonfiction reading/writing. This is practical. This makes sense. Most jobs and higher level schooling involve reading nonfiction materials…manuals, reports, research documents, etc. In the work world of normal folks, people generally do not make their living steeping themselves in fiction. So that makes me wonder…

Why do you choose to read fiction? What do you gain from reading made up stories? I would love to know your thoughts! Today is the last day to comment and enter the drawing for a Barnes and Noble gift card, a signed book and a fall surprise. Winner announced tomorrow! 

Can this quiz guess your accent correctly?

 

Dialect and accent are  important parts of a story for both writers and readers. Dialect is the form of language specific to a particular region. (It’s the reason some folks say “pop” and some say “soda.”)  It’s also colored by those nifty accents. Writers strive to recreate authentic dialect in our stories and you, the reader, imagine the accent in your mind. It’s a tricky balance because laying on the dialect with too heavy a hand, or writing out the dialogue with accents in place, can make the book hard to follow. For example…”Vere is de vonderful veisswurst vich Mama has cooked up in de kitchen?” Errgh. Too cliched and hard to follow. A whole novel of that would drive a reader crazy! There should be just a hint of dialect, a sprinkling in of regional words so the reader can imagine the character’s accent. Less is more when it comes to dialect and accent.

Do you have an accent? Here’s a quiz you can take which is supposed to pinpoint the region in which you live. (Disclaimer, it’s only applicable to American accents.) Would love to hear if the quiz was able to identify your region! Giving away a triple prize this month! 

http://upopin.com/type-american-accent-quiz/

Would you rather….? Three questions for avid readers/writers.

 

 

It’s fun to consider those “would you rather” question games that pop up on the internet. Would I rather go back in time 100 years or shoot forward one century into the future? Hmmm. Thought provoking. Makes me want to propose a few questions that pertain to my favorite passion…books!

1. Would you rather read/write series or stand alones? As a reader, it’s hard to pass up a good series, isn’t it? You’ve already invested time in the author and characters so it’s great to beeline right for the author’s next work. As a writer, I’m torn. Yes, series work enables the writer to have a world set in place and characters to build on, but sometimes, I’m ready to explore a new setting and family of characters before I get to that fourth book in the series. Dilemma!

2. Would you rather choose an ebook or a print book? Print, of course. I crave that visceral sensation of turning pages and easily rereading a section. Plus I have a terrible habit of reading multiple books at once and I like to thumb through the pages to refresh my memory. As a writer, most of my print books automatically come out as ebooks but I’ve written a few ebook exclusives. Love the creative control, love the process of consulting on the cover, and love the royalties which are a much higher percentage on an ebook.

3.  Last question…if you could only choose one, would you reread an old favorite, or pick up a book unknown to you? So if I’m stranded on a deserted island or something, I’m probably going to choose an old favorite, something meaty and gorgeous like Tolkien, rather than risk being stuck with a book that bores me. Good thing I always travel with multiple books crammed in my car, purse, bag, etc.

Your turn! Would you rather read series/stand alones? Would you rather choose an ebook or print? Would you rather reread and old favorite or pick up an unknown book?  Would love to hear your responses to any of these, blog friends! This month, I’m giving away a signed book, a Barnes and Noble gift card and a fall surprise!

Our May winner is…..

Congratulations to Rick E. You’ve won the Barnes and Noble gift card and a signed book. Hop on the old website (www.danamentink.com) and let me know which title you’d like. Thanks to all who participated. All kinds of new fun starts tomorrow on the blog and FB page! Be sure to “Follow” my Reader page to keep up with the goodie train!

 

Dana Mentink’s Reader Page | Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dana-Mentinks-Reader-Page/340390520…

A little writing help…please? Send in the clones!

Writing is not about your current project. It’s about the next one. There is no time to turn in that fabulous work of fiction, sit back on your chair and say, “Awesome! Let’s book a vacation!” Readers are voracious, as you know, so in order to produce a steady diet of fiction for them, there is no time for resting on the proverbial laurels. Writing professionally, as I tell folks who are interested, is like running a small business, so you really need to have the next project lined up and ready. People who install curtains, for instance, don’t complete a job and say, “Coolio! Let’s take a nice break before we look for a new client.” For example, at the moment I am finishing the last suspense book in a two book series while working on the next four book  proposal. I also write lighthearted romance for Harlequin Heartwarming, so I’ve got a proposal under consideration at the moment with those lovely folks.  It’s not tooting my horn, it’s business, and if you want to make a business out of writing, you need to make sure you’ve got that “next project” in the works even as you finish the current one.

I have decided that it would be super to clone myself to help ease some of the workload. Here is a picture of me and Dana Ravioli who is ready and willing to take up her pencil and get cracking! (She’s the one with the dark brown scarf, by the way.)  You go, Dana Ravioli! If you had a handy helper clone, what would you have them do? Giving away a Barnes and Noble gift card next week!

Bacteria killing book pages, it’s not fiction!

Sure, books can change minds and hearts, but did you know they can actually clean up drinking water? Seriously, this sounds like a work of science fiction but it’s fact. An organization called WaterisLife is creating a book that teaches water safety and each page is coated in baceria killing silver nanoparticles. You will be able to tear out a page and use it as a water filter which kills bacteria that can cause cholera, E.coli and typhoid. Each filter can last for a month. Incredible! The first printing of 100 copies will be formatted in English and Swahili and sent to Kenya. Now that’s pretty incredible, don’t you think?

What is your reaction to such news? Would love to hear your thoughts. Giving away a Barnes and Noble gift card next week.

What kind of writer are you anyway???

I’m a romantic suspense author of course. Look, I’ve got fifteen titles and a couple of award thingys to prove it. So why do I have the strong yen to write mysteries again and possibly some sparkly romantic comedies? And what about that staggering work of literary fiction that circles in my mind?  Awww man. I don’t just want to be one thing, but that’s exactly the WRONG approach to being a successful writer.

Pick one genre and develop a “brand.” Your publisher will be happy (they can market you so easily.) Your agent will be happy (they will know exactly what projects to pitch for you.) Your family will be happy because you won’t be walking around  muttering to yourself about the coolio idea for a cozy mystery series you just thought up. Errgh! I understand all these things, believe me. The trouble is I got into this business because a) I am creative and I get bored confined to one genre and b) I am an avid admirer of many different genres so it’s natural that I would want to try them out. Isn’t it? Anybody?????

Have you ever wanted to try something new in your work or leisure life? What happened when you tried it? Giving away a Barnes and Noble gift card this month.

 

A $455 million dollar publishing bombshell…

 

Who knew? I certainly had no idea that Harper Collins intended to purchase my publisher, Harlequin, until I got a wee little message from my agent. He was surprised too. Amazingly, Harper Collins managed to keep it on the down low, scooping up Harlequin to add to its arsenal. Recently, Harper Collins made another surprising move, acquiring Thomas Nelson and merging it with Zondervan to create their Harper Collins Christian Publishing division. Why purchase Harlequin? Well, aside from the fact that it’s an awesome company which employs more than 1300 authors and produces 110 books each month. The big selling point for H.C. appears to be that 40 % of Harlequin’s revenues come from works published in languages other than English, and H.C. is looking to expand its international footprint.

So what does this mean for me personally?

No idea!!!! As of now, H.C. intends to operate Harlequin as a separate entity under their umbrella and I’m happy to keep writing my little LIS and Heartwarming books. However, I’ve been in this business to know, well, it’s a business and there will be changes, tidying up, examinations of bottoms lines and redundancies and such. My new employer could decide to nix the lines I write for. Or they could expand them. Uncertainty is the name of the game in this biz. For now, I will keep on writing and wait for the coming changes.

Have you or your loved ones faced uncertain job situations? Did they turn out better or worse than you anticipated? Giving away a Barnes and Noble gift card in May.

How do you choose a book?

 

 

With a bazillion titles screaming for your attention, how is one supposed to select a book? I’ve asked folks before how they choose their reading material and here are some of the responses I’ve gotten.

1.  A friend’s recommendation.

2. I choose books from authors I already know and like.

3. I go to the library and take whatever is there that looks interesting.

4. Garage sales are great for books, and oh by the way, I got all the Mentink titles for 25 cents! Ha!

5. I hop onto Goodreads or Amazon and take a look at top selling fiction and read the reviews.

Personally, I tend to do all of these (except purchase all my own titles as I already know how they end!)

With my reading time so limited, it’s important to go right to the books that I’m going to enjoy. Got any tips for me? How do you choose which books you will read? Giving away a Barnes and Noble gift card (redeemable online or in stores) and signed book in May. Comments welcome!

The truth uncovered: what makes a perfect book cover?

 

 

It’s a fact, Jack! Good covers attract attention and sell books. Now I know we need a bit more than a flashy cover to make us plunk down hard-earned money on a novel, but the truth is, unless that cover is appealing to the eye, we likely aren’t going to pick it up and investigate any further. So what makes a good cover?

It’s got to be colorful.

It’s got to have nifty lettering.

Generally, there is some intriguing image plastered there somewhere.

And I’m going to add a personal preference here…it’s got to look different than the hundred adjacent covers on the shelf. Here are a few of my personal likes/dislikes.

1. I’m not a fan of people on the cover because I like to imagine the characters myself. (I also abstain from book covers featuring heaving bosoms, scantily clad people and ripped bodices, etc.)

2. I like variety. (Forgive me, but many Amish fiction books have the same tremulous looking bonneted beauty in nearly the same pose on nearly the same background.)

3. The cover should hint at what genre I’m going to be reading. A gritty book should have a gritty cover, a cozy should have that small town imagery on the cover. (You can see the difference in the above photos.)

 

So what do you like/dislike in a cover? Giving away a Barnes and Novel gift card this month.  I would love to hear from you!