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book reviews |
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Debut, paranormal, horror, thriller author Samantha Weiss introduces us to her first novel in the Altered Planes series, “Cynosura 99”: “The night the moon bleeds is the night the world will end. There’s death in the moon. And the moon is you.” Atra Hart has spent the last seven years locked away in Vanishing Plains Psychiatric Hospital. In that time, her shadow has transformed into its own entity and is growing stronger by the day, threatening to devour her mind. She calls that shadow Dread, and only her missing father knows what it is. When a fire breaks out at the asylum, Atra makes her way to freedom just in time to see an electric-purple rift sunder the sky. Like Dread, the rift is only visible to her. Atra’s already loose grip on reality unravels when she learns the rift is a gateway to the world of the dead. And the Queen, an ancient evil lurking on its fringes, wants Dread for her own. Even worse, Atra can’t tell if any of this is really happening. She might have escaped one asylum, but the closer she gets to unearthing answers about Dread, why her father knows it’s there, and its role in the Queen’s plans, the more she risks getting trapped inside her own mind forever. Maybe some truths are meant to stay buried.  This story unfolds from multiple points of view and the intersections appear slowly, that is what creates such a rich and perilously dark story. Atra's struggle with Dread and those who are trying to control her will keep you on the edge of your Kindle! I know I was on the edge of mine! The rich prose and full-bodied characters really bring the story to life. Though she says little I am certain the Queen thinks she is the story's star. She scares me right out of my socks! Get this book, you will love the chills!  You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Cynosura-99-Altered-Planes-ebook https://www.goodreads.com/-cynosura-99-altered-planes You can follow the author: https://twitter.com/SamwiseStrange https://authorsamweiss.com https://www.facebook.com/AuthorSamWeiss https://www.instagram.com/samwisestrange Copyright ©2023 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction
61 Comments
Mark
10/23/2023 01:13:48 pm
Welcome to the Word Refiner channel, Samantha. Thank you for booking the promotion of your first book, I am honored to partner with you in getting the word out! By the way, I love your name, my youngest granddaughter, 8, carries the same first name. She turned 8 just a few days ago.
Happy belated birthday to your granddaughter!
Mark
10/23/2023 03:34:59 pm
200,000 words is a big book! You are right about those odds. Most independently published authors sell fewer than 1,000 books. So, you were wise to come up with an alternate plan.
Hahaha, yep! It's much easier to figure out what tweaks need to be made to other stories. This is why beta readers and editors are essential! I mostly stick to developmental and line edits, though, as the finer points of grammar are not my strong suit.
Mark
10/23/2023 06:30:08 pm
Developmental editing is quite important. It can alter the complete trajectory of a novel. Even changing the point of view can do the same. Most books are written in third person a few are written in first person POV. First person puts interesting constraints on the characters and the reader as it puts the reader almost on the same footing as the characters. They have no source of information about what is going on than what the characters hear, see and do. It's very intimate because it places the reader in the characters' heads and it works well as long as unannounced head hopping is avoided.
Reddit can be a crapshoot, but I've gotten a decent amount of clients from there. Once upon a time, I had a Fiverr account for beta reading services while I was getting my business set up, but I've long since left that platform. There's a surprising amount of groups on Facebook to promote editing services. I've gotten quite a few clients from Facebook, actually, when it wasn't really a platform I thought about promoting on in the beginning. And there's a few forums on Goodreads that advertise beta reading and editing services that I've promoted on. I do plan on joining Reedsy at some point, but I just haven't had the time to set it up. So there's a lot of places!
Mark
10/23/2023 08:37:14 pm
I had fiverr also a long time ago. There were many other proofreaders and many of them had unbelievably low prices. I concluded that they were going to find a way to get a lot more out of the client than was advertised. I posted a page on Reedsy at least eight years ago also. Zilch. I created a LinkedIn page at least 5 years ago and have had a few nibbles. I think only one job came from it. Five years ago, or so, I made a page on Pinterest and my influencer daughter guided me in creating posts. I learned how to use Canva in a limited way, but nothing came from there also. All of my followers there were also followers on Twitter. I repost stuff on my commercial Facebook page and LinkedIn just to remind people I am above room temperature. I also repost stuff on my WordPress page but I am not otherwise actively involved. Twitter is where at least 99% of my work has come from.
That's the exact reason I left Fiverr also.
Mark
10/24/2023 09:10:38 am
Every writer seems to write a little bit differently from others. Some start with a title, or an idea, or a location. Others see something that sparks interest in a particular type of character, others have a character in mind and seek to learn more about that character. You might be the first author to have scenes appear that need to be connected. I love that method.
Yep! I mean editing work. I wouldn't have gotten into it if I didn't write.
Mark
10/24/2023 01:47:26 pm
As a reader, which I am first and foremost, even when I am wearing the proofreader hat, head hopping is a big problem. If the reader has to stop and figure out who is talking, the author just kicked the reader out of the magic spell!
So the first iteration I wrote as a teenager was inspired by this elevator shaft being built for a complex in my town. I don't know why, but walking past the construction sight with the chain link fence and the lone elevator shaft made me think of a long-abandoned asylum. At the time, I really wanted to write some kind of monster story, and that was the catalyst for that.
Mark
10/24/2023 05:48:17 pm
I love hearing the stories of where the inspiration for a book came from. I worked in construction for about 20 years and can attest that elevator shafts are built first. The contractor wants to use the elevators to get men and materials off the ground.
It was just a little bit of rewriting 😂
Mark
10/24/2023 08:12:33 pm
Just a tiny, teensy bit of rewriting. Hardly worth mentioning. the cramps in my hands will be gone in a week or so. No problem, really. No one can minimize like a writer. ;-)
Mark
10/25/2023 08:15:15 am
There has been at least one other author who gave a similar answer to that question. I think that qualifies as unusual. I think that is not a bad idea. It might be nice to have that original draft preserved.
I had artworks.by.TAG do the cover art for me. Here's a link to his instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artworks.by.tag/ I think it was done in about 3 drafts or so. I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted for the cover and he really nailed it. The only thing I got tweaked a few times was the rift in the sky because I had a very clear image of what I wanted it to look like, but I also cannot draw, so there was some back and forth trying to dial it in. I felt very annoying, but he said that's just part of the process, so I'll just try to believe that 😅
Mark
10/25/2023 01:36:18 pm
Getting graphics or covers done is a process. It is worth going through to get the desired results. Your cover is outstanding.
Thank you! It was such an awesome feeling finally seeing the cover. I have a friend who does graphic design who helped point in my the right direction for my cover, and I very happy I listened.
Mark
10/25/2023 04:49:16 pm
The shadow detail is a good one and I did miss it. Easter eggs are fun even if you are the only one who knows they are there. The Polaris thing is cool also. I am an old boy scout, emphasis on old now, I don't know if I would have noticed the brighter star and its significance.
Coming up with the title was the hardest part of the process, lol. Even when I wrote the rough first iteration as a teenager, it was untitled. I still don't really feel like it has a title in my mind.
Mark
10/25/2023 07:36:01 pm
Some authors have no trouble finding a title. Others, like yourself in this instance, it's a different story and I understand for the struggle is real. A title is the first or second thing a prospective buyer sees and if the title doesn't grab attention the buyer usually moves on. A good title will do one of two things, either tease and hint at the story or create a question in the buyer's mind, and then FOMO might kick in with the cover providing a big push for the reader to buy.
Ooh, great question! I always feel like my characters either have a name right away, or it takes me months to name them. I'm just going to stick to my four main characters for this one:
Mark
10/26/2023 08:24:23 am
Great stories about names. Quillon is an interesting name; I don't recall ever seeing it before. Ophelia is unusual also and fit the character well. I have a main trilogy planned. Currently on what feels like draft number 72 at this point for book 2 😆 I also have three short stories/novellas that take place at different times between books and expand on some information and characters. The first short story is available for free if you subscribe to my newsletter. I'm hoping to write the second one this winter.
Mark
10/26/2023 01:18:44 pm
That is great! Your fans have much to look forward to.
I'm going to answer for AI used under the book publishing umbrella, since I'm not informed enough to know much about AI beyond that. But not a fan of AI. I can see why some people are afraid of it taking away jobs for artists and the copyright implications aren't clear. Plus, you have places like Amazon buckling down on it and it has so many negative connotations, it could hurt your book before you even get it out the door.
Mark
10/26/2023 05:54:37 pm
You are right about a lot of things regarding AI. Many murky areas including the thousands of books that have been fed into the large language models of AI. A Twitter friend alerted me to a new book on Amazon. It appears to be partially AI work. The cover is creepy, eyes are weird and the hands don't seem right also. The blurb is one of the worst I have ever seen. But there is no disclosure of AI influence.
You are correct, no AI here!
Mark
10/26/2023 08:26:37 pm
Presentations were murder for me in high school. I had a bad stammering problem! my stammer haunted me throughout my young adult years. Later, I discovered a secret about public speaking that has never let me down. My employer paid for me to attend a professional development class. A Dale Carnegie class on public speaking. I learned to never speak on a topic unless I was an expert on it. If I was an author that would mean the book I had written. No one could know more than I about my book. The second thing I learned is to speak slowly and not fear allowing pauses to occur. I needed to let the tension leave my mouth to continue speaking without stammering. Third, the audience was there because they wanted to hear me speak. They wanted to know the inside scoop, so they were going to hang on every word from my mouth. Those three things have made a difference, a big difference in my life. Maybe my experience will be useful to you. No, you don't have to take the class I took. There are many other classes out there. There are many books written on the topic, blogs I am sure and channels on YouTube.
I am going to screenshot your speaking tips in case I ever have to talk out loud again.
Mark
10/27/2023 09:42:12 am
Here is another tip. It's normal to be nervous and excited. Channel that energy to put more passion into your speaking. It will improve the connection to your audience and they will pay even closer attention to you, if that is possible. Remember, you are the expert.
I went with KU because I didn't have the time or energy for anything else before release. (Too much going on!) I was already comfortable with KDP so I decided to stick my book in KU for the three month period and see how things went after that.
Mark
10/27/2023 02:19:14 pm
I can see the attraction of using Kindle Unlimited. Amazon has a very large subscriber base in the platform. As you noted, it limits your book's exposure. Some authors do quite well in KU even earning around a penny per page those authors with many books make a fair amount of money with no other effort on their part. If I wasn't doing proofreading and book promoting, I would probably be a subscriber.
I have the same reservations about Amazon. When I was first looking into publishing, I was not going to even touch KU. Someone I was talking to had a good point that, with the economy being in the toilet, people might be more inclined to have a KU subscription and get unlimited reads rather than paying the price for each individual e-book. But it is scary knowing that Amazon can just dump you at the drop of a hat. It's like walking a tightrope and just waiting to fall off.
Mark
10/27/2023 08:34:25 pm
Yes. Where does an 8,000 lb. gorilla sleep? Anywhere it pleases. Amazon is the big ape. Six or seven years ago, Amazon was tired of all the fake reviews on their site. Lots of people were selling reviews. For extra money a 5-star review was assured. So, they cracked down, thousands of accounts suspected of giving or getting fake reviews were closed. The requirements were very stringent, including if you knew the reviewer on another platform then you might get kicked off of Amazon. Not just were your reviews removed, if you had books on Amazon they might be gone also. If you had a Kindle all of your books might be gone as well. If you had money on a gift card that might disappear also. Their judgements were brutal, and very broad. Some people were able to get their accounts restored but that was an arduous process. Many just disappeared from the platform.
Mark
10/28/2023 11:55:16 am
That is a good idea. I have suggested to more than one author to use an imprint when they self-publish. Congratulations on that choice. Like plot wise? Or just overall? I don't think it would fit well in a shelf with traditionally published books. It straddles too many genres. There's no romance. There's no popular tropes. I'll admit that I haven't read many traditionally published books lately, though. The ones I have read have been underwhelming, to say the least. The majority of my reads in the past few years have been indie published books. So this is basically a long-winded way of me saying, I don't know 😂
Mark
10/28/2023 02:07:13 pm
It's good to hear your thoughts.
With the refined question, I'll answer the same: I don't know 😂 I'm not very good at comparing my work to anything, mainly because I don't like anything I make very much, so it's hard for me to look at it objectively.
Mark
10/28/2023 06:25:41 pm
Fair enough. That question is done. Personally, I think your book looks as good as any other book on a shelf.
The ending of The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman always destroys me. I think it actually makes me more emotional the older I get.
Mark
10/28/2023 08:50:08 pm
Rereading favorite books can be a comfort and very enjoyable. I understand your trepidation about Events. It might not stand up to all of the knowledge you have gained since childhood. Good question that I can't think of an answer to 😂 I'm sure there are a lot of books I've read that have made me go "hmmm...that's an interesting way to look at something that I may have not thought of" but I can't think of a huge, life-altering revelation I've had reading. Maybe something will come to me after I have some more coffee, but for now I don't have a good answer.
Mark
10/29/2023 01:48:52 pm
That answer is just fine. If something comes to mind feel free to share it. I have a loooot of favourites from my childhood! The first series I was into was The Babysitter's Club. Then I was obsessed with Darren Shan (Cirque Du Freak and The Demonata series') and His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman. A Series of Unfortunate Events I already mentioned, and I was big into Harry Potter. I remember going to midnight release parties of the books and the devouring the new release in a day.
Mark
10/29/2023 04:35:56 pm
You did read a lot when you were young. We would have been best buddies as children.
Mark
10/29/2023 08:02:47 pm
Ophelia scared me. Especially when she shrugged off being stabbed with the trowel. The queen was darn scary also. That's just me, I scare easily. I do not watch gory, horror movies. Most of the negative reviews I've received have been people saying my book is not their thing, so I say, "fair enough." I know my story isn't for everyone. You do get those reviews that leave you scratching your head, wondering what that person's train of logic is, but at the end of the day, those reviews are for the readers.
Mark
10/30/2023 09:21:07 am
Good attitude! You're so right. Reviews are for readers. Though sometimes reviewers leave constructive criticism. Then there are the trolls, the people who take perverse pleasure in tearing a person down. In all cases, an author should not take reviews personally. Most importantly, don't respond or interact with the trolls.
Kind of all of the above. If a story is really flowing and I'm coming up with new ideas left and right, then I feel energized. If there's a part of a story that isn't working, it feels like it's sucking my soul dry, lol. And if I have writer's block like I do right now, I'm constantly stressed about writing, but instead of writing, I just keep stressing.
Mark
10/30/2023 01:00:37 pm
More than one writer has given a similar answer to that question. You are not alone.
I'll check out that link! I have written about a blocked manuscript in the past. Usually I open a Word doc and just vomit everything that's not working for me, and then I can start to tackle the issues to see if major rewrites need to happen or just small tweaks. I think right now it's a combo of not having written in a few months (being and editor for a living sometimes makes writing impossible depending on the project, plus I had my marketing hat on for release) so I'm hoping to get past that block for NaNoWriMo.
Mark
10/30/2023 03:31:19 pm
You are a busy person, just like me and so many others. I think you might be doing yourself a favor by not working on it for a period of time. When you finally return to your manuscript, I bet the answer will be obvious. I can only speak for myself answering this (since I don't know what other writer's processes are) but I base all my characters off of parts of my personality. Even the bad guys, I take a personality trait and twist it and exaggerate it. It's a way for me to get in their shoes and understand what they're feeling and what their next move might be. For me that's important because I feel like the most important part of storytelling is creating complex characters that you can relate to, even if they are completely different from you. No one wants to read a book with flat characters. Colourful characters are what I think sets apart extraordinary and ordinary books.
Mark
10/30/2023 07:09:23 pm
Many authors have talked about how important creating real characters is to the story. But most have not admitted to basing characters off of themselves. I have suspected that was the case for a long time. Thanks for confirming that. You make a great deal of sense. Leave a Reply. |
Who am I?An avid reader, typobuster, and the Hyper-Speller. I am a husband, father, and grandfather. Archives
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