Posts Tagged With: synopsis

Exodus 2022 Tour

Posted on May 18, 2014 by Kate Policani

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Exodus 2022

by Kenneth G. Bennett

Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Paranormal

Touring through Novel Publicity May 19th through June 15th (I’m first!)

Read my review here: http://katepolicanisreviews.wordpress.com/2014/05/18/exodus-2022-by-kenneth-g-bennett/

Book Synopsis

Joe Stanton is in agony. Out of his mind over the death of his young daughter. Or so it seems.

Unable to contain his grief, Joe loses control in public, screaming his daughter’s name and causing a huge scene at a hotel on San Juan Island in Washington State. Thing is, Joe Stanton doesn’t have a daughter. Never did. And when the authorities arrive they blame the 28-year-old’s outburst on drugs.

What they don’t yet know is that others up and down the Pacific coast—from the Bering Sea to the Puget Sound—are suffering identical, always fatal mental breakdowns.

With the help of his girlfriend—the woman he loves and dreams of marrying—Joe struggles to unravel the meaning of the hallucination destroying his mind. As the couple begins to perceive its significance—and Joe’s role in a looming global calamity—they must also outwit a billionaire weapons contractor bent on exploiting Joe’s newfound understanding of the cosmos, and outlast the time bomb ticking in Joe’s brain.

Kenneth G. Bennett is the author of the young adult novels, THE GAIA WARS and BATTLE FOR CASCADIA, and the new sci-fi thriller, EXODUS 2022. A wilderness enthusiast who loves backpacking, skiing and kayaking, Ken enjoys mysteries, science fiction, action adventure stories and, most especially, novels that explore the relationship between humans and the wild. He lives on an island in the Pacific Northwest with his wife and son and two hyperactive Australian Shepherds.

Connect with Kenneth on his website, Facebook, Twitter,or GoodReads..

Excerpt: Chapter 1

Joe Stanton opened his eyes and whispered his daughter’s name. “Lorna Gwin.”

No reply.

“Sweetie? You awake?”

Joe yawned and stared at the popcorn-tiled ceiling, stained here and there with sprawling amoeba-shaped rings, souvenirs of long-ago rainstorms.

He stretched. Shifted position in the bed.

Early morning sunshine stabbed through a crack in the blackout curtains, illuminating the spartan motel room like a searchlight in an abandoned mine. Ella slept quietly beside him, her dark-red hair spilling across two pillows.

“Lorna Gwin?” Joe whispered, louder now. He sat up and swung his feet to the carpet. The adjacent double bed was empty. Rumpled and ruffled, but empty. “Lorna G?”

Must be in the bathroom.

Joe got to his feet. Too fast. “Darlin’?” he croaked, head spinning, hands trembling.

No sound from the bathroom. Nothing.

Something’s wrong.

He crossed the room in three strides, stepping through the bright slash of daylight.

I overslept. Something’s happened.

The bathroom door stood open, revealing an empty tub, shower curtain swept to one side. No sign of the little girl.

“Lorna Gwin,” Joe called, turning and scanning the main room in earnest now.

Ella stirred.

“Lorna?” Joe stepped to the window and shoved the heavy drapes apart, trying to keep his voice steady. “You hidin’, sweetheart? Come on out now.”

Ella rested on her elbows and tracked his movements with startled, sleep-filled eyes. “What is it? What’s going on?”

“Lorna Gwin’s missing.”

Joe threw on a wrinkled T-shirt. Stepped into a pair of cargo shorts.

“What?”

“Lorna Gwin,” Joe replied, exasperated.

He jammed his feet into a pair of Keens and tugged the laces tight. “Probably went down to the lobby to get a soda. I told her not to leave without telling us.”

“What? Joe…Baby—”

The door slammed, and Joe stomped toward the stairs. It was 5:32 a.m.

Categories: Blog Tours | Tags: books, excerpt, Kenneth G. Bennett, novel publicity, reading, review, synopsis, tour | 4 Comments

How to get reviews

Posted on February 6, 2013 by Kate Policani

No, this is not my hand.

If any of you have seen my book reviews list, you know it’s enormous. I really love books! I like different themes from many genres.

How do you get a reviewer to review? How do you get me to say “yes” to review your book?

Have a well-written synopsis: If your synopsis sounds boring, full of errors, or really wordy, I will assume the book is too. I’m not going to test out the preview unless I have time and I’m feeling indecisive. (This is rare.)
Stick to the point: This is why I replaced my email information with a form. Often it was a challenge to even find the synopsis with all the extra information. When I ask for a synopsis, I really just want to know about the book. I usually skim over any other information included, even if it’s raves from other authors or book awards. Your book should be able to stand on its own. Also, while I feel for you if you are writing about your painful childhood and reading and reviewing your book will make you feel validated, I can’t choose books based on that. I write honest reviews and that kind of pressure will scare me away.
I’m an author too: If you have a book and I have a book, and we review each other, then both of us have a review! Great deal, huh. (Hint: if someone is exchanging reviews with me, I give them preferential treatment. I’m not ashamed to admit that.)
That’s really it. Seriously, I choose books based on the synopsis.

How to get a “no”:

Hide your synopsis: If your synopsis is hidden in the middle of a 10-paragraph sell, I may not say yes.
Synopsis is too short: If you leave out vital information, I doubt your talent. If your Science Fiction book’s synopsis gives no indication that it is Science Fiction, that’s a problem. If the highlight of your book is too short for me to determine if I might like it, I will pass.
Synopsis is too long: All that information is important, but I will read the book if it interests me. You don’t have to tell me the whole story. If you do, I may feel like I’ve already read the book.
I feel bullied into reading: “Please help me” stories don’t help. If I feel emotionally pressured, I suspect your talent doesn’t stand on its own and I definitely wouldn’t risk disappointing you with a bad review. So I won’t write one.
You inform me of how honored I am to receive your illustrious book: This is a request and I’m offering you a chance at a free service. You don’t have to lick my boots, but don’t pretend that I’ve been waiting my whole life for this opportunity.
Write the wrong book: Sometimes (most of the time) I say no because the plot of the book doesn’t interest me. It may be an awesome book, but it’s not my thing. No offence.

I write requests to other reviewers to read my books based on these little points. I believe in the Golden Rule and I don’t feel bad when I get a “no”. I just strive to write better books!

Categories: Reviews | Tags: accept, Author, book, how-to, reviewing, reviews, synopsis, Writing | Leave a comment

Putting your best words forward

Posted on November 30, 2012 by Kate Policani

What impression are you leaving?

I have to tell you something you’ve probably already heard before, but if you haven’t it could save your writing career. As an author, you need to put your best foot forward. This sounds simple and even trite, but it isn’t always easy to do.

I get lots of review requests lately, which I love! In one author’s review request, the synopsis was disjointed. There was no flow to the description of the book. Unfortunately it was also filled with grammar errors and even included a mistake by the author in pasting the synopsis in the email. Needless to say, I was not eager to read the book. The subject sounded interesting, but the mistakes scared me away.

Authors rely on those short pieces of our work to open the door to new readers. If the only chance we might have to gain a reader scares them away instead of drawing them in, we aren’t going to enjoy much success.

When you send your book to your editor, include a page or two with your synopsis, acknowledgments, author bio, and any other advertising info that goes along with your book. These are just as important as the body of the writing. Most editors will gladly include these in your editing, because their reputation is invested in your book almost as much as yours is.

When people point out errors in your book, your blurb, your website, or wherever, LISTEN. Of course, you should check on their accuracy. But they may be helping you. Never mistake a technical correction for a personal attack. Unless you are writing about grammar, a criticism of your grammar can only help you.

If you laugh off someone’s criticism and feel like it’s no big deal, then you are also laughing off your own success. Take them seriously, even if they are wrong. If you don’t take their advice, it’s appropriate to tell them why.

I have received criticism for my writing as well, and some helped me to fix major mistakes in my work. Others were a matter of preference rather than correctness, and others still were items that I had discussed with my editor and deferred to her judgment. Still, I explained these to the person kind enough to point them out.

Everyone makes mistakes. Sometimes Microsoft Word seems possessed, deleting important bits and allowing strange mistakes to remain after I thought I deleted them. We understand that. Just know that a stranger will view their first glimpse at your writing as your best.

If you treat your writing like an unimportant hobby, that’s how it will stay. Nobody is interested in rocketing you to fame when you don’t really care. To succeed as a writer you have to approach it as a business with all the professionalism required by a job. Even more, it’s a sales job, so your audience’s first look might be your only shot. Make that shot a bulls-eye!