WSG 23: What Makes a Book Unique?

Writer's Survival Guide 23: What Makes a Book Unique?

I've been preparing pitches for the conference I'm attending, and one of the questions that's come up is "what makes your book unique?"


This should be easy, right? We know our books inside and out. But I'll admit, at first, it stumped me.

So I brainstormed the elements my book contains that other books I've read don't. After that, figuring out what makes my book unique became simple. I can quickly point out the "different" factor in any one of my books.

And it's always been easy for me to evaluate other books for uniqueness. Let's look at a few.

Of the three books I read and reviewed on my blog over the last few weeks, I'd like to point out what makes them unique.

Die Run Hide by PM Kavanaugh:

Character motivation. This is a woman on the run who will do anything for freedom, including betraying the man she loves. However, over the course of the book, she realizes freedom isn't worth the price she was willing to pay, and she comes up with her own plan to have both.

Fairyproof by Constance Phillips:

World-building. Constance created a world I got sucked right into--a world where fairies can influence humans but who also can return to a world only fairies occupy. What an intriguing place to reside in!

Unending Devotion by Jody Hedlund:

Setting. Set in a Michigan lumber camp in the 1880's, the setting stood out as being extremely unique. I'd love to read more books in this setting.

As you can see, each of these books was unique for a different reason. We don't have to come up with a completely new plot (I don't think it's possible, anyway!) to stand out.

What makes your current book unique? What book comes to mind when you hear the word unique?

Have a terrific day!

And the winner from Friday's giveaway?

Huge congrats to LIZ R. for winning a copy of Jody Hedlund's Unending Devotion!!

I will be at a writer's conference this week and will return to bloggin a week from Wednesday.

Tweet

Share

Party Time with Constance Phillips!!

Our celebration week continues! Today we're celebrating the debut of Fairyproof, a paranormal romance written by Constance Phillips and published by Crescent Moon Publishing!!

I met Constance at my very first MVRWA meeting, and she made me feel right at home. Soon, we were meeting for coffee and writing every week. Back then we actually worked on our books when we met. And she wrote the bulk of Fairyproof during that time. (I loved that season of our friendship, Connie!) Those months of writing and chatting, just her and I, will always be dear to my heart.

Anyway, I'm SO proud of Constance. Let's grab some festive food and get started!

Constance loves ice cream--really, who doesn't?--so we couldn't have a party without it.



In honor of our coffee/writing sessions, I'm pouring these gorgeous cups of frothy joe for everyone!


Okay, are you settled in? Let's talk about Fairyproof!!


Fairyproof ~ When Monique finds out her brother, Kieran, is planning her future with the one fairy she wants nothing to do with, she seeks refuge in the human world. Now Kieran fears she will be the next victim in a string of murdered fairies and is determined to bring her home.

Hiding should be a breeze. She can control any human with a flirtatious smile and an attraction spell. Until, meets Daniel Elliot, the only human who’s immune to both.

A year ago, Daniel’s fiancée disappeared with the engagement ring, an Elliot family heirloom. He’s ready to move forward with his life, but his mother’s obsession with retrieving the ring makes that impossible. Then Monique walks into his office to apply for a job.

Daniel and Monique can’t deny their attraction, but will the reason he’s Fairyproof be too much to overcome?

***

I LOVED this book!! Here's my review of Fairyproof!

(I received an advanced reader copy of Fairyproof with no obligation to review it. All opinions are my own.)

Fairyproof opens with a clever concept--what happens when a fairy meets a human who doesn't yield to her charms?--and quickly evolves to a fast-paced, tension-filled story of a woman with everything to lose who risks her very way of life to be with the man she loves.

Ms. Phillips did an amazing job of keeping me on edge with the creative story twists, her world-building capabilities, and her talent of wrapping all of the elements around the tight cord of the burgeoning love between Daniel and Monique.

The first half captured me; the last half left me panting for more! I hope Fairyproof becomes a series because I didn't want to leave any of these characters behind!
Have I convinced you? If not, this trailer will!!



About Constance:

Constance Phillips lives in Ohio with her husband, two ready-to-leave-the-nest children, and four canine kids. Her perfect fantasy vacation would involve hunting Dracula across Europe with her daughter, who also digs that kind of stuff.

When she’s not writing about fairies, shifters, vamps, and guardian angels, she’s working side-by-side with her husband in their hardwood flooring business.

She’s actively involved in her local Romance Writers of America chapter (MVRWA), and the Southeast Michigan chapter of the United States Pony Club (which her son is also very active in). When not writing or enjoying the outdoors, she loves reality television or can be found at a Rick Springfield concert (just look for the pink Converse high tops). 

For more information on how to buy Fairyproof, head to Constance Phillips: A Writer's Musings.  You can also follow her on Twitter or friend her on Facebook.

***
And guess what? It's that time again. Time for the latest webisode of "... with Jill Kemerer." If you're dreading cold and flu season, this one's for you!

"Dealing with a Head Cold with Jill Kemerer"



Thanks so much for celebrating with us today!!

Tweet

Share

5 Easy Questions with Constance Phillips

Every Wednesday, I ask a writer the same five easy questions. In an effort to support and promote fellow wordsmiths, I feature authors who write a variety of genres, from sweet inspirational to mainstream thrillers. The writers themselves may be aspiring, published, or a best-selling author--all have made an impact on my life.


Thank you for welcoming...

Constance Phillips!

I met Constance three years ago at my local RWA chapter. When she generously invited me to join her and a few other friends for coffee, I jumped at the chance. We still have Friday coffee dates, and we both still love our MVRWA chapter--so much that she became president and I serve as vice-president. Constance is a talented writer of contemporary and paranormal romance. I'm thrilled to host her here!

1. Beverage of choice?
If it's before noon, or late in the afternoon I'm reaching for a deep, rich coffee with just a touch of cream. Any other time of the day, and it'll be a Diet Coke I'm craving.

2. Any pets?
We're dog people in this house. We have four of them. A terrier mix that is my baby and a yellow lab that belongs to my son. Then, there are the best known members of the family, Lily and Rose our mom and daughter Olde English Bulldogges.

3. Dream vacation?
I'm not too picky, but it would have to be a "beach vacation." A warm tropical beach!

4. What are you listening to right now?
It's one of those rare moments I don't have iTunes or Pandora on. I have one ear on an episode of American Pickers playing in the other room. I love all the shows about collectibles on the History Channel.

5. What's for dinner?
It's beef fajitas tonight.

Constance, just a touch of cream? I dump half the jug of flavored creamer in mine! I can't stop watching the History channel's line-up either, but if I could tear my eyes away from Pawn Stars, I would hop on a plane and join you on that beach vacation. March in northern Ohio can be rough! Thank you so much for sharing with us.

So here's my question for you...what are YOU having for dinner?

Active in RWA (Romance Writers of America) and the president of her local chapter (MVRWA), Constance is actively pursuing publication for her paranormal romance and contemporary romance novels. Her other passions are her young-adult children and their equestrian hobby, which is why she's also active in USPC (United States Pony Club).

Music is an integral part of life, which makes sense since she is the music editor at Blogcritics.org. It's a rare moment that she won't be listening to or writing about some sort of music. There's a special place in her heart for retro-pop, but you're just as likely to hear the newest alt sounds, blues or jazz emanating from her speakers.

For more information about Constance, check out her blog and follow her on Twitter and Facebook.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Tweet

Share

Using Dropbox to Share Articles on Your Blog

You've written a terrific article, formatted it with pictures and links, and you want to share it with your blog readers. Except...how can you link an article from your computer when you need a URL for it?

You scratch your head, play around with your blog service, and finally paste the thing into a new page where you lose the formatting you carefully created. Frustrating, to say the least.

Since I have a website, my articles are hosted there, and I can easily grab the URL and link them. But what about writers who don't have websites? Do they have other options?

I discussed this recently with Constance Phillips and she gave me an excellent idea. Use a file-sharing service such as Dropbox.

Dropbox is a free service that offers up to 2GB storage. If you need more storage, you can purchase it. It's simple to sign up with--only a valid e-mail address and password are necessary. Naturally, you do not have to use Dropbox; you can use any file-sharing service.

After downloading the software, you click and drag files from your computer to your Dropbox account. If you place them in the Public Folder, you can Copy the link, and link them anywhere, including your blog or a widget on your sidebar. (To link one of your articles, type the title of the article in your blog post, highlight it, and use the link button to type or copy/paste the URL.)

Remember, not everyone has Microsoft Word or whatever word processor you use. For a universal way to share your work, consider converting your file to a .pdf file. Plenty of free file converters, like PrimoPDF, abound on the web. A .pdf file allows anyone who downloads Adobe Acrobat to read your work, and Acrobat is a universal, free program.

Type the URL of your blog, your name, and copyright information into your footer. This allows readers to click back to your blog (be sure to include http:// before the link), reminds them who wrote it, and discourages theft of your work. Your footer would look something like this:

http://jillkemerer.blogspot.com/ Jill Kemerer. Copyright 2011. All rights reserved

Do you have a genius method of sharing your articles online? I'd love to hear it!

Thanks!

Tweet

Share