Into the Confessional: ME!

Into the Confessional is where I show case authors, and the occasional character for a guest post.  However, this is a very special edition of Into the Confessional, here at Confessions of a Bibliophile.  I was actually the one being interviewed.  My dear friend Sue Ward wanted to interview a reviewer, and I was victim number one, an honor to be certain.  So, I present to you the interview that I did for Sue Ward over at Read along with Sue.

How did you come about being a reviewer for books, was it by accident or a conscious decision.

I became a book reviewer because ultimately, I read so much that I wanted to share my opinions about the books that I read. It also actually started when I joined the Goodreads community and started reading a lot more. So, it was a conscious decision to begin starting to review books and things went from there.

How long have you been a reviewer for books?

I have been reviewing books for about a year and a half, so I'm fairly new to writing reviews (at least in my opinion!)

Do you have a blog that we can visit to read you're recommendations?

You can find my reviews here: http://caedyslibrary.blogspot.com

What genre's are you interested in?

I tend to be drawn to YA (all aspects of it for the most part), however, I will at least attempt to read anything once. If I don't like it, I won't revisit it – if I love it I will continue reading books in that particular genre.

If you get a book or series that you read and its outstanding, what actions do you take to advertise the book/s?

I write a review on both my blog & goodreads, I share it via my facebook page (personal and my blog fb page), I tweet about the book, I recommend the book to friends that I know who read the same genres as I do, and we all usually enjoy the same series.

If you come across a book that is badly formatted or riddled with errors, what actions do you take? If any.

I have learned my lesson from the last time this has happened – I will, if posting a review that has heavy errors, poor formatting, and the like, contact the author and let them know that my current review will be pointing out these details.

Have you ever given up on reading a story because:
A] you can't get “into” it? Yes, I hate to admit it, and it takes a lot to make me want to give up on a book. If I am 25% into a book and I have no emotional investment in any of the characters I simply cannot bring myself to finish it.
B] Its badly written? Yes. The book that comes to mind is The Macabre Masterpiece: Poems of Horror and Gore, and this book is filled with horror and macabre poetry – but the repetition of it all is maddening and every, single one of the sixty poems in the book RHYMES! Also, there is very little variation on the themes within the poems themselves. Honestly, how many poems do you need titled River of Blood?!
C] You find its not your genre after all? No, actually. I've not had this issue with a book that I've read. I am picky about my genres, but am willing to try something at least once when it comes to my obsession with books.
How do you explain this to the author if they ask you if you have read their book yet?

I do explain to the author that I have had trouble getting into a book, I do tend to explain why I had trouble getting into the book given to my by an author. It will also be reflected in my review – these books usually get 2 stars from me, occasionally I do get blowback for this, but it is stated in my review guidelines why I give out a 2 star review. I also tend to, provide the author with a copy of the review before it is published on any site.

Many books we receive from authors are asking us for an HONEST review. Are you 100% honest at all times?

My reviews are 100% honest. I will not sugar coat my opinions on a book. I will not simply give a book a five star review because that is what the author is looking for. I don't dance around my opinions on things in life – and I take my reading & reviewing seriously. So, you will get blunt honesty from me. Will I be brutal at times? If it is required of me, yes I will. If you cannot deal with an HONEST review, then perhaps you might not want me reading your book.

Do you believe that you can be constructively critical without upsetting the author?

I want to say yes, but history has already proven that some authors will, despite receiving constructive criticism act like children and demand a review get taken down simply because it wasn't the “sunshine and rainbows five star review” that they ACTUALLY wanted from me. I am honest in my reviews, and sometimes that does come back to bite me because I will offend with some of my criticisms. However, I'm trying to be nicer when things require criticism from me in a review.

Is it harder to review a book from an author who you have got to know personally on groups that you are in which you didn't enjoy?

No, because prior to any author giving me their book – asking me for a review they are encouraged to read my review guidelines. They will know ahead of time that my review does not in any way reflect on my opinion of them as a person, change our friendship or anything of that nature. If they have asked of me an honest review, then that is EXACTLY what they will get.

All authors books are their “babies” and they have given time, blood, sweat and tears to their final page, right down to the chosen book cover.
If they get a bad review this upsets many authors, which I can understand fully, however, they have asked for an HONEST review, if your review is going to mention something that you know will upset them, what actions do you take ?

From past experience, I have written a 2 star review, and the author acted very, very unprofessionally. He demanded that the review be removed, he accused me at one point that I'd gone against my own review guidelines when I refused to give him the five star review that he wanted. I understand that this is your 'baby' that you have put blood, sweat and tears into the creation of this story, but you have to remember that not everyone is going to like your work. I have long since stood by the guidelines that I set. I do not deviate from them. They are black and white, and any edits to them take great consideration. The review, for the record, was not removed, nor was the rating changed on Goodreads. From that experience, I will now, discuss the review with the author, but they had ultimately been warned that they did ask for an honest review from me.

There are many “bullying” campaigns around at the moment where many gang up and give full on bad reviews that are simply not bad reviews as opposed to bullying the author, have you seen this and how do you feel about this?

Honestly, this practice disgusts me. To simply give a bad (harassing) review of a book simply to ruin the author's credibilty or bring their self-esteem down is simply wrong. Anyone who has the guts to put their heart and soul out into the public format deserves to be given kudos because THEY were able to actually get published (even if it was self publishing) and should not be bullied simply because someone thinks that it would be a good idea.

Is the cover of the book important to you?

Yes and no. It is not the most important thing to me when I read a book – but chances are it will be a large part the reason that I pick up a book. I like covers that can grab my attention and make me want to get lost in that world. Also, if the blurb catches my attention and makes me want to read the book I will definitely be adding it to my collection.

Has your reading enlarged in genre's and styles since becoming a reviewer?

Yes. I've read more into the horror genres, and I've gotten completely sucked into the YA genre and even explored genres that I hadn't really explored before – such as epic fantasy, high fantasy and such.    

Many thanks to Sue for putting me in the hot seat.  It was an honor! 

Blog Tour Stop #1: Falling Immortality by Robert Downs - Interview

Welcome to a very special edition of Into the Confessional, Robert Downs author of Falling Immortality has stepped into the confessional as part of his blog tour, hosted by Making Connections on Goodreads.  Enjoy your time on this first stop of the Falling Immortality Blog Tour.   Without further adieu, here is the transcript of Robert's visit to the confessional.


1. What made you want to become a writer?

Like many authors, I’ve always been a voracious reader. And once I realized being a garbage
man probably wasn’t the right career path for me, I set my aspirations in an entirely different
direction. As I grew older, I dabbled in song lyrics, or what I refer to as really bad poetry, but
I was testing out the writing waters, without really even knowing what I was doing. And after
watching Finding Forrester, I decided to become a little more ambitious with my water dabbling
by deciding to tackle a novel. I had to wrestle it to the ground like a bull, and it popped back up
with horns at the ready, as I waved my white flag. But several manuscripts stuffed in file drawers
later, here we are, and I can honestly say that I love it as much now as I did then. I just hope I’m
a bit smarter about the whole process.

2. From who or what do you get your inspiration and was there one individual that got you
started in writing?

It wasn’t a specific individual that kick started the writing gene (see my answer to question 1).
As far as where I get my inspiration, the short answer is everywhere. If I don’t get at least one
or two ideas a month, then it’s probably been a bad month. Will I use all my ideas? Probably
not. But it’s nice to know I have a wealth of ideas, and I can always seem to manufacture more.
Now, I know ideas don’t just explode in my head, but it sometimes feels like they do. Anything
can trigger an idea from reading to observing to two random thoughts popping together like
firecrackers to movies to a conversational phrase that won’t go away.

3. Every writer has their own unique process and each process has its own quirks. What are
some of yours if any?

I don’t know if I have specific quirks, but you’re right I do have an approach to my writing
process. It probably wouldn’t work for everybody, but it works just fine for me. When I write,
I pound the keys with as much force as I can possibly muster, and I keep going until I run out
of steam, or life gets in the way. When I was younger, I’d write for what felt like an entire
weekend. Even though I don’t write quite that much now, I still try to devote as much time to
the writing process as I can. Since I have a day job, I write during the evenings when I’m not
previously indisposed, or as much as I can on the weekends. Oh, I should probably add that I
have the same desk (slightly modified) and chair, since I was in the fourth or fifth grade. I don’t
consider it a quirk, but my wife probably would. And, yes, one day I do plan to upgrade my desk.

4. Where did your inspiration for Casey Holden come from? Someone you know personally?

Not really. He’s a rather unique individual, so I can’t say he grew out of one specific person. I
hadn’t read many hard-boiled or noir novels, so I had no idea how much I loved the genre. But
I do. I really, really do. The closest I probably came to hard-boiled was Robert B. Parker, and I
devoured his novels like a tray of cupcakes. I wanted a strong, unique voice, so naturally I came
up with the strongest male voice I could possibly muster. He’s me without the moral compass,
filter, and way too much money and time on his hands. These are all problems I don’t currently
have to worry about, so I have a lot of fun exploring the world through his eyes. As my dad
would say, he’s my alter-ego.

5. Do you have anything special in the works? If so when can we expect it to hit shelves?

Oh, I like to think all of novels are special, because let’s face it, if you’re going to devote several
years to the process from conception to manuscript completion to final product to marketing,
you’d better have a damn good reason for doing it. But I can tell you my publisher and I are
working on editing the second Casey Holden mystery titled Graceful Immortality, so we’re just
a bit beyond step 2 of my timeline. As for when it will be available to readers, your guess is as
good mine, since many aspects of publishing remind me of a weather forecaster trying to predict
the next rainstorm. But I hope we can have it available for purchase in a year and a half or so, if
not sooner.

6. If you had the chance to spend one month anywhere in the world, what one place would you
choose?

Well, Hawaii comes to mind. It’s been on my places to visit list for a while now, and I’ve never
been before. Short of being on the West Coast, the flight time is about as short as it will ever be
for me, since I live in New Mexico. In a few years, though, I’m liable to give you an entirely
different answer.

7. If you could visit any fictional world for one day where would you go?

Again, I’ll give you the first answer that comes to mind Sherlock Holmes. Sure, he’s not the
first detective to have ever walked the Earth, but he’s certainly one of the most famous and most
beloved. I’d love to see 221b Baker Street and London through his eyes. I know it could only
help my own writing.

8. If you had to choose four fictional characters to have a meal with who would they be and what
one question would you ask of each of them?

Four characters that come to mind are Jack Reacher, Elvis Cole, Archie McNally, and Sherlock
Holmes. Honestly, I’d probably sit around with my mouth open, and it’d take me fifteen or
twenty minutes to summon enough courage to ask them a question. I’d probably ask them about
their detective skills, since all four of them have a different approach and they each bring unique
capabilities to the table.

9. What are the top three books on your to read list right now?

The top three in my pile of books to read. Sorry, I don’t mean to be a smartass, but every book
on my shelf and in my Kindle is important to me; otherwise, why would I spend the money,
or more importantly, take time away from other activities to read? Now, that’s not to say I
don’t love reading, because I do, so I can’t even fathom a world without books. When I read, I
completely immerse myself in every book.

When I look at reading, just as I do with writing, I focus on what book I want to read, or write,
right now. So the short answer to your question is The Corpse Wore Pasties, Moneyshot, and
Capital. If you ask me in a few weeks, I’ll have an entirely different answer for you, since I’ll
have three completely different books at the top of my pile to read right now.

10. What one question would you ask to any historical figure if you had the chance?

The first historical figure that pops into my head is Martin Luther King, Jr. Since he was such a
great leader, I’d probably ask him what I could do to become a better leader.

11. One final question and this is actually for Mister Casey Holden, what is your ideal date that
does not include sex.

Here’s what he would say: Whatever the girl wants to do. Because when he takes a woman out,
it’s not about him: it’s about her. It doesn’t matter if it’s the movies, dinner, a picnic lunch, a
day at the beach, flying to Paris, driving toward the Appalachian Mountains, or walking through
MacArthur Center Mall, dating is about showing an interest in her and making her feel special.
So he would do whatever it takes to knock her out of her high heels, even if it’s just for a
moment. Because if he’s successful, he knows she’ll come back for more.

Website: Robert Downs
Facebook Page: Robert Downs Books

Into the Confessional: Voluspa Author: Ray

This is an interview with the Author of the YA Novel Voluspa.  Review is soon to come.  Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions! 

1. How old were you when you got hooked on reading and what book started it all?  

I used to pester my parents to read to me all the time before I learnt how to read. After that as far as I can remember, when I was six or seven I could finally read on my own and I have been hooked ever since. I think some of the first books I read were by Enid Blyton.

2. How did you know you wanted to be a writer and who do you draw the most support from? 

I have always wanted to write. All through childhood and teenage years, I wrote for neighborhood periodicals, journals and so on. It’s only recently due to my husband’s urging, I decided to write a novel.

3. Each writer has their own process when writing, and each process has its own little quirks.  That said, what are some of your little quirks? 

Even though I use my laptop to write the book, I create flash cards to aid in my writing. For instance, I make up cards listing pertinent information about a particular character or some place in book.

4. Have you always enjoyed or favored fantasy over other genres in both reading and writing? 

I personally think imaginative literature has immense scope and it can entertain all age groups so yes, I have always had a penchant for the fantasy genre.

5. What can we expect in the next part of the Voluspa story? I do hope it includes lots more Amy and Drake (not that I'm biased or anything!). 

Absolutely; the next book picks up from where the first one ended. Amy and Drake’s journey continues.

6. If you could spend a full twenty four hours (midnight to midnight) in any city in the world where would you go and what would you do? 

It’s a cliché but I would definitely choose Paris. I would spend hours in the Louvre and the rest, walking along the streets of Paris.

7. If you were to be buried (entombed) like an Egyptian Pharohwhat would you want to fill your tomb? 

Books, books and more books and perhaps my laptop.

8. If you were a citizen of Voluspa, what clan would you belong to? If Morphous, what would be your animal form?  

I think I would love to belong to the Empath clan. Being able to connect to another person  using just my mind sounds fascinating.

9. If you could have two hours with any fictional character what would you ask them? 

It would be Peter Pan. I would ask him to take me to Neverland; ask his fairy friend to sprinkle some magic dust on me so I could go flying with him. Eschew all practicality and just loose myself in one rip roaring adventure after another.

10. In the great debate about e-readers and physical books: are you a lover of e-book portability, physical book feel/smell or both? 

I have grudgingly accepted the whole e – book trend but I love holding an actual book. The smell of old bound leather or crisp new pages is incomparable.