Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Larry King Live Part I




Many authors are trying to capitalize on the popularity of youtube videos to promote their books. So I thought I would do the same!

When a friend of mine posted a funny video from www.xtranormal.com I knew I would have to check it out! One hour later, and with the help of my ten year old, we had this funny interview.

It's addicting and terribly fun, so I'm sorry to say that you'll be subjected to Part II and quite possibly Part III of this interview throughout the next few weeks!
I would love for this video to go viral, so if you feel inclined to share it, go to www.youtube.com , type in sbniccum and you'll see it!

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Hook Lines, Book Covers and Potty Training.



(still a work in progress, but almost done!)

As women we are expert multi-taskers. We can wipe a butt, think of a cool hook line and muse on the shade of our upcoming book cover all at the same time! No big deal!
Sure, we get a little frazzled in the process, but it's all part of life.

I often wonder how many books I could boast of if I had no potty training to worry about, or didn't have to stop and teach my son decimals all while trying to keep a clean house and my carpet puppy urine free!

I imagine, none.

When I first started writing I felt that life got in my way. But now I realize that if it wasn't for my life I would have nothing to write about.

My crazy life is my inspiration and I am Thankful for it!

Thursday, November 11, 2010

What is Christian Speculative Fiction?




When I started writing this story I didn’t know what genre it would fall under. In fact it wasn’t until it was written that I found out.

I went to a Writers Guild of Texas meeting, where a Christian author and Agent was conducting a lecture. After doing his best to dismay us, and tell us how impossible it would be for us to get published, he opened the floor to questions.

Don’t get me wrong, he was doing what he thought would be best: telling us how it is. He was right about a lot of things, but I found his well rehearsed bubble popping session a little condescending.

Look, I know, getting published through a BIG publishing house is very hard, impossible even. Getting an Agent is equally hard and time consuming. But I’m the kind of person who believes that when there is a will, there is a way—paved that is, with hard work and patience.

This agent did one thing though, that I am very grateful to him for; he gave my book a Genre. After the meeting was over, I approached him and briefly described my book to him. He irrevocably pronounced it “Christian Speculative Fiction”.



So what is this mysterious genre that I had never heard of?
Commonly called CSF, this genre is fast growing in popularity among those who want fast pased, action packed, yet clean fiction. The themes are biblical and morally uplifting. The settings vary between science fiction, futuristic, superhero, time travel, supernatural, end-of-the world “Armageddon” type and alternate realities to list a few.

The best known examples that fall under these categories are “The Chronicles of Narnia” and “The Lord of the Rings”. We have in fact C.S. Lewis and J.R.R Tolkien to thank for the renaissance of this genre. They, in my opinion, did in the twentieth century what poets like Dante and Milton have done in their time.
Now days a slew of new authors are bringing this old genre back to life.



Most of us are however still in the fringes of the Christian market—not for lack of demand—but rather due to an inability for large publishers to change old set in traditions.

Another reason why CSF writers are opting to get published through smaller publishing houses, like TreasureLine Books, is because these publishers offer Print on Demand (POD) services.

This is a low cost, no middle man (agent) way to get your book into the reader’s hands. These books will most likely never hit a “Big Bookstore” shelf, but it will be online at popular booksellers like Amazon, Amazon's Kindle, Smashwords and the Publisher’s and Author’s web site. The benefits of POD for the readers are obvious—low cost.

For me and many other authors that choose to go this route, the benefits are that we get to live our dreams of writing good, clean stories, and keep our current lives. No traveling, no life altering careers, just our life and our dreams!
Reading is a great form of entertainment and a powerful way to shape our world and CSF writers are doing both!

Pictures by Gustave Dore'

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Everything Creative: Group Dis. 7 - Programs - Mormon Channel

Everything Creative: Group Dis. 7 - Programs - Mormon Channel

This is perhaps a bit long, but well worth listening to. As four authors sit and talk about the creative aspect of writing, family life and religion.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Vote Here!

Take your pick of the best hook line for the book cover and get your name in the acknowledgement page!


#1 “Can love withstand the forgetting effects of the Veil?”
#2 “Will love survive the forgetting effects of the Veil?”
#3 “Will their love be strong enough to overcome the forgetting effects of the Veil?”