Words by Sooz

I needed a Google+ invite badly when the social media was in its earliest stages. When one showed up in my inbox before many of my friends and colleagues, I thought I was cooler than everyone. I signed up, followed a couple of people I knew on the site and wrote a post. I might have been back about a dozen times since then. Instead, my time is usually spent on Twitter, Instagram, reading RSS feeds or working. Occasionally, Facebook works its way into the mix. But never Google+. This article by Ad Age “Google+ aGhost Town as Brands Decamp for Pinterest” doesn't come as a surprise. I'm even on Pinterest too, but even my usage in that has waned. “The broad consensus is that Google+ is an empty city where the masses go to set up a profile but then seldom return.” That sounds about right.

Charlaine Harris made it official today when she posted on Facebook that Book 13 Dead After All  in the Sookie Stackhouse series would be the last. It's never too early to start marketing for that book either. As you can see in Harris' post, the date of the release of the next and final book is May 2, 2013. With the way the last book Deadlocked  ended ( check out my review here ) it left Sookie's love life up in the air, but it seemed as though Sookie was leaning in a certain direction. Many of the comments on Harris' page were positive and don't want the series to end, but now just might be the right time. I've met several people who have stopped reading the books because the last three to four of them got kind of stale. Sookie's love life was always at the center of the books, but some readers have given up and don't care to see how it ends. Perhaps they're just waiting for the spoilers. What do you think? Was this the right t

Carmen Cole is a character after my own heart. It seems I have a knack for picking up books where the main character is a reporter. I live that life. I get it. I know what it's like to go through the ups and downs of reporting. In Karma Girl  (Book 1 of the Bigtime Superheroes series) written by Jennifer Estep, Carmen Cole is an investigative reporter whose sole mission is to uncover as many superheroes and ubervillians and she possibly could. But it didn't always start that way. Cole became obsesses with this mission on her wedding day when she discovered her fiance and best friend in bed together. To make it worse, they were the town of Beginnings superhero and ubervillian. Cole had her revenge by pasting their photos on the front of the local paper. She worked her way to bigger newspapers doing the same thing until she found herself in Bigtime, one of the biggest cities in the country with the deadliest ubervillians and hunkiest superheroes. If it sounds a l

Working with friends may be difficult, especially when working as an editor. Recently, Bobby Deren asked me to look through his indie novella DRAFT SEASON: Preparing for the NFL. The non-fiction book is about Deren's experience in training with several NFL draft prospects at Competitive Edge Sports in Atlanta. To football fanatics, that place is well know because the best of the best prospects go there to train. The systems employed at that facilities are used around the country in other gyms that seek similar atmospheres. I read Deren's book in a day. At 61 pages, it wasn't terribly long and it didn't need to be either. Deren gets right to the point in what its like to train by going through the training himself for a week. He put down his computer and threw on his sneakers instead to stand side by side with men who will make a career in the NFL.

When a book comes out that is part of a series, there is a little bit of excitement around release day. We're meeting up with old friends and want to know what they have been up to. When Charlaine Harris announced there would be just two books left in the True Blood series some time last year, it meant some of our friends – Sookie, Eric, Tara, Jason and others of Bon Temp – would eventually be leaving. The second to last book Deadlocked recently came out. I tore through it in about two days not able to relish in some of the final moments with the characters. Sookie is at a crossroads – but when is she not - figuring out her relationships with her boyfriend and relatives. Most of her human friends are either getting married or having children, which seems to be weighing on Sookie's mind. This version of catching up with Sookie meant getting to hang out with her as she cleaned and ran errands. There was not much action or romance, which is something True Bl

As a baseball fan, I'm pretty much a sucker for anything to do with my favorite sport. But at the same time, I'm also very critical. Game 7: Deadball by Allen Schatz is a mystery thriller with the 2008 World Series as a backdrop. For the record, I was at that World Series, so it was interesting to see how certain things would be incorporated into an event I attended. The first thing I noticed was how well the book was written. As an indie author, Schatz's writing is very polished. It was a refreshing start because it meant there would be no cringing throughout the book from poor grammar or something else that a good editor could have helped. It allowed me to just enjoy the book, which I did. Marshall Connors, a Major League Baseball umpire, is at the center of the book. Connors has to cut his vacation short as he's asked to become crew chief for the 2008 World Series. Not a bad gig, but mysterious and dangerous messages start popping up around Conno

Grimsley Hollow is about a character many people don't get to read about often. It's about a young boy without any friends, but he is smart. Gage loves Halloween and it's one of the holidays that break him out of his shell. While that may seem like many characters, it isn't. Gage has autism. The book dives into his emotions and it's interesting to see the perspective of someone with a disability some cannot understand. Put me in that category. I don't know many people with autism, and Nicole Storey helped me understand what a scary and brilliant world it could be for someone with it. But even though Gage has autism, he has found ways to enjoy life whether it's through Halloween or playing make-believe games in his fort. The story starts with Gage finding a key that leads to a secret land where creatures he read about or saw in movies are real: vampires, werewolves, fairies and witches.

Looking through Twitter today made me want to put a collection together of photos of those supporting Trayvon Martin and looking for justice from his tragic murder. Going through all the photos literally brought tears to my eyes. Race, age, gender - none of that mattered. Celebrity and just the kid around the corner.  They all put their hoodies up to support Martin's family and, like many people, just want to see justice.

Many authors have voiced concerns about the lack of female authors being reviewed in the New York Timer' Sunday book reviews. Twitter has become a popular venue for the criticisms. Perhaps things have gotten better since the out cry began more than two years ago, it seems the New York Times still has long ways to go to write about women in the same way that they do men. But two years ago, it was bad. Real bad - as this tweet from 2010 illustrates. Author Jennifer Weiner put together this piece on her blog where she broke down the numbers by gender – as she notes compiled by her assistant – on Jan. 17.

Several days ago, PayPal came out with a revised version of its decision to ban certain categories of ebooks from the online marketplace. Instead of focusing on categories as a whole, the online payment processing company intends to focus on individual books that "contain child pornography, or e-books with text and obscene images of a rape, bestiality or incest." This should be considered a victory for the indie authors as PayPal seemingly intended to cause a disruption in the entire ebook world with the ramifications of its original decision affecting hundreds of authors and dozens of ebooks sites. This allows more legal fiction to flow in the marketplace. People should not be censored.

PayPal has decided to play moral police to the eBook publishing world, although this is not the first time the company has decided to stick its nose into other people's business. On Feb. 18., PayPal contacted  Smashwords and told them them to lose the porn or its account would be deactivated, according to Dear Author , a blog on romance books. According to a letter sent to Smashwords authors, the site's founder Mark Coker wrote: “I’ve had multiple conversations with PayPal over the last several days to better understand their requirements. Their team has been helpful, forthcoming and supportive of the Smashwords mission. I appreciate their willingness to engage in dialogue. Although they have tried their best to delineate their policies, gray areas remain. Their hot buttons are bestiality, rape-for-titillation, incest and underage erotica. “ Smashwords already deals with underage erotica. It doesn't allow underage characters in erotica even as bystanders. But these r

Reading the last five, six or seven books in the Stephanie Plum series made me sad for the main character. The books didn't make me feel good for the heroine. I wanted more for Stephanie Plum, more than it seems Janet Evanovich wants to give her, and don't think she will ever find it. After reading Sparkle Hayter's “ What's a Girl Gotta Do ,” I was reminded again of how stagnant Stephanie Plum has become. Hayter's book is about a television journalist, Robin Hudson, who for better or worse, cannot get out of her own way. Every time something good happens in her life, it seems as though she does something to sabotage that. That's not to say she's not an endearing character. The book opens with readers feeling a bit bad for her because we quickly learn her husband has left her for a younger, prettier news anchor at her own station.

The sustainability of the eBook world has long been debated from everything as to why paper books are better than electronic ones to the prices being so low – of even free – it's going to cause readers to run away. The Guardian's Ewan Morrison has an interesting article on eBooks and self-publishing. He writes about the “ The self-epublishing bubble ” and after market research and analysis, he talks about beliefs in where this little world is headed. He based his article on ideas from economist Hyman Minsky, who developed what he thought were seven stages of a bubble. The last stage is the one that goes pop. Is that where ebooks are headed?

Amanda Hocking has become an Indie Princess in the publishing world. However, it took me a little while to finally get to my first Hocking book. I enjoy supernatural fantasy novels, but after a heavy dose of Twilight from several years ago, Karen Marie Moning's books, a bunch of Keri Arthur and Lara Adrian, I needed a break from that world while I found characters who were busy running from bad guys who didn't want to bite them in some way. My Blood Approves was the book I chose from Hocking. It's the start of a series that finds a Minnesota teenager Alice unsure of her future, and especially her present. But she meets Jack on a fateful night and her life is never the same. Hocking holds off on telling the reader exactly what makes Jack different. He's looked at differently by most people, he moves especially quickly and his skin is strange to the touch. However, that's nothing compared to what happens when Alice meets his family. With them, she feels

Penguin Publishing is using its social media presence to engage readers in a unique way. The publishing company has created a book club on Twitter. All you need to do be part of the club is get a copy of the selected book of the month.  The company is starting with The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown . And being part of the book club is really simple. Just use the hashtag #readpenguin when talking about the book. However, those participating in the club should monitor the @Penguinusa account because it will say what page they are on. This way, there are no spoilers for those who ahead of the rest of the pack. It's an intriguing idea because it gets readers picking up Penguin Publishing whether it's a copy from a bookstore or even one from the library. This marketing method created a buzz for a book that will have people talking across social media channels. Another way to entice readers to join the club, Penguin has said that the author will be j

I'm looking for books to review for the site and would love to check out what you have. If you would like me to review your book, send me an email . In addition, for writers who are looking for editing services, I can help with that. I have more than a decade of experience as a published writer and have worked with many other writers over the years from those who work on magazine articles to novelists. Shoot me an email if you want me to review your book or would like more information on editing services.

As a woman who works in a male-dominated industry – sports journalism – I've been met with roadblocks, insinuating looks and condescending comments. Some are more blatant than others, but the more I'm faced with, the easier it is for me to recognize a threat early. After dealing with these types of situations, I always enjoy a book with strong female characters who work hard for what they want, but aren't afraid to make mistakes and even admit when they are overwhelmed. This in essence is what The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest  was about, which played a strong role throughout the Millennium trilogy. But never did it seem to take such a commanding presence as it did in the final book. Stieg Larsson made a point to show powerful women, where certain things in their lives didn't matter: their sexual escapades or their (lack of) social grace. Women were warriors and have fought as hard as men to get where they belong. The second book in the series left

Video gamers can live in their own world, falling in love with characters and making choices that effect the direct outcome . Not all video games are like that, but the Mass Effect series is. The Mass Effect series is it's own world where fans of the games can dive into this sci-fi universe with comics and books as well, helping paint a picture of a battle that is about to commence in the third video game. As one of the people who fell in love with Mass Effect, I've read the books, bought the comics and even have a lithograph or two decorating the walls. The story behind the video game series was well thought out and gives the gamer a chance to play the hero of the story as a male or female while trying to save the universe from utter destruction from an ancient species whose main goal is to wipe out the existence of the current alien races, including humans. Mass Effect: Deception  by William C. Dietz (who has written other video game genre books) is the fourth b

Last month, I wrote a post titled “Should eBook editing be allowed post-game? ” At the time, I more against it than I was for it. I felt that ebooks were much like regular books – although I know there are several different printings with many books – in that the books should be held sacred. Sacred might be too harsh of a word, but books to some people are tools to escape and become part of a different reality. Many people enjoy their books in ways that others enjoy food, wine and even intense work outs. After reading several self-published books, I've changed my mind. I'm now in the camp that there should be editing allowed even after a novel or short story is published, especially through sites such as Smashwords. The books just need to be clearly labeled in the beginning that it's the second or third publishing of a work. There have been some books I read through Smashwords and thought: “This could be a good book if only ...” It doesn't

“Story is more than plot, that it's the journey that matters, not how fast you arrive at your destination.”  - George R.R. Martin As I read this line a few days ago in Martin's “ Not a blog ,” I kept thinking about the latest story I read from K. Rowe, “Space Crazy. ” I enjoyed the short book, but to a point. There was something nagging at me for much of the book and even after I was done. After I read that line from Martin, it hit me. Space Crazy made it seem I was watching someone's life rather than living it and feeling what the main character, Dar, was going through in different stages of his life. There were so many different life events readers witnessed with his character. The book spanned about 10 years of his life. But only once was I ever really pulled into Dar's feelings. Even through death, leaving home for the first time and gaining the trust and friendship of people he cared about, Rowe didn't dig deep enough.

FutureBook caught up with Amanda Hocking recently and talked about going from a self-publishing platform to a traditional publishing house. Hocking has become a poster child for many indie authors, selling 1.5 million self-published eBooks. Although she has been successful in that realm, Hocking wanted to see her books in a traditional bookstore. She wanted to be in print. Hocking felt St. Martins Press was the best outlet for that – but it was not the highest bidder for her work. "Amazon actually was [the highest bidder] but I did not necessarily think they could get the books into the stores," Hocking told FutureBook. "I knew they could do good promotions for e-books, but what I really wanted was a publisher who could get the paperbacks into stores, and I didn't think they quite had the influence." One of the more interesting notes in the Hocking article was the different between freelance editors and those working in a publishing house. "Th

I feel cheated. I spent an entire night reading Explosive Eighteen and at 6 a.m. when I finally put the proverbial book down, I simply shook my head. All the elements were there for - FINALLY - a fantastic Stephanie Plum novel by Janet Evanovich , but instead of digging deeply into the characters that many have fallen in love with, we were still left with so much surface nonsense. I wonder if the characters actually feel anything. Perhaps I'm being a bit too harsh, but there was no introspection. You would think after a woman has had her life flash before her eyes about a dozen times, she would at least get some clarity in her life. The book starts with Stephanie on the way back from Hawaii. I actually found the opening of the book to be a strange start because nothing really happens. She's on a plane. She's drunk and annoyed. But we find out something did happen and leads to the crazy run around Stephanie has to deal inevitably deal with. O.K. Fin

There is a story in there, I promise. Even though I wasn't sure, I kept telling myself that and felt compelled to finish reading the short story,  The Soul Garden by Cege Smith. My hope was founded, once I got past the back story and extra words that it took to get there. The first part has too much information, at times going between memories, which created the opposite effect of I believe Smith was aiming. There was too much story to create tension. As readers open the book they met are with about five pages worth of back story and a little bit of action. No dialogue. There has to be good a balance of all of them and I believe a good editor would have been able to help Smith cut out the unnecessary parts to get to her story quicker and with much better pacing. The Soul Garden takes place in a society where people follow the rules of the governing body, The Office of Souls. Humans are born without souls and because of the limited number of souls, bab

A little less than a year ago, Allen Schatz published his first book on Smashwords. Going the self-publishing route didn't come easy to him. He had an agent and when that didn't work out, Schatz took advantage of the growing industry. Since then he's become his own PR agent as well. In this Q&A, I talk to Schatz about marketing himself while trying to maintain his writing lifestyle and not letting his "real" job get in the way. Read the interview after the jump:

Amazon is facing a problem with self-publishers in the erotica section. There are also problems with plagiarism on the site, according to a report by Fast Company . Fast Company spoke to one person who has dealt with these issues, but wanted to remain anonymous because of her writings. She wants to keep that separate from her public life. However, the findings in the article are interesting. It's definitely worth checking out. There seems to be too much of this going on according to the findings in the article. This is a topic that is especially important with SOPA trying to gain traction in congress – although under the current form, it probably will never pass. “Legislation has been proposed that would give content holders more leverage in dealing with etailers: the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA). It would award copyright holders wide-ranging powers to run websites that host infringing material off the Internet without needing to acquire a court order. If i

I finally finished “ A Feast for Crows .” I stayed up until 4 a.m. to ensure I got it done. I couldn't go any longer without finishing. The only problem is I need to know what happens next. However, I'm going to wait on reading the fifth books in George R.R. Martin's series to get back into reading/reviewing. Also, I want to talk a little more about the self-published world as it exploded in 2011. The next book on the list is “ Game 7:Dead Ball ” by Allen Schatz . It's the first of three books in the Marshall Connors Series. The books follow a Major League Baseball umpire as he's engulfed in murders and mysteries. I learned about Schatz's books through Twitter . When I first started following him, he probably had around 1,500 followers. In a short time, he's has more than 10,000. While he spends his time writing, he also does a lot when it comes to promoting his books. That's one of the pitfalls of self-publishing, you're also a self

If you missed the review for Jessica Quiroli's first published fiction piece, check it out here . You'll see that I enjoyed the 24-page (according to my Nook) short story about a female minor league baseball reporter. We wondered if the main character of The Beat was modeled after Quiroli and, in part, it was. But she also used other women from the sports world to add different characteristics to Lauren Day. We got a moment with Quiroli to ask her more questions about the book and the process. You can find her short story on Smashwords . Also if you have any other question for Quiroli, email WordsbySooz@gmail.com or leave them in the comments. Q. Where did you get the inspiration to write the book? A. It started with a desire to write a screenplay about a young female reporter and base it in 1979, just after the decision that allowed women equal access to the clubhouse. I toyed around with that for a long time, but it remained unwritten. Then as the years went

The Beat Do you ever have a moment when reading a story and the plot makes you pause? That's what happened when reading “ The Beat: A Baseball Short Story ” written by Jessica Quiroli. Initially, I didn't know where the story was headed. Was it going to be about about a pitcher and the excitement/nervousness of his upcoming Major League debut? Or how a female reporter has to cope with being in a male-dominated environment? These are the two main characters introduced in the beginning of the story, but while the story is centralized around the female journalist, the decisions by the baseball player move the book forward. The story seemed to be more about how we never really know people even when cameras and photographers are all around them. When reporters throw out questions, they never really ask the right ones. I won't give away the twist because getting to the surprise is part of the fun.

A Forbes piece written yesterday has raised some interesting points regarding editing of eBooks. We're not talking about the process before an eBook gets published, but editing after it's on the market. The article brings up a point that eBooks can be changed within days if the author wanted. As a reporter who started in print and worked her way onto the web, the idea of making changes didn't start out easy. A mistake required a correction to run next day in the paper. Mulling over sentences not really allowed much either because of strict deadlines. But now if something comes to me hours after the article is already handed in or there is mistake that needs to be changed, it can happen within minutes. Not saying changes always happen, but in essence, they could.

George R.R. Martin writes long. There's nothing wrong with that, especially when it works well in his fantasy novels. My only issue is that I am currently reading the fourth book and want to finish it before I start anything new. I think I don't have much more to go. I got the book in a four-pack bundle for my ereader, so apparently I only have a 100 or so more pages to go before I am done. One of the toughest things about ereaders is actually gauging how much of a book is left. While the actual page count is there, sometimes there are extra pages at the end of books that aren't part of the story. Can't just flip to the back on this one. However, once I am done, which will hopefully be in the next day or so, the first eBook I plan to read is “ The Beat” A Baseball Short Story .” We'll start off easy – just 8,840 words. That should take me less time than it's taken to read “ A Feast for Crows .” I've scoured Smashwords to find

For the last 18 months, I haven’t been able to stop reading everything I could on self-publishing with eBooks, writers and the sites that promote them. It has become such a unique industry full of strengths and benefits to writers and readers. In 2012, I vowed to become a bigger support of eBooks, specifically by self-publishers. I intend to read more self-published items – but not forgetting to pick up some of my favorite mainstream writers – and I’m going to use this blog to give reviews and highlight some of my favorite self-publishers. I will give tips I learn along the way and general thoughts – sometimes about sports, other times about life, but mostly about books. But it’s not enough to simply pump out novels or short stories for people to read. Self-publishing comes with its unique issues that sometimes are ignored or writers simply don’t have the tools to handle. I don’t want to read a story and click on four stars because I’m proud of the work someone has