Cover for Pyxis: The Discovery

Cover for Pyxis: The Discovery

Ta-da! Claudia at Phatpuppy Art created the awesome artwork for this cover. She's incredibly talented and so professional - working with her was a pleasure, and I can't wait to see what she does for the next two books in the series. Aaron Patterson contributed a lot of feedback that helped guide the design, advised me on what approach to take for titling the books in the series, and created the cover text. And what did I do? Um... I told Aaron how to spell "pyxis."

Look for Pyxis: The Discovery (Pyxis series, Book 1) in digital format in early fall!

Corinne Finley hangs out with her best friend Anjelika, bakes recipes her grandmother taught her, and works shifts at her dad’s café in the small town of Tapestry. Her life changes when she accidentally doses most of the student body with her grandmother’s potions, and discovers she’s haunted by the same nightmares as her friend Mason. As Corinne and Mason search for answers, she tries to ignore the sparks igniting between them, but she can’t deny she feels truly safe only when he's nearby. The one person who can prepare them to face their destiny is lost in a fog of dementia. Will they find help before their nightmares break free?

3 Things I Want in a Beta Reader

A beta reader is someone who reads your manuscript at some point in the draft stage and gives you feedback. When I ask someone to beta read, I'm looking for gut-level reactions from a "regular" reader--someone who isn't an editor, author, or in publishing--to the story, characters, style, and general entertainment value of the book

I'm just barely getting started in writing and publishing, so I'm definitely no expert on any of this, but I had a beta who gave me really helpful feedback on The Pyxis, which got me thinking about what made that person a good reader capable of giving the type of feedback I was looking for. Here's what I came up with.

My betas need to be:

1. Capable of giving blunt feedback. 
Not just someone who's "honest," but someone who's outright blunt. This is the person who'll look at your banana-yellow sweater and come right out and say, "You can't wear THAT. That color is awful on you!" If I can use words like "nice" and "sweet" to describe a person, odds are that person is not a good fit to beta read for me. It's just a waste of my time and theirs if a beta is afraid to be straightforward.

2. Well-read, and possibly book clubbers. 
My ideal beta is someone who reads a lot, and in a variety of genres including (duh) the genre of my manuscript. (Some writers say a beta needs to be in the target audience, which to me implies a certain demographic. I don't care as much about demographic as I do about the beta being familiar with my genre. A subtle distinction, maybe, but to me they're different.) My superstar beta made me realize that long-time book clubbers are great candidates for beta reading. They're accustomed to reading analytically, rather than mindlessly for entertainment, because they know they're going to have to hold up their end of discussion at book club. Good book clubbers make notes as they read, which is exactly what I want a beta to do.

An unexpected side benefit with my superstar beta was that her club had read a lot of debut novels. She explained that she and her club had a sort of running list of common mistakes first-time authors seem to make more often than experienced authors. They included things like plots that wander too much, failure to satisfactorily tie things up in the main story and subplots, and ending the book at a point in the story that doesn't feel quite right. This was an invaluable perspective for me, and not something I would have thought to look for in a reader. (She said my manuscript didn't commit anything on her list of debut author missteps. Yay!)

3. Able to capture top-of-mind reactions. 
I think this is another thing that book clubbers tend to do well. They're tuned in to their reactions, in the moment, when they're reading. I want a beta who will make a note when she laughs, feels confused, has a moment of frustration or anticipation--all those little reactions that more casual readers breeze past.

A Rule I DON'T Follow:
One of the most common pieces of advice on this topic is to NOT use friends or family as betas. My superstar beta? She's my sister. I think if the person is the type of reader you want, capable of giving you the type of feedback you need, other "rules" don't matter much.

More reading:
Great blog post on beta reading by Evelyn Lafont: How Beta Readers Can Improve Your Book
Know of other good blog posts on this topic? Put links in comments, and I'll add them.

7 Random Things (I feel so exposed!)

Because there's no Lazy Blogger Award, Angeline Kace tagged me for this meme. Heart you, Angeline!

Here's how it goes:

1. Thank and link the person who nominated you.
2. Share seven random facts about yourself.
3. Pass the award on to five new-found blogging buddies.
4. Contact the winners to congratulate them.

Okay, here goes.....

1. I have a phobia of driving.

Not many people know this. I can't think of any explanation for this phobia, but it goes way back. Like, as far back as I can remember. As a little kid, I used to have recurring dreams about being in a car, urgently needing to drive somewhere, but having no clue how to operate the car. Once I got my license, I stopped having the dreams. But the phobia didn't go away.

And btw, having a phobia about something I have to do every day? AWESOME. Just imagine if you had to pet tarantulas (or whatever your phobia is) every day. Yeah. I deal with it by playing music really loud, singing along, and going to great lengths to avoid having passengers in the car with me. So please, if you know me IRL, offer to do the driving and save me a few panic attacks. If you do, I promise I won't sing.

2. I don't like chocolate.

Never have. I'll eat it once in a while if I want something sweet, but I just don't get the passion people have for it. My husband doesn't like chocolate, either. We're obviously meant for each other.

3. I don't mind public speaking.

Speaking in front of a group - if I've had time to prepare - doesn't bother me. But being forced to make small talk with a stranger 1-on-1? Now THAT freaks me the eff out.

4. I frequently get accused of "laughing at everything."

And I also get told - sometimes by the same people - that I'm way too serious. Conflicting messages, people!

5. I'd stopped growing by age 13.

I was a freakishly tall child, then I just stopped growing around 6th or 7th grade. I was terrible at basketball, which made it all the worse, but redeemed myself when I started playing softball and became an an outstanding 1st baseperson. I hit leadoff, btw; highest OBP. (Bonus random fact: I am ridiculously knowledgeable about baseball. Not current teams and players - who has time for that? - but the game itself.)  

At 5'6"-ish (ok, 5'5.5" to get really accurate) I'm not a freakishly tall adult by any means, but still do a mental "whatever" when someone calls me petite. I guess in my mind I'm still half a foot taller than everyone else.

6. I want to write science fiction.

I think the best writers are science fiction writers. I don't think I'm good enough to do it. But someday I'll write a sci fi novel, someday....

7. I want to be a drummer in a rock band.

Yeah, I want to be a published author and make a million dollars off my novels, blah, blah, blah. But my REAL fantasy is to play drums in a band. I started learning to play drums last year. I love it. LOVE. My husband is a songwriter, singer, and plays pretty much everything. He says I'm a natural, and I'm about 95% sure he's not just saying it to be nice. Back when I actually had some time to practice, we used to jam once in a while. It was every bit as awesome as it sounds like it would be. I haven't practiced once this year. Sad face. I'll return to it at some point.

That's 7. That was kind of fun.

Tag, you're it:

Alan Ryker

Bri Clark

Gabriel Cubbage

Jenn Sy

Natasha Larry