Authors – Cynthia Reyes

Girls Travelling Through Time

October 16, 2020October 16, 2020 Cynthia Reyes

I’ve been waiting impatiently for Laurie Graves’ third book in the The Great Library series.

Book 1 was Maya and the Book of Everything, book 2 was Library Lost.

Out of Time is due this November.

The first two books and their main character Maya are enthralling. There are big themes in this series, but the main story is about a teenager who, with the help of a magical book, faces adversaries from a different time and a different realm. With the guidance of the Book of Everything, Maya travels between present and past just in time to prevent certain events from happening.

Having lived in fascinating old houses for most of my life, I have often stood in a room, wondering what it would be like to be able to revisit the house in an earlier century. And yes, I have wondered what it was like to be an adolescent or teenager during those times. Through Marie Prins’ The Girl from the Attic, I was able to do a bit of time travel myself.

The Girl from the Attic tells the story of Maddy, a feisty young girl who, with the help of a mysterious cat, finds a door to the past. She finds herself in a time when bath soap is made the old way (with dangerous lye), there are no antibiotics, and people still die from diseases such as tuberculosis. Maddy makes desperate attempts to prevent certain events from unfolding.

Kudos to Marie Prins for skillfully creating the two worlds of past and present — both taking place in the same home. In Maddy and her friend Clare, the author presents us with two likable, believable characters facing realistic challenges of their times.

Marie says there are similarities between the book and her own life:

“I too have American roots and now live in a historic, octagonal house that once was a farm house. I was intrigued/inspired by the idea of a portal that would allow someone to discover who lived here and what life may have been like a century ago.

“A bit of research gave me many ideas for the 1901 part of my story (there really was a soap factory across the street). In the 2001 part of the story, my protagonist reflects some of my own feelings of displacement when I moved here.“

But getting the book written and published was no easy feat. Inspired by an assignment in a workshop led by Canadian author Ted Staunton, Marie worked at it over ten years.

“It was rejected by many Canadian publishers, but then in 2019 it won silver in Common Deer Press’s Uncommon Quest competition. Of course, there were more revisions to do after I signed the contract, but I had a great editor who helped me make the novel a better book.”

Marie calls working with Common Deer “a happy collaboration”. Among other things, publisher Kirsten Marion was open to artist Edward Hagedorn doing the illustrations. Edward is Marie’s husband.

Congrats, Marie and Edward!

Congrats, Laurie Graves!

A Good Home

Did You Go to Book-Review School?

August 15, 2020August 17, 2020 Cynthia Reyes

No?

I didn’t either.

Nor did being a journalist equip me to write book reviews.

So while I buy and read other authors’ books, until I published my own first book, I didn’t take the next step and review them. I feared I wouldn’t sound wise enough, that my analysis would be inept. Perhaps that’s why I’ve been timid to ask readers to review my own books.

And therein lies the issue. Authors need reviews. But if we ourselves are too timid to review books and too timid to ask it of others, we have a problem.

Myrtle - Cover latest at 2MB

My readers have no problems writing me letters — even very long letters — stating why they enjoyed my books. But writing a review can be a fearsome thing, one that seems to require expert writing and story analysis skills that many readers believe they don’t have.

And why should they? They didn’t go to Book-Review School either. They are readers, not professional book reviewers. They’ve bought or borrowed a book, read it, enjoyed it a little, or a lot, or not at all. And then they went on to the next book. Or perhaps to do the dishes.

If we’d like readers to review our books, there are a few simple things authors can do to help:

First: Demystify the act of reviewing books.

For starters, could we replace that word “review” with “comments”?

Check almost any online store and you’ll find dozens, hundreds, even thousands of reviews of the products they sell. Shoppers seem to have no trouble posting online comments about the things they buy online – despite the fact that those comments appear under the heading “Reviews”. But mention the term “book review” and many people get flustered, even anxious.

What if we change that word to comment?

Book Cover on Amazon - Myrtles Game

Second: Tell readers how to do it.

I’ve had readers tell me they wanted to review one of my books but had never done a book review before and didn’t know how.

I explain that “a single sentence saying why you liked or didn’t like the book is perfectly fine.”

“If you wish”, I usually go on to say, “you can also explain why you would recommend/not recommend that book to others. But you don’t have to. A short comment is fine.” I can almost hear the relief in their responses.

And here’s a surprising outcome: while some of my readers do just the above and no more, at least as many go on to write longer and more substantial reviews.

Third: Tell the reader where to post online reviews

A book-lover wanted to review a book she had just read. She knew what she wanted to say, but had no idea where to post her remarks. She had never heard of Goodreads and wasn’t in a hurry to find out, but she had bought the book online from Amazon and was happy to leave her review there.

Once I showed her where to post her remarks (Look down the left side of the Amazon book page and you’ll see “Review this Product” just below “Customer Reviews”), she was off and writing.

(Below is what it looks like on my Myrtle the Purple Turtle page)

Customer reviews

5 star		82%
4 star		14%
3 star		5%
2 star 0% (0%)		0%
1 star 0% (0%)		0%

How does Amazon calculate star ratings?

Review this product

Write a customer review

Fourth: Show your appreciation

I’ve not done this in my own books yet, but I am now considering including a short note of thanks (in the back of the book) to everyone who, having read one of my books, would like to leave a review.

Perhaps I will give the reader a few tips about how to do so as well.

After all, if there is a Book-Review School, no reader I know has been there.

What do you think, Reader? Please leave a comment. A single sentence is fine!

A Good Home, Author Interview, Authors

Taking Control – Stephanie Guerilus

February 8, 2020February 8, 2020 Cynthia Reyes

I’d like you to meet American writer Stephanie Guerilus.

I enjoyed her articles online but didn’t know she was also a novelist till I came across her book cover. So, being a nosy person, I asked her some questions!

Q1: Are novels your main form of writing?

As a journalist, I’m always writing and editing. It’s second nature at this point but my novels allow me the freedom to let my imagination soar.

In the era of “fake news”, I’m more aware than ever that credibility can easily be lost and so I try to always present the best possible work.

Blog Photo - Stephanie Guerilus' book cover

Q2: What inspired this story?

I’m a big fan of Mariah Carey and so I decided to write a story about a biracial singer, Theresa Marie Jenkins. Aspects of my life began to form around that idea.

I’m a survivor of sexual abuse and I really wanted others who have experienced the same, especially girls and teenagers, to know that there’s no such thing as the perfect victim. Your body is yours alone.

Speaking of Mariah Carey, I was able to meet the elusive chanteuse and place Control in her hands. In the immortal words of Whitney Houston, that was a moment quite pleasing. I waited in the cold for almost six hours and was sick for almost two months later but I met her.

Blog Photo - Stephanie Guerilus - on meeting Mariah Carey

I’d love to meet Janet Jackson since her song Control inspired the title and overall theme of the novel. Reesa Jenkins is 17 years old, battling for control of her life and agency.

Q3: How did you become a writer and what do you hope readers will take away from your novel?

I’ve been writing ever since I was a kid. I had my dolls, notebook and would create stories for them. Sometimes, I’d spy on the arguments in the house and write a report on it as if I were Lois Lane on deadline. That same energy is present in my novel.

It may not be perfect and in many ways, I don’t even want it to be. You always struggle with your first baby and learn. I hope that each word written makes people think, not just about the plot but how it mirrors real life and if they can make a difference.

Q4: Is the protagonist at all like the younger you?

I sprinkled parts of my personality into the four central characters and fleshed them out.

Reesa is a dreamer, marches forward, ready to be a trailblazer and has that Aries fire in her. She’s a creative creature like I am. Stephanie is woke, small but has the power of dynamite and is a writer. (Yeah, I blatantly put myself in the novel).

Candy is sweet and ready to be the first person to help out a friend. Chanté loves her gossip and is just trying to figure it out.

Blog Photo - Stephanie Guerilus

Q5: What kind of writing or topics are you most passionate about?

I’m very passionate about marginalized communities being given a voice and (about) diversity in newsrooms. It’s important that stories of African Americans and other groups are told by those who have lived experiences.

It angers me to see women, especially Black women, cast aside in narratives. I’m one of the daughters of Ida B. Wells and have the blood of Haitians who fought for their independence. It’s just not in my spirit to not become animated when I see injustice unfolding. We’re not free until everyone is.

Q.6: What are your hopes and dreams as a writer?

I want to be able to know that I made an impact, that my words helped make a difference. Of course, I want to be a best selling author and create a literary empire that allows me a greater platform. Everyday, I’m working towards that goal.

For now, iron sharpens iron. Whatever I’ve been through has fortified me in this moment. There used to be a time I couldn’t even talk about my abuse, much less put that scar into words.

I’ve taken control of my own story.

Brava, Stephanie! Thank you.

To buy “Control” or learn more about Stephanie:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/198091592X

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HYGFLV8

Website: https://stephanieguerilus.com/

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/sguerilus/

A Good Home, Book Reviews, Books, Maya and the Book of Everything, New Books

Un-Put-Downable: Maya

October 19, 2017October 19, 2017 Cynthia Reyes

You know when you’re reading a book – even a mostly interesting book — but you reach a paragraph or page that’s over-written, over-described, over-dense, confusing or just plain boring?

Yes?

Me too.

So I can’t praise highly enough the novel that I finished reading last week. “Maya and the Book of Everything” kept me glued to its pages right to the end.

Blog Photo - Maya and the book of everything

This shouldn’t be. There are many different characters, the book skips from one time and place to another and takes fantastical twists. And yet, the storytelling is seamless, the characters compelling, the dialogue convincing, the quest believably and skilfully portrayed. It was a pure pleasure to read this book.

What makes me even more pleased? This book about a teenaged girl who takes on a seemingly impossible mission is from a small press, and authored by Laurie Graves, a blogger you may know.

With this book, Laurie demonstrates formidable gifts and skill as a novelist.

“How did you make the characters so believable?” I asked Laurie.

“I originally envisioned Maya as more timid, but when I thought of all she’d have to face, I knew she couldn’t have a timid character. Maya wouldn’t have survived her adventures. So then I reimagined her as a fiery young woman, a girl of action—unlike me!—and I immediately knew this was the right way to think about Maya.

“Somehow the characters just came, and it wasn’t all that hard to keep track of them. For me each character has a vivid voice and a distinctive way of speaking.”

Blog Photo - Laurie Graves MCU

Where did the idea for the book originate? I asked.

Laurie got the idea for the book while editing a small literary magazine that she and her husband published.

“I used the Chicago Manual Style, not always an easy book to use. One day, I was tackling a knotty grammatical problem, and I said to myself, ‘I wish I had a book of everything.’ Then came the question: What if there were a book of everything? Where would it come from? What would it do? What kind of danger would it be in? Obviously, many people would covet a true book of everything. From this question came Maya and the rest of the story.”

Blog Photo - Laurie reading VasselboroMaya170604

Laurie is Franco-American. Her ancestors came to Maine from Canada. It was important to her that Maya and several other characters share that background.

“It is the place from which Maya springs, and her heritage, along with place, is one of the things that ground her.”

There is a real place in both Maya’s and Laurie’s stories.

“The street shot (below) is of East Vassalboro, a classic New England village where my mother lived for many, many years and one I came to cherish. It is also where Maya’s grandparents live, and East Vassalboro and its library are essential to the story.”

Blog Photo - Laurie Vasselboro main street

There are subtle but impactful messages woven through this book. Good leadership is one.

“The big messages are that facts do matter and that a place will suffer under a bad leader. The corollary is that good leaders are essential. On a more personal level, I wanted young girls to read about a plucky heroine who turned her face to the wind and faced difficult challenges.”

It’s a great read.

Look out for Book 2: Library Lost, coming next fall.