Do you finish every book you start?

I've heard excellent cases for both sides of this one. To be honest, I was conditioned not to read every word during my time at Uni when I was studying English, and we were given way more books in the syllabus than we could possibly read. It seemed impossible to cram in one per week, when we were talking about novels the size of Little Dorrit, Bleak House or Middlemarch. The staff surely knew we'd focus on our essay topics and skim through the rest, but was it a good habit they were molding us into? Here are some pros and cons for both sides.


I Finish Every Book

These are the people who grit their teeth and plow through no matter what. They believe being faithful in small commitments proves them more likely to be faithful in larger ones. Quitting in small matters, such as reading a book, makes them more likely to be quitters in life.

One lady wrote that she can't count the numbers of times she was bored at the beginning of a novel and wowed by the end. Sticking to a book, in her opinion, is its own reward. She reminded me of times I've loaned books to people who I'm sure would have enjoyed the story if they'd only persevered.

J.R.R. Tolkien wrote, "I've only abandoned three books that I can remember, preferring to soldier on through unmemorable chapters than to let an unfinished plot clutter my thoughts." He'd probably be aghast by this superficial skimming era we find ourselves in, and perhaps he'd have a point. What can be more shallow than making snap judgments about any given book based on first impressions?

I Don't Bother Finishing Every Book

These people may be aware of statistics. Google says there are nearly 130 million books in circulation in the world, and 4500 are published in the USA alone, daily. A person who commits to completing 50 books in a Goodreads challenge each year, would have to read for a century to tap into 0.00004% of them.

As the years are short and fly by so fast, and there are many books we'd enjoy far more just waiting to be discovered, what is the point of slogging on with a book which isn't engaging us? It simply wastes the precious time we could be spending on those which could be a far better fit.

My Point of View

I probably side more with the non-finishers. I believe in giving books a fair, fifty page trial, but by then, you've probably developed a fair idea of whether you should keep going. I've stuck to books I've been forced to study. In more recent years, I also try to stick to books I've committed to review for blogging programmes such as Net Galley. This has been enough to show me that the first third of any given book is usually enough to help form an accurate, overall impression.

If it's a novel, and the characters are flat and the plot creeps along like a tortoise, it probably won't get much better. I've read a lot of books in my lifetime, and generally find that if I'm going to like them, I'll be engaged from the start ninety percent of the time.

Many of us used to complain about having to read books we hate at school, just so we can churn out boring essays about them. Some of these school novels left us with bad after-tastes about perfectly good authors for years. Well, the good news is that in most cases, nobody is forcing us stick with unenjoyable books any more. I'd encourage more people to appreciate and use the freedom of no longer being in school.

If you need somebody to give you permission to quit a book you're finding tedious, maybe I can be that person. Although the books may feel like people, they are only books. It's not as hard as breaking up with somebody you're dating. If it's not making you look forward to your next spare moment when you can pick it up, then drop it. If you don't daydream about it and want to rave about it and shout about it from the rooftops, it probably doesn't matter if you don't finish it. I don't agree with Tolkien about letting unfinished plots clutter my thoughts. If I'm finding them hard going, I'm more than happy to let them disappear from my thoughts completely.

So take it back to the library, donate it to a Goodwill shop, delete it from your kindle and get on with something good.

Paula Vince is a South Australian author of contemporary, inspirational fiction. She lives in the beautiful Adelaide Hills, with its four distinct seasons, and loves to use her environment as settings for her stories. Her novel, 'Picking up the Pieces' won the religious fiction section of the International Book Awards in 2011, and 'Best Forgotten' was winner of the CALEB prize the same year. She is also one of the four authors of 'The Greenfield Legacy', Australia's first and only collaborated Christian novel. Her most recent novel, 'Imogen's Chance' was published April 2014. For more of Paula's reflections, you may like to visit her book review blog, The Vince Review.

Do you enjoy reading aloud?

When it comes to driving a car, I refuse to have my husband as a passenger. Even when I've gone to pick him up from somewhere, I prefer to slip across to the passenger's seat and let him get behind the wheel. He's just better at it than I am. He has a perfect sense of direction and finely-tuned reflexes. But most of all, when I drive he clutches the sides of his seat and looks agitated, making digs about how bad I am. He's simply the best person for the job. In the same way, when it comes to reading stories out loud, I believe I'm the best person for the job.

When we first got married, we headed off on a holiday with a trilogy of novels to read together. We'd intended to take turns reading, but it quickly became clear that he wasn't the right person to do it. He was too erratic, often pausing to figure out words he felt tough to get his tongue around. Sometimes, he was so busy just trying to read sentences out loud that he had to pause to glance over them again for their sense of meaning which interrupted the flow. It didn't take long for him to decide that as I enjoy reading out loud, I could do it permanently. I was happy with the deal, as I'd been reading out loud since I was very small, to any captive audience. It was most often my mum.

Since then, I've had years of opportunities, as I've been homeschooling our three kids. To be honest, I'm not keen on being on the other side of the book and listening. I like to have control. I can choose the right inflections to use in different characters' voices and use accents if possible. I get to utilise dramatic pauses at moments I choose, and emphasise whatever I want to, whether or not it's written in italics. I have some degree of control over how I want my listeners to feel about the characters, as it all comes out in the delivery. I love to be the person who knows what's coming, to anticipate the surprise on my listeners' faces, the gasps of shock or bursts of laughter. Not least, I appreciate it when one of the kids comes to me holding the book, saying, 'It's time to hear another chapter.'

This hobby isn't everyone's cup of tea. I had to smile as I thought of three famous novels in which an unwilling young character is coerced (or forced) into reading out loud to an antagonistic elderly person.

1) Little Women. Jo is a hired companion to rich, crabby old Aunt March (who is actually her great aunt). It's a hassle for poor Jo to be pinned down to a seat, reading the dry old books Aunt March wants to hear. The main thing which helps her bear it is that she can duck into the library to find a book of her own choice for silent reading when the old dame nods off.

2) The Book Thief. Young Liesel Meminger manages to soothe the angst and panic of the neighbours on her street, as they huddle in the bomb shelter, dreading what might happen suddenly. She considers herself to be handing out words, but doesn't expect mean old Frau Holtzapfel, who spits on their door, to come knocking, asking for Liesel to come and keep reading to her in the privacy of her own home. To Liesel's dismay, her mama, Rosa Hubermann, agrees, as Frau Holtzapfel promises to stop the spitting, and to hand over her coffee ration in return.

3) To Kill a Mockingbird. Jem Finch is ordered by his father, Atticus, to read to bedridden, nasty old Mrs Dubose. There is no way he can wriggle out of it, as it's ostensibly his punishment for losing his cool and going berserk in her garden. Even though she behaves very strangely during the reading sessions, not until later does Jem discover the real reason for her request. I'm sure his reading probably did help distract her.

Even though these three situations appear less than ideal on the surface, they show the power inherent in reading out loud, evident in the creation of truces and ties which weren't there in the first place. The power of a good story breaks down walls and barriers between people who, on the surface, are very different. The act of a reader and listener sharing an author's intentions and inspiration is an excellent way to promote good feeling between them, even when it wasn't there to start with. And I'm sure Jo, Liesel and Jem would all look back on those reluctant sessions with nostalgia. Jem's little sister, Scout, who went along for moral support, certainly did.

So I like to be the reader, and my husband and children prefer to be listeners. When it comes to reading aloud, which end of the book do you like to find yourselves?

Paula Vince is a South Australian author of contemporary, inspirational fiction. She lives in the beautiful Adelaide Hills, with its four distinct seasons, and loves to use her environment as settings for her stories. Her novel, 'Picking up the Pieces' won the religious fiction section of the International Book Awards in 2011, and 'Best Forgotten' was winner of the CALEB prize the same year. She is also one of the four authors of 'The Greenfield Legacy', Australia's first and only collaborated Christian novel. Her most recent novel, 'Imogen's Chance' was published April 2014. For more of Paula's reflections, you may like to visit her book review blog, The Vince Review.

It's a Great Time to be a Reader!

Photo courtesy of Paul
/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

How often do we read the line “It’s a great time to be an author,” with all the various publishing options, affordable tools and study choices available to us?

An obvious flowon to the above statement is that readers are winners too. And we are. I can’t believe the deluge of reading opportunities I get everyday. It’s very easy to be distracted by incredible choices available to us at the touch of a few buttons. Hands up who regularly ponders the thought of how great it would be if reading were a paid occupation?

Variety of story lengths

The ebook revolution has enabled reading to be delivered in a variety of story lengths. Certainly the shorter form stories existed prior to the ebook but weren’t easily accessible or as prevalent. Now a reader can discover a new author or series from a favourite author by reading a novella or short story for a minimal cost.

Many of this group has participated in a compilation of stories and once again it’s a fun way to discover new authors and/or read multiple authors who are exploring a similar, eg, an Aussie Christmas

An Episodic Series

This is one of my favourite forms of stories. It harks back to the days (long before our time) stories were published in newspapers, one chapter at a time each week.

It also borrows from the TV series: the weekly episode that may have a continuous storyline or a new one each episode. My wife is a great TV series watcher but only enjoys those that feature a new story each episode. However, I have friends who much prefer the continuous storyline style.

I’ve just finished Episode 20 of the Harbingers series. 4 authors take one character and take it in turns to publish an episode in the POV of their particular character. A unique story set in a new location with the gang of four trying to get to the bottom of a riddle that has dire global implications.

Simply delicious!

Featuring the writing talents of Bill Myers, Angie Hunt, Frank Peretti¹ and Alton Gansky the series has brought me great enjoyment over the past two years. Each month I eagerly waited for the next episode to land. It became so popular Bethany House elected to publish them in four-book cycles.

Any spec fiction reader should try the series.

Reading Challenges

I love seeing the variety of stories people are reading via Reading Challenges. Once again, such things existed prior to the internet but their prevalence and ability for a diverse global group of people to participate has added to the fun. Not to mention voyeurs like me who get envious at every classic novel that gets read in one of them. How does one read a 900 page novel these days when there's so much to read?

One day I'll have a go at one of these challenges. I hope.

What’s a new story form or device (not technological) that you’ve discovered in recent years that has added to your reading enjoyment?

Notes: 1. Peretti left part way through to be replaced by Jeff Gerke who introduced a fifth character.

Besides being an avid reader, Ian Acheson is an author and strategy consultant based in Sydney. Ian's first novel of speculative fiction, Angelguard, is available in the US, UK, Canada and Australia. Angelguard was recognised with the 2014 Selah Award for Speculative Fiction.You can find more about Angelguard at Ian's website, on his author Facebook page and Twitter

Paying to be Number One: The Power of Paid Advertising

Paying to be Number One: The Power of Paid Advertising 

by Lucy Thompson

Stats for Land That I Love box set, Aug 11, 2016

I have a secret: my books were bestsellers because I paid for that title. 

😱😧Shocking! 😧😱

Let me backtrack just a little before y'all start boycotting me on facebook or throwing my books back at me. 😉

Amazon releases many, many books each year. Like hundreds of thousands of books on Amazon. Some to very famous authors whose name alone sells a gazillion books. Others to housewives whose dream it is to see a book in print, but who isn't well-known apart from family, loyal friends, and shopkeepers who I gush to…umm…where was I again? Oh, yes. Amazon also releases books of authors who aren't very well known.

How do I find readers and convince them to buy my book?

Enter the middleman. 

Advertisers.

Companies with a well-padded subscription list of readers hungry to fill their Kindles with new books. 😍📚📲 
I'll put some links to advertisers who've worked for me at the bottom of this post.

Yay! Let me find that ASIN number and hit "send". Oh. Wait… They want me to pay money for the privilege of sharing my awesome book with lucky readers? (That was sarcasm, btw.) 

In this day and age, to get books in front of new readers (that's readers outside of the people you know personally or see down the shops) you have to pay for them. Approximately $30+ per ad. For one day. To a couple of thousand people who may or may not even open their email or click the link. It's a gamble, people. And sometimes it works. Works really well.

See that picture at the top with the #1's? Where it says #897 in Kindle Store? That was a box set my first book, Mail Order Surprise, was a part of called Land That I Love. Sadly, that box set is no longer available, but when it first came out, myself and the other four authors paid a ton of money for a whole bunch of ads--thirteen different advertisers if I recall correctly, which well and truly paid for themselves. We hit #1 in all our listed categories and crept up to #784 in the entire Kindle Store. That means that (at that time) our book was the 784th bestselling Kindle book in the whole of Amazon. Yay! 😃 Lots of new readers. Hundreds and hundreds of thousands of page reads. Thousands of book sales. Yay!

But only because we paid for that. 

Call me jaded, but when I see books, particularly box sets, with Bestseller banners and high Amazon rankings I immediately think "paid advertising" not "well-crafted book". Ouch. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy for those authors and cheerfully applaud them. But I'm more aware of what it takes to get to those numbers now.

Does that mean that I should rest on my laurels and not pay attention to craft? NO. Not if I want readers to read anything else I ever write. Because they're watching. 😏

 Yes, there is power in paid advertising. But there is also power in a well-crafted book that speaks to the soul. The Lord has the power to open doors that would otherwise seem impossible (hello, there was my name next to Lynnette Bonner! Next to Janice Thompson!). 

Our words have power. Let us use that power wisely. 

All the best as you write for His glory,

   Lucy Thompson
Writer of Words, Worth, and Wit
Email: dingo4mum@yahoo.com.au
Blog: http://lucythompsonauthor.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lucy.thompsonauthor
Pinterest:  https://au.pinterest.com/lucythompsonaut
Books: A Cowboy's Dare: http://amzn.to/2ikiUm1

P.S. As promised: some links to helpful paid advertisers. 😊 Prices are approximate and in US$.
Robin Reads $60  FKBT $30 for a .99c ad. Fussy Librarian $26+ Faithful Reads $25
BookBub (the best and most expensive, but hard to get into) $190

Good brain gymnastics

I was reading an article about Kurt Vonnegut, who talked in a very gruff and straightforward way about the importance of reading. I had to grin at his blunt approach. I can't remember his exact words, but here is a pretty accurate paraphrase. 'You'd be crazy not to read. Do you know all that it does for you? You get to ponder the words and ideas of people who are (or were) smarter than you. If you can benefit from other people's brains and experience or stay limited in your own head, I don't know why you'd choose the latter.'

Try telling that to the people who say, 'I don't read.' (No, maybe you shouldn't.) After a good laugh, I started thinking about possible ripple effects. I've had many 'Wow, yeah' moments after reading words which may well be the result of a particular writer adopting something another person had written in their own way. And in turn, just maybe, somebody will read something I write which gels with them. And on it will go.

What if Kurt Vonnegut was right, and self-proclaimed dummies can take on board something written by a smarty which might not have occurred to us otherwise? As we meditate on it, it may eventually come to shape our attitude, as if we'd thought of it ourselves. If you add enough 'a-ha' or 'I like that!' or 'What an epiphany!' moments from our reading lists to our empty brains, those brains have got to expand to hold them all. We become smarter, sharper people than we would have been had we never picked up books.

That's what scholarly learning is all about, anyway. Our celebrated smart people study lots of text books, think further ideas based on what they've read, then gradually become even smarter. I'm glad to think the same thing can also happen when we kick back with a good novel to relax. I like to think I'm always getting little brain-changes for the better through reading fiction. Maybe it's not always our intellect which is being stimulated, but our empathy and the broadness of our outlook. It's a wonderful thing that even the homespun wisdom in novels can do this for us.

  I also found this ancient quote by Confucius, who said, "No matter how busy you may think you are, you must find time for reading or surrender yourself to self-chosen ignorance." That was written centuries before Vonnegut gave his opinion, but the were both onto the same good thing.

If we get the chance to add our own take on other people's wisdom, in our own stories and reflections, it's even more of an honour.

Paula Vince is a South Australian author of contemporary, inspirational fiction. She lives in the beautiful Adelaide Hills, with its four distinct seasons, and loves to use her environment as settings for her stories. Her novel, 'Picking up the Pieces' won the religious fiction section of the International Book Awards in 2011, and 'Best Forgotten' was winner of the CALEB prize the same year. She is also one of the four authors of 'The Greenfield Legacy', Australia's first and only collaborated Christian novel. Her most recent novel, 'Imogen's Chance' was published April 2014. For more of Paula's reflections, you may like to visit her book review blog, The Vince Review.
Photo courtesy of Pixabay. 

The Telling of Stories

By Andrea Grigg

When I think about it, it’s not surprising I ended up becoming a writer. Story-telling has always been a big part of my life, and I’m not talking about creative excuses, in case you were wondering!

From the time I was little, I was entertained by stories. Mum and Dad read to me every day – I cut my reading teeth on The Famous Five – but Dad was also a fabulous storyteller. He used to make up adventures on the spot about anything. My favourites were the on-going bedtime ones about Wendy and Gary, a brother and sister who led very exciting lives!

Dad was, and still is at 88, a voracious reader, something he passed on to me. When I was a child I read anywhere. In the back seat of the car, in the bath, (and yes, on the toilet) but I was never allowed to read at the dining table, although I tried. More than once.

We used to go to the library every Friday night. I would come home with around ten books and they’d be well and truly finished by the following Friday. I was thrilled when the librarians allowed me to select books from the Young Adult section way before I was officially old enough.

I know what influenced me as a reader, but what about my dad? I thought it would be interesting to find out. He was born waaaay back in 1927, and I was curious to know the differences between the reading world then and the reading world now.

So, Dad, a.k.a. Ross Davison – what gave you the reading bug?

I suppose it was because my mum always encouraged me to read, and because I was provided with books. I was given Winnie the Pooh and Wind in the Willows when I was quite young. I used to read them over and over. I learned to read very quickly from those.

Haha, Dad. They would’ve been practically brand new back then! What else did you like to read growing up?

We had a brilliant collection of children’s encyclopaedias. Big, fat volumes, with information as well as children’s stories. I reckon I learned half my general knowledge from those. I also loved the Just William books, by Richmal Crompton, Dr Doolittle books, and boys magazines which had adventures about footballers, boxers, cricketers and aviators. I read Lord Of The Rings about 50 years ago before it became popular. I’ve read it many times since, along with The Hobbit.

Which genres are your favourites?

Mystery, adventure, comedy, historical, and non-fiction concerning aircraft, golf and cars.

Any favourite authors?

Not especially, except for Clive Cussler. I quite like choosing authors I don’t recognise. I discovered the Cadfael Chronicles, by Ellis Peters, an historical murder mystery series set in the 1100s, and I really enjoyed them.

Have you noticed any changes in the reading world over the years?

There are more scenes containing explicit violence and sex these days.

Books have become longer ie. 600-700 pages is common. They used to average around 300-400.

Covers were more subdued back then, nothing like as bright.

Books were hardbound rather than paperbacks.

Today, the print is easier to read, better laid out. The quality of paper is better too.

Comics back then weren’t like the ones you see now. They used funny animals and caricatures more than human beings. I had a first editon of Phantom. Wish I had it now!

Children’s books tended to have more story than pictures, unlike now.

To sum it up, the quality of the story is still what matters. That hasn’t changed.

Totally agree, Dad. Thanks for your insights – it was a fun interview!

About Andrea Grigg:

      I am an author of two Christian contemporary romances: A Simple Mistake and Too Pretty, and I'm working on my third. My website is under reconstruction at the moment but you can contact me on Facebook orTwitter. I would love to hear from you!

Our Love for Reading... and our Changing Reading Habits

How did you start reading? Were you still in primary school, or did your love for reading come about much later? Have your reading preferences changed much over the years? When did you first discover Christian fiction?

For me, I’ve always loved books. I have a school report from when I was very young (about 7) that says if the teacher ever lost sight of me, the first place she would check for me would be the class library, and that’s always where I was. However, reading chapter books came about much later than my peers. I had difficulty with comprehension, and when I started to fully understand the words I was reading and imagine the story playing out in my mind, and not simply rely on the pictures, that was when my reading took off.

However, it was many years before I discovered the existence of Christian fiction. With being homeschooled for part of my teen years, I knew about the existence of children’s Christian fiction, as it was part of our curriculum, such as titles by Patricia St John (“Treasures of the Snow”, “Twice Freed”) and the Sugar Creek Gang series. But I didn't know about adult Christian fiction. At about the same time, I was introduced to Janette Oke’s “Love Comes Softly” series, and Frank E. Peretti’s “This Present Darkness” and “Piercing the Darkness”. Both polar opposite in genre, but wow, once I knew these books existed, I had a feeling there would be many more. And I was so right. Before long, I was reading Bodie & Brock Thoene’s Zion books, and many of Gilbert Morris’s titles. And of course, collecting every Janette Oke title I could find J

Fast forward a few years, and while I devoured as much Christian fiction as I could find from my local public library and church library, I also searched out Christian novels in the local second hand bookstore. I had a method of going along every shelf and book bin glancing at the publisher icons on the spine – the quickest way to find books published by Christian publishers. This was the only way I could afford to grow my personal library at the time. Over the years, my library has grown with both new and second hand purchased novels until it’s now an untameable beast.

Step forward a few years more, and the existence of eBooks on Kindle, read both via the Kindle app on my phone and my actual Kindle, has changed the way I procure books and read them. It’s also made my “library” more mobile, as wherever I go, if I have my phone with me and enough battery power, I can continue with my latest read if I’m waiting somewhere.

Yet, I still prefer an actual physical copy of a book. There’s just something about it that cannot be replaced by convenience. It’s also a wonderful thing to read a good book and be able to share that book with someone else – something that I haven’t been able to do with my Kindle library as the ones who borrow my books don’t have a Kindle for me to share my Kindle reads with them. I’m finding that there is a place for both physical books and digital editions in my ever-growing library. They both have their advantages and disadvantages, and I wouldn’t be without either of them.

How about you? 

When did you discover Christian fiction? 

Did you easily find more of it once you realised it existed? 

Do you read both physical books and digital editions? 

Do you have a preference for either?

Narelle Atkins also touched on the topic of book buying habits in June last year. For those of you who responded in the comments on that post, have your book buying and reading habits changed in the past year? 

The attached images are ones of my personal library in it's current chaotic state. The huge gaps on some shelves are where books normally reside, but are currently out on loan. As you can see, the majority of shelves are two rows deep...

ELLIE WHYTE is a long-time supporter of Christian fiction and is the founder and owner/operator of Soul Inspirationz // The Christian Fiction Site which relaunched after a 5-year hiatus in January 2013. Ellie also has aspirations for her own writing career, and has begun working on a project set in New Zealand in the 1850s. 

http://soulinspirationz.com

Website: http://www.christianfictionsite.com
Blog: http://soulinspirationz.com 
Facebook: Soul Inspirationz http://www.facebook.com/soulinspirationz
Twitter: @SoulInspiredNZ http://twitter.com/SoulInspiredNZ

Pinterest: SoulInspiredNZ http://www.pinterest.com/soulinspirednz/

Google+: Soul Inspirationz http://plus.google.com/+Christianfictionsite-SoulInspirationz

The How And Why Of Book Selection

by Dorothy Adamek

With the calendar year almost at a close and many of us sharing our top reads for 2014, I’m challenged to look at how I approach my reading list. 

I know many of you keep a To Be Read list of want to reads and must reads ... and so do I. One of my lists lives on my phone and another sits beside my bed in a very real, tottering pile. We all have them. 

But how do they evolve?

This year I’ve kept a list of all the books I’ve read, to test how I come across a book and why I decide to read it. So far, 27 books made it onto my list. More books than I read last year, but nowhere near as many as some of you voracious readers, I’m sure. There’s plenty more in that leaning tower of books I plan on getting into in the new year. 

But why... and can I as an author learn from my reader patterns?

Here’s what I’ve discovered so far.

1. I read more books recommended by someone I TRUST. 

This year, that’s been Rel Mollet. She runs the awesome book club I attend and 11 of the books I enjoyed were titles Rel recommended for our group, as well as friend to friend over lunch dates. After I’d read one of her recommendations, I knew I’d be pleased to read all the others. Some I’ve loved, others I’ve enjoyed loosely. All have challenged me in various ways and I don’t knock back anything shared by Rel because I trust she’ll find something just right for me. Her reading preferences are much like mine, and here’s the thing I learned from that. When a reader finds a trusted fellow reader, the power of word of mouth cannot be equalled.

2. I continue to read authors I’ve read and enjoyed BEFORE. 

I’m a loyal reader, so if there’s more in a collection I believe worth hunting down, I’ll find it. I’ve searched through second hand book stores to add to my stash of LaVyrle Spencer books because I’m a fan of her creative gift. Reading a LaVyrle Spencer book gives me a reader thrill as well as a lesson in fabulous storytelling. Miss Spencer hasn’t written since the 1980’s, so stylistically her writing isn’t always reflective of more advanced writing techniques, but I can forgive that because her stories grip me. And being able to turn off my internal editor and enjoy a book these days is no easy task. 

3. I read books I’ve been SENT. 

Personal relationships with authors via professional networking has resulted in my letter box being blessed by early copies of newly released books. Some of YOU, are these generous authors who have quietly snuck your books my way. And I’m so grateful! These titles get a fast pass to the front of the pile, because for me, knowing an author or meeting them in person makes the book a more desirable option.  

At the end of my experimental list keeping, I learned I am the sort of reader who responds best to the recommendation of others if it’s a face to face referral of someone I trust. 

I’m not one who bases too many of my choices on book reviews, although I know many use the reviewing method successfully for discovering new books and authors. 

I’m also someone who responds well to face to face relationships with authors and this engages my reader interest as well.

How about you?

What will best shape your 2015 book reading list?

Blessings,

Dotti 

Dorothy Adamek lives in Melbourne with her Beloved and their three gorgeous kids. 

She's the winner of the 2013 FHL ~ Touched By Love Competition, and is the 2104 Inspirational Category Winner of the TARA Writing Contest. 

Enamoured by all things 19th century, she writes The Heartbeat of Yesteryear, Historical Romance - Aussie style. Come say G'day at her blog, Ink Dots.