books | Bertram's Blog

Live Chat and Dead Darlings

November 8, 2009 — Pat Bertram

This seems to be a slow weekend here on the Internet. I can never figure out where people disappear to or why. What could possibly be more fascinating than roaming cyberspace? 🙂 I realize in some places the weather is too nice to stay inside, in other places it’s too nasty to do anything online. Many writers are involved in National Novel Writing Month. Many others are busy procrastinating. And me . . . well, here I am, still virtually book touring.

Today’s stops:

Beth’s Book Review Blog — Reading Fiction to Make Sense of Life’s Disorder

Writer’s Sanctuary –- Passion and Puzzles

Facebook — Live Chat: Fate, Writing, and the Power of Three

Dragon My Feet — Dead Darling From Daughter Am I

The Dead Darling stop is actually yesterday’s but I liked the parallelism of live chat and dead darling. Speaking of the live chat — it will be tonight at 8:00pm ET on Facebook. You should be able to follow the chat without belonging to the Second Wind Publishing group, but if you wish to participate, you will need to join. I hope you do. I’d enjoy discussing writing and the writing life with you.

Click here to buy Daughter Am I from Second Wind Publishing, LLC.

Click here to buy Daughter Am I from Amazon.

Click here to download 30% of Daughter Am I free from Smashwords.

Click here to read the first chapter of Daughter Am I.

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Posted in blogging, books, internet, writing. Tags: blog tour, Dead darlings, Facebook, live chat, virtual book tour. 4 Comments »

Blog Tour — Update and Downside

November 5, 2009 — Pat Bertram

I’ve passed the halfway mark of my Daughter Am I blog tour, and already I’m feeling sad that it’s going to come to and end. I was a bit nervous in the beginning about making such a blogging commitment, but it’s worked out great. My hosts have been very kind, my commenters generous, and the stops have been varied enough to be interesting. You can see the entire schedule here: Blog Tour 2009. The beautiful thing about an online book tour is that if you missed a stop, you can still come to visit, and I will always be there to greet you.

The only downside of my tour so far came today when today’s host didn’t post my bloggery. So I posted it. You can find the interview at: Dragon My Feet. Dragon My Feet is my procrastination blog. It was supposed to be the place where I talked about everything I was doing to procrastinate, yet somehow I never got around to posting what I intended. By default, it’s become a book blog. Now that I mention it — if you have any promotional materials you would like me to post, such as an interview, a press release, a review by a friend, a blurb, send it, along with a jpeg of your book cover, to pat(at)patbertram.com. I’ll be glad to post it on Dragon My Feet. Don’t forget to substitute @ for (at) when you send the email.

I planned to do a recap to let you know what I have learned so far about blog tours, but I haven’t learned much. At least I don’t think I have. Nor am I sure I’d do it again. Don’t get me wrong — I’d like to. I really have been having fun. It’s just that it seems so presumptuous to ask people if they will be a host for the tour. It’s a lot of work for them, and I’m not sure what they get out of it. Interestingly, I felt just as presumptuous when I was asking authors if they would like to be a guest on my blog.

If I do it again, I will have the articles written ahead of time. So much less pressure! On the other hand, I did write a lot of articles ahead of time, but then I posted them on my blog, so it sort of defeated the purpose.

Be sure to check back tomorrow — Aaron Lazar, author of the LeGarde mysteries, will be a guest here while I am a guest at his MurderBy4 blog.

Don’t forget, you can download 30% of Daughter Am I free at Smashwords.

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Posted in blogging, books, internet, writing. Tags: Aaron Lazar, blog tour, blog tour update, Dragon My Feet. 12 Comments »

Big Bird and the Military

November 4, 2009 — Pat Bertram

Sesame Street is forty years old today. When the program first launched, it was touted as a show to help kids learn and to show them that learning is fun. I never understood why they needed talking toys to instill a love of learning. I thought then, and I still think that learning itself is fun. You don’t need to play games while learning to find the fun and excitement of expanding your brain. But apparently, even when I myself was young, I didn’t get it. And now I’m wondering if all those Sesame Street children didn’t get it. Where are all those creative and brilliant adults that the show was supposed to produce? It seems as if both the Internet and shows like Sesame Street encourage passivity and an expectation that learning is always be easy and fun, colorful and noisy.

Oddly, as I was thinking these thoughts, I happened to notice an article suggesting that kids today are too fat, dumb, or dishonest to join the military. (75 Percent of Young Americans Are Unfit for Military Duty.) These would be second generation Sesame Streeters, first generation Internetters.

Perhaps the over-forties are every bit as passive as the under-forties, choosing the easy fun of video games, television shows, and films over books. Not that it matters, except that I have books to sell, and I wonder what my demographic is. (You did know I would come around to that, didn’t you?) I have never understood how one chooses a demographic, though I have finally realized that’s what a genre is for — finding your demographic, which is a population who will be more receptive to your book than any other population.

Today, I am a guest at Un:Bound for Ravenous Wednesday, which is so not my demographic. On the other hand, they have welcomed me and made me feel at home, and they are readers, so — despite my lack of flowing tresses and lethal wings — perhaps they are my demographic. Ah! Now I have you intrigued! You can find me, an interview, and a lively discussion at: Ravenous Wednesday with Special Guest. That special guest, of course, is me.

Click here to buy Daughter Am I from Second Wind Publishing, LLC.

Click here to buy Daughter Am I from Amazon.

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Posted in blogging, books, culture, internet, life, writing. Tags: blog tour, ravenous wednesday, Sesame Street, unfit for military duty. 7 Comments »

Writing as Conversation with Readers

November 2, 2009 — Pat Bertram

One of the guest stops on my Daughter Am I blog tour is the Second Wind Publishing Blog. I talk about a fan letter (well, fan email) I received, and cite a quote by John Cheever, “I can’t write without a reader. It’s precisely like a kiss — you can’t do it alone.”

Many writers don’t consider readers — they write solely for themselves, or at least they say they do — but often as I am writing a passage (or more precisely, after I have written it), I wonder what readers will think. Will they understand my references? Will they find the humor? Is my writing clear enough? I like thinking that perhaps someday a reader will share the product of my mind.

Malcolm R. Campbell, author of Jock Stewart and the Missing Sea of Fire responded to my guest post with, “Whether it’s a book, poem, post, review, article or news story, I always hope somebody will say something. One never knows. It’s a slow conversation, so much time having gone by between the moment when something was written and the moment when somebody tells you they found it.”

Such a wonderful description of writing/reading — a slow conversation. I know I’ve read many books where I felt the author and I were having a conversation, silent though it may be. I read and I think about what I read. It’s quite a heady realization that now I am a writer with readers of my own.

If you’re interested in reading the original blog post, you can find it here: Writing Without a Reader is Like a Kiss Without a Partner.

I am also at the D.C. Examiner today: Pat Bertram speaks about her novels and her writing

Today is the last day for the Clue Game at the Simpson Haunted Mansion

Also, this is your last opportunity to leave a comment to win Daughter Am I from: Book Reviews by Bobbie

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Posted in blogging, books, internet, writing. Tags: blog tour, Daughter Am I, Malcolm R. Campbell, readers, writing. 8 Comments »

Interview and Giveaway!

November 1, 2009 — Pat Bertram

I have been doing so many interviews for this blog tour, that by the time it’s over, there won’t be anything left for you to discover about my life — or at least my writing life, which comes down to the same thing.

I am visiting Book Reviews by Bobbie today for an interview, which includes an excerpt from Daughter Am I and a book giveaway. You don’t have to enter a contest, just leave a comment. (Daughter Am I is my young woman/old gangsters coming of age adventure.)

Today is the beginning of NaBloWriMo (National Blog Posting Month) and after two weeks of daily posting, wouldn’t you know, I almost forgot to post a bloggery! NaBloWriMo is a personal challenge — I don’t win anything except knowing that I posted to my blog every day, but still, I would have hated to lose on the very first day!

This is also the first day of MyWriMo (My Writing Month). I am not going to try to write a novel this month, not going to aim for anything close to 50,000 words. My only goal is to add a single sentence each day to my poor neglected WIP. I’ve already written 41,000 words, so I should be getting to the easy time where I know the characters, the story, where I want to go, but this book is different than any I have ever written. It’s in three parts. The first part was seeing how much freedom my hero would give up for security. The second part is seeing how much security he’s willing to give up for freedom. The third part is seeing how much security and freedom are dependent on responsiblity. In other words, it’s three books in one. The characters in the first part that my hero met are gone. He needs to meet new people, so basically, now that I’m starting to write Part II, I’m starting a new book, never an easy task for me.

I’m off to write my single sentence. Don’t forget to stop by Book Reviews by Bobbie and leave a comment. You might win a copy of Daughter Am I. Click here: Book Giveaway and Guest Author.

Click here to buy Daughter Am I from Second Wind Publishing, LLC.

Click here to buy Daughter Am I from Amazon.

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Posted in blogging, books, internet, writing. Tags: Book Reviews by Bobbie, Daughter Am I giveaway, interviews, NaBloWriMo, work in progress. Leave a Comment »

Plagiarism?

October 30, 2009 — Pat Bertram

I had a bit of a scare this morning. I checked my blog as usual found a comment on my “Origin of the Grim Reaper” bloggery from someone named Robert Weniger, who said: You Plagiarist. I posted the exact words and you copy/pasted it from my website.

Um . . . What??

I love WordPress and all the statistics and information one gets! Besides email addresses from commenters, wordpress notes the IP address. I searched for Weniger’s address on the “What is My IP Address” site, and discovered the comment had been sent from a proxy server. According to the IP address site, A proxy server is a computer that offers a computer network service to allow clients to make indirect network connections to other network services. A client connects to the proxy server, then requests a connection, file, or other resource available on a different server. The proxy provides the resource either by connecting to the specified server or by serving it from a cache. In some cases, the proxy may alter the client’s request or the server’s response for various purposes.

Apparently, the comment was some sort of spam. What’s interesting is that most of that particular bloggery was plagiarized, though if one credits the writer, it’s not truly plagiarism. It’s called research. So, if you’re interested in my citation of William Bramley’s grim reaper information, be sure to check out The Origin of the Grim Reaper.

I also had a delightful surprise this morning. At today’s Daughter Am I blog tour stop, Zhadi’s Den, they are talking about my books! Wow, if anything will make someone feel like a real writer, it’s e-vesdropping on a people discussing one’s works. (Nope, that’s not a typo. I just thought it looked better than e-eavesdropping.) So, please meet me at Zhadi’s Den to talk about consistency in writing or my books, whichever you prefer.

Click here to buy Daughter Am I from Second Wind Publishing, LLC.

Click here to buy Daughter Am I from Amazon.

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Posted in blogging, books, internet, life, writing. Tags: blog tour, IP address, plagiarism, proxy server, William Bramley, Zhadi's Den. 2 Comments »

Persisting in Delusion

October 29, 2009 — Pat Bertram

“It is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.” — Carl Sagan

Is this true? When it comes to the cosmic universe, perhaps. When it comes to our personal universe, is it better to persist in delusion? Isn’t that what a dream is, a delusion? The dream might be attainable with luck and hard work, in which case it’s not a delusion. If it is not attainable, is it better to hold on to the dream or is it better to persist in delusion?

I used to think reality was important — I spent my life trying to get down to the rock bottom of “what is” (as opposed to what we think is). I studied particle physics and quantum mechanics (for fun, can you imagine that?) and discovered that every particle can be divided into smaller particles and those particles can be divided, until what you end up is nothing. Or a wave. Or a thought. Or something that changes every time you look at it.

Now I don’t know if reality is all it’s cracked up to be. If our perceptions can change “what is” at the quantum level, perhaps it can change life at the macro level where we live. If so, it might be better to persist in delusion.

I explore this theme of delusion (or illusion, which perhaps comes down to the same thing) in all of my books: What is truth? What is reality? Who are we, really — are we our memories, our experiences, our dreams? And I still don’t have an answer.

So what does this have to do with my Daughter Am I blog tour? Perhaps nothing. Perhaps I am deluding myself that what I am doing will increase sales, increase name recognition, increase my network of friends. (The last is not a delusion — I am making new contacts.) And if this tour turns out to be some cosmic illusion, is it still worth persisting? Of course it is. It’s the doing that’s important — the quest.

Very strange — these are the thoughts that usually strike me late at night, and here it is early afternoon. Must have something to do with all those late nights. Or maybe it’s just an illusion.

Today I am guesting at Alan Baxter’s blog, talking about writing tools. You know the ones I mean — hammers and chisels. Please stop by and say hi. At least there, the talk is much more concrete. You can find me here — Alan Baxter: The Word.

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Posted in blogging, books, internet, life, writing. Tags: Alan Baxter, blog tour, Carl Sagan, delusion, illusion, perceptions, reality, story themes. 8 Comments »

Writer Am I

October 28, 2009 — Pat Bertram

I did not come up with that great title for this bloggery, my host today, L.V. Gaudet, did. (Since you are all familiar with the title of my new book, Daughter Am I, I know you get the gist.) I’m hoping everyone goes to pay L.V. a visit. She says such wonderful things about me, that I want everyone to know! And, oh, yes — she’s also posted an article of mine in which I say that it does not matter how long it takes you to write a novel or how many words you write each day. All that matters is . . .

Hmmm. Do I tell you, or do I have you go read the article to find out for yourself? I have an idea — let’s play a game. You tell me here what you think matters, then go to L.V.’s blog and find out what I think: (What Kind of) Writer Am I.

I am also still live at JaxPop in the Haunted City. We are talking about hooks, so stop by and post your first sentence or paragraph. We will be kind, I promise. No criticism. I’d just like to see how you start your book. You can find me and my hook at: That’s What Hooks a Reader.

The haunted house is still haunted at the Second Wind Publishing Blog. Not only is the clue game fun, but you might also win the prize: a print copy of Second Wind’s Murder in the Wind Short Story Anthology. I even wrote a story for the book!! That alone should make competing worthwhile. So, meet me here: Trick or Treat! Let the Game Begin!

Tomorrow I will be in Australia. How cool is that! (Weather-wise, I bet it’s cooler here — lots and lots of snow! — so I’m looking forward to the virtual change of climate.) And, as if this weren’t enough excitement, tomorrow night at 9:00pm ET, I will be having a live chat at my No Whine, Just Champagne group on Gather.com.

For those of you who are just tuning into my Daughter Am I blog tour, you can find the entire schedule here: Blog Tour 2009. The most incredible thing about the internet is that , in an cyber/quantum sort of way, the past is always the present. So, while I am here, I am also at every stop on my tour waiting to welcome you. So please join me on my journey. We’ll have fun, you and I.

Click here to buy Daughter Am I from Second Wind Publishing, LLC.

Click here to buy Daughter Am I from Amazon.

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Posted in blogging, books, internet, writing. Tags: blog tour, Daughter Am I, Murder in the Wind, Second Wind Publishing. 4 Comments »

What Hooks a Reader — Blog Tour Day Ten

October 27, 2009 — Pat Bertram

Though it is actually night here, it’s still day ten of my Daughter Am I blog tour.

The reference to night and day reminds me of one of those standardized tests I took when I was in second grade. The question was, “How many hours are in a day?” I knew, of course, that there were twenty-four hours in a day’s span, but for some reason, I took the question to mean day as opposed to night. I knew that there were variable daylight hours — that was apparent from the way the sun set earlier each evening as it got nearer to winter. So, what was my answer? Twelve. I figured that on the average there had to be twelve hours of night and twelve hours of day. As you can see, I never did quite fit into a standardized world.

What does this way too revealing annecdote have to do with my blog tour? Absolutely nothing, except that it could be considered an example of a hook if, in fact, it did hook you! I am down in St. Augustine, Florida with Dave Ebright, and we’re cyberly talking about hooking a reader. I have a hunch Ebright doesn’t need any advice from me — his novel, Bad Latitude, has hooks galore: surfing, fast boats, zombies, ghosts, and pirates. Stop by Ebright’s Blog, JaxPop: Haunted City Writer, and tell us about your hook, even if it is only a fishing hook. You can find me and Dave here: That’s What Hooks a Reader.

If you haven’t yet stopped by the Second Wind Publishing haunted house (hey, there’s a theme here! Haunted City. Haunted House. Way cool!) you are missing the fun. You can find the house here: Trick or Treat! Let the Game Begin!

Click here to buy Daughter Am I from Second Wind Publishing, LLC.

Click here to buy Daughter Am I from Amazon.

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Posted in blogging, books, internet, writing. Tags: Bad Latitude, blog tour, Daughter Am I, Dave Ebright, haunted house, hours in a day, JaxPop, Second Wind Publishing. Leave a Comment »

Daughter Am I Blog Tour 2009 Update

October 26, 2009 — Pat Bertram

Day nine of the Daughter Am I blog tour, and I am still going strong. I actually went to bed before midnight last night, and I’m a bit more rested. Good thing — there is a lot going on today! First, check out “After the Writing Comes the Work.” Great discussion going on at that unscheduled tour stop, and a wonderful compliment about Daughter Am I.

Next, check out “How Best To Procrastinate” on Claire Collins’s blog. It was actually yesterday’s tour stop, but I kept finding other things to do and never got around to telling you about it. (Procrastination humor. Trite, but still amusing. I hope.)

Claire is a guest on my blog talking about “Welcome to the Business of Writing”, and the importance of a mission statement. Mine is: “It is my mission to become so well-known that a traditional publisher will offer me an obscenely large advance. I will turn down the advance because I’d like to show that there is value in being published by a small independent publisher, and because the resulting publicity could be worth more than the publishing contract.” Did you notice that it says nothing about writing? Hmmm.

One of these days I really do have to work on my poor stalled WIP. I’m thinking of doing WriMo — my own slimmed down version of NaNoWriMo. Instead of National Novel Writing Month, I might do simply a Writing Month. Perhaps try to write a sentence or two each day in November to get back into the habit of writing. I did sign up for NaBloWriMo (National Blog Writing Month) and NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month). Since I’ve already contracted to do a blog post every day for the first three weeks in November because of my blog tour, all I need to do is to finish out the month and I win. Win what? you might ask. Nothing, of course. It’s the challenge that counts.

But I am digressing.

Today I am again visiting Joylene Nowell Butler in Cluculz, this time for an interview. I am at Untreed Reads talking about my Rites of Passage as an author. And I am trick-or-treating at the Second Wind blog.

This is turning into an international tour. I’m in Canada today and Wednesday, in Florida tomorrow, and in Australia on Thursday. In the middle of November, I’ll be in South Africa. You gotta love the Internet!

Today’s schedule recapped:

After the Writing Comes the Work
How Best to Procrastinate
Welcome to the Business of Writing
Interview at Cluculz
Rites of Passage
Trick or Treat! Let the Game Begin!

Have fun. I intend to.

Click here to buy Daughter Am I from Second Wind Publishing, LLC.

Click here to buy Daughter Am I from Amazon.

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