My friend Noelle moved to Portland last year to escape the L.A. rat race and embark on a, as she put it, “a new journey”. We met 9 years ago while we were both interning for a mutual friend at a cosmetic company in Costa Mesa. She has an eye for fashion, an ear for good music, and can articulate her thoughts better than anyone I’ve ever met.

So here we are, sitting on her cozy sofa, sipping tea and playing catch up when I noticed her entertainment unit filled with books. This won’t mean anything to you, since you don’t know Noelle. But I do, and for as long as I’ve known Noelle, she’s never been a big reader. Between working and going to school (back when we lived in Southern California together) she barely had enough time to see me, let alone read a 200 page book. I remember gifting Choke by Chuck Palahniuk to her for Christmas a few years back. I had read it and knew she’d love it. 4 years later, she still hadn’t cracked it open. So when I noticed her newly acquired reading habit, I pointed to the bookshelf and asked her what changed. Time, apparently. Noelle told me that the Portland lifestyle isn’t as fast paced as LA, and she’s been thrilled to finally catch up on her reading.

I asked her to participate in my blog series, and was stoked that she agreed. Thanks, Noelle!

The Same 5 Questions I Always Ask

1. What book has been the biggest influence in your life?

The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir. It’s about the beginning of feminism and what it is to be a woman. One of my favorite quotes from it is “One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman”. I believe that destiny is not a cosmic force but a human choice, the result of culture and circumstance.

2. What author and/or character do you identify with most?

I identify with Virginia Woolf, as she often found herself dealing with her immediate personal surroundings, sometimes in a overt manner and at other times influenced by surroundings in a rather more subconscious manner.

3. What do you think happens to you when you die?

I believe when you die you are basically leaving the shell of your body. Once you go into the light, you’ll watch your life unfold before you – like a movie.

4. Have you ever penned anything yourself? And if so what’s the recurring theme?

I recently started writing short stories. The commonality is that there is always a heroine. There’s a consistent struggle between the self and the greater good. I have a lot of works in progress.

5. If you had to re-live your life as a character in a book, what book/character would it be?

I would come back as Anais Nin in the diary of Anais Nin. Her diaries are detailed portraits of the expatriate life Parisian literary life in the early and mid 20th century. She seems to be a primarily transitional figure in the evolution of women’s consciousness. Also to be alive during such an important time in Paris in the 30’s for art and literature would be amazing.

No one likes being taken advantage of, but it happens all the time. When I think about professional cons, I’m mentally infiltrated with ideas of ponzi schemes, investment scams, time share rip-offs and the like. But when I started to hear horror stories of self published authors being conned, my ears perked up.

People can be talked into anything, and writers are no different. These days there are various self publishing “services” that provide more financial gain to the middle man than the writers themselves. But don’t expect them to tell you that. Authors generally don’t take the self-pubbing route for a chance at a huge paycheck. Surely they wouldn’t object to being the next Amanda Hocking, but for all intents and purposes, money isn’t the only incentive. Having said that, the proceeds of a self published book should go to the author, not someone else’s pocket. This is where doing your research is important.  Writer Beware has been the whistle blower for various scams and cons that have impacted new authors. Before you write that check and sign on the dotted line for a service, put on your Sherlock Holmes hat and investigate.

Completing your masterpiece has always been the hard part. Once you’ve got that out of the way, pat yourself on the back. Next step – editing and creating a book cover. To some this may sound overwhelming, but honestly – it’s a relatively simple process and can typically be done with minimal cost. Marketing is where it gets tricky. As many of you know,  BookRix offers an online community filled with thousands of readers with a thirst for new material. Rather than pay money hand over fist to have companies market for you, use our community to post portions of your work, interact with readers and start building a fan base. Essentially, marketing is the act of getting your name (and your book) out in the open.

Is Social Media not your forte? Grab a cup of coffee (or tea if you prefer!) and kiss your keyboard cause in a few days you’ll be Twitter/Facebook/YouTube/Google+/Tumblr savvy. Not convinced? Challenge yourself! Take 30 minutes and create an account for each site (you’ll probably be done in 20). When you’ve finished that, log into Youtube and get your turorial on. The beauty about YouTube is that they have thousands of user created ‘how-to’ videos for pretty much every topic you can think of, including Social Media. So type in your inquiries, i.e. “How do I create a FB fan page?”, “How do I use Twitter to market my business?”, etc., and LOADS of results will surface. Sure it might sound time consuming, but trust us. It’s worth it. If you decide down the line to delegate this task to a marketing team, then at the very least you’ll understand how it works and will be an educated shopper. Just remember, no one is going to work harder for you, than yourself!

Everyone knows that self-publishing is the exciting wave of the future. But there’s also someone at every corner looking to make a money off those who let them. Don’t let ‘em get you down. Beat them at their own game! Know your options, educate yourself, and have fun. You’re about to be a published author! What can be better than that?

My landlord recently installed a front gate to my apartment building for, as he put it, “added security”. Quite frankly it’s been more of a curse than a blessing, as I’ve locked myself out numerous times. Apparently, I’m not the only one experiencing this pitfall.

Yesterday, I came home from the grocery store to find a guy sitting on the stairs outside the aforementioned gate, smoking, looking completely disgruntled. Through a semi-awkward introduction (awkward on my part, because I didn’t want to let a stranger in the building), I learned that Kyle had moved in January 1^st and his disgusted expression was the result of him being locked out for hour and 4 cigarettes. In his hand was a copy of Lolita by Nabokov. Finally! A cool neighbor I can swap books with.

The Same 5 Questions I Always Ask:

1. What book has been the biggest influence in your life?

Though the question is a difficult one, I have no other choice than to pick Ham on Rye by Charles Bukowski. I picked up the novel when I was young and impressionable, so it resonates a certain sense of nostalgia within me. The beauty of the story is that Bukowski sets up a timeline narrative of this Born-to-Lose Anti-hero, to the point where you understand why the character is so jaded and misanthropic in a humorous and sympathetic way. The cherry on top for Bukowski, is his brutally honest, misery ridden comfort found in the dark underbelly bars and alleyways of booze, boobs, and brawls. “You boys can keep your virgins, give me hot old women in high heels, with asses that forgot to get old.”

2. What author and/or character do you identify with most?

Hemingway. His lust for life is appealing. I love the time periods he spanned – America seemed so romantically ideal.  He was a world traveler and spent time in France getting out of his head, going on benders with F. Scott Fitzgerald, which I’m sure were wonderful. His approach to the world and the way he lived… it seems so relatable and un-wasted.

3. What do you think happens to you when you die?

Its romantic to think and believe there is and would be something grand for the deserving or some pit for the pitiful and corrupt but it sounds too good to be true doesn’t it? But I don’t really know, nor does anyone else currently breathing…

4. Have you ever penned anything yourself? And if so what’s the recurring theme?

Yes, unfortunately. I suppose if I were to list some reoccurring themes, floating around would be: Sex, Loneliness, Disgust, Uncertainty, and Beauty.

5. If you had to re-live your life as a character in a book, what book/character would it be?

I would love to relive something dark and post-apocalyptic like The Road by Cormac McCarthy. Just to see and test the limits of humanity and self. But in a sense, it’s almost like a sadistic video-game reality. If I had to choose an authors life, I’d gladly take Henry Miller. That man seemed to have it all figured out.  “I have no money, no resources, no hopes. I am the happiest man alive”.

It’s hard to believe 2011 is coming to an end. As I’ve gotten older, the years seem to roll by with increased speed. 2001 seems like yesterday, but when I say the word “decade” out loud, I’m completely floored. Back then my youthful girl brain was filled to the brim with upcoming concerts, art shows, and trips to the mall. Now I avoid the mall like the plague, am selective on concert venues (how’s the sound quality at the El Rey?), and my taste in art has matured (see also: drastically improved).

This past weekend, I went to the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in West Hollywood to check out some of Hedi Slimane’s photography. It was surprisingly empty when I arrived, but got increasingly busy over the course of 30 minutes. The photo exhibit was awesome, so if you’re in the LA area, I highly recommend checking it out before it’s laid to rest on 1/22/12. During my visit, an older couple, their three kids (and their kids wives/husband) chatted me up. They talked briefly about MOCA, commented on the warm December weather (they were visiting from Massachusetts) and then spoke about the rapidly approaching New Year. I took the opportunity to indulge my curiosity and asked if they had any resolutions. Here they are below:

Shelly (62): “I didn’t get around to it this year. But in 2012 I’m going to concur my fear of heights and go sky-diving”

Dan (67): “See my grandkids more than once a year”

Shane (34): “I’ve got my first piano lesson January 4th. I’m really excited about it ”

Arlene (31): “Start a family!”

Derek (36): “Lose this Michelin tire around my waist”

Candice (37): “We’re going to Italy next fall, so I’d like to learn Italian”

Becca (41): “Pay off my last credit card. I closed three this year”.

Glen (43): “Be appreciative for what I have, and not take it all for granted”.

They were great sports for participating, although when I asked for a group photo for my blog, they declined. I guess some people are shy. At least they shared their age!

On behalf of the BookRix team, we hope everyone has a fun and safe New Years. Have a resolution you’d like to share? Comment below. I’d love to hear it!

With the release of Descendants (book 1 of The Descendants Saga series) this past Monday, Author R.Lynn has definitely had her hands full. Thankfully the commotion in her busy life didn’t stop us from getting our virtual chit-chat on. Through the interview, it became very obvious to me why BookRix chose to back this quirky, redheaded, independent author. She shares a passion for making publishing accessible for everyone! And quite frankly, she rocks. But don’t take my word for it, read through her interview below and see for yourself.

Where are you from? I’m from Victoria, BC, Canada- eh!

Where do you pull your inspiration from? What makes you happy/makes you tick? That’s a tough question. But I guess when I see people doing good things in the world, or when I see people standing up for what is right, even though they know that others are going to be hard on them for it. I hope to be that brave one day too!

What book has been the biggest influence in your life? The Power of One by Bryce Courtney. It showed me that anyone has a voice in this world, no matter what their circumstances.

What author and/or character do you identify with most? Peekay!(The Power of One) No matter what life throws him he tries to find something positive. It’s definitely how I try to live my life.

What do you enjoy doing most on your weekend? Writing, going for walks with my hubby, discovering indie bands, shopping (SHOES!), hanging with friends, chatting up my fans and writing!

We’ve got tons of strange habbits. What are yours?: I think it would be easier to tell you the non-strange habits I have! LOL- But yeah I guess my strangest one is an annoying squeaking sound I make when I’m thinking. Or, it could be how I talk to my dogs like they understand me. No it’s definitely the way I try to mimic people’s accents but all my attempts come across as Middle Eastern.

What do you think happens to you when you die? I believe in Heaven and I’d like to think I’d go there. It would be a shame to have nothing after death. Actually now that I think of it, that would be the worst practical joke ever.

Have you ever penned anything yourself? And if so what’s the recurring theme? Oh my goodness have I? In the last year and six months I’ve written eight books. That’s right, you heard me correctly. 8! It’s funny really because I see two reoccurring themes in my books. 1. Appreciate what we take for granted. And 2. Love, and how that means so much more than we let it mean.

If you had to re-live your life as a character in a book, what book/character would it be? This is an unfair question to ask. Because I can think of like thousands. But I guess for today I’ll settle on Anne from Anne of Green Gables!

Anything you’d like to add? Feel free. Yes. Thank you for taking the time to interview me. Love each other and stay well read. And I love my fans. That is all!

See? We told you she was rad. Also, check out the thumbnails below for R. Lynn’s available and upcoming books!

THE DESCENDANTS, debut novel by Author R. Lynn: YA Book Trailer

Two Bodies: One Soul. Sequel to Descendants!

Available for free on BookRix.com

Vanity & Valor will be on sale soon!

Attention members!

There will be some changes to our site with our new eBook distribution service launching next month. Nothing too scary but one of the changes is to our Terms and Conditions. This is in the process of being updated with the necessary changes to our services for our community.

It will be required of all of our members to read through our new Terms and Conditions and accept them in order to maintain a membership on BookRix.

What will happen is this; by the end of this week our new Terms and Conditions will be posted on BookRix. At the first log in for each member, a layer will appear asking you to read through our revised Terms and Conditions. You will have one month from this first log in to review them. When you accept, you will have access to BookRix as you always have. If you decline, you will be denied access to BookRix and receive an email notification to delete your account.

Don’t be scared. We are not asking you to sell your soul or give away your first born.

This is a legal and necessary step to prepare and inform our members for our new eBook distribution service.

Thanks,

The BookRix Team

Earlier this month my boss, Tim, informed me of his plans to visit the folks at Readmill in mid December. Being in the eBook/Self Publishing industry, I knew who they were, but now I had a special interest and wanted to know more. So I did what anyone in my shoes would’ve done. I went online and snooped! After plugging in their site address, my eyes were pleasantly met with a clean, sleek design layout. Well played, Readmill. Their tagline “Books have a big future” struck a chord with me since BookRix embraces the same mentality.

Don’t let my comments surrounding their site aesthetics fool you. The team at Readmill offer much more than an polished website. This past year, they’ve built a solid e-reader platform that allows their users to connect with one another regardless of the e-reader device they’re utilizing (Kindle, iPad, Nook, Smartphone, etc). Brilliant, right? According to them, their goal is to “integrate books with the web making them linkable, embeddable, shareable and hackable.” Who wouldn’t want this level of freedom?

Sadly, my Kindle was laid to rest this past November after a nasty fall down my apartment stairs. Until Santa brings me my new iPad for Christmas, I’m stuck bugging everyone with an e-reader to test various apps and programs for me. When I asked Tim about Readmill for iPad, he sang its praises and was quick to recant how “easy and comfortable” the app was to use. That’s what I like to hear!

With the Readmill Reader for iPad, you can read books, track your progress and share your highlights. On Readmill.com you can follow people you like, explore books, and see what your friends are reading. It’s also a great companion for the books you discover with us on BookRix. Rather than listen to me talk about it, why not take a look and see for yourself? Check it out: http://readmill.com/invite/bookrix

Comment your thoughts below. I’d love to hear what you have to say!

Are you a new, unpublished author looking to distribute your work? Are you motivated and eager to sell it? If so, BookRix is looking for you!

Do you consider yourself a book lover? Are you constantly looking for new material to feast your eyes on? If you answered ‘yes’, we need your help!

Very soon, all of our members will have the ability to publish and distribute their work via BookRix, Amazon, Apple iBooks, etc. Before we open these services up to all of our members, we’re conducting a private beta test to prepare for our launch.

Writers will have full creative control over the content they’d like to publish (no offensive or copyrighted material please). To sweeten the deal, BookRix is waiving the setup costs! The selling and distribution of your book is just $1 (this Includes ISBN, BookRix and third party distribution).  Once the beta testing is complete, authors can keep their books for $1. To show our appreciation, authors will receive a $50 gift card and readers will be given a $20 gift card for participating in our test.

Important requirements:

• Must live in the US
• Be 18+ years old
• Have a Paypal and/or Click&Buy account (this will be needed when testing begins)
• Books must be new and unpublished. If your book is currently for sale elsewhere or has an ISBN, we won’t be able to publish your book

Interested? Here’s what we’ll need from you

• Social Security Number (SSN) OR a  Employer Identification Number  (EIN) OR a Taxpayer Identification Number  (TIN) (You can choose)
• Real Name
• Username
• E-mail address
• Age
• Gender
• User Rank (Scribbler, Penman, Wordslinger, etc)
• Date of registration at BookRix.com

If you’d like to participate in our beta-test, please send your request with your data to BookRix at: support-en@bookrix.com In the subject line, please tell us if you’re an interested ‘Reader’ or ‘Author’.

Thank you!

- The BookRix team

As a kid I remember being shushed by librarians more than anything else, but as a teenager they proved extremely helpful when writing a paper or assisting with research. Thinking back, it’s been well over a decade since I’ve asked a librarian for help on anything. Apparently, I’m not the only one who’s been utilizing internet search engines in place of them. Shame on me.

Recent figures compiled by the California Department of Education show an average loss of 100 librarians each year in the past two years. To cope with state budget cuts this year, both Los Angeles and Orange County school districts have cut librarian positions. As a result, librarians are being forced to divide their time between various campuses in an effort to keep the doors open. According to the state Department of Education, California ranks last in the country for its student-to-librarian ratio. It’s depressing to think about, isn’t it?

Find out what you can do locally to support your local library, as some may have volunteer opportunities for adults and teens. Next time you need to research a subject for school or are working on a writing project, take a break from Google! Hop in your car (or ride your bike – whatevs) and reach out to a librarian for help. Chances are you’ll enjoy the human interaction and your brain will feel as though it received a work-out.  Not to mention it’s a nice change of pace to talk with a human being vs. staring at a computer screen. In addition, you should see if your local library offers “Text a Librarian”. I heard about this on the radio recently and I’m hoping we get something similar in LA county so I can try it out.

Bottom line – Librarians rock. Let’s o our part to keep ‘em around.

If any of you hosted Thanksgiving this year for the first time, I feel your pain. At the last minute, my mom caught a nasty flu, so I offered to take over. Besides the initial anxiety, I was excited for the challenge. That was Monday. By Wednesday I had been to 5 grocery stores (French cut green beans are impossible to find!), 1 party supply store (I needed a table big enough to fit seat 8 ) and 2 miscellaneous household stores (festive decorations, pots and pans, etc). In two days I managed to spend over $250 and I was exhausted.

I met Brooke standing in line at the grocery store Thanksgiving Day. Both of us were buying last minute items. I needed salt, Brooke was grabbing cranberry sauce, and we were stuck in a line from hell. Through small talk, I learned that she was currently writing her first book. Awesome! Over the next 25 minutes, we chatted and she agreed to participate in my blog (despite being camera shy).

1. What book has been the biggest influence in your life?

The Bible. Which may or may not be ironic, as I’m now an atheist. I’m just amazed by its folklore. It didn’t necessarily inspire me to be an atheist, but it did show me a good example of how people can just make up a system of beliefs. Society could just as easily be worshiping Frith like the rabbits if they were taught Watership Down instead of the Bible.

2. What author and/or character do you identify with most?

There’s a book by Tanith Lee called Dark Dance which I’ve had a love/hate relationship with ever since I first read it. Much of this was because I loathed the protagonist, Rachaela, because of the passive, apathetic attitude she holds towards every aspect of her life. The story is heavy with an almost tangible depression, the prose dark and frank, yet so many of the motions she goes through are so utterly lacking in passion or feeling of any kind I hated her for being so uncaring. But now I identify with her in some way- unhappiness can sometimes make you feel the way Rachaela does.

3. What do you think happens to you when you die?

I take a spiritual and scientific approach. I feel we will exist in a spiritual form in another dimension. I hope so at least. If we go into nothingness, then life would seem unimportant. But if nothingness is what awaits us, than we can’t really question life after we expire.

4. Have you ever penned anything yourself? And if so what’s the recurring theme?

I have written a lot of short stories, but right now I am focusing on my first novel. I love the horror/gothic genre, but I also like romance. Currently I’m trying to mesh the two into one story. So far, it’s working!

5. If you had to re-live your life as a character in a book, what book/character would it be?

Hester Prynne.  There are so many times I wanted to be inside her head and controlling her body so she could stand up for herself.  I imagine given the time and place – perhaps even my sense of modern feminism might not hold up – but I just hate how victimized she is.