New books in the works!

I have TWO new books in the works.  I don't know how many authors write more than one book at the same time, but I'll tell you why I'm doing it. 

First of all, nearly everyone who has read Secrets of a Summer Village has asked for a sequel.  I have been sketching the outline for the sequel since about September 2011, but have been spending most of my book-related work time trying to promote the first book.  Just when I was trying to think of first lines for the new book, I decided that I should probably put that on hold and write a different book.  Why?  Well, for one thing, unless my first book all of a sudden becomes a runaway success (unlikely), I won't be able to query a sequel.  Yes, I am going to try to query my next book rather than directly self-publishing.   I'd also like to have a manuscript to enter into the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Contest for 2013, and a sequel wouldn't work for that, either. 

For quite a while (about two months) I couldn't figure out what on Earth to write about (and I really do want to stick to Earth).  I started to worry that I only had one book in me and that my writing career was over.  But then all of a sudden, a few weeks ago, I had a great idea.  I'm not going to tell you what it was because that's a secret.  What's important is that I have been thinking about this new book day and night, and the idea has morphed and changed and is now almost nothing like the original idea.  I don't really know what the new book is going to end up being about, but my thoughts are brewing, the character is finding her voice, and I am starting to envision the story.  When I write, the characters become real to me.  The hard part is sitting down and writing down the words so that the characters become real to everyone else.

This time around, I am a little more conscious about what needs to go into a novel.  These are my writing guidelines this time around:

• The main character needs a strong, consistent voice.  This time, I plan to write in the first person.
• I have to really jump into the story within the first 5000 words.  This is because readers - the general public, agents, and reviewers for contests, need to have a good feeling for the book within the first 5000 words in order to know if they want to read more.  It makes sense.  With book one, I ended up condensing the first 3 chapters into two so that I could get to the point faster.  I think I should have even condensed more. 
• There has to be a turning point somewhere in the book that involves struggle and some sort of hardship.  This is MY struggle - I love my characters so much that I really don't want them to get hurt.  But they usually have to hurt in order to grow.  
• The main character has to be between 12 and 17 years old.  I have made a conscious decision to write YA and perhaps middle-grade novels.  At least for now.  Adults can like them, but they have to be accessible to and appropriate for younger readers.  
• The reader has to learn something new.  Many comments from readers about Secrets had to do with how much they had learned while reading the story.  It is not the main point of my novels to teach readers something new, but I'd like to sneak some cool stuff in there.  It will require a lot more research on my part than if I didn't have this goal, but I think it will make the book more memorable. I'm nerdy that way.

I recently read that maybe, just maybe, the market is getting tired of paranormal romance (don't believe me?  Read this).  The same agent suggests that the next big trend might be geeks in YA.  I am very geeky and would happily create geeky main characters, but I don't know yet whether my new, as-of-yet unnamed main character is geeky.  I don't know her well enough yet to say.

And the other book I'm writing?  It's the sequel.  Just when I had decided that I would put the sequel on hold, a bunch of people asked if I was writing a sequel.  So I'm going to try to write both at the same time.  I'm not sure how I'm going to manage this - maybe I'll alternate weeks.  Maybe I won't even be able to manage it and will have to write them in sequence rather than simultaneously.  But I think that writing the sequel to Secrets will be much easier than writing the new book because I already know the characters.  Writing the new book will be like going to a new school where you don't have any friends yet and you can't find your classroom or your locker.  Or something like that. 

ABNA Expert Reviewer #2

Here is my response to ABNA Expert Reviewer #2.   While he wasn't all negative, he was pretty insulting.  And I say "he" rather than "she" because I really get the feeling that a guy wrote this.  I don't know why.  The few males who have read my book loved it...

 

ABNA Expert Reviewer

What is the strongest aspect of this excerpt?

Writing is good and solid. The attempt to portray the thinking and logic of an American teenage is quite good. Dialogue flows well and the idea of introducing Turkish culture through the book should be a good hook. 

Thank you.  I get the feeling that you might think that I'm not American... 

 

What aspect needs the most work?

The beginning sequence at the Izmir airport: The political agenda of the author comes through too easily. did Rachel really lack the intelligence or initiative to pick up a guidebook with pictures? Or to have the confidence in dressing comfortably as opposed to the over dressed, overly made up look of the women at the airport? And where are her parents? no sobbing goodbyes or missing her parents, or being confused by plane transfers for Rachel?
The conversation between her and hannah is good but stretches out a bit too long.
At 17 it seems curious that neither of the girls has a love interest.
Rachel seems a bit too average - not exceptional at schoolwork, not an ambitious girl who is planning for college, not interested in clothes, makeup or researching a place she will be spending a month in. The reader needs to throw their emotions and self into Rachel if she is their way of seeing Turkey. If she seems too ditzy or boring it will be hard to identify with her.

1.  My POLITICAL agenda!!???? I do have opinions about politics and political opinions.  In case you want to know, I started a PhD in political science.  However, in spite of advice to raise politically-charged issues in this book, I very intentionally did NOT do so because there are too many books and movies with political agendas.  So there.

2. Even if Rachel had bought a guidebook with pictures, she wouldn't have truly known what to expect.  

3.  And the confidence to dress comfortably? First of all, Rachel is 17.  She cares what she looks like and cares what people think of her. She wants to fit in.  How dare you insult her intelligence?  It is BECAUSE she is intelligent that she notices that her outfit doesn't seem appropriate for the situation.  Americans who live outside of the United States (as well as people who aren't Americans to begin with) can pick out American travelers in airports worldwide.  It's not because of their American accents.  It's because Americans tend to wear sweatpants or jeans, flip-flops or running shoes, and t-shirts.  And they also typically walk while eating and while holding disposable coffee cups.  Of course not all Americans wear this "uniform," but the ones who do stick out.  

4. Sobbing goodbyes?  Are 17-year-olds about to go on a foreign exchange program for a month all supposed to sob at the airport?  Sorry, I didn't know that.   

 

What is your overall opinion of this excerpt?

Interesting. The idea of introducing Turkey though the eyes of a naive but seemingly not too bright american teenager could be a good one if written well.
However, I think the sequence at the airport needs some work to make the girl not seem quite so ignorant of a culture she has seemingly researched online.

Hahahahahaha!!!! Interesting.  Such an ambivalent word. I find it a bit insulting that you say that Rachel's not too bright, given that you've only just met her.  She is not particularly ambitious and doesn't know what she wants out of life, but I imagine that is not unusual for a 17-year-old.  And do you really think you can learn everything you need to know about a culture by researching it online?  Then why bother traveling? 

ABNA Expert Reviewer #1

  My entry didn't make it into the quarter finals of the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Contest.  For this round, Amazon's "Expert Reviewers" read the first 3-5000 words of each novel and scored them based on four factors:

a) Overall Strength of Excerpt

b) Prose/Style

c) Plot/Hook

d) Originality of Idea

Each excerpt was given a score of one to five in each of these areas, and the 250 excerpts with the highest scores in each category made it into the quarter finals.  Fortunately, contestants in the second round were able to see the reviews of the expert reviewers.  After reading the reviews, I felt a lot better about not having made it into the quarter finals.  I feel as though part of it is the luck of the draw - whether or not reviewers like the kind of stuff you write.  In this post, I'll respond to the reviewer who liked my excerpt.  In my next post, I'll respond to the reviewer who wasn't very keen on it.  

ABNA Expert Reviewer

What is the strongest aspect of this excerpt?

I really enjoyed the lightness of this excerpt. No crazy science fiction characters to remember, no wild names, no underwater cities-just a well written coming of age story. It reminds me a bit of "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants." And Turkey! I don't know if I have ever read a book aimed at young women set in Turkey, so not only are we getting a fun read, but perhaps there is an educational aspect here as well. I really like books, especially for my teens, that teach us something without preaching, and what better way to do that than with a romance/adventure story like this one!

----->my response:  Thank you!  You totally get what I was trying to write.  I was trying to write a light, enjoyable story from which the reader can also learn something.  And the comparison to The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants?  I make the mental comparison myself, but didn't want to be presumptuous in comparing myself to such a famous series.   
 

What aspect needs the most work?

As of right now, I like it the way it is! The one issue I have sometimes with stories like this is that the adults are often written almost as after thoughts. The focus is the younger characters, it is a young adult novel after all, but I don't think that means the parents or other adults need to be one dimensional. Giving the adults believable personalities-quirks and all-only makes this MORE realistic. Just because teens live in their own world, or seem to anyways, doesn't mean the adults around them regress to one dimensional beings. Make sure the adults aren't simply there to create dissension or solve problems.

------>my response: I completely understand your concern.  As you said, it's hard to focus on all the characters, but I did actually attempt to make the parents more than one dimensional.  If you'd had the opportunity to read the whole book, your worries would have dissipated. 
 

What is your overall opinion of this excerpt?

I enjoyed it! Many young adult novels these days are all about vampires, werewolves, or mythological creatures, but this is just a well written story about a young girl seeking a new experience. Turkey isn't a country that we often think of-I don't think it has the allure of France or the adventure if Italy, but it sounds like a beautiful country, and a coming of age story set in a new locale would be a wonderfully light read for the summer. I truly enjoyed this excerpt.

-----> my response: Wow, thank you!  You understand what I was trying to write!  I think Turkey as a destination does have allure and adventure, but because it's such an unknown, these are just not the first things anyone in the US thinks about when they think of Turkey.  I hope you get the book and read the rest! I think you'll like it.   

My #1 Fan

My excellent day started out with an e-mail by my self-proclaimed #1 fan.  I do not know her, but she was given the book by a friend of mine.  Her e-mail made my day.  To think that I provided someone I do not even know with so much joy that she would write me the following e-mail gives me the energy and inspiration I need to keep on writing.  Here's the e-mail:

Hello, Ms. Amazing!

I LOVED your book!!!!!!!!!!!!  Its my favorite book by far!

I'm curious to know if you plan to write a sequel?  If you did, I would be the first one in the store, and read it every moment I get-that's how good The Secrets of a Summer Village was.

And also, where did you find inspiration to write this book?!  Were you inspired by one of your boys? Movie? (If it was a movie please tell me the name I must watch it!)  But if this all  just came to you,  then omg that is astonishing.

And even better- If this were a series, I would die and go to heaven!!!  I would save up, go out and buy a designer shelf saying 'The Best Series Ever!!'  No joking there. :)

Well that is all for now..... except for one thing-

 

YOU ARE THE BEST WRITER EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

If you reply, [omitted for privacy] 

Thank you for taking the time to read this and I hope you consider writing a sequel or making it into a series.

You're the best!

Your #1 FAN,

 

[name omitted for privacy]

Who wouldn't be psyched by such an e-mail?!  Definitely inspires me to keep writing.

How to write a book

I have lost count how many people have told me that they want to write a book.  I don't know if they just say it because it sounds cool or if they really have ideas about what to write, but it's really not an impossible feat.  Getting people to read it, well that is much harder.  With the insanely expanding self-publishing possibilities, publishing a book isn't even hard.  Here's how to write a book:

1. Come up with an idea.  Think about it a lot.  Think about whether or not you'd want to read it.  If you wouldn't like to read it, you probably wouldn't want to write it, since writing takes much longer.
2. Write the first chapter.  Once you're done, put it away for a few days and then read it again.  Make necessary changes.
3. Share it with someone or with lots of people.  Get feedback. Try not to be defensive.  Think about the feedback and make changes, as necessary.
4. Keep writing and repeating steps 3 and 4.

Writing can be really isolating, but getting feedback is essential to writing a book.  Check out sharing sites such as Movellas, which can help you get feedback from total strangers.  (Strangers will be much more honest and direct about your writing than your family and friends. Just saying).

Win a copy of my book

Have you ever heard of Goodreads?  If not, and if you like to read, I recommend that you visit the site. Once you've registered, you "add" the books you've read to your bookshelf and rate them.  You can also write reviews, if your heart desires.  Goodreads then recommends books you might like based on how you rated the books in your shelf.  You can also see what your friends have read (social networking, sort-of like Facebook for book geeks) and how they liked it.  It's all very social and nerdy at the same time.  The site will let you know if authors you've liked have new books coming out.

A unique feature of Goodreads is that there are giveaways.  Famous authors and virtually unknown authors (like me) alike offer copies of their new books in giveaways.  You can register to win the giveaways and the only thing you have to do if you win a giveaway is read the book and write a review of it on Goodreads.  Of course, they can't make you do it, but if you don't write a review, you probably won't win a book again.

I've joined the bandwagon and offered 500 3 copies of my book to be given away by March 20th, 2012.  500 people have registered to win.  Of course, people like free things, but it really is cheap publicity because many of them have put my book on their "to read" lists.  And maybe the recipients will actually write me reviews.  It's an exciting way to get the word out to people I don't even know.  If you'd like to register to win a copy, you can find the giveaway here: http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/21621-secrets-of-a-summer-village.  I don't think the link will work unless you're a member of Goodreads, though.

How exciting to think that 500 people I would otherwise have had no access to have read what my book is about!

Stunned - my pitch is apparently not terrible!

Remember this little contest I mentioned a month ago?  Well, the results are in today and... my name is on the list!  The good list.  The list of 1000 authors whose pitch was good enough to get them into phase two.  Frankly, I was shocked.  I have confidence that I have written a great book, but my confidence that the world of agents and publishers would also find it great was eroded in the query process.  A tiny bit of confidence has now been restored.  In case you're curious, here's the pitch (up to 300 words were allowed) that worked for me:

When she doesn’t get a place in a Mexican study abroad program, Rachel anticipates another summer working at a coffee shop - until an opportunity to spend a month with a family in Turkey drastically changes the course of her summer. This intercultural coming-of-age novel is full of exotic tastes, summer heat, promises, and love. In a summer village on the western coast of Turkey, you’ll meet Rachel, who doesn’t know what she wants; Aylin, who doesn’t know if she wants the one who wants her; and Leyla, who knows who she wants, but doesn’t know if she’ll get him. Love and romance are secret pleasures in the summer village, which only make them more exciting.  

Can coffee grounds tell your future? Will fate bring you to your soul mate thousands of miles from home? Would the evil eye dare stop two souls on their paths to each other? Travel with Rachel on her journey far from the comforts of home, to a place that will captivate her and leave her changed forever.

Secrets of a Summer Village is a novel in which modern, middle-class Turkish culture is seen through the eyes of an American teenager. In the 91,075 -word novel, Rachel learns that many aspects of Turkish culture are different than her own, but that family, friendship, and love are universal 

Maybe you noticed that there is no period at the end of paragraph three of the pitch.   Apparently, it wasn't enough to get me thrown out of the contest!

The next step involves a 3000-5000 word excerpt.  That may sound like a lot of words, but it's not when you consider that the book is just over 91000 words long.  About 5% of the book in my case.  And the catch is that it has to be the first three-to-five-thousand words, not your favorite excerpt.  That said, it makes perfect sense.  First, a potential reader reads your back cover, which would certainly not be longer than 300 words.  Then, they stand at the bookstore (or read online) the first few chapters before they decide whether or not they want to buy the book.  


I am pretty nervous about this stage, but thrilled I got into it.  Are the first 5000 words of my book enough to make a reader want more?  We'll find out around March 20th...

Not MY book club

I barely slept on Wednesday night.  The reason?  I was invited to the book club of an acquaintance, who had arranged that her book club read my book for their February meeting.  I. was. nervous.  I have taught at least a thousand days worth of (language) classes, I've spoken before dozens at professional conferences, and was not nervous about any of that.  Yet I was kept up at night in anticipation of sitting with around 10 women - three of whom I know - to talk about my book.  There is something about sharing my writing with others that scares me, and I don't know why.  I suppose that I like my book even though I realize it is not the Great American Novel.  I do think that the fact that it is self-published rather than backed by a traditional publisher could have something to do with it.  It's just me and my book.  Hoping people read it.  Hoping people like it.

It took me a good hour to shake off my nervousness.  My acquaintance - and I say this because as lovely and kind and fun as she is, the book club hostess is not a good friend of mine because we just haven't had that much time to get to know each other.  And yet she went to all this work to organize this.  She got the books for everyone, she had them over to her house, she prepared lovely food (and amazing cupcakes), and was one of the most gracious hostesses I've ever met.  People can just be so nice!  I read all the bad and sad headlines of awfulness in the world, but really there are incredibly nice and friendly people in the world.  And they were at this book club meeting.

A hundred questions were asked - is the book autobiographical?  Why is the main character half Chinese?  How long did it take me to write the book?  How much research did I do?  How does self-publishing work? How many copies have I sold?  Did I take writing classes?  I tried my best to answer them all.

So they have read my book, learned about the writing process, the publishing process, they drank wine, ate food, chatted with their friends... it was a lovely evening.  One of the people I do know who was a part of the club sent me an e-mail saying that I had done a good job answering the questions (whew!)  My only, teensy tiny wish that was not fulfilled is that I didn't get a good sense of how they liked the story.  A few of them made it clear that they had, but the vast majority didn't.  I asked them if they would write me reviews on Amazon.  There haven't been any new reviews since the book club, but I keep checking... then maybe I'll get a better idea of what they thought.

What an exciting, different experience.  Thanks Bridget!!!

Exhale...

Begging for Feedback

There's an awful lot of waiting involved when you write a book. Whether you self-publish or not, you have to wait for proof copies, wait for reviews, wait for feedback... But unless you are a famous person, you have to ask for reviews, from readers and from review organizations.  They do not come knocking at your door asking to review your book.  You have to ask THEM to review it, and you also have to send them free copies of it.  And so that is precisely what I am doing...

Midwest Book Review - On the weekend, I finally received a review from the well-respected Midwest Book Review.  The organization only reviews less than a third of the books for which reviews are requested, so I was excited and smiling when I received the review from them.  Without revealing too much, let's just say that it was a positive but problematic review.  It had a major error.  I have the right to use the review, which has some very favorable sentences that would be good for marketing purposes, but it didn't feel right because of the flaw.  So I wrote to them and pointed out the error.  I thought I might never hear from them again, but the next day I received a letter from the editor, who apologized and said he'd look into it with the reviewer.  I don't know if I'll hear from them again.  But given that they are a reputable organization, I really hope that I do.

Kirkus Reviews - Meanwhile, I decided that one review is not enough.  I may or may not receive a review from Publishers Weekly via the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award, and rather than wait for that and for the Midwest Book Review to get back to me, I decided to order a review from Kirkus Reviews.  You have to pay for these reviews, unfortunately, but it in no way guarantees a good review.  It is a highly respected company, and it has to stand by its reviews.  Once I receive the review (probably late April - more waiting), I'll have the option of making it public.  If it's bad, I don't have to have it posted on their website.  I predict it wont' be giving me five stars, but if it's mostly good, I will post it.

IndieReader.com - Finally, I sent my book for review to IndieReader.com.  Their reviews are free, but there's no guarantee your book will get reviewed at all.  With the Midwest Book Review, I knew I had a 1 in 3 chance, but with IndieReader, I haven't a clue what the odds are.  Still, worth a try.

In the end, I care far more what readers think of my book than what professional reviewers think.  However, good reviews from professional reviewers could potentially get me more readers, so it's a necessary evil.  If you have read my book and would like to review it, please do so on the Amazon of your choice.  You can use a secret pen name if you want your review to be anonymous!

More Reviews!

Thank you thank you thank you :)))) Authors love reviews!!

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It is a sensitive expression of true friendship, respect and the difficulties of becoming an adult and a parent, in two, very different cultures. A wonderful read for anyone who appreciates travel and the generational vs. cultural differences in life.
This is the first e-book I have purchased and it was perfect for my daily train commutes. Each chapter brought me to far away places to witness another's adventure in Turkey and learn about myself through my experience of the story. Once finished, I immediately wanted to share it with my teenage daughter. This book was well written and I felt transported the reader not only to Turkey, but also back in time to reevaluate the difficulties of youth. A very enjoyable and refreshing account of a cultural exchange experience. I felt compassion for the challenges of the characters while enjoying my gift of hindsight. It is written through the eyes of teenagers experiencing the world outside of their comfort zone and culture. Embarrassingly naive at times and it reminds one of a time long gone by but not forgotten. Having been to Istanbul, I found the book to be a different experience than the hustle and bustle of a city adventure.
I would recommend every person, who wishes to be a voyeur in a lovely summer adventure and to share that adventure with friends, family or bookclubs, to read this book. It is nostalgia at its best, yet modern enough to actually happen to us, if we are lucky! I wish I could have read this book when I was a teenager and been that much wiser EARLIER!
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This Christmas as one of her gifts to me, my Oma gave me this book. I am 13 years old (using my mom's account for this)and found 'Secrets of a Summer Village' an enjoyable read. I learned a bit about Turkish culture and found the character of Rachel highly entertaining...I had a hard time putting this book down.Now I wish to go on a trip like Rachel and share experiences. I love the cover and was inspired by how Saskia self published the book. Wow.

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As one who travels, I love to read about different cultures. After reading "Secrets of a Summer Village," I found myself longing to be in this delightful place. The book is so descriptive that I could almost feel the sunshine and warmth of the Aagean Sea, as well as the warmth of the Turkish people.

During Rachael's visit, she discovers cultural differences, and also many similarities to the values from which she was raised.

It would be wonderful if more young people could experience a summer of discovery and adventure similar to Rachel's.

The next best thing to actually being there is reading this book.

Because of the extremes portrayed by the news media, the word "Muslim" has become a dirty word.
This book can help to change that stereotype and open one's mind to acceptance of others. For this reason, and also because the story is delightful and entertaining, I would recommend it to young and old alike, and would like to see it on a suggested school reading list.

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I was thoroughly entertained and engaged by Secrets of a Summer Village. The characters are well-developed, particularly Rachel who is literally transformed during her summer in Turkey. Will there be a sequel, Ms Akyil? As an American, I particularly enjoyed being immersed in Turkish culture and glad to see that traditional customs are being carried out. The experiences and friendships of the teenagers present dilemmas that all teens face in any culture. Ms. Akyil has portrayed the challenges in a forthright fashion and I think there is a strong moral backbone. I have given the book to several of my friends who have teenage children and they couldn't put the book down.
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This book is a delightful first book written by Saskia. I always especially enjoy books with an international background, and learning a little about Turkish family life was fascinating. I gave copies to granddaughters, and one immediately sat down to read it and enjoyed it as much as I did. I can't wait for her next book!