We’re halfway through the year in one more week… have you hit that stack of books that’s sitting over there begging to be read?
My reading list hit the back burner. I added so many more books over the lat few months that it’s become a daunting mountain of monsters. I’m hope to dig in without adding to the heap. My birthday is coming up…that means a bookstore gift card might make it’s way over to me. If that happens then I will have no choice but to add more. Oh the life!
I have found a new fascination in books about organization. I can’t recall when it happened this year but I have taken a break from the fantasy world and dove in to the nonfiction side of the bookstore. The shift was strange. I did have a challenging time trying to rad the first book because it wasn’t an epic battle or solving a mystery. The books were factual with a bit of dry humour thrown in to spice up the words, like taking a bite out of a day old biscuit that sat out on the counter. It’s good in a hard stale way…
The second book was dry… better, but still stale. It took me back to the days of school where my teacher would tell us to read the textbook ahead twenty page. The information was educating but lacked that exciting thrill of adventure.
Cue the amazing audiobooks. I truly believe that this is the future on nonfiction books for me. I will be able to soak in the information as well as get my chores done. I find keeping my hands busy helps me take in the knowledge of the author. My focus is heightened to the words that flow from the page into my ears, enlightening my mind.
What are your preferences in books, learning new tasks, and ways of reading?
Let me know in the comments.
Dear Journal,
There comes a time in a writers life where the story ends. That amazing feeling that follows. The phrase, “I just finished a book!” It’s bliss. The power that pumps through the veins after creating a world is addicting.
And then…
The next phase of writing begins. The oh-so-loved revisions. I have talked about revisions before. For those of you that read it know that I don’t like them. The self-edits can be a touch dry. Extremely frustrating. And, downright horrible!
There is something neat about them that I discovered last night. I can tell if I wrote the story late at night. I can tell if I was hungry. There was also a point where I was sure the writer in me was sleeping. I typically have music playing while I write out the stories. This is also shown in my writing. The layers of emotion that’s laced into a story is mindblowing. When I read I try to pick these things out in other peoples works with no avail. I wonder if I can pick these parts out because I wrote it. This is something I will study a bit more.
I finished the second last set of revisions this morning at two AM. A few cups of tea, one bowl of popcorn, and a drive to finish! That’s all I needed to complete that round. I’m going to do one more quick read through before it goes to the beta readers. It was a neat feeling to finish Mortal Soul Ascension. This book challenged me as it pushed me to try new tricks in my writing.
It’s time to do my last read over. The beta readers are waiting.
Take care,
C. B. Dixon
Wicked Soul Ascension
Want a read that will get your heart pumping?
Available in paperback.
Link: Chapters
Link: Barns & Noble
I had to change where my books were sold last month. It was a heart-wrenching decision but I’m hoping that the outcome will be much better. I’ve been on the fence about Amazon lately. It’s nice to have whatever I want available at my fingertips. I’m a local shopper. I like to buy local first, then provincial, Canadian, and then worldly. It’s part of my plan to help out my neighbours first. I know lots of local artists, farmers, and weavers. I want to lend them a hand because I know how hard it is to become noticed.
While I was remodelling my blog and website, combining them into one, I got thinking about how I was contributing to the local stores here with my book. I have Wicked Soul Ascension in all the local bookstores in town. It’s great walking in there and seeing that one sold. I was working on the Book section of the site when I noticed that I’m contributing to the Amazon take over.
Don’t get me wrong, I think Amazon is amazing and useful. I love Chapters/Indigo/Coles. This is the Canadian bookstore that is widely known across the country. I then found that Barns and Noble is the equivalent in the USA. I have now put more attention into brick-and-mortar stores. Maybe you can call me old fashioned or Millennial. I’m just wanting to do my part in helping these companies with their businesses because I love walking into their stories. I love how lost I become in the worlds they shelve.
What is your favourite bookstore?
What country is that store in?
Wicked Soul Ascension
Want a read that will get your heart pumping?
Available in paperback.
Link: Chapters
Link: Barns & Noble