Merry Christmas, Peeps!

Couldn't imagine a jollier holiday greeting than this illustration by our own Carol Baicker-McKee.  

Snarky, Spooky Series by Patti Larsen and Kate McMurry/Marie August

SC POE'S INDIE E-BOOK SAMPLER, #23

In compliance with this month's blogue theme, Poe browsed for Sweet and Scary samples. In vain, of course. Poe should have remembered that Snark is the preferred attitude indie ewriters take to just about any genre. Poe also confirmed that snarky YA stories rarely get really scary. Poe has had to make do with Spooky. 

These books are so light and lively that popcorn readers could probably gobble up all 23 before Hallowe'en. 



FAMILY MAGIC
(The Hayle Coven Novels)

by Patti Larsen

Self-published, 2011
Poe thinks this is YA fantasy chick-lit

First sentence: I batted at the curl of smoke drifting off the tip of my candle and tried not to sneeze. 

"Being part of a demon raising is way less exciting than it sounds." Indeed, MC Sydlynn Hayle is so detached from her witchy DNA that she doesn't even know how to magick the ceremonial candle smoke out of her eyes.

But Mom's the Coven leader, and Dad is Haralthazar, Demon Lord of the Seventh Plane of Demonicon. (Did you know that there are nice Demons? Dad is one.)  

Sydlynn's relationship with Mom is the very pattern of adolescent-girl rebellion--but instead of arguing over curfews or car-use, the conflict is about how soon Sydlynn can leave the Coven. 

Larsen's always stylish and entertaining. In this case, her set-up (while amusing) feels overlong. Only in chapter 4 do we learn that Sydlynn's refusal to develop her powers will literally destroy her mother.

The sample was long, but Poe stopped 10% into the story, judging the book plot-light and situation- and character-rich. 

If you prefer your fantasy on the light side, then the 20 titles of this series may entertain you some time. 

GIRL VS GHOST
(Misdirected Magic Trilogy)

by Kate McMurry & Marie August

Self-published, 2011
Poe thinks this is light contemporary YA fantasy

First sentence: Isabel Lindley surreptitiously pressed the backlight button on her watch. 

The summoning spell wasn't even Isabel's idea. Her friend Tripp's the gal who dressed up like the Reaper and poured salt all over Izzy's bedroom floor. Yet somehow Izzy's the only one who can see and hear the entity who just dropped out of the ceiling.

In a neat twist on the typical summoning plotline, this ghost is no evil opportunist. He doesn't even know who he was, where (or when or how) he died. The flighty Tripp diagnoses sudden-death PTSD and then (perhaps bored by a haunting that leaves her out) she takes off without even sweeping up the salt on the floor. Now Izzy must cope with that, as well as the stressed-out ghost.   

The story features illustrations as light and pleasant as the writing. 

If you're ready for a nibble of reading-candy, then this series looks like a quick, light read. 

Time-Travel ebooks for MG/YA (Todd A. Fonseca, Kelly Grant, J.Y. Harris, Sarah Woodbury)

SC POE'S INDIE E-BOOK SAMPLER, #22

THE TIME CAVERN

The Time Cavern Series

By Todd A. Fonseca

Ridan Publishing, 2009

Poe thinks this is younger MG time travel

First sentence: Aaron felt certain he was being watched.

The creepy opening sets up immediate expectations: mystery, danger. Poe applauds the high-caliber writing and the unusual setting in Amish farm country. Aaron is ten—old enough to camp on his lonesome in the farm field; young enough to bring his oldest stuffed toy along.

The sample on Poe's reading device ends just as Aaron realizes most of the neighbors use horse-drawn buggies instead of cars. But the online sample skips some pages, allowing the introduction of the neighbor kid, Jake (obviously slated to be the best friend and cohort in exploring the mystery in the old barn).

p.s. Jake's a girl.

If your younger middle grader likes mysteries, histories, and a quick read, then don't overlook this title.

TIMEKEEPERS: A REVOLUTIONARY TALE

By J. Y. Harris

Self-published in 2012

Poe thinks this is MG time-travel/historical

First sentence: The dull murmur of voices could vaguely be heard as they drifted up from the floor below.

The hook is promising. But the sample flouts several of the conventions that tend to draw readers in. The opening scene stars a woman (20 years married), and the teenaged protagonists don't appear until Chapter 2. The teens appear to be high schoolers (one takes Physics), but the simplicity and tameness of the plot (at least in the sample) make the book feel much younger. (Harris' own age range suggestion is young adult or teen.) Finally, the MCs have no plot trajectory in the contemporary world--no goals or situations interrupted by this jump through time; they're on their way to a school-required historical re-enactment, and wander into the past, where all the story will evidently take place.

Fantasy does have rules. Time travel, since it involves history, has more rules than other kinds of fantasy. Poe found this transport through time less than convincing—a sudden fog; a clearing in the woods that keeps its recognizable triangular shape from the 1770's to the present day; the teens' too-quick realization that they've changed time zones. And could two strangers stand on the edge of an Army camp for half a chapter without being challenged?

Still, a young reader's curiosity might be roused by the hint of a spy plot, and the sparkle in the details of place and time.

If your MG reader likes historicals, then give this book the once-over.

FOOTSTEPS IN TIME

The After Cilmeri Series

By Sarah Woodbury

Self-published in 2011

Poe thinks this is YA/crossover alternate history (cum time travel)

First sentences: "How can you leave Gwynedd undefended, my lord? Without you, we can't hold back the English."

The first scene will tell you whether to buy this book. It's dense with exposition, set-up, and Welsh names. Poe judges this more of a crossover book; the only reason it can be called YA is that the time traveling sibs are 17 and 14 years old.

For the most part, the narrative flows smoothly. But Poe's suspension of disbelief was seriously challenged. In a coincidence that beats anything in Dickens, the author gives us two contemporary American teens who happen to be conversant in Welsh and familiar with its history—and who crash back in time and place to a 13th century battlefield in Wales. Poe felt everything comes too easily to the teen travelers, from figuring out where/when they are to being accepted and cared for by the warriors. This is another book in which the teens' contemporary lives seem mere bookends; Poe didn't feel anything except Mom's imagined distress pulling the kids back to their former lives.

Will you be hooked by the plot, the local color, or the characters? The generous sample gives you 160 pages to decide; Poe stayed aboard for only the first 33.

If you love alternate history, and if can suspend your disbelief far enough, then you may get into this series.

THE TIME-TRAVELER'S APPRENTICE

By Kelly Grant

Self-published in 2011

Poe thinks this is YA historical mystery (cum time travel)

First sentence: "Do you think he's dead?" Baldwin asked in a quavering whisper.

Mystery, history, and time travel—Poe is eager to read more.

The sample's too short to tell us exactly how MC Simon breaks the time barrier, but long enough to tell us that this is not his first ride around the centuries. We also learn that the third-person narration is flippant, full of surprises, and perfectly edited. That the girl Simon meets is smart. And that there's plenty of humor.

It would be even better if we got a hint of the danger, crime, or mystery to come.

The author's been an archaeologist, museum director, and history teacher, and (docent-like) includes the historical end-note as part of the sample. That's how we know that the setting is the England of Henry II.

A note to the author: Poe recommends deleting the interesting but convoluted set-up info from the book's Amazon sales page. To hook readers, the sales page blurb should zero in on the story's main hooks (time travel, era of destination, mystery)—think elevator pitch, or jacket flap. Ideally, the blurb will be short, sharp, and written in the same tone of voice as the book itself.

Queued for reading by Poe's phony fire this winter.

THE CLOCKWISE SERIES

By Elle Strauss

Poe sampled this light YA time-travel series a few issues back. Read the review here.

4 Ways To Fail With Your Self-Published Book (before people even read the sample)--UPDATED

SC POE'S INDIE E-BOOK SAMPLER, #21

UPDATED ON SATURDAY, 8/18/2012

You can write a great book. You can edit and format it perfectly. And then you can sink it with a sales pitch that actually pushes potential readers away. Keeps them from even opening your sample.

Not every writer is a brilliant marketer, or even a good one. But these are pitfalls any careful self-pubber can avoid.

1) A COVER THAT DOESN'T CONNECT

Cover design isn't pure art—it's mostly marketing. It's the poster for your book. Poe begs you (and your cover designer) to consider these points:

--Your cover should be similar to (but not plagiarize) current best-sellers in its genre.

--It should be true to the tone of the content (for humor, darkness, violence, horror, romance, etc.).

--Characters depicted on covers must match the age of the characters inside. (A surprising number of e-book covers make YA books look too childish.)

--The title (and, if possible, the author's name) must be clear and legible, even on the smallest smartphone screens. (Sadly, many experienced designers seem to forget this crucial rule.)

NOTE: Poe advises against using your favorite kid's artwork for your cover. The result may elicit coos from shoppers of a certain age. Everybody else (especially your target readers) will gag.

NOTE: Poe also recommends making sure your stock photo hasn't already been used for another cover in your genre. (There's one particular moody-teen-guy-in-hood stock photo that's already been used for several YA fantasy covers.)

2) A BLURB THAT'S BLAH (OR BALONEY)

--Make the blurb sharp and succinct. If the shopper needs to pull the drop-down button to finish it, you're already in trouble.

--Be sure to highlight the things that make your story different. Poe has lost count of fantasy novel blurbs that end with the blurry "and she enters a world she never dreamed existed." (The rule here is that if it applies to every other MC in fantasy fiction, from Alice to Harry and beyond, then it doesn't belong in the blurb.)

--Don't offer the moral or the theme. At least not in so many words. (Unless you wish to suggest that the lesson is supposed to compensate for otherwise weak content.)

--Don't review your own book. "This story will have your tots rolling on the floor. . . ." An author-publisher has virtually no credibility as a reviewer.

--Think hard before including a fulsome blurb from another e-author. If you do, make sure the blurber has real credibility, and that the blurb doesn't read like BFF Gush (see below).

3) AN AUTHOR PAGE THAT'S AMATEUR

--Use only photos and art that will appeal to your targeted readers. Corollary: Think hard before posting photos that might limit your appeal by advertising your age, gender, or convictions.

--Examine your author page for info that might define you as inexperienced ("I wrote this story for my niece, and she liked it better than Charlotte's Web, so. . . ."), unprofessional ("I'm a Nana who loves antiques, Irish setters, kayaking, and—when I can fit it in, LOL!—making up stories about the cute things my grandkids do. . . ."), unsuccessful ("after being rejected by twenty publishers. . . . "), or a whiner ("all my friends say this book should have been snapped up, but apparently editors have no faith in readers nowadays. . . .").

--Keep your page up-to-date. Poe is astounded at how often this rule is violated.

4) REVIEWS THAT AREN'T FOR REAL

Granted, the review section of your sales page is largely out of your control. But not completely. When you're starting out:

--Shun BFF Gush. Effusive reviews by your relatives and pals are transparent and can hurt more than they help—especially if they're all you've got.

--On the other extreme, avoid the blank review corner. Your challenge is to seed the page with a few supportive and believable reviews. If your beta-readers (surely you haven't published without running your ms past a few of those?) gave you written notes, you might ask them to post digested versions. Or you might scout prolific reviewers (from blogs or book-fan sites), and offer them a free ARC in exchange for a review.

IMPORTANT UPDATE: Poe recently learned that Kirkus will review Indie books for a fee of $425. You may use the review (or not) as you choose; you may also allow it to be published in the online edition of Kirkus.

NOTE: What if no beta or blog reviewers feel able to review your book positively? Think of bad reviews as saviors, not destroyers. Revising your self-pubbed ebook costs nothing but time. Grit your teeth, gird your loins, pull the book off the market for a while, and fix it.

To be continued (MG e-series with awesome main characters--Priscilla the Great and Hal Junior)

SC POE'S INDIE E-BOOK SAMPLER, #20

Oft-proclaimed advice in the world of indie e-publishing: publish multiple books, and publish often. An indie author's first sale (just as in the world of trad publishing) is the hardest to make. The best time to sell your sequel to an ebook fan is immediately after he/she's enjoyed Volume 1.

That's only part of Sybil Nelson's formula for success. She also offers vivid writing, clean editing, a hook that's trendy (but with a unique . . . flare), and a polished web promotion system that includes a blog (Prissy Fit) and music playlist for her MC.

Above all, Nelson gives us the lively, snarky voice of Priscilla herself.

PRISCILLA THE GREAT SERIES

By Sybil Nelson

CreateSpace, 2011-2012

Poe thinks this is humorous contemporary MG paranormal

First sentence: I awoke tied to a chair.

Brainy Priscilla's plagued by all the ordinary woes of a seventh-grade heroine in a contemporary novel--obnoxious brothers, worry-wart parents, a figure like a stick, unruly red hair, and a hopeless crush on Spencer Callahan.

Other challenges are not so quotidian. Her parents keep fibbing (rather clumsily) about where Mom is (South America? Dubai?). Priscilla's also showing signs of paranormal talents, like fire-starting and super-hearing. And (the flash-forward prologue warns) she'd better develop those superpowers fast enough to keep the bad guys from killing her.

Rated S for Snapped Up.

Last fall, Poe sampled the first book in another series, and is pleased to see that Volume 2 has launched:

HAL JUNIOR SERIES

Hal Junior 2: The Missing Case

By Simon Haynes

Self-published, 2012

Poe thinks this is MG sci-fi spoof

First sentences:

There was a young lad called Hal Junior,

whose homework was always peculiar.

His essays were bad,

His sums didn't add,

And his limericks weren't any good either!

Poe will allow Hal Junior to summarize the opening chapter (and his current relationship with his parents) in his own words: Nag, nag, nag, fire. Blah, blah, blah, explosion. Dangerous. Irresponsible. Punishment.

Hal Junior, in fact, is almost always getting punished for something. This time, the penalty will be babysitting the offspring of a VIP whose visit to the family's aged space station may result in an influx of money, or equipment—or at the very least, some real food to replace the ration bars they've been subsisting on.

Surprises ensue.

Rated Q for Queued to read soon

Swimming in Mermaids: Poe combs the beach for the best mer-themed ebooks

SC POE'S INDIE EBOOK SAMPLER, #19

From Helene Boudreau's gently funny Real Mermaids series to the darkness promised in Elizabeth Fama's upcoming Monstrous Beauty, aquatic adventures are popular lately. Fishing in The Amazon, Poe inter-netted a whole school of them. But is it something about scaled creatures? Because, just as with dragons, the majority of mermaid indies are hastily written, overly derivative, and/or scarcely edited. Nevertheless, here are several worth dipping into.

NIKOLAS AND COMPANY:

THE MERMAN AND THE MOON FORGOTTEN

Episode 1

By Kevin McGill

Self-published in 2012

Poe thinks this is MG/YA steam-punk/dystopian

First sentence: "Sweet Huron!" Yeri swore . . . well, judging by his mother's standards.

14-year-old Nick is trapped on an earth that hasn't seen the sun for 100 years. Do we blame the unchecked burning of fossil fuels, or the malfunctioning pumps designed to suck out the supposed excess of carbon dioxide? Nick doesn't know, and he doesn't care. He just wants to get back to the Moon. But he hasn't got the fare.

Now somebody's offering a million dollars to anyone who can build "an effective solar transference machine and return solar radiation to the planet's surface." So Nick's working on that, fueling himself with an energy drink laced with soda pop, chocolate syrup, and Pepto-Bismol. He's also trying not to contract a genetic plague called the Geneva virus.

But that's only part of the story. The other plot involves merpeople with automaton legs, in a steam-punk paranormal World of Mon.

NOTE: You won't want to miss the video of this book's launch—into space.

If you're into mermen, steam-punk, humor, and/or dystopias, then this series may grab you.

EVERBLUE

(Mer Tales, Book 1)

By Brenda Pandos

Self-published in 2011

Poe thinks this is YA paranormal romance

First sentence: "So, tell me everything, Ash."

Ash and Tatchi are best friends, both going on 18, so much alike, yet fundamentally completely different. For Tatchi and her twin brother Fin possess dual natures, human and mer. Ashlynn entertains no suspicion of this. And while Ash is expected to "tell everything," the twins are hiding a lot of secret desperation from their friend.

Tatchi hates being homeschooled and wants to live like a normal teen. But if she plunges that deeply into human experience, she'll lose the mer part of herself—and her family along with it. As for Fin, he's crushing on Ash, but even a single one of the kisses she obviously longs to share with him will transform her into a mermaid. (Amusingly, Ashlynn stars on her school's swim team.)

Yes, there's a certain amount of the Twilight template here. But this novel's worlds, both onshore and under Lake Tahoe, are well-built, and the story promises interesting sub-conflicts for each of the three protagonists.

If you're bewildered by the sheer number of mermaid romances on the e-lists, then Poe suggests you dip into this one first.

MERMAID

By D. F. Marsh

Self-published, July 2012

Poe thinks this is YA fantasy/sci-fi

First sentence: The sun had been swallowed by gray clouds with just a hint of magenta and indigo blue light in the sky when she surfaced.

The cover, to Poe, seems to target middle graders and to convey a light tone. But the novel runs to 427 pages; it includes episodes written from several adult points of view; and the authorial voice, sentence length, and vocabulary feel more sophisticated.

The structure parallels three quests. One sounds like MG fantasy and stars two siblings, aged 12 and 14. The second (with a Navy sub technician as a main character) reads like adult sci-fi. The third, told from the POV of a shady business tycoon, has the sly voice of a political thriller. All of these characters, in various ways and for various reasons, will try to prove the existence of the Seabed Phantom. A fourth thread follows the arc of the Phantom herself.

If you like a fantasy tinged with science (and a story with a moral), then this story looks a bit deeper than the cover would indicate.

American historicals for teens by Tara Chevrestt and Mary Zinda

SC POE'S INDIE E-BOOK SAMPLER, #18

To celebrate the Fourth of July, Poe felt like browsing American historical fiction. This first title promises to take the reader on a fast ride from coast to coast:

RIDE FOR RIGHTS

By Tara Chevrestt

MuseItUp Publishing, 2012

Poe thinks this is younger YA adventure/historical

First sentence: “Oh, darn it all to hell and back!” Angeline exclaimed as she pulled back the heavy brocade drape for the twentieth time and stared in dismay at the empty street on the other side of the window.

MCs Angeline and Adelaide Hanson (19 and 16 years old) are described in a preface as avatars for Augusta and Adeline Van Buren, descendents of Martin Van Buren, the eighth President of the United States. Like the Van Buren sisters, Chevrestt's MCs hail from a family with a historically significant family tree; like them, the MCs are active in War-preparedness and suffragette activities. In 1916, the real sisters bought two motorcycles and rode them across the continental U.S. in 60 days. The ride was meant to prove that women could perform significant War work--delivering military dispatches. Female cyclist/dispatchers would free men up for rougher War duties, and (incidentally) reinforce the idea that American women deserved full citizenship--that is, the Vote. All of this applies to the fictional sisters, too.

What an engaging hook for readers who like exciting real history in their historical fiction, and for those weary of historicals that are little more than contemporary romances in corsets!

This recommendation comes with a reservation about Voice. The dialogue includes occasional anachronisms, and (at the opposite extreme) is sometimes too stilted to sound natural, even for 1916. Poe thinks that the subject's interesting and unique enough to overcome that flaw. But that may not be your view, particularly if you are selecting ebooks for a school reading list or library.

Rated: If you like books about cultural game-changers, adventurers, or athletes (especially motorcyclists)(especially female motorcyclists), then don't miss this book.

Today's second selection, in contrast, features a stay-at-home heroine.

LARK OF YESTERYEAR

By Mary Zinda

Self-published in 2012

Poe thinks this is an MG historical ghost story

First sentence: It was raining again, but that rarely stopped them.

This is a fascinating story that struggles with style. A historical based on true events (in this case, the obscure Peshtigo Fire of 1871) must present a quantity of facts. How to do it? "Telling" is supposed to put young readers off; but "showing" often involves contorting the story with extraneous characters and episodes. Zinda chooses to "tell," in the first-person voice of teenaged Lark. But why is Lark compelled to explain so much? We're not sure. Perhaps if we knew quite specifically who Lark is telling her story to?

Interweaving a quantity of back-story is another challenge—especially in a story that darts with the speed of incorporeal thought between the present day and several different stopping points in the 19th century.

Despite these hiccups, the mysteries captivate us. Lark, you see, dwells in the attic of an old Wisconsin house that has become a living history museum. But why is she trapped here with her embittered, ever-more-destructive Father (who is clearly a ghost)? Where is the rest of the family? How did Lark and her father come through the great fire, if the others did not? Poe expects that you'll be curious, too, and for that reason suggests that

If substance (here, a ghostly story, a bit of history, and a refreshingly different setting) matters more than style, then do explore the sample—a few pages will tell you whether you want to read further.

Paranormal Lite: Teddy Jacobs, Elle Strauss, Shaunda Kennedy Wenger

SC POE'S INDIE EBOOK SAMPLER #15

Poe was in the mood for light, funny contemporary YA paranormals. Good indie versions are hard to find. Here are three worth sampling.

WICKED HUNGRY

By Teddy Jacobs

Wicked Evil Press, 2012

Poe agrees that this is a YA paranormal romp

First sentence: She said she'd always be there for me, but she's gone, and it's all my fault.

The author's own description says it—this is a paranormal romp, a tongue-in-cheek riff on all the tortured themes and memes common in contemporary YA paranormals. (Why is Stanley, a lifelong vegetarian, suddenly salivating over red meat? Is Stan's best friend's girl actually hitting on Stan? And can things ever work out between a girl who's allergic to the sun and a guy whose teeth ache when the moon is full?)

The hook is reminiscent (in good ways) of M.T. Anderson's Thirsty.

(SC Poe will sample a more straightforward fantasy by Teddy Jacobs, Return of the Dragons, in an upcoming post.)

If you like slick, fast, funny, and a guy MC for a change, then this may be your red meat.

CLOCKWISE

By Elle Strauss

Self-published, 2011

Poe thinks this is younger YA time-travel romance lite.

First sentences: Everyone has to live with something. For instance, my hair is the unmanageable kind of curly, the color of burnt toast. Imagine waking up every morning looking like the Lion King. . . .

The other unmanageable element in Casey's life is time. She keeps slipping back to the 19th century. She does it so often she keeps suitable clothes buried in the forest outside the Wayback version of her hometown.

The sample is too short to get into the plot, but it introduces the time-travel hook and the romance, and assures us that the story will be full of fun. There's a sequel, too—Clockwiser.

(Elle Strauss is a member of the Indie Elite blog team.)

If you like a light read with a historical twist, then slip backwards in time with this MC.

THE GHOST IN ME

By Shaunda Kennedy Wenger

Essemkay Company, 2011

Poe thinks this is younger YA paranormal romance lite

First sentence: A cockroach can live for eight days without its head.

The ghost in the title is named Wren, and she came with the house Myri Monaco lives in. Myri's just starting to age past her eternally-12-year-old ghost-friend; her newest preoccupation is Duey (who recently broke up with Myri's best flesh-and-blood-friend Roz).

This is another ebook whose sample is too short to get past the set-up and into the real story. But the blurb hints that Myri and Roz aren't the only girls Duey might be interested in. . . Wren might enter the romantic competition. So

If you like paranormal romance with a humorous twist, then this may be your next read.

Should parents publish the books their children write?

SC POE'S INDIE EBOOK SAMPLER, #14

The New York Times article ("Young Writers Dazzle Publisher (Mom and Dad)") describes the TV news coverage as "breathless." The Old Gray Lady sounds a tad breathless herself, hyperventilating over the threat coming from "hundreds [emphasis ours] of children and teens who are self-publishing books each year."

The Times quotes the novelist Tom Robbins, who frets about what might come next—"'Kiddie architects, juvenile dentists, 11-year-old rocket scientists?'" and adds, "'There are no prodigies in literature."

We have the greatest admiration for Robbins, who is reputed to be a painstaking craftsman—he can spend an entire day perfecting a single sentence—and who published his debut novel in his 30's. But on this point we disagree. For we believe that in literature, as in other arts, prodigies do occasionally appear. Consider Christopher Paolini. Consider this tween writer:

Nor is self-publishing by children a new phenomenon:

The self-styled Genius C. B. who edited this issue of the Young Mens Magazine in 1829 was, of course, Charlotte Bronte. Along with her siblings, she wrote and illustrated page after tiny page of youthful stories, plays, and poems, and stitched them into miniature magazines.

Granted, the Bronte juvenilia are curiosities that few read today. So it's fair to ask, of today's "hundreds" of new, parent-pubbed stories, how they'll be judged by actual readers. To answer that question, at least for ourselves, we sampled the work of the six young authors featured in the Times article. And we found two whose writing piqued our interest.

Running Scared

By Mac Bowers

IUniverse, 2012

Poe thinks this isYA contemporary thriller

First sentence: That morning, on my first day in Mistle, Mom insisted on driving me to school.

Bowers is 15. Her sample struck us as comparable to many adult-authored genre ebooks we've sampled. It has better grammar and editing than quite a few. The sample quickly builds the mystery and hints at romance, as any good genre novel should. The blurb could do a better job of hooking readers—it's so general it could apply to almost any thriller. (A blurb should tell us what makes this story different from every other story, Ms Bowers.) Still,

If you enjoy thrillers, then the sample should tell you whether you want to read this one.

The Last Dove:

The Trilogy of Aeir

By E. S. Hines

XLibris, 2012

Poe thinks this is younger YA fantasy

First sentences: Since the beginning of our races here on the isle of Aeir, we have had magic. Not parlor tricks, but real magic; the kind that allows a fully clothed man to turn into an animal of his choice and back into a human being, to Change.

This high school junior writes with a lyrical voice perfect for painting her unusual world. In Aeir, the choice of which animal to become is passed down through generations, creating competitive tribes who specialize in certain skills—the Otters are boatbuilders; the Wolves, warriors; the Swans, musicians. Only the Doves "loved freely and married whomever they wished," weakening their blood lines and diminishing their special skill--peacemaking. This has thrown Aeir into turmoil. An intriguing premise.

If you enjoy animal fantasy, then check out her sample.

It's curious that the Times column doesn't actually critique the writing itself. Rather, the article's focus is the concern expressed by those who "see the blurring of the line between publishing and self-publishing as a lost opportunity to teach children about adversity and perseverance."

Adversity and perseverance. Really? Is this what people believe? That writing and reading should be work for kids, not fun? That writing should never provide easy gratification? That kids who enjoy writing should be taught early on just how difficult and discouraging the publishing world can be?

That's not what we think. In fact, we're not convinced that it hurts kids at all when a parent enables them to self-publish.

After all, being "published" is never the final affirmation. Connecting with readers is. One publisher of kid-written stories says that "When the kids get the box of books with their name on it . . . they're like little rock stars." True; it feels terrific to be published. But not nearly as good as when total strangers buy your story, and beg for another.

There's another reason not to fight this new trend. It can't be done! Kids know this, even if older folks don't. You don't need Dad's money to make your story "real." All you need is determination and access to the Web. (Had the Net existed in 1829, do you think the Brontes would have settled for swapping miniature hand-written magazines with their siblings?)

All right. We've said our say. What do you think?

Susan Chapek collaborated with SC Poe on today's column.

NOTE. Bronte images (MS Lowell 1. Bequest of Amy Lowell, 1925) are used with permission of the Houghton Library, Harvard University. Click here to see more images.

Aaron Shepard's cool classical paranormals and myth mash-ups

SC POE'S INDIE EBOOK SAMPLER, #13

Aaron Shepard is a professional storyteller with a long list of traditionally-published books to his credit. Most are adaptations or retellings of folk and fairy tales, legends, and myths--often, more obscure (but fascinating) ones. His books have been deemed A.L.A. Notables, Aesop Accolade winners, and Bank Street College and N.Y. Times Bests. And they're frequently "selected" by the New York Public Library, the California Collection, and the Junior Library Guild.

But it's Shepard's self-published list that Poe wants to focus on today. First, a novel that twists the tale of a lesser-known legendary monster:

Timothy Tolliver and the Bully Basher

Self-published by Skyhook Press, 2005

Poe thinks this is paranormal contemporary MG myth mash-up

First sentence of online sample: Arnie walked all around the robot, admiring it. "You know what this reminds me of? The Golem."

Legends describe the Golem as a giant, animated clay warrior created to protect the Jews of Prague against persecutors. Here, the threat comes from classroom bullies, and fourth-graders Timmy and Arnie hope to find a defender in their science-project robot. But like the original, Timmy's Golem acquires a will of its own.

Rated S for Snapped up.

Taking a more literary turn, Shepard's Ancient Fantasy Series retells portions of four epic narratives sure to pique kids' interest. In each case, he cannily selects episodes likely to grab the attention of a wide range of middle-graders. His storytelling voice varies to hint at the style (prose or poetry, grandiose or conversational, noble or comical) of the original. These mini-novels would make fun classroom read-alouds, too. No dumb-downs, they use the real names of people and places, and provide information on how to pronounce them.

The Mountain of Marvels

A Celtic Tale of Magic

Retold from the Mabinogion

Self-published by Skyhook Press, 2007

First sentence of online sample: The next day, after the midday meal, Pwyll said to Manawydan, "Let us walk again on the Mount. But this time, we'll bring my horse along."

A series of interrelated bard-told tales about a Welsh King and Queen. Familiar notes and themes (such as the marvelous sack that can never be filled) may remind some readers how tales from distant times and places all seem to have sprung from the same batch of original story seeds

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The Songs of Power

A Finnish Tale of Magic

Retold from the Kalevala

Self-published by Skyhook, 2007

First lines of online sample: Vainamoinen chanted / and Joukahainen sank in the marshy ground, / up to his waist in the swallowing earth.

The builder of the world and the forger of the sky compete for the hand of a sorceress's daughter.

The Monkey King

A Superhero Tale of China

Retold from The Journey to the West

First sentences: If you think Superman or Spiderman has been around a long time, think about Monkey. He has been China's favorite superhero for at least five centuries.

The newborn Monkey's eyes shoot golden rays that penetrate even the walls of Heaven. He is "destined to become an enlightened being, a true Buddha. Yet before he does, he will offer us no end of mischief." Shepard selects two episodes from the epic—Monkey's birth, and "the one time he didn't come out on top."

The Magic Flyswatter

A Superhero Tale of Africa

Retold from the Mwindo Epic

Self-published by Skyhood Press, 2008

First sentences in the online sample: She-Mwindo heard the noise. He went to the house of his favorite wife. He saw the boy and was full of rage. "What is this? Did I not say 'no sons'? Did I not say I would kill him?"

But when the father throws his spear, the baby breaks the weapon in two. Who wouldn't want to read on?

All four books Rated S for Snapped up.