The Problem Of Disbelief Concerning The Lords Of Bakersfield - By N.L. Belardes

I used to not believe in ghosts. When I was a boy in San Jose, Calif., we had a sandbox in the backyard. An old tree stump with a face on it poked up from the corner of the lot.

We joked that the stump hid the spirit of an old Indian. The face looked male—sort of a dilapidated shadow of a big-eyed tiki. I imagined I was carving, but I don't think I accentuated its natural face at all. I remember when I was 3 or 4 I would take a rock and trace the contours of the eyes, an imaginary mouth and frown. I didn’t think it was really a spirit. But I was drawn to the curves of its face-like form and wanted it to be even more pronounced.

I never really believed the stump harbored an Indian spirit. Even when the house creaked late at night and the family joked, “It’s the old spirit,” I would just laugh. I guess I was braver then.

I was a teenager when I saw a woman sort of disappear from the middle of a road near Howard’s Mini Market. I brushed it off as nothing. Later, in my 20s, I saw a man sitting in a chair in the middle of a trailer park driveway with his mouth hanging open. It was across from an old roller hockey rink. I remember doing a double-take and thinking, That was weird. Was that man really there?. My girlfriend at the time had also seen the headlights shine across his coal-eyed gaping silent scream. It had given me goosebumps, but I still thought it was just my fiery imagination.

A few years later I heard from a kid who lived in the trailer park. He said there was a man murdered or died in the hockey rink, which was a bowling alley previously. He said the man was older, that he was killed/died in a chair.

So, did I see a ghost? Some say the hockey rink was haunted.

Again in my 30s I saw and heard a few ghostly occurences that again made be second guess my disbelief in the supernatural. I'll save those stories for another time, but I was certainly convinced at that time of the supernatural. Then of course my research for Lords. It wasn't just a myth about creepy old men. There were ghosts stories too.

I even recently spoke with the vice principal of a local school who said one of his campus buildings is surely haunted. He said too many people have experiences with the unexplainable there.

I think the Lords of Bakersfield are like my childhood disbelief in ghosts. The disbelief I had in a set of weird conspiracy articles about the local Lords, which at the time just made me laugh, also made me think, This would make cool book. A sketchy timeline was already there. Characters were loosely drawn.

Once I did the research I still wasn't so sure the Lords were real. A meeting with Robert Price didn’t lead anywhere except to him sort of trying to bash my character in jest. Whatever. I think it’s funny and put his verbage on the new Lords of Bakersfield MySpace (myspace.com/lordsofbakersfield).

I guess as with any kind of digging, if there's something there, you run the chance of eventually hitting the vein. Ex-cops have warned me not to go too deep in finding out Lords of Bakersfield stories. I get weird emails all the time, death threats—Bakotopia magazines were wrapped around bricks that said, “You’re next.” It’s nothing new. People just want to keep the myth alive.

Now I’m not saying I hit some kind of Lords of Bakersfield pay dirt. But the story seems more real these days, like ghosts do compared to when I was young. They’re no longer just thoughts about a dumb tree stump in a sand pit coming to life late at night. And even though you can’t touch them, you get a weird sense of the unexplainable now and then. That even though these stories are from the 1970s and early 1980s, they resonate. There was the small town ex-mayor who called me not long ago. And of course the newspaper articles themselves, as well as the strong historicism in Lords Part One, that suggest more than a snake-oil myth fueled by the Bakersfield Californian’s conspiratorial articles.

I’ll be launching a trailer from a Lords documentary in a day or two. It’s sure to freak you out a little. But then that’s the point of ghost stories, right?

If you want to be a part of the Lords documentary and share your thoughts, you might want to attend the meet-and-greet being set up by the Mas Book Club who currently have Lords Part One as their book of the month.

I’ll be bringing a film crew.
**************************************

N.L. BELARDES is a journalist, blogger and videographer. He writes several media blogs, including Noveltown's Paperback Writer and ABC23's Nick 2.0. His work has appeared on the homepage of CNN.com and other news sites all over America. You can purchase Lords: Part One, which describes the infamous Lords of Bakersfield. They still creep the city long after they and a 1977 Central California dust storm ravaged the area. N.L. welcomes humorous notes and news tips to his MySpace. And check out his new homepage at www.nlbelardes.com and recent www.twitter.com/nlbelardes addiction.

Busting out a comedy novel, NanoWrimo style - By N.L. Belardes

Other than taking time off work this week (only actual took off two days) to spend with family, I am also busting out a novel since it's national novel writing month. It's the first year for me to join nanowrimo.org for their cool user profiles that you can generate with up-to-date word counts that are addicting.

So I joined 17 days into the process. That's a little late since the NanoWrimo goal is to bust out 50,000 words through November. You're supposed to spread out the writing, not necessarily write in huge clumps. But since working for ABC23 I'm pretty busy not just managing the www.turnto23.com website, but writing articles, a lot of them in my off-hours, though I do write and edit boat loads of hard news during the day.

I've put in writing on and off for a few days now and I'm up to 20,485 words. I'm working on a comedy titled, "Man Liberty" that I hope when I'm done will give some folks a chuckle.

I encourage writers and novelists-to-be to tackle writing novels in any way that you can be motivated and committed to follow through. I found the NanoWrimo site to be a great motivator. But maybe some of you might rather join a class or local writing group. Here's my NanoWrimo Noveltown profile if you want to check up on my progress through the week to see if I meet my goal.

Lacey Alexander talks about her novel Voyeur and Erotica – By chingpea

Recently I stepped away from my normal behind the scenes role of marketing relations and printer wars and connected with erotica author Lacey Alexander. She was gracious enough to be my ‘first’ Noveltown book review. I found her to be as ‘deliciously decadent’ as her novel Voyeur and you will too.

In Voyeur, Alexander takes the reader on a steamy ride with Laura a writer suffering writer’s block who travels to Colorado in search of inspiration. She soon discovers more than she bargained for as she embraces her sexuality and imagination. Read Voyeur with a pitcher of ice cold water within arm’s reach. Believe me, you’ll definitely need it!



Lacey Alexander is an intoxicating, erotic writer using sensual and sexual prowess to embrace your inner passions and desires. Sexual discovery at its best, Voyeur entices you from beginning to end.



Typically erotica fiction is predominately read by women, Voyeur, however, is a book that men would enjoy as well. In fact if you dare, read Voyeur aloud with your partner. It might just be the thing to spice up your love life!



An arousing read, I definitely enjoyed Voyeur and would absolutely love to read whatever project she has next!



Alexander had some great insight into the world of erotica fiction. Check out the interview:

Noveltown: I love that Voyeur is super steamy, romantic erotica. You must get a lot of satisfaction from pleasing your audience. Thoughts?

Lacey Alexander: The reader response to my books has been overwhelming and helped me to realize that I’ve unexpectedly tapped in to something a lot of women relate to and even need – the “permission” to explore their most forbidden sexual fantasies. Readers also often tell me that my books have enhanced their marriages and I can’t imagine anything more gratifying than that.

Noveltown: One day you made a decision in your life to become the type of author that you are. Was there a certain influence on your decision? And, do other authors inspire you?

Lacey Alexander: I actually started writing erotica because my mainstream romance career (written under another pseudonym) was in a downturn and the erotica market was beginning to flourish. So it was a strictly strategic move in the beginning, to be honest. Kind of an “I think I’ll take a stab at writing that kind of book” decision. But it worked out to be very serendipitous since I gained a loyal readership very quickly. As it stands, both careers are going strong and I couldn’t be happier.

And no, I actually have avoided reading most other erotica, deciding early on that I was going to make my books what I thought “a woman’s perfect erotic fantasy” should be and that if it worked, it worked, and if it didn’t, then I wasn’t meant to write erotica. But apparently I was meant to write erotica.

Noveltown: Do you consider yourself more sensual or sexual when it comes to erotica? And your audience?

Lacey Alexander: Both, actually. And my readers seem to respond very positively to the combination of both sensuality and sexuality. I actually think that’s what makes them work, and hopefully what makes them feel a little unique among erotica offerings.

Noveltown: I love how your website says, “Discover your inner bad girl.” Do you think erotica fans find themselves discovering their “inner bad selves” when they read Voyeur?

Lacey Alexander: I certainly hope so. I hope every one of my books invites readers to recognize and embrace that part of themselves. I should add that I don’t advocate that people go out and “live the fantasy,” but I think it’s very healthy to recognize that it’s okay to think about “forbidden” things.



Noveltown: Was there research for Voyeur? Dare we even ask?

Lacey Alexander: Ha! No, not really. But the setting came from a vacation home I stayed in a few years ago, and I concocted the idea while on the trip.

Noveltown: Laura Watkins and Braden Stone mirror the characters of Riley Wainscott and Sloane Bennett. Since Laura uses acquaintances as well as herself as inspiration for her characters and character experiences, do you as the author do the same?

Lacey Alexander: No, I never really draw characters from real life. They’re all in my head.

Noveltown: You must receive a lot of feedback from your fans. Give us some of the goods about what men have been saying versus women…

Lacey Alexander: Actually, when I hear from men, it’s usually short and sweet, something like: I enjoy your books. And that suits me fine. I really don’t want to get into sexual discussions with guys I don’t know and when I get e-mails from men who seem to want to have cyber sex, I hit the delete button quick. I’m a happily married woman, after all. So I don’t know exactly how men perceive the books, only that I do have male readers who enjoy them. It’s the women who tell me they find my books very liberating and also the books have made them bolder with their partner, more comfortable with sex, etc., and if that’s all I accomplish before I die, I’m pretty happy with it.

Noveltown: Did anything get in the way of your imagination when deep into discovery and fantasy regarding writing Voyeur?

Lacey Alexander: When I’m writing erotica, it’s very necessary to turn off my internal “edit button,” to simply not censor myself. When I first started writing these books that part was a challenge – I had to pretend no one would ever read them but me. And I will admit that there are a few scenes in my books that I can’t quite believe I wrote, because they’re so contrary to the real me. But I’ve written enough erotica now that it comes pretty easily and is just part of the job.

Noveltown: Thanks for taking part in this interview. Just one more thing. What's coming next?

Lacey Alexander: Thanks for asking! I actually have lots in the works! As you know, VOYEUR came out in May, and it went back for a second printing after just a week on the shelves! In July, CITY HEAT becomes available – which combines the first two novellas of my City Heat series in one print volume (the novellas are available individually as e-books through www.ellorascave.com). In September, I have a short story in an anthology called SEASONS OF SEDUCTION III. My contribution is called THE PIRATE AND THE PUSSYCAT and is a fun Halloween romp. Then in April 2008, Penguin will release my second novel with them, SEVEN NIGHTS OF SIN, which is an erotic odyssey through Las Vegas. Readers can learn more about these and my other books by visiting me online at www.laceyalexander.net.



Thank you so much for a great interview. I enjoyed it!

Pick up your copy of Voyeur here . Also check out Lacey’s myspace .

Lara Tupper talks about her novel A Thousand and One Nights, literature, pop culture and her obsession with Barry Manilow – By Melinda Carroll

Lara Tupper is the author of A Thousand and One Nights, a graduate of the MFA Program for Writers at Warren Wilson College, is a teacher of fiction writing at Rutgers University and a proud member of the Barry Manilow International Fan Club. Sure she has traveled the world as one half of a lounge-singing duo. She artfully infused her debut novel with lounge singing experiences, duo misadventures and tales of exotic locales. And seriously, she’s not afraid to admit her Manilow love!




Photo by: Robert Mitchell

In A Thousand and One Nights, Tupper takes the reader on an adventure with Karla a 20-something girl trying to figure out her life while faking the glamorous lifestyle of a lounge singer, which turns out not to be so glamorous. Karla soon finds herself in a relationship and lounge-singing duo with Jack and together they travel to foreign locations. I’ve been on a couple cruises myself, and the behind the scenes look at shipboard life had me clawing for a Kleenex from snorting with laughter.



Tupper’s literary ability is to use humor and sadness to tell a poignant tale of a doomed relationship while still remembering to wow you with little details along the way.

You don’t have to be a lounge singer or even an entertainer to relate to the characters in A Thousand and One Nights. I found little pieces of myself effortlessly written between the lines. If you’ve ever worn a fake smile, or been in a relationship where you depend most on the person you’re growing apart from, you too might find yourself entrenched in Tupper’s book.

Recently, I had a chance to talk to Lara Tupper about her novel, pop culture, travels and her obsession with Barry Manilow…



Here’s the interview:

Noveltown: Your story A Thousand And One Nights is about a lounge singer on a cruise ship and in exotic locations. I understand you used to be a lounge singer yourself. How much of the book is influenced by your own lounge singing experiences?

Lara: Yes—I was one half of a musical act. Just like that sad duo in Lost in Translation, singing to no one in a posh Tokyo hotel. It’s a job that sounds glamorous, but isn’t!

I used my observations of place in the book. When I worked in Abu Dhabi and Dubai and Shanghai I took notes, and these sensory details were useful when I began to draft the novel. (I like to start with setting, a vivid sense of place.) But the day-to-day life of a lounge act, particularly in a five-star hotel, just isn’t very interesting. So I ‘fictionalized.’ I plotted. I had to jazz up the lives of Karla and Jack to provide some kind of narrative arc.

Noveltown: A Thousand And One Nights appears to be packaged as chick-lit. I found it to be more literary in scope. How would you classify A Thousand And One Nights? And how do you feel about ‘labels’ in the publishing world?

Lara: I’m very glad to answer this question! And I’m glad you see this book as literary. If anything, I suppose I’d classify ATAON simply as a novel about travel and coupledom and music—a book with pointed pop culture references.

I think the chick-lit label is problematic because it implies that a book is meant to be read by a certain demographic. And I find the term itself a little confusing-- not at all subversive (as in “we are chicks, hear us roar”). It’s become synonymous with ‘light’ subject matter and I’m not sure why that is. Because it’s written by women about women? A book such as Nick Hornby’s High Fidelity (a book I adore) is also a novel about pop songs and relationships. It’s narrated from a male point of view and yet it’s certainly not a book meant only for men. So I think the label chick lit points to a misconception or a double standard based on gender: Women write books for women while men write books for all.

That said, I think there’s nothing wrong with ‘light’—and I think it’s entirely possible for novels to be both ‘entertaining’ and substantive. In A Thousand and One Nights, I try to use pop lyrics in service of humor and to place the reader quite firmly in the mid to late 1990’s. But I also try to say something about disillusionment.

As for labels in publishing in general, I think it’s easier, from a marketing perspective, for a work to be summarized succinctly. We depend on the sound byte-- we like to have things spelled out for us quickly. But it’s irritating to go into a bookstore or a music store and be unable to find something because I don’t know what shelf it’s on. If chick-lit ends up on a specific shelf and a reader isn’t in the habit of going there, I think that’s bad for authors and publishers alike.

It’s interesting that the book seems chick-lit packaged. I love the cover—a simple blue ship in an art deco design with a brightly colored title. (In fact, I have a very nice Myspace comment from Noveltown about this: “That boat on your book cover is icy blue... and coming right at your readers.”) I wanted to include a CD too—all pop covers performed by the fictional duo. But maybe that would be a deterrent!

Noveltown: Karla and Jack in the story portray how one can be in a relationship and still feel very alone and isolated. The foreignness of the locations further demonstrates the feeling of isolation and hopelessness of Karla’s situation. Would you care to comment on the dysfunctional relationship of the central characters and whether isolation was an intentional theme?



Lara: I wanted to highlight the confusion twenty-something’s tend to feel, particularly after college, the aimlessness of not knowing exactly what to do with your life. And by extension, the myth that an American can ‘find’ herself though travel, that in tourism exists an answer. I think the dissolution of the relationship is a way to think about loose ends in general. The book is also about false fronts, faking it—how this can distort your sense of reality if done for too long. In performing, the ability to be ‘false’ is a tremendous strength; in love, not so much.

Noveltown: Also in A Thousand And One Nights, Karla dreams of leaving her lounge-singing duo and possibly becoming a photographer. How did you make the transition from lounge singer to: graduate of the MFA Program for Writers at Warren Wilson College, a novelist, and a teacher of fiction writing at Rutgers University?

Lara: I hope I was slightly cheerier about the whole process than Karla! I found the transition from singing to teaching to be a positive one—probably because teaching is a lot like performing. Practice helps, experience helps. A sense of humor certainly helps. What’s lovely about teaching is my students’ participation—it’s not all on me. I teach workshops and discussion classes where students speak a lot, argue a lot about their own fiction and the class texts. They’re a noisy bunch. It’s a cliché, but they make me smarter and noisier. They force me to follow my own advice about writing.

Noveltown: As a lounge singer you’ve traveled the Mediterranean and Caribbean, Thailand, Japan, China and the United Arab Emirates. What was your favorite country or location and why?

Lara: Shanghai was a wonderful place to be. Unlike Karla, I actually saw a lot while I was there--the food, for one! The Old City is known for it’s dim sum and I sampled freely. There was just so much to eat and smell and do. I like New York City for the same reason: I step outside into drama and chaos, daily—it’s never dull. Exhausting sometimes, but never boring.

Noveltown: Karla’s tedium with pop songs and stage wardrobe is humorous. Is there a song that you’ve sang a million times that now makes you flinch when you hear it? Can you describe for us your best or worst stage outfit?

Lara: Thank you for asking this! I have a whole closet filled with dresses I don’t have the opportunity to wear anymore. My favorite is a very short copper-sequined number that I’ve never actually been brave enough to wear. The worst were just outfits in very bad shape--clothes that desperately needed to be dry-cleaned or refitted and I just couldn’t be bothered. I think some of my hairdos, too, were quite embarrassing. Frizzy, big hair—just very bad hair days. Big hair was hip when I was in college and it took me ages to get over this.

As in the book, the Titanic theme song was HUGE in China. My range isn’t so high and I’m certainly not Celine Dion. So that one was always a challenge for me and a tremendous disappointment for the audience, I’m sure.

Noveltown: I noticed on your website that you are a member of the Barry Manilow International Fan Club. Was that for professional reasons or are you a true Manilow fan? By the way, rumor has it that one of the Noveltown team is a Fanilow, and another member once owned the 45 of “Copacabana”, although he won’t admit it.


Is Lara Tupper a Manilow stalker?
Photo by: Jill Kaplan Tupper

Lara: We Fanilows need to stick together! I’m absolutely serious about my BMIFC membership--there’s a long, sad tale that follows. I’ll try to make it short: My Nana bought my first Barry album when I was five. As a ‘tween I had a Barry poster (white jumpsuit, feathered hair, medallion) and actually kissed it every night. I had a bumper sticker (BARRY M. LOVES LARA T.) and somehow convinced myself that he’d sent it personally (again--my Nana). And then, in 1993, I worked at Interlochen Arts Camp in Michigan and SANG with him! He needed a back up choir for a concert there, the very last verse of “I Write the Songs” at the end of the show. So I sang the song and that was it--I never even met him backstage. I’ve since been to Vegas to see him with my mom and to Madison Square Garden to see him here in NYC. He’s my Myspace friend, which is nice, but I’m still dying to meet him. I’ve even thought about enlisting Oprah—she has a page on her site called Do You Want To Meet A Hot Celebrity?. (If you apply and have a convincing enough case, she’ll help out.) I think Barry would enjoy the book—he was a lounger himself in the early days.

Aren’t you glad you asked??


Tupper and Manilow a match made in Heaven!
Photo by: Jill Kaplan Tupper

Noveltown: What’s on the horizon for Lara Tupper?

Lara: I think I’ll keep writing Fanilow-lit! I’m actually at work on a novel about the life of Paul Gauguin from the perspective of his wife, Mette Gad, who stayed at home with their five kids while Paul ‘painted’ young Tahitian girls. They had an intense correspondence and I’m fascinated by her. Why did she put up with it, exactly?

(“Copacabana” could apply to this setting too, I think.)

Noveltown: Thanks for hanging out with Noveltown and discussing your novel.

Lara: Thank YOU. To music and passion!

Ain’t got that writing feeling? – By Melinda Carroll

You’re a writer, you sit down at the computer to write, but nothing happens. The prose isn’t pouring from your fingertips onto the page. You’re frustrated. You can’t find any inspiration. You’re not motivated. You just don’t feel like writing.

Most writers have experienced a lack of writing energy at one time or another. I know I have. Salon.com has some good advice for writers needing motivation.

“You know, to me it seems possible that all the dire things you imagine could be true, and you could still write. You might very well be lazy, afraid of failure and undisciplined and still write. You might lack the urge and still write. You might not be a writer and still write. After all, a writer is just someone who writes. If you're writing, you're writing. It's a verb.

As a writer, you are dependent on others. Why should you believe that you can write without any external stimulus? If you need to meet with a writers group, enroll in a class, arrange with a mentor or writing friend to share work on agreed-upon deadlines, or if you need to work out a schedule of deadlines with your editor or agent, then please do so. This is often the case. The idea that a writer works only from inner inspiration is, I think, a bit of a romantic myth, rooted in the idea of writer as solitary and mysterious hero. The writer may be that, but he is also a person in a web of community, and he is also fallible. He may be lazy and unable to meet deadlines; he may be, as I am, fearful of completion. So there is nothing wrong with building into your life some structures that compensate for your weaknesses. We are not supermen. We all need a little help.

There will be times that you have to write even though you don't feel like it. In that sense, writing is like your other roles in life: It requires you to do things you don't want to do. You do it because that is your role.”

(Read the full article)

So Writers, treat writing as a role in your life. Something you have to do instead of a talent you use when you feel like it. Writing is a verb after all. And Noveltown is waiting for your finished manuscripts.

Critical Mass reports the Memoir is not dead – By Melinda Carroll

Critical Mass the blog of the National Book Critics Circle board of directors states in a blog posted Tuesday, February 20, 2007 that the Memoir is not dead.

John Freeman writes:

“Last summer, around the time we were supposed to be burying the memoir thanks to the excesses and lies of its practitioners, a few bright lights -- several of them now finalists for the NBCC's 2006 prize for autobiography, like Donald Antrim, Daniel Mendelsohn and Alison Bechdel -- showed the form was going to survive the Nasdij, LeRoy, and Frey correction. These books were getting great critical acclaim, though maybe not selling in the numbers they would have before high noon happened on Oprah's show.

Well, it looks like those sales have returned too: this week, 11 of the 15 books on the New York Times paperback bestseller list are memoirs (of a sort).

Former NBCC finalist Liz Gilbert has climbed all the way to #3 for "Eat, Pray, Love," which apparently has over 350,000 copies in print in paperback alone. Over on the hardcover list, 6 of the 16 books are memoirs.

Looking down the catalogue lists for 2007, it looks like there is more noteworthy writing to come.”

(Read the full article)

Is your life story good memoir material? If so, your memoir might be right up Noveltown’s alley. Submissions accepted here.

Video publicity the newest trend in the literary world – By Melinda Carroll

How many hours a day do you spend watching videos on youtube.com or movie trailers online? With millions of people tuning in… clearly video makes a difference.

Poets and Writer’s magazine reports that the literary world is jumping on the video bandwagon.

“Taking their cue from the film industry, in which a well-produced trailer is infinitely more valuable than a print advertisement or press release, commercial publishers such as HarperCollins and Houghton Mifflin are taking advantage of new technology to offer promotional videos on their web sites to augment their traditional publicity campaigns.”

(Check out HarperCollins Digital Media Café with downloadable videos).

“VidLit Productions (www.vidlit.com) in Santa Monica, California, has created promotional videos for publishers such as Penguin, Random House, and Bard Press, and uploads them to its own web site as well as more than seventy-five others, including YouTube. The book trailers, or VidLits, as they are called, can also be accessed using mobile devices such as iPods and video cell phones. “There’s no barrier to distribution,” says VidLit founder Liz Dubelman.”

(Read the full article)

Video is not new to Noveltown. With Noveltown’s Zowietown video productions and videos uploaded to Noveltown’s blog Paperback Writer; Noveltown’s been promoting Bakersfield’s music, art, theatre and film scenes for a while now. Book trailers or VidLits is a natural evolution in video for Noveltown.

Patricia Wakida announces she’s leaving Heyday Books – By Melinda Carroll

After eight years as the Development Director of Heyday Books, Patricia Wakida is moving on to bigger and better things.

“My time at Heyday has been extremely meaningful to me, not the least of which has been working with all of you… I finally have no excuse to put off my own writing and research. It will be quite an adventure, and I am thrilled to attempt it all.”

Noveltown and Paperback Writer wish Patricia all the best in her new endeavors.

Writer’s Digest says creative lollygagging is the cure for writer’s block - By Melinda Carroll

Writer’s block. Every writer experiences it. Staring at a blank notebook or computer screen, waiting, waiting, for the light bulb to go off over your head. Waiting for that brilliant idea that will be the next great American novel. How do you combat writer’s block? How do you make those brilliant ideas form in your head and find their way onto the page?

Michael J. Vaughn states in an article for Writer’s Digest that creative lollygagging is the cure for writer’s block.

“Picture yourself as a satellite dish. The way a dish receives signals is a decidedly passive activity, but nothing comes in until the equipment is properly charged and opened to the universe. A few years ago, ensconced in one of my "brewing" modes—done with my last novel, waiting for the next to come a-knockin'—I decided to take my dish to the beach and open 'er up…

If you subtly stimulate your other senses—in this case, tactile (the glass) and auditory (the ocean)—you can take the "edge" away from your conscious, purposive mind, return the satellite dish to a state of active passivity and open yourself to the forces of serendipity. And if you come to the beach for frosted glass, you'll also get ideas for your story, slipping in along your peripheral vision.”

(Read the full article, which includes a creative lollygaggers to-do list and the coffee house ritual).

Now quit staring at your blank computer screen, get to lollygagging and be creative. Your next great novel, and Noveltown’s, could be outside literally lying on the ground.

Indie Presses and Writer’s reminiscent of American Punk Rock - By Melinda Carroll

An Argument for Writers’ Taking Charge by Johnny Temple, publisher and editor of Akashic Books of New York, while written in 2005, is an article that captures the spirit of Indie Presses and Noveltown to this day.

“Today’s indie publishing community is in some ways reminiscent of American punk rock in 1982. In that era, bands took it upon themselves to carve out networks that would connect the punk scene in San Francisco to the one in Phoenix, the one in Lawrence, Kansas, to the one in Washington, D.C., to Amsterdam’s, to Belgrade’s, to Israel’s, to Bangkok’s, and beyond. Working closely with indie labels, bands did the dirty work of booking their own tours and driving in decrepit vans and sleeping on floors and in parking lots—hammering out a vibrant (and, yes, highly flawed) new underground culture where one didn’t exist before. A similar grassroots approach to local- scene building—and to the networking between those scenes—is under way in indie literature.”

A grassroots approach to local scene building and networking… now that is what Noveltown is all about!

Temple goes on to make the argument for why writers should work with independent publishers.

“For starters, one’s editor at an indie is often the publisher herself, who can’t easily up and leave for greener pastures…

And independents are often far more attentive to their books, and more creative with their marketing, even if their budgets are smaller…

Reaching beyond traditional venues and actively seeking out new audiences, rather than waiting to be “discovered,” young writers and publishers are rolling up their sleeves and carving out new networks through which literature can be promoted…

The love of books remains the guiding principle for almost all indie publishers.”

(Read the full article)

Noveltown loves books and writers and we’re working hard to connect the indie literary scenes as we grow in the world of indie publishing.

Literary agent reveals the importance of the first two pages – By Melinda Carroll

It’s a writer’s dream to be a published author. So how does an author keep their novel that they’ve poured their blood sweat and tears into from ending up in the slush pile? Literary agent Kristin from Denver Colorado reveals in her Pub Rants blog just how important the first two pages of your manuscript are.

“I’d say, on average, that I can tell a NO within the first two to five pages of a submission.

I know this is probably appalling for writers. How can ANYONE make a determination in such a short span of pages?

Trust me. Spend one week at an agency reading the submissions and after you’ve read thousands and thousands of partials, you know.

Like a good melon…”

(Read the full blog)

So hone your pages before submitting your manuscripts. Noveltown is always looking for good writers to publish. Submissions accepted here.