The Association of American Publishers, Penguin Random House, and Twitter will feature authors during the third Twitter Fiction Festival scheduled May 11-15, 2015.
Margaret Atwood, Jackie Collins, Lemony Snicket, and Chuck Wendig will participate through creative posts.
Check into it. It’s bound to be fun and inspiring!

Phil Harvey is the multi-award-winning author of Show Time, a psychological suspense thriller. He’s offering a free copy of one of his short story collections on Amazon through Mar 29. Click here for your copy.
ABOUT PHIL:
Phil Harvey is an award-winning author, philanthropist and libertarian whose stories won a prize from Antietam Review and were nominated for the Pushcart Prize. His dark fiction and controversial ideas have broadened debate on violent entertainment, relationships and sexuality. At the core of his fiction stand the motives, methods and goals of the characters. Here he talks about his latest novel Show Time and the release of three new collections: Wisdom of Fools: Stories of Extraordinary Lives, Devotional: Erotic Stories for the Sensual Mind, and Across the Water: Tales of the Human Heart.

LC: Your three new books are collections of short stories in which characters touch something important in themselves or in others.
PH: The centerpiece of my fiction is always the individual. I like to put characters in demanding physical/psychological settings that force them to respond. Frankly this saves work and imagination because some responses are fore-ordained. Other ideas come from experience. Fly fishing. Sex. Upbringing. And so on. Some ideas even spring from other books. Really, the stories run the gambit. A few end in death, one in time travel, a few in redemption.
Show Time engages with seven people and their idiosyncrasies, lust, belligerence, and desire to survive. How they are attracted to each other, how they fight with each other, how they sometimes undermine and then strengthen each other. They boil, they confer, they fight, they make love—but overall, they must survive.
For all my characters, life goes on but is changed.

LC: Tell us about Show Time. The novel challenges seven reality show contestants with the possibility of starvation or freezing to death.
PH: My book explores the use of violence and death as entertainment. We already have real-world examples like the potential fatal violence that helps fuel the popularity of car racing. We like violence. It fascinates us. That’s why it leads the news every night. My idea is that policymakers someday will, perhaps without knowing it, encourage certain kinds of violence to keep people satisfied. Presidents like wars—even though they won’t admit it. Wars unify us. We always support the troops. So deliberate steps to encourage controlled violence are not so farfetched.

LC: Your fiction is occasionally threaded with darker impulses. Why delve into the shadow side?
PH: A wise writing instructor once said, “People don’t read nice. It puts them to sleep.”
I write dark-side fiction because that’s the only kind people read. I am not especially interested in venality, violence (which I really do not like), human weakness, etc. but these are essential elements of fiction. Of course we’re all fallible, and some of my fiction reflects this theme.
In Show Time, the producer arranges for a murder to happen on the show because her entire focus in life is on her ratings. Nothing else matters. We humans can get blinkered that way and occasionally take desperate measures to keep things on track. That’s true reality. But overall, I write in this vein because it is artistically satisfying and readers demand it.

LC: In Beena’s Story an Indian woman is disfigured by acid, in Virgin Birth a surrogate mother is attacked, and Show Time explores personal and social violence. How do you address violence without becoming graphic?
PH: Writing that is too graphic turns people off. Different readers (and writers) have different limits; mine are probably about average. Some would say I’m too cautious but bodies run through and guts spilling out simply seem unnecessary and distracting. It comes down to a matter of style. A very clear case is the “cozy.” There’s always a murder but never a body.

LC: These three new books include one that has a more erotic tone yet you don’t shy from sexual activity in stories that aren’t specifically erotic. Is there a line here, too?
PH: As to sex, I think I provided the appropriate amount of detail in Show Time and, very differently, in Vishnu Schist, Swimming Hole, and Devotional. Sex scenes can be sexy, even graphic as in Devotional, but clichés must be avoided like the plague. In Charlie Stuart’s Car got a little close to that, I think. I’ll let readers decide.

LC: How do you align your dark fiction with your Huffington Post article about the world getting better?
PH: The reality is that dark impulses, especially violence, will always be there. The world is getting better in part because we are learning to curb our natural violent instincts. We sublimate by watching violent sports. Boxing. Football. NASCAR. We punish. Murderers and rapists are jailed. And so on.
Backing this up must be the rule of law. People are capable of unspeakable horrors. And that includes nice, civilized people. See the enforcers of the Holocaust. See Uganda. See North Korea. The fact that the government has a monopoly on legal violence (wars, executions, etc.) is a good thing. The great majority of citizens want violence curbed, and only a governmental entity can do that consistently.
So, yes, humans will always love violence (see video games), and in the societies that function best, violence will be sublimated. Hence my novel Show Time. Hence my short story Hunting Dora.

LC: You support the rule of law but some of your stories demonstrate abuses of power. Should readers beware authority?
PH: No society can exist without rules that prevent people from harming others. But the government can be a poor purveyor of justice. Where’s the justice in the War on Drugs? Where’s the justice in taking (by force) billions from hardworking taxpaying Americans and giving it to rich farmers and agricultural corporations? And on and on.
The government is necessary for some things, and I appreciate that. An army. Rule of law. Enforceable contracts. But it is not such a stretch to depict the government as complicit (behind the scenes!) in a brutal scheme to satisfy Americans’ lust for violence as in Show Time. Readers should worry, because government’s perfidy is backed by government force. The worst perpetrators of violence have been governments. Stalin. Mao. Hitler. Pol Pot. Dystopian fiction is perhaps popular because in the digital age it seems more feasible. Big brother is watching.
On the other hand, people are generally very good about making decisions for their own lives. Over two centuries or so we’ve seen that life can be pretty successful and satisfying in democratic, free market societies. That’s why messy democracy is so terribly important.

LC: What’s the takeaway for readers of your fiction?
PH: I would hope they have journeyed to a place they would not have seen without the novel or one of the stories…that they experienced it and enjoyed being there, became engrossed, and had the pleasure of a good read. I always welcome emails with serious and thoughtful questions. I invite readers of Show Time to think about the complexities of violence. Perhaps this is worth considering: “War unites us. Love divides us.”

LC: It’s interesting that some of your stories revolve around activists. Your own efforts range from philanthropy to utilizing social marketing to distribute birth control, yet some of your characters view “do-gooders” with sharp cynicism.
PH: We compassionate humans so love to think highly of ourselves that we do “good” things without using the brains god gave us. For a decade the U.S. sent huge amounts of grain to India. Result: Indian farmers couldn’t make a living, Indian agriculture stagnated, Indians were generally worse off than they would have been without our “help.”
Doing stuff that feels good instead of stuff that will acutely help is something I really abhor. Feel-good giving is self-indulgent and occasionally cruel. It’s great to feel superior to that panhandler on the corner, so give him a dollar (and assure the future of panhandling) and think how morally superior you are. Whatever you do, don’t think about how you could actually be helpful. Not emotionally satisfying!
So the cynics in my stories are right, only it’s not really cynicism. It’s clarity. It’s intellectual integrity. If you want to help people then empower them to take control of their lives. And don’t expect gratitude. You’re doing your job; they’re doing theirs.

LC: What’s next for you?
My most promising novel is Just In Time, in which a Wall Street trader is deposited back in the Pleistocene era. The other, Indian Summer, follows a Peace Corps volunteer’s transformation fighting famine in India during the 1960s. I plan to write more short stories focused on the transformative powers of sex and alcohol.
As for myself, I will continue enjoying my married life, being a stepfather, and nurturing my very promising grandkids. And, of course, I’ll continue organizing projects that promote civil liberties through the DKT Liberty Project, work to end the War on Drugs, and debunk yahoos who ignore the reason and science behind immunization and the genetically modified crops that can relieve suffering worldwide.

Check out the actual complaint here.
This is brought by two primary individuals who spent $25K and $10K on their books. Basically they talk about all the stuff we’ve heard about Author Solutions in the past: AS makes their money off authors, not for authors; AS sells “marketing” packages that do nothing to market books; AS grubs and grubs for services that are very poorly delivered and end up giving no value to the manuscripts.
The fact that this company is owned by Penguin Random brings shame on one of the world’s largest publishers.
When the two companies joined, I was in disbelief. But perhaps, I thought, PRH will reform the company and make it useful and valuable to indie authors. Perhaps this is a sign that traditional publishers and indie publishers can find ways to work together for the benefit of both.
Apparently not.
As long as these types of places exist, authors are at risk. And the longer these types of places are associated with traditional houses that otherwise have long records championing literature, the worse off the entire publishing field is going to become. A stain on such a venerable institution is a stain on the entire industry.
Please share and RT to help protect your fellow authors!

HarperCollins, Jonathan Cape, Little, Brown, and Tinder Press are all opening up to submissions from authors who do not have agents. ~Gasp!~
Why on Earth would these leading companies suddenly change an age-old gatekeeping mechanism to allow anyone to submit?
Could be finances. Authors who aren’t represented usually receive offers that have lower advances, lower royalty percentages, less lucrative royalty breaks, and lower marketing budgets. Add all that up, and publishers could save quite a bundle.
Trust me. The 15% authors save by not paying an agent is not going to pay off under these circumstances.

The Designer III position will be responsible for designing and composing/typesetting multi-purpose Bibles and academic-level titles for various outputs including print and digital. Routinely involves complex designs where handling immutable content is structured to accommodate the integration of ancillary text from multiple sources. Position also requires project-related administrative work (production workflow).
Click here for details.

Gotham Ghostwriters, New York’s only full-service writing firm, is seeking an entrepreneurial publishing professional with strong industry connections to lead and scale up our growing Bookwriting practice.
This is a rare chance to capitalize on a sure thing — or as close to it as you’ll get in today’s unsettled publishing world. Our Bookwriters Group is operating in a booming market with no real competition and, best of all, an unbeatable asset: the peerless network of more than 200 accomplished ghostwriters and editors we have built since launching the division three years ago. The reputation we have developed for delivering reliably high-quality service to the diverse universe of authors we work with -– from top CEOs and tech experts to the next generation of thought leaders looking to make a name for themselves — doesn’t hurt either.
Click here for details.

For the last 10 years, publishers have really pushed authors to be active on social media. The importance they gave ranked so high on their lists they checked social media sites for an author when considering whether to offer a contract.
The reason was they thought social media would help authors connect with readers.
While that’s certainly true, publishers are realizing that social media isn’t the siren’s call they thought. Books aren’t sold on most social media accounts. There are ways to increase sales using social media but trust me, it isn’t really by using an author’s own accounts. (If you’d like help making sales for your books on social media, connect with me…I’ve helped authors achieve bestseller status on Amazon and rack up hundreds of reviews.)
What you need to know is that if you’re interested in querying agents or publishers, you don’t have to focus so much on social media anymore. The importance they give your accounts is shrinking now. Some still think it’s paramount, yes, but their numbers are dwindling.
So don’t write tweets or updates. Instead, write your stories and books!

Must-read for anyone thinking of self-pub as an option. Avoid the scams!
Bay Area Book Festival Defends Author Solutions Sponsorship.

Oversee written content strategy and product development processes for Our Daily Bread Ministries and Discovery House, including writing and editing. Responsible to see that content quality and effectiveness is maintained globally, and delivery goals for US-produced content are achieved.
Click here to apply.

Award-winning independent book publisher seeks an innovative marketing and publicity manager for its expanding line of nonfiction books for teens and young adults.
Who we are
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Click here for details.

Tortured characters you just can’t help feeling sorry for:
–Hester Prynne in The Scarlet Letter. Girl just wanted to get her groove on.
–Gregor Samsa in The Metamorphosis. Doomed to be drowned in Raid.
–Ivan Ilyich in The Death of Ivan Ilyich. The title says it all but oh! what horror he lives until then…especially in that last hour.
–The demon-possessed woman in The Brothers Karamazov. She was so stressed out and overworked, she needed to become posessessed to get a break. Maybe she worked at Amazon’s warehouse?
–The lovers in any romance novel. Just let them get together already!
Your vote?

Leah Griffith is the award-winning author of Cosette’s Tribe (review here). She joins us today for a few questions about her writing process, her books, and her inspiration.

LC: When did you begin writing?
LG: I was in my late teens when I began writing. I felt a push within, something deep and soulful trying to find a mode of expression. In the early years my writing took on more of a spiritual nature. This type of writing has always helped me to remember how to breathe. In my twenties I began writing short stories and essays.
My mother was an avid reader, and shared her love for great literature with us children. When she was carrying me, she was reading Victor Hugo’s Les Miserable`s, and fell in love with young Cosette. Consequently she chose that as my middle name. As a kid I hated the name but after reading Les Miserable`s myself, I became proud to have the name and delighted to name my protagonist Cosette.

LC: Cossette’s Tribe is somewhat autobiographical. What drew you to writing about certain times in your life?
LG: I’ve always felt the urge to write about my life in hopes that I could recycle my pain and use it to help others. This sort of powerful exchange helps me to remain a victor rather than a victim.
My life so far can be divided into three parts. Early childhood, ages 1-4: these were the magical years before the first sexual assault took place. During that phase I felt connected to unconditional love, and still possessed the lighthearted twirl of being a little girl.
Ages 4-14 were a belly crawl through impossible situations. These were the years of abuse, where shame kept me isolated from “…everything nice.”
And 12 through today: these have been the messy years…and the best of years. It has been a time of getting up and getting up and getting up again, and feeling the generous healing power of my fall downs. These have been the years of sunny ah-has and moody reflections, illuminating all that I believe in and discovering that my little girl dreams could still be found optimistically tucked between bravery and forgiveness.

LC: Tell us about the second book you’re working on.
LG: My latest novel is a continuation of Cosette’s Tribe. In book two, we find 14 year-old Cosette still living at home with her mother and sexually abusive stepfather Ken. Although Cosette was able to put an end to Ken’s advances a couple of years before, she now faces his vindictive side where Ken’s main form of entertainment is how to make Cosette suffer for rejecting him. Cosette continues to search for purpose as she follows a pale stream of hope into the future.
Cosette’s mother remains clueless about the past sexual abuse and spends most of her time playing referee between Cosette and Ken. But Cosette has more sinister foes to face; enemies of her own making, for the escape route she chooses from her unhappy childhood could shatter her young life in an instant.
I’m aiming for a launch of book two (still untitled) in the spring of 2016.
LC: Meanwhile, you can read more from Leah at her blog or her other blog.

LC: What do you hope readers experience while reading your books? What do you hope they take away?
LG: It took me years to find the courage to write Cosette’s Tribe because of the personal nature of the story. Presenting my novel as a work of fiction created a cushion for me, providing just enough space between myself and the story, which was sorely needed. My hope was that my words would inspire readers to get back up after they’ve been knocked down, no matter what their struggles are. I want to encourage readers to trust life and embrace their own stories, perhaps discovering that it takes a certain amount of light to cast a shadow, and ironically, it’s that light which moves us beyond our pain.
As a woman I found creating this work incredibly empowering. It helped to move me from the space of a silent victim into the place of a vocal victor. It’s a mighty feeling to take part in one’s own redemption…to be your own hero.
LC: Connect with Leah on Facebook.

LC: Tell us about any awards or honors you’ve received as an author. What did those honors mean to you as an artist?
LG: Cosette’s Tribe is a self-published work, which means that it’s up to me to market and sell my precious story. Although I’m a bit shy and I should probably push a lot harder with the marketing of my novel, Cosette’s Tribe is not without awards and honors.
Cosette’s Tribe was the first place winner of the 2011 Laine Cunningham, New Novel Award present by The Blotter Magazine. As a new author this was thrilling for me. After all, this wasn’t family and friends praising me, it was my peers, and it meant the world to me, as did the fat check and prizes they gave me.
Cosette’s Tribe took first place for both Best Novel and Mainstream Fiction in the 2013 eFestival of Words Best of the Independent eBooks Awards. Cosette’s Tribe was also chosen by Florida Weekly’s book reviewer Phil Jason as one of his favorites for 2012.
Of course my biggest reward has been the overwhelmingly positive response from my readers.
LC: Find Leah’s book trailer and website here.

LC: Cossette is told from an intimate viewpoint of a young girl. How did this present challenges to your prose? How did you overcome those challenges?
LG: The language I chose to use while writing Cosette’s Tribe was a challenge. I had to “Be the kid” in order to write the kid. I kept things simple using the pure language of childhood when creating metaphors and expressions. Sometimes it became very difficult when describing scenes of a sexual nature, requiring me to enter and feel the darkness of a situation anew.
Writing Cosette’s Tribe was a work of bravery requiring me to look at my childhood with both eyes open. This is how I discovered the light in my childhood, which was there all along. I just never noticed it because of the trauma I endured. It was the surprise of seeing this happy light that kept me writing, and it is this same generous light that I hope to share with my readers.

LC: Describe your writing space.
LG: My writing space is wherever I can open my laptop and type. I wrote most of Cosette’s Tribe on an ancient IBM laptop facing a blank wall at work. Today, I write from half a tiny booth in my kitchen. My husband Mike uses the other half to run his online business. Our booth is the only writing space in the 350 square-foot trailer that we share with Duchess, our tiny dog. I also do my artwork from the booth. Virginia Woolfe would be appalled.

Well, trolls come in every shape, yes?
Recently I posted about the lack of leading roles (or even fully formed roles) for women, GLBTQ, and ethnic characters (link here). When the post was shared on a world literature discussion board, the response was…interesting.
The discussion that ensued pointed out that I couldn’t possibly be referring to world lit because, well, the characters came from around the world. And of course, the original post “must” be referring to American lit, because again, world lit springs from beyond those borders.
But…not true.
World Lit is defined broadly as any work that circulates beyond the borders of its home nation. Therefore any American work that is sold in any other country is defined as world lit. So strike one.
More importantly, the post was about diversity in literature. So any book that does not integrate diverse characters fails the test whether it circulates beyond the boundaries of its own country or not. Strike two.
Finally, discussions should be enlightening, debate should be firm but polite. Not snarky and ego-puffed and snobby. Strike three.
The troll is out.