This just in and I couldn't be prouder!

This just in and I couldn't be prouder. I suspect this is a review from one of my FIRST Wild Card Bloggers and if so, I'm no longer worried about the kind of reviews I might get from this group that is used to reading affiliated work. OMG! What an amazing review. Thank-you Stacey. You can click here to read for yourself.

Excuse me! Never Ceese is actually about a Werewolf!

Excuse me! Never Ceese is actually about a werewolf. I find it interesting when you have a series that mixes vampires and werewolves that vampires always seem to get first billing. And I fell right into it by calling Never Ceese a vampire/werewolf story. It truly is the other way around. Werewolf fans should be pleased and even in Forever Richard, the werewolf Zade is truly a formidable foe. But when you read Never Ceese do keep in mind the werewolf is the defining character and a female werewolf at that.

The question of the day it seems.

The question of the day it seems would be to define Christian Fiction. Understandably the answer should be simple. There are many definitions depending on one's beliefs and most everyone I know, before my book was published, concurred that Christian fiction was, for the most part, fiction that was non-offensive to Christians in general with Christians encompassing many different groups of believers. I now know as far as publishing goes here in the good old US, that ain't so. You can click here to read more.

Also, since there is such a huge difference here in the US and the label Christian Fiction is actually used to define very narrowly targeted work, you might want to pay attention when purchasing books labeled as such (or rather books published by affiliated publishers who pay for the status of affiliated.) I've tried to stop using the label when referring to my work even though I don't think I should have to. But I don't want to confuse readers or support a market with my success because of labeling or branding confusion. I don't pay to be affiliated with the industry that claims this label and they don't recognize me even though I have many of their readers. Do I care? Not really. I'd just like to be able to use the label Christian without having to be associated with a particular market I don't write for. Doesn't look like that's going to happen anytime soon.

So for the record, I write horror with a little fantasy thrown in a lot of good storytelling. I write for the general market (Christians included) and both of my books so far have been approved for distribution to the Christian market. I enjoy each and everyone of my targeted readers as much as I enjoy any of my fans. ;)

Read my stories and you're bound to enjoy them. Don't read my work and you'll likely miss out on some good story-telling. I would hope you choose the first option.

Also do note that because of label confusion many affiliated publishers are tagging onto the success I've had appealing to their market even though they've yet to return the favor. There are several affiliated books out there now that claim to be like mine (without mentioning mine.) They aren't. Affiliated publishers won't let their authors write anything but targeted fiction that doesn't appeal to the general market. Just don't want ya'll to be caught up short. ;)

Stay real and stay true.

What's new with Sue!

There are a few things coming up on the calender that I want to make sure you don't miss.

First off, my publisher, The Writers'Cafe Press, has arranged for Forever Richard to tour a Christian Blog tour called FIRST on September 11th. Unlike most Christian Fiction blog tours, this one will review books that aren't targeted to a particular Christian audience. Do understand however, that while non-affiliated books are welcome, most bloggers aren't used to reading non-targeted Christian work and they certainly aren't used to reading about vampires and werewolves of lore as affiliated publishers won't broach the subject at all. (Can you say, The Shack? Overall, based on reviews, affiliated readers ripped this self-published book to shreds once affiliated book stores allowed it in despite it not coming through an affiliated publisher. Yikes! *Sue bites nails nervously*) It should be interesting to see how this plays out.

Never Ceese toured FIRST earlier this year and the reviews were for the most part wonderful. I look forward to a good tour this time around but just wanted to let you know it was coming up.

Secondly, a wonderful book club called the Open Book Society has opted to review/discuss my Thirsting for Blood Series and will make Never Ceese their book choice for the month of October. This I am really looking forward to as I absolutely love hearing from my vampire/werewolf readers. =)

What keeps me going? E-mails like this! :)

What keeps me going? E-mails like this.

There are no words for what it means to me to have someone who's been there, done that, to shed light on the subject! You taking the time to share your thoughts about all this and helping me out is so awesome of you, I sincerely appreciate it. I am new to learning about the industry as it is, let alone the battle I am up against in my future endeavors, choosing to write this kind of fiction.

What kind of fiction is that you ask? Good fiction of course, written by an author of faith who chooses to say they are one. :)

Thanks for ordering both Never Ceese and Forever Richard. You'll love them!

Christian Horror - An oxymoron? Definitely.

Applying the label Christian to something in the literary world here in the US has become a bit of a challenge. With two very successful originazations grabbing onto the label and using it to brand the very narrowly targeted fiction they put out, every author of faith not writing targeted fiction is left out in the cold. We have to use phrases like, I'm an author who is a Christian but my work isn't technically Christian fiction because I don't have an affiliated author and don't want to compromise my writing to fit strict writing conventions that will make my work unenjoyable to the general market Christian reader. Quite a mouthful isn't it.

And now we have these same affiliated publishers tacking the label Christian Horror onto the work of some affiliated authors.

For the record, there is a TON of horror out there written by grand Christian authors and we'd love to make it easier for you to find our work by possibly calling it Christian horror but we can't or we're thrown in with a group of writers that have very limited market appeal. I'm not so sure I like the fact that two associations are able to grab a label that certainly defines a wide variety of faiths to define their narrowly targeted work but apparently no one cares what I think. ;)

You'll see my work listed often as Christian fiction or Christian Horror. It is not by my hand though. Neither one of my publishers are affiliated and though I appeal to this wonderful market, I do so without meeting the rigid, strict, writing conventions that plague this market.

Watch this blog for an e-mail from a writer who says I'm her inspiration. And she hasn't even read my books yet. Actually this would be e-mail number two and I suspect there are a lot of other authors out there who wonder how in the world a horror writer can write something that appeals to the general market AND a very narrowly targeted audience of Christians as well. Gotta love it!

Love Twilight? Try one of these similar books!

Aw, check this link out Love Twilight? Try one of these similar books. Just keep in mind that though the poster referred to Never Ceese as Christian fiction, it is not published by a CBA/ECPA affiliated publisher and therefore not written for the narrowly targeted Christian market these publishers produce fiction for. It simply has a redemption theme that appeals to the readers who favor this market. :) That market doesn't recognize non-affiliated authors nor do they produce stories about vampires and werewolves or anything else as they feel it isn't something their audience wants to read.


Twilight read alike. Yeah, that's cool!!!

What in the world is up with B&N?

***Warning**** A rant from Sue Dent *****

I asked about doing a local signing at my brand spanking new Barnes & Noble here in Ridgeland, Mississippi in early June with author friend Susan Kirkland (correct me if I'm wrong on the date Susan.) No author event notification was posted on the website, no sign beforehand was up eluding to the event, (and I had the mayor show up) and books had to be ordered because a local author whose work has been short-listed for a Bram Stoker award and received overwhelming reviews from the British Fantasy Society doesn't warrant shelf space not even in the local author section. :0 *GASP*

So we bring our own books in and are told we'll be reimbursed for what is sold. Well, it's August now and still no check for either one of us. While I was on the store site today to get the number for our local store I see an event posting for local authors. I have to admit I was a little bothered but after I looked at the publishers of these books, I was flat out disturbed. There were three authors and there publishers were respectively: Tate Publishing, Publish America and Author House. Two of these companies are being called reverse vanity presses because there's no other way to describe them and both are on P&E's top ten list of presses to avoid at all cost while the other is a regular vanity press.

When I questioned the CRM she explained that she gets lots of calls from authors so they just decided to throw three of them together. She then adds that they're trying to give small publishers some shelf space.

Wow! Just wow!

FYI Technically, neither PA, Tate or Author House qualify as a small publisher. And of the two Author House is the only clean vanity press. They may actually qualify as a POD but I'm not inclined to google it to verify. You can if you want to. So for those authors who have fought the good fight and have put out the effort and money it takes to get picked up by a true traditional small press with real connections with real distributors (something that costs a lot of money that the average Joe Blow doesn't have not to mention qualifications) and is the first step to getting on with one of the larger houses, I'd steer clear of my local B&N.

But that's just my opinion. We did get free drinks while we were there so I guess that's good.

Vampire Film Festival - October 25th!

I'm soooo excited I can hardly stand it. Vamp Fest will be taking place in New Orleans this October and they found a spot for me on the Paranormal Literary Panel they'll be having. I don't have the complete details yet but they should be coming very soon. I'll have copies of both Never Ceese the paperback and Forever Richard with me to sign and sell should anyone be interested. But do make your plans now. I understand there will be a vampire ballet, short vampire film contest and just all around good scary stuff!! :D

See you there!

Lucedale, Mississippi and Mobile Alabama fans!

Yikes! I meant to post this after the book signing at Changed Hearts Creations in Lucedale. There is still an opportunity for you to get a signed copy of Never Ceese and Forever Richard while supporting your local Independent Christian Book store. I signed three copies of Forever Richard and three of Never Ceese. There are three of each unsigned as well. It will be first come first serve. :)

So rush over and support Christian Book stores eager to support ALL authors distributing through Spring Arbor, Ingram's Christian arm. You'll be glad you did.

The UK is OK with me!

Well, I've just been informed by my publisher that Forever Richard is selling twice as fast in the UK as it is here in the good old USA. I can't help but think it has something to do with the fact that many of my readers here in the US come from a market that doesn't recognize any writer from outside the camp.

Even at that, it's still selling very well in the US too. Just gotta love my British fans!!! But then, Forever Richard does take place in and around London and thanks to Peter Stephen Martin, a superb free-lance photographer and cabbie who contributed wonderful details from the drive along and from Heathrow, I can at least know something about the details were accurate. :)

Reposting old videos for new friends. :)

Here's my Thirsting for Blood book promo:



And here's one other author thing I threw together which is old, has the mock cover of Forever Richard but still okay entertainment. LOL Now to see if the link works:

Click here and cross fingers!