Middle Grade Ninja Episode 06: Author Susan Kaye Quinn

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Author and indie publishing expert Susan Kaye Quinn and I discuss her career in publishing as well as her approach to writing and editing. She shares many tips for how to be successful as an indie author. You'll want to revisit this episode a few times and take notes because Susan has more knowledge than could ever be packed into a single episode.

Click here to see Susan Kaye Quinn face the 7 Questions.

Susan Kaye Quinn is a rocket scientist turned speculative fiction author who now uses her PhD to invent cool stuff in books. She writes young adult science fiction, with side trips into adult future-noir and  sweet royal romance. Her bestselling novels and short stories have been optioned for Virtual Reality, translated into German, and featured in several anthologies.

Susan grew up in California, got a bunch of engineering degrees (Aerospace, Mechanical, and Environmental), and worked everywhere from NASA to NCAR (National Center for Atmospheric Research). She has designed aircraft engines, studied global warming, and held elected office (as a school board member). Now that she writes novels, her business card says “Author and Rocket Scientist,” but she spends most of her time inventing her stories, petting her cats, and rescuing her Roomba from evil socks.

Susan writes full-time from the Chicago suburbs with her three boys, two cats, and one husband. She is a member of SFWA (Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America) and is represented by Sarah Hershmann at Hershmann Rights Management.

Warrior faery princes can be very stubborn. Especially when they possess your body. Fourteen-year-old Finn just wants to keep his little sister out of Child Protective Services—an epic challenge with their parentally-missing-in-action dad moving them to England, near the famous Stonehenge rocks.

Warrior faery Prince Zaneyr just wants to escape his father’s reckless plan to repair the Rift—a catastrophe that ripped the faery realm from Earth 4,000 years ago and set it adrift in an alternate, timeless dimension.

When Zaneyr tricks Finn into swapping places, Finn becomes bodiless soul stuck in the Otherworld, fighting spriggans with sharp teeth and rival faery Houses. Back on Earth, Zaneyr uses Finn’s body to fight off his father’s seekers and keep the king’s greatest weapon—himself—out of his hands. Between them, they have two souls and only one body… and both worlds to save before the dimensional window between them slams shut.

Faery Swap is an action and druid-magic filled portal fantasy, told by both a runaway faery prince and the boy he’s tricked into taking his place. This Prince and the Pauper meets Warrior Faeries tale is suitable for all ages.

Includes four interior illustrations.

Fantastic Irish and American accents in this fun warrior faery fantasy!

SusanKayeQuinn.com

Book Review: WISH YOU WEREN'T by Sherrie Petersen

First Paragraph(s): IT’S MIDNIGHT AND I’M FLAT ON MY BACK on a patch of grass in front of our hotel room, hoping that no one looks outside and wonders what the weirdos from California are doing. 
Tonight is the peak of the Perseids meteor shower. Every year my mom drags us out of bed just to see the shooting stars. My brother’s on one side of me, squirming around, trying to stay awake. My friend Paul’s on the other side, snoring. At least he already knew our family was crazy before he came on this vacation with us. 
When I was younger, I thought it was cool to get up at midnight and watch the stars. Tonight I’d rather be in bed. Like Dad. I swear it’s still over a hundred degrees out here. And don’t get me started with the mosquitoes.

Did you have a good weekend, Esteemed Reader? Never mind. I only ask as a segue to telling you about my weekend. You might ask why I bothered with the formality of inquiring about your weekend when I could've just started by telling you about mine. Well, Esteemed Reader, I didn't want to be rude:)

I have three siblings and I spent my weekend reunited with them and all the new members of the next generation. My poor nephew used to be the only baby in the family and we fawned over him. Then he had a little sister and a little brother and now two baby cousins and while we still fawn over him--of course we do, he's adorable--there's less fawning time to be allocated just to him. The pool of resources that was only his now has to be shared equally with others who have encroached on his territory. Countries go to war in this scenario, so is it any wonder there's such a thing as sibling rivalry? Having once been the only baby (long, long ago) before my little brother and sister arrived, I feel my nephew's pain.

This weekend was the perfect time to be reading Wish You Weren't by Sherrie Petersen, which is a book all about sibling rivalry. Middle grade readers are going to eat this story up. It's fun and charming and has all the feels. I knew I'd enjoy it as it comes highly recommended by old friends of ours:

“I love all the science details mixed with fantasy in Wish You Weren’t — just the kinds of flights-of-science-fancy I wish I had as child!” 
SUSAN KAYE QUINN 
bestselling author of The Mindjack Trilogy, Faery Swap and Third Daughter 

“Fun and accessible, rich with realism and heart, this magical adventure reminds us of the things truly worth wishing for.” 
CASEY McCORMICK 
literary agent intern and blogger at Literary Rambles

I am quite pleased to see more and more books being blurbed by bloggers and fellow indie authors. Having recently had a blurb of my own grace a book, I know it's a thrill, and I love to see authors and bloggers supporting each other in this way. Blurbs no longer need to be handed down on a mountain top. Casey McCormick is a blogger I've long known and trusted and her blurb carries more weight with me than the blurb of a formally posh literary magazine. And regular Esteemed Readers know I hang on Susan Kaye Quinn's every word:) Both these folks have been critique partners of mine. 

Meet eleven-almost-twelve-year-old Marten and note how Petersen tells most everything we need to know going in during a discussion seemingly about wishing on stars:

I roll my eyes. Mom always has her head up in the clouds, dreaming impossible dreams. I’m not really sure how she ever became a respected scientist. The guys in her lab would die laughing if they heard her talking about wishing on stars. 
My dreams are much more down to earth. Get through middle school without ever experiencing swirlies. Install an alarm system on my bedroom to keep my brother out. Change my parents’ minds about moving to Texas. 
I stifle a yawn and wonder how much longer we’re going to stay out of bed. When the sun comes up, it’ll be our last day of vacation here in Corpus Christi. If you can call visiting cousins and looking at model homes a vacation.

Marten's biggest problem is his little brother Aldrin (yes, named after Buzz):

Sometimes I think the reason my parents waited so long to have another kid is so that they would have a built-in babysitter.

Marten doesn't believe in wishing upon stars despite the charming Disney song. His dad embarrasses him, his mom placates him, and his little brother annoys him. He's in a tough spot we older siblings know all to well. Some people like to think of childhood as the finest time of life, and certainly it has its charms, but at a cost. Children have very little say in their day-to-day lives and that's poor Marten. He doesn't want to move. He doesn't want to be a babysitter, but he has very little choice in the matter. It's this powerlessness that makes Marten the perfect candidate to have a wish come true and to at long last have a say.

Even though the whole wishing on a star thing has never worked before, I’m willing to give it one more try. I take a deep breath, squeeze my eyes tight and make my wish. Sweat drips into my ear as a mosquito buzzes around my head, then . . . 
Silence. 
I relax my tensed muscles and listen for any telltale sounds. I open one eye and look around. 
Aldrin is staring up at me, his brown curls bouncing around his face. “What’cha doing, Marten?” 
I sigh. So much for that. 
Aldrin jabs me in the ribs, reminding me that I’ve failed. Again. 
I jog back toward the room, biting my tongue to keep the words inside. 
I’m wishing you weren’t here.

To be fair, prior to this wish Aldrin has been extra obnoxious. He's broken Marten's 1978 Han Solo action figure complete with The Rebel Alliance Medal of Honor. Noooooooooo!!!! I'm with Marten on this one. That kid's gotta go:) By the way, multiple references to Star Wars in a book about wishing on stars is the right call.

Marten doesn't give his wish much thought as everyone knows wishing on stars, while fun, is a mostly meaningless activity beyond articulating your goals and centering your focus on achieving them (always a good idea). Marten almost forgets his wish until the next day when this happens:

I rub my eyes, sure I’m just seeing things. But he’s still fading. In slow motion. I reach out to grab him, but my hands pass through his body. I glance around for help, but Paul looks like he’s frozen at the trashcan and no one else is near. Even the lady in the cowboy hat has wandered off. 
Panic twists my stomach into knots as I turn back toward my brother. Aldrin reaches for my hand, his mouth seems to silently scream my name. 
“Can you hear me?” I try to hold him, watch my hand pass through his rapidly disappearing body, squeeze the air that used to hold his form. 
And then he’s gone.

Now that's a situation! Marten's parents are quite concerned to learn their son has disappeared Marty McFly-singing-Earth-Angel style. Will Aldrin return in time for a rousing rendition of Johnny B. Goode!?! It's all good and well to wish your siblings would disappear, but the actual experience of it would be terrifying, I think. 

And speaking of movies, in addition to being a Star Wars and Back to the Future fan, I'm positive Sherrie Petersen's looking forward to that new X-men movie the internets are currently buzzing about. Whilst in a history museum, Marten and his buddy Paul find themselves suddenly the only people moving. Everyone else is frozen, then they move backwards in time, then they move about unable to see our heroes, and then one particularly interesting child from the past can see them, and then they travel through limbo:

“Limbo? Seriously?” I focus back on Aldrin. He doesn’t seem to be tiring of this constant motion. Not that the little guy tires out easily. “Isn’t Limbo like for Catholics and people who play Dungeons & Dragons?”

Wish You Weren't reminded me quite a bit of the classic A Wrinkle in Time. Our heroes are on a mission through space and time to save a loved one and are guided by a strange adult who seems to know the terrain, but is peculiar and not entirely trustworthy.

This weekend, as I read this book, I thought of the many times I wished my siblings had disappeared. None of them ever broke an original 1978 Han Solo doll, so I suppose they can be tolerated. All I can say to the Martens of the world is it does get better. There may come a day, many, many days from where you currently are, that you may be grateful for your brothers and sisters. They're the people who've known you longest and in some ways best and they preserve your past as you preserve theirs.

So is Aldrin returned to existence? Esteemed Reader, you'll have to read the book to find out and you should. Wish You Weren't is a fun tale with a story geared toward younger readers, but which will be enjoyed by older readers as there are plenty of tidbits aimed at adults. There's a pleasant twist at the end and you might just get a little emotional before it's all done.

As always, I'll leave you with some of my favorite passages from Wish You Weren't:

My brother’s face lights up. That look makes me nervous. His innocent face always fools people, but not me. I know he’s a devil in cute kid clothing.

The problem is, my mother actually has no concept of time. Whenever we go to someone’s house and she says, “Okay, Marten. Stop playing that video game. It’s time to go,” what she really means is, “Stop what you’re doing and stand here and be bored while I keep on talking to my friend.”

Everything is deadly quiet. It’s like I’ve stumbled into the back room of a creepy department store and all the mannequins have surrounded me.

Every muscle in my body tenses. Paul squeezes his eyes shut, like that’s going to make us invisible again.

STANDARD DISCLAIMER: All reviews here will be written to highlight a book’s positive qualities. It is my policy that if I don’t have something nice to say online, I won’t say anything at all (usually). I’ll leave you to discover the negative qualities of each week’s book on your own. 

7 Questions For: Author Susan Kaye Quinn

Susan Kaye Quinn is the author of the bestselling young adult SF Mindjack Trilogy. The just-released Debt Collector series is her more grown-up SF, meant for ages 17+. 

Susan grew up in California, got a bunch of engineering degrees (B.S. Aerospace Engineering, M.S. Mechanical Engineering, Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering) and worked everywhere from NASA to NCAR (National Center for Atmospheric Research). She designed aircraft engines, studied global warming, and held elected office (as a school board member). Now that she writes novels, her business card says "Author and Rocket Scientist," but she mostly sits around in her pajamas in awe that she gets paid to make stuff up.

All her engineering skills come in handy when dreaming up dangerous mindpowers, future dystopic worlds, and slightly plausible steampunk inventions. For her stories, of course. Just ignore that stuff in the basement.

Susan writes from the Chicago suburbs with her three boys, two cats, and one husband. Which, it turns out, is exactly as much as she can handle.

And now Susan Kaye Quinn faces the 7 Questions:


Question Seven: What are your top three favorite books?

At the moment, Hugh Howey’s Half Way Home has invaded my brain and taken up residence. I listened to it on audio, and it was just beautiful, brilliant, and moving. I have a new target to aspire to, in terms of authorly awesome. I used to want to write a book as awesome as Scott Westerfeld’s Leviathan, or Holly Black’s White Cat, or Suzanne Collin’s Hunger Games, all for their brilliantly inventive storytelling and fantastic voice. But Hugh is my new benchmark for his ability to combine beautiful words with heart-wrenchingly moving stories. 


Question Six: How much time do you spend each week writing? Reading?

As much as I possibly can, often to the detriment of sleeping, personal care, and domestic duties. At least I haven’t started drinking scotch or smoking cigars—aren’t those supposed to be the proper vices for writers? In all seriousness, I’m trying to transform my writing addiction into something that resembles writing efficiency, and I’m reclaiming more time for my passion for reading.

Question Five: What was the path that led you to publication?

A delightful question! Wish I had a simple answer for that. For my first novel (Life, Liberty, and Pursuit, a YA romance), a small-press publisher came to me: an early beta-reader had joined their team, and she was in love with the story. I never actually planned on publishing that one, but I decided it would be a great learning experience. And it was! 

I queried a couple other novels before deciding to self-publish Open Minds, the first in my YA SF Mindjack Trilogy. The time ever since has been a head-long, dead-run of writing, publishing, rinse, repeat. Now, I’m a firm believer in indie publishing. I’ve had some interest from other publishers, and I won’t rule out releasing a book through a publisher in the future, but it will have to be the right offer for the right book. Generally speaking, I’m concentrating on writing the books I want to write first, then figuring out the right publication path for them second.  

Question Four: Do you believe writers are born, taught or both? Which was true for you?

Writers simply are—born into the world with a unique perspective, molded by their experiences, and intentionally brought into being by a dedication to learning the craft. Writing is thinking; writing well is clear thinking. Everyone is capable of doing this, but not everyone devotes the time to learning the craft to do it well. 

I came to writing fiction as a career later in life (taking turns as an engineer, scientist, and politician first), but I was always thinking, consuming the world, and using words to describe my perspective on it. I’m self-taught in the craft of fiction writing, believing that my Ph.D. in engineering entitles me to opt out of the classroom and design self-study programs in things I want to learn. (Which is not to say that some writing workshops aren’t worthwhile – I’m attending two this fall given by masters in the craft). 

Question Three: What is your favorite thing about writing? What is your least favorite thing?

Writing has allowed me to become whole, integrating all the sides of me: analytical, adventurous, emotional, intellectual. I love that it’s opened up this whole other side of me, giving me a passion I plan to follow the rest of my days. 

My least favorite thing is that it taps into all my fears simultaneously. I understand (now) that fear is part of the process, but why couldn’t free martinis be part of the process? Or extra shiny hair? Snakes. Why did it have to be snakes? #gratiutousIndianaJonesReference

Question Two: What one bit of wisdom would you impart to an aspiring writer? (feel free to include as many other bits of wisdom as you like)

Don’t hold back: be merciless to your characters and to yourself. Dive into what scares and frightens and excites you. Dare to be your truly authentic self—in the creativity business, that uniqueness is your main asset. Don’t fear it; treasure it. And hunt it down with a knife.

Question One: If you could have lunch with any writer, living or dead, who would it be? Why?

I’d have lunch with Hugh Howey. I’ve already had dinner with him, so lunch would be a nice variation. I’m sure there’s more I can learn from him about the craft and business, and I was able to control my fangirling (mostly) the first time. If he’s booked, I’d love to chat up Scott Westerfeld, just so I could listen to his wild creativity in person. He enthralled me the one time I heard him speak, and I’m sure he has more for me to soak up.

www.susankayequinn.com

Book Review: OPEN MINDS by Susan Kaye Quinn

WARNING: This book is actually YA and contains some adult language and content. I wouldn't go so far as to call it an 'R,' but maybe a strong 'PG,' if not edging toward 'PG-13.'

First Paragraph (s): A zero like me shouldn’t take public transportation. 
The hunched driver wrinkled a frown before I even got on the bus. Her attempt to read my mind would get her nothing but the quiet of the street corner where I stood. I kept my face neutral. Nobody trusted a zero to begin with, but scowling back would only make the driver more suspicious. I gripped my backpack and gym bag tighter and climbed the grime-coated steps. The driver’s mental command whooshed the door closed behind me.

..., Esteemed Reader. What's that? You couldn't hear me? That's odd. I was thinking my thought right at you. Wait, you can't read minds either!?! Well, shoot. I guess we'll have to stick to traditional written communication for the rest of the review. Yawn.

I'm so excited about this week's book, Esteemed Reader, and I can't wait for you to read it. Open Minds is frequently available for free on Amazon, and depending on when you're reading this, you might be able to go download it for free right now. Or pay some money. Either way, get your hands on this book anyway you can and while you're at it you may as well pick up Closed Hearts and Free Souls (love those titles), because you're going to want to read the whole Mindjack trilogy. 

In the interest of full disclosure, author Susan Kaye Quinn is an old friend. I've mentioned this before, but I knew Susan back when she was writing mostly middle grade. The book I was working on at the time was a science fiction story, and I can't think of a better critique partner (sorry Mike Mullin) than a rocket scientist and engineer. Susan's a lot smarter than I am and a heck of a lot braver. That's cool. One of my life strategies has always been to hang around people who are smarter than I am.

We're going to talk about the book, I promise, but Susan was maybe the first or second Esteemed Reader ever to introduce herself when this blog began. She professed a love of Ayn Rand, but I've tried not to hold that against her. I remember I was interested in her because her blog was better than mine. It still is, and you could be reading it instead of this right now:) In no time, Susan and I were swapping critiques and tales of submission woes, which is what writers talk about until later in their careers when they talk about money. I held out until I got an agent, Susan went indie, and when I think of indie authors, it will always be Susan Kaye Quinn I think of. 

Because I told her not to do it. 

No, Susan, I said, don't publish an amazing trilogy that will be beloved by readers around the world. No, Susan, don't produce a product far superior to the majority of traditionally published books. No, Susan, don't promote your books more effectively than most traditionally published authors and build a huge fan base. No, Susan, don't become such a huge success I'm left eating my words watching you boldly go where I was too cowardly to follow:)

Susan Kaye Quinn, here, in front of the internets, I formally apologize. You were right and I was wrong. What I didn't know and you did was that you're a force of nature who was always going to be a success no matter what path you chose. By watching you, I learned to be a better blogger, and now I'm watching you to learn how to be a better author. 

Enough with that. Let's talk about Open Minds. Movie Preview Voice: In a world where everyone can read minds, the only crime, is not being able to, but being able to jack into other people's minds is also a crime, because, well, Kira can also do that, and, um. Oh heck, I'm going to let Susan explain the premise. She's better at that than I am too:

Long ago, everyone used to be zeros. When those first reader kids hit puberty and discovered they could read minds, the world didn’t know what to make of it. That first wave of Reader Freaks grew up to have more Reader Freaks. 
Now the only freaks were the few people who never changed. Like me.

If I had been born ninety years ago, I would have felt this way every day. Back then, it was the first readers who were different and paid the price for it. Grandma O’Donnell’s stories about the camps where the government held her dad and the other early readers still gave me the creeps. 
Only later did they find the pharmaceutical cocktail that had been brewing in the world’s drinking water supply. The mixture of drugs was everywhere, around the world, and by the time anyone understood what was happening, it had already started to activate the part of people’s brains that sensed thought waves. And it was too late to stop it.

Pretty cool, right? I once had a depressing dream I was the only X-man without a mutant power (self esteem issues much?). That's kind of what sixteen-year-old Kira Moore's life is like:

The longer I remained a zero, the more likely I would be that one-in-a-thousand who would never change. Zeros didn’t attend college—no one trusted them to do real work, so what did they need college for? I’d have to get some low-paying job where I wouldn’t have to mindtalk or be trusted. At least I didn’t live in a country where they sent zeros to asylums. In Chicago New Metro, I’d just be relegated some job that readers couldn’t stand, like guarding the demensward of a mental hospital.

If I didn’t change, boyfriends would be like college—an experience other people would have while I figured out my life as a zero. I pushed that thought from my mind.

The stage is set and wonderfully so. Kira's journey as a protagonist is clear. She has to fight to prove her worth in a society that cast her out. Whatever Susan writes for the rest of this book, she has to address this story issue, and it cannot be saved for books two or three. 

More, this is the universal appeal of Open Minds, certain to appeal to every teenager ever. Who hasn't felt separate, apart, and rejected by our peers, especially during the cruel social experiment that is high school? All psychic mumbo jumbo aside, this book is a mother assuring readers they're not alone in feeling awkward and there's hope that they'll find their place, as most of us do.

But the psychic mumbo jumbo is the best part! Kira isn't just a zero. She has super powers. In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king, and in the world of mind readers, the girl who can control the thoughts of those around her is queen. In a twist worthy of The Twighlight Zone, Kira discovers she can "jack" the minds of others and control them as though using the imperius curse. And they don't know she's done it.

If that idea doesn't capture your imagination, nothing will. I lay awake a long time after reading Open Minds imagining what I might do with such an ability (I'd make people read books instead of watching Cheaters). And to Susan's credit, she demonstrates her teenagers using their powers for many likely activities, such as buying beer:

Simon’s command echoed through the attendant’s mind. We’re going to buy this.
 Well, sure you’re going to buy that. But you need some money, friend. 
From the tired sound of his thoughts, this wasn’t the first time Simon had jacked him to illegally sell beer. I nervously checked the parking lot. With my luck, one of my dad’s Navy buddies would stroll in to find his friend’s daughter buying alcohol. 
Simon handed the man two pieces of white plastic, both small and square. The attendant took the cards and held one up, examining it as if it wasn’t completely blank. In his mind, the card appeared to be a driver’s license with Simon’s picture.

All things considered, Kira and her friends show remarkable restraint with their jacking abilities. And I'm showing remarkable restraint in not sharing with you the many passages with uses of the verb "jacking" that made me giggle, because I'm forever twelve (hangs head). Kira has some fun learning to use her power, but just when things are getting a little too cozy, she's introduced to a secret society and a government conspiracy and a whole lot of action and intrigue, enough to fuel a full trilogy. 

And there's still time for spice:

He pulled me closer and his kiss was gentle, but the hot liquid feel of it still made my body sing.

Oh my goodness (fans self to cool down). Kira is, naturally, caught between two boys: her friend and the bad boy, both devastating handsome, naturally. If the plot and intriguing premise don't grab you, the love triangle will. Open Minds has something for everyone. 

It's a well written, well crafted novel, better than most traditionally published books I've read and a prime example of what I love about the indie market. Susan Kaye Quinn hasn't failed to produce a traditionally published novel, she's produced something better on her own terms that eager readers can't get anywhere else. Esteemed Reader, you owe it to yourself to read this book and to pay close attention to this author while she still has time for our emails because she's only going to get bigger and better from here. I doubted her once. I won't make that mistake again.

As always, I'll leave you with some of my favorite passages from Open Minds:

I had as much chance of passing his class as the chair I was sitting on.

All thoughts of telling Raf the truth flew away like birds scattering before an approaching cat.

I was the worst friend that had ever lived. All Raf got from me was lies and insults to his face. I resembled that sludge, the green stuff that forms a slimy coating on the outside of cheese that was so old it had become hazardous waste. That was me: toxic green ooze. There was nothing to do with cheese like that but throw it out.

Simon pulled into the entrance. The car’s beams sliced white blades through the ash trees lining the forest drive.

Gray metal warehouses lined up like ammo cases and caught the red glow of the setting sun. Jagged shadows made the ramshackle buildings seem ready to collapse.

STANDARD DISCLAIMER: All reviews here will be written to highlight a book’s positive qualities. It is my policy that if I don’t have something nice to say online, I won’t say anything at all (usually). I’ll leave you to discover the negative qualities of each week’s book on your own. 

Review Policy Amendment, Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Indie Book

It's an exciting time to be an author, Esteemed Reader. I can't tell you the number of times I've heard industry  insiders bemoan the lowly state of modern publishing because it's nothing like it used to be and the empire is crumbling. If I had a once cushy job at a publishing house and I'd seen my pay slashed and my friends laid off, I'd also be bemoaning the series of mergers destined to one day result in one publisher run by five interns.

But I never had a cushy publishing job. And things change. My grandfather owned a newspaper, my father worked for a corporate newspaper; I run a free blog. Things change.

But change is so often a good thing. In college, a friend of mine had to declare bankruptcy when his printed literary magazine in which he interviewed writers and reviewed books went under. At his height, he had a respectable subscription of just over 500 readers. As of this post, I average 60 times that number of readers every month (and growing), and this blog costs me a little less than $100 a year to run. And only that much because I lack the gumption to ask some writers to give me free books to review. I already had a copy of Watership Down, so Richard Adams got a pass:)

I love literary agents and editors. Esteemed Reader, you know I do. I never would've got the readership I was just bragging about without them. But my loyalty is not, nor has it ever been, to the traditional publishing model. I care about good stories well told. Any way a talented writer can get to me and capture my imagination, short of coming to my house and shouting her story while I'm trying to sleep, is okay with me--having to specify this is a natural outgrowth of being friends with authors like Mike Mullin:)

That being said, my review policy is out of date and needs to be amended. Since the start of this blog, I've been refusing indie authors. My view of the self-published author has been one of disdain. I understand a writer wanting to get their story out by any means necessary, but so frequently the result is a published book not yet ready to be published. I've resented indie authors because why should it be so easy for them when it's so hard for the rest of us slugging away at the traditional model?

Things change.

It used to be if a book was published by a major publisher, a reader could at least expect a certain standard of quality. For whatever reason or reasons, that's been slipping. You know I only comment on the positive aspects of the books I review here, but that doesn't mean I don't catch all the atrocious mistakes and errors. I've been telling my critique group for a while we have to be more vigilant in editing our work because we can't trust publishing houses to catch our mistakes.

Too many writers have I seen recently thrust up on stage without their publisher first noticing their fly was down. Too many traditionally published books have I read with awful passages I wouldn't let my worst enemy publish without at least a word of caution.

Things change.

I read Open Minds by my old friend Susan Kaye Quinn and I'm ravenously devouring the collected works of Hugh Howey. I've started reading an indie author every other book and what I'm finding is a lot of garbage, but in-between the hay, there's the occasional needle. I've now read indie books so good I tell friends about them, and why shouldn't I tell you about them, Esteemed Reader?

Like Scrooge the morning after, I've discovered the true meaning of Christmas. What I love is great books. I don't care who publishes them. So, knowing the onslaught of emails about to bury my inbox before I finish this sentence, I, Robert Kent, Middle Grade Ninja, being of (mostly) sound mind, hereby lift my unreasonable ban of indie authors.

I want indie publishing to flourish. How could I not? Is this a traditional print literary magazine you're reading? I've been "indie publishing" this blog for years. No one asked me to do it, no one gave me permission. I just did it. How could I think less of any fellow writer for doing the same?

However, I AM NOT GOING TO REVIEW SLUSH.

The other reason I've summarily turned down indie writers for years is so I don't have to say "no" to individuals. That ends now. If you're an indie writer and you submit a book to me, know that I'm going to hold you to a higher level of accountability because you don't have anyone to blame for your book's lack of quality but yourself. If I don't think your book is ready for mainstream consumption, I'm not recommending it.

I'm no gatekeeper. But anytime I review a book here, I'm spending time away from my family, my writing, and other books. I'll keep an open mind and check out free samples, but if I don't want to read your book or I don't think Esteemed Reader will like it, I'm not going to feature it. Nothing personal. It's just like, you know, my opinion, man. Don't worry about it, indie author. Go find another blogger or write a better book, or better yet, do both.

If I were traditionally publishing these reviews, I'm sure someone would be in a position to tell me what books to read. Of course, I might also be getting paid:) But there's no money, and it's just you and me, Esteemed Reader. So let's try something new. It might be fun.


If you want me to consider your self-published book, here are the ground rules going forward:

1. Your book must be professionally presented. If I can't stomach the thought of your book's hideous cover marring the front page of my precious blog, it's not going to. If you haven't bothered to format your book in an orderly fashion, that doesn't give me much hope for your writing. If you don't take your book seriously, I'm not going to either.

2. Your book must be middle grade or young adult. I would think calling this blog MIDDLE GRADE Ninja would make this clear, but judging by the emails I get, not everyone's picking up what I'm laying down.

3. The Ninja reads free. You may be the next Richard Adams, but that remains to be seen. If you want me to consider your book, you have to give me a free Kindle copy. It's a marketing cost, dude.

4. No means no. If I say I'm not interested, leave it at that. Don't make me be the bad guy. I don't have to critique your work--you should've had that done before you published. And I don't have to explain myself. The reason I decide not to review your book may be because a butterfly flapped its wings in Central Park. Don't send me hate mail. Move on. If you're a real writer, you should be used to rejection.

That's all the rules I can think of for now. We'll see how this goes, then maybe I'll add some more.