2014 Reading Challenge

2014 Reading Challenge
Michael has read 1 book toward his goal of 50 books.
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Showing posts with label Guest Post. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Guest Post. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Random Ramblings Guest Post (Birthday Bash)


Whoa! Welcome everyone to the last post by someone else of the month! The month is closing up very soon and the event will be over and I'll be counting down to its 3rd Birthday! But before that we still have someone here who will be doing a guest post! Today it will be Random Ramblings! I asked her her thoughts on blogging and here was her response!

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I have always been a huge book worm. However, starting a blog (that is now two years old) devoted to books and reading made the word, "book worm," mean and weigh so much more! See, the thing with me is that I have always constantly talked about books. A LOT. The problem is, with the exception of a handful of friends and family, nobody else here reads "for fun!" Who am I supposed to talk to when I want to rant or rave about something I've read or get all excited about an upcoming release or book event? Nobody really wants to hear me chat and chat about the same topic.. over and over again.

Book blogging is awesome for this very purpose. I can talk freely about books whenever I want, and the best part is, I get to hear back from people -- other book bloggers and bookworms -- who are equally (and some that are even more_ interested and passionate about the same thing I am. This to me, would probably be my number one reason for loving blogging about books.

Another thing I love about blogging, is that I have learned and discovered so many new things. First off, I feel like I'm a lot more open to new ideas now than I was before. I'm also more open to hearing other people's opinions on books. I have tried out so many new genres, authors, and titles. I picked up books that I would never even have considered in the past. With book blogging, I have also become much more aware of the book industry; author events, book releases, and general news. before, I was pretty much clueless with the industry. I mean who knew authors actually respond to emails, publishers send out reviewer copies, and that some book bloggers are actually considered as "Press"?? I know I didn't.

Through my blog, reading for me has turned from just a simple hobby that I do for fun, to something I'm incredibly passionate about. I really can't imagine quitting blogging, and I know for a fact I will never consider quitting being a reader.

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I was the same way before I found about blogging and when I did find it, it was this whole new world and even today I'm still discovering it.

I want to thank you for doing this guest post and celebrating this awesome day with me! May our blogs keep being awesome! Haha =P

If you want to check out more of her blog and stuff, check out her;
Webiste: www.randombookishramblings.blogspot.com
Twitter: @ramblings2010
Facebook: Random Ramblings


And don't forget to check out all of the posts from the beginning;

The Subtle Chronicler's Birthday Post
Andy Gavin The Darkening Dream Giveaway
Posted by Michael Antonio Araujo at 3:39 PM 0 comments
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Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Andy Gavin Guest Post (Birthday Bash)


Hey guys I'm back! Due to me working this past weekend literally all day, every day I wasn't able to post some more posts for the Birthday Bash! But we're still a few days away from the end and there's enough time for them to go up now! So bam! Today I bring to you Andy Gavin, a really awesome author and he writes well at that! Who knew?! >.>

He was awesome enough to give me a guest post that is actually pretty awesome to read! So I present to you; Andy Gavin!


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      Modern man has a wide variety of "pure" storytelling mediums, like film, long form television, and novels. While these have some very significant differences they all share the same basic focus on plot and character. Typically at least, good stories introduce a character with problems, get you to like them, then chronicle the struggle as they are compelled to change and adapt to overcome these problems. In the end, they either do so, or are defeated to teach us a lesson (a variant we call tragedy).
     These elements: character, plot, and transformational arc, are completely central to the normal story (I deliberately ignore weird experimental storytelling). Really, they are the core of what makes a good film or novel.
     But with a game, this whole business is secondary. The primary focus of a game is fun. And fun through gameplay. Does Tetris have any character or plot? Or even Doom? No. But they were fun games. Really fun. Games such as Naughty Dog's Jak & Daxter or Uncharted strive to bridge these gaps by offering both. This is very difficult because they don't really serve each other.
     The gameplay for Uncharted 2, for example, has three primary modes: survival gunplay, platforming, and puzzle solving. The player must assess the layout of the level, learn it, and navigate it without getting killed. This involves anticipating the enemies and taking them out first. You use the weapons at your disposal, the mechanics, and the terrain provided to do so. With platforming you need to come to understand what the character can do physical, find your way, and successfully traverse the route.
     When these are done well, when the design is varied, the levels pretty, the enemies cool, and the challenges measured, challenging and above all, doable - it's fun. Uncharted 2 is such a game. It also has a pretty darn good story which is woven in with the design of the levels and the challenges. This adds to the whole thing. Watching the next segment of story becomes part of your reward for finishing a segment. There is a tremendous level of art that goes into getting both of these to work at the same time, but certainly each is constrained at times by the needs of the other.
     Content in games is expensive and difficult to make. Therefore it needs to repeat. You really do need to shoot the same enemy hundreds of times. Otherwise the enemy isn't providing enough mileage to justify the labor involved to create him. The player is also in control and therefore the consequences of his play affect success or failure.
     But in storytelling, success and failure are the carefully monitored heartbeat of any good story. You bring the protagonist up, dash him down, grind him into the ground, lift him up, slam him sideways. I knew this intuitively when writing my first novel, The Darkening Dream. I've read so many books and watched so many films and shows that it seemed "obvious." But at the same time, it turned out to be far from easy. Writing a good story has less constraints than making a good game, but it's still extremely difficult. You need to be constantly balancing the issues of character, motivation, the logic of the plot, and the need to seesaw the dramatic tension. In the end stylistic concerns sometimes overwhelm dramatic ones (to the reader's detriment).
     In a game, it's even more complicated, and there is barely a chance of hitting all the right dramatic notes. The player has a lot to say about this natural up and down pacing, so the story-based game tries to separate how well you are really doing from the actual plot. Usually death of failure in the game causes the player to merely repeat some segment of the game (and hence the story), when they finish the level and get the next segment of storytelling, they'll get it regardless of whether they died once or 100 times. The better player merely proceeds faster.
     This is different, but even more problematic in a less linear game such as World of Warcraft. There, the mechanics of the game heavily distort the conceits of storytelling. The story is even broadly linked to the chronological evolution of the game in real time. For example, in December of 2009 Blizzard released the Icecrown Citadel patch of Wrath of the Lick King, making it possible for players to finally reach and confront the ultimate boss of the expansion (the titular Lich King). But the fact is, in order to properly maintain the reward mechanics of endgame raiding, each character was and often did, progress through this segment of the story once, or even twice a week.
     Now, two years later, the Lich King has been defeated, the world of Zeroth has been broken, yet it's still possible to go back to Icecrown and take on Arthas again. And again. Ditto for any of the several hundred even older bosses. Players accept that they have random access to a long and convoluted story. In fact, the need to generate so much gameplay in WOW has created a body of lore that gives the Silmarillion a run for its money. But the way in which it's experienced mutes the emotional intensity.
     What really provides the excitement in WOW (and many other games), isn't the question of whether the dragon queen Onyxia lives or dies, but the -shall we dare say- drama of whether she does tonight, for us, the  group fighting her. And more importantly, will she drop the Nemesis skullcap (arbitrary cool piece of loot) one has been trying to get for six months.

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That was one awesome ass guest post, especially since because being a geek, I understood everything he was talking about and all the things he referenced. So I want to thank you, Andy Gavin, for being awesome and helping me out and giving what you could during the event. I want to thank you for that very first email you sent that got to let me know both you as an author and your work. Here's to many years of you writing!

If you want to check out more about Andy, and of course you do, be sure to check out his;
Website: http://all-things-andy-gavin.com/
Twitter: @asgavin

And don't forget to check out all of the posts from the beginning;






Posted by Michael Antonio Araujo at 3:00 PM 0 comments
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Wednesday, May 23, 2012

J. Lloyd Morgan Guest Post (Birthday Bash)


Hello everyone and welcome back! Today I have another author who was kind enough to write a bit for me and came up with a guest post. Basically I've been asking him the same thing that I've asked other authors; his thoughts on blogging. And this is what he gave me;

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Behold, the power of the blog.

When I first heard of the word "blog", I thought, "Great. another new technical word to go along with email, tweeting, and texting." My second thought was, "Why would I want to read someone's blog? After all, isn't it just like reading someone's journal or diary?"

Once I became a published author, I started connecting with other authors. Almost without exception, they all had blogs. After studying them some, I began to realize the power of blogging.

I'm old enough to remember life before the internet. *GASP!* Back then, getting information about my favorite movies, authors, and musicians was difficult. Newspaper and magazine articles were really the only way. But now with the power of the internet, the ability to connect with the masses is easier than ever. Blogging is one of those ways.

When I post a blog, the topic can range from what I'm working on next, to observations about society and even to just plain silly things. It seems to be working as I am averaging over 7,500 hit a month on my blog.

But the most valuable part of blogging, at least to me, is the direct interaction I can have with people who like my work. Granted, it's not all, "You're the best author ever!" Actually, it's rarely that. However, I'll get comments or people will contact me directly about any number of things.

And it makes an impact. There is a character in my first book, The Hidden Sun, who people really hate - which is a good thing considering he is the antagonist. While writing the second book, The Waxing Moon, I had no intention of including him, but because of the strong feedback from readers, I created a sub-plot just for him. In the end, it made the book that much better.

And then there are those wonderful folks who have created blogs primarily to review books. I'm not sure if they understand the power they hold. Most of my favorite books were ones suggested by friends. I rarely buy a book based on a "professional" critic's point of view. In my personal opinion, bloggers reviews are more open and honest - and therefore more trustworthy. I choose books now based on what I read on blogs.

Publishers are taking notice. My publisher does giveaways of my new released on Goodreads. They will send out copies of my book to bloggers. The time and money spent on doing that has eclipsed sending out copies to magazines, newspapers and such - at least from what I've seen.

How long will blogging as we know it stick around before it evolves into something else? Who can say? In the meantime, I'm enjoying the ride.

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It's weird to think back what I thought about blogging myself before I joined in on the fun. I don't think I had an opinion on it so I jumped into this whole new world and still today I'm learning. I'd like to thank J. Lloyd Morgan for doing a guest post, especially on such short notice. Aside from being an amazing author he's an amazing person and his books are really good at that.

To get to know more about him check out his;
Website: http://www.jlloydmorgan.com/
Blogger: http://jlloydmorgan.blogspot.com/
Twitter: @JLloydMorgan

Be sure to check back in half an hour for a giveaway!


Also, check out all of the posts for the Event from the beginning;

Posted by Michael Antonio Araujo at 3:00 PM 0 comments
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Thursday, May 17, 2012

Can't Find A Bookmark Guest Post (Birthday Bash)


Hello everyone and welcome to another day of our event. Today we got two things for you. The first one is a guest post that will be in this post of course. And the other thing will be a giveaway hosted by our lovely Can't Find A Bookmark!

Basically I asked a very dear friend of mine who has been there since day one of my blogging experience on her thoughts about her own blogging experience. Her response...

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Book blogging has become a very popular trend over the last few years. After almost three years of writing reviews, doing giveaways, and promoting new books some people would wonder: why do you keep doing it? Out of the probably hundreds of book blogs out there, it is a far cry from being an original concept. The content from blog to blog is usually pretty much the same, so what makes it worthwhile?

The one thing that has always kept me blogging, no matter how busy with school and my job I get, is that I love to share new books with other people. Whether it be an old book or an ARC from an upcoming author; getting to talk about the pros and cons of a book, the character development, the rise and fall of the plot, always gets me excited. That giddy feeling you get when you start a new book and get sucked into the story to the point where, for a while you actually become the character, will never cease to be an amazing experience. With every new book, it's a whole new adventure you get to dive into. Countless times I have cried over a character death, laughed out loud at some hysterical moment, and about thrown a book in disgust or surprise.

Being able to experience that with other people who geek out about it just as much as I do, is always the highlight of my week. So that's what will always keep me blogging (at least in the foreseeable future); that connection I get with fellow book worms that forms a strong friendship no matter the physical distance.

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Wow, I have to say that I agree 100% with what she said. The connection we get with not only the novels but with the people we meet is just too strong to not continue anymore. And I'm so grateful to having met Ky who is such an amazing person and puts up with so much! Haha.

If you want to check out more of her stuff like her blog (obviously) check her out at Can't Find A Bookmark at which she is currently holding an international giveaway that is part of the event to win a book of your choice. I know you all want a book of your choice so go ahead and check it out right now!

Follow Ky's twitter over at @FindABookmark

Check out all of the posts from the beginning;

The Subtle Chronicler's Birthday Post
The Subtle Chronicler's Giveaway
Ellen Hopkins Guest Post
Ellen Hopkins SIGNED ARC of TILT Giveaway
Posted by Michael Antonio Araujo at 3:30 PM 0 comments
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Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Ellen Hopkins Guest Post (Birthday Bash)


Welcome to another post in my Birthday Bash! Today is a guest post that our lovely Ellen Hopkins was so kind enough to take some time and write it up. I asked her about her thoughts on social networking and literature in today's world. Here is her response...



I know it probably seems like forever ago since I first stated publishing books. Truthfully, my first nonfiction book published in 2000, followed by twenty more nonfiction books for middle grade readers within a four-year time frame. My first novel, Crank, published in October 2004. Myspace was the social networking site at the time, still on an upswing. Very early in my fiction career, I began to realize the power of Internet self-promotion.

Blogging, likewise, was just starting to catch on, so I surfed the early wave, which was more about personal blogs and less about reviews. The value of reaching wide segments of the population was never in question. But exactly how it could be utilized to build-or level- careers, well, that is a trend I've witnessed with something approaching awe. And look how far all that social networking has brought us in the last few years.

I'm not sure exactly how book blogging got started, or who started it. I do know that fairly early on, a blogger or two found my books and began discussing them. I believe the earliest were BookChic and teensreadtoo. Luckily, they liked them. Luckily, they liked me. I've always made a point to respond to emails, messages, friend requests, etc., and I appreciated the way those earlier reviewers helped my career forward. Then, yay, this trend caught on. Took off. Blossomed into what it has become today. Bloggers began talking about books. To their readers, and among themselves, and that meant opening the discussions to even-wider audiences.

As social networking boomed, so did blogging. From MySpace to Facebook to Twitter and beyond, bloggers talked about books. Some grew large numbers of followers. Some remained fairly small. But, either way, it was also a boom for books, many of which might have remained in relative obscurity. Instead, people saw their covers. They read reviews. They found new favorite authors, and heard about upcoming titles from their long-time faves. Win-win-win.

Well, mostly, anyway. The reviews weren't always good. And sometimes that led to rather rancorous discussions, especially if an author got his/her back up and reacted in an unprofessional way. I mean, not every book is great. Reviews reflect that, and authors do need to learn a certain amount of humility. Defending your book might be human nature. Calling bloggers ugly names or telling them they wouldn't know a great book if it hit them in the face is never a good plan. Word gets around. After all, it is a network.

Overall, bloggers are an amazing resource. God bless 'em, they read hundreds of books every year just because they love what books are, and what they can do for their readers. On the traditional side, bloggers extend legacy publishing's outreach. On the self-pubbed side, bloggers have truly made careers. And yes, they've probably leveled a few, maybe deserved, maybe not. But that is the nature of publishing.

So, thank you, bloggers, for reminding us of the value of books. Thanks for what you do.


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And I want to thank you Ellen for taking time away from your busy schedule and putting up with me. You truly are an amazing person and embody what all authors should be like. Thank you not only for this but for writing the books and for doing everything that you do.

To get to know this awesome, epic, coolio lady, check out her website http://www.ellenhopkins.com/
Send her a tweet @EllenHopkinsYA
And check out her facebook; Ellen Hopkins's Very Own Fan Page

Check back in half an hour where I'll give away one of her books (you'll see which one) for free!

Check out all the posts from the beginning;

The Subtle Chronicler's Birthday Post
The Subtle Chronicler's Giveaway
Posted by Michael Antonio Araujo at 3:00 PM 1 comments
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