Collin Kelley: Modern Confessional

Rescue Your Books on Goodreads!

2012-01-26T00:00:00.000-05:00

I stumbled upon a thread on the Kindle Boards forum the other day where authors were talking about Goodreads purging books if the main source of information was provided by Amazon. The purge will happen on Monday, January 30, so if you are a Goodreads author go to the site, click on your books and see if the "Rescue Me" banner appears. If it does, you or your press will need to provide title, author(s) name, ISBN (if applicable), synopsis, publication date, page count and upload a new cover image. Luckily, Goodreads will keep all the ratings and reviews intact for books.

Yesterday, I received an official email from Goodreads alerting me that a couple of my books published with small presses were in danger of being deleted. It only took a couple of minutes to provide the new information. It appears that small presses and indie authors who rely on Amazon to provide this basic book info are the most in danger of being caught up in the purge.

Here's part of the Goodreads email: For years, we've used Amazon's data, and while they have always had certain restrictions and requirements, those terms have gotten harder and harder to adhere to. We have been working diligently to find a new, independent source of data. Amazon has given us until January 30 to stop using their data, and we have to meet this deadline. So what does this mean for you, the author? First, please be assured that your books will not lose a single rating, review, or to-read shelving. We know how important reviews are to you, and we promise that 100% of that data will remain after this switch.

Just wanted to give everyone a heads-up in case you missed the email or it went to spam. I have been a Goodreads author for a number of years now and I find the site invaluable. I post all of my book reviews there now and have had some wonderful interactions with authors and readers. If you're not on Goodreads, you should be. While this rescue bit might be a pain in the ass, Goodreads untangling itself from Amazon is probably a good thing.

Kate Bush - 'Eider Falls at Lake Tahoe'

2012-01-25T16:34:00.001-05:00

One of the most stunning video clips I've ever seen. So simple, elegant and haunting. Kate Bush never fails to amaze.

The Last Tango at 10th & Piedmont

2012-01-23T19:55:00.000-05:00

I'm honored to be reading Tuesday night (Jan. 24) at Outwrite Books final event at its current home in the heart of Midtown Atlanta. Poet Franklin Abbott will host "The Last Tango on 10th & Piedmont." Because of the economy, more people turning to eBooks and an increase in rent, Outwrite is moving somewhere else in the city. We might find out where tomorrow night.

I'll be reading along with Karen Head, Cleo Creech, Hollis Gillespie, Don Perryman, Daniel Helminiak, Mary Kay Andrews, Mose Hardin and many other special guests. This event is free and open to the public, but if you're coming be sure to arrive early to find a place to park and a seat. Outwrite is at 991 Piedmont Ave. Visit www.outwritebooks.com for more.

Blog Hop Follow Up

2012-01-20T19:26:00.000-05:00

Last Friday, more than 900 people visited Modern Confessional as part of the Friday the 13th Blog Hop. There were a few hiccups, a broken link here and there, but overall it was a success. Several hundred of those who stopped by visited all 30+ blogs on the hop and registered to win a free Kindle eReader at the end. Congratulations to winner Michelle Bledsoe!

When you filled out the entry form for the Kindle, you could also name the authors on the hop you wanted to receive more material from. In the spirit of that, watch your inboxes this weekend because I'm going to be sending out Smashword codes to download a free copy of my new mystery, Remain In Light.

Happy Reading!

In print

2012-01-19T14:44:00.000-05:00

I'm a big proponent of eBooks, but it's still nice to see and hold a copy of a book – especially your own.

Just Say No to SOPA

2012-01-18T00:07:00.000-05:00

Today, many well-known websites like Wikipedia and Reddit are "blacked out" to protest the proposed Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) bill, which is currently being considered by Congress. At a base level, the bill is meant to stop online piracy of movies, music and copyrighted material, but the bill goes much further. If passed, as originally proposed, it would alter the Internet, squash innovation and have serious freedom of speech and commerce implications.

The film, music and television industry is woefully out synch with the century we live in. From blocking music videos on YouTube (I mean, seriously, why make a music video – isn't just a a promo for the artist?), to putting regional restrictions on DVD and download content, as well as music, media conglomerates are living in some other era and they've decided that putting restrictions on the Internet is the way to do it. Bullshit to that!

Yes, film and music piracy is a problem, but if the media companies would embrace a global perspective, it wouldn't have so many issues. The music industry reluctantly signed on to iTunes and still isn't happy that people would rather download than spend $20 on a physical CD. Artists, of course, get caught in the middle. It's no wonder that many artists are starting labels and releasing their own music rather than deal with restrictive labels.

This is a great synopsis from CNN: If SOPA were to passes, copyright holders would be able to complain to law enforcement officials and get websites shut down. Search engines and other providers would have to block rogue sites when ordered to do so by a judge. Sites could be punished for hosting pirated content in the first place – and Internet companies are worried that they could be held liable for users' actions.

The White House finally waded into the debate saying the bill could wreck the architecture of the Internet and possibly cause cyber security issues.

For a fairly clear explanation of the implications of SOPA, visit this link.

UPDATE: The American Association of Publishers is also backing SOPA, which I find incredibly disappointing. Traditional publishing is in trouble, which is why so many authors are choosing to self-pub and give away their work at sites like Amazon. Like the film and music industry, the publishing world is clutching on to vestiges of outdated thinking and consumer demand. Yes, authors and artists of all kinds want to be paid for their work, but taking a sledgehammer to the Internet is not the way to do it. There are piracy and copyright laws on the books that are not fully utilized. Rather than add more government intrusion into our lives, let's use the laws we have.

A note of thanks

2012-01-15T15:24:00.002-05:00

I've been overwhelmed by all the kind notes of congratulations over the Townsend Prize nomination for Remain In Light. I'm turning my attention to the delayed short story collection and then to the third book in The Venus Trilogy. It is gratifying to have these writing projects before me and so much support from friends and colleagues who have sent emails, left Facebook comments, tweeted and phoned. From my heart, thank you.

Friday the 13th Blog Hop: Win a Kindle!

2012-01-13T00:00:00.000-05:00

Friday the 13th is supposed to be a day of bad luck and deranged madmen wearing hockey masks chasing you with machetes. To counteract that notion, I've joined with 30 other authors in various genres for this special blog hop. By visiting each author's blog, you'll find out more about their work and, at the end of the hop, you'll have a chance to win a Kindle.The hop actually begins at Bri Clark's blog, Belle of Boise, so if you want to start from the beginning click her blog name.

There are no hatchet-wielding psycho killers in my two mystery/suspense novels, Conquering Venus and Remain In Light (which is a finalist for the 2012 Townsend Prize for Fiction), but there is Frederick Dubois, who casts a long shadow over both books and will continue to do so in a third. Is Frederick Dubois a killer or a pawn in a much bigger game?

In 1968, Frederick is recruited by the French government to infiltrate the Beaux-Arts School to keep tabs on radicals that President Charles de Gaulle believe are trying to overthrow the country. Frederick poses as an art student and seduces one of his professors, Jean-Louis Laureux, who is believed to be one of the main agitators leading up to the student/worker riots. Despite being happily married to his wife, Irène, Jean-Louis falls in love with Frederick, but realizes too late that he's caught up in a deadly game of politics.

Did Frederick murder Jean-Louis or did he commit suicide? Irène Laureux searches for Frederick Dubois for 30 years, but he seems to have disappeared. With the help of a tenacious American writer named Martin Paige, Irène discovers that Frederick lives under many alias, has amassed a fortune and is rumored to be the man behind France's drug trade. The events in Remain In Light put Irène and Frederick on a collision course that will illuminate decades of secrets, lies and unrequited love.

Remain In Light is the second book in The Venus Trilogy, preceded by Conquering Venus. I'm working on the outline for the third novel now. My goal with this trilogy was to write each book so that it could stand alone, yet connect a larger story and characters together. So, feel free to start with Remain In Light or Conquering Venus.

Thanks for stopping by my blog to find out more about my books. The next stop on the blog hop is Rachel Van Dyken. Just click on the image below to visit her site.

"Remain In Light" a Townsend Prize finalist!

2012-01-12T19:21:00.002-05:00

The big news I've been wanting to share for a couple of weeks can now be shared: Remain In Light is one of the 10 finalists for the prestigious 2012 Townsend Prize for Fiction.

Previous winners of the prize include Alice Walker, Ha Jin, Kathryn Stockett, Judson Mitcham, Terry Kay, Philip Lee Williams and my friend and mentor, Ferrol Sams. The award will be given at a ceremony in April at the Atlanta Botanical Garden. To say I'm honored for being nominated is the understatement of this short year.

If you haven't read Remain In Light, the book is now available in paperback or eBook. You can see a list of where to buy it in the sidebar of this blog or ask your local bookseller.

The full list of 2012 Townsend Prize finalists:

Daniel Black for Perfect Peace, St Martin’s Press
Lynn Cullen for Reign Of Madness, G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Ann Hite for Ghost On Black Mountain, Gallery Books
Joshilyn Jackson for Backseat Saints, Grand Central Publishing
Collin Kelley for Remain In Light, Vanilla Heart Publishing
Thomas Mullen for The Many Deaths of the Firefly Brothers, Random House
Andrew Plattner for A Marriage Of Convenience, BkMk Press
Josh Russell for My Bright Midnight, LSU Press
Joseph Skibell for A Curable Romantic, Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill
Amanda Kyle Williams for The Stranger You Seek, Bantam Books

You can read more at Project Q Atlanta and The Georgia Voice. To find out about the history of the Townsend Prize, click this link.

Blog hop, essays, anthologies and poetry

2012-01-11T19:37:00.002-05:00

I'm taking part in another blog hop on Friday, Jan. 13, and the prize for this one is pretty darn cool – a Kindle. More than 30 authors in all genres are taking part and after you visit each author's blog, you'll arrive at the entry form to register to win the Kindle eReader. I'll be offering more insight into my latest novel, Remain In Light, for my blog post. To find out more about the blog hop, watch the video above.

Robert Lee Brewer asked me to contribute a "life changing moment" essay for a new series he's doing this year on his blog. My essay, Flying Solo: Traveling to London Alone, is up now and you can read it at this link.

I'm excited to have work in two big poetry anthologies coming out this year: A Face to Meet The Faces: An Anthology of Contemporary Persona Poetry (University of Akron Press) and Divining Divas (Lethe Press). The persona anthology, edited by Oliver de la Paz and Stacey Lynn Brown, is a who's who of contemporary poets including Patricia Smith, Denise Duhamel, Major Jackson, Jericho Brown, Ilya Kaminsky, Jeannine Hall Gailey, Charles Jensen, Ivy Alvarez, Tara Betts, Aimee Nezhukumatathil, and many, many more. There will be readings around the country, and I'm coordinating the one in Atlanta for May. I'll keep you posted. Divining Divas, edited by Michael Montlack, is a companion piece to the acclaimed My Divas essay collection. The cover art for both anthologies is fantastic.

I sent the final manuscript for my new collection, Render, to Sibling Rivalry Press on Monday night. The book has 44 poems and is divided into four sections, each named after a photography term. The majority of the work has been published, but there's quite a few new poems that I held back so they would debut in this book.

Speaking of poetry, Alice Friman and Megan Volpert will be reading Tuesday, Jan. 17 at 7:15 p.m. as part of the Poetry Atlanta Presents... series in conjunction with Georgia Center for the Book. Alice will be reading from her new collection, Vinculum, and Megan from Sonics in Warholia.

"Remain In Light" out now in paperback

2012-01-09T19:46:00.000-05:00

The trade paperback of my mystery/suspense novel, Remain In Light, is now available in paperback from Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Powell's will have it soon. If the novel is not on the shelves of your favorite local bookstore (fewer and fewer small press books are these days), then please ask them to order a copy. Once again, thank you for your support. If you're in Atlanta on Tuesday, Jan. 31, 7:15 p.m. please come out to the Georgia Center for the Book event for my debut reading from Remain In Light. I hope to be scheduling other readings both in Atlanta and elsewhere for later in 2012.

Pre-orders, reviews & other new year notes

2012-01-02T12:30:00.000-05:00

You can now pre-order the trade paperback of my mystery/suspense novel Remain In Light at Amazon. The book is $14.95 and Amazon has Jan. 5 as the release date, although it might be a few days later than that. It will be exciting to hold the physical book in my hands after living with it in eBook format since October. If you would like the eBook edition, there are two additional retailes who are carrying Remain In Light: the Apple iBook store and Kobo. Don't forget to mark your calendars for the big launch event at Georgia Center for the Book on Jan. 31.

Many thanks to The Reader's Guide for featuring Remain In Light on New Year's Day. See it at this link.

Many thanks to the wonderful poet Maureen Doallas for her thoughtful review of my chapbook, Slow To Burn, at her Writing Without Paper blog. She calls it "a small gem of a collection." Slow To Burn is available for purchase from Seven Kitchens Press at this link.

Lori Hettler asked me to contribute three of my favorite books from 2011 for a round up at The Next Best Book Blog. You can see my picks (two novels and a poetry collection) at this link.

I hope everyone had a good holiday season. I cleaned up my desk and file cabinet area over the weekend and I'm ready to tackle new writing projects.

Happy New Year

2012-01-01T00:00:00.000-05:00

All is quiet on New Year's Day...

Friday Notes

2011-12-30T18:14:00.001-05:00

The last week of 2011 has been a blur of work (both day job and clearing my desk of personal projects) and fighting off a bad cold. I still owe Robert Lee Brewer an essay for his blog (working on it now...swear!) and I just sent Lori Hettler a little write-up on my three favorite books of the year (two novels and one book of poetry) for The Next Best Book Blog. I'll post a link to both when they go live.

Friend and fellow poet Megan Volpert is seeking poetry submissions for the anthology This assignment is so gay: LGBTIQ Poets on the Art of Teaching, which will be published by Sibling Rivalry Press in 2013. Submission period is open January 1 through June 1, 2012. For guidelines visit, www.thisassignmentissogay.com.

Dec. 31 (tomorrow) is the last day to download a free copy of my debut novel, Conquering Venus, from the Indie Book Review. What's better than free? If you enjoy Venus, I hope you will buy Remain In Light in either eBook format or the upcoming paperback release.

While I was recovering from my cold and enjoying my "vacation," I managed to watch the first series of Downton Abbey streaming on my Kindle Fire (which I still love). Dame Maggie Smith is truly a treasure. The second series begins on PBS Jan. 8.

The #poetparty on Twitter returns New Year's Day at 9 p.m. ET. We'll be discussing new year's resolutions and more. Just follow the hashtag and join us!

I still can't tell you my big news. Soon, though.

And the winner is...

2011-12-26T00:55:00.000-05:00

Thanks to everyone who entered the 12 Days of Christmas Blog Hop by leaving a comment at the original post. I used the the True Random Number Generator (pictured) and the winning number is 13, which means Judy from Holden, LA is the winner of the book prize package! The package includes a copy of my mystery novel Conquering Venus, the ebook of my mystery Remain In Light, a copy of my chapbook Slow To Burn and Megan Volpert's fab new collection, Sonics in Warholia. Watch for an email, Judy! Hope everyone had a great Christmas.

Happy Christmas!

2011-12-25T00:00:00.000-05:00

The boys of the NYPD Choir were singing Galway Bay and the bells were ringing out for Christmas Day. – Fairytale of New York by The Pogues and the late, great Kirsty MacColl.

Giveaways, freebies and other updates

2011-12-24T13:25:00.000-05:00

Today is the last day to enter the 12 Days of Christmas Blog Hop giveaway on my blog and at the 70+ authors who are also offering prizes. Visit this link to see more about the giveaway. I'll be announcing a winner on the blog tomorrow – Christmas Day!

If a shiny new Kindle, Nook or other eReader is under the tree this year or if you're just looking for something new to read, check out the fabulous free eBooks available for a limited time at the Indie Book Review blog. My mystery/suspense novel Conquering Venus is one of them, so this is a perfect time to get caught up with The Venus Trilogy before Remain In Light comes out in paperback next month. Visit this link to see all the eBooks available. Better hurry, because this won't last long. Thanks to Lisa Graves for putting this together!

Speaking of Remain In Light, mark your calendars for the big launch reading on Tuesday, Jan. 31 at 7:15 p.m. being hosted by Georgia Center for the Book at the Decatur Library Auditorium. The paperback will be available for purchase.

My Dad came home from the hospital Thursday and is feeling much, much better after some minor complications after his gallbladder surgery. We're glad he's home for the holidays.

A big announcement coming very soon, so watch the blog!

Hope everyone is enjoying their Christmas Eve. Here's another of my favorite Christmas songs, courtesy of Sting.

The weekend that wasn't

2011-12-19T15:21:00.000-05:00

My grand plan to get back to work on the short story collection fell by the wayside when my father was rushed to the hospital Friday evening with pain in his abdomen and chest. In a matter of hours, they had removed his gallbladder. Then, on Saturday, they had to do a second procedure to remove a gallstone lodged in his bile duct. On Sunday, he was discharged from the hospital, came home, felt dizzy and collapsed. I think they pushed him out the door too quickly, but that's how they do it at hospitals these days. Dad was happy to get home because he hadn't slept in two nights because of pain and the patient he was sharing the room with moaned and defecated himself all night long. Lovely.

I missed the benefit for fellow poet Bryan Pattillo last night at Java Monkey. Bryan, who has been on the Java Monkey Slam Team for seven years and performed around the world, was hit by a car while riding his bike last month and is unable to work and does not have health insurance. Nearly $2,000 was raised last night, so I'm glad it went well and so many turned out to support Bryan.

If you haven't left a comment on the 12 Days of Christmas Blog Hop post to win a prize package of books, you have until Dec. 24.

Sleigh Bells & Ink Wells Blog Hop

2011-12-16T00:00:00.000-05:00

I'm in fine company with a dozen fellow authors for the Sleigh Bells & Ink Wells Blog Hop. At the end of this post, you will see a link to the other authors participating in the hop and I hope you will visit and discover a world of new writers and books.

For this hop, I wanted to share some of my inspiration for my brand new mystery/suspense novel, Remain In Light (which is out now in eBook format and will be available in paperback mid-January). Remain In Light is the second book in The Venus Trilogy, preceded by Conquering Venus. I'm working on the outline for the third novel now. My goal with this trilogy was to write each book so that it could stand alone, yet connect a larger story and characters together.

The story that links the trilogy is this: In 1968, Irène Laureux's husband was murdered during the Paris riots and his body dumped near Notre-Dame cathedral. Thirty years later, she finally catches up with his killer. With the help of American writer Martin Paige, Irène will illuminate decades of secrets and lies only to discover that her husband's death is part of something far more sinister.

As a writer, I'm influenced by books, films and music that I love. The spirit of Lewis Carroll, Marcel Proust, Henry James, Virginia Woolf, Carl Jung and good old Agatha Christie are alive and well in my novels. There's gumshoe detectives, a hint of the paranormal, Jung's theory of synchronicity and wayward Americans who discover that Paris has a dangerous underworld that most tourists never see.

If you're a music fan, you'll probably notice that chapters in both Remain In Light and Conquering Venus are named after some of my favorite songs. The music of Miles Davis, Kate Bush, Vanessa Daou, Massive Attack, Samuel Barber and Bjork was constantly playing while I was writing.

The trilogy has a purposeful cinematic quality because I've been greatly influenced by directors like Alfred Hitchcock, Wim Wenders, Krzysztof Kieslowski, Sally Potter, Louis Malle, Jane Campion, Francois Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard. If you love those old black and white New Wave films, mixed with an edge of danger and menace, chances are you'll get into The Venus Trilogy.

The next stop on this hop is at Sharon Heath's blog, which you can access by clicking this link. For further proof of synchronicity, Sharon happens to be a Jungian analyst. I wonder what she'd make of Irène and Martin?

The other bloggers taking part in the hop: Smoky Zeidel, Patricia Damery, Debra Brenegan, Malcolm R. Campbell, T.K. Thorne, Anne K. Albert, Elizabeth Clark-Stern, Melinda Clayton, Ramey Channell and Leah Shelleda.

12 Days of Christmas Blog Hop

2011-12-13T00:00:00.000-05:00

The 12 Days of Christmas Blog Hop is now underway! Hosted by Intoxicated by Books, more than 70 authors are taking part and giving away books (and book-related items).

All you have to do to win is leave a comment on this blog post from now until Dec. 24. I'll pick a winner on Christmas Day. What will you win? The paperback of my mystery novel Conquering Venus and the code to download a free eBook of my mystery Remain In Light. You can read the synopsis, read sample chapters and watch the book trailers at this link. You'll also receive a copy of my poetry chapbook Slow To Burn and a copy of Megan Volpert's acclaimed new poetry collection Sonics in Warholia from Sibling Rivalry Press. That's one hell of a prize package!

Make sure to visit all the other blogs taking part in the Blog Hop - conveniently listed below. They are all giving away prizes!

Blog Hops & Other Updates

2011-12-10T19:37:00.001-05:00

You might have noticed the graphic in the right sidebar about the 12 Days of Christmas Blog Hop, which begins on Tuesday, Dec. 13. Hosted by the lovely Christina at Intoxicated by Books, 75 bloggers will take part and give away books (and book-related items) on Dec. 24. All you have to do to win is leave a comment on the blog post (which will go up at 12:01 a.m. on Dec. 13) and I'll pick a winner on Christmas Eve. What will you win? The paperback of Conquering Venus, a code to download a free eBook of Remain In Light and my poetry chapbook Slow To Burn. I might even thrown in some spiffy bookmarks. I'll also be linking to all the other bloggers giving away books, so this has the potential to be a big holiday bonanza for book lovers. You can see all the participating authors at this link.

On Friday, Dec. 16, I'll participate in the literary Sleigh Bells and Ink Wells Blog Hop being organized by fellow Vanilla Heart author Smoky Zeidel and author Patricia Damery. This will be a "moveable feast" event with 15 authors taking part. Each author will write about their books, inspiration, etc. and then link to the next author. My blog post will be 12 things (for the 12 days of Christmas, naturally) that have inspired The Venus Trilogy. You might be surprised by some of them. And I might even give away another eBook. You'll just have to check in Friday and find out.

I had hoped my eBook of short story collection would be ready for the holidays, but now I'm looking at first quarter of 2012. Two of the stories are done and dusted, I completely rewrote the third and the fourth still needs tweaking. And it still needs to go to my editor. I'm pleased with how these stories are turning out and I can't wait for you to read them.

On Friday, The Guardian newspaper in the UK used part of my review about Kate Bush's classic Hounds of Love album as part of an overview of her career, as well as giving readers a chance to vote in a poll. You can read the article here.

"Remain In Light" updates

2011-12-06T23:49:00.001-05:00

Remain In Light received a glowing review from David-Matthew Barnes at Lambda Literary. You can read it at this link.

Georgia Magazine featured Remain In Light in its big literary round-up in the December issue (print and online). You can read the magazine online at this link.

Amazon still has the eBook for $2.99. Bargain!

Finished the edit for the print layout for the trade paperback and Vanilla Heart says we're still on track for a mid-January release. The launch will be Jan. 31, 7:15 p.m. at Georgia Center for the Book.

Five Questions for... Lisa Graves

2011-12-04T18:08:00.001-05:00

Tell us about your novel, Atlantis.

Atlantis is a young adult paranormal romance that focuses on the idea of soul mates, the power of the human mind and the possibilities that might occur if we were able to unlock that power. Within Lilly's world strange and beautiful things begin to occur as she is introduced to opening her mind. Memories of past lives, time travel, and other realms are revealed to her upon meeting her new neighbor, Elliott. The weird thing is, Elliott already knows Lilly. And he has known her for a very long time. The question remains, will Lilly be able to tap into the latent power within herself to be with her soul mate, Elliott, or will her handsome best friend, Nicholas, finally win her heart?

What drew you to writing a blend of paranormal and romance?

I'm a girl, and I love a good romance. Also, I have always been a fan of the paranormal and unknown things in the world (ghosts, time travel, and the mystery surrounding our very existence) so it was only natural for me to blend the two together. I feel Atlantis is different from all of the other paranormal novels that are out today in that it brings a new paranormal element to the table. It doesn't have any of the typical vampires, werewolves, witches or zombies that abound in most novels in the paranormal genre. Instead, Atlantis deals with time travel, soul mates and mind power. What if real soul mates existed? What if yours kept searching for you, one lifetime after another, trying to find a way for you to be together forever? Now that would be a true happily ever after for me.

Tell me a bit about yourself and how long you've been writing?

I have been writing since middle school, back then it was short stories that were silly and fun. It was a 9th grade creative writing class that first planted the idea in my head to maybe write a book one day. I would get idea from time to time (usually while driving) on interesting thoughts that could make a cool book, but it wasn't until 2008 that I finally decided to dedicate myself to one of my ideas and Atlantis was born. It took me two years to complete Atlantis. Writing is a learning process that gets easier as you go along. The sequel, Stonehenge only took me one year to write and I am still amazed at how perfectly the ideas from Atlantis flowed and evolved in the second novel. From day one, I have planned Atlantis out as a trilogy. There is just so much wonder and possibility abounding in Lilly's world that I knew from the start that one book wouldn't be able to cover it all.

Atlantis was released as an eBook and print. How have you adapted to the new world and popularity of eBooks?

The eBook revolution is a constantly changing world, as is the publishing industry at the moment, and I feel that eBooks are a huge part of our literary future. I think now is a great time to be a reader. There are so many books to choose from and you no longer have others deciding for you what makes a worthy book. You, the reader, are in control. You get to decide what you like, and it is the readers that are making the best selling authors of tomorrow. I am grateful for readers and their ability to share their indie gems with friends. Thanks.

What books and authors have inspired your writing?

I will not lie, Twilight. I am a Twilight addict. I love those books. I have loved vampire books for years (not just Twilight, but Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles). I have tried to write Atlantis and Stonehenge, with Stephenie Meyer's style in mind. I hope that my readers can get lost in the pages of Atlantis and enjoy the journey with Lilly and her friends. The other writer that is a huge inspiration is Alexandre Dumas, who wrote The Count of Monte Cristo (probably my favorite book) as well as The Three Musketeers and The Man in the Iron Mask. Dumas wrote his stories "on a nail in time" meaning he staged the fantasy of his fiction in real world places and events. For example, there really is a dug out tunnel in the Chateau d'If Prison in France (from The Count of Monte Cristo) just as there really is an underground city in Naples (from Atlantis). Perhaps with a little luck, and some help from fans, one day Atlantis will be as well known as Twilight and The Count of Monte Cristo.

For more about Lisa Graves and her books, visit www.lisagravesbooks.com.

Friday bits

2011-12-02T21:02:00.001-05:00

Wednesday night/Thursday morning was a storytelling/poetry endurance test. I filled in for Tania Rochelle at the Chatterbox reading on Wednesday night at The Green Room Actor's Lounge (a combination theater/film bookstore, coffee shop and performance space) and told a story about one of my London adventures. Great audience, great space. Then, just a few hours later, I met up with Cleo Creech, his partner, Rob, and Lisa Allender for a reading and videotaping at the Museum of Design Atlanta (MODA) to coincide with World AIDS Day. MODA hosted 24 hours of events to mark Dec. 1 and we filmed from 1 a.m. to 2 a.m. The gallery space was filled with empty chairs with the names of poets and writers lost to AIDS. I read some of my own work and pieces by Paul Monette and Essex Hemphill. If you're in Atlanta, stop by MODA this month to see the Graphic Intervention: 25 Years of International AIDS Posters exhibition as well as panels from The AIDS Memorial Quilt. It's all very moving. I'll post videos soon.

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I have four poems in the latest issue of online literary magazine, Eye Socket Journal.

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I signed the contract for my next poetry collection, Render, which will be published by Sibling Rivalry Press in April 2013. I'm thrilled to be working with Bryan Borland and to be with such a fantastic poetry family at SRP!

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I may have to set aside the London memoir and start on the third book in The Venus Trilogy. My plan was to take a break after Remain In Light and write something else, but Martin and Irène keep whispering ideas and dialogue to me in my dreams.

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Rita Dove reads critic Helen Vendler the riot act in The New York Review of Books.

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Lana Del Rey's new song "Born to Die" on constant repeat.

Cyber Monday

2011-11-24T19:06:00.001-05:00

For Cyber Monday, the eBook edition of Remain In Light is just $2.99 in the Amazon Kindle Store. If you haven't purchased your copy, the sale price continues through Nov. 30, 2011.

Hope all my American readers had a great Thanksgiving holiday. I had lunch with my parents and then went back to their house and looked through dozens of photo albums. I scanned a bunch of pictures and will be posting a few on Facebook. From me in the hospital on the day of my birth, to my mother's insane beehive hair to a visit to the 1982 World's Fair – it brought back tons of memories.

On Friday, I went with BFF Tina on what we called the "magical mystery tour" and met up with three of our former high school English teachers - Becky Rodgers, Becky Lewis and Priscilla Overstreet – down in Fayetteville. It was a hoot to catch up with these ladies. They truly inspired me.

On Saturday, I went to see My Week With Marilyn with friends and really, really enjoyed the hell out of it. I've never been a big fan of Michelle Williams, but she was stunning as Marilyn Monroe. She could have easily slipped into caricature, but I thought she presented both sides of the deeply troubled Marilyn with aplomb. Great support from Kenneth Branagh (as Laurence Olivier), Eddie Redmayne (the young assistant director who has the tryst with MM), Judi Dench (as Dame Sybil Thorndike), Julia Ormond (Vivien Leigh) and Zoe Wanamaker (Paula Strasberg). The film is set in England while Marilyn was there filming The Prince and The Showgirl. Don't miss this one!