Thursday, May 3, 2018

Planting the Seeds of Love #OurAuthorGang




Mrs. N: It’s my great pleasure to introduce you to one of my favorite characters, Sally Rayton. She’s the leading lady in Planting the Seeds of Love: A Novella.

Sally: For Pete’s sake, you’re going to have them think I’m a celebrity, like Kristin Kreuk. I’m just a normal girl trying to figure out what I want to do with my life.

Mrs. N: This was your idea, Sally. Now’s not the time to be modest. These fine readers want to know more about you. (pauses to look down) Now then let’s start with the first question. What is your idea of perfect happiness?

Sally: Hmm, I used to think that opening my own café in the city, away from the Rayton Farm and all the gossipers, was my idea of happiness.

Mrs. N: And now?

Sally: Now, I’m conflicted. I mean, on one hand I have Trevor and life with him in the city is perfect. We make the perfect couple and both have our sights set on becoming a success in the city. But then there’s Jack…

Mrs. N: Ah yes, Jack, the sexy boy next door who’s loved you since you were little.

Sally: (rolls eyes) You always bring that up. Yes, Jack’s my best friend and I guess he could be considered sexy, although I don’t see him that way.

Mrs. N: You don’t?

Sally: Well… maybe a little. (clears throat nervously) Can we move onto the next question?

Mrs. N: Sure… What is your greatest fear?

Sally: Oh, that’s easy, ending up like my sister. My sister got pregnant when she was fifteen, ran away from home with the Mayor’s son and hasn’t been heard of since.

Mrs. N: Why is that a fear of yours?

Sally: You should realize that since my sister was six years older than me, the gossipers reminded me on a daily basis what a disappointment she became and an embarrassment to the Rayton name. See, we’re one of the oldest families in the county and well-respected. But my sister messed up and people used her misfortune to make themselves feel better. I vowed when I was fifteen, I would NEVER allow people to talk that way about me.

Mrs. N: Good for you. You’re a strong woman and I admire that trait in you. What is the trait you most deplore in others?

Sally: I hate liars. I’m a big girl. I’d much rather someone speaks the truth to me than lie. I guess I learned that from my grandfather. I remember when I was about six years old, I chased rabbits into the woods behind the barn. I knew I wasn’t allowed back there but I did it anyway. When it was time for supper, my grandfather asked me where I’d been. I lied and told him I was off playing in the wheat field. He scolded me for not only going back into the woods (which he saw from the barn window) but lying about it. “Never lie, Sally, especially to me. It’s the worst thing you can do.” I never forgot and adopted his view on lying.

Mrs. N: I already know the answer to this next question. What is your greatest extravagance?

Sally: Oooh, my books. I love books and have a nice collection of leather-bound classics. Trevor gave me a first-edition of one of my favorite books and it was the nicest birthday present I’ve ever received.

Mrs. N: How lovely. That must’ve cost him a pretty penny. First editions are expensive but even more so in hardcover.

Sally: I don’t know how much it cost but evidentially he thought I was worth it.

Mrs. N: No need to be defensive, dear. I was merely pointing out a fact.

Sally: I’m sorry, I’m a little touchy when it comes to money.

Mrs. N: It’s okay, I know how much Trevor means to you. Let’s move on to the last question. If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be?

Sally: (Laughs) You’ll think it’s funny but I’d love to come back as a bunny. They’re soft, fluffy and hop around the garden finding food to nibble on. Think Peter Cottontail, that’s me.

Mrs. N: (Laughs) Only it would be Sally Cottontail in your case. Thank you, Sally, for sitting down for a few moments and chatting with me.

Sally: It was my pleasure.

Mrs. N: If you’d like to find out more about this fascinating love triangle (Sally, Trevor and Jack), now is a great time to purchase Planting the Seeds of Love: A Novella. It’s 99 cents  but the price will go up to $3.99 May 6.



Title: Planting the Seeds of Love: A Novella
Author: N. N. Light
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Small Town/Farm Romance, New Adult Romance

Blurb:
The day her grandfather died, Sally’s life changed forever.

Twenty-Two-year-old Sally Rayton returns to the family farm she deserted four years ago to bury her grandfather. Her plan: to settle her grandfather’s estate and return to her life in the city with her boyfriend, Trevor Mattson.

Her childhood friend, Jack Smith, has other ideas.

Jack convinces Sally to transform the farm into a brewery and fulfill her grandfather’s dream while keeping the Rayton Farm in the family. Sally works side-by-side with Jack while Trevor is hundreds of miles away in the city. The more time she spends with Jack, the stronger her feelings are for him. Sally’s torn between her new feelings for her best friend, Jack and her boyfriend, Trevor.

When Trevor shows up to propose to Sally right before Christmas and finds her in Jack’s embrace, she’s unsure which man she loves. Will it be her best friend and farmer, Jack, or will it be rich, successful Trevor? City or Country… only Sally’s heart knows what’s right and true.

What readers/reviewers say:
"The author does a splendid job of building the internal tension as well as some wonderfully lighthearted interactions that play out perfectly and keep the reader engaged. The secondary characters are well thought out, and bring an added dimension to the setting." -- USA Today Bestseller Jacquie Biggar
"This celebration of returning to your roots and love for the land is a more realistic coming of age novel because in high school hardly anyone knows anything--and she finally "comes of age" when she comes back home. This sweet love triangle is really between her love for city versus country life." -- Ann M. Noser 
"The writing is impeccable, the pacing perfect, the heroes easy to identify with and care for, and the story a welcome change from the usual "good boy vs bad boy" tale." -- Award Winning Author Nicholas Rossis 
"Both Jack and Trevor have good qualities and Sally has to decide what her future will be and which guy will be there with her." -- Amazeballs Book Addicts, Goodreads 
"My favourite part of the story: The fact that both Trevor and Jack were so well-written, I couldn’t choose between them." -- Nina Silva, Goodreads

"Great descriptive narrative, vivid dialogue that not only breathed life into the characters but provided a window into life in a tight knit countryside community." -- Ariel C., Goodreads
 
"For a short story, this one is so well-developed and full of wonderful characters, it was a pleasure to read." -- Kimberly Westrope 

Buy Links:
99 cents for a limited time!







Author Bio: N. N. Light is the best-selling husband-wife writing team, commonly known as Mr. N and Mrs. N. Mrs. N. has been creating stories ever since she was little. Her grandfather remembers when she was two years old, she would stand at the top of the stairs and tell him a story filled with emotion (and in a language foreign to him) with her hands on her hips. Let’s just say she was a born storyteller.

Sign up for their author newsletter to get exclusive content, sales and be entered to win a $5 Amazon US Gift Card every month: https://t.co/6B7trIIph6 

They’re blissfully happy and love all things chocolate, books, music, movies, art, sports, trains, history, cooking and baking. Their mantra is to spread the Light.

Most of the time you can find them on Twitter or getting new ideas on how to spread the Light on Pinterest. They’re a proud member of ASMSG and Independent Author Network.

In addition to being authors, they’re also book promoters/reviewers, social media marketers/influencers and the owners of N. N. Light Author Promotions. They both love books, have ever since they were young. Matching up books and readers is something that gives them great pleasure.

They’d love to connect with you via these various social media sites:




Wednesday, May 2, 2018

The Book to Screen Debate, part 1 by Toi Thomas

Image from Pinterest via Buzzfeed.com
 “The book was better.”

I’m sure you’ve heard this before, but have you ever wondered just how often this is true? Some people will argue that by definition, a film adaptation is always worse than the book because anything based on something else is always lacking. Others will argue that sometimes getting to the point is more important than the journey and that a visual presentation is naturally more entertaining. To some degree, I agree with both these generalizations. While I feel most books are better than their film adaptations, I’ve experienced it the other way around as well (that’s an installment for another day 😉).

To get to the heart of the book-to-screen debate, there are a few questions you must consider. First, why turn a book into a movie?

What most people fail to acknowledge, even if they know it, is that movies need scripts before they become an enjoyable audio-visual experience. It’s slowly becoming less and less the norm for people to write original screenplays (a story written specifically as a movie concept). There was once a time when only original screenplays became films, but that has changed. People argue and complain that Hollywood has run out of ideas, but in all honesty, that is part of the problem.

Now, I’m not saying that there aren’t any new ideas out there to be explored, but I am saying that as a business person, I’d rather invest in something that I know people like as opposed to taking a gamble on something never before seen (taking risk can be good or bad based on your approach). Basically, Hollywood looked around at their piles and piles of original screenplays and compared it to the thousands and thousands of best-selling books, and a lightbulb went off that changed things forever.

The second question to consider, what purpose does a film adaptation serve?
Image from Pexels.com

If books are written for people who like to read, and movies are made for people who like to watch films, it would appear that the purpose of a film adaptation is to turn textual content into a visual medium. It’s all about entertainment. However, it can be more than that. How often do you think someone, who doesn’t read on a regular basis, go out and read a book because they know the movie is coming out or they've seen the movie and want to do a comparison? In this respect, film adaptations are just like song covers and retellings. One pays homage to the other and gets people talking about both. Adaptations are a great way to reach a new audience.

The last question you should consider is, why do so many readers dislike the movie?

The first issue with the whole book-to-screen debate is that readers aren’t looking at the medium in the right light. As I stated already, film adaptations are just that; they are retellings with lots of leeway. As much as we may not always like it, a film is a completely separate entity from a book, even if it is based on a book. The second issue is the obvious matter of time and details. Books have all the time in the world and hold all the details the bring about the plot. Films don’t have the luxury of putting in all the details. And lastly, there is the matter of individual perception. No matter how detailed an author may be, people are still going to see things the way they want to in their minds. Putting people and places on screen that differ from your perception of a particular story can be tough to accept.

For me, whether I like the film version or not, I’m always happy to know that there is an author, somewhere, receiving a pretty nice royalty for their big or small screen debut. Find out more about me, my work, and my inspiration at the following links:

Amazon | Goodreads The ToiBox of Words | YouTube | See a list of my other posts here.

#book2screen, bookvsmovie, 
COMMENTS

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Cindy Smith via Google+

5 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
 
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Cindy Smith

5 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
For the most part I dislike movie adaptations because they have very little to do with the actual book. They change the timeline and the characters and when it gets in the middle seem to rush to make it to the correct ending.  If you want to see a movie adaptation, watch it and then read the book!
 
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C. Lee McKenzie

8 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
What a great post, Toi! So glad I followed your link and had to chance to read your discussion. You've really made me think more about this film adaptation issue differently. Thanks.
 
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Ruth de Jauregui via Google+

8 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Which is better, the book or the movie? Toi talks about how they really aren't the same thing at all!!
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Ruth de Jauregui

8 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Great post. And remember, if a studio offers you money, you want your payments based on the gross, not the net, because some movies never make a net profit.
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Jamalul Haque via Google+

8 months ago  -  Shared publicly
Joe Bonadonna originally shared this
 
Today on A Small Gang of Authors, Toinette Thomas discusses adapting books into screenplays.
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Joe Bonadonna originally shared this
 
Today on A Small Gang of Authors, Toinette Thomas discusses adapting books into screenplays.
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Rebecca Tran

8 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
I never thought about it that way Toi I just got annoyed when it wasn't right. But you are correct movies aren't designed for readers. I will look at book to film in a new light.
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E.M.A. Timar

8 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Great insight into book-to-screen, Toi. Although, I miss the originality and creativity of older movies, with the monetary investment required to make one, I can't blame the industry for being risk-averse. Personally, I try to treat the movie and book as separate entities, much like I try to view movie remakes as separate entities. (Sometimes, it even works.) For me, the most important part is story. If the movie veers far off the book's original path, as long as the story arc is there and there are no truck-sized plot holes, I enjoy it. When the movie strays and fails to create a consistent and compelling story, I start grumbling.
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I agree. The story is key.

Rebecca Tran

8 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Join the debate on Our Author Gang. Film vs Book which is better?
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Erika M Szabo via Google+

9 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
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Erika M Szabo

9 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Great post Toi! I've experienced this a lot and made me angry, but now I'm looking at it from a different perspective. You're right, it's entertainment with leeway and not just following what the author wrote. "The first issue with the whole book-to-screen debate is that readers aren’t looking at the medium in the right light. As I stated already, film adaptations are just that; they are retellings with lots of leeway. As much as we may not always like it, a film is a completely separate entity from a book, even if it is based on a book."
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Thanks.

Joe Bonadonna via Google+

9 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Today on A Small Gang of Authors, Toinette Thomas discusses adapting books into screenplays.
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Joe Bonadonna

9 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Excellent topic and an excellent post, Toi!
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Thank you. Been reading about screenplays and thought it would make a good topic.
 
+Toi Thomas -- I wrote 3 screenplay and co-wrote 2 others between 1997 and 2002. On spec. Never sold. I turned into a novella -- part 3 of Mad Shadows 2; 1 turned into Three Against the Stars; 1 turned into a Sinbad novella; and 1 turned into a space opera that will soon be published. My zombie script I'd like to turn into a novel, but need a good hook, a good gimmick.

Mary Anne Yarde

9 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
You cover some interesting points, Toi. Great post.
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Thank you.

Ellen Jacobson

9 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
It does make sense when you point out that from a business perspective it makes more sense to invest in a proven commodity already, i.e., a book that's selling well.
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Chris Weigand

9 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Interesting. I like you have a mixed opinion on this topic. For the most part I think the books are better for the reasons you stated, but there are times when I have seen a movie be better than the book. I'm not sure why that is the case, but it does happen.
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I'll admit that I was shocked the first time I experienced it. I think some stories, a small few, have a greater impact when told visually.

Chris Weigand via Google+

9 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Book or Movie: Which is better? Explore this with Toi.
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Nikki McDonagh via Google+

9 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
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Nikki McDonagh

9 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Thanks for an interesting piece. Toi. Film adaptations can never be 100% faithful to a text since the medium is so different. Like you say, you can take time to read a book, but a film has a limited amount of time to get the story across. As for royalties earned by the author, Margaret Atwood has had very little for the adaptation of A Handmaids Tale. From an article in Variety Magazine: "...author Margaret Atwood reveals that she has made little profit off of the hit Hulu series adaptation.She says that the show, which has won Emmys, Golden Globes, and Critics’ Choice Awards for its first season, “was not my deal. I sold the rights to MGM in 1990 to make a movie — so when the TV rights were sold to Hulu, the money went to MGM. We did not have a negotiating position.”
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That's terrible; but, you have to wonder why she sold the rights without a contractual clause allowing her to earn royalties on future adaptations or have at least have a say in the form in which her work is adapted. Saddly, I feel that a lot of artists, not just writers, sell or giveaway their rights, only to be angry later on when someone else profits off it.
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I've read about this in other blog posts. Movie studios come in offering a lump sum and a contract for a potential movie deal and buy an author's book rights then shelve it till they need it or never use it at all but they're stuck in a contract. The contract almost always is exclusive and buys all rights without the author knowing because its all legal speak and the author doesn't get a lawyer to read it before signing it. so beware.

Grace Au

9 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Very interesting take on this,Toi! Thanks for sharing!
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Thank you.

Rich Feitelberg via Google+

9 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
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Rich Feitelberg

9 months ago  -  Shared publicly

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