Weekly Recap

Last week I was a true writing machine. I rocked all my projects and even crossed off some that weren't on this list, including the new plot/storyline for the first Areios Brothers novel, Hollow Hill, and beginning the Dark Sky sequel, Midnight Sky:

• Complete and send in short stories with January deadline
• Lost Sky edits
• Blood Moon 9 edits and storyline plan for Blood Moon 10
• Crimson Sky edits
• Path of the Horseman format, minor edits, set publishing date
• Begin planning and research for April Moon Books Bond novella

This week (and likely most of the month) will have larger, slower moving projects. Not that I'm complaining, but here's what I'm going to attempt to get done:

• Planning and research into Bond novella, then begin
• Continue Midnight Sky

To be on the safe side, I'm just going to leave those two projects up there for now. Yes I got a lot done last week but that doesn't really hold the same weight for this week since all my minor stuff is done. However, lots of news will probably be coming in regards to Lost Sky, my latest short in the Avast, Ye Airships! anthology, which will be available on February 26.

A true steampunk cover that I absolutely love!

Exciting times are ahead! Can't wait to share with everyone! Hope everyone has a great week!

Amy

Monthly Goals: February

Last month was a great month with tons of excitement and accomplished goals, ranging from fully edited and completed works, to the exciting release of Secret Suicide, my short story in the That Hoodoo, Voodoo, That You Do, to my Q&A with AReCafe.

Some exciting releases are coming up this month! My short story, Lost Sky, will be released in Mocha Memoirs' steampunk anthology, Avast, Ye Airships! Along with this will come blog posts and hops, as well as press releases and interviews. I'm really excited about this project, and more than that, I'm thrilled to be releasing my first full length novel, Path of the Horseman. The release date is still set for February 24, and I don't think that will be changing. I'm going to be looking into marketing techniques and methods of promoting the book, which I'm super proud of. Hopefully it will be well received!

With all my open submissions completed for now, I'll be focusing on larger projects, such as the second installment of my Dark Sky trilogy– Midnight Sky. As it's the project that's currently occupying my time, I'll have a snippet posted on Sunday.

I'm also re-plotting the first novel in the Areios Brothers series, Hollow Hill. It's a bit of an arduous project, but I think it will mostly stay the same aside from circumstances and an overarching theme, but that definitely doesn't mean it will be done over night. That being said, it's definitely showing signs of improvement.

But before I can get back to my beloved Areios Brothers, I'm going to work on my Bond novella for April Moon Books. My idea has been approved and I know what will be expected of me, but I still have to read the Ian Fleming novel I bought for research, Live And Let Die. I know this will be a challenge for me– I have to write in third person, which if you can tell by now, is not my forte– but I know that participating will be a huge step for me. It will be a challenge, but I'm not about to back down. It will be fun to write a spy thriller filled with mad scientists, sexy ladies, and blood-drinking monsters. 007 will have his work cut out for him, I can promise you that.

I've been on a crazy good streak lately, and am determined to keep it up following that painful slump I had not to long ago. Things seem to be looking up, and I'd like to keep them that way for as long as I can. I hope everyone else has a great month!

Amy

Weekly Recap

I know how this looks, but I swear I got work done! The open submissions I wanted to take part in took up most of my week, and if you've been following my blog, you know that one of them has been proving to be a challenge. Last week I tried to:

• Complete and send in short stories with January deadline (one more to go, likely finished today)
• Blood Moon 9 edits and storyline plan for Blood Moon 10
• Crimson Sky edits
• Path of the Horseman format, minor edits, set publishing date
• Re-plot and restart Hollow Hill

This week I'm changing up my priorities so I can be more productive:

• Complete and send in short stories with January deadline
• Lost Sky edits
• Blood Moon 9 edits and storyline plan for Blood Moon 10
• Crimson Sky edits
• Path of the Horseman format, minor edits, set publishing date
• Begin planning and research for April Moon Books Bond novella

Lots of editing this week. I have more edits on my upcoming short story in Avast, Ye Airships!, which needed a lot of work done on it initially, but continued to receive praise from the anthology's editor. The Bond novella, which has a tentative title, has a fun plot but needs a few more questions answered before I can start it. I'm also going to purchase a Bond novella to get a better idea of how the books are written so I can integrate my style into the classic novels that so many people enjoy. It'll be a challenge and I'm kinda nervous, but I really want to give this project a shot and won't back down from it.

So that's my week! I'll probably have another progress report post on Thursday, and am determined to make the most of my two days off. Hope everyone else has a quick, productive week!

Amy

Weekly Recap

It may seem like I didn't get a lot done last week, but I assure you that's not the case. Life does have a tendency to get in the way sometimes and last week was filled with a lot of belated parties. That being said, here's what I managed to accomplish:

• Complete and send in short stories with January deadline (Fully completed and sent in one, working on the second and planning the third)
• Edit Path of the Horseman and send in for secondary read-through
• Blood Moon 9 edits and storyline plan for Blood Moon 10

I kinda of dwindled with inspiration for my latest short story until I found an excellent writing prompt that is solving all my problems. I'm really excited to continue with this story and am hoping it will be finished in the next couple days so I can begin work on the last submission I want to enter. Here's what else I would like to complete this week:

• Complete and send in short stories with January deadline
• Blood Moon 9 edits and storyline plan for Blood Moon 10
• Crimson Sky edits
• Path of the Horseman format, minor edits, set publishing date
• Re-plot and restart Hollow Hill

So basically this week will be all editing. Kinda sucks, but it's got to be done. Besides, I like that I can cross off a bunch of projects and move onto new ones in the hopefully near future. January seems to be flying by, so this will keep me occupied until February comes around and I can concentrate on major projects rather than smaller submissions. Looking forward to all this work! Hope everyone else has a great week!

Cheers!

Amy

Monthly Goals: January

With 2015 now upon us, it's time I challenge myself with bolder goals. I know a lot of new years resolutions don't often carry to the end of the year (which is why I fail to give up any kind of chocolate or sweets... Okay, so I don't actually want to but it's not my fault they're all delicious!), but I'm confident with my writing and wish to attempt taking my career to the next step. That means a lot more hard work and likely a little more heartbreak, but it's all part of the process.

I'm still waiting to hear back about edits and the cover for Path of the Horseman, and the moment I have that back in my grasp I'll be working on the details for self-publishing. I'm still hoping for a release around February, which would coincide with the release of Secret Suicide, my short story coming in the That Hoodoo, Voodoo, That You Do anthology from Ragnarok Publications.

While my Dark Sky trilogy and Blood Moon series still have most of my attention at the moment, once the trilogy is done, I'm going to get back into the Areios Brothers series. I miss it, and now that I've pretty well moved past the writers block hovering like a raincloud, I can improve it as a whole and hopefully submit it to professional publishers. Again, this might not work in itself, but I refuse to give up on Derek and Liam. After all, they wouldn't quit if the going got tough.

I'm also going to be looking for more open submission calls and expanding my short story bibliography. I have a ton of ideas that I would like to try my hand at, and can't wait to see what I'll find in my particular genre. I had great luck with it last year, and hopefully that luck will extend to the new year.

So lots of work is on the way, and I'm thrilled to get started on it. Hope everyone sets their goals and works hard to achieve them. They don't happen overnight, but think about how amazing it will be to complete them!

Cheers!

Amy

Weekly Recap

The beginning last week should have been simple, except that I had a series crisis and realized I didn't have a good enough overarching story line for the Areios Brothers. So, none of my goals last week were done:

• Rethink/re-write open to Hollow Hill
• Continue Areios Brothers 4/Dark Fury
• Plan Blood Moon 9

As upset as this made me (you know it's love when there are nearly tears, right?), I'm not giving up on the series and didn't stop writing. I just need a breather from it. Happens to everyone, right? So to take my mind off my series block, I decided to start another trilogy to pass the time. I've already planned out all the details of the story line, which will help me when I'm working on other novels. See? Learning experience! So this week, I really only have one goal:

• Decide what to bring to Jasper for writing/planning
• Continue Crimson Sky

I know I'll be able to get these goals done, so I'm not too stressed about them. Now, in other news: I've passed the one million word mark. Yup. Super happy about that! Also, my last two releases of the year, Bring Back The Hound, and Secret Suicide, are coming out soon. I don't have an official release date for Bring Back The Hound, but I'll have more details about it on Thursday, along with some teaser cover and excerpt pages! Secret Suicide, as I just learned this morning, will be available in the That Hoodoo, Voodoo, That You Do anthology on February 26. Farther away than I expected/anticipated, but I'm not complaining since it's being put out by Ragnarok Publications, a publisher I'm going to try next year. Also, Path of the Horseman is now with my editor, and I'm hoping to see the cover image by the middle of this week.

So while I have few goals this week, there's a lot that has to be done. Never a dull moment in a writer's life! Have a great week!

Amy

Weekly Recap

Okay, so I nearly got my list done:

• Complete Areios Brothers 3 edits
• Complete Blood Moon 8 edits
• Submit Cursed and Path of the Horseman to editor/complete formatting
• Rethink/re-write open to Hollow Hill

While I wait for my cover art and first round of edits to be returned for Path of the Horseman, here's what I'm going to try and accomplish this week:

• Rethink/re-write open to Hollow Hill
• Continue Areios Brothers 4/Dark Fury
• Plan Blood Moon 9

On Sunday, I also participated in WeWriWa or the #8sunday challenge, posting eight sentences from Dark Fury, my current WIP. Kinda struggling with the opening right now, though I'm really looking forward to the story and want to see how it turns out. Right now it's in pieces– I've got the ending, the big twist/middle, and some other important bits... but the beginning... Ugh, I'm fighting to get out of it so I can get my groove back. Maybe not the smartest thing, but I want to move on. I can read over it later and change what I need to change. If you're still curious to see what I came up with, you can do so on my blog here. Bear in mind that it could change, but I would say that Derek and Liam won't be hitting shelves any time soon. No need for spoilers if things change, right?

And in case you were writing, I'm working on a series that could change at the drop of a hat because I love it. Seriously, the Areios Brothers is bliss for me. Aside from occasional bouts like this, I don't really struggle with it. Everything flows naturally, and I love each aspect of my story. If I have to change it, I won't protest too much. The more I can add to it, the more fun I'll have.

Hope everyone has a great week! It's warming up here in Western Canada, which means that for a couple days, the bulky winter jacket and ugly boots can go away, and the leather motorcycle jacket and favorite knee-high combat boots are coming back out!

Amy

Sunday Snippet

In keeping with my promise and participation of the Weekend Writing Warriors aka #8Sunday, here's my snippet from Dark Fury, my fourth Areios Brothers novel. I'm not working on anything else at the moment, waiting to hear back on edits for Path of the Horseman, and waiting to see the actual cover art I'm having made, which should hopefully be sent to me by the end of next week. So without further ado, here's my snippet!

A little background info: This scene takes place near the beginning, and is the only part I could find that didn't directly link to the previous stories (I don't like giving out spoilers unless I'm reviewing), save Hollow Hill, which you can read chapters of here on my blog, or fully on Figment and Authonomy. 

---

         And for two hours, everything was perfect. Liam’s tension was forgotten, and Selena was laughing for the first time since the Argotera mess. Even I couldn’t find a reason to be broody or edgy.

         At least not until she walked in.

         I was sitting in the middle of the booth between Liam and Selena so I could see the rest of the restaurant clearly. When she walked through the door, I thought I was seeing a ghost. I had killed someone just like her three months ago right after she murdered my friend, tortured my brother, and tried to kill me. I had watched Charon himself take her soul to Hades’ realm.

---

If you've read any of Hollow Hill, don't worry– it's not who you think it is, I promise. I've been wanting to write this story for a long, long time (about as long as I began thinking about Derek and Liam's adventures, to be honest), and I can't wait to see how it all pans out. Don't forget to check out the other WeWriWa author sites/blogs and give them some love. If you're a Twitter fanatic, look for the following tag to follow more: #8Sunday.

Have a great remainder of your weekend!

Amy

Weekly Recap

Now that NaNoWriMo is officially over, the editing season is upon us writers. My goal for last week was easily accomplished:
• Continue Path of the Horseman

This week, I've put a lot more on my plate. Not sure how much of it I'll get done, but I'll do what I can:

• Complete Areios Brothers 3 edits
• Complete Blood Moon 8 edits
• Submit Cursed and Path of the Horseman to editor/complete formatting
• Rethink/re-write open to Hollow Hill

Again, I don't expect all of this to be done this week. I have today off to have a mini post-NaNo celebration, and then one more full day to work on any edits before it's back to the Real Job. Still, I think I'll be able to get a fair chunk of this work done. Hope everyone else has a productive week! :)

Amy

Monthly Goals: December aka Editing Month

As some of you may know, I completely conquered NaNoWriMo 2014 with my upcoming novel, Path of the Horseman. Despite my word count, it was a challenge to create a consistent novel that I was proud of an excited to write. There were ups and downs, changes and uncertainties, and a dreaded period of writers block. But I had a lot of fun, so much that I posted two excerpts on my blog, here and here. With the month is drawing to a close, I'm ready to take it to the next phase... *cue dramatic music* ... The Editing Phase.

I still need a breather from that massive project, and will be working on the edits for Faithless Hunt, my third Areios Brothers novel. Since I'm going back to Hollow Hill and changing things around to try submitting it to publishers and agents. Yes, I've finally, finally, finally made up my mind about how I will continue to pursue my career– As a hybrid author. I love writing, and I have so many projects I want to accomplish, and while I would love to see every story I create on the shelves of a bookstore, I know that won't happen. I'm comfortable enough putting certain stories out on the indie market, though larger projects like the Areios Brothers will still be sent to publishers.

Also in the line for editing is my Cursed trilogy. I'll be getting into contact with my editor soon and having her help me create a more solid frame for this trilogy. I've actually posted Cursed: Demon's Daughter on Figment for review purposes, and had someone comment on how much they adored it! Not only that, a few weeks ago, that same person contacted me hoping for news on the sequel! Looks like Constance and Dro have a fan!

I've also been re-starting my Blood Moon series, so you can expect more of those shorts to be on the blog soon. I've already completed the next story and just need a couple reviews on it, though in December, they'll likely be the only new stories I write unless a submission call comes up. I'm waiting for the requirements for a pair of upcoming anthologies from April Moon Books, the publisher that will soon be releasing my short story Bring Back The Hound for their Stomping Grounds anthology, and who gifted me with an Editors Award for Dark Intentions And Blood, my short in their hilarious and twisted AMOK! anthology. Seriously, if you haven't checked that book out, you should do so, and I'm not just saying that to boast. There are dozens of other outrageously entertaining stories in the collection, and it's absolutely worth your time and money.

The last thing I'll be planning to do is receive some covers. I'm still learning how that process works, and it's not easy to find an illustrator within my price range. Still, I have someone working on Path of the Horseman's cover, and may have another to contact about the Cursed covers. Yup, lots going on in this little writer's life! But after a month of creating new words, it will be nice to go back to refining what I've worked so hard to create. I'm sure there will be frustrations and grumblings, but that's why it's called "work," right?

Congratulations to any other NaNoWriMo writers. Remember that no what your word count was, if you reached it or not, you're still a winner. It's not easy writing a novel, and the fact that you took on the challenge means you need to treat yourself come December. Personally, I'm going out for a huge, unhealthy burger and a chocolate milkshake. Yes Canadians, I'm willing to trudge through the snow for an overdose of sodium, cholesterol, and fatty sugars.

Hope everyone has a great month and stays warm!

Amy

Hollow Hill Chapters 14, 15, and Epilogue

This is it! The grand finale, the big showdown, the ultimate battle! Will Derek, Liam, and Selena survive? Or have their enemies become too powerful to overcome?


In chapter 14: Derek confronts Thomas for the final time.

In chapter 15: Derek and Liam face Lilith, and the consequences of her actions.

In the epilogue: The group steadily deals with everything that's happened, and what will come next.

- - -

Hollow Hill Chapters 14, 15, and Epilogue

- - -

Chapter 14 flew by as I was writing it. There was so much action, so many close calls that even I was cringing. I definitely put Derek through the ringer. But I never wanted to create a hero who would have it easy. I read a quote once that said "The Hero Doesn't Get The Reward. The Hero Pays The Price." If that doesn't describe Derek, nothing else will. I was really proud of the final fight with Derek and Thomas, to show how different things are now that Derek is the heir of Ares.

The next chapter had a lot going on in a little time. Lilith might not have been as formidable physically as Derek or Thomas or even Liam, but she was no pushover. Bringing Charon into the equation was a fun, different way of introducing the gods now that they've been awakened. I figured I would start small. The heavy hitters will enter the series in later books.

The epilogue actually went through a few changes. Most of them were due to length. I added in two scenes with Derek and Liam. The one where they've named their new weapons is actually only a couple weeks old, and I was pretty pleased with it. All great warriors and heroes typically have a weapon named after them, so I thought Derek and Liam could use some. I also loved writing Derek's scene with Selena and the little comfort they're all beginning to have with each other. I love these characters and am excited about taking them on new adventures in the future.

Hollow Hill remains one of my favorite stories. It's come a long way since last November, surprised me in ways I couldn't have imagined, and will only continue to improve. It's not yet a finished project, but it's been an absolute joy to create and write, and hope you all have enjoyed it as much as I have.

Amy

Weekly Recap

I admit that this past week has been slower in writing than I wanted it to be. First I was having trouble going through Cursed: Damnation's Door, which has hit a bit of a rut, and then I kept changing my mind about Blood Moon 4, though I seem to have come out of it. Here's what I managed to finish:

• Look at how to self-publish on all the sites I want to sell Needfire and future work
• Needfire edits (if they come back)
• Blood Moon 4 write, edit, post, and send for review (continuing to write, but nearing the end)
• Continue Cursed: Damnation's Door

This upcoming week means the end of the month, so there will be a lot more on my plate. Here's what I want to get done:

• Look at how to self-publish on all the sites I want to sell Needfire and future work
• Needfire edits (if they come back)
• Complete Blood Moon 4 write, edit, post, and send for review
• Continue Cursed: Damnation's Door
• Edit Blood Moon 3 and prep it for posting
• Edit Hollow Hill's final chapters and prep it for posting
• Edit Cursed: Demon's Daughter chapters 10 & 11 and prep it for posting
• Edit Cold Trail chapters 3 & 4

I find it a little difficult to do anything related to Needfire since I still don't have the second part of my review back. If it doesn't come back soon, I might need to hound my editor a little bit for it. But starting in July I'll make myself learn something, since I am wanting an August release. Why do I get the feeling that time is going to fly by really quickly?

Amy

Weekly Recap And Exciting News

Granted there wasn't a lot I needed to finish last week, but it was all hard work!

• Complete Blood Moon 3, edit it, send it out for review
• Continue Cursed: Damnation's Door

This week will be more of a challenge:

• Look at how to self-publish on all the sites I want to sell Needfire and future work
• Work on any edits that are returned to me from publishers/editors
• Blood Moon 4 write, edit, post, and send for review
• Continue Cursed: Damnation's Door

By the end of the week I should be getting edits back for my story Call From The Grave will be published in the Toil, Trouble, and Temptation series coming from Mocha Memoir Press, which I find really exciting, especially since the release date is going to be July 1! Less than a month! I can't believe it! I'm all smiles right now. Once the books are out, I'll provide links to the story, so mark July 1 on your calendars, people!

I'm also hoping to get back my reviews on Needfire and possibly Hollow Hill pretty soon. I'm patient and I know it takes time, but I like getting things done so I can move onto my next project. For now, I'm going to focus on Call From The Grave, since this will be the first published story of my career. I know I'm repeating myself, but I'm excited, damn it!

Amy

Weekly Recap

Since the end of the month usually means just a lot of posting for me, here's what I got finished:
• Cursed: Demon's Daughter chapters 8 & 9 edit/post
• Hollow Hill chapters 12 & 13 edit and post
• Look into finding a reasonably priced editor
• Edit Needfire and prep it for release
• Plot line for Blood Moon 3

It feels like a long time since I've completed an entire list of weekly goals, but this week's aren't very big either:

• Complete Blood Moon 3, edit it, send it out for review
• Continue Cursed: Damnation's Door

In other news, I just sent Hollow Hill out for a final review. At least I hope it will be final. Editing is its own special Hell. However, this means I'll have to sit down and do some serious thinking about what I want to do when it's reached it's actual, final stage. Whether or not I want to take Derek and Liam to a professional publisher, or if I want to self-publish. I have plans for the entire Areios Brothers series, which stands at 13 books right now. That's not including the prequel I finished, the short I started, and the one I'm planning. I have to decide what the best option for this series is, if I want to continue putting out there for other representation and face many more rejections (which I don't have a problem with– it's part of the process), or if I want to get more of a name out there by self-publishing. A girl could pull her hair out with this kind of decision. Oh wait, I'm already doing that.

Cheers!

Amy

Hollow Hill Chapters 12 and 13

We're getting close to the grand finale! I love driving up the tension and exhausting the characters to make their final battle all the more challenging.

In chapter 12, Derek and Liam decide to take up new power as the heirs of Ares, and go on the hunt for Selena and her captors.

In chapter 13, Derek and Liam face off against Lilith's traps, and Derek learns just how powerful his new abilities and weapon can be.

- - -

Hollow Hill Chapters 12 and 13

- - -

Derek and Liam could never be typical scions. I intended them to be stronger in almost every aspect, and that meant making them demi-gods. I've always been interested in the concept of what it would be like to be the child of two powerful gods, and this seemed like the perfect time to reiterate how strong they are. My first intention was to give Derek the sword of Ares, until I remembered that every image I've ever seen of Ares has been one of him holding a spear. Didn't seem right to give him a sword after making him the heir of Ares.

Chapter 13 was simple and pure fun to write. One of my favorite parts about writing Hollow Hill and the Areios Brothers in general is that all my research involves looking up monsters, re-reading some of my favorite stories, and looking at art to see how others have interpenetrated famous monsters. The fight with Derek and the Manticore was my favorite. I put a lot of work into it because Manticore's are one of the coolest mythological monsters ever. What can be more terrifying than a lion with a scorpion tail? Not much. Derek's powers were always meant to be astonishing and absolutely lethal because that's what Ares is. When he's put in a corner and forced to fight out of desperation, Derek only battles harder. It's one of the things I love about him. I always push him to the limit, just to see how far he can go.

Next month I'll be posting the final chapters of Hollow Hill. I say final, but anyone who's read my other posts knows that it won't be the final product. But it's nice to have it out here, letting other people know that it's coming. You get an inside look into my head and see the madness going on, and hopefully you'll be excited for the final, final story. I know I am.

Amy

Monthly Goals: June

Summer's officially here! Well, I say it is, because there isn't snow on the ground. I don't care what other Canadians say– we only have two seasons up here: summer and winter. At least the good one has arrived. For me that means that I'll have more of a chance to write outside. It's one of my favorite things to do, and I find I can get a lot done when I'm relaxing outdoors. June is a pretty easy month for me, so below is the list of things I'm going to try and accomplish in the next month.

Hollow Hill is being sent out to a fellow author from a community I'm in. She's going to give it a review and play the role of a story editor. Once I make any changes she might find necessary, I'll be sending it out to a fantastic copy editor I've found. I basically just submitted some questions to him, and was very pleased when he got back to me efficiently, gave me honest, professional advice and was still willing to help. I really look forward to working with him in the future and think it will help my work a lot. I won't lie– I have a minor fear of editors. Everyone sees their story through their eyes. I'm proud of my work on Hollow Hill and want to release it so badly, but I also understand that I want to release the best product I can. It's not going to please everyone, but I'm going to do what I can to make someone accept/buy it.

Which leads me to Needfire. You've all seen the cover (and if you haven't, it's right here), and hopefully I'll be getting the remainder of the editor's review in the first few weeks of June. Once that's done, I'll send it into this new copy editor I've found. Yes, I know it's just a stand alone short story, but it's also my first taste of the self-publishing world. I want to know what I'm in for if I decide to go this route for future work and as I just said, I want to make a good first impression. After all, they're the most important. There will be ups and downs, but that's what defines a learning curve, right?

The plot line for Eternity Blood is also finished and so far I'm pleased with it. The story might dance around a little once I get writing. I haven't decided if I'll work on it for this years NaNo, since I won't lie– my plan was to get back into Agents of Limbo. I really miss Leon and Jace's adventures, and the series is my baby. I love it to pieces, and am aching to write it again. However, I haven't forgotten about my other projects...

Once I'm done my current project, the third story for the Blood Moon series, I'll be getting back into the Cursed series. I hit a little writing block but it's not too tall. Once I receive the final feedback from my editors, I'll see what I can do with the Cursed trilogy. I've been toying with the idea that it will be a self-published trilogy while the Areios Brothers will be sent to professional agencies. You might have noticed that I go back and forth a lot, so anything could change between this post and then.

And last but not least, Derek and Liam. The moment Cursed: Damnation's Door is finished, I'm getting back to them. I've done a little bit of the opening and some scenes for the third novel, Faithless Hunt, but I don't want to make any major progress if I'm advised to do major changes to the series. It wouldn't be the first time I was suggested to make major plans for a series based on colleague and professional advice, and I have a knack for integrating my own ideas into those offered to me. One thing I'm learning quickly about this career is that you can't always put out the first draft. Editing is crucial, though it doesn't have to be loved. I've been lucky so far to adore and have pride in everything I've written so far. So if I can make it better, then I will.

I get the feeling that June will be a huge month for realizations, learning, and grumbling, but it's part of the process. The copy editor I'm interested in hiring gave me an excellent piece of advice:

"It's not an easy path, but the people who've taken it and survived all those pitfalls would do it again, every time."

Anyone who thinks writing a novel is easy has clearly never done it before. So far I've been lucky, unlucky, unsurprised, and ready for the hammers to drop. But I'm still writing and learning and listening. I know I'll make mistakes and bad decisions and be paranoid at every other turn and still wind up with something unexpected happening, and I anticipate nothing less. This is still a roller coaster ride for me, and it's one I never want to get off of.

Amy

Stranger Than Fiction

Wow, I totally forgot it was Thursday! Time sure flies! I hadn't even planned what I was going to write for the blog, and next week I intend to be way more prepared. There will be a lot of story/chapter posts coming up in the next couple days, including the second story of my blog series, Blood Moon. I'm currently working on the third story in the series, and so far it's going really well. Here's what I've been listening to in the mean time:

1. Fake It - Seether
2. Absent Elements - Finger Eleven
3. In The End I Feel Alive - Lacuna Coil
4. Hands Of The Ripper - Wednesday 13
5. Nylon 6/6 - Stone Sour
6. Eyes Of The Insane - Slayer
7. An Ocean Between Us - As I Lay Dying
8. Mia - Chevelle
9. Made Of Stone (Renholder Remix) - Evanescence
10. Black - Trivium
11. (SIC) - Slipknot
12. Ultra Mega - Powerman 5000
13. Try Honesty - Billy Talent
14. Stranger Than Fiction - Five Finger Death Punch
15. Water - Breaking Benjamin
16. Crossroads - Avenged Sevenfold
17. You're Insane - Escape The Fate
18. Zombies Ate Her Brain - The Creepshow

There are a lot of things to love about Stranger Than Fiction by Five Finger Death Punch. It has a great tune, has a nice deep sound, and the lyrics are perfect for a character trapped between who they are and who they want to be. At the moment, this song reminds me of Alec, an upcoming character in Blood Moon. Without spoiling anything, I'll just say that he's had it rough the last few years, and now he has to deal with the consequences.

So just a reminder, the following will be up by the end of May/beginning of June:

• The next chapters of Hollow Hill and Cursed: Demon's Daughter
• The second story in the Blood Moon series

I'll also have some updates on edits that I'll be doing, and hopefully will hear some replies about short stories that I submitted over the last month or so. Yeah, things are getting crazy in this new career of mine, but I like the way it's going so far!

Cheers!

Amy

Weekly Recap

Well, I got the simple stuff done. Honestly, I didn't get as much completed as I wanted to because I was wrapped up in writing the prequel short for the Areios Brothers, which will be called Cold Trail. I've only got one chapter left to go and then I can edit it, and then it will be on to other projects. Here's what I managed to finish.

• Complete first mini blog short story and send it out for review
• Plan/think more on Eternity Blood and get it ready to go
• Needfire edits
• Cursed: Dark Divinity edits
• Cursed: Damnation's Door start
• Post Cursed: Demon's Daughter chapter 7
• Post Hollow Hill chapters 10 & 11

I'll be taking Eternity Blood and Needfire off the list since I'm not paying as much attention to them as I originally wanted to. I know, I'm awful. I'm not forgetting them (I have another To-Do List on my phone), just putting them aside for now. This is what I'm going to try and get done this week:

• Finish Cold Trail
• Start a good vs bad twin flash story for a competition I want to enter
• Cursed: Dark Divinity and Cold Trail edits
• Start Cursed: Damnation's Door


I have a bit of a sporadic mind, and sometimes it's hard for me to focus on one project for more than a couple days. I'm trying to get better with that, and hopefully this week I'll improve on it. For now, cheers!


Amy

Hollow Hill Chapters 10 and 11

Okay, okay, you can stop holding your breath– the cliffhanger is over! And in case you were wondering, yes, I did absolutely intend to finish that chapter that way. So why don't you ease your minds and check out the latest chapters of Hollow Hill?

NOTE: Because this has been a work in progress, you may notice a major change that I made. Descendants now call each other scions, and Normals and the Inquisition are the ones who call them witches. This was suggested to me a little while ago, and now I'm grateful to have made the change. Having said that, it's really the only major change that I plan to make.

In chapter 10, Derek and Liam face monsters and nightmares they never imagined.

In chapter 11, Derek and Liam are taken hostage, and Selena shares a revealing vision with Derek.

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Hollow Hill Chapters 10 and 11

- - -

After the big reveal at the end of chapter 9, I wanted to focus on Liam's fear more than Derek's. When it comes to combat, Derek tends to be ready for anything, no matter how terrible it is. Liam... not so much, especially when he learns his sadistic father has been resurrected. Doing research and deciding on what sort of monsters to use was a lot of fun. Harpies tend to the a logical choice since they're a famous Greek monster, but Eurynomus demons are a little less known. If there's one thing I love, it's coming up with designing new creatures.

One of my favorite parts in chapter 11 was Derek's dream of Selena. Not just because I love them together, but because I gave myself a chance to play with her power a little bit more. She's one of my favorite characters and as a Titan heir, she has almost limitless power when she puts her mind to it. The dream scene was important because Derek needed to find out that he was a direct heir of Ares. It's the reason he's able to use more power than Liam at some point. Derek and Liam are the descendants of Ares and another goddess. Yes, I know who. No, I'm not telling. But if you're up on your mythology, the answer might surprise you.

It also gave me a chance to introduce the Titans as a viable threat (let's face it– they are), and add more to Derek's relationship with Selena. In a previous chapter (which were edited since being posted, and yes, I'm going to try and fix that), Selena came close to kissing Derek. Her making up for it and transferring some magic to him was relevant in more than one way.

So, these are the latest chapters of Hollow Hill! Like I said,  I will try and go back and fix the old posts so everything is up to date. If something doesn't make sense in the meantime, drop me a comment and I'll make sure you're question's answered. Thanks for reading! :)

Amy

Monthly Goals: May

Is April over already? Seriously? Wow. Time really flies, huh? Well, now that I can mostly write outside (it can get rainy this time of year), I'm planning to get a lot more projects done and ready for the summer.

The first thing I want to and will get going is my blog series. It's called Blood Moon, it's about monsters, and it's going to be super cool. I'll post more info about it later today. I'm also going to begin editing Needfire and making sure it's ready to go for its summer release. I don't have an official date set since I'm waiting for the cover and I need to do more research, but I'll keep you all updated.

In a similar vein, I'm going to take a closer look at writing a full length, stand alone novel. I want to say that it will be Eternity Blood, but I'm not 100% sure. Oh, I have an idea that might fit the style of course, but I need to mull it over a little more. That one definitely won't be released by summer, but I'm hoping to have it independently published by the end of year.

Also, I'm going to be compiling a series of short stories for an anthology that will be self-published. Before I get going with that, I want to make sure that all the stories I've selected for it aren't chosen by the publishers I've sent them to. That might sound a little strange, until I say I'm doing it this way because I don't want to get into a contract when I've sent something out independently. But I'm hopefully going to hear back from the last publisher by the end of this week, so I'll let you know how it goes.

I might have mentioned on my Twitter a couple weeks ago that one of my short stories has likely been accepted for another anthology. It's sounding pretty official right now, but I won't confirm anything until I read the contract and understand exactly what I'm being asked (long story short, there was a miscommunication when I sent the story in– they weren't asking for an anthology short). Still... Yay!
As far as my other two major series, the Areios Brothers sequel: Shallow Water has now gone through its second draft. I'll be sending it out for review in the next couple months (hopefully). In the mean time, I'm working on a short prequel called Cold Trail. It's told from Liam's POV and takes places five years before Hollow Hill. For those of you who have been keeping up on the Areios Brothers, you can take a guess as to what trouble the boys got into. I've been having so much fun writing it that I can imagine I'll have it done by the end of this month.

Cursed is also going really, really well now that I'm getting back into it. I've completed the second draft of Dark Divinity and have the storyline done for the third and final book in the series. I won't tell you much, but I will say this: It's called Damnation's Door, and it's going to be intense. I wrote the prologue just for the heck of it, then I started working on the first chapter, and then I only stopped because my stomach reminded me it was dinner.

I spent all of yesterday writing and sending out queries for Hollow Hill and Cursed: Demon's Daughter. I would love nothing more than to know that one or both was accepted, but I'm keep my expectations reasonable, i.e.: I'll be amazed if they're accepted. Not because I don't believe in my writing. I know I have talent, I'm completely confident in my skills, I'm driven, and thirty more rejections won't stop me, but every author who's ever talked about getting accepted has said the same thing: Doors get closed in your face sometimes. And I'm fine with that, really. If I wasn't totally, 100% convinced that this wasn't what I wanted to do... Well, I wouldn't be doing it.

Whoa, this post turned out a lot longer than I intended it to. At least you can see that I'm working hard! Anyway, now that my updating and ranting have drawn to a close (thank you to all those who read to the end, by the way), I guess I should get back to work. Cheers! :)

Amy