Sunday Snippet: “Not the way you’re thinking.”

It's Sunday yet again, that time of the week where indie authors share their current works in 8-10 sentences.  Since it's Valentine's Day weekend, my Weekend Writing Warriors snippet will be on the romantic side. Last week we were introduced to Sawyer, so we know that he's capable of caring deeply about something. And maybe, someone...

I hesitated when he opened his eyes and met my gaze. I wasn’t prepared for the intensity in them. I lowered my eyes, unable to hold back the words spilling past my own lips.

“I’m sorry for putting you in this situation. You’ve been doing your best to help me, and I can’t blame you for being mad–”

Sawyer gripped my chin and tilted my head up. I caught his breezy, cedar scent and forgot to breathe. His eyes shone like two suns.

“You’re not making me mad,” he whispered, sending a shiver through me. “Not the way you’re thinking.”

While Crimson Sky is still doing really, really well as far as I'm concerned (and while the winner for the One Book Two giveaway has been announced, you can still win swag and a copy on Goodreads), I haven't spent as much time writing new words. I know what you're thinking– that's crazy, but it;s also true. I'm finally coming out of that weird space between completing one book and moving onto the next. I'm almost done the plot for my rewriting of the first book in the Areios Brothers series (now five books and two novellas instead of six books and three novellas), and will likely begin rewriting it completely once I'm done formatting Damnation's Door, the last Cursed book (provided I figure out how the hell Scrivener is supposed to work) and when I finish my edits for Midnight Sky, the next Dark Sky book. That being said, by the time I'm done the edits for both of those, the edits for Storm Born will likely be in. I'm dreading that like I'm dreading a punch in the face, but at least I know that I want– and will– make the story better.

I'm also going to be finalizing the details on the world for Agents of Limbo, another new urban fantasy series that I'm hoping to start in the next few months. Anyone who read Path of the Horseman will get a kick out of this series, since the main character, Leon, is a lot like Horseman's anti-hero, Avery. Not that I would put them in the same room together. That would end badly.

Anyway, that's what's happening! Lots of work ahead, but thankfully I have a short work day today and the next couple days off. I'm hoping to at least get two things crossed off my To Do List so they can stop looming over my head. Hope everyone enjoys their weekend with their loved ones, and if you're single, just remember that chocolate will be super cheap tomorrow! Be sure to check out the other Weekend Writing Warriors' blogs, since you'll find a lot of new, romantic authors to read. Until next time, cheers!

Amy

Sunday Snippet: "If I didn’t escape Garnet before Abby turned twelve…"

It's time for Weekend Writing Warriors, the weekly blog hop where hardworking authors to share 8-10 sentences from their current work in progress. My snippet this week is still from the first chapter of Crimson Sky, the first novel in my steampunk horror series Dark Sky, which will be released this Tuesday! Last week we learned that living conditions are less than ideal for Claire's community, and this week we begin to meet the man behind it all, and the stakes Claire will risk if she defies him...

The only reason I escaped Garnet’s hands was because I was an engineer, and he didn’t want to burden me with being a mother when I could fix and create things for him. But Abby was eight years old, and had dreams of being a nurse instead of an engineer. We needed nurses, but not as much as we did engineers. In Garnet’s eyes, anyone could use a needle and thread to sew a wound. Repairing a broken machine to give us light or heat was much more difficult.

If I didn’t escape Garnet before Abby turned twelve…

I stopped that horrifying thought when a sharp yell and another painful cry came from behind the curtain. After a muffled but sharp conversation that ended with a young girl sobbing, Garnet pulled back the door to his bedroom and stepped out.

They’re always watching. They’re always waiting. They’re always starving…

Ten years ago, the sky shattered and the Hellions emerged. No one was able to keep them from destroying the city of Westraven. Now that the bloodthirsty monsters rule the skies and have forced the few remaining humans underground, Claire Abernathy lives in a nightmare. She survives by using her skills as an engineer for a ruthless tyrant connected to her mother and father’s past failure.

Then Claire’s world is torn apart when her sister Abby is kidnapped by the Hellions, and Claire herself is taken by dangerous sky pirates known as marauders. But Claire will not be intimidated by them while her sister’s life hangs by a thread, and so she strikes a deal with them: If they help rescue Abby, she will fix their ship and give them the chance to take the revenge they desperately seek.

As Claire fights for her sister’s life, she begins to realize that the Hellions are not the only dangers she’ll face. Burdensome secrets and devastating betrayals threaten her at every turn, and if she loses herself to them, it won’t just be her life that is destroyed…

I'm super stoked about releasing this book. Seriously, I'm excited to see where it goes. I've even completed the Beta edits for the sequel, Midnight Sky (scheduled for August 2016), and will be writing a short prequel novella for a steampunk horror anthology being put together by Mocha Memoirs Press, which I'll be starting in February. A couple of my writing friends and I started a writing/critique group, and every month we're supposed to complete and share a chapter. Since I have a couple other projects to work on and am not sure what next major story I'll be starting, I decided my entry for the anthology would suffice.

During this "down" time, I'm working on the next round of edits for Damnation's Door, the third and final Cursed novel scheduled for June. My next big project will likely be editing Storm Born, my standalone novel scheduled for May. I'm nervous about releasing it, since it was a lot more complicated than Path of the Horseman, my previous NaNoWriMo release. But I still think it will be pretty cool once it's been relentlessly polished.

Last of all, I wanted to share the cool prizes I got for the Michael J. Sullivan Kickstarter I participated in. I've been waiting months for the book and swag to come in, so I might have squealed a little when I got the rest of it last week.

Swag for one of my favourite books!

Autographed by one of my favourite authors!

Yup. Definitely a fangirl moment. Anyway, that's my writing life at the moment. I should probably wrap up, since I'm currently looking after my brother's puppy, which means I'm throwing his new favourite toy around the house– a plastic bottle. Say what you will about puppies and chaos, but their toys can be remarkably cheap.

Be sure to check out the blogs of the other extremely talented Weekend Writing Warriors and leave them some love in the comments! Cheers!

Amy

Years In Review: 2015 Vs 2016

Well, 2015 is now behind us, and 2016 is taking it's place. I was extremely fortunate in my career last year. In addition to dozens of spotlights, blog hops, and interviews, I had short stories released and featured in various horror and steampunk anthologies:

Secret Suicide  in That Hoodoo, Voodoo, That You Do
Survivalism in The Dead Walk: Volume 2
Lost Sky in Avast, Ye Airships!
Dismantle in The Steam Chronicles
Hell To Pay in Legends of Sleepy Hollow: Original Tales of Terror From America's Spookiest Village

I was thrilled to be part of each one of these anthologies, and while I do have a couple more short stories that will be published by the hard workers at April Moon Books, it will now be very rare that I submit short stories to publishing companies. I discovered early on in the year that while I enjoy completing short works and the excitement on having them accepted, my true passion is writing full length novels on my own. That passion was apparent when I released my first full length novel, Path of the Horseman, back in March.

The Four Horseman are trapped in the world they desolated. Their only purpose now is to exist amongst the ruins. All of that changes with a small group of survivors... 

The seal was broken, and Hell was unleashed. Pestilence, Famine, War, and Death rode over the earth, creating a super-virus that turned humans into bloodthirsty monsters, opening a path for demons, decimating nearly all natural life, causing chaos and death throughout the world. 

Now that their duties have been preformed, the Four Horsemen have disbanded, reduced to human bodies and trapped in the world they destroyed. No longer the Horseman Pestilence, Avery wanders through the waste he created, slaying any undead monsters and demons that cross his path. But when Avery comes across a group of survivors looking for a safe haven, his priorities begin to change. Not that the demons are going to let him stand in the way of their plans. 

Avery ended the world once, and he refuses to see the demons end it again. But to protect the last of the living, he must seek the help of his brothers, all of whom are content with sitting back and watching the world burn…

I remember how nervous I was, submitting the book to different reviewers and hoping that the feedback would be positive. I mean, I thought I had written a good book, but how was I to know for sure? Thankfully, Path of the Horseman was well received, and I heard some truly amazing things about it.

Of course, I had another release in June: Demon's Daughter, the first novel in my very first series, Cursed. 

Wanted by law enforcement. Chased by drug cartels. Hunted by demons... 

Constance Ramirez has more than her share of problems when it comes to protecting her adopted sister, Andromeda. Especially since Andromeda isn’t fully human, and her strange powers are dangerous and out of control. 

But Constance will do anything to keep her safe, which won’t be easy with bounty hunters hired by the drug cartel she betrayed looking to capture her, and savage monsters seeking to take Andromeda for their own dark purposes. 

Being a big sister has never been so hard... Or so deadly.

If I was nervous about Path of the Horseman, my anxiety was tenfold for Demon's Daughter. It was a story that had been with me for years, and I wasn't sure if it would be as loved as Path of the Horseman. But I quickly learned that I was getting anxious over nothing. Readers will love what they love, and dislike what they dislike. I gained a little more confidence when I accepted that, and wasn't so anxious in December when I released the second novel in the Cursed trilogy, Dark Divinity.

Hell has risen. Heaven is descending. Sacrifices are made...

It’s been two months since Constance Ramirez’s adopted sister Andromeda was used as the Key to opening the Gates of Heaven and Hell. They escaped with their lives, but made countless enemies as a result.

Now that demons are beginning to weave into ordinary lives, their only hope is to find a way to close the Gates of Heaven and Hell before the angels and demons begin a war. Something that becomes only harder as one of Constance’s deadliest enemies resurfaces.

But as they struggle to stay alive and find the Gates, they learn that a huge sacrifice will be required if they succeed, and this time, Constance isn’t sure the cost will outweigh the reward...

I'm still kind of reeling with the fact that I released three full length books and five short stories in 2015. I mean... Wow. During the year, I learned a lot about myself as a writer, tendencies that I had and how to correct them, how to self-promote and establish good relationships with reviewers and designers, how to use social media and the benefits of giveaways, and how to plan out my year in terms of writing and releasing a novel.

I've planned almost all of 2016, and it will be a big year. Next month, I'll be releasing the first novel in my new steampunk horror series, Dark Sky.

They’re always watching. They’re always waiting. They’re always starving…

Ten years ago, the sky shattered and the Hellions emerged. No one was able to keep them from destroying the city of Westraven. Now that the bloodthirsty monsters rule the skies and have forced the few remaining humans underground, Claire Abernathy lives in a nightmare. She survives by using her skills as an engineer for a ruthless tyrant connected to her mother and father’s past failure.

Then Claire’s world is torn apart when her sister Abby is kidnapped by the Hellions, and Claire herself is taken by dangerous sky pirates known as marauders. But Claire will not be intimidated by them while her sister’s life hangs by a thread, and so she strikes a deal with them: If they help rescue Abby, she will fix their ship and give them the chance to take the revenge they desperately seek.

As Claire fights for her sister’s life, she begins to realize that the Hellions are not the only dangers she’ll face. Burdensome secrets and devastating betrayals threaten her at every turn, and if she loses herself to them, it won’t just be her life that is destroyed…

Crimson Sky is actually the idea I used for Lost Sky, and has been widely received so far. It's currently on pre-order on Kindle, Kobo, Goodreads, and Smashwords, and I'll be starting promotions and giveaways this month. 

But that's not the only project I have to be released this year. In May, I plan to release another standalone novel, Storm Born, which I wrote for 2015's NaNoWriMo. I'm excited to see what readers and reviewers will think of this bold novel, which has massive weather storms, supernatural warriors, and a wild mythology, so I hope the idea catches attention. 

Right on the heels of Storm Born, in June, will be Damnation's Door, the final Cursed novel. I'm currently in the editing phase, and I hope that long time readers will enjoy the last book as much as I enjoyed writing it. It'll be a little strange to have an entire book series over and complete, but by the time it happens, Dark Sky will have a lot more of my attention, as the second novel in the Dark Sky series, Midnight Sky, will be set for release in August, with two prequel novellas to follow in October and December. 

Releases aside, I'll be completing my Blood Moon series for the blog in a few months. I've had a lot of fun writing it, but I don't want to drag the series out when I have so much more going on. I'll be working on my Areios Brothers series, and likely preparing the first novel for a 2017 release. By the middle of this year, I'm hoping to return to another series that I love and has been changed over time, Agents of Limbo. I have no idea what I'll be doing for NaNoWriMo 2016, so I'll leave it open until then. 

So yes, I'll be busy this year. I'm hoping for more spotlights and a farther reach, which I think I can do since I've learned a lot about promoting, organizing, and marketing. It's a lot of work and I can't say that I love it, but writing is literally my life. I can't even begin to explain how much I love it and if I have to suffer through sending tons of emails and losing my mind over how to market properly, then I'll do it. 

And those are my plans for 2016. Yup, it'll be a busy one, and honestly, I can't wait to get started.

Amy

DARK DIVINITY released!

It's done! The second novel in my Cursed series, Dark Divinity is now available!

Hell has risen. Heaven is descending. Sacrifices are made…

It’s been two months since Constance Ramirez’s adopted sister Andromeda was used as the Key to opening the Gates of Heaven and Hell. They escaped with their lives, but made countless enemies as a result.

Now that demons are beginning to weave into ordinary lives, their only hope is to find a way to close the Gates of Heaven and Hell before the angels and demons begin a war. Something that becomes only harder as one of Constance’s deadliest enemies resurfaces.

But as they struggle to stay alive and find the Gates, they learn that a huge sacrifice will be required if they succeed, and this time, Constance isn’t sure the cost will outweigh the reward…

I've already gotten some great reviews back from Cassandra Reads A Lot and Christina Ochs, and should be getting another one soon from One Book Two (who also offered a fantastic review of Path of the Horseman), which is currently hosting a giveaway for a signed copy of Dark Divinity! Another giveaway will start on Goodreads soon (December 7). For those of you eager and ready for this latest edition of Constance and Dro's adventure, the current buy links are below!

Amazon Kindle | Paperback | Createspace | Kobo | Barnes & Noble | Nook | iBookstore

Goodreads | Smashwords | OverDrive | Tablo | NoiseTrade | Bublish

Remember that you can get a signed digital copy of Dark Divinity on Authorgraph and can read the first chapter here. I'll try to upload new ones as they come along, as well as other reviews and contests. That's pretty much all I have to share right now, since I'm on what I hope is the last stage of a cold (damn you, Kurtis!), and I'm finding it hard to write when my throat feels like it's about to close up. But I digress. Hope everyone continues to have a great week! The weekend will be here soon!

Amy

Weekly Recap (And Free eBook Signings!)

I have to admit that I wasn't expecting to get as much accomplished as I did. So I'm very happy to have done all of the following:

• Finish Hunt of the Gods
• Final formatting for Dark Divinity
• Plan details and world for NaNoWriMo novel
• Finish edits for Crimson Sky 
• Request review schedules for Dark Divinity

With all of these projects finished, I'm in kind of a lull until I start my next major project: a standalone novel called Storm Born for NaNoWriMo. Here's what else I want to accomplish this week:

• Request review schedules for Dark Divinity

• Write and edit Blood Moon 18

• Test scenes for Storm Born

• Work on marketing/touring/etc. for Dark Divinity

It will be a little tricky to get all of this done, since I'm going to be at the Real Job seven days straight this week (yay, overtime, I guess). Now, I have some gift giving to do! 

First, the contest to win a signed paperback copy of That Hoodoo, Voodoo, That You Do is still ongoing. Enter while you can, because there are only a couple more weeks until Halloween the best holiday ever, and you know you want to sit in your house reading creepy stories with only one light on. Don't lie, you know it's true. 

Finally, do you want to have a signed ebook of Demon's Daughter? What about Path of the Horseman? Maybe an oldie but goodie, Needfire? Well, now you can get them! A couple days ago, I joined a site called Authorgraph, which allows your ebook to be signed if you request it. I love signing and dedicating books, so I'm really happy to be part of this. I've yet to fully experiment with it, but the autographs don't cost a thing! Check out my page if you're interested in getting one of my books signed. I'd love to hear from you!

For now, that's all! I think it'll be a slow week for me in terms of writing. Then again, I've said that before, and had the complete opposite be true. We'll find out soon! Hope everyone has a great week! Cheers!

Amy

Progress Report– And Vacation Notice!

A lot has been done in the last three days! First off, I finished the Beta edits for Crimson Sky! It took a lot of work, but I think I made some great changes thanks to the advice I received. I'll try to send out this version to my editor by the end of this week. I'm also over halfway through the edits of Obsidian Sky, which I haven't read through since I completed the rough draft a month or so ago. Surprisingly, everything is looking good so I'm hoping there won't be a lot more work to do. I'm going to try finishing it this weekend.

Trick of the Gods is nearing the end of its current draft. I have one more battle, the wrap-up chapter, and that's it! If I can also finish it this weekend, that would be great, but it will be a challenge, as I will explain shortly. But first...

In promotional news, the contest to win a signed paperback copy of Demon's Daughter is still open on One Book Two! Now that the price of Demon's Daughter is reduced (along with Path of the Horseman), the lovely reviewers at One Book Two will also be doing a promotional spot on Sunday. Mark it on your calendars, because I doubt I'll be able to promote it because...



In two days I'll be on vacation in Europe. I can't even begin to tell you all how excited I am about this vacation. One of the stops I'll be making is Athens, which has the monuments and temples I've wanted to see since I was about thirteen years old. This is the first time I've been to Europe, and I know that I'll come back with tons of inspirations for story ideas, both new and old.

I'll be back on the 25th, but won't be posting again until the 28th. I'll need to recover and realize that I got the chance to see places not everyone has the chance to. Follow me on Instagram if you want to see some of the photos I take. 

Everyone at my Real Job says I work too hard (seriously, everyone), so I'm really looking forward to this amazing chance to unwind and have fun. Everyone take care and I'll post again soon!

Cheers!

Amy

Progress Report (And A Guest Post)

Okay, news. Earlier today, I had a guest post on Armand Rosamilia's blog where I talked about why authors shouldn't stress too much about reviews. I say this because I have a couple reviews I'm waiting on, and I'm both looking forward to what's going to be said, and how both Demon's Daughter and Path of the Horseman are going to be picked apart. Still, publicity is publicity, and I think it's pretty clear now that a decent amount of readers enjoyed the stories. 


Recently, I had my short story, Hell To Pay, released in Legends of Sleepy Hollow: Original Tales of Terror From America's Spookiest Village. I'm really happy about this release and encourage horror fans to pick it up. After all, the Legend of Sleepy Hollow is one of the oldest in the book, and it's exciting to see what other authors will do with that supernatural playground.

I've managed to find a Beta reader for Crimson Sky, the first novel in my Dark Sky trilogy set to be released next year. In exchange, I'll be reading and reviewing two of his books, so expect some sci-fi reviews in the coming weeks.

In about a week, I'll be commissioning for the cover of Dark Divinity, the second Cursed book. Around that time, I'll be searching for an editor for Crimson Sky as well. In the mean time, I'm going to continue writing Trick of the Gods, the first in my Areios Brothers series. I'm about ten chapters into the rough draft, and am loving every second of it.

I was looking at my calender, and if everything goes as planned, I'll have four books released next year. Four. Two Dark Sky novels (whether or not I'll publish the novellas as well remains to be seen), the final Cursed novel, and hopefully my standalone novel from this year's upcoming NaNoWriMo. That's also not including the other short stories and novella's I'm looking to release. Yeah. The independent writer thing really is a full time job!

So that's what's been happening with me! It goes without saying that I'm incredibly excited about it all, and can't wait to see how everything is received. Hopefully, the more books I have out will mean a little more income, a wider audience, and more opportunities. Neil Gaiman was definitely onto something when he said:

“This is how you do it: you sit down at the keyboard and you put one word after another until its done. It's that easy, and that hard.”

Hope everyone continues to enjoy their week!

Amy

Weekly Recap

Last week was great as far as writing goes. Yet again I skipped out on a lot of my goals, but I'm almost at the halfway point of my current WiP, Obsidian Sky. I also featured new author Aimee McNeil on a guest post to help promote her debut novel, Alluring Song. I also received an amazing review for Path of the Horseman from Cassandra Reads A Lot, making yet another reviewer cry (unintentionally, I swear! Kinda). In more exciting Path of the Horseman news, I was contacted by a upcoming publisher behind a forthcoming short story. He asked me if I would like to donate a signed copy of one of my books to an esteemed library for a raffle taking place around Halloween. How could I say no?

So this is what I did (and didn't do last week):

• Continue Obsidian Sky
• Create and finalize Dark Sky map for reference 
• Set up giveaway #1

And this is what I'm going to do this week!

• Continue Obsidian Sky
• Create and finalize Dark Sky map for reference 
• Set up a giveaway

I might as well cross off the giveaway right now, since I'm getting it started. Since it's been gaining plenty of stellar reviews and will be featured on other author blogs over the next few weeks, I think it's appropriate to offer a free, signed paperback copy of Demon's Daughter!

Entry is simple: Leave me a comment on this post to tell me what fascinates you more: demon mythology or angel mythology. Please note: I am talking about the mythology and lore ONLY. I'm not looking for any religious opinions, so please, do not leave them. This is a purely speculative question in regards to fiction alone. Contest entries will stay open until Monday August 10. Looking forward to your answers!

On Thursday, I'll be hosting WeWriWa author Christina Ochs on the blog for an interview, and reviewing her new novel, Rise of the Storm on the weekend. Though the novel just took a dark turn that made me unhappy, I'm really enjoying the book. 

That's all for now! Have a good week! Cheers!

Amy

Sunday Snippet

The Real Job is threatening to suck out my soul, which is why I'm so glad things have been turning up for writing. I recently had a guest post for debut author Aimee McNeil and reviewed her first novel, Alluring Song. I also got a fantastic review for Path of the Horseman from Cassandra Reads A Lot, which apparently made her cry. This is the second reviewer who's been brought to tears by this book, which I find really funny because I didn't expect it to have that much emotional punch. Oh, it has its moments, but I didn't cry while writing it, and I adore the story and the characters. It makes me wonder what will happen when I do write something that brings me to tears. It's only happened once, and it was kind of amazing, because I almost never cry.

Anyway, it's 8Sunday! Which means it's time for me to post 8-10 sentences of my current WIP. I'm making great progress with Obsidian Sky, and am aiming to write 20K this coming week. A lofty goal, but I want to have the first draft of this novel completed at the end of the month. I'm nearing the halfway point/battle, which is going to be insane and emotional. We're back to Sawyer in the scene below (Claire's chapter proved to be too spoilery), where he and his new crew have just arrived at a shanty-town with three burning houses. He decides to investigate, and everyone is eager to do something...

“I need five strong men and five strong women to pick up arms and come scouting with us. Everyone else is to stay here and guard this ship until we come back.”

As the strongest men and women began picking up extra weapons from the crates on deck, I looked at the other recruits huddled on the deck.

“Nothing is to get on this deck, am I clear?”

“Aye, Captain!”

I left the crew and started for the side of the ship. There was a slight tug on the back of my coat. I turned and looked down. Abby’s bright green eyes stared up into mine.

“Can I come?” she asked.

Hmm, something tells me that little Abby might not like the answer Sawyer gives her. I've been looking forward to the upcoming scene for a long time, and the next two chapters will be wild. Now, in a note to all WeWriWa authors (but general viewers as well), be sure to check back this Thursday to read my guest post featuring Christina Ochs herself! Really looking forward to reviewing her novel Rise of the Storm as well, so check back again on Saturday. It's really good so far, getting me interested in politics, which is as rare as a unicorn on a rainbow in the middle of Alaska! Keep that visual in your head! And for the record, no, I didn't sleep well last night, so yes, I am feeling a little wired and weird.

Be sure to check out the other WeWriWa authors and their upcoming work! Have a great Sunday! Cheers!

Amy

Monthly Goals: July

June was a great month for many reasons. The most important to me being the paperback release of Path of the Horseman and the full release of the first novel in my Cursed series, Demon's Daughter.


Both books have been doing very well, getting fantastic Amazon reviews. Demon's Daughter got a great review on So I Read This Book Today, and I should be getting more feedback within the next couple weeks. I also did a guest post on fellow horror author's blog to talk about my experiences and what I've learned this year as a growing, independent author. I also took the plunge and sent in my entry for the Michael J. Sullivan writing contest. I'm crazy nervous, but that's what you're supposed to be when a renowned, highly respected and adored fantasy author with a massive Kickstarter campaign going on is reading over work that you adore, right?

Anyway, whether my short is selected or not, it was good to test out some new ideas for the series I chose to base my entry around– The Areios Brothers. I've been playing around with some new ideas, and intend to do some more world-building and reworking the stories throughout the month. This will likely mean lower daily word counts (I aim for around 2000 a day right now), but as I've learned quickly, writing is more than just putting words on paper (or typing on a screen if you're going to be technical).

Since I've moved away from short stories for now and am focusing on larger scale projects, my current goals are to complete my current WIP– Smoke Sky– the second prequel novella in my Dark Sky series. Once it's done, I'll be moving onto Obsidian Sky, the final novel in the trilogy. The series will need a little tweaking, but I have a couple readers lined up and am scheduling a release date for Crimson Sky, the first novel, in February. I'm getting fond of the collection of books and stories I've written so far, and would love to see it grow!

The collection so far! Can't wait to add more!

The news might slow down over the next little while, but I still feel like I will accomplish plenty. I'm going to keep up with Teaser Tuesdays on Facebook and 8Sunday posts, but if I'm slow for news on Thursdays I may just post a couple more teasers from my work. Anything could happen!

So that's all, for now! To my fellow Canadians, happy early Canada Day! Everyone else, cheers!

Amy

Progress Report (And A New Step Forward)

This is probably going to be a short post since most of the news revolves around what I've accomplished for writing goals more than anything else. I've completed and sent in a couple short stories, but I don't think I'll be continuing with them unless the concept is too exciting to ignore. I'll go into detail about that right away, but for now, you probably want to know what I'm working on.

First off, I'm waiting and continuing to send out some review requests for both Demon's Daughter and Path of the Horseman. I've gotten some replies, but it might be a few weeks before the reviews are posted. I wish I'd done this sooner, but it's a mistake I'll learn from next time around. One thing I do have coming up to help celebrate these releases is a blog swap. I'm not sure exactly when it will happen, but it's in the wings, and I'm really excited to be hosted on this particular blog.



Now, the short stories... While I won't swear off them, I won't be actively writing them anymore. The reason for this is simple– they don't hold my attention like they used to. Do I think they're a good idea to flex my writing muscles and get my name out there, to learn from a challenge? Absolutely. I'll never apologize for anything I've written, especially when it's seen with success like Dark Intentions And Blood, which earned an Editors Award. But I don't think about them as actively as I do my own projects. The only shorts I seem to look forward to involve elements of longer stories I've written. Lost Sky helped shape the idea of Dark Sky, and my entry for the Michael J. Sullivan writing contest features the characters and the world I've been building for my next major series after Dark Sky.

Though novellas will never be out of the question, I'm a novelist, not a short story author. I have too many ideas screaming in my head to be heard, and every time I think about them, I want to work on them. I can't do that if I pledge my time to short stories that might be accepted. So for now, I'm putting those projects away. Focusing my time and energy on stories that truly give me joy will hopefully make me a more successful author. So stay tuned for more exciting news on these projects, and the excitement that comes with them.

Cheers!

Amy

Sunday Snippet

Definitely a good writing week. I've gotten in a lot of new words for novellas, short stories, and random scenes for other series'. I've fully released my newest novel, Demon's Daughter, in paperback and ebook formats (more on that below). In addition to updating my novel page and creating a media kit/press release page for the blog, and sending out requests for this novel and Path of the Horseman, I've also been offered to do a guest post and have my books reviewed on two different blogs! Usually this only happens if I've worked with an author in an anthology, so for it to happen on its own accord is super exciting.

At the moment, I'm taking a break from my novella (got some writers block) and am working on a short story submission. The anthology is a disturbing horror collection, so I decided to go with a suspense filled story that came with the prompt: "You and your family are trapped under the floorboards with cannibals over your heads. It's been four days and you're running low on supplies. All you have left are 30 bags of potato chips."

Seemed like a good starting point, so here's how I opened the story...

            “They’re going to eat us, aren’t they?”

            I turned my head away from the floorboards over my head and looked at my baby sister. Molly waited for my answer, my lie, with eager blue eyes. I glanced past her to where my twin brother, Sean, was lying. The grim set of his jaw told me he didn’t want to tell Molly the truth. I grabbed my sister’s hand.

            “They won’t,” I whispered to her. “We just have to be careful.”

I'm having a lot of fun with this one, and am expecting it to be done by tomorrow. Now, onto the release info...

Demon's Daughter is now available in almost all electronic formats, which you can find a list of here. On the novel page, you can even find a sample of the opening chapter! Hopefully this will boost interest and maybe sales. I'm still hunting for review sites and working on the promotional stuff, which means I've been making a couple mistakes but learning on the way. It's been a long, busy week (hence why this post is so late), but I'm loving every second of it. Enjoy your Sunday, and remember to leave some love for all the other wonderful WeWriWa authors!

Cheers!

Amy

Progress Report

While I've done a fair amount of writing this week, writing and submitting a short story to an open submission and continuing to work on the second Dark Sky novella, Smoke Sky, I've been concentrating on making press releases and media kits. This is new territory for me, since I don't have a lot of professional writing experience to boast. I'm in writing groups, have been published on other writer/review blogs, and won an Editor's Award for my short story Dark Intentions And Blood in AMOK! but I didn't go to school for writing and don't have any jobs boasting writing work experience. Though my bio is a little skinny, I think the rest of the release is pretty strong. For a beginner anyway.

I've created a press release page on my blog where media kits, press releases, and sample chapters can be found for both Demon's Daughter and Path of the Horseman. I already have a reviewer waiting to review both novels, and am waiting to hear back about a guest post on a horror author's blog, but I'll also be sending out requests for reviews on various urban fantasy blogs and websites over the rest of the week. Granted, I should have done this earlier on, but learning process, right?

Anyway, Demon's Daughter will be available in ebook format within the next week. I'll post links on the novel page as soon as I have them. When Demon's Daughter is fully released, I'll come up with a couple giveaways for both novels, so stay tuned!


So while I might not be getting the daily word counts I want, I have been staying productive and learning. I've been coming up with some good ideas for short story submissions I want to try my hand at, and should be knocking a couple of those off before their deadlines. In the mean time, I hope you enjoy your week and have some good times in the sun!

Cheers!

Amy

Weekly Recap

Last week had a lot of exciting events and releases that I'm proud of, which I'll go into detail about right away. For now, I'll just update my previous list

• Begin promos and release Cursed: Demon's Daughter
• Edit Amber Sky
• Continue Smoke Sky
• Continue short story submissions

The Real Job is demanding overtime today, so I will only have one day to crack down this week. Regardless, here's what I want to get done:

• Press kit for Cursed: Demon's Daughter and Path of the Horseman
• Continue Smoke Sky
• Continue short story submissions

Now to the good stuff. First, Demon's Daughter has been released in paperback and on Createspace! So happy about this! I've been working on this book for years, and to actually hold it in my hands is a joy I can hardly describe. The only thing making it better is knowing that I have a second paperback book out– Path of the Horseman!

While having two paperback books is an amazing accomplishment that I'm super proud of, I realized a couple days ago that I didn't give the books the proper releases they deserved. In other words, I didn't put a press kit together. Didn't even consider it. Since they're both new releases (more or less), I'm going to do that tomorrow. Hopefully this bring more attention to the books and draw a higher reader base. A little more cash wouldn't be a bad thing, either.

So that's all I have planned for the week! Hope everyone is just as productive as I intend to be. Cheers!

Amy

Sunday Snippet (And Release News!)

It's been a pretty good week thanks to new releases (which I'll go into more detail about soon) and I've definitely accomplished a lot. I managed to complete my first few drafts for the upcoming Michael J. Sullivan contest, which you can read a snippet of here, and start on the latest novella in my Dark Sky series, Smoke Sky. In this scene, main character Gemma is trying to get to the second level of a library using a fallen bookcase to escape the vampiric Hellions chasing her...

The door shattered at the same moment my palms gripped the cracked marble banister. I hauled myself up and flipped onto the second landing. I ducked low and scooted away from the balcony, edging to the window. Below me, the Hellions screamed their outrage. Maybe the elements were still acting against them. I couldn’t see as from my hiding spot on second level, and I wasn’t going to risk the monsters scouring the library for me. If they had my scent, they weren’t going to stop until they found me. Hunting was harder for them during the rainy season. My only option was to jump out yet another window.

While I've still got some short stories due at the end of June, it's nice to go into something a little bigger. I'm hoping to finish the short story in the next week or two, aiming for at least 3000 words a day. I could be cutting it close for some of the shorts, but I do love a challenge.

Now, for the exciting news. If you follow my blog, you already know, but I have no problem repeating it here... My newest novel, one that I've worked on for years and hold super close to my heart, is now available in paperback!

Wanted by law enforcements. Chased by drug cartels. Hunted by demons... 

 

Constance Ramirez has more than her share of problems when it comes to protecting her adopted sister, Andromeda. Especially since Andromeda isn’t fully human, and her strange powers are dangerous and out of control. 

 

But Constance will do anything to keep her safe, which won’t be easy with bounty hunters hired by the drug cartel she betrayed looking to capture her, and savage monsters seeking to take Andromeda for their own dark purposes. Being a big sister has never been so hard... Or so deadly.

 

Demon's Daughter is currently only available in paperback or on Createspace, but the digital versions are coming soon. You can currently find more info on the book on Goodreads, where you can leave reviews as well *hint hint.* If that's not enough, Path of the Horseman is available in paperback. 

Can't tell you how happy I was to receive my own copies of my books. Definitely a happiness I want to continue to feel. As excited as I am about these releases, I made a mistake with both– I forgot the press kits. Now, does this mean that my books will be unsuccessful? Obviously not. I've heard good things about Demon's Daughter from editors and other readers, and have got nothing but praise for Path of the Horseman. But I want to expand my reader base (and maybe get a little more cash), so I'm going to put together a press kit for both novels on Tuesday. I would do it tomorrow, but unfortunately, this author has a Real Job that pays well despite being severely understaffed. Tuesday will be the day I lock myself in the house and do nothing but promote and write. I'm not at all adverse to this plan.

So, that's what's new! I hope you enjoyed the snippet from Smoke Sky and are a little more interested in giving Demon's Daughter and Path of the Horseman a chance. Don't forget to check out the snippets from the other WeWriWa authors and leave them some comments/love. Enjoy your Sunday!

 

Cheers,

Amy