Not so good at this blogging thing lately. You guys are all doing great though! It takes me awhile to get used to a new schedule, so I'll keep trying to write something every day so that I can get a pattern going.
The remnants of hurricane Isaac have reached us here in north eastern Kansas, but with a slow, gentle rain, and much needed. Cloudy days are good writing days, don't you think? I find that, even though cloudy days put me in a sad mood, the rain contributes to a feeling of being stuck inside, Jane Austen style. Can't go anywhere? Well then, might as well stay in and write.
Pretty far along on writing the sequel to The Soul Seekers. I already had a partial draft a couple of years ago, but things change, and after much reevaluating the plotting feels much improved. I even know exactly how the ending is going to play out and am dying to get there! But darnitt, I will not write the thing ahead of time! Some people can write scenes out of order, but I'm not one of them.
I read a bit of good news today about Miss Jessica Bell. Her book String Bridge, which had been taken off the market due to its publisher going under, has just been picked up by eMergent Publishing. Congratulations Jessica! That is spectacular news and you are an amazing person!! I've never seen someone fight so hard for their work.
Also, Karen Gowen unveiled her new novel Lighting Candles in the Snow. It's gorgeous. Congratulations, Karen!
A happy weekend to everyone!
Friday, August 31, 2012
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Too Much Stuff (to be complaining)
Do any of you writers out there notice how after awhile all the she looked, she said, he crossed the room stuff can get really annoying? I know about filtering, but honestly I just try to write as organically as I can and hope that later on I'll find more inspiration. Also, I find that when I write I pretty much have to think about it all the time or I stall. But then the kids will ask me something and it's like I'm completely unavailable to them. You want what? What kind of sandwich did you ask for? What time is it? Blah.
Also, I cannot keep a clean house AT ALL while writing. It's impossible. But enough of the complaining.
I think I must be one of those people who can only focus on one thing at a time, which is bad because I'm always trying to do way too much. I've found that the best thing is to isolate and finish, or make a time schedule so I don't get stressed out. My old solution was to stay up all night, but that only made me miserable the rest of the day. Now, I just take a deep breath and do the best I can. How do you deal with multiple projects, and life in general?
I have a favor to ask, if you've read THE SOUL SEEKERS could you please leave a review on Amazon? If you have already, thank you. One thing I've noticed is how LUCKY I've been to have really in depth reviews. That's pretty darn cool! But you don't have to do that. If you want to leave one, you can be brief. And, of course, thank you, a million times, thank you.
Hope your day is going well. It's still hot here, but then it is August so what do I expect? Here's one of my favorite songs, but my apologies ahead of time. I posted it on twitter one time and got a response from a girl of: "My ears are bleeding!" Haha. To each their own. It's just a very vaudevillian song, and I love it. Wish I'd written it.
Also, I cannot keep a clean house AT ALL while writing. It's impossible. But enough of the complaining.
I think I must be one of those people who can only focus on one thing at a time, which is bad because I'm always trying to do way too much. I've found that the best thing is to isolate and finish, or make a time schedule so I don't get stressed out. My old solution was to stay up all night, but that only made me miserable the rest of the day. Now, I just take a deep breath and do the best I can. How do you deal with multiple projects, and life in general?
I have a favor to ask, if you've read THE SOUL SEEKERS could you please leave a review on Amazon? If you have already, thank you. One thing I've noticed is how LUCKY I've been to have really in depth reviews. That's pretty darn cool! But you don't have to do that. If you want to leave one, you can be brief. And, of course, thank you, a million times, thank you.
Hope your day is going well. It's still hot here, but then it is August so what do I expect? Here's one of my favorite songs, but my apologies ahead of time. I posted it on twitter one time and got a response from a girl of: "My ears are bleeding!" Haha. To each their own. It's just a very vaudevillian song, and I love it. Wish I'd written it.
Monday, August 20, 2012
Monday, Monday . . .
School started last week and all is well. I'm liking this year's schedule much better than last year's because I work better under pressure. There seems to be less time in the morning, hence me squeezing in writing without any extra time to goof off. Plus I think the morning coffee buzz gets me going more than my afternoon tea buzz. But, the proof is in the pudding. We'll see where I am with my writing in a few months.
The weather has cooled down enough to where I think fall is really, truly on the way. Can't even tell you what a relief that is. I mean, it was so bad this summer that I took to going downstairs to watch cooking shows and zen out. It was like my survival. I was having all those headaches, my body was so hot all the time. Geesh. This 80 degree stuff is heavenly. We need more rain, though. The other week while driving past some open fields I saw how skinny the cows were, and how the dust just rose from their hooves as they walked along. Poor things. We forget how bad the animals have it—for real. We have air conditioning and running water, but they have dried-up lakes and ponds and needle-like dead grass. Come on rain.
An here's the promotional part of my post, haha. Diana from Offbeat Vagabond has written a lovely review of The Soul Seekers, which, by the way, is free today for Kindle on Amazon. Last time I looked it ranked #65 in Fantasy, Futuristic & Ghost section. Yay!
I hope you have a wonderful day. Take care, all!
The weather has cooled down enough to where I think fall is really, truly on the way. Can't even tell you what a relief that is. I mean, it was so bad this summer that I took to going downstairs to watch cooking shows and zen out. It was like my survival. I was having all those headaches, my body was so hot all the time. Geesh. This 80 degree stuff is heavenly. We need more rain, though. The other week while driving past some open fields I saw how skinny the cows were, and how the dust just rose from their hooves as they walked along. Poor things. We forget how bad the animals have it—for real. We have air conditioning and running water, but they have dried-up lakes and ponds and needle-like dead grass. Come on rain.
An here's the promotional part of my post, haha. Diana from Offbeat Vagabond has written a lovely review of The Soul Seekers, which, by the way, is free today for Kindle on Amazon. Last time I looked it ranked #65 in Fantasy, Futuristic & Ghost section. Yay!
I hope you have a wonderful day. Take care, all!
Friday, August 10, 2012
Contest Winner and the Silent Hero
Happy Friday, Everyone. I put names in a bowl, closed my eyes (very tight), and pulled out a winner. A big congratulations to Inger! Please send your address info to: amysaia79@yahoo.com. And a big thanks to all who tweeted, liked and Facebooked. It was fun!
Now, I'd like to go over a topic that has been coming up more and more with the book release. Jesse. While querying, I was told not to mention secondary characters. An agent only wants the main points, not all the friends and their cars and their cats. But Jesse was more than just a secondary character. I actually did try to include him in several queries because I felt it almost wrong to leave him out. In truth, I didn't feel The Soul Seekers was complete without mentioning him. But in agents and queries excess is excess, I learned to leave him out and he would be relegated to secret status. In typical style, he's jumped forward as everyone's favorite character. Am I'm happy about that. Jesse was so much fun to write. I think I learned a lot about myself through him. Actually, I learned a lot from each character: Emma showed me how much of a hippie, soft, wise side I had, William taught me a lot about being noble and quiet, but Jesse . . . he was the rock 'n' roller in me, the rebellion, the hell raiser that I guess never died from my late teens. His lines would pop into my head and I'd sit back, chocking with laughter. He was naughty and dark and wild. So wild. I loved his car, his black leather jacket, his long hair. I loved that he'd say what he wanted and didn't feel any consequence. Actually, I love people who are like that in real life too. While I don't cuss out loud, I love those who can rip apart the world in a few select, but choice, words.
But Jesse is also loyal and deep. He is music. He is cool.
I don't care what anyone says about our characters, they're real (to an extent). I do feel as if I was being channeled in some little way, and perhaps for a big reason. It's one of the most beautiful parts of being a writer.
Well, have a great day. I have an actual *gasp* gig this Saturday night and will be playing a heap of new songs. That's what I did a lot of this summer, in secret. While the kids were all here on the computer, I made myself an artist's corner out in the garage with an old tape player, my guitar, magazines, Steinbeck, a few cats, and a pen. A friend won't let me leave the music business just yet, and I agreed to open the set. Wish me luck!
Now, I'd like to go over a topic that has been coming up more and more with the book release. Jesse. While querying, I was told not to mention secondary characters. An agent only wants the main points, not all the friends and their cars and their cats. But Jesse was more than just a secondary character. I actually did try to include him in several queries because I felt it almost wrong to leave him out. In truth, I didn't feel The Soul Seekers was complete without mentioning him. But in agents and queries excess is excess, I learned to leave him out and he would be relegated to secret status. In typical style, he's jumped forward as everyone's favorite character. Am I'm happy about that. Jesse was so much fun to write. I think I learned a lot about myself through him. Actually, I learned a lot from each character: Emma showed me how much of a hippie, soft, wise side I had, William taught me a lot about being noble and quiet, but Jesse . . . he was the rock 'n' roller in me, the rebellion, the hell raiser that I guess never died from my late teens. His lines would pop into my head and I'd sit back, chocking with laughter. He was naughty and dark and wild. So wild. I loved his car, his black leather jacket, his long hair. I loved that he'd say what he wanted and didn't feel any consequence. Actually, I love people who are like that in real life too. While I don't cuss out loud, I love those who can rip apart the world in a few select, but choice, words.
But Jesse is also loyal and deep. He is music. He is cool.
I don't care what anyone says about our characters, they're real (to an extent). I do feel as if I was being channeled in some little way, and perhaps for a big reason. It's one of the most beautiful parts of being a writer.
Well, have a great day. I have an actual *gasp* gig this Saturday night and will be playing a heap of new songs. That's what I did a lot of this summer, in secret. While the kids were all here on the computer, I made myself an artist's corner out in the garage with an old tape player, my guitar, magazines, Steinbeck, a few cats, and a pen. A friend won't let me leave the music business just yet, and I agreed to open the set. Wish me luck!
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Good Day
Today The Soul Seekers comes out in print. The circle is complete. I think back through these last three years and it is my blogger friends who have kept me going through it all. Thank you.
Karen over at Coming Down the Mountain: A Writer's Blog has written a beautiful post today. She was instrumental in The Soul Seekers being accepted for publication, and I owe her a million thanks for her help!
I know I'm supposed to go out and have a celebratory dinner and bottle of wine, but I'm more apt to celebrate by working on the sequel. Gotta get that sucker finished!
Take care everyone. Here's a tip of the glass to you! Thank you for the love.
Taken from Karen's post (because she did it so well):
The Goodreads link to add to your to-read list.
The Soul Seekers book page on the publisher website, where for a limited time you can get the print copy at a pre-release special price.
To download on your Kindle.
To download on your Nook.
Friday, August 3, 2012
Talking Michael Pierce and . . . a giveaway!
Happy Friday! With a little rain, the temperatures have slowly fallen to a comfortable—less sweaty—level. However, the Midwest is still in a drought. And . . . AND . . . a few people were bitten by rattlesnakes hanging out in the coolness of lawn sprinklers. I don't know about you, but a rattlesnake coiled up in my front yard is pretty much the last thing I want to see when I go outside. "Snakes. I hate snakes."
But for today, let's forget all that. I'm being interviewed by the awesome Michael Pierce. We talk about The Soul Seekers including: why I chose the 1970's for a time setting, writing YA, and what kind of music inspired certain scenes. Hope to see you there!
Thanks again, Michael, for the interview and review. 'Twas a lot of fun!
Also-and this might be added on and tweaked as time rolls—here's the basic idea for a giveaway. I want to keep it simple and easy, so basically to enter to win a copy of The Soul Seekers I want you to tweet one of the prefabbed lines below, or post it on Facebook. If you don't Twitter or Facebook, then go follow the Amazon book link on the sidebar and click the 'like' button to help me out. Okay, if you don't want to do ANY of that, then just leave a comment telling me how much you love the terrific taste of SPAM and how you'd put it in a dinner. That will make me happy.
Copy and Paste:
And please make sure and let me know if you've posted any of these—in the comment section below. Thank you!
Have a great weekend, everyone! Up for any movies or outings?
But for today, let's forget all that. I'm being interviewed by the awesome Michael Pierce. We talk about The Soul Seekers including: why I chose the 1970's for a time setting, writing YA, and what kind of music inspired certain scenes. Hope to see you there!
Thanks again, Michael, for the interview and review. 'Twas a lot of fun!
Also-and this might be added on and tweaked as time rolls—here's the basic idea for a giveaway. I want to keep it simple and easy, so basically to enter to win a copy of The Soul Seekers I want you to tweet one of the prefabbed lines below, or post it on Facebook. If you don't Twitter or Facebook, then go follow the Amazon book link on the sidebar and click the 'like' button to help me out. Okay, if you don't want to do ANY of that, then just leave a comment telling me how much you love the terrific taste of SPAM and how you'd put it in a dinner. That will make me happy.
Copy and Paste:
The Soul Seekers~in print August 7. Butter, butter . . . The Soul Seekers. http://www.amazon.com/The-Soul-Seekers-Amy-Saia/dp/193717820X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335465571&sr=8-1
The Soul Seekers~in print August 7. Hey Mickey, he likes The Soul Seekers! http://www.amazon.com/The-Soul-Seekers-Amy-Saia/dp/193717820X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335465571&sr=8-1
The Soul Seekers~in print August 7. Hey mister, you got chocolate on my peanut butter copy of The Soul Seekers! http://www.amazon.com/The-Soul-Seekers-Amy-Saia/dp/193717820X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335465571&sr=8-1
The Soul Seekers~in print August 7. Time to make The Soul Seekers . . . http://www.amazon.com/The-Soul-Seekers-Amy-Saia/dp/193717820X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335465571&sr=8-1
The Soul Seekers~in print August 7. Please don’t squeeze The Soul Seekers! http://www.amazon.com/The-Soul-Seekers-Amy-Saia/dp/193717820X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335465571&sr=8-1
The Soul Seekers~in print August 7. I’m a Seeker, she’s a Seeker, wouldn’t you like to be a Seeker too? http://www.amazon.com/The-Soul-Seekers-Amy-Saia/dp/193717820X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335465571&sr=8-1
And please make sure and let me know if you've posted any of these—in the comment section below. Thank you!
Have a great weekend, everyone! Up for any movies or outings?
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
They're Here!
Look what showed up on my front porch yesterday! It's not a very good picture, but there was a lot going on when I snapped the shutter (electronic, so . . . yeah, no actual shutter) (sometimes I make a clicking sound with my tongue when I take pictures). Ain't they pretty? They're very shiny and have a cool 'new' smell. The kids ooh and ached, and Julia sat down on the couch to read a few pages.
I wasn't sure when they would arrive, so I held off on setting up any giveaways during the blog tour. But now they're here. So . . . I'm going to do a giveaway. I'm not sure what it will be exactly, but I'll make it fun. Okay, not the kind of fun you guys like to have. That kind of fun will buy me a ticket to jail. I'm thinking . . . legal fun. Okay, boring fun. I have to go drink coffee and think . . .
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Took my daughter to an ortho today. Perhaps you know the pain . . . money, money, money falling out of you like water. She has a lovely smil...
