Emily H. Bates's Blog, page 3
March 1, 2016
Finally MARCH!
It’s March today!
And EVERYTHING HAPPENS IN MARCH!!
I’m kind of thrilled. In case you couldn’t tell. SPRING happens in March, and a new baby happens in March, and (in case you hadn’t heard) a new BOOK happens in March!
In fact, you can go to Amazon right here right now and buy your very own copy of STONE ALLIANCE! It’s all ready to go! And if you’re curious what the early reviewers are saying . . .
“A fast paced book . . . the author does a wonderful job drawing you into the world she created...
February 29, 2016
Winning by inches
“Victory is won not in miles but in inches. Win a little now, hold your ground, and later, win a little more.” –Louis L’Amour
February 26, 2016
Back to the beginning
The books are here, the bookmarks are here, the door prizes for the launch party are almost ready, and it’s official: Stone Alliance is in its finished form, no more to be hacked apart and reassembled.
And just like that, I’m jumping from my beautifully polished, finished project to some really rough early drafts.
It’s hard.
The characters refuse to settle into their roles and personalities, I’m falling into gaping plot holes every two steps, and oh, the clichés!
This is the point where my wr...
February 24, 2016
Priorities…
Blogging was not high on my list of priorities today. But I’m trying to be better at being consistent, so I’m taking a minute to update and using this post as a place to lay out my projects and prioritize what needs to happen first. So this is what I have in front of me:
New beta read! I’m most excited about this one, so it’s probably going to get top slot. I love reading new books from new writer friends, and this looks like a good one. Rewriting. This is something I’d love to lock myself u...February 22, 2016
A writer’s life
“Every morning, no matter how late he had been up, my father rose at 5:30, went to his study, wrote for a couple of hours, made us all breakfast, read the paper with my mother, and then went back to work for the rest of the morning. Many years passed before I realized that he did this by choice, for a living, and that he was not unemployed or mentally ill.”
(Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird)
February 19, 2016
Why I love three-star reviews
The first days after releasing a book, it’s hard not to compulsively check Amazon and Goodreads every ten minutes to see whether there’s a new review. As a writer, I LOVE four- and five-star reviews. Let’s be honest. I like being told that I’m a brilliant writer.
But as time has passed, I’ve found that, while five-star reviews are the most encouraging and exciting, the most useful reviews, both as a reader and a writer, are the three-star reviews.
I know some people who get upset at three-sta...
February 17, 2016
The danger of reviews
I recently reread a trilogy that, aside from an abundance of teenage romance, I thoroughly enjoyed. It had a complex and engaging plot, varied and developed characters, and a villain who gave me nightmares. Granted, it wasn’t a literary master piece or anything, but it was fun YA sci-fi.
When I posted my rating on Goodreads, I happened to glance at the other reviews on the page. I was surprised to see a number of fairly negative reviews, in spite of a decent overall rating on the book. Glanci...
February 15, 2016
Immortality
“He was seeking immortality, which is a terrible thing to seek. It is not seeking anything, but rather avoiding the unavoidable.” (The Night Circus, Erin Morgenstern)
February 12, 2016
Reading books five times a day
I have a two-year-old who LOVES reading. Our “library” room is constantly layered with books because she’ll pull them one by one off the shelves, flip through them, and grab another one. She’ll grab an armful and dump them on my lap–then say, “I’ll get fwee more, Mom.” “Fwee” (three) usually ends up being four or five or six.
She goes through phases of which books she likes best, but there are a few that she will consistently pick above all others. Here are some of the favorites in our house:...
February 10, 2016
In the Dying Light
I’m so excited to be taking part in another cover reveal! I love seeing new covers–always so unique and creative. Today, you get a first look at . . .
Winter Merrill knew it would be difficult when she took on an ancient curse to save her family, but couldn’t have imagined the isolated existence she would inherit.
When her long-time boyfriend’s demanding college schedule competes with her needs, Winter is left completely alone to fight the dark secrets she bares. At her breaking point a stra...
