Amanda Tero's Blog, page 21

3 Days!

It is not necessary to read Books 1 and 2 of the Tales of Faith series before “Protectingthe Poor,” but I do reference all former MCs—especially toward the end of “Protecting the Poor” (but I’ll not say any more to give away spoilers). I will say this: the epilogue concludes all of their journeys.
About Befriending the Beast Belle has returned unannounced to the castle to restore her relationship with the king, her father. Her hopes are dashed with the devastating message: "The king refus...

4 Days!

Throughout the ages, Robin Hood has been known as Robin des Bois, Robehood, Rabunhod, Robyn Hode, Hobbehod, Robert Hod and many other variations of “Robert” and “Hood.” Though historians cannot prove his existence, there is a traditional grave for him in Yorkshire. Some insist that Robin Hood never existed but was, more or less, imagined for bedtime stories for the wee ones. 
What do you think? Did a Robin Hood likely exist? If so, do you think he was more culprit or hero?

Giveaway | Blog Tour Stop at Singing Librarian Books

Do you want to own the entire Tales of Faith eBook collection?!?! Guest post and giveaway over at Singing Librarian Books today!

5 Days!

Robin Hood first appeared in historical recordings as early as mid-1300s. Many refer to “Robin Hood and the Monk” (an originally untitled piece) as one of the first ballads of Robin Hood. It is 92 stanzas long, so I’ll just share the first two (read the full ballad here: https://d.lib.rochester.edu/teams/text/robin-hood-and-the-monk)...                        In somer, when...

6 Days!

How often do you actually see back covers? I mean, you don’t share back covers. You see the front covers. On Amazon. On Goodreads. Everywhere. But, coming from a cover designer, we put just as much focus into the back as the front. 
When I look at a book, sure, I love the front covers, but I also want to see the back. The entire cover. The aestheticism and continuity of the entire piece. I don’t know that I have ever shared just the back covers of my books. So here they are.

Excerpt | Blog Tour Stop at Drop in the Ocean

Who remembers Barat from "The Secret Slipper?" Well, he's back in "Protecting the Poor" in full force and today I'm sharing an excerpt of the first scene between him and Dumphey. It begins...
“Ah, there you are, my good lad.” Barat’s tone belied his congenial words.
For the rest of the excerpt, hop over to Drop in the Ocean blog!

7 Days!

// EXCERPT //
Noel turned to his back and stared up at the darkness. He and Dumphey had lived in this room since before Mother passed—and she was a distant memory. Yet Noel could remember her stroking his head at nighttime when he was afraid in this small, dark room above the cooper’s shop. She had often placed her fingers under his chin and tilted his face up to look at hers, and together they would count up the blessings of this place.

“’Tis a roof over our head,” Noel whispered, “Shelter fro...

8 Days!

One of the biggest lessons God taught me while writing “Protecting the Poor” is seasons (a lesson I’ve technically “learned” before, but needed a reminder). I had finally finished a full draft after several months’ of hard work… only to put it aside and dive into full-time college work for the first time (I’m considered a “non-traditional student” – aka, old ;) ). In December, I did a brush-up edit (but wasn’t able to fully focus on writing, as I had two siblings get married in December and J...

Writing Retellings | Blog Stop at Tangled Up in Writing

I've already shared some rewriting tips in today's count-down post... but I go into a little more detail on Tangled Up in Writing Blog. What did I do specifically in writing my retelling of Robin Hood? How did I get the specific ideas for all three in the Tales of Faith trilogy? Read the article here.

9 Days!

What are your top tips for writing retellings? 
After writing three retellings, I definitely have my opinions on retellings. I won’t claim to have it mastered, but I have definitely learned some things. 
Tip OneMake sure it’s a retelling, not a rewrite. I have read some retellings where, if you compared it to the original, all they did was change the setting, era, and character names (and… maybe not even those). The conversations were almost verbatim. There wasn’t much originality to...