Andrea Pearson's Blog, page 17

Samara: A Kilenya Romance Has Been Published!

This is the official announcement. My novella, Samara: A Kilenya Romance, has been released! I'm sooooo excited!

When Samara Oldroyd meets the most amazing guy ever, she's frustrated their conversation is cut short. Her wishes that they'll run into each other again come true when she meets her sister's new boyfriend. It's him! Eeek!
Inspired by the film Dan in Real Life, this novella will tickle you pink as Samara tries—in vain—to undo her crush.


Price: $0.99
Go here for Kindle
Go here for Nook
Go here for Smashwords (nearly every other eReader)

(This book won't be available in paperback/hardback format.)

Here's what people are saying so far:

"This book was adorable! I lovedddd it! The ending had me 'awwing'. Is it possible to fall in love with a fictional character? 'Cuz I am in love with Matt. :-) It showed a whole other side to him that made me love him even more than I did, which I honestly didn't think was possible. Oh, my gosh, I'm so much in love with him!" - Sarah

"I didn't enjoy this book, I LOVED it!" - Jennifer

"There were a couple of rough spots, but over all, I absolutely loved this story. It was short (One-fourth the size of The Key of Kilenya), but I knew that ahead of time, and it didn't really bother me. I can't wait to read more Kilenya Romances!" - Jessie

"I just finished reading Samara and I LOVED it! Matt is insanely nice! He's my favorite. :)" - Tani

"I loved how the author knew her subjects...the nuances of each age, the subject of music and guitars. I felt like she knew the information and didn't just write a story without research or first hand knowledge. I have a feeling more people will be knowing who Andrea Pearson is in the future!" - Kim

Can't wait to hear what YOU think! :-)

Sneak Peak at the Cover for Samara!

Yay for new books! I'm so excited for people to read this one. :-)

Samara: A Kilenya Romance is nearly ready for publication! Woohoo!! It's about this seriously talented chick named Tracy. Ha ha. Kidding. :-) Her name is Samara, and she meets this amazing guy, gets a huge crush on him, then finds out later he's her sister's new boyfriend. She swears to herself she's going to forget him and move on . . . but she's not very successful. Embarrassing, awkward, and hilarious situations abound in this novella as she tries to figure out what to do!

Now for the part I've been waiting for (you too! :-))! The unveiling of the cover!


I'm so in love with it. :-)

Samara: A Kilenya Romance (novella) comes out October 24, 2011. Yay! :-) Here's what people are saying so far:

"This book was adorable! I lovedddd it! The ending had me 'awwing'. Is it possible to fall in love with a fictional character? 'Cuz I am in love with Matt. :-) It showed a whole other side to him that made me love him even more than I did, which I honestly didn't think was possible. Oh, my gosh, I'm so much in love with him!" - Sarah

"I'm not enjoying this, I'm LOVING it!" - Jennifer

"I just finished reading Samara and I LOVED it! Matt is insanely nice! He's my favorite. :)" - Tani

"I loved how the author knew her subjects...the nuances of each age, the subject of music and guitars. I felt like she knew the information and didn't just write a story without research or first hand knowledge. I have a feeling more people will be knowing who Andrea Pearson is in the future!" - Kim

Book to Check Out: Shifting

From a good friend, to help a fellow author, Bethany Wiggins. Due to health issues, Bethany has been unable to promote her book a whole lot. Personally, I think it sounds good. :-)

Book: Shifting



After bouncing from foster home to foster home, Magdalene Mae is transferred  to what should be her last foster home in the tiny town of Silver City, New Mexico. Now that she's eighteen and has only a year left in high school, she's determined to stay out of trouble and just be normal. Agreeing to go to the prom with Bridger O'Connell is a good first step. Fitting in has never been her strong suit, but it's not for the reasons most people would expect-it all has to do with the deep secret that she is a shape shifter. But even in her new home danger lurks, waiting in the shadows to pounce. They are the Skinwalkers of Navajo legend, who have traded their souls to become the animal whose skin they wear-and Maggie is their next target.

Full of romance, mysticism, and intrigue, this dark take on Navajo legend will haunt readers to the final page.

About the Author:Bethany Wiggins has always been an avid reader, but not an avid writer. She failed ninth grade English because she read novels instead of doing her homework. In high school, she sat alone at lunch and read massive hardback fantasy novels (Tad Williams and Robert Jordan anyone?). It wasn't until the end of her senior year that the other students realized she was reading fiction--not the Bible
Several years ago Bethany's sister dared her to start writing an hour a day until she completed a novel.  Bethany wrote a seven-hundred page fantasy novel that she wisely let no one read--but it taught her how to write.  The fifth novel she write, SHIFTING, is being published by Walker Books September 27, 2011.
Blog: www.suzettesaxton.blogspot.comweb page: www.bethanywiggins.comGoodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10224627-shiftingAmazon: http://www.amazon.com/Shifting-Bethany-Wiggins/dp/0802722806/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1316660383&sr=1-1

Author Etiquette and Rules

The other day, one of my author friends was put down very harshly by another writer. It made me pretty upset, and I sat down and wrote out these rules. The list is in no way complete, and some of you may disagree with me on them. If so, that's fine. :-) Regardless of whether you agree or not, there's something to be gained by following them.

Oh, and this post isn't meant to beat around the bush. I've written the rules in a very straightforward matter because there's too much tiptoeing going on in this world. 

As you read, please remember that everyone of us, at one point or another, has made many of these mistakes, if not all of them. We're not immune to doing dumb things. :-) Let's correct our errors now, shall we?

Writer Rules as follows:

1. Don't ever, ever belittle other writers.

It doesn't matter if they've only been writing for one month and we've been writing since we were six. It's wrong for us to elevate ourselves and put other people down, regardless of how many books we've put out.

2. We will always, always find writers who know more about the craft than we do.

Again, it doesn't matter if they've only been writing for one month and we've been writing since we were six. We have something to learn from everyone, and the life experiences of a sixteen-year-old girl are very different from ours. She may have something to teach us about writing.

3. Don't preach to, offer advice, tell writers what to do, or give feedback unless it's been asked for. (Or we're presenting. :-))

Basically, unless someone asks for assistance, we shouldn't solicit our opinion. This is one of the habits writers break the most often. We see a problem, we want to fix it. However, if we're honest with ourselves, we'll recognize that many times we do so only because we want to look good.

4. Maintain humility.

No one likes arrogant authors. Period. End of story.

Elevating ourselves by doing things to make people feel below us is wrong. If we don't know whether we're doing this or not, we need to think what our motivations are before we  speak (or, in our case, type). :-)

I'll never forget the time, before I'd been published, when someone dear to me introduced me to a published author. He wouldn't look at me, didn't acknowledge me, and barely even spoke to his friend - the one doing the introductions. She later apologized. Said the author had just signed a big contract and had been acting differently toward other authors, even friends, since then. Arrogance! Disgusting! :-)

5. Don't down talk our own books, even if we know they have problems.

Who wants to read an author's work (even their good books) if they aren't confident in it? If someone is curious about a book we know doesn't represent our best work, simply tell them the good points and then introduce them to another work of ours.

6. Be professional.

Can't say this one enough. Our image, especially online, is hugely important! The internet is forever. And forever is a long time to look like an idiot. :-)

7. Regardless of how our books have been published, don't act like it's the only way to go.

Self-publishing, small-press-published authors, or legacy-published authors all equal the same thing = hard work. One way isn't perfect for everyone.

8. Don't view self-publishing as a "dirty method to reach readers."

It's not. More and more frequently, publishers are finding their biggest authors from those who've self-published and have already proven that they're good. (Also, if you want to know how the world is changing where eBooks are concerned, read Barry Eisler and Joe Konrath's book, Be the Monkey. It's up on Smashwords for free, and may just completely change how you view the publishing world.)

9. When we write reviews, be professional. 

Don't rant about anything off-topic. Don't say things like, "I'm so confused about the book I just read. Would someone go read it and tell me why I was confused?" (Yes, I've seen that before. :-)) Our reviews must maintain dignity, for the author's and reader's benefit. If reading the book brought up a rant, use a different post.

Also, if we hated the book, don't flame the author. I've read so many awful reviews where the author was completely belittled and torn apart. This isn't good! If we hate the book that much, we shouldn't review it. And again, if we're completely honest with ourselves, we'll realize the review is acting only as a way to satisfy our vain ambitions, or elevate ourselves in other peoples' eyes. Attempting to make ourselves look better than the author will only make us look like a jerk to most readers. :-)

10. Help other authors!

There is no such thing as, "If they read your book, there's no way they'll read mine!" Authors build each other up. They help each other find readers. And readers will listen to what other people have to say about a book over what the author has to say. So if we're willing to help other authors, they'll usually be willing to return the favor.

11. Don't take offense when someone doesn't fall in love with our writing.

This reminds me of something a Relief Society president (LDS religious leader) once told the women in our young single adult group: "Don't be offended when a guy doesn't fall for you. There are others who will - just shrug it off and move on." She was right, and it applies to writing as well. Not everyone will like what you've written. Get over it. There are plenty who will. :-)

And that's it for now. Anything you'd like me to add? Leave a comment and I'll put it in.

The Ember Gods Release, Contest, and Coupon!

Welcome to the Official Release for The Ember Gods, Book Two in the Kilenya Series! :-)

CONTEST!
First, the contest! (See below for an amazing 50% off coupon for The Ember Gods!)

As a way to celebrate, we're putting together a contest to help spread the word! The contest starts now (Tuesday, September 27, 2011) and ends Monday, October 3, 2011 at midnight. That's one week!

Comment here, on my Facebook Wall, or on my Wattpad Profile to show your entries.

Enter by doing any of the following things:
1. Spread the word on Wattpad! Tell your fans all about this contest and my books. (1 entry for everything you do)
2. Send a message about this contest to your Twitter followers. (1 entry for every 10 followers)
3. Post on your blog. (2 entries)
4. Tell your friends on Facebook via note, status, etc. (1 entry for everything/1 entry for every 10 friends)
5. Email your family and friends! (1 entry for every 10 people)
6. Tell people about the coupon (below) for The Ember Gods! (You can refer them to this post, if you'd like) (1 entry)
7. Anything else you think will draw attention to the Kilenya Series and to this contest. (Entries given on how affective/creative you get!)
8. Do each of the above every day for additional entries. :-)

Remember to comment here, on my Facebook Wall, or on my Wattpad Profile to show your entries.

WATTPADDERS: Right now, The Key of Kilenya has 105,000 reads. Let's see if we can get it up to 150,000 by the end of the contest!


The prizes are as follows:
First Place: A $25 gift certificate to your choice of online retailer (Amazon, iTunes, etc.)
Second Place: A signed, personalized copy of The Key of Kilenya
Third Place (multiple winners possible): Your choice of The Key of Kilenya or The Ember Gods FREE (as an eBook).

Good Luck! And may the Force be with you. :-)


COUPON!
Many of you have already asked me for the amazing, awesome and wonderful 50% off coupon for The Ember Gods. It expires a week from today! (October 5, 2011) Here it is:

EP28Y

Click here to redeem it through Smashwords. (Like with Kindle or Amazon, you have to have an account to purchase the book. Also, Smashwords has most eReader formats available. (Kindle, Nook, PDF, etc.))

If you don't own The Key of Kilenya (Book One), you can go here to purchase the eBook through Smashwords, (It's $0.99) or you can purchase the paperback version from me (personalized!) by clicking on the "buy now" button below. It's on sale for $11.50, with free shipping! (Excluding international and Alaska/Hawaii)):

My Brother, Joshua Pearson

I wrote something like this for my mother a few months ago. You can read that here.

Typically, the youngest child in a family gets all the attention. They're spoiled, babied, and their parents are able to provide them with a lot more conveniences the older children didn't have.

Josh is on my lap, pointing at the camera :-)
Big smile! (And ugly overalls. :-))
The youngest member of my family, Joshua, has never really enjoyed that sort of thing. Growing up, his brothers and sisters frequently demanded the time and attention usually given to the youngest. Even now, his older siblings and their children are almost always in the lime-light.

I wanted to devote some time to my younger brother, and give everyone the opportunity to get to know him better.

My mother, before having her 5th child, was warned she'd probably die if she had any more kids. This didn't deter her—she knew there were still children who were supposed to come to her home. Michael was the sixth, then she waited over three years before having her seventh.

Her pregnancy with Josh was very difficult. She was on bed rest for a great deal of it, and was diagnosed with gestational diabetes. For those of you who don't know a lot about this condition, it makes babies gain too much weight and they are prone to die suddenly before birth. Also, their lungs don't develop as soon as they should.

In the garage of my parents' house while it was being built
Waving at the camera :-)
(A cute story: When the doctors did an amniocentesis test to see if Joshua's lungs were developed enough for birth, he grabbed the needle. They had to wait until he let go. They couldn't pull it out of his hand or shake him off for fear it would harm him. The doctor said, "You can't tell me babies are not aware of what goes on in the womb. He [Josh] knew the needle was there." His lungs were not developed and they had to wait another two weeks before delivering him.)

Joshua was a big baby (9lbs, 15 oz, 22 ½"), and my mom's doctor decided the safest way for her to deliver him would be via C-Section. She was too small to have a traditional birth.

Unfortunately, when Josh was ready to be delivered, my mom's regular doctor was performing an emergency C-Section for someone else. She ended up delivering Josh the standard way. Because the doctor who took over wasn't paying attention, he allowed my mom's cervix to clamp around Josh, crushing his chest. She pushed for an hour and a half, and had to have four people help her by pushing against her stomach.

After birth, they noticed he was turning blue and not breathing correctly. They suctioned blood out of his lungs, and he was immediately whipped away and placed in the intensive care unit for newborns. His lungs were bleeding, his heart wasn't pumping correctly, and the doctors said the chances of him making it were close to zero. They sent a video of his heart to Primary Children's Hospital, and the specialist there said he needed the heart/lung machine for infants. Unfortunately, this machine was in Boise, and the only machine at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center that might work was an oscillating respirator for adults. They wanted to fly Josh up to Idaho, but the oscillator wasn't built for traveling, so he was stuck at Utah Valley with close to no chance for survival.

With his little niece
He loves playing the piano!
I remember how he looked there, in the NICU. There were so many tubes and wiring coming off of him, I could barely see him. He wasn't responsive, and was on adult-level doses for eleven different medications.

My parents were devastated. Our ward and entire family (both sides) fasted, and my dad and grandfather gave him a Priesthood blessing. We visited him as often as possible, praying for a miracle. The morning after the blessing, he started to improve. He stabilized three days later. Another video of his heart was sent to the doctor at Primary Children's, and she said it wasn't the same heart. He'd healed with absolutely no sign of his difficult birth.

He was Utah Valley Regional Hospital's miracle baby of the year. They had to gradually wean him off the medication, but eleven days after his birth, he was released from the NICU, and my parents were finally able to take him home.

His first year of life was spent quarantined with my mom. The doctors didn't know what caused the bleeding so told my parents to avoid anything dangerous until he was older. They didn't want there to be any chance of him getting sick, so my mom wasn't even able to leave the house. This year was interesting for me – I couldn't pretend to be sick, else I wouldn't be allowed to hold him. :-)

Self portrait :-)
With our older sister, Lisa
He was a beautiful baby—longer eyelashes than I've still ever seen, and tons and tons of dark, curly hair.

His birth wasn't the only miracle he's had.

When he was 18 months old, he backed his bike down the tiled, metal-edged stairs in our house in Payson. My brother, Erik, then 14 years old, had a feeling to leave his room and walk to the bottom of the steps and hold out his hand. As soon as he put his arm out, he caught Josh, not even knowing Josh had been falling.

When Josh went over the stairs, he flipped over, landed on his jaw on the steps, then flipped again and was falling head first to the tiled cement at the bottom of the steps. The outcome would have been much worse if Erik hadn't been there to catch him. As it was, Josh broke his jaw, lost two teeth, and his top teeth were deadened and turned blackish gray. Poor kid!

Two summers ago was another near-miss experience. He was doing backflips on the trampoline, lost his footing, and landed on his face on the springs/bars. A little farther up and he would've broken his neck or lost an eye. Instead, he got 16 stitches. :-)

Before the stitches (which went around his eye and on his forehead)

With me in my parents' kitchen
Now, on to Josh's personality.

He LOVES cooking, is known for it, and makes the best home-made pizza and bbq'd chicken in the world. He also makes a really good spaghetti sauce, the recipe for which is in the World Wide Ward Cookbook. He used to make it for ward auctions, and it was always one of the first things to sell.

He's dedicated to educating himself, preparing for a mission, becoming a pilot in the Air Force, and Scouting. He has the Arrow of Light award, and his Eagle Court of Honor is this September (2011). He does very well in school.

His niece still calls him "daddy" sometimes. He looks like her dad!
Senior picture (taken by our brother, Glenn)
Josh will be embarrassed when he reads this, but he is very tender-hearted. I'm not saying tender-hearted as in he cries a lot, but that he always knows when me or my mom are in pain, emotionally or otherwise. He's never been cruel to people or animals. He empathizes with other people's pain. Out of all my brothers he's the only one who has consistently opened the door for me (since he was five years old). He's always the first person to hug me.

There was a time when he wouldn't go to sleep at night until he came and gave me a hug and said goodnight. Once, when I got home late, my mom said he'd waited up for me, gave up, and had gone to bed. I found a sticky note on my door that said, "Goodnight, Andrea, I love you!"

He's quick to smile, slow to anger (rarely gets upset), and eager to help anyone. He's bashful and shy. He loves sports, photography, woodworking, dating, singing (bass) and especially playing the piano. His compositions are beautiful (go here for his YouTube channel), and he regularly plays Jon Schmidt. He loves animals, especially his chickens, and cat (Harley) and his bird, Kitty. He loves mountain biking.

Another senior year shot (photo by Glenn)
He's 18 in this picture, though he looks a bit older. :-) Photo by Glenn.
Out of all of my parents' children, he's always been the one most willing to help other people. Every time I've had surgery, he's been right there to make sure I had everything I needed. Last year, when I got strep, he cooked food for me and ran every errand I needed.

Joshua is a great brother and a excellent example to me of what it means to be charitable. I'm sure he'll always be this way – it's in his character.

Book Review: Hang 'Em High

Author: Tristi Pinkston
Tristi's blog.


This is the third installment in the Secret Sisters mystery books. Here's what it says on the back of the book:

When Ida Mae Babbitt receives an invitation to visit her son Keith's dude ranch in Montana, she's excited to mend their broken relationship, but not so excited about spending time with cows. Arlette and Tansy go along with her, ready to take a vacation that does not involve dead bodies or mysteries of any sort - one must have a break from time to time. But it seems a no-good scoundrel has moseyed into Dodge City and is bent on causing all sorts of trouble for the ranch. Unable to keep her curiosity in check - especially when it seems her own son is the most likely culprit - Ida Mae decides to investigate. Can she lasso the varmint and get him to the sheriff in time?

Okay, Hang 'Em High was freaking awesome. I LOVED the ranch setting, the new characters, Arlette--an older woman--trying to break into someone's window (seriously one of the funniest things I've read in a while), the intrigue, the deaths and almost deaths, and the nervewrackingness of not knowing who dun it!

My one beef with it was that it felt like it took a bit to get into the swing of things--the humor wasn't really there until the group was settled in at the ranch (aside from Ida Mae and her jeans. That was awesome. :-)).

I was at my in-laws while reading it, and they probably think I'm crazy now. While they were finishing up work projects and talking about guy things, I was erupting into hysterical, uncontrollable laughing fits. I couldn't put the book down! :-)

Seriously, people. You need to read the Secret Sisters books - they'll lighten your day and put a smile on your face. I love them!

Yay! Edits Finished!

I finally finished my edits for The Ember Gods! I'd been burned out on them for about a month. Burnouts are no fun. We should be ready for the book to be put out as an eBook in a couple of weeks, and then in print a few weeks after that. Yay!

Anyway - just wanted to post this little thought/announcement before running off to do my errands for the day. :-)

Writing Prompt: Your First Car

Today's prompt is more an essay/article than fiction, though don't let that stop you from writing a story along these lines and using that instead. (That would be really interesting! And so would a poem.)

I've been thinking a lot lately about whether or not my husband and I should buy a "first car" for our children, or if we should encourage them to save up and purchase one on their own. We've discussed this, but haven't come to any decisions yet. And I don't feel like a "Let's see how each child acts" situation will work, since it's not fair to buy a car for one kid and not another.

Here's where I've been a little torn. I believe in the value of working hard to achieve goals and being self-sufficient. I feel it's important for children to learn to save their money. On the other hand, sometimes all we need to be successful in life is a gentle nudge, or a little help from someone.

My parents couldn't afford to get cars for us, but my in-laws did so for their children. My husband's car is nearly dead now - he's run it to the ground. It's saved him a great deal of money, and he really appreciates owning it. Me - I worked really hard for my first car and paid for it with my own money. Though I don't have it anymore, I still remember the sense of accomplishment and pride I'd get whenever I drove it.

First, what are your thoughts in this regard? Should parents help their kids out, or should they encourage children to work toward the goal of being a bit more self-sufficient?

Next, tell me about the first car you bought. How you paid for it, what you went through to get it, the feelings you experienced when you drove it/looked at it, etc.

I'll be reading your responses next Friday morning, so you have until Thursday, September 8, 2011 at midnight to post. Oh, and maybe your posts will help my husband and me come to a decision! :-) Don't forget to come back and put a link to your blog in a comment.

Writing Prompt: A Well-Placed Word

I'm really excited for today's writing prompt - mainly to see what people do with it. :-)

Some information: A well-placed word is (usually) more powerful than a whole paragraph of descriptions.

Challenge:
Write a full scene (dialog, etc., and at least four paragraphs) between a man and a woman who run into each other at the wedding of a mutual friend.

Information:
The man intensely dislikes the woman. Can't stand to be around her. Describe how she looks, how he feels for her through his dialog, and color everything with his feelings for her.

The woman loves the man. Craves being around him. Describe how he looks, how she feels for him through her dialog, and color it with her feelings for him.

Girls must write from the view point of the man.
Guys must write from the view point of the woman.

Purpose:
Rather than give a full paragraph of description, learn to use a few carefully placed words. Also, getting into the head of the opposite gender is a great exercise, and can be very entertaining. :-)

The post can be written in any form you prefer (poetry, fiction, etc.), and you have until Thursday, September 1, 2011 at midnight to write it.