Andrea Pearson's Blog, page 8

I Have Never!

Let's play the "I have never" game. I'll start. I've never been to a tanning booth.

Remember - you can't repeat what others have said, so be sure to read the comment trail before commenting.

Ready, set, go!

What are you waiting for?

I've spent a great deal of my life waiting.

I waited as a child, not wanting to experience things for myself first, wanting to watch others try before I did.

I waited and held off from being my outgoing, bubbly self in junior high and high school because I wasn't sure how people would respond.

It took me nine years to graduate from college because I didn't know which major to choose - I waited until the perfect one came along. And it was the perfect one. But I could've found it earlier.

I waited to graduate because I didn't know if I'd get married halfway through. I wasn't sure how much I'd be able to attend after getting hitched.

I waited to graduate because I didn't have the money every semester and didn't want to get in debt. (Don't regret that one!)

I waited to start writing because I wasn't sure if I REALLY wanted to do it, or if I'd be good or not.

I waited to fully relax as a single woman because I wasn't sure when I'd meet the right guy and would need to be "impressive."

I waited for HIM to say, "I love you" first. (Another one I don't regret.)

I waited to focus on writing after we decided to have kids because I wasn't sure when they would come. (Took eight months)

I waited to be truly effective while I was pregnant because I could never tell how sick I would be each day.

And you know what?

I'm through with waiting.

I'm going to be the best wife, the best mother, and the best author I can be NOW. I'm going to put the most important things first: my hubby, my baby, and my writing every day and let everything else fall into place.

I know what the Lord wants me to do. And I'm ready to do it NOW.

I'm through with waiting. I really am. It's time NOW to take myself seriously!

What's holding you back? What are you waiting for?

Which stage are you in? :-)

All right, authors and writers! I want you to go check out Kristine Kathryn Rusch's blog post titled The Stages of an Indie Writer. This applies to all of you: traditionally published, aspiring, self-published. Then come back and tell me which stage you're in. :-)

Seriously: I can't stress this enough right now. Every single author I know who has signed with a publisher has become disenchanted after seeing how things actually go or are actually run. Some of those authors go on and sign with other publishers - usually Indie publishers where they're treated much better - but even then, I still hear frustrations.

Only a couple of my author friends are really happy where they are. The thing is, when we start thinking seriously about getting published - when it occurs to us that this could actually happen to us - we become in love with the dream of being traditionally published. And dang, those publishers make things look so good!

But the truth is, traditional publishers aren't doing very well. Not only that, but the ones who ARE doing well still mess things up ALL the time by: assigning the wrong title to books, not ordering books on time for launches, sending books to the wrong bookstore for said launches, having to push back publication dates multiple times because the cover art wasn't finished on time or the book wasn't sent to the printer (oops! Sorry! they say), putting together covers that are really bad, messing up editing, and NOT MARKETING. That's the biggest complaint from pretty much every author I've met about their publisher.

Publishers promise a lot of things and then don't fulfill those promises. And authors these days, after signing that freakin' fantastic contract, and finally feeling like they're actually "there," come to the bitter realization that publishers are humans, that they make mistakes, and that one of the biggest ones is how much work they'll put into your book to make it go big. If you aren't James Rollins, Patterson, or Stephen King (or any other huge author), you're going to be expected to market yourself. To put your own money into your book to get it out there. And if your book flops, it's on you, you don't get reprinted, and your book is pulled from shelves.


I'm not against traditionally publishing, actually. There are one or two publishers out there who are doing things right. But technically, they aren't even trad. publishers. They're Indie publishers.

Anyway. Regardless of which stage of becoming an Indie Author you're in, please make sure you know full well what you're getting into. Do your research! Read books about publishing.

And realize this: publishers are watching self-published authors. Self-publishing is the slush pile now. Those of you who are sending your manuscripts out into the ethernet might want to consider making some money while waiting for that dream to come true. :-)

Making money... Mmmm... I sure love doing that. :-)

Technology Terms in Your Books

Dating is fun, right? Yeah, totally. Unless you've been doing it for an awfully long time, and then it's just tedious. :-)

Even though the occasional date is great, we as authors need to avoid dating ourselves or our books. Okay, that's totally cheesy. Sorry. :-)

What do I mean, you ask?

I started reading a book a few months ago that had been recently published. But the more into the book I got, the more I realized the author was very out of it when it came to technology terms, slang, and other things. The words he used showed he'd either written the book in the nineties, or was completely stuck in that era. And the dialog was so distracting, I couldn't finish the book. I spent most of the time rolling my eyes.

Not everyone is going to trip over this sort of thing, I know. So why does it matter? Mainly because a lot of readers will be pulled out of the story if they come across something that is really out-dated. It's really hard to find appropriate slang for all generations, so I think it's okay to slip in the occasional word here and there, but when the entire dialogue is mainly, "like, totally cool!" then we've got a problem. :-)

An example of one of my pet peeves: "Bye!" Sarah said, then snapped/flipped/clicked the phone shut.

Really? Most people don't use flip phones anymore. And those who do will end up switching for something newer when their current phone breaks and they can't find a flip phone. What's the better way to show that someone has ended a call? How about this: "Bye!" Sarah said, then ended the call. :-) Or, even though it's also dated, "hung up" can also be used.

The point is, think of ways that will be more universally acceptable over the next several years. Yeah, that's right. You heard me. Predict the future! :-)

What are some of your pet peeves when it comes to technology, slang, and other things being outdated? Have you ever noticed something like this when reading? If so, did it bother you? Or am I the only one? :-)

Man of Steel Review

This may or may not reveal spoilers, determined by how well you know Superman's story. :-)

My husband, brother, parents and I went and saw Man of Steel today. I enjoyed many aspects of it, but overall was disappointed.

One of the best things about being married to a critical thinker is the opportunity to analyze movies and books together. It really helps me become a better author and to avoid the types of cliches and problems that occurred in Man of Steel.

When we left the theater, I didn't immediately say, "Let's go watch it again!" like I usually do after comic super hero movies. I'm a huge Marvel, Mattel/DC comic fan and watched the cartoons religiously growing up. In fact, the movies based on these comics are some of my favorites. It's very rare that I don't like one of them. I'm a fan of almost every Batman movie ever made (including Batman Forever), and I'll always be a die-hard X-Men fan.

The last Superman movie was horrendous. This one was better. I appreciated that. But my main issue was that it lacked the depth that I've come to expect from Christopher Nolan.

My husband gave the movie six out of ten stars - he was pleasantly surprised and wasn't expecting much. I gave it five. I went in expecting more and was disappointed.

What I liked:
The beginning. Krypton was fantastic. I loved the action, the character development, the setting, and how wide-scale everything was. The technology was cool and the flying creature was awesome. Loved the double wings. Superman's parents, both sets. You feel like you really know them. They were three-dimensional characters with feelings, goals, desires. When Lara said goodbye to her baby, it actually brought tears to my eyes, rather than me feeling like it was cheesy.Superman with scruff. Much more attractive than without. :-)The action. Lots of cool explosions, etc.The plot. It was so much better than the last Superman movie.Superman's training montage. It was really neat. Without revealing spoilers, I really liked how he discovered where he came from.How Superman flies. The little bursts of energy added a lot of eye-candy to the scenes.The bad chick. She was awesome and actually knew how to fight.Watching Superman try to blend in with humans at work, etc. Actually, as I come to think about it, it wasn't until about halfway through the movie that I started not enjoying it.

What didn't work for me:
How Superman's Earth dad dies. I mean, come on! This was my first major complaint. It was a huge thumbs up to animal activists and was disappointing. And definitely NOT how it really happened!The lack of character development. We get to know Superman's parents really well - both sets. But who's Superman? Who is Lois lane? We watch them a TON, but what we see doesn't successfully advance the plot or teach us about them as individuals. As an example, in Batman Begins, you really feel his suffering, pain, and accomplishments. You cheer him on, not just because it's Batman, but because you've been there with him. The only reason I could predict what Superman did was because I know his story outside of this movie, and not because they'd laid the groundwork for a reboot of him, as was the case with Batman Begins.The excessive explosions. I love explody movies. Always have. I love fires and booms and things falling down magnificently with lots of drama and dust. But even I was rolling my eyes after a while. Some of the fights were too long and dragged out and my husband, brother, and I actually got bored. Those fights became repetitive and very, very predictable. You can only knock so many buildings down without wondering why certain people are still alive, why there are still buildings to knock down, and when something else cool will happen.Lois and Superman's relationship. Actually, their relationship didn't bother me. This movie was a great foundation - a fantastic setup for romance in future movies. BUT NOT IN THIS ONE. So why'd they have to kiss? People in the theater were actually groaning around us. It felt unnatural and forced and there was no pull behind it. And how the heck did she get there anyway? :-)The way everyone called Superman Kal. I mean, come on. When have they done that before? It was always Kal-El. Or Kal-L. Jor-El went by his full name the entire time, so why not Superman? Kal is too close to the name Cal, which is a cute, small-town boy name. I'm from a small, country town, and know many people by the name of Cal. So that pulled me right from the movie. That, and the fact that he's never been called Kal before - it's supposed to be Kal-El. Failed attempt at humor. Anything emotional that involved Superman fell flat. The only thing that made us genuinely laugh was when Lois told Superman to be careful with her luggage because it was heavy. :-) I rolled my eyes at the "109 days without accidents" thing.Amy Adams playing the part of Lois Lane. Lois isn't a soft, cushy, Enchanted-singing chick. She's LOIS, for crying out loud. :-)When the movie was over, my brother's first comment was, "That was way over the top. Like they were trying to pull off 'final movie' epicness in the first movie. Where the heck are they going to go from here? Oh, I know. Superman saves the world. Again."

Out of every super hero movie I've seen, this was my least favorite (apart from the Green Lantern). And I've seen pretty much all of them.

If your aim is only to provide explosions and violence eye-candy, then this was a successful movie. But on every other level, they must have been aiming for Twilight levels of emotional and character depth, because that's what they achieved.

Yes, I do feel very strongly about this. Ha ha. :-)

I'm sure I'll watch it again, but give me Thor, Iron Man, Batman, Hellboy, The Avengers, or X-Men first, please. I'll get around to it eventually.

Writers Write!

Something that surprised me when I decided to tell people I was a writer (and later an author) was the huge number of people who mentioned they wanted to write a book. I've always wondered why they hadn't done it, and over the past few weeks, I think I've come to a conclusion. :-)

I enjoy needlepoint. I like sewing the occasional project. I like eating fresh veggies from a garden, and I like seeing plants grow. I enjoy making scarves with yarn, and every couple of years, I pull out my yarn and start (or finish) another scarf. I also enjoy blogging.

But the thing is, these are NOT my passions. I don't wake up thinking about gardening. Or sewing or even blogging (shocker, since it seems most authors LOVE blogging :-)). My passion is writing. And not just any writing, but writing books and stories that will entertain in some way.

Because writing is my passion, I make it a priority. It's one of the first things I do in the morning, and if I don't get it done throughout the day, I feel like the day wasn't as good as it could have been. Obviously, there are exceptions. Like, if I'm on a vacation or something. :-)


If you've been wanting to get that book written, the only way it's going to happen is if you make it a higher priority. Do it before the kids wake up, before work starts, and before the laundry needs to be done. Otherwise it won't ever happen. Things that get put off until the end of the day rarely get done. We all know this. :-)

If not writing, what is your biggest passion? What is the one thing that drives you every day, where, if you don't do it, you feel like the day wasn't as successful as it could be?

Model for Book Cover Wanted!

Howdy, People!

I'm working on a new series and am so very excited about it! For this series, the main character is an 18-year-old girl named Anya. We're needing a girl who can pose for the covers of the book, and we'll be paying her $30 for an hour-long photo shoot with a professional photographer.

This person needs to:

Live close by (Lehi, UT is where we're located right now), or be willing to travel without us paying for traveling cost. A BYU, UofU, or UVU student would be perfect.

This person also needs to:

Be female, attractive, and at least 18 years of age (the main character is 18 in the first book, and by book four, will be 22). She'll need to have a slender, athletic build, blondish hair (naturally light-colored, and straight, not curly), and light colored eyes. She needs to be tall - at least 5'8".

If you know someone who'd be interested in being on the cover of a soon-to-be-popular, published book, and who'd like to earn $30, please have them email me (ap@andreapearsonbooks.com) the following information:
1. A headshot, with only a little makeup on
2. A full-body picture, to show they have Anya's body type - tall, slender, athletic
3. Their contact information: cell phone and email address
4. Their schedule for the next couple of months (so we can arrange with the photographer)

The person we choose (and we'll only be able to choose one) will need to sign a waiver that they won't ask for a portion of book royalties, that they won't sue for having their picture on the cover of a book, and that they understand they probably won't have access to the photographs. :-) (We might be able to work something out for photos we don't end up using, if desired.)

If they don't mind, I'll thank them in the acknowledgement section. :-)

I'm soooo excited! Can't wait to get this series going. It's really going to be excellent. I've already got a few stories written for it, and my beta readers have LOVED them.!

Writers Write!

Something that surprised me when I decided to tell people I was a writer (and later an author) was the huge number of people who mentioned they wanted to write a book. I've always wondered why they hadn't done it, and over the past few weeks, I think I've come to a conclusion. :-)

I enjoy needlepoint. I like sewing the occasional project. I like eating fresh veggies from a garden, and I like seeing plants grow. I enjoy making scarves with yarn, and every couple of years, I pull out my yarn and start (or finish) another scarf. I also enjoy blogging.

But the thing is, these are NOT my passions. I don't wake up, thinking about gardening. Or sewing or even blogging (shocker, since it seems most authors LOVE blogging). My passion is writing.

Talents and Passion

I've been thinking a lot lately about how my life has gone where talents, interests, and hobbies are concerned. I've had a lot of passions and have followed those closely, and looking back, I can see how they've helped me.

The biggest thing I notice is that my passions and talents have always followed the arts. Except for that brief excursion I had with car repair and maintenance. :-) (I learned out to maintain my own car, including replacing pipes and valves and changing the oil. Something everyone should know how to do. :-))

What is it that pushes you? What are your strongest passions? And is it possible to make money doing one of those things?

Only you know the answers to these questions.

For a long time, I wanted to become a concert pianist. I mastered Franz Liszt, Rachmaninoff, and Jon Schmidt. (Yes, Jon is one of those famous classical composers. :-)) Even though I loved playing the viola, I was more passionate about the piano, and therefore, quickly surpassed my viola-playing abilities. (I still play in church, funerals, and family get-togethers, however.)

Then, with the help of a friend, I discovered painting. I first learned how to paint with acrylics, then oils. I wish I'd done it the other way around - oils are so much easier to blend and work with. They allow the artist to fix mistakes or make changes.

Here are some of my favorite paintings:

This was my first oil painting, and my first portrait. The original was done by Greg Olsen, and I had the help of a wonderful elderly woman who taught me the names of the oil paints and which ones would look the best. It was all done by my own hand, eye-balling the original.

I really like sceneries and spent most of my time painting them with acrylics and oil. 

The theme in my bedroom in my parent's house was Piove Sull'oceano, which is the name of a Josh Groban song. Click here to listen to it. :-) (That's a link to a Youtube video.) I painted this while listening to that song on repeat. The painting also bears the name Piove Sull'oceano. (Rain over the ocean)

I especially like painting more abstract things. This is a set I did for our master bedroom. They took about ten hours each to complete - which, from their simplicity, is impossible to tell. :-)

Another set of paintings for my master bedroom. 
All of the paintings above, except for the one of Christ, were completed in the last five years. Here are some links to my earlier works: my first water color (painted for my older brother's Eagle Court of Honor), an abstract painting of mountains (when I first discovered oil paints), a pencil drawing of a kitten that I did when I was sixteen, and some black mountains. As you can see, I like mountains. :-)
The one thing I never tried out growing up was writing. My older sister was "the writer," and I've never been one to be competitive, so I stayed away from that area for many years. When I was 22, I couldn't hold it down anymore and started writing. I wrote my first book in six weeks (and took well over a year to perfect it). I'm really glad I spent a lot of time with other hobbies and passions first, since I got that out of my system (still paint and play the piano occasionally). Writing is where my heart is. I'll never stop - it drives me so much more than any other artistic pursuit.
What about you? What did you spend your time learning and focusing on? Where is your attention now, when it comes to talents and passions? Are there any areas you'd like to focus on in the future?

Ginnie West Adventure Series and Giveaway!

The Ginnie West Adventure series gets new covers! To quote Ginnie: "They are totally awesome sauce!"


THE SECRET SISTERS CLUB: A GINNIE WEST ADVENTURE (Book 1)

Twelve-year-old BFFs—Ginnie and Tillie—want to be sisters. Tillie's divorced mom plus Ginnie's widowed dad could equal a lifetime of round-the-clock girl talk and slumber parties. Too bad Dad vowed to never marry again. Ginnie and Tillie form a secret club and come up with the perfect mission to change his mind: ‘Operation: Secret Sisters’.

 Before long, Tillie seems happier about gaining a dad than a sister. Ginnie suspects that Tillie has turned ‘Operation: Secret Sisters’ into a scam called ‘Operation: Steal My Dad.’ Things get more complicated when Ginnie stumbles across her real mom’s hidden journals. Ginnie can finally get to know the mother she doesn’t remember and Dad doesn’t talk about. When Dad discovers she has the journals, he takes them away. Ginnie needs to figure out why before her relationship with her father and her best friend are ruined forever.

As a writer of fantasy, few stories set in reality succeed in capturing my interest so thoroughly that they leave me wanting more. With her spirited personality and flare for fun, Ginnie West does just this as she draws the reader into her unique world from the start and never disappoints. An engaging read that entertains the young as well as the young at heart, this novel manages to become what most rarely do--memorable. ~~ S.E. Gerard, A Fracture In Time

I LOVED this book! I didn’t know a book without zombies could be good! ~~15 yr-old Amanda

TROUBLE BLOWS WEST: A GINNIE WEST ADVENTURE (Book 2)

Putting her body in motion before her brain is in gear creates a mountain of problems for 12 year-old Ginnie West. She is certain that defending her twin brother, Toran, from the biggest bully in sixth grade was the right thing to do. But Ginnie couldn’t be more wrong. She quickly figures out that Toran doesn’t appreciate being rescued by a girl any better than Pierce likes being knocked down by one. 

When Pierce seeks revenge on Ginnie, Toran sets aside his anger and helps her plot a playback prank at Pierce’s house. Sadly, Ginnie learns that Pierce has a reason for being a bully when she sees his dad drop him to the floor like a rag doll. Realizing he's a boy in big trouble, Ginnie decides to be his ally, even if he won’t let her be his friend.

If you like farms, friends, horses, and secrets, you’ll love: Trouble Blows West: A Ginnie West Adventure. So saddle up and be ready to ride with Ginnie as she explores the true meaning of friendship. ~~Debbie Shakespeare Smith, middle-grade author of The House of Chicken

An excellent book that deals with the sensitive topics of bullying, abuse, and forgiveness. It is action packed and full of raw emotions. Bucheger does an amazing job of writing this story, without giving a cookie cutter answer to the problems Ginnie faces. The characters are full and rich—which makes me wish I could be part of the West family as well. ~~ Karen D. 

SIMPLY WEST OF HEAVEN: A GINNIE WEST ADVENTURE (Book 3) 

Twelve-year-old BFFs schemed to get Ginnie’s widowed dad to fall in love with Tillie’s divorced mom. When their parents go along with the matchmaking, the girls are stoked. Sweet! Not long after though, Ginnie stumbles upon her late mom's journals, making life even more awesome sauce … until her dad confiscates the journals, determined to protect Ginnie from a danger he won’t name. Ginnie is counting on her future sister's help to make Dad change his mind, but Tillie's not so sure the ghost of Ginnie's mom will make a good addition to their new family tree. 

Besides, Tillie is too busy trying to keep the memory of her abusive, no-good , rotten-excuse-for-a-birth-father from bubbling to the surface to worry about what's bugging Ginnie. He left six years ago and Tillie’s knows a better dad when she sees one … Ginnie’s dad. The girls' world gets flipped upside-down when a blast from the past shows up and makes Tillie go nutburgers. Ginnie is torn between helping her best friend and what could be the answer to her prayers. Life gets complicated lickety-split in what is sure to be the most pivotal summer of Ginnie’s life. 

With the charm of The Little House books, and the courage of today’s American Girl, Bucheger has created a series that has staying power. ~~Mikey Brooks, The Dream Keeper

As a mother I couldn't put these books down. While they may be written for middle grade children, I was not only entertained, but inspired. ~~ Courtney W.





When Monique Bucheger isn’t writing, you can find her playing taxi driver to one or more of her children, plotting her next novel, scrapbooking, or being the “Mamarazzi” at any number of child-oriented events. Even though she realizes there will never be enough hours in any given day, Monique tries very hard to enjoy the journey that is her life. 



She shares it with a terrific husband, her dozen children, an adorable granddaughter,  a son-in-law, three cats, and many real and imaginary friends. She is the author of several books and plans to write many more. You can find more about Monique and her works at: www.moniquebucheger.blogspot.com



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This is the BLOG TOUR with Links:


MONDAY:
June 17: The Fictorian Era: Spotlight
June 17: Roseanne's Spot: Review of The Secret Sisters Club
June 17: J. Lloyd Morgan: Review of Trouble Blows West
TUESDAY:June 18: Braden Bell: SpotlightJune 18: Tristi: Review of Simply West of HeavenJune 18: Tina Gower: (<--winner of this year's WOTF-- I'm so happy for her!)June 18: Mikey Brooks: Interview
WEDNESDAY:June 19: A Hero's Journey: SpotlightJune 19: Kimberly Griffiths Little : Review of The Secret Sisters ClubJune 19: Jen Greyson: Spotlight
THURSDAY: (BOOK BOMB DAY)June 20: In Brief: Blog PostJune 20: An Author In Progress: Overview of all 3 books.June 20: A Book A Day: Review of Simply West of HeavenJune 20: Marathon Writer: Spotlight & InterviewJune 20: Angela Carlie: SpotlightJune 20: David Farland: Shoutout
FRIDAY: REDEEM the FREE & Almost free books :)June 21: Ordinary happily Ever After: Review of Simply West of Heaven
June 21: A Writer's Ramblings: Spotlight
June 21: Pauline Toohey: Author: Interview

SATURDAY:
June 22: James Duckett: Interview
June 22: Author Andrea Pearson: Spotlight
June 22: The Clan of the Stone: Spotlight