Amy Leigh Strickland's Blog, page 7

A Classical Mythology Buff’s Review of Hercules 2014

I decided to see Hercules, starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, after viewing the trailer before Godzilla. It showed clips of Hercules completing his twelve labors, and I was pleased to see that these depictions adhered to the myth. I was even more pleased so see a Hercules that was not entirely white-washed. At least Hercules and his wife, Megara, weren’t cast as blue-eyed blondes (though one of their children is?), and The Rock makes a more convincing son of Zeus than Kevin Sorbo.

I saw the f...

Announcing YA Hangout

Anouncements, Announcements, Annnnnoooooouncementttsss!

It’s been announced. I will be joining Amy Jones, Amy Evans, and Donna Dull to form the YAP Network, an expansion of YAPodcast. I will be hosting a monthly Google Hangout (YA Hangout!) starting September 30with the help of Amy Evans. My guest will be Misty Provencher.

The format is still TBA, but it will feature Q&A with the author, a chance for live viewers to write in comments and questions, and a reading.

I hope you join me on September...

Pimp Your Ride with Olympia Heights

Now that I’ve made the obligatory pop-culture reference fromten years ago…

Last week my new license plate for my new car arrived. I purchased a little Ford Fiesta in Olympia Heights green, so I needed a plate to go with it (Alabama doesn’t issue front license plates like Massachusetts does). I posted a photo on Instagram last week, and a few people on various social networks expressed interest in acquiring the plate.

I’m sure there’s some place I could set up the plate for print-on-demand where...

Personal Connections at Author Appearances

I’ve gotten into doing more author appearances this year. They’re difficult to schedule (and somewhat awkward, “Hey, I’m interesting. Have me at your store/library/event as an attraction? Please?”) but totally worth it. I always get to talk to really awesome people and have a lot of fun. This year, so far, I’ve done the Birmingham Library’s Local Authors expo, some other library events, Alabama Phoenix Festival, and I went and rubbed elbows at UtopYA 2014. I have a comic store appearance plan...

#UtopYA 2014

I just got back from UTopYA Con 2014 in Nashville. Last year I won a ticket from A Book Vacation, so my sister-in-law and awesome cover designer, Carly Strickland, decided to purchase a ticket and come with me. We stayed with some local friends and drove the three hours from Birmingham for the first two days of the event.

Day One

When we first walked in, there were tables set up in the lobby of the Millenium Maxwell hotel. These were Friday-only tables, which seems like a cool idea because all...

Do Me a Favor?

I’m working hard on a few projects at the moment. One is a short story for a submission call. The second is the final edits of Royer Goldhawk part two. The third is preliminary planning for my next novel series. The fourth is the Olympia Heights comic spinoff.

Olympia Heights Comic?

I’ve been teasing about it here and there with character designs andstream-of-consciousness ramblings about canons of mythology. The script is outlined and being written right now. If I get my way, there will be 16...

Cover Reveal: Mars 01

When mars 01 is bombarded by panicked transmissions from Jupiter, the United Terran Nations begin to prepare for war. The enemy should be months away by the fastest known means of interplanetary travel, butshouldandknowndon’t apply when these strange creatures don’t appear on video feeds and can survive unarmored in the void of space.

The challenge for the brave men and women of Mars 01 is to get the nations of the UTN to stop posturing and bickering long enough to save the human race from an...

Phoenix Festival Panel Schedule

I’ve got my Phoenix Festival panel schedule for next weekend. Here it is (including my sister-in-law, brother, and husband’s schedules as well.)

AMY:

Saturday (10AM) Room 412- How to Write YA-Join our panelists for a discussion of what makes YA different.

Saturday (2:30PM) Room 430-Harry Potter and the Hogwarts Express:While we all wait for our letter from Hogwarts we will discuss the movies and how we loved them.

KYLE:

Friday (10PM) Room 414:Campfire Tales:Horror In The World Of Literature-Since...

Upcoming: Alabama Phoenix Festival

The Alabama Phoenix Festival has moved to the Sheraton Birmingham Hotel this year. I’ll be returning and bringing my latest publication,Olympia Heights: The Cult of Kronos. We’re rushing to get ready for the event, which has been complicated by 3/5 of our company going to Rome this week, but we should be ready for a weekend of nerdy fun.

If you live near Birmingham and attend, here are some things to expect:

There will be a LOT of Cosplay, especially of Ghostbusters
You can get a photo in the Ta...

10 Last-Minute Tips for Independent Publishing

About to pressPublish on that book you’ve been slaving over for months? STOP! Take a moment to breathe, and make sure it’s just-right. Here are ten last-minute tips for independent publishers.

10. Read it in Another Format

If you’ve been staring at the book on your screen for monthsand you haven’t looked at the book in print, you’re doing yourself a disservice. Your brain, which thinks it is being helpful, is actually being a jerk. It’s filling in what you know is supposed to be there and makin...