Amy Hopkins's Blog, page 6

Yet another progress update

Hey, Scribers!

How have you been? I love hearing about my readers’ lives, I’m a bit of a voyeur that way. What are you reading? Anything on TV I need to see? What about a great movie?

I’m just wrapping up The Genetic Imperative, by P. Joseph Cherubino. It’s a SciFi set in a world where life on other planets not only exists, it’s coming to get us. I’m really enjoying it and there will be a full review post up as soon as I’m done. You can read more about it here if you can’t wait.

I’ve picked up an excellent book on creating Science Fiction worlds, because, you guessed it, I’m creating a Science Fiction world. I drafted out the intro for the concept around the time I finished drafting out Dream Stalker, or perhaps before. The idea has been knocking around in my head since then, and I’m planning to push the Talented releases out to 90 day increments so I can play in my new world. Don’t worry, Talented has a few more books to go, and I won’t be dropping the series. I know how impatient people get when waiting for sequels (Looking at YOU, Rothfuss!). All kidding aside, my production schedule should see at least two more Talented series books out by the end of the year, along with either a shorter story or some bonus content for the website, another thing I’ve been considering but haven’t gotten around to.

The new series won’t drop for a while. I’m taking a week or two off to read some more SF, to really ground myself in the genre, then will work out how it’ll play. I’m tossing up between a series or a serial, just based on the idea that some short, fast-paced novellas will not only be a fun project, it’ll let me get them out quickly a well. Regardless, the first book won’t drop until the third is written.

Truth Taker will be out near the end of July, though I’m still not sold on the title. As soon as I am, the cover art will be up. I’m expecting it to look amazing, as always.

Just a quick reminder: Dream Stalker is currently available in Kindle Unlimited, but only for the next 20 days. The term ends on the 23rd of this month, at which point you will not be able to borrow it. If it’s on your list, make sure you grab it by then. If it’s in your library when it’s removed from the program, you can hang on to it and read it, but won’t be able to check it out again after you return it. Barrow Fiend will be available for 90 days after release.

To finish up, I want to ask you: which SF books do you love? Why, what is it about those particular books that draws you?

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Barg

Barg, a hobgoblin of a most diminutive stature, is approximately three-point-eight feet tall and is a lightish shade of green. Like most hobgoblins, he has a face most loved by his mother. His long ears show the wear of many fisticuffs with his small brethren, and his long, pointed nose gets more crooked by the day.

The relationship between Gibble and Barg is an old one, born of the many, many times Gibble has bailed the young hobgoblin out of trouble. This trouble does, more often than not, relate to gambling. More recently, the relationship formed between Barg and Lenny has reduced Barg’s need for that particular type of assistance. Not that Barg would be unfairly racing the large dog for money. No, he’d ever stoop to such lows….

Barg is a connoisseur of fine fashion, usually looking dapper in a fitted waistcoat and pocket watch. On occasion, he may put the extra effort in to wear a pocketwatch that’s not broken. He spends most of his time in the Otherworld, but does enjoy the company of humans and his Earth-bound Lenny-friend, so visits often. Barg’s favourite colour is pink, and his most enjoyed dish is hot apple pie with cream, custard, ice cream and butterscotch syrup.

 

 

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Barrow Fiend Launch Day is HERE!

It’s here guys, it’s really here! Barrow Fiend just dropped, though if you’re on the mailing list you should already have your advance copy on board. Go grab it if you loved Dream Stalker, or if you haven’t read that…. GO GET IT FREE! That’s right, for a VERY limited time, there’s a free promo running on Dream Stalker, the first book in the series. It won’t last long, so snap it up while it’s available.

What else has been happening? Well, I’m almost up to the final climax in book three, which is so far called Truth Taker. I’m trying to come up with a better title with ‘blood’ or ‘blooded’, in the same two-word style of the others. The story revolves around family, caste and illegal fighting rings run using slaves. If you have a suggestion, you can shoot it through to my new email address, amyhopkins [at] thespellscribe.com or holler me on twitter (@spellscribe). If I use it, you’ll get a mention in the book, along with my undying gratitude!

In non-Talented news, I’m starting to think about a new series. Don’t worry, Emma and the crew will be around for a while longer and if there’s call for it, I already have an idea for a spin-off series focusing on a much-loved character I’d love to explore a little more. However, I’ve got a few ideas in mind, including a steampunk assassin and a MacGuyer-in-Tomorrowland style of SF. What would you guys like to read? Hit me with some ideas!

Speaking of reading, I’ve been super busy but have recently finished The Aeronauts Windlass by Butcher and I utterly loved it. The final battle had me squealing into a cushion so I wouldn’t wake the family. I’m now part-way through The Genetic Imperative, an excellent SF with what I feel like has a similar feel to my own writing, with characters who are just really complex but at their heart, good people. I’ll review both books as soon as I get a chance. Finally, not quite on my official book list but I did flit through the last few chapters of The Little Princess after finding it in a second hand bookshop. It’s one of my old favourites and I couldn’t resist going through that feelings-filled ending

Review: All The Birds In The Sky, Charlie Jane Anders

 Well, this was a strange one. Have you ever had a book you couldn’t rate? This was mine. I picked it up as it’s the Sword and Laser book club pick for this month, and I finished it before I put it down again. Total reading time: 4 hours.

ATBITS was an eclectic blend of Science Fiction and Fantasy, set in a near-future Earth and featuring two main characters who I really fell in love with. Patricia and Laurence were saddled with the worst kind of parents: ones who just don’t want to understand.

Patricia, the girl who can talk to birds and make magic really happen, crosses paths with Laurence, the child-genius, who, like every other child-genius in history, is the subject of some pretty epic bullying. Thier story is told via a series of vignettes, and Anders manages to effortlessly change the voice of each one as she moves from the pair’s childhood, through school and into their adult lives. The story itself goes from whimsical fairytale to YA drama to philosophical grown up literature without missing a beat.

I think that’s where my ambiguity begins. One reader over at S&L (you can follow the discussion in their Goodreads group) suggested it was like sitting down to a nice meal and having it whisked away after the first bite. I’d have loved to see more time taken with each piece, especially the very first one.

My other area of doubt was one I can clearly recognize as a me-thing. I just don’t like seeing bad things happen to good people, and being in an impossible situation, one where no one believes you and you can’t fix that, is a pretty horrible one. I didn’t like seeing that happen to these characters I fell so deeply in love with. It really threw a pall over the book and made me struggle to enjoy it.

Overall I gave it 4 stars, though I’d probably rate it 3.5. The writing and characters were great, but I’d have liked to see a little more payoff in the plot, and some more time spent on the lighter, happier events. If I turned you off reading it, grab it anyway. It’s really worth the experience.

My question for you: Which book left you unable to give it a clear rating and why? Feel free to tell me what you thought about ATBITS too, I’d love to hear what you thought.

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Release Day Update, Pinterest and Giveaway Details

Dream Stalker came out almost a week ago and I have to say, I’m pretty happy with how it’s going. Emma, Gibble, Harrod, Martin, Lenny and Barg are capturing the hearts of people around the world, and that gives me a feeling like no other. I’m blown away by some of the reviews I’ve had. If you’ve read the book, I’d love you to leave one, either at Amazon or Goodreads. Reviews help readers to see what the book is about, so they can see if it’s a fit for them. Reviews are the lifeblood of an author’s book sales, so a huge special thank you to everyone who has or will leave one!

If you haven’t grabbed your copy yet, you can do so on Amazon in ebook or paperback formats. If you have a Kindle Unlimited subscription, it’ll be available to borrow for the first three months only.

Barrow Fiend, book two of the Talented series is now available for pre-order. You can reserve your copy now, or sign up to my mailing list for a special launch offer.

On another note, I’ve joined the Pinterest brigade! I love the platform and had an old account that I mainly used for saving recipes. Now you can follow The Spellscribe to see beautiful gala dresses, and pictures that inspire the more fantastical elements of my writing.

Finally, I’ve organised a giveaway via Goodreads. You can enter below to win one of three paperbacks! Postage is included and if an Aussie member wins, you’ll be able to have it signed as a special bonus to my home-grown fans. Please share this post with anyone you think would like to enter!

Goodreads Book Giveaway


Dream Stalker
by Amy Hopkins

Giveaway ends March 08, 2016.

See the giveaway details

at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

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On Strong Women

Write Strong Women. It’s shouted from the rafters and pushed as an agenda for and by so many writers. What does that even mean? Women who can bend steel bars with their eyelashes? Women who can lift cars with one hand?

The phrase ‘strong women’ means something different to everyone. To some, it might mean a woman who ‘does what men do’, who hides her emotions and uses tough language. Maybe it brings to mind women who could take down the average Joe in a fistfight, or beat the bad guy one handed.

I think ‘strong’ can be used where ‘real’ might work better. Do we want women without flaws? Who don’t have a feminine side? Who don’t cry, aren’t romantic, don’t think about having kids? Sure, sometimes. Some women are like that. That shouldn’t be the only definition, though.

Rather than set out to write strong women, I like to write women who are real. Not just Emma, my main character. It’s easy to flesh out a main, make her deep and complex, give her reasons and motivations that seem genuine. Often, female side characters are a little… less so. You know the ones who drop in for a scene or two? They might be recurring, but they’re only there to serve a function: deliver the evidence, report a crime, lead the mercenaries, cook for the prisoners. They don’t have a story. Often, the women are more likely to be missing their story than the men.

Other than Emma, my main characters are mostly men. Harrod, the rich, privileged Talent Lord; Martin, his Talentless brother; Greyson, the charming-but-overworked O.C.U. detective; Gibble, the boggart shop assistant.

If you look closely, however, you’ll see an array of women who all serve their purpose, but do so much more. They’re real, so real I feel like I know them.

Meet the Girls

There is, first of all, Melanie. Mel isn’t a half-blood like Emma, but life in a wheelchair has shown her what it’s like to be looked down on. She’s a beautiful person, bright and bubbly and generous. She loses her heart easily and is a true and loyal friend. She’s brave and confident but sometimes tries to shoulder too much responsibility for the things going on around her.

Trainor is Greyson’s 2IC. She’s smart and in control, the perfect person to back him up in the busy department. In fact, he’s grooming her to be his replacement and has absolute confidence that if the politics of his position see him fall, the O.C.U. will be left in very competent hands. She struggles with allowing herself to show her real personality, having clawed her way through a very male-dominated job.

Sallaway only pops up for short scenes but she’s one of my favourite humans in the books. Making her debut in book 2 as a rough, coarsely spoken police officer, she has a surprising penchant for high fashion and loves her three kids to death. She’s not afraid to say what’s on her mind because she knows her line of work is dangerous and if she doesn’t speak now, she may never get the opportunity.

I can’t wait to get further into the books and explore these characters more. There’s already so much I can say about the three of them (spoilers!) but like any real person, they each have a whole life story behind the scenes. I haven’t set out to write strong women but I think I did it anyway. They’re characters that I feel like I could bump into on the street, they forge their own paths through my stories and they’re so much more that just a function. Of course, I can’t wait for you to meet them too.

XO Amy

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Dream Stalker Release Details

I can finally say it’s close! Dream Stalker is slated for release on the 25th of Feb, 2016. It *should* be available in both print and paperback on the same day- I’ll be using some of the print books for giveaways to my subscriber list and on Goodreads.

There’s still a bit of work to do, but I’m offering my readers the special chance to see it early.

If you’ve subscribed to my mailing list, you’ll get an email at the start of February, asking if you’d like an Advance Review Copy of the book. This is an early release sent out so that readers can pop up reviews on Amazon as soon as it’s out, so other readers know what the book is like and what other readers think of it.

The email will tell you what to do to get your copy, so keep an eye out. If you haven’t subscribed yet, head over and do it now!

Hope you guys all had a great Christmas and New Year. Now it’s time to knuckle down and start 2016 with a bang.

XO Amy

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The BFG Trailer is here- Roald Dahl meets Disney and Spielberg!

There are books that we read that stay with us forever. Sometimes, a childhood favourite will stick with us into our later years, something long-unread but remembered with fondness and a great deal of clarity. The BFG is one of those, for me and many others.

I read many of Roald Dahl’s books as a child and I’ve loved many of the movie adaptations, Matilda being my all time favourite (how could it not be for a small bookish girl like me?) The Witches was scary, just enough to make me check under the bed at night and The BFG was one that taught me the value of a friend of any kind. All of the books taught me a love of words, words that are wobbly and changeable and can be made up, yet convey to any listener their exact meaning and intent.

I just hope the bellypoppers get left in. It’s just not The BFG without bellypoppers.

I’d love to know your favourite childhood book or author. I have so many, it’s a topic sure to come up again!

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Magic

The magic system in the world of the Talented is based on words or, to be precise, the written word.

Each item or state of being has a symbol, an image of its truth. This image, akin to a written name in plain ink, can be altered or embellished to create an effect on the object itself. The act of doing so is called ‘scribing’, though in modern times is often referred to as ‘tracing’. Some few effects can also be created by tracing, such as the creation of light, heat or other forms of energy.

The degree of difficulty differs with each spell as is often related to the degree of change. To enhance a property- to make a feather lighter for example- is quite different to changing it- to make the feather weigh as much as lead. To completely change an object into another is, as far as the records show, impossible. Expending close to the limit of one’s energy first manifests in headaches and lethargy. To push further may result in pallor, tremors, blindness and eventually the complete loss of the ability to see or trace.

Full blood Talents have the honour of seeing the tracings of others, as well as the possible variations of each word. They are able to learn by demonstration, and to easily see if an object or objects around them are affecting by a tracing. Half-bloods, however, are not able to see tracings. It is believed the genetic trait that enables one to do so must be passed by both parents. The raw talent only needs a single gene to be passed down. The ability to trace may not be passed down by a half-blood. Though the gene will exist in the child of a half-blood and a mortal, it will be dormant and not passed any further down the familial line.

Though there methods of gaining or increasing the ability to scribe, those are reliant on dark magicks that are best left unspoken, or upon the benevolence of the Fae, an occurence that happens less than once in a thousand years.

 

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Dream Stalker Cover Launch

It’s here! The final proof of the front cover of Dream Stalker has been given its absolute approval and now sits on my hard drive, waiting for a book to accompany it. My launch date is set for February 3rd- that will depend in part on my beta readers and editor but it looks likely at this point. In addition, book 2 is already 45,000 words in and should be done (first draft) by December 5!

2016 will be a big year for The Spellscribe- make sure you don’t miss anything by subscribing on our sign-up page!

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