Amy Durham's Blog: Amy Durham, page 13

Phoebe Cambpell, Heroine

This is a re-post from April 2012, in anticipation of next week's release of ONCE AND FOR ALL!

Introducing... Phoebe Campbell... heroine of ONCE AND FOR ALL!

Phoebe Campbell wouldn't be comfortable with the title "heroine". See, she's learned to like invisibility. In her experience, it's far easier to be invisible at school than it is to be noticed. Because when you're noticed, you're critiqued, compared, and raked over the coals.

Phoebe is 5'6", average height for an 18 year old girl. She's got long, blonde hair that is perpetually in a ponytail. She's fond of hoodies and baggy clothes. They allow her to hide.

Phoebe lost her mom in a car accident when she was eight years old. After that, her father moved from a large city to Sky Cove, Maine in order for Phoebe to grow up in a safer place. While the crime rate in Sky Cove may have been lower, so was the chance that Phoebe would find a place to fit in.

Shy and withdrawn after her mother's death, Phoebe found it hard to make friends. Then, at the beginning of 5th grade, she was the first girl in her class to develop breasts. Imagine the attention she got from the boys then! And she didn't enjoy it. She began to hide inside baggy clothes, and the hoodie became a staple in her wardrobe.

And over the years, that girl who hid herself away from everyone slowly became the girl no one wanted to associate with.

Fast forward seven years to her senior year. All she wants is to get the heck out of Dodge... or rather, Sky Cove. A gifted artist, she has plans to win scholarship money with her artistic talents and go away to college. And once she's gone, there's no one she's going to miss.

Or, at least, that's what she thinks.

Then she's paired to work on an art project with Todd Miller - school jock, football star, pompous jerk.

And learns that just as the rest of the student body has always judged her based on preconceived notions, she's been just as guilty when it comes to Todd Miller.

Phoebe is a very different character, and she presents some challenges. But I'm finding it all kinds of rewarding to take a girl from the bottom of the social ladder and show her that reverse snobbery is still snobbery (Todd's words to her!), and that she's absolutely, totally, 100% worthy of friendship and love.

Guest Post: Robyn Peterman

Today I'm SO EXCITED to welcome Robyn Peterman to my blog! Robyn's a super gal and a good friend, and I'm thrilled to help promote her new release, HOW HARD CAN IT BE?

So read on... and learn a bit more about Robyn and her writing!

Give us a little information about your genre. What types of books do you write? The book I have coming out, HOW HARD CAN IT BE? is a sexy, snarky, funny contemporary romance! But I also write sexy, snarky, funny paranormal and YA!!
Since I write Young Adult fiction, I focus a lot of my blog posts on what reading and writing can mean to not only a young person, but to people of all ages. I believe it’s absolutely true that books can change someone’s life for the better! Can you tell us what books (both reading AND writing them) have meant in your life? I am a voracious reader! I love everything from L.M. Montgomery and Judy Blume to Jeannine Frost and Janet Evanovitch! I also love biographies. Books are one of my favorite things ev-ah and I let my kids get a book every time we’re at a book store. I don’t consider a book a toy. It’s brain food! Getting lost inside another world is one the happiest things I do, wether I’m reading or writing.
Do you have a favorite quote, or maybe a wise piece of advice for writers who are just starting out and wondering if this journey is one they should take? “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”― Eleanor Roosevelt, This is My Story
And for my “younger readers”... knowing all that you know now, if you could go back in time and tell your teenage-self something, what would it be? No regrets! Don’t be afraid to try something new. Different is not bad. Fitting in is not always the way to go. And tomorrow is a new day!
And now for some “fun stuff”! Chocolate or Vanilla: Neither, I like salty and anything blow your head off spicy! Movies or TV: TV Dogs or Cats: Both, my hobby is collecting strays. I refuse to reveal how many animals I have!!! Flip Flops or Boots: Flip Flops Early Mornings or Late Nights: Late Nights Brains or Brawn: Both, with great eyes and a rockin’ tush!Coffee or Tea: Coke Zero Cherry Summer or Winter: Summer
Finally, tell us about your latest release! Feel free to include the “book blurb” and any other information you want to share!What happens when an accountant decides to grab life by the horns and try something new? Apparently a pirate named Dave, a lot of pastel fleece, and blackmail—just to start with... 
Visualize and succeed, Oprah said. I was sure as h#*l trying, even if my campaign to score a job as the local weather girl had ended in a restraining order. Okay, TV was not my strength. But a lack of talent has never stopped me before. Which is why I’ve embarked on a writing career. I mean, how hard can it be to come up with a sexy romance?
Leave it to me to wind up in a group of porno writing grannies who discuss sex toys and apple cobbler in the same breath. Also leave it to me to leak an outlandish plot idea to a bestselling author with the morals of a rabid squirrel. And only I could get arrested for a jewelry heist I didn’t commit— by a hunky cop whose handcuffs just might tempt me to sign up for a life of crime. Maybe I’ve found my calling after all...
Fun quotes:" How Hard Can it Be? is outrageous, profane, hilarious, sexy, and all kinds of wacky. For a good time, read Robyn Peterman!" – MICHELLE ROWEN, national bestselling author "A zany over-the-top rompfest." – LEXI GEORGE, author of Demon Hunting in a Dive Bar
Check it out at Amazon
Learn more about Robyn at her website.

ONCE AND FOR ALL - Introduction

ONCE AND FOR ALL is scheduled to be released later this month, so over the next few days I'll be re-posting a series of posts I first wrote in April. Today's post is an "intro" to the book and the characters. Tomorrow I'll be hosting the super-cool and crazy-talented Robyn Peterman, then Friday I'll share the post that highlights the heroine of ONCE AND FOR ALL, Phoebe Campbell.

ONCE AND FOR ALL is book 2 in the Sky Cove Series, and centers around Phoebe Campbell and Todd Miller, two secondary characters you first meet in book 1, ONCE AGAIN.  Phoebe is a gifted art student who's at the bottom rung of the social ladder at Sky Cove Senior High, and Todd Miller is the football star who sits at the very top of said social ladder. When they wind up paired together for a class art project, they discover that not only were their perceptions about each other way off base, but also an ancient curse is at work through them, and it's up to them to break generations of bad blood.

While writing ONCE AGAIN (book 1), I began crafting ideas for the next story in my head. I knew I wanted to do two characters who were drastically separated by social classes. It's always a big scandal at school when a kid from the "upper" class dates someone from a class "below" them.  Sounds awful, I know, but it's true. Jumping social classes is a difficult thing to do, no matter which way you're jumping. As the character of Phoebe began to take shape in my mind, I went back into ONCE AGAIN, and inserted her into several scenes, so the reader gets a chance to meet her and begins to get a feel for her.  When ONCE AGAIN was finished, I went back and read it through from start to finish. At that point, I was beginning to try and flesh out the boy who would be Phoebe's romantic interest, as well as her "partner" in their own unique reincarnation story. I knew I wanted a popular boy... one who everyone knew... one who thought he had the world on a string with practically no effort. Well, as I read ONCE AGAIN from beginning to end, I realized I'd already created Phoebe's partner.  Todd Miller.

If you've read ONCE AGAIN, you know that Todd has a long way to go. He's not very nice at the beginning of the book, but sort of redeems himself (or makes a start) part of the way through the book. What I didn't realize when I began writing ONCE AND FOR ALL was that Phoebe would have just as far to come as Todd.  Theirs is a tough journey, and they each have to make some hard decisions, but in the end, I think their resolution will be ridiculously satisfying!

I hope you'll join me this week as I introduce you to Phoebe and Todd, and share a few "sneak peaks" at ONCE AND FOR ALL, which will be released later this year.  (Official blurb and book cover are coming soon!)

Happy reading and writing!

#SixSunday - The Text That Could Change Everything

Welcome back for another Six Sentence Sunday! As always, I'm so appreciative of your encouraging comments. I look forward to visiting your blogs today, as well. 

I'm enjoying sharing bits of ONCE AND FOR ALL with you, in preparation for the release, sometime in the NEXT TWO WEEKS! In the meantime, if you haven't read ONCE AGAIN - book 1 in the series - you can check it out by clicking the links to the right. The books are stand-alones, but I think you'll enjoy them better if you read them in order, since characters from book 1 "pop up" in book 2!

Today's excerpt comes from near the end of the book. The big tragedy has occurred, and things between Todd and Phoebe are still very unsettled. Their joint art project has been completed, turned in, and graded. (They did great, by the way!) But everything about their feelings for each other and the very strange connection they have is still up in the air. So, it's a surprise whens he receives a text from him out of the blue!

He sat next to me in art class, but without the project tying us together, we had no reason for any private time.

He didn't pursue the issue of time together, and neither did I. I refused to make the next move

We were at an impasse.

So, as I pulled my navy hoodie over my yellow tee shirt that Friday morning, it was a surprise to receive a text from him.

Meet me in the parking lot? 10 minutes before school?

I refused to think about what this could mean, what he might want.


If you'd liked to read more from other talented authors, visit the host site by clicking here. You can also find other participants on Twitter with the hashtag #SixSunday.

Paying It Forward

If you’ve read many of my posts, you know that I’m a middle school teacher. My students know that I write…well, most of them do! My book is in our school library and a number of my students have read it. It’s something I’m proud to share with them, because I hope it sends the message that no dream is too big and that they can accomplish whatever they set out to do if they work hard and persevere.
From time to time, students will bring me things they’ve written. This absolutely THRILLS me! I’m not talking about things they wrote as a part of a school assignment, but things that they’ve written because they wanted to… something creative and imaginative. I always gush all over them about it, regardless of the quality of the writing. I mean, these are 12 and 13 year olds, so ANYTHING they’ve written that they weren’t assigned to write is a major accomplishment. It makes me happy to see kids exercising their creativity. The thought process that writing requires is a “muscle” of the brain that is highly under-used in today’s youth. So, I encourage them at every opportunity.
I don’t think of writing as an “exclusive club” open only to the most gifted or most socially acceptable. Writing – and all creativity - is something that should be nurtured in everyone. And I’m happy to serve that purposes for the young people in my circle of influence.
As my own children get older, I’m more and more grateful for the adults in their life that step into those “nurturing” roles for them. For example, my oldest son (now a freshman in high school) is a musician. A serious one. He plays guitar. He plays mandolin. He plays French Horn in the school band. He's playing trumpet in the school jazz band. He sings in the school choir. And he’s remarkably good at all of it… much better than a 14 year old ought to be! And every day I’m thankful for the teachers and role models in his life – Joni Farmer, Stephen Bishop, Lisa Gupton – for encouraging and nurturing his gifts and abilities and for sewing into what will one day be his life’s work.
Every one of us can encourage and nurture in some way, whether it’s young writers, musicians, wanna-be-chefs,  aspiring teachers, etc.
Pay it forward, folks!

#SixSunday - Lost, Broken

Welcome back for another Six Sentence Sunday! As always, I'm so appreciative of your encouraging comments. I look forward to visiting your blogs today, as well. 

I'm enjoying sharing bits of ONCE AND FOR ALL with you, in preparation for the January (hopefully) release! In the meantime, if you haven't read ONCE AGAIN - book 1 in the series - you can check it out by clicking the links to the right. The books are stand-alones, but I think you'll enjoy them better if you read them in order, since characters from book 1 "pop up" in book 2!

Today's snippet is a bit of Phoebe's inner turmoil as she realizes her feelings for Todd. This is in the latter part of the book, after their lives are forever linked together, and Phoebe is aware of just how much she'll hurt if Todd isn't able to return her love.


... I changed into my baggy jeans and hoodie and headed for the harbor. I didn't have it in me to brave the cold, so I parked as close as I could and sat in my car, heater running, and stared out at the water.

My sketchbook lay in the passenger seat, but no part of me wanted to pick it up. I felt lost, broken. Inside me, love for Todd grew bigger and more intense every moment. But as my feelings for him increased, so did my fear that he could never truly return them.

If you'd liked to read more from other talented authors, visit the host site by clicking here. You can also find other participants on Twitter with the hashtag #SixSunday.

Guest Post: Diane Strong

Today, I'm happy to welcome author Diane Strong to my little corner of cyber-space! Diane and I are both members of Kentucky Independent Writers, and I'm thrilled to introduce her to you. Read on to learn a bit Diane, her style of writing, and her latest release!
To start off, please tell us a little about yourself!
Well, I am a wife and mother of two great kids that I homeschool, and I write in my spare time.  I didn’t intend to be a writer, I intended to be a Ph.d, but plans change and I’m pretty happy with where I’m am in life.
Give us a little information about your genre. What types of books do you write?
Well, my first novel was general fiction but now I am finishing a series of suspense short stories.  Each book is about 10,000 words or 43 pages long and is a stand-alone book.  They can be read in any order despite having a number.  The collection is called, The Running Suspense Series, and the protagonist in every story is a runner.  You don’t need to be a runner to enjoy them, if you like Alfred Hitchcock, you’ll probably like them.     Since I write Young Adult fiction, I focus a lot of my blog posts on what reading and writing can mean to not only a young person, but to people of all ages.  I believe it’s absolutely true that books can change someone’s life for the better!  Can you tell us what books (both reading AND writing them) have meant in your life?
It’s so funny that you ask that. I didn’t develop a love of reading until I was in college.  As a child I was not a good reader and struggled to pay attention to even the simplest story.  In high school I attributed that lack of focus to depression.  When my depression lifted I was finally able to finish reading my first real novel and it was a celebration.  It was a novel by Kurt Vonnegut and I remember very little about it.  I went on to read most of his books despite the fact that I found them very hard to get through.  I assume it was because I was such a poor reader, and not because he was a bad writer.
In college I was forced to read lots of non-fiction and text books.  I spent 7 years in college and managed to become a pretty proficient reader. I’ve always been a writer though.  Since I could write my name I’ve been writing stories and poetry.  I love to tell stories. And despite always being in the slow reader classes, I was recognized for my writing ability as far back as third grade.
So in short, reading books means I’m not depressed, and writing books, means I am free.
And by the way, exercise is how I avoid depression.  I’ve never used anti-depressants.  I guess that’s why my protagonists are runners, they feel the need to run too.     Do you have a favorite quote, or maybe a wise piece of advice for writers who are just starting out and wondering if this journey is one they should take? 
No.  I mean, I guess if it’s something you want to do, just do it.  Don’t let anything stop you.  Listen to the criticism and use it to fuel you.  Learn from it.  The wisdom is priceless.     And for my “younger readers”… knowing all that you know now, if you could go back in time and tell your teenage-self something, what would it be?   Oh gosh.  May I?  Okay Diane, listen up.  This…as in this period of your life…this high-school cliquey crap, all the things you think you want or think you need, it doesn’t last and it’s not worth fretting over.  Don’t be afraid to change your mind.  Do what you want to do, not what you think you should do.  Do it for you, not for your parents or your boyfriend or your best friend because you are the one who has to live with your decisions, not them.  If you do what you love, you won’t work a day of your life.    And life is short, so enjoy the hell out of it.  If your unhappy, then change.  Simple.  (Thank you for that opportunity!)

And now for some “fun stuff”!
Chocolate or Vanilla: It used to be chocolate, but lately it’s been vanilla.  If it’s chocolate, it has to be dark.Movies or TV: Movies, I don’t have TVDogs or Cats: Both but if I had to choose, oh, never mind…I can’t choose.Flip Flops or Boots: I rode horses for 25 years (there is nothing sexier than a real cowboy), but since I’m a mom now I live in flip-flops.  Hey, life changes.Early Mornings or Late Nights: Early mornings.  Like I said, I’m a mom, life changes.Brains or Brawn: BrainsCoffee or Tea: Coffee in the morning, green-tea during the day.Summer or Winter: I love it all
Finally, tell us about your latest release! Feel free to include the “book blurb” and any other information you want to share!
My latest release is the 5th story in The Running Suspense Series: Reservoir Run [image error]
Alison lays unconscious in a hospital bed after a long-distance training run leaves her half-dead at the bottom of a deep ravine. While Rick is a faithful husband, Alison gave him many reasons to attempt to kill her. The question of who tried to kill Alison hangs in the air while Rick waits impatiently for her to awake and assure him he’s innocent.Show More Show Less
Here are the links to my other books:Out and BackNewspaper BundleThe Running Suspense Series:The Run #1Falcon Point #2The Other Way#3     The Rescue #4Reach me at: Facebook Page Blog: The Running Commentary Email: dianestrong@ymail.com

FREE Sampler! #free #ebook #sampler

My amazing writers group, Kentucky Independent Writers, has created a "sampler" featuring 9 of our authors, and we want to offer it to EVERYONE for FREE!

However, in order for Amazon to list a book as free, they require readers to tell them that it's free at other retailers. So... if you have time today, could you help us let Amazon know that our sampler is free for Kobo?

Here's what you do... click HERE to take you to our book's page on Amazon:

Then, scroll down to the "Product Details" section. There will be a blue link that says "tell us about a lower price." Click that link and a box will pop up. Choose "Website Online". The box will expand and ask for a URL. Copy and paste THIS into that area. In the boxes for price and shipping costs, enter $0.00, then click "submit feedback". That's it. Just a couple of clicks and a copy/paste and you can help us make our sampler FREE on Amazon! 

Meanwhile, if you'd like to download the sampler for Kindle, Nook, or in PDF form, click HERE and download away! There are samplings of several genres, everything from young adult & time travel to BDSM themed erotic romance & Navy SEAL themed military romantic suspense! All the books with excerpts in the sampler are available for full purchase at Amazon, B&N, Smashwords, and other online booksellers.

The Next Big Thing Blog Hop

Week 28:  THE NEXT BIG THING BLOG HOP
There are the books everyone has heard about: Twilight, Hunger Games, Fifty Shades of Grey. But what about all those books written by people you’ve never heard of? Some of them are treasures, just waiting to be found, and that’s what this blog hop is all about: the books you might nothave heard about, but that you might end up loving.
This blog hop is like a game of tag. One author posts and tags other authors who link back to their website the next week and tag five new authors. If you follow the blog hop long enough, you’re bound to find some books you’ll love! Maybe you’ll even discover a book that ends up being the next big thing.
I was tagged by Robyn Peterman. You can learn more about her book How Hard Can it Be? by clicking here. 
This blog hop includes ten questions to help you learn more about an author’s current work in progress, so here’s a little info about my current project:
1: What is the working title of your book? ONCE AND FOR ALL
2: Where did the idea come from for the book?The idea for this book (and my previous release, ONCE AGAIN) was the idea that love was timeless and could transcend generations... even death. I took the paranormal element of reincarnation and crafted a story that would suit Young Adult fiction readers!
3: What genre does your book fall under?Young Adult... Paranormal Romance. It's geared toward teens, but hey, there are plenty of young-at-hearts like me who love to revisit the exuberance of youth and first love by reading YA!
4: Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?For ONCE AGAIN, book 1 in the series, I picture Emma Roberts (Nancy Drew) as Layla and Logan Lerman (Percy Jackson) as Lucas. In ONCE AND FOR ALL, I haven't pictured anyone specific, but Alex Pettyfer (from I Am Number Four) would probably make a good Todd. For Phoebe, maybe Teresa Palmer (Becky from The Sorcerer's Apprentice). I think she has the girl-next-door look I picutre for Phoebe.
5: What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?ONCE AND FOR ALL - "Will their love be the key that breaks an ancient curse once and for all?"
6: Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?Self-published
7: How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?Between a full-time job and three kids, it takes about a year to finish a manuscript. I usually have two manuscripts going at one time, and then at some point, I focus in on one manuscript, push to the finish, then edit and polish.
8: What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?As far as the target audience, they would be similar to Twilight, The Hunger Games, or Rachel Vincent's Soul Screamers series. However, the content is much different given that these are reincarnation stories. Additionally, each book can "standalone", although the books will be more enjoyable if read in order. Each book has a different set of main characters, rather than the same protagonist being the focus of each book.
9: Who or What inspired you to write this book?The rush, intensity, and beauty of first love. I wanted to capture that somehow. Reincarnation gave me a fun vehicle to show love as something timeless!
10: What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?This book - and previous one - is set in Maine. I have a cousin who lives in Maine and I used her as my reference! She gave me lots of great information about life in Maine, everything from the climate to regional traditions. She also told me what it was like to be a southerner transplanted to chilly New England!

Sandra Bunino has been tagged by me to follow me next week! So be sure to visit her blog and learn more about her! She just might be The Next Big Thing!

#SixSunday - Like He'd Never Let Me Go

Welcome back for another Six Sentence Sunday! As always, I'm so appreciative of your encouraging comments. I look forward to visiting your blogs today, as well. 
I'm enjoying sharing bits of ONCE AND FOR ALL with you, in preparation for the January (hopefully) release! In the meantime, if you haven't read ONCE AGAIN - book 1 in the series - you can check it out by clicking the links to the right. The books are stand-alones, but I think you'll enjoy them better if you read them in order, since characters from book 1 "pop up" in book 2!
Today's excerpt follows a tragic event. Since I don't want to give anything away, I won't go into detail about the tragic event. However, Phoebe and Todd are seeing one another for the first time since the event, and things are a bit strained. And... then they're not.
ONCE AND FOR ALL is scheduled for release in late January! I hope you'll come back by and celebrate it with me!
He looked beyond me, to the small office in the back, and with a tilt of his head, he asked without words for me to follow him there.
I did, of course.
And pretended not to notice that he turned around to make sure no one was watching before closing the door behind us.
He grabbed me as soon as the door shut, wrapping his arms around me and burying his face in my hair. I forgot to be pissed at him for keeping me a secret. It was really hard to be mad when he was squeezing me like he'd never let me go.
If you'd liked to read more from other talented authors, visit the host site by clicking here. You can also find other participants on Twitter with the hashtag #SixSunday.