Amy Durham's Blog: Amy Durham, page 16

#SixSunday - Status Quo

Happy Sunday Sixers! Thanks for stopping by.  I always appreciate the comments and encouragement. I look forward to hopping around to other blogs and reading what other talented authors have shared!  
I'm continuing with my YA Paranormal book, ONCE AND FOR ALL, the sequel to ONCE AGAIN, which is now available (links to the right), and was reviewed recently at Night Owl Reviews! ONCE AND FOR ALL follows Phoebe Campbell and Todd Miller as they encounter their own reincarnation mystery.
Phoebe is anything but "popular" and Todd's the stereotypical high school jock. Their worlds might never have collided had they not been paired to work together on a project for art class. As they work together, Todd and Phoebe begin to see past the preconceived notions they had about each other. But just as Phoebe is warming up to Todd (and by warming up, I mean responding to him the way a girl responds to a boy who kissed her the day before!), Todd reverts to his old ways... at least temporarily. Last week, she caught him flirting with another girl, only a day after he'd kissed her! She's mortified... and hurt... and tries to get away unnoticed, but no luck. Todd sees her as she tries to sneak away, and all sorts of regret and apology are written on his face. Phoebe thinks to herself that she should've known better... and she should've just left her hair in the ever-present ponytail rather than leaving it down because he seemed to like it that way. What follows is her inner dialogue as she walks away from the scene.
I didn't run down the hall. I didn't even walk fast. That would've given too much away. I just made my way to the art room, took out my hair band and put my hair up, zipping my hoodie all the way up. By the time Miller got there and took his seat, I looked exactly like I usually did.
And things between us had returned to the status quo. Something inside me ached at the knowledge.
Be sure to visit the official Six Sentence Sunday site to find the list of great authors.  You can also follow along on Twitter with the hashtag #SixSunday.

#SixSunday - Wasn't This Just Perfect?

Happy Sunday Sixers! Thanks for stopping by.  I always appreciate the comments and encouragement. I look forward to hopping around to other blogs and reading what other talented authors have shared!  
I'm continuing with my YA Paranormal book, ONCE AND FOR ALL, the sequel to ONCE AGAIN, which is now available (links to the right), and was reviewed recently at Night Owl Reviews! ONCE AND FOR ALL follows Phoebe Campbell and Todd Miller as they encounter their own reincarnation mystery.
If you've followed any of my previous sixes about Phoebe and Todd, you know that Phoebe is anything but "popular" and Todd is the epitome of the high school jock. Their worlds might never have collided had they not been paired to work together on a project for art class. As they work together, Todd and Phoebe begin to see past the preconceived notions they had about each other. But just as Phoebe is warming up to Todd (and by warming up, I mean responding to him the way a girl responds to a boy who kissed her the day before!), Todd reverts to his old ways... at least temporarily. Today's snippet gives us a glimpse into Phoebe's feelings when she sees Todd at school, with his arms around another girl.
He hadn't seen me yet, and no wonder. He was all wrapped up in Tina Parker, one of the cheerleading bobbleheads who walked around school like they were God's gift to spandex.
I should go... just turn and go to class and chalk this up to a lesson well learned. But instead, I just stood there, watching as Tina played with the collar of Miller's shirt and his arm snaked around her back, pulling her closer to him. Beside him, Shane and Collin carried on what was surely a deep and intelligent conversation with Erica Moore, another one of the bobbleheads.
Wasn't this just perfect?
Be sure to visit the official Six Sentence Sunday site to find the list of great authors.  You can also follow along on Twitter with the hashtag #SixSunday.

INDIEpendence Day - TIMELESS, by Teresa Reasor

Welcome to INDIEpendence Day! The day where Indie authors all over the globe pay it forward by highlighting a great Indie book, and hopefully introducing the book and the author to a whole new group of readers.
Today, I’m talking about TIMELESS, by Teresa Reasor.  TIMELESS has it all! Romance, mystery, suspense, danger, a gorgeous setting, a hero to die for, and much more. 
I think once you’ve read the official summary, you’ll agree:
Archaeology student, Regan Stanhope, lands the chance of a lifetime when she’s chosen to work on a summer dig in Loch Maree, Scotland. The ancient monoliths hidden beneath the loch are the most important discovery since Stonehenge. And for seven hundred years, they have been waiting—for her.
Saturation diver Quinn Douglas is contracted to recover some of the megaliths from the loch’s bottom. The job will breathe life into the struggling salvage business he and his brothers are building. But from the moment he arrives, Quinn is plagued by dreams and feelings from a past he did not live. Or did he?
Regan and Quinn are drawn to each other as they research the monoliths and the reason behind their shared visions. But both sense something mystical at work, delving into their minds, manipulating their emotions. And when they finally discover the monoliths’ extraordinary secret, they know they must seal them away from those who are desperate to unlock their power. Even if it means remaining caught in a timeless struggle between the past and present forever.
I read TIMELESS over the course of two days. I simply could not stop reading. I was so drawn in to Regan and Quinn’s world that I was compelled to finish. Ms. Reasor’s enthusiasm for this story and her deep love for these characters comes leaping off the page… or the Kindle screen!


I've asked Ms. Reasor to share a few thoughts about TIMELESS with us today:



I’ve always been fascinated by archaeology. And what better place to have an archaeological dig than Scotland? The place I chose for my dig, Loch Maree, was carved out by glaciers thousands of years ago and is possibly one of the most raw-beautiful places on earth. I wanted that place for my book and I also wanted it because it had a character that would stand up to the story. I wanted my setting to be as much a character as my people. I wanted it to interact with them in a way that was new and fresh. And I think I accomplished that.
In Scotland, when you talk to the people, you’re thrown back in time because they talk about their distant past as though it happened yesterday, when it may have been seven hundred years before. There’s a timelessness about the people and the country they live in. They carved out a society despite wars, strife, disease, and natural disaster. There’s a toughness about them. A strength. And I wanted those characteristics for my hero, Quinn. He’s strong physically and mentally. He’s all man.  He’s smart, and he will do the hard things both physically and mentally. And he’s steadfast in his love for his family and for Regan. What better characteristic could you have for a hero?
Regan, my heroine is plagued by the need to succeed at the beginning of the book. And she’s also terrified that she’ll end up like her mother, who suffered from mental illness. Or did she? Regan learns that it’s more important to live for today than worry about tomorrow. And she also learns that love trumps success every time. She’s tough mentally because she’s lived through some tough things as a child. That toughness serves her well when these paranormal incidents start taking over her life. She has to believe in herself in order for others to believe in her.
I really loved writing TIMELESS. I was able to give my imagination free rein because it was a paranormal and inexplicable things could happen. I loved doing that. And I believe I was able to combine that grain of truth, of reality, and expand it beyond the concrete. I hope everyone who reads it feels that way.

If you’re looking for a great summer read that will keep you on the edge of your seat and sweep you away with romance, TIMELESS is just what you need.
Find TIMELESS at any of the following retailers:
AmazonB&NSmashwords
Be sure to take a look at the list of amazing Indie authors participating in the INDIEpendence Day celebration by clicking here!
Happy INDIEpendence day! And happy reading and writing!

INIDEpendence Day!

Hello!

I'm taking a break from my regular Six Sentence Sunday post today. Instead, I want to let you all know about an EXCITING event taking place tomorrow - The INDIEpendence Day Blog Hop!

Indie authors from all over will be using their blogs as a way to promote other Indie authors. Here on my blog, I'll be discussing Teresa Reasor's WONDERFUL Indie book, "Timeless".

If you need to stock up on your reading material for summer, tomorrow's blog hop is a GREAT way to find new books.

So be sure to stop by tomorrow to meet Teresa and learn more about her book. And don't forget to check out the full list of participating Indie authors!

777 Challenge

I've been challenged by Devon Matthews to take part in the 777 challenge!


The challenge is to go to page 7 of your current work in progress and post at least 7 lines from the page, then tag 7 other authors and challenge them to do the same on their blogs.


My work-in-progress is ONCE AND FOR ALL, book 2 in the Sky Cove Series. It's a YA paranormal romance dealing with reincarnation and an ancient curse that's never been broken.


The following snippet is from page 7, when Phoebe first discovers that Todd Miller, school jock and major jerk, has somehow wound up in her art class... the only class she feels accepted in.  Enjoy!


Among the familiar faces and expected classmates was an anomaly. An error. Stupidity personified.


Todd Miller.


My sanctuary had been tainted. The warning bell sounded its dull, warped ring, and I took my seat. If there was a consolation to be found in this crazy situation, it was that the art geeks talked among themselves and no one seemed to be paying any attention to Todd Miller.


I wondered how he liked that feeling.



 I challenge:
Suzanne Lilly
Mary Martinez
Cherie Marks
Sarah Baker
Margie Higgins
Anna Snugg
Phyllis Campbell

#SixSunday - Todd's Compliment

Happy Sunday Sixers! Thanks for stopping by.  I always appreciate the comments and encouragement. I look forward to hopping around to other blogs and reading what other talented authors have shared!  
I'm continuing with my YA Paranormal book, ONCE AND FOR ALL, the sequel to ONCE AGAIN, which is now available (links to the right), and was reviewed recently at Night Owl Reviews! ONCE AND FOR ALL follows Phoebe Campbell and Todd Miller as they encounter their own reincarnation mystery. 
Today I'm sharing an interesting interaction between Phoebe and Todd, early on in their uneasy partnership. They're at her house to begin work on the art project they've been assigned. (Which, by the way, is a multi-piece wooden sculpture that will depict the Sky Cove Harbor they way it would've looked around the turn of the twentieth century.) As always happens, when it's time carve, Phoebe turns "all business", and the scene picks up as she's just finished getting out her supplies and is getting her long, blonde hair out of her way so she can work. 
Enjoy!
I took the ponytail holder out of my hair and grabbed the clip I always kept handy in my studio. It took me al of three seconds to wad my hair up on top of my head and clip it into place, because after all, I couldn't do detailed work with my ponytail falling over my shoulder.
Looking back at Todd, I found him staring. "I never realized how long your hair is."
I felt the heat creep into my cheeks, but it wasn't from embarrassment. I think in his own way, he'd just complimented me, and I had no idea how to handle compliments... especially from a guy.
Be sure to visit the official Six Sentence Sunday site to find the list of great authors.  You can also follow along on Twitter with the hashtag #SixSunday.

The Power of Place Day 4 - Native American Reservations

As we drove through New Mexico and Arizona, and even parts of California, we traveled across several Native American Reservations. I knew from the first moment that I would write about the experience, but it's taken me a bit of time to get my thoughts together.
Let me start by saying that I knew I would be affected by seeing the reservations in person. Long before we neared the first one, thoughts of what I'd learned in school had already filled my mind. The Trail of Tears. The Indian Removal Act. Boarding Schools to force "cultural assimilation". Manifest Destiny. I'd learned about all those things and more. I'd been appalled and angry about how the Native Americans had been treated. But in no way could I prepare myself for how I would feel when I saw the reservations for the first time.

From the interstate, the conditions on the reservations are modest at best, gut-wrenching at worst. The lean-tos and shacks and campers parked in the middle of vast fields speak of both the poverty and the determination of the people. Determination to maintain their culture... a culture which was assaulted... a culture which fought tooth and nail to survive. The people who live in homes such as the ones below are keeping alive a part of history that should never be forgotten... and nurturing a culture that is rich with tradition.




Then, around the next bend in the road would be a lavish and exorbitant casino. Such a contrast to the poverty evident just from driving by the homes on the reservations. So much so that I almost took a picture of a casino, but then decided I didn't want to make it that important. The casino, after all, isn't really a part of the culture. Supposedly, the casino developers give a percentage of their profits back to the tribe and the reservation, but if that money had made any sort of impact on the people living on the reservations, you could not tell by looking.
When I returned home, I contacted a friend of mine who has worked for several years on different reservations teaching literacy. She confirmed what I suspected... that on some reservations, the casinos had made some kind of positive impact on the tribe, and on many others... not so much. She also told me that many reservations do not have high schools. Students on those reservations who want to attend high school have to go to the nearest town, stay with relatives, or attend a boarding school (and, yes, she said those do, in fact, still exist.) Of course, for many students of high school age, these conditions make it impossible to attend high school, and so they drop out. 
She also described the hardships faced by many on the reservations. Not only poverty, but addiction, illiteracy, domestic abuse, etc. But she was quick to say that the cultures on the reservations are still beautiful... still rich... and in many places, still thriving. 
I won't say I felt pity when I saw the reservations. I'm sure that's not what the Native Americans would want us to feel.  I felt sadness. I felt humbled. I felt a kind of righteous indignation for the way their culture had been attacked. But more than that, I felt proud. And I felt a sense of gladness that even after all the tribes had experienced over the last several centuries, they still endeavor to keep their culture alive. 


And because of their endeavors, we should NEVER forget.
Happy reading and writing.

#SixSunday - A Guarded Heart

Happy Sunday Sixers! Thanks for stopping by.  I always appreciate the comments and encouragement. I look forward to hopping around to other blogs and reading what other talented authors have shared!  
I'm continuing with my YA Paranormal book, ONCE AND FOR ALL, the sequel to ONCE AGAIN, which is now available (links to the right), and was reviewed recently at Night Owl Reviews! ONCE AND FOR ALL follows Phoebe Campbell and Todd Miller as they encounter their own reincarnation mystery. 
Today's snippet gives us a bit of insight into Phoebe's character. At this point in the story, she and Todd have come to terms enough to work together on the project they've been assigned, which includes him coming to her house after school, but she's still rather confused by him... and her feelings toward him. He's popular, and she's the bottom of the social barrel. And yet, he's been kind of nice so far. And it's made her think of things... and want things... that are dangerous to a girl with such a guarded heart. Today we see Phoebe at school, first thing in the morning, at her locker, with Layla and Lucas (the two lovebirds who were the main characters in ONCE AGAIN) on one side of her, and Todd Miller on the other. 

Layla and Lucas stopped at her locker, whispering in that goofy way couples had. My first thought was yuck, but then I decided it was probably nice to have someone you trusted that much. Someone who looked at you that way. 

Not that I'd know. Or even needed to know. 

"So," Todd began as I worked the combination on my locker. "After school right?"

Be sure to visit the official Six Sentence Sunday site to find the list of great authors.  You can also follow along on Twitter with the hashtag #SixSunday.

The Power of Place Day 3 - Arizona

The next stop in my blog across the country is Arizona.  After the beauty of New Mexico I wondered if I would find something as lovely and beguiling when we crossed the state line. Arizona certainly didn't disappoint!

At first Arizona looked much the same as New Mexico, with the red and brown mesas and desert-like landscape.  But slowly... so slowly that I almost didn't realize it... it began to change. Green became more prevalent. Trees became taller and more abundant. Vegetation began to cover the ground. The change, of course, coincided with the rise in altitude, as we ascended higher into the mountains of northern Arizona. It was such a gradual change that its subtlety was both surprising and calming.  Again, it was just impossible to take a picture that really captured the beauty and majesty of the state, though not for lack of trying!


Below are two pictures from the drive across the northern part of the state.  The first was taken as we began to see the mountains in the distance, but before we actually started to climb. We could see them so far ahead that they seemed nothing more than hills, but the closer we got (and it took a long time to actually get to them) the larger they became!  The second picture is of an abandoned building along the side of the road that I thought had so much character. I had fun imagining what sort of life might've taken place there, back when the building was home to a family.





As I said, the ascent into the mountains was gradual, and just as I was in the middle of marveling at the scenery, Flagstaff burst into view. And burst is the exact word that describes how it happened. All of a sudden there was a city nestled into the side of the mountain. Hands down, Flagstaff was my favorite city on our vacation. I just loved the way the mountains soared up and framed the town. Everywhere we went, the mountains were in view, as if standing guard. When we pulled up to our hotel, I hoped that our room was on the backside so I could see the mountain. Thankfully, it was, and the picture below was taken from our hotel room window as the sun set that night in Flagstaff.

I hope there will be a time when I can return to Flagstaff and stay a while... soak up a bit more of the city's personality and charm. But we had places to go and things to see, so the next morning we loaded into the van and headed to the Grand Canyon National Park. None of us had ever seen the Grand Canyon before, so there was a buzz of excitement. The drive from Flagstaff takes just over an hour (longer if you get behind a paint truck!), and by mid-morning we'd entered the park, paid our fee, and were winding our way to the parking area for the main lookout point.
Hubby and I had goosebumps of anticipation as we walked up the path and through the tree line, anticipating our first glimpse. My stomach literally dropped into my feet. It is huge. Breathtaking. As far as you can see rocks, ravines, color. Endless reds and browns. I have no words to describe it adequately.
There is absolutely NO way to take a picture that shows everything. But here are a few that give you a tiny glimpse of how awe-inspiring it is.




The picture below was taken along a path as I looked back at the lookout point. If you look closely, the small things on the top of the rock in the foreground are people. Yes, those are regular sized humans. I included this picture to because the tiny people help show the sheer size and magnitude!


And here's Flagstaff again. On our return trip we stopped for gas, and I couldn't help but snap another picture of what I'd come to think of as "my mountain". I think sometimes we feel connected to a place without any explanation or logic. I felt that way about Flagstaff. I just sort of called to me on some invisible level.


I think as writers we're really tuned in to those instincts... those feelings that hum beneath the surface. Perhaps that's why the beauty of Flagstaff, Arizona wrapped itself around me. I've learned to pay attention to those feelings, because many times they are the seeds of inspiration and creativity. There's a part of me that feels alive even now, just looking at the picture of the mountain that looms above Flagstaff. That feeling can keep me going... keep me inspired... when other things in life drag me down. A place is a powerful thing, and I'm so grateful to have so many new ones in my inspiration bank!
Happy reading and writing!

The Power of Place Day 2 - New Mexico

Not long after we crossed the state line from Texas into New Mexico, I discovered that New Mexico's state motto is really, really true. It totally IS the "Land of Enchantment".  I wish I could find words to describe how beautiful it was, but I can't. And neither could I snap a picture that would adequately illustrate it. I was literally speechless as we drove, and I couldn't take in the landscape fast enough.
Much like Texas, the land is flat and expansive. But the further west you go, the more "southwestern" the scenery becomes. That's the best way I can think to describe it, especially as someone who'd never experienced the western part of the country before. Hills became mesas, the flat table-top rocks that burst with reds and browns. Grass pastures became desert-like, with green shrubs scattered throughout vast fields of brown. Below are just a few of the many, many pictures I took as we drove through the "Land of Enchantment", though none come close to actually showing how stunningly beautiful the state is.





We stopped for lunch in Moriarty, New Mexico, and I snapped the following two pictures of a Route 66 sign an old Route 66 business that long ago closed up shop.




 On the return trip, we spent the night in Gallup, New Mexico. We headed out the next morning at 5:00 a.m. Mountain Time, and somewhere between Gallup and Albequerque the sun came up, creeping up over the mesas that lined the sides of the interstate.



One of the things I love about reading and writing fiction with romantic elements is the way that the hero and heroine discover new things about each other... how they come to see the ordinary as beautiful and captivating. I like to think that the wonder I felt as I fell in love with New Mexico, mimicked a little bit of what we writers put into our characters as they fall in love with each other. As each new landscape came into view, as the beauty of the sunrise stole my breath, perhaps I revisited the wonder and excitement of falling in love. And hopefully that wonder will find its way to my characters.
Inspiration... it's everywhere. And I found a whole heck of a lot in New Mexico.
Happy reading and writing!