Amber Garza's Blog, page 8

Why I Quit Writing the Happily Ever After

My readers know that all my books end in an HEA. You see, I’m not just a writer. First, I’m an avid reader. Therefore, I write books that I would like to read. I suppose you could say I’m selfish. I don’t take into account what the market is doing or what I think other people want. I write what I want. Often I say that I write the story that is speaking loudest in my mind. This method has worked well for me. I rarely suffer from writer’s block and I enjoy every minute of writing my stories (well, almost every minute).

Before I self published, I felt like all I did was write for others. For years I was trying desperately to get traditionally published, so I racked my brain constantly coming up with stories that I felt would attract the attention of editors and agents. The problem was that I rarely felt connected to these stories. Once I started writing for me, I wrote the stories that spoke to me, the ones I felt connected to. And I think my writing is so much better for it.

However, I know this can sometimes be a risk. It’s clear from my sales numbers that my readers prefer my sweet romances. So it stands to reason that I should stick to writing books like TRIPPING ME UP, THE SUMMER WE FELL and WINNING ME OVER.  But sometimes I like to write darker, more suspenseful romances. Sometimes that’s the story that wakes me up in the middle of the night, the one that consumes my thoughts and pesters me day in and day out. And that’s why I wrote BREAK FREE and BREAK THROUGH, which are still my two favorites.

That’s also what happened with CUTS RUN DEEP. The idea came to me even before writing THE SUMMER WE FELL, but I really wanted to write a lighthearted summer romance so I did. But afterward, I was dying to jump into CUTS RUN DEEP. However, I was nervous about it. This book isn’t like my others. For starters, it doesn’t end in an HEA.

Second, it doesn’t portray healthy relationships. If you read my post last week called Bike Ride Musings, you know that I like to write about true love, about good guys and about healthy, loving relationships. This is an exception to that. I can’t give away the reasons why because that would reveal too much about the story. But trust me, the story wouldn’t work any other way. And I had to be true to the story and the characters. I had to write it the way it was told to me.

This book is beautiful and heartbreaking. It’s so different from my other stuff, but I love it. And I hope you will too. So give it a shot. Maybe you’ll find that you don’t need the HEA.

But if you do, I have plenty of other books for you. And I promise to write an HEA in my next book….

The Vulnerability of Creativity

Recently I participated in an interview with my friend Megan Squires about the vulnerability of creativity. If you are curious to know how I come up with story lines, how I feel about rejection, and how I react to my reviews go ahead and watch the video. Or maybe just watch it if you’re curious what I look and sound like. :)

Bike Ride Musings

It all started because I was fighting a cold, it was about that time of the month, and my kids wouldn’t stop fighting. Not a fun combination. So, instead of hanging out at home with my children and running the risk of seriously losing it, my husband and I decided to go for a bike ride. I figured it was a win-win. It would get us away from the children, it would be a great time with my husband, and it would help get my creative juices flowing. You see, exercising is one of the ways I combat writer’s block, so I fully expected my brain to start moving at warp speed during the ride. And I was happy about that because I need to work out some kinks in my current WIP, CUTS RUN DEEP.

 

Stopping for a much needed coffee in the middle of the bike ride.

 

And I did have a burst of inspiration. Just not in the way I thought I would. Instead of thinking about Jackson and Piper, I started thinking about my life.

I thought about how blessed I am. I thought about how lucky I am to have Andrew as my husband, best friend and partner. If you’ve followed my blog for any length of time you know that I was sick for a long time. I’m getting better everyday -god is restoring me to full health, I’m sure of it.  But the past two years have been difficult for my husband. Yet he has loved me well through it and has supported me every step of the way. As I was riding and thinking about this, I had this great idea to write a fictional story about my own real life romance. But then I realized that I’ve already done that. Andrew is in all of my books – he’s in every single one of my heroes. And if you read my author’s note at the back of BREAK FREE then you know that I stole Andrew’s exact words and put them in Kyler’s mouth. But he’s also there in Asher’s unconditional love for Ivy, in Tripp’s kind words to Hadley, in Tag’s patience with Harper, and in Carter’s understanding of Aspen.

As a writer, my first duty is to entertain. Readers read as a means of escape. So in every book I write my intention is to entertain the reader. To give them a story they can escape into. But I would be lying if I said that was all I wanted. There is a method to my madness.

In many of the reviews of my books, there is a common theme. A lot of reviewers make a statement like this: “Amber sure knows how to write her men.”

That’s because I have such a wonderful, shining example of what a loving man is like.

 

However, this hasn’t always been the case. Before meeting my husband I was in a different relationship. One that was unhealthy. One that was abusive. One that almost killed me.

Growing up, I never had very high self-esteem. I wasn’t the pretty girl or the popular girl. I wasn’t the one the boys were interested in. And I was always dreaming of one day falling in love. Since I’m an avid reader and I have an active imagination, I thought love was all-consuming, desperate, passionate. So when I met a boy at 15 and started to fall for him, I thought it was normal when he separated me from my friends and family. I didn’t find it odd at all that our relationship was all-consuming and desperate, forsaking all others. I even found it romantic when my friends and family warned me to stay away from him. Almost like the fact that our love was forbidden made it more real. Some of you have read ENGRAVED and BREAK FREE, so you know about my past as a drug addict. It was with this boy that I first used drugs. Since we both had addictive personalities, our drug use made our relationship even more unhealthy and we spiraled downward until it almost destroyed us both. Getting out of that situation was the only way to save my life.

 

Meeting my husband after that was the best thing that ever happened to me. Andrew was nothing like the other boy. And I was grateful to finally be in a healthy, loving relationship. As a mom, I pray my kids will only know that kind of love. I pray they will know healthy, unconditional love. Not co-dependent, addictive, desperate kind of love. However,  I worry sometimes that in books and movies, this is the kind of love that is sensationalized.

 

So in my books I write about the kinds of guys I want my daughter to date. Boys worthy of a heart as wonderful and pure as my sweet girl’s. And I pray that you, my readers, will find the same thing. I want you, girls, to know your worth. Know that your hearts and your bodies are sacred and beautiful and deserve the best. This is what I hope you take away from my books.

But mostly, I hope you enjoy the story…and that you fall madly in love with the characters. After all, there’s nothing better than a beautiful love story.

Cover Revamp and Re-release of STAR STRUCK and LOVE STRUCK!

The STAR STRUCK series is still one of my favorites ever. There is something about bad boy rockstars that I can’t get enough of. And Beckett and Ryker both stole my heart. So I decided to revamp these books and give them a pretty, shiny, rockstarish new packaging. I hope you love what Kris at C & K Creations did! I know I do!

 

 

I don’t go for bad boys, or rockers. And I don’t believe in love at first sight.

Until I see Beckett.

And things only get worse when I hear him sing. There is no one like him.

The problem is that he wants nothing to do with me. And I know I should stay away from him.It’s the smart thing to do.

Only when it comes to Beckett I don’t want to do the smart thing.

He makes me want to take a risk. I just hope he decides to take a risk on me too.

Since I was little I’ve had a list of carefully constructed plans for my life.

But when I meet sexy musician Ryker Collins I’m prepared to give it all up just to be with him.

Until one single act makes me question his true feelings for me. Now I’m left to wonder if falling for him was a huge mistake.

I just hope he can prove to me that it wasn’t before it’s too late for us.

Each book in the STAR STRUCK SERIES can be read as a stand alone.

Cover Reveal for CUTS RUN DEEP

CUTS RUN DEEP

 

COVER REVEAL

 

YOUNG ADULT ROMANTIC SUSPENSE

 Release Date: October 8, 2014

Designer: White Rabbit Designs and Creations

Piper wakes up in the hospital with no recollection of how she got there. Only fragmented memories surface – her boyfriend Jackson on the ground covered in blood, Piper standing over him, her hands slick and red.  Then she is told the awful truth: Jackson was killed the night she was injured, and she is the only witness.

If only she could remember what happened.

Piper searches through her memories, recalling her entire relationship with Jackson in order to piece together what happened. Meanwhile, as Jackson’s family is trying to make sense of the tragedy, they find his journal and begin reading through it to find answers.

As the chilling truth begins to unfold, Piper has to face the darkest secrets of her relationship with Jackson and the part she played in his murder.

 

THE SUMMER WE FELL

If you want to hold on to the last remaining days of summer, sunshine and romance, I have the perfect escape for you! THE SUMMER WE FELL released today! It’s currently up at Amazon and Barnes and Noble, but should be up at all other retailers soon!

Blurb:

Adam Stewart is every girl’s fantasy – captain of the football team, smart, funny, hot. I’ve had a crush on him for years but he never noticed me. Until now.

Dating Adam is a dream come true. I should be happy about it, but it’s hard because my best friend Cruz is acting strange. Almost like he’s jealous. But that can’t be. Can it?

Cruz and I have been inseparable since we were kids. He’s always been like a brother to me. But lately things have changed. He’s different, and I’m starting to see him in a new light. Our relationship is evolving in a way I never thought possible. I don’t want to lose him, but am I willing to give up Adam for him?

 

The Summer We Fell

My kids went back to school yesterday and it was bittersweet for me. One the one hand, it’s been so nice to work without interruption. On the other hand, it’s too quiet and at times I miss them.

But I am excited about what will be happening with my books the next couple of months. First off, THE SUMMER WE FELL is releasing a week from today! If you want to hold on to a little more summer, this is the book for you!

And after that I will be releasing a Young Adult romantic suspense entitled CUTS RUN DEEP. It should release beginning of October.

So be on the lookout for these releases.

Happy Reading!

It’s time to come clean…

Recently it’s come to my attention that there is a lot of confusion regarding my books. I’ve had some humorous discussions with people regarding my covers and how “romantic” they are. I’ve also had some conversations where it’s been clear that a lot of people assume all my books are teen fiction similar to my first series. In all these encounters I’ve realized that while it’s been fun to try my hand at many different genres it might cause a bit of confusion for my readers.

I totally get that not all my readers want to read young adult fiction. That’s actually why I’ve released many adult titles as well. And even though my first series was Christian, my other titles are all mainstream. Also, I know that not everyone is into romance, so I have some mystery/suspense books too. The problem is that I don’t think most people realize this. I think when most readers see my newest release they automatically assume it’s a teen romance. So, I’ve decided to break all my books down by category to cancel out all the confusion and clear the air. So, if you’re interested in reading my books this might be a helpful tool in deciding which one.

We will start with my newest releases BREAK THROUGH and BREAK FREE, both of which are ADULT ROMANTIC SUSPENSE:

 

If you like suspense but aren’t a big romance fan, I do have one title for you- ENGRAVED. It’s an ADULT MYSTERY/SUSPENSE:

STAR STRUCK, LOVE STRUCK and FALLING TO PIECES are all NEW ADULT CONTEMPORARY ROMANCES, meaning the characters are all in their twenties. So this is a good choice for older teens, young adults and adults alike:

HEAD ABOVE WATER is a NEW ADULT ROMANTIC SUSPENSE:

CONFESSIONS OF A HARRIED HOUSEWIFE will release end of this month and it is ADULT CHICK LIT:

I have two sweet TEEN ROMANCES and they are TRIPPING ME UP and WINNING ME OVER:

And if you love these, I have a new sweet TEEN ROMANCE coming out next month called THE SUMMER WE FELL.

THE DELANEY’S GIFT SERIES is YOUNG ADULT PARANORMAL ROMANCE:

And lastly I have the PROWL TRILOGY which are TEEN CHRISTIAN THRILLERS. Think Ted Dekker meets Sarah Dessen.

 

To purchase any of these titles you can click on the books along the side of my blog.

Share in the comments below what your favorite genre is! I’d love to hear from you….

Cover Reveal!

Last post I told you about the first novel I ever wrote – Confessions of  a Harried Housewife – and how I’ve reworked it to release this month. Well, today I get to share the amazing cover with you!!

 

Cover: Dreams2Media

Genre: Chick Lit

Release Date: End of July 2014

Blurb:

When Caitlyn Randall catches her husband out with another woman she decides to shed her harried housewife image to become a suburban diva. Following the tips from a magazine article she’s determined to go from frumpy to fabulous in five easy steps.

Only nothing is easy for Caitlyn.

No matter how hard Caitlyn tries she screws up. Her romantic evenings get ruined, and her attempts at becoming Suzy Homemaker are thwarted by her children’s anecdotes causing the perfect preschool moms to look down their noses at her. If that isn’t enough, she has to fend off the beautiful paralegal that is after her attorney husband, and stop her best friend from dating her married co-worker.

Will Caitlyn be successful in her quest for fabulousness or is she destined to remain a harried housewife forever?

 

Confessions of a Clueless Mom

Being a mom has always been hard for me. Not because I don’t love my kids, because I do. Fiercely. And they know it. So in that way I guess I am successful. But I’ve never been one of those moms who has it all together. Because of that when I decided to write my first novel over 8 years ago, I wrote a humorous chick lit book about a harried housewife named Caitlyn Randall who just can’t seem to get it right. My kids were little at the time and I identified with Caitlyn so much. It was cathartic for me to write that book.  I also started a blog several years back called CONFESSIONS OF A CLUELESS MOM. I used it as a way to vent about my parenting woes. I put an example of one of those posts below.

Now my kids are teenagers and I’m just as clueless as before. Maybe more so. And that’s why I’ve decided to pull my first book out of hiding and publish it. I feel like there are probably a lot of other moms out there who can identify with Caitlyn’s story. Maybe it will be therapeutic for them to read it. So that’s what I’m up to lately. Re-working my very first novel. It’s a lot of fun. I can’t wait to share it with you.

Here is a sampling of that blog post I told you about. If you relate to it, make sure to pick up a copy of CONFESSIONS OF A HARRIED HOUSEWIFE when it releases next month!

Some women are created to be moms. You know the type. Those who are born with paint brushes in one hand, crayons in the other and endless amounts of patience and grace in their back pockets. The ones who conduct science experiments in the backyard on a normal afternoon, who love to work in their child’s classroom, who can whip up a cake from scratch at a moment’s notice, and scrapbook on their free time. Well, I’m not one of those moms. To me the perfect craft is coloring in the lines in a coloring book. And as far as science projects go my kids mix water and dirt to make mud. When my kids have to make a diorama for school I print some online pictures and tape them into a shoe box. And when I bake a cake I usually forget an ingredient or two and end up with a mess. For those of you who find pleasure in making your own playdough this may not be the blog for you. But if you’re wondering how the heck you make your own playdough, and wondering why you would even do that when you can buy perfectly good playdough at Walmart, then this is definitely the blog for you.

Because I know that while we may not be crafty, we love our children and want the best for them.

While I don’t know how to take a plain piece of paper and make it into a snowflake I have sewn God’s word into my children’s hearts. They know how much God loves them and how much I love them and they love us both back. So, I may do a lot wrong but I do some things right.