Amy Lillard's Blog, page 17
August 17, 2012
Amish Baskets
As you know, all I wanted when we went to see the Amish in Ethridge, TN, was an Amish doll. But they also had a lot of really great baskets for sale. One of the ladies on the wagon tour with us had been there before, I’m guessing several times, for she knew which houses had what merchandise for sale.
At the last house we pulled into on our tour, she told us, “This is the house with the baskets.”
This house belonged to Levi Hershberger. Levi was a handsome man. With a dark beard hardly streaked with gray just touching his chest. He had clear skin, little round glasses and unlike the other men we encountered on our tour, he wore black lace shoes. If I had to guess I’d 
say he was in his late fifties to early sixties. Our guide told us that he had 17 children and 123 grandchildren. Keep in mind that the average number in a church district is 200. Mr. Levi’s immediate family was nearly a church district in itself!
Mr. Levi was kind enough to let us go into his workshop where he makes his baskets. All the materials are hand dyed, but the color is so even and perfect you’d think it had been commercially done. There was of course no electricity in his shop, the only light filtering in from the many windows.
The baskets were beautiful and had I had a little more pocket money I would have bought many more to bring home with me. As it was, I bought one (even though I swore I wasn’t buying anything else for my house. I’m doing my best this year to de-junk!). But next year I’ll be sure to stock up.
August 15, 2012
Blame it on Testosterone?
This weekend I watched (part of) Rob Roy with my husband. I say part of, because I find the movie disturbing. Anyone who knows me well knows that I’m too sensitive. But anyway…we were watching the movie and we came to the part where the servant girl hangs herself after she finds out that she’s carrying Archibald’s child and he won’t honor her.
My hubs says to me, “It’s not that bad. She shouldn’t have done that.”
What? Did he not understand the position she found herself in? She’s unemployed (having lost her job when her employers found out that she was pregnant), carrying what would have been called a bastard child, and the year is circa 1730.
That in turn made me think about the differences between women and men. I know what you’re thinking, and I’ve read Mars and Venus. But I’m talking about what makes us *different*. Is it truly a matter of nature that causes men and women react differently when faced with the same situations?
Nature or nurture? According to some studies it doesn’t matter how you raise a boy, he’s a boy. In the case of a circumcision gone wrong concerning a set of identical twin boys, one of the children was raised as a girl. (Click here for more info) The ‘experiment’ worked for a while, but ultimately failed.
So maybe there is something about boys, something that makes them different, makes them think differently than women. And that something keeps them from understanding the plight of a woman in the 18th century who finds herself pregnant and unwed.
What do you think? Is nature stronger than nurture? does it color how we react, women versus men?
August 13, 2012
The Writing Process
Maybe I should have called this the publishing process. So many times I’m asked “How long did it take you to write this book?” Well, I have to tell you that the answer isn’t cut and dried.
I started Saving Gideon in October of 2010. I wrote the series idea, a working synopsis, and a submission synopsis. I wrote the first 50 pages and sent it to my agent. July of the next year (that would make it 2011) We had a publishing house very interested. My agent said it was time to finish the book. So I did, but it topped out at only 65 thousand words. I wasn’t worried. Until I got the contract in mid-September and the publishing house wanted the novel to be at least 80K. I had a little over two weeks to write 15 thousand words. At the time I was working a full time job (44+ hours a week). YIKES!
By some miracle I finished the book, got it to word count and submitted on time. Yay, me!
Then the marketing pages arrived. The forms I had to fill out with pertinent information so that the cover artist could create a realistic and accurate cover. The first pass at a back cover blurb. The discussion questions for the book and interviews.
And then there’s the little matter of the next book in the series. I start it and the ’macro-edits’ arrive.
Macro edits–the first time I saw that phrase my heart hit the floor. Macro means big, right? Big changes. Holy cow. What had I gotten myself into?
Whew! They weren’t as bad as I thought. I had a month to get them ready and sent in. I made it with days to spare.
And I was finally done, right? Nope. Next came line edits. Line edits are hard. even harder than macro edits. Why? Because line edits are proof that every word I’ve written is not golden. It’s the stuff that tears down a writer’s fragile ego and makes us second guess any talent that we may have. It’s hard to see through the changes and know that the book is going to be better for the effort. All I can see is the many marks of “track changes blue”. Anyone who is a veteran of the line edit knows how tough this time is. But it’s almost over. A polished diamond of a book is almost ready.
Almost.
Almost? How much more can there be? There’s the copy edits. Then the final read, the author’s last chance to make any changes to the manuscript before it goes to the printer.
And I take a deep breath. I sent this last batch of changes in last month. That’s July 2012.
So did it take me two years to write Saving Gideon? Not really. But I worked on it for two years. All the while, working on the second book in the series.
I’m through the line edits with Katie’s Choice. And soon I’ll begin writing text for Gabriel’s Bride. I’m sure while I’m working on Gabriel, I’ll be working on Katie as well. And such is the writing process.
August 10, 2012
Why We Love the Amish
There’s no denying it, we (the “English”) are enchanted by the Amish. But what is it about them that intrigues us so?
As a writer if Amish fiction, this question has crossed my mind more than once. But on the flip side of the fiction coin, there’s the booming fantasy/sci fi/ paranormal sub-genre. So what does a conservative religious group and Twilight have in common? Maybe more than you think.
With all the techinology at our fingertips today, the world is moving faster and faster. Because of this speed, we need an escape, a place where we can decompress. For many it’s the made up world of vampires, shape-shifters and fairies. For others (like me) it’s the old-fashioned world of the Amish.
The Amish live life side by side with the Englishers, but in a completely different world. It’s not their clothes, the lack of electricity, or 
their church services that intrigue us. It’s their pace. It’s their lack of the Internet, cellphones, and DVRs. As our world spins faster and faster while theirs plods along at the pace of hoof beats.
Their world is real, but so different. It exists and it gives us hope that our own world won’t get out of control. You can’t ask for much more than that.
What do you like most about the Amish? Even if it’s their peanut brittle, leave me a comment and let me know.
August 8, 2012
A Parent’s Prayer
God grant me the serenity to allow my child to be his own person.
The patience to discipline him so that he grows up to be the adult he needs to be.
And the composure not to deck the person who comments, “My child never acted like that,” for they are ignorant and unworthy of my anger.
Amen
August 7, 2012
‘Live’ Chat with Diane O’Key
then click BLOG.
August 6, 2012
My Writing Partner
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, writing is not as solitary as the “outside” world believes. Aside from my agent and editors all of my clamoring fans that I converse with everyday via Facebook, Twitter and other social media, I have a writing partner. Actually 2.
Meet Cheng. My oldest baby. Full name Kitty Kitty Ch’ing Cheng. Half Siamese/half Maine Coon, he’s the sweetest cat you’ll ever meet. In his prime he topped out at 23 pounds. Yes, twenty-three. But now he’s over 18 years old. And our time with him is precious.
And then there’s the newest addition to our family. This is Jack. I know, I know, but I didn’t give him that name. He came with it. His real name is Cap’n Jack, though mostly we call him Kitty Jack or Jackie Cat. Jack is just a little over a year old. So he’ll get to be my writing buddy for many years to come. Now all I have to do is teach him how to run Google. LOL
Our pets get to be as much a part of the family as well, the other members of our family. Do you have a very special pet, writing partner, reading buddy, TV confidant? Leave me a comment and tell me about them.
August 3, 2012
My Amish Doll
Ethridge, Tennessee part 2
There is definitely something charming about the Amish. It’s undeniable that these people who work so diligently to conform, intrigue us so. To the point that we want to take a little piece of them home with us, be it a jar of homemade jelly, a basket, or a bag of peanut brittle. When we traveled to Ethridge this summer, all I wanted was a doll.
In case you don’t know, Amish dolls do not have faces. This practice goes back to the Ten Commandments and no graven images. It also accounts for the fact that the Amish refuse to have their picture taken. To them, the measure is one of pride and all prideful-ness should be avoided. But back to my doll… I found one in the gift shop where we rented a horse-drawn wagon to take us down the back roads to the Amish farms that welcomed English (non-Amish) visitors. But I 
There were a great many items for sale, though most farms had the same types of goods: peanut brittle and homemade treats, small wooden games, beads, and jelly. One farm sold furniture–small stools and swings, high chairs and cribs–and another incredible hand-woven baskets. But no dolls.
Needless to say, I was crushed. We stopped at ten farms, got out talked to the people who lived there, bought various goods and enjoyed a quiet, lazy afternoon. But not one of these farm’s offered dolls for sale.
On the way back to the gift shop I asked the guy who was driving our wagon about the dolls and he told me that there was one in the gift shop. (Well, I knew that!) but settled myself into getting the doll from the store. Actually there were two dolls in the store–one boy and one girl. Buy only the girl doll had a tag that said Amish made. I snatched her up and took her to the counter to purchase. I told the lady that I was disappointed that none of the farms offered dolls for sale. As she rang up my purchase she asked me if I remembered the first farm that we had stopped at on the wagon tour. “Of course,” I said. Then she proceeded to tell me that the doll I was purchasing was made by the woman who lived there, Amanda Swartzentruber. Furthermore, Amanda used to make several dolls to sell in the store, but their bishop decided that it shouldn’t be allowed. I bought the last doll that Amanda had made for them.
Why the bishop was against Amanda making dolls for the store to sell is beyond me. Though I’m sure he had the best interests of his church members in mind. Maybe it was a pride issue, like Amanda would think her dolls better than the other women’s because the English sold hers in their store. Or maybe he wanted to cut that tie between the two worlds.
What do you think? I’d love to hear any thoughts from my readers. Have you run into a similar situation when traveling among the Plain folk nearest you?
August 1, 2012
Confessions of a Nail Polish Addict
I have a confession to make: I love nail polish.
I don’t know when this love started exactly. I was something of a tomboy, so I can’t confess that it’s been a love of mine for my entire life. But I love it all the same.
Maybe it’s because nail polish has great names like My Chihuahua Bites and Barefoot in Barcelona. I even bought one color strictly for the name–Who the Shrek are You? Now how could I pass that up?
My husband would say, “Easy.” since I already own over 40 bottles of the stuff. To make matters worse, I usually have Shellac put on my fingers on a regular basis and my toes done at the salon. But in my defense, I often times carry my own color for my pedicure.
40 and counting. And I have another confession to make: I’ll probably by another bottle or two the next time I’m at Walmart…or Target…or the drugstore…or well, anyplace that carries nail polish.
My all time fav is Barefoot in Barcelona. I love it so much that I even accented my bathroom cabinets in it. (Well, really I dropped a bottle on the tile floor and during the shattering of glass, polish got on the cabinets. And the shower curtain and the rug and my favorite yoga pants. Sigh.) I even have aboard on Pinterest dedicated solely to nailpolish. http://pinterest.com/amyl918/nail-polish-addict/
Maybe I should start a support group. Hello. my name is Amy and I love nail polish.
Do you have a favorite cosmetic? Or even a favorite nail polish? Drop me a line and let me know.
Smiles and Blessings–Amy
July 30, 2012
To Agent or Not to Agent
So you’ve finished a book, you’re writing a book, or you just want to write a book, and you’re wondering if you need an agent. Honestly, I don’t know. I will say this: a *good* agent is never a bad idea.
But allow me to tell you my story. There was a time in my writing career when I wrote secular romance. I wanted to sell to Avon–So. Very. Badly. Avon used to be very tight and for a long time only accepted agented manuscripts. So I set out to find an agent. I needed one to get into Avon and if nothing else, an agent would give me more credibility–an industry person in New York who believed in me.
So I made a plan and a list of potential agents. I went though the RWR and found names of credible agents. I also researched my favorite authors and their agents. Once I had my list, I sent out a mass mailing. I believe there were sixteen names in all. (Most agents won’t read unsolicited manuscripts and I’ve always been told to be leery of those who do.) I wrote a query letter stating who I was, awards and contests I had won, my past publishing credits (I wrote true confessions for a while), and anything that would sell them on me as a writer. Then I put in a short synopsis about my manuscript, selling them on my book. I ended with the status of my manuscript–”complete and ready to send upon your request.”
Of the sixteen letters I sent, only one replied with a positive response–Mary Sue Seymour. Mary Sue has changed my career in ways I had never dreamed possible. Will you have the same experience with your agent? I honestly don’t know. But I’m glad that our relationship has worked out the way it did.
My question to you is what will/can an agent do for you? Why do you want agent? Why do you feel you need one? Okay, that’s three questions, but I think they are all valuable answers.
If you are successful on your own, I say keep going. But on the heels of that, I’ll tell you that I was glad to have Mary Sue on my side come contract time. It was so nice to sit back and relax (and bite my nails) while she negotiated the movie rights clause and my advance. I would have never been able to do that myself. Not with the first contract for sure.
Please keep in mind that the above is my story and only my opinion. Everyone has a different take on the “to agent or not to agent” question. I have friends who are like me and likely wouldn’t have sold without an agent. I have a friend who is crazy successful without an agent, and then I have a friend who scoped out the agents, found one she liked but didn’t query until Harlequin called. JFTR–I totally disagree with this last method, you just did all the leg work for the agent and they’re still gonna take their 10-15%. Also your agent may have contacts that can further your career and if you don’t sign quicker than this, you may have just struggled through some totally unnecessary work. But who’s to say?
However you get there (or don’t) signing with an agent is a personal thing. Everyone’s career is unique. If it’s right for you, then do it. It’s like the measure of success, only you can decide. But that’s a bog for another day.
