Amanda Shofner's Blog, page 11
June 23, 2014
Elusive Memories + Bonus Novella in Print NOW!
It’s HERE. In PRINT. Look at the pretty. With the paperback, you get Elusive Memories and The Unexpected Gift, a 49-page story that happens after EM. Because some people wanted a little extra, and now everyone benefits.
It hasn’t popped up on Amazon CA yet or B&N, but you can order from CreateSpace directly if you wish. (CreateSpace says it could take 6-8 weeks to appear on all distribution channels, which would hit at the end of July or beginning of August.)
If you wa...
June 9, 2014
What Comes Next?
With Elusive Memories and The Unexpected Gift both out, the “What are you working on next?” question gets tossed out. The short answer is “More writing.”
Publishing is an… interesting experience. The people and world that existed solely in your head are suddenly available to anyone who reads your book. So for someone who doesn’t talk a lot about what goes on in my head, well, publishing is, at times, disconcerting. (But still cool.)
Which is to say, right now I’m working on Janey’s story. If yo...
June 3, 2014
Mark Your Calendars for June 23 (Plus a New Release!)
Because launching my book in print isn’t cool enough, my friend The Stacey Harris and I will be hosting a virtual release party on the 23rd at 8 pm CDT. RSVP and ask your questions on the release party’sGoogle+ events page.
There will be wine and talking about my books and anything else you can think of. Did I mention WINE?
And since I never know when to quit, The Unexpected Gift, a novella set after Elusive Memories(and told from the POV of everyone’s favorit...
May 15, 2014
Elusive Memories Is Now Available on Kindle!
My plan was to get Elusive Memories out during Bout of Books, and I did it. Mostly. I went with a book roll out versus a huge book launch—next week I’ll work on getting EM up on other platforms (Nook, iBooks, and Smashwords, for example). Print versions some time in June.
(I’ll even sell signed copies on my website to people in the US because I’m nice like that—and if you’re not from the US and want a copy, we can talk.)
I would have liked to have everything to ready at the same time, but rolli...
May 9, 2014
Imaginative Power Belongs in the Hands of the Reader
You’ve readit before: long, descriptive paragraphs dedicated to setting the scene or painting a picture of acharacter.
Which you promptly forget. If you read the paragraph at all. (I skim. You probably do too.)
Book bloggers enjoy casting real people in the role of their favorite book characters, and the variety of their choices shows that readers will imagine what they want to, regardless of an author’s description. Which usually means extended description is a waste of words.
When you understa...
May 6, 2014
State of the Amanda {May 2014}
I didn’t accomplish all my goals last month. I’m not ashamed to admit it, nor do I feel guilty. Or sad. Or upset. Or any other negative, unproductive feeling.
Sometimes you need to take a step back to realize where you are
When I threw editing on top of writing, I came to apointwhere I had to choose between accomplishing my goals andsacrificing my sanity or reassessing my goals and giving myself time to relax.
It wasn’t much of a choice. I always choose self-care over burnout.
With book 2 on hold...
April 14, 2014
Progress Report: April Goals
Here’s how I’m rocking April:
• Write 30,000 words in book 2 [18,039/30,000]
I’m ahead of my goal so far, but I’ve slowed down over the past few days, and I expect that to continue as I tackle edits on Elusive Memories. But I’m pretty sure I can still make it happen.
• Draft emails for May event [3/4]
Turns out I had one drafted already, so I wrote two others. The remaining one involves a checklist, so it’ll require a little extra work and research on my part.
• Send book 1 to copy editor
I’ve got...
April 1, 2014
Introducing… Elusive Memories
Elusive Memories is the first book in a duology titled The Hunted. Here’s the blurb:
The resistance has hunted the Gifted for years. When Sam Benson is taken and her memory stolen, she certainly isn’t the first victim of the resistance. But she’s determined to use her family’s influence as memory-bringer elders to make sure she’s one of the last.
As soon as she escapes the resistance’s compound, anyway.
Two resistance guards claim to be working to get Sam free, but only one has her best interest...
March 31, 2014
March Report Card + April Goals
To make it easier, I’ve decided to combine these posts into one.
March Report Card
•Put book 1 in the hands of my beta readers [COMPLETED]
Already got feedback from two betas and anxiously awaiting the rest. I’m excited about the feedback I got and can’t wait to dive back in and fix what needs to be fixed.
• Start promotingThe Writing Sidekick[COMPLETED]
We kicked off yesterday with goal setting and I am SO EXCITED to begin.
• Write April posts [COMPLETED]
• Draft emails for The Writing Sidekick [CO...
March 25, 2014
How to Tackle Google+ {Bloggiesta Mini-Challenge}
If you’re unfamiliar with Bloggiesta, you should know it’s the coolest blogging party around. Here’s the official explanation from Bloggiesta:
In short, Bloggiesta is a blogging marathon revolving around ticking off those items on your to-do list and improving your blog while in the good company of other awesome bloggers doing the same thing. Our awesome mascot Pedro (Plan. Edit. Develop. Review. Organize) is ready to break out the nachos, enchiladas, drinks, mariachi music and whack a pinata...
