Long time, no post

Our "lazy" summer is coming to a close.  This past week has been a doozy:  a wisdom-teeth removal, a fender-bender.  School starts up again soon, with requisite pre-term packing, moving, and driving.  And Mom's birthday is next week!

We've also been hard-at-work revising the manuscript for the AMBER HOUSE sequel, NEVERWAS.  It takes place during Christmas, and after an hour or so reworking a scene set in the snow, it can be a little jarring walking outside and realizing it's actually 90-something degrees!

Some updates that we've hoarded:

There are some new plans in the works for the official AMBER HOUSE TRILOGY website.  Can't reveal too much quite yet, but we're very excited about the interactive possibilities.
In between writing, we often while away our breaks obsessively trawling Pinterest.  You should try it.  Except, it will probably take over your life, so maybe don't.  Or do, because it's addictive-but-fun.  Or don't.  Or do.  Maybe.  We have a board of photos of Amber House, and a board hinting at scenes from NEVERWAS.  Feel free to check 'em out, if you one day feel the insatiable draw of Pinterest.
Reviews are starting to hit the interwebs!  And it's making such a difference for us, as we work on book two.  Knowing what a reader liked, or what he or she found unclear, has given us a whole new lens for approaching revisions.

Comments that have heartened us during our NEVERWAS-writing-hermitage:

"So let's check the list, shall we?  This book includes all the right horror fundamentals:  faint laughter of children who aren't there; visions in mirrors, in dreams, and even when awake; that cold, pointed feeling that raises the hair on the back of your neck because you know someone is watching you; characters descending into madness; little girls in white dresses darting from corner to corner always in your peripheral sight; wet footprints on wooden floors as the main character gets out of the bath to follow a noise (I mean, goodness gracious on that one!) . . . .  In many ways, due to the absolute readability of this book, it read like a film.  . . .  It was just so vividly detailed that the scenes were seamlessly imaginable."  -- K, The Midnight Garden

"Wow.  Wow.  Wow.   . . .  You know how they say people who don't read have only one life, but people who read have tons of lives?  This book makes me feel like I've lived another life."  -- Kristy Sartain, Whispering Pretty Stories Reviews 

"Delightful and winning!  Engrossing, riveting -- the very definition of a page-turner!  YA, yes, but suitable for older readers too.  . . .  I want to give this book 16 stars, as I was so totally absorbed, and can’t put it out of my mind.  . . .  I cannot recommend this book highly enough!"  -- Mallory, Mallory Heart's Reviews

"Horror novels and movies have never been my thing.  I'm totally the one that sits watching scary movies with my hands over my eyes and ears.  If I could have read this novel that way, I would have.   . . .  Intense, I tell you.  But, still, oh so good.  Beyond all the horror elements, at this book's heart lies a story about family.  This book tells the story of family and what it means to each, individual person, as well as the ripples and echoes that we leave behind – not just in our loved one's memories, but in situations and places, too.  Very thought provoking once I wrapped my head around it."  -- Laura, The Traveling Owl 

"The ending was perfect in my opinion and seriously made me want to cry because I found it beautiful. Overall, one of the best books I've read so far this year and I highly recommend it to fans of romance, Gothic novels, ghosts, time travel and history."  -- Anna Partrick, Diamond & Coal Book Reviews 

"Going in I wasn’t aware that Amber House is a planned trilogy but I found out at the end!  This is an ingenious mind-bending plot that certainly did NOT wrap up at the end and I’m left to wonder:  what’s going to happen next?!  Next book please!"  -- Rachel, The Readers Den

We've posted links to blogger reviews on the trilogy's official Facebook page.  As more come in, you'll also be able to find links on the News page on the trilogy's website.

And a teaser from the upcoming Kirkus review:

"Those who think that this is a straightforward ghost story will be sorely mistaken:  This is a complex, layered tale that bends time and imagination, demanding to be read with all the lights on.  . . .  Richly woven, with depth and swift plotting that will leave readers clamoring for the sequels."

Finally, we've got some fun stuff for this blog planned, so stay tuned!  In the meantime, you can click around on the trilogy's website, designed by the lovely Nicole Jaffe!