Help Me Name My Series!

For those of you who've read my book, I need ideas on what to call my series! And for those of you who haven't read my book, I still need help. :-) Basically, I'll accept suggestions from anyone. :-)

The first book comes out this July, so I need to come up with the name as soon as possible.

For information on what my book is about, check out my publisher's site here and/or my website here (both will open in new windows).

The name needs to be something that would appeal to people ages 12 and up, especially YA boys.

The world where everything takes place (besides Earth) is called Edana. (eh-DAWN-nuh)
The main character's name is Jacob Clark.
The first book is called The Key of Kilenya.

Submit your answers either here (as a comment) or by sending me an email: ap AT andreapearsonbooks DOT com - replace the AT with @ and DOT with .)

The winner will be thanked in the acknowledgement section of this book, and I'll name a character in book two after him/her.

If there are any questions, please ask. :-)

You guys rock! Thank you, thank you, thank you! :-)

Andrea

(listening to Maren Ord)

Writing/Health Tip: Drink Water!

Do you think drinking plenty of water would help you be a better writer? If so, you're right! :-)

Okay, so I'm obsessed with human anatomy. For my major I had to take two or three anatomy classes, and I really enjoyed all of them, especially the trivia. Learning the benefits of drinking (and eating) plenty of fluids was fascinating.

A quick lesson on what happens when you eat:

Food enters the mouth and goes through a series of twists and turns on its way down. When it enters the intestines, needed nutrients, including liquids, are absorbed through capillaries into the bloodstream. These nutrients are sent through the body with each heartbeat, and as part of this circulatory action, blood is cleansed and filtered through the kidneys where unused/unneeded liquids and waste are flushed out of the system.

Every organ in the body is affected by water. Partly because blood is affected by water, and partly because organs are composed of water. The brain is 95% water, lungs are 85% water, and muscles are 75% water.

There are many benefits of drinking plenty of water, including (but not limited to):
Less: infections, heart problems, headaches, day-time fatigue, sick days, dental problems, and stress on the circulatory system.
More: energy, health, time (if you're not getting sick, you're not missing work), and ability to concentrate and think clearly.

Saliva is 99% water.
The uses of saliva include:
Dissolves food for better digestion (helping us digest those important nutrients).
Keeps the oral cavity moist.
Keeps the oral cavity (including teeth!) clean, thereby helping to prevent cavities and infections.

Where blood is concerned:
Blood is 92% water, and is greatly affected by the quantity of liquid you drink. If you aren't hydrated well enough, you are ineligible to donate plasma/blood. Thick blood (from not enough water or other health problems) puts the heart under a great deal of stress. Thin blood helps keep the heart healthy.
The uses of blood include:
Transportation of nutrients, oxygen, waste products, and hormones.
Keeps the body in the same temperature range (unless a fever is needed to fight off bacteria).
Protects from infection by transporting antibodies and forming blood clots.

Skin is 70% water and very easily becomes dehydrated, resulting in chapped skin and lips.

So, basically, water is a very important part of a healthy lifestyle, and everyone (including writers) needs a clear head and the ability to concentrate. Drinking plenty of water gives us the energy we need to keep going.

And now it's time for some random trivia!
The amount of saliva produced daily ranges from 1.0 to 1.5 liters. (Most of which is created while eating). Yummy!
The amount of blood that flows through the kidneys per day is 180 liters. (Most of which is cycled back through the system).
Caffeine is a diuretic and causes our bodies to lose water. Alcohol is even worse than caffeine in this aspect. In other words: drinking alcohol, tea, coffee, and caffeinated sodas actually makes us lose more liquid than we retain.

What other benefits to drinking plenty of fluids are there?

Have a great and well-hydrated day, and remember that water comes from many sources, including fruits and veggies. :-)


Listening to: David Arkenstone, Valley in the Clouds

References: Human Anatomy, Michael McKinley, Valerie Dean O'Loughlin
Human Anatomy Lecture Guide Robert E. Seegmiller, Ph.D, Michael R. Stark, Ph.D, David D. Busath, M.D., Duane R. Winden, M.S., Rachel Tomco, M.S.
Water: a Necessary Part of Life, http://www.seasilverholistic.com/ (their references here)

Movie Clip Monday: Sixth Sense in Five Seconds

Okay, so I really, really enjoy the Movies in Five Seconds clips. Today's clip is the Sixth Sense - for those of you who have seen this movie, you should appreciate this. :-) If you haven't seen the movie, you might think it's funny, anyway, but no guarantees. :-)



They whisper so you might have to listen to it more than once. :-)

I'm Getting Published!

Okay, so I've known for two full days, but since most everyone who follows me knows me from elsewhere, I forgot to blog about it. :-) Blame it on my inattentiveness to blogging. :-) (Which, I swear is getting better. Especially with my rocking-awesome publishers. :-))

Publisher: Valor Publishing Group
Book Release Date: July 6, 2010 (pre-ordering starts April 6, 2010)
Book title: The Key of Kilenya (book one in the series)

Deciding who to publish with was the biggest (and most difficult) decision I've ever made in my life. And I'm not joking. I had unofficial offers from more than one company (two of which were brand-name publishers) who sported "shiny" perks for their authors (mainly by way of large advances, etc.), but Valor was the most on the ball and DEFINITELY offered the most important perks for writers - a great contract and awesome marketing and promoting. On top of everything else, I felt really, really good about going with them - it's where the Lord wanted me. Plus, my friends Jenni James and Daron Fraley are being published through them, so I won't be lonely. :-)

Anyway - I'm super excited. It's all I can think about these days. For obvious reasons. :-)

Listening to: Stardust soundtrack. :-)

Movie Clip Monday: Paul Potts First Audition (BGT)

Sadly, they've disabled embedding on this clip, but it's definitely worth watching.

Paul Pott's First Audition on Britain's Got Talent

Every time we watched this when it first came out it would make me and my parents cry. This man is so completely humble, and his voice is amazing for one in his position. Go watch it if you haven't already! :-)

How to Write a Fiction Book: More on Social Networking

Networking is super, super important! I can't say that enough!

Here's a list of my favorite places to go to meet other writers:

AbsoluteWrite Forums (I SWEAR by this site. More to come later on why. :-))

Authonomy (Another site I swear by. This is an EXCELLENT place for getting help on your writing and meeting other writers.)

Twitter (use hashtags - when you're writing, add "#amwriting" to your updates and other writers will find you and follow you, thus increasing your visibility. :-))

Facebook

I'll be adding to this list later, I'm sure. :-)

Back to How to Write a Fiction Book Index

Listening to: Vienna Teng, Warm Strangers album

How to Write a Fiction Book: Writer's Conferences, Social Networking, and "It's Who You Know"

I'd originally planned to separate this into three individual posts, but couldn't do each topic justice without putting them together.

At a glance,

Writer's Conferences:
Are an excellent way to maintain writing abilities and to hone your craft.
Introduce you to people "in the know."
Introduce you to other writers.
Introduce you to your favorite authors!
Can seem expensive, but are hugely helpful and are well worth the money invested.
Are super fun!

Social Networking:
Happens at writer's conferences.
Happens online - through blogs, forums, etc.
(Here's a list of great sites for social networking.)

"It's Who You Know":
Is how you get published.
Developing friendships with other fledgling writers now could pave the way to future deals.
Having connections is a huge in any market.

Back to the writing. :-)

Back to How to Write a Fiction Book Index

Listening to: A Fine Frenzy

Looking for a Writer's Conference?

Here's one I'd recommend that'll be held in Provo, UT:

LDStoryMakers 2010 Conference

Check out who they have coming, the workshops scheduled, etc. It's DEFINITELY worth the money. And, if you decide to go, don't forget to sign up for the BootCamp early morning sessions. :-)

Beauty and the Beast in 5 Seconds

Did anyone else feel this way when they first saw Beauty and the Beast?



Gotta love movies in five seconds. :-)

How To Write a Fiction Book: What To Do While Writing

This might sound silly, but the only thing I like to do when writing, is write. Seems pretty obvious, huh? You might think so, but there are a lot of things that distract me (and us) from actually getting down to the nitty-gritty.

Doing background work, researching, brainstorming, etc., is good, but it IS NOT writing. Sometimes, as my friend and fellow writer, Jaime Theler, put it, we use these things as crutches or as a way to procrastinate the actual writing.

If you need something to motivate you to stay on task, the people over at NaNoWriMo have some excellent tools and ideas here.

The main take-home message from this post is to yes, do your research and chapter and character naming, but put all of that aside when you're actually supposed to be writing. :-) There's a time and a season for everything. Personally, I like to always have a pen and small notepad with me to quickly jot down ideas that come to me at random times during the day.

Speaking of procrastination... I need to get back to working on my independent study class. Sigh.

Back to "How to Write a Fiction Book" Index

Currently listening to The Best of John Williams 1969-1999. I LOVE my soundtracks! :-)