Author Andrea Pearson

Happy Valentine's Day, and Giveaway!

2012-02-14T10:32:00.013-07:00

I love deals and giveaways, and there are a bunch going on right now! :-)

As a way to say Happy Valentine's Day, my eBook novella (teen romance), Samara: A Kilenya Romance, is free on Kindle! Come check it out here. :-)

Also, I've partnered up with a few bloggers to give away a Kindle loaded with my eBooks. Come enter! You'll find the info here, along with an awesome review of both eBooks (The Key of Kilenya, and The Ember Gods). (Contest starts today - must be over 18 and living in the USA.)

The above contest is pretty intense - last one we did had around 130,000 entries. Here's another one, giving away just The Key of Kilenya, that is more low-key. Come join the fun!

What book are you reading? I just started Brandon Mull's The Beyonders series, and am really enjoying book one!

Here's the tracking information on downloads for Samara: A Kilenya Romance:

Tuesday, February 14, 2012:
7:45am: 45 downloads
10:45am: 100 downloads
12:45pm: 200 downloads (ranked #23 on Amazon for its genre!!! 1,900 overall)
1:45pm: 265 downloads (ranked #19 for its genre, 1,254 overall)
3:30pm: 320 downloads (ranked #8 for its genre, 670 overall)
4:30pm: 346 downloads (ranked #7 for its genre, 521 overall)
6:15pm: 412 downloads (ranked #6 for its genre, 493 overall)
9:30pm: 505 downloads (ranked #6 for its genre, 477 overall)

Wednesday, February 15, 2012:
7:45am: 586 downloads (ranked #5 for its genre, 387 overall)
10:30am: 617 downloads (ranked 5 for its genre, 423 overall)
2:20pm: 638 downloads (ranked #7 for its genre, 515 overall)
10:30pm: 683 downloads (ranked 12 for its genre, 738 overall)

And that's the end of the free giveaway days! Thanks for coming along with me on this journey, and thanks for helping me spread the news. :-)

Reviews for The Key of Kilenya!

2012-01-13T10:20:00.002-07:00

I'd originally posted all of this on my website for the Kilenya Series, but am cleaning things up and moving stuff here. :-)

I'm so very excited for the reviews to come in! I'll add them here as they are posted. :-) And thank you to Tristi Pinkston for putting the blog tour together. :-)

July 16, 2011
Author Interview by Deirdra Coppel. Read it here.

August 1, 2011
Review by Jenni James. Read it here.

August 3, 2011
Review by Nichole Giles. Read it here.

August 5, 2011
Review by Tamera Westhoff. Read it here.

August 8, 2011
Review by Gail Zuniga. Read it here.

August 10, 2011
Review by Cindy Hogan. Read it here.

August 12, 2011
Review by Canda Mortensen. Read it here.

August 13, 2011
Review by Lynn Parsons. Read it here.

August 16, 2011
Author interview by Marsha A. Moore. Read it here.

August 19, 2011
Review by Heather Justesen. Read it here.

August 25, 2011
Review by John Waverly. Read it here.

August 31, 2011
Review by Jewel Adams. Read it here.

September 1, 2011
Review by Ariella Stewart. Read it here.

September 3, 2011
Review by Alice Gold. Read it here.

September 7, 2011
Review by David West. Read it here.

September 9, 2011
Review by Karen Dupaix. Read it here.

September 11, 2011
Review by Dan Olsen. Read it here.

September 12, 2011
Review by Anna Maria Junus. Read it here.

September 12, 2011
Review by Jennifer Hurst. Read it here.

September 13, 2011
Review by Anna Knox. Read it here.

September 16, 2011
Interview of me by Jennifer Walker. Read it here.

September 17, 2011
Review by Heidi Durant (of Latter-day Women Magazine). Read it here.

September 17, 2011
Review by J Lloyd Morgan. Read it here.

September 18, 2011
Review by Alex Hoagland. Read it here.

September 18, 2011
Review by Jaclyn Weist. Read it here.

September 20, 2011
Review by Betsy Love. Read it here.

September 21, 2011
Review by Ariel Wilson. Read it here.

September 27, 2011
Review by Debbie Davis. Read it here.

September 27, 2011
Review by Kim VanderHorst. Read it here.

September 29, 2011
Review by Lisa Asanuma. Read it here.

September 30, 2011
Review by Kimberly Job. Read it here.

September 30, 2011
Review by Sheila Staley. Read it here.

October 3, 2011
Review by Karen Hoover. Read it here.

October 6, 2011
Review by Bonnie Harris. Read it here.

October 7, 2011
Review by Laura Bastien. Read it here.

October 8, 2011
Review by Mandi Tucker Slack. Read it here.

October 12, 2011
LDS Women's Book Review. Read it here.

October 13, 2011
Review by Elizabeth Mueller. Read it here.

October 13, 2011
Review by Michael Young. Read it here.

October 19, 2011
Review by L. Taggart. Read it here.

October 19, 2011
Radio Interview by Jennifer Hurst. Listen to it here.

October 20, 2011
Review by Autumn. Read it here.

October 27, 2011
Book Reviews and More. Read it here.

October 27, 2011
Review by Mary Ann Dennis. Read it here.

October 28, 2011
Review by Braden Bell. Read it here.

October 28, 2011
Review by Donna Weaver. Read it here.

October 29, 2011
Review by DeDe Smith. Read it here.

November 2, 2011
Review by Marcy Howes. Read it here.

November 4, 2011
Review by Chris. Read it here.

November 9, 2011
Review by Tamara Lyn. Read it here.

November 16, 2011
Author Interview by Diana Ault. Read it here.

November 16, 2011
Review by KBallard. Read it here.

Current Giveaways Listing My Books

2012-01-10T08:59:00.001-07:00

Howdy, Everyone!

Thank you so very much for your support! I really appreciate it. :-)

There are a bunch of giveaways going on right now for either The Key of Kilenya and/or Samara: A Kilenya Romance. I want you all to have the opportunity to enter to win!

Terry's Little Haven
I Feel So Unnecessary
KaT's CoRnEr NiChE
Terry's Treasures (Win The Key of Kilenya as a paperback book!)

Good luck!

Also, we upped the prices on my books and two of them haven't been updated yet. The Ember Gods, Kilenya Series Book Two, and Samara: A Kilenya Romance. They're both a dollar off for who knows how much longer. Take advantage of it while you can! (Click on their titles.)

And as a parting note, my new favorite from The Piano Guys.

This song FREAKIN' COOL!! And my mom would be crying right now. She's terrified of heights. :-)

Kindleboards Banner

2012-01-05T15:43:00.000-07:00

This Saturday, my book series is going to be featured on the Kindleboards as a full-size banner. We need to email in the finished product in a few hours (by tonight, which is Thursday), but wanted to get some opinions of it first.

Here it is:

A few questions:

Does it catch your eye? What is your overall impression? What is your first impression?
What do you think of the text? Anything you'd change?
What do you think of the overall composition? Does it look even, or well aligned?
Honestly, if you notice anything that should or could be improved upon, please let us know!

Thanks so much! Can't wait for it to go up!

Time Wasters

2011-12-16T16:51:00.005-07:00

I was getting in some really good edits today until a headache hit. Brought on by stress and frustration and a whole bunch of other To-Much-To-Do stuff. The physical exhaustion followed, and I decided I needed a break. But what to do?

Then I remembered my favorite Time Wasters. Yes! I was set!

Allow me to introduce them to you.

First, we've got Movies in Five Seconds. Some of my favorites are:
The Lion King
Sixth Sense
and Harry Potter

Go ahead. Watch them. Then watch the other Movies in Five Seconds. Some of them are pretty darn stupid. Others are hilarious.

Second, we've got Desktop Tower Defense. 'Nuff said.

Then there's Overhead @ BYU. Again, some of the comments are pretty dumb, but others are seriously hilarious. (Yay for my Alma Mater . . . and the occasional silly student who attends. :-))

Then there's YouTube. Everything's on YouTube, ain't it?
We've got:
You're a Woman, Harry! (Potter)
The greatest dating video of all time
Any of Jon Schmidt's and/or Steven Sharp Nelson's videos (done by ThePianoGuys. Their latest video, Where Are You Christmas, actually makes me cry.)
The organist mess-up while playing the Hallelujah Chorus.

I also love looking at all the pictures my brother, Glenn, has taken, though I don't want to call it a Time Waster. :-) His pictures of LDS temples are absolutely breathtaking.

Last but not least, there's Travelocity. Because it's fun to think about getting out of town, even if you can't afford it. :-)

What are some of your favorite Time Wasters? Post 'em in comments below, and I'll add them to the list!

Your Favorite Time Wasters:
Facebook
Other people's blogs
Playing Words with Friends

Can Guys and Girls Just Be Friends?

2011-12-12T07:10:00.000-07:00

Okay, I need you to do something before reading more (or even watching the movie). Answer the poll to the right of this post. "Can Guys and Girls Just Be Friends?" I know it's hard to see (it won't let me change the colors), but the first option is "Yes," and the second is "No."

Have you voted? No? Come on, you know you want to do it. :-)

Now have you voted? Yes? Okay. We go on. :-)

Watch this video (it's not long). Then come back and discuss. :-)

Do you believe it's possible for guys and girls to be friends? What was your answer? What experiences have you had where this is concerned?

My answer was "No." My dad made sure to teach me at a young age that it's impossible for guys and girls to be friends without one being interested in the other, and subsequently being hurt.

While I was on a mission for my church (LDS), I got in a discussion with other missionaries about this. All of the guys said, "No," and all of the girls, minus myself and my companion, said, "Yes." I'm not sure if it's possible for many girls truly to understand how it works until they experience it. Either they'll be dying for a guy friend to ask them out and he never does, or he's waiting for a sign from her that she's romantically interested in him.

And one of my favorite music videos from Steven Sharp Nelson (and when he and Jon Schmidt go extremely big, I'll be able to say I've met both of them a million and a half times. I doubt they remember me. Ha ha. :-)):

Nature's Deadliest . . . Eeek.

2011-12-09T01:58:00.004-07:00

My husband and I are sitting here, working on separate projects. I'm putting together some stuff for book marketing, and he's working on things for clients. To keep us company, we're watching documentaries on nature's deadliest creatures (Netflix, Discovery Channel). Needless to say, we've decided never to move to Australia, Africa, or Brazil.

It's really fascinating, and honestly, I'm finding myself inspired for future monsters to put in my stories.

There's this fish in Australian oceans that delivers a poison which targets the pain centers of the brain. No amount of medication or morphine or anything else will remove the agony. And it takes hours for it to wear off. Doesn't kill the person, just makes them wish they were dead.

Then there's the dingo - a really pretty wild dog in Australia that can kill an adult in ten minutes.

Next, the different kinds of snakes that kill really quickly. (Three minutes up to 48 incredibly agonizing hours. Lovely.) And of course monstrous crocodiles. And bull sharks, which swim upstream into rivers and kill within three minutes. Don't forget spiders and scorpions and Cape Buffaloes and rhinos and hippos. And killer bees. (Give them five minutes) And hyenas. (Only need three.)

We live in such a beautiful world. But dang, it's dangerous! :-)

Oh, and did you know the anaconda has six rows of razer sharp teeth? And I thought my Eetu fish, with its triple-lined teeth, was bad!

But seriously. If you write fantasy, or simply like to create different deadly creatures, why not get inspiration from these animals? The snakes, beautiful frogs, and spiders have enough differences to generate a lot of creatures.

Anyway . . . back to marketing. :-)

I'm putting together a list of somewhere around 400 middle grade and young adult fantasy books. I'd love to be able to read them all! Should I post them on my blog? I think I will. :-)

Kindle's Borrowing Program. Like? Dislike?

2011-12-08T08:40:00.000-07:00

How many of you have Kindles? How many have Nooks? Have you heard of Kindle's newest plan to help push their products?

You can find it here for authors and here for readers, but in short, it allows Prime Members who own a Kindle to borrow up to 12 books a year (no due dates) for free. This is great - in my opinion. I'm a Prime Member, and once I can afford a Kindle, I'd love to participate. (Kindle phone apps don't apply.)

However, in order for the author to have their book in the borrowing program (which comes with perks), they have to agree not to upload, sale, or distribute their books via any other method, including their websites and blogs, for as long as 90 days.

Kindle, Nook, and other eReader device owners, how do you feel about this?

Indie (and other) authors, are you willing to take the risk of losing potential readers just for the extra perks?

As for me, I'm not. I don't get as many sales through Nook, but I get a ton of traffic from Smashwords and the eReaders it distributes through. And I really feel sick when I think of alienating those and my Nook people. Plus, Smashwords allows me to be in complete charge of my prices, including allowing me to drop a book to free for as long as I want it that way. Kindle doesn't give you this freedom (though, with the new program they'll let you post your book for free for a few days. Whoopee.)

Another thing: Smashwords has helped me so much with formatting, style, and sales (things applicable to Kindle and Nook) that it would be pretty stupid of me to pull my eBooks from their catalogs. And why would I want to prevent potential readers from accessing my stories for 90 days?

Lastly, I just partnered with an independent bookstore to sell my eBooks through their online store. That was hard work and I'm not about to throw it away!

I don't think the perks equal the disadvantages. Amazon usually does smart things, but for an author, this really isn't one of them.

JK Rowling on Failure and Imagination

2011-12-07T10:22:00.001-07:00

JK Rowling's address to Harvard graduates is one of the most inspiring I've ever read. I hadn't known her depth of understanding or experience in true-life matters, aside from what we hear all the time: "She wrote Harry Potter on napkins in cafes," until I read this. She really "gets" it.

Her thoughts on failure are uplifting and inspiring, and she definitely understands her way around the English language.

Please take the time to read (or listen to) her address, located here. Her message is valuable! Plus, she's funny. :-)

Oh, and also, The Key of Kilenya is being featured on SavvySisterShops! Go here to see it. :-)

This is soooo hilarious!

2011-12-03T09:59:00.000-07:00

I couldn't help but share this. With everyone I've ever known my entire life. :-)

Guest Post from Danyelle Leafty's Husband

2011-12-02T11:01:00.003-07:00

Hi, everyone!

Danyelle Leafty, author of the Fairy Godmother Dilemma series, has gotten really sick, and we'd like to help her out. Here is a message from her husband about what happened:

Danyelle had been working very hard to get her series up before Christmas. Then "IT" hit. I guess she'd had internal gas all day, and by 10:45pm, she started experiencing unbearable pain that went until 12:15am when I got home. I got our four kids out of bed and loaded up, then helped Danyelle into the car and drove her to the ER.

As soon as we pulled into the hospital parking lot around 1:00am, our six-year-old autistic son flipped out. He hates doctors. He didn't want to be there, and I didn't want to leave my wife. I contacted someone from our church who volunteered to sit with our kids at home so I could stay with Danyelle.

Turned out to be a kidney stone. We got Danyelle home around 4:00am. Luckily, during the last two days a great lady has filled in for me at work, so I could wait on Danyelle hand and foot, and tomorrow my mom is coming.

Having Danyelle get sick right when she was working on releasing her books has been very stressful. We'd appreciate any assistance anyone has to offer to help us get the word out before Christmas.

Three of Danyelle's books are available as eBooks, and she has five total for this series. Here are the three on Kindle: The Fairy Godmother Dilemma: Catspell, The Fairy Godmother Dilemma: Firespell, and The Fairy Godmother Dilemma: Applespell.

Her website.
Her blog.
Her Facebook account.
Her Facebook Author Page.
Her Twitter Account.

Thank you!

Check out these other blogs featuring Danyelle and her books!

Andrea Pearson Books
Notes From the Writing Chair - Giveaway!
Anne Bradshaw's Place
Diana's Amazing Book Adventures - Giveaway!
Christine Fonseca, Author - Giveaway!
Roots in Myth - Giveaway!
Robin Weeks - Giveaway!
An Author Incognito & Janette Rallison's Blog - Giveaway!

Cyber Monday eBook Giveaways!

2011-11-27T21:21:00.003-07:00

Okay, so I LOVE getting free stuff, especially when I don't have to work hard to get it! I believe a lot of people are like me. :-) So, in honor of Cyber Monday, I'm doing somewhere around a GAZILLION eBook giveaways over on my fan pages on Facebook, and the only thing you have to do to win is to be one of the first to comment!

What you'll want to do:

Fan one or all of my pages here, here, and here.
Check back to them frequently tomorrow (bookmark this post if you don't want to keep tabs open)
Be the first (or second, depending) to comment
Win!

When I've announced the winners, I'll ask them to email me (ap AT andreapearsonbooks DOT com). I can't give out the link and/or the coupon for the eBook until the winners have emailed. Oh, and in case there are any ties, both people will win. :-)

If you've already got the eBook I'm offering, use it as a Christmas present! :-)

I'm so stinkin' super excited! :-) See, this is how excited I am:

I'm seriously deranged, I'm so excited. :-)

Unveiling! Cover for August Fortress, Kilenya Series Book Three!

2011-11-26T00:25:00.003-07:00

I'm soooo excited! James Curwen has been working super hard to get this cover put together, and I LOVE it!!

This book is about Jacob Clark (14) who has magical abilities. And it's about Earth and Eklaron. And Jacob's friends in that world. And fighting bad guys.

Yeah, we haven't worked on the description yet. :-)

August Fortess, Kilenya Series Book Three, will be coming out early 2012. (Sometime between January and March - whenever I finish writing it and my amazing editor, Tristi Pinkston, finishes the edits. :-)) I'm soooo stinkin' excited!

Oh, and also, The Key of Kilenya is still up for free on Smashwords here, for nearly every available eReader out there. (Just like with Amazon, you have to have an account to purchase or download, but it's free and they don't send pesky emails.)

The Ember Gods, Kilenya Series Book Two is available, and I'm looking for people who'd be willing to read and review it. :-) (Go here, for more info on that. I'll exchange a free eBook copy for an honest review. :-))

Thanks to everyone for your support! :-)

Yay! NaNoWriMo Success!!!

2011-11-21T16:58:00.001-07:00

Can I hear a big Hallelujah? :-) I won NaNoWriMo! My very first year. Yay! :-)

Anyway. I'm still pretty excited. :-)

Oh, and also, The Key of Kilenya, in eBook format, is up for free again! Go here to get it. :-)

I'm nearly ready for beta readers for August Fortress, Kilenya Series Book Three, so hurry up and get through books one and two and let me know if you'd like to help out!

Author Interview!

2011-11-16T07:10:00.000-07:00

I love author interviews! :-)

This one was put together by the amazing Diana Ault who is SOO super supportive. You can check it out here, on her blog.

A couple of other updates:
I got my hands on the most amazing website ever--readers, beware! You're going to be seeing a lot more reviews of my books! I'm super excited. :-) I'll give more information after I figure out how to use it. :-)

Oh, and also, we're putting together an eBook anthology of books 1 and 2 for people who don't want to purchase them separately. It'll have its own cover (which is going to be awesome!), will cost $1.99 (discounting both books), and will be ready in a month or so. Keep your eyes peeled! :-)

Next, I'm getting ready to write the climax of August Fortress, Kilenya Series Book Three! Eeek! It's going to be so intense! I'm freaking out about it. Not only did Jacob just about die, trying to get away from an Eetu fish, but now he's going to be facing _____, _____, and _______! (Don't want to give away any spoilers. :-))

Last but not least, the amazing Jon Schmidt, Steve Nelson, and ThePianoGuys have put together another incredible music video. Check it out:

Book Signing and Jacob's Getting Attacked!!!

2011-11-14T08:18:00.005-07:00

My next book signing is scheduled for this weekend in Orem, UT. Yay! :-) Here are the details:

Place: Pioneer Book
Date: November 19, 2011
Time: 1:00pm to 3:00pm
Address/Phone: 858 South State Street, Orem, UT (801) 356-2931

Hope to see you there! :-)

And right now, Jacob, my main character, is getting attacked by THIS (click on it for larger, better detail):

This illustration by James Curwen is my favorite by far (posted with permission).

Many of you will recognize it as an Eetu fish--the creatures Jacob and his friends encountered in The Key of Kilenya. My current writing project is August Fortress, Kilenya Series Book Three, and I'm half-way through writing Jacob's next encounter with one! Creeeeeeepy!

Back in The Key of Kilenya, when Jacob and his friends first "ran into" these fish, he and Akeno asked Aloren to tell them what they'd just seen. Here's a bit of that discussion (found on pages 110-111 of The Key of Kilenya):

“Eetu fish are really dangerous. Their fins can act like feet, giving them the ability to move quickly regardless of whether they’re on land or in water. They get to be huge—sometimes up to ten feet long. They have razor-sharp teeth that triple line their mouths, and are able to make a full-grown man disappear in a matter of seconds.”
Jacob raised his eyebrows. These fish sounded like Piranhas on steroids.
“This isn’t the only reason why they’re so dangerous, though. If a drop of the water from their territory hits you, they will hunt you down until they’ve eaten or destroyed you. They’re able to sense where that water went, regardless of whether it has evaporated or not. They know when someone has come in contact with it—even just one drop.
“Your only defense when you get wet is to hope you’re able to outrun them. They only last above water for an hour or so, but most people make the mistake of thinking they’ll die or retreat after that. This isn’t true. An Eetu fish can replenish itself with any water source big enough to cover its gills. Once it’s replenished, it continues the hunt. On average, it takes the Eetu fish around twenty-four hours to lose the scent of that bit of water.”
“Is it possible to kill one?” Akeno said.
“Yes, but it’s difficult. No average man or woman has been able to defeat them, mostly because Eetus are fast and intelligent. The only safe bet is to outrun it, if that’s even possible.”

So, there you go. I'd probably die from fear if I ever saw one of these in real life--knowing what it was capable of. :-)

Veterans Day

2011-11-11T08:25:00.000-07:00

I'm heading out of town soon, but wanted to say thank you to those who have served our country, and are currently serving. I love you, I appreciate you!

My brother's tribute to The Unknown Heroes:

Book Signing Giveaway!

2011-11-04T15:38:00.000-07:00

To celebrate my book signing tomorrow (November 5, 2011), I'm doing a giveaway!

Enter to win one of the following:

A free copy of The Key of Kilenya
A free copy of The Ember Gods, Kilenya Series Book Two

Everyone who enters will win a free eBook copy of Samara: A Kilenya Romance! :-)

To enter: simply come to one of the book signings tomorrow! (If you can't come, or you missed the book signing, send me an email: ap AT andreapearsonbooks DOT com, and you'll still win a free eBook copy of Samara. :-))

First Book Signing:

Time:10:00am to 2:00pm
City/State: Heber, UT
Bookstore: Handcarts in the Valley
Address/Phone #: 32 S Main St # C, Heber, UT (435) 657-0107

Second Book Signing:

Time: 6:00pm to 8:00pm
City/State: Roosevelt, UT
Bookstore: Inspirations
Address/Phone #: 1563 East Highway 40, Roosevelt, UT (435) 722-2160

Can't wait to see everyone there! :-)

The winners of either book will be randomly drawn from a basket, and will be notified after the book signing is over. (When you come, I'll have you put your name and email address down. No email addresses will be used without your permission, and they most definitely won't be sold. They'll be kept private.)

My First Book Signing!!! Yay! :-)

2011-11-01T14:03:00.003-07:00

My first ever book signing is going to be this Saturday, November 5, 2011!! I can't even begin to say how excited and thrilled I am. :-) Actually, I'll be having two book signings on Saturday. Yayness! :-)

Here's the info!

First Book Signing:

Time:10:00am to 2:00pm
City/State: Heber, UT
Bookstore: Handcarts in the Valley
Address/Phone #: 32 S Main St # C, Heber, UT (435) 657-0107

Second Book Signing:

Time: 6:00pm to 8:00pm
City/State: Roosevelt, UT
Bookstore: Inspirations
Address/Phone #: 1563 East Highway 40, Roosevelt, UT (435) 722-2160

I'll be signing both books in my series, The Key of Kilenya and The Ember Gods. Plus, two of my best friend authors will be signing with me!

Tristi Pinkston, author of the Secret Sisters Mysteries, and Jenni James, author of the Jane Austen Diaries (Pride and Popularity).

I've read books by both of these women, and can I tell you how awesome they are? I about DIE laughing when reading Tristi's Secret Sisters Mysteries, and I about DIE giggling when reading Jenni's Jane Austen re-writes! They're hilarious books, and you'll just love these two women!

Can't wait to see you there!

Samara: A Kilenya Romance Has Been Published!

2011-10-24T08:46:00.002-07:00

This is the official announcement. My novella, Samara: A Kilenya Romance, has been released! I'm sooooo excited!

When Samara Oldroyd meets the most amazing guy ever, she's frustrated their conversation is cut short. Her wishes that they'll run into each other again come true when she meets her sister's new boyfriend. It's him! Eeek!
Inspired by the film Dan in Real Life, this novella will tickle you pink as Samara tries—in vain—to undo her crush.

Price: $0.99
Go here for Kindle
Go here for Nook
Go here for Smashwords (nearly every other eReader)

(This book won't be available in paperback/hardback format.)

Here's what people are saying so far:

"This book was adorable! I lovedddd it! The ending had me 'awwing'. Is it possible to fall in love with a fictional character? 'Cuz I am in love with Matt. :-) It showed a whole other side to him that made me love him even more than I did, which I honestly didn't think was possible. Oh, my gosh, I'm so much in love with him!" - Sarah

"I didn't enjoy this book, I LOVED it!" - Jennifer

"There were a couple of rough spots, but over all, I absolutely loved this story. It was short (One-fourth the size of The Key of Kilenya), but I knew that ahead of time, and it didn't really bother me. I can't wait to read more Kilenya Romances!" - Jessie

"I just finished reading Samara and I LOVED it! Matt is insanely nice! He's my favorite. :)" - Tani

"I loved how the author knew her subjects...the nuances of each age, the subject of music and guitars. I felt like she knew the information and didn't just write a story without research or first hand knowledge. I have a feeling more people will be knowing who Andrea Pearson is in the future!" - Kim

Can't wait to hear what YOU think! :-)

Sneak Peak at the Cover for Samara!

2011-10-19T17:49:00.008-07:00

Yay for new books! I'm so excited for people to read this one. :-)

Samara: A Kilenya Romance is nearly ready for publication! Woohoo!! It's about this seriously talented chick named Tracy. Ha ha. Kidding. :-) Her name is Samara, and she meets this amazing guy, gets a huge crush on him, then finds out later he's her sister's new boyfriend. She swears to herself she's going to forget him and move on . . . but she's not very successful. Inspired by the film Dan in Real Life, embarrassing, awkward, and hilarious situations abound in this novella as she tries to figure out what to do!

Now for the part I've been waiting for (you too! :-))! The unveiling of the cover!

I'm so in love with it. :-)

Samara: A Kilenya Romance (novella) comes out October 24, 2011. Yay! :-) Here's what people are saying so far:

"This book was adorable! I lovedddd it! The ending had me 'awwing'. Is it possible to fall in love with a fictional character? 'Cuz I am in love with Matt. :-) It showed a whole other side to him that made me love him even more than I did, which I honestly didn't think was possible. Oh, my gosh, I'm so much in love with him!" - Sarah

"I didn't enjoy this book, I LOVED it!" - Jennifer

"I just finished reading Samara and I LOVED it! Matt is insanely nice! He's my favorite. :)" - Tani

"I loved how the author knew her subjects...the nuances of each age, the subject of music and guitars. I felt like she knew the information and didn't just write a story without research or first hand knowledge. I have a feeling more people will be knowing who Andrea Pearson is in the future!" - Kim

Book to Check Out: Shifting

2011-10-07T06:37:00.001-07:00

From a good friend, to help a fellow author, Bethany Wiggins. Due to health issues, Bethany has been unable to promote her book a whole lot. Personally, I think it sounds good. :-)

Book: Shifting

After bouncing from foster home to foster home, Magdalene Mae is transferred to what should be her last foster home in the tiny town of Silver City, New Mexico. Now that she's eighteen and has only a year left in high school, she's determined to stay out of trouble and just be normal. Agreeing to go to the prom with Bridger O'Connell is a good first step. Fitting in has never been her strong suit, but it's not for the reasons most people would expect-it all has to do with the deep secret that she is a shape shifter. But even in her new home danger lurks, waiting in the shadows to pounce. They are the Skinwalkers of Navajo legend, who have traded their souls to become the animal whose skin they wear-and Maggie is their next target.

Full of romance, mysticism, and intrigue, this dark take on Navajo legend will haunt readers to the final page.

About the Author:

Bethany Wiggins has always been an avid reader, but not an avid writer. She failed ninth grade English because she read novels instead of doing her homework. In high school, she sat alone at lunch and read massive hardback fantasy novels (Tad Williams and Robert Jordan anyone?). It wasn't until the end of her senior year that the other students realized she was reading fiction--not the Bible

Several years ago Bethany's sister dared her to start writing an hour a day until she completed a novel. Bethany wrote a seven-hundred page fantasy novel that she wisely let no one read--but it taught her how to write. The fifth novel she write, SHIFTING, is being published by Walker Books September 27, 2011.

Blog: www.suzettesaxton.blogspot.com

web page: www.bethanywiggins.com

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10224627-shifting

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Shifting-Bethany-Wiggins/dp/0802722806/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1316660383&sr=1-1

Author Etiquette and Rules

2011-10-06T11:38:00.004-07:00

The other day, one of my author friends was put down very harshly by another writer. It made me pretty upset, and I sat down and wrote out these rules. The list is in no way complete, and some of you may disagree with me on them. If so, that's fine. :-) Regardless of whether you agree or not, there's something to be gained by following them.

Oh, and this post isn't meant to beat around the bush. I've written the rules in a very straightforward manner because there's too much tiptoeing going on in this world.

As you read, please remember that everyone of us, at one point or another, has made many of these mistakes, if not all of them. We're not immune to doing dumb things. :-) Let's correct our errors now, shall we?

Writer Rules as follows:

1. Don't ever, ever belittle other writers.

It doesn't matter if they've only been writing for one month and we've been writing since we were six. It's wrong for us to elevate ourselves and put other people down, regardless of how many books we've put out.

2. We will always, always find writers who know more about the craft than we do.

Again, it doesn't matter if they've only been writing for one month and we've been writing since we were six. We have something to learn from everyone, and the life experiences of a sixteen-year-old girl are very different from ours. She may have something to teach us about writing.

3. Don't preach to, offer advice, tell writers what to do, or give feedback unless it's been asked for*. (Or we're presenting. :-))

Basically, unless someone asks for assistance, we shouldn't solicit our opinion. This is one of the habits writers break the most often. We see a problem, we want to fix it. However, if we're honest with ourselves, we'll recognize that many times we do so only because we want to look good.

* Joining online writer's communities such as Wattpad, Authonomy, Gather Writing Essential, is basically asking for suggestions. The point of these groups is to provide a conducive atmosphere for exchanging constructive criticism.

4. Maintain humility.

No one likes arrogant authors. Period. End of story.

Elevating ourselves by doing things to make people feel below us is wrong. If we don't know whether we're doing this or not, we need to think what our motivations are before we speak (or, in our case, type). :-)

I'll never forget the time, before I'd been published, when someone dear to me introduced me to a published author. He wouldn't look at me, didn't acknowledge me, and barely even spoke to his friend - the one doing the introductions. She later apologized. Said the author had just signed a big contract and had been acting differently toward other authors, even friends, since then. Arrogance! Disgusting! :-)

5. Don't down talk our own books, even if we know they have problems.

Who wants to read an author's work (even their good books) if they aren't confident in it? If someone is curious about a book we know doesn't represent our best work, simply tell them the good points and then introduce them to another work of ours.

6. Be professional.

Can't say this one enough. Our image, especially online, is hugely important! The internet is forever. And forever is a long time to look like an idiot. :-)

7. Regardless of how our books have been published, don't act like it's the only way to go.

Self-publishing, small-press-published authors, or legacy-published authors all equal the same thing = hard work. One way isn't perfect for everyone.

8. Don't view self-publishing as a "dirty method to reach readers."

It's not. More and more frequently, publishers are finding their biggest authors from those who've self-published and have already proven that they're good. (Also, if you want to know how the world is changing where eBooks are concerned, read Barry Eisler and Joe Konrath's book, Be the Monkey. It's up on Smashwords for free, and may just completely change how you view the publishing world.)

9. When we write reviews, be professional.

Don't rant about anything off-topic. Don't say things like, "I'm so confused about the book I just read. Would someone go read it and tell me why I was confused?" (Yes, I've seen that before. :-)) Our reviews must maintain dignity, for the author's and reader's benefit. If reading the book brought up a rant, use a different post.

Also, if we hated the book, don't flame the author. I've read so many awful reviews where the author was completely belittled and torn apart. This isn't good! If we hate the book that much, we shouldn't review it. And again, if we're completely honest with ourselves, we'll realize the review is acting only as a way to satisfy our vain ambitions, or elevate ourselves in other peoples' eyes. Attempting to make ourselves look better than the author will only make us look like a jerk to most readers. :-)

10. Help other authors!

There is no such thing as, "If they read your book, there's no way they'll read mine!" Authors build each other up. They help each other find readers. And readers will listen to what other people have to say about a book over what the author has to say. So if we're willing to help other authors, they'll usually be willing to return the favor.

11. Don't take offense when someone doesn't fall in love with our writing.

This reminds me of something a Relief Society president (LDS religious leader) once told the women in our young single adult group: "Don't be offended when a guy doesn't fall for you. There are others who will - just shrug it off and move on." She was right, and it applies to writing as well. Not everyone will like what you've written. Get over it. There are plenty who will. :-)

And that's it for now. Anything you'd like me to add? Leave a comment and I'll put it in.

My Brother, Joshua Pearson

2011-09-14T06:10:00.002-07:00

I wrote something like this for my mother a few months ago. You can read that here.

Typically, the youngest child in a family gets all the attention. They're spoiled, babied, and their parents are able to provide them with a lot more conveniences the older children didn't have.

Josh is on my lap, pointing at the camera :-)

Big smile! (And ugly overalls. :-))

The youngest member of my family, Joshua, has never really enjoyed that sort of thing. Growing up, his brothers and sisters frequently demanded the time and attention usually given to the youngest. Even now, his older siblings and their children are almost always in the lime-light.

I wanted to devote some time to my younger brother, and give everyone the opportunity to get to know him better.

My mother, before having her 5th child, was warned she'd probably die if she had any more kids. This didn't deter her—she knew there were still children who were supposed to come to her home. Michael was the sixth, then she waited over three years before having her seventh.

Her pregnancy with Josh was very difficult. She was on bed rest for a great deal of it, and was diagnosed with gestational diabetes. For those of you who don't know a lot about this condition, it makes babies gain too much weight and they are prone to die suddenly before birth. Also, their lungs don't develop as soon as they should.

In the garage of my parents' house while it was being built

Waving at the camera :-)

(A cute story: When the doctors did an amniocentesis test to see if Joshua's lungs were developed enough for birth, he grabbed the needle. They had to wait until he let go. They couldn't pull it out of his hand or shake him off for fear it would harm him. The doctor said, “You can't tell me babies are not aware of what goes on in the womb. He [Josh] knew the needle was there.” His lungs were not developed and they had to wait another two weeks before delivering him.)

Joshua was a big baby (9lbs, 15 oz, 22 ½”), and my mom's doctor decided the safest way for her to deliver him would be via C-Section. She was too small to have a traditional birth.

Unfortunately, when Josh was ready to be delivered, my mom's regular doctor was performing an emergency C-Section for someone else. She ended up delivering Josh the standard way. Because the doctor who took over wasn't paying attention, he allowed my mom's cervix to clamp around Josh, crushing his chest. She pushed for an hour and a half, and had to have four people help her by pushing against her stomach.

After birth, they noticed he was turning blue and not breathing correctly. They suctioned blood out of his lungs, and he was immediately whipped away and placed in the intensive care unit for newborns. His lungs were bleeding, his heart wasn't pumping correctly, and the doctors said the chances of him making it were close to zero. They sent a video of his heart to Primary Children's Hospital, and the specialist there said he needed the heart/lung machine for infants. Unfortunately, this machine was in Boise, and the only machine at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center that might work was an oscillating respirator for adults. They wanted to fly Josh up to Idaho, but the oscillator wasn't built for traveling, so he was stuck at Utah Valley with close to no chance for survival.

With his little niece

He loves playing the piano!

I remember how he looked there, in the NICU. There were so many tubes and wiring coming off of him, I could barely see him. He wasn't responsive, and was on adult-level doses for eleven different medications.

My parents were devastated. Our ward and entire family (both sides) fasted, and my dad and grandfather gave him a Priesthood blessing. We visited him as often as possible, praying for a miracle. The morning after the blessing, he started to improve. He stabilized three days later. Another video of his heart was sent to the doctor at Primary Children's, and she said it wasn't the same heart. He'd healed with absolutely no sign of his difficult birth.

He was Utah Valley Regional Hospital's miracle baby of the year. They had to gradually wean him off the medication, but eleven days after his birth, he was released from the NICU, and my parents were finally able to take him home.

His first year of life was spent quarantined with my mom. The doctors didn't know what caused the bleeding so told my parents to avoid anything dangerous until he was older. They didn't want there to be any chance of him getting sick, so my mom wasn't even able to leave the house. This year was interesting for me – I couldn't pretend to be sick, else I wouldn't be allowed to hold him. :-)

Self portrait :-)

With our older sister, Lisa

He was a beautiful baby—longer eyelashes than I've still ever seen, and tons and tons of dark, curly hair.

His birth wasn't the only miracle he's had.

When he was 18 months old, he backed his bike down the tiled, metal-edged stairs in our house in Payson. My brother, Erik, then 14 years old, had a feeling to leave his room and walk to the bottom of the steps and hold out his hand. As soon as he put his arm out, he caught Josh, not even knowing Josh had been falling.

When Josh went over the stairs, he flipped over, landed on his jaw on the steps, then flipped again and was falling head first to the tiled cement at the bottom of the steps. The outcome would have been much worse if Erik hadn't been there to catch him. As it was, Josh broke his jaw, lost two teeth, and his top teeth were deadened and turned blackish gray. Poor kid!

Two summers ago was another near-miss experience. He was doing backflips on the trampoline, lost his footing, and landed on his face on the springs/bars. A little farther up and he would've broken his neck or lost an eye. Instead, he got 16 stitches. :-)

Before the stitches (which went around his eye and on his forehead)

With me in my parents' kitchen

Now, on to Josh's personality.

He LOVES cooking, is known for it, and makes the best home-made pizza and bbq'd chicken in the world. He also makes a really good spaghetti sauce, the recipe for which is in the World Wide Ward Cookbook. He used to make it for ward auctions, and it was always one of the first things to sell.

He's dedicated to educating himself, preparing for a mission, becoming a pilot in the Air Force, and Scouting. He has the Arrow of Light award, and received his Eagle this September (2011). He does very well in school.

His niece still calls him "daddy" sometimes. He looks like her dad!

Senior picture (taken by our brother, Glenn)

Josh will be embarrassed when he reads this, but he is very tender-hearted. I'm not saying tender-hearted as in he cries a lot, but that he always knows when me or my mom are in pain, emotionally or otherwise. He's never been cruel to people or animals. He empathizes with other people's pain. Out of all my brothers he's the only one who has consistently opened the door for me (since he was five years old). He's always the first person to hug me.

There was a time when he wouldn't go to sleep at night until he came and gave me a hug and said goodnight. Once, when I got home late, my mom said he'd waited up for me, gave up, and had gone to bed. I found a sticky note on my door that said, “Goodnight, Andrea, I love you!”

He's quick to smile, slow to anger (rarely gets upset), and eager to help anyone. He's bashful and shy. He loves sports, photography, woodworking, dating, singing (bass), and especially playing the piano. His compositions are beautiful (go here for his YouTube channel), and he regularly plays Jon Schmidt. He loves animals, especially his chickens, and cat (Harley) and his bird, Kitty. He loves mountain biking.

Another senior year shot (photo by Glenn)

He's 18 in this picture, though he looks a bit older. :-) Photo by Glenn.

Out of all of my parents' children, he's always been the one most willing to help other people. Every time I've had surgery, he's been right there to make sure I had everything I needed. Last year, when I got strep, he cooked food for me and ran every errand I needed.

Joshua is a great brother and a excellent example to me of what it means to be charitable. I'm sure he'll always be this way – it's in his character.

Book Review: Hang 'Em High

2011-09-12T03:40:00.001-07:00

Author: Tristi Pinkston
Tristi's blog.

This is the third installment in the Secret Sisters mystery books. Here's what it says on the back of the book:

When Ida Mae Babbitt receives an invitation to visit her son Keith's dude ranch in Montana, she's excited to mend their broken relationship, but not so excited about spending time with cows. Arlette and Tansy go along with her, ready to take a vacation that does not involve dead bodies or mysteries of any sort - one must have a break from time to time. But it seems a no-good scoundrel has moseyed into Dodge City and is bent on causing all sorts of trouble for the ranch. Unable to keep her curiosity in check - especially when it seems her own son is the most likely culprit - Ida Mae decides to investigate. Can she lasso the varmint and get him to the sheriff in time?

Okay, Hang 'Em High was freaking awesome. I LOVED the ranch setting, the new characters, Arlette--an older woman--trying to break into someone's window (seriously one of the funniest things I've read in a while), the intrigue, the deaths and almost deaths, and the nervewrackingness of not knowing who dun it!

My one beef with it was that it felt like it took a bit to get into the swing of things--the humor wasn't really there until the group was settled in at the ranch (aside from Ida Mae and her jeans. That was awesome. :-)).

I was at my in-laws while reading it, and they probably think I'm crazy now. While they were finishing up work projects and talking about guy things, I was erupting into hysterical, uncontrollable laughing fits. I couldn't put the book down! :-)

Seriously, people. You need to read the Secret Sisters books - they'll lighten your day and put a smile on your face. I love them!

Yay! Edits Finished!

2011-09-10T08:39:00.000-07:00

I finally finished my edits for The Ember Gods! I'd been burned out on them for about a month. Burnouts are no fun. We should be ready for the book to be put out as an eBook in a couple of weeks, and then in print a few weeks after that. Yay!

Anyway - just wanted to post this little thought/announcement before running off to do my errands for the day. :-)

Keep Your Readers to Yourself!

2011-08-23T14:50:00.002-07:00

Ha ha. I'm still giggling over the title. :-)

The topic of this post is something I've stewed over for a very, very long time, and is somewhat of a pet-peeve of mine. Today, I finally hit my "endurance threshold."

We blog for a reason--we want to reach out to people. We want to be read, for the most part. We want to share our thoughts and desires and feelings. We hope there are people actually reading what we're publishing.

And we get and keep readers by doing a few things:

Posting frequently (I know, I know. I'm really bad at this. Shame on me. :-))
Talking about things others want to read about
Being intelligent (like, totally, youll like, lose a lot of readers if your like, not on the same level with them. You know? :-)) (*Andrea shudders.... Must.... fix.... grammar.... She resists.)
Quoting/mentioning others
Using fun and interesting articles as reference
Bringing the readers back

A lot of people have the above down pat. But one thing they forget all the time, is to make sure their readers come back after checking any external sites listed or quoted.

Here's an example.

I really like reading Amanda Hocking's blog. She's upfront, honest, and obviously doing something right. She started out small - one book up on Kindle/Nook, and five months later, five books published and thousands and thousands and thousands of eBooks purchased by readers.

One of my favorite posts on her blog, found here, talks about what she did to become successful. She calls it "The Epic Tale of How it All Happened." Another favorite post is here, titled "Pretty Much Everything I Have to Say About How to Do What I Do." There's a TON of excellent information in this post. I think I've read it a gazillion times.

For this example to work, go back and read the two posts I mention above. Then explore around her blog a bit--familiarize yourself with her. Go. Now. :-)

You should be back after having read the above information. How long did it take you? Ten minutes? Twenty? Thirty? Did you forget where you'd started; what had referred you there? Did you close your Amanda Hocking Blog window and find mine still open?

If you followed the instructions above perfectly--acting as a curious reader would--you didn't return for a while. If I hadn't altered the html, you might not have returned at all.

How can people return to your blog if they don't even remember they were there at one point, or that it was the starting spot? And why would they want to click "back" a gazillion times to return, if they do remember?

This is why I like to add a very small, simple bit of code into the html of my posts. I call it the Keep Your Readers to Yourself code. Here it is:

target="_blank"

Many of you are familiar with it already, but perhaps aren't sure how to use it, or forget what it is or how to use it correctly, etc.

Here's how you do it:

In your post (if using blogger), click on "Edit HTML"
Find your link. It'll look something like this:

< a href="http://www.kilenyaseries.com/">The Kilenya Series Website < /a>

Then, insert target="_blank" here:

< a href="http://www.kilenyaseries.com/" target="_blank">The Kilenya Series Website< /a>

What this does is open a new window when someone clicks on links in your post. This makes it much, much easier for readers to return once they've finished perusing the external links you've provided. You should be doing this every time you point someone away from your blog/website, since one of the best ways to retain readers is to help them find their way back.

Book Review: Fall

2011-08-15T10:21:00.001-07:00

Author: Jennifer Hurst
Jennifer's website.

From the back cover:
Women and construction shouldn’t mix. At least, that is what the client, Mr. Blackwell, thinks when Twenty-one year old Julia D. Halstead is promoted to project manager and tasked with remodeling a turn-of-the-century schoolhouse into a bed and breakfast in the tourist town of Torrey, Utah. However, the schoolhouse contains a dark secret that has been hidden for over a hundred years. A secret that will unleash the furies of Hell and cause the Angels in Heaven to weep as ethereal brothers, Matthew and Nathan battle over Julia’s very soul.

Jennifer has the ability to create awesome "tense" scenes. Her characters were well developed, and it was easy to see the differences between Matthew and Nathan. Jennifer did a great job at showing the "evil" sides and the "good" sides of these two.

The premise is excellent, and the setting wonderful (I've been to Torrey and it really is beautiful). I enjoyed the side characters Jennifer included, and JD is very unique, especially for a woman working in construction.

Writing Prompt: Cliches

2011-08-12T09:34:00.002-07:00

I'm the Friday Editor for gather.com's official writing group, Writing Essentials. I'm in charge of content for Friday, along with posting a writing prompt every week. The responses are a lot of fun to read - there are some great writers on that site - and I've enjoyed getting to know everyone.

Using writing prompts as a way to further our skills is an excellent idea - especially if those prompts were made up by someone else. (This prevents choosing the "easy way out." :-))

I'm going to post my prompts on this blog as well. If you'd like to join in, simply write a post on your blog in response to the prompt, following the rules I mention, then come back here and comment on this post with a link to your blog. Then readers can follow along, seeing which direction you took.

Today's Prompt:

I'm obsessed with all sorts of dos and don'ts, especially those involving the written word. During the past week or so, I've mulled over cliches. Most editors will tell their authors never, ever to use them, and the reason is that they weaken the writing. Readers glaze over those phrases, never internalizing them.

This isn't good.

Of course, how do we know we're using cliches? They tend to slip in when we're least expecting them, when we're not paying attention. I propose we force ourselves to recognize these phrases. :-)

My challenge:
Write a poem/short story/memoir/essay/advertisement/novel/whatever else you feel like writing (fiction and non-fiction). It can be humorous or serious.

Rules:

You must use three cliches.
You must start out your writing with "It was a dark and stormy night," which counts as one of the three clichés.

And that's it! Good luck!

You have until Thursday, August 18, 2011 at midnight. (Yes, I'm giving you a deadline. Isn't that awful of me? Muwahahah!!!)

Don't forget to put a link to your blog in a comment when you've completed the challenge!

Why Only Ninety-Nine Cents?

2011-08-01T08:33:00.001-07:00

Before getting into the details of today's post, here's some info:

The Key of Kilenya is on Blog Tour!
July Sales for The Key of Kilenya are available for viewing.

Go here for more information on both of the above (including reviews from the Blog Tour).

Now, then. On to today's topic.

I've had a gazillion people ask why I'm selling The Key of Kilenya for only $0.99. The reason is simple: people (usually) aren't willing to spend more than $1.00 for an eBook they've never heard of, from an author they don't know.

Let's face it: people (usually) aren't willing to spend more than $3.00, $4.00, or $5.00 for an eBook from an author they know.

Why? Because it's not the physical book. Readers don't really "own" it, it can't be signed, and they can't proudly display it on their bookshelves.

We buy eBooks because we love reading. We find joy in the story, not the method in which it is delivered to us. We buy printed books because we're traditional and we love the feel of the pages, and for other nostalgic reasons. (Or because we can't afford an eReader yet. :-)).

A word of advice: Stop thinking about the royalties you would be getting if you sold your book at a higher price, relax, and let things naturally roll forward! :-)

The whole point of putting a book out at $0.99 is so more people will buy it. If you sell your book at $10.00, you might have 10 people download it. And they might tell their friends, but only a couple of friends will actually buy it at that price. Now, if you sell it for $1.00, you'll have many more people purchase it, and they'll tell their friends, and many of their friends will be willing to download the book for $1.00.

Eventually, your royalties from $1.00 will far exceed your royalties from $10.00. And it's exponential: more and more people will read and tell people and more and more will buy it. You'll reach far more readers than you would if you were selling the book at a higher price.

And isn't reaching readers the whole point of writing?

I'm not saying you should sell all of your books at $0.99. No - only your first book (or a book that is a good example of your writing) should be sold at this price. For the Kilenya Series, books two through six will be $2.99 each. By the time readers get to book two, they'll know if they like the story or not and if it's worth it to spend the $2.99.

I didn't make up this formula. It's been successfully used by many eBook authors, including Amanda Hocking and JA Konrath. (Many thanks to Jenni James for opening my eyes to this route!)

EBook publishing has to be different from traditional. Its strengths are different, and readers aren't getting the same thing.

I've seen far too many successful authors try to sell their eBooks at ridiculous prices, and I (like many others) am waiting for them to figure things out before I buy. :-)

Now then. How can we (yes - me, too!) sell more books if we're not writing? Andrea, and everyone else, get off the internet and get to your stories! :-)

The Print Version of The Key of Kilenya

2011-07-28T10:27:00.000-07:00

I'm soooo excited to announce that the print version of The Key of Kilenya is now available! Hallelujah!!

If you'd like to order a signed, personalized copy, go here.

I haven't had much time to update my blog. I'm busy everywhere else! Trying to keep up with an older house that has had some problems, a wonderful husband, the writing/editing/promoting that goes with getting published, being a Friday Editor for Gather.com's official writing group, and everything else on top of that. Life sure is insane!

Also, I was interviewed recently by the amazing Deirdra Eden Coppel. You can check out the interview here.

Things are moving forward!

Book Review: Nia

2011-07-14T06:00:00.003-07:00

Book: Nia
Author: Mella Reese
Purchase Link.
Mella's blog.

Description from back of the book:
Suddenly this kneeling, filthy man caused all of my attention to pivot upon him when he grabbed my hand. I was just opening my mouth to warn him that he would surely be killed...no one was allowed to touch me, Princess Nia, without permission. My protesting words were replaced with a swift intake of breath as the soldier produced a strange-looking dagger and drug it lightly over my finger. I stared in wonderment as he gently squeezed my fingertip to produce just one red ball of blood, my blood. Then the man kneeling before me swiped the blood from my finger with his own and plunged it into his mouth. "Your blood is now my blood. Your world is now my world. Your life is now my life," were the words he chanted...

Nia is a coming-of-age story of a young princess who basically ends up chained to a prince from a neighboring kindgom. He can't ever leave her side. Garreth is his name, and he's very proud to be her life-long guardian, much to Nia's frustration.

Imagine that. Having someone always with you, regardless of what you do. I found it very entertaining. :-)

I really enjoyed this book, and am impressed with Mella's writing abilities. Nia satisfied my need for an easy-going story that never ceased to amaze or entertain me. It hooked me from the start, and I couldn't stop reading. Even my husband grew tired of my frequent comments: "Oh, my gosh! I can't believe that just happened!" "Wait, what's going on next?" "Oh, no!" "Ah! That's so awesome!" And the occasional giggle. Nia's dilemmas are frustrating, delightful, but very human. The characters are well-rounded. I loved how she viewed things and people. For example, Andras isn't a huge player in most of the story, and yet I felt close to him because of Nia's internal monologues about him.

I was slightly disappointed with the ending, but only because I hadn't known previously that Nia is the first book in a trilogy. As soon as I learned this, the disappointment left. I really enjoy books that leave the reader wanting more, while knowing there's more to come. I can't wait for the next book!

I highly recommend Nia to anyone, but especially teenage girls. It's clean, uplifting, and fun. I would have gobbled this story up in my early teens.

Am I Crazy? No - Definitely Not. :-)

2011-07-13T19:41:00.003-07:00

Well, maybe I am a little crazy. :-) I've decided to make my book sales public for the next four or so months.

I'll give a link to the numbers in just a moment, but I want to first tell why I've chosen to do this.

My reasons:
I've been asked by other writers how and why I chose to eBook publish, how things have worked for me, and how I had so much success in the first week of my book being released. Since eBook publishing is still a new world, many authors don't know what to expect, especially if they are about to release (or just have released) their first book. I too am a first-time, no-name author, and I don't mind if you use my sales as a reference point to your own success.

Amanda Hocking, a major eBook author, has made her first few months of sales public, and it has helped her spread the word, since it's exciting to fans to see they're really making a difference. Her progress was a bit slow at first, but then it started gaining. I'm expecting it to be like this for me, with sales being really low in the beginning, while people still haven't heard of my books. Having outsiders know Amanda's success didn't hurt her sales, it advanced them.

So that's that. :-)

To see my sales/downloads for the month of June, plus an update on the physical version of the book, go here. (It will lead you back to this post, so don't worry about losing your place. I've created a separate blog completely devoted to the Kilenya Series, and will be using this blog for all my other random things. :-))

Now, I'd like to talk about how I got so many downloads within 30 hours of my book being released. I hope by letting people know this, other authors will be able to implement it into their marketing/promoting, thereby spreading the word about their books.

First things first: I use the networking basics: my blog, Facebook, Twitter, etc. I've been very good about using Facebook, and mainly because I enjoy keeping in touch with family and friends. Some of my cousins, siblings, and friends live very far away (boo!), so I make sure to do frequent status updates to keep them in the loop, and I check out theirs, too.

If you don't use Facebook a lot, and aren't comfortable with the people you're friends with, this step of what I did probably won't help you promote your book. Which is why I encourage you to get out of your comfort zone and start using Facebook now. :-) Don't forget Twitter and your blog, though! (I'm a sporadic blogger, if you haven't noticed. Shame on me. :-))

I made sure to post a status update about my book nearly every week. There was a time when nothing was happening, and finding new things to say was really difficult. So I didn't. :-) Once things picked up again, that no longer was a problem.

He he. :-)

About a week before my book was published, I went through my Facebook friends and picked out those I felt comfortable approaching and asking a favor. Some of you will remember my "Totally Random" message I sent out. I was really nervous it would offend people, but I didn't have any negative replies. I think those who didn't want to do it, simply didn't respond to my message.

I chose around 400 people and sent each of them a personal message. (Took me seven hours. Tristi, my editor, says I'm crazy. :-)) I asked if they wouldn't mind posting a little bit about my book with a purchase link on their Facebook Wall the day of my book's publication. Somewhere around 200 people were very happy to help me out (thank you, thank you, thank you!).

I also sent an email to every person I'd ever met in my entire life. (Okay, okay slight exaggeration. :-)) I tried to personalize those emails, too, but that was difficult. I figured they'd delete it if they didn't want to read it.

One thing to note for emails and Facebook: People don't like getting mass messages--they tend to be formal and unpersonalized, making the person feel lumped into a group, patronized, unimportant, or like the sender won't notice if the receiver doesn't read it, which may or may not be the case. Plus, on Facebook, when one person responds, everyone gets that response. Which is annoying. So, a personalized message is the best way to go.

Anyway. That's the first thing I did.

A word of advice: don't be afraid to be excited about your writing - your enthusiasm will spread to friends and family! It was so very hard for me (at first) to tell people I was working on publishing a book. I soon realized, though, that without support, I wouldn't go anywhere. (To my friends and family reading this: thank you for that support.)

Happy reading (and writing!)

A Great Website for Financial Planning

2011-07-12T04:21:00.000-07:00

Howdy, Everyone!

I got this information from a friend, and I thought I'd pass it along in case you'd like to check it out. I took a look at the website and thought the planning map sounded like an excellent tool to help secure financial peace. Oh, and it doesn't cost anything. Read on if you're interested. :-)

The state of today’s economy is insecure, causing concern in many people and fear in many others. It used to be that we relied on our retirement income to see us through our golden years, but we now have to face the reality that we must take action to ensure our well-being in the future. How do we go about this? What steps do we take, where do we go, how do we know we’re doing it right?

Financial advisor John Hauserman, CFP®, has created a no-cost website as a tool for you to use on your financial journey. This site features the amazing Planning Map, designed to help you think like a financial planner. You can begin by setting up an account at no charge, complete with your zip code which will enable you to save your progress, but your information will never be sold or given away to any outside party. Or, if you prefer, simply skip registration with a single click. As you chart out your financial situation, you will never be asked for account numbers or personal information.

As you go through and create your personal profile, you’ll feel in control of your future—a sense of freedom and independence that perhaps has been missing since the economy went downhill. You will get the tools you need to help:

1. View the financial planning process from the eyes of a CFP® professional in a user-friendly format that most find easy to understand

2. Get the whole story on various investment products, not just “the good stuff” that financial (snake oil?) sales folks talk about

3. Find useful links to government and other helpful websites

4. Identify if a financial advisor has been thorough in their duties

5. Identify and avoid fraudulent advisors

6. Make better financial decisions

You’re invited to stop by the RetirementQuest® website and see for yourself if this is a tool you can use. Again, it’s no cost, and all you have to lose is your financial stress. Those who take action now will find themselves in a much better place later—why delay your future security? Plan ahead and be prepared.

Securities and advisory services are offered through Commonwealth Financial Network, member FINRA/SIPC. A Registered Investment Advisor.

How NOT to Write a Resume - Tip One

2011-07-04T09:46:00.000-07:00

Writing Resumes Tip Number One: Do NOT turn in a resume like this.

This is an actual resume turned in to me for a position fairly high in the company. I may not even follow up this tip with others, but I had to post this picture.

What's your first reaction? :-)

CONTEST WINNERS!!!

2011-07-01T08:12:00.000-07:00

Yay for contests! Ready to hear who the winners are? I'm ready to tell!

*Andrea steps to the mic, holding a blank envelope in her hand containing a sheet of paper, which she removes.*

And now presenting The Key of Kilenya Contest Winners!! (If they're on Wattpad, I'm giving that name instead of their real name. :-))

1. Congbaide
2. Scattered_Roses
3. Kamcorder
4. Ozzyfan97
5. Anahlynn
6. BookwormStewart
7. Amanda Smith

Congratulations, Winners!!

Give them a round of applause, and let's celebrate with them!

(Hippies crack me up. :-))

And now on to the prizes! The first place winner gets first choice, followed by the second, and so on and so forth.

Key earrings (made by me!)
Me to read, edit, and give opinion on first four pages (double spaced, Word document) of manuscript. (I'll let you know where your weaknesses and strengths are, which will help you with the rest of your book. I won't be able to read it more than once, or read more than the first four pages.)
A key necklace
Karen Hoover's eBook for free - The Sapphire Flute (amazing fantasy story about two girls. It's really, really good)
Jenni James' book Pride and Popularity - autographed and personalized (a great, great story! Girls, you'll love it if you haven't read it already. :-))
A hair flower (made by me!) (I'll tell you the colors/flowers I have available and let you choose what you want).
$10 iTunes gift card

I want to give everyone something they want, so if none of the above appeal to you, the following are also possible prizes:

A Drawing from James Curwen - your choice from the drawings he's done so far (a Molg and an Eetu Fish. Super cool, but super creepy too. More artwork to come later (he plans to do a Dust and Lirone, too))
Drawing from me (I've illustrated half of the artwork for the physical book). Your choice, from the drawings I've done so far (Early, A head shot of Aldo, and a bunch of other random illustrations.)

Some stats/trivia on the contest:
The most entries by one person was 255. That's amazing!
The smallest amount was 6.
The total number of entries was 1374. Awesome!
Nearly everyone who entered is a member of Wattpad (Go Wattpad!).
Early is the favorite character by most everyone.
Lirone came in close second.
A lot of people guessed pretty closely to how things are going to turn out, but no one person was completely correct. :-)
Only two questions were answered incorrectly - good job, everyone!
Most everyone was scared of the Fat Lady (which surprised me, actually. Course, when I pictured myself in Jacob's shoes, I would've been scared too. :-)).
The tunnel had a couple of people near to throwing up when they described how they would react to it.

Now I want to explain how the winners were selected. First off, as I was counting entries along the way, I kept track of the number of entries each person had. Then, today, I sat down and did the following:

So and so had 47 entries. Numbers 1-47 are assigned to him.
So and so had 16 entries. Numbers 48-63 are assigned to her.
So and so had 255 entries. Numbers 64-318 are assigned to her.

And so on and so forth. Having all the entries by each person chunked together like that isn't a problem with random number generators, since the numbers they pick are, well, random. :-) Here's the software I used:

http://www.random.org/integers/

One final congrats to the winners! Great job, guys! I'm very pleased with how things turned out. :-)

Oh, and one last thing: the characters who you chose to play Jacob and Aloren will be posted to my Facebook soon (along with those who SHOULDN'T play them), as will the covers you created for my book. When I've posted them, come along and tag yourself in them so everyone knows you suggested/created those things. (Make sure you're friends with me on Facebook here.)

Thanks to all of you for participating! :-)

I've sent emails to the winners. Please check your email if you haven't already. :-)

Last Day of the Contest!

2011-06-30T06:46:00.000-07:00

I can't believe we're on the last day of this contest! Crazy how fast time flies! Today I'm working on edits for book two (it's such a long process!), and working on getting the print version of the book ready, including illustrations, etc. It's been fun! And insane. :-)

Here's how things will go:
You have until 11:59pm (New York time) tonight (June 30, 2011) to get your entries in. Anything later than that can't (and won't) be counted.
The winners will be randomly drawn, posted on this blog, and notified via email tomorrow (July 1, 2011).
They'll then have eight hours to respond.
When they respond, I'll let them know which prizes are (still) available, and they'll choose one of those prizes.
There will be much rejoicing.
And that's it!

For information about this contest (including prizes, rules and the other day entries), go here. Remember it's never too late to go back and complete entries for previous days. If you find you don't have time to catch up on the reading, simply doing the "other" entries is perfectly acceptable.

The number in parenthesis after the items listed below is the number of entries you'll get for completing that task.

And here are those tasks!

Questions from reading The Key of Kilenya and watching YouTube videos (if answered incorrectly, the entries won't count):

What do you expect will happen in book two? (2)
What do you think will happen in the series? (There are six books) (2)
Watch this YouTube video. What is one of the ways I suggest that will help you stay focused on writing one story at a time?

Other (easier) Entry Options:

Fan the Wattpad User who asked the question for the above video. (1) Give them credit (let them know why you're fanning them). (2
Create a soundtrack for the book (if you've read it) and send it to me (the list of songs) (10)
Post on Facebook what you thought of the book (if you've read it) along with this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJ3PxgPwz7A (4)
Post the above video on Facebook (for those of you who haven't had the chance to read The Key of Kilenya yet), letting people know the book has just been published. (2)

Please don't comment on this blog with the answers. Send me an email (ap AT andreapearsonbooks DOT com - replace the AT with @ and the DOT with .) telling me the answers to the above questions and which of the other entries you completed (including number of friends/followers you have on Facebook/Twitter). Make sure the subject of the email says something along the lines of "contest."

Oh, and don't forget to use the same email address for each entry, and to give me a name (Wattpad user name works), so I know where to give credit. :-)

Update on The Key of Kilenya and Day Sixteen of Contest

2011-06-29T06:29:00.001-07:00

What a day yesterday turned out to be! Ended it with 650 downloads on my book - extremely awesome, since I'm a no-name author! This morning there are 690. I can't believe the whirl of emotions I've experienced. Seeing friends posting about my book on their pages, then their friends saying things like, "Just started reading it!" and "So far so good" was surreal. Today I'm turning off the internet and my phone so I can focus solely on getting book two ready. It's coming out in August. Yay! :-)

That's how I feel right now. I was soooo stressed nothing would happen when we announced The Key of Kilenya had been published! Anyway. Glad that didn't happen. :-) We found out the reason behind the technical glitches on Nook and Kindle. The book can't be free - it has to cost at least $0.99 on their sites. I'd heard that somewhere before . . . So, with this, and the popularity of The Key of Kilenya, it will only be up for free for another couple of days on Smashwords, after which it will be $0.99. (Still not expensive. :-)) It's just easier to make it the same all the way across the board. I had to upload The Key of Kilenya to Nook and Kindle separately. They'll be running in a day or two.

Yeah, we're not all dead, but I sure felt awful when I found out people were having problems. Hoping I didn't miss out on those readers forever!

I've been asked by many people how I expect to make any money having my book up for free. Here's my answer: I don't. But how would I expect to spread the word about my book if no one will invest in a no-name author? People won't usually pay more than a couple of bucks for a book (ebook, and even physical books) they've never heard of before. "Free," everyone loves. They download my book for free and it has just become an arc edition. They tell their friends about it, and their friends are willing to spend $0.99 for a book they've been told is good. I'll always have book one up for $0.99. Then, when I've got books two, three, four, five and six out, I'll put them up for $2.99. Again, that doesn't break the bank. But that's where I'll make money (in several years, you know. :-)).

Anyway, that's my update on The Key of Kilenya. Also, it's a great book and you should read it. :-)

But first, make sure you've entered my contest! Today and tomorrow are the last days. :-) (You can go back through previous days and do any of the entries there.)

On to the contest stuff. :-)

For information about this contest (including prizes, rules and the other day entries), go here. If you find you don't have time to catch up on the reading, simply doing the "other" entries is perfectly acceptable.

The number in parenthesis after the items listed below is the number of entries you'll get for completing that task. For example, if you answer both questions regarding chapter ten correctly, you'll get four points. (And so on and so forth.)

And here are those tasks!

Questions from Reading/Watching (if answered incorrectly, the entries won't count):

Which creature in The Key of Kilenya was your favorite? (2)
Which character was your favorite? (2)
Go to my YouTube channel. (Or don't, if you've already done so. :-)) Which of all the videos I've uploaded is your favorite? What would you like to see more of in the future? (3)

Other (easier) Entry Options:

Let people know (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) that The Key of Kilenya will only be free for another couple of days - they need to hurry up and get their copy. :-) (3)
Add The Key of Kilenya to your Wattpad Library (even if you've done so already, do it again. I'm evil that way. :-)) (2)
"Vote," "like," and "tweet" all of the chapters on Wattpad that you haven't already done (1 entry for every new vote, like and tweet.)

Make sure you tell me how many chapters you've done - I've been keeping track of entries, so I have record, but it makes my life easier if you tell me now.

Please don't comment on this blog with the answers. Send me an email (ap AT andreapearsonbooks DOT com - replace the AT with @ and the DOT with .) telling me the answers to the above questions and which of the other entries you completed (including number of friends/followers you have on Facebook/Twitter). Make sure the subject of the email says something along the lines of "contest."

Oh, and don't forget to use the same email address for each entry, and to give me a name (Wattpad user name works), so I know where to give credit. :-)

Release of The Key of Kilenya!!! (and Day Fifteen of Contest)

2011-06-28T06:45:00.000-07:00

The amazing, awesome, crazy, wonderful day is here! The Key of Kilenya has finally been published!!

Here's me describing the book:

If you'd like to purchase it, for the next couple of weeks it's on Smashwords for free (available for any ereader). Go here for more info. :-)

Dang, that's awesome news. :-)

And now on to Day Fifteen of the Kilenya Contest. :-)

For information about this contest (including the prizes, rules and the other day entries), go here. Remember it's never too late to go back and complete entries for previous days. If you find you don't have time to catch up on the reading, simply doing the "other" entries is perfectly acceptable.

The number in parenthesis after the items listed below is the number of entries you'll get for completing that task.

And here are those tasks!

Questions (if answered incorrectly, the entries won't count):

Question from Chapter Eighteen of The Key of Kilenya: What happened to Jacob when the Lorkon touched him, according to the Makalos? (2)
What was your favorite chapter/part of The Key of Kilenya? (2)
What did you think of the ending of the book? (2)

Other (easier) Entry Options:

Spread the word!! Tell everyone you know that The Key of Kilenya has been published, and give them this link: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/68856. (Title and link must be together. 2 entries for every site you use (Twitter/Facebook/blog, etc. 1 entry for every five people you email.)
Check out my guest post on Tristi's blog. How old is my youngest brother? (2)

After today, there are only two days left to enter! Get your entries in!

Please don't comment on this blog with the answers. Send me an email (ap AT andreapearsonbooks DOT com - replace the AT with @ and the DOT with .) telling me the answers to the above questions and which of the other entries you completed (including number of friends/followers you have on Facebook/Twitter). Make sure the subject of the email says something along the lines of "contest."

Oh, and don't forget to use the same email address for each entry, and to give me a name (Wattpad user name works), so I know where to give credit. :-)

Day Fourteen of the Contest. :-)

2011-06-27T06:24:00.000-07:00

Holy cow - my book is getting released tomorrow!!!Yay!!! I've been running all over the place like a chicken with its head cut off. Not such a pretty picture, is it? :-)

For information about this contest go here. Remember it's never too late to go back and complete entries for previous days. If you find you don't have time to catch up on the reading, simply doing the "other" entries is perfectly acceptable.

The number in parenthesis after the items listed below is the number of entries you'll get for completing that task

And here are those tasks!

Questions (if answered incorrectly, the entries won't count):

Question from Chapter Seventeen of The Key of Kilenya: What does Jacob have to do to get the Key to work? (2)
Question from Chapter Eighteen of The Key of Kilenya: Why would someone want to become a Lorkon? (2)
Watch this YouTube video. How many agents/publishers should you submit to when you're ready to submit? (2)

Other (easier) Entry Options (a few more than usual :-)):

Tweet/Facebook/post to your blog the following: Only one day left to go until my friend's book, The Key of Kilenya is released! (2 - Facebook, 2 - Twitter, 2 - blog. 6 entries possible. Entries aren't dependent on number of friends/followers)
Fan the Wattpad users who asked the questions in the video above (2). Tell them why you're fanning them. :-) (4)
Follow Karen Hoover on Twitter (2)
Friend James Curwen on Facebook (he just created his Facebook account :-)) (2)
"Vote" for chapters fifteen through seventeen on Wattpad (2)

If you've already done the above, let me know and I'll give you the entries. :-)

Please don't comment on this blog with the answers. Send me an email (ap AT andreapearsonbooks DOT com - replace the AT with @ and the DOT with .) telling me the answers to the above questions and which of the other entries you completed (including number of friends/followers you have on Facebook/Twitter). Make sure the subject of the email says something along the lines of "contest."

Oh, and don't forget to use the same email address for each entry, and to give me a name (Wattpad user name works), so I know where to give credit. :-)

Day Thirteen of the Contest. :-)

2011-06-26T07:41:00.000-07:00

Only Two days to go!! I can't believe how fast time flies these days.

For information about this contest go here.

As it's Sunday, I wanted to keep things easy. Just a couple of chapter questions and one other thing. :-)

Questions (if answered incorrectly, the entries won't count):

Question from Chapter Sixteen of The Key of Kilenya: What ability does Jacob's power give him? (2)
Question from Chapter Seventeen of The Key of Kilenya: What do Jacob and Akeno throw at the Dusts? (2)

Other (easier) Entry Options:

Tweet/Facebook/post to your blog the following: Only two days to go until my friend's book, The Key of Kilenya is released! (1 - Facebook, 1 - Twitter, 1 - blog. 3 entries possible. Entries aren't dependent on number of friends/followers)

Have a great Sunday!

Please don't comment on this blog with the answers. Send me an email (ap AT andreapearsonbooks DOT com - replace the AT with @ and the DOT with .) telling me the answers to the above questions and which of the other entries you completed (including number of friends/followers you have on Facebook/Twitter). Make sure the subject of the email says something along the lines of "contest."

Oh, and don't forget to use the same email address for each entry, and to give me a name (Wattpad user name works, so I know where to give credit. :-)

Day Twelve in el Contesto! :-)

2011-06-25T09:00:00.000-07:00

Only three days to go! Only three days to go! Me? Excited? No way. ;-)

So, I've started a new hobby - making earrings. I've made some really cute ones so far. :-) (The guys in my audience are probably rolling their eyes. :-))

Okay, back to the contest. :-) For more information on it, go here.

The number in parenthesis after the items listed below is the number of entries you'll get for completing that task.

And here are those tasks!

Questions (if answered incorrectly, the entries won't count):

What did you think of chapters thirteen through fifteen? Anything you would change if you were the author? What would you keep? (4)
Question from Chapter Fifteen of The Key of Kilenya: How would you have reacted to the tunnel? (2)
Question from Chapter Sixteen of The Key of Kilenya: Why is Jacob not happy to see the forest here? (2)

Other (easier) Entry Options:

Tweet/Facebook/post to your blog the following: Only three days to go until my friend's book, The Key of Kilenya is released! (1 - Facebook, 1 - Twitter, 1 - blog. 3 entries possible. Entries aren't dependent on number of friends/followers)
Who should NOT play Aloren? (2)
"Like" chapters six through ten on Wattpad (2)

Day Eleven in Contest!

2011-06-24T09:10:00.001-07:00

I finished all the formatting for the ebook version of The Key of Kilenya yesterday, and uploaded it to Smashwords. There's already buzz around it, and I've had a couple of people ask if they can showcase it on their blogs. Heck, yes! is the answer I gave them. :-) I'm so stinkin' excited for Tuesday!

Anyway. Back to the contest. :-) Welcome to Day Eleven!

Go here here for contest information.

The entries you'll get for completing each task is represented by the number in parenthesis.

And here are those tasks!

Questions (if answered incorrectly, the entries won't count):

Question from Chapter Fourteen of The Key of Kilenya: What did you think about the Fat Lady? (2)
Question from Chapter Fifteen of The Key of Kilenya: What are the people doing in this chapter? (2)
Watch this YouTube Video and tell me what I say about verbs like "walk," "move," and "run." (2)

Other (easier) Entry Options:

Follow Karen Hoover's blog (2)
Fan the wattpad user who gave me the idea for the above video (1). Tell them you saw their user name on my video (to give them credit) (2)
"Vote" for chapters twelve through fourteen on Wattpad (2)

Day Ten of Contest!!

2011-06-23T06:42:00.000-07:00

I spent almost the entire day yesterday formatting my book for Smashwords so that the eBook will look nice and pretty. I'm so excited for you all to see it when it's ready! It won't be anything special, but I'm really hoping the glyph I made will come through okay. :-)

Welcome to Day Ten of the Kilenya Contest!

For information about this contest (including prizes, rules and the other day entries), go here.

The number in parenthesis after the items listed below is the number of entries you'll get for completing that task.

Questions (if answered incorrectly, the entries won't count):

Question from Chapter Thirteen of The Key of Kilenya: What does Jacob fight in this chapter? (2)
Question from Chapter Fourteen of The Key of Kilenya: What does Akeno say to the seeds? (2)
Watch this YouTube video.Why is getting an agent a good idea? (2)

Other (easier) Entry Options:

Who should NOT play Jacob in an upcoming film? (2)
Fan the Wattpad user who had the question for the above YouTube video. (1) Tell them you saw their question on my YouTube video. (To give them credit for the video's material.) (2)
"Like" chapters one through five on Wattpad (2) ("Like" is a Facebook thing. The link is under the "vote" spot for each chapter.)

Day Nine in Contest

2011-06-22T07:27:00.000-07:00

Well, folks, things are really starting to take off! I've been working with some amazing people who are helping promote my book - not just on Wattpad, but also family and friends who have worked hard with their publicity. Thank you to all of you who have been helping!

For information about this contest (including the prizes, rules and the other day entries), go here.

The number in parenthesis after the items listed below is the number of entries you'll get for completing that task.

And here are those tasks!

Questions (if answered incorrectly, the entries won't count):

What did you think of chapters eight through twelve? Anything you thought needed to be fixed or worked over? What did you think worked the best? (4)
Question from Chapter Twelve of The Key of Kilenya: What color are the "grotesquely" rolling clouds? (2)
Question from Chapter Thirteen of The Key of Kilenya: Who is Lirone? (2)
Watch this YouTube Video. What is one of the ways I mention that'll help you gain more followers on Twitter? (2)

Other (easier) Entry Options:

Enter the contest on Tristi's blog (it ends on June 24th) (4)
Which celebrity would you pick to play Aloren? (Attach a picture) (2)
"Vote" for chapters eight through ten on Wattpad (2)

Day Eight of Contest!!

2011-06-21T07:19:00.001-07:00

Well, folks, we're down to one week. One week from today my book is being published. Yaaaayy!!! :-) Yeah, I'm just a little excited. :-)

For information about this contest (including prizes, rules and the other day entries), go here. Remember it's never too late to go back and complete entries for previous days. If you find you don't have time to catch up on the reading, simply doing the "other" entries is perfectly acceptable.

The number in parenthesis after the items listed below is the number of entries you'll get for completing that task

And here are those tasks!

Questions (if answered incorrectly, the entries won't count):

Question from Chapter Eleven of The Key of Kilenya: Who is Holg? (2)
Question from Chapter Twelve of The Key of Kilenya: What is the name of Dmitri's kingdom? (2)
Watch this YouTube video. What are two ways to get ideas for original stories? (2)

Other (easier) Entry Options:

Fan the Wattpad user who had the question for the above YouTube video. Tell them you saw their question on my YouTube video. (To give them credit for the video's material.) (3)
Follow Tristi Pinkston's blog. (2)
"Vote" for chapters six and seven on Wattpad (2)

Day Seven in Contest!

2011-06-20T06:42:00.000-07:00

Holy cow - my book is getting released a week from tomorrow!!! I can't believe it's finally happening! And yes, it has been a very, very long road, as some of you know. :-)

For information about this contest (including the big prizes, rules and the other day entries), go here. Remember it's never too late to go back and complete entries for previous days. If you find you don't have time to catch up on the reading, simply doing the "other" entries is perfectly acceptable.

The number in parenthesis after the items listed below is the number of entries you'll get for completing that task. For example, if you answer both questions regarding chapter ten correctly, you'll get four points. (And so on and so forth.)

And here are those tasks!

Questions (if answered incorrectly, the entries won't count):

Question from Chapter Ten of The Key of Kilenya: Why was Jacob embarrassed to have Early take him back to Taga? (2)
Question from Chapter Eleven of The Key of Kilenya: What is the Dust like? (2)
Watch this video and tell me one of the phrases I mention that you could easily eliminate from your writing.

Other (easier) Entry Options:

Tell me why you think running a contest to help spread the word about a book release is either beneficial, or not so beneficial (2)
If your book were getting published soon, what would you do to spread the word? (2)
"Vote" for chapters one through five on Wattpad (2)

Day Six in Contest

2011-06-18T20:09:00.000-07:00

Seeing as how today is Sunday, I wanted to make the entries simple.

For information about this contest (including the big prizes, rules and the other day entries), go here. Remember it's never too late to go back and complete entries for previous days. If you find you don't have time to catch up on the reading, simply doing the "other" entries is perfectly acceptable.

The number in parenthesis after the items listed below is the number of entries you'll get for completing that task. For example, if you answer the question regarding chapter ten correctly, you'll get two points. (And so on and so forth.)

Questions (if answered incorrectly, the entries won't count):

Question from Chapter Ten of The Key of Kilenya: What is the name of the black man Jacob and Akeno meet? (2)

Other (easier) Entry Options:

Join my email list on my website (2)
Create your own version of a cover for The Key of Kilenya and send it to me. Fun! (4)

While you send me your entries, also tell me which of the bigger prizes you're most interested in (if you haven't already). Go here to see them.

Please don't comment on this blog with the answers. Send me an email (ap AT andreapearsonbooks DOT com - replace the AT with @ and the DOT with .) telling me the answers to the above questions and which of the other entries you completed (including number of friends/followers you have on Facebook/Twitter). Make sure the subject of the email says something along the lines of "contest."

Oh, and don't forget to use the same email address for each entry, and to give me a name (Wattpad user name works), so I know where to give credit. :-)

Day Five in Contest

2011-06-18T07:35:00.000-07:00

This week has been a very long one, but has gone way too quickly as well. I haven't had much time to work on book two of the Kilenya Series - only a couple of hours - and hope next week will be better. It's coming out on August 30th! Yay! :-) For you published authors, how do you divide your time between promoting/marketing, and writing/editing?

Anyway, now on to what this post is really about. CONTESTS!!! :-) Welcome to Day Five!!!

For information about this contest (including the big prizes, rules and the other day entries), go here. Remember it's never too late to go back and complete entries for previous days. If you find you don't have time to catch up on the reading, simply doing the "other" entries is perfectly acceptable.

The number in parenthesis after the items listed below is the number of entries you'll get for completing that task. For example, if you answer both questions regarding chapter eight correctly, you'll get four points. (And so on and so forth.)

And here are those tasks!

Questions (if answered incorrectly, the entries won't count):

What did you think of chapters four through seven? Was there anything you'd improve upon, if you were the author? What did you like best?
Question from Chapter Eight of The Key of Kilenya: What is the name of the Fire Pulser? (2)
Question from Chapter Eight of The Key of Kilenya: What does Akeno say is at least thirty feet deep? (2)
Question from Chapter Nine of The Key of Kilenya: What does Jacob want to cook? (2)

Other (easier) Entry Options:

"Like" The Key of Kilenya Facebook Page (1)
Get friends to enter (tell me their names - I'll give you the points when they enter) (2 for each person)
Send me a picture of a celebrity you think should play Jacob in the movie when it comes out (2)

If you've already done the above, let me know (tell me the names) and I'll give you the entries. :-)

While you send me your entries, also tell me which of the bigger prizes you're most interested in. Go here to see them.

Please don't comment on this blog with the answers. Send me an email (ap AT andreapearsonbooks DOT com - replace the AT with @ and the DOT with .) telling me the answers to the above questions and which of the other entries you completed (including number of friends/followers you have on Facebook/Twitter). Make sure the subject of the email says something along the lines of "contest."

Oh, and don't forget to use the same email address for each entry, and to give me a name (Wattpad user name works), so I know where to give credit. :-)

Day Four in Contest

2011-06-17T05:55:00.002-07:00

Yay for contests! I've LOVED seeing the entries come in! Only eleven more days to go until The Key of Kilenya is released! I'm super excited!

These are the prizes available so far:
Small CHOCOLATE key
Jenni James' book Pride and Popularity - autographed, personalized.
Karen Hoover's eBook The Sapphire Flute
Autographed, personalized copy of my book
Me to read, edit, offer opinion on first 4 pages of Wattpad user's (or other writer's) manuscript (Word Document, double spaced)

We need at least five more people to enter to add the first of the bigger prizes - key earrings - so make sure you tell your kids, friends, family, neighbors, everyone. :-)

For information about the contest (including the big prizes, rules and the other day entries), go here.

The number in parenthesis after the items listed below is the number of entries you'll get for completing that task. For example, if you answer both questions regarding chapter six correctly, you'll get four points. (And so on and so forth.)

And here are those tasks!

Questions (if answered incorrectly, the entries won't count):

Question from Chapter Six of The Key of Kilenya: What carries Jacob through the forest to the manor? (2)
Question from Chapter Six of The Key of Kilenya: What does Jacob see after escaping the manor? (2)
Question from Chapter Seven of The Key of Kilenya: What is Aldo like when Jacob meets him? (2)

Other (easier) Entry Options:

Follow this (my) blog (1)
Tweet about this contest (make sure to post this link in your tweet, so people know where to go to find the contest: http://bit.ly/mH0Oa3) (1 entry. Plus 1 entry for every 25 people who follow you)
Add The Key of Kilenya to your library on Wattpad (1)
Post this YouTube video to your Facebook account (1 for posting, +1 for every 25 friends you have)

If you've already done the above, let me know and I'll give you the entries. :-)

While you send me your entries, also tell me which of the bigger prizes you're most interested in. Go here to see them.

Please don't comment on this blog with the answers. Send me an email (ap AT andreapearsonbooks DOT com - replace the AT with @ and the DOT with .) telling me the answers to the above questions and which of the other entries you completed (including number of friends/followers you have on Facebook/Twitter). Make sure the subject of the email says something along the lines of "contest."

Oh, and don't forget to use the same email address for each entry, and to give me a name (Wattpad user name works), so I know where to give credit. :-)

Day Three in Contest

2011-06-16T05:58:00.002-07:00

Welcome to Day Three in The Key of Kilenya Contest!

For information about the contest (including prizes, rules and the other day entries), go here.

The number in parenthesis after the items listed below is the number of entries you'll get for completing that task. For example, if you answer both questions regarding chapter four correctly, you'll get four points. (And so on and so forth.)

And here are those tasks!

Questions (if answered incorrectly, the entries won't count):

What did you think of chapters 1, 2 and 3? What were your favorite parts? Would you change anything? (4)
Question from Chapter Four of The Key of Kilenya: What name does Jacob choose for one of the Makalos? (2)
Question from Chapter Four of The Key of Kilenya: Which of the Makalos gets injured? (2)
Question from Chapter Five of The Key of Kilenya: Where does the name of this chapter come from? (2)

Other Entry Options:

Follow me on Twitter here (1)
Email this contest to friends/family (link: http://andreapearsonbooks.blogspot.com/2011/06/contest-for-key-of-kilenyas-book.html) (1 entry for initial email, +1 for every 25 people after that)
"Like" my author page on Facebook here (1)
"Fan" Karen Hoover on Wattpad here(1)

If you've already done the above, let me know and I'll give you the entries. :-)

Please don't comment on this blog with the answers. Send me an email (ap AT andreapearsonbooks DOT com) telling me the answers to the above questions and which of the other entries you completed. Make sure the subject of the email says something along the lines of "contest."

Oh, and don't forget to use the same email address for each entry, and to give me a name (Wattpad user name works), so I know where to give credit. :-)

Day Two of Contest, Plus Review of The Sapphire Flute

2011-06-15T06:00:00.001-07:00

Thirteen days to go until The Key of Kilenya is released! And welcome to Day Two of The Key of Kilenya Contest! :-)

For information about the contest (including prizes, rules and the other day entries), go here.

Before getting into the entry things, I wanted to take a moment to tell you about Karen Hoover's book, The Sapphire Flute, since it's one of the prize options. I just finished reading it and really enjoyed it.

Basically, it's about two teenage girls. The first is Ember (my favorite). She's always wanted to learn magic, but her mother refuses to allow it, even though all of Ember's brothers did. Magic starts to manifest itself inside of her, upsetting her mother, and forcing Ember to seek training. She discovers she's different from other magi--in a really, really awesome and cool way. I felt very close to Ember's character - she really pulled me into the story.

Next, there's Kayla, who is an amazing flautist. I really liked Karen's descriptions of Kayla and how she played. It was a lot of fun to see Kayla succeed, and really heartbreaking to see her fail (all main characters should succeed and fail at things - the story isn't believable if they don't). On one hand, I didn't feel as close to Kayla - I felt like her emotions were either too strong, or not strong enough. On the other, Karen did an excellent job at showing Kayla's true intentions. It wasn't difficult to put myself in Kayla's shoes during the stressful times.

The book is a YA fantasy. If you like this genre, The Sapphire Flute will appeal to you - it has both familiar magical themes, and unique things. Definitely enough of the unique to keep my interest, as I'm sure it will yours. :-) I'll be reading the book again, and can't wait for the next installment in the series. Also, Karen will be joining us on Wattpad soon. Yay! :-)

To listen to her describe her book, check out her website here. She's posted a video with more details about this book and the series.

Now, on to the entries!!

The number in parenthesis after the items listed below is the number of entries you'll get for completing that task. For example, if you answer both questions regarding chapter two correctly, you'll get four points. (And so on and so forth)

And here are those tasks! (Exciting, no? :-))

Questions (if answered incorrectly, the entries won't count):

Question from Chapter Two of The Key of Kilenya: What are the creatures Jacob runs into called? (2)
Question from Chapter Two of The Key of Kilenya: With what do they heal Jacob? (2)
Question from Chapter Three of The Key of Kilenya: Who is Aldo? (2)
Question from Video, Andrea Pearson's Interests: What are my two favorite TV shows? (2)

Other Entry Options:

Come be my friend on Facebook :-) (1)
Fan Jenni James on Wattpad! (1)
Vote for Chapter Two on Wattpad. (1)

If you've already done the above, let me know and I'll give you the entries. :-)

Please don't comment on this blog with the answers. Send me an email (ap AT andreapearsonbooks DOT com) telling me the answers to the above questions and which of the other entries you completed. Make sure the subject of the email says something along the lines of "contest."

Oh, and don't forget to use the same email address for each entry, and to give me a name (Wattpad user name works), so I know where to give credit. :-)

Day One: The Key of Kilenya Contest

2011-06-14T11:34:00.003-07:00

Welcome to Day One of The Key of Kilenya Contest!!

I'll keep this short and simple - for both of us. :-) For information, prizes, rules about the contest, go here.

The number in parenthesis after the items listed below is the number of entries you'll get for completing that task.

And here are those tasks!

Questions (if answered incorrectly, the entries won't count):

Question from Chapter One of The Key of Kilenya: How old is Jacob's brother, Matt? (2)
Question from Chapter One of The Key of Kilenya: What does Jacob find in the middle of the meadow? (2)
Question from Video, Intro to The Key of Kilenya: What is Jacob's last name? (2)
Question from Video, Intro to The Key of Kilenya: Who stole the Makalo's Key? (2)

Other Entry Options:

Fan me on Wattpad! (1)
If you don't have a Wattpad account, create one! You'll find a TON of awesome books to read! And, if you're a writer, you should already be there. :-) (2)
Vote for Chapter One of The Key of Kilenya (1)
"Like" Chapter One of The Key of Kilenya (1)

And that's all! If you'd already done the above things, let me know, and I'll give you those entries.

Don't forget to send me an email (ap AT andreapearsonbooks DOT com) telling me the answers to the above questions and which of the other entries you completed!

Oh, and don't forget to use the same email address for each entry, and to give me a name (Wattpad user name works) to attribute the entries to. :-)

Contest for The Key of Kilenya's Book Release!!

2011-06-14T11:15:00.019-07:00

Welcome to the contest for The Key of Kilenya!

If you are joining us late, never fear! You can peruse through the entry days below, and pick and choose which thing you'd like to do. I don't care if you choose the easiest tasks, especially if they'll help me spread the word about The Key of Kilenya. :-)

Note: June 30th is the last day to enter.

To see entries for days already passed:
June 14, 2011 (Day One) here.
June 15, 2011 (Day Two) here.
June 16, 2011 (Day Three) here.
June 17, 2011 (Day Four) here.
June 18, 2011 (Day Five) here.
June 19, 2011 (Day Six) here.
June 20, 2011 (Day Seven) here.
June 21, 2011 (Day Eight) here.
June 22, 2011 (Day Nine) here.
June 23, 2011 (Day Ten) here.
June 24, 2011 (Day Eleven) here.
June 25, 2011 (Day Twelve) here.
June 26, 2011 (Day Thirteen) here.
June 27, 2011 (Day Fourteen) here.
June 28, 2011 (Day Fifteen) here.
June 29, 2011 (Day Sixteen) here.
June 30, 2011 (Day Seventeen) here.

Before getting into the rules, I'm going to tell you about the prizes. Everyone loves free stuff, right?

Possible Prizes:
$25 Amazon gift card
Earrings (I'll be making them - they'll have key(s) on them. Pictures to come soon. :-))
My entire Kilenya Series on eBook for FREE
Me to read, edit, offer opinion on first 4 pages of Wattpad user's (or other writer's) manuscript (Word Document, double spaced)
Necklace with a key on it - made especially for the winner (there won't be other necklaces like it in the whole world)
Hair flowers
Autographed, personalized copy of my book
$10 iTunes gift card
Karen Hoover's eBook The Sapphire Flute (AMAZING!!! I just finished reading it and loved it!)
Jenni James' book Pride and Popularity - autographed, personalized. You all know this book is excellent :-)
Drawing from James E. Curwen (illustrator) YOUR CHOICE
Drawing from James E. Curwen HIS CHOICE
Giant CHOCOLATE key
Small CHOCOLATE key
And possibly other prizes (the chocolate keys are on backorder until September.)

Here's the thing - the number of entries will determine which of the above is in the "prize bag." The more entries, the more prizes. The bigger, better prizes won't be added until certain numbers of entries are obtained. Those prizes are:

My entire series on eBook for FREE
Drawing from James E. Curwen (illustrator) YOUR CHOICE (you pick which creature/person)
Drawing from James E. Curwen HIS CHOICE (he picks which creature/person)
Giant CHOCOLATE key
$25 Amazon gift card
$10 iTunes gift card
Necklace with a key on it - made especially for the winner (there won't be other necklaces like it in the whole world)
Hair flowers

Here's how you get entries:
Each day I'll post a blog containing a few things you can do to get your name in the bag (questions to answer, small tasks to perform, etc.). You can have your name entered multiple times - the more times it goes in, the better are your chances of winning, and the more entries in the bag, the more prizes there are to win.

Here are the rules and other information:
Let other people know about the contest! If we have a whole ton of people enter, the prizes (as you've seen) will be amazing!
Some of the prizes won't be available until mid-July. For example, Jenni James' book (Pride and Popularity) doesn't even come out until then, and the printed version of my book won't come out until the beginning (or so) of August. And James will need time to complete the artwork.

Anyone is eligible to enter (family excepting).
You must send me an email (ap AT andreapearsonbooks DOT com subject line: Contest Entry) for your entries to be counted. If you perform the day's tasks, but don't send the email, I won't know to add your name to the hat. Also, I won't accept Private Messages/messages on my Facebook wall/profile/tweets, anything but an email to the above account as an entry.
The first place winner will be allowed to choose first, followed by the second and so on.
The winners will be chosen by name drawing.
The winners will be given 8 (eight) hours to claim their prize. If they don't respond within eight hours, their place will be given to the next person in line.
Winners will be informed via email or Private Message on Wattpad
There will be as many winners as there are prizes - again, the more people to enter, the more prizes there will be.
The ultimate deadline for the contest is June 30th, 11:59PM New York (Eastern) time.
You can do entries for previous days, as long as all entries are in by the above time.
Make sure you tell me your name (Wattpad user names work) so I give the entries to the right person!
Use the same email address each time you submit entries.

That's all the information I have!

Good luck, and email me if you have any questions! :-)

Go here for today's entries! Complete as many of them as you can!

Character Development and My Thoughts on The Princess and the Frog (Disney)

2011-06-12T21:40:00.003-07:00

So, the other day I finally watched The Princess and the Frog. I have to say, I was a little disappointed. Read on to find out why, and perhaps you'll agree.

First, you've got this super-cool chick who has all of these huge dreams, and the will of iron to make them come true. She's a hard worker, motivated, beautiful, and nothing anyone does can stop her.

Then, you've got this good-for-nothing prince, whose parents disowned him because he's a loaf.

So what happens with the story?

The girl's character grows even stronger - she truly becomes what she wanted to become.

And the prince falls in love with her (and she with him).

The End.

No character growth on his part. He didn't really have to sacrifice anything for her. He didn't stretch himself, didn't really overcome his issues. And the fact is, he was the one who needed the character development, much, much more than she did.

I was disappointed, to say the least. I was proud at how well the story writers did with her character - the growth/development there was wonderful. But I was very disappointed with how his character was portrayed. I felt like the message sent to children isn't good - that a person doesn't really need to grow or perfect themselves to get everything they want. From her point of view, yes--but kids won't only pay attention to her amount of work, but also his. (I won't spoil the ending. Suffice to say I don't think the prince deserved anything he got. He didn't work hard for it.)

Unless, of course, you count the fact that he finally stopped chasing the BBD (bigger, better deal) and went for the girl with real character.

As writers, it's important we actually show how our characters grow and get out of their comfort zone. Readers will come away disappointed and unsatisfied if they feel we went cheap on this aspect.

Oh, and here are the Wattpad videos for today and tomorrow:
Sunday's video (Social Networking for Authors (for beginners))

Monday's video (Writer's Conferences and Networking for Authors)

If you'd like to see the chapters we're promoting for Sunday and Monday, go here. That's the link to chapter one, but you can scroll though it to the rest of the chapters. :-)

Seventeen Days to Go!!

2011-06-11T08:53:00.001-07:00

I can't believe how fast time flies! With only 17 days to go, I only have a few things to put in place for The Key of Kilenya's release as an eBook.

I want to say thanks to the people at Wattpad, especially Eva, Nina, and Pamela, for their assistance - for believing in my book and for being just as excited about it as I am. Thank you! It's been a pleasure to work with you!

In case you missed it, here's yesterday's video (it's me talking about my book), and here's Chapter One of The Key of Kilenya (on Wattpad).

Today's chapter is titled The Rog, and is visible here. (Again, on Wattpad.)

And now presenting the video for today! Yes, it's me talking again. You'll just have to get used to that. :-) But this time, I'm giving my readers some information about myself: my interests, hobbies, etc. Enjoy!

Hey - I want to see how many of you have read these books/watched these movies/do these hobbies! Make a comment - let's see how much we have in common. :-)

Wattpad Promotion Number One! (And My New Cover!!)

2011-06-10T08:37:00.002-07:00

My promotions with Wattpad begin today! I'm so excited!

I won't post about it every single day--that's too much for me to keep up with. But I'll definitely post regularly with all the previous days' links! (YouTube videos, chapters, etc.)

Click here for the chapter Wattpad will be featuring today.

Here's the YouTube video for today:

And here's my NEW cover!!!

Isn't it stinkin' awesome? James E. Curwen is the artist - he was so wonderful to work with!

Other things you might want to see:
Smashwords Author Profile
My website
My Facebook
My Twitter

A Call for Help

2011-06-07T12:51:00.004-07:00

From a fellow author and friend, Cheri Chesley:

My friend, Rebecca White, is 35 years old and has breast cancer. She got her diagnosis May 11th. She had a mastectomy May 13th. Three days later, she went back to the doctor to have the bandages removed. She confessed, almost in a whisper, that she just wasn't ready to see under the bandages.

Rebecca is an amazing, strong person. She's so skilled in all those craft-type things that leave me with glue on my fingers and glitter in my hair. She has a happy marriage and three great kids age 10 and under. Rebecca could be me. She could be your sister, your friend, your mother. She could be you. You can meet her and get to know her on her blog, http://allaboutthewhites.blogspot.com/.

In general terms, we know cancer can strike anyone at any time. It's not an old person's disease anymore. It strikes children, mothers; in short, anyone. Soon Rebecca will start her chemotherapy. We're all optimistic for a positive outcome, but cancer surgeries and treatments do not come cheaply. Since she won't let me shave my head, I've decided to show my support for Rebecca in other ways.

This is more than taking her meals and taking her kids to and from church; I've done that. Anyone can do that, and they do. We have a supportive ward out here. But I wanted to take it a step further.

I'm donating all my book sales income through August 31st to help Rebecca and her family pay their medical expenses. This is something they need, and in order to make it the most effective I need all the help I can get. And this is why I'm appealing to everyone I can. My book sales don't just mean the royalties from selling print copies of The Peasant Queen (which, incidentally, is on LDS Living's Summer Reading List), but also all income from my two e-books--The Wild Queen and my short story, Ghost Bride.

It's so easy. All you have to do is purchase depending on your interests and ability to help. The Wild Queen and Ghost Bride can be found at http://www.smashwords.com/, which not only offers the e-books for every e-reader including simply your home computer, but also offers the highest revenues.

Printed copies of The Peasant Queen can be found, or ordered, at your local bookstores. You can also find it online at Amazon

Barnes and Noble

And Borders

Amazon and Barnes and Noble also offer each book for the Kindle or Nook, respectively.

Thank you in advance for your help, and happy reading!

Cheri's blog post

I (Andrea) hope we can get the word out for Cheri and Rebecca!

Wattpad Is Helping Me Promote My Book!

2011-06-06T10:29:00.002-07:00

Yay!!!

My good friend Jenni (James) and I joined Wattpad. (She'd had her book stolen and posted there - crazy story, actually. It became one of their most popular books. The site found out the book was stolen and contacted her, and she's had a LOT of success with the readers there.) Anyway, I've had so much fun on Wattpad. The readers are awesome. They're energetic, full of life, and have given me amazing view points on my book.

Last week, Wattpad approached me and offered to help promote my book. I'm so excited I don't know what to do with myself! :-) We haven't fully worked out the details yet, but for starters, they're having me put together 18 YouTube videos (one for each chapter of my book), and will be airing those on their site. They're basically leaving the theme of the videos up to me.

So . . . Now I have to decide what to do with the videos. I can't have them all be about my book - that would be like ramming cilantro down someone's throat. Any suggestions?

Also, I need to put together a book trailer. My source isn't sure he can help me. Do any of you know where I can get things rolling for this? I'm not sure it'll be possible to get one together in the amount of time I have, but I'm going to try anyway. It won't hurt, even if it's not done before the 28th.

Thanks to all of you for your support!

My Book Is Finally Being Released!

2011-05-21T08:16:00.001-07:00

My book, The Key of Kilenya, is FINALLY being released! Hallelujah! No more waiting, folks. :-) It'll be available for ereaders of every kind (Kindle, smashwords, etc.) on June 28, 2011, and in print six weeks later. I'm so excited I can hardly contain myself. It's actually happening this time! We're still working on the cover - let me know what you think of it so far:

I really like how happy the chick looks.

What do you think? Is a baby chicken too far offbase for a stolen, magical key that is somehow linked to a 14-yr-old boy from Earth? Does it make you want to read it? :-)

Ha ha. Kidding. (What on earth is with me and chickens lately? Goodness! I posted a bunch of pictures on Facebook, too. See for yourself.)

Okay, so I'll post the actual cover when they've finished putting it together. And it'll be much better looking than this. The chicken will be fully grown. ;-)

I'm trying to find a few more people to read through the last version before sending it off. If you'd like to be a beta reader, let me know within the week (email: apATandreapearsonbooksDOTcom), and I'll shoot it off to you in an email. (I separated the book into four parts to make it easier to get through - five chapters at a time.)

Oh, and in other news, my brother and his wife had a baby this morning! Their second - a beautiful little girl with lots of dark hair. :-)

Good times all around. :-)

Book Review: Dearly Departed: A Secret Sisters Mystery

2011-04-21T12:27:00.005-07:00

Book: Dearly Departed: A Secret Sisters Mystery
Author: Tristi Pinkston
Tristi's website here

Dearly Departed is the second installment in a series based in the LDS religion. These stories are about hilarious, little, old Relief Society ladies who take up sleuthing. I've LOVED these books! I don't think it's absolutely necessary to read the first book in order to understand and enjoy the second, but I'm glad I did. You probably would be too (plus you'd end up missing out on a really awesome ending to the first! Frying pans make AMAZING weapons!)

Okay, I know I've got friends who have been wanting to read this book, and I'm going to tell you the reasons you should. :-)

First, the plot is fun.
Second, the characters are hilarious.
Third, many of the twists and turns are surprising*
Fourth, the author is intelligent and humorous - which carries into her words.
Sixth, it's a book you won't want to put down. You will enjoy every single moment of it.

*I say "many of the twists and turns are surprising" because I believe it's important there is some predictability, else readers won't relate. Things will be too far-fetched. When I started reading Dearly Departed, I expected to be able to predict most of it, but was very pleasantly surprised. It had some great twists!

This book is a cozy mystery. There's plenty of intrigue to keep you reading, yet it isn't quite like a Tom Clancy or Michael Crichton. This worked really well for me - my schedule is pretty hectic right now, what with having just gotten married and still working three jobs. Having a suspenseful, stressful book to read would have probably caused an anxiety attack. :-) I absolutely love the characters in these stories - Ida Mae and Eden, especially. It's easy to relate to them, and a lot of fun to discover things alongside them.

And, again, Tristi is highly entertaining! I laughed out loud so many times - I know my husband thinks I'm crazy. :-) The one-liners are excellent, and the characters spunky, warm, and familiar.

Go. Now. Pick up a copy of Dearly Departed, then come tell me what you think. You'll love it!

Updating Time!

2011-03-26T08:02:00.001-07:00

Okay, just a quick update. :-)

The most applicable update to this blog is the fact that I left my publisher a couple of days ago. I learned some rather disturbing things, and decided it was time to move on. I'm now in the process of finding another agent/publisher. I'm excited for the task – I feel good about my decision to leave my publisher, and I know things'll work out.

The most exciting update of all: I got married three weeks ago! Yay! I absolutely love being married (what else would you expect from a newlywed? :-)) and have the most amazing, supportive husband ever. Sigh. :-)

Anyway – those are the main updates. I'm still working three jobs (two part time, one full time) and life is crazy busy right now.

Onward, ever onward!

Book Review: The Maze Runner

2011-03-26T07:41:00.003-07:00

Okay, so I haven't had time to read a book (and finish it) in several months. Pretty depressing! And I don't know when I'll have time to do it again. :-) But, I just finished The Maze Runner and wanted to give a quick review on it.

The Maze Runner
Author: James Dashner (website)

I'll give both what I liked and what I disliked about The Maze Runner. There are spoiler alerts in this review - don't read it if you don't want to get them. :-)

I usually enjoy distopian styled books (Hunger Games is in my top three favorite series of all time), but overall, I didn't like The Maze Runner. I never truly "fell in love" with the plot. I know many people who really, really like this sort of fiction, and I'll recommend the book to them wholeheartedly.

First, what I liked:
The action was good - I wasn't ever really bored. I felt compelled to finish the story.
The characters were very well developed - especially Thomas, Chuck, Newt, and Minho. I truly liked Newt and Minho, which is very important for a story's success.
There were enough twists and turns and down times - the pacing between scenes was perfect.

Next, what I didn't like:
I felt like things were rushed, especially on Thomas' part. Examples:

He didn't think out his decision to get Stung well enough - the reader didn't get the opportunity to come to the same conclusion.
He didn't feel enough pain during the Changing - "Everything else turned into pain" is a classic example of telling vs showing.
The night Thomas spent out in the maze went too fast - the sun rose several hours earlier than it logically should have.

Next, There was too much description of feelings, especially during the more intense scenes. I scanned over several paragraphs worth of writing to get to the next thing. (Note: using thoughts and descriptions can up the stress of a scene, but too much is too much.)
I didn't like the premise - when the characters figured out that The Maze was just a test, and not real, I felt cheated. I felt like the whole story was based on a game of Suduko or something.
It was too graphic - seemingly unnecessarily so, and mainly due to Thomas over-thinking things. An author's job is to create images in the mind of the reader with a few well-placed words, not a barrage of them.

Like I said, I can easily recommend this book to other people - my younger brother LOVED it. I won't be reading the second book, however.

Now, back to what I was working on before I started reading The Maze Runner - that of unpacking. :-) Just posted a short update on my life, including publication information. Read it here.

Lori Nawyn - My Gift to You

2010-12-01T14:49:00.000-07:00

I met Lori at the LDStorymakers Conference this past April. My first impression of her was that she was the most kind-hearted, loving, and accepting person I'd ever met, and I was right. I highly recommend her book, My gift to You, and wanted to share it with my readers, along with a message from her.

Her blog
You can buy her book here

From the back of the book:
Trish Ingram works hard to maintain the perfect suburban household—or, at least, the appearance of one. By managing her outer world with lavish attention and rigid control, she’s able to ignore and conceal the darkness of her inner world, which is plagued by traumatic childhood memories of loss. Her terminally ill sister-in-law, Jamie, sees through the façade and reaches out in love to Trish, inspiring her to seek a more meaningful life and a more authentic self. But the childhood scars run deep, and despite Trish’s best efforts, she’s unable to be the wife and mother her family needs.

Devastated by the departure of her husband and daughter, Trish faces the challenge and opportunity of a lifetime. She desires to move forward in faith, but this desire alone cannot mend her family's shattered trust. The hollow realm of denial and fear has been her safe haven. To confront pain and transcend the shadows of her past will require a level of courage she’s not sure she possesses. This gripping story of familial love and conflict tenderly reminds us that forgiveness—of self, and others—is both a difficult choice and a precious gift.

Lori's words on why she wrote the book:
“My Gift to You” is about forgiving ourselves, despite what we perceive as our shortcomings. When we judge ourselves as less than acceptable for any reason, small mistakes can cripple us with discouragement. It becomes easy to lose sight of our potential, as well as precious opportunities for growth.

I was an only child with ample time to ponder the intricacies of human behavior. At a young age, I became fascinated by the fact that while several people in my life were happy, upbeat, and in possession of inner peace in most if not all circumstances, some seemed inherently unhappy no matter what happened—good or bad. Money and possessions didn’t seem to have a bearing, and I wondered what did.

Though I’d been baptized when I was eight, my family didn’t attend church. If I wanted to go, I had to attend on my own. It took me a while to grasp gospel concepts, and I found that most of the time I was among those who were unhappy. About twenty years ago I decided to stop asking Why me? And instead start asking What if?

One by one, I replaced negative emotions with those of a positive nature. Instead of wondering why I couldn't make everyone around me happy—and becoming despondent because nothing I did seemed to change them or their opinions—I started asking things like, "What if happiness really is a choice? What if it can be my choice, no matter what anyone else thinks or feels?"

Instead of commiserating over why my extended family couldn't accept me for who I was and what I believed in, I asked myself, "What if I could choose my own thoughts and emotions based on what I know in my heart is right and true?" In short, "What if I accept myself for who I am?"

And, "What if I forgive—knowing that forgiveness doesn't mean acceptance?" When I began writing “My Gift to You,” I decided I wanted my main character, Trish, to discover something important about herself: I wanted her to discover her own inner strengths and worth—much like I had when I began to unravel my own life.

Some of the things I hope the book will lead the reader to consider:
What does charity mean? Why is it important we extend it to ourselves?

What can happen when we base our worth on what the world values? On what should we base our worth?

Why are women so hard on themselves? What defines true success?

What can result when we judge ourselves to be less than others? Why is important we have a clear sense of self and purpose?

Are cruelty and shallowness signs of strength, or weakness? Why can cruelty be the result of fear?

Lori's Bio:
Lori Nawyn's award-winning writing has appeared in regional and national publications including Outside Bozeman, Segullah, Deseret News, CraziBeautiful Women, and Latter-Day Woman. She is also a columnist for her local paper and a former member of Utah Press Women. One of her short stories was published in the anthology Stolen Christmas. Her first novel, My Gift to You, was released in October 2010.

Lori is currently writing her next novel, Day, about a mother’s relationship with her son. She works as a freelance artist and is the illustrator of the award-winning children's picture book What Are You Thinking? which was released in July 2010 by ThoughtsAlive Publishing. She and her fireman husband live in northern Utah where they enjoy spending time with their four children and two granddaughters, plus an assortment of dogs, rabbits, and chickens.

Why My Mom Rocks

2010-09-20T10:50:00.001-07:00

Do you ever wake up with a heavy heart? Something akin to heartsickness? That's how I felt when I got out of bed today. It intensified when I found out many of my students had to evacuate their homes because of wild fires last night.

I don't know about you, but I have several things I do to get through this feeling. Here are a few of them:

1. Pop in my favorite Mormon Tabernacle Choir CD (Consider the Lillies. To me, this is their best, most calming and uplifting album.)
2. Stand back and re-evaluate my life - where I'm going and why, what my goals are and how close I am to obtaining them, and how I'm doing spiritually.
3. Serve others

I've done all on this list except item 3, and since I'm working three jobs and don't have much time, I decided to do something a little unusual. That is, I'm taking my lunch break to tell you all about my mother, and why, to me, she "walks on water." I wish I could be at home right now, helping her out in the garden or the kitchen, but this will have to suffice.

Betty Pearson, born on February 9, 1955, is the third of five children. She was raised in Bountiful, UT, in the same house where her parents still live.

When she was 14 years old, she learned to play the cello, and played in orchestras all through college and beyond.

Betty is the one with the cello. :-)

She met Karl Pearson through Mormon Youth Symphony, where Karl (my dad) played oboe. They were married on May 6, 1977, and are parents to five boys and two girls.

Betty has devoted her life to service and self-betterment, and has done so in the following ways:

Service to Family
Service to Church
Service to Community

Service to Family

Betty:

Learned to make a monthly budget of $450/month for gas, food, and non-food items for six adults/teenagers and three children when her husband lost his job several years ago--a budget she is able to maintain to this day
Has always had a huge garden - spends hours every day maintaining the garden, and preserving (canning/bottling, drying, freezing, etc.), harvesting, and storing the extra food
Taught her children basic business principles, and owned a home-run business for several years
Strongly encouraged wholesome music in the home, and started all of her children on instruments and singing (which they all continue today)
Has saved (and made) more money by being a stay-at-home mom than if she'd gone to work, even while Karl wasn't employed
Helped her children appreciate other cultures by:

Hosting exchange students from more than 10 different countries - over 25 exchange students who stayed anywhere from three weeks to ten months
Opening her home to members of the LDS faith from all around the world who needed a place to stay
Encouraging and fostering a strong love of learning in her children, whether through formal or informal education

Home educated all seven of her children

The family - minus Mike (on a mission in Japan)

Service to Church

Betty:

Started and maintains an online email list for thousands of missionary moms (currently over 6,000 members worldwide) which has:

Helped at least (if not more than) 15 people find, and be baptized as members of the LDS faith
Connected childhood friends
Connected missionaries and their converts from years and years earlier
Provided needed support for mothers and fathers of missionaries

Has been instrumental in helping thousands of missionaries each year receive Christmas and care packages
Has served faithfully in every calling given to her.
Taught her children to

Never say "no" to a calling
Serve faithfully in any/every capacity
Recognize when unhappiness comes from within, rather than placing the blame on others or on circumstances
Serve faithfully as missionaries (her sixth missionary is currently serving in Japan. Only one more child to go, and all seven of her kids will have served missions.)
Be independent

Spends hours doing family history research (one of her biggest passions) for family and friends
Spends hours a week instructing others on how to research their family history

Service to Community

Founded and was chairman for Utah Valley Citizens for Decency - a group responsible for removing pornography from many stores and gas stations along the Wasatch Front, including all of the 7-11 stores.
Was Conference Chairman for the Utah Home Education Association

Responsible for organizing (and handling media and advertising of) yearly conferences for UHEA - which are similar in size and scope to BYU's Education Week, having over 50 workshops, over 100 commercial exhibits, keynote speakers, etc.

Keeps herself updated on all things political

Self-Betterment
My mom never allows herself to be complacent with where she is in life. I've never, ever seen her waste time. She spends all of it improving her life and the lives of those around her.

Other things about my mom:

Co-authored and published a successful book with her husband.
Maintains her Suzuki training and teaches cello and music lessons weekly
Has learned so much about health and nutrition - and the diseases with which she deals - that doctors have had to refer her to other doctors... who in turn refer her to others. They all say they can't help her any more with her health than what she already knows.
Has paid off every car she has owned, including her current Subaru, through playing her cello at weddings, receptions, company parties, and through teaching cello lessons.
Does everything she can to keep herself healthy even though she struggles with the following health problems:

Diabetes
Celiac Disease (allergies to gluten (wheat) products)
Asthma
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Fibromyalgia - which comes anytime she accidentally ingests wheat

She isn't comfortable talking about herself (this will probably embarrass her a great deal), so my siblings probably don't know most of these things about her. This is my service to her, and my way to show appreciation to her for what she has done for me, and what she has taught me. I love her very much, and couldn't ask for a better friend or mother.

Must apologize!

2010-09-14T22:02:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted anything in a really long time and just wanted to say I'm sorry for that. :-) I have an actual excuse. Or four. :-)

First, I'm working three jobs, and am away from the computer from 6:45am until 7:00pm most days. It's been fun to be so busy, but really hard on my "internet" life. :-) You know, Twitter, Facebook, and my blogs. My full-time job is centered around the computer, but I don't even have time to think about getting on the internet for fun stuff.

Next, I'm dating someone. He's totally super, hot, awesome, fun, and cool. Oh, and hot. :-) Plus, he's a genius - seriously. Molecular biologist, amazing artist, great musician. Can't go wrong with someone who has brains, in my opinion. :-)

So, basically, I get home from work and head to his place, or we go out somewhere, then I come home and go straight to bed.

Anyway. Just thought I'd let you all know that I still exist, but that I won't be blogging a whole lot for the next while. At least until things calm down.

And, just for kicks and giggles, my newest favorite Youtube video:

Isn't that awesome? :-) Okay, so if you have a hard time perceiving differences in pitches, it won't be so funny. Sorry 'bout that. :-) I think it's simply wonderful, though. :-)

Book Review: The Hidden Sun

2010-08-27T09:00:00.000-07:00

Author: J. Lloyd Morgan
Author website
Purchase the book here

From Morgan's website:

Eliana and Rinan are in love. However, Eliana is destined to become Queen of Bariwon, obligated to marry the victor of a competition called the Shoginoc while Royal Guardian Rinan, her personal protector, is forbidden to marry until he retires. Normally they could renounce their titles to be together, but these are not normal times. Abrecan, the malevolent governor of Erd, is determined to win the Shoginoc, thereby placing his easily manipulated son Daimh on Bariwon’s throne. Aware of his lust for power and the questionable way he has ruled the district of Erd, Eliana and Rinan are convinced the only way to counter Abrecan's influence is for Eliana to become Daimh’s queen. When a plan is devised for Eliana to retain her power, yet still marry Rinan, both she and Rinan see a way they can live up to their individual obligations and still be together. Little do they realize that they are choosing to be part of a deception that will threaten the peace they are so desperately trying to protect.

The Hidden Sun is a gripping tale which counters the lust for power with a longing for love. Author J. Lloyd Morgan weaves deception, devotion, caring and courage into a narrative that will keep you guessing. Its intriguing story line questions the worth of the things valued most in life, while considering the rippling consequences of a single choice.

The very first thing I noticed while reading The Hidden Sun was that J. Lloyd Morgan knows how to draw in his readers. It didn't take long for me to become emotionally attached to the characters. I was really, really happy with how things turned out. His descriptions allowed me to really feel as if I were in the story itself. I found myself frustrated with Governer Abrecan to the point of wanting to strangle him myself. The "healthy" relationships throughout the book were fulfilling and satisfying, even with all the necessary road bumps. (And we all know that those bumps along the way keep readers reading. :-))

Another thing that impressed me was Morgan's talent at developing twists and subplots. For example, and without revealing too much, I would never have thought up the solution to Eliana's problem with marrying Daimh, nor the resulting consequences. Other intricacies in the plot delighted me - I won't mention them here because I don't want to spoil any surprises for readers. His imagination caught me off guard - he didn't re-write popular stories, he created his own.

The parallels found in the book were pretty cool. I've always been obsessed with light and darkness. And I was able to relate to the problems in The Hidden Sun because I see them in society around me. I like political books, but I like them best when they're mixed with other genres. Morgan found a great balance - one that worked really well for me.

I highly recommend this book--pick it up as soon as you can and read it!

Typos!

2010-08-25T10:17:00.001-07:00

I don't know about you, but I needed a break from grammar rules! I've got ideas for more, and will get back to them eventually, but wanted to focus on something else I love. Typos! My mom found a really good one, posted it on Facebook, and had a lot of people respond with their own funny typos.

I want to compile some of the best from your writing, my writing, or anything we've come across. Leave yours in a comment and I'll publish the compiled list in a few days.

Grammar Rules: Eminent vs Imminent

2010-08-23T08:29:00.001-07:00

Yet another "sounds similar" set of words. Eminent and Imminent. Two words with very different meanings.

Eminent:
"Well-known"

Examples:
This gum is eminent.
He's an eminent scientist.
Harry Potter is eminent.
My books will be eminent. (One can hope! :-))

Imminent:
"About to happen"

Examples:
Charles' arrival is imminent.
It's imminent after five months.
My leaving isn't imminent.
Your life is imminent.

Have a great day!

Grammar Rules: Its vs It's

2010-08-20T11:32:00.000-07:00

Ever see someone trying to possess an action? "Its going to work!" Or trying to action a possession? "It's mine!" These are common mistakes, and it's sometimes hard to spot when we make them.

Its (no apostrophe):
Possessive pronoun

Examples:
Time to read its ingredients
Its not hers.
That book--its his, right?
Without its kittens, the cat is lost.

It's (apostrophe):
Contraction for "it is."

Examples:
It's ugly!
Wow, it's going to actually work.
When it's working, it sings.
It's hard to find my house.

Authors/writers: Make sure you're on my list of authors!

Hotel California Remake

2010-08-19T08:28:00.000-07:00

I LOVE watching and listening to talented musicians! Hotel California, by the Eagles, is one of my all-time favorite songs, and I'm very impressed by these two guys. Read the captions at the bottom of the video - it's really cool how they put this together. Enjoy!

Grammar Rules: Regardless vs Irregardless

2010-08-18T11:27:00.000-07:00

Another mistake I haven't seen in a while, but which could be reviewed: using Irregardless in place of Regardless.

Correct: Regardless.

Incorrect: Irregardless.

Examples:
He wants to date her, regardless of the outcome.
Regardless of what her mother's actions would be, Suzette screamed at her brother.
She hated her, regardless of the good behavior.

Irregardless is improper and substandard. Again, don't let your writing be substandard! :-)

Authors/writers: Make sure you're on my list of authors!

Grammar Rules: Farther vs Further

2010-08-16T09:22:00.000-07:00

At last! One of my favorite rules! :-) Farther vs Further.

Farther refers to distance. (Physical)

Examples:
I ran farther than you!
He can throw much farther this year.
When will we move farther away?

Further refers to extent or degree. (Not physical)

Examples:
They discussed the topic much further than was appropriate.
The store's manager pushed the goals further than usual.
No further mention is necessary.

Authors/writers: Are you on my list of authors yet?

Grammar Rules: All Right vs Alright and A Lot vs Alot

2010-08-13T11:18:00.000-07:00

This one is simple. All Right is correct. Alright isn't. A Lot is correct. Alot isn't. Alright and alot are considered substandard. Don't allow your writing to be substandard! :-)

Examples:
All right, I'll come with you.
The setting was all right with him.

We used a lot of ketchup.
He worked a lot of overtime hours.

Authors/writers: Make sure you're on my list of authors!

Grammar Rules: Set vs Sit

2010-08-11T11:13:00.000-07:00

It's hard to come up with unique introductions to these grammar rules. Okay, so just don't break this one. It'll make you sound like a cowboy. :-)

Set vs Sit

Set:
"To place."

Examples:
Please set your papers on my desk.
She set the printer on the counter.
I have set my keys here before.

Sit:
"to be seated."

Examples:
Sit down!
She sat on the front row.
I had not sat there before.

("Set yourself down" reminds me of my hometown. :-))

Authors/writers: Make sure you're on my list of authors!

Grammar Rules: Reason Is Because vs Reason Is That

2010-08-09T11:05:00.000-07:00

Be careful to not make this mistake! It's not a huge deal, but most of the grammar things I've brought up aren't. Learning how to use these words will make editing with a professional editor so much easier in the long run.

Correct: reason is that

Incorrect: reason is because

Examples:
The reason she hates him is that he's annoying.
The reason for bad business today is that the weather was really ugly.
The reason she said yes is that he asked so nicely.
his reason for eating the pie is that she told him not to.

Authors/writers: Make sure you're on my list of authors!

Grammar Rules: Affect vs Effect

2010-08-06T10:55:00.001-07:00

These two words (affect/effect) sound nearly the same, and it can be frustrating to remember which to use. Make sure you understand the rules!

Affect:
Verb: "to influence," "to change."

Examples:
The man doesn't affect his partner.
Good thing the cat's fur doesn't affect me now!
He won't affect me.
Leave it to me to affect the kids.
Saying the word "affect" over and over affects my brain!

Effect:
Noun: "result," "impression."

Examples:
The man is emotionally scarred, but without any physical effects.
Agony has a bad effect on her.
Our sales should have no effect on the business.
The wrong man will bring huge effects.

Authors/writers: Make sure you're on my list of authors!

Grammar Rules: Accept vs Except

2010-08-04T10:49:00.000-07:00

I haven't noticed errors where Accept vs Except are concerned nearly as frequently lately. I'm still going to go over it here, though! :-)

Accept:
"to agree to."

Examples:
He accepted her proposition.
They accepted each other whole-heartedly.
The credit card accepted, she was free to travel!
Don't accept the donations she gives!

Except:
"with the exclusion of."

Examples:
They liked everything except dessert.
The man took nothing except the girl.
Excepting the hat, your clothes are wonderful.
Leave everything except the cat.

Authors/writers: Make sure you're on my list of authors!

Grammar Rules: Quotation marks and Commas/Periods

2010-08-02T10:35:00.002-07:00

Misplacement of commas and periods when using quotation marks is one of the most common grammatical errors made by novice writers. The rule is fairly simple:

Commas and periods always go INSIDE the quotation mark:

"I hate eating here," he said.
"That's just stupid," Sara said.
consider the following numbers: "twenty," "fifteen," and "seven."
I like the words "peach," "water," "blue," and "sunny."

Authors/writers: Make sure you're on my list of authors!

Grammar Rules: Any One vs Anyone

2010-07-30T10:25:00.000-07:00

Any one vs Anyone: Two words or one? I used to confuse this a lot! Here are the rules:

Spell as one word when the accent is on any:

Anyone can use this room.
Almost anyone has access to her tv.
Can just anyone stop by?
When will anyone care?

Spell as two words when followed by of:

Any one of them can come.
Who will attend any one of the conferences?
Any one of the dogs can fight.
My mom could be any one of them.

Authors/writers: Make sure you're on my list of authors!

Grammar Rules: cite/sight/site

2010-07-28T10:22:00.001-07:00

Cite vs sight vs site: another easy one! (For most. Slipping up happens to the best of us, though. :-))

Cite:
"to quote," "to mention."

Example:
Cite it correctly.
She remembered to cite several other examples.

Sight:
Verb: "to look at," noun: "something seen."

Example:
He sighted the cow in the neighbor's field.
The sight was something to behold!
It was an ugly sight.

Site:
Most often a noun meaning "location"

Example:
It sits on the site of an old battlefield.
The site of the WTC Towers.
Her internet site is hideous!

Authors/writers: Make sure you're on my list of authors!

Another great quote from The 365 Stupidest Things Ever Said calendar: A rockstar at Woodstock II said, "I always think it's cool to commemorate cool things that have happened, because there's a chance that you may, through commemorating them, evoke them again." - the Spin Doctors' Chris Barron.

Gotta love it. :-)

Grammar Rules: Complement vs Compliment

2010-07-26T10:05:00.001-07:00

The difference between today's grammar words (complement vs compliment) is nearly impossible to tell in speech, and easy to miss in writing. Isn't it weird how switching just one letter will change the meaning of a word?

Complement:
"complete" something.

Examples:
Your dress complements your features. (It completes you, basically.)
The new paint coat complements the house. (It completes the project.)
I asked for a new basketball to complement my new uniform.

Compliment:
"to praise"

Examples:
She complimented the man on his new haircut.
His pride held back the much deserved compliment on his brother's decision.
The animals complimented each other on obtaining the food.

Authors/writers: Make sure you're on my list of authors!

Something that makes me crack up every time I read it: "The Sydney Olympics transport plan relies heavily on the rail network. It is expected that 80% of every single spectator will arrive by train."
Broadcaster Hugh Remington, Channel 9, Australia.

He he he. :-)

Grammar Rules: Could of vs Could've

2010-07-23T10:00:00.000-07:00

Today's grammar rule is an easy one (for most writers. I don't see this rule broken very often in the writing world.).

Correct: Could've

Incorrect: Could of

Example:
We could've gone sailing today.
It could've been a very long vacation.
The job could've turned out better.
Yes, but it could've been worse.

Authors/writers: Make sure you're on my list of authors!

Grammar Rules: Different from or Different than?

2010-07-21T07:04:00.002-07:00

Trying to keep this shorter than the amount vs number post! It's so much easier to remember bite-size bits.

Ever wonder whether you should say "Different from" or "Different than"? Ever know there was a difference, or a correct way to say it? Wonder no longer!

Correct: Different from.

Incorrect: Different than.

Examples:
My brain is different from yours.
She's different from him.
They're different from animals.
This full-time job is different from any other I've had.
The baby is different from his twin.

Different than is considered substandard. Don't allow your writing to be substandard.

Authors/writers: Make sure you're on my list of authors! I can't believe July is almost gone! Where did my summer go?

Also, my interview of Rachel Ann Nunes (author) has been published on Mormon Artist here. Check it out! :-)

Grammar Rules: Amount vs Number, Fewer vs Less

2010-07-19T09:50:00.002-07:00

Bad grammar can and often will get a manuscript rejected - even before the agent or editor actually notice the story. I'm going to be posting a whole ton of grammar type information - things we went over in my advanced business writing class - in the hopes that the review will be good for me, and useful to you. :-) Any material which did not originate from my own brain came from my teacher. (Ask if you'd like to know his/her name.)

Amount vs Number:
Use amount when talking about things that can't be counted or about money. Use number when talking about things that can be counted.

Amount:
She received a higher amount of money.
The amount of water astounded her.
The amount of cells needed caused problems.
He earned a lower amount of interest.
The amount of dust in here disgusts me!
We had an unusual amount of perfect scores on this test.

Number:
The number of people that arrived depressed the host.
The number of jackets needed exceeded their expectations.
The number of girls at the dance didn't appeal to him.
The number of cds in the car needs to be boosted.

Fewer vs Less:
Use less to describe things that can't be counted or money. Use fewer to describe things that can be counted.

Less:
He has less interest.
There's less light in here.
She has less brain cells than others.
We have less happiness.
She has less money.
A little less pride would be helpful.

Fewer:
There are fewer people in this room.
They used fewer animals than anyone else.
This street has fewer houses.
I need fewer pens! (Is that even possible? I say no. Can't have too many pens. :-) It's impossible. :-))

Authors/writers: Make sure you're on my list of authors!
International visitors: Canada is still winning, but the United Kingdom is catching up! Australia and Japan come in next, nearly tying for third (Australia is one ahead Japan.) I love seeing the dots pop up on my map! :-)

Needing Feedback on My Ad

2010-07-15T12:10:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I wanted to tweet/post the actual ad, but realized the info it contains is a bit too much to be sending out all across the internet. :-)

This is soooo silly of me. I know it is. :-) But, I need some of my writer friends to give me critiques/feedback on an ad I've placed for private musical lessons.

Here's how the ad looks:

Violin, Viola, or Piano Lessons

Willing to travel to your home if transportation is a problem. Family discounts available.

Credentials:
Orchestra director of largest elementary orchestra program in *nearby* School District.

10+ years experience teaching piano, violin, and viola to beginner-intermediate level students.

Have played viola and piano for 18 years.

Received high marks both regionally and state-wide for solos, quartets, and small ensemble pieces.

Suzuki trained, but will use any method that works for you or your child.

Rates:
$15.00 – ½ hour lesson
$20.00 – 45 min lesson
$25.00 – hour lesson
(Add $5 to the above prices if I travel to you)

I look forward to helping you or your child explore the wonders of music! Call me if you have questions.

(End ad)

Now, here are my questions:

What is your first reaction?
Is there anything in it I should tweak? (Grammar, style, etc.)
Is there anything that is blatantly annoying?
What should I change that first sentence to say? I couldn't find anything that would get attention... So, any suggestions are appreciated. :-)

I'm given the opportunity to re-post the ad in 14 days and will change accordingly. :-)

Tanks! :-)

Public Criticism

2010-07-07T08:27:00.000-07:00

I write this post to point out the fact that public criticism never works, and almost always backfires on those who attempt it. I don't want to tell people not to do it – I know I have no control over that – but the occasional reminder serves a good purpose.

For those of you who don't already know, I'm a member of the LDS (Mormon) faith. As a heads up, a lot of my words today will reflect my Christian beliefs. Also, I'm not talking about any particular incident, merely an accumulation of events. I've waited a long while (several months) before mentioning anything, to be sure my intentions were in the right place. Please send any negative comments to me privately.

It is not very often that I have someone burn or flame another person on my Facebook account or my blog. The last time it happened was a long time ago, I'm happy to say. I'm never sure how to handle it, besides deleting comments and sending private messages explaining why I did so. I hurt inside for those who are the object of public criticism or ridicule, especially when they're members of my family or are close friends. It hurts even more when members of my extended or immediate family or my friends harshly comment on each others' blogs or Facebook accounts.

Dale Carnegie said if you have any criticism or correction to give at all, it must be done in private. We know that our first reaction when angered or incensed is never the right one, regardless of whether it is public or not. And “righteous anger,” as Christ experienced when throwing the money changers from the temple at Jerusalem, isn't applicable now – if ever. Christ was and is the only truly righteous person on the Earth, and therefore, His anger was justified.

Perhaps it is necessary to consider the intent behind any form of public punition. Is it to bring ourselves up in our own eyes? To justify our pride? To show how much more we know than others? Or is it to help the other person? If it truly is for their sake rather than our own, wouldn't it be best if given privately, in lieu of a comment that everyone can read? Regardless of our intentions, pointing fingers and trying to make others look bad or show where they're wrong is always offensive to the Spirit, regardless of how offensive the original comment was.

Please consider the following with me:

“If you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all.” Thumper's parents really knew what they were talking about. And anyway, suggestions are so much better received when given privately, from the stand-point of really wanting to help. As Christians and God fearing people, our first reaction should always be one of love, patience, and kindness. If it isn't, it is our duty to wait to respond until we can show these Christ-like attributes.
"A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still” (Either Benjamin Franklin or Sir Walter Raleigh said this). And we'll never, ever convince someone they're wrong by doing so publicly, in an arrogant, humiliating, accusatory, and prideful manner.
We can't help someone unless they want help, and we're in a position to give it.
“He started it” is never a good reason to retaliate. (Do we even need to consider this? I don't think so. :-))

People read comments, texts, posts, statuses, etc., in the tone of voice they choose, and it usually depends on their current mood. Kindness and politeness can come across as irritation, exasperation, and frustration, and we have no control over this. Which is a reason why, if we're trying to convey important information or any form of correction, one-on-one communication via technology should be avoided. Do it privately—face-to-face, if possible.
Our memories are strengthened by things which cause an emotional response in our system, in effect, making them permanent. This happens because of epinephrine, which “fixes” things in our memory, much like photography developing. We comment in a moment of anger, indignation, or frustration, and in that instance perhaps we really do want to make an impression, so they'll forever remember what we've said. But I promise, there will always come a time when we'll hope it won't pop into their heads the next time they see us. To show my point, I'll never forget the time when a bishop – a religious leader of mine – pulled me aside one Sunday and told me I'd never amount to anything because of the way my parents had chosen to raise me. The emotions caused by what he said permanently branded his words on my brain. (But, ha! He was wrong! :-))

The Internet, especially things posted on social networking or blog sites, is permanent. I read an article once (can't find the post now – if anyone knows to which article I'm referring, please let me know and I'll plug it in) which addressed this, mentioning that many of us cause permanent damage in our places of work, circle of friends, and family – extended and immediate – by making blithe, rude comments which we end up regretting later. And deleting remarks is merely a work-around, not a remedy. There are sites which take “snap shots,” called “change logs,” of everything posted on any site at any time, and anyone can go back through previous days, months, even years, to find something that had once existed. I used to do this for a previous employer.

I hope what I've said isn't taken wrong. I love and appreciate my family and friends, and don't mean to be offensive by posting this note. (We've already heard most of what I've said before, anyway.) We should be working toward building each other up, rather than tearing one another down. And again, I know this won't keep criticisms from being posted, but I hope we'll be more aware of the affect our comments have on others.

Thank you for reading!

Again, please send any negative comments to me directly. . . and privately. :-)

Update on My Book - The Key of Kilenya

2010-07-06T10:36:00.001-07:00

I've been so focused on trying to find a job that I haven't given any updates on my book for a while. :-) Good thing I didn't, cause the newest one changes a lot of things. :-)

We've pushed back the release of The Key of Kilenya for several months, aiming to have it come out late spring of 2011..

As I've told people this news over the last couple of days, I've had a lot of people ask how I'm handling everything. As it turns out, I'm very grateful for this change in plans. Many of you know I'd been fund-raising for my friend, Clark, who passed away a few weeks ago. That was a difficult time for me, and I withdrew into a shell as I coped with things. Before he passed away I spent most of my time getting the word out about his situation and trying to put together fund raisers in my area. I didn't do anything toward my book release. Thank goodness someone with a lot more power than me is in charge – He knew I could only handle so much at a time.

Anyway, I feel much better about my book coming out later rather than today (the original release date). My deadlines have changed where writing is concerned, so not so much stress there as I'd previously been under, and I now have a few more months to spread the word and focus on letting as many people know about The Key of Kilenya as possible. And, in the meantime, I've gotta find a job and chop off a bit of debt. :-)

I'll definitely let everyone know when my book will be released. Let me know if there are any questions, and thanks soo much for your support! Visit my website for my Facebook, Twitter and email list information. :-)

Oh, and if you're a writer/author, make sure you're on my list of authors!

No, seriously...

2010-07-02T08:48:00.000-07:00

I'm really wondering here. Does that part of the United States just not have the internet? :-)

(If you're wondering what I'm referring to, just click on the map on my side bar that shows where hits on my blog come from.)

I'm almost convinced it's a conspiracy against me. I mean, even Serbia and Azerbaijan have checked in. England and Japan are tied... and Australia is just below Canada's visits. I've always been really fascinated with geography and traveling, so this app is pretty cool.

I haven't been getting in a whole lot of writing... Mainly been focusing on a side project. (To see what, check out my statuses on Facebook.) Oh, and if you haven't been added to my list of authors/writers, make sure you get that done. (Check out this post for info.)

Not a very flattering picture of me, but heck, I hadn't been on a horse in years! Had to share. :-)

Authors and Their Blogs/Websites!

2010-06-30T22:28:00.002-07:00

I'm all about networking. It's the best way to do things, especially as authors. So, I'm creating a list of author blogs/websites on my site. If you'd like to be listed, I need the following information from you:

Your name (name you're published under, or want to be published under)
Published? Represented? (give me your representative's url. You don't have to be rep'd to be on the list)
Genre?
Blog url?
Website url?

Comment on this post with the above info, and I'll do the rest! (Will delete your comment as soon as I've updated my website.)
Here's how it'll look:

Pearson, Andrea. Rep. YA. Blog. Website

Easy, peasy! Oh, and if you don't have a blog or a website, just leave that info blank. I do need one or the other, however. And, if I were already published, instead of "Rep," it would say "Pub," or nothing if neither. Remember, you don't have to have already been published to be on the list. :-)

The point of all of this is so we can follow each other and keep up with favorite authors and author friends. Networking is such a huge tool - we need to be using it more often! I don't want to add people unless they give me permission to do so, by the way. Unless you're J.K. Rowling or something like that, where finding this info on you is already easy, and we know you won't mind. :-)

Can't wait to get this started! :-)

Edit: It looks like some people aren't able to comment for some reason. Send me an email (ap AT andreapearsonbooks DOT com) instead, with "Author List" in the subject line.

Why Do I Need a Critique Group?

2010-06-28T10:24:00.000-07:00

This is a question I had asked myself for a very, very long time. How would a critique group help me? Would it be a waste of time? Would I leave irritated with the other members? Would it be satisfying - a good mixture of humiliation and "building up"?

I'm a very skeptical and analytical person and almost always prefer to do things on my own. I use the internet, read books, follow cool people on twitter who send out writing tips, and peruse other people's blogs rather than drive to a specific place (gas is expensive!) to get help. I naturally shy away from things that wouldn't be mutually beneficial, and I never saw a regularly-meeting critique group as accomplishing anything really worthwhile.

Well, now I can happily say I was wrong. :-)

I vaguely remember the first time I attended a critique group meeting. Actually, I haven't had the chance to forget it yet, since it was only two weeks ago. :-) And let me tell you, it was WORTH the time. We read samples of our writing, commented and critiqued, and it was very beneficial. (Course, I'm speaking for myself. :-) David West and Graham Bradley might disagree. :-))

T.J. Bronley, our group's putter-togetherer, sent us this article, wherein Chip MacGregor explains how to get the most out of a critique group. If only I'd read it during the year 2008, when I first started writing seriously...

I could go on and on about getting into a group, but would rather you read the article. :-) For those of you who aren't able to make the drive to specific locations, seriously consider using authonomy instead. It really is a great site.

Here are my questions for anyone who happens upon this post:
How long did your longest critique group last?
Have you found them to be beneficial?
How do you choose groups?
Which of the two types Chip MacGregor mentions is yours? (from the article above - under point 1.)
Why do you recommend a critique group?

Perfecting Your Work - Authonomy

2010-06-25T12:47:00.003-07:00

Almost a year ago I started searching for people outside of my family to read, edit, comment on, and critique my book, The Key of Kilenya. I was lucky enough to get in touch with Jeff Blackmer, a member of one of my mom's email lists, who pointed me toward one of the best sites I've ever come across as an writer. I'm very passionate about this site (run by HarperCollins) because of all the things with which it helped me. The name of it is...

*Drum Roll* :-)

Authonomy.com

HarperCollins set it up to help them find more books to publish. Authors critique each other's work - you post at least 10,000 words of your WIP (it's a safe, secure site), and other people read and comment. If they like your work, they "back" it. The more backings a book receives, the higher it rises in the charts. If it's in the top five at the end of the month, HarperCollins will review it (reading the whole thing), and consider it for publication.

My book was pretty ugly before I came across the site. The first chapter was long, boring, and irrelevant. :-) I learned a lot by reading other people's stories, and made a lot of really good friends. One of those friends introduced me to her publisher who is now my publisher.

There are downsides to the site. All comments, messages, etc., are public. This actually prevents people from being really, really rude, but you have to have thick skin. (Which you need to have anyway. :-)) Also, you need to read other people's work in order to get them to read yours. Luckily, you don't have to read their whole book. :-) Most people only go over a couple of chapters. I found that by getting to at least four books a day, I had a steady stream of comments and backings on The Key of Kilenya. My book rose fairly quickly: in 24 hours, it rose from number 11,000, to 775. In three months it had hit #73 (out of 14,000 books). Then I signed with my publisher and pulled the book.

At first it was hard to read what other people thought of my book. The comments were abrupt, pointed, and sometimes downright rude. But, as I edited and perfected things - that first chapter, especially - the comments became lifesavers when I was about to give up on writing. They encouraged me to continue onward, letting me know I really did have something worth pursuing. Yay for Authonomy!

Questions? Comments? Complaints? :-)

And now, because I have nowhere else to post it, my brother playing Jon Schmidt's All of Me (he hadn't played it in a long time, so there are mistakes. :-)):

Have a lovely day!

Writing with Passion

2010-06-24T11:55:00.000-07:00

How many of you have kids or siblings who are teenagers? My youngest brother just turned seventeen. The other day something came up, and he found himself having to defend a certain position. He fiercely stood his ground, his voice passionate, unwilling to budge. He doesn't get like this very often, but when he does, EVERYONE knows it.

What is it about being a teenager? They feel everything so deeply--they're passionate about life, and it shows in everything: the music they write and listen to, the books they read, how they defend and stick up for things - even when they're completely off the mark. They're more likely than adults to be extreme in hairstyles, clothes, music, even food. They like to experience life to the fullest, trying everything.

How is it that we as adults lose this passion? Or, is it more that we've come to understand how life works? We've learned to choose our battles?

A few months ago, for the Mormon Artist magazine, I interviewed Michael Flynn, a Mormon actor, director, and producer. (Produced The Best Two Years. Mormons may recognize him as Pontius Pilate in The Lamb of God, or the sheriff in Footloose.) He commented on this topic. "Passion is what drives the industry — you need to really understand what your character wants, why they do what they do. You bring the passion to it, you bring the emotion to it. That’s really what it’s all about. The passion.

After the interview, Michael made a comment that viewers can always tell when the actor doesn't feel passionate about what they're doing. And, he said, viewers will always choose a passionate movie over something that is only so-so where emotions are concerned.

This applies perfectly to writing. A couple of point-blank questions we need to ask ourselves: why are we writing if we don't feel strongly about it? How can we expect someone to read our books if our characters don't have an intense pull to something?

I think this especially applies to young adult literature. If we're writing for teenagers, we need to give them what they crave: passion. Hunger Games is an emotionally intense book, and no one will argue that Twilight doesn't appeal to its target audience. I'm sure you can name off other "zealous" books.

I've read the occasional story where the MC didn't care about things around him/her. But, after a few chapters, they always ended up fiercely defending or wanting something. Our own characters need to reach this point, else we run the risk of losing readers.

Now take your passion and make it happen! (Name that song... :-))

What's up with that?

2010-06-20T08:58:00.000-07:00

I swear, there's this whole section of the United States that refuses to visit my blog. Click on the map farther down my side bar, and you'll see what I'm talking about. Seriously - what's up with that? Did I offend several states worth of American citizens? :-)

Things are going well, all things considered - I just haven't had the emotional energy to be on the internet lately. But everything happens for a reason, and I know the Lord is watching out for His children. (Check my last post for more information on what I'm talking about.)

Speaking of "everything happens for a reason," the release date for my book has been postponed. There was an error in production (many of you already know this), and things have come to a halt. This sort of thing is fairly common in the publishing world, and I'm hoping The Key of Kilenya will be coming out as close to July 6th as possible. I'll keep everyone posted. :-)

In the meantime, I've finished the first draft of book two, and am trying to decide what else to do. Perfect book two? Write the first drafts of all the other books in the series? Write a completely separate book? Water the garden? Paint daises on a big red rubber ball? Answer the phone when it rings? Sigh. Too many choices. :-)

This made me laugh:

He he he. :-)

What's going on in your lives? Any cool announcements? Random facts? Funny kid quotes?

My friend, Clark Kimble

2010-06-11T20:48:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to let everyone know that Clark passed away this evening. Thank you for your support and friendship. Yesterday when I spent time with him he was laughing, talking, still tired, but the fight was in his eyes--today his body started shutting down. I know he isn't in pain anymore. His spirit no longer inhabits a tabernacle of infection and viruses. He was a great example to me of faith, perseverance, long-suffering, patience, and love.

The Lord who knows everything called him home where he will continue to bless the lives of those around him.

I'm not Dead, I Promise. :-)

2010-06-10T09:59:00.002-07:00

I haven't had a lot of time lately for Twitter and blogging. Sad, huh? I'm not neglecting any of you on purpose and promise to come back soon, but my time has been stretched really thin lately.

Last year my friend, Clark Kimble, contracted a really scary virus which killed his liver. They got him a transplant, but the virus continued to attack his system--destroyed his bone marrow--which in turn destroyed his ability to make his own blood. He needs a transplant, but has been rejected by Medicaid three times, even though they're covering him. Weekly blood transfusions suffice for now, but he's really having a hard time fighting bacteria and such without his own blood. Plus, the transfusions are VERY expensive. We're in the process of getting the attention of "higher ups" to help us out.

I went up to the hospital (Huntsman) yesterday with a friend and my sister-in-law to bring up Clark's car for his mom to use, and to drop off some donated money. Clark was in and out of it the whole time--probably doesn't remember we'd even visited. His mom and sister asked me to try to wake him up. To get his attention, I practically had to yell his name, and he'd open his eyes only long enough to see us, then would be back asleep again. He's had an especially hard time the last couple of days because of infections in his lungs.

Anyway. I feel really strongly about helping him and his family. Just reading through the posts they've put on his blog (here) makes me cry. They've been through so much, and I want to do everything I can to alleviate that pain. He's had 18 major surgeries in the last year and he's only 24!

Long explanation, but there you have it. :-) I haven't forgotten any of you! And I'm not gone forever! :-) I'm spending most of my time heading up a bunch of fund raisers in the area and working on my first edit of book two in my series. Wish me luck, and see y'all soon. :-)

Author Interviews!

2010-06-06T08:35:00.006-07:00

I'm so OCD, it kills me. I have to have a nice, organized place to put all of my author interviews (of me and mine of others). Silly me. :-)

Interviews I conducted:
Daron Fraley
Don Carey
Krista Lynne Jensen

Interviews of me:
Matthew Shields
LDS Women's Book Review
Aaron Polson
Daron Fraley
Krista Lynne Jensen
Don Carey
Literary Works in the Works
The Literary Soundtrack

Book Review: The Thorn

2010-06-04T08:05:00.003-07:00

Author: Daron Fraley
Daron's website and blog
Read my interview of Daron
Information on the book and how to purchase it here.

From the back of the book:
Three tribes are at war on the planet Gan, unaware that the sign of Christ’s birth on an unknown world – Earth – is about to appear in the heavens.

During a bloody skirmish with Gideonite troops, Jonathan of Daniel spares Pekah, a young enemy soldier, gaining his trust forever. These two distant brothers from estranged tribes covenant with each other to end the war being waged by a self-proclaimed emperor, and soon discover the intentions of a far more dangerous foe named Rezon – a sinister general bent on ruling those he can bring into subjection and destroying all others.

Daron has talent as a writer when it comes to descriptions and emotions. They're enough that they help readers picture things, and yet did not go overboard and get boring. I felt drawn into the story through Jonathan and especially Pekah--their experiences, thoughts, and reunions with loved ones. There were many instances when I actually got chills at what was happening. I found myself yearning to understand what was going on in this world, and was happy with how things played out.

As authors we've been told to not use dreams in our stories--they tend to pull people out of the book, or don't help further things the way the writer wants them to. I found this to not apply to The Thorn. Two significant dreams occur, and the way Daron used them propelled the story forward, keeping my interest. (They were dang cool! And the ending of the book--holy cow! The battle scene was awesome, and tons of super-cool things happen! *ahem.* Sorry about that. Back to the serious review. :-))

My favorite character was Pekah--his humble, unassuming ways endeared him to me. His experiences placed him on a pedestal, and yet he didn't try to make himself important in the eyes of other people.

I loved the contrast between the characters: Rachel and Jonathan, Pekah, Jasher, Abigail and Eli. I especially felt close to Abigail--a humble, selfless, sweet and even-tempered young woman who goes through enough trials to last a lifetime.

If you are looking for a book with a calm, peaceful story which focuses a great deal on character development, the battle between right and wrong, and uniting long-estranged brothers, pick up The Thorn. You'll be happy you did.

Writing Tips: Stop Yer Procrastinating!

2010-06-02T10:25:00.002-07:00

I absolutely love to surf the net for writing tips, tools, advice, anything aimed to make my writing better, and anything dealing with other authors and their agents/publishers. I know many of you are like this, and honestly, it isn't a bad thing. We should keep up with the publishing world, even if we're not ready to start submitting, or even if we're already represented. (A good place to start on all of this would be Nathan Bransford's blog.)

He he he. I can't help but laugh every time I see this. It's sooo sad! :-)

One of the biggest lessons I've had to learn as an author is there must be moderation in all things. Yes, this is something taught by basically every person everywhere, but in the writing world, I still forget it occasionally.

And it's no wonder we get distracted: there are many things to keep track of and to master. It's easy to get sucked into our computers and forget to watch the clock.

A post of mine from a while ago (What to Do While Writing) addressed this issue, and in it I mention something Jaime Thelar observed: we use internet resources as a crutch, or as a way to procrastinate our actual writing.

Case in point: I once spent several hours trying to find the perfect name for a character and even the best actor to play him on the big screen. It finally dawned on me I'd been avoiding my writing. But why? Why was I so focused on this character?

I took a long break--probably watched a movie with my mom--then went back to the computer to figure out what was wrong. It came easily then: I'd been trying to find a name for a someone who didn't really belong in the story. I ended up revamping his personality, basically removing who he'd been and replacing him with someone better, getting me excited about writing and ready to forge onward. Problem solved!

Many days I can't allow myself to open the internet, to talk to people, or even sometimes to eat until I've done my writing for the day, since I'll use these as excuses to leave the computer. (I've learned when my body lies to me about it being hungry. :-))

What have you found which works for you? How do you keep yourself from getting sucked into surfing and spending too much precious writing time on researching and self-education?

Back to Writing Tips Index

Movie Clip Monday: Funniest Cat Clips

2010-05-31T08:20:00.000-07:00

This is why I like cats. :-) Ignore the stuff at the beginning - it's really cheesy.