Monthly Archives: January 2011
What I recently learned about Twitter
A few months ago, I started using Twitter. I followed people in the writing industry, and others I found interesting. #ff really works, cause I found some great people to follow there, too. I got up to quite a few people I followed.
As the numbers grew, I didn’t have the time to stay caught up. I started getting on less and less, feeling guilty. One day, I commented to a friend about it.
She said something very wise, even if it did make me feel my blonde roots.
You don’t have to read every tweet, or respond to every tweet.
What? Wow. Who knew?
I think this is why it became such a time suck for me — so much so I ended up taking a bit of a hiatus. I couldn’t keep up.
I read an article recently about social media. One of the #1 rules was — don’t feel guilty about not reading everything.
It hit me hard, because that was exactly what I’d been doing. Trying to read every post, all 24 hours, in the limited time I had. It took me hours every day.
And most the time, I was only reading — not replying, though I did some retweeting.
I’ve recently started going on Twitter again. I still feel a bit of guilt for not keeping up with everyone I follow, but I have to remember, I only have so much time in the day. At least now, I have time to tweet my own tweets, reply to others and retweet the stuff I find really interesting 
It’s become fun again, and I think that’s the point of Twitter. Being fun.
Release Day!!
Yay. Today, my paranormal erotic romance Dragos 2: Scorched is officially out.
http://www.changelingpress.com/product.php?&upt=book&ubid=1537
Dragos 2: Scorched
by Amber Kallyn
A bounty hunter and a woman on the run. Even dragons can be Scorched by love.
A rare Argentinean dragon shifter, Cynthianna “Anna” Hernandez has never known trust, peace or safety, not even by fleeing to the deepest wilds of Canada. When bounty hunter Garreth Dragos shows up during a blizzard, things get complicated as their inner dragons decide they’re perfect for each other. Things get worse when the dark mage hunting Anna finds them, sending his creatures to return her to his evil clutches. He’s willing to sacrifice anything and anybody to further his quest for power. Together, Anna and Garreth must trust in each other or all will be lost to evil.
Happy weekend everyone
Beating the blues
I don’t know what it is lately. The weather here has been great – mid-70′s and sunny. My oldest is between activities, which has freed up time in the evenings to just hang out together.
But I’ve just been feeling down. I don’t know if there’s really a song or not, but the words, “I’ve got the blues” keeps singing in my head.
One thing I’ve been doing is revising my urban fantasy. I came close a few times last year to finding an agent. And while they “Love the premise”, the general consensus is I need to work on my world-building and characterization.
I’ve learned a lot about the craft since then, and so I’m trying to apply it to the UF. I don’t know if I’m feeling like it’s a mountainous gargantuan task, or if I just don’t know where to begin first. The last two days, I’ve been rewriting my opening, trying to make my character more likeable and sympathetic, while making it a ‘hook’. Part of this is re-reading some of my favorite books and studying their openings.
The good news: I’ve finally started reading again It’s been a little while since I actually sat down and just read. Partly, I blame the TV.
**Note to self – less TV
But a small part of me, you know, the evil editor deep inside that for some reason I can’t seem to shut up lately, is constantly telling me that even though I’m published with my erotic romance, I’m never going to make it to NY with my urban fantasy.
I KNOW it’s a lie. That voice is full of shit. Because I’m going to work my ass off and never give up until I get there.
But it won’t shut up
So, I’ve decided to make a plan.
I’m going to write down the steps I need to take to rewriting/editing my urban fantasy.
Then I’m going to number them. Once that’s done, I’ll have a plan.
I work well when I have a plan. I love goals.
And I know, once I get deep into working through it, I’ll finally be able to shut that stupid voice up.
Q4U:
How do you get rid of the blues?
Avoiding Sucky Mondays
Sometimes Mondays suck. Big time. Sometimes, not so much. (It can’t possibly be as bad as last Tuesday, which due to the holiday, got its limelight as a temporary Monday and dished out crap for all it was worth… But that’s another story
This week, I’m pretty much too busy to even realize it’s a Monday.
My critique group, 7 Evil Dwarves, has begun a new game. We’re pledging to write every single day. Each person picked how they wanted to track their work (time, page count or word count). The average choice is 1 hour a day. It doesn’t have to be in one sitting, just overall through the day. Every Monday, I’ll be listing our stats, per person.
Feel free to Join the fun. In the comments, tell us your daily goal. Then on Mondays, check in and let everyone know if you met it all 7 days, or not.
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Also this week:
I’m a Featured Author at Whipped Cream Squee. Blogs and interviews abound.
Prizes: Grand Winner, a copy of my new release Dragos 2: Scorched coming 1/28/11
Three winners to receive their choice of the following:
Amber Kallyn Ball cap
Amber Kallyn book bag
Small Poster (14×18) of Dragos Scorched cover
International winners will receive an emailed gift.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Today, 1/24, I’m at The Romance Studio blogging
Tuesday, I’ll be at Castles and Guns, discussing the myserious, sexy Alpha Male
Thursday is PARTY TIME! At the Romance Studio. Come read great excerpts, and win great prizes during my Release Party
And, this Friday for ya’ll who’ve asked, Dragos 2: Scorched comes out.
Blurb:
A rare Argentinean dragon shifter, Cynthianna “Anna” Hernandez has never known trust, peace or safety, not even by fleeing to the deepest wilds of Canada. When bounty hunter Garreth Dragos shows up during a blizzard, things get complicated as their inner dragons decide they’re perfect for each other. Things get worse when the dark mage hunting Anna finds them, sending his creatures to return her to his evil clutches. He’s willing to sacrifice anything and anybody to further his quest for power. Together, Anna and Garreth must trust in each other or all will be lost to evil.
Link: http://www.changelingpress.com/product.php?&upt=book&ubid=1537
Read an Excerpt
Interesting #askagent answers
Interesting #askagent conversation on twitter the other night. I happened to see one going on, and decided to ask a question.
I asked about e-publishing credits, and if agents saw them as a reallygood thing. There was some confusion about e-published through an actual e-publisher versus self-publishing, so I’m not sure how accurate the answers I received were.
But one agent said they’re meaningless to her, though that might change in the future. She also qualified her answer in that she reps YA & MG.
Everyone is pretty familiar with the fact that e-books are exploding. The biggest sellers are romance and erotica (and any combination thereof).
I’d really like to hear the opinion of agents who rep adult, namely urban fantasy, since that’s what I’m shopping to them
Q4U:
What have you heard about e-publisher credits and shopping for an agent?
Who said writing is the hard part?
This month, I’m working on editing (read rewriting) one of my urban fantasy novels. I wrote the first draft late last year.
Now, when I write, my first draft is always short. My characters are faceless beings, walking around a foggy space — naked. They have few feelings, but man, do they get stuff done
So I’m used to editing and rewriting in the second round to flesh out the story.
Well, I decided to take EditPalooza with SavvyAuthors.com (great site, BTW).
I get to work with an editor and another writer.
So, the first assignment was to read my draft from start to finish, without picking up the red pen.
OMG.
Horrible.
I almost cried.
My first draft is completely below my quality standards of a first draft.
So, nose to the grindstone. My goal is to drag it screaming if I have to, into a more acceptable thing.
So far, I’ve been doing pretty good. Slower than I hoped, but I’m pretty much on track.
Q4U:
What do your first drafts look like?
Changes and Resolutions
2010 rocked. I hope 2011 will bring even more great things to everyone.
I plan to keep doing what I’ve been doing all along — writing, learning, working on my degree. Not to mention being a mom
So, to start, I’m doing Editpalooza through Savvy Authors
For the month of January, I’ll be working with a dedicated critique partner and an editor to get one of my novels into shape. It’s currently in pretty horrible first draft form. Lesson 1 was a complete read through from page 1 to The End. Oh, man, is it in bad shape.
So, for the next two weeks, I’ll be concentrating on rewriting the darn thing. It’s bound to be interesting.
Then, I’m going to start submitting to NY Agents once more. Let’s hope this time around I’m a bit luckier, LOL.
What do you have on your resolution list?
