I salute you
Thank you, to every Veteran out there. Thank you for my freedom, for my right to complain about our government, to vote people in and out of office.
Thank you, for making sure that I can go outside in the morning and now have to worry about war on my doorstep.
Thank you, for your time, your sweat and your tears. For the blood shed to keep America free.
Thank you.
You deserve more than just one day a year. But today, many will get together and think back to all you have done for us.
Know that though it is never said enough, your sacrifices are appreciated, even by the jerks who decry what you’re willing to go out and do for our country and everyone in it.
Thank you.
Sending my love and appreciation to every one, Veterans and active military.
Thank you.
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It can’t get better than this
So, I got my very first review a few days ago. I remember last month, right after Dragos: Burned came out, I went through this queasy period, just 
knowing all my reviews would come in saying I sucked.
The artist’s emo inner diva 🙂
Not only was the review absolutely glowing, I got 5 out of 5 cherries.
It so can’t get better than that.
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Superman and Grooves
As I sit down to begin Dragos 3: Blazed, I can’t wait to hit the keyboard. Book 1 went fast (like superman fast). Book 3 has caught me, I can’t wait to write the characters. I know the plot.
Book 2, on the other hand, was a pit of mud mixed with quick sand. It took me forever to get the first part down.
Now, I’ve written enough to know every book is different. But I still don’t have that connection to Scorched that I would like. The funny thing is, everyone tells me it’s wonderful, better than book 1. But I’m just not feeling it like I did Burned, or like I’m feeling Blazed.
Go figure.
I guess we’ll see what my editor thinks when she gets back to me, right? 🙂
Anyway, I’m off to start pounding the keyboard with my newest tale…
~mumbles bye, head already in the clouds of Blazed.
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Technology Issues Suck
So, yeah. I’ve been lax on blogging.
Between a class load far beyond full-time, family, holidays, kids, writing, everything else, and my stupid laptop issues, this poor blog has taken the fall.
Today, I’m happy to announce the arrival of my brand new (Ok, it’s a manufacturer refurbished, just as good) back-to-the-brand-I-love Dell laptop. So, give me a few days… or a week… to get all my software installed, files transferred, remember all the stuff I have saved in the old one, and it’ll be one less stress on my mind.
Then, poor little blog, I will return — full speed ahead 🙂
In the meantime, check out my Release Party this Friday. I’ll be there — whether on my new laptop or someone elses.
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Freebies, Giveaways and RELEASE PARTY TIME
Three major events this week in the life of Amber Kallyn.
If you’d like to win a free copy of my new release, Dragos: Burned, click HERE to enter the drawing Tuesday, 10/26. This will be an E-Book, format the winner’s choice
and
I will also mail you a personalized autographed cover card : )
And if you’re in the area, I will also be blogging at Got Romance Reviews.
This Friday I’m having a RELEASE PARTY!!!!
Friday 10/29, from 4pm to Midnight EST, I’ll be blogging and sharing excerpts HERE.
I will choose 4 winners from those who leave comments to win personalized prizes. All winners will recieve a personalized autoghraphed cover card for Dragos: Burned.
The other prizes are:
Personalized Autographed Medium Poster of Burned Cover
Small 2011 Burned Calendar Magnet
Amber Kallyn Ball Cap
Amber Kallyn Book/Tote bag
Really, really big Amber Kallyn 2011 Calendar Magnet
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Release Day, Yay!
Okay, so here it is. Dragos: Burned is live. I’m nervously fidgeting, wondering if people will buy it. Will people read it? Will they like it?
What if everyone thinks I suck?
See, us neurotic writers are truly beyond help. The thing we dream of most also scares us deeply.
I love my story (obviously). Not to say I couldn’t find plenty of things to still edit. Luckily, I’ve heard this is a common mentality.
But, especially this being my first, I can’t help but worry over my fledgling child out there in the world all alone. And I can’t help but worry that no one will enjoy it.
Like I said, call me neurotic.
So, if any of you do read my story, and you do like it — I would really enjoy hearing from you 🙂
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Hyperventilating
2 days. Oh my gosh. 2 days. 
Dragos: Burned will be released upon the world.
My ego doesn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Maybe it’ll just be hysterical.
2 days.
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The joys of release
Oh, um… not that kind 🙂
Not only do I have my beautiful cover, but this Friday, I also have my very first book coming out.
Woo Hoo!
Okay, I’m back and slightly calmer.
But it almost seems unbelievable. It doesn’t matter this has taken years to achieve. It still feels like it happened overnight. Just a few months ago I received my first contract. Last week, I got the most gorgeous cover.
And now, in just a few days, my baby will be out there in the world for all to see.
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Aaaarrrggghhh!
Learning ‘All About Marketing’. Wow.
Who woulda thunk there was so much to learn about such an innocent seeming topic. But with any publisher now-a-days, E or New York, they’re all asking authors to carry a heavy part of the marketing bucket.
I think my brain’s about to explode.
But I’m learning. And soon (hopefully for the love of sanity) it will become a familiar thing.
I read a great document sent to me by my publisher. The one thing stressed above all others was the time.
As authors, we need to get the most bang for our buck–not just money, but time.
So right now, Marketing is taking up a lot of time. But as I get the hang of it, I’ll find new ways to use the time to set up, then be able to keep the ball rolling with little effort. It’s finding that ‘downhill’ that I’m working on now.
You tell me, what is your favorite way to market?
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Blogging overload
With all this new workload between being published and school and everything else, I’ve been slacking on blogs.
I’ve decided a course of action.
My two group blogs, Plot Mamas and the 7 Evil Dwarves, I only have to post once a week.
Between Higley Browne and Amber Kallyn, I can’t possibly blog every day on both. I’m not quite that creative. Nor do I have the time.
I thought about letting my Higley Browne blog go on hiatus.
Maybe I still will.
But for now, I’m going to try this:
I’ll blog on Amber Kallyn M-W-F.
Higley Browne on Tu-Th.
We’ll see if this works out.
But, just so you know, blogs won’t be going up every day on both.
Q4U: How do you find time to blog? What type of schedule works for you?
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If you ask me again…
As a writer, we all experience this at least one time in our lives:
“So…” blushes and silence.
“Yes?” we prod.
“So, where do you get your ideas?”
Us-bangs head against the nearest hard surface.
I love Jeff Foxworthy and his ‘You might be a redneck if…’ jokes.
You might be an author if the above question makes you want to rip your hair out, or the hair of the person asking such a question.
But as a reader, I also understand. The amazing things writers come up with is astounding. The written word is as limitless as the imagination.
My novella coming out October 8th, Dragos: Burned, essentially came about because of two things– my love of all things dragon, and the spark of an idea I had.
What would happen if a dragon shapeshifter and a fireman fell in love?
Well, right there told me it was going to be a paranormal romance.
I had been pushing my personal boundaries and trying to write (and be comfortable with writing) sex scenes. So, I decided to include some of those.
Then it became a paranormal erotic romance.
***See how my brain progresses 🙂
So, I sat down to write my 1 sentence per chapter\scene outline.
When I got done, it had turned into a novella, not a novel.
Sure, I could have pushed for a novel, but the shorter length worked for me.
My ideas normally start with a character. For example, my historical paranormal romance came about because–my love for all things big cat (tigers) and my love of kick butt heroines in historicals. So, I made my heroine a princess in a matriarchal clan of tiger shapeshifters. And the hero? Well, she had to track him down and drag him home.
Ideas are everywhere. I remember a time I’d hear that and snort. No they aren’t.
The key is to train your brain to see them. And then, WRITE THEM DOWN. I don’t care if you have a photographic memory. The best ideas will slip through your fingers before they’re fully formed.
If you WRITE THEM DOWN, they’ll linger in your subconscious, growing and adding to themselves until one day, they’re ready for your inspection.
As authors, it’s our job not just to write, but to constantly cultivate ideas.
Just as we learn the craft, we learn how to see nibbles of ideas in everything around us (or, in my case, inside my wild imagination).
Happy writing.
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New & different, but not too different
I always hear agents and editors talking about how they want something new and different.
Then, they add, but not too different.
What’s a writer to do? How do we find that line?
Obviously, I’m still working on that.
But I think, over the years of reading agent blogs (See the links for some of my favorites) I’ve come to get at least a slight grasp on the statement.
As a reader, I love seeing the common tropes I’ve come to expect from the genres I love. If I pick up a romance, I darn well want to experience the tumulus, rocky relationship, and the falling in love to their happily ever after. If I pick up an urban fantasy, I want that heroine to kick some major butt, but occasionally show the alpha hero her softer side. I also want to watch how she wraps him around her pinky–not in the way that he’s whipped, but in the way that he treats her with softness, and respect.
So as a writer, I think one of the most important things is knowing the tropes of the genre you write in. As long as you have what the reader expects, the playing field is yours baby 🙂
Q4U: What’s your take?
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This is how we do it
I know there’s a song with that line. But, since I primarily listen to country, that’s about the only bit I know.
If you talk to twenty writers, and ask them about their road to publication, you’ll get twenty different answers. So, I can only comment on me.
Like most, I’ve always been in love with the written word. I’m a voracious reader, devouring a novel a day (speed reader). About five years ago, after being a stay at home mama for a couple of years, I sat down one day and announced to my husband, I’m going to write a book.
He looked at me with a smile and said, “Go for it. You’ll be great.”
Little did either of us know how long and arduous the journey would be. I started a book, hated everything about it, and soon lost interest.
About a year later, the voices in my head demanded attention and refused to shut up. It took me a while to get a good portion down on the page. I still hated it, and tried to revise and revise those first three chapters. Finally, I found out about critique groups.
Those first experiences were horrible.
But with time and patience and great people, I began to find my way.
To date, I have completed 2 Urban Fantasy novels, 1 Paranormal Erotic Romance Novel, 1 Novella, and 1 final draft of a YA Fantasy. I have others in different stages of completion, I’ll get back to them eventually.
For about 9 months, I’ve been querying my UF novel. Sometimes there is good news, other times not so good. I have to take it as it is.
And now, I’m going to be published in Paranormal Erotic Romance. They’re even interested in buying more of my novellas, the continuation of the Burned series, and others that I have “In The Works”
Whoda thunk?
Amber Kallyn 