With Hands Like These . . .

It's hard to write.

It may be hard to tell from the photo, but my fingers are swollen because of the chicken pox.

But don't worry--I'm on the mend and will start writing again soon.

Now This is Unexpected

Remember the allergic reaction I mentioned in the previous blog post?

Well, I was wrong. It isn't an allergic reaction.

It's chicken pox. Yes. Twenty years old and I get the chicken pox. It's double frustrating because I had the vaccine as a child. Apparently, it didn't do me much good.

So I'm stuck feeling miserable for a week or so until it runs its course. Who knew chicken pox could form on one's eyeballs? They can and do, if you were wondering.


So writing CCB3 is postponed for awhile until I feel better.

Illinois

Here I am in Illinois. Rockford, Illinois, to be more precise.

We're doing a 5 hour long seminar today. Well. My dad is. I'm manning the book table. It's easier that way. He's a better writing teacher than I am anyway, since he's been doing it for 10 years and I . . . haven't.

Currently, I'm battling an allergic reaction to some mold I came in contact with. Hives from neck to toe -- not fun, I can tell you that. Fortunately, I don't have any on my face. Yet. They're still working their way down my arms, too. I'll spare you any more itchy details.

While I sit at the book table while my dad speaks, I am working on the Cantral Chronicles book 3 (CCB3).



Updated number of speaking events.



Number of Speaking Events Total: 102
Number of Signings: 18
Number of Interviews : 13


Places Spoken In:

Florida
Kansas
Texas
New Mexico
California
Washington
British Columbia
Montana
Colorado
Nebraska
Missouri
Indiana
Wisconsin
Michigan
Illinois
Georgia
North Carolina
Maryland
New York
New Jersey
Virginia


Places signed in:


Georgia
Texas
New Mexico
Oregon
Washington
British Columbia
Colorado
Nebraska
Wisconsin
Michigan
Florida
Maryland

Thanks

Thank you everyone for your interest in being pre-pub readers for Noble Imposter.

I now have a list made with more readers than I would ever be allowed to let pre-read, but thank you for your interest! I haven't been given the go ahead to pick from my list yet, but once I am allowed, I will contact whoever I chose and let you know if you are a pre-pub reader.

So please don't email me asking if you can be a pre-pub reader, because unfortunately, the spots are all filled. Thanks for all your interest! It's really encouraging to know so many people would like to read Noble Imposter!

Gluten Free, Pecan, Oatmeal, Banana Bread

Now usually I keep my blog for writing purposes only, but then I figured that that would get boring pretty quickly and thought you guys really might not mind so much if I posted about other things.

Am I right?


The verdict is out.


Anyway.

Yesterday my doctor's daughter posted on her gluten free blog, (Yes, I follow my doctor's daughter's blog, but I've known my doctor since I was born, so it's really not that creepy.) and she posted this delicious looking recipe that I decided I just had to try.


Gluten Free, Pecan, Oatmeal, Banana bread.

It's as delicious as it sounds. I made one loaf yesterday and it's already almost gone. We have three gluten free people in my house, so it was an easy undertaking. ( I am one of those gluten free people, if you were wondering.)


Then the gluten eaters (That sounds insulting, doesn't it.) decided that they needed some banana bread, too. Fortunately, we had enough frozen bananas for two loaves, so I made another loaf. We also have three gluten eaters in our house, but 1 person wanted nuts in it, 1 person didn't care, and 1 person really doesn't like nuts. So I made a mini loaf for the nut hater and put pecans in the main loaf. ;)


This was all on a few short writing breaks. I wrote 1,500 words on the third book in the Cantral Chronicles (CCB3) yesterday and hope to get some more done today.


Oh, and the recipe from the blog itself!

http://glutenfreejulieb.blogspot.com/2012/03/banana-pecan-oatmeal-bread.html?spref=fb

Pre-Publication Readers for Noble Imposter

Would anyone like to be a pre-publication reader for Noble Imposter?

I would like to make a list of people who would be willing to read NI before it is published. If you want to sign up, here are the stipulations:

Just because you're on the list, doesn't mean you'll get to read the book. I don't know for certain if my publisher will do pre-pub readers. This is just so I'll have a list if I need one.
You must write up a review of the book and send it to me.
I'll need your email address and possibly your mailing address, depending on if we do digital versions of the book or hard copies, so if you're under 18, get parental permission first.

--

I'm looking for people between certain ages to be potential pre-pub readers. I have some ages covered already.

I need 2 girls between the ages of 10 and 15 and 1 boy between the ages of 10 and 15.

I also need one person who has not read Precisely Terminated to read Noble Imposter to make sure it is clear even if you haven't read the first book.

Meet those requirements? Send me a an email (see address below) with your email address, name, and age and I'll put your name on a list. But remember, it doesn't necessarily mean you'll get to read NI before it's published.

Not between those ages but know someone who is? Tell them about it and they can contact me at amanda(at)daviscrossing(dot)com. ( Replace the (at) with an @ and the (dot) with a period.)

Meanwhile, a picture from my front yard.

Along with my cool socks.

A Map of the World of the Cantral Chronicles

Yesterday I was playing with MS paint, trying out different placements for the cities in the world of Cantral. I came up with a map, and I thought you would like to see.

This is by no means complete. If there's white space and a city isn't indicated there, it doesn't mean that a city isn't there. It just means that the city wasn't mentioned in Precisely Terminated or Noble Imposter.

FL = Farm Lands
* = Location of city-state palace

For some reason it's coming up all fuzzy, but I hope you can get the basic idea. Cantral is the biggest one. ;)

The Tallest Watchtower by Omid Baghizadeh

Recently I signed up for a program called 'BookSneeze' they provide me with books to read in exchange for my honest review on my blog.

This is the first book I was provided with, and it came as a surprise to me. It appeared to be a book from the description, but it ended up being only twelve pages long. Definitely a short story.

(From the Publisher)

The Tallest Watchtower is a wakeup call for our sleeping sense of empathy and charity and a reminder not to forget those who are not among us but between us and our God. Their memory is always respected.


When I opened The Tallest Watchtower on my ereader, I expected stories about those who were in the Twin Towers during 9/11, as the book appeared to be about that event. I didn't expect it to being with a story about parents adopting a child from an orphanage, but then I considered that perhaps the author was building the person's character and wanted the reader to get to know him.

I was disappointed. That short segment ends in a couple of pages and then the story goes on to talk about a fictional person who died in the tower and how we shouldn't forget the victims. I'm all for not forgetting the victims of 9/11 and honoring them on that date, but this short story really didn't cut it.

The writing was simplistic, not what I was expecting, and I was confused at what the author was trying to do in the 12 pages that complete this story.

1 1/2 stars



Maybe my next book from Book Sneeze will be better. I certainly hope so.

Writing is My Life . . . Again

For awhile it was editing that consumed me. Every day I would edit as much as I could before the day ended, and the next day I would get up and do it all over again.

With Noble Imposter finally finished and sent off to the editor, I don't have to do that anymore. There was much rejoicing for a day and a half, and then I had to get back to work. Fortunately, writing new material is much easier and less stressful (to me) than editing my old work. Who really enjoys trying to find things wrong with their work, anyway?


I'd rather write and wear cool socks.

Today's pair has bunnies.

I'm already at 2,600 words in the third book of the Cantral Chronicles. I hope my fingers stay as speedy and the thoughts keep flowing.

Cantral Chronicles Book Three -The Latest and the Last

This morning I started work on the Cantral Chronicles book number 3--the latest and last in the trilogy. It's the last that I know of anyway.

Currently I am in the hospital typing away while I wait for my grandfather to be released from the hospital (he had an in and out surgery, he's fine, don't worry).

Meanwhile I'm wearing my cool St Patrick's day socks five days early. I'm part Irish and my favorite color is green, so I rather like these. So far one person saw them and was in a bit of a panic, thinking today was already st Patrick's day (and she wasn't wearing green), but I assured her it wasn't, and she was safe.

Back to writing!

Number of Speaking Events Updated

Before I forget, I need to update the number of speaking events I have done. I spoke 4 times in Florida this month, so that brings up my total number!

Number of Speaking Events Total: 99
Number of Signings: 18
Number of Interviews : 13


Places Spoken In:

Florida
Kansas
Texas
New Mexico
California
Washington
British Columbia
Montana
Colorado
Nebraska
Missouri
Indiana
Wisconsin
Michigan
Illinois
Georgia
North Carolina
Maryland
New York
New Jersey
Virginia


Places signed in:


Georgia
Texas
New Mexico
Oregon
Washington
British Columbia
Colorado
Nebraska
Wisconsin
Michigan
Florida
Maryland

Spiffen Socks

This blog suffers greatly from my neglect, I'm thankful you guys are still willing to read it despite the long silences.

Sometimes I feel bad because y'all are missing out on my spiffen socks. I post about them often on Facebook, but I know a lot of you don't have Facebook.

So here's the pair I'm wearing today.




Knee high, fuzzy red polka dot socks.

Editing is always made better by wearing cool socks. A friend just sent me quite a few pairs from South Korea (where she lives)! They are quite neat.


Currently, I'm working on Noble Imposter.

Home Again

We were in Florida once again! This time for about 9 days. Unfortunately, I was stuck inside editing almost every day.

Fortunately, I got to go to a writer's conference for two days, and I saw my niece (though she wasn't at the writer's conference).

Madelynn

But now I'm home again and back to editing Noble Imposter. You'd think I'd be done by now, right? No such luck. I'm on the last read through before I send it off to my publisher.

While in Florida I also visited Apopka Middle School, and my dad and I spoke three times to various assemblies. We even had a sword fight. I won each time, but unfortunately it was staged, so my victory was tainted, but the important thing is I won, right? ;)


Home again and reading away

-Amanda

Florida Here I Am!

Yes, I have been editing my ears off, but I am now in Florida, and that makes everything more fun. ;)


We finished the read aloud stage for Noble Imposter and now I'm making changes - some of them major. I have to add two new scenes and then there are the little edits in between, but it's coming along well.

On Monday I have 3 talks at a school here in Florida. Fun!