I'll be keeping this as an archive of my journey to being pubbed but now my blog is intergrated with my website at

www.amandajayde.com

I'll see you there!

Well here we are again on a lovely Tuesday morning - well lovely for me.  I hope all of you experiencing horrid weather conditions remain safe and comfortable in your homes.  Remember do not try to go out there unless you absolutely NEED TO.

Okay so on to the tease. 

This week it's not an excerpt from a work in progress or from my published book.  Nope it's a tease of something else ...

( Click Me Click Me ... )

Guh I just realized this is the last week of January ... and no I didn't get what I needed to get done.  I am sooooo behind schedule.  I'm only 6 1/2 chaps into BTBM and I wanted to be FINISHED by now ... guess I need to reevaluate that. 

So I will say that I WILL be done with the first draft of this story by Feb 15 if I have to stay up until 4 in the morning every day to do it.  I mean REALLY I can crank out 2k in a couple of hours when the writing is good - 4 K in an evening if it's going fabulously.

Crossing fingers I'll get it done :)

I've recently been asked where do I get my inspiration so I thought I'd post about it today.

I think my inspiration comes from a lot of different places.  Most often it comes from watching something on TV and a portion or smidgen of something will catch my eye and I will sit and think well what if I did this or that to it.

Other times it's really just a challenge.  The idea for The Dark Wolf Series came out of a request from a friend who wanted to show off her skills as a graphic designer.  She wanted to do book covers in different genres and asked me to come up with some back cover blurbs for them.   So I put together this basic storyline and after reading it I thought I really liked it, however, at the time I didn't really write paranormals.  I was a contemporary writer.

After some time I thought if I could find a good enough hook for a story then I'll write it.  Something that hasn't been done yet, well not to me.  This was before the Twilight craze so I had a lot of leeway on what had been done.  I researched Werewolf legends and found the Benandanti one (yup it's a real legend).  What struck me from that legend was the fact that these werewolves were created to fight.  That one concept inspired the whole series.  After that I went back to find world wide legends and found that almost every country has their version of werewolves. 

So there you have it ...

Until Next Time,

The first one!

I hope I have enough to sustain all Tuesdays ... heh but at least for today I have a tease for you ... Ready ...

( Click )

And am ready for a new week ... thought I had a topic to blog about but alas I can't remember what it was ...

Soooo first I am going to say I love the Golden Globes - they look like they are the most fun of all the awards shows.  I am extremely happy Melissa Leo won for The Fighter, I had the pleasure of meeting her several years back and she is just a very down to earth person who made me and my friend Raye feel as if we'd known her for yeeeears.  I hope this win will translate to an Oscar nod and win for her as well.

And I am happy to see Colin Firth get his props for his portrayal of the King in The King's Speech.  I've loved him since Wet Darcy and he has such a range that it's nice to see him recognized for his talent.

Next I want to say what a great crop of mid-season replacements we have on TV - I'm addicted to the fall shows Mike & Molly & Hawaii Five-O, but it's fun seeing Paula Abdul's new dance show, Live to Dance and I am looking forward to seeing what Off the Map brings us.  I have high hopes for Being Human (which begins tonight) as I am a huge fan of the original, and I am hoping to catch the new Spartacus on Netflix just as they'd shown the 1st season.  Game of Thrones on HBO is looking great too, unfortch it doesn't begin until April LOL.

Okay so I should post something about writing but I'm not sure what ... oh maybe once a week I will post an excerpt from my WIP just as a teaser ... maybe ... I can call it Teaser Tuesday ... hmmm or maybe it won't be just writing maybe I will tease other stuff too....

Bwaahaaahaaaa

Until Next Time

No pictures today :(

No today I want to discuss reading accents. 

I am currently working on a book that takes place in Scotland with a Scottish hero and an American heroine.  When I first began plotting the story I knew I wanted to bring some Gaelic into it, so I researched phrases and what not.  What I wasn't sure of was how my hero spoke.  Okay so I knew he reminded me of Gerard Butler, but I couldn't recall how good old Gerry spoke. 

Then I remembered all those historicals I read that took place in the Highlands.  The heroes always said Lad, Lass, dinna,nae, aye oh and my favorite dinna fash yourself, ... etc.  Did my hero speak that way?  It's not a historical but he did grow up within the past.  Then I asked myself if I did write that way, would it be too jarring for the reader?  Luckily as I wondered, I caught an interview with GB on TV and guess what - he doesn't speak like the heroes in my historicals (Frankly I don't think any modern person does).

So I decided I wouldn't have him talk that way all the time, I have thrown in a Lass and an aye and made mention of his brogue ... so now my question is:  Do readers need to read the accent in order to hear it in their head?  Do I have to do more than say he's Scottish?  

What's your preference?  Do you need to see it on paper or can you just imagine it?

Okay so I already fell off the wagon.

The blogging wagon. 

I said I Would blog more often and here I am 13 days into the new year and nufin .... I wish I could say it was because I have been writing like a fiend but that's not true.  I did manage to write over 2,000 words on Tuesday a very big accomplishment for me.  So I've finally gotten over the hump and completed chapter 6 of the new book. 

Traditionally I have a very good friend who supplies me and the small group of us that chat everyday via email with inspiration.  We get three types ... A Tease - usually men with most of their clothes on, Butts - well that is self explanatory isn't it? And the whoooole Enchilada which she posts NSFW in her subject line - those are nakey pics LOL.  Yesterday, in honor of my 2K accomplishment she sent us Scottish inspiration, men in kilts WOOOOHOOO.

In discussing and dissecting "the mens" we got onto the subject of accents.  I have to admit I am a sucker for accents ... not all accents mind you, but those that I find exotic.  Being from New York I can honestly say that Vinnie Barbarino does nothing for me, neither does Spike of Bensonhurst or any other NY type of accent.  I also am not a sucker for a Spanish accent, I think that has to do with the fact that being hispanic I've heard just butchered versions of it and it hits too close to home.  Sorry Antonio Banderas LOL.

I think the second part of which accents I find sexy are the guy - let's face it, he has to be good looking (at least in my eyes).  Would I find an English accent as sexy if Rowan Atkinson was chatting me up rather than a Richard Armitage?  Probably not.

So here in no particular order are the accents I find sexy (with pics!)
( Click Here )

I am posting again before the New Year .... LOL.

I just wanted to pop over and wish everyone again a very happy new year.  May 2011 bring you love, laughter, joy and prosperity.

Yes yes I know I am a HORRIBLE blogger - seriously horrible.

I haven't posted since mid-November - yeah there's that horrible thing again ....

Okay so I will say forgive me and let's get updated shall we?  Good.

Well NaNoWriMo came and went and I was doing GREAT until a family emergency hit and I stopped writing and never took it back up ... yep I suck.  I did manage a wonderful 20K words though so I'm in a good place.

Dark Moon Rising is now available at Amazon!  I know I really don't like Amazon cause of their practices, but it's still cool to do a search and see my book come up on the same results page as a Sherrilyn Kenyon DH book LOL.  It's the little things I tell ya.  It is also available on Fictionwise, which is a subdivision of Barnes and Noble, but it's not available on the BN.com site yet.  Hopefully soon :).  It is also available on ARe - which is All Romance eBooks another fine distributor :)

I have also gotten two very good reviews and one kinda tepid one but hey it wasn't terrible and you have to take the good with the not so good.  I also am having pirating problems - for the record, PIRATES SUCK!  I am not a big time NY published author so every little sale counts for me (not that you should pirate NY authors either - we all need the sales we can get).  Ah well what can you do?  I could spend hours trying to get them to take it down, but it just pops up again.  It's futile LOL.

In publicity news, I have my trailer - which I LOOOOOVE and I was also interviewed on fellow author Rhonda Print's web site.  You can read it here: rhondaprint.blogspot.com/2010/11/guest-author-amanda-jayde-and-dark-moon.html and if you have the time, check out the rest of her site.  She's a great author and a wonderful blogger (unlike SOME people).

Christmas has come and gone here in blustery Florida (It is COLD here but no snow so I am not complaining LOL) I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday.  I got a great gift, it's a NY Barbie (Yeah my first Barbie in like 25 years LOL) she really is pretty and I was eyeing her forever.  My parent's bought her for me - she's dressed as the Statue of Liberty.  Next up I want to get the London Barbie, she's dressed as Big Ben LOL.

With Christmas behind us, I am now looking ahead to 2011!  So with that in mind it's time for resolutions!

#1 - I'd like to take my 20K get back to Book 2 and have it finished by the end of January - edited by February and out to LSB by March.  It would be nice to be able to say at RT this year that Book 2 is going to be pubbed soon.

#2 - I'd like to start Book 3 in April - write as I head to LA and have it done by May when I start School - oh yeah I am headed back to College going for a degree this time :)

#3 - Be a better Blogger - we'll see.  Even if I blog dumb stuff I promise to be more proficient at it.

#4 - Exercise more - anything would be better than the 0 I am doing now LOL.  I am firming up my mind it's time to firm up my tush too.

#5 - Offer more to my readers.  I'm thinking of holding a contest where the winner will get a character named after them :)  I wonder if that would hold any interest?

#6 - Put DMR out in print.  I think this will happen as soon as book 2 comes out in ebook form.


Well there you have it.

I hope everyone has a wonderful New Years!  Have loads of fun, but be SAFE!

Until Next Time (Possibly next year LOL)

Wow we're ten days into the month and I have been lax at blogging - I am a terrible blogger - have I mentioned that before?  I have?  Good, let's move on....

BOOK UPDATE -
Well my book was released Nov 1 and suffice it to say I've sold pretty well in my first week (so thank you to my family and friends who love me and support me enough to have bought it LOL).

Phase two of my promo should be going into effect sometime really soon - I have an official Circle of Seven Cover Story trailer made just for me - SQUEEEEEE - love them they do AH-mazing work :)

And it's November so you know what that means ........ NANOWRIMO time!!!!

10 days in and where am I?  Well I'm slightly (about 150 words) ahead of right where I should be (for yesterday LOL) ... trust me it's not because I'm coasting.  You know me, always behind LOL.  I started Nov 2, then played catch up all last week.  By Sunday I was fine, about 300 words ahead ... then on Monday I hit a brick wall .... I wrote about 900 words - 550 of which were dragged out kicking and screaming and after an hour of just staring at the screen I shut the computer off and went to bed - putting me behind AGAIN. 

So last night I trashed the 550 words from the night before.  I didn't even look at them just deleted and started from scratch ... yup!  It took me about 3 hours, but I made up the 550 PLUS the rest of what I was supposed to write on Monday night AND managed my 1667 from yesterday plus a little extra LOL.  It's exhausting!

In the end I hope it's all worth it though.  I looked back two years in the journal to Nov 2008 and I was writing DMR then.  It's nice to see that all the work paid off.  The muse is still happy right now so hopefully the words will continue to flow and the story will continue to develop.  My goal still remains to be done with the writing of the MS by the beginning of Dec and have it edited and beta'd and ready for submission by the beginning of January.  Wish me luck!

oh and this wouldn't be a NaNo update without my old friend Spud from www.writertopia.com :)



Until Next Time,

I'm all excited and nervous but I know there's nothing I can do.  At this point I have to leave it in Fate's hands ... I just hope Fate is kind.

Today is RELEASE DAY!!!!

In just about 10 hours my book will be released by Liquid Silver and the public at large will be able to read what took me a year to put together :)  (I'm hoping book 2 doesn't take as long)

Which leads me to notice number 2 - It's November 1!!! 

Yes it's NaNoWriMo time!!!  Today begins my descent into madness - a yearly occurance LOL.  So be on the watch here for updates on word count and such.

Oh I will be blogging at the LSB blog tomorrow morning - with an excerpt and a light beg to buy my book HA!

I don't have much to add to that soooo

Until Next Time!

I've been so crazy busy this week that I ALMOST forgot to post ... I have an actual release date!!!!

Get ready because Dark Moon Rising will release .....................

NOVEMBER 1, 2010

Yup that is exactly 4 days from today - I can't express with words how excited and scared I am.  Excited because this is what I've been working towards for the last 5 years but scared because after 5 years of writing and having friends read my stories this one is no longer sheltered and loved in my computer away from the public.  Now it goes out for mass consumption and I hope that some people will enjoy it.  I don't even want to think about reviews ugh - I know it's all part of the job though so I will hopefully put my big girl panties on and thicken up my skin.  If there's one thing I've learned it's not to argue with a bad review - just say thanks for taking the time to read it and I hope you'll give me another try or just say nothing.  I know I won't please everyone.

Let's see ... what else ... oh!  I just recieved my Nov. edition of the RWR - that's the RWA's magazine for their members and I have a mention in there for my first sale!! Yeah me!!!  I will have to scan it and make a new section in the website for news articles and such LOL

I've completed a couple of interviews as well - I should be featured in the Nov. edition of Circle of Seven's newsletter and fellow author Rhonda Print has also interviewed me.  I hope I just don't come off as sounding like a dumbass LOLOLOL.  And finally next tuesday morning I will be posting on the LSB blog as well.

And once again I will be NaNo-ing this year - WHY ooooh I don't know but I think it's just the kick in the pants I need to start book 2 :)  Wish me luck.

In work news I have to say I love my job - they are throwing me a pre-launch party tomorrow afternoon!! Whoot!  Drinks shall abound on our happy hour friday :)  I have the best coworkers LOL.

Well that's all for me.

Until Next Time

I am a terrible blogger - TERRIBLE!!!

Okay so I kinda sorta have an excuse - between my last post and this one my grandfather passed away and I took a trip back home for the funeral.  So I was off the grid for about a week and a half ... okay so that's not the best excuse but whatevs ....

So let's catch up shall we?

I have begun writing book 2 then sort of got stuck in chapter 2 LOL - this is what I get for not continuing while the muse was hot - it doesn't help that I did not plot this one out and am flying by the seat of my pants.  Maybe going forward I will plot the next couple of chapters or at least write down what should happen in the story, SOMETHING so that I can have something to look at and get back on the ball of things.

I did make a few updates to my website:  www.amandajayde.com.  The library is now open and I have added a couple of very nice author links.  Speaking of which, I will be interviewed on Rhonda Print's site soon - it will coincide with the release of Dark Moon Rising.

Ah yes, DMR - well let's talk updates there - I have gone through the entire editing process - only 2 real go throughs with the copyediting and then line edits - which weren't as bad as I thought.  With that done it was cover art time - 2 and 1/2 go throughs there.  April Martinez (the artist) is amazing, she's done lots of e-covers you can check out her site here: graphicfantastic.com/.

So yes that means .. I HAVE A COVER!!!! Now everything seems so real - I can't put into words how it feels to know that something I wrote will be available to the masses LOL.  A friend of mine here at work really put it into perspective for me too (as well as making me incredibly nervous) - he said I am now going to be immortal and in a way I guess all authors are - crazy isn't it?

So next up is getting a release date and then getting all that information to Circle of Seven for my book trailer (Squee).

Okay and without further ado, I give you .....



Until Next Time

Okay so I am a terrrrrrrible blogger - I said I would blog Project Runway - but alas - this season is full of suckitude ... LOL I will say I am surprised that Casanova is still in it, but I am sure that his days are numbered.  I have no favorites and this far into the show I can honesty say the bitch factor is HIGH.  It's such a turnoff - I loved the show for it's clothing and now the show seems to focus on the designer personalities more than the clothing - blech.

Anywho, I've come to talk about editing ... I have gotten my very first set of edits in the mail and while part of me is excited to go through the process, the other part of me had no idea WHAT a process it would be.

Writers need to have a thick skin.  It's all part of the job.  You need to get through the submission process and rejection after rejection after rejection ... or silence.  I thought I had developed a pretty thick skin while going through the whole submission and rejection merry-go-round last year, enough that I could laugh about it.

So when my MS was accepted I knew that everything that came with having a great publisher would come with it - including editing er I mean COPYediting - for a good comparison of the two check out agent Nathan Bransford's blog at:  blog.nathanbransford.com/2008/07/editing-vs-copyediting.html

From reading various author and publisher's blogs I knew going in that one of the toughest aspects of getting your book ready was the whole copyediting process.  It has broken many an author and left them in the corner crying, but I was ready ... or so I thought.

This is my very first real feedback from someone completely detached from me and it feels GREAT ... sorta.  My editor (er copyeditor) likes the story and was very positive in her feedback and that's awesome to know.  I think where my problem comes in is that I had NO idea how DAUNTING the whole process was.  Probably 2 hours into my editing last night a wave of uncertainty came over me and I think I may have looked at the cat and said ... "I suck".  I sat there and wondered how the hell anyone could like this when there is SO much I need to change (and this is only the first pass LOL).  I can see now why some authors just give up, it's a little bit depressing almost to see your work torn to shreds.

However, after I told the cat I sucked and he didn't disagree I got up, walked around my living room and away from the heavily commented on MS, put my big girl panties on and said to myself that everything that needs to be changed is a good thing - it will make me a better writer, it will definitely make me more conscious of how I write and every writer goes through it.  To be successful you need to be the best you can be and that's why copyediting is a necessary evil.

So while I still suck, I go into the MS with the knowledge that after everything is said and done ... I shall suck less and the reader will be ever so grateful for that fact LOL!

Until Next Time,

Today I was feeling reflective, so I went back in the journal about a year to see what I had been doing around this time.  If you had told me that I would be published I probably would have laughed in your face.

But really I shouldn't be too surprised.  I had just finished my final edits on Dark Moon Rising and was preparing to research agents.  I had given myself until October to do it so I could start submitting.

I was SERIOUS.  Hard work, persistence and a gaggle of supportive friends really gets you motivated LOL.

Today I read a question that asked - what made you decide that NOW was the time to really pursue writing and it made me think.  In the last few years I had written for fun.  And each time I received a letter in my inbox that said wow I really like your stuff, or are you a real writer?  It gave me a little thrill, but still I never reeeeally pursued it.  Even when I had written two complete novels I never went beyond it.  I may have told my friends that the stories needed more polishing and told myself that eventually I would get to it, but... it never happened.

I don't think I was mentally ready yet.  I had to prepare myself for the rejection I knew would come (I am the first to admit that I am my worst critic and I think everything I write is not quite good enough). 

I guess I could say it was the constant pushing of my friends and the knowledge that they were there for me no matter what that helped me to just put myself out there.  I knew that publishing is all subjective.  I wrote a story I adored, I wrote what I liked to read and I was lucky in that my friends liked it enough to push me into sending it.

They were there this past year through the countless rejections, they crossed fingers & toes when someone requested a partial - and when I was ready to push it to the side they were there to offer more suggestions.  They believed in me and made me keep pushing.

It paid off - when I finally got "the call" from Liquid Silver (www.liquidsilverbooks.com) they were the first people I emailed to let know.  They are my biggest fans and I am theirs.

So who knows what the next year will bring.  I hope that when I look back on it next year I can do so with as big a smile, and great memories as I have now.

Until Next Time,

Wow ... so I really didn't pay attention to any of the ads for PR season 8 and I was happily surprised to see that the episode was 90 minutes long - I really do love this show so any more of it makes me happy.

It's always good to see Tim Gunn - what would I give to just sit and have lunch with him.  He's like the cool uncle you always wanted.  I just adore him.  Heidi looked great with her new haircut and not pregnant anymore slim figure (biatch).

But we don't really watch for Tim or Heidi or Michael Kors or Nina Garcia (whom I love as well) we watch for the contestants and this year's premiere brought us 17!

I was very excited to see the diversity of the cast - and pinned my fav on Casanova, a fellow from Fajardo, Puerto Rico - before he even sewed a stitch - cause you know, he's my people LOL.  But I think I need to see another episode or two before I really find my favorite.  Especially after this episode.  The contestants were told that they weren't officially cast members just yet and that one or more of them would get cut after the first challenge ... duh duh duuuuuuh

Heidi and Uncle Tim told the contestants to pick something out of their suitcase to base their design on - my boy Casanova was very proud of himself when he picked out his brand new $1070 D&G pants ... then you could almost see his anus tighten when Heidi revealed the twist (I knew it was coming why did they all act so surprised?  This is Project Runway people - hasn't ANYONE watched the show before?)  Anywho, poor Casanova and the rest of the cast had to hand their garment over to the contestant to their right.

Then we flash to Parsons where the designers find their workspaces and generally run around for a half hour designing and putting together their garments and we get our visit from Uncle Tim.  No visit to mood this time - Mood came to them in the form of some rolls of fabric they probably couldn't sell ... they were fug.

Poor Casanova got the Tim Gunn eyes over the glasses look.  That never bodes well.  Tim asks Cassie if his garment is tasteful or vulgar (another thing that should have warning signs going off) but poor clueless Cassie says it's beautiful and tasteful ... what do YOU think?

http://www.mylifetime.com/shows/project-runway/season-8/rate-the-runway/episode-1#id=4

Personally I think it's costumey and something that would look GREAT on Shakira during a concert.  I also thought oooh this poor man is going home - but I was wrong!!! And instead McKell - a cutesy little dreadlocked blond got the axe instead for her little babydoll dress which I thought was kind of cute.

http://www.mylifetime.com/shows/project-runway/season-8/rate-the-runway/episode-1#id=10

Michael Kors thought her styling was lacking to which tia Nina agreed with

Instead we have Gretchen's design winning:
http://www.mylifetime.com/shows/project-runway/season-8/rate-the-runway/episode-1#id=6

eh it's okay I guess but nothing GREAT. 

My personal favorites were Andy's
http://www.mylifetime.com/shows/project-runway/season-8/rate-the-runway/episode-1#id=2

And Peach
http://www.mylifetime.com/shows/project-runway/season-8/rate-the-runway/episode-1#id=15

And I thought Casanova should have gone home or Ivy for making pants out of pants ... or Jason of the bowler hat (ugh) and wandering eyes (no doubt he's straight - he was distracted by booooobies)

Anywho it should be an Interesting season!

Until Next Time!

So I made a promise to myself to be more vigilant about blogging, I mean this is a new adventure for me and all and I should document it right?

So here goes ...

I went to the RWA (Romance Writer's of America) literacy signing last night.  500 authors and probably 3 times that number of fans LOL.  It was great!  I always have fun at signings.  You can strike up a conversation with anyone and know that you share a love of reading.  It's fabulous.

As we walked the aisles, I spotted the place where I'd be seated if I were signing - I can't wait to be able to sit at a table and have people (heh or just 1 person) come and see me LOL.  I met a few new authors and saw some of my favorites (sherrilyn kenyon whoot whoot).    I'm really eager to begin the next phase of the journey onward.  And I'm already beginning to get book two together.  Hopefully I'll begin writing it in the fall.

In other pre-pub news, I am also thinking of a giveaway to celebrate the actual publishing and of course what to do for marketing and such.  I'm also looking at maybe doing a different topic everyday (except weekends) to make the blog more interesting.  I used to do hunks on friday ... maybe I will switch that to Mondays to make the start of the work week a little easier to bear.  Friday's will be Project Runway recaps - I don't think they will be very in depth, just my thoughts on the show since its premiere is tonight.  Tues, Wed, & Thurs - I will devote more to writing updates and just blogging about it in general.

Until Next Time,