Every time I stay up late the night before I get strange ideas, staring up at the ceiling, unable to sleep. This is when I usually argue with characters, but last night I was a God. Only in the sense that I made another fictional life. His name is Thomas Gables and he's everything Southern and everything dead. 

His world is based off an idea that I had years ago, so I decided to resurrect it, not unlike Thomas himself. I have a knack for writing really rotten people and he's no exception. Anyway, hopefully I won't just let this project mold over like Star Born (for which I reserve a special place in my heart --also a side of myself that is more cavalier/inappropriate). I've posted the prologue, a bit of LIVING Thomas before being dead and all, to my wattpad account, which you can check out here or by clicking the homemade image to the left. 

Be warned, as it was a late night project, it's bound to be offensive, so I've rated it MATURE for things like light innuendo and general asinine behavior.  

Also, on the beta read front set for 9/2, it's all coming together, peeps. Look for an email this Labor Day weekend! 

<3 Ama

Below is another Photoshop fiddle...

I'm not going to lie, I'm a little behind, I've got the next 36 hours to crank out some stellar work, and it just might take a little Katy Perry to help. I'm usually not a fan, but gosh darn it, I can't get this out of my head... In summary, I'm going to fight against the urge to procrastinate and my seemingly innate need to waste time, and FOCUS. Here's to all those who just need to get with it...

Last night I posted a tweet about a blog I read that really blew the socks off me feet. One of my favorite blogger/writers, the never apologetic and always refreshing, Chuck Wendig, divulged 25 Things You Should Know About Young Adult Fiction. I invite you to explore the post for yourself, it allowed me to feel a greater sense of freedom about the content in my various Young Adult (YA) projects. 

Ultimately, Chuck explores the value of HONESTY in books for teens, pushing for a genre unfettered by parental expectation and censorship. So at about 2am last night I wrote a rant:

Why do we bitch and moan about the concepts presented to young people in literature? I mean, Holden Caufield didn't have a problem with honesty, about showing the world real, about slapping the “f” word in there because life has a lot of “f” word, a lot of situations that merit it's barbaric sting. YA shouldn't be about shocking or shivering up your audience, but telling them the truth, even if its ugly, because people come together in shared truths, in failures, and if we're not honest about those things, how can we look in the mirror every damn day? Don't take out the brutal truth of your writing, the gravelly vulnerability, because that's what gives it heart. Don't give me your flowery, censored world, talk to me about what's real, what hurts you, what makes you want tomorrow. Give me a universe of your imagination, but one as true and imperfect as you. 

Dear publisher: teenagers make mistakes, teenagers are tumultuous and ugly on the inside, teenagers are desperate, teenagers are smart, teenagers are going to buy your books and make you money. Get me? No, I won't take out that thing with the place and that person. Sorry. 

So, I have been nothing short of comatose this week with the sore throat from hell and a case of the summer woozies that have me reeling... anyhoo, I was able to make some progress with my graphic artist this week, all thanks to a few hours with a glue stick and pinterest. Observe the madness... never mind my shoes there in the upper right hand corner, I had to spread these out over my carpet. If you can believe it, there are four more. I know, it's crazy, but it's all for the sake of art! :D

I also drew a premature Shantelaine sketch. You haven't met her, don't be bewildered, previews for her will come eventually here. 

The best thing about gluing and picture is cutting is that it is mindless, and I've been so stuffed up and congested, frankly, it was about all I could manage to do the last two days. At any rate, I'm proud of my progress and excited to see what the artistic talents of Jeremy Grayson devise.

For those of you who are curious about the state of my fictional world, you can check out inspiring images on my pinterest page under all the boards labeled "Co." --short for The Company, of course. They may not make sense to you without context but at least they provide visual representations for the world I've formed.

Wishing you all a super Sunday!

-Ama 

I'm not the best artist in the world. I'm sure I've said this before, but I want to start this entry off with a disclaimer because what I am presenting to you is purely dabbling...

I've been working with a graphic artist for the upcoming Beta Read this month, and as he is a highly visual person I have done my best to provide him some aids to work off of... I have come up with the mess of art before you. His work will far eclipse all this, I assure you, but I thought I'd share. After sifting through a few tutorials and goofing with my sketch pad I finally came up with something very slap dash, but as close (with my limited abilities) to some of the characters as I could come. I'm a much better cartoonist, frankly.

I dabbled with some photoshop to give a few of these dimension, but I'm convinced I don't have a future in art. Anyway, there you have it, my Wednesday Waste of an Hour: 

Many months ago I had promised many dear people that there would be a Beta Read for my upcoming novel, The Company, and I fell through on that promise. Family, health, and business got in the way, but I REFUSE to let that happen again. I want to apologize to all those who waited patiently and heard nothing from me, life threw me a few curve balls that I wasn't ready for, but guess what, I'm ready for YOU--and your feedback! I've been filling all the Beta Read packets this week to send off to you lovely, loyal readers. 

And so, I only think fair to give everyone a taste of what's to come...

The Deets:

The Company is a sci-fi/fantasy young adult novel regaling the lives of seven young smugglers, and one job that will alter the course of their futures and the backwoodsy world of Adhara. Recommended reader age range: 15+ --expect things like language, drug reference, innuendo, and humor that your mother would probably raise a brow at. The novel is approximately 110k in length and would love to have your red pen all over it!

Throughout the week I will be highlighting each of the members of The Company and some unlikely, pivotal, sidekicks on the official Company Blog: Inappropriate. Links will be available via twitter on launch day! Please follow me on Twitter, if you haven't :)

For details and to sign up for the totally on course Beta Read for Monday, September 2nd 2013, please visit the Official Company Page: http://www.amalynne.com/the-company.html

OR... to make it even easier, for those who are totally interested in Beta Reading stat, just fill out the form below, yerp, that's easier... why don't I ever think of these logical things *sigh*...