I was on the Kobo book site the other day and just for shits and giggles I searched for AMARANTHINE and to my surprise there were a lot of books with that in the title. I had no idea. In a way I was pissed because I like being unique and having stuff that's all my own. And in a way I was glad for the validation that it is a good title. Some of them had the word Amaranthine in the title but I think there was only one that was just Amaranthine. Hopefully there are no issues with copy-write. I'd hate to have someone sue me because I have the same title as him. If anyone knows shoot me a comment.

The other thing I noticed is that there are over 400,000 books for sale on that site.  !!!!!.  Yikes. How does anyone get noticed when there are hundreds of thousands of other books out there waiting to be read? It's a little depressing, to be a tiny droplet in an ocean of books. I'm understanding a little bit better why writers have to be diligent about marketing, social media, and publicity etc. *sigh.*  I'm not sure if it's the crushing heat or the daunting odds that have me feeling sluggish and dismal but I think I will go lie on the couch and watch an episode of Suits. #Harveyisasexybeast

It's a short chapter, so enjoy and then go outside and enjoy summer, because it's half over already. I can't even believe it.

On another note I finished the book I was reading. It was good, but (and I will try not to give any spoilers) the end annoyed me. The main character had a problem.It was a bad problem, but was quite easily fixed if they had just told someone, but instead the problem was "solved" by acting out a long complex scheme that had a hundred variables and a shitty outcome. I hate it when writers do that. If I am reading something and thinking in my head "why wouldn't you just (insert easy fix here) then I get annoyed. If the writer has to create false drama with a convoluted plan then the plot should have been thought out better. That's my opinion anyway. The book itself was still good. I will read book 2 and 3, but I hope they have more realistic ways of solving problems in the next book.


Have a great weekend everyone.

So I was on twitter and I saw this post from Baby Animals and I had a good chuckle over it. I'm going to paraphrase because their grammar didn't really make sense to me.

When you're out with your boyfriend
and you see another girl check him out.





It's funny because it's true.

I've really noticed lately how distant I am from from my main characters. I don't delve into their minds very often, or have long internal conversations that reveal their deepest emotions and sometimes it comes across as a little cold. I write more as if the reader is watching the book on TV, (I've been told this is wrong wrong wrong, but I can't seem to help it), and I show how the characters are feeling by their actions, facial expressions and tone of voice, and the dialogue they speak rather than by interjecting with an internal voice that describes how anguished, elated or frightened they are. Is this wrong? As I said, I've been told it is. Sometimes it feels distant even to me. The reader may have a harder time feeling connected to the characters or feel removed from the story somehow because of my writing style, but I can't make myself be all emotional on the page. I've never liked long winded internal dialogues, or page after page of explanation. I write as though I am a silent wraith following the characters around and watching their lives unfold before me. I am not within them, but an observer. Mostly I follow Astral, but sometimes I stay behind after she has left a room to see what happens after she leaves. Sometimes I jump from her to Davn to check in on what he is doing. I know what they are thinking because I can see it on their faces or hear it in their voices.

I've mentioned before that I don't like 1st person POV and part of the reason why is probably because of my fear of intimacy with my characters. I don't like being in their heads so much. I am not them, I am just telling their story. My style suits some people, and others not so much and that's OK. I don't think it's wrong per se, just different from the norm.

I have posted this week's chapter, chapter 31, and if you are wondering how much more book there is to go, there are 56 chapters in total. Lots left still, don't worry.

I've been reading a book called White Cat by Holly Black. I'm only about 1/4 of the way through but it's good so far. Not that I have much time to read. I am so busy right now and I keep adding more things to my plate. Updating my resume and job hunting, taking computer courses online to upgrade my MS skills, working in the yard and with the horses, parenting "The Kid" obviously and planning or at least trying to plan a family trip. The heat here the last few weeks has been near unbearable, the internet was down for three days and I'm still working on getting AMARANTHINE into publishing standards.  So ya, reading is definitely on the back burner, but so far I am liking it and it's nice to read a book from a male POV, since books seem to be very heavy on the female POV these days. 


Have a great weekend.

Yesterday, I was struck quite suddenly by how boring real life is. "The Kid" was watching Hotel Transylvania for like the 20th time, and baby Mavis was learning to fly. Her dad encourages her to jump and she turns into a bat and flies away. Everyone is excited, including my toddler. He got a big happy smile on his face and was obviously thrilled at the prospect of turning into a bat and flying away. And I had a pang of sadness. I actually wanted to cry a little bit, because as an adult I know life is way more boring than anything he'll see on TV or read in a book, and I was sad for him. Is that silly?

I know I know, there are lots of terrific things in life. He can parachute, and ride roller coasters, and jump horses, and water ski and any number of fun things blah blah blah, but somehow, it's just not the same. He'll never travel in a time machine, or have a talking pig or a werewolf for a best friend. He'll never take off in a rocket and explore the galaxy, or jump into the air and fly away. I guess that's why books and TV exist; because real life is boring.

Boring jobs, boring commutes, boring meetings, boring dishes, boring laundry.We're all living it. My advice to myself is to get out more. We may never turn into a bat and fly away but we can travel the world in a car or a plane. We can climb a mountain or explore the jungle, (even as I'm saying this I still would rather go somewhere in a time machine) oh well, I guess that's what imagination is for.


****Aaaarrrggh, I want a talking pig!!

Friday again. It seems whenever I have a deadline to meet time zooms by even faster than usual. It seems like only yesterday I was posting Chapter 29.

I had a stressful day yesterday and I haven't fully recovered. I had a big fight in the street with a neighbour and now I am dwelling on it more than I should. I'm one of those people that doesn't mind having a fit when they get pissed off and I was very very pissed off. Her dog, a 150 pound mastiff, ran out onto the road and charged 'the kid' and me as we walked by. He barked and snarled and came right up within about a foot of us in an aggressive and threatening manner. When the owner came out and said if I didn't like it not to walk there anymore, I let her have it. I don't think I should be held hostage to my own property because I have a shitty neighbour with a vicious dog that she lets roam the street. Needless to say, while I think I'm right, it's a stressful situation that I would rather have gone without.

As a means of trying to calm myself I spent a little while searching horse pictures on the internet and came up with what I envision when I  write about the 3 horses in the book. Have a great weekend everybody and I'll see you all on Monday.

The first picture of the hot tempered grey stallion is Dahlby. The second picture of the bay thoroughbred with lots of chrome is Mynstral and the stolid dark chestnut gelding is Rasmussen.

I know many people don't know the colors of horses, so if you had a hard time envisioning them based on their written description. Here you are.