tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26526094053242567002024-02-20T22:47:33.151-07:00Living a Life ImaginedThis is a blog about writing.
About living.
About daring to dream.Amber Byershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14464695263973490294noreply@blogger.comBlogger48125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2652609405324256700.post-79585471912408991562020-02-13T20:33:00.002-07:002020-11-19T07:43:02.154-07:00<h2>
We're Moving!</h2>
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I want to announce that this blog is moving to a new home. The main reason is that every year or so, Blogger removes all of my readers and sends them a link asking them to resubscribe if they still want to stay on the list. I think that's a little confusing for people who have already signed up. If you don't want to stay subscribed, it's pretty simple to find an unsubscribe link at the bottom of the emails.<br />
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Another reason is that I've noticed a time lag from when I post a blog and when it's actually published. Plus, Wix has better functionality in terms of SEO and it will be easier for me to manage one email list instead of the two I currently have—this blog and my company newsletter. There is a risk that readers won't want to read information about both my personal thoughts as a writer and also what's happening in my professional world. And if that happens and you don't like it, then let me know and I'll evaluate the feedback and modify as needed.</div>
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That's the good thing about moving webpages. I can always come back and change it later if it doesn't work. In the meantime, if you were subscribed to this blog, you should be automatically transferred to the new one. Look for an email confirming that you're subscribed to the Tadpole Press blog. If you don't see it, you can sign up or check it out <a href="https://www.tadpolepress.com/blog">here</a>. I look forward to seeing you in my new digs! </div>
Amber Byershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14464695263973490294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2652609405324256700.post-84892767813254281672019-11-14T10:17:00.000-07:002019-11-14T10:17:06.742-07:00<h2>
Moonbeam Children's Book Awards</h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidlj4jBGmAjl9zgrmwKdMuGRsUyt4pRGl3_eE7RpwdJ8MbF9tiYGQIrbqMsZTQLRX-0izT00UfWK6aEXPSEkPD3rvwYTkCcGFMexsmR1vqRDwIckCCw33qibdKkGXd6WvwBtxtg3_pPIls/s1600/20191109-Moonbeam-115.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidlj4jBGmAjl9zgrmwKdMuGRsUyt4pRGl3_eE7RpwdJ8MbF9tiYGQIrbqMsZTQLRX-0izT00UfWK6aEXPSEkPD3rvwYTkCcGFMexsmR1vqRDwIckCCw33qibdKkGXd6WvwBtxtg3_pPIls/s400/20191109-Moonbeam-115.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Amber Byers and Jim Barnes, Award Director</span></div>
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I am so delighted to share with you that <i>Sophie and Spot</i> received a Gold Medal for Best First Book in the Chapter Book category from Moonbeam Children's Book Awards for 2019.<br />
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I traveled to Traverse City, Michigan to participate in the awards ceremony and the Traverse City Children's Book Festival last weekend. It was my first business trip since I've started my company, and it was such a blast to meet the organizers and fellow medalists.<br />
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As I said in my acceptance speech, this is a dream come true for me. I knew that I wanted to be an author when I was a kid, but then I grew up and forgot and thought I wanted to go to law school and become an attorney instead. Winning this award reminds me that I am on the right path and am doing what I love.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNhWJij3GQCv5bK9ZymT1O-Gw3BrhmmqSiPffAytE9ETs0V1AcBs0gSd3m60Wes_kjmo8qE0rCt-49uUvZozyV5ZXtjCsJQVYUxzIVJkDeMsr0B8CVaiDoQMDOsaHRefo4gRPcnVwXxtPs/s1600/20191109_100827.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNhWJij3GQCv5bK9ZymT1O-Gw3BrhmmqSiPffAytE9ETs0V1AcBs0gSd3m60Wes_kjmo8qE0rCt-49uUvZozyV5ZXtjCsJQVYUxzIVJkDeMsr0B8CVaiDoQMDOsaHRefo4gRPcnVwXxtPs/s400/20191109_100827.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Traverse City Children's Book Festival</span></div>
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I was inspired to meet two of this year's youngest award winners. Seventeen-year-old Navya Sarikonda won a Gold Medal for Best Book by Youth Author for her novel <i>The Enchanters' Child</i>. And eight-year-old Makenzie Lee-Foster won a Bronze Medal for her Children's Picture Book in the E-book Category for <i>Kickin' it with Kenzie: What's Meant for Me Will Be</i>. You can find a full list of the winners <a href="http://www.moonbeamawards.com/87/2019-winners">here</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0qlYK94TRAZT4rg-yfR85gaBePDVqDeFYzPoeCcYQrOaOMmfM50N0tn1e8Bt6JHjvz1ydBaeZRD23BjjpchhHOGmEPM6nraVtNPz_hADWpzy0TDj-0RYpFRPFF1yCs847pVyQ-q0oqGU8/s1600/20191109-Moonbeam-161.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0qlYK94TRAZT4rg-yfR85gaBePDVqDeFYzPoeCcYQrOaOMmfM50N0tn1e8Bt6JHjvz1ydBaeZRD23BjjpchhHOGmEPM6nraVtNPz_hADWpzy0TDj-0RYpFRPFF1yCs847pVyQ-q0oqGU8/s400/20191109-Moonbeam-161.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Young Authors Navya and Makenzie</span></div>
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No matter what age you are, I hope you continue to follow your dreams! It's never too early and it's never too late. It is always the perfect time.Amber Byershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14464695263973490294noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2652609405324256700.post-75553828770759492692019-07-12T13:14:00.003-06:002019-07-12T13:14:55.648-06:00<h2>
Strange Summer</h2>
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This has been the strangest summer that I've experienced since we moved to Colorado nine years ago. It was rainy and cloudy throughout almost the entire month of June, which is usually hot and sunny by that point. Then in early July, we got hit with the biggest hail storm I've ever seen in my life. I'm talking big enough to shatter our neighbor's solar panel and leave holes in the side of our house.<br />
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And the whole time it just didn't quite have that laid-back summertime feel. The feeling I usually get when summer arrives—like the lazy days of summer endlessly stretch out past the horizon and there's nowhere to go and nothing to do. And yes, I know that part of it was because I chose to host the Tadpole Press Writing Retreat the last weekend of June. I've hosted writers conferences before, but this was the first time I've done the whole thing by myself.<br />
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It was a tremendous amount of work, but so, so worth it. I am incredibly grateful for how engaged everyone was who showed up. And even though I was nervous about giving my presentations a day or two beforehand, by the time I was actually speaking, I felt calm and centered. And I found out that I really enjoy public speaking when I can talk about things I find interesting and just share ideas.<br />
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Anyway, this is just a short note to say my blog is going on vacation! Summer may be half over, but I'm diving in! I don't know about you, but I am truly ready for those endless days of summer, some rest, and some sunshine. May you all get the downtime you need. See you in the fall!Amber Byershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14464695263973490294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2652609405324256700.post-80657748537426052932019-04-22T06:00:00.000-06:002019-04-22T06:00:05.739-06:00<h2>
Tadpole Press News</h2>
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There's so much going on with my editing company, Tadpole Press, this month that I am sharing my company newsletter for this month's blog post. Here's a hint: it involves a Green Business award, a Writing Retreat and Microfiction Contest, and some fun photos of the <i>Sophie and Spot</i> tour. It's just too good not to share! Happy Earth Day, everyone! <a href="https://www.tadpolepress.com/so/aeMejCMIc?cid=0a5adff1-c5de-44d1-850e-c177e344d739#/main">Check it out here</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://www.tadpolepress.com/retreat"><img alt="https://www.tadpolepress.com/retreat" border="0" data-original-height="607" data-original-width="1080" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNMAs2oYEFgaBwyaESpkCkwbM_K439KP0i5Fpy2TpT4zygjDaVp9PT6__1KBmLHICiuvn01gkN7ghZA7zUR6N9abZblnPbl2zGOUuDLbLK3neh0jckJsK_2Hz88Jt-jCw4PYrrnx0t0Qt-/s400/TP+Writing+Retreat+-+1.jpg" width="400" /></a> </div>
Amber Byershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14464695263973490294noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2652609405324256700.post-47028224833534250572019-03-31T16:40:00.000-06:002019-04-04T16:54:21.739-06:00<h2>
The Ups and Downs of Living the Dream</h2>
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A few weeks ago, I realized that I am actually doing it—I am
living my dream and building my own career exactly the way I want to. Some days
I struggle with the fact that I am a solo entrepreneur and wish that I had my
own full-time accounting, marketing, and tech teams. For example, when I try to
decipher the complicated reports from IngramSpark detailing my income from book
sales in various categories and subcategories, as well as remittance reports that are like Greek to me for some reason—all
of which are paid out ninety days after the sale, which just makes it that much
harder to track. Why, IngramSpark, why??</div>
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But when it comes to making decisions about where to spend
my time and how to grow my business, I couldn’t be happier. I love being in charge.
I love setting goals and deciding which steps in which order to take to
accomplish those goals. Life is so full right now and things are exploding in
so many different directions. For example:</div>
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<li>I’ve finished recording the audiobook of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sophie and Spot</i> and will begin editing
it soon,</li>
<li>I’m exploring developing a product line for eco-friendly
merchandise to sell with my book,</li>
<li>I’m still giving author presentations to local
elementary schools,<span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>I’ve begun writing the second book in the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sophie and Spot</i> series,<span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>I’m continuing to help clients with editing and
writing coaching, and<span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>I’m planning a writing retreat for this summer!</li>
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The best part? I’m also setting my own hours, prioritizing
my health, deepening my network, having fun, and spending time with friends and
family. As I write this, I also realize that I have been stretching myself a
little too far lately with all of these different projects. I’ve been listening
to <a href="https://shyatt.com/podcast-post/dream-coaching-practice-pamela-slim/">Susan Hyatt’s Rich Coach Club podcast</a> where she asks her
listeners to envision what their dream coaching practice looks like. She asks if your
dream career is something “big, exciting, high-energy” or something “chill, calm,
quiet”?</div>
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And I realized that I love aspects of both. I love having a lot of
different projects going on and branching out to try new things. I also
realized that I have always been a slow, thoughtful, methodical person. I like
to take my time on things, not rush the experience, and savor it sip by sip. My
dream career is one where I have time to deeply connect with my clients, as
well as everyone else in my life.
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So these past few months have been an interesting time for
me as I try to balance extreme company and personal growth with my natural
desire to ponder, wonder, and breathe. I’m definitely pushing the boundaries of
what I’m comfortable with, and while I think that is a natural part of growth,
I also recognize that I need to pair that with some down time in order to ensure
that the hectic pace doesn’t become my norm. The best part? I know I can. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMYefvhJ9_A">Ups and downs</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://pixabay.com/illustrations/book-old-clouds-tree-birds-bank-863418/"><img alt="https://pixabay.com/illustrations/book-old-clouds-tree-birds-bank-863418/" border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiJR-pxzIxGiwvrQkncFNJOPUbsET3O-UYNc-_VL7LdPae8u8r26s6IdT0hHRbIMCAO7GwDjKeBDreUhtv3YIN8UX_uZVwtd_NQK5iYmqE4xdhAawDg87cuRASAESjnOpKT7_hD4e1Rzmo/s400/book-863418_1920.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://pixabay.com/illustrations/book-old-clouds-tree-birds-bank-863418/">Free image from Creative Commons</a></div>
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Amber Byershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14464695263973490294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2652609405324256700.post-57553305739074794702019-02-28T14:22:00.000-07:002019-04-04T15:22:22.937-06:00<h2>
Overcoming My Own Stereotypes</h2>
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With my first book on tour, this blog has been focusing a
lot on what’s been happening out in the world lately. And while I love sharing
my exciting news and events with you, my dear readers, I have also been feeling
like it’s time to reflect on where I’m at with this journey of living the life
I imagined.<br />
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For the past several months, I have been dreaming about
cutting my hair. Buzzing it all off, to be exact. Why? Because I’m tired of
spending time and money on something that doesn’t hold much value to me. Time
spent brushing it, blow-drying it, and styling it. Money spent getting it
professionally cut.</div>
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If these seem like trivial concerns, please acquaint
yourself with this startling statistic: Hillary Clinton spent about <a href="https://www.elle.com/culture/career-politics/a12476806/hillary-clinton-spent-600-hours-on-her-beauty-routine-last-year/">600 hours getting her hair and makeup</a> done during the 2016 presidential campaign. That
adds up to 25 days! Nearly an <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">entire
month</i>! Considering the important work that a president does, it doesn't matter to me if she looked disshevled or perfectly styled. I would have supported her being able to spend that time developing brilliant policies instead.</div>
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Now I don’t spend anywhere near that amount of time on hair
or makeup, but I have spent way more time and money on my physical appearance
over the course of my career than I’ve actually wanted to. When I was an
attorney, I used to wear makeup and either curl or flatiron my hair, and I had
a boss tell me once that I needed to “sparkle” more. Many of the women in that
firm got their hair and nails professionally done on a regular basis and walked
around in heels, all of which are not really things I’ve ever been that
interested in. I remember thinking that I’d understand his request if I were
modeling or something, but for god’s sake, I was an attorney. Even though I
upped my “sparkle” at that job, underneath it all, I really resented having to
do it. I told my husband that if I ever needed an attorney for something, I’d
rather have a wicked smart one than a sparkly one.</div>
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So, back to my haircut. Long hair annoys me when I work out.
I have to pull it back in a ponytail when I run or lift weights, but then that
same ponytail gets in my way when I lay down on my yoga mat to do ab work—the
bump on the back of my head just doesn’t feel good.</div>
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And I’ve always cared more about how I feel than how I look.
But I’ve held back on buzzing my hair out of fear. Mostly fear that I wouldn’t
look professional enough, but also fear that people would make assumptions
about me that weren’t true. Perhaps they would think I was a man. Maybe they’d
think I was gay. Or they could assume that I had cancer. Once I let those
thoughts out of my head, I realized that they weren’t insurmountable. I’m okay
if someone sees me and thinks I’m a man. We are, after all, from the same
species. But sometimes we forget and assume that for a woman to be mistaken for
a man is a horrible insult, that it means she is less beautiful and therefore
less valuable. But that’s only true if you assume that women’s value comes from
their beauty. And frankly, I think that, as humans, our intelligence, compassion,
humor, kindness, creativity, and even productivity are much more valuable than
our beauty. Plus, men and women are quite similar actually. Now if you mistake
me for an alligator or a parakeet, I’m going to be concerned. But a man? I can
live with that.</div>
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So I started in stages. I got a short bob last fall. Then I
got a pixie cut a few weeks ago, but returned a week later to explain to the
hairdresser that when I said, “Short,” I really meant it. And you know what
amazed me the most? How many famous women have already done what it took me
months to do. When I Googled pictures of a short haircut to show my
hairdresser, I found tons of actresses with <a href="https://www.google.com/search?safe=active&biw=1138&bih=503&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=RQJ7XIbPIdDt-gTJhrmgCw&q=emma+watson+short+hair&oq=emma+watson+short+hair&gs_l=img.3..0j0i67j0l6.29118.34184..34286...6.0..2.446.5258.0j20j4j1j2......1....1..gws-wiz-img.......0i10j0i10i30j0i30.a1FSq8THRsI#imgrc=GV-r692zZUsLTM:">super short hair</a>. And the reaction
from people I know has been completely positive. Most people say they like how
it looks, and some people say they wish they were that brave to cut their hair
so short. Not a single person told me I looked unprofessional. Maybe strangers
who saw me made assumptions about me. Maybe not. Either way, I’m okay with
that.</div>
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What I learned is that I was carrying around my own
assumptions, and then letting those assumptions limit my actions. My fears
tried to masquerade as reasonable concerns about whether I would be valued by
other people, when in fact, they were simply my own stereotypes. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">My own stereotypes.</i> Not anyone else’s.
Just my own. And now that I’ve recognized that, I can let them go. My identity,
my value as a human being is much broader than the limitations my fear attempted
to place on me.</div>
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Next up? Once it grows too long for me, I’m going to shave
it. And, honestly, I can’t believe it took me so long to get up the courage. It’s
just hair, after all. The value of my services, the way I help clients see their writing or their life in a new way, my dependability, and the way I interact with
clients—how I give them my full attention, and speak to them respectfully and
encouragingly—well, all of that reflects my
professionalism way more than any haircut ever could.</div>
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Oh, and for all of you who still need a little hint at what
I’ve been producing and working on, here’s a glimpse of me in the recording
booth doing a recording session for <a href="https://www.tadpolepress.com/books"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sophie and Spot</i></a>. I’ve recorded half of the book already, and have just started
learning how to edit. Pro tip: don’t stop editing in the middle of a file. Or
if you do, write down where you ended, because when you come back to it later,
you’re probably not going to remember where you left off and you’ll have to do
the whole thing over again.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiBeXLtgVmTg8IkJKHE6Fht8mfE_qw6msalwswAmdkT_XDRuMDmuVHJbgJJ4YIbj5TfdY3jFnJi9cQdA_qdRIFpq5GcGL-8QWaMFVrrvCxcRVZkbWtOlt15Hd3Hvle6ocsfQ9Taz2aZwIu/s1600/20190214_152855.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiBeXLtgVmTg8IkJKHE6Fht8mfE_qw6msalwswAmdkT_XDRuMDmuVHJbgJJ4YIbj5TfdY3jFnJi9cQdA_qdRIFpq5GcGL-8QWaMFVrrvCxcRVZkbWtOlt15Hd3Hvle6ocsfQ9Taz2aZwIu/s320/20190214_152855.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGOAB8noiFMG633gx3DwLsEYUIxXyeqJndG8JrZUDsFgZB5G_R5-IH_JefWjWX5pl5KjhIBF8K5x2SCJTrcVANx12cdNb9JEIJR3JbrVPc1xI3w2zPWbczYEYdRV8YGtjuBcF8BFxHP6Vj/s1600/20190214_152929.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGOAB8noiFMG633gx3DwLsEYUIxXyeqJndG8JrZUDsFgZB5G_R5-IH_JefWjWX5pl5KjhIBF8K5x2SCJTrcVANx12cdNb9JEIJR3JbrVPc1xI3w2zPWbczYEYdRV8YGtjuBcF8BFxHP6Vj/s320/20190214_152929.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Amber Byershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14464695263973490294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2652609405324256700.post-52483112418663270082019-01-18T15:17:00.000-07:002019-01-18T15:17:54.047-07:00<h2>
My Interview on Denver 9News - Colorado and Company</h2>
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I did my first TV interview for <i>Sophie and Spot</i> on January 3rd with Denise Plante on Colorado and Company, a fun segment on Denver 9News. I was excited and nervous, and so pleased with how it turned out. If you missed the live event, you can still catch the recorded interview.<br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uprZ7lZ_v4"><img alt="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uprZ7lZ_v4" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-npcJdkPpNsBbSuREBghtF_lIuyuoRC-xTcuBfBYzV7LFYl-GMvYUx8yOSzoN1UxsF4c4NWlVKGo_gX6UugnvON1LRnNT6-YdOC9khI83e4ayy2RmSg_Yk7W2TkOIxOL3CoFMDDdzOj0D/s320/20190103_104123.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uprZ7lZ_v4">Watch on YouTube here.</a> </h3>
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We ran out of time before we got to all of the questions, but I<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">’</span>ll share the last question below for those of you who are interested.<br />
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<b>What inspired you to become an author?</b><br />
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Back in November 2016, right after the presidential election, Lafayette had two local stores vandalized, including racial epithets written on the back of Las Monta<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">ñ</span>as Market. It felt like such a shock that our calm little community could experience something so hateful. And I realized that I<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">’</span>m never going to be able to make the kind of change that I want to make in the world through a legal career. But I<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">’</span>m a writer and a storyteller in my core, and I can use my art to raise my voice and envision the kind of world that I want to see and live in.<br />
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So creating a family and a world where gay fathers are accepted, and it<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">’</span>s not something that has to be questioned or explained, was my way of pushing back against what can sometimes feel like an overwhelming current of hate and say, <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">“</span>That<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">’</span>s not me. That doesn<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">’</span>t define me.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">”</span> It was also a really powerful way of visualizing how to move forward through the hate and negativity, and to picture exactly what I want my world to look like.Amber Byershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14464695263973490294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2652609405324256700.post-7137435102588031662018-12-31T21:35:00.000-07:002019-01-03T08:33:06.852-07:00<h2>
The Joys of Marketing</h2>
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Before I started marketing my book, I assumed it was going to be a tedius, frustrating process. After all, I don't know much about marketing. And, as an author<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">—</span>whether you are traditionally or self-published<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">—you are usually responsible for doing</span> all of your own marketing. But now that I've started, I'm enjoying it. Who knew?<br />
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I did a few book readings of <a href="https://smile.amazon.com/Sophie-Spot-Amber-Byers-ebook/dp/B07HVBBDND/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1546268654&sr=8-1&keywords=sophie+and+spot"><i>Sophie and Spot</i></a> this month to several classes of first and second grade students. I was nervous at first and wasn't sure what to expect, but oh my goodness, those kids knocked my socks off! They were smart, engaged, encouraging. They gasped, they oohed and aahed, and they asked fantastic questions.<br />
<br />
For one of my first readings, I
chose a part of the story where Emery, one of Sophie’s friends, falls into a frog
pond. I thought it was a fun part to write, but I was blown away by how many of
the kids specifically related to that part. In one class, there must have been four or five kids who had either fallen into a pond, or their brother or cousin fell
into a pond or creek. It was great!<br />
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Then, at the end of the section I
read, Sophie and her family and friends go to the Louisville pet parade, which
is a little parade of children and their pets that goes on right before the big
Labor Day parade in Louisville. After my reading, I told the children we were
going to do our own pet parade around the room, and they could either choose to
be a pet, a kid, or a swamp monster like Emery. They all immediately jumped
right in and crawled, mooed, and trotted around the room. It was fantastic! In
one class, there were a surprising amount of chickens—like five or six of them! That
kind of creativity just blows my mind.<br />
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Then, about two weeks ago, a friend from my writers group reached out to ask if I'd like to do an interview about my book on Denver 9News. One of her friends is a producer and interviewer there, so I'll be on a short segment called Colorado and Company on January 3rd! Stay tuned—exciting things coming up in the new year!<br />
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Happy New Year to you, my dear blog readers!Amber Byershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14464695263973490294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2652609405324256700.post-57939642321612941922018-11-30T19:50:00.000-07:002018-11-30T19:50:19.654-07:00<h2>
Living the Dream</h2>
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In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I want to focus this blog post on what I am thankful for. I am at a point in this journey where I feel so grateful for all that I have accomplished and all that is yet to come. As you know, I have wanted <a href="https://amberbyersblog.blogspot.com/2016/08/an-invitation-welcome-to-my-new-blog.html">to be an author</a> since I was a young child. And now, as you also know, I have published <a href="https://amberbyersblog.blogspot.com/2018/10/sophie-and-spot-preorder-now-exciting.html">my first book</a>! It's real. My dream has come true.<br />
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And it feels so good to be here, to be living my dream. Even just a few years ago, I might have had a hard time believing that something this good could happen. But today, I know it's true.<br />
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About a decade ago, when I was in the midst of the stress of waiting for my bar exam results that would determine whether I would be admitted to be an attorney or not, I received an envelope in the mail. It was a one page letter stating simply that I had passed and detailing the next steps to become licensed. I wondered what the chance was of them accidentally sending out the wrong letter. I must have read the letter a dozen times before it started to sink in that I had actually passed. Honestly, it probably wasn't until after I attended the swearing-in ceremony and got my license that I started to let myself believe it. I was just that accustomed to and prepared for the worst-case scenario.<br />
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Fast forward ten or eleven years and it's a whole different ball game. When I gave up my legal career, I also gave up that negative mindset. I started focusing on the good in the world. When my worry filled my mind again and again, I thanked it for being there to protect me and then calmly told it that I didn't need to be protected right now. I took deep breaths and focused on my five senses to concentrate on what was actually going on around me right now. I started to believe that I was safe and things were going to work out.<br />
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I quit paying attention to the regular news outlets and started reading <a href="https://www.sunnyskyz.com/">Sunny Skyz</a> when I wanted to know what was going on in the world. I started writing down simple gratitudes—little things I experienced during the day that I was grateful for. I chose to look for the good in the world around me and to believe that people are mostly good. I chose to look for reasons to trust people.<br />
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And now, when all of a sudden my childhood dreams have come true, it feels right. It's not hard to believe at all. Of course this is happening now. It is exciting and fulfilling and just feels so right. I'm so thankful that I changed my mind and changed my life. I'm grateful for the wonderful book I've put out into the world. I'm grateful for the people I've gotten to know along the way and the support I've received. I'm so grateful for the people I've talked to who have loved the book and taken the time to share their favorite parts with me. And I'm so grateful for the opportunity to continue to market my book, share my dreams with the world, and continue to create. I'm thankful for all the fabulous things that are yet to come, because I just know they will be fantastic.Amber Byershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14464695263973490294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2652609405324256700.post-90946776223513504242018-10-18T10:52:00.000-06:002018-10-18T11:59:13.256-06:00<h2>
Sophie and Spot: Preorder Now!</h2>
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Exciting news! It's here! <i>Sophie and Spot</i> is here!<br />
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If you just want to find out where to order, skip this next section and jump down to the order info below.<br />
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<h3>
Crossing the Finish Line: Behind the Scenes</h3>
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I passed the initial review by both Ingram Spark and Amazon, proofed the digital versions of my book and e-book, and have been waiting for a physical proof of each book to come in the mail. And on Tuesday, they were delivered and the books look fabulous! At first I thought they looked identical, but eventually I have been able to see very small differences between the book printed by Amazon and the book printed by Ingram Spark.<br />
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Have you ever gotten to the end of a book and wondered why there are several blank pages? Apparently, that's a choice that the printer makes. I absolutely love that Amazon doesn't add extra pages, but simply prints its barcode and printing info on the last blank page of my book. Ingram Spark, on the other hand, added two extra pages at the end, which is disappointing and unnecessary.<br />
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While the front covers look identical, the back covers are slightly different. Ingram Spark printed the back cover font in darker ink, which I much prefer as I think it makes it easier to read. They also sized the barcode to fit the entire white rectangle, which I also prefer.<br />
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For some reason, the Amazon book looks slightly thicker than the one from Ingram Spark, which is interesting considering they didn't add the two extra pages. The title font on the spine of the Amazon book shows more yellow than the Ingram Spark one. So there you have it. Those are all of the differences that I can find. And they're very subtle differences, so rest assured that whichever book you end up with will be excellent. All of that time formatting paid off because the covers look great, the text didn't fall into the gutter (the middle of the book where the pages stick together), and I am so excited to show them to you.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(c) Amber Byers</span> </div>
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How to Order</h3>
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You can <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sophie-Spot-1-Amber-Byers/dp/1732828601/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1539883117&sr=8-1&keywords=amber+byers">order the paperback on Amazon right now</a>. Preorders are available through Tuesday, October 23. This simply means that you can order now and your book will be shipped on Tuesday. Preorders benefit authors, because all of the sales during the preorder phase are combined into the first week's sales, which gives them a boost in the rankings.<br />
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And, because I also published through Ingram Spark, you can also go to your local bookstore or library anywhere in the country and ask that they order a copy for you. I don't think you can order directly from Ingram Spark as an individual, but let your bookstore know that you want to buy a copy and they should be able to help you out.<br />
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If you run into any issues, or if the options above just don't work for some reason, feel free to reach out to me directly<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">—</span>either through the comments below or via <a href="https://www.tadpolepress.com/contact">Tadpole Press</a><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Thanks so much and happy reading!<br />
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What About an E-Book?</h3>
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Yes, <i>Sophie and Spot</i> is also available as an e-book! Ask your bookstore or library to order you a copy.<br />
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Because Amazon was in the middle of transitioning its publishing platform from CreateSpace to Kindle Direct Publishing when I published, I need to transfer my files over to KDP. Once I do that, you will see an option to buy an e-book on the same page on Amazon that you can find the paperback version.<br />
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What About an Audiobook?</h3>
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My next steps are to promote and market the paperback and e-book versions of <i>Sophie and Spot</i> and then create an audiobook. So stay tuned!<br />
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One Final Request</h3>
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After you read the book, please leave a review on <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sophie-Spot-1-Amber-Byers/dp/1732828601/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1539883218&sr=8-2&keywords=sophie+and+spot">Amazon</a> and <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42254758-sophie-and-spot?from_search=true">Goodreads</a>. One of the first things that bookstores and libraries will look at when deciding whether to order a book is how many reviews it has, so this is a fantastic way to help your favorite authors. Please note that Amazon typically deletes any reviews that aren't linked to a verified purchase, so make sure you use the same account you purchased the book with to leave your review on that site.<br />
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If you loved the book and are wondering how else you can help support it, then please share it with your friends and family, buy an extra copy to donate to your local school or thrift store, and stock up on early holiday gifts for the young readers in your life.<br />
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Thank you a million times over!Amber Byershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14464695263973490294noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2652609405324256700.post-82131024258951624912018-09-30T21:28:00.000-06:002018-10-31T10:12:12.859-06:00<h2>
Back with a Bang!</h2>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(c) Amber Byers</span></div>
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Hello, dear blog readers! I hope you've all had a wonderful summer doing everything you love to do. Good news<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">—</span>I'm back! And not just here, but back with a bang! Summer was reinvigorating and as soon as autumn started, I was bursting with energy, ready to dive back into work again.</div>
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Things have been cruising right along too. I wrapped up my revisions over the summer, sent <a href="https://amberbyersblog.blogspot.com/2018/01/goals-for-2018-at-start-of-new-year-my.html" target="_blank">my book</a> to my beta readers near the end of the summer, and began incorporating their comments early this fall. This was one of the most enjoyable experiences I've had working on my book. I felt like I was sewing together little patches to make a beautiful quilt. For example, I realized that I had three characters playing different roles at the animal shelter where Sophie volunteers. So to simplify things, I combined them into one character and then went through and gave that character some unique characteristics to help readers recognize her. It was really fun jumping through the book and adding the details like that.</div>
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Then I sent the book to my proofreaders, finalized my cover, and thought okay, I'm ready to publish. Not quite. I have been dealing with formatting issues for about two weeks now. I won't bore you with details about mirror margins and embedded fonts, but I will say that this was one of the worst parts of my whole experience<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Amber Byershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14464695263973490294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2652609405324256700.post-79464376480017143012018-05-17T13:39:00.000-06:002018-05-17T13:39:09.871-06:00<h2>
You Are Right Where You Need To Be</h2>
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For <a href="http://amberbyersblog.blogspot.com/2017/06/signing-off-for-summer-when-i-was-in.html" target="_blank">the second year in a row</a>, I’m taking the summer off. Minimizing my work
and taking a break. Similar to what I experienced last year, I have felt frantic
and overwhelmed the past few weeks as I try to wrap everything up ahead of time. I felt like I
wasn’t where I needed to be with my editing business, my book (it’s still not
published!), and I even started to feel behind in my career as a writer. Yes, this
relatively new career. I started thinking about all of the things that I haven’t
done yet and started feeling really behind. So it was definitely time to slow
down and focus on what is happening right here, right now. For in the end,
that’s all we really have, isn’t it?<br />
<br />
I woke up early this morning, around 5 a.m., and started thinking about what
I needed to do today, how maybe I should write a blog post about being in the
moment. Then <a href="http://amberbyersblog.blogspot.com/2016/09/meet-team-today-you-get-behind-scenes.html" target="_blank">my cat</a> jumped on my bed and told me to just live in the moment
(i.e. snuggle and pet him) instead of write about living in the moment. So I
did.<br />
<br />
When he jumped down, the sun was just starting to peek over the horizon so I
went for a walk by the creek in the quiet calm before the day begins. It has
been snowing cottonwood fluff all week, swirling down in lazy currents and
collecting in big balls on the ground, but I've been so busy that I haven't had
a chance to walk along the creek path and watch the fluff come down. Until this
morning.<br />
<br />
And what I discovered was not what I was expecting. I didn't see any cotton
snowing down, but I did discover song birds chorusing their greetings, fields
of dandelions blooming, and the first rays of golden sun touching the earth. Dewdrops
on blades of grass soaked my toes as I walked. It was beautiful and reminded me
that while I may not be where I had hoped to be, I am right where I need to be.
Every challenge is an opportunity. It does not delay the path, but is simply
part of the path. And no matter where we are, it is right where we are supposed
to be. And it will change. It will all change. Goodbye, spring. Hello, summer.<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">(c) Amber Byers</span></div>
<br />
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<br />
<br />Amber Byershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14464695263973490294noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2652609405324256700.post-22459115233978894122018-04-25T14:18:00.000-06:002018-04-25T14:33:00.345-06:00<h2>
Transformations</h2>
<br />
I had a good friend call me up a few weeks ago and ask me how I did it.
Specifically, how did I make the jump from being an attorney to a writer? Was
there one moment that I knew I needed to change, or did it build up slowly?<br />
<br />
There were many moments, and many ups and downs. The moment during my first
semester of law school when I knew with absolute certainty that being a
litigator in the adversarial system was not for me. The moments when I chose to
ignore that feeling. The months of looking for work and wondering where I would
belong. Other moments where I enjoyed aspects of the work I was doing, even as a civil
litigator in the adversarial system. The months of dread when I wondered how I would
ever move on to something else. But always, always the creeping feeling that
this wasn’t entirely me.<br />
<br />
Something wasn’t quite right. I didn’t feel right. My health was suffering.
My life outside of work was suffering. I think what it came down to was the simple,
undeniable fact that I knew things could be better. That <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I</i> could be better. And the final push was knowing that I needed to
be a better person for the people who depended on me the most. It is amazing what I am
willing to put myself through, but there is a very firm line of what I am
willing to put the people I love through. And once that line had been crossed,
there was no going back.<br />
<br />
Sometimes an awakening is triggered not by concern for ourselves, but by
concern for someone else. For how our actions impact other people, or something
that ignites a strong reaction to defend someone else, even if we wouldn’t have
defended ourselves.<br />
<br />
At first, I focused on paying off my student loans. If I could just pay them
off, then things would be alright and I could move on to something else. But I
quickly realized that I need an earlier escape. So I started to make plans.
Throw out ideas, dream about what I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">would</i>
do if I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">could</i>. Even when it didn’t
seem like it would ever be possible. Yet I still hoped and I still dreamed. And
I plodded along.<br />
<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(c) Amber Byers</span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"></span></div>
Sometimes I talked about my dreams. I talked to people in different areas of
the law, people outside of the law. Sometimes I questioned if I even knew what
I wanted. Sometimes I cried and agonized over the loss of what I had hoped a legal
practice would be for me.<br />
<br />
Yet at the same time that I was being pushed out of my legal career, I was also
being pulled into my new life as an artist. This one idea kept coming up, the
same idea that’s been coming up for my entire life. Writing. It’s what I always
go back to. Whenever I’m at a standstill, it’s this little idea that keeps
popping up inside my head. And I start thinking, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">wouldn’t it be wonderful if I could just write?</i><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</xml><![endif]--> Because I am an artist at my core and there is a certain peace that comes
from being who you really are.<br />
<br />
There are untold
stories waiting inside of me to be written, found, discovered. And I start
thinking about the authors who have inspired me over the years. Sometimes I feel
frantic for all of the time that I’ve wasted not writing. There are so many
books to write, things to learn, awards to win! And then I remember that I’m
right where I need to be. All of that time spent in uncertainty, feeling stuck –
it was just getting me ready for this right now.<br />
<br />
Sometimes I still plod along and question what I want. But I am a force in
motion now. I don’t have to know all of the answers. I just have to keep moving.
Amber Byershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14464695263973490294noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2652609405324256700.post-77326358534457349642018-03-31T20:26:00.000-06:002018-03-31T20:26:47.232-06:00<h2>
Happy Easter, Happy Spring, Happy Happy Everything!</h2>
<h2>
<br /></h2>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(c) Amber Byers</span></div>
<br />Amber Byershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14464695263973490294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2652609405324256700.post-32743571066427682622018-02-28T19:53:00.001-07:002018-02-28T19:53:40.939-07:00<h2>
Business is Booming</h2>
<br />
Well, hello there! How's it going, my dear blog readers? It's time for another update. I can feel winter moving into spring already. January was a slow, sleepy month that settled on me like a fog. I would have wished for more energy and warmer weather, but I do believe that
this kind of low level energy that makes me want to go slow and sleep a
lot is an important part of the year and my life. So I embraced it and didn't rush anything, and eventually the cocoon melted away.<br />
<br />
Then, just as quickly, February pounced upon me with a fierce intensity. My <a href="https://www.tadpolepress.com/" target="_blank">editing business</a> picked up and my days - and even my weekends - took on a focus like I haven't seen since my time as an attorney. But it was fun. Even the nine-hour day I put in one Saturday. Because I'm reading fun fiction books, which is such a delightful way to make a living. And it didn't hurt that I was in charge and knew that if I needed to slow down, I could. But I didn't need to.<br />
<br />
And in the midst of both of these very different months, I've found time to continue writing. One of my critique groups passed the point of already-written material back in January, which meant that I needed to write the end of my book so it could be critiqued. The writing process was as slow as molasses in January, but by the time February kicked in, it was picking up speed. And I realized that there is more to my story than I thought there would be. I won't give any spoilers, except to say that I always hate it when books and movies end with someone getting married. Because just when you're finally getting to the interesting part, they wrap it all up with a tidy little bow like there's nothing else worth mentioning. So I shouldn't be entirely surprised that the end I thought I'd decided for my book wasn't really the end. And it still feels so good to be writing again.<br />
<br />
Overall, the biggest benefit from my critique process has been giving me confidence in my book. Confidence that it is a good story that I've written well. I know that it won't be the best story I've ever written (hey, I'm just getting started here!), but I'm gaining the confidence to be excited to put it out there in the world. I also went to a writing class recently where I got to read a portion of my book out loud, which would normally be pretty terrifying for me. But for some reason, I had a lot of fun with it. I read slowly and calmly and gained useful tips for speaking events that I'll certainly put into use as a published author.<br />
<br />
It's been a wonderful, wild ride these past two months and I'm looking forward to what March brings next. No matter what kind of month you're having, I hope you're able to follow your dreams, enjoy what you're creating, and grab onto the confidence to share your creations with the world.Amber Byershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14464695263973490294noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2652609405324256700.post-25515574841816433922018-01-14T14:48:00.000-07:002018-01-14T14:48:01.425-07:00<h2>
Goals for 2018</h2>
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At the start of the new year, my writers' group devoted its weekly meeting to setting and sharing our goals for the year. I missed that meeting, but I have been thinking about what goal I would set if I had been there. And while I'm not big on setting new year's resolutions for the sake of them, I do think that they can be helpful in terms of focusing on specific goals and staying accountable to them.<br />
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So, after some thought, I've decided that my goal for 2018 is to publish <i>Sophie and Spot</i>. I recognize that creativity tends to set its own time frame, but considering that I've already written about 90-95% of it and have critiqued nearly all of that, I think it's reasonable to assume that I will be able to finish the last bit of writing and critiquing, and then work through the revision process so I can publish it this year.<br />
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Also, on a broader scale, my overall goal this year is to be devoted to creativity and find joy in creating things. I have had a lot of new ideas recently for stories I want to write in the future, and am excited to see them develop page by page. I am looking forward to immersing myself in reading, writing, exploring new adventures, and creating.<br />
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What about you? What are you looking forward to creating this year?Amber Byershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14464695263973490294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2652609405324256700.post-18374963338018810762017-12-06T13:03:00.001-07:002018-10-04T14:45:24.584-06:00<h2>
Writing Devotion</h2>
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I am a very dedicated, hard-working person, but sometimes it is hard to keep writing, even for me. The usual culprits: balancing my writing time with everything else in my life. That's nothing to complain about. I am grateful for my full life- building <a href="https://www.tadpolepress.com/" target="_blank">my growing business</a>, prioritizing my health, spending quality time with my family and friends. But what to do when I don't have all the time in the world to be carefree and write leisurely? Here are a few things I've done in the past few months to keep on writing when the world wants to slow me down.<br />
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<h4>
Think Small</h4>
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Sometimes, when I know I don't have the time to write an entire chapter, I find it freeing to shrink my goal. In November, I chose to write several pieces for the César Egido Serrano Foundation Micro Fiction contest. How short is micro fiction? This one was 100 words. It was invigorating knowing that I only needed to write one paragraph, and it was a challenge to cram everything into that short space!<br />
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<h4>
Write Goals Down</h4>
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At my writers' group a while ago, we wrote down our writing goals for the next week and then shared them with each other. That combination of making a concrete goal and adding accountability works like magic! My goal at the time was to find a critique group, and since then I've found one critique partner in person and one online, and our critiques are moving right along.<br />
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<h4>
Write Daily Tasks</h4>
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This is a smaller version of writing my goals down. When there are so many things to choose from each day and a limited amount of time to do it all, I find it extremely helpful to write a quick list of what I plan to do each day. By starting each day with some planning, I remember what is important to me to do that day. This is much better than getting sucked down the rabbit hole of emails and alerts and miscellaneous other stuff that can easily fill my day.<br />
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<h4>
Find Inspiration</h4>
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This is a big one for me. If I only think of writing as another task to do, the appeal and enjoyment quickly get sucked right out of it. Because I am such a visual person, I get inspired by beautiful photos and videos, like <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8oJV_mBY9g" target="_blank">this one</a>. I also love seeing other people creating exactly the kind of art that they are best suited to make. Like <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMGrjjzz1r8" target="_blank">Twenty One Pilots</a> and <a href="http://www.cosmickids.com/" target="_blank">Cosmic Kids Yoga</a>. Sometimes, though, I also accept that I will write when I'm not inspired, and just accept it and move on.<br />
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What are you inspired to do? What do you do to stay devoted to your dreams?<br />
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<br />Amber Byershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14464695263973490294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2652609405324256700.post-45545400605066125872017-11-15T11:25:00.000-07:002017-11-15T11:25:09.244-07:00<h2>
Starting the Critique Period</h2>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(c) Amber Byers</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">I think it's about time for an update on my book. As you know, I've written nearly all of it (about 90-95%) but haven't been writing anything new for awhile. I took the summer off and spent most of the fall working on building up <a href="https://www.tadpolepress.com/" target="_blank">my editing business</a>. I was also pondering what to do next, and in which order - critique groups, beta readers, developmental editor, copy editor. There are so many possibilities, especially for self-published authors!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">Anyway, I recently decided that a critique group would give me the best feedback of what I was looking for - a detailed perspective from readers regarding character development, overall storyline, content, and structure. I did a lot of research online and was surprised at how hard it was to find a group. There are a lot of groups online where I could have submitted my book and had it critiqued on a one time basis, but I was really looking for the personal, in depth experience that you build with people you meet with repeatedly over a long term basis.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">Luckily, I found one in person critique partner and one online critique partner and we started critiquing each other's books a few weeks ago. Very quickly, I realized that critiquing can be a challenging process. Now, this is coming from someone who genuinely searched out a critique group in order to gather valuable, detailed insight into what could make my book better. However, the first time I got a critique back with those valuable insights, I admit that it was difficult for me. My natural insecurity reared its ugly head and tried to play tricks on my mind. For example, instead of hearing "clarify this section" my mind automatically translated that comment into "why did you think you could even write this book?" Which is a kind of ridiculous response when I think about it.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">Fortunately, one thing I've been working on a lot over the last year is changing from a negative mindset to a positive mindset, which bolsters my confidence. As an attorney, I got used to a lot of negativity. There are constantly people fighting each other, especially when you're in litigation, and there are plenty of opposing counsel and sometimes even colleagues who are constantly disparaging you or your work. In my experience, it was simply a way of life that there were more people trying to tear each other down than bring each other up in the legal field. Add in the fact that to do a good job as an attorney, you have to imagine every possible scenario, however unlikely, that could jeopardize your client's interests - and you can see how negativity seeps into everything you see.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">When I decided to leave the practice of law behind, I also chose to leave all of that negativity behind, though it takes longer to shake than simply walking out the door of the firm and never going back. To aid this process, I've started writing daily gratitude lists of a few things I'm thankful for each day. Little things that would have gone unnoticed before, like sweet comments from a friend or unexpected surprises that make me laugh. And it's been so good. I've also started relying on my 5 senses in an effort to focus on what's actually happening <i>right now</i>. In letting go of the potential crises that await around the corner, I am becoming much more able to live in the moment and be aware of how wonderful life actually is.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">So, I've done a fair bit of research and practice over the last year and had some tricks up my own sleeve when my mind started to play tricks on me. First, I didn't do anything right away. I usually find it's best not to make any sudden moves when I'm feeling insecure. I also leaned on my friends and family, both for emotional support as well as perspective. I got together and shared my concerns with one friend, who agreed to read over my book and give me her perspective as well. For a lot of reasons, I really value her perspective and think she will be able to give me valuable feedback and encouragement. And finally, I addressed my insecurities directly with my critique partner. I've found that usually the best thing in any difficult situation in life is to simply be myself. So I shared my struggles and asked to sandwich in critiques between layers of encouragement. For example, to say "this section works really well", "improve this section here", and "keep writing!" As an added benefit, by pointing out sections where my writing works well, I also see what is working well for readers and have an example of what good writing looks like. The best part? When my critique partner responded, we ended up having a much more detailed conversation about our writing, our background, and what we're looking for. Plus, she told me that many authors vacillate between "This is a masterpiece!" and "This is crap! Why did I waste my time on this?!" and just hearing that totally made me laugh, because I could relate so well!</span>Amber Byershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14464695263973490294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2652609405324256700.post-23266127513054513142017-10-11T11:27:00.000-06:002017-10-11T11:27:38.969-06:00<h2>
A Love Note</h2>
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Thank you to everyone who has supported me on this journey. Sometimes, you may think that you fade into the background, overshadowed by the daily events that fill our lives. But I do notice you and so today, I want to step back and say thank you. You all mean so much to me. The people who have my back through thick and thin. The people who love me when I feel like the rest of the world doesn't. The people who accept me for who I am. The people who watch it all fall apart, only to encourage me to get back out there and try again. And the people who celebrate when things go well. Thank you for being there and encouraging me. It gives me wings with which to soar.<br />
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And here's a special thank you to Kyle. I tried to get the cats to sit down and work so I could show you how productive our team is, but they were very busy with their own plans.<br />
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Eventually, I sat Kuma down to explain the benefits of work and productivity and efficiency, though I'm not sure he entirely bought it. It's not the greatest photo, but he didn't want to stick around for an in-depth photo shoot.</div>
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At least he tried. Numi couldn't be bothered to get out of bed. He said he was perfectly fine with his own work plans, thank you very much.<br />
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Love you!<br />
AmberAmber Byershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14464695263973490294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2652609405324256700.post-51715660422487764522017-09-28T12:30:00.000-06:002017-09-28T12:30:07.687-06:00<h2>
Welcome Back!</h2>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb7QTqLgXZ54D0asr6eN6vjznvkhA5g25-eXam9mX7iwBbPaNuL_yYUxEnfUk8QfBB0H8ISycmYpV7lF5WhZw1XPmpEW-ZV0EAURCz69VG8x9Wc4XE0UBP3dMB4lV9oxVS04eXPQeY2ibQ/s1600/20170917_102649.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb7QTqLgXZ54D0asr6eN6vjznvkhA5g25-eXam9mX7iwBbPaNuL_yYUxEnfUk8QfBB0H8ISycmYpV7lF5WhZw1XPmpEW-ZV0EAURCz69VG8x9Wc4XE0UBP3dMB4lV9oxVS04eXPQeY2ibQ/s400/20170917_102649.jpg" width="400" /></a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(c) Amber Byers</span></div>
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Well, hello there! It's been awhile. I hope you've all had a wonderful summer full of rest and sunshine. And now that it is officially autumn, I hope you're all ready to read some good blog posts.<br />
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I have a lot of thoughts swirling around my mind, like red and yellow leaves swirling to the ground. So before I get started, I'm actually starting with a quick poll for my readers. <br />
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What would you like to see more of on this blog this year?<br />
<ol>
<li>Thoughts on inspiration and creativity.</li>
<li>Details about the writing and publishing process.</li>
<li>Inspiring photos.</li>
<li>More cats. </li>
<li>Something else?</li>
</ol>
How often would you like to read this blog?<br />
<ol>
<li>Every week.</li>
<li>Every other week.</li>
<li>Once a month.</li>
<li> Something different?</li>
</ol>
As always, feel free to respond in the comments below or by contacting me directly. Thanks for responding and sharing your thoughts!Amber Byershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14464695263973490294noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2652609405324256700.post-10404833644143919592017-06-21T20:50:00.001-06:002019-05-21T15:40:16.757-06:00<h2>
Signing Off for Summer</h2>
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When I was in the job market for attorney positions, I found a lot of law firms boasting about their work life balance. Sensing a rising demand from potential applicants, many firms included this catch phrase in an effort to offer more attractive benefits. Yet, despite how prevalent the phrase has become, I've never seen a firm that actually blew me away with their interpretation of it. Most firms are still reluctant to offer reduced, part time, or telecommuting schedules. Working only 40 hours a week in the legal field, especially in the private sector, seems to be the cream of the crop in terms of work life balance. I don't think this is necessarily limited to the legal field, either.<br />
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What I always found interesting about this though, is the thought of trying to balance our work with the rest of the things that comprise our lives when the standard work week consists of 5 days of work and 2 days of everything else. How do you fit everything that you need into those remaining 2 days? Basic chores like laundry, grocery shopping, and paying the bills take up a big enough chunk of time out of those 2 days, let alone bigger home maintenance projects. Add in enough time to exercise, socialize, sleep, and take care of young children or elderly parents, and there's hardly a minute of just plain down time. Time to actually decompress, daydream, or do nothing at all. It just doesn't balance.<br />
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When else in your life have you ever seen 5 and 2 balance? We know that if you put 5 apples on one side of a balancing scale and 2 apples on the other, they just won't balance. At least if the apples are the same size and quality.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(c) Amber Byers</span></div>
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But we somehow accept this lopsidedness when it comes to our own lives. We accept that 40 hours a week is a great deal. Then, to make everything else fit into those 2 days a week, we sacrifice. Maybe we don't sleep or exercise as much as we should. Maybe we lose touch with friends. Maybe we lose sight of our own needs and what we need to do to maintain our own health and happiness.<br />
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Yet I firmly believe that this path is not worth taking. Trying to juggle this incessantly unbalanced scale is exhausting. It didn't make me a happier or healthier person, or someone who was able to live by my own values.<br />
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So that is why I am writing to let you know that I am taking the summer off. Not from everything, but from as many things as I can. I won't be posting my semi-regular blog posts. I won't be attending my weekly writer's group, though I still hope to stay in touch with them. I am still working out the details of my own work. At this time, I still plan to accept clients through my editing business, as there is the necessity of paying the bills and that time commitment is still quite small. And I will be working with my illustrator to finalize the cover art for my book. As for the rest of my time, will I finish writing my book and get started editing? If I do, I will do it on random days or evenings as I have time, hopefully without the relentless pressure of needing to accomplish something that usually hovers over me.<br />
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And in the meantime, I'll be out there experiencing all of the other things that didn't fit into those 2 days in the past. Doing what I love - being in the great outdoors during my favorite time of year. Growing, learning, and restoring my own balance. So that I can not only come back in the fall with renewed energy and excitement for all of my projects, but also so that I take a moment in the middle of some of the best years of my life to appreciate why it is that this life on this earth is such a joy to live in the first place.<br />
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#WorkLifeBalance #Summertime #LivingALifeImagined Amber Byershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14464695263973490294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2652609405324256700.post-13967458138193913602017-05-25T20:54:00.000-06:002017-05-25T21:03:04.784-06:00<h2>
Achievement v. Inspiration, part 2</h2>
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A few days after I made <a href="http://amberbyersblog.blogspot.com/2017/05/achievement-v.html" target="_blank">my last post</a>, I realized that I'd forgotten to include my status update at the bottom. See what I mean about it being hard to balance both achievement and inspiration, especially simultaneously? Anyway, here it is below for those of you who are curious about the stats of how things are progressing.<br />
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And another quick update on a few accomplishments recently. I selected the size of my book cover, which was actually much more difficult than you may think. It involved researching printing options, including available standard and custom sizes, publication costs, and profit margin per book - as well as estimating how things like type and size of paper affects each of those.<br />
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It also required me to estimate the total number of pages in my unfinished book. I should note that I think I am doing things in a slightly different order than most authors, since I chose to hire an illustrator before I finished writing my book. I did this for two reasons. First, I wasn't sure how far out I needed to book an illustrator, or how hard it would be to find one. (I was lucky and found one easily who was available right away). And second, I didn't know how long it would take the illustrator to finish the cover art, so I figured it would get my book to print faster if the final writing and cover illustration were happening at the same time. Even though it makes it harder to estimate printing costs without a finished product, the process works fine for me. I did, however, wait until the story and characters were developed enough that I knew the idea for the cover wouldn't change.<br />
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After the research, I also got out the tape measure and physically measured a bunch of comparable books for the same age group and style. None of them were exactly the same as the standard sizes offered. After trying to estimate the sizes in the air with my hands multiple times and failing, I finally went ahead and cut out two pieces of paper, one for each of the closest sizes to my comparable books, and held them up. Having a physical copy to actually hold in my hands was invaluable. Holding my cutout next to my comparable books, I decided to go with 5.25" x 8". It will be almost exactly the same width, and just a little taller than most of the comparables. And I'll have the option of printing on either white or cream paper.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(c) Amber Byers</span></div>
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My illustrator has been so patient with me throughout this process. She is quick as lightening in her responses, but thankfully calm and patient with my slower response time. It is a relief to work with her without unnecessary pressure. And, speaking of her quick response time, here is the first round of color illustrations that she sent me already. We are making progress! As before, I'd love to hear your thoughts either in the comments below or sent to me directly.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWUlRs0-T43ExmEAXwDEV5E8yXdflv959kzjX3WH0O4Ff9UmSonR8gVYHcoH8hazeL-WQuIuhv022Aout_mjmrRFqtMGwrXF6VVcGDRfH58CjD4wOPlmMemeVtyNI-un5Kz0dW-66u98YF/s1600/Cover+Art+-+Round+3+-+Top+3+-+resized+for+blog3.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="583" data-original-width="1111" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWUlRs0-T43ExmEAXwDEV5E8yXdflv959kzjX3WH0O4Ff9UmSonR8gVYHcoH8hazeL-WQuIuhv022Aout_mjmrRFqtMGwrXF6VVcGDRfH58CjD4wOPlmMemeVtyNI-un5Kz0dW-66u98YF/s640/Cover+Art+-+Round+3+-+Top+3+-+resized+for+blog3.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Sophie and Spot</span></div>
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I've also had a great time writing lately. I got inspired in my story all
over again after reading some of it out loud to my target audience. I got such great
feedback that really rejuvenated my entire writing process!<br />
<br />
As I near the end of my book, I am filled with such a mix of emotions. Excitement, pride, and anticipation, of course. But also sadness and a sense of loss, knowing how much I love the characters I've created, and wishing they were friends I could stop by to share a cup of tea with. Thank goodness for sequels! <br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Status: <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">33</span>,249 words. <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Cover size selected</span>. First round of color illustrations in.</span></b></span>Amber Byershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14464695263973490294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2652609405324256700.post-39645705444208202582017-05-09T21:30:00.000-06:002017-05-09T21:30:32.167-06:00<h2>
Achievement v. Inspiration</h2>
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The last two months have been a different time for me in my writing journey. I've been using a lot more of my executive, achievement traits and much less of my creativity. It was good, and necessary, and I have an awesome website to show for it. But it always feels good to come back to the writing, the creative process. To me, it is calming in a way that few other things are. To me, it feels like coming home. Coming back to my true self. <br />
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I think there's a balance between that creative spirit and the get-it-done attitude. I'm good at both of them, but the hard part is maintaining the balance so I can have both of them at more or less the same time. The best way I've found to do this is to write for a few hours in the morning, then do business development and all of that other left brained stuff in the afternoon. Because the minute I open that first email or draft that one to-do list item, my brain shifts away from the creative process. And then it is ever so hard to shift it back. I need to start doing this again more regularly.<br />
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As I've been doing less of my writing in the mornings lately, I've noticed that my blog posts have become sparser and more of a list of accomplishments. So, in order to break that trend, I am going to tell you a story about when I was a kid. Not that this story has anything to do with achievement or inspiration, but it is a good story, at least looking back on it. And good storytelling, I've heard, is about as essential as good writing to making a good book. Here's to hoping that I have both the necessary storytelling and writing abilities to make it work!<br />
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* * *</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
One night when I was about 10 years old, my parents
went out for the night and left me at home with a friend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not a babysitter, but one of my friends from
school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I believe she was a year older
than me, but still about the same level of maturity of firmly believing in
magic and creating our own fantasies, which included scary ghosts about as much
as it included . . . well, no, I can’t remember imagining anything except scary
ghosts, devils, and deceased spirits come back from the grave.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nope, definitely no fairy princesses
springing forth from our imaginations.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Anyway, one of our favorite places to play at my old house was
under the front porch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You couldn’t get
to it from outside, because the sides were fenced off with a white crisscrossed latticework.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The only way to get to
it was to go through the house, go down into the basement, and then climb out
of this window that was up really high in the wall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It must have been designed by an adult who
wasn’t anticipating the adventures that young children would have, so we had to
stand on a tall chair just to reach it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Then, because the window swung out into the basement, so you had to hold
the window straight out while you climbed under it.</div>
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<br /></div>
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We frequently played under there, digging through the
dried-up leaves and dirt that had collected and inspecting every rock or piece
of wood to see if it could be a fossil bone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We were determined to be paleontologists, and were convinced that we
would make the next big discovery.</div>
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<br /></div>
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On this night when my parents were out, we did find a
bone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A real bone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We brushed the leaves and dirt off and dug it
out of the ground and found that the little bone sticking up out of the ground
was connected to another bone, which was connected to a whole series of
bones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A baby dinosaur!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had found a real baby dinosaur right under
the porch of my very own house!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were
going to be famous!</div>
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<br /></div>
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It was about the size of a cat, which is how we knew it was
a baby dinosaur.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clearly not an adult
dinosaur.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We dragged it up through the
dirt, climbed back out through the window to drop down into the basement, up
the long rickety wooden stairs, and around the corner to the bathroom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We set the bones down in the bathroom sink, turned
the water on, and filled the sink with water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That was the obvious next step, of course - to clean the bones up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What luck that all the bones were still
connected, too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The only problem was
that there was still fur matted all along the body.</div>
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<br /></div>
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At some point in this process, things took a drastic
turn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe it was the remaining
fur.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe it was the bright lights of
the bathroom, such a contrast from the dark cave under the porch late at
night, which had only been illuminated by the small basement window.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe it was the way the baby dinosaur looked
different soaking in a bathroom sink.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or
maybe it was just the sneaking feeling of fear that comes over a young child
when they’re home alone on a dark, late night.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Whatever it was, our confidence and excitement changed from
pride to be the youngest paleontologists ever to make such an important
scientific discovery to . . . being completely afraid, creeped out, and well,
grossed out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, what’s a kid to
do?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We didn’t put it back under the
porch or take it outside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No, we left it
exactly where it was and then locked the door.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The bathroom door at that house had a keyhole that locked with an actual
key, one of those old fashioned looking skeleton keys, so you could either lock it from the inside or the outside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Naturally, we locked it from the outside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While we didn’t want to be near it, we also
retained some small shred of hope that my parents would come home, confirm our
miraculous discovery, and our paleontology dreams would continue as
planned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You never know.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Next, we probably went around the house and turned on every
light we could find.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Beyond that, I
don’t remember what else we did that night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I don't recall what we did with the bathroom key. I don’t recall
if we washed our hands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also don’t
recall if we were already asleep or awake huddled together in fear somewhere
when my parents came home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do remember
that they firmly fell into the “it’s a cat” camp, not the “it’s a baby
dinosaur” camp.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also remember that the
responsibility of removing the cat and cleaning the sink did not fall upon
either me or my friend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can only
assume this was because we were either asleep or huddled together with such
fear in our eyes that they took pity on us and let us off the hook.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am still thankful to my stepdad, who
somehow became the one to have the unimaginable duty of cleaning up after his
budding paleontologist that night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can
only imagine the conversation between him and my mom.</div>
Amber Byershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14464695263973490294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2652609405324256700.post-6348390857215764352017-04-27T20:37:00.001-06:002017-05-25T21:01:53.187-06:00<h2>
Tadpole Press Website Launch, Cover Art Decisions & More!</h2>
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There are a lot of fun things I'm excited to share with you today, and for those of you who are visually oriented, today's post is extra delightful! First up, I am thrilled to announce that my website for Tadpole Press has launched! Check it out here - <a href="http://www.tadpolepress.com/">www.tadpolepress.com</a>. Please click around, test the links, read the content, and leave me your feedback either below or send it to me directly. I'd love to hear what you think, if you run into any weird issues, and especially if you come across any typos. Since this is a platform for my editing business, typos are my dreaded enemy, so please quest them out so I can vanquish them!<br />
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If you want to hear about any upcoming special events, be sure to <a href="http://www.tadpolepress.com/" target="_blank">subscribe</a> to my company mailing list. Don't expect a lot of news from this list, though; I envision that it will be used pretty sparingly to offer special deals or announce when my books get published.<br />
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And if you know of anyone who is looking for an editor, please send them my way. Our doors are open for business!<br />
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Second up, I am having so much fun working with my illustrator <a href="http://pennyweberart.com/" target="_blank">Penny Weber</a> on the cover design for the book I'm writing. I just got her second round of rough sketches and they are all so wonderful, I am kind of wishing I didn't have to make just one cover, because I'd love to see all of them! But, eventually I will have to nail it down to just one design. Which one is your favorite?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3NHWvQEyyTsCOXMghxsn4RxcUjkIuQUQBay-RMp2PxA0ECbQzPcT1AE7rMJDBq5GEuz9IAzVUd2ueggs4w8A94HMxkzjFsTLVtUrijt7UbvGDTBpbrua5FTxFcCy2tTOn5JDkOgCUJBTf/s1600/Cover+Art+-+Round+2+-+Top+3+-+resized2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3NHWvQEyyTsCOXMghxsn4RxcUjkIuQUQBay-RMp2PxA0ECbQzPcT1AE7rMJDBq5GEuz9IAzVUd2ueggs4w8A94HMxkzjFsTLVtUrijt7UbvGDTBpbrua5FTxFcCy2tTOn5JDkOgCUJBTf/s640/Cover+Art+-+Round+2+-+Top+3+-+resized2.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-size: x-small;">Sophie and Spot</span> </div>
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Finally, how's the writing going, you ask? It is still somewhat relegated to the back burner for the moment, though not entirely. I woke up before 5:00 a.m. last week and since I couldn't fall back asleep, I decided to get up and write. It felt so good to immerse myself in the story again! I love when the words flow effortlessly, the characters deepen, and the plot moves forward in ways that feel like new worlds opening up around you. It was fun. And within about an hour, I had another 1,000 words written, breaking the 30,000 word barrier. It was reinvigorating and I'm looking forward to the next big chunk of time when I get to sit down and write again.<br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Status: <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">30</span>,4<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">35</span> words. <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Reviewing first drafts of cover sketches</span>. <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Tadpole P<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">ress website published!</span></span></span></b></span>Amber Byershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14464695263973490294noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2652609405324256700.post-50068274535365639692017-04-13T10:59:00.000-06:002017-04-13T10:59:22.917-06:00<h2>
Introducing My Illustrator, Penny Weber!</h2>
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Well, hello there, my dear blog readers! It's been awhile. I figured I'd better give you all an update on what I've been working on these past few weeks, lest you think I've forgotten you.<br />
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Not a lot of writing over the last few weeks. I am still around 3/4 of the way done with my book. But, I am happy to announce that I've hired an illustrator for the cover art. <a href="http://pennyweberart.com/" target="_blank">Penny Weber</a> will be creating the artwork for the cover. You can check out her <a href="http://pennyweberart.com/?page_id=19" target="_blank">gallery</a> to see her incredible work and you'll understand why I'm excited to partner with her for this project.<br />
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The other big thing I've been working on these past few weeks is creating a website for my editing business. It has been a slow process, but because I want to get it up and running and start drumming up business, I've been replacing some of my writing time with this work instead. And I'm excited to say that it's almost finished! I'll let you all know when it's published and you can let me know what you think.<br />
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For anyone using new technology, I strongly encourage you to acquaint yourselves with the save feature. I did not do this at first, and simply assumed that it automatically saved all of the changes I'd been making to my website over the past few hours. It did not, as I discovered the next time I logged in and basically had to start over from scratch. Lesson learned.<br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Status: 29,484 words. Hired an illustrator. Countless hours developing a website for my editing business- almost ready to publish.</span></b></span>Amber Byershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14464695263973490294noreply@blogger.com0