Amber Jennell

November 8th

2007-11-08T20:17:00.000-08:00

Ok, my writing isn't going all that good (hence the very, very sad title to this post!). It's been 8 days since NaNo started and I've written 473 words. Oy! At this rate I'll be finished by November 2009...

Writer's Block

2007-11-03T19:14:00.000-07:00

NaNoWriMo has started and I have writer's block. Sounds about right. I wonder if Starbucks has outlets so I can plug in the lap top...

NaNo, here we go!

2007-11-01T00:29:00.001-07:00

It has begun! Well, more or less. It is now officially November 1st (even if it is 12pm and I haven't seen the warm side of my bed for over 17 hours) and NaNoWriMo has begun! So, what does that mean exactly? What it means is that for the next 30 days any writer friends, authors, or aspiring authors you may have must not be bothered or they will eat you! Okay, maybe eat you, but they'll be very

Blah

2007-10-28T14:43:00.000-07:00

Feeling utterly ill; head hurts, nose is getting stuffy, and my neck... oh, don't get me started! I hate being sick!! Sounds about right, though. NaNoWriMo is in4 days and I am not even remotely ready. Well, perhaps remotely. The desk is clean, my messenger bag is stuffed with notebooks, pens, and pencils. All I need now is a re-fillable coffee mug, my tea kettle cleaned, some QUIET TIME, and

Closing In

2007-10-24T13:35:00.000-07:00

NaNoWriMo is closing in, and I am so not ready! The office is, to put it quite simple, scary (is that a can I just kicked?) The lap top is old, needs to be reformatted, and needs a new battery ($40+) so I don't think I'll be taking IT to the coffee shop anytime soon. That leaves good old pen and paper, though, honestly, how am I suppose to be green when I use up all that paper? Oh, what a

Eh...

2007-10-16T04:04:00.001-07:00

Posted on my other blog, Bits of Amber, and feel much too lazy to post something meaningful here. Sorry folks! Er... GET TO WRITING! I want you all ready for NaNoWriMo before the moth's over!Happy writing!Amber

Belated Post. Again.

2007-10-13T02:51:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's been nearly forever since I last posted. I know, I'm just terrible at posting on a regular basis. My only excuse is that I've been busy. For starters, The Gilded Pen is picking up speed! I'm utterly excited at the amount of good feedback I've been receiving so far. Makes me darn near proud (and perhaps a bit cocky). Of course the forces-that-be saw it in my best interest to knock

The good, the bad, and the shorter

2007-05-19T00:55:00.000-07:00

Got an ubber-exciting package from Tokyopop in the mail the other day. 5 books to review: Scrapped Princess #1-3, Kino No Tabi #1, and Alex Unlimited, The Vosarak Code. Squee! I love being a reviewer. Getting a package like this just makes all those bad ones bearable. Now don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of good books out there and just because I don’t like a couple of them doesn’t mean they

Sword and Sorceress to live again!

2007-03-09T22:22:00.000-08:00

As I do most mornings, I stumbled to my computer blurry eyed and flipped on my computer. Well, more like pushed as the computer has a button not a switch, but you get the idea. After starting the internet and my email client, I stumbled into the kitchen to start the kettle and noticed the biggest bon-fire I have ever seen practically in my front yard. Ok, it wasn’t really in my front yard, it was

Family Trees and Iced Tea

2007-02-20T02:00:00.000-08:00

Family TreesI can’t believe it. I really can’t believe it (well, I do believe it, but If I keep repeating this phrase to my self I may be able to absolve of all liability). What is it I have done, you ask? Why, the most horrid thing imaginable! I have written the family trees for characters from 4 of my stories, and came up with 7 more stories all of which are connected quite complicatedly) that

Rain!

2007-02-09T00:34:00.000-08:00

After 37 days of no rain (and wonderfully spring like weather) the skies have finally opened up. No, no. I’m not complaining. I love the rain and we can use it. The grasses are so dry around here the farmers where starting to panic.. Besides, it’s much better than the freezing cold nights. My poor orange tree can contest to that. Perhaps it’s a good thing I had trimmed it back last spring: it’s

Happy New Years!

2007-01-02T00:41:00.001-08:00

Mood: Hopped up on caffeine Listening to: WolfmotherWell, it's that time again. 2006 has slithered into history leaving behind it a broken trail of resolutions while 2007 has taken root and refuses to budge. Ok, well, fine then! New resolutions on the way! I was failing last years as it was.This year, I've added some reasonable resolutions. A little hard work, some juggling, and I'm all set.

What's to say?

2006-09-25T01:12:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, I said I'll post something. Well, I don't know what to say for my self. Honestly! I have nothing to say!What? You want news? Well, all right, if you insist. My computer died. I lost everything on it for the past 4 months (that is, what I wasn't saving to the thumbdrive. Thank goodness for those!!). My birthday is in 2 days (well, 1 from this post, but we'll just pretend I

Daiquiris, Movies, and Manuscripts

2006-06-13T00:17:00.000-07:00

Hello Dear Reader,It’s Monday, 11:00 pm, I’m eating an ice cream sundae and just finished off my wine cooler (umm… Strawberry Daiquiri). I’ve been listening to rock/classic rock/alternative for the past hour and now I’m ready to write.Yah, my luck, hum? There are currently 5 teenagers in my house right now. 4 boys all under 16 and my little sister, and they want to watch a movie. Fine with me

Sha-ching! (for lack of a better title)

2006-05-23T13:55:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, it’s been a long time since I’ve last posted (wow, two weeks!) but there’s nothing for it. Last Tuesday (or Wednesday, I can’t remember) I received a very terrible virus that caused all my executables to stop working. Extremely annoying, especially since I was unable to simply reinstall the programs infected. Worse of all, the virus affected my burning software and I had to

Progress is as Progress does

2006-05-03T13:16:00.000-07:00

I know it's been a while and I've been remiss in posting, but, well, there hasn't really been anything worth posting. My writing isn't going as well as I would like. I've been busy with 3 web sites and a number of web banners. I did manage to scribble out some stuff for my short story, but that's about all. Not very inspiring. Hopefully this next week will go much better. My progress

95,000 words, 67 days.

2006-04-25T22:20:00.000-07:00

I've tried book-in-a-week. I've tried book-in-a-month. I've flunked them all. So, what about book-in-two-months? Yah, sounds a little crazy for me, but I'm going to try it. I want my book finished and sent in before my 25th birthday, so I guess I better start cracking. The itinerary? April 26th - June 31st = Write. It's that simple. July 1st - August 31st = Review, critique, re-write,

The Highwayman

2006-04-16T23:56:00.000-07:00

The Highwayman - Alfred Noyes 1880-1958Part OneThe wind was a torrent of darkness among the gusty trees,The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas,The road was a ribbon of moonlight, over the purple moor,And the highwayman came riding,Riding-riding,The highwayman came riding, up to the old inn-door.He'd a French cocked-hat on his forehead, a bunch of lace at his chin,A coat of the

Can't just post nothing.

2006-04-10T11:01:00.000-07:00

I know it's monday and I really should post something about my progress as of last week, but the muscles in my back are killing me when I type (not to mention on in my upper arm). Maybe it's from sitting at the computer too long. Probably. I've been working on 2 web pages, 2 banners, and a new blog layout and I'm pooped.Well, I still should post some thing writerlly, so here it is. Info on

Is a title really needed?

2006-03-30T17:11:00.000-08:00

Do you remember that little post I made a few weeks ago? You know the one, about the new line with manga (*squeal*) covers? Yes, that's the one. Can you believe I have it up to 12 chapters already? Not completely written out, mostly outlined with pieces of story dispersed through out. It's coming along wonderfully, but I may change my mind about submitting it to Dorchester.Right now it's

Death of a Character

2006-03-11T13:15:00.000-08:00

Some times it amazes me how easily I can come up with characters. Good characters; ones that make sense, ones that fit into the story smoothly and add texture to the plot. Such is the case of the two secondary characters for my manga-style story. They, as far as I can in vision, add depth to the plot, a comic chuckle now and again, and a little extra that just needs to be added. Personally, I

A New Home?

2006-03-04T22:17:00.000-08:00

OMG, I found a new genre! Read this: Dorchester is launching a new romance line, line name as yet to be determined. Aimed at a young, hip audience, these books will feature 18-25 year old heroines and will be packaged with Manga-style covers. The stories will feature a heroine "stolen from her normal life into an alternate universe--a universe that challenges all she thought she knew.“ The hero

What a Funk

2006-02-26T23:30:00.000-08:00

I’ve been in a really strange funk this week. I’ve been extremely depressed, unable to write, and been drinking tea and cleaning the house like... well, crazy. The house isn’t clean completely; I don’t have that much energy, but I’ve been drinking so much green tea and licorice tea that I think it’s making me sick. On top of that, I was watching my favorite anime Fruits Basket the night before

A Humble Goodbye

2006-02-15T10:35:00.000-08:00

For the past several months (well, only one month shy of a year) my family has been taking care of a little kitten named Emma. Emma was born with no tail, a trait of the Manx cat. Because of this trait - she had no tail, not even a stub - Emma had bladder problems. When we took Emma to the vet, we also found out that she had coccidia, a trait often seen in animals that have been kept in small,

Another Monday

2006-02-13T12:24:00.000-08:00

Well, it's Monday again and I'm posting on time. Life has been fairly dull around here. The weather is wonderful (around 77 F all last week and 73 F this week) so I've been doing some housework. Now the house looks wonderful so I should be able to write guilt-free all this week; something I really need to do since I have been remiss and written less than 300 words all month.I plan on writing

Procrastination is my Middle Name

2006-02-09T13:25:00.000-08:00

Procrastination is my middle name, though I am beginning to think it should have been my first. It has been over two weeks since I actually sat down at the computer (or even at my desk with simple pen and paper) and wrote. I do not have the right to use the excuse “I’ve been busy” because I haven’t. My web site has slowed to a trickle. There have been no new banners, no site designs, nothing

Sunshine and E-Books

2006-01-26T17:58:00.000-08:00

Sunshine Have you ever had one of those days? You know the type; it’s wonderful out side, your body is full of energy, you’ve completed all your chores, and all you need to do – want to do – is write? Yah, I thought you’d know. It’s a wonderful kind of day, isn’t it? So you sit down at your desk, open your MS, open a window to let in the nice, cool air, place your fingers on the keys and then…

A Writer's Plight

2006-01-17T17:10:00.000-08:00

I sat down to write last night, and the words flowed from my fingers like water. Not a river or flash flood, filling up page after page. Simply a small stream, the kind that winds it's way through the trees and over meadow. One page, than another fell be hind the onslaught of my pencil until, more than half way into chapter 3, the stream dried up. Well, it didn't actually dry up so much as

Parties and Pirates

2006-01-09T12:45:00.000-08:00

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday where the official calibration days of LUNA-books' 2nd anniversary. Many LUNA authors where present (those who where not to busy writing up their next book, that is), many prizes where given, and a fine time was had by all - even if most of us where sleep deprived. I can't wait until next year. While partying I was doing research for one of my books (to be

A New Year, A New Resolution

2006-01-02T14:52:00.000-08:00

It's that time again. Time to change your calendar, send the family home, and write out those ridiculously long resolutions that you have absolutely no plan on keeping (and if you do, I'm sure you've already broken half of them by now). Yep, I'm talking about the New Year's Resolution. I've made them for years and have failed to keep a single one of them. But, as with any sort of tradition, I sat

Wet Friday

2005-10-01T21:02:00.000-07:00

You wont believe what I found in my closet this Friday. I can't even remember why I went in there, but I came out p***ed. Seems that my water heater has been leaking for who knows how long. Completely soaked the bottom of my closet. Nothing overly important got ruined, only a box of about 3 years worth of The Horse magazine ($24/year). Luckily my Renaissance magazines where safe.The worst

Link, Link, and Update

2005-09-29T23:11:00.000-07:00

Found this on another author's blog and just HAD to repost it! Read Me! A very interesting article from USA Today about the romance genera. Oh, my! To think, the news is actually talking about Romance novels in a favorable light! Even if they do use the term ' bodice-ripper' at least once (my eyebrow always raises at this term). I know, I know, it is a little old, but hey, it's a very

B-Day Post and CJ score

2005-09-26T16:10:00.000-07:00

Well, I haven't posted for a while, have I? Unfortunately life has kept me busy. I wouldn't be posting now save for the fact that I pulled a muscle balling yarn last night and It hurts to do much of anything. Pathetic, isn't it? And on my birthday. Well, on the other things. I received my score for the RomanticJunkies.com contest (contestjunkies.com). I didn't finale, but I wasn't expecting

Slacking before NaNoWriMo

2005-08-16T12:35:00.000-07:00

Yay, school starts August 18th! While the brothers and sister are at school, I can write. 9-noon, no interruptions. And, boy, will I need the peace.November is National Writer's Month. 50,000 words in 30 days. To prepare, I'm adding 425 words to my monthly total. That means in August, my goal is 425. September will be 850; October 1275; November, 1700. If I fallow this consistently, I will

Long Time, no Post

2005-08-09T12:09:00.000-07:00

Oh, my. I can't believe it's been so long since I've last updated! I should be beaten. Bad Amber.So, what have I been dong? I can't really remember; the past month has been very hectic. I've been writing, plotting, sketching characters. Even came up with a very intriguing new series. I've entered a chapter of ADE in the ContestJunkies.com contest. It has not run yet, but I'm so excited.

Monday Update - 6-20-05

2005-06-20T12:42:00.000-07:00

Well, its Monday again. I hope all of you had a fantastic weekend and a wonderful father's day. It's nice and sunny here in northern norther California, having rained last week. That means it's getting hotter. Yuck. From 61 F to 98F in the span of a week. Double Yuck.Oh, well. Never mind the weather, I have my mochas and the swamp cooler, I'll be fine.As you know, it's updating time, so if

Some Small Updates

2005-06-14T12:55:00.000-07:00

Ok. Summer's here, if not officially, and work has begun in earnest. I've completed several wonderful book banners (oh, all the wonderful stories to read next month!) and am enjoying myself!Unfortunately, the caused my writing to slip a little, as well as my posting. I missed a couple of Mondays (again) and have nothing to report -sigh- I have been sketching out a couple of synopsis thanks to the

A Plan for Summer

2005-05-25T01:07:00.000-07:00

Greetings Readers and fellow writers,This week, and the weeks to fallow, I’ve decided to do things a little bit differently. I’ve decided to post more regularly; weekly in fact, with updates on all my stories. I think it will help keep me on track this summer.Also, along the side bar (<-- over that way!) I will be keeping track of all my stories’ progress in percents. When I post at the end of

Happy Mother's Day

2005-05-08T13:36:00.000-07:00

I wanted to wish all mothers and Big Sisters out there a very happy mother's day. I hope your day bloomed bright and sunny. It started raining here; poring actualy. It isn't so bad, though, because we need the rain. It keeps the air cool and summer at bay for a time. And it helps my strawberries grow. Well, new month. New writings. I've decided to finish my short story and submit

A Little Set Back

2005-04-26T13:37:00.000-07:00

Well, I've been writing fairly consistent. At least 200 words/day. Not as good as I'd like, but better than nothing. Of course, life has stepped in again.My filly is 2 and 1/2 years old, now, and seriously needs to begin her training. That means moving her down here. Unfortunately, the job I was trying for didn't want me and I'm back to the hunting scene. Worse, my car is on the frits so I need

A Little Update

2005-04-14T13:00:00.000-07:00

Well, my idea is flowing nicely (I just love when that happens). I also got my domain: AmberJennell.com! Yay! Now I can be professional like. LOL If you haven't noticed, I'm extremely happy it was still available. I don't think I've ever heard of a book published by an Amber Jennell, so... Of course, I don't have it set up with my writing page, only my web design page. But that's ok, The

A good swift... Kick!

2005-04-10T16:00:00.000-07:00

So much for my writer's competition. For the month of March, my muse had fled and I failed to write a single word towards my 50k goal. -Sigh- I guess that happens. There where things I could have done; forced my self to write, rewrote/revised sections of my story, or jumped into something new, but I didn't feel like it. Such a scary thought, that. I did not feel like writing. Just typing the

A Writing Update

2005-02-26T17:09:00.000-08:00

Well, I know it's been a while. Life, it would seem, does not stop for anybody. After some gentle prodding from friends, I have decided to post again, and let you know how the writing its going. For the past two months, I've been working on a Regency. It was moving nicely until i finished chapter 3 and thought "Hey! I need to add this person!" The person is a perfect addition to the story,

Happy New Year

2005-01-10T01:15:00.000-08:00

Well, in case you are wondering exactly what this blog is about, I will tell you. This blog is a bases for my New Year's Resolution of completing a female focus fantasy novel for submission to LUNA books. I hope you will all enjoy the notes I post in here as well as the mini stories I may come up with. Happy New Years and Happy Writing!