I hope you check out my newest book, The Gift. This is the first novel I’ve written while not working full time at another job. I was shocked, and pleased, at how the book seemed to almost write itself. Whether it’s the 9+ hours a sleep at night, the smell of the Gulf of Mexico in the air, or the empty house while everyone else goes off to work and school, writing this book was fun! This story focuses on a six year old child, Angelina Landon, who has a special gift. She can see into the future. Her mother, Keri, is an overwhelmed single parent who just wants her daughter to be normal. Angelina’s psychiatrist, Dr. Nick Armstrong, is dealing with issues of his own. A sick wife and a burgeoning drinking problem interferes with his ability to remain professional in his relationship with Angelina and Keri both. Tragedy and a breach of Nick’s ethics lead to the removal of Angelina from the home and is the catalyst for Keri to take control over her own life. I love the character of Keri. She starts off as passive and easily manipulated but matures into an independent woman who knows she can survive on her own. She wants love, she wants intimacy, but she’s not afraid of being alone any longer. She’s driving her own success. I would like to be Keri’s friend. This book also marks the first time that I’m considering writing a sequel of sorts. The last chapters of the book introduce a character, ex-priest Brendan McLaren. I truly did write him for one purpose only, but he grabbed my attention during his short stay in my book. I think he may have his own story to tell. I still have another month before I return to work, so I’m going to lounge on the beach and see what Brendan McLaren has to say. In the meantime, enjoy Angelina, Keri, and Nick’s story in The Gift.
Monthly Archives: July 2015
I write because I breathe…
About a month ago, Amazon announced that they would be paying indie authors by the number of pages read instead of just splitting the pot evenly among all authors as they had always done. For example, an author who had written a 20 page erotic novella was getting paid the same as an author who had written a 300 page novel. As somebody who tends to be a little wordy, I was pleased with the change. Many are not. I’ve been reading the Kindle community forum pages as entertainment. There is so much anger, frustration, and drama—-one indie author even brought up the words “class action lawsuit.” I drink my iced coffee and page through the forum posts like I’m reading a soap opera. People are pretty serious about their paychecks. Honestly, I would be upset, too, if I had just found out that my income was about to be cut significantly. However…..here’s my unsolicited advice. If you’re an indie author who is writing for a paycheck, you’re going to spend a lot of time pissed off. Amazon opened up an amazing world for authors who had never been able to break into the traditional world of publishing. I feel incredibly lucky that I found an outlet to share my work. The paycheck is gravy, pure and simple. I wrote long before Amazon started an indie author division and I’ll write until they pry the pen from my cold, dead hands. I hope when I pass through those pearly gates, St. Peter points me towards the cloud that’s named “For Writers Only.” Dibs on the seat next to Charlotte Bronte. If you’re writing for the money, you’re writing for the wrong reason. Write because you have to. Write because you would lose your mind if you didn’t. Write because you breathe.
Sandy Huth 