Tag: Writing

23 Days!

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When the pages closed on “The Secret Slipper,” I knew there had to be at least one more story from these people. Robin Hood has pretty much always been a favorite classic tale of mine. As soon as I realized Dumphey could fill the role of a Robin Hood type of guy, I knew exactly how the series would end. It was, at times, brutal to write because I felt I couldn’t truly do a retelling of Robin Hood justice. There were so many plot bunnies that begged me to follow them, but I had to narrow it down to keep it within the realm of a novella, thanks to the shortness of the previous two books.

24 Days!

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A YEARAGO TODAY I shared on my blog… 

“I just finished my first complete draft of ‘Protecting the Poor!’ I am so excited, but I also realize that there is still a lot of work to be done! I’m hoping to polish up this draft in the next week or two and send it off to some beta readers. Then, Lord willing in December I’ll have some steady writing time again where I can finalize the edits and get it ready for publication!! It’s been a long eight months waiting for the draft to reach a solid foundation, so I’m very, very grateful to be at this point right now!”


Ah… and TODAY I’m glad to be at this point! Do you know what you were doing a year ago today? What did you blog about? Post about on FB?

25 Days!

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Happy August! 

And… 

IT’S RELEASE MONTH!!!
Just a few weeks more, then Dumphey’s and Noel’s story will be in your hands! I’m so excited to share their journey with you!

Where am I today, 25 days from publication? Well, “Protecting the Poor” is currently being read by my final editor (Mom). Then, I need to brush up the final copy, format it, submit it to be printed, and get the week-long release tour scheduled (speaking of, if you’d like to be a part, I still have some openings!). What’s on your to-do list for this month?

It’s Release Month! | Final month of the 3-month tour

Published on by Amanda Tero3 Comments
It’s release month!! 
Wow… this day has come about a year and three brutal rewrites later than I had hoped (okay, okay, creative license here on the description). The twosome is finally becoming a threesome–and I am finally able to tuck a completed series under my belt!
I have to give another huge shout-out to the lovely ladies joining me for a huge 3-month tour celebrating the release of “Protecting the Poor” as well as the two books that came before it. 
A.M. Heath Author
Blossoms and Blessings
We’ve Got Pockets
Faith Blum Author
Drop in the Ocean
Maidens for Modesty
Author Abigail Harris
Honey Rock Hills

These blogs will all have another special post this month–this time, featuring the book we’ve all been waiting for! So be sure to keep up on my blog or just sign up for their blogs to see what comes up! I’ll be giving sneak-peeks, sharing historical tidbits (which will probably have some sneak-peeks as well) and host several giveaways!

Have you added “Protecting the Poor” to your Goodreads’ list yet?

What are you looking forward to this month?

26 Days!

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// EXCERPT // 
Dumphey crouched down beside Betin. He swiped his clammy hands on his jerkin, not able to shake the thought that he knew something more than he realized. “He trained you to take his place.” He didn’t doubt it as he watched Betin grip the dagger again. Its blade flew expertly over the staff, creating angles that didn’t make sense to Dumphey, but seemed to please Betin. “Betin, are you out for revenge?”     
Betin’s freckled face pulled tight in concentration as he ran his fingers over the wood he had just shaped. His movement was quick and sure. Finally, he spoke. “Not revenge. Vengeance is of the Lord.” He paused again and took a deep breath. “Oh, how I wanted to. That eve when he hung. Every part of my being wanted to rush forward and kill Barat and the others. But such are not the ways of the Lord.”

“Why are you here, then?” Dumphey asked.       

“Every man has a choice. He can choose blindness concerning the evil that surrounds him, or he can choose to make a difference. I am determined to be the latter man—to fight for justice in this land. I just need to be patient until I can. Until I can do all in my power against Feroci.”

27 Days!

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“Befriending the Beast” was dedicated to one of my friends, Aimee. 

“The Secret Slipper” was dedicated to my grandparents. 

“Protecting the Poor” is dedicated to my Uncle Reuben and Aunt Iris…

You have become my third set of grandparents. I cannot with words express how much your lives have impacted mine with your love for God, the church, and your family. I know that you love me like one of your own, and I cherish all of the memories I’ve made with you. Thank you, especially, for supporting me in my writing and always asking when the next book is coming out.

28 Days!

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Have you read any of the “original” Robin Hood stories? I had to read at least one, and I settled on Howard Pyle’s. 

// REVIEW // 
My review is a bit torn between two. Robin Hood in this retelling was nothing but a rogue and restless fellow. There was no King Richard for whom he was fighting behind the sheriff’s back. Instead, he was just at odds with the sheriff and the sheriff could not overcome him or his men. So, there really wasn’t much noble in Robin’s character here. That, I really couldn’t admire.     

On the flip side, the humor in this was hysterical. I had several laughing aloud moments. I can appreciate good wit, and the merry men surely had it. Of course, as with any wit, it did go too far at times.     

There was a heavy theme of drinking throughout the pages. The only form of Christianity would be the priests who cares more for their purse than their parishes (which was to be a revealing of hypocrisy). There was next to no romance (sorry, no maid Marion in this book, besides her name being mentioned once). It’s possible that the songs they sung could have had some questionable content, but I’ll be honest and confess that I skipped over the poetry, so I don’t know what they contain.    

A good way to think of this book is as a collection of short tales of Robin Hood, as the flow wasn’t exactly novel-type.      

The adventures were a mix of fun and some with which I could not approve (they just lacked the integrity and nobility that I have seen in Robin in other retellings). I could revisit some of the stories and cannot say I wish I hadn’t read it.

29 Days!

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// Excerpt //

Life in Abtshire had always been unfair, Feroci punishing the commoners at his own whims, caring nothing for the limitations of the aged or young. When he had hauled Zuzene away, Dumphey had been a small lad, Noel only a babe. There was nothing he could do for his grandmother. He had grown up, adjusted to life with Zuzene in the dungeon, never fully understanding why she was there or why Feroci never released her. She avoided his questions on the matter, so he submitted to the fact that he could do nothing about it. ’Twasn’t what he liked, but he had grown complacent, calloused to the cries of men and women falling under Feroci’s rule. Until Lia.

30 days!

Published on by Amanda Tero2 Comments
A month until release day! Wow, how could it have come so quickly?! And yet… it has almost seemed like it has taken forever, because I’ve been waiting SO long to share Dumphey’s story with everyone! In the next thirty days, it is my goal to bore everyone out with quotes and tidbits from Dumphey’s and Noel’s story to where you have to know the ending (after all, it’s likely someone could die…). 😉 
JK… I’ll try not to bore you out. Just whet the appetite. 

Announcing… Wedding Score!

Published on by Amanda Tero5 Comments
Most girls dream of their wedding days. Except me. I’m too busy practicing piano to be the live soundtrack for everyone else’s weddings to think about my own. I’ve survived most of my twenties with harmonious chords and pleasant days. So why is it that now, at twenty-seven, a discordant feeling presents itself? Is there a solid solution to loneliness when there is absolutely no potential husband on the horizon?

I am beyond excited to announce a new project: “Wedding Score.” When a writer writes, they put a little of themselves in each story. I did with the entire Tales of Faith series. With other short stories I’ve written. But nothing comes from the depths of my heart like this one. Pianist? Yep. Single? Check. Struggling with contentment? Been there, done that. I have yearned to write this story since 2016, but the timing was never right. Today, the timing is right.

After having four siblings and countless cousins and friends marry, there have been so many lessons God has taught me in the singleness journey. Yet, if you look at bookshelves, you really don’t find many stories about that. They’re about finding the one true love. Falling in love. But what about staying content when there really isn’t hope on the horizon? When you really don’t know what the future holds–staying single or getting married? What then? This is the message I explore in my upcoming novella and I look forward to sharing it with the world in October, Lord willing!


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