CatCon 2022

I’ll be at CatCon 2022 in Pasadena, California, October 1st and 2nd, with signed Humans In My House volumes and loads of handmade pocket kitties. Hope to see you there!

NaNoWriMo 2018

HAPPY NaNoWriMo 2018.

It’s day 1, and I’m done with today’s count. I didn’t do what I said I would do in October, but this month I get serious. Follow along with my word counts to stay on track with your own WriMo goals. We can encourage one another.

The minimum to reach 50k by the end of the month and “win” NaNoWriMo is 1,667 words a day. My personal goal, as usual, is 2,000 a day. These extra words add up to a lot of cushion for days you just can’t make it happen, and with the Thanksgiving holiday, those kind of days are likely.

Best of luck to all WriMoers! And remember, there’s no limit to how rough a rough draft can be. This month is for telling yourself the story. Next month is for making it presentable. So, just get SOMETHING on the page. Every day. Here we go!

Today: 2,112 words
Total: 11,543

Book Release Updates

Humans In My House 3 will release ON TIME for Kindle, July 1. Amazon price promotions on series e-books 1 and 2 will run July 1-7. Paperback publication will be delayed. I don’t know how long.

Ontogenesis is still ON SCHEDULE for July 6 in Kindle and paperback. There will be no Amazon price promotion for series e-book 1, but it will be available for 75% OFF through www.Smashwords.com for the ENTIRE MONTH OF JULY! Just search Acephalous or Amanda Marsico.

~Cover Reveal~ Ontogenesis: Acephalous Book 2

Available on Amazon July 6, 2018.

In book 2 of the Acephalous series, Breena must contend with the results of her previous actions. As book 1 follows her to rock bottom, book 2 sees Bree wake up to reality and make a plan to clean up her messes. It is a long road to Gehenna, and to reconciliation, but she has learned to forge ahead with others’ interests at heart rather than escaping as in the past. While certain conflicts are put to rest, others still seethe beneath the surface. Her new approach to balancing chaos with peace throws tradition to the wind as she takes her role as Queen of Gehenna.

The Acephalous series is a mature young adult (15+) metaphysical drama with an urban fantasy mood. Readers of Cassandra Clare, P.C. and Kristin Cast, and Lauren Kate will enjoy the series.

Look for book 3, the final installment, Winter 2019.

Cover Reveal: Humans In My House and the Animals Beyond It (series book 3)

Available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle e-book July 1, 2018.

 

Coming July 1, 2018: Humans In My House and the Animals Beyond It

Humans In My House and the Animals Beyond It chapter two illustration. Illustrator Victoria Lyons, 2018.

The third installment of the Humans In My House series is on its way! Look for a cover reveal Friday, June 15, 2018 and publication July 1, 2018 (Amazon Kindle and paperback).

In Kepler’s newest adventure, he and Emily meet animals from around the world during a trip to the zoo. Find out what conservationists are doing to help keep Kepler’s animal family happy and healthy both within the zoo and in their natural habitats, and learn how you can be a conservationist right from home!

Haven’t read the first two books in the series? Not to worry! Look for sales prices on books 1 and 2 during release, and get the whole series for a great deal!

Humans In My House is for readers aged 8 to 12, cat lovers, and anyone who loves our planet 🙂

Look for complimentary kid’s book club discussion prompts, vocabulary lists, and reading comprehension lessons after release. Downloadable lessons and other materials for previous volumes are here.

ANNOUNCEMENT! NEW Children’s Book, Nova June: Inventor

HAPPY WORLD READ ALOUD DAY!

If you’re part of my mailing list or frequent my Facebook page, you know I’ve been teasing this announcement for a couple of weeks.

IT’S FINALLY HERE!

Nova June: Inventor is coming April 2018.

This picture book is for readers aged 3 to 7 years and features leading lady, Nova, age 7, and her pet box turtle, Georgie, in her quest for innovation.

Preview the concept art for Nova June below, and keep an eye out for the cover reveal and summary March 1, 2018.

Nova concept 1: Prismacolor pencils and Copic Marker; a bolder first sketch, very time-consuming

Nova concept 2: Prismacolor watercolor pencils only; lighter end-result (which would be enhanced digitally), but very fast application

Talk to me! I welcome your thoughts on media used.

Please keep in mind that these images are CONCEPTS/media tests and are not the cover design or any particular interior illustration.

New Release: Fairy Tales and Folklore Re-Imagined

An anthology of short stories and poems published by Between The Lines Publishing of Saint Paul, MN, Copyright 2017.

It was a pleasure to write another short story for Between The Lines’ yearly anthology. Last year, contributions like my short story “Family Phoenix” focused on the theme Liminal Time Liminal Space–a cerebral topic which challenged authors to consider worlds between.

This year, our theme was more mainstream, but the contents of the completed anthology are anything but. The authors I had the privilege of joining in this publication are talented word-workers. They do not rest on the familiarity of their respective fairy tales and folklore to evoke emotion, set scenes, or build character. My short story, “Grey Man” (Marsico 246), and those in its company are true re-imaginations.

Check out Fairy Tales and Folklore Re-imagined for yourself.

 

 

AVAILABLE NOW: Humans In My House and the Stars Above It

Available now in paperback and Kindle.

Meet me and get a signed copy at Authors Invade Columbia

Pacific Northwest

I just got back from a two-week hiking trip in the Olympic Peninsula. It was an amazing experience. The sheer size of the wilderness–I’d never seen anything like it. You grow up on the east coast thinking our mountains are high… what a joke that turns out to be.

I’m not going to bore you with a day-by-day recount of each and every little thing we did (although let me know if you’re interested in that because I’ve considered starting a dedicated blog for our adventures), but I will say that I went out there as a writer expecting to be inspired for Humans In My House 3 and Acephalous 3 (and I was), but I came back feeling like I should be a painter instead. Words don’t so often fail me as they did there. It’s just one of those places you have to SEE.

Regardless, if you’re interested in seeing a little bit of what I experienced, follow me on instagram @KeperSeesTheWorld. I photograph my little clay Kepler in new places as a way to document and market Humans In My House (Kepler is the main character, if you didn’t know). Some of the places he ends up will make it into future installments of the books series.

**Side note: @We_Go_Hiking is my rarely used adventure insta, which I will take up using again if I do create a travel-based blog here. My Pacific Northwest trip is not shown there because I primarily focused on Kepler,  but I may double post in the future.