Things and Thoughts

I am 65,000 words into my second book or, more accurately, my third. It's an adventure. Honestly, I call this trilogy my "learning trilogy". They aren't the best, but they aren't the worst and when I'm done with it I hope to have progressed into a potentially great author. This is actually a lesson for all of those who want to be an author. Know that your first book or even the second or third books are your "learning books". You're learning how to write better. You're getting practice. You're learning the publishing industry. That's why I don't just drop this series, because I DO want to get better and I DO want to learn as much as I can. Sometimes it is about failure. You learn more through failure than success.
Most days, I have come to look forward to certain events that I have written on my calendar. Life here isn't too exciting so I usually look forward to things that are out of the normal. For instance in June I will be on a plane to the UK (I honestly hate planes. They scare me to no end). While I'm there I plan to get a lot of setting ideas and maybe even a brand new plot idea from the history or sights I'll see. There is inspiration every where my friends, you must first open your eyes and to see them. People inspire ideas for characters. Small towns and large cities inspire ideas for settings. Your curiosity inspires a story.
My journey as an author, I can already tell, is going to be a long one with many struggles. But I don't mind. Sure, rejection hurts. Rejection from publishing houses hurts. Rejection from agents hurts. Rejection from OTHER authors hurts. But from each rejection, you become a step closer towards being accepted. One time this author who survived a horrible disease and was so grateful to be alive and be an author rejected me. I couldn't understand how authors who started from nothing such as me, can so easily forget that they used to be the ones begging for a chance. I don't ask them for their fame or anything. I just wanted a review or ADVICE. Yeah... starting off is the hard part. But just think of the rights that YOU"LL get when you make it. You'll get to look into a camera one day and tell everyone how no one wanted your work and now you're a New York Times Best Selling Author. Is that worth the rejection? I believe it is. One day all of our early struggles will pay off and when that day comes we won't forget where we stood when we were the "little guys".

Remember where you came from
Even if you get where you're going

-With Love, SKW

The Hump Days

  Some of you know me, but most of you don't. So allow me to fill you in.
  Being a teenager in this day and age is harder than any of the past. Most teens now have some form of mental illness, because of all of the expectation and pressure to be absolutely perfect. I know I am not the perfect example of this, but every one of us has our Hump Days, where we are at our highest and fall to our lowest.
  My struggle isn't TOO MUCH emotion. It is a lack there of. People want excitement and sadness. I can't give it to them. I find no point in brushing off your sadness or anger on others. I am the only one who can fix me and therefore, I write my emotions down to myself. It's a struggle for me. I want to be a writer, but you need to personify the emotion. It's easier on paper, but I have lost many friends because of how I act. That is my struggle.
  I wanted to share this with you, because everyone has their struggles and their Hump Days. Recognize them in yourself and you will be spared the tired reruns coming from other people. You are you're own person and you struggle with your own situations. Do not let people control who you are or dictate where you want to be in life. Everyone one has the power to help themselves, but even then, sometimes we ourselves need an extra hand.
  No one will ever be perfect. Not now. Not ever. But you have control over what you are self-conscious about and how much your struggles will dictate your life.
  Take a breath and breathe. Remember that life is a game. If something gets taken, the game goes on and gives you chances for something bigger. Don't give up. Don't give up on yourself. Don't give up on your goals. Somethings are important and others can be put to the side. Don't drown darlings.
  Take a breath.
  Breathe.
  And dive in deeper.
  There's no need to float if what you're searching for is treasure.

  With Love, SKW

Counting Days is easier than Counting Stars

The days here can seem either really long or really short depending on the time of year and what there is to do. Personally, I love Fall and Winter, because then I'm not dying of heat stroke and there is a lot going on. There is the carnival coming to town, the haunted houses opening up, Thanksgiving, Christmas (Hanukah, Kwanza), maybe even a little snow to get us out of school. But those things are not what I am counting down to. I am counting down to my book signing that is in three days.
I always ask people who've read my book what they think of it and everyone loves it (so they say aloud). My papa wanted to assure me that I knew that not everyone is going to like it and sooner or later I'm going to get a bad review. I know. I wait for that moment! I want someone to say it's crap so I can finally breathe out. I expect someone to say it's crap all because I think of it that way. I cannot even read that book anymore because no matter how good I think it sounds when I'm writing it, it makes me frustrated when I read it. But if they truly think that, they won't voice it out loud for me or anyone else to hear.
So, anyways, the book signing. I have put up posters everywhere and only have 22 books left to sell (family first \(0-0)/  ) but I still don't think that many people will show up. But if they do then that saves me from sitting there for FOUR HOURS. Hahaha. I know I complain. Honestly, its not going to bother me sitting there for that long. I just like to get out of the house. I just have to remember- You have to start somewhere to get to where you want to be.

-Remember who you are, loves
Love, SKW

Cooler than the Snow

Again the weirdest things continue to happen to me. I feel like the character in Dear Dumb Diary. This boy in my math class came up to me today and said, "Hey, did you write a book?"
I had to look around the room for a minute, because that boy does not look like he cares much for the written word. "Uh... yeah. I did."
He continued to say, "That is so cool!" before one of the pretty popular girls said, "Haha (my name here) everyone is catching on now."
0-0 What is happening? Writing books is cool? I used to be afraid to tell people I like to write because usually they would give me that *I have no idea why you'd do that but I'll continue to nod and smile* face. It was something I didn't want to talk about and now everyone thinks it is the coolest thing. I still get self conscious because of the genre and the way I published it. Every time I say "vampire" I get afraid that people assume that it takes after Twilight or The Vampire Diaries (not that there is anything wrong with them). Another fear I have is that I cheated with Self Publishing and if people learned that it wasn't traditional that they would judge me. I picked a popular genre and I am paying the price... but I wrote what I wanted to read.
Even the teachers have gotten weird about it. My math teacher handed me back a paper with a 105 as a grade and commented, "She writes books and aces math tests." Did... did I just do something amazing? I feel like the same person. I look like the same person. So how come people are starting to actually like me now?

Instant Celebrity... of Wonderland?

So here I am, the queen of the unknown, the girl whose name most cannot say or remember, the princess of going from silence to abrasive with a few wrong words. I know who I am to other people and to myself. To those other than me I can be a bitch (I know it. I can admit it.) or I can be the timid shy girl or the geek who loves fiction books and action movies and songs that touch the feels. To me... I'm a failure, I can't be consistent. I rot my teeth with coffee and cover the walls of my room in posters and bandana' because I want something more original than just painting it a color that gets old in less than a year. I see myself as a burden and a girl destined to go no where fast. But things are changing in odd ways...
Ever since I can remember no one has really cared much mind to me, because I wasn't full of drama and I really never did anything that was worth mentioning. Yet... May 23rd changed my social life (not much my pocket life). Those teachers and peers that couldn't even pronounce my name right now know who I am and have begun to take interest. They've all heard slowly that I have written a published book and actually want to read or buy it because they know me! Those girls that at one point didn't like me too much or were too pretty and popular to search the room for me now love that I wrote a book and have so many questions to ask me. Like what? What the heck happened? I'm not a "known" person. HECK! I'm not even a very good people person! It is just so weird to think that in four months I've gained something of a title for myself. "Author". Can I keep it though? Or will I continue to be the failure I think I am and ruin it all? I guess it's up to the Big Guy, but I must say... I don't think I could stop writing.

On to new things

I am 49 pages into the second book which I have named Emerald Forest. The writing has improved since Obsidian Night and I hope it continues to do so. I know this trilogy is just a learning point for me but I do hope that it goes somewhere one day or paves the path for another series. I thank all of you who support me.

My Book has Left the Nest

It's happened guys. My book is finally out. It's on Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Xlibris. I'm scared and excited at the same time. But I know this trilogy is for learning and getting my name out. My writing is still improving. So it isn't perfect yet but that's what living is about, taking risks and improving until you're where you want to be. If you want to buy it the books name is Obsidian Night by A. M. Luther. NOT Obsidian NightS. Singular not plural. 

 It's about vampire hunters. Not sparkly vampires. Not sexy (well not all) vampires. It's about barbaric vampires and hunters used to contain them... I'm not really good at explaining it. But if you want to give it a try please do. I respond well to feed back. 

Thank you. 

Stay Young and "Dumb"

- SKW