Bio:Amy
Neftzger (born June 23) is an American researcher and author who has
published fiction books, non-fiction books, business articles, and
peer review research. Her works have reached an international
audience.
Amy
was born in Illinois and graduated from Elk Grove High School in Elk
Grove Village, Illinois. She received her bachelors degree from the
University of North Florida in Jacksonville, Florida and her Masters
in Industrial/ Organizational Psychology from Middle Tennessee State
University in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. She graduated from both
Universities with honors.
She
has written numerous business and journal articles, but her fiction
works have been the most commercially successful. In 2003 she
published Conversations with the Moon, which was also translated into
Korean and published in South Korea. In 2005 she collaborated with
her husband, guitarist Tyra Neftzger on a children's book called "All
that the Dog Ever Wanted." The book was designed to introduce
children to jazz music at an early age and included a CD sampler of
jazz tunes. In 2007 she worked as an editor on a business fable
called "The Damned Company." She's also written
"Confessions From a Moving Van" and "Leftover Shorts."
In
2013, Amy released her first Young Adult book called "The
Orphanage of Miracles." The sequel to this book, "The
Orchard of Hope" is scheduled for release in June of 2014, and
The Ferryman (adult fiction) is scheduled for release in October,
2014.
Author
Links - The link for any or all of the following...
Guest Post
Starting Out As A Writer: 5 Things You Should Know
1. Success
is not immediate
Many people think that publishing a book is like winning the
lottery: you just put the book up for sale and then watch the royalties roll
in. The truth is that simply putting your work out there will not make it sell.
Readers have too many choices, and when they want a new book they tend to stick
with what they know: authors they’ve already read. It takes quite a bit of time
to build a following, so patience is the name of the game here. This is true
whether you’re self or traditionally published.
2. In
order to do it well, you will need help.
Don’t assume that you can write, edit, design layout, format,
create cover artwork, and market your book all on your own. If you’re with a
traditional publisher they will help with most of these things. If you’re
self-published, you’ll need to find a way to get all these things done. You may
be multi-talented but you’re still only one person and you may even have
another job that currently pays your bills. So there’s the time factor to
consider: If you do everything yourself then you’re spending a lot of time
doing things other than writing. Aside from the time, when you do everything
yourself your work tends to lack the balance that other people can add. Your
finances may be limited, so figure out what you’re better at and where you’re
weaker and seek affordable help for your weaker areas.
3. The
market is currently flooded.
There are a lot of books out there and the number is growing, so
readers have a lot of choices. What this means is that your book needs to be
the best it can possibly be, because a less polished work simply won’t get any
traction in a flooded market. This means that you may want to consider using
beta readers to get feedback, and if you’re self-published you should
definitely hire an editor and maybe even a proofreader.
4. Reader
experience is everything.
People read books for the experience it provides. Your book
should be designed to provide it and avoid anything that detracts from
it.Things that pull away from the experience are glitches in plot development,
spelling or layout errors, and errors in logic. maintaining a logical and
believable flow to the plot will enhance reader experience, so use a good
outline and be sure that the characters and situations are believable (even in
fantasy).
5. It’s
worth the effort
If you love to write and it’s in your blood, then you’ll find
that all the work you put into producing your book is worth your time. The key
is to keep working and improving your craft and to grow as a writer.
Book
Genre: Middle grade fiction/ fantasy
Publisher:
Fields of Gold Publishing, Inc (Imprint Fog Ink)
Release
Date: June 23,
2014
Book
Description:
“Hope
is never gone, but it can be eaten alive. “
A
quest to save hope.
A
kingdom under a spell.
A
wizard in training.
A
gargoyle with a sweet tooth.
The
sequel to The Orphanage of Miracles is filled
with
engaging characters, magic, adventure, and
unusual
circumstance. It’s a story that will
both
entertain and inspire the reader.
Kelsey,
a strong-willed and high spirited young girl, embarks upon another
adventurous quest - this time to save hope, which is being stolen
from the orchard. While the kingdom is still under the spell of the
evil sorcerer who distorts reality in order to gain control, the king
begins training someone who he believes can ultimately defeat the
sorcerer: a young boy named Nicholas. Revisit some of your favorite
characters or meet them for the first time in this volume.
Excerpt:
Hope
is never gone. But it can be eaten alive, and that’s
exactly what was happening in the orchard. The king had told them
about the problem before, but the problem wasn’t
going away. In fact, the problem was getting bigger and becoming
critical, and the king was certain that Kelsey could help. She was
excited about the trip and looking forward to the journey to the
orchard, wherever that might be and however long it would take.
It
wasn’t as if Kelsey hadn’t enjoyed the past 18 months of training
with the king’s army. The battle conditioning had been a wonderful
experience for her, but now she was ready for action. Too much time
spent in one place had made her restless. When the king first
mentioned the quest, Kelsey had jumped up out of her seat with
excitement.
“How
do we save hope?” Kelsey asked with undisguised eagerness. After an
awkward pause she sat down again and waited for an answer. Her
fingers gripped the top of the thick walnut table where she was
seated in the king’s study. Every wall in this room was covered
with bookshelves from floor to ceiling, except for the places where
there were windows, which also stretched the height of the room.
“That’s
a question to which we do not yet have an answer. It’s a bit of a
tricky situation,” the king said as he smiled. He was a tall figure
with broad shoulders and flowing red hair. Although he ruled this
land and was respected by his opponents in battle, Kelsey often
thought about him as something of a father figure. His stature
conveyed his strength, but his eyes and his smile hinted at the
tenderness that Kelsey always saw in him. Of course, she had known
him under different circumstances before she knew he was the king. In
fact, he had been traveling in disguise and appeared to be a small
mute orphan that Kelsey had attempted to help. Only later did she
learn his true identity.
“Why
don’t you simply fence the orchard?” asked Nicholas, who was a
young boy about the same age as Kelsey. He sat upright in his chair,
as if paying attention to a lesson.
“I
wish the solution were that easy,” the king replied solemnly, “but
we don’t fully understand the extent of the situation. Implanting
obstacles, such as a fence, will solve the problem only if it’s a
simple one. However, this issue is complicated.”
My Review:
I just finished reading An Orchard of Hope and I really enjoyed it. I liked the storyline, the characters and how they were portrayed. If the reader likes adventure, thrills, and magic this book will grab your interest. This is the sequel to The Orphanage of Miracles. I like to see books that young adults can read. I give this book a 4/5. I was given this book for the purpose of a review and all opinions are my own.
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