A'mara Books Update - August 5

This week, at A'mara Books...

Esteem issues

(Couldn't resist...)
Firstly, the esteem app's scheduler seems to be broken down badly now - I'll see what happens when I start scheduling my Birth of the Neví posts later in the week, but I'm currently having to go in and manually edit and post the scheduled posts (@good-karma - easier to mention it here than to work out that website...) I can schedule a new post for in two minutes (which I'm doing so that I can save drafts for future use), but the ones that were set a couple of weeks ago aren't working. Minor irritation, easily got around.
However, it does mean that I can take Sunday off for posting a chapter like I had been doing.

Anyway

My focus this week was less about writing and more about finishing up the materials for Birth of the Neví which is scheduled to start on Saturday!!!

End materials

Pronunciation Guides and Glossary - these are the main extras that are needed to accompany my books. I think I will slightly change the way I do this - slightly less convenient for you, but also more likely to have everything you need... I will post these guides first - as one post on Saturday - and include the link to it in every post for the book, so that your maps, pronunciation guides and glossary are all very handy, just a click away.

Map-making

Kri'enden continent map is nearly done - I've done the mountains and the rivers now. It's an arid continent, so not too much in the way of forests to add. So, that brings me to the political boundaries. Shouldn't take too much longer - and I may do a post on that process later in the week.
Towani City map is also done except for coloring in of some buildings and creating labels. Here is what it looks like:

Even though Towani is new to you, it's one of the oldest cities I've worked with, so it's really exciting to introduce one of my favorite places to you!
Joton city map - the capital of Kri'enden is another of my earlier cities to work with, and will finally be introduced to you this week. I've started working on it, but was too tired to continue last night. (City maps I tend to work on in the evening while watching something.)

almost 5000 new words

Zara's story got half of that early in the week when I simply needed to write. I've started toying around with the title for this one as well. Her new restaurant in Towani City is called the Wind Rose. (You'll see that in print this week...) I want the title to reflect that, yet remain in the same form that the others of these two collections are taking. i.e. two key words connected with a small one: Friendship on Fire, Courage to Trust, Elect to Change, Ocean of Empathy, Rebound of Power, Acting the Part and Building of Promise - the titles thus far for the 850 and 851 TCE collections...
Anyway, her story is now sitting at over 17,000 words.
Birth of the Neví gained a prologue of maybe 800 words. I like using a prologue as it gets some of the more tedious, but essential, bits of information before the reader immediately. I'm very strict in only allowing a page or two maximum - shorter is better in this case.
Rise of the Neví got the remaining new words - currently sitting at over 19,000 words - I'm slightly afraid this one will get away from me length-wise. (Great if you're looking for a novel, not-so-great if I don't want to always have to perform a novel-length!)

Research points

As I didn't put many new words onto the books this week, I didn't do much research for A'mara Books, but for @kaliju's Freewrite Friday Frenzy, I have to confess that I did a couple little bits...

Seaside, Oregon - the setting of my Freewrite. I just checked on the name of the Turnaround - and confirmed that it was harbor seals at the aquarium and not sea lions (which are currently colonizing the Columbia River...) Minor details, but I wanted it right - in case anyone wants to visit!

You know, the more I write, the more I check everything to make sure it's accurate - whether it's just to double check a word that I'm sure I know (or am having a disagreement with Spell-check over) or to make sure I have the correct view of something else... it's important to me. After all, I have smart readers - and someone will catch my mistakes!

Didn't get done...

ePublishing - just as well, as I've corrected a couple of minor errors as the posts came out this week. I think I'm going to change my attitude on this one and epublish after I finish posting on Steemit!

Coming this Week

final chapters of Ocean of Empathy followed by the final chapters of Rebound of Power and then the collection is done!
Birth of the Neví - The maps, pronunciation guides and glossary that you will need for this book.
ePublishing - hopefully get the updated versions of the Rebound of Power collection up. I've also realized I need one further edit of Friendship on Fire to correct a couple of serious (to me) niggles that I am not enjoying at the moment. Plus a couple of minor discrepancies that should be cleared up and/or clarified.
Terrenden Atlas and Encyclopedia needs to start coming together as well.
Writing - Same as last week - need to work on Zara, Rise of the Neví and Taurian - maybe touch Janys' story too... I'm already feeling the pressure there - even though I've got two months before I need to get it ready if I don't want you to have an interruption in story telling.

Anyway, that’s what’s been going on here at A’mara Books this week! I hope you manage to take a few minutes to immerse yourself in my world of Terrenden – which I’m so delighted to share with you!

Please catch up!

Rebound of Power is available at a digital store near you! It’s also still FREE – if you’re digital store has a price, try another! It’s also still available at Dbooks for free.

Friendship on Fire is available at a digital store near you for $2.99! It’s also still available at Dbooks for free – limited time only.

Courage to Trust is available at a digital store near you for $2.99! It’s also still available at Dbooks for free – limited time only.

Elect to Change is available at a digital store near you for $2.99! It’s also still available at Dbooks for free – limited time only.

Ocean of Empathy is available at a digital store near you for $2.99! It has not yet been released on Steemit or Dbooks.

At which point, the Rebound of Power collection will be completed.

Don’t forget!

I’m still offering 1 Steem Basic Income share for any newbie (100 SP or less) who asks me a question which prompts an “Ask the Author” post! I’m thinking about putting these into a Dbooks ebook all its own, actually.

Image Credits:

Cover art based on image from Pexels – creative commons, no attribution required.
Shaze based on a katana from Pixabay – creative commons, no attribution required.
Shaze chapter ender from Wikipedia Commons – used within terms of license – sword adapted for use as a shaze.
Grass texture for maps from Pixabay

All maps/editing by myself on GIMP and Photoscape, both free programs.

Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Any names or characters, businesses or places, events or incidents, are fictitious. Although the penalty of knowing me in real life is that you will influence the creation of my characters; any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.