Hidden Gems That I Wish I'd Discovered Sooner

Time to get a little off subject. Okay, maybe not. There are no rules to this blog. This is a democracy! So the other day while procrastinating on homework, I caught myself channel surfing. This is a pastime of mine that I haven't practiced since I found Netflix and Hulu so it was nice to fall back on old habits. Anyway, eventually this session of channel surfing welcomed me into a world of wonder. Seriously, it was pure euphoria. I've never been a major television whore, but after what I've seen I wish I'd sat up and listened to some of the reviews critics have been spewing about today's television programming.

It used to be that I'd lost hope for today's programming. After all, I'm a 90's baby who grew up watching reruns of classics like I Love Lucy, Leave it to Beaver, Three's Company, Gillian's Island, Green Acres and The Andy Griffin Show. Since shows like Jersey Shore and Teen Mom have leaked from the airwaves, I've limited myself to independent films and foreign TV shows. (No offense to anyone who likes Jersey Shore or Teen Mom by the way. They just aren't my taste. Sorry!)

But as I skimmed my Directv schedule, I realized just how bias I've been to modern television and for that I apologize for not sitting up and taking notice. Shows like Breaking Bad and Mad Men have shown my the error of my ways. Four years ago, I'd never imagine myself watching a show about a meth dealing chemistry teacher with cancer, but this show reeled me in and refused to let go. I was literally hooked by the second episode and refused to leave it alone.

Although I'll probably forever be a picky person in terms of TV, I'm vowing to myself to  at least give more attention to cable TV.

Book Covers That Rock!

Okay, so I haven't blogged in a while and I don't like the sound of that. I know I'm a terrible updater. Sue me for it later. Right now, I'd like to share something near and dear to me: book covers. Yes people. One thing I love more than a good book is an even better book cover. I know they say not to judge a book by it's cover, but I've been guilty of that crime more than once. Since I'm currently, in the cover designing process of my own publishing journey, I'd like to share a few books covers that have snagged me into reading that book.

 

I love the mystery in this cover. I love how it says a lot and yet also says nothing at all. Nothing about this cover tells me anything about the book, but I like that ambiguity. It makes me want more. 

 

I've never been an uber fan of science fiction, but this book could change my mind just by looking at the cover. I'm hooked. The "almost kiss" does a perfect job of expanding on the juicy romance element oozing out from the pages. The typography is perfect. The starry background is breathtaking and little paragraph beneath is a perfect teaser. I love it! I love it! I LOVE it!

 

My background in Graphic Design makes it impossible for me to ignore good Photoshop when I see it. This book cover is an excellent example of that. I love the fusing of rose petals and the girl. It makes me wonder how this effect would look on a model if it were a dress in a fashion show. For that alone, I'm starstruck. Kudos to the designer who went to work on this beautiful little gem. Seriously guys, congrats! You really deserve it.

Okay, I might be a bit bias on this cover because I loved this book so freaking much. Aside from that, what can I say that hasn't already been said about this? That dress is gorgeous. The typography is beautiful and the overall design is swoothworthy. I'm obsessed. I have literally considered making this cover my computer desktop background.

This cover needs no words, but here are a few that popped into my head the first time I saw it: Wow. Beautiful. Stunning. Gorgeous. Amazing. And after this mini breakdown, I went out and bought and devoured this book like it was a delicious little snack. In fact, I love it so much, the rest of the series deserves to be in this entry. So for your pleasure (and mine) Here are the other Hush Hush saga books. 

 

Those are my top five favorite, but I just don't have it in me to stop there. Here are few covers that totally deserve some honorable mention.

So that's my two cents. Can't wait to hear yours!

Everything I Need to Know I Learned From My Dog

Let me start by saying that I don't know who originally came up with this idea nor do I know how old it is, but I found it so clever and cute that I had to bring it up in a blog post of my own. Without further ado, allow me to start this blog post off with a picture.

This here is my dog, Dakota. Yeah, I know he's cute. In fact, he's so cute that I'm gonna allow a few more seconds to admire this handsome beast starting...now.

Okay, now with that out of the way, it's time for business. Anyway, in the years that I've had Dakota, I've learnt quite a few things about life because of him. Here is an article on the internet that I found that accurately spells it all out. Again, I do not own any of this article and I did not write any of it. I'm merely using it for entertainment purposes. Enjoy!

Here is a  list of things I learnt about life from my dog.

When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.

Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.

Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy. 

When it's in your interest, practice obedience.

Let others know when they've invaded your territory.

Take naps and stretch before rising.

Run, romp, and play daily.

Thrive on attention and let people touch you.

Avoid biting, when a simple growl will do.

On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.

On hot days, drink lots of water and lay under a shady tree.

When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.

No matter how often you're scolded, don't buy into the guilt thing and pout ... run right back and make friends.

Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.

Eat with gusto and enthusiasm. Stop when you have had enough.

Be loyal.

Never pretend to be something you're not.

If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.

When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them gently.

Song Quote For The Day: "Keep Your Feet On The Ground, When Your Head's In The Clouds"

Here are two things I'd like to share about myself.

One: I love words and I admire anyone who knows how to cleverly use them.

Two: I'm a bona fide music geek. 

These two things coincide. Here's how. I love ALL kinds of music from any and every genre. Music to me is like food for the soul. It's been a godsend to me for years and I honestly don't think I could've gotten through half of the things I've been through in my life without it. My favorite songs consist of carefully crafted tunes with lyrics deep enough to give me a feeling of pure euphoria. Maybe that was a little too melodramatic sounding, but it's true.

I also love a good song with relatable lyrics. In fact, for every song I've fallen in love with over the years, there's at least one line that can't be ignored. So for today's song quote, I've picked out something from a Paramore song called Brick By Boring Brick:

"Keep your feet on the ground, when your head's in the clouds"

This is a line that I seriously considered getting tattooed on my arm at one point. The first time I heard it, I couldn't help, but laugh because it sounded like something I needed to hear. I spend most days with my head "in the clouds." I'm a perpetual dreamer. I like to believe that if you work hard enough, you'll get anywhere you want to be regardless of what anyone else has to say. That's not to say that you should ignore reality. I'll never tell anyone to give up on something they want for the sake of convenience, but sooner or later, commonsense has to kick in. 

This is where "keeping your feet on the ground" comes in at. You're free to dream so long as you remember that there will always be bills to pay and responsibilities to tend to. Nothing irks me more than a person who throws all caution to the wind on a whim. Be smart people. Pursue everything with an open heart, but a clear head. If you want that lottery ticket, buy it. Just make sure you don't spend the whole month's rent on lottery tickets. The odds aren't in your favor on that front, but hell, nothing's wrong with a little recreational gambling, right?

Anyway, this quote alone isn't the only reason I hold this Paramore song so near and dear to me. To me, the whole song is genius. It tells a story that I think anyone can relate to and never fails to remind me of what's most important. For that, Brick By Boring Brick will forever have a place on my playlist as well as my heart. 

Bonus:  I couldn't resist dropping a link to this song. Read the lyrics and tell me what you think this song is trying to say.

 

Write First, Obsess Later

Ever felt like you were in a state of info overload? Yeah, I know that feeling and it sucks. If you have no clue what I'm talking about, allow me to explain. See, I'm an aspiring author. Until the day I'm actually published, that will be my identifier. My name is Amber Kae Rogers and I am an aspiring author. Gee, I'm starting to feel like I'm at an AA meeting or something.

Anyway, info overload is when you obsessively surf the web in the name of research only to come out feeling like you've just been tossed around a tornado while straddling a bucking bull. In other words, it looks little something like this:

Do not let this happen to you people. This was me after last weekend. I'd spent two full days locked away in my little cubby apartment practically glued to my laptop. Currently, I'm querying agents. So far, it's been a tough ride, but not as bad as it's been in the past.

Saturday and Sunday, I was all over twitter in full on stalker mode. I skimmed blogs. I browsed old forum threads on Absolute Write looking for any mention of my prospective agents and hoping to find some hidden interview that they'd done that I'd missed or some tweet I hadn't read. Needless to say, it consumed me. This is not healthy behavior. Finally, I had to pull back. I had to rein in the anxiety and have a talk with myself. Soon, I realized that I couldn't go on doing this to myself.

By the end of this fiasco, I felt like I'd accomplished nothing. My point is that no matter where you are in the publishing process whether it's submission to an agent or to an editor, don't let yourself become obsessive. I can tell you for experience (an yes, I am the queen of obsession) that no matter how many of those agent blogs you read or how many industry friends you have on twitter, none of it means nothing if you aren't writing. If you're wasting time reading those blogs or tweets, you're losing precious time that you should be using on perfecting that latest WIP.

Don't let the stress of it all drive you insane. Don't let those doubtful voices and obsessive thoughts crowd your head with nonsense that's trying to convince you of the negative.

Research in moderation. Relax and remember to breathe. If all else fails, don't forget that first and foremost, you are a writer. Keep everything else on the back-burner where it should be. Write first, obsess later. Hmm, I like that. One day, I think I might tattoo that on my arm.

Welcome to the Charade!

Hello all that read!

This is the blog post in which I pretend to know what I'm talking about. So Disclaimer first: I am in no way an expert on anything so try not to take everything I say seriously. Ninety percent of the time, I'm quoting or paraphrasing someone else so take what you may out of my future posts. (disclaimer over)

Blogging is something new for me and I decided to go on and give it the good college try. So...here it is. This is post one obviously. I'm hoping this blog will be helpful to someone out there in the world or at the very least entertaining. Sit back, relax and enjoy!