Author Spotlight
Amber Argyle
Amber Argyle grew up with three brothers on a cattle ranch in the Rocky Mountains. She spent hours riding horses, roaming the mountains, and playing in her family’s creepy barn. This environment fueled her imagination for writing her debut novel. She currently resides in Utah with her husband and three small children.
Witch Song
Amber Argyle started out with a great debut novel. Senna is a humble champion for witches that learns to overcome the trials placed before her while struggling to come to terms with the tasks placed before her. The pacing is great making it an easy read. I don't care for much romance in my novels, and Amber was able to keep it to acceptable levels for my enjoyment, leaving me more entertained with the action sequences. Amber brings her imagery to life allowing the reader to enjoy the twists to witchcraft the she creates in her novel.
This was refreshing to read after being disappointed with the movie "Season of the Witch". Amber is a credit to the writing community, and made witches seem so powerful yet so average at the same time that you wonder throughout the story how things will turn out for Senna and her fellow witches as she sets out to free them from Espen, the Dark Witch, who has captured all but Senna. I did however feel that some of the action towards the end gave Senna more power than was built up throughout the story. Regardless, I was entertained.
Writing Resources
Online Writing Communities
- Utah Children's Writers - is an email listserv where writers of children's literature who live, have lived, or are tied to Utah in some other way, can share ideas, network, commiserate,pass on news, and help each other along. Also check out the blog run by Kiirsi Hellewell, Tiffany Dominguez, Sarah Southerland, Scott Rhoades, and Anji Sandage.
- S.C.wR.I.B.E.S. - Our name, quite literally, stands for: "Society of Creative wRiters; Inspiration, Backing and Enthusiastic Support" Those are the things were are really here for. Our goal is to help each other in our climb toward becoming published authors. There is no competition, only cooperation. You will get out of this group as much as you are willing to put into it, and along the way, you'll help others with the same hopes, dreams, and aspirations as yourself. We are actively looking for new members right now. All we ask is you are active in posting and critiquing every month. The group works if everyone makes an effort. Either email me or follow the directions on the scwribes site. Happy writing everyone. Michelle @ write.at.home.mom@gmail.com
- Backspace - is a discussion forum designed for writers of all levels. Once a month there is a Q&A forum run by an editor. There is a yearly subscription fee of $40 with a 5-day trial available.
- Authonomy - was founded by HarperCollins in 2008 to help flush out new rising talent. There are currently ~24,000 members and about ~120,000 visitors per month. There is a minimum of 10,000 words for submission to the site.
- NaNoWriMo - stands for National Novel Writing Month which is November, however the site is active all year round enticing the first time novelist to experienced writers finding it hard to get time to write. The goal is to hit 50,000 words by the end of the month.
- Writing.com - a free online community with over 700,000 members. There are 5 different paid memberships that are available that offer different services.
Writing Contests
- Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award
- Writer's Digest Competitions
- Writers of the Future - Deadlines: December 31st, March 31st, June 30th & September 30th. Judged by many professionals including Orson Scott Card. See what Orson Scott Card and other great authors have to say about Writers of the Future on YouTube.
- Delacorte Yearling Contest for a First Middle-Grade Novel - deadline: postmarked after October 1, 2010 and before December 31, 2010.
Writing Classes & Workshops
- Introduction to Creative Writing - free downloadable course from the University of Utah
- Writers Online Workshops - by Writer's Digest
- Gotham Writers' Workshop
- Writers on the Net
- Hatrack River Writers Workshop - by Orson Scott Card
- Review Fuse - based in American Fork, Review Fuse offers an online review group that also provides lesson and other resources for honing a writer's craft.
Utah Writing Links
- League of Utah Writers
- Check out the new Chapter of LUW - Absolutely Write
- Heart of the West - Utah Chapter of Romance Writer's of America
- Utah Speculative Fiction Council
- Utah Childrens Writers & Illustrators
- Utah-Southern Idaho SCBWI
- LDStorymakers
- LDS Author Events - blog site that updates followers on local events surrounding the LDS genre of writing.
- Writing Excuses- a useful podcast put together by Brandon Sanderson, Howard Tayler, and Dan Wells.
- Writing on the Wall - a blog run by the Precision Editing Group that contains useful tips on writing.
Utah Editors
- Precision Editing Group - A group of editors and authors in Utah that includes: Heather Moore, Lu Ann Staheli, Annette Lyon, Josi Kilpack, and Julie Wright. Each member of the team is either working, teaching or publishing in the book industry. They also run a useful blog Writing on the Wall.
- Sheri Bell-Rehwoldt - is a local freelance writer with experience proofreading novels or theses, copyedit company newsletters, or review annual reports, press packets, or grant submissions for consistency, clarity, and grammatical errors.
National Writing Links
- Young Writer's Society
- Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America, Inc
- Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators
Brainstorming - get new ideas or blow through writer's block
- Utah Education Network
- Discovery Channel
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- National Geographic
- Popular Science
- Smithsonian Institute - access to Washington DC's museums
- National Education Association
- Encyclopedia Mythica
Reference & other Useful Links
- Writer's Digest - provides information that helps writers succeed as they pursue their passion, through hands-on techniques from top authors, insider tips on working with agents and editors, listings of hot markets for their work, and news about the writing world.
- Reverse Dictionary - find the word you're looking for with only a description from Ask.com's Dictionary.com
- The Elements of Style
- Merriam-Webster Online - Dictionary and Thesaurus
- Online Writing Lab - (OWL) at Purdue University - brush up on your grammar skills and writing techniques
- QueryTracker.net
- QueryTracker.net the Blog - Blog site that keeps you updated about agents and publisher editors along with other useful information about writing in connection with QueryTracker.net in a blog format.
- Nicole Warburton - Nicole is a staff writer for the Deseret News. She provides book reviews as well as tips for getting published.