Changes

What a difference a month makes. I know I haven't blogged for about a month and I definitely miss sharing my thoughts and everything happening in my life. This past month has been very difficult. So here's the long and short of everything that's been going on so far...

• I've had a few interviews so far for teaching and administrator positions here at home. I've decided to try and stay here in NW Pennsylvania rather than looking for positions elsewhere. I think the biggest part is money. It will take so much more just to get my house ready for sale, finding a new place in another area, and then actually moving. Right now with our abysmal finances, I just cannot make the commitment needed to move somewhere that has teaching/administrator positions open. I have a few more leads yet to explore and then it's probably the end for this year's hiring season.
• The current novel is doing okay with sales. I'm selling more than I had with the previous cover design so I think making the new cover was the right decision.
• I got my novel into a local Independent Book Store here in town. I'm excited to see it on the shelf, but like all things with books, people (and teens) just aren't buying them as much anymore. I'm hoping and praying that the book starts to take off. I'd like to at least make back the amount of money I spent to produce the book (editing, website, book cover, contest give-a-ways, promotional items, etc).
• I'm still waiting for the results from the Indie Reader Awards/Review for my novel. I really hope that the novel gains a positive review so that it can help with sales.
• A few people have remarked that the title may be a reason why teens and others are reluctant to purchase the novel. Apparently, teens are shying away from any book that mentions bullying because of how much it is crammed down their throats at school. I knew the title would be a gamble, but I hope that some teens look past it and read the book. It does have a good message in it about misconceptions. 
• My mom died exactly two weeks ago today. The pain is still difficult at times because she's all I knew growing up. My dad died when I was only four-years-old, so my mom became two parents. I get sad knowing that I can't just hop in the car and drive over to her house, which is only two minutes away, to talk or get advice. I don't have anyone anymore that I can talk to that has that "parental" wisdom. Part of me is scared that I will continue to make a ton of mistakes which will put my family into further despair. 
• Because of the funeral and all, I haven't been writing at all. I've spent most of my time doing things to get an education job, mind-numbing pursuits, and spending time with family. I hope I can get back on track soon to get the second novel completed. The story is turning out well so far and I think it will satisfy my readers.
• I've met some interesting people and authors so far with my journey. I can only hope that things continue to progress for this venture into writing. Right now, I'm still not too sure if I made the right decision in publishing my novel. 
• My latest contest on Goodreads was the best yet! I am in the process of getting the books ready to ship out to the winners. I should have them in the mail sometime tomorrow or Wednesday.

Well, that's about all for now. I really hope that all of you have had a good month and holiday. I'll get back to writing soon - I PROMISE!

Peace

 

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Contest Time - Win a Copy of My Book!

Check it out folks. My third contest to win a copy of the debut novel is now in full swing. This time I've added a bonus. If you are selected as the winner of the contest, you are automatically entered into another drawing for an ARC of "Changes of St. Aelred High," which is book #2 of the series. I'm hoping to have that completed by December - just in time for Christmas gifts! Make sure you enter the contest and share with all of your family and friends!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Angels & Bullies of St. Aelred High

by Dan E. Arndt

Giveaway ends July 03, 2014.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

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Excited for New Beginnings

I'm so excited to share the new cover for my initial novel Angels & Bullies of St. Aelred High. It took months of saving money from novel sales, but the new design is exactly what the St. Aelred High Series brand needs. It gives me goose bumps every time I look at it. A big thank you to Deborah at Tugboat Design. She really outdid herself with this cover design. I can't wait to hear what others think about it. Hopefully, more people will decide to purchase the book on Amazon.com. It's a great story and those that have read it do enjoy it (take a look at my Goodreads profile on the novel).

Here is the new cover :)

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Inspired

Sometimes inspiration or direction hits me like a ton of bricks. I guess you could say that my powers of listening to the subtle suggestions don't work too well. That's why God continues to amaze me in so many ways.

I've continued to pray and look for some kind of direction in my life. Whether it's me getting back into the classroom or going forward with my novel writing, I needed a sign to understand where to go next. So last week I went book shopping. This, for those that truly "know" me, is a dangerous mission in life. It doesn't matter how rich or poor I am, I always go into the bookstore and come out with a ton of books. Last week was no different. I've been wanting to read some newer YA novels just to have a conversation starter at upcoming teacher interviews. It's one of the things principals and interview teams like to do most - ask about what you've read recently. Anyways, I picked up some great new books - especially Laurie Halse Anderson's latest novel (she's an amazing writer). I decided to walk over toward the Christian fiction section, which by the way is only two bookcases in length compared to traditional fiction or YA fiction. I noticed that 90% of the titles/covers had to do with Amish characters for the fiction. I didn't think anything of it and left with my targeted novel selections.

The next day I'm watching the Twitter feeds and conversations between a few authors that I follow. A great conversation was started about YA fiction that has either strong religious themes or strong religious characters. The authors remarked at how editors of the major publishing houses usually suggest changes when they see either in the author's manuscript. One author remarked at how this didn't make too much sense because there are teens out there that have a strong faith, so why not represent these teens in literature. This is when the light bulb started to illuminate.

The following day I read an article about the latest Catholic Youth Conference. It talked about the thousands of teens that travelled from all over the country to attend the event. That's when the light bulb kicked into high gear! Through three days of hitting me over the head, I finally figured out what God wants me to do with my novel writing - focus on strong faith characters that represent the Catholic traditions. I've already started it with the first novel "Angels & Bullies of St. Aelred High." That whole spark changed how I approach revising the second novel. I need to make it realistic to the practicing teen Catholic. It has to relate to their lives and others that they meet each day. It's exciting to know that I've found my niche market - teen Catholics. I can't wait to finish this next book so that I can share it with the world.

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Crossroad

Robert Frost remarked in his poem "The Road Not Taken,"

"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference."

I received another rejection letter from an English teacher interview I had this past Monday. I had thought that the interview went remarkably well. Similar to the interviews I've already had for teaching and administrator positions this year, I keep striking out on obtaining that great position to be in the classroom teaching students. I love helping students and others achieve their goals. In fact, it makes me feel good inside, which is the reason why I went into the education profession after many years as an engineer.

This is where my problem rests. I can probably gain a position if I move away from my current home. I've spent my entire life here in Northwestern PA. My wife, too, has spent all of her life here. We both have tight families that live here and support us as needed. My mother and brother both have health issues right now. If I left, I'm not sure who would help them. Granted, I help very minimally due to my normal hectic schedule, but I'm still concerned. On the other hand, I can drop everything and push my writing. This, too, is a gamble. My novel writing can teach or help others, but it will only do that if it sells. People enjoy my writing. I have some great reviews on GoodReads.com about my debut novel. Yet, they aren't flying off the shelves of Amazon.com or Barnesandnoble.com. I think I'm okay as a writer, but that may just be the perfectionist in me.

My heart is torn. I'm at the crossroads and I don't know which way to go.

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Slow and Steady

The new novel is starting to make some progress. Right now I am about 20% completed with some of the initial revising of the book. I had to redesign my main characters along with a number of supporting cast. I felt that the direction the first two revisions were going did not feel believable. This book hopefully won't take as much in the revision process that the first novel took.

Just as a side note - the first novel had 18 total revisions over the course of 9 months. This includes a complete revision made after I received it back from my editor. Andrea Reynolds did an amazing job on the editing (copy and line). I am definitely working with her again on future projects.

The new cover design will be here soon. I'm looking forward to seeing what my designer comes up with for the first novel. It should really help the image of the book and series.

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Things are looking up ↑

I had a surprisingly good day so far considering all of the stuff I've been through last week. From having to find new doctors to learning that my mom's condition may be terminal, they've all taken a toll on my inner self. In addition to finishing up my grad classes, I had to play emergency medical responder with my first novel. I think I put out the fires well and hopefully it ends up with possible sales in the future.

I also had some wonderful things happen today. I had a great interview for a teaching position. I really like the school and the atmosphere may provide that spark to help me continue my St. Aelred High series. I'm thinking of a spin-off since St. Aelred is for the girls. I'm wondering how some of my characters (the boys) would do in the all-boys St. Josephs school. Would bullying happen there and would it be as or more violent than what happens at St. Aelred? I also got an email that I may be considered for an assistant principal position. This would add even more knowledge for future works.

Anyways, I'm very optimistic about my future. I think my novel will start to take off soon, I'll get through the second book in the series, and I'll land a good job in education. God is great and life is good.

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Celebration

I am pretty much done! Finally. This semester of grad classes seemed like it was the longest ever. Both courses in special education were very challenging. I thought my reading specialist masters degree was hard, but this degree seems like it will definitely pose a threat to my track record of having perfect grades. I just hope and pray that I do well on the last assignments that I did for both classes.

The great news about finishing is that I can now spend my time doing something I love - writing. Granted, I did spend countless hours this semester writing, but I didn't get the chance to work on my novels and other creative writings. A good friend of mine keeps suggesting that I write my own textbook, but I'm not sure if I want to dive into that much research just yet. Don't get me wrong, I love researching and I would love a career just doing research. But there's something about fiction writing that just gets me excited. Just wait... I'll post snippets of the new novel as I progress. I'm hoping to have it done and ready for publication by August.

Have a great Sunday and "May the 4th Be With You."

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Struggle

So I keep struggling with the opening paragraph for the second novel. Here is what I have so far. Please feel free to comment if you have an idea to make it better.

      The blaring Country song wakes me. My left hand shoves the electronic annoyance perched on the milk crate to the floor; thunk. I sit up on my mattress, lying on the floor, and rub my eyes. Summer went too fast. Days of relaxing or hanging out with Stephanie have disappeared. Instead of getting away from this hellhole, the next one hundred and eighty days of school will entrap me here…in this place. Thoughts of tests, quizzes, essays, and projects taking up all of my free time makes my stomach shudder. I pull out my mom’s picture from under my pillow and stare into her soft, brown eyes. The more I think about her, the more I miss her. A tear trickles down my cheek. Mom’s warm smile and hearty laughter always made the first day of school so much better and easier to handle. Last year, she made my anxiety over transitioning into high school disappear. This year I don’t have that luxury.

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Sadness

So, I've been on this extreme rollercoaster for the past few weeks. It's a combination of many different aspects of my life (home, surviving a heart attack, changing my lifestyle, being an author, struggling to find that perfect job in education, grad school, etc).

I've tried Blogging before and I did some on GoodReads, but I recently found that I'm limited on the site, so here is my new Blog home. I hope you'll like it and I hope to keep up with it for those that do like my writing.

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