Amanda Flieder
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Reviews
  • Bookstore
  • Contact
  • Short Stories
  • Story Shares
  • Blog
Welcome to the Blog for Amanda Flieder
​Updates on Fridays

Thoughts, Words and Random Ideas...

Everybody Ready?

8/30/2019

0 Comments

 
    As of today, only the long weekend stands between my kids and the first day going back to school. Are they excited? I'm not sure... does vibrating at a frequency ​high enough to generate sound count as excited?
    It's a big year. My youngest is starting Kindergarten, so this is when she starts going every morning and when she will be in the same school as her big sister. My oldest is starting Grade 3, which seems to be the first grade where they get to be 'the big kids' in regular pairing-up activities with other classes. My youngest is determined that she'll learn to read now, in spite of all of us cautioning her that it might go a little slower than picking up a book and demanding the teacher teach her on the first day, and my oldest is craving answers to the mysteries of multiplication tables. It's very cool having kids who like to learn. And exhausting. Google and Wikipedia have been life savers over the summer lol.
    Over on the writing side of things, I'm still happily editing the space opera novella. Filling out the threadbare areas and tightening up the loose ends is bumping up my word count, but so far I've been able to keep it around 36k words. To me, that's a nice length for a novella. There's enough story to get invested, but you don't lose days lost in the book's universe when you're reading.
Short Stories - Amanda Flieder
Regular Short Stories
​return Friday, September 6!
​Are you caught up?
    Also on the writing side, I'm not good at sticking to not posting story stuff, but you already knew that. This little flash fiction is a prequel to something else I have in the works, and I wanted to share it. It's written in a short story style.
    If you have the long weekend, please enjoy the extra day safely. Hope you have a great weekend!

The Professor

        The digitized bell toned. The students filed quietly from their separate rooms into the main corridor of their wing of the complex. They were all neatly dressed in soft gray uniforms, and each carried the four books that they would need for this morning's classes.
        The young students passed in near silence by the doors leading to other rooms for other classes on their way to today's first training room. It was unnerving to the new teacher waiting for them this morning.
        He had been briefed on the students, and had been watching them through the intricate camera system for weeks now. None of that had prepared him for actually being in the same room as them.
        He nervously shuffled his papers, pulling his lesson plan to the top and – clearing his throat – introduced himself. Each student answered the roll call with a silent nod. They had been told he was coming, and that he should be treated with all the respect and attention due to any of their previous and current instructors. Even at eight years old, they followed the order to a fault.
        Roll call completed, the new teacher jumped full into his lesson. When hired, he’d wondered at the intelligence of recruiting a High School Instructor to teach eight-year-olds. After observing their communication skills both at training and at play for the past weeks, he had to agree with the decision. The choice for him to teach them was obvious for the project as he was a retired military man, and was fluent in sign language. These children could both hear and speak, in multiple languages, but all their education was required by the project design to be both verbal and in sign.
        All but one student paid him the strictest of attention. She was smaller than her classmates, and consistently graded lower than the rest in all their classes. The facility doctors had elected to keep her in the students' community for the sake of not wanting to commit the only current alternative given by the government-funded project. Her anomalies weren’t considered a liability, and studying her provided further insight for sample curation during the next project cycle.
        That first day teaching, her inattentiveness was a noted distraction amongst the nerve-racking, unbroken attention of the rest of the class. Somehow (and he would truly wonder how later that day when he had time to think about it) he managed his way through that first lesson.
        The digital bell toned again exactly two hours after the first had gone, signaling for the short break before their next class. The students waited for his permission and then silently picked up two of their four books, leaving the two needed for Math in the centers of each of their desks, and filed past him out of the room to return their English books to their lockers.
        The last student to leave was the small girl. She stopped in front of him, staring up as he became even more uncomfortable and signed for her to leave. She instead slowly leaned towards him, her eyes never releasing his as she lightly sniffed his shirt.
        This close to her, he could actually see her brown complexion – similar to that of her classmates – was a tawny-colored pelt. The darker patches he'd taken for freckles, or possibly scars left by their creation, were actually the last remains of fading cub-spots.
        She warily reached out and placed the palm of her stunted hand against his stomach. Her small ears twitched with inhuman maneuverability as she listened to things he couldn't hear, her yellow eyes holding him captive as she firmly pressed once into his belly.
        A rattle, so quiet it would have been missed had he been breathing, shook loose in the back of her throat. She blinked once warmly at him, the hint of a smile around her mouth, and then in the next instant she was gone. She slid like a shadow out of the room, catching up to the rest of the students without being noted as missing.
        The whole scene lasted only a few moments, and was completely unnoticed by those whose job it was to watch the monitors. Those observers were under orders to give the new teacher some time alone after the class was over, so the small girl's attentions were unseen.
        The teacher walked stiffly to his chair and collapsed into it. He closed his eyes and began to collect his nerves from where they’d scattered around him.
        The digital bell toned once more, signaling that the break was over. It startled the new teacher out of his thoughts and back into himself. He quickly rose from the chair, stuffed his papers together with badly shaking hands and nearly ran out of the classroom. The next instructor that morning called a greeting to the new teacher from the other end of the corridor, but it fell on deaf ears as the English professor fled back to his rooms.
        Much later that night, after researching cats as sleep eluded him, the new teacher settled into bed with a determined sigh. He’d won out this job against Ivy League instructors and believed he was the best qualified for the position. And tomorrow he would start practicing their composition skills.
0 Comments

One More Week of Summer

8/23/2019

0 Comments

 
    Editing was my friend this week. So were multiple appointments. The two do not go together well yet somehow it all worked out? (I don't know how, but my anxiety has been off the charts so that's probably a large part of the time management problem / short focus solution. Gotta see the advantages, right?)
Looking for something new to read?
Click the image to check out more about the book!
Want to know if you like my writing style?
​Click the button below to start reading my...
... free short stories!
    There's only one week of summer left until the kids start school again. I keep laughing as whenever they're asked by friends and family they say they don't want summer to ever end, however, they both have a running countdown until the first day of school and there are many loud groans around bedtime when they don't have to get up for school 'tomorrow'. I'm just looking forward to a time in the day when I can shower without seventeen interruptions and minimum four blasts of cold air lol.
    As a positive for today, the mystery problem which didn't show up in any tests or scans but was causing my foot to hurt and swell has been solved. Did you know that feet have two arches? I didn't. My big arches are fine, but the little arches - the ones that go across the toe bones and are called the metatarsal arches - those ones are collapsed in my feet. It meant months of pain and swelling due to being a stay-at-home mom who likes wearing only socks, but seeing a specialist proved that I simply have to wear shoes or sandals to protect my toe bones from getting beat up every time I take a step. After a month of only changing my routine by wearing shoes inside the home, I have little to no swelling and the pain is nearly gone. Thank goodness for an easy fix for at least one problem!
    As another positive, editing my space Sci-Fi novella was the main part of this week's writerly tasks and I love this story even more as the first draft's rough edges get chiseled off and smoothed out. This is a neat story and the character voices shine. I have to admit, though, I'm looking forward to September when I'll be done focusing on these shorter pieces and can jump back into the deep end with my big Steam Punk series. I put querying and writing for the big one on hold to give myself time for creating new short story content. The big one is pushing on my brain again, though, so it'll be nice to fall back into that world.
    Yes, I'm counting positives. It deals blows to the depression, and those return hits count after life hits hard. I'm looking forward to the end of the current situation causing the anxiety and depression because whatever it turns out to be, at least it'll be an end. Ends are the best places to start beginnings :)
​    Hope you have a great weekend!
0 Comments

Wanted: Motivation

8/16/2019

0 Comments

 
    I'm looking for my motivation for today with a microscope. A search light and dogs may need to be called in to locate the general area to start looking for it, and then I can rope off the area into a grid and use a magnifying glass to seek out any trails it might have left behind. Kind of like looking for clues to help with tracking one ant, but a tiny ant which is too small to be seen with the naked eye.  
    Mostly my motivation this week got used up for editing and story image creation. I do my short story blog graphics and ebook covers in advance, typically once I'm at a point where I'm happy with the story and believe its ready for posting into my blog. Which means, with all those new short stories, I've had a bunch of editing getting done and then used my remaining brain cells for making up the related story graphics while the stories are still in my head. It's a process that works well for me, but drains my creative juices. 
    Add in the assorted body aches because arthritis doesn't like mixing with chilly weather, a few low level headaches because the main arthritis attack point is my upper spine, the ongoing grind of financial problems, and the first cold fingers of anxiety for the going back to school rush, and I'm very ready to just crawl back into bed and pull the blanket over my head. 
    Would hiding under blankets really solve anything? Unfortunately no, probably not. I just really, really want it to be an 
effective method of dealing with today. However, my degenerating joints and spine would complain sharply about lying down for too long, and thinking alone in the dark is not a good idea when fighting multiple anxiety monsters.
    But, with hiding under a blanket, would I be able to have my coffee while reading a good book with a flashlight? Also no. I have kids.
    If there is even a sniff of blanket fort potential, they will find it, invade it, occupy it, and probably fart in there. Flip side is that if I make a good blanket fort (with appropriate ventilation), I can still visit the kids in there and we can watch movies together. Popcorn is a good lunch decision, right? I think popcorn is a good lunch decision. Maybe some natcho chips as lunch and then popcorn snacks after, to be healthy. Cheese is dairy and corn chips are made from corn which is a vegetable, and dairy and vegetables are healthy. It's the right kind of Friday for that logic. :)
    Hope you have a great weekend!
Short Stories resume September 6! 
Catch up on reading
My ​Free Short Stories!
Teasers from my summer projects! ​No links... yet ;)
Picture
Picture
Picture
0 Comments

An August Post

8/9/2019

1 Comment

 
    It's been a quiet week at our house. I was trying to think what to post about, and came up empty lol. 
    Editing those new short stories is going well. I've even found titles for most of them, which I was hoping for but hadn't expected because titles and back cover blurbs are the parts of writing I find the hardest. I like the stories I write. Making them sound interesting enough for other people to pick up and read, however, is really hard.
    Awkward segue! ;)
    As for being interesting enough for other people to read, it's Indie August! I encourage everyone who likes reading to go and check out Independent Authors - especially local ones to your area - to see all the books you might be missing out on by only reading what's popular enough to hit the front displays of big stores. And, because I love reading the online versions, I'm including Indie Comic Authors and Illustrators in my request that you check out Indie Creators. There are some great online comics (some with print books) and if you like graphic novels you will definitely find Comic Authors and Illustrators to love using a search of "online comics" plus your genre of choice (ie: Fantasy, Sci Fi, etc). As a bonus, once you start reading an online comic, the ads will often display other online comics and you can discover even more. It's a win-win.
    Hope you have a great weekend!
Picture
Click the image to check out my free short stories! Available online and as free downloads. New story beginning Sep. 6!

Click the covers to see more about my books! Available electronically and in print, with buying options noted in my Bookstore :)
Picture
Support literacy with a book from Story Shares! Click the image to learn more (pun intended).
1 Comment

Dinosaur Hunting

8/2/2019

0 Comments

 
    I have to say, there are a lot worse places to be than hanging out in the Alberta Badlands. Also, by doing it two years in a row, hanging out as a Sisters' Weekend really needs to stay an annual thing from now until forever. Maybe not always the Badlands, but a summer weekend trip of just us*.
                                               * "us" being myself, my sister, and my kids (who are sisters)
Picture
    I didn't take a bunch of photos, picking instead to just be there and enjoy the trip and the weekend rather than my usual fussing about recording it.
    We checked out the 
Royal Tyrrell Museum on Friday. If you've never been, it's amazing! Plus, going on a weekday meant the crowd was a lot smaller than any previous trip I've taken there and the kids got to do a lot of the interactive displays.
    The heat kept the hiking trail quiet for us, as well. We had time to see what plants were around, read the information signs, and study the recently exposed rocks for any new fossils. (We didn't find any, but it was a lot of fun to look.)
    On Saturday we grabbed breakfast at the hotel and then went straight to the Hoodoos in the morning for some hiking and climbing. The only change from last year is that the city of Drumheller is now charging $2 (CAD) for parking, which I'm assuming goes toward maintaining the stairways and keeping this part of the park clean for everyone to visit. And, honestly, the stairs and cleanliness are worth the small charge. This natural playground is gorgeous! 
    I'm probably starting to sound like a tourist promotion site. I'm okay with that
– our trip was awesome. Saturday afternoon was playing at the spray park under the World's Largest Dinosaur, and Saturday evening was hiding from a thunderstorm at the hotel. (With take-out dinner once the rain cleared off.)
Picture
This is the spot that my 4 year old and I climbed up to ...
Picture
... which is up here, over half way up the valley wall behind the Hoodoos!
Picture
The area around the Hoodoos was full of hills, like this, to climb on and explore around.
Picture
This photo is care of www.outdoorescapade.com. Click the image to check out their site!
Picture
    Sunday was a repeat for breakfast and setting out for hiking, but our destination was Horsethief Canyon. It was stunning. It was also windy, and (for the kids) not that much fun when getting knocked about by a gust or two. We were able to find spots to hike and climb which were out of the worst of the wind, and the breeze over in those places was just enough to keep the mosquitoes away from us.
    If you do come here, remember to bring healthy snacks for the ground squirrels / gophers. They're adorable, and fruits and veggies are much better than chips, french fries, or bread / crackers.
    Monday was unfortunately our checkout day, so after a great stay and another tasty breakfast, we set out from the hotel and aimed directly for the World's Largest Dinosaur. This place is a blast because, not only is the gift shop barely interested in catering to adults (the store with keepsakes rather than toys is across the street, attached to the ice cream shop), but you can climb the dinosaur! The mouth is actually a balcony and the stairway through the giant dino is painted with prehistorically themed murals. There are also a few displays and fossils to spot out on the way up and down. The balcony is enclosed by plexiglass, with the gap between the teeth and the glass having become a wishing well (the change is donated to the charity that the dino company supports).

​
    In case you're curious, we stayed at the Quality Hotel. It's quiet, clean, and everyone on staff that we spoke to was friendly. The complimentary breakfast was excellent, plus had a lot of kid- and adult-friendly options. We even spent some time in the new fitness room! It's a good addition to an already excellent place to stay. The room prices are average for Drumheller. :)
Picture
Photo is from Explore 150. Click the image to check out their site.
Picture
This hotel shares the parking lot with a Freson Bros. grocery store, a Canadian Tire, and an A&W. McDonald's is just a block away. (Considerations when traveling with kids!)
    Needless to say, it was a quiet drive home for me as my 7 year old listened to music and my 4 year old had a nap. We were all just as happy to come home as we were to have our weekend away! Lol 
    I'm also happy to report that I finished drafting the last short story for the half-summer writing blitz as of yesterday, so I'm starting off August just as I wanted to be: ready for editing. I'm hoping to get through the editing, see if I can find good titles for at least most of the new stuff, and come into September with a ton of fresh material to use and abuse as blog stories. Hope you have a great weekend!
0 Comments

    AManda FLIEDER

    A weekly blog updating on Fridays with quick personal blurbs about me, as in what's going on during my life as an Author and mom, and that doles out my short stories and novellas in bite-sized parts for everyone to read for free!

    Archives

    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    July 2017
    April 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Reviews
  • Bookstore
  • Contact
  • Short Stories
  • Story Shares
  • Blog