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Posts published in “Introductions”

More Tools of the Trade

Disclaimer: This is NOT a sponsored post. None of the companies responsible for the products mentioned here have given me a damn thing in exchange for a mention or review. These services are used by me, loved by me, and will continue to be my go-to for the foreseeable future. There has been a fair bit of discussion online within Twitter’s Writing Community asking for suggestions to help in the creation of ads. As I mentioned…

That Just About “Covers” It

The publication date for Vitae is fast approaching. No, I’m not quite ready to disclose when that’ll be. Trust me, though, you’ll know as soon as I’ve finalized the date. What I am willing to share with you right now, though, is the final cover. I’ve gone back and forth quite a bit with the design. Admittedly, most of the changes would likely only be noticed by me or by those who pay attention to…

Vitae

A couple of weeks ago, I posted the front cover for VITAE. Of course, it has since been tweaked a bit (as I said it would be), so here is a peek at both the front and back cover. I don’t think I’ll be fiddling with it anymore, but will be sure to let you know if I do. Also of note: My hope is to release VITAE on November 10th. However, if it is not…

Presenting…

Though there might be a few tweaks between now and the release date, here is the front cover for VITAE!

Duality – The Prologue

Copyright © 2018 Ametra S. Rayford. All rights reserved. She crouched, shivering as she forced her body deep inside the crowded closet. Wiping the tears from her cheeks, she couldn’t help shuddering as her fingertips grazed the clots of blood and flesh that she’d been sprayed with. Gritting her teeth, she fought to maintain control though she felt the bile rising as her stomach churned. An ear-splitting scream mingled with the guttural gurgles that resembled…

#WritingCommunity on Twitter

In my opinion, there’s a lot of work involved with being a self-published author in addition to what it takes to write a novel. We don’t usually have a “machine” behind us; a group of individuals working for and with us to help us to become a success. A self-published author might need to outsource an editor, cover designer, and publicist – or he/she has to become all of those things. This is where networking…

Full Circle

When writing the initial draft of Duality, I had a completely different personality and ending in mind for one of the main characters. Even his name was different from what it eventually became. It’s so funny to look back now at the initial character outline, comparing that to what he eventually transformed into, but it ended up being for the best. Once the novel was finished I loved him even more. But, what was even…

Writer’s Block Exercise #2

Exercise #2: Describe the most disappointing gift you’ve ever received. What did the gift reveal about the giver? This was in 2002, or maybe 2003, and I don’t recall if it was in celebration of my birthday or for Christmas when the gift was presented to me.  I didn’t know what to say at the time it was revealed, instead choosing a smile and a simple, “Thank you” that I hoped sounded sincere and would…

Will You Bring Your Attention to Me?

Okay, so maybe I’m listening to a little Saliva on this early-ish morning and I snatched the title of this post from one of their songs. Anyway, to the single, most amazing reason for this interlude: I am BEYOND psyched to finally be able to share the name of my debut novel with you. The book didn’t have a title, really, until just before the editing phase began. I was juggling some ideas around and…