The Z-Axis

Seven Things You May Not Know About Me

By: Amira K. August 9, 2013August 9, 2013

LOOK GUYS I GOT A BLOG AWARD TAG THING WHOAAAAAA Thanks to Jamie Krakover for tagging me in this fun little award / game / project / thing, of which I am very proud to be a part. So without further ado, here are seven things you may not know about me: 1) In 7th grade…

Writing As A Team: Collaborative Fiction Writing

By: Amira K. August 8, 2013August 8, 2013

Musingscollaboration, family, fiction, learning, writing, writing team4 Comments

This is a re-post from the Alliance of Independent Authors website, for which I contributed an article about writing my debut novel with my mother and sister. Over the last year and a half, a mother and two daughters have written a novel together, collaboratively, in an almost entirely egalitarian fashion. “Somehow all three of…

Book Review: “Brave New World” by Aldous Huxley

By: Amira K. August 6, 2013August 6, 2013

Book Review, MusingsAldous Huxley, Brave New World, classics, Dystopia, fiction, literature, morality, philosophy, religion, science fiction, utopia4 Comments

BRAVE NEW WORLD is considered a classic in literature, a book students are often required to read in high school, a story that shows the limitations and complexities of utopian/dystopian society. I was told that I had to read it because of the immense similarities between it and my own debut novel, THE SOWING. So naturally, I…

Book Review: “His Own Good Sword” By Amanda McCrina

By: Amira K. August 1, 2013August 1, 2013

Musings1 Comment

Are you a fan of historical fiction? Alternate history? Particularly that which happens to be based loosely around the Roman Empire? Do you enjoy reading about rural uprisings, moral quandaries, sword fights, or Imperial politics? If so, I strongly encourage you to hop on over to Amazon to pick up an ebook copy of Amanda…

Symbols Are Power

By: Amira K. July 29, 2013June 7, 2018

Musingsbooks, Harry Potter, Hunger Games, literature, Lord of the Rings, reading, symbolism, symbols, writing4 Comments

I remember spending an inordinate amount of time in my freshman year high school class discussing symbolism. “But what does the albatross symbolize?” we were asked about the Rime of the Ancient Mariner. “But what does the snake represent?” we were asked about D.H. Lawrence’s famous poem. “But what does Antigone’s burial ceremony mean?” At the time, I…

Dystopia On Demand

By: Amira K. July 27, 2013July 27, 2013

MusingsDystopia, literature, post-apocalyptic, World War II, writing5 Comments

This is a guest post by Kurt McCrohan. Execution by combat, globally spread degenerative disease, and a bleak, desolate landscape challenging human survival. Sounds familiar, and there’s a reason for that. These are but a few examples of the themes which have been dominating the most recent popular films and novels, and while they are…

Why We’re Serializing, Part 1

By: Amira K. July 22, 2013

MusingsAmazon, fiction, literature, publishing, reading, serials, The Sowing, writing7 Comments

A lot of people have been asking why my co-authors and I decided to publish serially. In the age of Amazon, instant gratification, and the digital revolution, why would someone choose to release a book in installments rather than the full thing? We’ve even had a few people ask ‘what is serialization?’ and many more have…

The Birth Of A Book

By: Amira K. July 17, 2013

Musings, The Seeds Trilogybooks, childbirth, fiction, science fiction, SEEDS, thank you, The Sowing, young adult2 Comments

Dear readers, Over the last few months, you’ve put a lot of faith in me. You’ve read and commented on my posts, followed my blog, retweeted my tweets, and followed me on the strange and errant journey that befits any adventurer. You’ve supported me and encouraged me and I could not ask more of any…

Law of Conservation – A Short Work Of Fiction

By: Amira K. July 13, 2013July 13, 2013

Compositionsfiction, flash fiction, love, math, physics, reading, romance, writing3 Comments

Green. Red. Pop. The echoes hiss down upon us distantly like a noise underwater, or from far away. I sit in a crowd of hundreds of people, children and adults, squealing, pointing, shouting at the sky. Green, blue, white, pop, pop, pop. The height they will reach is equal to the initial velocity times time…

COVER REVEAL! And A 10-Step Guide To Creating A Book Cover Without Killing Anyone

By: Amira K. July 9, 2013July 9, 2013

MusingsBook covers, cover art, cover reveal, graphic design, marketing, symbolism, The Seeds Trilogy, The Sowing7 Comments

THIS IS IT, YOU GUYS. The moment you’ve all been waiting for. Well, at least, the moment I’ve been waiting for. I HAVE A COVER AND I’M NOT AFRAID TO USE IT. *hyperventilates* It took us several months and a lot of physical and mental trauma to get this cover out. There were moments when…