A Shift in Thinking

Pre-pandemic, I thought that signing a deal with a major publishing company was my only ticket to literary success, so I started publishing short stories in hopes that I would attract their attention and build an audience while I focused on my freelance writing business. Then COVID-19 hit. 

All of a sudden, publishing my own full-length novels was a better idea than to wait for professionals to take notice of my work, so I started writing a novel I thought would be enjoyed by a mature audience (likely adult women).

In the last year, I published my first novel, The Ties That Bind (which is the premiere novel in a series Iโ€™m writing intended for a mature audience) and my first short story collection, Staycation for the Soul: A Collection of Short Stories

I turned the short story that started my foray into publishing, Musings of a Masterpiece (which is available in Staycation for the Soul: A Collection of Short Stories) into a screenplay and my work has been sold and enjoyed by people in Canada, the USA, the UK, Australia, and Japan. (Which is incredible! Thank you to everyone who has read and purchased my work.)

What’s on the Horizon?

Throughout 2020, my focus has shifted from merely wanting to attract attention from people in the industry to a desire to become a respected professional in publishing as time goes on. (I would like to help other writers as I progress and grow, so I am starting a writersโ€™ group in 2021.)

Though The Ties That Bind is the first novel I published, itโ€™s not the first novel I wrote. I completed my first novel (an untitled work of fantasy intended for readers 16+) in the summer of 2019.

Since weโ€™re in a 28-day lockdown in Ontario, I am focusing on editing and publishing it as soon as possible. 

If youโ€™d like to receive updates and special offers as I continue on my journey, please join my mailing list.

Give life the green light. Itโ€™s A Go!

A.F.S. Green     

A Toast to Publication

Toastmaster magazine, August 2020 issue (‘Virtual Camaraderie’, page 5)

My heartbeat would race and my whole body would shake. I would be out of breath and Iโ€™d speed through whatever I had to say so I could sit back down and escape the front of the room. This would happen every time I presented. (And once in a while, it still does.)

Iโ€™ve always been a better writer than a speaker. I was aware of this from an early age and actively avoided public speaking opportunities.

In order to combat this, I joined Toastmasters (a non-profit organization intended to develop public speaking and leadership skills) in my early twenties. I loved my original Toastmasters group in downtown Toronto, but life got in the way.

After a hiatus, I rejoined Toastmasters and I have been a member of my club for the past two years.

As we seek to adapt through the COVID-19 pandemic, I virtually visited Toastmasters clubs around the world. My letter was published in the August 2020 issue of Toastmaster magazine (โ€˜Virtual Camaraderie, page 5). Itโ€™s thrilling to be published by a magazine that is distributed internationally.

Though the COVID-19 pandemic has existed as an end to โ€˜the way things used to beโ€™, it also serves as the beginning of a new chapter. In addition to publishing my first novel this month, I will be starting my podcast.

I look forward to providing you with updates on my blogs (The Write Results and It’s A Go!) by the end of the month.

Take care!

Give your life the green light. It’s A Go!

Amber Green

Two Faces, Two Interpretations

My mom created this design in the early 1990s.

I saw this painting many times throughout my childhood; the black personโ€™s eye is open and the white personโ€™s eyes remain closed.

I thought, if she painted it today, the white personโ€™s eyes would be open too; bearing witness to the reality our black friends face. 

So I asked her: If she painted this design today, would she change it?

She surprised me by saying that she wouldโ€™ve painted both sets of eyes closed โ€” hopeful that the day that black people can shut their eyes and enjoy a moment of peace and relaxation is on the horizon.   

Art may be subjective but โ€” whether you imagine Dixie Foxtonโ€™s design with eyes open or closed โ€” I hope that humanity stands together until both interpretations are realized and become commonplace. 

Thanks for letting me share your work, Mom. 


Amber Green is a self-published Canadian author and freelance writer. Her short stories can be found here: www.amazon.com/author/ambergreen


ยฉ 2020 Amber Green

Art ยฉ 1990 Dixie Foxton