Written by coWORKer Linda Jay
Co-WORKer Amelia Beamer is a developmental book editor and sci-fi writer who spends most of her professional time with “aliens, zombies, blood magic, psychic awakenings, tentacles, spaceships, and knights in shining armor.”
Not your run-of-the-mill corporate concerns, for sure!
Her biggest contribution to literature thus far is horny zombies. Published in 2010 by Night Shade Books, The Loving Dead was turned down for translation by four separate French publishers because it had “too much sex.” The book was a finalist for the Locus Best First Novel award in 2011, commended for the 2011 William L. Crawford award, and in 2013, Barnes & Noble called the novel one of the top ten zombie novels of the past decade.
Amelia spent much of her Detroit childhood immersed in books –all kinds of books. It seemed absolutely natural to go from the children’s section in the library to the horror fiction section, oddly enough located right next to each other. Amelia built a lifelong affair with literature that led her to declare English Literature as her college major. She was graduated from Michigan State University’s Honors College, as well as a minor in bioethics, and some proficiency in spoken and written Japanese, and in American Sign Language.
Determined to work at something she liked, Amelia pursued a career in publishing, and has published everything from literary criticism and book reviews to fantasy fiction. Over the past 15+ years, she’s worked at magazines, book publishers, and a writers’ workshop, as well as consulting for small businesses.
Her ideal client “wants to make a quantum leap in the marketability of their work and their understanding of the publishing world.”
Recently Amelia was on a panel at the San Francisco Writers’ Conference, speaking about sci-fi writing. She describes it as a thoroughly enjoyable experience, and is pleased that she met several new clients as a result of her talk.
Along with her writing and publishing, Amelia is a Reiki professional who approaches Reiki as a form of Energy Medicine. She enjoys using the natural energy vibration to help people relax and feel better – and offers a discount on her Reiki work to WORK Petaluma members.
In the Detroit area in Michigan, where Amelia grew up, winter meant that you put plastic grocery bags on your feet underneath your boots, to keep your feet dry. With a memory like that, no wonder she has opted to spend most of her working life in the pleasant clime of California! Amelia has also lived and worked in England, Wales, Ireland, Iceland, Australia, Japan, Germany, and Chicago.
A fan of coworking for many years, she remarks, “I love WORK Petaluma, because it’s classy, friendly, and comfortable.”
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