Saturday, October 31, 2015

Autumn Wonderful

October 31, 2015

Happy Halloween everyone! We had great weather for the kiddies last night. About a quarter of the folks on my bowling league we absent due to taking their kids to Trick or Treat. Surprisingly, none of the bowlers wore any sort of costume this year. I guess we are finally "growing up." 

Windows 10. I've come to the conclusion I'll never find, much less utilize, all the features on this operating system. One thing I do like is the weather tile. I dumped most of the preset tiles in favor of my own selections (which are few) but I kept the weather. What a lovely week ahead for the first days in November. So very different from a few short years ago when a late October snowstorm wrecked havoc. We were without power for 55 hours during that one. (But we had a lot of wood to burn the next year.)

I'm looking forward to this last few warmer days of autumn. November will bring a chill wind, one that stays until, finally, in April, a hint of spring can be felt. I wouldn't miss the changing of the seasons for love nor money. I love stepping out on my front porch and observing the changes in the trees. 

Where I'll end up by the close of this fall day, I don't know yet. Likely it will be right here at my keyboard. What I do know is the hours between will be autumn wonderful. 

KC
kckendricks.com
twitter.com/kckendricks



Monday, October 26, 2015

10,000 steps

October 26, 2015

Sooooo I bought into the Fitbit craze and got a Flex. So it was $90 I probably shouldn't have spent, but hey. I don't have any serious vices. Why not have another fun gadget? (Maybe gadgets are a vice - who knows?)

I work in an office setting, plus I write. That's a lot of time at a desk. To counter that I generally take a walk in the park on my lunch break. The first full day of having the Fitbit, I logged 5047 steps. Whoa, baby. Really? I did that many without varying my routine at all? I rather impressed myself. Halfway there without actually trying. 

Being a pragmatic sort, I realized right then and there that 10,000 steps a day, every day, might be out of range. I set a goal of 5500 for the next day and added five minutes to my lunchtime stroll. I ended up at 5322 for the day. 

Okay. That told me I needed to add a purposeful walk around the office building, once in the morning and once in the afternoon. This is over and above going to other offices to check on my charges. This would just be a flyby. Let 'em wonder what the hell the office manager is up to.  The added five minutes and two flybys got me to 6686. 

At this point I'm not sure the Fitbit is adding correctly. That's a quite a jump. 

Friday. A twenty-seven minute walk in the park, two flybys and bowling night. Total=7944.  Hmm. I would have thought bowling would add more, but it is what it is. 

Fast forward to the next Friday and the same routine got me to 8790. By now I'm really confused about the way this gadget measures steps. 

Saturday, October 24. Great weather. I made up my mind I was going to hit TEN THOUSAND steps or fucking die trying. 

As it happened, we had quite a To Do list for the day. First up - an early morning pantry run to Wal-Mart (yeah, yeah) to restock the larder. After that a few chores in the yard including climbing up and down a ladder a few times and a trip to fill up the gas cans and get diesel for the John Deere. All of that and I'm at about 7000 steps. Fine. I set out for a walk in the woods, taking the two-mile loop. It's almost four o'clock when I get home and the Fitbit says I've only gone 9467 steps. Fuck. Me.

I can do this. I can go another 500 or so steps. I CAN DO THIS! I walked down to my mailbox and back. That's 975 feet out the lane and 975 feet back in. I know it's that far. I measured the distance when I had to pay a contractor to scrape off the topsoil and put the first one hundred ton of stone down back in 1981. I look at the read-out on my phone and it says 9989. 

BITE ME! 

A few steps around the house and the Fitbit gizmo vibrated. According to modern tech, I'd made the whopping big total of 10,007 steps and it was still daylight. By the end of the day I'd registered 10,539 steps. I got the badge. 

What's my take-away from Saturday's exercise? I'm not crazy enough, or obsessive enough, for the Fitbit craze. If I don't get 10,000 steps a day, who the hell cares? Not me. I'll continue to play with my gadget because, admittedly, it's a way to remind me to take those extra strolls around the office and add a few minutes to my mid-day walk when possible. But from now on, I'm counting along with the Fitbit.  

KC
www.kckendricks.com
www.twitter.com/kckendricks

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Saturday, October 24, 2015

Poseidon's Pleasure for #MSS115

October 24, 2015
**Updated 4/2/21 - the My Sexy Saturday blog hop has ended.**

Welcome to the 115th installment of My Sexy Saturday. My Sexy Saturday is a weekly blog hop where authors post seven sexy words, sentences or paragraphs from one of their stories. This week, I'm taking a trip to the island of St. Lucia and Poseidon's Pleasure. So here are seven sexy paragraphs from Poseidon's Pleasure, part of the Southern Cross series.

Enjoy!

_*_*_*_

Mark’s fingers closed around my wrist. “Christ! I didn’t do it on purpose, you know.” He scanned the crowd, and so did I.No one was paying any attention to us. “And I don’t have it now, for your information. I don’t have anything.”

I really wanted to believe that, but I knew I couldn’t. “Bully for you. I’m not going to be your fuck buddy for the next few days, so if that’s what this is about, you can get over it.”

“Fuck bu…? Have you lost your mind?”

Yes, I had, and I didn’t care if I got it back. I stared at him as he forged ahead.

“I wouldn’t fuck you again, Brett Houston, if you were the last man on the island! I loved you, man, and you just walked away like I was nothing more than dog shit you needed to clean off your shoes!”

“You told me you weren’t out fucking anyone else. That was a lie, you little twink. You tricked your way across town and back.”

Mark ripped off his mask and glared at me. “You were the older know-it-all, the one in too much of a hurry to put on a fucking rubber!”


POSEIDON'S PLEASURE
Available now at Amazon and other online booksellers. 

A bit about Poseidon's Pleasure:


Brett Houston triumphed over his life. Raised by an abusive father, Brett sacrificed his personal happiness to keep the ones he loved safe. Ready to make big changes in his life, Brett treats himself to a Caribbean vacation. To his surprise, he ends up at a seaside ball, wearing a G-string and presiding over the festivities as Poseidon, the God of the Sea.

Mark Matthews left behind his hometown, and his first love, to put down roots in California. With vacation time to use, or lose, Mark books a holiday on the island of St. Lucia, unaware of the surprise reunion Fate has waiting for him.

Brett cautiously examines the fractured bonds of the past, while questioning the possibility of a future with Mark. It’s simpler for Mark. He won’t settle for anything less than a future tending to Poseidon’s pleasure.


_*_*_*_*_*_*_

 KC Kendricks

My home on the web- Between the Keys: 
Visit my bookshelf at: 

Social media links:
Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com
My country life at Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com

Thursday, October 22, 2015

Horror-scope and the co-worker

October 22, 2015

Having arrived at a place in my life where I'm blessed with a good bit of vacation, I'm taking a long weekend. I had two unscheduled days to get in by the end of this calendar year or lose them. And I'm not about to lose them. 

One of the things with taking vacation days is a person has to work like a dog to cram five days work into four. It doesn't seem fair. That's the sort of thing that will get "the boss" to thinking you can take on extra work. Moral of this thought - always leave a little something on the desk when you take vacation. Just pick the right thing. 

I like to read the daily horoscopes. I don't believe or disbelieve but I do think it's interesting when one hits the mark. Today's is good advice for everyone - don't take the bait. 

I deal daily with a little old woman who constantly baits people. She's annoying. Her modus operandi is to tell half the truth then stand back and watch who makes a fool of themselves. Did I mention she's annoying? 

So here's the thing for today. She was in my office, first thing this morning, and "reported" on a meeting she was a part of. Oh, yeah. Little did she know I'd already gotten the minutes, spoken with our CEO and the other person in the meeting. (She still doesn't know.) I listened to her and watched her face. Yep. She was trying to play me into saying something I shouldn't. 

I know her and I know better. I kept quiet. She left, probably a little pissed off at me, but so be it. I least I won't have to waste any of my weekend worrying about her spreading gossip with my name attached to it. 

Then I read my horoscope. Nailed it. 

Gemini 5/21-6/21

You could be in for quite a wonderful surprise today as something totally unexpected grabs your attention. However, don't move too fast if you feel a knot in the bottom of your stomach. What you see is not the whole story and trusting your intuition can save you from yourself. Ultimately, it's not a good idea to take the bait unless you are ready to go on a ride to points unknown. Stop moving for a minute, block out the noise and re-establish your center. The answer will be crystal clear once you listen to your heart.

KC
www.kckendricks.com
www.twitter.com/kckendricks
www.facebook.com/kckendricks

Sunday, October 18, 2015

Scatterings

October 18, 2015

It felt, for the first time, like autumn today. Early this morning my red car looked white with a coating of frost. I stepped out onto the front porch and looked up. What a splendid sky! Orion the Hunter, my winter king, was above me, with trusty Sirius at his heel. I rather wish I'd attempted to get a photo because the offerings on the Internet are poor compared to my morning view. Even as a girl, before I learned the mythology of the hunter, he drew my attention. 

For some reason, I allowed this day to get away from me. Oh, I did some writing, fixed dinner, and a few sundry things, but now it's approaching seven o'clock and I wonder what I accomplished. 

Perhaps it's that I was trapped inside today. Band after band of rain swept through, each bringing cold wind. In my younger years I would've dashed outside between the showers and gotten my work done. Am I older and smarter, or older and lazier? That's something to think about. 

This week coming, I'm only working four days. I never imagined having twenty days of vacation a year would be hard to schedule but it is. I needed to add two days off to the calendar or risk losing the paid vacation time. 

I'm not a big fan of diet soda, but I had a coupon for a free boss bottle of ginger ale. I must confess I've enjoyed the change from water this weekend even as I'll be glad when it's all gone. 

Tonight the newest Jesse Stone movie airs. My partner and I plan to open a bottle of wine and view the movie together. I hope I can stay awake. 

May the week coming bring you joy. 

KC

Thursday, October 15, 2015

It's a 4.5 review for Hot August Comes

October 15, 2015

I actually enjoyed this story quite a bit. I was not surprised however, because KC has always given you stories that just seem to flow just off the pages. - Pixie at MM Good Book Reviews

First off my thanks to Pixie for her kind words! I appreciate that she took the time to read Hot August Comes, and to note there's a bit of humor in it. Drama is one thing, but it can get a bit dry if the author doesn't lighten up every so often. I'm glad she noticed. 

You can read the entire review at....
mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com/2015/10/06/hot-august-comes-by-k-c-kendricks/

A bit about Hot August Comes: 

Leo Corbin shook the dust of Westfall off his shoes to pursue opportunities among the bright city lights. When his mother suddenly dies, Leo returns home to settle her estate. His grief at her passing quickly turns to shock at what she left behind and rekindles old questions about the identity of his father.

Harrison Wade stuck by his father to help run the family farm. Life for a gay man in Westfall has limitations, but Harrison knows how to make the best of them. When Leo Corbin returns to town, Harrison’s quiet existence tilts. Leo is the guy who put an end to the high school bullying Harrison endured so many years ago. Harrison quickly discovers his old boyhood crush on Leo has matured into an adult attraction.

As the mercury rises, Harrison and Leo’s friendly buddy arrangement heats up. When hot August comes to Westfall, they discover home is more than where a man hangs his hat. It’s where he gives his heart.

HOT AUGUST COMES is available now. For more info and buy links, please visit my website at https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/hot-august-comes-by-kc-kendricks.html

KC Kendricks
My home on the web- Between the Keys: 
Visit my bookshelf at: 

My country life at Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com






Sunday, October 11, 2015

Very funny!

October 11, 2015

A friend sent me this and it's the funniest joke I've read in a long time. I must share it. Enjoy!


Wednesday, October 7, 2015

"Oh, my God, they stole my story!" (IWSG)

October 7, 2015

The Insecure Writer’s Support Group

There you are. It’s a rainy evening. You’ve written over one thousand words in the current work-in-progress and you’re winding it down for the day. A little surfing at your favorite online bookseller is in order. You can download a new book and tottle off to bed to do a little reading.

Not so fast. There is YOUR cover on someone else’s book! Okay, okay. You know everyone and their sister is buying cover stock from a rather limited pool. You just have to grin and bear it and remember you bought that cover stock because the guy is pretty sexy. 

So you scroll a few more pages and then it happens. Holy crap! SOMEONE STOLE YOUR TITLE!!!  Well, it’s not exactly your title. Your title’s The Alpha’s Broken Finger and this - this - this THIEF used The Alpha’s Broken Toe. And you can't copyright titles and names. But dammit! That’s awfully close. And both stories are about how his mate saves him.  What the heck is going on?? Is this something serious or did we simply inspire another writer? Haven't we all gotten inspiration from someone else somewhere along the line? Who hasn't read a story and been blown away by a particular turn of a phrase and then had it creep into our usage? 

I even had a fellow writer comment on this blog about the fact we both use the word "KEY" in our blog titles as though I stole the word directly from her mind. 

Plagiarism is a risk we all take when we publish a book. While I wrote the above tongue-in-cheek, the theft of intellectual property is no laughing matter. The honest among us have all seen covers and stories so similar to our own that the hair on our arms raises in alarm, disgust and anger. It’s not a good feeling. So what do we do about it?

If we accuse another writer of plagiarism and it turns out to be a weird coincidence, we’ve gained an enemy, one unlikely to ever forget. And do we want to apply the stigma of plagiarism to someone else who may have simply had a similar idea? How would we feel if we were unjustly accused of such a thing?

The serious among us view our work as both creation and business. There are steps we can take if we’ve been pirated (DMCA letters) or suspect plagiarism (an attorney versed in the applicable laws).  One of the sad truths about this business is it’s stacked against the author. We do the work of creation and everyone makes a profit on our backs.

I could let the ugliness of theft stop me from writing, but I won’t. I could put my money into lawyer fees (and if seriously pissed off I will). I submit DMCA letters albeit in a lazy fashion. For better or for worse I’ve accepted the risk because I believe Karma exists.

I know that sooner or later savvy readers will catch on and avoid suspect “authors.” The problem of deliberate, premeditated theft is so pervasive that even with a hundred thousand keyboards raised against it, it’s not going to go away. And that’s not right and that’s not fair.

The best thing I can do is put my energy into writing the next story and not dwell on the inequities of this business. I could allow it to discourage me, but I won’t. I do what I do for the honest readers and there are enough of them left to keep me going. And that will just have to be good enough until karma kicks butt.

KC Kendricks

Saturday, October 3, 2015

Doors of Time by KC Kendricks

October 3, 2015
**Updated 4/2/21 - the My Sexy Saturday blog hop has closed.**


Welcome to My Sexy Saturday #112! My Sexy Saturday is a blog hop where your fave authors present seven sexy words, seven sexy paragraphs, or even seven sexy pages from a published book or a work in progress. 

This week I have seven sexy paragraphs from Doors of Time. As teens, Calvin didn't confess to Emory he had feelings for him so Emory always believed Calvin was straight. Surprise! He was misinformed. Enjoy!

_*_*_

Calvin levered his weight forward, rolling Emory beneath him. Emory locked his heels behind his knees and grinned up at him. “That’ll almost work, Calvin.”

“You’re too eager.” Calvin covered his mouth in a slow, easy kiss. Emory’s tongue flicked out to touch his. He flexed his pelvis to Emory’s, groaning as the beginnings of renewed arousal spiked through him. Emory unceremoniously dumped him off.

“I know exactly where that kiss is headed and I’m out of time.”

Calvin grunted as Emory smacked his butt and sat up on the edge of the bed.

“Come wash my back, Cal.” Emory started for the bathroom.

He bounced across the bed toward Emory. “Spank me some more and I’ll do whatever you want.”

Emory paused and turned around, eyebrow raised. “Really?”

_*_*_


About Doors of Time:


Calvin Lawson arrived in Clear River to rebuild bridges with his ailing father, not hook up with Emory Fleming, although being an honest man, he has to admit Emory’s on his mind. But first things first, and before he goes looking for his boyhood friend, he needs to find a restoration project to generate personal income so he’s not sponging off his father. Gutted by an arsonist, the Clocktower Theatre, affectionately called the Time by everyone in town, is in dire need of his special skills. 

As an on-the-air journalist, Emory Fleming is making a name for himself and getting noticed. He’s back in Clear River at the local network affiliate, preparing for the move up to a major market in a few years. When Calvin Lawson rolls back into town, Emory’s stunned. The old pal he worked with at the Time kept a big secret - he’s gay. All the fantasies Emory had as a teenager about Calvin suddenly become real as he and Calvin reconnect and quickly become lovers. 

Calvin’s planned restoration of the Clocktower Theatre may not be a practical possibility. He has to secure a lot of funding to do the job properly, and money is tight everywhere. When Emory’s big break comes faster than anticipated, Calvin sees only one option - step aside so Emory will accept the job he’s always wanted. It doesn’t take for Emory long to figure out why Calvin walked out, and put in action a plan to win him back before the doors of time close between them permanently.


Doors of Time is available at
AmazoniTunes/AppleBarnes and NobleKobo,
and other online booksellers. 


_*_*_*_*_*_*_

 KC Kendricks

My home on the web- Between the Keys: 
Visit my bookshelf at: 

Social media links:
Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com
My country life at Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com



Thursday, October 1, 2015

Remembering Fallingwater

October 1, 2015

It's wet. Rain is falling. It's not conducive to writing, at least for me. Planning and plotting come better when it's dreary outside. My muse needs sunshine to be productive. 

I was looking in the files for an inspiration photo and came across a few photos of the Frank Lloyd Wright masterpiece, Fallingwater. I had occasion to visit there on a rainy day in October of 2007, and decided to recount that visit tonight. It seems appropriate, given the rain.

For years I’d seen pictures of the Frank Lloyd Wright house and marveled at its very existence. It is an engineering masterpiece. Before the visit, I tried to imagine what it would really be like. Would it be a disappointment in real life? Would it be better than I ever dreamed? I can honestly say, it was more than I ever expected.

By today’s standards, the rooms of Fallingwater are actually of a modest square footage, the interior deliberately dwarfed by the cantilevered terraces. If a queen size bed were placed in any of the bedrooms, there’d barely be room to walk around it. Not that anyone would mind with a wall of windows to lie in bed and look out through.

No fancy gourmet kitchen, either, thank you. A kitchen is used strictly for food preparation. A dining area is used for family gatherings and entertaining guests. The flagstone used for the floors is not polished smooth, its dips and crannies a hazard for anyone in heels. Better to walk barefoot across the stones and let the ageless beauty of the rock lure you back into another world, another time. For a space of time, I embraced its seduction.

Every terrace at Fallingwater provides a stunning view of the house, woodlands and Bear Creek. Access to the plunge pool in the creek is through the living room. Above the house is a small (by today's standards) lap pool. The covered, curving walk up to the pool is as genius as the rest of the house. Fallingwater is all about experiencing the woods and the water. 

I've often wondered if the house has been imitated anywhere, but I'm not sure I really want to know. Any copies would be only that - a copy. 

While I may never write Fallingwater into a story, the feeling of romance the house instilled in me is something I’ll not soon forget. Maybe it was the intimacy of a rainy day. The hushed reverence of everyone in the tour group. Or maybe it was the knowledge I stood in the presence of creative genius. 

If you ever have the chance to visit Fallingwater you should go. It's a place you'll never forget. 

 KC Kendricks

My home on the web- Between the Keys: 
Visit my bookshelf at: 

Social media links:
My country life at Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com
Life through the eyes of Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com