Thursday, June 30, 2011

Beneath Dark Stars has been Joyfully Reviewed

June 30, 2011

And sometimes you can score one!

Thanks to Lisa at Joyfully Reviewed for her glowing words about Beneath Dark Stars!

A realistic world where humans unknowingly walk side by side with shape shifters, Beneath Dark Stars is a richly compelling story. Fascinating characters make Beneath Dark Stars a deliciously intense and passionate drama. Fallon is finding his way in a new life with a special lover while the exotic, intense Sundown quietly bridges the human world and his own. This sequel stands on its own easily, yet the world of the Chal is so hazy that it’s frustrating at times, though the reasons for secrecy are obvious. The inexplicable connection between Fallon and Sundown is what sets Beneath Dark Stars apart from other romances. Their love story is fiercely satisfying. - Lisa, Joyfully Reviewed

Read the entire review at: http://www.joyfullyreviewed.com/new-reviews/beneath-dark-stars-by-k-c-kendricks


Beneath Dark Stars

Fallon Roxbury, seasoned detective and special police consultant, knows that appearances can be deceiving. Trained to gather the clues and arrive at logical conclusions, he fits the puzzle pieces of a situation together to find the truth. But there’s nothing reasonable in Fallon’s attraction to the sexy, secretive shapeshifter called Sundown.

Sundown has studied people all his life. Having his very own human male is all he ever wanted. In Fallon, he’s found a man he can trust with his secrets and reveal his true nature. Keeping Fallon happy is a joyful exercise into which Sundown puts his heart and soul—when he’s not teasing Fallon’s police partner by leaving strange footprints at crime scenes, that is.

Fallon’s new case ties into an old one. At a dead end, he knows it’s time to ask Sundown for a little help. With his special abilities, Sundown can get into places Fallon can’t. All Fallon has to do is figure out a way to prove what he already knows. But what’s a cop to do when the truth takes a shift that’s stranger than fiction?



BENEATH DARK STARS 
Gay romance with a paranormal shift
available now at AmazoniTunes/AppleBarnes and NobleKobo, and other online booksellers. 

KC Kendricks
Visit my website at: http://www.kckendricks.com
Follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kckendricks
Join my mailing list at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/betweenthekeys
Read my personal blog: http://www.kckendricks.blogspot.com

Saturday, June 25, 2011

To Page or Not to Page

June 25, 2011

Another Saturday morning and I'm taking an Internet stroll through websites and blogs as I enjoy a cup of Caribou Mahogany coffee. Mahogany is a darker roast with a milder flavor and, at least to my poor palette, no aftertaste. But I digress...again...

As with many authors, I'm always on the lookout for ways to improve my website and blog. Gone are the days when all the author had to do is write the story. We're all a one-person show and since we are, we help fuel Internet marketing trends with our ceaseless efforts. Yep. There are that many of us.

For some time now, I've wanted to clean up the appearance of Between the Keys. I love color so having all those gorgeous covers Trace Edward Zaber has done for me on display usually hits on the pleasure receptors in my brain. Maybe it's the coffee, but this morning I'm thinking they might be a bit much. That leads straight to the question of what should I do with them?

Hmm. Maybe it's time to try a few blogger pages. A blog is just a mini-website, right? I know lots of authors who only have blog-sites and never do go .com . At this point in time, blogs are usually free so maybe they're smarter than me. I don't know. I happen to like having a professional .com and a for-fun freebie blog, too. I'm digressing again, aren't I?

Back to the idea of adding pages to my blog. How hard can it be? Blogger is usually quite easy. Figuring out what I should put on the new pages is the hard part.

I think I'll go fix another cup of coffee and take it and a notepad to the patio. It's a fine Saturday morning in western Maryland. The world around me is green, full and lush with all the rain we've had. The hummingbirds are busy conducting aerial battles around the feeder. None of my neighbors are outside with power tools yet, making noise.

Forget the notepad. It seems like it's the perfect time to indulge in a lazy morning away from the one-person show. I'll get the idea of pages on the blog figured out later. And who knows? Maybe all the quiet will inspire me.

KC

Friday, June 24, 2011

Your Whisper in the Dark highlighted by Carolina Valdez

June 24, 2011


Many thanks to author Carolina Valdez for highlighting Your Whisper in the Dark on her blog, Sweet Ecstasies. (This may now be defunct for all I know. 2/7/2017)

When I began my writing journey, I didn't consider that I would meet so many interesting people along the way. Carolina hails from sunny California and had it not been for the wonders of the Internet, we would have never met. 


Your Whisper in the Dark is now available at AmazoniTunesBarnes and NobleKobo and other online book sellers.

Book four of the Men of Marionville series. 

KC Kendricks
Website at: http://www.kckendricks.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kckendricks
Join mailing list at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/betweenthekeys
Blog: Between the Keys: http://kckendricks.blogspot.com


Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Gateways

June 21, 2011
The first day of summer



The first day of summer brings thoughts of getting away from it all. I was surfing the web, the only sort of surfing I do although the real kind looks like fun, and found this picture. The scene beckons to me, calling me to step through into life lived at a slower pace. I want to sit in the shade and gaze out over the water.

Hmm. That might be just enough beach for me this year.

Don't forget - available now - Your Whisper in the Dark.






Your Whisper in the Dark is now available at AmazoniTunesBarnes and NobleKobo and other online book sellers.

Book four of the Men of Marionville series. 

KC Kendricks
Website at: http://www.kckendricks.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kckendricks
Join mailing list at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/betweenthekeys
Blog: Between the Keys: http://www.kckendricks.blogspot.com

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Just released! Your Whisper in the Dark_KC Kendricks

June 18, 2011
Just released!

A new release is always exciting! It's a lot of fun, but it's also a lot of work. For those of you who frequent a lot of blogs, you may see this announcement at several different places. And if you think you're tired of seeing it, think how tired the author gets posting it!!

Just kidding :) We're usually too pumped over having a new book out to get tired. So... Your Whisper in the Dark. Now available!



Your Whisper in the Dark is now available at AmazoniTunesBarnes and NobleKobo and other online book sellers.

Book four of the Men of Marionville series. 

Contemporary gay romance


Kenzie Zahn is starting over as a single man. Left with few immediate options, he accepts a friend’s invitation to visit and house sit. It’s the perfect opportunity for Kenzie to put a little space between the past and present while figuring out the best path for his future.

Mason Hall enjoys the carefree single life. He works hard, plays a little harder, and doesn’t think much about settling down. The right man will come along – or not – and he’s content to wait. A night out to enjoy a little dancing leads to a hook-up with Kenzie, the kind of man Mason has only ever fantasized about. Mason can’t let him get away.

Kenzie’s smitten. Mason is irresistible, but home is a thousand miles away and a long-distance romance isn’t workable. A strange twist of identity brings a linked past to light. Kenzie and Mason are brought to the realization that even when Fate arranges a man’s destiny, he still has to take a leap of faith, or lose out on love.


INTRO:

I scampered off to the parlor like a love struck teenager, snatched the receiver off the hook, and fell breathlessly onto the sofa.

“Hey, Mason.”

“Hey. I had this number on the service ticket from last fall. Um, is it okay I called?”

I heard the ‘click’ as Tyler hung the phone upstairs. “Yeah, sure. I guess I should give you my cell phone number, though.”

“Yeah. Do it tonight.”

My stomach plunged. The weather wasn’t conducive to going out. I appreciated Tyler’s offer of his truck, but it would be foolish to go out on unfamiliar icy roads when I didn’t really need to.

“It’s snowing, Mason.”

There was a clattering crash in my ear.

“Fuck. Dropped my screwdriver. Dropped my wrench. Hold on.”

I grinned as I listened to more noise and additional foul language. Was he nervous over calling me? His smooth voice flowed back into my ear. “Sorry about that. I know it’s snowing, damn it. So you’re not coming into town?”

“I’d better not. I don’t know the roads around here that well.” I held my breath, dreading his next words. What if he hung up and we never connected again?

But wouldn’t that be best? My head and my heart weren’t in agreement.

“I guess you’re right.” He cleared his throat. I heard him take a deep breath. “Kenzie, will you have dinner with me tomorrow night?”

I failed to remember I was thirty-six, and a mature man. I ignored how bad of an idea it was to get involved with anyone a thousand miles away from home.

We’d already had each other in the most physically intimate ways possible, and now he wanted to take me dinner. I pumped my fist in the air in a gesture of victory.

“I would love to have dinner with you, Mason.”


EXCERPT:

“Kenzie, please. We need to go someplace private so I can tell you everything.”

I couldn’t think about anything except getting the hell away from him. “I’m leaving, and neither one of us is going to make a scene. Goodbye, Mason.”

I stood, turned on my heel, and left him sitting there. I needed fresh air, to somehow manage to breathe again. If I could get out the door, I could quiet the pounding ‘why, why, why’ beating inside my skull. Was this what people meant by a surreal experience? I fumbled my car keys, dropping them. I bent over to retrieve them without paying attention to how close to the car I was and whacked my head on the car door.

“Fucking hell!” I plopped down on the frozen tundra of blacktop and grabbed the right side of my head to make sure my brains weren’t spilling out.

Just fucking great. I’d sport a bruise for sure come morning, not to mention the fucking headache already eating through bone.

Every time I went queen-out, something nasty happened and it was usually my own fucking fault. Like now. I welcomed Mason’s body heat as he knelt beside me. “Kenzie? Are you okay?”

I kept my right palm pressed to my forehead and glared at him.

“What the fuck to you think?” I moved my hand. “Just tell me if I’m bleeding.”

Mason hesitated, then stroked my face with cold fingertips. “The skin isn’t broken, but I think you’re going to have a bump.” He eased down beside me and I hoped his balls would freeze fast to the macadam through his jeans and stick when he got up. “Please talk to me, Kenzie.”

I suspected there was no way to avoid a conversation with him. Self-induced concussion aside, I seemed to have regained some composure. Maybe. I had one burning question for him.

“Mason, why the fuck even tell me? Why not let me live in blissful ignorance?”

He reached for my hand but stopped short of taking it. I sighed and held it out to him. His chilly fingers closed around my equally cold ones. My gloves were in the car instead of my pocket. Score another point for the home team.

“I had to tell you, Kenzie. It was the only right thing to do once I realized who you were.” He started to put his arm around me but I froze him with a look.

Yes, it was. I had to agree with him on that point. He could have kept it from me. How would I ever learn of it? Dennis and I weren’t in touch, and as far as I was concerned, we never would be. It was all in the past, his and mine, and it couldn’t be changed. Generally, I held with the belief that if there was one thing gay men had no right to judge, it was another gay man’s past sexual history – casting the first stone and all that crap.

My immediate thought was he’d blown that out of the water, but maybe not. He’d taken a big risk by telling me about knowing my ex-partner. Lord, my head hurt.

“So you told me. Now you can fuck me guilt free.”

Mason blew out a short, tired breath. “Kenzie.”

“Sorry. I’m not at my best when my head is splitting and my balls are freezing.”

This time, I didn’t stop him when he moved to put his arm around my shoulders. “I told you because you deserved to know my side of it, okay? If I could take back that day, I would.”

That day? One day? Had Dennis wrecked our life together over one lousy fuck? I certainly saw why he’d be attracted to Mason. The man was smoking hot and, heaven help us all, principled.

“I’m going home, Mason. I need to think about a few things.”

“Will you come to my place so we can talk? And I mean talk. No sex unless you say so.”

The man’s sincerity rang clear and true in his low voice. I hated to turn him down, but I had to.

YOUR WHISPER IN THE DARK
 
is now available at AmazoniTunesBarnes and NobleKobo and other online book sellers.

Book four of the Men of Marionville series. 

KC Kendricks
My home on the web- Between the Keys: http://kckendricks.blogspot.com
twitter.com/kckendricks
facebook.com/kckendricks
pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards
instagram.com/kc_kendricks
My country life at Holly Tree Manor

Friday, June 10, 2011

Website updates - again! Life upates - again!

**April 1, 2021 update - Between the Keys is now my home on the web. This post has been updated to reflect that.**

August 10, 2011


I've been working on the website again. It seems I never actually attain the perfection I seek. But that's okay. The website evolves as I evolve, and I think that's a good thing.

There were several things that weren't working for me, like the nav bar. It's gone in favor of something more streamlined. To have a cascade menu, or not? That has been the question. So far the answer is not. I tried it, and it didn't work, so it's back to the drawing board.

The Bookshelf page pleases me. I tried several incarnations before I stopped and said, "it'll do."

As each book as its own page, Your Whisper in the Dark is finally loaded, complete with the excerpt...yea! I can't believe it will be out on June 19th. I haven't even gotten the galley yet. Scary stuff, these last minutes rush jobs. I always worry what I've missed, but I've got a great editor and I find my worry is generally unfounded. Doesn't stop me from doing it, though.

The weather has been triple-H this week. Yes, I'm in the mid-Atlantic states and that is the summer norm. Hazy, hot and humid. I'm a walker. I like to get out four or five times a week, frequently during my lunch break, and walk. This past week was heatstroke weather. I got out one day for ten minutes, then I wilted and quit.

Highway Nights, the current WIP is under control. I *see* the ending, now all I have to do is get it committed to the page.

This weekend is the Mountain Heritage Arts and Crafts Festival over in Halltown, WV, just a bit south of Harper's Ferry. I won't know if I'm going until I see just how hot it gets tomorrow afternoon
.

And so it goes in my world, June 10, 2011. Not a great deal of excitement, nothing much out of the ordinary. But there is one singular fact to all my rambling tonight - life is good!


Wednesday, June 1, 2011

May 2011 Top Ten Amber Allure Titles

June 1, 2011 

The May 2011 Amber Allure Best Seller list was just posted. Between the Moon and the Deep Blue Sea made it to number three! Yea!

A big congratulations to everyone on the list this month, and to everyone who had a book released during May.

AMBER ALLURE / May 2011

1. Kissed By God - T. A. Chase (Gay / Contemporary)
2. Between Sinners And Saints - Marie Sexton (Gay / Contemporary)
3. Between The Moon And The Deep Blue Sea - KC Kendricks (Gay / Contemporary)
4. Galaxy's Heart - Shawn Lane (Gay / Contemporary)
5. Infinity Pools - L. A. Witt (Gay / Contemporary)
6. Homeless In Heaven - Deirdre O'Dare (Gay / Contemporary)
7. Catch Me If I Fall - Riley Knox (Gay / Contemporary)
8. Crossing The Line - Christiane France (Gay / Contemporary)
9. Class Distinctions - Rick R. Reed (Gay / Contemporary)
10. Four Days With Jack - Kelli A. Wilkins (Gay / Contemporary)