Hiding from Hurricane Irene

August 28, 2011

I in no way, shape or form wish to imply Hurricane Irene hasn't been serious business for the residents of the east coast. It has been. All the alarmists and thrill seekers on the Weather Channel aside, most folks knew without being told it was time to run or hunker down. My brother-in-law fled Norfolk, putting a mountain between his family and Irene. But where me and mine live, we already have several mountains for protection, and protect us they did.

So far we've had about seventeen hours of a steady, soft rain with no wind to speak of. The ground was a little damp to begin with, so the rain has soaked in, replenishing the good earth. It could have been very different, and indeed it was back in 2003 when Hurricane Isabel leveled an eighty-five foot tall oak within twenty feet of my house. Comparatively, Irene has been a non-event, which is a blessing for us.

America will do what she always does and rally to help those hardest hit. It's in those moments we can all be proud of who we are. Prayer and helping hands sustain us all.

Waiting for Irene to "arrive" proved productive. All the gas cans are full. New candles are in all the votive cups. The hurricane lamps are filled with oil and the wicks trimmed. The gutters got swept and the basement window well covers checked. Extra ice was collected and wine chilled in the proper sized cooler for late evening consumption. We rolled out the generator and gave it a test run.

The power stayed on but we turned off the lamps and shared the wine by candlelight anyway, grateful our cozy home remained dry and comfortable. And we turned our thoughts and conversation to what we had we could give and what we could do should our brother have severe damage to his home. If he needs us, we're ready to go lend a hand.

The sky is lighter at this hour. I think it's all over for us but the drying out. We'll get on with the day, putting the generator away and spending way too much time deciding what's for dinner.

But we won't forget not everyone was so blessed.

KC

Call me chicken

August 16, 2011

When I started writing in 2003, you know, in the Way Back Time, if an author had a website, blog and a Yahoo group, people wondered when she or he had time to write. These days, a website, blog and mailing list isn’t considered to even be a bare minimum.

Then came RSS feeds, MySpace, YouTube, NING (now defunct), Twitter, widgets, book trailers, Facebook, Goodreads – I don’t even know what else.

Seriously. I do not know what else. And I’m afraid to go find out for fear I won't have time to write. Or my brain will fry.

Amber Allure Top Ten for July 2011

August 4, 2011

I've been remiss posting last month's Amber Allure Top Ten as often happens when I don't have a new book come out during the month. Not having a release occasionally sends me into "kick back" mode in regards to my online activities. Sometimes that's a good thing - and sometimes not.

The list came out a few days ago, and maybe you've already seen it. Before we get to it, allow me to give an Honorary Mention to a few other books that were new in July.

Keep in mind that what day of the month a book is released on can affect its placement on the top ten list. It's hard to rack up a month's worth of sales on July 31st. So while these books aren't on the top ten, it's no reflection of their quality.

Naked in Hong Kong by AJ Llewellyn
Hitting it Big by Shawn Lane
Kissing Sherlock Holmes by TD McKinney & Terry Wylis
Double Feature by Aislinn Kerry
Between Hell & El Paso by Derek Adams
Newblood Initiate by Adrianna Dane

And now for the July 2011 Amber Allure Top Ten Best Sellers:

1. Clay's Challenge - Cassandra Gold (Gay / Contemporary)
2. Lucky - K. M. Mahoney (Gay / Shapeshifter)
3. The Truth About Al - M. L. Rhodes (Gay / Contemporary)
4. Under My Bed - T. A. Chase (Gay / Paranormal)
5. Trust Me - B. G. Thomas (Gay / Contemp. / Western)
6. Cemeteries - Lynn Lorenz (Gay / Paranormal)
7. Lost Between - Shawn Lane (Gay / Paranormal)
8. Hellish Twist In Tinseltown - Lee Avalone (Gay / Paranormal)
9. Echoes - Rick R. Reed (Gay / Paranormal)
10. For One Night Only - Anne Brooke (Gay / Contemp. / BDSM)

Congratulations all around!

KC Kendricks

My home on the web- Between the Keys: 

http://kckendricks.blogspot.com

Visit my bookshelf at: 

https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne.html

Social media links:

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

Life through the eyes of Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com