Sunday, December 30, 2012

Cocktails!

December 29, 2012


I'm very excited to announce I have an article in Cocktails Fiction & Gossip -eMagazine! Here's the link to check out the mag: http://cocktailsmagazine.wix.com/fictionandgossip#!issue-14

There's a lot more than my article in there so go take a look. It's very well done!

KC

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

2013- No Retreat, No Surrender

December 26, 2012



It's easy to settle into a reflective frame of mind as cold Winter wraps her arms around my world.  The old year is ending - which is better than the world ending as many feared. The New Year is a mere handful of days away, and I feel it pulling me forward. But for me, going forward means keeping one foot grounded in the past. I believe the past made me the person I am today and it's important to always remember where I come from.

But this blog is about the part of me that embraces being a writer, not those other sides of me that are partner, daughter, cousin, friend, and co-worker. That part that is writer is only ten years old - or is it? I’m a life-long reader so perhaps every book I’ve ever read was research, or at least I like to think so.

The year just past, 2012, was a year of “rest” for the author side of me. There are various schools of thought about scaling back, not that I put a lot of stock in them. The author is the single most important thing about a book - any book - and the trick is knowing how to nurture that element.

So just where was the author in 2012? With family, for the most part, and loving it. Did me a world of good, too. Writing is the Solitary Art. It’s just the writer and all those words ready to be plucked out of the air to form thought. Is the finished product the accomplishment, or is it the work itself? For the sake of this particular blog entry, I’ll take the side of the finished product.

What did I, the writer, accomplish in 2012? A Cat Named Hercules (book five of the Men of Marionville series), Eye of the Beholder (a story about voyeurism), Leather Jackets (book six of the Men of Marionville series), River Walk (the third Sundown story), and the newly released Doors of Time. Not at all a bad showing.

This leads us to the New Year, to the undiscovered country of the future. What lies ahead? Will the author continue several popular series, or forge into virgin territory? Not to admit to being in a holding pattern to echo 2012, but the answer is both.

Look for Desert Snow the first weekend of January 2013. No, it’s not about snow. In fact, it has nothing to do with snow. The story takes place at the Palm Springs White Party. Palm Spring = desert. Thousands of guys dressed in white - like snowflakes, each unique and beautiful. Ergo - Desert Snow. (I like the title and I’m the author so allow me to have my own way for once, okay?)

Expect another Sundown and Fallon story in the New Year, this one more light-hearted than River Walk. Our shapeshifter flees his responsibilities for his first-ever vacation and Fallon has his hands full, as usual. Private investigator Ian Coulter is back with a case of a cyber-stalker turned real-life stalker. Ian turns to Rick for help.

There’s a possibility of a new Marionville couple as part of an upcoming PAX. The story will be written and submitted by September 1, 2013, but it’s up to the powers that be at the publisher when it will come out, but to the writer, it’s a 2013 project.

A new project I’m very excited about is, um….can’t tell you the title for fear some enterprising so-and-so will steal it. Really. It’s happened before. Can’t trust anyone. Anyway, I’ve had this one on the back burner and it’s simmered to the boiling point. It’s time to get it written. There are a few more ideas taking shape, but will they be for 2013 or 2014? I’m not sure yet, and I know better than to force them into the light. The story will come in the proper time.

Where I’ve been and where I’m going. A glance into the past and a vision for the future. And between the two is a “now” full of contentment. I’ve made choices, good and bad, that guide my way. I’m right where I need to be to welcome the New Year, and I’m ready. No retreat, no surrender.

Will you step into 2013 with me? 

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

 

Monday, December 17, 2012

The Story Behind the Story: Doors of Time by KC Kendricks


December 17, 2012
Doors of Time is now available at
Available now at AmazoniTunesBarnes & Noble and other online booksellers.


One of the biggest blessings in my life has been living in a small community. Life in the country has made me who I am today. Maybe city slickers would consider me a “hick” because I still ride my bicycle and I still play in the creek, but simple country pleasures are deeply ingrained in my way of life. That's not to say that we don't have our share of culture. There are several larger towns within easy driving distance of my home. In fact the District of Columbia and Baltimore, Maryland, are each about an hour and a half drive away, depending on traffic.

When I was growing up, my parents were more than willing to drive me and my girlfriends into town on Saturday afternoons for a movie, and the place we frequently went was the Maryland Theatre. My friends and I were bad moviegoers- we talked a lot - and I’ve noticed teenage girls haven’t changed much since the 1970s. But all that aside, the Maryland Theatre was a special place for all of us.

I remember the day in 1974 the Maryland Theatre burned. Living on the side of the mountain way we do, we could see the smoke as it blanketed the town. A few quick phone calls to relatives living in town got us the story on what happened. An arsonist did the dirty work in the night. We weren't sure how badly the theater was damaged but as it turned out the fire had burned to the front of the building. What came after when the building sat empty and open to the elements was just as destructive as the blaze. For all intents and purposes the Maryland Theatre was gone.

But now remember when I said what a blessing it is to live in a small community? A local funeral director bought the building to save it from being demolished for the one million bricks the structure held. A community group got to work on restorations, and in 1978 the Maryland Theatre reopened in all her neoclassical glory and she remains open to this day. She is now home to the Maryland Symphony Orchestra, and the Barbara Ingram School for the Arts, as well as hosting musical productions and recent shows such as Ron White's Comedy Tour.

The creative process is often a mystery. I don't know why I thought about the Maryland Theatre when I sat down to plan the story, Doors of Time. But like with many of my stories all I needed was that one little kernel for the characters to spring to life. So there's a little bit of real life in this one, and at the heart of it sits the old movie house and the echoes of friendships forged that have lasted a lifetime. I hope you'll enjoy Doors of Time.

*_*_*_*

Doors of Time by KC Kendricks

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 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

Contemporary gay romance
Available now at:

Amazon, iTunes, Barnes and Noble and other online booksellers.


KC Kendricks
facebook: www.facebook.com/kckendricks

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Garden Plots


December 6, 2012



I’m contemplating a small vegetable garden. Ho-hum you say, but this is a more earth-shattering statement than you might think. It’s been years since I had more than a tomato plant in a pot on the patio. What if I’ve forgotten everything I learned about growing veggies?

The love of having a veggie garden skipped a generation in my family. My mother was never into it. She had beautiful, beautiful flowerbeds, but grow something to eat? Nope. If you grow it, you have to either eat it ASAP or preserve it in some fashion. Mother just wasn’t into it, and no one in my father’s family had a garden. So most of what I learned was at my grandfather’s knee.

I’m blessed with three acres of land, so a spot for a garden isn’t a problem. A way to keep the deer out of it is, though. Those bast…er…animals can jump over moving cars. A cute little picket fence will have them laughing. My solution - my honey is making me a plywood cut-out black “wolf pack” to install on top of the stone fence. It won’t stop them completely, but it will help.  And I’m getting another dog, one who is young, agile, and thinks chasing deer from the yard is fun. My old dog can’t run anymore, but he’s earned his retirement.

My cousin will till the plot for me, but I think we’re going to invest in our own Kubota. Or John Deere. Or whatever we can get a deal on. So muscle and deer prevention are handled. The real dilemma - what do I want to plant?

Tomatoes, peppers and lots of leafy lettuce are givens, but what else? I like cole slaw so some cabbage would work. Onions, cucumbers and maybe a watermelon would fit in the plan. That’s probably enough for 2013 as I delve back into this. I’m sure I’ll expand as the years progress and I get closer and closer to my imaginary retirement.

I like the idea of becoming more self-sufficient, even if it is in small ways. It takes me back to my youth. I suppose it’s ironic that so many people thought abandoning the backyard garden was a sign of prosperity and now it’s in vogue again, but that’s a blog for another day. Right now, I’m going to the Burpee website and look at seeds and dream of home-grown tomatoes on a thick, juicy hamburger with grilled onions and peppers, some homemade dill pickles and a side order of slaw.

Hmm. Perhaps I should’ve had lunch.

KC Kendricks




Monday, December 3, 2012

Temptation Ride

December 3, 2012

For the record, I love my Charger. Great car. Fast, corners on a rail. Paid for. But today I took a ride down memory lane in a 1974 Challenger.

High school was a few years ago and I almost didn't recognize the driver when the car stopped. I had the fleeting thought that KD had a car just like that back in the day - and then he got out of the car, waved at me, and asked if I was who he thought I was.  Deja vu, boys and girls.

Or maybe a ghost. I was in, of all places, a cemetery searching for evidence of an ancestor. It seems my high school acquaintance is into genealogy, too, and was on a similar mission. (We traded a few notes in case we stumble across something helpful to the other but I know I'll never hear from him if he does.) Anyway, this guy has had his Challenger since he was a high school senior. Amazing. That's almost 40 years.

And it still rumbles, be still my heart!

We took a little spin around the block and laughed as we passed that Prius.... good times...




It was nice to see this fellow, even so briefly, but it opened a can of worms for me. The new Challengers are so retro I really want one. And getting inside a car I dreamed of a ride in when I was in high school hasn't helped. Never mind I didn't make the cut in high school. The guy doesn't make the cut now. But his car still does.  How's that for poetic justice?

I guess I'll keep my Charger for a while longer. It might be a few years old, but the milage is low and I know how well it's been treated. And it's paid for.

Damn, I hate being a resonsible adult and resisting the tempation ride.

Sunday, December 2, 2012

Beguiling!

December 2, 2012



Do not... I repeat...DO NOT let this cute face fool you. There sits a troublemaker.

And no, thank God, that's not my porch swing. My personal experiences with coons have not been so charming. Well, accept for the one that hid behind the big oak tree and kept peeking around it to keep an eye on me. I surprised that one by walking out of the house at dawn. Usually these critters are bedded down for the day by then. I can only assume it was on its way home since healthy animals are very nocturnal. I'm pretty sure this guy was fine since he was thinking clearly enough to hide until I went inside then run like hell for the other side of the stone fence. 

Anyway, I found this picture and it made me laugh, and laughter is something in short supply these days. 

KC

Saturday, December 1, 2012

The Disconnect of Disrespect

December 1, 2012

Coming up with an opening line to interest people in reading your blog isn't always easy if you've chosen a topic to get something off your chest. Is there ever a good place to start when the emotions are in play? I don't know, but here goes. 

It was brought home to me last night just how much times have changed. How much people have changed. What happened was at the local bowling alley. I can hear you scoffing across miles of fiber optics now, but I'm not talking about bowling. I'm talking about what happens when a group of people are in the same place at the same time. Venue hardly matters. 

In the two years I've been bowling in the Friday night league, I've seen coats tossed on the floor so someone else could use the hanger, bowling bags flung down on top of a girl's purse (which broke her husband's eyeglasses he needs to drive that were inside the purse), shoes kicked aside so someone else could set their shoes in that exact spot, and full cups of soft drinks tossed in the trashcan so guys could play cards at that spot on the counter.

When did we become so disconnected to the concept of common courtesy we can't do something as simple as respect the personal property of others?

Perhaps I'd understand it better if it were the same person doing these things. I could look at my girlfriend and we would very quietly move our belongings away from him/her. But each of these instances were perpetrated by someone different - to the same person. (Think about how I'd know this.) And if those things have all happened to one person (a person bowling in the same league and therefore known to these people) I think it's safe to say it's happened to others. 

I'm really not sure what to make of this behavior. What causes it? Is it the fracturing of the family? A lack of parenting? Addiction to video games? The influence of the current trends in what passes as "music?" Too many entitlements? Not enough church? The failing of the education system? I really don't know.

What I do know is each of us are responsible for our own behavior. If we respect others, and their belongings, the chances are they will respect us and ours. Give it a try. I swear to you it's not too difficult to do, and you might just make the part of the world you inhabit a better place.

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


Thursday, November 29, 2012

Should I?

November 29, 2012

If you've read my blog on a regular basis, you know I like the word, "dithering." It just sounds better than wishy-washy or indecisive, especially since I'm neither. But I do, from time-to-time, dither. 

The 2013 A to Z Blogging Challenge is rapidly approaching. Should I do it again? Should I let it pass this year and pick it up again in 2014? Do I really have time between now and April first to get thirty blogs - with pictures - together? 

See - I'm dithering.

I flew by the seat of my pants in 2011. I didn't hear about the challenge until the day was almost upon me. This year, 2012, I spent a lot of time preparing blogs on the subject of being a published writer. Which worked better? I don't know. 

I begin to suspect 2013 might be another year where I fly by the seat of my pants if I decide to do it. I haven't even gone to check and see when sign up begins. 

That's because I'M DITHERING.  (big sigh here)

KC
http://www.kckendricks.com 

Sunday, November 25, 2012

A Cat Named Hercules for this Six Sentence Sunday

November 25, 2012

I've had cats all my life. NONE have had the personality of the tuxedo cat I have now. When Amber Allure wanted to put together a PAX of stories about pets bringing their owners together, I hopped on board. My little darling even got to be the cover model!

Authors are frequently asked if bits and pieces of their own lives creep into their stories. In A Cat Named Hercules, I say "yes." Raising a kitten can be quite an experience, as Shiloh finds out. It's a good thing he has a sexy vet on speed dial.

*_*_*_*_*_*

If I had only known kittens can climb drapes, perch on top of a
traverse rod, and then screech like some femme fatale in a low budget horror flick to be rescued.


That a kitten sounds like a herd of buffalo running on hardwood floors in the middle of the night.

If I had only known a kitten’s claws can sink through a sheet into your balls while you’re jerking off.

An old adage says “live and learn” and I amassed an encyclopedic amount of cat wisdom in less than twenty-four hours.

I tried to do as Galen suggested and put the kitten in the bathroom with food, water, and his litter box for his first night in his new home. He wailed at the top of his kitten vocal chords, and I figured he was alone and scared so I opened the door – mistake one.

A CAT NAMED HERCULES
Book five in the Men of Marionville series

Now available at AmazoniTunesBarnes and NobleKobo and other online book sellers

KC Kendricks
website at: http://www.kckendricks.com
blog: http://www.kckendricks.blogspot.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kckendricks
mailing list at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/betweenthekeys

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Being Thankful


November 22, 2012

Thanksgiving themed blogs will abound today. I wasn't going to throw my hat in the ring, so to speak. If you're a regular reader here at Between the Keys, you already know I'm thankful for the many blessings in my life. But I decided the blogosphere could stand one more little post, especially when I stumbled across the picture above.

Not many people around here put out fancy harvest displays these days. Time was I got some dried corn stalks, colored corn (can you still say Indian Corn without the politically correct police coming after you?), a couple of gourds and pumpkins, and a pot of chrysanthemums, and set them beside the lamp post. Every night when I arrived home from work it was there for me to enjoy. But even I, die-hard country girl and keeper of the old country traditions, have let go of this one. For now.

Life is busy with family and friends, writing and work. We'll drive across the state line in a few hours to share a feast at my sister-in-law's home. This is what really matters - being part of a healthy, growing family. And for this I am truly thankful.

Will I someday resurrect the tradition of a harvest display? I'm sure I will. With years to go it may be foolish to be counting the days until my retirement from the workforce, but I am. I look forward to having the time revisit the things I love doing, like decorating for the changing seasons. 

Until then, I'll remember to give thanks to God, from whom my many blessings flow, for the bounty in my life.

KC


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

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Double Deuce for Six Sentence Sunday today

November 18, 2012
**Updated 4/2/21  - the Six Sentence Sunday blog hop is defunct.**

Today was almost a no-brainer. No, really. I almost forgot to get something scheduled for Six Sentence Sunday. I like to get these things done ahead of time, but the current work-in-progress had my undivided attention from Wednesday on this week. 

So without further ado, here is today's six sentences from Double Deuce. 

*_*_*_*_*




“Hmm, I’ve heard of that. Some weird word that starts with an ‘R.’”

“Relationship?”

I snapped my fingers. “That’s the one! Can’t say as I have any first-hand experience with it.”


*_*_*_*_*

Free spirited Ian Coulter works hard and plays harder. An ex-cop turned private investigator, Ian enjoys meeting new men and making new friends. A night out ends up with one man on the floor at his feet, and another asking for his help. Big trouble’s brewing in little Amethyst Cove, and Ian’s a step behind. He’s quick to see Rick Mohr is the man holding the flare at the end a long, dark tunnel.

Undercover agent Rick Mohr walks a fine line, serving two masters. Insider trading, counterfeit printing plates, and a blown-up yacht have Rick stuck between two Federal agencies, one of which has been compromised. Rick has to discover the mole before it’s too late. When Ian Coulter walks into his life, Rick grabs the chance to salvage his assignment with both hands.

It doesn’t take Ian and Rick long to discover joining forces, and sharing resources, has definite perks - ones not found in any departmental manual. 


DOUBLE DEUCE
Contemporary gay romance mystery
available now AmazoniTunesBarnes and Noble, and Kobo.


KC Kendricks
blog:  http://www.kckendricks.blogspot.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kckendricks
mailing list at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/betweenthekeys

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Simple morning joy


November 13, 2012

This morning, before dawn, the wind carried in the sound of  hoot owl off in the woods. I paused to listen, wondering how many more times this country joy will come to me in our changing world. 

I stood on my cold patio listening to the low, seeking call and laughed at my aging "puppy" - a black Labrador Retriever who’s been by my side for going on twelve years. He listened, too, but he didn't like what he heard. Maybe the dog knows the owls are descended from raptors and raptors ate his distant kin. Just a thought.

For those of you living in more populated areas, what we call hoot owls are Great Horned Owls and what we call screech owls are Eastern Screech Owls. The little screech owls (picture) are more common in my woods and I'm sure the dog would have gone on about his morning business if they'd been calling.

Autumn is fading on my mountainside. Most of the leaves have fallen from the maples and mighty oaks, and the skies are graying. Squirrels are everywhere gathering what acorns the deer didn’t eat. The spicy scent of fall, that mélange of drying leaves, mowed lawns, and harvested fields, has given way to acrid wood smoke. The sound of busy chain saws drifts on strong winds as our neighbors hurry to build their woodpiles.

I usually have a lot of energy this time of year. Ideas for stories come faster than I’ll ever be able to write them, but I do try. After what seems like an incredibly long stretch, I have two books coming out within weeks of each other. I certainly didn’t plan it that way, it just happened.

The first is entitled, “Doors of Time,” and is about two high school friends who reunite as adults. “Doors of Time” will be part of the This Old Gang of Mine PAX along with stories from Clare London, Stevie Wood, Sean Michael and Aislin Kerry. If you want to read an excerpt, check out the page on my website. The page is under construction, but the excerpt is there. Look for “Doors of Time” in mid-December.

The second story, “Desert Snow,” will be out the first weekend of January. Is it about snow? Nope. It’s about two guys who meet at the Palm Springs White Party. Palm Springs - desert. White Party - everyone dresses in white but is still unique. Get it? I thought it witty but I’m just the author so what do I really know? Here again, check out the page on my website, also under construction at the time I type this.

So that’s all there is for this time around. Thanksgiving is a bit more than a week away. It's the Season of Cheesecake. Hide the scales. 

KC

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Six Sentence Sunday: What You Don't Confess

November 11, 2012

Today is Veteran's Day, and I recognize the debt I owe to each and every person who served to protect my freedom and rights. Thank you.

SIX SENTENCE SUNDAY

By the time I wrote What You Don't Confess, I realized just how much potential I had in the Men of Marionville series. (You know, the series I never set out to write which hijacked me when I wasn't paying attention.)

Dylan is the anchor that ties the stories together. He's mentioned in all six books, and it's very fitting his story is the third in the series to complete the original trilogy. Dylan's been around a bit, but when he meets Cassidy, his world get tilted off its axis. In the selection below, the four watchdogs Cass refers to are Travis and Heath from A Hard Habit to Break, and Tyler and Noel from Open Roads.



“You do know those four watchdogs of yours were there the entire evening, don’t you?”
I nodded. “They like to keep an eye on me. Obviously, it didn’t discourage you at all.”
His amber gaze drilled into mine. “Just so I don’t step in it, Dylan, how many of them have you slept with?"

What You Don't Confess is available now at 
AmazoniTunesBarnes and NobleKobo and other online book sellers.

KC Kendricks

website at: http://www.kckendricks.com
blog: http://www.kckendricks.blogspot.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kckendricks
mailing list at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/betweenthekeys

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Twenty-nine Years

November 8, 2012


Today is the twenty-ninth anniversary of my father’s passing. I never know how I’ll feel when the day dawns, and this sunny morning finds me worried about the future, the one he served to protect.

Admittedly, my father’s time spent on active duty didn’t put him in harm’s way too often. He chauffeured a general to the man’s appointments, or wherever else the man wanted to go. Of course, driving a general also meant protecting the general, or so I imagine. I also imagine it gave Dad an enlisted man’s unique perspective on the chain of command.

Dad was a soft-spoken man. He rarely raised his voice in anger. At family gatherings, my uncle, grandfather, and great-uncles would all “discuss” things, getting louder and louder as the “discussion” went along. When Dad would finally weigh in with his opinion, the other men ceased shouting and listened. I never gave it much thought growing up, but I realize now such was the measure of their respect for him.

We hear a lot these days about the “war on women.” My father would have never called a woman a bitch, cunt, slut, or a “ho.” Nor would my father have associated with men who did. He was a foreman where he worked and I know, from his own lips, he wouldn’t tolerate such dis-respectfulness. You showed that sort of attitude and you didn’t work on his job site with him.  Had I ever brought home a boyfriend who used those words…. Well, I certainly wouldn’t have anything to do with a male who used those words, then or now.  That level of insidious disrespect, the teaching of the next generation it’s okay to behave that way towards women, is the real and subversive war on women and it’s highly effective in that it eats away at self-perception and self-respect. It damages from the inside out. That’s it’s been given the stamp of approval at the highest level is frightening. Anyway, my father had an honest love for me.

I’ve got a lot to accomplish today and I will check off everything on my list. I scored my first job when I was sixteen and saved up money for the all-important first car. Dad was proud of me for being proactive about getting a car, but he was a lot less happy when I chose a FAST car…..  He was proud I managed a part-time job and kept my grades above the ninety percent mark. I think part of my current work ethic can be traced directly to his support, and his example.

While today is an anniversary to mark, not a day goes by I don’t think of him. Not in sadness - those times are few and far between - but with joy and laughter. Dad had the best sense of humor. He was quiet with it, as befitted his nature, but he could deliver a one-liner that could make you fall down laughing. Great timing. I was going through some old photos a few weeks ago and found one of him. I recognize it as being taken when my parents were getting new kitchen cabinets. I wonder what he’d say about having this picture on the Internet? 

No, I don't.  He'd laugh. 
  



KC 
website at: http://www.kckendricks.com
blog: http://www.kckendricks.blogspot.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kckendricks
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Sunday, November 4, 2012

Six Sentence Sunday: Beneath Dark Stars

November 4, 2012

When I decided to create my shapeshifter, Sundown, I knew he would young-at-heart with a wide streak of mischief in his soul. I had to explain how his people got to Earth, how they blended in and how they survived. It was so much fun I'm currently working on the fourth book in the Sundown series! 

This week's six sentences come from the second in the series, Beneath Dark Stars. There's a lot of things about humans Sundown is in the process of figuring out for himself. But he knows one thing for certain - Fallon is his. Of course, Fallon enjoys teasing Sundown from time-to-time.

 
His eyes flashed an angry red as his spine straightened. “This is a young man you must now work beside?”

“Don’t get excited, babe. He’s only a kid, a rookie, and Juny and I wi—.”

“How young? I will meet this boy and explain to him he would be in error to desire you
!”



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

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Passing it on

October 30, 2012


Usually I enjoy the rare weekday I get to spend at home. Being home as the result of a hurricane doesn’t fall into that category.

We all knew Hurricane Sandy was brewing and building in the Atlantic Ocean. We listened to the pseudo-celebrities who forecast the weather wax dramatic. We saw the radar imagines. And we began to cringe.

The first big storm I remember well was Hurricane Agnes in 1972. I was young enough to be spared the worry, but old enough to help bail water. In 1977, an unnamed storm filled my grandparent’s basement with water - all the way to ground level. And then came Isabel in 2003 - very bad. We were without power for 45 hours.  In 2004, Ivan paid us a visit.  Ike, in 2008 made a swing up from Texas to wet us down. Then came Irene’s fury in 2011. Storms named with an “I” definitely get my attention now. October 29, 2011, we had the freak snow that knocked out our electric for 55 hours and left us with a bigger mess to clean up than Isabel.

Comparatively, for us, Hurricane Sandy was almost a non-event. Thank you, Lord. The rains came and we had some minor flooding, but the worst of the wind missed us. We’re just - just - far enough east to miss the snow blanketing the higher elevations of the Appalachians, although I would not be surprised to see the odd snowflake.

The power stayed on and we remain warm, dry, fed and comfortable. Not so for thousands of other people. Some have suffered the loss of loved ones. Many are in shelters. Many have lost valued belongings. How can I, in my warm house, begin to know their experience?

I can’t. I would not presume to even think I can. What I can do, and will do, is lend financial support to provide aid. In my case, it will probably be through my house of worship. Money is tight, a fact we’re all too aware of, but I can spare a few dollars to help. Many small gifts combine into larger ones to do good.

I’m not after thanks, or to have anyone think I want a pat on the back. It’s not that at all.  You see, many years ago complete strangers came to my aid when I had a need. I can never thank them, but I can multiply and pass on their gifts. At the end of the day, for me, it’s the right thing to do.  

KC Kendricks
website at: http://www.kckendricks.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kckendricks
mailing list at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/betweenthekeys

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Family Matters: How It's Not Nice to Prank Your Kids


October 28, 2012


My immediate family is small. I’m an only child in a generation of only children. I have many cousins, but no siblings. Not the case with my beloved. He’s the oldest of five, having two sisters and two brothers. He has two children and six grandchildren, and ten nieces and nephews. His family has a blowout reunion every year. We have quiet little affairs we call get-togethers. It’s all good, though.

A few years back, his oldest grandson completed the Royal Rangers program through church (it reminds me of trying to reinvent the Boy Scouts). Being invited to the award ceremony, we cheerfully went, pleased to be included in this milestone of the youngster's life.

I knew one of my cousins was involved in some program for the boys of his church, but he never shared the minute details. He enjoyed being a leader in the program - great! It made him happy and that’s all I really needed to know. Besides, it was a guy thing, and I do girl things. Usually…

The day of the ceremony my beloved and I walked inside the hall and there stood my cousin in his leader’s uniform. There stood my stepdaughter, waiting for her dad. While her father greeted her, my cousin greeted me with a big hug, then he kept his arm around me.

My stepdaughter’s lovely brown eyes grew to the size of saucers. She looked at me - at my cousin - at my cousin’s wife - at her father. Clueless. Totally clueless. My cousin looked at her and informed her I was his very first girlfriend. I nodded. (I was probably three at the time, and he was six.) To add to her confusion, my cousin’s wife was smiling instead of ripping my head off for snuggling up to her husband. My poor stepdaughter didn’t know what to say when we launched into the “do you remember the time…..?”

Her father finally took pity on her and confessed all. She looked so relieved I almost felt sorry for putting the joke on her. (Note I say ‘almost.’)  We shared the laughter and our family added a joyous new layer to our relationships. 

Today we celebrate the same rite of passage for the third grandson. I’ll greet my stepdaughter and ask her if she’s seen my ‘boyfriend’ anywhere, and we’ll laugh again. I can’t think of a better way to spend a couple of hours on a Sunday afternoon. 

KC
www.kckendricks.com

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

New and improved - bah humbug!

October 23, 2012

Once upon a time, my most recent tweets showed up on my blog. Now suddenly they don't any longer.

No fair, Twitter and Blogger. Taking away features we like makes you suck.

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Open Roads this Six Sentence Sunday

October 21, 2012

This week for Six Sentence Sunday I'm highlighting Open Roads, book two in the Men of Marionville series. Open Roads was unique in that it crystallized the series for me. Until I got into the story, I didn't realize how far I could go with the Marionville setting. Who says a writer has to be a one-trick pony? Not me.

Open Roads also launched the Working Stiffs series at the now defunct Amber Allure. For once - the one and only time it's happened - I was working on this story when the publisher announced the call for Working Stiffs. Open Roads fit right in. I finished in within a week or so and sent it in. First in, first out. Yea! All the Working Stiffs books share the very same cover, so look closely at the title/author name to get the one you really want (which I hope is mine!).

Now without more Open Roads history, here's this week's six sentences. 

KC


*_*_*_*  

“So, what about that Travis fellow? He seems nice.”

Surprise, surprise—he needed to know more about Travis and me.

“Travis and I met through a mutual friend - a very close, intimate friend, if you get my drift. This friend had it bad for Travis, but Travis always loved Heath.”


“So you and this fellow just use each other for sex?”


_*_*_*_
Open Roads is available at AmazoniTunesBarnes & NobleKobo and other online book sellers.

KC Kendricks
website at: https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/open-roads-by-kc-kendricks.html
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kckendricks

Sunday, October 14, 2012

Six Sentence Sunday: Seducing Light

October 14, 2012

Welcome to Six Sentence Sunday! Thanks for stopping by Between the Keys. Today, my six sentence selection comes from Seducing Light. Can you believe that MySpace banned the gorgeous Seducing Light cover? I couldn't either. It sorta ticked me off when they did - stupidity can do that to me. 

Seducing Light is available as an ebook or as part of the paperback, In the Limelight. Visit my website for more details. 


_*_*_*_
 


Tired of him referring to me as “boy,” I shot him a look, and froze at the glittering curiosity in his eyes. 

He studied me, his green gaze a mix of wary caution, grudging respect, and more.

I fell into those mystical depths, forgetting to breathe as the blood pooled in my groin.

My heart stuttered, then hammered in my chest.


I couldn’t look away, even as my face grew hot under his scrutiny.

My cock swelled, rising as the phantom of my nights stared at me with witchy interest.

*_*_*

SEDUCING LIGHT
#3 best seller at Amber Allure, June 2009

Available at Amazon.

KC Kendricks
website at: http://www.kckendricks.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kckendricks

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Chalk one up for the good guys in Las Vegas


October 10, 2012


Being a headline news junkie, I had to read this one:

"Vegas cabbie finds, returns $221,510, gets $2,000 reward"

In case the link is gone by the time you read this entry, here's the story in a nutshell. 

It seems there are good and honest people to be found. The 42-year old cabbie from Ethiopia found the case of money between the seat cushions and turned it in. The proper owner gave him a reward. And while some of his friends think he should have gotten more, the driver wasn't quoted as feeling that way.

But one friend said he thought it was more important to let the world know there are still honest people who do the right thing with no thought to getting any size reward.

I certainly agree.

KC

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Tybee Island musings

October 9, 2012

Vacationing is grand, but there's truly no place like home. Our trip to Savannah, Georgia went well. Actually, it was FAB and I can't wait to go back! Maybe we will in the spring when my partner's granddaughter graduates. It's difficult to know as June is a long way off. 

Historic Savannah is lovely. Unfortunately, my picture taking wasn't up to the task. I hesitate to say "my photography" because I took snapshots instead of photos, and crappy ones at that. Maybe if we go back in the spring, I'll take a decent camera. 

One of things we did was visit Tybee Island, which is much changed since the 1970's. The drive to Tybee was picturesque, and I'd like to say Tybee is a welcoming little island, but they make you pay for parking, so we didn't. We did pull over long enough for me to snap the Tybee Island Light Station, though. 

The Tybee lighthouse was ordered built by James Oglethorpe, founder of Savannah, in 1732 and has guided ship captains into the Savannah River ever since in spite of having been rebuilt several times following storms.

Tybee Island also seemed to have an overabundance of police cruisers. Hmmm... out of state car.... in the south..... Yep. Made me nervous. I kept hearing Vicki Lawrence singing in my head. So sorry, Tybee business people. I had money to burn but between having to pay for parking and the cops following me around for doing nothing, you didn't get any of it. Sure wish I could have got a few lighthouse castings to give to friends.

Or maybe not. 

Giving trinkets that need to be dusted on a regular basis isn't really a sign of friendship to women in my age group. I should have brought back wine.

KC





Sunday, October 7, 2012

Once again, A Hard Habit to Break


October 7, 2012
Six Sentence Sunday day! Last week, while perusing A Hard Habit to Break for six sentences, I had an awful time deciding on which ones to use. So this weekend I’m using the selection I didn’t last time. 

I’ve vacillated on the idea of continuing the Men of Marionville series. Some days I think six books in a series are plenty. Then I’m reminded of how much I loved writing about this bunch of guys and I think another two stories are in order. It was great fun to create a circle of friends and give them a life. If I sit down at the computer some day and the story begins to flow, I’ll have my answer as to what I’m supposed to do. 

So without further dithering, here’s six more sentences from A Hard Habit to Break. - 

This is after Heath and Travis are horsing around and end up on the floor. 

KC

_*_*_*_


I shoved up onto my knees and grasped his hips. 

“Bend over the bed, big boy.”

“You wouldn’t.” He narrowed his eyes at me.
 
I slipped my hand under the pillow, retrieved the condom packet, and held it up in front of him. “Oh, yeah, I would.”


A HARD HABIT TO BREAK Available now at AmazoniTunesBarnes & NobleKobo, and other online booksellers. 

 (book one of the Men of Marionville series)


 _*_*_*_*_*_*_

 KC Kendricks


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
Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: KC Kendricks Between the Keys

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Georgia on my mind

October 4, 2012


It’s been many years since my partner and I vacationed – together. His health suffered more than a few blows in the last decade, and leaving home wasn’t something he felt strong enough to do. I took off with girlfriends from time-to-time to save my sanity while he stayed home and held the fort. These days he’s in a good place so here we are in Savannah, Georgia, to visit his son. I’ve already learned a few things.

One: I need some new toys. My old dinosaur laptop is great for writing prose on the patio, but not for much of anything else, like Google Earth.

Two: Savannah sucks for cell signal. I can’t go anywhere around home and LOSE signal and I can’t go anywhere down here and FIND one.

Three: I hate the glare on the screen of my digital camera and phone. Whose “better idea” was it to go from a viewfinder window with NO GLARE to this set up? Someone fixed something that wasn’t broken and Kodak bought into it. No wonder they’ve had difficulties. Surely I can find a digital camera with a screen I can see in any light and at any angle.

Four: Never, ever, never leave home without a stick of Tide-on-the-Go!! Some of us can manage to spill [fill in the blank] all over ourselves. Welcome to the club!

Five: Speed limits are made to be exceeded. I’m in NASCAR country. I don’t really have to explain this one, do I? (No, but I will. I didn’t get a ticket. I did the speed limit and got passed by everyone on the highway. It was embarrassing.) 

Six: I really need to get a Kindle Fire so my honey can have my trusty Kindle2. He needs his own toys. 

But all whining aside, and tongue out of cheek, the trip’s been good so far. Our hotel room is nice, the historic district of Savannah is fascinating and beautiful, and the family is healthy and happy. It’s good to see them face-to-face instead of on facebook.

Tomorrow, while the family is at work and school, we’re going to visit the waterfront and be tourists. I’m looking forward to lunch at the Irish pub and taking my partner’s credit card for a walk. I might even buy him a T-shirt. Maybe we can even find a spot where I can get a cell signal and call home to check on the folks.

And I plan to take lots of inspiration photos for new stories. I’ve got ideas and I can’t wait to get back to work. Good thing I have the dinosaur with me. 

KC

Sunday, September 30, 2012

Six Sentence Sunday: A Hard Habit to Break

September 30, 2012


Welcome to Six Sentence Sunday! I'm not sure whose brain child SSS is, but it's a good way to challenge lazy bloggers like me to at least one post a week.

Today I'm posting a tidbit from A Hard Habit to Break (Book 1 of the Men of Marionville series). A Hard Habit to Break is a story of boyhood friends who meet again as adults, which leads to the revelation of a lot of secrets on both sides.

_*_*_*_



I took a deep breath. “The truth is, I’m bi.”

His eyebrows drifted up. He blinked. I nodded and rolled my eyes at him.
 

“Don’t look at me like I’m speaking a foreign language.”


A HARD HABIT TO BREAK

Available now at AmazoniTunesBarnes & 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

Monday, September 24, 2012

Take me home, country roads


September 24, 2012

Almost heaven, West Virginia
Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River
Life is old there, older than the trees
Younger than the mountains, blowing like a breeze

This past Saturday was a typical autumn day, for which I’m grateful. I had a wedding to attend in Romney, West Virginia. My youngest cousin married his college sweetheart in a wonderfully simple ceremony. The bride was lovely and the groom ever the handsomest boy in the room. Excuse me - young man. It brought us all together to celebrate new beginnings and strengthen established ties.

If you’ve read more than one of my stories, you’ve likely figured out I love my neighboring state - wonderful, wild, beautiful West Virginia. So taking a two-hour drive through the mountains wasn’t a hardship - even with my mom and stepdad in the back seat.

We - my partner, the parental units, and myself - rolled onto the Interstate and I realized I should have made a John Denver CD to play. Not that the late Mr. Denver is my preferred driving music, but my seventy-something mother doesn’t have the same appreciation of Chad Kroeger’s ass in black leather pants. What she says about his singing isn’t printable, even by me. But I digress… John Denver would have been the perfect accompaniment for the drive.

Country roads, take me home
To the place I belong
West Virginia, Mountain Mama
Take me home, country roads

I remember the first time I heard Take Me Home, County Roads on the radio. Back in 1971, FM was in its infancy and so I heard it on the scratchy AM bands. It was back in the day when only my oldest cousin had a car. It was something every kid on the school bus knew the words to and would all sing along with when it played on the radio. Even the bus driver would join in on that one.  What I couldn’t know at such a young age was how the words of the song captured the beauty and sentiment an era almost passed.

 All my memories, gathered 'round her
Miners' Lady, stranger to blue water
Dark and dusty, painted on the sky
Misty taste of moonshine, teardrop in my eye

My country heritage means a lot to me. I love where I am in my life. In me is the bridge to the past for my young cousins even as I celebrate their view of a future just begun. I’m the keeper of heirlooms and the teller of old stories. I’m the one they look to when they need to know just how they’re related to so-and-so. I know what they will miss out on as this our crazy, modern world absorbs the old ways, and they will do things I can’t even dream of and blaze paths unimagined. These children of my heart will conquer the future while I look forward to some day being “retired” and spending time traveling on the winding country roads with old music blaring out of the speakers.

And that’s just the way it should be.

I hear her voice, in the morning hour she calls me
The radio reminds me of my home far away
And drivin' down the road I get the feeling
That I should have been home yesterday, yesterday…

KC