Thursday, December 31, 2015

Retrospective: 2015

December 31, 2015

Happy New Year's Eve! Will you stay awake until midnight to see the ball drop in Times Square? I probably will.

This will be the last post of 2015. As you may glean from the title, it's my annual year in review post. It's when I look back and see if where I've been as a writer in the year closing was good enough for my harshest critic - me.

First up in 2015 - Hot August Comes was released at the end of February. Hot August Comes was one of those stories I started, then had to set aside to finish other projects. This story was on the back burner for a long time with me pecking at it over the course of many months. Not my favorite way to write, but the end result was pretty darn good if I do say so myself. Hot August Comes got some good reviews

Hey, Joe is the first story I self-published. It's not that I think self-publishing is the greatest thing since white bread - I don't - but I think it's a valuable tool in the author's arsenal. You might see a photo of a guy in blue jeans and suddenly say to yourself, "Well, hello, Joe."  And you might be with a publisher who has strongly indicated covers by authors will not be accepted. I wanted my name on that guy's jeans. So I self-pubbed Hey, Joe in March. It was a great learning experience, one I do not regret. 

April is the A to Z Blogging Challenge. I completed the challenge for the FIFTH year in a row, every day and on time. It's a huge investment in time (which just happens to be my 2016 theme) but it's worth it. A writing career should have many facets, like a diamond. 

Undeniable was released in May and hit the All Romance eBooks best seller list in June. You can't plan for that. You can only be thankful for each and every reader who purchased a copy. Undeniable is the story of two college boys who reconnect years later as adult men. Each of them feared the other lost forever when they vanished so completely from each other. It may be a common theme, lovers finding each other again, but it's one so many of us can relate to. 

The older I am, the more important it becomes to reconnect with the people in my past that matter to me, if only to say hello. I never thought about visiting the grave of an old lover, but suddenly I had to. If you need to go tell a special person you still think of them, don't wait too long. 

May brought the passing of my beloved Jett. He was thirteen, a grand age for a dog. My study is lonely without his quiet presence. 


What can I say about Ian Coulter's Amethyst Cove series? Ian is the bad boy in my stable. Well, he's not too bad, being an ex-cop turned private investigator, but he doesn't suffer fools and bullshit with anything that approaches grace. Circle of Steel is the fourth installment in Ian's story. His lover, Rick, is shot by a sniper. It has some honest moments in it where fear and reaction to events cause Ian and Rick to say things not normally said in a "romance" novel. But it's a real relationship moment between mature individuals and their reconciliation reflects that maturity. 


Saddle up! Ride Your Luck is my first true cowboy story. I had so much fun writing this story - it could have gone on forever! But I had a deadline... well I had a deadline. Seems like a few others in the same PAX didn't think they did. This one sat on the publisher's shelf from May 18 until September 22. It really made me rethink a few things. I had this great story if I do say so myself, and it languished. I was so disappointed it had to wait so long! It's a thing of the heart because my head knows that no matter when a good story is released, it will still be a good story. 

September Morning. Man takes the summer off to regroup and form a plan for his life. Man meets the sexy neighbor. Man acts like an idiot and the sexy neighbor gets away. Too late man realizes his mistake. But this is romance and you know things are going to work out with some hope for a bright future, even with three in the relationship. (That's a teaser for you.)

Also finished in 2015, but not going live until 2016 are the aforementioned The Ghost Gets Even, SABRE: Union Jack, SABRE: City of Lights, and the next Sundown and Fallon story, Fly By Night. (4/9/21 - Update - there will be only one SABRE story.)

On the plot boards are a couple of stories set in Marionville. I've been away from there for too long. It's time to visit a few old friends and see what they're doing. The first of those stories is at about the halfway point. 

All-in-all, it was a good year. I didn't accomplish every goal I set for myself, but in many ways that's a good thing. Plans change. People change. We suddenly grow in an unexpected way. We change directions. It's healthy provided we stay flexible in our thinking. 

I'm looking forward to the new year and what 2016 may bring. Will I get a puppy? Will I be able to retire ahead of schedule in June? Will the people I love still be in my life when 2017 dawns? 

All I can do is live each day to the fullest. I'll hope you'll join me on the journey.

 _*_*_*_*_*_*_

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

Thursday, December 24, 2015

A dog-less Christmas Eve

Baby picture (March 2002)
December 24, 2015

For the first time in many, many, many years I'm without a dog. My beloved Jett left us back in May, and with one thing and another, I've not yet found a pup that strikes a chord inside me. It may seem strange, but I know if I hold a pup and that special lightning doesn't strike, he's not the one for me. 

Gimme a kiss, Mommy! (2002)
Jett was very special. The first time I picked him up, he didn't want back down with his litter mates or seem interested in his sudden higher perspective on the world. He gripped my arm with his stubby legs (and big paws) and held on. Then he cried when I tried to put him down. He wanted me. And so began our thirteen year journey. 

I'm pretty sure Jett didn't care much about the whole Christmas-time-of-the-year thing. Let's face it. Everything in the living room, including his bed, got moved around to accommodate the tree. And his stocking? He wanted his treats and toys NOW, not on Christmas morning. Oh, yeah. Don't forget the roasted turkey skin. He had dibs on that, too. I think it's safe to say the mutt was a bit spoiled.

Jett was the first Lab I had. My family has always raised hounds and setters, and acquiring a dog was as easy as telling my uncle, "sure I'll take a pup from the next litter." Now having had a Lab, I'd like to share my life with another. I'm just not sure paying upwards of two thousand dollars for a dog is a sound idea. Two grand will buy a lot of kibble and cover a lot of vet bills. Two thousand dollars makes it about the money, not the fact I can provide a good home to a dog. 

I can hear folks saying, "get a rescue Lab!" and if I didn't have an older cat, I'd consider it. If the cat was still a young lion, that would be different, too. Since he's not, we need a young puppy who will learn right from the start that the cat is the boss. A pup grows into the rhythms of the household. They watch and learn so much just sitting in the middle of the floor observing their humans.  

One of my Christmas Eve traditions is to walk a few of the old trails that crisscross the mountainside above my home. Only a few times in my life have I done so without a dog as my companion. Lovely Raven with her long setter feathers, noble Callahan whose bright coonhound soul shone in his eyes, and my beloved Jett - each knew the way out and back. 

Maybe next year I'll show a new companion the way to the secret pond. Maybe next year. 

KC Kendricks
http://www.kckendricks.com/KCKendricks_bookshelf.html

Saturday, December 19, 2015

Surrendered Victory

December 19, 2015

Merry Christmas! Everyone I know is saying how they can't believe Christmas is almost upon us, and I'm right there with them. The Year of our Lord 2015 virtually flew by at sonic speed. It was a good year for me and mine, though. We are truly blessed. 

I first joined the My Sexy Saturday blog hop on September 14, 2013. Recently, it's occurred to me I need to track what I'm doing. I've got a lot of books out and I'm sure I've missed a few. I need a spreadsheet. 

So with that in mind, I'm going back to the beginning and the first book I published for MSS122 - Surrendered Victory.

*_*_*_*


His hand brushing mine excited me beyond anything I’d ever known. Large, tanned and callused, I knew he earned a living with his hands. His long, strong fingers possessed a muscled elegance, much like the rest of him. Short, neat nails belied his trade, that of a carpenter. I shivered as his hand found mine, hidden from public view between our torsos and the bar. Dalton trailed those well-tended fingernails lightly across my palm, sending me his teasing invitation.

“What do you say? Come back to my place for a while?” His clear tenor held no hint of accent, yet he’d alluded he hailed from somewhere in the South. I’d not heard the story of how he’d made his way to the West Virginian outback, although doubtless he knew my tale.

Everyone in the company knew I’d been banished here by my loving family with little hope for redemption, following some sort of serious disagreement with my father, the supposed details of which continued to fuel the rumor mill. None of my fellow barflies would guess the truth. I didn’t wear it on the skin. It went much deeper, all the way to the soul.

Almost none of the assembled crowd would guess the truth, I corrected myself. Dalton suspected. Clearly, he recognized the indefinable aura that marked us as different, as outsiders. I could still shake my head, decline his invitation, and tender my apologies with no hard feelings. His invitation would remain ambiguous to anyone who’d overheard it.

My body thrummed with awareness of his nearness. I did my best to avoid breathing, since every time I inhaled, the clean, crisp scent of his aftershave sank red-hot talons into my brain. And underneath the Old Spice, undeniable, alluring, dangerous, and unmistakable on the gentle breeze from the ceiling fan overhead wafted a delicious, forbidden male musk.

“I was hoping to have another drink,” I said, matter-of-factly, painfully, acutely aware that all walls have ears. “It was a long day and I need to unwind for a bit.”

His sky blue eyes, so different from my blue-grey orbs, didn’t flicker, reminding me he had some experience at this dance. 

_*_*_*_

SURRENDERED VICTORY
2008 Amber Heat Wave Winner

More about Surrendered Victory: https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/surrendered-victory-by-kc-kendricks.html



Dalton makes Reed tingle in all the right places. Now Reed’s ready to answer the question that’s haunted his every failed relationship. Is he really gay?

Reed walked into Dalton’s life and everything changed. This time, Dalton won’t hide the fact he’s gay from anyone, even his son.

Together they surrender all to each other and claim the ultimate victory – love.
- - -

Be sure to check out all the My Sexy Saturday blogs for more great excerpts here!





KC Kendricks
http://www.kckendricks.com
www.twitter.com/kckendricks
www.pinterest.com/kckendricks

Monday, December 14, 2015

Hmmm..... Someone didn't advertise

December 14, 2015

I confess. I'm an American Muscle car lover. If you read my books, especially Bored, Stroked and Blueprinted, that comes through loud and clear. That doesn't mean I think newer, cleaner cars are worthless. Quite the opposite. I think embracing the future and celebrating our heritage can peacefully co-exist. 

I drove down to the Hub City over the weekend to do a little Christmas shopping. It's nice to know the Prime Outlets folk are progressive. 

The downside is.... Tesla? In western Maryland? Certainly doesn't appear so. 

(Yep, that's my Charger on the edge of the frame.)

KC Kendricks
www.kckendricks.com

Saturday, December 5, 2015

River Walk by KC Kendricks (#mss120)

December 5, 2015

Welcome to another My Sexy Saturday blog hop! This week's theme is about sexy in another galaxy, but I'm switching that around a bit. What if someone from another galaxy came here? What if that someone is a shapeshifter and his entire Clan is here? Urban legends begin somewhere, don't they?

Here are seven sexy paragraphs from River Walk, the third installment in the Sundown saga. Enjoy!

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


I wet my lips and slid down over his cock again, working mouth and hand in tandem. His fingers twisted into my hair. After a few moments, his face took on a blissful, dreamy look. I knew he’d stay wrapped in his pleasure peak until motion fatigue forced me to stop, and I was determined not to falter for at least five minutes.

Sundown moaned softly. There was a subtle movement beneath my fingertips and I knew he was satisfied—for the moment. I released his rod and sprawled over him to find his willing mouth. His knees slid along my sides as his hands gripped my shoulders. The familiar hesitation washed through me, the moment where the ingrained habits of years of safe sex practices hovered.

No matter his outward appearance, my lover was Chal. The usual precautions didn’t come into play. I slipped my hand between us to guide my cock, and slid into his heat, shuddering in the wake of possessing him. He smiled up at me.

“You have such pretty blue eyes, Fallon. I have often thought of emulating them.”

I smacked his hip and flexed into him, the wiry dark hairs of my bush tight to his ass. “Nice try to distract me, lover.” I thrust into him again. “Now put your pleasure receptors where they’ll do you the most good and prepare to be fucked.”

His powerful thighs squeezed me as he laughed. I rocked into him, hard. His eyes widened, and I proceeded to show him I meant what I said, using my dick like a piston. Sundown loved it, and oh, God, so did I.

Not for the first time I wondered what it would be like to be Chal and experience what equaled five-, ten-, or even more-minute orgasms. Where before he’d enjoyed the blowjob, it was clear he’d now passed the gates of his personal Nirvana. I had one very happy shapeshifter impaled under me.

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


RIVER WALK
Book 3 of the Sundown Saga
Gay romance with paranormal shift

About River Walk:

Detective Fallon Roxbury has a big problem. A twenty-year old cold case turned hot threatens to expose his secret - shapeshifters exist and they’re living in Montgomery Circle under his protection. Between a new witness and a group of fanatical alien watchers, Fallon’s scrambling to uphold the law and keep his promises intact. He already knows no power on earth can keep his shapeshifter lover from stepping into the mix.  

Sundown has come into his own with his human lover by his side. Fallon is his compass, and shield, as he seeks to keep his Clan united and teach them most humans can be trusted. A catalyst, Sundown is rare among his kind, a descendant of heroes. The status of his Clan rests on him and he’s determined to see his people prosper on this world owned by humans - without the humans knowing shapeshifters walk among them.

Secrets have a way of being exposed. Fallon’s not the only one who knows about Sundown’s kind. A cop used to right and wrong being black and white, Fallon struggles to learn shades of gray. Their relationship is tested as Fallon and Sundown race against the clock to find a kidnapped shapeshifter before the Clan takes matters into their own hands.  Because if they fail, Fallon knows his lover will be forced to stand with his people and act against him.  

KC Kendricks
http://www.kckendricks.com
twitter.com/kckendricks

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Wednesday, December 2, 2015

“Step into Christmas with me…”

December 2, 2015

The Insecure Writer’s Support Group

“…so hop aboard the turntable and step into Christmas with me!”

That’s my nod to Sir Elton John. It’s a line from my fave Christmas song from 1973, Step Into Christmas. It plays as well today as it did forty-two years ago. Happy. Upbeat. Downright freakin’ cheerful. Just like the holiday season…

Every year the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas are like the BLACK HOLE THAT KILLS WRITING. Maybe it only attacks me, but I suspect it sucks in many, many, many writers.

Forward progress - halted.
Momentum - blasted to hell.
Productivity - squashed like a bug.

I try to enjoy the holidays but the fact that I’m not writing bothers the hell outta me. I’m busy at work and at home. The only thing I can do to work around the holidays is plan for the slowdown and plan for writing time. And once I have a bit of time blocked out on my calendar for WRITING, woe be on the head of anyone foolish enough to interrupt me.

It might sound strange I’ve had to resort to serious threats and tantrums just to write, but I use whatever means necessary to get the job done. Whatever means. What. Ever. Means.

There’s nothing insecure about it.

So Merry Christmas to you - and don’t bother me between six a.m. and noon on December 5, 12, 19, and 26, 2015. I’ll be writing.

KC Kendricks
http://www.twitter.com/kckendricks


Saturday, November 28, 2015

Sounds like the plan

November 28, 2015

Writing is more than the creative muse. There are business aspects that are unwise to ignore. If the writing generates income, it needs to be handled in a way the IRS deems appropriate, at least for those of us in the United States. To claim business expenses, we need to prove we're actively involved in said business. I have a log of my time going back for years. I use a spreadsheet, creating one worksheet per year. I can't believe it's time to prepare a sheet for 2016. 

I can't believe it's time to get the Christmas cards ready, either, but that's another blog. And the Final Countdown app on my phone says only 26 days until Christmas. How the heck did that happen???

Being a holiday weekend, and Thanksgiving over for another year, I've been pondering what I can [realistically] accomplish between now and the new year. My spread sheet says I published eight stories this year. Two more are "in the pipeline" and a third is waiting for the second part of the story to gel so I can finish it. I should be content with all that but I find I'm not. 

Wanting to revisit the Marionville setting, I can easily bounce a story from each pair of guys. That's eight stories. I have another Ian Coulter story underway, and then there's the third Levi and Stacy story I've been wanting to do for years but the PAX program kept getting in the way. 

All this is why I can't wait to retire and be a full-time writer. I can't say I'll actually be able to write for the entire forty-five hours a week I'll gain, but I'll be able to utilize a chunk of it. 

I think between now and the new year my best use of time is in the planning of my time. Working out story details, character bios, and fleshing out ideas is as important as the writing of prose. It's the beginning of the process. 

There's something new to learn, too. The My Sexy Saturday group has added Triberr and I've no clue how that works. So even if I'm not writing, I'm going to be busy laying a firm foundation for 2016. Sounds like the plan. Stay tuned.


KC Kendricks
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Thursday, November 26, 2015

The cook's sneaky plan

November 26, 2015

It's Thanksgiving in the United States. We like to make a big deal out of the day by talking about its history and place in the founding of our country. While that's important and something we should never forget or try to bastardize with political views, I like to live in the here and now. And I like to be honest. 

Today is a day I'm thankful that I don't have to leave home. I don't have to rush off to the day job and be at the beck and call of people who whine. (Yes, I'm whining about people who whine. I admit it.) For me, Thanksgiving is a day to celebrate family, the way we were and the way we are. 

Back in the day, my grandmother, mother and aunts would put out a big spread. There are fewer of us now. We celebrate differently. My mother tried to carry on the tradition of a big family meal, but it didn't last long after my grandmother had died. Today I'm cooking for just four and that's okay. My house is on the small side and the last time I had twelve people at the table, it was crowded. Four works. 

Like a lot of folks, I've been re-evaluating the food placed on the table. My goal is to sneak in healthier offerings at the rate of one a year while not forgoing traditional fare. This year it's a fresh fruit salad I saw Bobby Flay make on his cooking show. They all liked it when I made it for the family picnic, so they're getting it again. This Thanksgiving is corn and green beans. At Christmas, it'll be green beans and a broccoli and cauliflower medley. Next year, something with black beans and possibly roasted Brussels sprouts.

So you see, I do have a sneaky plan. Subversive, even. If I do this right, they won't notice lighter and healthier fare until it's too late. But don't worry. I know better than to mess with the turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing and gravy. And the wine. That, too, is part of the plan. 

KC Kendricks
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Thursday, November 19, 2015

Step away... and away

November 19, 2015


A few weeks ago I got a Fitbit Flex. It’s one of those little gizmos you wear on your wrist, like a watch. It counts your daily steps and sends the info to an app on the device of our choice. I have the app on my cell phone because it’s always handy.
 
The app tells you all sorts of things. It ties into MyFitnessPal.com and together the two apps will drive you nuts provide steps walked, how many miles walked, active minutes, calories burned, how well you slept and how many pounds to go until you reach your weight loss goal (if you set that one).

I told myself I wasn’t going to get all caught up on the craze to take 10,000 steps a day.

Aye. Right.

It seems I like the daily challenge of feeling the gizmo vibrate on my wrist. For the past week, starting with last Thursday, my totals are:
Thursday    (11/12)            11,574
Friday         (11/13)            10,659
Saturday     (11/14)               5,480 (rain)
Sunday       (11/15)            10,664
Monday      (11/16)              7,875 (homeowner “stuff” needed done)
Tuesday      (11/17)            10,125
Wednesday (11/18)            11,194

That’s not too shabby for a woman with a desk job during the day and a writer gig in the evening. A quick twenty-minute walk before work, and a good thirty-ish minute walk during my lunch hour puts me within striking distance of 10K. The incidental trips around the building, up and down the stairs, picks up the rest.  But now I’ve discovered - there’s more.

I just found out there’s a 15K step badge you can earn. Maybe I need to step away from the gizmo before I hurt myself. 

KC Kendricks
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twitter.com/kckendricks
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Friday, November 13, 2015

Friday the 13th, or it's time to finish the paranormal story

November 13, 2015

It's Friday the 13th. Not a big deal in my world. But you know, I did get an email from a guy claiming to be a prophet that said bad things were coming. Hmmm. I didn't open it. He put too much info in his subject line which told me all I needed to know and that was to hit the delete button. 

I don't think any of my family and friends are particularly superstitious about the day, either. I suspect there will be a few jokes at the bowling alley whenever someone misses a spare. They'll start saying the ball went in the gutter because of it being Friday the 13th, not that they threw it there. That's about all the mention it'll get. I mention it only because I needed a blog title and an opening before I segue into something more relevant in my writing world.  

Work has progressed on the fifth installment of the Sundown saga. This story has a working title and I think it will stick - Fly By Night. The story has a lot of police work in it and we see Sundown really contributing to solving Fallon and Juny's case. There's also a sense of Fallon grappling with just how different his shapeshifter lover really is. Not that Fallon's love for Sundown is threatened - never that. It's more like Fallon is finally internalizing and processing what the difference really means. 

More secrets about the Chal are revealed and a few are unsettling. This intensifies what Fallon is feeling. It's a bit unnerving for him. Also, curiously, Sundown and Juny seem more relaxed with each other. Sundown actually engages Juny in conversation! Never thought I'd see that happen and I'm writing the story. Sometimes the characters do have a will of their own, or so it seems. 

With any luck I'll finish the story within the next week, get it to my proofreader, and get it turned in before Thanksgiving. "Luck" is a fickle thing, though, so don't hold me to it.

Enjoy the day! 

KC Kendricks
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Saturday, November 7, 2015

September Morning for MSS 117

November 7, 2015
**Updated 4/2/21 - the My Sexy Saturday blog hop has closed.**

Welcome to another My Sexy Saturday! My Sexy Saturday is a weekly blog hop full of great excerpts from a wide range of authors who write in every genre giving you the opportunity to find your next favorite book. Be sure to check out the list at the bottom of this post.

This week I'm showcasing seven sexy paragraphs from September Morning. September Morning is set to release this weekend. I'm just waiting for the powers that be at Amber Quill to push the button for it to go live.

Here are seven sexy paragraphs from September Morning. Enjoy!
_*_*_*_*_

I fell sideways, squirming to get away. He wouldn’t let go, so all I managed to do was rub cocks with him. He flipped me over and pinned me down. His lips found mine, hot and eager. I opened to him, meeting him on the field of mock battle. Back and forth we teased, licking and nipping at each other until I was breathless. I pulled away and stared into his dark brown eyes.

Something pure and good arced between us.

I wasn’t ready for it. This was supposed to be just sex. I needed to keep it that way. He cupped my cheek, then caressed it, his touch gentle.

“As much as I’d like to really get down with you, I’m not ready to let you fuck me. Hope you can understand.”

I turned my head and kissed his palm. “Yeah, I do. Although teasing you is great fun.”

“So is getting you off.” He smiled, then his face morphed into serious lines.

My balls tingled and I resisted the urge to reach down and squeeze them. We moved at the same time, and whether I kissed him, or he kissed me, I wasn’t sure. My senses reeled, hit by growing waves of arousal as his soft, breathy sigh drew me in. He was like some live flame in my arms, with his heat and energy ready to be unleashed at my command.

_*_*_*_*_

September Morning is available at
https://books.apple.com/us/book/id1098476445

More about September Morning:


Following the death of his partner, Jagger Davis is on a sabbatical to finish healing and to get his life moving again. JD goes to Sandbridge, Virginia for a restful summer of solitude and discovers the cottage next door is full of friendly neighbors. One in particular catches his interest.

Nate Fischer is part of a group of guys who spend every summer at Sandbridge. An IT specialist for a private contractor at the nearby Naval base, Nate’s taking some vacation time. When JD arrives, Nate invites him to a cookout on the beach. It isn’t long before Nate and JD are inseparable, but there are three men in the relationship.

JD’s memories are a constant companion. He won’t banish them to satisfy someone new. When Nate’s job abruptly calls him away, JD realizes he didn’t give his summer lover a fair chance. Now he has to convince Nate there’s room in his heart for both the past and the future. 


September Morning

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

 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

Wednesday, November 4, 2015

IWSG - Writer’s Block (a.k.a. your brain needs a break)

November 4, 2015

The Insecure Writer’s Support Group

Writer’s block. Two word to strike dread into the heart of any serious writer. You want to write but the words won’t come. You sit in front of the screen and stare. You had such a great idea so what the heck is going on?

Having been afflicted by this malady a handful of times in the last thirteen years, I’ve reached a few conclusions. At least where I’m concerned.

Not all writer’s block is bad. Sometimes I think my brain simply needs a break. I’ve learned not to push the words. I go blog, play on twitter, dream up new characters and develop bios for them. I stay busy but I stop fretting over daily word count.

I look for outside stresses. The very first time I couldn’t write was in the middle of the Triskelion debacle. I’d signed with them for two books and they closed down and filed bankruptcy before the books were released. I’d never experienced that and it soured me on writing for a long time. These days I’ve learned a lot about self-publishing, or indie publishing if you prefer. I can always take a story indie.

Sometimes the day job wears me out and I don’t have energy to spare at the end of the day. I might go through a period where my life is on a social merry-go-round. It’s all okay.

Even when I’m not writing I’m thinking about writing. I know from experience the wheel will turn and I’ll be back at the keyboard, banging away. As difficult as it is to do, I just have to relax and ride out those times when my subconscious knows what’s best and forces me to take a break. It's not really the end of the world, even if it feels that way.  

KC Kendricks
http://www.twitter.com/kckendricks

Sunday, November 1, 2015

New cover up - September Morning

November 1, 2015
updated April 6, 2014

New cover up. Hmmm. Sounds like a headline on a piece about political corruption, doesn't it? But no...it's time to debut a new book cover. That's something much less sinister. 

So here it is - the September Morning cover. Is it all that I hoped for? Absolutely! The original cover left me pretty cold, but you don't argue with a publisher. You can't. The contract doesn't all you to tell the cover artist he failed. I did this one myself and it's sooooooooo much better. It's true to my vision of what I wanted. 

I like it. The struggle to learn Photoshop is finally paying off.  
_*_*_*_

To read an excerpt from September Morning, please visit my website at
http://www.kckendricks.com/SeptemberMorning.html

September Morning - look for it November 8, 2015 at Amber Quill Press.

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

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