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
www.kckendricks.com
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Saturday, November 28, 2015
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
www.kckendricks.com
twitter.com/kckendricks
facebook.com/kckendricks
Join the mailing/announcement list by sending an email to:
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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
www.kckendricks.com
twitter.com/kckendricks
facebook.com/kckendricks
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Thursday, November 19, 2015
Step away... and away
November 19, 2015
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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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.
KC Kendricks
www.kckendricks.com
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
www.kckendricks.com
twitter.com/kckendricks
facebook.com/kckendricks
pinterest.com/kckendricks
email to join the mailing and announcements list at:
betweenthekeys-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
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
www.kckendricks.com
twitter.com/kckendricks
facebook.com/kckendricks
pinterest.com/kckendricks
email to join the mailing and announcements list at:
betweenthekeys-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
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!
_*_*_*_*_
_*_*_*_*_
September Morning is available at
https://books.apple.com/us/book/id1098476445
More about September Morning:
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.
**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.
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
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
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