Sunday, December 31, 2023

December 31, 2023

 



Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,
   The flying cloud, the frosty light:
   The year is dying in the night;
Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.

Ring out the old, ring in the new,
   Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
   The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.

Ring out the grief that saps the mind
   For those that here we see no more;
   Ring out the feud of rich and poor,
Ring in redress to all mankind.

Ring out a slowly dying cause,
   And ancient forms of party strife;
   Ring in the nobler modes of life,
With sweeter manners, purer laws.

Ring out the want, the care, the sin,
   The faithless coldness of the times;
   Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes
But ring the fuller minstrel in.

Ring out false pride in place and blood,
   The civic slander and the spite;
   Ring in the love of truth and right,
Ring in the common love of good.

Ring out old shapes of foul disease;
   Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;
   Ring out the thousand wars of old,
Ring in the thousand years of peace.

Ring in the valiant man and free,
   The larger heart, the kindlier hand;
   Ring out the darkness of the land,
Ring in the Christ that is to be.

-Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Monday, December 25, 2023

December 25, 2023

 


May peace dwell with you,
may prosperity huddle near.
May family gather together
without heartache or tear.

There is a star shining
in the night sky ... just there.
It is for you to wish upon
to keep you safe from care.

May everything you need
be yours to have and proclaim
as you're due; just close your eyes
and ask it in His precious name.

Merry Christmas to you, friend.
Let your season be a blessed one
filled with love and cheer and more.
Smile, laugh, and enjoy the fun.

-author unknown 
given to me by a friend

Wednesday, December 20, 2023

A surprise accomplishment

December 20, 2023

Maybe it was the cold weather. Monday was our first really blustery day of the season. The wind was steady, the sky was gray, and even Deuce didn't want to be outside. I made a flying trip to the grocery store and settled at the computer to work. I didn't expect to go in the direction I did.

I'm into chapter four of the current work-in-progress, a story with the usual working title of, "Finish This One First." ALL my manuscripts have had the honor of carrying that title at one time or another. It's a way for me to find the right document on the list. It doesn't mean anything more than that. It's what I look for after all these years. When I have a story started, I tend to want to get the cover made. I like having that visual aid. 

When I first began to make my own covers, it took me hours to create one. I'm a little faster now. And it's easier. So, so many covers today look muddled. There isn't a distinct background, just swirls of colors and lines. It makes it easier to pull elements of pictures I have on file and fade them together. My favorite stock photo site recently closed and I had a good many credits to use before they took down the site. I didn't need to go buy a guy or two. 

I didn't expect to get the cover background completed, but I did. It was a nice surprise! It's ready for whenever I get the title. It's also is one less distraction to my writing process. It's too soon to share it, but that's okay. Now I have to concentrate on writing the story and coming up with a blurb. 

I'll be able to share more when I get farther into the story. Chapter 4 is just too soon. I could still change my mind!


 _*_*_*_*_*_*_

KC Kendricks
My home on the web- Between the Keys: 
http://kckendricks.blogspot.com
Visit my bookshelf at: 
https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/bookshelf.html

Social media links:
Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: KC Kendricks Between the Keys
Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com
My country life at The Hideaway/Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com


KC Kendricks, Rayne Forrest, Between the Keys, book covers, LGBT gay romance, m/m romance, slash romance, writing process, contemporary gay fiction, romance fiction for Kindle, work in progress, romance manuscripts, writers on writing

Sunday, December 17, 2023

Winding down 2023 and making decisions

December 17, 2023

Every year ends. I always get to this part of December and have a moment of panic. Christmas Eve is in one week. Twenty years ago that meant I'd be preparing for our annual open house, but the world shifted, friends scattered and drifted away, and now, for us, Christmas Eve is a quiet evening. 

It's not a bad thing. We're older now, and the spousal unit is ten years older than me, so he appreciates a quiet evening more than I do. We may take Deuce for a little ride to check out some Christmas lights, but we won't be joining with other people. It's our choice. 

I'm currently working on putting together my retrospective for 2023, which will publish on January 2, 2024.  That's a look back and today I'm looking forward, down a road that has a few twists and turns on the horizon. There are no wrong turns, only choices to make. 

Do I want to try to maintain a website or hire someone? I'd like to do it myself, but can I learn new software right now? 

Do I want to continue to keep Holly Tree Manor as a separate blog, or post everything here? If I post everything here, I can still post over there and send people this way. I don't monetize my blogs so does it matter which way I go?  And do I want to incorporate more videos on the blog and also post them on Facebook? 

I admit to allowing things in my writing realm to slide while I prepared for and settled into retirement. I look around on social media and the girls I "came up with" seem to be gone. I suspect a lot of them didn't want to go indie when so many of the epubs closed. I don't blame them. I miss the camaraderie of being in a group and exchanging ideas that actually work. 

A lot of what I do will be a continuation of what I've always done. If it's not broken, don't fix it. If you enjoy doing it, why stop? 

I've set a deadline of December 31st for myself to decide which road to take. It's likely I'll look to the words of Robert Frost for counsel: "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I - I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference."

One can only hope I recognize it when I get to it, and I'm brave enough to take that first step out of my comfort zone. 

      _*_*_*_*_*_*_

 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 The Hideaway/Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com
Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: KC Kendricks Between the Keys


KC Kendricks, Between the Keys blog, Rayne Forrest, m/m gay romance, romance fiction for Kindle, LGBT gay romance, sci-fi romance, shapeshifters, contemporary gay romance, a writer's life, life decisions, Holly Tree Manor, New Year, Robert Frost, life choices

Saturday, December 9, 2023

Is it really a distraction?


December 9, 2023

Two decades ago, when I was a neophyte writer, I was warned to be careful of distractions. Me being me, I looked at where that advice was coming from. Certainly, a publisher and editor would urge an author not to get distracted. They didn't make any money if the writer didn't produce. But a lot of other writers in the old online groups said the same thing. 

I was pretty good at blacking out distractions - in the beginning. Being published was a new thing, an exciting thing. I didn't realize the price I'd eventually pay by isolating myself to write. I missed out on a lot to be a writer and I have a different mindset now. 

Earlier this week I got a phone call from someone asking if I were related to a person who had just passed. Sharing the last name, and knowing the origins of the name, I was sure we were related. It made me curious as to how close the connection might be. I consulted The Book. 

The Book is actually three full volumes of my genealogy. I looked up the deceased person's name and discovered we were connected - if you went back to 1751. There are three main branches in the tree and we're in the same one. 

Searching him out started me on a journey down the rabbit hole. You know the rabbit hole. The one Alice fell into. It does exist and I found it. 

Stuffed into the three volumes are copies of obituaries I've collected over the years. I saved them so that "one day" I could add them to the genealogy software I use. I had the program open so I decided I'd take five or six and get them added. You can guess how that has turned out. 

Is it really a distraction to set writing prose aside for a few days and pursue a passion? I know virtually nothing about my father's family. My father's father died when I was four or five, and my dad tended to avoid his mother, ergo, I didn't see her much in my formative years. My aunts helped a bit but they left out A LOT of family history and I recently learned why. There's a "family secret" that today is just silly. My grandmother had a half-brother born out of wedlock. He's even buried beside a family plot so why didn't anyone talk about him? I suppose a child out of wedlock was a big deal in the early 1900s, but now, not so much. I think it speaks well of my great-grandfather to marry a woman, in those days, who already had a child. 

Taking time to pursue a passion keeps us connected to ourselves. It's one of the reasons I no longer produce six to eight books a year. I could, but I don't. Instead, I stay checked into my life and what I enjoy doing (besides writing). It's the reason I started Holly Tree Manor/The Hideaway. I wanted to record my life now so that when I'm an old woman I can look back and believe I did exist and I did have a life. You may think that's a distraction, but it's important to me. 

Writing is important to me, too, but it is a lonely pursuit. To write well, we need to focus on the words. This tends to isolate us. We need our other passions to stay balanced and happy. It's up to each of us to decide where, every day, we focus our time to be happy. 

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

KC Kendricks
My home on the web- Between the Keys: 
http://kckendricks.blogspot.com
Visit my bookshelf at: 
https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/bookshelf.html

Social media links:
Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: KC Kendricks Between the Keys
Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com
My country life at The Hideaway/Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com

KC Kendricks, Rayne Forrest, genealogy, writers on writing, m/m romance, LGBT romance, Kindle romance, passions, distractions, life balance, time management, maturing, family

Friday, December 8, 2023

Comments are good, but...


December 8, 2023

As I begin this blog, it's 7:38 AM. I've been up since about six. The dog runs on "Deuce Time," which means we go outside to pee-pee before daybreak. I do not always want to get up that early, but I love my dog. If he has to go, he has to go. I can relate. 

It's a slow morning for some reason. The spousal unit and I lingered with the Weather Channel, and coffee, for longer than usual. Edging into winter, the To Do List gets shorter. It becomes the Do It Later List. It's a balmy thirty-five Fahrenheit outside and that's reason enough to postpone what chores we can. So I'm at the computer, but I can't lie and say I feel productive enough, or awake enough, to work on a story. 

I've got a work-in-progress that is going well, and an idea for one after that. I don't ascribe to the edict of write-write-write-write. My brain isn't quite awake enough for that yet this morning and I'm not willing to write garbage only to delete it later. 

A couple of months ago, a comment was made to me and I don't remember if it was on Facebook or X (formerly Twitter). I don't remember who made it, either. Anyway, the comment was that doing promo on Facebook groups and X was a waste of time. Well, maybe. 

The thing is, besides the obvious that it's my time, doing a bit of promo in the Facebook groups is something I can do while I finish my coffee. It's also something I can do when I need to take a break from writing to ponder a plot point. It's something I can do when I need to take a break from an outside project, be it to warm up or cool off. 

I'm not sure why this other author felt the need to...what? Criticize? Chastise? Advise? It doesn't matter. Doing promo this way is just how I work and it's fine for me to do it this way. It beats sitting and mindlessly staring into space while I warm up from being outside, or finish my morning coffee. So that's the way it is in my world.  

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

KC Kendricks
My home on the web- Between the Keys: 
http://kckendricks.blogspot.com
Visit my bookshelf at: 
https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.html

Social media links:
Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: KC Kendricks Between the Keys
Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com
My country life at The Hideaway/Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com

KC Kendricks, Rayne Forrest, m/m romance, Kindle romance, LGBT gay romance, sexy men, social media, promotions, writers on writing, a writer's life, rural living

Wednesday, December 6, 2023

You're on candid trail cam!

December 6, 2023

Yesterday I posted over at Holly Tree Manor, showing a picture of me captured by one of the trail cams. I was asked to share it here, too, since as the post says, it's proof I'm not an AI creation. 

See the post at HTM here

_*_*_*_*_*_

It's always a good thing if you can laugh at yourself, or at least shake your head and mutter. 

The weather today left a lot to be desired. Gray skies, dreary. A definite winter bite in the breeze. It was a good day to pull a heavy sweatshirt out of the drawer and layer it with a turtleneck. 

Can you even buy a turtleneck these days? 

If you needed positive proof The Lady of the Manor exists, here it is. I have several trail cams now and it's difficult to walk around the yard and not trip one of them. 

Those windows you see in the background are the windows in my sunroom office. I was peacefully working at the computer when I heard a ruckus over my left shoulder. Of course, it was Loki. He'd chased a squirrel over the woodpile and somehow managed to catch it. I went out and convinced him to let the poor squirrel go. It scurried off, I'm happy to report. 

So there you have it. The fingers that pound on the keyboard are really attached to a person and not to some AI-generated fake. 

And the sweatshirt? Yep. It's an old one from the 1990s. It's got Terry LaBonte's #5 racecar on it. It's warm, too!

The Lady of Holly Tree Manor/The Hideaway


KC Kendricks, Between the Keys, mm romance, LGBT gay author, Holly Tree Manor, The Hideaway, Terry LaBonte, rural living, bad cats, country lifestyle, firewood, sunroom, squirrels, trail cams

Friday, December 1, 2023

Did a year make a difference?

 

December 1, 2023

Today marks the end of my .com website. Did I want to give it up? NO. I did not want to let it go. I still own the .com, but I'm not going to continue to pay for web hosting on a platform I can't work with. I said I was throwing in the towel on it a year ago, but damn it. I really hated to give up. What made the final decision was the way they kept changing everything in the background. Change for the sake of change. 

I started with a website way back in 2004 through Yahoo web hosting. Oh, my god, was it easy! All work was done offline, then once you had a page the way you wanted it, you clicked "publish" and away it went. And it was affordable, too. Having a .com website used to send the message you were serious about being a writer. 

In this economy, that mindset is tough on a lot of newbies with talent and no money. 

So here I am today with all my information at Between the Keys. I want a proper .com website and that means I need to get off my arse and figure it out. One big drawback is I don't want to work online. I'm slow. I tweak a lot. I'm visual so I need to see what it looks like every step of the way. 

The difficulties I've had learning new software figure into my deliberations about the future. I've been asking myself if it's time to retire from writing the same way I retired from the day job. I don't have a definitive answer. 

Blogger is, for me, an easy platform to work with. Right from the start, I had it down pat. Pick a template, pick a background, set margins, and add content. I know, I know. It's working online, but Blogger works. When I click "publish," it does. And I've had Between the Keys long enough that it looks a little different from a lot of other sites. 

Maybe 2024 will be the year I figure out where to host the .com. Or maybe I'll just wait it out on Blogger. More likely, I need to stop obsessing about it. 

 _*_*_*_*_*_*_

KC Kendricks
My home on the web- Between the Keys: 
http://kckendricks.blogspot.com
Visit my bookshelf at: 
https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/bookshelf.html

Social media links:
Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: KC Kendricks Between the Keys
Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com
My country life at The Hideaway/Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com


KC Kendricks, Rayne Forrest, writing, websites, m/m romance, LGBT gay romance, kindle romance, 
rural living, Between the Keys, history, platform websites

Thursday, November 30, 2023

Christmas-themed stories

November 30, 2023

It's the time of year when Christmas-themed stories flood the romance market. I went looking for a new read last evening and my search for "contemporary gay romance" yielded two pages of nothing but holiday stories.  Don't get me wrong, some of them are really good. Then again, some of them are not. I've read a few that I sensed were rushed through to meet a holiday deadline. That's the very reason I haven't done one. I don't want to rush it, yet if the season isn't upon us, I don't have the connection I need to the story. 

Then there is the possibility of such a book having a very limited shelf life. Would one leave the book on sale for the entire year, or pull it at the end of December and then re-publish it the next mid-November? 

So much of this time of the year is like that - limited shelf life. I debated about sending Christmas cards this year and decided to simply cut back and send only to those who, like me, still embrace the tradition. But as much as I like the tradition, it may be time for me to let go of it. Prices have increased. Postage has increased. The cards themselves become landfill fodder.

I am in no way saying holiday-themed stories are bad. I'm not saying we should avoid buying and reading them. I'm saying as writers, we need to make sure our Christmas stories have substance, that we don't rush to finish them. We need to assign the same worth to a holiday story as we do all of our stories. Chopping off the story in the middle of chapter three because we MUST get the book out doesn't help us in the long run. Readers are savvy. They can tell. 

Do yourself a favor and make sure your Christmas-themed story has a good shelf life. It's fine to start it this season while you've got the holiday spirit, and not have it published until next season. You owe it to yourself to create a story that will last for many holidays to come. 

 _*_*_*_*_*_*_

KC Kendricks
My home on the web- Between the Keys: 
http://kckendricks.blogspot.com
Visit my bookshelf at: 
https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/bookshelf.html

Social media links:
Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: KC Kendricks Between the Keys
Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com
My country life at The Hideaway/Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com


KC Kendricks, Rayne Forrest, Christmas romance, contemporary gay romance, writers on writing, LGBT gay, m/m romance, Christmas cards, rural living, a writer's life, country lifestyle, Between the Keys, writing commentary

Sunday, November 26, 2023

Shine a Light and Sumner's Garden



November 26, 2023

It's a bit chilly here today, too cold to do much work outside, so it's the perfect day to play with Photoshop.  

I've run the Facebook groups on both Shine A Light and Sumner's Garden separately, but I'd like to do a combo. The promo card is finished now I need to figure out a good promo "blurb." 

I guess it turned out okay. I like it and that's what matters.

    _*_*_*_*_*_*_

 KC Kendricks

Social media links:
Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com
My country life at The Hideaway/Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com
Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: KC Kendricks Between the Keys


 

KC Kendricks, Shine A Light, Sumner's Garden, m/m romance, contemporary gay romance, GLBT gay romance, romance books for Kindle, Kindle romance, fun with Photoshop, book promo, Between the Keys, a writer's life

Friday, November 24, 2023

The screen cap says it all

November 24, 2023

Earlier this year I wrote about doing Facebook promotions and how my spreadsheet was important to keeping me on track. It may seem like a lot of work, but one of the benefits is knowing when to abandon a group. 

This section of information tracks a group I just gave up on today. Being slow to review an entry is one thing. Not posting it at all is something else. And then there are the vanishing posts. 

The main reason I track every time I post a promo is so I don't post the same thing in the same group over and over and over. I see that a lot, and I long ago decided I'd not do it. The spreadsheet also tells me what books I've been ignoring, mostly because I haven't made one of those little promo cards for it. I can make a card and get on the ball. 

Keeping the spreadsheet is definitely worth the effort. I think it's important to note which groups are friendly, which are starting to get spammy, and which one need to be "retired." In the long run, it will save me a lot of time and aggravation, and that's always a win. 


 _*_*_*_*_*_*_

KC Kendricks
My home on the web- Between the Keys: 
http://kckendricks.blogspot.com
Visit my bookshelf at: 
https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.html

Social media links:
Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: KC Kendricks Between the Keys
Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com
My country life at The Hideaway/Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com


KC Kendricks, book promotion, m/m romance, GLBT gay romance for Kindle, Between the Keys, tracking, writing business, time savers, spreadsheets

Thursday, November 23, 2023

Thanksgiving 2023

November 23, 2023

Happy Thanksgiving! Today those of us in the United States stop to reflect upon and celebrate those things we are thankful for. Different countries and traditions have their day of thanksgiving at different times throughout the year, but today is our turn. 

Thanksgiving was a day when my family gathered for a meal, and after the meal, my parents would visit the "other side" of the family. Then, if I was lucky, I'd have some phone time with friends and/or cousins until Dad got tired of my teenage chatter. Back in the day, there was only one phone in the house, and even with a long cord that reached the stairs, he could hear me laughing and that intruded on the football game. 

Years have passed and all that remains of those days are memories. I doubt I'm unique in finding myself cooking a traditional dinner for just two. Far too many cook for one, or don't even bother cooking at all. 

I'm grateful I have the resources to cook the traditional turkey dinner. It's not an onerous chore to me. Instead, it's creating freedom for the next several days and beyond. There may be just the two of us, but I roast a larger bird and we have turkey this and turkey that until Sunday. I make turkey broth for soups and freeze baggies of dark and white meat for baked meat pies. Cooking today makes cooking ten to twelve future meals over the winter months very easy. 

What else am I grateful for? My health, my spouse and family, my home, my friends, and Deuce & Loki. I'm blessed with three beautiful acres of ground to call home. I'm blessed with the opportunity to observe wildlife in my own backyard. 

Troubled times are upon us, yet let us all be thankful. Let's switch off the gloom and doom for a day and live simply, in gratitude, Who knows? Everyone putting some positivity out into the ether might have some lasting effects! 

Psalm 100 (KJV)
Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. 2 Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. 3 Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. 4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. 5 For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

    _*_*_*_*_*_*_

 KC Kendricks

Social media links:
Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com
My country life at The Hideaway/Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com
Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: KC Kendricks Between the Keys


KC Kendricks, Rayne Forrest, Thanksgiving 2023, contemporary gay romance, m/m romance, gay Kindle books, GLBT gay romance, a writer's life, rural living, roasting turkey, gratitude

Sunday, November 19, 2023

Sumner's Garden is now on sale

 November 19, 2023

Sumner's Garden is now available! This is a story I wanted to write for a long time, but as they say, timing is everything. I finally had the time to pull all the bits and pieces together and tell Andy's story. 

Sumner's Garden gets its start in Shine A Light, where our main character, Van, stars in a theater production of a play called Sumner's Garden. I knew when I wrote Shine A Light that some day I'd write the story. 

I hope readers enjoy it, but even if they don't, my satisfaction was in writing it.

KC

_*_*_*_*_*_

Runaway. Drifter. Andy Pulaski made choices.

Fate can rule with a gentle hand, and one bright summer day she deposited Andy Pulaski in Sumnerville. Needing to work to earn enough money to get to the next stop in his journey, Andy hires on with Tom Sumner to help the older man on his homestead. Andy may be a drifter, but he’s frequented public libraries and educated himself. He looks at every stop he makes as an opportunity to learn. Things are looking up and Andy may stay longer than the agreed two weeks.

Rafe Sumner isn’t too happy about his Uncle Tom hiring a scruffy drifter. He’s been Tom’s helper all his life even if he doesn’t always see eye-to-eye with his uncle. He doesn’t get along with his mother, either. He knows his father’s last name wasn’t Sumner and he knows the truth is out there somewhere. He just can’t find it.

Andy and Rafe develop a grudging respect for each other while working for Tom. It could be that what they’re seeking is right in front of them. All they have to do is look beyond what happens between them at night.
 

AN EXCERPT FROM SUMNER'S GARDEN

Rafe settled his lips over mine in an almost chaste kiss. It registered in my stunned brain how warm and soft they were before I fully processed what he’d done. He pulled back and smiled at me.

“I can get the tractor in pretty far. Ground’s solid right now. We can do this.”

I blinked at him, brain fogged. “We, um, can do what?”

The little smile morphed into a huge grin. “I’m talking about reclaiming the pond. Do you have some other activity in mind?”

I snapped out of the surprised haze I’d spiraled into. “Nope.” I held up my index finger and pointed it straight at his nose. “Don’t ever do that again, Rafe. I’m not some amusement you can play with for the summer.”

He grabbed my hand and held on, squeezing my finger tightly enough I couldn’t pull away. “I know you’re not so take a chill pill.” He released my hand and walked past me. “C’mon. Let’s go see what Tom thinks of your idea.”

Scurrying to catch up, I fell into step with him. “Maybe we should wait until we get his garden situated. That’s his priority right now. Let’s slow down and think this through. Make a plan.”

Rafe stopped and met my gaze. Yeah, that man wanted to make a plan, but not the one I was talking about. His smoky gaze traveled from my eyes to my knees and back up to my eyes. He didn’t need to speak for me to know exactly what he was thinking. Then he switched off that man-on-the-prowl look and grinned at me.

“Okay. You’re on to something there. He might get pissed if he thinks we’re going to slack off the important stuff.” He checked his watch. “If we hustle, we can get the other three raised beds put together before supper. After supper, we can brainstorm.” He leaned in close. “And maybe you’ll let me kiss you for real tonight.”

Privately, I might – might – give him points for being a persistent fellow, but I’d never confess that to anyone. I took a long step back to put some distance between us. “No. I’m not available, Rafe. I’m asking you to respect that.”

“Tom’s watching us. Let’s go see what he needs.”

Oh, great. Had he seen Rafe kiss me? I didn’t want to discuss it. If cornered, it might slip out that I wasn’t offended in the least and, truthfully, wouldn’t mind if it happened again.

What the hell was wrong with me? I was in a safe place here. I’d work hard, sure, but this was also a place for me to rest for the next little while. I didn’t want to screw it up with sex. Nor did I want Rafe to discover I found him…interesting.

Tom called out to us as he turned to walk away. “Come up on breezeway, boys.”

“Where else were we going to go, old man?”

Jeez. Rafe’s mouth was going to get him in hot water. The next thing Tom did might be worse than the coffee caper.

“You boys are fixing supper while I rest a spell.” Tom paused. “Before you do, you two bring the old chair out here for me.”

Rafe nodded, and I followed him inside to the living room. The room was comfortable, and decorated in warm tones of red, brown, and cream. A fieldstone fireplace dominated the room, but I thought it was great. Most of the furniture was in good shape but stashed in the corner was a very old, very tattered navy blue recliner on wheels. Rafe pointed at it.

“He puts that on the breezeway every summer. I don’t know how old it is, but he won’t part with it. Says it’s fine for outside.”

I stepped behind it and started to push it while Rafe guided it around the other furniture. Tom snickered at us when we had to turn it onto its side to maneuver it through the door.

“Boys, I got that inside all by my lonesome last fall.”

We flipped it back up onto its wheels. Rafe dusted off his hands. “Sure, you did, old man. What are we cooking tonight?”

Tom dropped onto his chair with a satisfied sigh. “Cook’s choice, boys. Rafe, you go find something in the freezer whilst I have a word with Andy. Go on, with you.” He waved Rafe away.

I was surprised Rafe turned and walked meekly away, and not very happy he’d left me to face Tom alone. I feared Tom was going to tell me there was to be no hanky-panky with Rafe.

That thought should not have bothered me and it bothered me that it did.

Tom motioned at one of the deck chairs, so I sat and waited for him to speak. It didn’t take him long.

“Andy, I’ll get straight to it. I saw my nephew kiss you and I saw you backed away from him. Now, you’re both all grown up and what the two of you may or may not get up to at night in the barn is your business. Makes no difference to me if you do or don’t. What I want to know is do I need to tell Rafe to let you alone?”

The sincerity in Tom’s voice touched me deeply. We were virtual strangers and yet he cared enough to offer to advocate for me. It was a gift I didn’t feel worthy of receiving. I shook my head.

“No, sir. I’ve handled men worse than Rafe.”




Universal link to additional booksellers https://books2read.com/u/4E8y6Y

    _*_*_*_*_*_*_

 KC Kendricks

Social media links:
Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com
My country life at The Hideaway/Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com
Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: KC Kendricks Between the Keys




KC Kendricks, Sumner's Garden, m/m gay romance, Shine A Light, glbt romance, contemporary gay romance, gay romance novels for Kindle

Saturday, November 11, 2023

Sumner's Garden - in the process of going live!

November 11, 2023

This morning I got my act together and finished uploading Sumner's Garden to the online vendors I use. I got Amazon taken care of yesterday, and to my surprise, a few copies have already moved with no promotion. I listed it at Barnes and Noble last night, but dang it. I spent most of yesterday outside in the rain burning brush. (Yes, I do that a lot. It's necessary when you live with over two hundred trees.) 

Now we wait a bit for Sumner's Garden to go live at all the other places: iTunes, Kobo, Scribd (which will soon have a new name), Smashwords, Tolino, Vivlio, and Gardners. I'll get an email notice when it goes up with the link. 

Writing Sumner's Gardner truly was for me. I'd wanted to write it for so many years I think I looked at it like it was just a dream. Now, thanks to retiring from the workplace in 2022, it's a reality.

I'll get additional links posted as they become available. Here's the cover blurb for Sumner's Garden.

 Runaway. Drifter. Andy Pulaski made choices.

Fate can rule with a gentle hand, and one bright summer day she deposited Andy Pulaski in Sumnerville. Needing to work to earn enough money to get to the next stop in his journey, Andy hires on with Tom Sumner to help the older man on his homestead. Andy may be a drifter, but he’s frequented public libraries and educated himself. He looks at every stop he makes as an opportunity to learn. Things are looking up and Andy may stay longer than the agreed two weeks.

Rafe Sumner isn’t too happy about his Uncle Tom hiring a scruffy drifter. He’s been Tom’s helper all his life even if he doesn’t always see eye-to-eye with his uncle. He doesn’t get along with his mother, either. He knows his father’s last name wasn’t Sumner and he knows the truth is out there somewhere. He just can’t find it.

Andy and Rafe develop a grudging respect for each other while working for Tom. It could be that what they’re seeking is right in front of them. All they have to do is look beyond what happens between them at night. 


 _*_*_*_*_*_*_

KC Kendricks
My home on the web- Between the Keys: 
http://kckendricks.blogspot.com
Visit my bookshelf at: 
https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.html

Social media links:
Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: KC Kendricks Between the Keys
Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com
My country life at The Hideaway/Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com


KC Kendricks, contemporary gay romance, kindle romance, M/M gay romance, Sumner's Garden, Shine A Light, mature readers, sexual situations in fiction

Monday, November 6, 2023

In the middle of the night - Sumner's Garden blurb


November 6, 2023

Generally speaking, I don't like it when I wake up in the middle of the night. I'm not one of those who can easily go back to sleep. Hindering that is Deuce, who knows if Mommy is awake he can get a pee-pee break. After getting up and letting him go out, I'm more likely to reach for my Kindle and read when I crawl under the covers again. 

Last night was an exception. I woke around three-ish and had an epiphany. I don't know if I dreamed it or if my subconscious had been working on it these past weeks. Perhaps I had to let my brain settle down after working the last six weeks. I don't know and I don't much care. I woke and the cover blurb for Sumner's Garden was there.

Did I jump out of bed and run to the computer? Nope. Consequently, it was mid-afternoon before I remembered I had to sit down and commit it to paper. Author's brains work in mysterious ways. 

I'm hopeful that now I can do the last read-through and finally get Sumner's Garden published. The cover blurb, and work, had me stalled. This story has been a long time coming, and I can't wait to get it on my Kindles for late-night reading. 

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

About Sumner's Garden:

Runaway. Drifter. Andy Pulaski made choices. 

Fate can rule with a gentle hand, and one bright summer day she deposited Andy Pulaski in Sumnerville. Needing to work to earn enough money to get to the next stop in his journey, Andy hires on with Tom Sumner to help the older man on his homestead. Andy may be a drifter, but he’s frequented public libraries and educated himself. He looks at every stop he makes as an opportunity to learn. Things are looking up and Andy may stay longer than the agreed two weeks. 

Rafe Sumner isn’t too happy about his Uncle Tom hiring a scruffy drifter. He’s been Tom’s helper all his life even if he doesn’t always see eye-to-eye with his uncle. He doesn’t get along with his mother, either. He knows his father’s last name wasn’t Sumner and he knows the truth is out there somewhere. He just can’t find it. 

Andy and Rafe develop a grudging respect for each other while working for Tom. It could be that what they’re seeking is right in front of them. All they have to do is look beyond what happens between them at night. 

_*_*_This work contains sexual situations and is intended for mature readers. 


_*_*_*_*_*_

 KC Kendricks

Social media links:
Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com
My country life at The Hideaway/Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com
Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: KC Kendricks Between the Keys

KC Kendricks, Between the Keys, Sumner's Garden, Shine A Light, contemporary gay romance, m/m romance, GLBT romance, Kindle romance, second chances, self-discovery, gay love

Friday, November 3, 2023

Sometimes we really can't go back

November 3, 2023

Yesterday was it. Done. Finished. Completed. At least I hope so. 

Yesterday, I finished a six-week stint filling in for the young woman who was hired to do the job I retired from. She was out on maternity leave, so when they asked me to cover for her, I said yes. The word I was really looking for was NO. 

Doing the actual work was a piece of cake. I did it for twenty-two years, occasionally in my sleep. I stipulated I would work from home and only go to the office to pick up paperwork and run copies, etc. They set me up with remote access and away we went. 

Personally, I think remote access sucks. The first day, I went to the office and slipped a 256GB USB into the computer, and copied the files I needed. Yesterday, I transferred those folders back with my additions and updates. The idea that someone could watch me work, and with their new software it was possible, was unnerving and I was not going to allow it. 

As you may suspect, I gave an inch and they took a mile. I agreed to specific things and they pushed for me to do a lot more. One day, while I was in the office exchanging paperwork, I looked the CEO in the eye and said, "And that is one of the reasons I retired when I did. No. Not doing it." Talk about a shocked look - it was great! It felt good to get that out. 

I like being retired. I worked for fifty years, starting with a part-time job while I was in high school. I've paid every cent of the taxes the law said I was required to pay. I've always included every penny earned from royalties, too. Now I'm getting some of that back, as promised, from our government. I don't try to scam my way into more, either. 

I'm on the fence as to whether or not I should advise them that the next time our young lady needs to be off on leave, they'll need to look elsewhere. I will not be available. They did not change, but I did. 

My priorities truly are hearth and home. I set them aside and I regret that I did. Oh, they paid me well enough, but money doesn't rule my life. I have enough to see me through, at least until our current government regime of stupidity plunges us into even more civil unrest. 

Life should be about taking care of those things that matter to us. I worked long years to make money so I could have my home, debt-free. Today, I begin to enjoy it again. I've done my part. 

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

KC Kendricks
My home on the web- Between the Keys: 
http://kckendricks.blogspot.com
Visit my bookshelf at: 
https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.html

Social media links:
Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: KC Kendricks Between the Keys
Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com
My country life at The Hideaway/Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com


KC Kendricks, Between the Keys, contemporary gay romance, m/m romance, LGBT romance, kindle books, best selling author, retirement, a writer's life, duty, shapeshifter, paranormal, ebooks

Saturday, October 28, 2023

Conversations with myself

October 28, 2023

Muse: "Are you sure?"

Me: "I'm sure of nothing."

Muse: "You're allowing someone else's vision of who you should be and what you should do to make decisions for you. Ask yourself 'why' and discover those answers."

Me: "Well, what's the fucking question, bitch? You always come at me with riddles."  
(Am I allowing someone else's opinion/vision to sway me?)

Muse: "No, I don't. Sometimes you're so wrapped up in your responsibilities to understand what I'm trying to tell you. I know caring for a handicapped partner, cooking, cleaning, laundry, grocery shopping, taking the trash to the landfill, mowing the grass, cutting firewood, and now this gig while your girl is on maternity leave, is exhausting. Should you make decisions when you're this far underwater?"

Me: "I don't want your sympathy. I am woman, hear me roar, remember!"
(I feel like I'm just squeaking at the moment.)

Muse: "You know I'm making sense. Can you admit that much?"

Me: "Sure. You think I don't hear you, and I do. Hearing you doesn't change MY question."

Muse: "The answer hinges on whether or not you're allowing someone else to sway your feelings. Why did you write the first story? Do you remember how ambivalent you were about publishing it? You weren't sure you wanted the aggravation, but you allowed someone to convince you, and here we are."

Me: "It was foolish of me to allow my mother to influence me. I knew it was for her so that she could tell all her friends HER daughter was published. She sucked the joy out of it." 

Muse: "Yes. And now it's all up to you. Let me ask you this - why do you feel like your only validation comes from the number of copies you move?"

Me: "Maybe because I used to sell more when Amber Quill was in the picture. I'm not really sure. It would be nice for the royalties to buy me another vehicle, wouldn't it? Just don't tell me I need to write every day because that was never true for me."

Muse: "I've never said that to you! I gave you a new idea just last night. Do you want to move on that?"

Me: "I don't know. I have an awful lot to do. There is still a huge pile of firewood logs to get cut and split out there. I'm not feeling up to the task of starting a new project."

Muse: "You are. Just a few steps every day. Create the character bios and go from there. Three hundred words at a time is very doable."

Me: "That will take forever!"

Muse: "Who cares? Does it matter how long it takes? Write it for us. You and me. When you finish it, we can decide if anyone else gets to read it."

Me: "And if no one does?"

Muse: "Fuck 'em."

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

KC Kendricks
My home on the web- Between the Keys: 
http://kckendricks.blogspot.com
Visit my bookshelf at: 
https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.html

Social media links:
Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: KC Kendricks Between the Keys
Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com
My country life at The Hideaway/Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com

KC Kendricks, contemporary gay romance, Rayne Forrest, romance fiction, writing, blogging, X Twitter, m/m romance, LGBT gay romance, author

Sunday, October 22, 2023

Arriving at the dreaded crossroads


October 22, 2023

I've dreaded the coming of this day. I typed THE END in the Sumner's Garden manuscript. It's usually good to get one drafted, but this one is different. This may really be the end. 

For years I had this rosy vision of my retirement years. I'd get to finally be The Lady of the Manor and a full-time writer. The Lady of the Manor I certainly am, but the writer part of me is despondent. Writing isn't what it used to be. It's changed, at least for me. 

When I began my writing journey, e-publishing was in its infancy. I was happy to get in and be a part of that. And I was there when it was washed away by Amazon's quest to be the only game in town. Kindle Unlimited diminishes the author's worth so I don't subscribe to it. My work is worth more than pennies and I would rather end it than give it away.

Sour grapes, you say? No. I know my own worth. I know exploitation when I see it. 

I've known this day was coming. I've thought about both sides of this personal decision and I'm no closer to knowing what's best for me than I was a year ago when I decided I had to write Sumner's Garden for ME. 

Autumn is a time of change. I've been in my sunroom office all morning watching the leaves fall and drift on the wind. The lawn is carpeted in a coat of many colors. The camera doesn't do it justice but the naked eye drinks it in and adds it to memory. 

It may happen that Sumner's Garden ends up on my Kindle and nowhere else. If that becomes my choice, I can live with it.

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

KC Kendricks
My home on the web- Between the Keys: 
http://kckendricks.blogspot.com
Visit my bookshelf at: 
https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.html

Social media links:
Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: KC Kendricks Between the Keys
Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com
My country life at The Hideaway/Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com

KC Kendricks, life decisions, publishing industry, crossroads, a writer's life, m/m romance books for Kindle, exploitation of writers, long and winding road


Friday, October 13, 2023

Shared journeys

October 13, 2023

Wisdom and sage words are often found in unexpected places. I don't generally think of X (formerly known as Twitter) as a fount of knowledge. All the shiny American muscle cars in my feed are just for fun, as are the funny memes. Along the way I've identified a few folks as being kindred spirits, and likely there for many of the same reasons as me. We're there for the interactions, not the evening news quotes, although I have found a few worthy quotes. I found one just the other day. 

"We're all walking each other home." 

I saw this on Ron Perry's feed and I hope he won't mind me using it for blog fodder. It struck a deep chord with me. The nuances in that statement are endless. 

Much has been written about the joy being in the journey. We're told we all share the path. Much has been said about the brotherhood of man. We're all in this together! But somehow, the idea that we're all walking each other home is more profound. 

Home is, or should be, our sanctuary, our safe place. Home is where we are at our most vulnerable in sleep. Home is where we nurture our spouse and our children. And at the end of our days, Home is where we will go. 

Yes, it was the picture of those around me walking me to a home in heaven that made me stop and consider our walk. How am I treating those people who are walking me home? Am I a burden to them? They aren't a burden to me as I share their walk. 

We're all walking each other home. We should do it with kindness, understanding, and forgiveness. If we can do that, the walk will be easier to bear. 

 _*_*_*_*_*_*_

KC Kendricks
My home on the web- Between the Keys: 
http://kckendricks.blogspot.com
Visit my bookshelf at: 
https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.html

Social media links:
Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: KC Kendricks Between the Keys
Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com
My country life at The Hideaway/Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com

KC Kendricks, contemporary gay romance, m/m romance, Kindle romance, X, Twitter, quotes, journeys, a writer's life, kindness, together

Sunday, October 8, 2023

Having a writing partner


October 8, 2023

I confess. I like the formerly known as Twitter social media. My feed is full of shiny muscle cars these days, and if you read my books, you know my guys always drive a certain type of car be it a cool muscle car or a muscle car wannabe. My feed is also full of people asking fun questions like what would you do if you found a bag of money? (That's a tough one.) But sometimes, a good question about writing pops up. Recently, one of those writing questions was about having a writing partner. 

I'm not sure having a writing partner is something everyone should do. Writing is personal. Pulling words out of the air and bending them to your will to form a cohesive story isn't as easy as it seems. And doing it with someone? Well, it better be a special someone. 

When I first published at the now-defunct Amber Quill Press, I was welcomed by the late Chris Grover, and we developed an enduring friendship. After a few YEARS, Chris proposed a joint venture and I said, "Let's talk." So we talked. And we set a few boundaries, the most important of which was our own work came first. If one of us was in edits, any joint project had to wait. The other big one was not to tell our joint publisher we'd have a project finished at a certain date. (She bent this one once.)

All-in-all it was a good experience for me. Chris and I had both been writing for years and had a good body of work. Our styles were very similar as was our work ethic. There were occasions when we asked which of us wrote a particular passage which was cause for some laughter. 

The biggest drawback in our partnership usually occurred in the middle of a co-written story when our vision of where we were going diverged. We would discuss scenarios and reach a compromise. It wasn't always easy, but we stuck with it until we were both satisfied. 

I think our partnership worked because we had taken the time to get to know each other first. Chris was twenty years older than me, and I'm sure she didn't want to waste time on an immature twit. I didn't want to waste my time on someone who wasn't as equally serious about the craft as I was. We were of an age to have lived through a lot of the same experiences in the same decades of change. Shared experiences do matter - a lot. 

Teaming with another writer isn't for everyone. As much as I liked Chris, and as much as I still miss her, it wasn't all roses. But we were both mature enough to keep talking, to keep tossing out ideas, and we were both mature enough to recognize that divergent points of view about and within the story weren't a personal attack. If you can't separate a disagreement about a plot point from your emotions, you should not be a writing partner. 

Try it, or not. It can be a wonderful experience or a journey through hell. It's up to you to make that choice. Will it cement a friendship, or end it? Your list of pros and cons will be different from mine. Chris's list was different from mine, but it hit enough of the same points that I knew we could work together. 

Taking on a partner is a big step. It was a positive experience for me, and I hope it was for Chris. I wish I could ask her, but she passed in 2019. I don't think I would partner again. It might be good for me, but it just wouldn't be the same.

 _*_*_*_*_*_*_

KC Kendricks
My home on the web- Between the Keys: 
http://kckendricks.blogspot.com
Visit my bookshelf at: 
https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.html

Social media links:
Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: KC Kendricks Between the Keys
Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com
My country life at The Hideaway/Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com


KC Kendricks, writing partners, collaborative works, gay romance fiction, Kindle romance, LGBT gay romance, M/M romance, writers on writing, writing pros and cons