Cover reveal - The First of February

January 27, 2025

I finalized the cover for the work-in-progress! The title, as you can see, is The First of February.  I think the cover came out pretty good, and isn't it a shame I had to add watermarks for the reveal? It's an AI thing.

I know AI will probably snag the cover before it's all said and done, but why make it too easy? 

Anyway, I don't have the cover paragraphs finished, nor do I have a page set up for it. That'll all come in due time. 

Look for The First of February sometime in February. 

KC Kendricks

Thin Ice and a warming trend

January 25, 2025

A few days ago, January 20th to be exact, marked a year since I knew Ron wasn't going to recover. I don't know how I knew, but I did. Every other time over thirty years when he had a health crisis, I was calm and I knew it would be okay. Last January, it was simply different. Passing this anniversary has affected me more than I care to admit. I've been stalled these past few days. 

I know how important it is to allow yourself to grieve. And I know grief doesn't travel a linear path. It twists and turns and doubles back on itself leaving a person exhausted. 

We've been in the middle of a very cold January. Our creek has frozen over, but not strongly enough I'd test the ice. Today, the temperature has risen above freezing - hallelujah! I went out to start the Charger a little bit ago, fully expecting to find a dead battery, but she fired right up! There is still snow on the house roof, a testament to how well my humble abode is insulated. I'm delighted to see on the weather app that we're beginning a warming trend. 

The current WIP is at the point where I'll wind it up. This is going to be a long book! I've been considering several options, thinking each one through, but I won't know which is the winner until I begin the next chapter. That's a bit of a metaphor for my life. I see several paths before me and I never know which one I'm going to take until I move my feet. 

It's time I move my feet. The passing of time can be gut-wrenching, but it will happen whether we're happy, sad, content, or angry. The first year without Ron is swiftly coming to a close. March 30 will be here in the blink of an eye. I can't change time, but I can change me. I did not expect to still be a work-in-progress at this time in my life. I thought I'd have it figured out by now, but now I suspect I never will. 

Life is sort of like the water in my creek. It might run swiftly, but sometimes it will freeze over and no one can see what lies beneath. When it thaws, we carry on to whatever new revelation it has brought us. And that's enough philosophy for today.  

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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:

twitter.com/kckendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@KCKendricks

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, LGBT gay romance, m/m romance, contemporary gay, rural living, a writer's life, Men of Marionville, Centerville Muscle, Kindle romances, grief, winter

I should be writing

January 18, 2025

I should be writing. Blogging is writing, but I should be writing a BOOK. The current WIP is in the last stages, but instead of concentrating on that, I'm moping around the house, bemoaning the lack of sunshine and the impending winter storm and the approaching polar vortex. 

I'm not exaggerating. I'm moping. So is Deuce. The sky is dropping an unwelcome wintery mix on us and we can't get outside for longer than it takes for Deuce to do the necessary things a dog does outside. Neither of us like to get rained on when the rain is cold. Summer rain is another matter. 

What am I moping about besides the weather, which I can't change? The weather covers it. That and the fact that mid-January is far too early to start even begonia cuttings for the 2025 garden. I might have taken the risk if I hadn't let one of my big plants "go" last fall. I brought in the largest red which will be more than sufficient for my starting needs this year. Now I wish I'd kept both of them. There's not much bleaker than a dead plant on the porch.  

I can't even order anything from Amazon because if it does drop another five inches of snow on my area, there's no way a VAN can get up the hill to deliver. I'll have to wait until Monday to place an order. 

Have you ever brushed a Labrador Retriever inside the house????  I groomed Deuce in the middle of the living room this morning. He was appreciative of getting brushed (he loves it), getting his belly scratched (he loves it), and unappreciative of getting his nails trimmed (he loves it not so much). Good Lord! I could stuff a pillow with all the fur. It seems early for him to be shedding, but he is. 

Mid-January is a good time to plan for a good rest. I'm going to keep that firmly in mind for next year. After the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, January is going to become my "rest" month. I will organize and plan as much of the work here on my little manor so that next January can be all about rest, relaxation, and (w)riting. 

No scheduling of dental or doctor appointments, or oil changes for vehicles. I will allow one day, if necessary, to bring firewood to the house. Lunches with friends, or the pastor, will be on the spur of the moment according to the weather. January will be the time to plan the garden from the comfort of my recliner. I'll make project lists for the summer instead of trying to get small projects done. I will deliberately rest. 

And I'm going to rest for a space of time after I get this WIP finished. It's time I take time and clear my mind of some of those lingering thoughts about the events of 2024 that haven't allowed me to truly rest. 

If it seems like taking an intentional rest, or break, is counter-intuitive, I get it. I really do. But I think if I know that next January will be ME time, I'll be able to complete both writing projects and home projects in a more timely fashion. 

That's the part of the plan. I even put it on my day calendar and online calendar. We'll have to see how it goes.

PS. Check back because the cover for the WIP will be debuted soon! 

 _*_*_*_*_*_*_

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:

twitter.com/kckendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@KCKendricks

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 romance, GLBT gay romance, Kindle romance, m/m romance, writers on writing, being intentional, organization, planning. winter weather

An old fashioned winter

January 11, 2025

It's shaping up to be an old-fashioned winter. The cold settled in during December and is showing no signs of letting up. We've had Winter Storm Blair, which brought us four and a half inches of snow, and Winter Storm Cora, which gave us another inch and a half last night. I've had the woodstove burning since the early part of December when typically, I don't every day and night until January. It's a good thing I have a nice stockpile of firewood. 

With temps in the low twenties and teens, and snow on the ground, you'd think I'd be writing. And you'd be correct! I have been writing. I'm not setting the world on fire, but I've got the story I'd like to get out sometime in February at 29,000 words. At that word count, the end is about three chapters away. 

I've got the cover created (I think) but I'm not ready to share it. It could change. I'm pretty fickle with things I create using Photoshop. I've also got to write the book blurb and I hate writing those. I never seem to capture the story and I don't want to fake it just to add spice. I've purchased books with a great cover blurb only to discover it had no context to the story. I should have asked for my money back, but I don't do that to other authors. 

So here it is - Saturday morning and I'm looking at fresh snow. Do I write this morning and clear snow this afternoon, or vice versa? It's only 22F outside. Maybe that's the deciding factor. I'll brew a cup of tea and work on the manuscript, and hope the temperature rises to about thirty Fahrenheit before I go outside. 

Yep. That's the plan.

    _*_*_*_*_*_*_

 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:

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: https://www.youtube.com/@KCKendricks

twitter.com/kckendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

KC Kendricks, Between the Keys, LGBT gay romance, winter snow, writer's on writing, m/m romance, contemporary Kindle romance, weather, woodstove, firewood, old-fashioned winter

Another lesson learned - keep it tidy

January 5, 2025

Over the course of the last few years, I've mentioned that I keep a spreadsheet for all the Facebook groups that allow promotion. I have to. There's over four hundred that I know about, and I suspect that's a drop in the bucket as to how many are really there. I've read where other writers have posted that promotion on Facebook is dead, but I always get a bump in sales when I post a few promos. 

If you see a promotional post from me on Facebook, you know I was taking a break from writing prose or other homestead chores. That's how I do it. I come to the computer with a cup of coffee or a glass of ice water and post promos. I'm resting - or maybe cooling off or warming up - and I don't want to "waste" the time. So I promo. And to help keep me from posting in the same group twenty times in a row and spread the joy properly, I keep a spreadsheet. Do I post in every group every time? Of course not. The spreadsheet shows me where I left off last time. 

It's a great idea if one keeps up with the changes at FB. Not so helpful if you shift columns/rows carelessly.

Ask me how I know this.

With the start of each new year, there are computer tasks to be done. Every document tossed into a holding folder needs to be dragged to where it actually belongs. The budget spreadsheet needs to be updated to the new year. The sales spreadsheet needs updated. All the previous year's tax crap needs to be double checked and in the proper place. AND that pesky Facebook spreadsheet needs to be straightened up and put back into order. Yeah, that took a couple of hours.

My FB SS has several workbooks. One workbook is open promo, one is for M/M only, one for paranormal only, and one for "abandoned" groups. That's a code word for groups that are not worth the time and effort because the admins are MIA and my promo never gets posted. 

It would be a lot more time effective if I moved these problem groups to the abandoned worksheet when I become aware of the fact, but noooooo. Last year, 2024, being what it was, I let too many slide and I had to do a massive clean-up this morning. 

Moral to the story - it's really easier to take care of little problems as they crop up. Better yet, do as I say and not as I do. Or is that I just learned a lesson? Whatever. Here's to doing MUCH better in 2025.

 _*_*_*_*_*_*_

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:

twitter.com/kckendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@KCKendricks

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, writers on writing, m/m romance, LGBT gay romance, spreadsheets, time management, new year, a writer's life, Facebook, promotion, hearsay

The 2024 Retrospective

January 2, 2025

The year 2024 will not go down as my best. Far from it. I had high hopes for 2024, and all of them were crushed. However, I am nothing if not resilient and I will persevere. I've lived through hard times before, and I'm older now and better equipped. But that's not what this blog entry is about. This is a retrospective, a recap, of the year just passed, challenging as it was. Okay - it was a lousy year and this is not a report I expected to write for 2024.

January  to August 2024
I started the year out determined to work with YouTube and post videos and podcasts. I settled on calling the series what I call myself - The Accidental Writer. I thought it was an excellent start, but my life quickly derailed.

My husband's ill health crystalized into something very serious. Writing was not an option, but I thought about it all the time. I tried to keep up the appearance of normalcy, but as the weeks went by, cracks formed. With my husband in and out of the hospital, I began to realize my indestructible man who had beat kidney disease and beat cancer twice wasn't going to win this battle. 

On March 30, 2024, my beloved Ron lost his battle with a lung cancer we didn't know was happening until it was far too late. He had been cancer-free since 2006, and this diagnosis was a shock. Ron was a good man, and he is sorely missed by his family and friends. His passing didn't leave me the emotional energy to write. I didn't even try. 

I spent the next little while dealing with grief and not much else. I tried to blog some, focusing on the future and getting back to my life. I took a hard look at myself and my new unwelcome single life, and I knew Ron would expect me to pick myself up, dust myself off, and do what needed to be done. I worked on donating his clothes, sorting drawers, making a video (that I had to remove because of some nasty troll), and the garden. But I still hadn't gotten back to writing.

As the summer progressed, I developed some forward momentum and managed to keep it going. I wasn't happy with my inability to focus, but I felt it coming back in drips and drabs. I started to worry that 2024 would be the first year since I was originally published back in 2003 that I didn't complete a manuscript and get it published. I didn't want that to happen.

In August, I picked up the threads of Once in October. It felt good! What wasn't good was giving up on the 2024 garden. I accepted defeat and hoped for better in 2025. The writing was going slowly, but it was going. It wasn't always easy as I was seized by restlessness. Ron had been gone for six months. Where had the days gone? 

October 2024
Well, I didn't get the book with October in the title out in the month of October, but I was moving the story along. I processed the last remnants of my garden. Better luck next year.

November 2024

November is the season of firewood. I worked with my cousin, something I enjoy, and we have enough firewood to get through the 2024-25 season and beyond. November also kicks off the holiday season. I was busy with get-togethers with friends. Writing was done an hour here, an hour there, but Once in October neared completion. 

December 2024
It's pretty clear by now 2024 was not a year I'd wish on anyone. Once in October was completed and I loaded it up on Amazon and other online vendors. 2024 will not be the year I miss getting even one book out!  

On the nature front, a pair of hoot owls have moved into the neighborhood and they seem to be staying. I love hearing them call at night. Our hunting season hasn't lessened the number of deer coming through here at dusk. I don't think anyone is out hunting. I only heard one gunshot at dawn during the entire season.

With Once in October out the door, I'm ready to focus on the next story. I'm considering doing videos again, so we'll see how that goes. If I don't get views, I won't waste my time.

No, this was not the year I'd hoped it would be. I retired in May of 2022 so I could spend time with Ron. We didn't get even two years. Now I'm retired and on my own, and you know what? I think it could be much, much worse. 

I'm healthy. I can afford to stay in my home. I have family and friends around me. And Ron is still with me in spirit. 

It's easy to wish the year 2025 will be better with no help from me, but I know that isn't so. This new year just begun will require work, and prayer, to be what I wish it to be. It's up to me to stay in a positive frame of mind and emotion, and to do the work. I think I'm up to the task, but we shall see.

Thanks for sticking with me. Look for joy and you will find it. 

KC Kendricks/Rayne Forrest

The 2023 Retrospective

The 2022 Retrospective

The 2021 Retrospective

The 2020 Retrospective

The 2019 Retrospective

The 2018 Retrospective

The 2017 Retrospective

The 2016 Retrospective

The 2015 Retrospective

The 2014 Retrospective

The 2013 Retrospective

The 2012 Retrospective

New Year's, KC Kendricks, Rayne Forrest, Between the Keys, look to the future, yearly retrospective, m/m romance, Kindle romance books, time management, writers on writing, rural living, LGBT author

New Year's, 2025

 We made it to another year!