That's what they told me

September 26, 2023

The work on the manuscript for Sumner's Garden has picked up. This past weekend we were treated to two days of rain from a tropical depression. It gave me a break from transitioning my outside chores from the gardening season to the firewood season, and I took full advantage of it to write. 

Writers talk about being a "plotter" or a "pantser," and I'm a bit of both. I get an idea for a book and look for names for my characters so I can create short character bios. Then I fill in a few blanks about where the story takes place, and you know it's a smaller town somewhere. It could be Marionville or Centerville or maybe the start of a new place if that is what speaks to me. After that, I plot out a rough storyline.

And it is rough. How are they going to meet? By chance? By introduction? Did they know each other from school or college? In the workplace? My original idea is subject to change. 

Sometimes I have the first chapter all worked out in my mind before I start typing, and that's when the trouble starts. Sometimes the characters tell me I've got it all wrong. (I really hate it when they do that.) More often, I've passed the halfway point when the characters begin to behave like stubborn mules. They plant their imaginary feet and tell me, "It ain't gonna happen like THAT." 

"It ain't gonna happen like THAT" is exactly what one of the characters told me in Sumner's Garden. So I did what I do in those instances. I fixed a cup of tea and started to read the story from the beginning to see if I needed to add bits and pieces to fit what I'd just learned. It turned out that the character was one hundred percent correct. I didn't need to add anything for it to flow perfectly. 

Am I a plotter or a pantser? Yep. A bit of both. 

 _*_*_*_*_*_*_

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:

twitter.com/kckendricks

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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, LGBTQ romance books, Kindle romance ebooks, Sumner's Garden, gay literature, erotic romance ebooks

11-17-70

November 17, 2014

It happened forty-four years ago today. 

11-17-70. 

Recorded live at A&R Recording Studios, New York, NY, on November 17, 1970 for a live radio broadcast on WABC-FM.

Bootlegged at least a million times. 

No one has laid down the soundtrack to my life the way Elton has. I don't have one of those bootlegs but I do have the album on vinyl. And you know what? It still sounds great. 

My favorite track? 

"Take Me To The Pilot"

If you feel that it's real I'm on trial

And I'm here in your prison

Like a coin in your mint

I am dented and I'm spent with high treason

Through a glass eye your throne

Is the one danger zone

Take me to the pilot for control

Take me to the pilot of your soul

Take me to the pilot

Lead me through the chamber

Take me to the pilot

I am but a stranger

Take me to the pilot

Lead me through the chamber

Take me to the pilot

I am but a stranger

Well I know he's not old

And I'm told he's a virgin

For he may be she

But what I'm told is never for certain

V is for Voice

On Being a Published Writer
2012 A to Z Blogging Challenge
April 25, 2012
Day 22

Welcome to the 2012 A to Z Blogging Challenge. This year I’m focusing on things I’ve learned, observed and experienced in the nine years I’ve been published. If you’re a reader, I hope to offer an inside glimpse into the writer’s world. If you’re new to writing, I hope I can provide an insight or two. If you’re an established writer, maybe you’ll see similarities to your experience. Whatever path you walk, I welcome you to mine and hope you’ll enjoy the 2012 A to Z Blogging Challenge.

The writer’s voice. We read about it, talk about it, angst over it, and yet we struggle to define exactly what it is. I once read where voice is a literary term that describes a writer’s style (style being defined by the use of character development, dialogue, syntax and diction).

I’m a simple girl. For me, voice is where the ‘telling’ of the story and the ‘showing’ of the action blend. The more seamless the blend, the better the finished story. Voice is each author’s unique and individual style of bringing the reader inside the story to the same place as the author.

A writer’s voice will show some of their inner character and personality. The characters created often reflect some of the writer’s attitudes. How can they not? Laying yourself bare for the reader isn’t easy. It’s a gradual process, one you can move through at your own pace.

When a writer is just starting out, everyone encourages her/him to develop their voice. The only way to do that is to write so the voice can emerge and develop. The time it takes to do that is another reason aspiring writers get so frustrated with the industry. It takes as long as it takes, so be patient. Remember - there are no worthwhile shortcuts to success.

Over the years, my voice has matured. I see it as a matter of gaining confidence - I’m no longer afraid to sound like myself. Having the reader come and sit in the same spot from where I wrote the story is no longer scary.

Whether it’s conscious or not, everything we do as authors strengthens our voice. Making each story better than the last is ingrained in our psyche. We constantly strive toward that goal, collectively and individually. We nurture our voice, and our ultimate reward has nothing to do with money.

It’s reading a book and, at the end, saying, “Wow. I wrote that.”

KC Kendricks
website at: http://www.kckendricks.com
blog: http://www.kckendricks.blogspot.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kckendricks
mailing list at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/betweenthekeys
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1989106.K_C_Kendricks
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MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/kckendricks

R is for Reviews

A to Z Blogging 2012
On Being a Published Writer
Day 18
April 20


Welcome to the 2012 A to Z Blogging Challenge. This year I’m focusing on things I’ve learned, observed and experienced in the nine years I’ve been published. If you’re a reader, I hope to offer an inside glimpse into the writer’s world. If you’re new to writing, I hope I can provide an insight or two. If you’re an established writer, maybe you’ll see similarities to your experience. Whatever path you walk, I welcome you to mine and hope you’ll enjoy the 2012 A to Z Blogging Challenge.

Every review you get is the subjective opinion of ONE person who more than likely got your book for free from your publisher.

I’ve written under a few different names because I write in different genres, and every time I started a new brand, reviewers jumped. You know - fresh meat. I got lots of reviews. But the longer I write under those brands, the fewer reviews I get. Why? I think it’s because I don’t give them enough to find legitimate fodder criticize.

Many review sites are out there for one reason - attention. And they get more attention if they slam an author. It’s more about marketing the review site and its personnel than your book. So what should you do?

Forget about ‘em. Seriously. Let me make a couple of points, in no particular order.

1) Maturity level of the reviewer. An immature reviewer will not understand a mature writer and therefore the maturity of the writer’s characters. Maturity comes from a place they don't know.

2) Writers reviewing writers. Ever hear of jealousy? It’s far too easy for a bad writer to hide behind the persona of a reviewer and take swipes out of jealousy.

3) Reviewers are not necessarily insiders to the publishing industry. Ever read a review where they bash an author over a book cover? Yes, that shows just how little the reviewer knows about how things really work.

4) Some reviewers have romance/relationship rules. Recently there’s been a spate of reviewers using the phrase “insta-love” as if  a) it can’t happen and b) it’s a bad thing. Reference Item 1 and the maturity level of some reviewers. In my world, my partner has yet to go home from our first date twenty years ago. Insta-love? You betcha.

5) Reviewers like attention, and they think tearing a person down is the way to get it. (It certainly is the easiest, isn't it?) Yes, they get attention. If you’re a published author and you talk privately with other authors, you know exactly what kind of attention they get.

6) The Internet is a magnet for unhappy people. Reference Item 5.

7) Some review sites, in effect, sell reviews. Pay for advertising - get a review. So don't forget this basic rule: Money flows TO the author, not FROM the author.

Don’t get me wrong. There are some very good, legitimate review sites out there. The Romance Studio and Literary Nymphs are the two that quickly come to mind. So is Romance Junkies and Coffee Time. There are others, and I apologize to them for not taking the time and space to list them. The four I've named do not encourage any sort of author bashing in a public forum setting, and therein lies the difference.

I’ve been lucky in the review process, but others haven’t. I’ve read some really vicious reviews and it’s been blatantly obvious it was an attack on the author, not a book review. And yet the owner of the review site tolerated it. By the fact it was posted, the owner stamped her/his approval of it. I have to wonder at the purpose behind it, not to mention the character of the people involved.
Kindness is never out of vogue. Politeness is something most people readily respond to. When pointing out the perceived flaws of another, or their work, those two qualities are the proving point to the intentions of the reviewer and the motives for owning a review blog/website. 

When confronted, it’s too easy for a bad reviewer to say, “Oh, I didn’t mean it like that!” My fellow author, you’re not that stupid so don't fall for that line. And don’t for a moment think you must go thank anyone for a review that you know is meant to be damaging to you. That only lets them know you saw their vitriol. Some rules were meant to be broken.

I applaud all the honest reviewers out there. I appreciate all the work they do within the industry and the way they treat the author with respect. I, in turn, respect them. They restore my faith in the goodness of strangers. We need more of them.

KC Kendricks
website at: http://www.kckendricks.com
blog: http://www.kckendricks.blogspot.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kckendricks
mailing list at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/betweenthekeys
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1989106.K_C_Kendricks
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/people/Kc-Kendricks/1439574042
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/kckendricks

I is for Ice Cream

A to Z Blogging 2012
On Being a Published Writer
April 10, 2012
Day 9


Every aspiring author should learn the value of ice cream.

No joke. Ice cream will always make the next chapter easier to write. My personal favorites are Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, and Black Raspberry.

There’s something about the cool, creamy texture melting on my tongue that makes all worries flee. I even forget to worry about how stupid I’m going to look licking the bowl.

When you need a break - take one. You can’t keep plugging away if your brain has gone to mush, or you’re frustrated.

Take a walk. Do some stretches. Comb the dog. Eat some ice cream.

And go back to your work-in-progress refreshed.

KC Kendricks
Website

Eye of the Beholder

February 12, 2012
Latest release! 

EYE OF THE BEHOLDER
Contemporary gay romance
https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/eye-of-beholder-by-kc-kendricks.html

Eye of the Beholder is now available at
Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iTunes/Apple, Kobo
and other online booksellers

Some neighbors share more than others...

Andy Madison is city born and bred. Filling in for a friend at a coffee shop, Andy meets Ben Hardin and sparks fly. They spend a long, lazy Sunday afternoon together to get to know each other, and when they decide to let nature take its course, they go to Ben’s cozy apartment.

Ben’s taking his time becoming acclimated to his new life in the big city. He’s got a great job he loves, he’s making new friends, and his starter apartment has the most incredible views a young man could dream of. Ben’s discovered there’s more to admire than the arts, music and architecture. All he has to do is look out his window and across the narrow alley.

Andy thinks he’s seen it all living in the Big Apple, but what he spies through Ben’s window is something that can only be enjoyed by the eye of the beholder...

INTRO:

I'd chosen to sleep on the side of the bed beside the one and only window in the apartment. It might have made a different decision if the window faced east, but it didn't. I peered out through the streaky glass at the glow of the city lights and wondered if I'd someday make enough money to have a real view. The surprising, and scary, answer to that musing was I actually might. My employer recognized my talent.

I was just about to tuck my toes under the sheet when for no real reason a movement on the other side of the narrow alley drew my attention. I yawned as the lights in the apartment across the way and down a story went out. The lower half of the window rose about six to eight inches and a pair of male hands set a block to keep it from falling closed. The hands, now unseen, pushed the sheer curtains apart to allow what little breeze stirred this night entrance to his room. Naked, he flopped down on his bed, his back arched as he stretched his arms over his head.

Why I didn't crawl between the sheets and go to sleep will forever remain a mystery. I never aspired to be a peeping Tommy. I might watch a little gay porn now and again, but what poor deprived country boy hadn't resorted to the joys of the Internet to get by until they could find a real man? That didn't make me a pervert. Unlike a few of the tricks I'd had since arriving in lower Manhattan, I didn't even like to have sex in public places. But in the blink of an eye I became a voyeur.


EXCERPT:

...Andy was sorta cute. I could invite him to a movie this afternoon and see what he said. It was one sure way to find out which team he batted for. “When do you get off, Andy?”

A smile played at his lips as he cocked his head to the left and raised his eyebrow. “Usually about midnight every night, one way or the other.”

I bet I looked stupid with my mouth hanging open. A wide grin split his face, then he laughed, a low, happy sound that said he was pleased to have rendered me speechless. Andy sobered, at least a little.

“Are you attempting to ask me out?”

I gripped my coffee cup for dear life as I gathered my wits. “I’m not sure now. I think you might need to go home and get some sleep.”

He leaned forward and brushed his knuckles across mine. “I don’t like to sleep alone, Ben.”

The smooth, silky way he said my name made me shiver, but I’m sure he intended that I would. Heart thudding unevenly in my chest, I met his gaze.

“Me neither, Andy, and I happen to be free around midnight.” I didn’t add that if we went to my place I’d make damn sure my curtains were safety-pinned closed.

He leaned forward again. “Tell you what. Give me your cell phone number and I’ll call you when my shift is finally over.”

“That’ll work. We can figure out what happens between now and midnight then.”

Andy smiled and shoved the rest of his muffin in his mouth as another customer hustled in out of the rain.

“Be right with you,” he called out as he stood. “I don’t know how long I’ll be, but I’ll call. Swear.”

“I need to head home to make myself all sexy, so you do what you have to do.”

He flashed me a parting grin and slipped behind the counter, then schmoozed with the new arrival. It was in my mind to wait a while before leaving, but the rain suddenly eased. Within minutes, the coffee shop was full of people. I cleared the little table and made a strategic exit. I saw no point in trying to distract him from his work just to say goodbye. A certain level of maturity was called for in these situations, or so I told myself.

On the other hand, I had a hookup for today that had a lot of potential. Andy was a friendly, charming fellow. Maybe I’d end up with a fuck buddy, which would be fine with me. What lonely fellow on his own in the big, bad city couldn’t use one of those from time-to-time?

As predicted, the rain kicked the humidity up yet another notch. Everything from the streetlights to the trees to building canopies dripped, but my trusty umbrella kept my newspaper dry. The apartment was stifling when I opened the door, but then the air conditioning cycled on. I toed off my shoes and settled at the table to finish my almost cold coffee and leaf through the paper. If Andy did call, I didn’t want to spend the entire day in bed.

Unless, of course, he could get it up more times in an afternoon than I was capable of doing. That would be a game changer, not to mention it would impress the hell out of me.

The paper yielded a few possible activities. I circled them, put on a fresh pot of coffee, and took a fast shower. It was almost eleven o’clock when Andy finally called. He wanted to dash home for a shower and suggested we meet at the Port Authority Bus Terminal on 42nd Street at one o’clock.

There was a movie he wanted to see, his treat, then we could get an early dinner, nothing fancy, my treat. After that, we’d see how the evening shaped up. It sounded like a perfect afternoon, and I quickly agreed.

It didn’t take long for me to get nervous. I liked Andy and I didn’t want to screw up a simple date, but what if he was the clingy sort? I wasn’t looking for forever, just a good time tonight. If I got a different vibe from him, I’d have to make my intentions clear without hurting his feelings.

Nothing like getting ahead of myself. Jeez. And to keep from doing it again, I decided to wear a white T-shirt and jeans. Simple, yet sexy, with the message today was about fun.

Or maybe something else was already in the cards.

Andy greeted me with a kiss...


*_*_*_*

Eye of the Beholder is now available at
Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iTunes/Apple, Kobo
and other online booksellers


EYE OF THE BEHOLDER
Contemporary gay romance
https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/eye-of-beholder-by-kc-kendricks.html

KC Kendricks
My home on the web- Between the Keys: http://kckendricks.blogspot.com
twitter.com/kckendricks
facebook.com/kckendricks
pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards
instagram.com/kc_kendricks
My country life at Holly Tree Manor

Amber Allure Top Ten Best Seller List, December 2010

*Update - Amber Quill closed its doors on 3/30/2016.

January 5, 2011

Congratulations to the authors on the December 2010 Top Ten Best Seller list at Amber Allure! What a great way to cap off 2010. It's a good thing the year-end sale at Amber Allure is still on for a few more days. My TBR list just got longer.

1. Shades Of Dreams - T. A. Chase (Gay / Contemporary)
2. I'll Run Away For The Holidays - Stephani Hecht (Gay / Contemporary)
3. Shift Happens - Storm Grant (Gay / Shapeshifter)
4. The Werewolf In Red - Mimi Riser (Gay / Werewolf)
5. A Different Breed - Angel Martinez (Gay / Vampire)
6. Fielder's Choice - Gabrina Garza (Gay / Contemporary)
7. (Boys Of The Zodiac) Capricorn: Forgotten Faces - Vivien Dean (Gay / Paranormal)
8. (Boys Of The Zodiac) Sagittarius: Mr. November - Pepper Espinoza (Gay / Shapeshifter)
9. Egypt's Captive - C. D. Leavitt (Gay / Historical)
10. Fawnskin 2: Frenzied - A. J. Llewellyn & D. J. Manly (Gay / Paranormal)

I'd like to add personal congrats to Brit Blaise** and Victor J. Banis on their December releases, too.

**Note - sadly, Brit Blaise has passed away.

What You Don't Confess

November 14, 2010

What You Don't Confess
Contemporary gay romance

What You Don't Confess is available now at 
Amazon, iTunes, Barnes and Noble, Kobo and other online book sellers.

****
I'm so pleased this book is finally available. What You Don't Confess closes the story arc about Dylan Donaghy, a character introduced in A Hard Habit to Break, and continued in Open Roads. Dylan is a friend and confidant to both Travis and Tyler, so it's only fitting he have the rest of his story told. All three stories stand alone, but I think the reader will enjoy the Marionville setting more if all three are read. I hope you enjoy Dylan's journey to coming out. - KC Kendricks
****


Bright and beautiful, Cassidy Barlow is one of Marionville’s new breed of movers and shakers. Outspoken on political and social issues, Cass draws a lot of media attention and knows how to us it. Out and proud, Cass makes no apologies for who he is, or who he wants – and he wants Dylan Donaghy. The only thing is, from where Cass stands, Dylan seems to be involved with two different men.

Coming out. The most difficult phrase in Dylan Donaghy's vocabulary. Handsome, successful, wealthy, he’s made it this far in life with only his closest friends knowing he’s gay. Dylan has a good reason for that to change – his deepening attraction to Cassidy Barlow. It doesn’t come easy, but Dylan takes a few first steps out of the closet. It’s his only choice if he wants to be with Cass, even though he knows Cass has some secrets of his own.

Every man has a private past and an unwritten future. What he won’t confess stands between the two.

EXCERPT

“You do know those four watchdogs of yours were there the entire evening, don’t you?”

I nodded. “They like to keep an eye on me. Obviously, it didn’t discourage you at all.”

His hand gripped my shoulders again. His amber gaze drilled into mine. “Just so I don’t step in it, Dylan, how many of them have you slept with? And don’t lie to me.”

I fought back against of wave of anger. How dare he imply I’d not tell him the truth? Being astute, he knew he’d pissed me off. I saw the apology in his eyes as he touched his fingertips to my lips.

“That didn’t come out right, Dylan.”

“ Apology accepted. Before today, I might have told you it was none of your business, but now I think you should know. We’re no longer intimate, but I have a very close, special relationship with both Travis and Tyler. I’m very happy for them that they both found a partner.”

“That’s what I figured out Friday night when they spent all that time running in and out of an area marked ‘private’. Especially Templeton.”

“Don’t test me too often, Cass. I don’t like it.” I spoke sharper than intended, but he needed to know my boundaries. “There’s a lot of space between your age and mine. Be careful not to judge until you get to where I am.”

Those restless hands of his skimmed along my sides. “I’m not being judgmental, I swear. I just needed to know what the dynamics are between you and them so I don’t put both feet in my mouth.”

“Okay. I get it. And for what it’s worth, all four of them, especially Travis, is rooting for you.”

“Really? He’s in my corner, is he?” Cass tucked his fingers under my belt and tugged. I levered my weight off the door and stepped past him, capturing his hand to pull him into the casual space I used for informal gatherings.

“He’s using tough love on me when it comes to you, so don’t be shocked, or surprised, at his little quips. Have a seat.”

Cass eased down on the love seat and patted the spot beside him. I ignored him, and went to the bar. “What would you like to drink?”

“Ginger ale?”

I nodded and poured two, handing his to him with an apology it didn’t come in a brandy snifter as I settled in beside him. I stopped him when he moved to put his arm around me.

“You’re killing me here, Dylan.”

“No, I’m not.” I sipped my drink. “Cass, I don’t want to make a misstep with you. I know what you want tonight, but what do you want next week? Or next month? Christ, what do I want next week?”

He leaned back and watched me with those amber eyes. His cool, even regard gave little indication of his thoughts. Cass downed his drink in three fast swallows, then swirled the ice around in the bottom of the empty glass.

“Do you always think everything to death, Dylan?”

“It’s a hazard one encounters in middle age.”

“I’m not some mistake you’ll regret when you’re ninety.”

I laid my hand on his thigh. The heat of his skin penetrated his jeans, and snaked up my arm. “You’re right, you know. I won’t regret meeting you, whether dinner is all we share, or we become friends, or if we become lovers.”

“Or? If? I don’t appreciate being jerked around.”

“Well, poor little you that I haven’t figured this out yet.”

Cass’s mouth dropped open, then snapped closed. He stared at me, blinked, and stared again. I reveled in private glee that I’d seen him speechless twice in one day, but that amusement was strongly tempered by the knowledge I had him too far off balance. I squeezed his knee.

“Look, Cass. I’m not jerking you around. Getting involved with someone isn’t easy for me. I’ve never been someone who gets a hard-on for a guy and loses my mind until I fuck him. I have to think things through, and consider the impact it may have on my life.”

He shook his head. “Babe, you’ve got to start living in the moment, and stop living in fear.” Cass set his empty glass down on the end table and stood. With angry, disappointed eyes, he met my gaze. A muscle moved in his clenched jaw.

My heart beat painfully. I knew what he was going to say...

WHAT YOU DON'T CONFESS
Contemporary gay romance

What You Don't Confess is available now at 
Amazon, iTunes, Barnes and Noble, Kobo and other online book sellers.

KC Kendricks
Visit my website at: http://www.kckendricks.com
Follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kckendricks
Join my mailing list at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/betweenthekeys
Read my personal blog: http://www.kckendricks.blogspot.com

A Hard Habit to Break, and why I don't like 'coming soon'

April 6, 2010

I'm not real big on the "Coming Soon!" promo. Some people are really good at it and have it down to a science. I can't tell you how many times I've read a promo excerpt only to discover I can't purchase the book NOW. And therein lies my problem. I'm a bit of a book tramp.

It's true. When it comes to books, I want instant gratification. Don't tease me - please me. NOW!! Yet, here I am, trying my best to do a coming soon promo on my next release, A Hard Habit to Break, due out April 10 or 11, 2010. 


(Get back on track, KC)

A Hard Habit to Break is about two boys who were best friends forever growing up, but each had one secret they kept from the other, with disastrous consequences. It takes a few years until the boys, now men, reconnect and realize what they still mean to each other.

So hold on to a few of your book buying dollars until this weekend. I know I am.
***
Click here to read an excerpt from A Hard Habit to Break.
***
Want to get the word about new releases when they happen? Join my mailing list by using the link below.

KC Kendricks
Visit my website at: http://www.kckendricks.com
Follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kckendricks
Join my mailing list at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/betweenthekeys
Read my personal blog: http://www.kckendricks.blogspot.com

Togetherness, house cleaning, and who's fixing lunch

Yesterday, for some odd reason, the spousal unit and I had a touch of spring fever and cleaned house. With all the snow we’ve had this year, the dining room became a staging area for dressing and undressing. Right inside the back door – shovel and the bucket of snow melt. Center of the room: four coats draped over four chairs. Gloves lined up down the long side of the table on placemats to dry. Under the table – three sets of boots, one pair of slippers, an extension cord for the snowblower and a small toolbox. At one time, we even hung wet scarves over the light fixture to dry, but at least we took those down as we went along.

Yes, the room needed a little work, and we decided the time had come. Maybe it was the need to clear a space so we could sit at the table together and enjoy Saturday morning coffee that tipped the scales. It led to the discussion of whether of not we needed a mudroom, but you know what? I refuse to sweat the small stuff, and having the dining room be messy for a few weeks, out of necessity, is really teeny, tiny stuff. I might be of different mind if didn’t have a lot of throw rugs to protect the oak floor, but hey, old towels would have worked as well. Small stuff.

After coffee, we tidied up, loaded our weapons and went to work. I put a new bag in the vacuum, and went to the opposite end of the house while he attacked the dust with furniture polish. We passed in the middle.

What was to be a simple dust and vacuum day, turned serious. Woodwork got wiped down, ceiling fans got cleaned, crystal stemware (which hang from a custom rack built by my honey over the kitchen island) got a rinse in the dishwasher. We went a little crazy for it only being the end of February with lots of wet weather to come. It was worth it, though, because we did it together.

If you’re wondering, no, helping with housework did not come naturally to the spousal unit. It took two rounds of cancer, and watching me slave at a full-time job I’m not fond of and manage a successful writing career while taking care of him and our home, for him to realize he really hadn’t done enough to carry his half of the Life Together load. I wish he’d share the details of that epiphany, because I’d write it down for future reference. But that’s history and not today.

This morning, he’s sitting in our very clean dining room, waiting for me to finish this blog entry so I can join him. I’m pondering whether or not yesterday was enough togetherness for one weekend. Chapter seven of the current work-in-progress is calling, and this chapter contains the Big Reveal. I feel like a junkie today, and I need a fix of prose more than another shot of caffeine.

I guess I’ll go join him for half an hour. I can enjoy my spotless office after I enjoy my clean dining room. If I play my cards right, he’ll fix lunch and I can bang out the whole chapter today. I wonder if he’ll take the dog out on the patio and brush him, too? I guess that depends on when the Las Vegas race coverage begins.

So, there you have it - a slice of the writing life for February 28, 2010. Not so glam, but certainly glorious!

KC Kendricks
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A special off from AllRomanceeBooks - 50% off Jan. 30 and 31, 2010 only

January 30 and 31, 2010, only SPECIAL DEAL

This weekend only, AllRomanceeBooks.com, and Omnilit.com, have every title in the store at 50% off. Yes, that's one-half off.

You will receive 50% off on all titles purchased on AllRomanceeBooks.com and OmniLit.com through this weekend by using the code SBTBARe1.

Just add the code when you get check out, and your entire order is 50% off.

No joke. Good deal.

Check out the Smart Bitches, Trashy Books blog for more information.

Thank you, AllRomanceebooks and Omnilit for this great offer.

KC Kendricks
http://www.kckendricks.com

Night Moves by KC Kendricks - now available at Amazon

** updated 4/7/2017**

Night Moves is no longer available. Tango in the Night and Give Me One Night are available as single purchases. 

Give Me One Night is now available at 
Amazon, iTunes/Apple, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and other online booksellers. 



January 25, 2010

NIGHT MOVES
A Collection of Gay Erotic Romance

Available now at Amazon.com

Just one night can change a life.

Mix misty evenings out on the town with four men in need of second chances, and let the night make its move to bring them together. Night Moves - two stories about finding love when it’s least expected.


Tango in the Night

Jubal Graham is back on the job after a shooter took the life of his long-time partner, and sent him into a coma followed by months of rehab. Determined to have justice, Jubal is focused on finding a killer, not a new romantic entanglement. Ellis Banks, with his smoldering blue eyes and denim-clad swagger is a distraction Jubal can’t afford – or ignore.

Ellis Banks came to Philadelphia to bust a drug operation; one that connects to the same case agency legend Kentuckian Jubal Graham is working. Ellis finds himself drawn to Jubal, but Jubal holds him off. Sure that Jubal is interested, even though he wears his slain lover’s ring, Ellis mounts a determined siege.

Jubal’s surprise at having a suitor develops into a growing affection for Ellis, one clouded with old fears. Fate ripped one lover from his arms, and now Ellis is in the line of fire. Jubal’s courage can protect Ellis, but is it powerful enough to love him?


Give Me One Night

Brody O’Connor joins the revelry of the yearly pub crawl hunting a like-minded man for night of fun and frolic with no strings attached. When a mystery man in an emerald shirt engages Brody’s interest, it doesn’t take long for the hunter to become the prey.

Well-matched with his mystery man, Brody regrets his ‘no strings’ approach to a night of shared passion that leaves him hungry for more. The morning after, Evan is gone as agreed. Brody knows it was a mistake to let him go, and vows to find him.

Evan never expected to meet someone like Brody. Now Brody wants to change the rules, and Evan agrees. He’ll give Brody one more night to convince him to stay.

KC Kendricks
My home on the web- Between the Keys: http://kckendricks.blogspot.com
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My country life at Holly Tree Manor

At the Southern Cross paperback at Amazon

**5/17/2016 update - this paperback is currently out of print**

Having an old-fashioned rural mailbox on a post is like having a magic box. When I pull up to it after long hours at the day job, I never know what I'll find. Years ago, when my grandparents were alive and lived down the lane from me, my mailbox contained all manner of goodies.

Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, green beans, tomatoes, cantaloupe - summers brought a trip around their garden. Sometimes the magic box contained a simple note. "Stop in before you go home." I knew what that meant. Homemade jelly, pies, canned soups, sometimes a complete dinner, all from the garden that day.

My old black mailbox isn't quite as magic now. My grandparents are gone, and the postal service frowns on cucumbers in "their" mailboxes. All I find in the box these days is junk mail. Almost.

Today my mailbox yielded the first copies of At the Southern Cross, the paperback compilation that contains Netting Neptune, Taming Triton, and Poseidon's Pleasure. Even though the bulk of my book buying and reading is in ebooks now, I'm still thrilled to get my hands on a hard copy of a book that I wrote.

It might be a little silly because, let's face it, I know all the words already. I've loved books all my life. Books take you to far away places and introduce you to characters you won't meet anywhere else, and that holds true for paper book or ebook. It really is about the story, not the medium.

Except for tonight. I'm off to the quiet of my bedroom and the guilty pleasure of reading my own book. A flashback to days gone by? Yes, it is, but I'm content to move along with the times. It's time to abandon my trusty laptop and invest in a Kindle.

Tomorrow.


KC Kendricks
Visit my website at: http://www.kckendricks.com
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Veritas

My best friend got me a little plaque for Christmas that says, "Having abandoned my search for truth...I am now looking for a good fantasy."

It's safe to say, she knows me well.

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

Christmas Eve

It’s Christmas Eve, and like every day I don’t have to go to my day job, I’m up early. It's strange how that works. Heaven knows that on a typical Thursday, I can barely drag my butt out of bed in time to make it to work on time. But this is not a typical day. It’s Christmas Eve.

Being up so early has several benefits. The house is quiet, except for the ticking cuckoo clock. I started a fire in the woodstove, and it snaps and pops from time-to-time, but I like that. It reminds me of my grandparents home when I was very young. I suppose I even like the clock, but it wasn’t always so.

When my partner first moved in, and wanted to hang that monstrosity on my living room wall, I balked. The cuckoo has a stag on top, and a hare and pheasant hanging upside down on the front. Dead carved animals. Just what my décor screamed for. But I confess I’ve gotten used to the chiming, especially in the night. And one clock is a small concession for those finer things the man brings to my life.

The winter solstice is past, and the days are getting longer. Already I sense the difference in the light. It’s still early, and the world outside my window has been cast in shades of gray, but the moment when the sunlight sneaks in under any cloud cover, and what colors found in winter appear, is upon me. The tiny green holly tree outside my window is a thing of beauty against the white snow, as are the cardinals hopping around on the snow, coaxing for a handout.

There is also that old saying, “red sky at morn, sailors be warned.” The sky to the west is quite pink, but as long as I can write, all warm and cozy in front of my monitor, let it snow, sleet, rain, whatever.

I need to get writing. I’ve crested the 10K mark in the current work-in-progress. That’s almost a third of this story, or so I think. It may go a bit longer depending on what the characters have to say about it. I do want to get it done, so that means no more promo work until it’s finished. Some writers can do lots of promo work and still churn out several thousand words a day, but I’m not one of them.

The writing will have to wait one more hour. The man of the house has shuffled out of the bedroom, moaning, in need of caffeine. I’ll spend a little time sitting at the dining room table with him, watching the birds, and then he’ll have to amuse himself for a few hours while I write.

It’s Christmas Eve.


KC Kendricks
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