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

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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

Waiting, waiting, waiting

March 28, 2022

If parting is sweet sorrow, waiting is sweet torture. My "official" retirement date is now May 22, 2022. That's the day of my retirement "party," and you know I won't go back to my old work office after that. <deep breath>

The little counter on my phone tells me there are eight weeks, forty more weekdays. I don't work on Mondays, so that is thirty-two workdays. I swear it feels like forever. <deep breath>

I deliberately stepped back from writing so I could concentrate on the myriad details there are to beginning retirement, and there are many. Health insurance, pension plans, investment plans, and being March, filing taxes. Top all that off with training my "replacement" and I've been rather busy. I never suspected training someone would be so exhausting, and this young woman is a smart one. I can't imagine what it would be like if she weren't. 

My plan was to hold off writing until June, but that went out the window this morning. It may be the end of March, but it's cold outside. The things I wanted to do to start to prep for my veggie garden won't happen in the midst of snow squalls. Call me a wimp if you like. 

So what did I do? I banged out chapter eight of the work-in-progress and it felt SO GOOD!!!! I really need to get the cover worked out but I'm on sabbatical. Right? 

Maybe not. Things happen in their own sweet time. Who am I to fight it?

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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/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.html

Social media links:

twitter.com/kckendricks

pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards

instagram.com/kc_kendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com

My country life at Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com

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

What fun! A writer's flowchart

February 5, 2022

I sat down to write this blog and immediately needed, yes needed, a cup of tea. It continues to be cold here in western Maryland. Deuce is suffering a bad case of canine boredom. I certainly feel his pain. 

Saturday mornings can be a bit slow when it's this cold. It's become our habit to stay in bed a bit longer and once up, slurp coffee in silence. It's a much different routine than in past years. But once I make it to my computer, the routine doesn't vary too much. Check email, scan the headlines (and mutter), check social media, and then get down to the business of writing. Warm weather will bring different routines but as I'm at long last on the verge of retirement, I'm not sure what they will be. 

Today, Twitter coughed up a Writer's Flowchart that I quickly snagged for a closer read. It's actually quite good and not the "funny" I first thought it might be. It asks good questions and leads the writer down some thought-provoking avenues. Is my character at fault? In the current WIP, neither of the MCs are at fault for the circumstances that brought them together. At least, not yet. This flowchart has me toying with an idea of altered circumstances that would make something Character A's fault, yet not his deliberate fault. 

As a writer, I'm never so experienced that I can't learn, or re-learn, some of the basics. It's easy to forget a few things given the preponderance of information and "how-to" articles one can find on the web. I think the amazing thing is how sometimes these little tidbits come to us at the exact moment we need them to. When that happens, we need to take them under advisement. 

Cold or not, I've got to take my poor dog for a short walk. I won't be able to settle down to the WIP until I do. The bracing air will do us both a lot of good and I'll certainly appreciate a quietly sleeping dog as I get on with my day. 

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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/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.html

Social media links:

Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com

My country life at Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com

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

twitter.com/kckendricks

pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards

instagram.com/kc_kendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

Battle fatigue and a singular moment

 January 22, 2022

As the Covid-19 pandemic wears on, it's difficult not to wonder what motivates people. The spousal unit and  I have gone against our belief that the vaccination wasn't tested enough and we took the shot. I've gotten the booster, but the weather has been such he's not able to leave home. Winter weather is not the friend of the handicapped.  

The county we live in, according to the 2020 Census, has a population of 154,705. According to the county's website this morning, of these residents, only 53% (80,833) are fully vaccinated with another 5% having at least one shot. The positivity rate of those being tested stood at 28.17% as of January 20, 2022. It's a lot of numbers to absorb and process, but what does it mean to a person's real life?

RC and I have battle fatigue. The only way to escape reading and hearing about the pandemic is to shut down the computers and the televisions and never leave home. Talk of the pandemic is in and of itself pandemic. 

I needed to zip into the grocery store for a carton of eggs on my way home last night. I was back into the Colorado and had the key in the ignition when I realized I'd not put on a mask. Damn it! I had a "normal" moment and didn't realize it as it was happening!

Will this set a new precedent for me? It's doubtful. Nothing can ease the pain of grocery shopping these days. 

Recently, I've heard a lot of grief being heaped on the concept of individualism. PULL BACK ON THE REINS! Individualism founded our great country. Yet in the face of a pandemic, millions of people, of individuals just like me, have set aside their individual beliefs and acted for the Greater Good. 

There's hate tossed at "red" states as though those "red" voters are solely responsible for the pandemic. Hey, thanks for hating me! I really needed that today! And for what? I've done my part for the greater good. Stop shaming me! 

Do you know what I'd really love to do today? I'd love to go shopping for a new handbag. How girly is that? 

Wait. What? With all those germy people exhaling into my air space? I guess there's always Amazon. 

And doesn't that send the mind careening down the threads of the greedy filthy rich and conspiracy theories? 

Perhaps I'll just go read a book.

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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/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.html

Social media links:

Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com

My country life at Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com

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

twitter.com/kckendricks

pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards

instagram.com/kc_kendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

Cowboys and covers

January 18, 2022

Cowboys and covers. 

Cowboys don't sell, they said. Bugger off, I replied. Not out loud, of course. Give me a little credit for that smattering of couth I possess. It surfaces from time to time. 

Cowboys. I'm in the middle of writing the sequel to Ride Your Luck. So it's taken a few years to get moving on the project. So what? We all work at our own pace and I'm slower than I used to be. 

Cowboys. I found an inspiration pix for the cover and now I wonder if my Photoshop skills are up to the task. I think it will take at least five layers to get what I want providing I can find stock photos with the proper elements. The most important element being a cowboy that strikes my fancy so I can buy him. Yes, authors buy men all the time. We're just like that. (Note to self: check how many credits you have left at iStock.)

Cover trends change rapidly, and what I'm seeing these days are pictures without any recognizable background. In fact, half the covers don't show faces either. Old wisdom said if the guy on the cover was looking straight at the reader, sales were better. I guess that's out the window. I also see a lot of fonts that are almost impossible to read. Swirly swirls and colors that seem to vanish again the other elements. A clear definition is no longer necessary. 

A moderator for a Facebook group did "accuse" me of just slapping text on a stock photo and denied my post. How idiotic. I worked for hours to create a background to put my hero on! I left that group. I can't be arsed to deal with a mini despot. Not that Facebook is the be-all and end-all of what matters, you understand. 

I think this cover is going to take a while to figure out and that's okay. So is the finished book. But I am working on both. Slowly. 

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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/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.html

Social media links:

twitter.com/kckendricks

pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards

instagram.com/kc_kendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com

My country life at Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com

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

Another "resolution" fail

January 16, 2022

Okay, so it wasn't really a 2022 New Year's resolution. It's something I did really well with for a couple of years until Covid-19 hit and I started to work a lot from home. 

I like my desk to be free of clutter when I'm writing. I don't want a lot of visual distractions because it's difficult enough pulling pure thoughts out of the air and turning them into a cohesive story. 

Since about Thanksgiving, all my good office habits seem to have flown out the back door. Not only is my desk cluttered, but it's mildly dusty. This simply won't do. 

My rings and watch don't belong on my desk when not being worn. They should be in the jewelry box. The battery for my heated vest was just fully charged and needs to be back in the vest. The remote controls go in a drawer, out of sight. 

I do hope this is not a sign of times to come. Retirement should not become a reason to allow my little sunroom office to develop a clutter problem. 

Maybe I should make keeping everything in its place a New Year's resolution. It certainly wouldn't hurt.

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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/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.html

Social media links:

twitter.com/kckendricks

pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards

instagram.com/kc_kendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com

My country life at Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com

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

Writers just wanna have fun

January 10, 2022

Today is one of those days when I'm practicing for my retirement. I have less than seventy official working days left before the BIG R. Hmm. Maybe what I'm really practicing is laziness. With so many options available to me today, I chose Twitter in the one o'clock hour and I'm glad I did. 

This little gem of a chart popped up in someone's feed and it had me smiling as I read each description. According to the chart, I'm almost exclusively a True Plantser. It's not that I don't see elements of each in my writing style, because I do, but I can't follow a script to save myself. 

As a newbie, I made outlines (still do occasionally), wrote character bios (still do occasionally), used a post-it note plot board (nope, it's trash), but only once have I mentioned... once? Maybe once, maybe twice. Yeah, I don't usually know anything about my character's socks. 

Now that I've read that on a chart I'll live in fear that the color of my character's socks will somehow make its way into every forthcoming story. Truly. And I'll be paying attention in every book I read henceforth to see if socks are mentioned. Such are the things I obsess about when it comes to writing. 

I enjoy finding these little gems on social media. My hat's off to cheyannealpka for creating the chart. I don't know that person, but I admire the creativity of such an endeavor.

No matter what your writing style is, it's YOUR style and you stick to it. Grab elements from each and make it your own. Nor do you need to approach every story the same way. Do what you need to do to get that idea seed to sprout and grow! 

So that's it for today. I'm going back to getting my lazy on. If you want to read about yesterday's pantry project, visit The Hideaway. I guess I don't feel the need to be productive every day. 

If you want to share Deuce's New Years' Eve day adventure, it's at Deuce's Day. 

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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/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.html

Social media links:

twitter.com/kckendricks

pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards

instagram.com/kc_kendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com

My country life at Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com

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

Christmas cards and countdowns

January 3, 2022

Starting the new year is stressful. People ask about new year's resolutions. I don't really make them, going instead with the general plans I always have. It's a bit different for the year 2022, as I am finally, finally, finally retiring. 

I would have been retired several years ago if the government had not fucked with the health insurance system. Free ME? Hell, no. It shackled me. Of course, I'm one of those who have always held a job and we're the ones punished for that. But I digress...

Yes, I'm bitter about having to work extra years. And I digress yet again...

This morning I almost took down the Christmas cards. It's my tradition to attach them to the basement door as they arrive each year. I took a picture and then got sidetracked before I could remove them. It'll happen sometime today. 

Christmas cards are a wonderful old tradition. Social media is fine, but there's something special about holding a greeting card in your hand. The person who sent it to you also held it and that's a connection you can't get from a digital card. 

I'm sure one of these days it will reach a point where no one sends cards. No one except me. As long as I can afford stamps, I'll continue the tradition. Some things should not be forgotten.

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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/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.html

Social media links:

twitter.com/kckendricks

pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards

instagram.com/kc_kendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com

My country life at Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com

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