Showing posts with label rural lifestyle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rural lifestyle. Show all posts

Thursday, March 30, 2023

Was this a call for help?


 March 30, 2023

There is an overwhelming preponderance of evidence on social media that writers are fueled by coffee. I can attest this is at least partially true. My morning routine does not vary.

I get up and let my slippered feet take me to the coffee pot, where I pop a pod in the brewer and press start. Then I shuffle to the door and step outside with Deuce so he can do his outside activities. We come back inside and my coffee is ready for a splash of creamer. Then, and only then, I turn on the computer. 

Having a morning routine is a wonderful thing for me. I like a bit of structure to start the day. It gives me a chance to settle into being awake. And yes, first thing in the morning, coffee is the "nectar of the gods."

So, why is there herbal tea in my cup? 

Every once in a while I realize I've over-caffeinated myself. It comes on with a few achy joints and tender spots. I notice my heartbeat gets a little jumpy. My bladder goes into overdrive (which is inconvenient as hell!). At that point, I will do two things: 1) stop at ONE cup of coffee or 2) switch off to tea for a day, then decaf for a day. That seems to clear the caffeine back to the level where it doesn't bother me. 

So, what's the picture about?

This morning I fixed a cup of tea and set it down on the coaster. Then I had a good laugh at myself because it looks like I'm about ready to call for help because I have tea! 

If you can't laugh at yourself, you shouldn't laugh at anyone else.

 _*_*_*_*_*_*_


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, gay romance, LGBTQ, m/m romance, Between the Keys, coffee vs. tea, rural lifestyle, a writer's life, Amethyst Cove, Men of Marionville, morning routines, black Labrador Retriever, Deuce's Day

Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Saturday, December 17, 2022

It's all fiction, folks!

December 17, 2022

Last weekend we survived the annual Christmas gathering of my partner's family, and it was a survival. My husband is not in good shape and his decline was never more evident than at that party. I watched him shrink right before my eyes. The noise and confusion of small children and young adults we didn't know, coupled with the fact SOMEONE (it was his sister!) invited his ex-wife (of over thirty years) to participate, sent him spiraling. Just because he added her on Facebook ten years ago doesn't mean he wants to be in the same room with her. Yes, I let her (and his sister) live. I think we've been to our last gathering at the sister's house. He physically can't take it, and his anger didn't do him any good, either. 

Writers often get asked if we include real-life scenarios in our stories. I confess little snippets have drifted into mine. Snippets. It has now occurred to me I have chapter upon chapter worth of drama to feed from should I decide to write party scenes into stories. 

My family's Christmas gathering is today. Thanks to last weekend's debacle, he's not attending even though I suspect it will be a quieter affair, and I can assure the entire population of the known galaxy my ex-spouse will not be in attendance. My family will splinter into special interest groups. Those of us in Gen 3 will congregate at the dining room table to catch up with each other and to remember Gen 1 and Gen 2. Those in Gen 4 will eat and then hustle off downstairs to the bar - the cousin (Gen 4) hosting us brews small batches of beer in his basement and the sampling will commence. The younger of Gen 5 and Gen 6 will rush to the family room to stream the Disney channel while the older of that generation hide in a bedroom playing video games. Only gaming shouting will be heard, and the occasional applause from the bar. 

So I think I have my scene. I can see it, I can plot it, I can write it. The family gathers to eat, then the generational divisions happen. Enter an ex-partner/spouse/lover. Mayhem ensues. Yeah, that will work. 

And I will deny, and never confirm, that I include family members or events in my stories. It's all fiction, folks. 

You've got to watch us writers. We view things through the lens of story. 

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


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 Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com


KC Kendricks, Between the Keys, Christmas, family, fiction writers, fictional romance, generations, contemporary gay romance, country living, rural lifestyle, time, 

Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , , ,

Saturday, October 22, 2022

Lost: organization mojo

(stock photo; not my desk diary)

October 22, 2022

The last five years included a deliberate and determined march toward the day I could profess to be a full-time writer. That day finally happened on May 22, 2022. I formally retired.

The day was long anticipated and much imagined. I could visualize what I wanted this new phase of my life to look like, and for the most part, vision and imagination are in agreement. I'm happy to be home and to finally be The Lady of the Manor to enjoy the simple country pleasures. But I will confess one thing is lacking: proper organization of my writing life. 

I can check off a lot of the boxes for 2022. I retired and spent more time with the spousal unit. I had a little garden, I did a lot of home food preservation, I walked more, Himself and I had a few days out, the tree trimmer came and took down three problem trees, and we now have a large stockpile of firewood for 2023 and beyond. The chimney sweep comes next week to do the annual cleaning, and we're working on expanding the garden for 2023. And I managed to publish ONE book so far this year, and with some luck, there will also be a Rayne Forrest book going out. So, yeah. Busy. 

Knowing 2022 would be a year of transition for me, I'm trying not to beat myself up over how much time I had available for writing and how little I availed myself of the opportunities. 

Being a country girl, every morning this past summer was a new delight. I couldn't wait to get outside! I'd call the dog and we'd walk, and then I'd play in the garden. In the afternoons, on those days I didn't have any harvest to preserve, Himself used me like a pack mule to complete a few projects he had underway. The days passed quickly and here I am - five months in already. 

It's time for a deliberate reboot. It's time for me to set some real writing goals and get serious again. I've been whining about it for long enough. I have the intellectual and physical tools to get myself back on track and stay there, at least until the next gardening season. Even then, it's a matter of adjusting to accommodate those activities I enjoy so much. 

My vision of "retirement" includes a lot of different activities. I refuse to give up any of them in favor of another. It's time to focus on organization and prioritize within a set framework of those activities. That in itself is something I like to do. 

Serendipity has its place but I think there is a block of time every day when it has to refrain from visiting my writing desk. I can do this!

 _*_*_*_*_*_*_


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


KC Kendricks, Between the Keys, contemporary gay romance, modern gay cowboy, m/m romance, retirement, organization, home food preservation, simple country pleasures, a writer's life, country living, rural lifestyle

Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , , ,

Tuesday, October 11, 2022

The perils of promotion


October 11, 2022

Earlier this year I set myself to the task of posting a promotion on Facebook for every book in the Men of Marionville collection. I must love abuse. 

All-in-all it's going well. In some of the groups I've achieved my goal and all twelve Marionville stories are posted. But along the way, I discovered many new and new-to-me groups so I got a later start on them, but I think that's okay. I don't mind different groups getting different promos on the same day. Why not spread the joy around? Of course, I won't make the goal in some of the new-to-me groups and I'm fine with that, too. The sky won't fall and I'll just keep on going until the Marionville stories are all posted in those groups.

I'm sure there is an easier way to post in all the groups. I was around back in the days of the Yahoo groups when each group had a mail-to addy. If you created a mailing list, you could send out to all the groups with just a few clicks. With Facebook, I like to visit each group and check the status of my content. That's how I locate groups I need to abandon for not approving my posts. 

I have a spreadsheet that I would be lost without. I list every promo group I'm in, its URL, how many members, and if it's public or private. Another column tracks the day and book I posted a promo for, plus any other pertinent notes such as if a post went into review. 

Yeah. Into review. Most group moderators are right there. They approve a post within hours and I'm very appreciative of that. Then there are some other groups where the same post has been hanging in purgatory for several months with no indication of why.

Out of necessity, I added a new worksheet to the spreadsheet and I'm transferring those "unapproving" groups to that sheet. In all of them, I already have posts and maybe on some rainy day, I'll go back and see if my last post ever got approved. If so, I may post the next book in the series, but I will not put them back on the main page to be part of my rotation.  

Does this mean I'm cutting off avenues of promotion? Not at all. For every group I abandon, two new groups crop up. What I have to prioritize is my time. Time is a valuable commodity even for us old retirees who don't have to punch a time clock. Maybe even more so because I've fallen victim to one of the major perils of retirement - I have way, way, way too much I want to do in one day!  

I doubt very much I'm the only author who keeps track of promos and whose time is too valuable to waste. I'm just whining a bit. 

If you're a newer author, it pays to keep track of where you promote. If you're a more established author, it pays to keep track of where you promote. I have seventy published works and if I don't record the promotion, I could end up flagged because I've posted the same thing over and over and annoyed a group administrator. That would not be good.   

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


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


KC Kendricks, Between the Keys, Facebook promotions, group reviews, contemporary gay romance, m/m romance, a writer's life, honesty, time management, country living, rural lifestyle

Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)