On sale at Smashwords!

July 3, 2025

I joined in at the Smashwords July sale. With a few exceptions, all my books are 25% off, and those exceptions are 50% off.  

Go to Smashwords.com and search for "KC Kendricks". Be sure to use the quotation marks or you'll end up with a gazillion hits on KC. Were there that many KCs back in 2008? Nooooo. Think about that. There were no other Raynes when Rayne Forrest started in 2003, either. I searched it up on Amazon because if Amazon didn't pop with an author name, it wasn't in existence. I guess I'm flattered. 

But I digress...

Go to Smashwords and get a few deals for your Kindle! 

 _*_*_*_*_*_*_

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, m/m romance, LGBTQ gay, contemporary romance, Smashwords sale, Rayne Forrest, Kindle romance, social media, marketing, book sale, book discounts

The annoying question that will not go away

 June 12, 2025

Well, that was... what? Putting the Rayne Forrest titles on Kindle Unlimited has been a bust. No traction. It's very disappointing to the author side of me. 

A third of my life has been dedicated to writing, and the question I've been grappling with is no closer to a resolution. If I continue to write, how does it fit into my life NOW? 

When I was a newbie, more established authors said to write the story you want to read because you may be the only person to read it. This is true. 

When I was a newbie, more established authors said don't quit your day job because most writers can't live on their royalties. This is true. I made some pocket change but no where near enough to live on. 

When I was a newbie, more established authors said don't look at readers to validate your work. This is true. 

When I was a newbie, I couldn't imagine a time when I'd consider no longer writing. Here I am. 

My late husband fought cancer for twenty-four years, and he fought the good fight. I miss him every day, but we talked. Really talked. What about? About life after he was gone. He gave me a rare gift with his words. 

To say I've "rebuilt" my life is not precisely accurate. I've continued on in the life we built, but I'm adding individual touches in places I'd not anticipated. This is a good thing for me. I love the life we built and shared, and I love what I've added to it. 

These days, writing feels like making a choice between an intellectual practice and living my life. Which one do I feel is more important? 

Is this the question that won't go away, or the question with the answer I don't want to accept? 

 _*_*_*_*_*_*_

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, Rayne Forrest, LBGTQ gay romance, m/m romance, questions, romance author, Kindle romance, a writer's life, country living, social media, life decisions, loss of spouse

The Accidental Writer Podcast

January 15, 2024

One of the things on my mind at the end of 2023 was whether or not to start making more videos and maybe even a podcast. You know the old saying of nothing ventured, nothing gained? I decided it applied to this and I made a podcast video. Or is it a video podcast? It's a start, that's what it is. 

Is it a good start? I can't say.

Was it worth doing? I can't say.

Will anyone view it? I can't say.

Did I, at the very least, learn something? Yep. 

My computer came with a basic movie maker program. It didn't take much to pull out some photos and string them together with a few new .jpgs that I made into a presentable video. The voice-over was more difficult. I had to order a microphone and a headset. No problem. Big A delivered them to my door. But getting the timing to work out? Problem. I missed the ending by about five seconds, but I don't think it matters much on the last screen. 

I called this first video podcast The Accidental Writer, and it's an introduction of sorts to KC Kendricks. It's basic information that if you've been a regular reader here at the blog, you know. But while blogging is not a thing of the past, more and more people would rather watch a video or listen to a podcast. I do think that fifty years from now, reading will be a thing of the past except for the educated few. 

If you'd like to watch my first endeavor into the world of the podcast, it can be viewed below. It's free, and my YouTube channel isn't monetized so there aren't any ads (I don't think). 

If you would, please subscribe to the channel. I'd like to grow it to the point where I can monetize it. I need to keep my dog in kibble. 

What podcast may come next? I have a list of things I can talk about, but I think the next one will focus on a book. Or maybe one of the series. I haven't decided which way to go on that one. More personal ramblings comparable to The Accidental Writer will happen but they'll be spaced out. 

Thanks for stopping by the blog, and I hope you enjoy The Accidental Writer.  

 

 _*_*_*_*_*_*_

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

pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards

instagram.com/kc_kendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

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, romance fiction, LGBT gay romance, Kindle romance, YouTube, podcasts, m/m romance, Between the Keys, new ventures, rural living, country lifestyle, a writer's life, social media, book promotion

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:

twitter.com/kckendricks

pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards

instagram.com/kc_kendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

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

And speaking of distractions...

August 25, 2023

The end of summer is upon us. I gaze through my office window and there is a smattering of leaves on the ground. In years past, those leaves would be bright yellow from the poplar tree but we cut that tree down last summer. This coming winter, its wood will keep us warm. 

I should not be gazing out the window. I should be writing, and not blogging. The current work-in-progress has languished this week while I did...what? Looking back at my daily notes, what I did was not much. Organizing the music CDs in one fell swoop was hardly necessary. The task could have been broken down into smaller segments across more days, days in which I wrote first. I didn't do it that way. There was also a trip to town for groceries and a test run of the log splitter. And then there was Twitter or X as it is now called. 

What to do about Twitter/X? I've actually thought about leaving it, but the platform itself isn't the problem. 

I spent far too much time on that platform, whatever the hell you want to call it. My feed is full of beautiful American muscle cars and I can't take my eyes off the shine! I click the little heart and I get more cars. And I do love American muscle cars. But I should be writing. 

One of the deciding factors in retiring from employment last year was my desire to get back to writing, so why am I allowing distractions to keep me from it? It's a fucking lack of discipline, that's what. I recognize it. I just don't do anything about it. 

That needs to change. I've been home for over a year now and I admit that settling in with the spouse was important. I tried to be deliberate about the adjustment of us being together 24/7. We're both armed. Shooting each other would not have been productive. Now we've reached the point where we believe we can accommodate each other. Leaving him to his own devices so I can write shouldn't be a problem but I enjoy spending time with him. Still. 

There are deer on the other side of the window. We had a large group of fawns born this year and they dance around like little sprites. I've seen it before but I always stop what I'm doing to watch. The nature around me feeds my soul. Is that an excuse for not writing?

It's obvious I'm going to struggle with the distractions surrounding me. No self-help book will help me if I'm not willing to shut it all out and write. And I already have the tools necessary. I know I need to set aside a block of time each day for writing and stick to it. The real question is why am I not getting that done? 

Maybe I need to close the drapes.

    _*_*_*_*_*_*_

 KC Kendricks
http://www.kckendricks.com

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 The Hideaway/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

KC Kendricks, Between the Keys, gay romance novels, m/m romance, writers on writing, writing distractions, LGBT gay romance, contemporary romance, time management, distractions, end of summer, firewood, social media, American muscle cars

I think it takes a lot of intentional time

July 16, 2023

Once upon a time...

Now what better opening than that one for a writer to use? 

Once upon a time, I decided to set up a YouTube channel so I could share videos of Deuce on his blog, Deuce's Day.  This also worked for my partner, who is now in a wheelchair, to see what I've been up to as I run amok here on the Manor. 

We enjoy watching quite a few of the YouTubers. Catherine Gregory comes to mind immediately as she travels to places we'll never visit in person. The partner suggested I make a few vids of life on our little estate, so I did. To my surprise, there have been a few folks who have watched them! 

It was enough to make me seriously consider adding content, but there is one big problem with that. I'm also doing what I do. Setting up my phone and recording what I do is time-consuming. 

If I'm going to actually make videos to share, I will need to be very intentional about it. This may sound silly because I'm not an "old" woman, but I wonder if I'm too old to delve into this any deeper than I already have. Hmmm. Food for thought. 

Is a quiet, ordinary rural life worth recording? Perhaps future generations will be interested in how some of us lived waaaaay back in 2023. Even now, a segment of our youth will never understand how it can be fun to jump on a John Deere 370 and mow the grass. And own a big dog like a Labrador Retriever? And walk it yourself? Train it to pee-pee outside and not on a diaper pad? That may already seem foreign to dedicated city dwellers. 

The big question is whether or not I want to take the intentional time to create half-way decent videos. And what about podcasts? They may be more feasible. I could also read one of my shorter books and put that up on YouTube. Many are doing that. How much time do I want to dedicate to new and/or continuing projects?  

Maybe being retired has given me too much time on my hands. Actual writing takes up but a small portion of it. What an interesting dilemma to have. 

 _*_*_*_*_*_*_

 KC Kendricks
www.kckendricks.com
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

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, YouTube videos, a writer's life, retirement options, LGBT romance books, social media, intentional actions

How this pantser plots

July 2, 2023

Are you a "pantser" or a "plotter?"

That's a frequently asked question when writers are congregated in one spot such as Twitter or Facebook or any social media platform. People weigh in on this or that side, but the truth is it doesn't matter much. Your writing process is unique to YOU, but I think everyone is a bit of both. 

I start as a definite pantser. That's "fly by the seat of your pants" in writer's speak. I get an idea and I bang out an opening. Once that's on the page, I usually back up and do a bit of character bio so I don't forget pertinent facts that may have come out in the opening paragraphs. Then it's a bit more of being a pantser to incorporate additional ideas.

But there comes a place in every story where the characters have developed to the point that I know exactly where they're going. It's then that I stop and jot down a plot sequence. And for some reason, I can't seem to get going forward again until I've got the cover drafted. Forward just doesn't happen for me until the basic cover concept becomes reality. I reached that point this past week with Sumner's Garden, and this morning, I finally hit on a basic cover I can live with. 

I want to add one more element but I have two options. Both are up on my second screen and I keep glancing at them while working on screen one. Sooner or later, I'll gravitate towards one and that will be what I add to the final cover. 

Now that the cover is settled, it's time to expand on the plot points and push on to The End. Some of the plot points may change a bit, depending on what the characters tell me. But one thing about this story is unusual. 

This story has already given me the ending and it's not at all where I thought my guys were headed - it's better. Sometimes you have to listen to them. They are manifestations of your thoughts, after all. 

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

 KC Kendricks
www.kckendricks.com
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

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, LGBT, m/m romance, romance novels for Kindle, writers on writing, pantser v. plotter, social media, book covers, writing methods, 

It's getting stranger

 

June 16, 2023

Self, I said, you need to step back from this manuscript for a couple of days. 

There comes a time when a writer needs to take a mental break. Now, I'm sure a lot of people will nay-say that, but this writer has found it to be true. I no longer espouse the "rule" of write something every day. I try to be a bit kinder to myself. I'm more of a believer that sometimes it's necessary to be about the business of writing beyond the manuscript. 

Earlier this week I visited the Facebook groups and did a bit of promo and my blog stats exploded. Too bad sales didn't follow. People in Singapore speak and read English, right? 

Eight THOUSAND hits from Singapore in one day. I don't know if I should laugh or contact Blogger. 

    _*_*_*_*_*_*_

 KC Kendricks
http://www.kckendricks.com

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 The Hideaway/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

KC Kendricks, Between the Keys, contemporary gay romance, m/m romance, LGBT gay, a writer's life, Blogger, social media, Facebook, finance, social commentary

The dilemma of artificial intelligence (AI)

 June 4, 2023

The current WIP stands at about thirteen thousand words and our heroes are about to get friendly, at least sort of friendly. I haven't decided just how friendly they're ready to be, but something will happen. Will it bring them closer or shake them up? That's the point I'm pondering. 

I'm "pondering" many things these days. "Ponder" is a word I grew up with, and I don't often hear it used now. People today say they're going to "think about it," but ponder, to country folk, has a deeper meaning. To ponder is to focus on a problem, issue, or question until you understand it from several angles. Pondering takes time and often prayer, prayer being a sort of meditation. 

AI, or artificial intelligence, is in the news. The pros and cons of AI is being widely discussed on social media. Hell, Congress is even having discussions about it for all the fucking good that will do. Twitter is lit up with authors discussing and questioning the validity of adding it to their body of work. 

If you use Artificial Intelligence to create a short story, poem, novella, or novel, can you claim to have written that piece of work? 

If you use AI to create a work of fiction and don't disclose the fact, is that dishonest? 

If you use AI to create a work of fiction, who actually owns the copyright? Do you own it or do the creators of the application used own it? 

If you use AI to create a work of fiction and then you market the book without owning the copyright, are you in violation of plagiarism laws? 

If you use AI to create a work of fiction and it's determined both you and the creators of the application share the copyright, do you then have to share the royalties? 

My poor little questions are the tip of the iceberg. 

Using AI to create a work of fiction, a love story for example, may not have much impact on society, but what if AI is used to generate works that are marketed as TRUTH? I read the works of Clive Cussler and David Wood, action-adventure stories that contain a smattering of facts to make the story more believable. They market those books as fiction, of course, but what if someone else begins to write in that genre and markets it as a true adventure, one that really happened? What if people believe it really happened and the lie becomes the truth? 

Call me a Luddite if you want to, but I'm not at all convinced AI is a good thing. Avarice will taint this thing. I fear the desire some hold to be famous and rich will warp all common sense, casting many into a pit of their own making. The need to be part of the "in crowd" and on the cutting edge has been the downfall of many. Folks, don't hop on any bandwagon until you know for sure where it's headed.  

It will be years until the AI fallout is fully recognized. It may not be in my lifetime. But I see one thing as certain. I will be on guard and I will be vigilant about it.

And for now, I'll be adding a note to my copyright notice in every new book that it was NOT created using any AI beyond the inescapable spellchecker. 

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

 KC Kendricks
www.kckendricks.com
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

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, m/m romance, AI, artificial intelligence, copyright, gay romance, LGBTQ, spellchecker, Congress debate, social media

How did I do that?

 

April 24, 2023

In the twenty-plus years I've been writing I've never heard another writer say they love to do promotion. N-E-V-E-R. I've never said it either, and promotion used to be a lot easier. These days a writer can experience death by social media, and that's not a joke. Trying to keep up on every platform out there is stressful enough to cause a stroke or heart attack. I don't do it. I prefer to have a real life. My promotional activities are carried out here at Between the Keys, in the Facebook groups, on Twitter, and kind of/sort of on YouTube. 

A few days ago, I fixed a cup of tea and sat at the computer to do a little promo while a load of laundry was in the washing machine. Last year I set a goal to promo the entire Men of Marionville series on Facebook so I scrolled the spreadsheet and saw where it was time to post the info for Your Whisper in the Dark in a few groups. Imagine my surprise when a group admin responded that the links on my promo sheet were incorrect. 

I may be a novice gardener, but I'm not a novice computer user. I generally know what I'm doing when I begin clicking away. Nonetheless, she was correct. The Amazon links in the promo were fucked up crap. 

I fixed my promo sheet, and thanks to my spreadsheet, the posts containing the bad links, but now I need to figure out just what screwy thing I did when I copied and pasted the info the first time. Was it me or was it Microsoft? I'm sure it was me not keeping a close enough eye on Microsoft. 

It was a lesson learned, and now I'll check the links on all my promo sheets before I post them. That will be annoying to do, but necessary. It may be enough to start me on the path to day drinking. 

    _*_*_*_*_*_*_

 KC Kendricks
http://www.kckendricks.com

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 The Hideaway/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

KC Kendricks, Between the Keys, contemporary gay romance novels, LGBTQ novels, a writer's life, Your Whisper in the Dark, Men of Marionville, promoting books, ebooks, m/m romance, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Blogger, authors, learning, social media

Confused much?

November 3, 2022

Most everyone gets confused from time to time. It shouldn't be a big deal. The spousal unit hasn't worked a job away from home in twenty years, and for almost that long he's been asking me what day of the week it is. Having recently retired, I understand it better. The first thing I look at every morning is my calendar. That's just so I have an answer for HIM, you know. It's not because I need to know what day of the week it is. 

Often times our little confusions are because we've not been paying attention when someone is telling us something. We've forgotten how to listen and so days later we embarrass ourselves when we have to call a friend and ask what it was they told about [fill in the blank]. 

We're all subject to those little annoying lapses. It takes on a new light when you have a parent with Alzheimer's Disease. Trust me. I know.

When I forget something important, I panic. My heart races and I stop dead in my tracks until I can get clarity. I'm not trying to be a drama queen but it's frightening. I wonder if IT is happening to me. I went back to keeping a written desk calendar/diary this year. It's a good record to have and maybe it will entertain my younger cousins when they have to settle my estate and clean out my office. The scary part of all that is that my mother had notebook after notebook with list upon list detailing her attempts to stay in control of her life. 

We humans frequently allow our imaginations to seize control. A tiny pain is surely cancer. Eating any white food will give us diabetes. Aging eyesight must be macular degeneration. Forgetting we bought shampoo and then buying another bottle the next week is surely a warning sign of dementia. 

I'm trying my best to not be an alarmist. My imagination is best used for writing love stories, not scaring myself stupid. 

I think that retiring from the workforce brings a new way of thinking to a person's life. There's an adjustment period as stress levels drop and what is so frequently referred to as the new normal takes hold. Being the Lady of the Manor and a full-time writer is a dream I've long held dear. I'm finally there but here has pitfalls I'd not imagined. 

What day of the week is it? Thursday
Where did I leave my phone? In the garden shed.
Did we feed the dog last night? We both did - he's going to get fat.

I hate to say it, but that is not dementia. Dementia would give me an excuse and I have none because I damn sure am not getting old!

 _*_*_*_*_*_*_

 KC Kendricks/Rayne Forrest
www.kckendricks.com
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

KC Kendricks, Rayne Forrest, aging, romance novels, new normal, retirement, Between the Keys blog, social media, cellphone, calendars, questioning

Pause and give thought

August 18, 2022

I enjoy social media in very small doses. Facebook serves my writing alter ego for promotional purposes, and I have a more personal page for family. Twitter informs my writing alter ego of people's opinions and connects me to a lot of other writers to share a few laughs. I don't like the Instagram platform - anything I can do only on my phone doesn't do a thing for me - but I post the occasional picture just because I can. Is YouTube social media or has it become its own thing? The spousal unit and I like to watch a variety of YouTube channels from homestead gardening to off-road recoveries to metal detecting to classic car restorations. And of course, I enjoy blogging. Blogging is writing and that's my thing. 

This morning I was reading through my Twitter feed while slurping down those first sips of coffee and trying to wake up when I came across this photo, captioned, "Have you had your pills this morning?"

Whoa. Whoa, baby. 

I don't know what some of those represent. I don't think I want to know. I get the message, loud and clear, though. Has social media become our drug(s) of choice? 

My daily routine has not wavered for several years. Once I get to my computer every morning, I check my personal email and then I zip off to check Twitter and Facebook. 

Damn. That's exactly like taking a pill every morning. So does my social media pill benefit my brain the way a vitamin benefits my body? 

My short answer to that is that it depends on what you're feeding your brain. Are your opinions just a parroted response based on something you saw on social media? Are you challenged to consider a wider view? Perhaps it focuses your view to laser sharpness. 

Do you simply "take the pill" and allow it to take over your life? Is social media equivalent to "drinking the kool-aid?" (Does November 18, 1978 ring any bells in your memory?) Do you turn everything you read into a chance to shout your opinions and beliefs as if those with opposing views are ignorant and out of step with (your) reality?

Or do you carefully filter out the negative and look for the positive? Are you self-aware enough to read someone else's opinion, know you don't agree, and simply move on without confrontation? Perhaps you look for learning opportunities or for the opportunity to praise others for a good idea, a shared photo, or a challenge overcome. Maybe you like funny memes and like to share the laughter. 

The photo of social media pills is a sobering reminder that we should stop and carefully consider what we take into ourselves. We need to be responsible to ourselves, every day. Social media has the potential to turn us all into blind followers that are led to graze in fields of someone else's choosing.  

I can speak only for myself, but I don't want to be part of the social media herd. I won't dismiss the value of social media but I will exercise caution. My opinions won't easily be swayed by celebrities and "influencers." I will check the facts for myself. I won't hop on any bandwagon that has the potential to harm me. In other words, I'll use the good common sense God gave me each morning when I down my social media pill. 

 _*_*_*_*_*_*_

 KC Kendricks
www.kckendricks.com
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

KC Kendricks, Between the Keys, contemporary gay romance, m/m romance, LGBT, social media, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, opinions, influencers, common sense

What's the next step when you lose the plot?

 

July 7, 2022

You would think that as long as I've been writing romances that I'd have a really good handle on how to keep the plot on track, wouldn't you? Apparently, that is not the case. The plot in the current WIP, the one I'm trying to finish, has taken an unexpected turn. So what does the author do when it goes south?

Why am I displeased with the plot at this point? I took it towards a "current events" situation, that's why. I don't like to do that. Not. At. All. Current events date a book, often badly. 

Okay, so this current event isn't political, so perhaps it can be salvaged. It's simply something that has been in the mainstream media of late. It's an ugly reality. It happens. I can wrap up the story threads and have it all work out, but the story will still have that slice of ugly in there and that bugs me. 

I think I need to cram my writer's hat very firmly on my head, square my aching shoulders, flex my tired fingers, and just get on with it. Hopefully, I'll surprise myself by the time I reach The End.

Let us hope so.

  _*_*_*_*_*_*_

 KC Kendricks
http://www.kckendricks.com

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

KC Kendricks, Between the Keys, contemporary gay romance, writers on writing, m/m romance, plot issues, LGBTQ+ romance, Kindle books, ebooks, current events, social media, mainstream media

All I need to do is to remember to do it

May 4, 2022

With only ten more working days until "retirement," I've been thinking about better ways to connect to social media. "Retirement" doesn't mean idleness, at least to me. It's the time to refocus on filling my days with those things that bring fulfilment, and that means wearing my writer's hat. 

I write a lot of different things. Books or blogs, it's all writing. I just need to remember to share it! 

To that end, here's a reminder that I blog about our life at the "manor" on a regular basis. One of my goals is to share those links for those who are interested. 

A recent post at Holly Tree Manor (The Hideaway) was about the arrival of warm weather and some small preparations that are underway.

 https://hollytreemanor.blogspot.com/2022/04/finally-warm-weather-means-outside-work.html

Another bit of writing I do is at the blog, Deuce's Day. Deuce is our black Lab, and his blog tells his story through his eyes. We think Deuce is special and we want to remember and share his life. 

So, that's it. Connect and share.  I hope you'll join with me as I step into "retirement."

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

 KC Kendricks

www.kckendricks.com

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

If it smells like censorship...

 

April 9, 2022

And a good spring morning to all! Deuce and I were up early this morning, awoken, I'm guessing, by the rain. Or more precisely, the sump pump starting to work because of all the rain. We can hear the pump if the house is quiet. I don't mind because it assures me the basement is staying dry. Managing the basement is one of the annoying things about country living, but there's nothing like owning your own house and property and being your own boss of it. 

But homeownership isn't what's on my mind this morning. Because my focus and energy is on getting all my ducks in a row to retire, writing prose has been put on the back burner. I decided that instead of worrying about that, I'd do some promo through social media, primarily the Facebook groups. 

Well..........   ...   ...

I've never made a concerted effort to promo an entire series before, but I'm working on the Men of Marionville. That's twelve stories. Yesterday, I was at my job office just hanging out while my replacement did all the work, so I opened my laptop and posted some promo. Facebook shut me down, locking me out of my account.

I was not pleased. 

Admittedly, it didn't take much to click my way through the unlock process and be up and running again. Did it annoy the fuck out of me? Yep. 

I understand the need for the various social media platforms to be on the watch for nefarious activities, but now I wonder if someone somewhere clicked a little button to try to censor my post about a book. And that's one of the things I just don't get about people. 

There's an old joke about how you can tell the difference between a Republican and a Democrat simply by watching television. Let's say there's a new TV show that is designed to be offensive. A Democrat will go to war to stop it from being aired believing no one should see it, but a Republican will allow First Amendment rights and so just change the channel. 

(Remember Tipper Gore and her crusade to ban some songs over their lyrics? Google it. I rest my case.)

The point of that is some people are willing to allow others to live and let live, and some are not. Some people are willing to allow your point of view to be heard. They'll just change the channel and listen to something else while others will do everything in their power to silence you. 

My books are hardly subversive. I write about people falling in love and embarking on a journey together. I don't voice my opinions anywhere but here at Between the Keys, and I keep my political leanings to a minimum. I'm not all "this way" or "that way" as I think each issue needs to be considered on its own. 

I'm disturbed by the new little downvote button Twitter has. If you don't like what a person is posting you can vote them down and eventually, the algorithm will bury their voice. Just remember they can do that to you. Why not just change the channel for a little while?

Censorship is not healthy. Twisting, and yes, masking the truth is dangerous. Lies are being told every day and only by being able to listen to multiple sources are we common folk able to ferret them out and learn what is true. Censorship is proof positive there is an agenda at work, and anyone or anything that embraces it is suspect. 

As a society of free people, and still free thinkers, we need to protect the right of everyone to voice an opinion, even if we do not agree. The rabble-rousers are winning in their efforts to set We The People at odds with each other. The less each and every one of us is allowed to hear all the voices of all sides, the more those censoring us win. 

Which, of course, means we're all losing. Think about where we could end up before you press that dislike or downvote button. Just change the channel instead. 

  _*_*_*_*_*_*_

 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. 

 _*_*_*_*_*_*_

 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

Twitter polls - and the answers I dare not provide

May 26, 2019

Ah, those Twitter polls. Writers have taken to them like ducks to water. And I do confess those polls have taken the enjoyment out of Twitter. Well, that and the fact the nude photos of men don't show up in my feed any longer. It's a shame about that. Twitter shouldn't be in the censorship business. But I digress...

First poll this morning was about world building. Question: what profession(s) end life? My answer that I dare not post is - You're world building, for God's sake. Name it and claim it! 

Second poll - how many hours do you write each day? My answer that I dare not post - When the fuck did this become a competition? 

Third poll - What makes a better book? Writing in third person or first person? My answer that I dare not post - Why are we still wasting time chewing that bone? Write your story the way it speaks to you!

Okay, so you get where I'm coming from on this. Maybe. 

I don't know if the people posing the questions are "new" writers or not. They're asking the same sort of questions that were asked almost twenty years ago when I got started, and it bugs the hell out of me. It seems those of us with experience haven't been good teachers. 

Perpetuating the myth that a writer MUST produce a certain word count every day is damaging. Insisting a particular style of prose is better than another is perhaps a worse harm. The fall of so many publishers proves that out. Publishers always called for "fresh" and "unique" and then rejected it. They were afraid it wouldn't sell as well as Author Cookie-Cutter, but...how would they know? They lacked the metaphorical balls to find out and the indie author, et al., brought them down. 

To the new writers out there who might one day read this - Write your story and write it your way. Don't waste time giving a flying fuck about what anyone else is doing. It's counter-productive. Learn the craft and embrace your voice. Not everyone will like it, but who cares? Enough people will enjoy your stories. 

But if the writing of the story isn't enough to feed your soul, then re-evaluate. A poll on Twitter won't solve that problem for you. 

KC Kendricks
www.kckendricks.com
www.twitter.com/kckendricks

A new cover for Kentucky 98 Proof

March 7, 2019

It's a human commonality. We all say it and there is no point in denying it. "I'll get around to it one day." 

Today I "got around" to something I've wanted to do for a long day. Blame it on a slow day at the day job. It's difficult to get a lot done when you're 1)waiting on other people, and 2)a guy is operating a ram-hoe and breaking up the sidewalk outside your office window. The noise and vibrations were too intense to work with numbers, so I amused myself and made a new cover for Kentucky 98 Proof. It turned out great if I do say so myself. 

Having made the cover, I went on to make a Twitter promo card. I even updated the cover on old blog entries here at Between the Keys. 

After that, I uploaded the new cover to 
Amazon and other vendors. Talk about being on a roll! Once I made it home, I updated my website and now I'm spreading the word in a new blog post. 

Yep. I nailed it today! 

KC
https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/kentucky-98-proof-by-kc-kendricks.html

A log cabin she-shed sounds good

August 11, 2018

August marks the anniversary of my move "home" thirty-seven years ago. Back in the day, I'd married and moved several miles away. I found living in a town a miserable experience and was looking for a building lot in the country. My grandparents would have none of me spending thousands of dollars on a piece of property. They handed me the deed to three acres they owned behind their house and I gratefully came home. I've been here ever since. 


I like my little house in the woods, but every so often I wish I'd done things differently all those years ago. My heart longs for a log cabin. It would have been perfect in my woods, surrounded by trees. I gravitate toward the dog trot style with its central breezeway. 

Of course, being a bit older now, I wonder if having to go back and forth through the breezeway at night when it's snowing would be fun. I'd need some well-insulated sliding barn doors to be comfortable. 

Maybe I'd be better off with a small log cabin She-Shed. If I had one of those to help ease me into the next phase of my life (retirement), it might alleviate some of the stress already happening between me and the spousal unit. He's not looking forward to losing his autonomy. I'm not looking forward to having him underfoot all day long. A nice little retreat with Internet out in the "west forty" may be just the thing to give us the space we need. 

That's definitely food for thought. 

 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.html

Social media links:

twitter.com/kckendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards

instagram.com/kc_kendricks

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

Life through the eyes of Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com

We have a new family member - Loki

June 24, 2018

After two years, we finally have a new kitten. He has some pretty big paws to fill but I think this one can do it. 

Meet Loki! Loki is the Norse god of mischief and misadventure, and so far this critter has lived up to his name. We considered calling him Screech, for obvious reasons (he can screech), but decided it wouldn't be very dignified when he's a mature feline. Loki does fit him and he's already responding to it so I'd say it was a good choice. 

Like Shooter, this one is a Tuxedo. They are known for having personality. If this one is even half the cat Shooter was, we'll have something special. It's going to be a joy to watch him grow and mature. Equally fun will be watching him and Deuce develop the dog/cat bond. It's starting to happen which I think is very cool. 

I'm sure Deuce and Loki will provide me with plenty of blogging material in the coming years, most of which will be on Deuce's Day. Deuce does have a unique perspective on cats. 

KC 
www.kckendricks.com
twitter.com/kckendricks
facebook.com/kckendricks
pinterest.com/kckendricks