An odd interruption to writing and guilt

 June 19, 2025

There's no shortage of things I need to do. And then there are those days when something bugs me and I just go do it. Take for example the pictured stump. 

I was, for once, happily working on one of the WIPs. I've got that sucker past 10,000 words and I now know the characters well enough to know where I want them to go. Will they cooperate? That's always a question. 

But I digress...

I typed the last line of Chapter 5 and looked out the office window at this stump. If that stump were removed, I could take the old Husqvarna mower through there, no problem. The next think I knew, I was on the John Deere 1023 digging out the stump. 

It needed done, but I'm not sure I needed to run right out and start it. For one thing, I was halfway through the removal when I heard thunder and saw lightning. The last place I wanted to be with a thunderstorm coming was atop a big hunk of metal beneath a lot of tall trees. I headed for the barn. 

We got over two inches of rain so it was a couple of days before I went out and finished the job. Heck, I even have some video footage I'm going to post once I get it edited. 

The thing is, I'm okay that I took the time to get the stump out. I've got to stop guilting myself when I need to do home and garden chores. I'm on my own now. No one else is going to do it. 

I've got to stop thinking in terms of not publishing six books a year as failing. It's not. Giving up would be the failure. Putting pressure on myself to write, write, write when so many other things are in my life is a failure to myself. 

I think I'm more of a work-in-progress than the manuscripts! 

 _*_*_*_*_*_*_

KC Kendricks
My home on the web- Between the Keys: 
http://kckendricks.blogspot.com
Visit my bookshelf at: 
https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/bookshelf.html

Social media links:

twitter.com/kckendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

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

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

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

KC Kendricks, Between the Keys, writers on writing, contemporary gay romance, m/m romance, LGBTQ gay, rural living, guilt, John Deere 1023 tractor, time management

Rainy Day Musings

 

June 16, 2025

I received an email from my long-time writing friend Brenda Williamson. We met years and years ago through a mutual publisher and have stayed in contact. Brenda is one of the very few faithful that way. 

Like me, she is slowly working on a few stories. Like me, life has tempered her joy in writing. Like me, she has one aging parent she needs to care for. Like me, she is a widow. 

And like me, writing used to be an all-consuming passion. I wish it would become one again for me, but living on my own, it might destroy me. 

We're having a rainy day. The top of the mountain is shrouded in fog. It's given me the opportunity to catch up on some indoor activities - a load of laundry, making a batch of yogurt, and yes, working on one of the WIPs. And I've had a Stevie Nicks playlist softly playing in the background. (I wonder what I did with my copy of The Other Side of the Mirror????)

Writing is fine on a rainy day. I can't garden, mow, work in the wood yard, or do any number of other outside chores than need done. And there it is. The thing that keeps me from writing - responsibilities. 

I can't shirk my responsibilities. I couldn't do it when I needed to care for my late husband and now, over a year later, I'm still not caught up. I'm getting there, but I'm not there yet. 

Perhaps part of my despair at not being able to write has a lot to do with being physically tired. I'm fixing "problems" that have existed for many years, issues that couldn't be addressed due to Ron's health and the need to care for him. 

Maybe I'm overthinking my life. It's possible. 

     _*_*_*_*_*_*_

 KC Kendricks

My home on the web- Between the Keys: 

http://kckendricks.blogspot.com

Visit my bookshelf at: 

https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/bookshelf.html

Social media links:

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

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

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

twitter.com/kckendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

June 17 - PS. My copy of The Other Side of the Mirror was on vinyl. No wonder I couldn't find it in the CD rack! 

KC Kendricks, Between the Keys, contemporary gay romance, m/m romance, LGBTQ romance, Kindle romance, rainy days, writers on writing, life decisions, Stevie Nicks

It's going to be a long, rainy day

May 9, 2025

We need the rain even though western Maryland is not currently in a severe drought condition. My location has had almost three inches of rain in the last week, according to my rinky-dink rain gauge. Today, it looks like we're in for a long soaking rain. 

As a gardener, this makes me happy. As a dog servant, not so much. Deuce is not a happy Labrador. Will he jump in the creek and have a good splash-about? Every day the sun shines. Does he go outside in the rain to pee-pee? Not if he can help it. I'm just his hooman. I don't understand. I'll just let sleeping dogs lie - on the bed.

A rainy day is a writing day. I'm writing now, right? Blogging is writing, right? Sure it is. I've always looked at the bigger picture, at the business of writing which for me includes blogging and promotion. I was up late last night working on one of the WIPs, so this morning I don't feel quite ready to dive back in. I need to savor that second up of coffee I shouldn't have before I take on that first dinner date. It's a good time to take a look at the spreadsheet I use to keep track of all those Facebook groups. 

Other authors I've read think FB is dead, but I'm still doing pretty good there. I've even wondered if I should start a group of my own, but I really don't want to have to moderate it. 

I've also written about the spreadsheet I use to keep track of my postings. It keeps growing. It's now four separate worksheets - one for general, one for m/m only, one for paranormal, and one for those groups that for one reason or another I've abandoned. And yes, it now has some color coding. It does aid in spreading out my posts and in posting a series in order. 

Jumping into a story first thing in the morning, my coffee gets cold. Taking half an hour or so to post some promos gives me the opportunity to enjoy it, at the very least, warm. My handy-dandy spreadsheet helps me maximize that time. 

Outside my window, the world is green and wet. There won't be any yard work done today, but that's okay. It's a good time to jump into the head of one of my characters and tell his story. Rainy days and storytelling. Sounds like a good mix.

     _*_*_*_*_*_*_

 KC Kendricks

My home on the web- Between the Keys: 

http://kckendricks.blogspot.com

Visit my bookshelf at: 

https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/bookshelf.html

Social media links:

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

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

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

twitter.com/kckendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

KC Kendricks, Between the Keys, writers on writing, m/m gay romance, LGBTQ+ romance, contemporary romance, spreadsheets, Facebook, promotions, engaged authors, country living, Labrador Retrievers

A to Z Blogging and distractions

March 24, 2025

So for a hot minute I thought about doing the 2025 A to Z Blogging Challenge. Maybe not for an entire minute. Been there, done that. It takes a lot of time, and that's time I don't want to devote to it. 

I had to go back and look to see when I first took the challenge. It was in April 2011. I thought it might be a great way to promo the books I had available. I made a calendar and got to work. 

When April 2012 rolled around, I was more prepared. I pre-wrote several blog entries to stay ahead. In 2013 I really got into developing a calendar. In 2014, we picked themes and mine was a subject near to my heart - A Rural Life. I kicked off the month with a story we cousins still laugh about. Our grandparents were sometimes larger than life. 

As I approached April 2015, I questioned my sanity when I thought of doing the challenge yet again. My 2015 theme was Many Sundry Things and I went all over the place with entries. But in 2016, I pulled up my big girl britches and jumped in again with some Time Management. 

All-in-all, I for the most part enjoyed the Challenge. But if I recall correctly, the A to Z organizers changed the format in 2017 and that was my excuse to STOP IT. Six years was enough participation for me. Plus, my day job and caring for my mother were getting the best of me. (I'm going to address some of that later in a post about retirement.)

It takes me about an hour to go from start to finish on a blog entry. I need coffee or tea. I need to let Deuce out. The washer or dryer beeps at me. I'm cold so I need a sweater. I'm hot so I have to hang it up. I get a notification I have a new email so I need to go read it. Did I ever mention I have several blogs about distractions? I do. 

In the course of writing this entry, I was distracted by some of the old A to Z blogs and read them. Can you believe I allowed myself to be distracted yet again? Yep.

I'm not participating in the 2025 Challenge. I'm delighted that it's happening. I approve of continuity. I just have too many other distractions important things in my life right now. 

Gotta go. Deuce wants to play and my coffee cup is empty. I think the dryer may have beeped, too. 

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

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

Between the Keys,  KC Kendricks, A to Z Blogging, contemporary gay romance, m/m romance, GLBT gay, Kindle gay novels, distractions, a writer's life, rural living, writers on writing

Little green things

March 20, 2025

I confess I've been sidetracked by little green things. Strawberry runners, basil sprouts, cabbage sprouts, Roma tomato sprouts, marigold seedlings, and begonia cuttings. It happens every year. 

This behavior is a direct result of being cooped up in an office for so many years. I envied my grandfather who had time to ooh and ahh over his seedlings every day. I installed Gro-light bulbs in the den but are my sprouts there? Nope. They're in my sunroom office with me. 

My late husband used to shake his head - but he said nothing. He found it amusing that after so many years another side of me popped out when I retired. He didn't help with the garden, except to keep me company when I worked in it, but he enjoyed fresh veggies on the table as much as I do. 

I supposed if I'm going to allow myself to be distracted it's best it be with something productive. 

And that new work-in-progress? I banged out the first chapter, slept on it, and decided it needed expansion. So I am working on that. 

     _*_*_*_*_*_*_

 KC Kendricks

My home on the web- Between the Keys: 

http://kckendricks.blogspot.com

Visit my bookshelf at: 

https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/bookshelf.html

Social media links:

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

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

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

twitter.com/kckendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

KC Kendricks, Between the Keys, LGBT gay romance, m/m romance, Kindle gay romance, gardening, writers on writing, a writer's life, distractions, contemporary gay romance

Another step forward

 

March 16, 2025

So I got a new phone. 

Why is this news? Because it means I finally had Ron's phone disconnected. I will no longer be able to dial his old number and hear his voice. This was hard to do. 

Yes, I paid the extra money to keep his phone active for the past year. My money and my choice. Maybe someday those among you who haven't yet lived through such loss will understand because the big loss will come, be it parent, spouse, child, or sibling. No one gets an exemption. 

I didn't get the best phone on the market. I don't need it. My phone is my PHONE. I talk, text, take pictures and videos (of the dog), and I check the weather. I don't find struggling to read on such a small screen enjoyable. I much prefer the computer for actual work. I do tend to compartmentalize my life, and work is done at my desk with two large monitors. 

Figuring out the new phone has been frustrating. Even YouTube only got me so far. The good news is that I'm getting there. I figured out how to turn the volume and brightness up - yea! The bad news is I ended up setting new passwords all over the place. This did not make me happy, but Google knew it wasn't talking to my old phone and wanted to make sure I'd not been hacked. It was a mess because there is me me and writer me on the same devices. Someone at Google doesn't get it. 

A new phone means a new case for said phone, so off I went to Amazon. There were too many choices and I likely made the wrong one. We'll see later today when Big A arrives. Why they run a truck all the way out here instead of mailing the case I'll never know. Obviously a thin cell phone case would fit in the mailbox. I doesn't make any sense to me since I live waaaaay out in the boondocks. And living waaaaay out here is why I use Amazon instead of driving twenty miles to the nearest shopping center every week. But I digress...

I'm usually pretty hard on myself when decisions involve my emotions. I tell myself it's silly to be sad over a necessary business decision. I know the truth in that. Ron's voice has been gone for almost a year. Letting go of a mechanical facsimile is a logical step, yet grief knows little of logic. 

I went to the cell phone store first thing in the morning and I was exhausted the rest of the day. But this morning, two days later, I picked up the new phone to check the weather forecast and I knew everything on the phone front was okay. 

We move forward step by step, and it seems I've taken a few more. 

     _*_*_*_*_*_*_

 KC Kendricks

My home on the web- Between the Keys: 

http://kckendricks.blogspot.com

Visit my bookshelf at: 

https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/bookshelf.html

Social media links:

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

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

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

twitter.com/kckendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

KC Kendricks, Between the Keys, a writer's life, loss of spouse, LGBT gay romance, m/m romance, Kindle gay romance, rural living, cell phone, country lifestyle, writers on writing, life changes

I'm going to do it again

March 5, 2025

Whelp, here I go again. No, no, it's not a rip-off of Whitesnake. What I mean is, I've started the next book. 

Yea, me! Go, me! Has me lost me fluffin' mind? 

I zipped over to my story folder and took a count. This book will be Number 89. Yes, that count includes those books that are out of print or I never published (I have 3 of those). Some of those are the old Rayne Forrest books, but they count, too. I did write them. 

I think it may be a good sign that I started chapter one and ended up at over fifteen hundred words. It needs to be filled out some, but that will come. The good thing is I have the opening scene where our guys meet written. Tweaking comes when I know them a little better. 

If you follow along here at Between the Keys, you know I've given a lot of thought as to whether or not I want to continue to write. Why? The use of artificial intelligence (AI) is going to ruin romance fiction. Even now, I can tell if AI was used to write a book because it's like the last four books I've tried to read. Never until now have I returned ebooks, nor will I take a KU subscription. Perhaps I'm doomed to read and reread all the books currently in my library. Thank goodness I own a substantial amount of books that AI never touched. 

Another reason I've pondered whether or not to continue is that my internal life changed dramatically in 2024 with the death of my spouse. Externally, I still own my home and properties so I'm physically and materialistically comfortable. But I've changed. Now that I'm no longer a caregiver, how do I want to fill my days? I assure you that mindless television watching will not make the cut. 

Having time to do only those things one wants to do is both blessing and curse. Looking at my calendar and my To Do List, I have several options. Which one do I want to do? Since Ron passed, decision making is an effort and hiding away in my office writing feels like, well, hiding away. 

I think the weather just made today's decision for me. It has started to rain. 

Perhaps I'm not ready to take down the KC Kendricks shingle and pack up my keyboard. I find I'm eager to finish this blog entry and get back to the WIP. I think this is a good thing. I think I have my answer. 

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

KC Kendricks
My home on the web- Between the Keys: 
http://kckendricks.blogspot.com
Visit my bookshelf at: 
https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/bookshelf.html

Social media links:

twitter.com/kckendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

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

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

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

KC Kendricks, Between the Keys, contemporary gay fiction, m/m fiction, Kindle romance, GLBT gay romance, m/m romance, a writer's life, writers on writing, questioning self, decision making, 

I should be writing

January 18, 2025

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 _*_*_*_*_*_*_

KC Kendricks
My home on the web- Between the Keys: 
http://kckendricks.blogspot.com
Visit my bookshelf at: 
https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/bookshelf.html

Social media links:

twitter.com/kckendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

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

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

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

KC Kendricks, Between the Keys, contemporary romance, GLBT gay romance, Kindle romance, m/m romance, writers on writing, being intentional, organization, planning. winter weather

Another lesson learned - keep it tidy

January 5, 2025

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

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

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

Ask me how I know this.

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

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

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

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

 _*_*_*_*_*_*_

KC Kendricks
My home on the web- Between the Keys: 
http://kckendricks.blogspot.com
Visit my bookshelf at: 
https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/bookshelf.html

Social media links:

twitter.com/kckendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

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

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

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

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

The 2024 Retrospective

January 2, 2025

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

November 2024

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

KC Kendricks/Rayne Forrest

The 2023 Retrospective

The 2022 Retrospective

The 2021 Retrospective

The 2020 Retrospective

The 2019 Retrospective

The 2018 Retrospective

The 2017 Retrospective

The 2016 Retrospective

The 2015 Retrospective

The 2014 Retrospective

The 2013 Retrospective

The 2012 Retrospective

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

YouTube: KC Kendricks- On My Own

December 12, 2024

I've been messing around with YouTube again. I can't seem to make up my mind on how to utilize the platform. 

So much changed in my life since Ron passed, but then again, a lot did not. I think there are people in my age group that relate to my experiences and I want to share some of them. 

I'm also thinking I should read the first chapter of some of my books. Wouldn't that be fun? I can just image YouTube screaming at me about copyright infringement now! Cross one bridge at a time, right? 

Anyway, I made a video and it's posted. Go check it out if you want to. 

KC Kendricks

KC Kendricks, Between the Keys, YouTube, m/m romance, contemporary LGBT romance, gay fiction, a writer's life, writers on writing, rural living, cats

New cover and title reveal: Once in October

September 20, 2024

The death of a loved one is never easy. It drags at the soul. I thought I'd find solace in writing, but I rushed to it which had the opposite effect. I needed time that I didn't give myself. 

I'm writing again, slowly, and it feels a lot better. The words don't come easy in every session, but they do come. I'm relieved. 

It started with December Promise, which was followed by Hot August Comes, September Morning, and July Heat. It occurred to me I'm off to a good start in creating a collection of by the month stories. Currently, I'm working on an October piece that I hope I can finish and publish before the end of October. It's difficult to refrain from stressing about it, but it will be as it will be. This is the year I need to give myself a pass on many things.

With that said, I did get a cover made! 

This story is set in Centerville as is Bored, Stroked, and Blueprinted, Memphis, and July Heat. Central to the Centerville stories is a muscle car garage and much like the Marionville collection features the characters in previous stories. Yes, I like to build my own little communities and play in them. 

Being a classic/muscle car enthusiast, the Centerville collection gives me a chance to show a piece of American automotive history, too. 

I have working titles for February, March, and April, and I need to flip a coin and decide which May and June titles work best. That likely won't happen until I've started writing those stories and the characters speak to me about it. I've wracked my brain for a November title and I'm betting that will be the last of the collection to come to life. Not all of these planned stories will be set in Centerville. At least, I don't think they will. It's a writer's prerogative to change her/his mind. 

And the car in this story? It's a 1970 Ford Torino, my first husband's car. I remember that car with more fondness than I do the man. Go figure. 

 _*_*_*_*_*_*_

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

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

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

KC Kendricks, Between the Keys, contemporary gay romance, m/m romance, GLBT romance, Kindle romance novels, series romance, Ford Torino, October, writers on writing, a writer's life

Stepping back to refocus - new video

 August 2, 2024

Guess who managed to do another video? Yep. I got one finished and it's posted. This one is called "Stepping Back," and in it I talk about how sometimes I need to get my hands busy on a project so I can clear my head and refocus on a story. I think I'm going to leave this one up - comments be damned. 

I hope you'll check it out! 

KC 

Forward progress!

June 4, 2024

Forward progress was made today! I was determined to accomplish two things and both of them worked out great. I incorporated an idea into one of the WIPs and I fleshed out the premise and character bios for an idea I've been kicking around for a fourth story set in Centerville. I'm calling it a WIN!. 

Maybe it was a reflection of the decal I put up above the patio doors this morning. "She believed she could so she did." It was an impulse purchase but it's something I need to remember. I need to set my mind to a task and do it. And maybe  blogging yesterday about my unrest helped bring what I want into better focus. 

Since Ron passed, I've been procrastinating on a lot of fronts. I've handled those things that were urgent, but let other things, like the writing, slide. It's been bothering me which is why I'm blogging about it again. I don't like procrastination. I don't like that I fell into that trap. And yet I know I need to allow myself some leeway. The death of a spouse changes everything. 

Ron encouraged me to write. He was amazed, and a bit envious, that I could write not one story, but over seventy stories. In the early writing years, he sent me to the computer while he put the dinner dishes in the dishwasher. Times change but the memory of the ways he supported me remain. Now I need to remember his voice saying, "don't you have a book to finish?'

Yes, Ron, I believe I do. It may still take a while, but at least for tonight, I believe I'll actually get it finished. 

    _*_*_*_*_*_*_

 KC Kendricks

My home on the web- Between the Keys: 

http://kckendricks.blogspot.com

Visit my bookshelf at: 

https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/bookshelf.html

Social media links:

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

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

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

twitter.com/kckendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

KC Kendricks, Between the Keys, contemporary gay romance, m/m romance, romance for Kindle, writers on writing, loss of spouse, procrastination, gaining focus, character bios, LGBT romance

I made it to here

June 3, 2024

I sat down at the computer this afternoon with every intention of doing something productive. 

I broke out in a cold sweat. 

Having now stared at the monitor for the last little while, I wonder if it's too soon after Ron's death to entertain the idea of getting back to writing. Then again, I remind myself that grieving for him has no end, and I need to get on with it. I know this because I still grieve for my father, and he passed in 1983.

I want to write again. I have more than a few ideas knocking about in my brain, but sitting down at the computer shoves them into a box and closes the lid. It's very strange. 

The past two months have been a whirlwind of completing task after task after task. I've reached the point where there are only a few loose threads to tie off and my beloved husband's life-on-paper will be consigned to a folder in a drawer. Perhaps this knowledge has me unsettled again. 

Sometimes introspection can be burdensome. It's good to know yourself but it's also good, at least for me, to be able to set concerns aside and write. I don't want 2024 to be the year I don't complete a book, but if it is, I'll know the reason. 

I'm sure some authors would advise me to pour my emotional unrest, my grief, into a book. That's good advice. Summer is here and the afternoons will be too hazy, hot, and humid to be outside doing anything more strenuous than sitting on the patio with a fan blowing on me. My air conditioned office would be a good place to hang out from about eleven o'clock until about six o'clock. But baring my soul when I'm not really in touch with it seems like a bad idea.

But like always, blogging has helped me focus. Blogging is like thinking with my fingers. I think I'm going to wrap this up and go back to one of the manuscripts I have started and see what "clicks" for me. After all, I made it to here so I may as well keep typing. 

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

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

Between the Keys, KC Kendricks, contemporary gay romance, m/m romance, LGBT romance, romance for Kindle, writers on writing, authors, focus, writer's block, time management

The 2023 Retrospective

 January 2, 2024

Another year has passed. My grandmother used to say that the older you get, the faster time goes. I didn't understand it as a girl, but I sure get it now.

Some days I feel like I'm in a holding pattern, or worse, traveling in circles. The changing of the seasons, the repeating calendar, and the mundane nature of daily living, while reassuring, are hardly exciting. And yet we continue on. 

The Year of our Lord Two Thousand Twenty-Three didn't hold many surprises for me. I settled more deeply into the phase of existence we call retirement. It wasn't without its perils but none couldn't be overcome. In truth, they were minor.

January 2023

I decided to update the covers for the Southern Cross series. They were pretty good, but I wanted to add a banner to each cover and create a cover collage for the overview page. I took another look at Patreon and I don't think it's for me. An old Rayne Forrest book, Step Into Tomorrow, got a new cover and a new launch since it had been off the list for a few years.

February 2023

I created a promo card for Shine A Light. I don't know why I didn't do this before, but I have it now. I finished Devilishly Delicious Dane and pushed the button to publish it. Unfortunately, I unpublished it later in the year to work on it a bit more after I had a "why didn't I think of that before" moment. February 25 marked the 40th anniversary of my first home burning, a life-altering event to be sure.

March 2023

March was a "down" month on the writing front and a busy month on the home and garden front. Seeds were planted and sprouted, cookies were baked, and time was spent watching it rain. A writing project I long wanted to do was begun - Sumner's Garden.

April 2023

April brought the closing of Saturday Evening Romance. I started that blog over ten years ago as an open promo blog for writers but it never really took off. Too many authors abused it by "spam" posting day in and day out. Blogger censored a post about Between the Moon and the Deep Blue Sea, which made no sense at all. They restored it without any hassle. 

May 2023

The garden was planted in May and immediately began to thrive. Time to work on Sumner's Garden became limited as the outdoor chores took over. Tending several acres of trees is a never-ending task and the winter clean-up was massive this year. 

June 2023

I began to hear more and more about AI (artificial intelligence) and its impact on writing. It feels fake to me and I decided it wasn't for me. I don't care if it takes me several months to complete a manuscript. I want the words to be my own. I looked into resurrecting a newsletter but June was not the time. The Lord of the Manor put his rusty mechanic skills to good use by swapping out the old motor on the log splitter to one that starts with a key. I am grateful. The tomatoes produced blossoms.

July 2023

Work on Sumner's Garden went well. I got the cover made which boosted my determination to find time to get it finished. The debate about AI heated up over AI apparently mining data from every book online with or without the author's permission. Canada was inundated with wildfires and the smoke reached some of the US's southern states. We had weeks of hazy days and could smell the smoke. There were days we only went outside to see to Deuce's needs. 

August 2023

August is harvest time. I was pleased with my garden. I put together a limited edition of Shining Victory and No One But You, the story of Levi and Stacy. It was only available until December 31, 2023, and it will be a long time until the limited edition is available again, if ever. 

September 2023

Sometimes you make a choice you don't like and so it was in September. I pulled the plug on my .com website. It started out on Yahoo, which I liked, then transferred to a different company, got transferred again and again and again until Verizon ended up with it, and that I hated. The software became unworkable, so I let it go. I still own the domain, though. I also passed a milestone at Between the Keys with blog number 1200. The garden finished and I moved on to wood-cutting season.

October 2023

The tree trimmers came and took down a huge leaning maple leaving tree carnage in the west forty in their wake. The Lord of the Manor had doctor appointments which took precedence. I ended up going back to work for eight weeks while my protégée was on maternity leave - and then she got Covid. I'd only planned for a six-week stint, but it all worked out. She's fine. 

November 2023

Finally! After struggling with the cover blurb for Sumner's Garden, I got it worked out. I pushed the button on Sumner's Garden and it went live on the nineteenth. We enjoyed a traditional Thanksgiving meal for two. It's amazing that after almost thirty years we still like each other. 

December 2023

A new story is in the works and I have an idea for the one after that. Maybe two. Time will tell. I surprised myself and got the cover finished, so that's one less thing to worry about down the road. The lack of a .com website still concerns me, and I may have to resort to hiring someone to set up a generic site and explaining it to me. It used to be so simple and I think it's been made more difficult so we do need to hire help. We'll have to see where that goes. 

_*_*_

There you have it - my 2023 retrospective. I didn't meet all my goals in 2023, and that doesn't bother me. The main thing is I stayed on a path that was true to myself. I don't think I can do much better than that. 

I have a list of things I'd like to see happen in 2024, and creating more videos about my rural living tops the list. Lack of focus is the enemy. I allow myself to waste time sitting in the garden and talking to the plants, or talking to the dog. Retirement should not equate to becoming lazy. Success will be structuring my time better, although I admit the pace I choose will give me time to simply smell the roses. 

Here's to 2024! May we all stay healthy and prosper!

KC/Rayne 

The 2022 Retrospective

The 2021 Retrospective

The 2020 Retrospective

The 2019 Retrospective

The 2018 Retrospective

The 2017 Retrospective

The 2016 Retrospective

The 2015 Retrospective

The 2014 Retrospective

The 2013 Retrospective

The 2012 Retrospective

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

A surprise accomplishment

December 20, 2023

Maybe it was the cold weather. Monday was our first really blustery day of the season. The wind was steady, the sky was gray, and even Deuce didn't want to be outside. I made a flying trip to the grocery store and settled at the computer to work. I didn't expect to go in the direction I did.

I'm into chapter four of the current work-in-progress, a story with the usual working title of, "Finish This One First." ALL my manuscripts have had the honor of carrying that title at one time or another. It's a way for me to find the right document on the list. It doesn't mean anything more than that. It's what I look for after all these years. When I have a story started, I tend to want to get the cover made. I like having that visual aid. 

When I first began to make my own covers, it took me hours to create one. I'm a little faster now. And it's easier. So, so many covers today look muddled. There isn't a distinct background, just swirls of colors and lines. It makes it easier to pull elements of pictures I have on file and fade them together. My favorite stock photo site recently closed and I had a good many credits to use before they took down the site. I didn't need to go buy a guy or two. 

I didn't expect to get the cover background completed, but I did. It was a nice surprise! It's ready for whenever I get the title. It's also is one less distraction to my writing process. It's too soon to share it, but that's okay. Now I have to concentrate on writing the story and coming up with a blurb. 

I'll be able to share more when I get farther into the story. Chapter 4 is just too soon. I could still change my mind!

 _*_*_*_*_*_*_

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, Between the Keys, book covers, LGBT gay romance, m/m romance, slash romance, writing process, contemporary gay fiction, romance fiction for Kindle, work in progress, romance manuscripts, writers on writing

Is it really a distraction?

December 9, 2023

Two decades ago, when I was a neophyte writer, I was warned to be careful of distractions. Me being me, I looked at where that advice was coming from. Certainly, a publisher and editor would urge an author not to get distracted. They didn't make any money if the writer didn't produce. But a lot of other writers in the old online groups said the same thing. 

I was pretty good at blacking out distractions - in the beginning. Being published was a new thing, an exciting thing. I didn't realize the price I'd eventually pay by isolating myself to write. I missed out on a lot to be a writer and I have a different mindset now. 

Earlier this week I got a phone call from someone asking if I were related to a person who had just passed. Sharing the last name, and knowing the origins of the name, I was sure we were related. It made me curious as to how close the connection might be. I consulted The Book. 

The Book is actually three full volumes of my genealogy. I looked up the deceased person's name and discovered we were connected - if you went back to 1751. There are three main branches in the tree and we're in the same one. 

Searching him out started me on a journey down the rabbit hole. You know the rabbit hole. The one Alice fell into. It does exist and I found it. 

Stuffed into the three volumes are copies of obituaries I've collected over the years. I saved them so that "one day" I could add them to the genealogy software I use. I had the program open so I decided I'd take five or six and get them added. You can guess how that has turned out. 

Is it really a distraction to set writing prose aside for a few days and pursue a passion? I know virtually nothing about my father's family. My father's father died when I was four or five, and my dad tended to avoid his mother, ergo, I didn't see her much in my formative years. My aunts helped a bit but they left out A LOT of family history and I recently learned why. There's a "family secret" that today is just silly. My grandmother had a half-brother born out of wedlock. He's even buried beside a family plot so why didn't anyone talk about him? I suppose a child out of wedlock was a big deal in the early 1900s, but now, not so much. I think it speaks well of my great-grandfather to marry a woman, in those days, who already had a child. 

Taking time to pursue a passion keeps us connected to ourselves. It's one of the reasons I no longer produce six to eight books a year. I could, but I don't. Instead, I stay checked into my life and what I enjoy doing (besides writing). It's the reason I started Holly Tree Manor/The Hideaway. I wanted to record my life now so that when I'm an old woman I can look back and believe I did exist and I did have a life. You may think that's a distraction, but it's important to me. 

Writing is important to me, too, but it is a lonely pursuit. To write well, we need to focus on the words. This tends to isolate us. We need our other passions to stay balanced and happy. It's up to each of us to decide where, every day, we focus our time to be happy. 

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

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, genealogy, writers on writing, m/m romance, LGBT romance, Kindle romance, passions, distractions, life balance, time management, maturing, family

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

Christmas-themed stories

November 30, 2023

It's the time of year when Christmas-themed stories flood the romance market. I went looking for a new read last evening and my search for "contemporary gay romance" yielded two pages of nothing but holiday stories.  Don't get me wrong, some of them are really good. Then again, some of them are not. I've read a few that I sensed were rushed through to meet a holiday deadline. That's the very reason I haven't done one. I don't want to rush it, yet if the season isn't upon us, I don't have the connection I need to the story. 

Then there is the possibility of such a book having a very limited shelf life. Would one leave the book on sale for the entire year, or pull it at the end of December and then re-publish it the next mid-November? 

So much of this time of the year is like that - limited shelf life. I debated about sending Christmas cards this year and decided to simply cut back and send only to those who, like me, still embrace the tradition. But as much as I like the tradition, it may be time for me to let go of it. Prices have increased. Postage has increased. The cards themselves become landfill fodder.

I am in no way saying holiday-themed stories are bad. I'm not saying we should avoid buying and reading them. I'm saying as writers, we need to make sure our Christmas stories have substance, that we don't rush to finish them. We need to assign the same worth to a holiday story as we do all of our stories. Chopping off the story in the middle of chapter three because we MUST get the book out doesn't help us in the long run. Readers are savvy. They can tell. 

Do yourself a favor and make sure your Christmas-themed story has a good shelf life. It's fine to start it this season while you've got the holiday spirit, and not have it published until next season. You owe it to yourself to create a story that will last for many holidays to come. 

 _*_*_*_*_*_*_

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, Christmas romance, contemporary gay romance, writers on writing, LGBT gay, m/m romance, Christmas cards, rural living, a writer's life, country lifestyle, Between the Keys, writing commentary