Strange Days, Half a Lifetime

November is always a strange time in the yearly cycle of my life. November 8th marks the anniversary of my father’s passing, and this year is particularly significant. This year, I have lived half my life without my dad.

I never know how I’m going to feel when November rolls around. Some years I’ve been melancholy, reflecting about those things in my life I can’t celebrate with him. What he’d say about my writing, I don’t know. He was always proud of me, but his little girl wasn’t supposed to know about, um, you know… sex.

He was a man of few words, unless it was about the speed at which I prefer to drive. It’s not what you might think. Dad drilled it home that if I planned to drive fast, I’d better know how to make the correct split-second decision. He didn’t tell me to slow down, because he didn’t waste words.

My dad is directly responsible for my love of American muscle cars. No, not exotic, for God’s sake, as described by one reviewer. AMERICAN MUSCLE. I know by the sound if it’s got a 283 or a 327 under the hood. I know at a glance if it’s a ’67 or ’68 Camaro, and I know the difference between a big block and small block.

What he thought of having a motorhead for a daughter, I don’t know, but I know he took the time to teach me as much as he could. Very helpful knowledge when dealing with mechanics and used car salesmen. Also very helpful when sizing up a prospective mate.

This year, I find I’m sad to have lived half my live without my dad. He would have had his 80th birthday this past June, and I cannot picture him at that age. For me, he’s frozen in time at the age of 52, my age now. A young man. A handsome man with humor in his steely blue eyes. A strong man standing six feet tall whose arms were always ready with a hug.

I hope he’d still be proud of me, of the choices I’ve made, and how I’ve handled those situations where choices were made for me. I hope he’d tell me it’s okay to love my stepfather, a man who is a true blessing to my mother’s life, and to mine. I know he’d approve of my Mr. Goodwrench certified husband.

So if I’m sad right now, I know it will pass. Something mundane will happen as I go about my days, and Dad’s grin will flash in my memory, and I’ll hear his laughter. And for a moment, he’ll be beside me again.

Life is always good.

KC Kendricks

Gray Vitamins

So, I went shopping today at the local warehouse club because I needed paper products. Having a few extra dollars, I cruised the vitamin and supplement aisle, and decided it was time I start taking a multi-vitamin a few times a week. I am of a certain age now, you know, so I selected a blend for more mature individuals. Now I just have to remember I have them so I can take them, hence my saying 'a few times a week'. Don't snicker. Your day will come.

I get home and open the bottle to check out the vitamins. You know, give them a sniff and see just how nasty they might really be.

The pills are gray.

I think I'm affronted. Perhaps insulted. Gray, for heaven's sake. Is this some sort of AARP conspiracy? Someone's idea of humor? (Okay, it IS funny, but reminding me I'm fi...er... more mature is unnecessary.) I'm a boomer. I don't have to take this lying down.

On the other hand, I guess I'll pop those little gray pills and see if help me type faster. I'll just do it with my eyes closed.

KC Kendricks
http://www.kckendricks.com

Coming soon:

Taming Triton is now on sale!

October 12, 2009

Taming Triton
Contemporary gay romance

Taming Triton, the second of three stories set at the Southern Cross resort, is now available at Amber Allure. I'm thrilled to have the three-book set be released in consecutive months. Here's a bit about the story:


Austin Michaels accepts his brother’s standing invitation for a Caribbean vacation at his island resort. Some time in the sun is just what he needs to map out a plan for his future. He gets lucky and meets a handsome teacher willing to have a little vacation fling with, as long as they can keep things fun.

Steve Guthrie’s secret longings have haunted him all his life. It’s time to face his questions and find the truth of who he really is beyond a staid college professor. His love of the sea prompts him to take a vacation at a Caribbean hide-a-way for relaxation and reflection. A sexy stranger with a tattoo tempts Steve to abandon his plans, enticing him to share a vacation romp.

Now Steve’s the student in a high stakes class of one, and to pass the course, he has to tame his very own Triton.

For an excerpt, please click here.


TAMING TRITON
Available at Amazon and other online book sellers

NETTING NEPTUNE
Available at Amazon and other online book sellers

Don't forget to sign up for my mailing/announcement list at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/betweenthekeys. No chatter, just important news like new releases.

KC Kendricks

Netting Neptune - how long will the streak go?

October 6, 2009

Netting Neptune made it to #6 on the publisher's September 2009 Best Seller List. Yes, it's exciting stuff, at least to me. So far, all my new releases at Amber Allure have made the list. I know the streak can't last forever, but it is definitely fun right now.

And as an extra added bonus on the day, Netting Neptune received a 4 out of 5 rating at Reviews by Jessewave. Thanks to reviewer Aunt Lynn for her review. She doesn't usually say nice things about anyone.

Reviews are a mixed bag, even the good ones. The personal philosophies of the reviewer and the writer are seldom the same. A happy writer equals happy stories.

I believe that, as in real life, what is written on the virgin sands of the future is what matters in a relationship, not the frozen, tangled threads of the past. My message (yes, all writers have one)is that moving forward is what gets a person through life.

Maybe a positive outlook is a detriment to a writer. Maybe I need to suffer more for my art. Not.

Anyway, it was a good review, and Netting Neptune made the bestseller list, and now both items are old news. The future is in an open document on my desktop. The current story is a tough one. I'm sure the reviewers are going to crucify me on it since it deals with the possibility of one of the characters being HIV positive.

I can "hear" it now. But you know what? It's my story, and I'm doing it my way.

KC Kendricks
http://www.kckendricks.com

The Victory Series - Book Trailer

With the closing of Amber Quill Press on March 31, 2016, this blog post is woefully out of date. I had fun making the video and hate to delete it. 

******
Rainy days are best spent curled up with a book - writing a book, in my instance. It wasn't to be, this rainy day. I know of little sadder than a fog-shrouded cemetary in autumn, but supporting a friend is important. After such a morning, I didn't even attempt to advance the current work-in-progress.

Unable to abandon my craft entirely, I turned to something I've not done in many years. I made a book trailer.

The new processor tried to throw me a curve, though. It didn't come with WMP.11 on it. I tried to open some old trailers from a few years ago and throught for a moment I'd time-warped back to the 1960's, or inhaled something really strange...It was easy enough to go snag the upgrade.

It turned out well enough, and reassured me that my memory still works, at least when it comes to all things writing.

So - below is The Victory Series video, YouTube cooperating, that is.

Enjoy!!

KC
http://www.kckendricks.com

How bad do you want it?

“How bad do you want it?” I never asked myself that question until I heard the Don Henley song many years ago, but it’s become a touchstone question in my life - for everything. Maybe my subconscious recognized the question, but I never stopped and actively thought about it. Like many younger folks, I worked hard, played by the rules, and if something didn’t pan out, I merely moved on. I probably lost more than I’ll ever know by calmly accepting so much.

Guess what? I’m older now, and I don’t care if people think I’m a lady, or if I have that certain nebulous quality known as ‘class’. I woke up one morning with the realization I’ve only got about forty years left in this earthly realm. I’ve got to get moving. Screw being a lady. Screw class. Screw living by someone else’s society rules.

How bad do I want it? And what the heck is IT, anyway? That’s a question to make ‘most anyone lean back in their chair and scratch their chin. What is IT? I have a few ideas on what IT is for me. Right now, IT is fitting my ass in a pair of size ten blue jeans.

Excuse me. Ladies don’t use ‘bad’ words. I should say butt, not ass.

And how hard are you willing to work to get IT? That’s what I really grapple with. I drive by the Dairy Queen every day on my way home from work. Maybe it’s time to burn a little extra gas and go home by a different route. No, it’s time to just ignore the huge Blizzard billboard. I’m tough enough to do that. But am I committed enough to ignore the thought of a Strawberry Cheesecake Blizzard until next spring? How bad do I want those jeans?

With age comes wisdom, and patience (which I never had as a younger person). Wisdom says life is lived one day at a time. Failure on any given day isn’t fatal, not in this quest, because I will succeed more days than not.

How bad do I want IT? I guess I’m about to find out.

Available now! Netting Neptune by KC Kendricks

September 12, 2009

Netting Neptune
Contemporary gay romance
available now at
www.amazon.com/Netting-Neptune-Southern-Cross-Book-ebook/dp/B01FEST0I0

Theron Bowman is in the throes of a mid-life crisis. At forty, he needs to make some serious decisions about his future. He splurges on a two-week vacation in the Caribbean, and like everything else in his life, things go horribly awry and he ends up working to pay for his room.

Forced by his father to break ties with his family, Colby Denton came to rest on St. Lucia, and opened an exclusive resort. To celebrate his tenth year on the island, and his birthday, Colby arranges for a series of festive beachside parties. When a sexy sea god swims out of the ocean in front of him, Colby has a brand new plan – netting Neptune.

EXCERPT


“Listen, Colby, I’ll pay you once I get home. You’re trying to run a business here.”

“And I can afford to do a nice thing for a stranded traveler. Now give me the name of whatever official you spoke with, and I’ll make a few calls. Maybe your luggage will turn up.”

He pulled an envelope from his canvas duffle bag and handed it to me. The business card was stuck in the fold and I recognized the name listed. The man liked to make sure everyone knew he was in charge, but I groveled like a pro, when necessary, to get what I wanted.

“Thanks, man. I really owe you.”

I shook my head. “You really don’t, so let’s just forget it, okay? If we don’t, we’ll sit here all day and not get anything done.” I slid the cold crab dip at him. “Tell me what you think about this.”

Theron scooped up a healthy helping on a wheat cracker and shoved the whole thing in his mouth. I watched his pink tongue flick bits of dip off his lower lip. His gaze locked with mine. Very slowly he licked his upper lip. I squirmed in my seat. He didn’t even try to stop from laughing at me as he went for another cracker. I held his gaze.

“If you tease me like that again, babe, I’m gonna lick the extra off for you.”

He broke the cracker in half and handed a portion to me. “I wouldn’t want you to go to any more trouble for me.”

I took the cracker. “You’re a slick one, Mr. Bowman, but I’m known for my persistence.”

He popped a melon ball into his mouth, and swallowed. “I sorta figured that out about you.”

Before I could reply, Josie tapped me on the shoulder. “Sorry to interrupt, but you’re needed at the front desk, Colby.”

“I’ll be right there.” I turned back to my guest. “Please. Finish your meal, then come inside and find either Josie or me. Josie, if you can’t find me, please take Mr. Bowman to my suite so he can get a shower and relax for a while.”

I didn’t linger. The sooner I took care of whatever problem had occurred, the quicker I could get Theron alone. After that, I was already too worked up over this guy and it wouldn’t be smart to speculate.

Right. I planned to cast a net over my Neptune and give him a Southern Cross night to remember.

The problem at the front desk was minor. The computer had pulled one of its usual tricks. I inputted my password, the software reset, and all was well. I slipped into my office and called the local airfield. Better to start with folks who were friendly. If they had off-loaded Theron’s suitcase, then I’d grovel.

They were certain Theron’s luggage had not been removed from the plane, and had no idea how it had been missed. It was likely back in Charlotte, North Carolina by now. I made another call, this one to the States to a travel agent friend of mine. He agreed to make a few stateside calls. The suitcase had to be somewhere, and I wanted to know where. Once I had the information, a decision based on my guest’s plans was possible.

Meanwhile, Theron could borrow some of my clothes for tonight. Maybe, just maybe, I’d manage to steal a kiss, or more, before the party started. I checked the patio and he was gone, so I headed for my suite with all due haste. The sound of the shower spray zinging against the tiles greeted me.

My knees quivered with the knowledge he was behind the door, naked. I had to let him know I was here. I couldn’t let him stroll out of the bathroom in his birthday suit, all clean, smelling fresh like soap, and dripping wet. Could I?
No, damn it.

I knocked on the bathroom door and told him I was in the living area. He called back to me, his voice muffled by running water and the wooden door between us.

“What?”

I raised my voice a few decibel levels. “I said I’m out here.”

“You could be in here, you know.”

Say…why the hell not?

Through the glass shower door, Theron’s gaze slammed into mine, wanting yet wary. I paused, shivering in the steam teasing my sweaty skin. His gaze flicked down to my erection, hanging heavy, and mine went to his.

“Are you coming…in?”

NETTING NEPTUNE
Available at Amazon and other online booksellers
www.amazon.com/Netting-Neptune-Southern-Cross-Book-ebook/dp/B01FEST0I0

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

Enjoying the Labor Day weekend my way

**This post contains an updated image.**

September 4, 2009

Does a three-day weekend rate a 'halleluiah!'? I think so! I can't say as I have any real plans for the next few days, but that hardly matters. Sometimes it's good just to be home, and relax. I can probably manage to do one thing this weekend, other than play with my bookcovers, between naps. (The frame around the Surrendered Victory cover did turn out pretty good if I must say so myself.)

Make that two. If I apply myself, I can make good headway on the new story between naps. It's a big 'if', though. For some reason, napping really appeals to me.

The prevailing wisdom is you need to write something every day. Okay. I'm writing a blog before I take a nap, and I'm going to count it. I don't put a lot of stock in that old adage anyway. Working full-time, I know some evenings it, being writing, ain't gonna happen. I refuse to write garbage just to have to delete it the next night. That's silly.

I trust that even though my fingers are resting, my subconscious is not. The words will come, and when they do, they will flow. Or so it is for me in my writing process. Besides, the delete key is very scary, and I avoid it whenever possible.

So what to do on my long weekend? Now that I've actually said I want to nap, that sounds much too lazy. The southern branch of the family will probably call me when they read this and extol the benefits of napping. The northern branch will likely call and tell me I'm slothful. There's no way to win, you see.

If the truth be told, I have a little list of things I think I'd like to do. I lunched with a friend today in one of the little city parks that dot our town. The weather was perfect - sunny, not too warm, a little breeze - and I realized just how close we are to autumn.

It's time to bring in what plants I want to keep over the winter. I should go up the trap door to the attic and find some fall decorations for my dining room table. Maybe it's time for some heavier winter drapes, too. It's time to prepare my nest for shorter, cooler evenings.

And, yes, I will write. I have to. It calls to me as I go about all the little mundane chores of life. It calls to me even in the middle of the night. Whatever I do, or wherever I go, the stories are a part of me. It's what I do. It's who I am.

Have a happy, fun, and safe Labor Day weekend.

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

Blogging about Give Me One Night is more fun than working

September 1, 2009

I should be working, but I've given myself the night off. It's budget time at my place of employment, and my brain shut down the moment I walked in my back door. I don't like it when this happens, but I've learned the hard way that writing on nights like this is counter-productive. Better to wait until tomorrow evening to proceed with the new story. Besides, I discovered a new review of Give Me One Night, so I have to tell everyone about it.

It popped up in a Google alert from the I Love Books blog. Lily writes this about Give Me One Night: "The writing is solid, the characters interesting and the story flows well. If you're looking for a nicely done romantic story with a happy ending I think you'll enjoy this book."

Thank you, Lily!

And so I must turn off my computer and turn on my television. That is something you will rarely hear me say, or read that I have written. I'm not a tv watcher. However, a while back a friend sent me the first set of Dexter dvds, and got me hooked. She just sent me the third season set, and I can't wait to view them. I think Dexter is a fascinating study for a writer, even a romance writer. I love how smartly the show is written.

I'm loving the way you can get DVD sets of shows, too. Dexter, True Blood, and The Tudors - I'd have never seen them but for the DVDs. The cost of Showtime and HBO in our area is prohibitive.

So I'm off to my room. Maybe the endless, boring, mind-numbing day joy won't suck the life out of me tomorrow, and I can get some writing done in the evening. I hope so, anyway.

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

Give Me One Night webpage:
https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/give-me-one-night-by-kc-kendricks.html

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

A project finished, a new cover, and coming soon

August 29, 2009

Yea! I did it! I finished the third, and last story in my resort trilogy. Earlier today, I sent it off to the publisher along with all those nasty, required forms.

[deep breath]
Was it hard to write three stories in approximately three months? It took a lot of focus, and I will be the first one to admit I have the attention span of a gnat. So in that respect, yes, it was a challenge for me. But overall, it was a blast, and setting challenges for oneself is important for growth.

I loved introducing characters that got to appear in all three books, although each book does stand alone. It was great fun to give them a cameo, and check back with them “a year” down the road and see how they were doing.

The first story, Netting Neptune, is set to release September 12 or 13, 2009. The galley is done. I’ve got a cool blue cover, and now the truly hard part is here: waiting! Not that I’m idle while I wait. My pile of idea folders yielded my next project a few nights ago. I spent some time at my picnic table with a notepad, a glass of ice tea, and a few now deceased mosquitoes, and I’m ready to bang out the first chapter.

The cover for the second story, Taming Triton, arrived earlier this week, too. I was at work when I got the email, and had to wait hours to get home and take a look. Naturally, I loved it. My publisher does some nice covers, although I confess the Seducing Light cover is my favorite so far.

But tomorrow, I rest. It’s time to check in with family and friends and see what I may have missed these last two weeks when I kept myself buried in my work. A girlfriend is sending me her DVD set of Dexter, and I’ll have that to watch for a bit of relaxation.

Hmm. Serial killer. Relaxing. That says something about me I maybe shouldn’t reveal.

Next weekend will bring Labor Day, and what for me is the end of summer. I welcome the cooler weather. I love autumn, even though it brings a lot of work around the house. There’s something about getting the nest ready for winter that is equally satisfying to finishing a tough project.

And so it goes. Life, that is. Enjoy!

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

Facebook? What about it?

So I'm still messing around with Facebook, and I'm still sorta lost. I've got information loaded, even a book cover. But I still don't know what the URL is to tell people where to find me.

I hope sooner or later I can figure it out.

You can find me under KC Kendricks. Look for my little butterfly. It's the Baltimore Checkerspot, the official State of Maryland butterfly. Pretty little thing, isn't it? I should plant some Chelone glabra, or Turtlehead, to lure one into my yard.

KC
http://www.kckendricks.com

Roll With It (writing, that is)

August 12, 2009


This has been a wonderfully productive year for me. So productive, it's scary. I wonder if I can keep up the pace, or if I even want to keep the pace. Heck, yeah, I do! I'm having fun!

The first edit of Netting Neptune came back this week. I cringed over some of the typos. Proofreading my own work is not one of my strong points. My brain knows the story and simply fills in those missing words: the, and, to, and the pesky 's' on the end of some words. And with my usual proofreader vacationing in France, well, my apologies to my editor.

Aside from that, I'm excited about Netting Neptune. I originally had the title slated for a different story, but I had this idea and decided to run with it. That idea became Netting Neptune, Taming Triton, and Poseidon's Pleasure. I'm sure you see the sea theme working there. I'm nearing the end of Poseidon's Pleasure, and I confess experiencing a bit of sadness that I'll be leaving my island world for other settings.

But new settings bring a certain level of excitement to my writing process. With the Internet, the world is at my fingertips, and I get to go exploring. Pretty cool. I learned a few things in my seaside realm, and building on that new knowledge is exciting, too.

Now I must get back to the edit, but I invite you to visit my website and check out the Netting Neptune page. And while you're there, why not take part in the Two Lips Third Anniversary contest? Find the banner on my site, click on it, and get the details. Lots of stuff up for grabs, and this is the one and only contest I'm involved in this year. Good luck!

KC Kendricks
website

Ode to the Over-Educated

Never talk religion, politics or sex. Isn't that what they used to say? Well, guess what? That just flew out the window on a three-fer.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090805/ap_on_re_us/us_psychologists_gays


I don't know how long that link will be good, so here's the upshot of it. After an extensive study, the American Psychological Association has declared that mental health professionals should not tell gay clients that they can become straight through the use of therapy or other treatments. Therapy can still be helpful, same as for anyone of straight sexual orientation with issues, and should be a positive experience for the patient.

I suppose I'm a little appalled that in 2009 we really needed a study and a declaration to help mental health professionals come to that conclusion.

KC
website

No One But You - now available

No One But You - #5 Best Seller at Amber Allure

Thanks to everyone for sending No One But You to the #5 Best Seller slot on the July 2009 Amber Allure list! This puts me at an amazing six for six hitting it. Thank you! Thank you!

I can't say as I expected this to happen. So far, there aren't any reviews back on No One But You, and I DID expect that. There's a strange phenomenon in this writing business - new authors get reviewed right and left. With each subsequent release, the reviews get harder to come by. It's not that reviewers no longer enjoy your stories, they're just looking for the next new (big) thing.

If I were new at this writing life, I'd likely find that disappointing. So to those of you who are new - don't let it bother you. Keep writing your best stuff because it's the readers that count the most.

So, one more time to my readers, because you can never say it enough, thank you for making No One But You the #5 best seller at Amber Allure July 2009!

KC Kendricks
http://www.kckendricks.com

Beautiful

I've been on the hunt this morning, pointing and clicking to my prey. It's not for me
that I do this, rather it's for my darling housemate, he who is pretty much computer illiterate.

I don't say that as any sort of criticism, believe me. I watch him work on engines, and while I get what he's doing, I can't follow in his wrench tracks. So it is with him when I'm on the computer. It's a balanced relationship. I tell him to keep his virus protection updated and he tells me to keep air in the tires.

On Fridays, I breeze in the back door stoked for the weekend. Dogs, cats, and man scatter out of my way as I bolt for my old ratty cut-off jeans and a tee shirt. Yesterday, I walked in the door and froze. On my hubby's monitor screen was a very small copy of the Farrah poster. You know the one.

My over-sixty, balding, slightly pouchy, and definitely myopic man greeted me with a very sheepish, "hi."

Yeah, baby, you're busted. I already saw it. Ya old lecher.

I tried, I really tried, not to laugh at him, but if you'd seen his face, you'd have laughed with me. Then he looked at me and said, sadly, that was the biggest picture of the poster he could find. What else could I do but offer to find a higher resolution of it for him?

And for me.

I miss the way I was in the late seventies. Free, on my own for the first time. Still innocent about the ways people hurt other people. Still unaware of impending betrayals and the breaking of promises. Believing in the myths of marriage and life never ending. The Farrah poster somehow captures that era, freezing it in one perfect moment.

Those days are gone, but never forgotten, just like a beautiful woman with a bright smile.

KC Kendricks