I’m not sure why, but I’ve been a bit ‘scattered’ this week. Maybe it’s an awareness of all the things I need to accomplish over the next few weeks, or perhaps it’s just the end of a long, hard winter. Whatever the culprit, my concentration is non-existent.
Part of the problem may be that I’m physically tired. With the sudden change in the temperature, I’m not sleeping well. It’s too warm for blankets, and too cold to open a window and let some fresh air in the bedroom. And have I ever mentioned my bed partner feels the need to sleep plastered to my backside?
Tired or not, the break in the weather means it’s time to start walking again. I’ve not been able to get outside on my lunch breaks since Christmas. Every day this week, I’ve made my way to the small city park I like, and made two laps around the place. It’s twenty minutes of fresh air, sunshine, and stress relief. Next month, I’ll up the walk to three laps, and then four the month after. Before too long, I’m going to try on the skinny jeans and see how they fit.
If you’re wondering what that has to do with writing, well, here’s the thing. If I’m going to ever go to writing full-time (only 2,639 days until retirement), I’ve got to have a good exercise regimen firmly established. I refuse to channel Jabba the Hut as I sit at my keyboard. A better me means better writing, or so I firmly believe.
So what’s up with the writing this week? I’m scattered. I’m coming up on the end of a story, and the floodgate of new ideas has opened. Pick one. Pick one. PICK ONE! It’s always difficult to narrow it down to the most complete idea and forge ahead. But this time, my AQP publisher helped me along, albeit unwittingly.
Amber Allure posted a call for submissions that perfectly fit one of the ideas I had in development. I even had that folder open on my desk when I saw the email. Kismet? Fate? Psychic vibes? It doesn’t matter much. I jumped onboard for the series, which means I need to get the current work-in-progress, the shapeshifter story, finished. There’s no time to dally the way I usually do.
I don’t mind the nudge to refocus and get my butt in gear. Sometimes we all need that, but I am glad Fate chose a gentle and positive way to send a message. She doesn’t always take such care with me when she has a message. Nudges are preferable to slaps, so I’ll buckle down and get busy, and hopefully next time will be a nudge, too. I can handle those.
KC Kendricks
http://www.kckendricks.com
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Spring!
March 6, 2010
Sometimes day-to-day life overruns my attempts at writing prose. I want to write prose, believe me. The words are there, ready to spill onto the page, but the countless details of the actual business of being a published author, having a day job, and the needs of family and friends roar to the forefront and are not to be denied. We do not live in a vacuum, although we may sometimes long for that bubble of cold silence to keep the world at bay so we can free the voices inside us. Bottle them up for long, and they vanish.
And speaking of vanishing…For some unknown reason, my computer blue screened on me last night. Yes, boys and girls, the new Dell, circa 2009, is NOT the machine the old Dell, circa 2003, was. Three gigabytes of RAM aside, I am not impressed. Next time, I will ask if the power switch is lighted, too. I don’t care for that feature at all. I’m worried it will burn out and I’ll have to cart the bloody thing off to be replaced. This one may not make it through full depreciation and simply become a loss.
I didn’t start blogging to bitch. Honest. Well, maybe a tad, but certainly not about my processor, which, in truth, suffices well enough for now. What I really came to share was that this morning brought a harbinger of spring to my little postage stamp sized piece of the planet I’m blessed to hold in trust and call my own. The blackbirds arrived. At dawn.
No, really. At the (butt)crack of dawn. If you’ve never had a flock of blackbirds in your treetops, you’re probably wondering what’s the big deal. Well, writer or not, words fail me to adequately describe the cacophony of sound hundreds of blackbirds can create. I’m not joking or exaggerating – hundreds of them. I woke from a rather restful sleep to all this noise and lay there, in the dark, until my brain managed to process what was going on. My first thoughts were not charitable ones about all God’s creatures, great and small. Thankfully, they disturbed one of my neighbors, who responded by firing one [loud] shot that scared the flock away.
Rising at dawn brings its own rewards. I found my slippers, pushed the button to brew the coffee, and took inventory of my now quiet world. Spring is coming.
The tips of the maple trees have pushed out tiny red buds. There is a blush of new green in the lawn.The snow has finally melted enough for me to see the green tips of daffodils and hyacinths pushing up along the edge of my back walkway. There is even one lonely clump of crocus, although it's a bit shabbier than the old photo above. Maybe today, I’ll see the first robin of the year. I feel spring coming, too, its power of renewal seeping into me, warming and lifting me like a returning lover.
I’ve much to do today, from the usual Saturday chores to a baby shower for my young second cousin. I have a special gift for her – a baby quilt that was made for me many years ago.
The blocks were embroidered by my aunt, who is her grandmother. Then it was quilted by my great-grandmother and her great-great-grandmother, a woman she never knew, but her father did, and whose name she carries. The quilt was presented to my mother before my birth. My mother treasured it, and kept it for her own grandchildren, but that was not to be. It’s fitting that after so many years kept safe in my cedar chest, I pass it to the next generation. Such are the ties that bind us.
Later, after the family celebration, I hope to settle down with the current work-in-progress, and write prose. I’m excited about this story. It’s a stretch for me, being that one of the characters is a shapeshifter. I’ve gotten to the chapter where our main hero realizes his lover has this unique little “gift,” and it’s been fun to write. I’m anxious to finish it, and see exactly how the ending will play out. The characters haven’t revealed the closing paragraphs yet.
After that, a blue-collar worker will live part of my dream vacation. He’s traveling to see the great national parks found in the United States, which is the trip I've sworn will be a retirement gift to myself. Anyway, he stops in a small town and finds someone he never expected to find. I can’t wait to get going on this one.
Spring is definitely coming.
KC Kendricks
Visit my website at: http://www.kckendricks.com
Join my mailing list at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/betweenthekeys
Follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kckendricks
Sometimes day-to-day life overruns my attempts at writing prose. I want to write prose, believe me. The words are there, ready to spill onto the page, but the countless details of the actual business of being a published author, having a day job, and the needs of family and friends roar to the forefront and are not to be denied. We do not live in a vacuum, although we may sometimes long for that bubble of cold silence to keep the world at bay so we can free the voices inside us. Bottle them up for long, and they vanish.
And speaking of vanishing…For some unknown reason, my computer blue screened on me last night. Yes, boys and girls, the new Dell, circa 2009, is NOT the machine the old Dell, circa 2003, was. Three gigabytes of RAM aside, I am not impressed. Next time, I will ask if the power switch is lighted, too. I don’t care for that feature at all. I’m worried it will burn out and I’ll have to cart the bloody thing off to be replaced. This one may not make it through full depreciation and simply become a loss.
I didn’t start blogging to bitch. Honest. Well, maybe a tad, but certainly not about my processor, which, in truth, suffices well enough for now. What I really came to share was that this morning brought a harbinger of spring to my little postage stamp sized piece of the planet I’m blessed to hold in trust and call my own. The blackbirds arrived. At dawn.
No, really. At the (butt)crack of dawn. If you’ve never had a flock of blackbirds in your treetops, you’re probably wondering what’s the big deal. Well, writer or not, words fail me to adequately describe the cacophony of sound hundreds of blackbirds can create. I’m not joking or exaggerating – hundreds of them. I woke from a rather restful sleep to all this noise and lay there, in the dark, until my brain managed to process what was going on. My first thoughts were not charitable ones about all God’s creatures, great and small. Thankfully, they disturbed one of my neighbors, who responded by firing one [loud] shot that scared the flock away.
Rising at dawn brings its own rewards. I found my slippers, pushed the button to brew the coffee, and took inventory of my now quiet world. Spring is coming.
The tips of the maple trees have pushed out tiny red buds. There is a blush of new green in the lawn.The snow has finally melted enough for me to see the green tips of daffodils and hyacinths pushing up along the edge of my back walkway. There is even one lonely clump of crocus, although it's a bit shabbier than the old photo above. Maybe today, I’ll see the first robin of the year. I feel spring coming, too, its power of renewal seeping into me, warming and lifting me like a returning lover.
I’ve much to do today, from the usual Saturday chores to a baby shower for my young second cousin. I have a special gift for her – a baby quilt that was made for me many years ago.
The blocks were embroidered by my aunt, who is her grandmother. Then it was quilted by my great-grandmother and her great-great-grandmother, a woman she never knew, but her father did, and whose name she carries. The quilt was presented to my mother before my birth. My mother treasured it, and kept it for her own grandchildren, but that was not to be. It’s fitting that after so many years kept safe in my cedar chest, I pass it to the next generation. Such are the ties that bind us.
Later, after the family celebration, I hope to settle down with the current work-in-progress, and write prose. I’m excited about this story. It’s a stretch for me, being that one of the characters is a shapeshifter. I’ve gotten to the chapter where our main hero realizes his lover has this unique little “gift,” and it’s been fun to write. I’m anxious to finish it, and see exactly how the ending will play out. The characters haven’t revealed the closing paragraphs yet.
After that, a blue-collar worker will live part of my dream vacation. He’s traveling to see the great national parks found in the United States, which is the trip I've sworn will be a retirement gift to myself. Anyway, he stops in a small town and finds someone he never expected to find. I can’t wait to get going on this one.
Spring is definitely coming.
KC Kendricks
Visit my website at: http://www.kckendricks.com
Join my mailing list at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/betweenthekeys
Follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kckendricks
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Shine A Light by KC Kendricks
SHINE A LIGHT
contemporary gay romance
available now at
Amazon, Apple/iTunes, Barnes and Noble, Kobo,
and other online booksellers
After being viciously outed by his spiteful ex-lover, Van MacKenzie, fallen Hollywood and Broadway star, lands on stage in a small town community theatre - and in the arms of set designer Shane Hollister. Van knows his attraction to the talented young man could seal the fate of his career, but he can’t resist having a ‘summer thing’ while performing at The Globe. When an act of violence catches them unaware, Van recognizes the message was really meant for him. Walking away from Shane might be the smart thing to do to keep him safe.
Shane Hollister had established himself as a Broadway set designer before his father’s accident forced him to move home to St. Charles. Needing work, Shane accepts a job at The Globe. To his surprise, the small operation equals any big city production. When Donovan “Van” MacKenzie signs on for the new show, Shane grabs the chance to have a summer fling with his big screen idol, refusing to allow Van’s past to intrude.
Shane knows he has only one chance to catch a fallen star, and keep him for his own.
EXCERPT
When I stepped out of the men’s room, Shane waited for me.
His drawn, pale face, and the dark smudges under his eyes made me pause.
“You look like hell.”
“I feel like hell. I don’t know how to make things right with you if you won’t believe me.”
“I believe you, Shane. You said you didn’t know he was coming here. Well, okay. People surprise us. I know that. But he is here, and you are involved with him, and I can’t afford the distraction.”
That wasn’t what I wanted to say to him. It wasn’t even close. I wanted to wrap my arms around him and tell him to send Doug packing. I needed him to prove to me he wasn’t planning to fuck me and any other guy at the same time. But one trick with him didn’t give me the right.
He nodded, his eyes sad. “I don’t know what else to say except I’m sorry, Van.”
The ice around my heart cracked. I managed a smile for him. “I’m sorry, too.”
Shane reached out and smoothed the lapel of my jacket, although it didn’t need it. This might be as close as I ever got to him again. God help me, but I couldn’t walk away without touching him one more time. I grasped his hips and pulled him, unresisting, to me.
His arms snaked up around my neck, holding me with his fierce, young strength. We pressed together, chest-to-chest and thigh-to-thigh. I breathed in his scent and kissed his hair, committing the feel of him to memory, then I gently pulled away.
“I’m flying back to the city tomorrow, and then driving my own car back on Tuesday. I’ll put the key under the mat and leave your car at the cabin since you have your keyless entry.”
His hands came to rest on my shoulders. “How are you getting to the airport?”
“I cut a deal with one of the boys who work at the resort. He’s agreed to be my go-fer when I need one, provided he’s off-shift.”
Shane accepted that, nodding, his gaze somewhere past me. I was poignantly reminded of his youth. Would he listen to my advice?
“Shane, if you have any doubts about Doug, do yourself and him a favor, and end it. I didn’t do that with Lynn and I paid a high price for it.”
“It’s not like that, man! I told you. I don’t sleep with him any more. That’s in the past. We’re just friends now.”
“Lot’s of things are in the past,” I told him as gently as I could. It was all over him that he wanted to argue with me, but his shoulders slumped, and his eyes had a vacant look to them. It took every ounce of willpower I possessed not to touch him again.
“Shane, what’s really wrong?”
“Nothing. You don’t want anything to do with me. Well, okay. I’ll get over it.” With that he turned and walked away, his long strides quickly putting a lot of distance between us.
I watched him go with a sinking feeling in my gut. I’d bungled that, and badly.
SHINE A LIGHT
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store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/shine-a-light-2KC Kendricks
Visit my website at: http://www.kckendricks.com
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Togetherness, house cleaning, and who's fixing lunch
Yesterday, for some odd reason, the spousal unit and I had a touch of spring fever and cleaned house. With all the snow we’ve had this year, the dining room became a staging area for dressing and undressing. Right inside the back door – shovel and the bucket of snow melt. Center of the room: four coats draped over four chairs. Gloves lined up down the long side of the table on placemats to dry. Under the table – three sets of boots, one pair of slippers, an extension cord for the snowblower and a small toolbox. At one time, we even hung wet scarves over the light fixture to dry, but at least we took those down as we went along.
Yes, the room needed a little work, and we decided the time had come. Maybe it was the need to clear a space so we could sit at the table together and enjoy Saturday morning coffee that tipped the scales. It led to the discussion of whether of not we needed a mudroom, but you know what? I refuse to sweat the small stuff, and having the dining room be messy for a few weeks, out of necessity, is really teeny, tiny stuff. I might be of different mind if didn’t have a lot of throw rugs to protect the oak floor, but hey, old towels would have worked as well. Small stuff.
After coffee, we tidied up, loaded our weapons and went to work. I put a new bag in the vacuum, and went to the opposite end of the house while he attacked the dust with furniture polish. We passed in the middle.
What was to be a simple dust and vacuum day, turned serious. Woodwork got wiped down, ceiling fans got cleaned, crystal stemware (which hang from a custom rack built by my honey over the kitchen island) got a rinse in the dishwasher. We went a little crazy for it only being the end of February with lots of wet weather to come. It was worth it, though, because we did it together.
If you’re wondering, no, helping with housework did not come naturally to the spousal unit. It took two rounds of cancer, and watching me slave at a full-time job I’m not fond of and manage a successful writing career while taking care of him and our home, for him to realize he really hadn’t done enough to carry his half of the Life Together load. I wish he’d share the details of that epiphany, because I’d write it down for future reference. But that’s history and not today.
This morning, he’s sitting in our very clean dining room, waiting for me to finish this blog entry so I can join him. I’m pondering whether or not yesterday was enough togetherness for one weekend. Chapter seven of the current work-in-progress is calling, and this chapter contains the Big Reveal. I feel like a junkie today, and I need a fix of prose more than another shot of caffeine.
I guess I’ll go join him for half an hour. I can enjoy my spotless office after I enjoy my clean dining room. If I play my cards right, he’ll fix lunch and I can bang out the whole chapter today. I wonder if he’ll take the dog out on the patio and brush him, too? I guess that depends on when the Las Vegas race coverage begins.
So, there you have it - a slice of the writing life for February 28, 2010. Not so glam, but certainly glorious!
KC Kendricks
Have you joined my mailing list yet?
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/betweenthekeys
Yes, the room needed a little work, and we decided the time had come. Maybe it was the need to clear a space so we could sit at the table together and enjoy Saturday morning coffee that tipped the scales. It led to the discussion of whether of not we needed a mudroom, but you know what? I refuse to sweat the small stuff, and having the dining room be messy for a few weeks, out of necessity, is really teeny, tiny stuff. I might be of different mind if didn’t have a lot of throw rugs to protect the oak floor, but hey, old towels would have worked as well. Small stuff.
After coffee, we tidied up, loaded our weapons and went to work. I put a new bag in the vacuum, and went to the opposite end of the house while he attacked the dust with furniture polish. We passed in the middle.
What was to be a simple dust and vacuum day, turned serious. Woodwork got wiped down, ceiling fans got cleaned, crystal stemware (which hang from a custom rack built by my honey over the kitchen island) got a rinse in the dishwasher. We went a little crazy for it only being the end of February with lots of wet weather to come. It was worth it, though, because we did it together.
If you’re wondering, no, helping with housework did not come naturally to the spousal unit. It took two rounds of cancer, and watching me slave at a full-time job I’m not fond of and manage a successful writing career while taking care of him and our home, for him to realize he really hadn’t done enough to carry his half of the Life Together load. I wish he’d share the details of that epiphany, because I’d write it down for future reference. But that’s history and not today.
This morning, he’s sitting in our very clean dining room, waiting for me to finish this blog entry so I can join him. I’m pondering whether or not yesterday was enough togetherness for one weekend. Chapter seven of the current work-in-progress is calling, and this chapter contains the Big Reveal. I feel like a junkie today, and I need a fix of prose more than another shot of caffeine.
I guess I’ll go join him for half an hour. I can enjoy my spotless office after I enjoy my clean dining room. If I play my cards right, he’ll fix lunch and I can bang out the whole chapter today. I wonder if he’ll take the dog out on the patio and brush him, too? I guess that depends on when the Las Vegas race coverage begins.
So, there you have it - a slice of the writing life for February 28, 2010. Not so glam, but certainly glorious!
KC Kendricks
Have you joined my mailing list yet?
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/betweenthekeys
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Twenty Questions?
**Since this post was originally posted, a lot of changes have happened. Between the Keys is now my home on the web.**
February 20, 2010
Well, maybe I’ve solved the problem. Maybe. I’ve added a FAQ (frequently asked questions) page to my website to give a few answers. The questions found there are from myriad sources, public and private. I selected what I think are what most people would be curious about, which doesn’t include what books I’d take with me to a desert island.
I publish and purchase electronically. I’d take all of them on the ebook reader of my choice, of course.
Good answer. I’ve changed my mind. I think I WILL add that one.
KC Kendricks
My home on the web- Between the Keys: http://kckendricks.blogspot.com
twitter.com/kckendricks
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My country life at Holly
Tree Manor
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Panic Mode
A few weeks ago, my computer got zapped with a bug. I visited a reputable review site, and POW! BAM! WHAM! It goes to show infections are not always due to careless behaviour. Anyway, I didn't worry much. I keep redundant data backups, and make sure all my software is on discs, so I hit the button, wiped the hard drive clean, and reloaded. Problem solved, with a big bonus. A clean drive is a magical thing, let me tell you.
Weeeeell, last night the latest update on Windows, or Java, or whatever the heck it was came in, and my computer did a restart. Only, it didn't. Restart, that is.
No, really. The OS didn't load. It sat there, not even blinking. This was something new and different. I know when it's time to panic, and it was time, so I did.
Think? Problem solve? Oh, no, no, no. I went into PANIC MODE. I went straight to my last resort. I ran from my office, got between my hubby and the NASCAR truck race (at Daytona, no less) and yelled for help.
Do you know how utterly infuriating it is when they just sit there and stare at you? Why didn't he feel my pain? I'm sure it had something to with my waving arms blocking the television. But after almost twenty years, he should understand how devastating this situation was, right?
Maybe he did. Who knows? Anyway, he looked at me and calmly instructed me to pull the power cord from the processor, wait sixty seconds, then plug it back in and see if it would boot.
I hate it when he's right.
KC Kendricks
http://www.kckendricks.com
Weeeeell, last night the latest update on Windows, or Java, or whatever the heck it was came in, and my computer did a restart. Only, it didn't. Restart, that is.
No, really. The OS didn't load. It sat there, not even blinking. This was something new and different. I know when it's time to panic, and it was time, so I did.
Think? Problem solve? Oh, no, no, no. I went into PANIC MODE. I went straight to my last resort. I ran from my office, got between my hubby and the NASCAR truck race (at Daytona, no less) and yelled for help.
Do you know how utterly infuriating it is when they just sit there and stare at you? Why didn't he feel my pain? I'm sure it had something to with my waving arms blocking the television. But after almost twenty years, he should understand how devastating this situation was, right?
Maybe he did. Who knows? Anyway, he looked at me and calmly instructed me to pull the power cord from the processor, wait sixty seconds, then plug it back in and see if it would boot.
I hate it when he's right.
KC Kendricks
http://www.kckendricks.com
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Somewhere between fantasy and reality
February 10, 2010
It’s snowing. If you live in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, you’re well aware it’s snowing. Last Friday, we had twenty-two inches land on my front porch. Today, five days later, there is an additional eighteen inches out there. I know because I shoveled my front porch last Sunday. Now I’ll have to do it again. No, it does not make me happy. The snow doesn’t make me happy. It has wreaked havoc with my concentration, but what else is new in this New Year?
Being home on a week day is a treat, though. It’s almost like playing hookey. Almost. The fact of the matter is it would have been the height of stupidity to leave the safety of home today.
I’ve always had this fantasy about what my days would be like – WILL BE LIKE – when I officially retire from my day job and I’m home every day of the week. Not long ago it occurred to me I was in the home stretch of my working years. By the time I walk out of my business office, and take up full time residence in my writing office, I will have worked fifty-and-one-half years. If I work until what the government says is my Social Security full benefit age, that is. Whenever I make it to full-time writer status, I’m ready.
In that perfect world, my day begins around six a.m. in a quiet house, and a slowly sipped cup of coffee. If you live with another person(s), you probably have that same appreciation for moments of quiet. If not, this is my fantasy, so stick with me here.
After a leisurely cuppa, I check my email. Since it’s fantasy, I’ve no junk mail to sort through. (You’re with me now, aren’t you?) Email handled, I get a second hit of caffeine, eat breakfast, then put on my writer’s hat for an hour or so, and bang out a chapter. A whole chapter. Without pauses or breaks. The words flow. Fantasy, remember? Once that is done, I join the household for two hours or so, and get lunch out of the way. Then I whip out another complete chapter, after which, it’s a leisurely evening on the veranda.
I really do hope my days will be something like that, but I know they won’t. Like today with the falling snow, there will always be a distraction to enjoy. Part of the fun of living is the distractions, the participation in all those little things I miss working under the umbrella of “making a living.” And while I did get some writing done today, and wish I’d done more, my day was well spent.
Maybe not every day has to be fantasy perfect. Maybe perfect days become boring, like the Weather Channel playing in a loop. Coming into the evening hours, I have a feeling of accomplishment knowing I checked in with a few friends, had some quality time with the spousal and parental units, worked at the writing, and managed a few household chores. Those things left undone do not trouble me.
Perhaps fantasy pales in the face of reality, although one can still dream.
KC Kendricks
http://www.kckendricks.com
Being home on a week day is a treat, though. It’s almost like playing hookey. Almost. The fact of the matter is it would have been the height of stupidity to leave the safety of home today.
I’ve always had this fantasy about what my days would be like – WILL BE LIKE – when I officially retire from my day job and I’m home every day of the week. Not long ago it occurred to me I was in the home stretch of my working years. By the time I walk out of my business office, and take up full time residence in my writing office, I will have worked fifty-and-one-half years. If I work until what the government says is my Social Security full benefit age, that is. Whenever I make it to full-time writer status, I’m ready.
In that perfect world, my day begins around six a.m. in a quiet house, and a slowly sipped cup of coffee. If you live with another person(s), you probably have that same appreciation for moments of quiet. If not, this is my fantasy, so stick with me here.
After a leisurely cuppa, I check my email. Since it’s fantasy, I’ve no junk mail to sort through. (You’re with me now, aren’t you?) Email handled, I get a second hit of caffeine, eat breakfast, then put on my writer’s hat for an hour or so, and bang out a chapter. A whole chapter. Without pauses or breaks. The words flow. Fantasy, remember? Once that is done, I join the household for two hours or so, and get lunch out of the way. Then I whip out another complete chapter, after which, it’s a leisurely evening on the veranda.
I really do hope my days will be something like that, but I know they won’t. Like today with the falling snow, there will always be a distraction to enjoy. Part of the fun of living is the distractions, the participation in all those little things I miss working under the umbrella of “making a living.” And while I did get some writing done today, and wish I’d done more, my day was well spent.
Maybe not every day has to be fantasy perfect. Maybe perfect days become boring, like the Weather Channel playing in a loop. Coming into the evening hours, I have a feeling of accomplishment knowing I checked in with a few friends, had some quality time with the spousal and parental units, worked at the writing, and managed a few household chores. Those things left undone do not trouble me.
Perhaps fantasy pales in the face of reality, although one can still dream.
KC Kendricks
http://www.kckendricks.com
Friday, February 5, 2010
Of winter snows and urban legends
February 5, 2010
The weather forecast for tonight and tomorrow is pretty, well, bleak. A winter storm has us in the crosshairs, and up to thirty inches of snow is possible. This is not so good. The bumper of my old Chevy truck can only push up to about twenty inches. After that, I’m stuck, with a lot of gravel lane between me and where the snowplow goes.
Actually, I don’t think I mind too much.
I just finished a story, and submitted it, last evening. It was one of the few I’ve written to a firm deadline, and I’ve discovered other people’s deadlines don’t work well for me. The writing flows much better if I stick to my own timetable. I can hear the professional writers out there snickering, saying that writing to a deadline is necessary, and I do agree. But I could have had that thing finished a month ago if a third party hadn’t set the deadline. I had way too much slack time.
And with that said, I now have to admit that I will be slacking until I get the edits for “Shine a Light,” which is due to be released February 21, 2010. Another little problem I have. Starting something new with an edit imminent. The focus wanders.
It’s time to kick back, watch the snow fall, and recharge a few creative batteries. And yet, give me a weekend away from this passion called ‘writing,’ and I’ll be like a junkie needing a fix. No joke. I must write. Here I am blogging because I know not to start a new story. I must write. God help me if the power goes out and my computer goes down for more than a few minutes. I’ll snap.
I’m not fooling anyone, even myself. I won’t watch the snow accumulate. I won’t take a nap, work a puzzle, catch up the laundry, or even read a book. If I need a recharge, I’ll slug down some caffeine. I have a new story in mind, and it’s a little different from anything I’ve done – urban legend.
Recently, I read a blog about growing and stretching as a writer, and I knew it was time to do just that. It may be the only one I ever do, or it may be the start of something wonderful. Only time will tell. But I can’t wait to get moving on it!
Stay tuned.
The weather forecast for tonight and tomorrow is pretty, well, bleak. A winter storm has us in the crosshairs, and up to thirty inches of snow is possible. This is not so good. The bumper of my old Chevy truck can only push up to about twenty inches. After that, I’m stuck, with a lot of gravel lane between me and where the snowplow goes.
Actually, I don’t think I mind too much.
I just finished a story, and submitted it, last evening. It was one of the few I’ve written to a firm deadline, and I’ve discovered other people’s deadlines don’t work well for me. The writing flows much better if I stick to my own timetable. I can hear the professional writers out there snickering, saying that writing to a deadline is necessary, and I do agree. But I could have had that thing finished a month ago if a third party hadn’t set the deadline. I had way too much slack time.
And with that said, I now have to admit that I will be slacking until I get the edits for “Shine a Light,” which is due to be released February 21, 2010. Another little problem I have. Starting something new with an edit imminent. The focus wanders.
It’s time to kick back, watch the snow fall, and recharge a few creative batteries. And yet, give me a weekend away from this passion called ‘writing,’ and I’ll be like a junkie needing a fix. No joke. I must write. Here I am blogging because I know not to start a new story. I must write. God help me if the power goes out and my computer goes down for more than a few minutes. I’ll snap.
I’m not fooling anyone, even myself. I won’t watch the snow accumulate. I won’t take a nap, work a puzzle, catch up the laundry, or even read a book. If I need a recharge, I’ll slug down some caffeine. I have a new story in mind, and it’s a little different from anything I’ve done – urban legend.
Recently, I read a blog about growing and stretching as a writer, and I knew it was time to do just that. It may be the only one I ever do, or it may be the start of something wonderful. Only time will tell. But I can’t wait to get moving on it!
Stay tuned.
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
Monday, February 1, 2010
I guess I should have listened
February 1, 2010
Here’s the outsiders view, looking in. I’ve been buried in a story, so following all the little online dramas has been out of the question. Writing comes first with me. Always. But here’s my take on the latest in the Amazon.com saga.
A few days ago, Amazon pulled all of a particular [really big, big] publisher’s ebooks off their website. Why? Because the publisher apparently thought the ebooks were under priced (at somewhere around ten bucks a pop, say what?).
It seems Amazon, that hulking giant that makes a fortune every day by selling [fill in the blank] to the world, must not know its customer’s financial limitations. I find this curious since Amazon’s only business is selling product. If there is one thing those folks know, it’s the cyber marketplace.
Not that they haven’t stumbled - George Orwell, anyone? Have your Kindle hacked, anyone? Bury the glbt books in a back cyber-room, ya dumb shits? But I think the powers that be there are capable of learning by their most public foibles. Embarrassment is a great teacher.
Today I read where those ebooks removed a few days ago are coming back, and at the higher prices the publisher wanted. Well, maybe not all the way up there pricewise, but higher than they were, okay just go with me here. As a writer, this should make me happy, right? Not exactly.
For those authors whose ebooks have just been priced out of range for so many people who are part of the ebook buying public, hey, I feel bad. I might be in the minority, but I think it far better to move five hundred copies at two bucks a download than three hundred at three dollars a download. Do the math. That’s two hundred more READERS. Without the readers, you’re done, no matter how much money you do, or don’t, make.
When I first started writing, ebooks were in their infancy. Every ebook author I came up with spent a lot of time telling people what a good thing ebooks are for planet Earth. I happen to believe that, too. Yes, a few of my stories have been put into paperback compilations, and guess what? My ebooks sell better.
Why? I think it’s the pricing more than anything else, but going green has a bit to do with it. In our current ‘green’ culture, people want to do what they can to help. Buying an ebook is a small gesture with ultimately big results when combined with millions of other people doing the same thing. I’ve saved a lot of trees, and I’m damned happy about it! Trees are the greatest air cleaners we have.
And then there is the cost of producing those five hundred ebooks as compared to five hundred pulp books. Hmm. We’ve all thought about that. No pine forest to manage. No loggers cutting trees down on reality television. No god-awful stench from water polluting paper mills. Yes, it costs to produce an ebook, just not that much.
I don’t know what the ebook royalty rate is on those previously available in hardback only books, but I wonder who gets the biggest slice of the pie. I bet it’s not the author. And that’s a shame, because for once, I think Amazon had it right. I think ten bucks is too high for an ebook in our economy today, and someone over in their New York ivory tower is going to end up wishing they would have listened.
Yeah, burn me at the stake now.
KC Kendricks
Here’s the outsiders view, looking in. I’ve been buried in a story, so following all the little online dramas has been out of the question. Writing comes first with me. Always. But here’s my take on the latest in the Amazon.com saga.
A few days ago, Amazon pulled all of a particular [really big, big] publisher’s ebooks off their website. Why? Because the publisher apparently thought the ebooks were under priced (at somewhere around ten bucks a pop, say what?).
It seems Amazon, that hulking giant that makes a fortune every day by selling [fill in the blank] to the world, must not know its customer’s financial limitations. I find this curious since Amazon’s only business is selling product. If there is one thing those folks know, it’s the cyber marketplace.
Not that they haven’t stumbled - George Orwell, anyone? Have your Kindle hacked, anyone? Bury the glbt books in a back cyber-room, ya dumb shits? But I think the powers that be there are capable of learning by their most public foibles. Embarrassment is a great teacher.
Today I read where those ebooks removed a few days ago are coming back, and at the higher prices the publisher wanted. Well, maybe not all the way up there pricewise, but higher than they were, okay just go with me here. As a writer, this should make me happy, right? Not exactly.
For those authors whose ebooks have just been priced out of range for so many people who are part of the ebook buying public, hey, I feel bad. I might be in the minority, but I think it far better to move five hundred copies at two bucks a download than three hundred at three dollars a download. Do the math. That’s two hundred more READERS. Without the readers, you’re done, no matter how much money you do, or don’t, make.
When I first started writing, ebooks were in their infancy. Every ebook author I came up with spent a lot of time telling people what a good thing ebooks are for planet Earth. I happen to believe that, too. Yes, a few of my stories have been put into paperback compilations, and guess what? My ebooks sell better.
Why? I think it’s the pricing more than anything else, but going green has a bit to do with it. In our current ‘green’ culture, people want to do what they can to help. Buying an ebook is a small gesture with ultimately big results when combined with millions of other people doing the same thing. I’ve saved a lot of trees, and I’m damned happy about it! Trees are the greatest air cleaners we have.
And then there is the cost of producing those five hundred ebooks as compared to five hundred pulp books. Hmm. We’ve all thought about that. No pine forest to manage. No loggers cutting trees down on reality television. No god-awful stench from water polluting paper mills. Yes, it costs to produce an ebook, just not that much.
I don’t know what the ebook royalty rate is on those previously available in hardback only books, but I wonder who gets the biggest slice of the pie. I bet it’s not the author. And that’s a shame, because for once, I think Amazon had it right. I think ten bucks is too high for an ebook in our economy today, and someone over in their New York ivory tower is going to end up wishing they would have listened.
Yeah, burn me at the stake now.
KC Kendricks
Saturday, January 30, 2010
A special off from AllRomanceeBooks - 50% off Jan. 30 and 31, 2010 only
January 30 and 31, 2010, only SPECIAL DEAL
This weekend only, AllRomanceeBooks.com, and Omnilit.com, have every title in the store at 50% off. Yes, that's one-half off.
You will receive 50% off on all titles purchased on AllRomanceeBooks.com and OmniLit.com through this weekend by using the code SBTBARe1.
Just add the code when you get check out, and your entire order is 50% off.
No joke. Good deal.
Check out the Smart Bitches, Trashy Books blog for more information.
Thank you, AllRomanceebooks and Omnilit for this great offer.
KC Kendricks
http://www.kckendricks.com
This weekend only, AllRomanceeBooks.com, and Omnilit.com, have every title in the store at 50% off. Yes, that's one-half off.
You will receive 50% off on all titles purchased on AllRomanceeBooks.com and OmniLit.com through this weekend by using the code SBTBARe1.
Just add the code when you get check out, and your entire order is 50% off.
No joke. Good deal.
Check out the Smart Bitches, Trashy Books blog for more information.
Thank you, AllRomanceebooks and Omnilit for this great offer.
KC Kendricks
http://www.kckendricks.com
Monday, January 25, 2010
Night Moves by KC Kendricks - now available at Amazon
** updated 4/7/2017**
Night Moves is no longer available. Tango in the Night and Give Me One Night are available as single purchases.
Give Me One Night is now available at
Amazon, iTunes/Apple, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and other online booksellers.
January 25, 2010
NIGHT MOVES
A Collection of Gay Erotic Romance
Available now at Amazon.com
Just one night can change a life.
Mix misty evenings out on the town with four men in need of second chances, and let the night make its move to bring them together. Night Moves - two stories about finding love when it’s least expected.
Tango in the Night
Jubal Graham is back on the job after a shooter took the life of his long-time partner, and sent him into a coma followed by months of rehab. Determined to have justice, Jubal is focused on finding a killer, not a new romantic entanglement. Ellis Banks, with his smoldering blue eyes and denim-clad swagger is a distraction Jubal can’t afford – or ignore.
Ellis Banks came to Philadelphia to bust a drug operation; one that connects to the same case agency legend Kentuckian Jubal Graham is working. Ellis finds himself drawn to Jubal, but Jubal holds him off. Sure that Jubal is interested, even though he wears his slain lover’s ring, Ellis mounts a determined siege.
Jubal’s surprise at having a suitor develops into a growing affection for Ellis, one clouded with old fears. Fate ripped one lover from his arms, and now Ellis is in the line of fire. Jubal’s courage can protect Ellis, but is it powerful enough to love him?
Give Me One Night
Brody O’Connor joins the revelry of the yearly pub crawl hunting a like-minded man for night of fun and frolic with no strings attached. When a mystery man in an emerald shirt engages Brody’s interest, it doesn’t take long for the hunter to become the prey.
Well-matched with his mystery man, Brody regrets his ‘no strings’ approach to a night of shared passion that leaves him hungry for more. The morning after, Evan is gone as agreed. Brody knows it was a mistake to let him go, and vows to find him.
Evan never expected to meet someone like Brody. Now Brody wants to change the rules, and Evan agrees. He’ll give Brody one more night to convince him to stay.
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
Saturday, January 16, 2010
A close run thing
To start the new year, I got a Bluetooth headset thingee. It's actually pretty cool, and has already proven to be a timesaver in the evenings. I can yak with friends and still have my fingers on the keys. Not that I can work on a story while talking, because I can't, but I can blog or check in at one of the numerous Yahoo lists. It's a tool, and it has its place.
We had "January thaw" weather today, so we took the opportunity to take down the Christmas wreaths and tidy up the yard. Since we worked so hard, our reward was dinner out.
Over coffee, my wonderful guy informed me he wanted his own Bluetooth.
I knew he wouldn't be able to stand it that I had a toy he didn't. He likes toys as much, if not more, than I do. How he lasted two whole weeks with me having a gizmo he didn't, I really don't know.
Well, I do love him, and so managed not to laugh.
But it was a close run thing.
KC Kendricks
Visit my website at: http://www.kckendricks.com
Join my mailing list at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/betweenthekeys
Read my personal blog: http://www.kckendricks.blogspot.com
Check out the MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/kckendricks
Follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kckendricks
We had "January thaw" weather today, so we took the opportunity to take down the Christmas wreaths and tidy up the yard. Since we worked so hard, our reward was dinner out.
Over coffee, my wonderful guy informed me he wanted his own Bluetooth.
I knew he wouldn't be able to stand it that I had a toy he didn't. He likes toys as much, if not more, than I do. How he lasted two whole weeks with me having a gizmo he didn't, I really don't know.
Well, I do love him, and so managed not to laugh.
But it was a close run thing.
KC Kendricks
Visit my website at: http://www.kckendricks.com
Join my mailing list at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/betweenthekeys
Read my personal blog: http://www.kckendricks.blogspot.com
Check out the MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/kckendricks
Follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kckendricks
Thursday, January 7, 2010
At the Southern Cross paperback at Amazon
**5/17/2016 update - this paperback is currently out of print**
Having an old-fashioned rural mailbox on a post is like having a magic box. When I pull up to it after long hours at the day job, I never know what I'll find. Years ago, when my grandparents were alive and lived down the lane from me, my mailbox contained all manner of goodies.
Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, green beans, tomatoes, cantaloupe - summers brought a trip around their garden. Sometimes the magic box contained a simple note. "Stop in before you go home." I knew what that meant. Homemade jelly, pies, canned soups, sometimes a complete dinner, all from the garden that day.
My old black mailbox isn't quite as magic now. My grandparents are gone, and the postal service frowns on cucumbers in "their" mailboxes. All I find in the box these days is junk mail. Almost.
Today my mailbox yielded the first copies of At the Southern Cross, the paperback compilation that contains Netting Neptune, Taming Triton, and Poseidon's Pleasure. Even though the bulk of my book buying and reading is in ebooks now, I'm still thrilled to get my hands on a hard copy of a book that I wrote.
It might be a little silly because, let's face it, I know all the words already. I've loved books all my life. Books take you to far away places and introduce you to characters you won't meet anywhere else, and that holds true for paper book or ebook. It really is about the story, not the medium.
Except for tonight. I'm off to the quiet of my bedroom and the guilty pleasure of reading my own book. A flashback to days gone by? Yes, it is, but I'm content to move along with the times. It's time to abandon my trusty laptop and invest in a Kindle.
Tomorrow.
KC Kendricks
Visit my website at: http://www.kckendricks.com
Follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kckendricks
Join my mailing list at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/betweenthekeys
Having an old-fashioned rural mailbox on a post is like having a magic box. When I pull up to it after long hours at the day job, I never know what I'll find. Years ago, when my grandparents were alive and lived down the lane from me, my mailbox contained all manner of goodies.
Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, green beans, tomatoes, cantaloupe - summers brought a trip around their garden. Sometimes the magic box contained a simple note. "Stop in before you go home." I knew what that meant. Homemade jelly, pies, canned soups, sometimes a complete dinner, all from the garden that day.
My old black mailbox isn't quite as magic now. My grandparents are gone, and the postal service frowns on cucumbers in "their" mailboxes. All I find in the box these days is junk mail. Almost.
Today my mailbox yielded the first copies of At the Southern Cross, the paperback compilation that contains Netting Neptune, Taming Triton, and Poseidon's Pleasure. Even though the bulk of my book buying and reading is in ebooks now, I'm still thrilled to get my hands on a hard copy of a book that I wrote.
It might be a little silly because, let's face it, I know all the words already. I've loved books all my life. Books take you to far away places and introduce you to characters you won't meet anywhere else, and that holds true for paper book or ebook. It really is about the story, not the medium.
Except for tonight. I'm off to the quiet of my bedroom and the guilty pleasure of reading my own book. A flashback to days gone by? Yes, it is, but I'm content to move along with the times. It's time to abandon my trusty laptop and invest in a Kindle.
Tomorrow.
KC Kendricks
Visit my website at: http://www.kckendricks.com
Follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kckendricks
Join my mailing list at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/betweenthekeys
Saturday, January 2, 2010
What the heck is a Bluetooth?
Bluetooth? I'm not sure I want to know where that name came from, but I'm about to embrace the technology. Talking with a long-winded girlfriend last night tipped the balance. I love her, I really do, but my fingers could have been busy while I listened to her talk. And talk. And talk.
One thing is certain, though. I'm not going to walk around the grocery store talking to myself.
Yeah, I know. Gimme a week, two at the outside.
KC Kendricks
One thing is certain, though. I'm not going to walk around the grocery store talking to myself.
Yeah, I know. Gimme a week, two at the outside.
KC Kendricks
Friday, January 1, 2010
Starting the New Year with a new review for Tango in the Night
January 1, 2010
New Year's Day. Having survived the top of an icy mountain last night in pursuit of a fancy steak dinner, I am staying home today. Home, where it's safe, warm and dry. So what if I'll have to (maybe) do laundry?
I enjoyed the fancy dining last night. Dressing up and going out once a year is a good thing. Sequins, cashmere, pearls - deep inside, that is the real me. Most days, though, it's jeans and sweaters - and yes, pearls. At least pearl earrings.
Traditionally, in my family, New Year's Day is when the Christmas decorations are taken down and packed away until next year. When I first moved into my own home, I followed that tradition for a few years, then decided I'd wait until the Saturday after the holiday. It wasn't long until De-Decorating Day became the Saturday after Epiphany. This year, thanks to my cat, the tree came down (literally!) early, so this morning I packed up everything else and stowed the boxes up on the cold attic.
Part of me feels sad that all that bright finery is religated to endure winter cold and summer heat in darkness. Some tiny part of me is in those boxes every year, and yet perhaps the only way to really enjoy the sparkle and glitter is to be without it for a time. The new year will fly by fast enough, and in the blink of an eye, it will be Thanksgiving, and I'll be up in the cold attic sliding the boxes down the ladder for my partner to catch.
This new year of 2010, or 2K10 as some call it, started out with a new review of Tango in the Night. Literary Nymphs gave the story 4.5 Nymphs, and a sparkling review. What kind words from Mystical Nymph! She closed the review with this: "Read this one and enjoy. I know I did." Read the full review here. My warmest thanks go to Mystical Nymph for helping me start the new year on a high note.
So now I've blogged and told everyone about the new review. I guess that means it's time to come back down to earth and do my household chores - wearing my pearl earrings, of course.
KC Kendricks
Visit my website at: http://www.kckendricks.com
Check out Saturday Evening Romance at: http://www.saturdayeveningromance.blogspot.com
Check out the MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/kckendricks
Follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kckendricks
Join my mailing list at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/betweenthekeys
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