G is for Google Guilt

Welcome to the 2012 A to Z Blogging Challenge. This year I’m focusing on things I’ve learned, observed and experienced in the nine years I’ve been published. If you’re a reader, I hope to offer an inside glimpse into the writer’s world. If you’re new to writing, I hope I can provide an insight or two. If you’re an established writer, maybe you’ll see similarities to your experience. Whatever path you walk, I welcome you to mine and hope you’ll enjoy the 2012 A to Z Blogging Challenge.

On Being a Published Writer
A to Z Blogging 2012
April 7, 2012
Day 7

I love Google.

It’s true. Google puts the world at the fingertips of billions of people. It’s a fabulous tool and I utilize it to the fullest. Any topic I want to learn about, Google can find a page for me, and not just about writing. It’s about the entire world.

I probably don’t need to extol the virtues of a good search engine to anyone. Alta Vista, the first one I used, is still around. There’s Bing, Ask, HotBot, Yahoo, Excite. The list goes on and on. I just happen to like Google for the necessary “G” word today, and as a way to segue into the real topic for today – guilt.

No, it’s not guilt for taking time away from your family and friends to write. We all do what we must to make our writing career work. And it’s not even about that dark chocolate candy bar you have stashed in your purse so you don't have to share it. (Guilty!) Today I want to talk about Google Guilt.

Google Guilt is what some other authors might just try to lay on you for using a search engine to unearth information for a story. Don’t buy into it.

Which is better?
A) The author adds just enough flavor to the prose to excite readers into going to Google to learn all about Belo Horizonte – or whatever the topic – for themselves.
OR…
B) The author who fills page after page with the smallest minutia meant to impress his/her reader with her/his intimate knowledge of the subject because, after all, they’re an expert, but instead of impressing, it bores.

I suppose it’s all in what you like, but I’ll take “A” any day of the week.

My point is simply this: It’s your story. Write it your way using whatever means are at your disposal to do so and to he$$ with the rest of us know-it-alls. Check your facts and keep your page links so you have the ammunition to prove your research to your editor, too. She’s your beta reader and it's her job to make you “prove it.”

It’s the how the reader perceives the finish product that is important. Excite their interest!

And no Google Guilt allowed.


KC Kendricks
Website

F is for First Person Fiction

Welcome to the 2012 A to Z Blogging Challenge. This year I’m focusing on things I’ve learned, observed and experienced in the nine years I’ve been published. If you’re a reader, I hope to offer an inside glimpse into the writer’s world. If you’re new to writing, I hope I can provide an insight or two. If you’re an established writer, maybe you’ll see similarities to your experience. Whatever path you walk, I welcome you to mine and hope you’ll enjoy the 2012 A to Z Blogging Challenge.

On Being a Published Writer
A to Z Blogging 2012
April 6, 2011
Day 6

Before you read this post, be advised of one thing - opinions like this will not win you friends. I suggest you leave this out of your blogging repertoire. Nevertheless, I believe this is something that needs to be said and I’m at the place in my career where I can say screw the naysayers. You might not be.

Make no mistake. Writing in the first person is very difficult to those who don't know how.

The author must immerse herself/himself totally into the character to create an intimate bond with him/her - and exploit it. The mental and emotional relief of shifting to another character’s point of view is unavailable. For only by that total immersion can the first-person story be brought to life.

There is a Great Debate about whether or not fiction written in the first person is saleable. Many authors boldly criticize first person fiction claiming readers don’t like it. Reviewers, many of whom are published writers themselves, will criticize from behind the anonymity of their reviewer persona. (Read another opinion that won’t win friends when we get to the letter ‘R’.)

Until very recently, all my stories were written in the first person. I decided to do a little experiment and write a story in the third person - Highway Nights. Sales of that book have not surpassed sales of the books I’ve written in the first person. By all accounts and opinions contrary to my own, sales of that book should have outdistanced my other books two to one based simply on the fact it's third person. It didn’t happen, which leads me to one singular conclusion, which will not be popular.

Those who can write in the first person do, and those who can't nitpick about it.

Don’t let anything said here - or anywhere else - dissuade you from writing in the first person if you desire to do so. If you want to try it, you should. It is, at the very least, an exercise that will strengthen your ability to write more depth into your character’s point of view.

And if your story reads good to you, don’t let anyone tell you that you shouldn’t submit it, or that it won’t sell. Believe me when I say “they” don’t know all “they” think they do.

Anytime your instincts tell you you’re more than a one-trick pony, listen and obey. You’ll never make a wrong move if you follow your voice. And if you decide you need to stick with the third person then you should.

But never cut yourself off from trying something new, and learning more about yourself and your craft, based on someone else’s inability to do it.

Never sell yourself short.

KC Kendricks

My home on the web- Between the Keys: 

http://kckendricks.blogspot.com

Visit my bookshelf at: 

https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne.html

Social media links:

twitter.com/kckendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards

instagram.com/kc_kendricks

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

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

E is for Endings

On Being a Published Writer
A to Z Blogging 2011
April 5, 2012
Day 5


Guilty as charged! The accusation has been made that a KC Kendricks book reads like a, well, a KC Kendricks book! And the ending of a KC Kendricks book will generally have a wrap-up that takes place three to six months after the characters make the commitment to see how things might work out in the long run for them.

Endings are not easy. Too abrupt, and the reviewers hammer you. Too long, and the reviewers hammer you. It pays to remember those who criticize can’t do it any better and ignore them.

Beating your head on your desk is pointless and unproductive, not to mention painful. So what’s an author to do?

First off, accept the fact that perfect endings are few and far between. You don’t want to abandon the characters you love. The readers don’t want to be forced to close the book on the characters they’ve come to love. But the book has to end somewhere.

I struggle with each and every ending. I want to leave the reader feeling good about the characters and their future. If I can infuse the reader with a sense of hopeful completion, I’ve done what I set out to do.

So how does the writer do that?

I think it begins by envisioning the characters as settled into their relationship. What’s the form of their pairing? Did they marry? Are they still monogamous? Those questions are secondary to asking are they happy together? That’s the crux of the issue. A good ending in romance fiction will show the main characters happy and hopeful for their future. It doesn’t matter if they’re on the sofa watching a movie or cleaning the garage.

I also happen to think the ending is a great place for the “fade to black” sex scene, provided you’ve already got a lot of heat in the story. Using the fade-to-black at the end without any prior heat won’t make anyone happy. Using it after the heat leaves the reader feeling upbeat.

Just like how you develop the story, go with your gut instinct. If you don’t like the ending, rework it. If you think you’ve gone overboard, rework it.

If you read it and wonder if you should maybe perhaps tweak it just a wee bit because, well, this word could be a little better if I just maybe change it to something else but I don’t know what….LEAVE IT ALONE.

The End.

KC Kendricks
Website

D is for Development

On Being a Published Writer
A to Z Blogging 2011
April 4, 2012
Day 4


Welcome to the 2012 A to Z Blogging Challenge. This year I’m focusing on things I’ve learned, observed and experienced in the nine years I’ve been published. If you’re a reader, I hope to offer an inside glimpse into the writer’s world. If you’re new to writing, I hope I can provide an insight or two. If you’re an established writer, maybe you’ll see similarities to your experience. Whatever path you walk, I welcome you to mine and hope you’ll enjoy the 2012 A to Z Blogging Challenge.

Somewhere in the deep, dark recesses of my computer is a file labeled “hints and tips” - or something like that. It contains copies of all those sundry things that circulated back in the day when I was a newbie. In those times, it was all on Yahoo groups. These days, it’s all on blogs, which is better because of the search engines.

As a fledgling professional writer, I worried about being a One-Book-Wonder. What if I couldn’t develop another story? HOW did I develop another story? I looked at all the information and listened to the din of voices and felt beyond lost.

Volger’s twelve steps to a blockbuster. The conflict box. Conflict worksheets. Plot charts. Plot workbooks. Plot grids. Plot storyboards. Character information pages. World building worksheets.

It’s a miracle I didn’t give up. I’m sure many have been overwhelmed by the din, which is a shame and a disservice to those individuals, our sisters and brothers in this creative passion.

While things like plot worksheets and how-to articles are intended to be helpful, none should be taken as a writer’s personal Bible. That’s something each writer has to develop for his/her own self. Or not.

Take a deep breath here.

As a lifelong reader, I already knew everything contained in the above-mentioned writing tools. But as a newbie, I was slow to realize I knew it. I never dissected the books I loved best for the technical reasons they were so good. I never even thought about the "why." It was all about the story, and that’s the way it should be for the reader.

When I reached the point where I needed to develop the next story, and the next, I discovered the only way I can do it is from my gut. I did try to follow a plot workbook for a while, honest I did, but when I started to write the prose, the characters refused to follow the form. I felt guilty. Why couldn’t I follow a simple W-plot outline? Well, I finally (slowly) figured it out.

Because I didn’t create it for myself, that’s why. And as for the characters taking a sudden left turn at chapter five, did that make me a plotter or a pantser? Yes, it did. It made me both, and that, in my humble opinion, makes for a better writer. Never be unwilling to abandon your original idea for the current story and run with your characters.

Development takes as many individual forms as there are writers. Don’t be afraid to try all the help aids or to abandon them. (You can use any search engine and find the ones I mention.) You might write six stories straight from your gut and then need to fall back on one of the help aids for number seven. There is no right or wrong, only what works for you with each individual story. You may well find it's different every time. It is for me.

Whether you use one simple descriptive word for each chapter (I use “boink” for the first love scene which has occasionally taken a lot of pages to get from foreplay to afterglow), or a detailed outline, don’t shy away from the conscious thought process of development.

The more you practice your craft, the easier it becomes to develop the next story. A line of dialogue in a movie can trigger an entire plot. A picture on the Internet can inspire a setting. Make it a conscious process and pretty soon it's second nature and unconscious. It will become a part of who you are and you'll find inspiration at every turn.

Take that inspiration and follow your instincts. Let the process become as unique to you as your voice. Allow the process to feed your creative juices. You have the best of both worlds. You are the writer and the first reader of the story. Enjoy it!

KC Kendricks
website at: http://www.kckendricks.com/
blog: http://www.kckendricks.blogspot.com/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kckendricks
mailing list at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/betweenthekeys
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1989106.K_C_Kendricks
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/people/Kc-Kendricks/1439574042
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/kckendricks

C is for Contracts and Conventions

On Being a Published Writer
April 3, 2012
Day 3
A to Z Blogging Challenge 

Oh, my goodness the offer of that first contract! It was a Saturday night and so I checked my email and there it was. The Offer.

I screamed. I cried. I scared my poor partner right out of his recliner (no mean feat, that).

It was surely a magical moment. Looking back with older, wiser, and sometimes jaded, eyes, I see how fortunate I was to land with a reputable company.

Of all the advice I could give you about any contract, the best would be to read it and understand it. If the language isn’t plain enough for me to understand without legal counsel, I’m going to turn it down. What are they hiding in all the mumble-jumble? I don’t care to get burned to find out.

These days, there’s less magic in a new contract, maybe because I understand what to expect each time through the process that takes the author and publisher to release day. I know what can go wrong. And being an older hand at this, I know just because some publishing house offers me a contract doesn’t mean I’m going to jump to sign it. I don’t have to – and neither do you.

A bad contract is a thousand times worse than no contract, so use your head. If you have questions, ask them. If you don’t like the answer, give the contract a pass. Don’t worry. There will be more offers. Don’t be in such a hurry to get published, or get into company XYZ, that you bind yourself up in misery. And that is some of the best advice I can give you.

***

Conventions. I’ve been to one and it was absolutely fabulous! If I could afford it, I’d go to a convention every month.

Yes, it was a hassle to drive four hours to get there. Yes, the food was lousy. Yes, the hotel was in the middle of renovations. But what could be more exciting than twelve hundred people speaking my language? Nothing in the intervening years has come close.

I went to 2007 Romantic Times Pittsburgh with one purpose in mind. I didn’t make any agent or editor bookings. I didn’t sign up for the book fair. I went so I could quietly observe the actions of publishers, editors and other writers. I came away from Pittsburgh convinced of the validity of my future in epublishing, and with valuable insights on career paths to avoid. In my opinion, knowing where not to go is equally important with knowing where I should go.

A convention on the scale of Romantic Times is the publishing world encapsulated. If you have the opportunity to attend conventions, you owe it to yourself to go. Observe. Participate. Talk to the people around you. Absorb everything you can from everyone you come in contact with, even the guy behind the coffee bar.

This is your business. Use everything at your disposal to learn it well.

You’re a writer, and everything you learn will feed your passion and create your success.

KC Kendricks

My home on the web- Between the Keys: 

http://kckendricks.blogspot.com

Visit my bookshelf at: 

https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne.html

Social media links:

twitter.com/kckendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards

instagram.com/kc_kendricks

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

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

Between the Moon and the Deep Blue Sea

April 2, 2012

As part of the A to Z Blogging Challenge 2012, I'll be posting bits from my backlist in addition to the regular "alphabet" posts. Please remember I write for a mature audience when clicking to read excerpts. - KC

Between the Moon and the Deep Blue Sea
excerpt at http://www.kckendricks.com/BetweenMoonSea.html


Chad Collier’s had enough of providing stud service to rich men. It’s true he’s had more fun than any one man deserves, but now it’s time to make a plan for the rest of his life. At the urging of a mentor, he takes a leap of faith and breaks with his old ways. Yet a job interview lands him smack in the path of Darcy Paulson, the sort of rich man Chad vowed to avoid.

Darcy Paulson came of age as the prodigal son in a wealthy manufacturing dynasty. Every man he’s ever met has been after his money, until Chad Collier shows up on his doorstep. Darcy finds Chad prickly, standoffish, and utterly irresistible. Smitten by Chad’s dark good looks and determination to stand on his own two feet, Darcy is happy to give him an opportunity. It doesn’t take long for them to figure out that some private, no-strings fun is what they both need.

An unexpected event brings them face-to-face with the truth. The magic that happens between the moon and the deep blue sea is something a man can’t own, and it can be fully experienced only in the arms of a lover...

KC Kendricks
Visit my website at: http://www.kckendricks.com/
Follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kckendricks
Read my personal blog: http://www.kckendricks.blogspot.com/

B is for Book

On Being a Published Writer
A to Z Blogging 2012
Day 2
B is for Book

Welcome to the 2012 A to Z Blogging Challenge. This year I’m focusing on things I’ve learned, observed and experienced in the nine years I’ve been published. If you’re a reader, I hope to offer an inside glimpse into the writer’s world. If you’re new to writing, I hope I can provide an insight or two. If you’re an established writer, maybe you’ll see similarities to your experience. Whatever path you walk, I welcome you to mine and hope you’ll enjoy the 2012 A to Z Blogging Challenge.
* * * *


Book – noun. A set of written sheets of skin or paper or tablets of wood or ivory. -Mirriam-Webster online
From the time of Johannes Gutenberg until Stephen King’s Riding the Bullet (the first ebook I heard about) books were printed on some form of paper. Almost six hundred years is one heck of a good run, don’t you think?

The printed page was the standard, the norm, the expected. Suddenly, that one bullet changed the world (as bullets often do). Now we read media on our computers, our laptops, our tablets, our Kindles, our Nooks, our cell phones, and yes, we can still read them on good old paper.

So is it fair to continue to call all this non-papered media books? E-books have been around for over ten years now and the question persists. Those who started their careers in print and had good success are often uncomfortable with the notion of calling a story sold digitally a book. I can personally testify to this based on my experience at the Romantic Times Convention in Pittsburgh, 2007.

One of the grand dames of my mother’s style of romance was beside me in line and upon learning I was e-published admonished me to follow the guidance of the Romance Writers of America. I chose to continue to follow my heart instead – thank heavens!

I'm proud to be able to say I’ve been an e-book author for nine years now, in one incarnation or another. I see the same arguments against ebooks and epublishing presented today as I saw in 2003. I’m reminded of the wonderful Billy Preston song, “Will It Go Round in Circles.” Yes, it all goes round in circles.

Times HAVE changed. Epublishing is coming into its own, claiming a bigger percentage of the romance industry. For 2009, the RWA reported ebooks claimed $313.2 M of the romance market. I think it was a lot more because many e-publishers do not report their sales to the RWA. Why should they when the RWA has historically refused to acknowledge and support them, and the publishers have proven they can do business without the RWA? Will it go round in circles? Yes.

More and more “print” authors are finding their way into the e-publishing arena. (Why do you think that’s happening?) So are they still writing books, or are they now writing media with those they used to look down upon?

The question of why they’ve turned to ebooks has already been answered – money. Will they try to say their royalties aren’t any more real than the ebooks that earned them? Will it go round in circles? Yes.

For me, a book is a book is a book. I write the manuscript and a publisher turns it into a finished product that is marketed as a book. I don’t feel the need to split hairs or redefine the language. In our modern usage, a book is a story told by the written word regardless of the media upon which the words appear in order to be read and enjoyed.

I write books.

KC Kendricks
website at: http://www.kckendricks.com/
blog: http://www.kckendricks.blogspot.com/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kckendricks
mailing list at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/betweenthekeys
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1989106.K_C_Kendricks
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/people/Kc-Kendricks/1439574042
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/kckendricks

A is for Author

April 1, 2012
2012 A to Z Blogging Challenge
Day 1
On Being a Published Writer

There is no one more important to the publishing world than the author.

The entire publishing industry rises and falls with those authors willing to publish their intellectual property.

Without the author, there are no stories.

Without the author, there are no books.

Without the author, there are no readers.

Without the author, there is no publishing.

Each and every one of us is absolutely vital to our industry. There are no exceptions.

Each and every one of us has something so unique to offer that only the individual can provide it.

Each and every one of us is deserving of the respect of our peers and our publishers. We are created equal and that equality has nothing to do with sales numbers.

Each and every one of us is entitled to the protection of copyright.

One very serious problem I’ve witnessed over and over throughout my years of being a published author is that too few of us realize our own value. This must change.

Authors are the publishing industry.


***
Welcome to the 2012 A to Z Blogging Challenge. This year I’m focusing on things I’ve learned, observed and experienced in the nine years I’ve been published. If you’re a reader, I hope to offer an inside glimpse into the writer’s world. If you’re new to writing, I hope I can provide an insight or two. If you’re an established writer, maybe you’ll see similarities to your experience. Whatever path you walk, I welcome you to mine and hope you’ll enjoy the 2012 A to Z Blogging Challenge.


KC Kendricks
website at: http://www.kckendricks.com/
blog: http://www.kckendricks.blogspot.com/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kckendricks
mailing list at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/betweenthekeys
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1989106.K_C_Kendricks
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/people/Kc-Kendricks/1439574042
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/kckendricks





 

A Hard Habit to Break by KC Kendricks

April 1, 2012

As part of the A-Z Blogging Challenge, in addition to my "alphabet" posts, I'm going to run through my backlist, just for fun. -KC


A HARD HABIT TO BREAK

As the reigning stud of the local gay club scene, every guy in the county knows Travis Templeton, and vies for his attention. Travis wears his crown lightly, careful not to break any hearts. He knows what it’s like to really love someone who doesn’t love you back-at least, not in the way you want.

Heath Kelley made the biggest mistake of his life the night before his best friend Travis left for college. One small action snowballed into years of silent misunderstanding and empty distance. When Heath accepts a transfer that sends him to his hometown, he doesn’t know Travis has moved back home, too. It doesn’t take long for the men to reconnect.

Admitting they never stopped thinking of each other as “best friends” is easy. Forgiveness of past sins is easy, but confessing their secrets comes harder. When Heath discovers the truth about Travis’ private life, the newly repaired bonds of friendship are stretched taut.

It’s time for Travis to choose – the love of his best friend, or a life of being second best.

Excerpt:

The ghost of his lips slid coolly over mine like they had so many times over the years, a phantom whisper that raised gooseflesh on the back of my thighs and buttocks. Travis fixed me with a stare far colder than my memories. His angry, hurt voice froze my insides.

“You had what I wanted, Heath. You were normal. You dated girls. You fucked girls.” He sucked in a deep, difficult breath. When he spoke again, the anger was gone, but not the hurt.

“Then you kissed me and brought the very thing I hated right to my bed. How could you do that to me? Why didn’t you tell me you were really gay?”

Stunned, my knees wobbled, and I leaned back against his car before they gave out and I ended up on the pavement. Never had I imagined he felt such self-loathing. I hadn’t seen it, but then I’d been just seventeen. Liking some girls muddied the water for me, and I never thought of myself as anything but straight, back then.

What I felt for Travis was special, outside everything, and everyone, else. He was my best friend. I was a senior in college before I dared put a name to my sexuality, and begin to accept what it meant. I took a chance he wouldn’t shake me off, and grasped his elbow. He trembled under my fingertips.

“Travis, I’m sorry. I didn’t know. How could I?”

He shivered, like he had a sudden chill. The anger left his beautiful eyes, to be replaced by a great sadness.

“I’m sorry, too, Heath. I didn’t know how to tell you. I thought you’d hate me.
I thought you’d run away from me, and then I ran away from you.”
My chest ached. Thirteen years lost.

“I could never hate you, Travis. There was a lot I didn’t know about my teenage self. So much I didn’t understand.” I took a deep breath. “The truth is, I’m bi.”

His eyebrows drifted up. He blinked. I nodded and rolled my eyes at him.
“Don’t look at me like I’m speaking a foreign language.”

Travis swallowed, hard, his Adam’s apple moving convulsively. “Um, sorry. Not that you’re…Your mom… I mean, I thought… is Dani a man or a woman?”
It was my turn to blink. “How’d you hear about Dani?”

“Your mother mentioned her.”

Fuck.

“Well, buddy, Dani is a guy. Daniel.”

“That’s not what I heard, man. Your mother thinks you had a live-in girlfriend.”

I snorted. How was he going to handle this bit of information?

“Well, Travis. Dani is fucking hot in a skirt, and on the telephone, it would be easy to jump to several conclusions.”

He blinked owlishly. “I see.”

I doubted it. Dani did standup comedy in full drag regalia, and it was damn funny.

Travis slumped against the fender beside me, our shoulders brushing. “You still want to go get that pizza? I really have to eat something so my glucose level doesn’t bottom out on me.”

That sounded like my old friend. “Do you still run for fun?”

Travis treated me to a real grin. “Yeah. Gotta feed the machine. Do you still run?”

I shook my head. “It wasn’t the same without you. Maybe I can get back into it, though. What do you think? Will you help me start training again?”

He looked pleased as he nodded. “Sure. It’ll help us get to know each other again.”

I leaned a little closer. “So, you’re not going to blow me off?”

Travis drew back like I’d struck him. Too late I realized the double-entendre. I grabbed his arm.

“Oh, no. No, man, I did not mean I wanted…I meant you weren’t going tell me to go to hell and then run away again.”

His eyes narrowed. “What? I’m not good enough to give you a blow job?”

We’d veered into very murky waters, the potential for disaster suddenly and exponentially increasing. We’d just reconnected, and the only thing that kept me from throwing my arms around him and never letting go was fear he’d bolt again.

As for blow jobs, I’d go to my knees for him anytime he snapped his fingers and pointed at the spot, but I didn’t dare tell him that for the exact same reason.
“Lord, Travis. Let’s not talk about sex just yet.”

To my surprise, he chuckled. “Heath Kelley, backpedaling. I’m amazed I lived long enough to see it happen.”

“Laugh all you like. We can talk sex over lunch.”

Travis turned to me, arms crossed over his chest, his hip against the car.

“No, Heath. We won’t talk sex. You’ll always be my best friend. Hell, you’re more than that. I’ve missed you so much.” He paused and took a deep breath.

“Sex is off limits, Heath. I don’t want to talk about it with you, and as friends, we’re not going to do it.”

He might think that, but I knew better.

A HARD HABIT TO BREAKA Hard Habit to Break is book one of the Men of Marionville series.

Available now at Amazon, iTunes, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and other online booksellers. 

KC Kendricks

My home on the web- Between the Keys: 

http://kckendricks.blogspot.com

Visit my bookshelf at: 

https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne.html

Social media links:

twitter.com/kckendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards

instagram.com/kc_kendricks

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

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

The 2012 A to Z Blogging Challenge Kick-off!

March 31, 2012

Tomorrow is the big day. I'm ready.

I've plotted and planned, set my schedule, written the entries and gathered the pictures. The exercise in discipline is complete. All that remains for me to do is make sure the daily post shows up properly. It's all good from here!

This year I'm blogging on twenty-six things that will give a glimpse into my writing world. I've titled the series, On Being a Published Writer. It's all about my experiences, and I hope you'll find some nuggets you can use in your own career.

Thank you for being a part of the A to Z Blogging Challenge 2012.

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

blog: http://www.kckendricks.blogspot.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kckendricks
mailing list at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/betweenthekeys
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1989106.K_C_Kendricks
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/people/Kc-Kendricks/1439574042
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/kckendricks

It's about time, you know

I've been blogging for a good number of years now. For whatever reason, the time has come to start using the PAGES feature here on Between the Keys.

Why now? I guess I finally decided what needed to be on a page. So check out the first "page" on The Men of Marionville series.

KC

St. Patricks' Day - Give Me One Night

March 17, 2012

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

Brody O’Connor joins the revelry of the yearly St. Patrick's Day pub crawl, hunting a like-minded man for a night of fun and frolic with no strings attached. When a mystery man in an emerald green 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 also never expected to meet someone like Brody. Now Brody wants to change the rules, and Evan decides he’ll give Brody one more night to convince him to stay...


EXCERPT: (from Brody's point of view)

My quarry stood at the bar, sipping what appeared to be a soda. I stepped into the whirling lights, planted my feet, squared my shoulders, put my hands on my hips, and waited for him to spot me. It didn’t take long.

He looked me up and down, a slow, lazy appraisal that focused my attention on his face. Then he smiled and lowered his eyelids with a slight nod of his head.

In that instant I knew something about him there are no flowery or romantic words for – only gut instinct. He wanted me to fuck him.

My body responded to the knowledge. Arousal snapped through me, sending shivers down my spine. My nipples, sensitive as any girl’s, tingled to the point that the fabric of my sweater rubbing against them became deliciously painful. My cock swelled to its full seven and three quarter inch glory in a single pounding heartbeat.

I’d fuck him until he was limp as a rag doll in less time than that if I could get my hands on him.

His chin lifted, the knowledge of the game joined in his eyes. I gestured for him to join me on the dance floor. He smiled and weaved his way through the crowd in my direction. A dancer whirled between us and I bolted for the door, no doubt in my mind he’d follow.

I made it to my car in time to see him step out the door, pause, and look around. He handed something to the bouncer cum doorman. His keys?
He allowed others to drive his Jaguar? The man held stunning, hidden possibilities.

Sure enough, the burly attendant loped across the street and out of my line of sight. Within a minute, the Jag whirled into view and Blue Eyes reclaimed his ride. When he pulled out into the center lane, I steered my car in behind him.

The next stop, according to the pub crawl itinerary, was Rumours, and that was good for me. Blue Eyes turned left onto Potomac Street and his turn signal stayed on. I made a sharp left into the alley and the Rumours private rear parking lot.

Rumours was part of my regular circuit. I breezed through the kitchen door like I owned the place, which I did. I held a very modest, and quiet, ten percent of the business and the real estate.

Several of the wait staff yelled friendly profanities at me – and made a few offers. I smiled and waved as I hustled my way through, exiting the kitchen beside the bar. A buddy had the barstool on the end and I shooed him off it with the promise of imminent entertainment.

Thank heavens the chair was right in front of an air vent and a breeze blew from it to cool the mob of revelers. I was sweaty, sticky, and not because the night was at all warm. The bartender handed me a glass of ice water with a lime twist and I gulped down a few swallows.

No more alcohol for me until I got Blue Eyes home.

And speaking of, there he was, just on the other side of the dance floor, smiling at me, one eyebrow cocked up and looking amused. He gestured to me to join him with the same palm up wave of the arm I’d used at Tully’s.

I shook my head, lifting my glass to indicate I was thirsty. He clasped his hands over his chest and feigned heartbreak.

Right.

The dancer behind him was rubbing his butt, without any protest from Blue Eyes, so how crushed could he be? I finished my water and walked towards him, my gaze never leaving his. He stepped into the throng of dancers, meeting me halfway.

We moved easily to the music, our movements mirroring each other. I’d worry about the stupid grin on my face, but his expression matched mine. Our hips swayed closer. Our hands brushed. Blue Eyes turned, shaking his very well-shaped ass at me. I laughed in his ear, pulling him back against me. I was so achingly hard that my resolve to taunt him, to wear him down to a begging blob of gel, almost cracked. He grinned over his shoulder when I licked the rim of his ear.

“Are you going to tell me your name?”

I flashed my pearly whites at him. “Just before you come for the first time.”

“Cocky bastard, aren’t you?”

“You’ll have to wait a while to find that out.”


_*_*_

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
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facebook.com/kckendricks
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My country life at Holly Tree Manor

Worth Every Drop of Sweat - and Dime

March 13, 2012

My partner and I have tackled just about every home improvement project you can think of. It started in 1995 with our inaugural project together,the addition of a sunroom. The good, the bad, and the ugly of our somewhat new relationship was laid out for both of us to examine.

The good news - we both have a good knowledge base necessary for home improvement projects.
The bad news - we go at things from polar opposite ends.
The ugly - when we get tired, our vocabulary reaches new heights (or depths depending on your point of view).

In truth, we're a good team. We've just finished a kitchen re-vamp with new counters, new sink, new window and window trim, new backsplash, under cabinet lighting, and a light refinishing of the cabinetry. The floor is next provided I can decide on what I want.

It was a lot of work, but so worth it. I invite you to step into my kitchen with me :) I would have taken a picture of the island, but with everything on it, what would have been the point?

KC

What are you doing on St. Paddy's Day?

March 11, 2012

St. Patrick's Day always brings my late aunt to mind. She was a true Irish lass who came to us by way of my one uncle. On St. Paddy's day, my aunt would prepare one of two dishes, depending on her mood and pantry - corn beef and cabbage or fried potatoes and eggs. Either way, she made sure those closest to her had a taste of Irish for dinner.

This year, St. Patrick's Day has a new meaning for me. My genealogy search turned up a surprising fact - my grandmother's lineage is of Irish descent! My fourth great-grandfather was born in Ireland in 1778. It's been interesting to map my family tree, and I'm very glad I took time out to do it. I've made contacts with a whole new group of cousins (i.e., playmates) and we never run out of things to talk about.

St. Patrick's Day brings something else new this year. The Amber Quill authors will take to the Amber Heat reader's list located at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/amberheatreaders(or you can send an email to amberheatreaders-subscribe@yahoogroups.com)
for a day of fun. They'll be some great excerpts, some give-aways, and ... and... you don't want to miss this part....THREE gift certificates for your choice of downloads from Amber Quill Press. Up for grabs is one $50 gift certificate, one $20, and one $10. Soooooo get over to the list and join now, then show up on March 17th and join the festivities. Joining the list is free and someone will win those gift certificates. It might as well be you.

KC Kendricks
website at: http://www.kckendricks.comblog: http://www.kckendricks.blogspot.comTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/kckendricksmailing list at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/betweenthekeysGoodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1989106.K_C_KendricksFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/people/Kc-Kendricks/1439574042MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/kckendricks

The Road Between Past and Future

March 1, 2012
“Just because something is unknown does not necessarily mean it needs to be feared.” - Teyla Emmagan, Stargate Atlantis

As strange as it may sound coming from someone who writes contemporary romance, I’m a fan of most things sci-fi that paint a picture of a bright future. It’s simple, really. I’m a romantic!

“And so it begins.” - Kosh, Babylon 5

It all started with Star Trek. No, I’m not going to confess how young I was in 1966, but I will tell you my father wanted to watch Star Trek so we watched Star Trek. Every week. It broadened my thinking. I started to read science fiction and I fell in love with the genre.

“If we fail to anticipate the unforeseen or expect the unexpected in a universe of infinite possibilities, we may find ourselves at the mercy of anyone or anything that cannot be programmed, categorized or easily referenced.” – Mulder, X-Files

This love of sci-fi has been on my mind a lot lately. I’m working on the third installment of the Sundown series. In this story, my shapeshifter has to come clean about his people. Confessions will be in order, and Sundown doesn’t give up his secrets easily. And given the complexity of dealing with prying the secrets out of his alien Chal brain, it will take a while to finish the tale.

“Always in motion is the future.” – Yoda

Everyone is familiar with personal crossroads. Sometimes we see them in the distance and can prepare for them. Sometimes we run up on them so quickly we’re caught off-guard. I’ve come upon one and it surprised me. In order to keep my writing fresh, which road do I take? Who is to say I can’t explode different roads? Who’s to say you can’t? Isn’t it exciting to contemplate new things?

“I offer a toast: the undiscovered country – the future.” - the future (and late) Chancellor Gorkon of the Klingon Empire

If the future is our undiscovered country, then is the past our forgotten future? I always thought mapping my genealogy would be my retirement project, but the universe made it clear the time was now. To that end, I’ve connected with several cousins I didn’t know but who also work toward the common goal of discovering who we were that made us who we are. Finding those unknown people who made my past has added new colors to my future. They are blood strangers, but I will remember their names.

The world has once again expanded in unforeseen ways, and the little gems of wisdom spoken by characters in a future only imagined sparkle with new meaning.

KC Kendricks
website at: http://www.kckendricks.com/
blog: http://www.kckendricks.blogspot.com/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kckendricks
mailing list at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/betweenthekeys