It's nice to know that after almost twenty years with my partner, we're still in sync.
We spent the afternoon in bed.
It's true!
We were at the Sleep Number Bed Store, but we were still in bed together. And we moved in unison! The bed went up and down, and down and up. All we had to do was push the button on the remote control.
Hmmm. You're groaning
I know, but it was too good an opportunity to pass on. :)
KC
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Available now! December Promise
February 12, 2011
New releases are a lot of fun - and hard work. For you newbies and aspiring-to-be-published writers out there, the work doesn't end when you type THE END. It begins. No one, and I mean no one, will promote your book as hard as you do. So roll up your sleeves and start designing your new release checklist.
ON SALE TODAY-
DECEMBER PROMISE
Now this is one rockin' cover. Maybe I should shut up about the cover since I picked the photo for this one, but hey. I love, love, love the colors. And what Trace did with adding the characters is simply purr-fect. So without more gabbing, here's the promo for my newest release, December Promise.
**update - this is the new cover 6/4/2016**
December Promise
Contemporary gay romance
More info at https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/december-promise-by-kc-kendricks.html
Paul Macy moved heaven and earth to get a reluctant Lee Kendall for his college roommate. Giving up his free-and-easy lifestyle for the sexy new guy on campus had been the easiest decision Paul had ever made. Walking away from Lee, however, had been the hardest.
Now, years later, Lee Kendall’s made it to the top of his field by working hard, and playing harder in the right circles. Yet he has also come to realize that success is empty when you have no one with whom to celebrate it. But as luck would have it, an invitation to visit his alma mater brings Lee face-to-face with his first lover, and a chance for the reconciliation he never thought possible.
The sparks fly when Paul and Lee reunite, fulfilling long-denied dreams for both men. But passion isn’t a pledge, and it takes more than promises made in the dark to forge a shared future between two lonely hearts...
INTRO: (from Lee's POV)
Did he seek closure, or renewal?
"Why don’t we ask the concierge to suggest a place? I drove in, so we can take my car and go the long way around. Maybe drive up to the overlook, and check out what’s new in the view.”
Paul tapped his coffee cup to Lee’s. “I like that idea.”
Lee downed the dregs of the lukewarm liquid in his cup. Damn, contact with foam containers made coffee taste nasty. His memory came alive with recollections of how a younger Paul’s skin tasted. Would it have the same musky sweetness now? He had to get his mind off sex before he got hard.
It was too late to recall the thought. Goose bumps prickled over his thighs and belly. His cock pulsed, lengthened. He hoped Paul wouldn’t notice, but he knew better.
Paul uncurled his long frame to gracefully roll to his feet in a display of controlled strength. He held out his hand to Lee.
Lee didn’t hesitate to reach out and wrap his fingers around his ex-lover’s. Paul pulled him to his feet. Standing so close to him, face-to-face inside the aura of heat and scent, the buried sorrow of all the lost years vanished. His inaction had created the worst mistake of his life – he’d allowed Paul to walk away.
Just two short weeks ago he’d counseled a friend to follow his heart. Now he had the chance to follow his, if he were brave enough.
His chin lifted as he gazed into Paul’s blue eyes. There were so many things he wanted to say, but only one seemed relevant.
“I’ve missed you, Paul.”
EXCERPT: (from Paul's POV)
Quick as lightning, Paul wrapped his arms around Lee. Desire, swift and sweet, swept through him, jumbling his memories, as Lee’s mouth moved over his. His lips opened, and Lee’s tongue licked into his as he backed Paul against the car. His cock responded, swelling rapidly as a delicious urgency seized him. He inhaled sharply, and Lee’s spicy scent exploded in his memory, refreshed, better now for holding him again. Paul stroked his lover’s back, his hands going down to cup Lee’s firm ass. Lee pressed closer and flexed his pelvis to his. Paul gripped tighter, needing to feel every inch of the steel rod rubbing against his.
This was nuts. They couldn’t just pick up where they’d left off. Could they?
Nothing had changed. They lived on separate coasts. They’d made separate lives. It should be easy to stop kissing him and explain why this was a bad idea, and friendship was the best they should hope for. He spun Lee around and slammed him flat to the car door.
Paul shivered as Lee yanked his shirttail out of his jeans, his hot palms sliding across the planes of his chest. Paul made a sound of encouragement as Lee’s finger teased his left nipple. Trust Lee to remember how he loved to have his nips touched. He thrust his tongue into Lee’s mouth. Lee pushed against him, breaking off the heated kiss.
“Hey, easy. We need to cool down a bit.”
Paul grabbed at him, but Lee gently swatted his hands away. “I mean it, Paul.”
Behind him, people spoke. A car engine started. He shivered as the testosterone haze cleared. Lee smiled crookedly at him.
“Best we not get tossed onto the street for lewd and obscene behavior.”
He was right. Paul took a deep breath and tried to ignore the tightness in his balls. Thank heavens Lee had his wits about him. “So you think me going to my knees in the parking garage would be a bit much?”
Lee chuckled. “Uh-huh. I think the state still has laws against it.”
“I’ll do it, you know.”
“And I’ll let you, you know.”
Paul’s heart did a little dance in his chest. His stomach fluttered, swirling cold, then flaring red-hot. “Don’t say that if you don’t meant it, Lee.”
“I do mean it. Now why don’t we find some food, and think about how big a mistake we’re about to make?”
“Are you going to smirk at me?”
Dark brows knit together, Lee tilted his head. “Why would I…?”
His voice tailed off as Paul dipped a hand down the front of his jeans and settled his genitals to a more comfortable position before he tucked his shirttail in. Amusement sparkled in his eyes, turning them bright silver in the overhead lighting. He shrugged, and it was Paul’s turn to laugh as Lee made a like adjustment. Paul risked giving Lee another quick kiss before opening the car door.
“I’ll behave now.”
Lee patted his ass on the way to the other side of the car. “Tell me another one, Racy Macy.”
“Oh, geez.” Paul dropped into the passenger seat and fastened the seat belt. “I always hated it when you called me that.” Lee closed his door and walked around to the driver’s side and got it.
“No you didn’t hate it.” Lee stuck the key in the ignition and turned the switch. “You liked it, runner-boy.”
He had, when Lee called him that. When other guys used it, the underlying affection wasn’t there. Paul remained silent as Lee skillfully maneuvered the car out of the parking garage and merged with the street traffic.
“We’ve never been in a car alone together before.”
“We were on the bus one night, just the two of us.” Lee changed lanes. “I’m starving. I need more than pizza. I saw one of those chain steak houses on the way into town. Are you good with that?”
“The bus doesn’t count because of the driver, and ‘yes’ on the restaurant.”
Lord, the night on the bus. How long had it been since he’d thought about that ride? The bus driver knew there was hanky-panky going on in the last row, and cut the interior lights. Paul had kept telling Lee to stop, that the lights could come back on at any second. Lee refused, and stroked him until he almost came, then refused to finish him off until they were locked in their dorm room.
The driver gave them a stern warning as they disembarked, but Paul never shook the impression they’d amused the fellow. He squirmed in his seat as his dick rose again, and he cast a surreptitious glance at Lee.
Great. The man knew what was going on in his pants...
DECEMBER PROMISE
https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/december-promise-by-kc-kendricks.html
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
New releases are a lot of fun - and hard work. For you newbies and aspiring-to-be-published writers out there, the work doesn't end when you type THE END. It begins. No one, and I mean no one, will promote your book as hard as you do. So roll up your sleeves and start designing your new release checklist.
ON SALE TODAY-
DECEMBER PROMISE
Now this is one rockin' cover. Maybe I should shut up about the cover since I picked the photo for this one, but hey. I love, love, love the colors. And what Trace did with adding the characters is simply purr-fect. So without more gabbing, here's the promo for my newest release, December Promise.
**update - this is the new cover 6/4/2016**
December Promise
Contemporary gay romance
More info at https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/december-promise-by-kc-kendricks.html
Paul Macy moved heaven and earth to get a reluctant Lee Kendall for his college roommate. Giving up his free-and-easy lifestyle for the sexy new guy on campus had been the easiest decision Paul had ever made. Walking away from Lee, however, had been the hardest.
Now, years later, Lee Kendall’s made it to the top of his field by working hard, and playing harder in the right circles. Yet he has also come to realize that success is empty when you have no one with whom to celebrate it. But as luck would have it, an invitation to visit his alma mater brings Lee face-to-face with his first lover, and a chance for the reconciliation he never thought possible.
The sparks fly when Paul and Lee reunite, fulfilling long-denied dreams for both men. But passion isn’t a pledge, and it takes more than promises made in the dark to forge a shared future between two lonely hearts...
INTRO: (from Lee's POV)
Did he seek closure, or renewal?
"Why don’t we ask the concierge to suggest a place? I drove in, so we can take my car and go the long way around. Maybe drive up to the overlook, and check out what’s new in the view.”
Paul tapped his coffee cup to Lee’s. “I like that idea.”
Lee downed the dregs of the lukewarm liquid in his cup. Damn, contact with foam containers made coffee taste nasty. His memory came alive with recollections of how a younger Paul’s skin tasted. Would it have the same musky sweetness now? He had to get his mind off sex before he got hard.
It was too late to recall the thought. Goose bumps prickled over his thighs and belly. His cock pulsed, lengthened. He hoped Paul wouldn’t notice, but he knew better.
Paul uncurled his long frame to gracefully roll to his feet in a display of controlled strength. He held out his hand to Lee.
Lee didn’t hesitate to reach out and wrap his fingers around his ex-lover’s. Paul pulled him to his feet. Standing so close to him, face-to-face inside the aura of heat and scent, the buried sorrow of all the lost years vanished. His inaction had created the worst mistake of his life – he’d allowed Paul to walk away.
Just two short weeks ago he’d counseled a friend to follow his heart. Now he had the chance to follow his, if he were brave enough.
His chin lifted as he gazed into Paul’s blue eyes. There were so many things he wanted to say, but only one seemed relevant.
“I’ve missed you, Paul.”
EXCERPT: (from Paul's POV)
Quick as lightning, Paul wrapped his arms around Lee. Desire, swift and sweet, swept through him, jumbling his memories, as Lee’s mouth moved over his. His lips opened, and Lee’s tongue licked into his as he backed Paul against the car. His cock responded, swelling rapidly as a delicious urgency seized him. He inhaled sharply, and Lee’s spicy scent exploded in his memory, refreshed, better now for holding him again. Paul stroked his lover’s back, his hands going down to cup Lee’s firm ass. Lee pressed closer and flexed his pelvis to his. Paul gripped tighter, needing to feel every inch of the steel rod rubbing against his.
This was nuts. They couldn’t just pick up where they’d left off. Could they?
Nothing had changed. They lived on separate coasts. They’d made separate lives. It should be easy to stop kissing him and explain why this was a bad idea, and friendship was the best they should hope for. He spun Lee around and slammed him flat to the car door.
Paul shivered as Lee yanked his shirttail out of his jeans, his hot palms sliding across the planes of his chest. Paul made a sound of encouragement as Lee’s finger teased his left nipple. Trust Lee to remember how he loved to have his nips touched. He thrust his tongue into Lee’s mouth. Lee pushed against him, breaking off the heated kiss.
“Hey, easy. We need to cool down a bit.”
Paul grabbed at him, but Lee gently swatted his hands away. “I mean it, Paul.”
Behind him, people spoke. A car engine started. He shivered as the testosterone haze cleared. Lee smiled crookedly at him.
“Best we not get tossed onto the street for lewd and obscene behavior.”
He was right. Paul took a deep breath and tried to ignore the tightness in his balls. Thank heavens Lee had his wits about him. “So you think me going to my knees in the parking garage would be a bit much?”
Lee chuckled. “Uh-huh. I think the state still has laws against it.”
“I’ll do it, you know.”
“And I’ll let you, you know.”
Paul’s heart did a little dance in his chest. His stomach fluttered, swirling cold, then flaring red-hot. “Don’t say that if you don’t meant it, Lee.”
“I do mean it. Now why don’t we find some food, and think about how big a mistake we’re about to make?”
“Are you going to smirk at me?”
Dark brows knit together, Lee tilted his head. “Why would I…?”
His voice tailed off as Paul dipped a hand down the front of his jeans and settled his genitals to a more comfortable position before he tucked his shirttail in. Amusement sparkled in his eyes, turning them bright silver in the overhead lighting. He shrugged, and it was Paul’s turn to laugh as Lee made a like adjustment. Paul risked giving Lee another quick kiss before opening the car door.
“I’ll behave now.”
Lee patted his ass on the way to the other side of the car. “Tell me another one, Racy Macy.”
“Oh, geez.” Paul dropped into the passenger seat and fastened the seat belt. “I always hated it when you called me that.” Lee closed his door and walked around to the driver’s side and got it.
“No you didn’t hate it.” Lee stuck the key in the ignition and turned the switch. “You liked it, runner-boy.”
He had, when Lee called him that. When other guys used it, the underlying affection wasn’t there. Paul remained silent as Lee skillfully maneuvered the car out of the parking garage and merged with the street traffic.
“We’ve never been in a car alone together before.”
“We were on the bus one night, just the two of us.” Lee changed lanes. “I’m starving. I need more than pizza. I saw one of those chain steak houses on the way into town. Are you good with that?”
“The bus doesn’t count because of the driver, and ‘yes’ on the restaurant.”
Lord, the night on the bus. How long had it been since he’d thought about that ride? The bus driver knew there was hanky-panky going on in the last row, and cut the interior lights. Paul had kept telling Lee to stop, that the lights could come back on at any second. Lee refused, and stroked him until he almost came, then refused to finish him off until they were locked in their dorm room.
The driver gave them a stern warning as they disembarked, but Paul never shook the impression they’d amused the fellow. He squirmed in his seat as his dick rose again, and he cast a surreptitious glance at Lee.
Great. The man knew what was going on in his pants...
DECEMBER PROMISE
https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/december-promise-by-kc-kendricks.html
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
Sunday, February 6, 2011
The Daily Horoscope - say what?
February 6, 2011
Someone needs to speak out before the whole group disintegrates -- and it almost certainly has to be you. Take a deep breath and start telling the truth, as that is the kindest thing you can do right now.
So that's the Gemini horoscope for today, and as usual, it's a bit confusing. What group? I'm in a lot of groups. Am I supposed to go spout off at all of them? I do not have the energy for that.
Besides - I've got a story to finish writing.
Someone needs to speak out before the whole group disintegrates -- and it almost certainly has to be you. Take a deep breath and start telling the truth, as that is the kindest thing you can do right now.
So that's the Gemini horoscope for today, and as usual, it's a bit confusing. What group? I'm in a lot of groups. Am I supposed to go spout off at all of them? I do not have the energy for that.
Besides - I've got a story to finish writing.
Friday, February 4, 2011
January 2011 Amber Allure Top Ten List - and a little more
February 4, 2011
Congratulations to all those at Amber Quill with January 2011 book releases! New releases are always fun - and a lot of work. I've been so very fortunate so far in that all my new releases have made the Amber Allure top ten list, but I think it's a shame EVERYONE can't be on a list somewhere when then they have a new book. Writing is hard work, you know. While I didn't have a new book at Amber Allure in January, I do have one coming in February and one in March! It would be nice to always, always, always space them out perfectly, but that rarely happens. You learn to go with the flow in this biz. So enough KC babbling. I need to complete this post before the CEO realizes that there's more happening at my desk than my lunch.
Without further ado, here's the January 2011 Top Ten at Amber Allure, and my Honorable Mention list. Special congrats to T.A. Chase for having two books on the list.
AMBER ALLURE / January 2011
1. Voice For The Silent - T. A. Chase (Gay / Contemporary)
2. Gambling On Maybe - Fae Sutherland (Gay / Contemporary)
3. Pulling Apart - Shawn Lane (Gay / Contemporary)
4. (Boys Of The Zodiac) Aquarius: He Said, He Said - Jamie Craig (Gay / Contemporary)
5. Cherished Displacement - D. J. Manly (Gay / Time Travel)
6. Canine TLC - Deirdre O'Dare (Gay / Contemporary)
7. I'll Run Away For The Holidays - Stephani Hecht (Gay / Contemporary)
8. Shades Of Dreams - T. A. Chase (Gay / Contemporary)
9. Night Train To New Orleans - Carolina Valdez (Gay / Vampire)
10. Thigh To Thigh - Angelia Sparrow & Naomi Brooks (Gay / Contemporary) A
lso on my Honorable Mention list with January AQP releases are: Darcy Arbriel: Deadeye
Victor J. Banis: The Immortals
Anne Brook:Brady's Choice
Rick R. Reed: Speed Demon
And over at Amber Heat:
Trixie Stilletto: The Peter Heater
Rayne Forrest: Step Into Tomorrow
Congrats to all. If I missed anyone, I'll accept lashes with the wet noodle even though leaving you off the list was not intentional.
Until next time! KC
_*_*_*_*_*_*_
KC Kendricks
http://www.kckendricks.com
http://www.kckendricks.com
My home on the web- Between the Keys:
Visit my bookshelf at:
Social media links:
Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com
My country life at Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com
Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: KC Kendricks Between the Keys
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Pizza, wine, and a movie
It was good to be a girl growing up in the country. And where I live was truly country when I was fourteen. It's not so much anymore. Sure, it's RURAL, but the unique flavor of a community founded by five large families has been lost. Too many new folks just sleep in the houses they built or bought here. It's a condition of many small dots on the map. But I digress.
Like a lot of young girls, I loved horses. We had neighbors with a stable, and I had permission to ride four of the less valuable horses at will. With their own children grown and gone, the only stipulation was that I exercise all of them, not just my favorite. Now that's a deal.
It just so happened my favorite was a sweet, and smart, little guy named Sinbad who'd follow me around like a dog. He was the one who always galloped to meet me at the gate, ready for adventure. I never rode him far, mindful of the small stature he didn't know he had, but he's the one I missed when the stable was sold. Anyway, I loved horses.
So where I am going with this trip down memory lane? Right to last night.
Last night, all I had on my mind was finishing chapter ten. The current WIP has a March 1 deadline, but I want it finished now. So when my honey, this sixty-something, balding, near-sighted, ex-bad boy lead guitarist said it was time for a movie night, I stared at him. When he left to go pickup a pizza, I realized just how serious he was.
I was suspicious. I've lived with this man for almost twenty years. He goes along with the concept of movie night, but he doesn't initiate them. And he brought home a bottle of wine with the pizza! Yep. Suspicious behavior. I started to see dollar signs, as in whatever he wants to buy must be BIG.
Well, I must confess this morning, sheepishly, that I had it wrong this time. The spousal unit didn't have an ulterior motive beyond providing me with an enjoyable evening. We settled on the sofa with our pizza and cheap White Zif, and he selected a pay-per-view channel. The movie - Secretariat.
I love this guy almost as much as I love horses.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Beneath Dark Stars
January 28, 2011
**This post has been updated**
I've been gifted with some great covers since landing at Amber Quill Press. Trace Edward Zaber, the resident cover magician, can take a few senseless lines that are equal to verbal grunts off one of those fu....um... forms we have to fill out, and turn them into art.
Beneath Dark Stars - the sequel to The Back Stairs. Coming in March. The web page is under construction. Thank heavens for the weekend and the chance to catch up on my chores!
Update April 2, 2017
The cover displayed is one I made after Amber Quill closed. I like it much better than the original!
BENEATH DARK STARS
Gay romance with a paranormal shift
available now at Amazon, iTunes/Apple, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and other online booksellers.
**This post has been updated**
I've been gifted with some great covers since landing at Amber Quill Press. Trace Edward Zaber, the resident cover magician, can take a few senseless lines that are equal to verbal grunts off one of those fu....um... forms we have to fill out, and turn them into art.
Beneath Dark Stars - the sequel to The Back Stairs. Coming in March. The web page is under construction. Thank heavens for the weekend and the chance to catch up on my chores!
Update April 2, 2017
The cover displayed is one I made after Amber Quill closed. I like it much better than the original!
BENEATH DARK STARS
Gay romance with a paranormal shift
available now at Amazon, iTunes/Apple, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and other online booksellers.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Every picture tells a story
January 27, 2011
SNOW DAY!!!
I emailed this to the board chair this morning. Suffice it to say, he knows I won't be going to the office today. I offered to allow him to run the snowblower in and out my lane, which is about 1,000 feet long with a hill, but he declined.
That's a 2006 Dodge Charger under the snow, by the way. Really.
SNOW DAY!!!
I emailed this to the board chair this morning. Suffice it to say, he knows I won't be going to the office today. I offered to allow him to run the snowblower in and out my lane, which is about 1,000 feet long with a hill, but he declined.
That's a 2006 Dodge Charger under the snow, by the way. Really.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
The Stylish Blogger Award
This has certainly been a stellar week. First, WHAT YOU DON'T CONFESS was nominated as one of the best GLBTQ books of 2010 at Love Romances Cafe - and then the week got better!
The lovely and talented Melissa Bradley, author of Maxie Briscoe, Werewolf (also nominated for best erotic book at LRC), has tapped Between the Keys for the Stylish Blog Award. I'm totally flattered, especially as I'm a fan of Melissa's blog, Melissa's Imaginarium.
For those who have been nominated, there are few criteria to meet:
1. Thank and link back to the person who nominated you, only do not re-nominate them.
2. Share 7 things about yourself
3. Pass along this nomination to 10 recently discovered stylish and cool bloggers
4. Contact them and tell them about their nomination.
Okay, I can do all that. Really! I have fresh coffee, so anything is possible. Here are my Stylish Blogger nominees, in no particular order:
Welcome to Lizzie's World - Lizzie T. Leaf
Passionately Sweet Ecstasies by Carolina Valdez
The Multiverse's Archival Chambers by D. Renee Bagby
My Reviews and Ramblings by Elisa Rolle
Donuts and Desires by Giselle Renarde
Other Worlds of Romance by Linda Mooney
Brenda Williamson by Brenda Williamson
Writes Romance by Shawn Lane
Sweet as honey..Hotter than hell by Sloane Taylor
Romance That Thrives in the Dark by Diana Castilleja
So there's ten. That was too easy. I have about twenty more. Now I'm to the hard part - seven things you might not know about me. Prepare for boredom to set in, because I'm just not that super-interesting. I'll give it the old college try...
7. I think mowing grass is fun.
6. The most beautiful thing I've seen is the woods when the trees are covered with ice and the sunlight hits the branches and turns them to crystal.
5. I'm skilled with a chainsaw.
4. My first crush was on Little Joe.
3. It took me forty years to discover I'm a writer.
2. My grandfather was the single, biggest influence on my life.
1. Several times a year I set aside a Friday night to stay awake and meditate.
There they are. Seven things you never wanted to know about me, but I had to share. Now I have to go email my ten nominees and hope they'll still talk to me in the morning.
KC Kendricks
My home on the web- Between the Keys:
Visit my bookshelf at:
Social media links:
My country life at Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com
Life through the eyes of Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com
Saturday, January 8, 2011
December Promise - coming soon
Yes, I'm doing a "coming soon," the reason being this cover is gorgeous! When I first saw the picture with all those beautiful blues, I knew that someday I wanted those colors on a cover.
December Promise - In the time between one December to another, a promise can make anything possible.
December Promise, coming February 13, 2011.
KC
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Amber Allure Top Ten Best Seller List, December 2010
*Update - Amber Quill closed its doors on 3/30/2016.
January 5, 2011
Congratulations to the authors on the December 2010 Top Ten Best Seller list at Amber Allure! What a great way to cap off 2010. It's a good thing the year-end sale at Amber Allure is still on for a few more days. My TBR list just got longer.
1. Shades Of Dreams - T. A. Chase (Gay / Contemporary)
2. I'll Run Away For The Holidays - Stephani Hecht (Gay / Contemporary)
3. Shift Happens - Storm Grant (Gay / Shapeshifter)
4. The Werewolf In Red - Mimi Riser (Gay / Werewolf)
5. A Different Breed - Angel Martinez (Gay / Vampire)
6. Fielder's Choice - Gabrina Garza (Gay / Contemporary)
7. (Boys Of The Zodiac) Capricorn: Forgotten Faces - Vivien Dean (Gay / Paranormal)
8. (Boys Of The Zodiac) Sagittarius: Mr. November - Pepper Espinoza (Gay / Shapeshifter)
9. Egypt's Captive - C. D. Leavitt (Gay / Historical)
10. Fawnskin 2: Frenzied - A. J. Llewellyn & D. J. Manly (Gay / Paranormal)
I'd like to add personal congrats to Brit Blaise** and Victor J. Banis on their December releases, too.
**Note - sadly, Brit Blaise has passed away.
January 5, 2011
Congratulations to the authors on the December 2010 Top Ten Best Seller list at Amber Allure! What a great way to cap off 2010. It's a good thing the year-end sale at Amber Allure is still on for a few more days. My TBR list just got longer.
1. Shades Of Dreams - T. A. Chase (Gay / Contemporary)
2. I'll Run Away For The Holidays - Stephani Hecht (Gay / Contemporary)
3. Shift Happens - Storm Grant (Gay / Shapeshifter)
4. The Werewolf In Red - Mimi Riser (Gay / Werewolf)
5. A Different Breed - Angel Martinez (Gay / Vampire)
6. Fielder's Choice - Gabrina Garza (Gay / Contemporary)
7. (Boys Of The Zodiac) Capricorn: Forgotten Faces - Vivien Dean (Gay / Paranormal)
8. (Boys Of The Zodiac) Sagittarius: Mr. November - Pepper Espinoza (Gay / Shapeshifter)
9. Egypt's Captive - C. D. Leavitt (Gay / Historical)
10. Fawnskin 2: Frenzied - A. J. Llewellyn & D. J. Manly (Gay / Paranormal)
I'd like to add personal congrats to Brit Blaise** and Victor J. Banis on their December releases, too.
**Note - sadly, Brit Blaise has passed away.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
The Road Just Traveled - Looking Back at 2010
December 22, 2010
**Post updated 4/12/2017 and 4/2/21**
**Amber Quill Press has closed and the paperbacks are no longer available**
It’s the time of year when it doesn’t matter what blog you read, you’ve got a better than fifty-fifty chance of landing on some version of “My Year in Review.” I don’t think it’s so much that we authors who blog are looking for material to post, but more that it’s a time for us to gather our thoughts and energies and focus on our future.
What better way to look forward than to first look back? To understand the road just traveled guides us around the potholes in the road ahead. Those who stop here at Between the Keys are my honored guests, and welcome traveling companions. So what is newsworthy about the year 2010? Let’s look back and see.
The year started out with the release of two paperback compilations. I can’t say enough nice things about Amber Quill Press, and their paperback program is just one of the great marketing tools they have in their arsenal. Night Moves*, which contains my favorite story Tango in the Night, and Give Me One Night, was released at the turn of the last new year. I love the Night Moves cover! It’s my favorite of all Trace Edward Zaber has done for me. This talented cover artist is another reason AQP tops my list of publishers.
At the Southern Cross, a three-story compilation that includes Netting Neptune, Taming Triton, and Poseidon’s Pleasure, was also released near the first of the year. Poseidon’s Pleasure is my second favorite story of among those I’ve written. Having paperbacks available is such a treat for me, the author. Ebooks are the way of the future, and in my case outsell the paperbacks probably about 100 to 1, but I still enjoy having a stack of MY paperbacks on my nightstand. Call me old-fashioned for having this one little backward-thinking indulgence.
The first new release of the year was Shine A Light. A difficult story to write, I struggled with how far a “romance,” even a contemporary gay romance, should tread into the topic of HIV. In the end, I have to ask if I handled the subject to the best of my ability for my readers. How sophisticated has the romance reader become? It wouldn’t bother me one iota to read a story where one character was HIV positive, but I’m looking at it from the mixed perspective of writer/reader.
Shine A Light was quickly followed by In the Limelight, another paperback that includes Shine A Light, and Seducing Light. (In the Limelight went out of print 3/31/16.) As I’ve stated, Amber Quill Press has a lot going for it, and offering the author the opportunity to have each book in both ebook and paperback, thereby broadening availability, is a marketing program other publishers would do well to adopt.
April brought the release of A Hard Habit to Break, the first of many stories set in the fictional town of Marionville. Some of you may be familiar with the term ‘world building,’ and this is what I’m doing in Marionville. I’ve developed a town/city setting in which to create a
community of characters. The books won’t be sequels to each other, but you may discover that your favorite characters from A Hard Habit to Break are still happy together when you read Open Roads, and What You Don’t Confess.
Between A Hard Habit to Break and Open Roads there was a neat little shapeshifter story entitled, The Back Stairs. This is the first shapeshifter I’ve written as KC Kendricks, and I had a lot of fun with it. Sundown is a different sort of shifter, and it’s not your standard shapeshifter story. The transformation is not the main event – the romance is, and to that end, the human half of the pairing stumbles a bit on his way to accepting the differences between himself and his lover. Metaphorical? You decide. I’ve actually just completed a sequel to The Back Stairs, and hope to delight my publisher by getting a cover blurb written so I can send it in. Will he be delighted? One hopes.
So that’s a surprising look back. I had five new books released in 2010, along with four paperbacks. You’d think I wouldn’t lose track since it’s my backlist, but I don’t often stop and take a long, retrospective look back at my body of work. When it comes to many things, including writing, my focus is forward.
My year closes with a sense of accomplishment. I’ve grown in my writing and learned a few things, which I endeavor to do at all times. Life and living go hand-in-hand with learning, whatever your passion. Outward growth is encouraged by inward growth, even if the universe sends us in marvelous, unexpected directions.
I’ve been happy at my keyboard throughout 2010, finding secrets between the keys. As we dive headlong into the holiday season, that’s good enough for me.
It’s the time of year when it doesn’t matter what blog you read, you’ve got a better than fifty-fifty chance of landing on some version of “My Year in Review.” I don’t think it’s so much that we authors who blog are looking for material to post, but more that it’s a time for us to gather our thoughts and energies and focus on our future.
What better way to look forward than to first look back? To understand the road just traveled guides us around the potholes in the road ahead. Those who stop here at Between the Keys are my honored guests, and welcome traveling companions. So what is newsworthy about the year 2010? Let’s look back and see.
The year started out with the release of two paperback compilations. I can’t say enough nice things about Amber Quill Press, and their paperback program is just one of the great marketing tools they have in their arsenal. Night Moves*, which contains my favorite story Tango in the Night, and Give Me One Night, was released at the turn of the last new year. I love the Night Moves cover! It’s my favorite of all Trace Edward Zaber has done for me. This talented cover artist is another reason AQP tops my list of publishers.
The first new release of the year was Shine A Light. A difficult story to write, I struggled with how far a “romance,” even a contemporary gay romance, should tread into the topic of HIV. In the end, I have to ask if I handled the subject to the best of my ability for my readers. How sophisticated has the romance reader become? It wouldn’t bother me one iota to read a story where one character was HIV positive, but I’m looking at it from the mixed perspective of writer/reader.
Shine A Light was quickly followed by In the Limelight, another paperback that includes Shine A Light, and Seducing Light. (In the Limelight went out of print 3/31/16.) As I’ve stated, Amber Quill Press has a lot going for it, and offering the author the opportunity to have each book in both ebook and paperback, thereby broadening availability, is a marketing program other publishers would do well to adopt.
April brought the release of A Hard Habit to Break, the first of many stories set in the fictional town of Marionville. Some of you may be familiar with the term ‘world building,’ and this is what I’m doing in Marionville. I’ve developed a town/city setting in which to create a
Between A Hard Habit to Break and Open Roads there was a neat little shapeshifter story entitled, The Back Stairs. This is the first shapeshifter I’ve written as KC Kendricks, and I had a lot of fun with it. Sundown is a different sort of shifter, and it’s not your standard shapeshifter story. The transformation is not the main event – the romance is, and to that end, the human half of the pairing stumbles a bit on his way to accepting the differences between himself and his lover. Metaphorical? You decide. I’ve actually just completed a sequel to The Back Stairs, and hope to delight my publisher by getting a cover blurb written so I can send it in. Will he be delighted? One hopes.
So that’s a surprising look back. I had five new books released in 2010, along with four paperbacks. You’d think I wouldn’t lose track since it’s my backlist, but I don’t often stop and take a long, retrospective look back at my body of work. When it comes to many things, including writing, my focus is forward.
My year closes with a sense of accomplishment. I’ve grown in my writing and learned a few things, which I endeavor to do at all times. Life and living go hand-in-hand with learning, whatever your passion. Outward growth is encouraged by inward growth, even if the universe sends us in marvelous, unexpected directions.
I’ve been happy at my keyboard throughout 2010, finding secrets between the keys. As we dive headlong into the holiday season, that’s good enough for me.
_*_*_*_*_*_*_
KC Kendricks
My home on the web- Between the Keys:
Visit my bookshelf at:
Social media links:
Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com
My country life at Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com
Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: KC Kendricks Between the Key
Sunday, December 12, 2010
2010 LBGT Rainbow Awards - An Honorable Mention for Tango in the Night
December 12, 2010
What sets this award apart, other than Ms. Elisa Rolle herself, is that there are no fees and no payments. Any LGBT book published in the last year may be entered, and readers do the judging. A few authors are also invited to judge, but not in any category they may have entered a book.
I'm pleased Tango in the Night was selected as an Honorable Mention in the Best Gay Erotic Contemporary. It's a book I believe in, a story which became my favorite before I'd finished writing it.
To check out the entire 2010 LGBT Rainbow Award winners and honorable mentions, click here.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Remembering old friends
I came to writing contemporary gay romance by a circuitous path. I’d been published for several years in the world of erotic romance under a different nom de plume. It was fun, and rewarding, and I enjoyed it immensely. For those reasons, it came as quite a surprise to me to wake up one morning and know that if I wanted to continue to write, I had to change direction. I'd grown through my writing, now my writing had to grow with me. But what path to take?
No, slash fiction wasn’t my first thought, but the universe works in mysterious ways. I sat down at the computer and opened my calendar. The reminder, “J-s birthday,” popped up. My friend would have been fifty that day, had he not died so young.
J-’s home was the first house over the line to attend a different elementary school, and as we entered the same middle school together, we started to hang out. Did I suspect he “didn’t like girls?” By the time we were in high school, certainly. Did it matter? Not a bit. We were buddies. In 1975, our senior year, he had a copy of The Front Runner by Patricia Nell Warren. He handed it to me and told me to read it. I did. When I returned the book, he asked me if I knew what it meant, and he asked me if we were still friends. Silly boy.
To keep the story short, I got my copy of The Front Runner off the shelf, where it had resided unopened for so many years, and reread it. But I didn’t need to open it to know it. I first read the opening line in 1975, but I remembered it like it was yesterday. TFR remains one of the most hauntingly powerful stories I’ve ever read.
J’s fiftieth birthday was the day I decided to write a contemporary gay romance story for him. It snowballed from there. I like to think of him perched on the hood of his 1965 Impala, that damned unlit cigarette tucked behind his ear, and smiling his I-know-a-secret smile at me.
What would he be like today? Would he be happy? Would he have someone special in his life? Would he like the stories I write for him?
I think he would.
No, slash fiction wasn’t my first thought, but the universe works in mysterious ways. I sat down at the computer and opened my calendar. The reminder, “J-s birthday,” popped up. My friend would have been fifty that day, had he not died so young.
J-’s home was the first house over the line to attend a different elementary school, and as we entered the same middle school together, we started to hang out. Did I suspect he “didn’t like girls?” By the time we were in high school, certainly. Did it matter? Not a bit. We were buddies. In 1975, our senior year, he had a copy of The Front Runner by Patricia Nell Warren. He handed it to me and told me to read it. I did. When I returned the book, he asked me if I knew what it meant, and he asked me if we were still friends. Silly boy.
To keep the story short, I got my copy of The Front Runner off the shelf, where it had resided unopened for so many years, and reread it. But I didn’t need to open it to know it. I first read the opening line in 1975, but I remembered it like it was yesterday. TFR remains one of the most hauntingly powerful stories I’ve ever read.
J’s fiftieth birthday was the day I decided to write a contemporary gay romance story for him. It snowballed from there. I like to think of him perched on the hood of his 1965 Impala, that damned unlit cigarette tucked behind his ear, and smiling his I-know-a-secret smile at me.
What would he be like today? Would he be happy? Would he have someone special in his life? Would he like the stories I write for him?
I think he would.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Amber Allure November 2010 Top Ten List
4/24/16 - This entry contains updated information but it doesn't change the fact What You Don't Confess hit the best seller list.
* * *
I suppose it's okay to brag just a tad over this - What You Don't Confess was the NUMBER 2 BEST SELLER during November 2010 for the publisher.
In case you missed it, What You Don't Confess was the NUMBER 2 BEST SELLER during November 2010 for the publisher.
Yeah, yeah, I know. It's so unbecoming to go around shouting and bragging and carrying on like it's a REAL BIG DEAL or something, but sometimes a writer just has to seize the moment and get it out of their system so they can get back to work. So let's call this one of those moments, and move on to something more important, which is just about anything else I could name - ending world hunger, world peace, cure for cancer. That sort of thing.
More important than my own spot at number two - a big CONGRATULATIONS to everyone else on the list. We're a hard working bunch. Well, except when we're bragging and resting on our laurels, which I'm going to stop doing right now because I really do have a pile of work to clean off my desk before the weekend.
November 2010 Top Ten
1. Tensaw Blues - T. D. McKinney & Terry Wylis (Gay / Contemporary)
2. What You Don't Confess - KC Kendricks (Gay / Contemporary)
3. Once Upon A Secret - Christiane France (Gay / Contemporary)
4. (Boys Of The Zodiac) Scorpio: The Heart To Help - Jamie Craig (Gay / Contemporary)
5. Runes Of Revelation - Deirdre O'Dare (Gay / Dark Fantasy)
6. (Boys Of The Zodiac) Sagittarius: Mr. November - Pepper Espinoza (Gay / Contemporary)
7. Out On The Net - Rick R. Reed (Gay / Contemporary)
8. Manfred's Curse - Shawn Lane (Gay / Shapeshifter)
9. Island Heat - A. J. Llewellyn & D. J. Manly (Gay / Contemporary)
10. Tough Guy - Bryl R. Tyne (Gay / Western)
What You Don't Confess is available now at
Amazon, iTunes, Barnes and Noble, Kobo and other online book sellers.
KC Kendricks
http://www.kckendricks.com
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
The Dreaded Word Dump...
...a.k.a. Deleting Chapter 7 and Starting it Over
Deleting a block of text I spent five days writing is something I do not love to do. Or even like to do. Heck, I can barely breathe before I hit the delete key - which is why I never *really* delete text. I cut and paste into a separate document because it might work later on in the story, or even in another piece of prose.
The cold, hard truth is sometimes it's simply necessary to dump text. It could be because of a new, better idea. Or even an older better idea. In this case, I saw two possible directions for the story to take, and I chose what turned out to be the wrong one. Well, maybe wrong isn't the right word, but it's the word I have this rainy night.
Typing the chapter solidified where the story should be going, so it was in no way a waste of time. The only deadline on this story is one I set for myself, so I have the luxury of being able to dump almost a week's work and regroup. And honestly, it's not the first time I've done this over the years - nor will it be the last.
What's the point of sharing? I guess it's just to let other writers, especially those new to the craft, that dumping text happens no matter how long you've been writing. And I needed to whine about it a bit.
But as Don Henley said - get over it.
So I'm going back to work now. With any luck, I can bang out a new chapter seven by Thursday. Or not. Either way, it will be okay.
KC
Deleting a block of text I spent five days writing is something I do not love to do. Or even like to do. Heck, I can barely breathe before I hit the delete key - which is why I never *really* delete text. I cut and paste into a separate document because it might work later on in the story, or even in another piece of prose.
The cold, hard truth is sometimes it's simply necessary to dump text. It could be because of a new, better idea. Or even an older better idea. In this case, I saw two possible directions for the story to take, and I chose what turned out to be the wrong one. Well, maybe wrong isn't the right word, but it's the word I have this rainy night.
Typing the chapter solidified where the story should be going, so it was in no way a waste of time. The only deadline on this story is one I set for myself, so I have the luxury of being able to dump almost a week's work and regroup. And honestly, it's not the first time I've done this over the years - nor will it be the last.
What's the point of sharing? I guess it's just to let other writers, especially those new to the craft, that dumping text happens no matter how long you've been writing. And I needed to whine about it a bit.
But as Don Henley said - get over it.
So I'm going back to work now. With any luck, I can bang out a new chapter seven by Thursday. Or not. Either way, it will be okay.
KC
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