Conversations with myself

October 28, 2023

Muse: "Are you sure?"

Me: "I'm sure of nothing."

Muse: "You're allowing someone else's vision of who you should be and what you should do to make decisions for you. Ask yourself 'why' and discover those answers."

Me: "Well, what's the fucking question, bitch? You always come at me with riddles."  
(Am I allowing someone else's opinion/vision to sway me?)

Muse: "No, I don't. Sometimes you're so wrapped up in your responsibilities to understand what I'm trying to tell you. I know caring for a handicapped partner, cooking, cleaning, laundry, grocery shopping, taking the trash to the landfill, mowing the grass, cutting firewood, and now this gig while your girl is on maternity leave, is exhausting. Should you make decisions when you're this far underwater?"

Me: "I don't want your sympathy. I am woman, hear me roar, remember!"
(I feel like I'm just squeaking at the moment.)

Muse: "You know I'm making sense. Can you admit that much?"

Me: "Sure. You think I don't hear you, and I do. Hearing you doesn't change MY question."

Muse: "The answer hinges on whether or not you're allowing someone else to sway your feelings. Why did you write the first story? Do you remember how ambivalent you were about publishing it? You weren't sure you wanted the aggravation, but you allowed someone to convince you, and here we are."

Me: "It was foolish of me to allow my mother to influence me. I knew it was for her so that she could tell all her friends HER daughter was published. She sucked the joy out of it." 

Muse: "Yes. And now it's all up to you. Let me ask you this - why do you feel like your only validation comes from the number of copies you move?"

Me: "Maybe because I used to sell more when Amber Quill was in the picture. I'm not really sure. It would be nice for the royalties to buy me another vehicle, wouldn't it? Just don't tell me I need to write every day because that was never true for me."

Muse: "I've never said that to you! I gave you a new idea just last night. Do you want to move on that?"

Me: "I don't know. I have an awful lot to do. There is still a huge pile of firewood logs to get cut and split out there. I'm not feeling up to the task of starting a new project."

Muse: "You are. Just a few steps every day. Create the character bios and go from there. Three hundred words at a time is very doable."

Me: "That will take forever!"

Muse: "Who cares? Does it matter how long it takes? Write it for us. You and me. When you finish it, we can decide if anyone else gets to read it."

Me: "And if no one does?"

Muse: "Fuck 'em."

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

KC Kendricks
My home on the web- Between the Keys: 
http://kckendricks.blogspot.com
Visit my bookshelf at: 
https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.html

Social media links:

twitter.com/kckendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

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

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

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

KC Kendricks, contemporary gay romance, Rayne Forrest, romance fiction, writing, blogging, X Twitter, m/m romance, LGBT gay romance, author

Arriving at the dreaded crossroads

October 22, 2023

I've dreaded the coming of this day. I typed THE END in the Sumner's Garden manuscript. It's usually good to get one drafted, but this one is different. This may really be the end. 

For years I had this rosy vision of my retirement years. I'd get to finally be The Lady of the Manor and a full-time writer. The Lady of the Manor I certainly am, but the writer part of me is despondent. Writing isn't what it used to be. It's changed, at least for me. 

When I began my writing journey, e-publishing was in its infancy. I was happy to get in and be a part of that. And I was there when it was washed away by Amazon's quest to be the only game in town. Kindle Unlimited diminishes the author's worth so I don't subscribe to it. My work is worth more than pennies and I would rather end it than give it away.

Sour grapes, you say? No. I know my own worth. I know exploitation when I see it. 

I've known this day was coming. I've thought about both sides of this personal decision and I'm no closer to knowing what's best for me than I was a year ago when I decided I had to write Sumner's Garden for ME. 

Autumn is a time of change. I've been in my sunroom office all morning watching the leaves fall and drift on the wind. The lawn is carpeted in a coat of many colors. The camera doesn't do it justice but the naked eye drinks it in and adds it to memory. 

It may happen that Sumner's Garden ends up on my Kindle and nowhere else. If that becomes my choice, I can live with it.

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

KC Kendricks
My home on the web- Between the Keys: 
http://kckendricks.blogspot.com
Visit my bookshelf at: 
https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.html

Social media links:

twitter.com/kckendricks

pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards

instagram.com/kc_kendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

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

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

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

KC Kendricks, life decisions, publishing industry, crossroads, a writer's life, m/m romance books for Kindle, exploitation of writers, long and winding road

Shared journeys

October 13, 2023

Wisdom and sage words are often found in unexpected places. I don't generally think of X (formerly known as Twitter) as a fount of knowledge. All the shiny American muscle cars in my feed are just for fun, as are the funny memes. Along the way I've identified a few folks as being kindred spirits, and likely there for many of the same reasons as me. We're there for the interactions, not the evening news quotes, although I have found a few worthy quotes. I found one just the other day. 

"We're all walking each other home." 

I saw this on Ron Perry's feed and I hope he won't mind me using it for blog fodder. It struck a deep chord with me. The nuances in that statement are endless. 

Much has been written about the joy being in the journey. We're told we all share the path. Much has been said about the brotherhood of man. We're all in this together! But somehow, the idea that we're all walking each other home is more profound. 

Home is, or should be, our sanctuary, our safe place. Home is where we are at our most vulnerable in sleep. Home is where we nurture our spouse and our children. And at the end of our days, Home is where we will go. 

Yes, it was the picture of those around me walking me to a home in heaven that made me stop and consider our walk. How am I treating those people who are walking me home? Am I a burden to them? They aren't a burden to me as I share their walk. 

We're all walking each other home. We should do it with kindness, understanding, and forgiveness. If we can do that, the walk will be easier to bear. 

 _*_*_*_*_*_*_

KC Kendricks
My home on the web- Between the Keys: 
http://kckendricks.blogspot.com
Visit my bookshelf at: 
https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.html

Social media links:

twitter.com/kckendricks

pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards

instagram.com/kc_kendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

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

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

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

KC Kendricks, contemporary gay romance, m/m romance, Kindle romance, X, Twitter, quotes, journeys, a writer's life, kindness, together

Having a writing partner

October 8, 2023

I confess. I like the formerly known as Twitter social media. My feed is full of shiny muscle cars these days, and if you read my books, you know my guys always drive a certain type of car be it a cool muscle car or a muscle car wannabe. My feed is also full of people asking fun questions like what would you do if you found a bag of money? (That's a tough one.) But sometimes, a good question about writing pops up. Recently, one of those writing questions was about having a writing partner. 

I'm not sure having a writing partner is something everyone should do. Writing is personal. Pulling words out of the air and bending them to your will to form a cohesive story isn't as easy as it seems. And doing it with someone? Well, it better be a special someone. 

When I first published at the now-defunct Amber Quill Press, I was welcomed by the late Chris Grover, and we developed an enduring friendship. After a few YEARS, Chris proposed a joint venture and I said, "Let's talk." So we talked. And we set a few boundaries, the most important of which was our own work came first. If one of us was in edits, any joint project had to wait. The other big one was not to tell our joint publisher we'd have a project finished at a certain date. (She bent this one once.)

All-in-all it was a good experience for me. Chris and I had both been writing for years and had a good body of work. Our styles were very similar as was our work ethic. There were occasions when we asked which of us wrote a particular passage which was cause for some laughter. 

The biggest drawback in our partnership usually occurred in the middle of a co-written story when our vision of where we were going diverged. We would discuss scenarios and reach a compromise. It wasn't always easy, but we stuck with it until we were both satisfied. 

I think our partnership worked because we had taken the time to get to know each other first. Chris was twenty years older than me, and I'm sure she didn't want to waste time on an immature twit. I didn't want to waste my time on someone who wasn't as equally serious about the craft as I was. We were of an age to have lived through a lot of the same experiences in the same decades of change. Shared experiences do matter - a lot. 

Teaming with another writer isn't for everyone. As much as I liked Chris, and as much as I still miss her, it wasn't all roses. But we were both mature enough to keep talking, to keep tossing out ideas, and we were both mature enough to recognize that divergent points of view about and within the story weren't a personal attack. If you can't separate a disagreement about a plot point from your emotions, you should not be a writing partner. 

Try it, or not. It can be a wonderful experience or a journey through hell. It's up to you to make that choice. Will it cement a friendship, or end it? Your list of pros and cons will be different from mine. Chris's list was different from mine, but it hit enough of the same points that I knew we could work together. 

Taking on a partner is a big step. It was a positive experience for me, and I hope it was for Chris. I wish I could ask her, but she passed in 2019. I don't think I would partner again. It might be good for me, but it just wouldn't be the same.

 _*_*_*_*_*_*_

KC Kendricks
My home on the web- Between the Keys: 
http://kckendricks.blogspot.com
Visit my bookshelf at: 
https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.html

Social media links:

twitter.com/kckendricks

pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards

instagram.com/kc_kendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

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

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

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

KC Kendricks, writing partners, collaborative works, gay romance fiction, Kindle romance, LGBT gay romance, M/M romance, writers on writing, writing pros and cons

When you do something and then regret it

October 1, 2023

This past week, I had the [dubious] joy of going back to work. Hell, yes, it's temporary! I'm not that crazy, you know. My protégé, the lovely Allyson, gave birth to her daughter last week and I'm filling in while she's on maternity leave. 

Five more weeks, Allyson, and it's all yours. 

I was pleased many months ago when they asked if I'd cover for her. The idea of spending a day a week in town didn't make me too happy, but I got an instant workaround - remote access. That was a huge surprise. It works sort of okay, but I get screen freezes which isn't good when one is now being paid by the hour. 

And speaking of hours, I logged about twenty-five (25) of them last week. I'm not doing everything, just the job essentials. I felt a bit rusty, but it's coming back to me. I hope to spend a few less hours a week on the "work project." 

I worked from home a lot during the 2020 Covid pandemic shutdown. I was fortunate that no one was there when I went to the office, so I could go check the mail and come home. Now there are people there. Retirement has made me even more anti-social. The remote access wasn't set up then so I kept everything updated on the computers via a flash drive. 

The bottom line is I have a few regrets about agreeing to fill in. Life is better without deadlines. Life is better when the people you socialize with are the people you like best in the world. Life is better when I'm not waiting on the CEO to get her work done on time so I can process it. She NEVER gets anything done on time. I wonder if it's some sort of mind game. Five more weeks. 

I've grown accustomed to a loose schedule. The spousal unit and I now have "coffee time" every morning. One cup, or two, depending on the weather. I don't like having to cut short my time with him to go do work that is not writing-based. And therein lies the biggest regret. The time I have to be about the business of writing is greatly reduced. 

Will I live through it? Of course, I will. I'll do the best job I can so I can hold my head up and continue to behave like the mature adult I am. But at the end of week six, if she's not ready to come back to work, my price is going up. 

 _*_*_*_*_*_*_

KC Kendricks
My home on the web- Between the Keys: 
http://kckendricks.blogspot.com
Visit my bookshelf at: 
https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.html

Social media links:

twitter.com/kckendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

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

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

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

KC Kendricks, working remotely, work regrets, writers on writing, a writer's life, contemporary gay romance fiction, M/M romance, LGBT gay literature, retirement interrupted 

That's what they told me

September 26, 2023

The work on the manuscript for Sumner's Garden has picked up. This past weekend we were treated to two days of rain from a tropical depression. It gave me a break from transitioning my outside chores from the gardening season to the firewood season, and I took full advantage of it to write. 

Writers talk about being a "plotter" or a "pantser," and I'm a bit of both. I get an idea for a book and look for names for my characters so I can create short character bios. Then I fill in a few blanks about where the story takes place, and you know it's a smaller town somewhere. It could be Marionville or Centerville or maybe the start of a new place if that is what speaks to me. After that, I plot out a rough storyline.

And it is rough. How are they going to meet? By chance? By introduction? Did they know each other from school or college? In the workplace? My original idea is subject to change. 

Sometimes I have the first chapter all worked out in my mind before I start typing, and that's when the trouble starts. Sometimes the characters tell me I've got it all wrong. (I really hate it when they do that.) More often, I've passed the halfway point when the characters begin to behave like stubborn mules. They plant their imaginary feet and tell me, "It ain't gonna happen like THAT." 

"It ain't gonna happen like THAT" is exactly what one of the characters told me in Sumner's Garden. So I did what I do in those instances. I fixed a cup of tea and started to read the story from the beginning to see if I needed to add bits and pieces to fit what I'd just learned. It turned out that the character was one hundred percent correct. I didn't need to add anything for it to flow perfectly. 

Am I a plotter or a pantser? Yep. A bit of both. 

 _*_*_*_*_*_*_

KC Kendricks
My home on the web- Between the Keys: 
http://kckendricks.blogspot.com
Visit my bookshelf at: 
https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.html

Social media links:

twitter.com/kckendricks

pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards

instagram.com/kc_kendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

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

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

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

KC Kendricks, Between the Keys, contemporary gay romance, M/M romance, LGBTQ romance books, Kindle romance ebooks, Sumner's Garden, gay literature, erotic romance ebooks

The Kendricks 1200

September 22, 2023

This entry is blog number 1200 here at Between the Keys. Never could I have envisioned, back in 2008, reaching this milestone. I started this blog with an entry called Tumblin' Dice on January 1, 2008. I had just decided to take the jump to writing M/M romance and was ready to submit my first contemporary gay story to Amber Quill Press. It worked out very well, and yet so many things have happened since then. 

I don't think I began to mark these sort of "milestone" blog entries until number 500. Several of the milestone entries coincided with the year-end retrospectives, which I thought was pretty cool. This one, number twelve hundred, comes at a time when I'm at a crossroads with what I want to accomplish with my writing, moving forward. I don't have a thing to prove to myself or anyone else, so what do I want to do? 

Retirement isn't exactly as I thought it would be. I thought I'd be able to devote time each day to writing, but instead, every day is a different adventure. Take yesterday as a shining example. 

Yesterday, I stopped in at our local Dollar General to check out the seasonal decorations. When I returned to the Charger and pushed the button to start it - nothing happened. NOTHING. And that was something new and different for this car. So I hit the button again, and it told me the key fob was not in the car. OH YES  IT WAS! I pushed it a third time and the car started but it flashed me a message that the key fob battery was low. Whew! I hustled off to purchase a new battery and put it in the key fob ASAP. That was not part of the day's plan and it took up some time. 

My retirement has been like that. One little thing right after another. I'm not complaining because I know that's just life. I simply have plans for the day that are different from what the universe throws at me. I know I have to roll with it.

And that includes the writing. No, I don't produce six books a year right now, and that's fine. My life is a lot fuller than it was. No longer do I simply get up, go to work, come home, and write. I was able to do that because 1) I didn't have the energy left after working all day to do a lot of things, and 2) the spousal unit was still on his feet and able to take care of things at home. Now I do myriad things in a day, his traditional chores and mine. 

Not to mention, but I will, I've never had the need for my writing to give me the big Nora Roberts-style payday. That's what my day job was for - paycheck, health insurance, pension. That's what worked for me in the way of income and retirement planning. The writing? I've been able to avoid car payments on the last four vehicles we've purchased so that's good. 

But... You know there is always a but. Winter is coming and I hope to exhibit the discipline to write every day. All the fun stuff I do in the garden, etc., will be in winter hibernation and I'll be cooped up inside. So we shall see where that leads. 

Twelve hundred blog entries. Who knew I had that much to say?

    _*_*_*_*_*_*_

KC Kendricks

My home on the web- Between the Keys: 

http://kckendricks.blogspot.com

Visit my bookshelf at: 

https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.html

Social media links:

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

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

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

twitter.com/kckendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

KC Kendricks, Between the Keys, blogging, contemporary gay romance, LGBT gay, M/M romance, Kindle books, ebook romance, a writer's life, Sumner's Garden, writers on writing, country lifestyle, retirement, life changes, romance novels

Finding excuses and dragging my feet

September 20, 2023

It's been a day. Heck, it's been a month! I had a Yard Sale with my cousin, attended a baby shower for another younger cousin, met a group of classmates for dinner, contracted with a tree service to take down the leaning maple, did a rash of home canning, went on a day trip with the spousal unit, burned the brush pile, and I'm in the midst of tearing out the 2023 garden. 

Do you see writing mentioned anywhere in that mess? Nooooo. 

I need to finish Sumner's Garden, but finishing the story closes the book on Andy. I don't want that to happen. You see, Andy has been with me for a very long time. He was first brought to life in the book, Shine A Light, and I always wanted to tell his story. Now I am. But I want him to stay. 

This may be a conundrum many writers face, but what to do about it? Moving off the center means moving closer to losing Andy as he is in my mind. I know how his story completes, but getting there will be a loss, at least to me. For those readers who have been with me for years, it will be their gain. 

I've been down this road before and it's time to stop dragging my feet and give Andy his due. But here's another thing - I've been writing for a long time now. What if Andy is my swan song? Is Andy a good place to hang up the wireless keyboard? I don't want to get involved with putting my name on a story written by artificial intelligence and that is the direction fiction is moving in. I don't need to pursue the financial end of writing so I'm not pressured to produce, produce, produce the way many writers are. When I publish a book, well, if you know then you know. How's that for a bit of ego? 

There are new characters to get to know and established ones to revisit. I know this. I also know those two things won't happen until Andy gets his happy ending. And he will get it. I hope you'll be there to share in it. 

 _*_*_*_*_*_*_

KC Kendricks
My home on the web- Between the Keys: 
http://kckendricks.blogspot.com
Visit my bookshelf at: 
https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.html

Social media links:

twitter.com/kckendricks

pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards

instagram.com/kc_kendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

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

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

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

KC Kendricks, Between the Keys, Shine A Light, contemporary gay fiction, m/m romance, LGBT gay romance, romance books for Kindle, books, fiction romance, a writer's life, gardening, simple country pleasures

Doing what does not make us happy

September 14, 2023

This morning I finally took the hard road and cancelled my web hosting service. It wasn't my first choice of action. It was my only choice. There are myriad reasons for the cancellation.

• The cost of the service jumped $17 for one quarter
• The website software couldn't be downloaded the way the old Sitebuilder was
• Working online with an AI assistance was too difficult
• Lack of options in building a page template

There is no doubt the old Sitebuilder software spoiled me. I was able to work offline and then upload the pages. I could start with a blank template and add whatever background I wanted. Each page could have a completely different look if I so choose. But Yahoo webhosting became Luminate (or something), which became Aabaco (or something), which became Verizon, which became Turbify which apparently was sold again. 

I can't keep up with all of it, mostly because I don't want to keep up. I simply want an inexpensive web hosting with software that allows me to create the look I want. I don't want a cardboard cut-out website. I'm not a cow in the herd. 

It wasn't an easy decision. I've grappled with it for some time and it just so happened that today was the day I tackled the problem. 

Where I go from here for web hosting, I don't know. I kept the domain name, or at least I hope I did it correctly to keep the domain name. Who the fuck knows? I guess I'll find out for sure when it's time to renew it, or when I decide on other web hosting. 

It annoys me that they kept selling the product without actually improving the service. Call me old-fashioned, but I still look for value in the products I use. A product that is too difficult to use and doesn't give you the end result you're paying for is not value.

So here I am. Between the Keys has been my real home on the web for quite some time. If Google ever decides to start fucking around with altering Blogger, I guess I'll vanish. 

    _*_*_*_*_*_*_

 KC Kendricks

My home on the web- Between the Keys: 

http://kckendricks.blogspot.com

Visit my bookshelf at: 

https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.html

Social media links:

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

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

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

twitter.com/kckendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

KC Kendricks, Between the Keys, contemporary gay romance, M/M, LGBT, romance for Kindle, web hosting, webhosting, a writer's life, AI, product devaluation, work offline, 

Levi & Stacy - a limited edition

**August 29, 2023 

**December 31, 2023 - This special edition is no longer available. 

Levi & Stacy

Levi and Stacy hold a special place in the booklist. Shining Victory is written from Stacy's point of view. No One But You is from Levi's. It has long been the plan to write another segment from Stacy's pov, but fear of mucking it up has thus far prevailed. 

Do not abandon hope. It may yet happen.

                                              Shining Victory                    No One But You

Limited Edition! 

For a limited time, get both Shining Victory and No One But You in one limited edition volume!

This two book set will only be available until December 31, 2023 

This title is no longer available. 

And speaking of distractions...

August 25, 2023

The end of summer is upon us. I gaze through my office window and there is a smattering of leaves on the ground. In years past, those leaves would be bright yellow from the poplar tree but we cut that tree down last summer. This coming winter, its wood will keep us warm. 

I should not be gazing out the window. I should be writing, and not blogging. The current work-in-progress has languished this week while I did...what? Looking back at my daily notes, what I did was not much. Organizing the music CDs in one fell swoop was hardly necessary. The task could have been broken down into smaller segments across more days, days in which I wrote first. I didn't do it that way. There was also a trip to town for groceries and a test run of the log splitter. And then there was Twitter or X as it is now called. 

What to do about Twitter/X? I've actually thought about leaving it, but the platform itself isn't the problem. 

I spent far too much time on that platform, whatever the hell you want to call it. My feed is full of beautiful American muscle cars and I can't take my eyes off the shine! I click the little heart and I get more cars. And I do love American muscle cars. But I should be writing. 

One of the deciding factors in retiring from employment last year was my desire to get back to writing, so why am I allowing distractions to keep me from it? It's a fucking lack of discipline, that's what. I recognize it. I just don't do anything about it. 

That needs to change. I've been home for over a year now and I admit that settling in with the spouse was important. I tried to be deliberate about the adjustment of us being together 24/7. We're both armed. Shooting each other would not have been productive. Now we've reached the point where we believe we can accommodate each other. Leaving him to his own devices so I can write shouldn't be a problem but I enjoy spending time with him. Still. 

There are deer on the other side of the window. We had a large group of fawns born this year and they dance around like little sprites. I've seen it before but I always stop what I'm doing to watch. The nature around me feeds my soul. Is that an excuse for not writing?

It's obvious I'm going to struggle with the distractions surrounding me. No self-help book will help me if I'm not willing to shut it all out and write. And I already have the tools necessary. I know I need to set aside a block of time each day for writing and stick to it. The real question is why am I not getting that done? 

Maybe I need to close the drapes.

    _*_*_*_*_*_*_

 KC Kendricks
http://www.kckendricks.com

My home on the web- Between the Keys: 

http://kckendricks.blogspot.com

Visit my bookshelf at: 

https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.html

Social media links:

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

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

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

twitter.com/kckendricks

pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards

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KC Kendricks, Between the Keys, gay romance novels, m/m romance, writers on writing, writing distractions, LGBT gay romance, contemporary romance, time management, distractions, end of summer, firewood, social media, American muscle cars

A new, but necessary distraction

August 22, 2023

Distractions. Writers may try to avoid them, but it's as if the Universe simply can't stand to have a writer peacefully clicking away on her/his keyboard. I've written about distractions before, but this time? THIS time it's a distraction that put me in crisis mode! My faithful (now not so faithful!) CD player has given up the ghost and is headed to electronic disposal. 

I don't have a clue how many music CDs we actually own. Not a clue. Hundreds is my best guess. I won't lie and say I play CDs every day, but the prospect of not having all that music available to me with the push of a button is, well, scary. When I'm in the mood for some Elton John, I want to hear it NOW! 

What to do? Purchase a new player, you say. That makes sense, but my sound system is ancient. I'm not sure a new player will plug in and play. A new system would be smaller ✅, have a remote control ✅, and have a USB playback ✅✅✅✅✅!!

A USB playback. I love having that in my car. I have a favorites playlist for in the vehicles with almost fifteen hundred songs on it. This could really work!

Yeah, it could work if I had all my music loaded onto the computer so I could slide it right over to a jump drive. 

Guess what the distracted writer is doing today? 

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 KC Kendricks
www.kckendricks.com
My home on the web- Between the Keys: 
http://kckendricks.blogspot.com
Visit my bookshelf at: 
https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.html

Social media links:

twitter.com/kckendricks

pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards

instagram.com/kc_kendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

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

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

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

KC Kendricks, Between the Keys, m/m gay romance for Kindle, contemporary romance, a writer's life, LGBTQ romance, writing distractions, writers on writing, music CD, USB drive, memory stick, jump drive

Pesky Promotion Pitfalls

August 16, 2023

If there is one thing I don't like about being a writer in 2023, it's doing promotion. I didn't like it twenty years ago and I like it even less now. 

Back then, before Amazon slayed the epublishers, if you had a good website, you did okay. Amazon is no one's friend. It exists to make money, plain and simple. Many, many, many voices have been silenced due to Amazon.

Yahoo used to have groups, as did MSN and Google. They're gone now and we're left with Facebook groups and other social media such as Twitter and YouTube. Doing promotion in the Facebook groups is like navigating several thousand landmine fields. 

"Do this, don't do that! Can't you read the signs????"

Don't misunderstand me - there are myriad groups that are really great for promo. Post and go because an author's time is valuable, at least mine is.  Other groups have a lot of rules, which I add to my spreadsheet. 

I've mentioned the FB spreadsheet before. It's full of KC shorthand, but it works. I know which book I've promoted and when. I know if it went into review, when it posted, and if it's still pending a month later. 

Really, folks. If you're going to review each post, DO IT. My spreadsheet has five worksheets and one page is for groups I've abandoned like a hot potato because I don't have time for nonsense. 

In the past week, I've moved ten groups to the abandoned worksheet. It'll save time in the long run. One group removed my first five promo posts but not the sixth (the first was in January so they were spread out). I don't care what the issue was. I simply cut the group out of my rotation. 

It's not like I enjoy abandoning a particular group. Sure, the groups are full of other writers, but writers are readers, too. Between October and March, I read at least four books a week. April through September are the outdoor fun months, so I probably read four books a month. The point is, writers read. 

And since writers read, I'll stick to posting in the groups that are truly writer-friendly. And on the social media formerly known as Twitter. And YouTube if I can get off my butt long enough to go make a video. Beyond that, I really must figure out what to do with Patreon. But I don't like the idea of having people pay for special treatment. 

That's enough whining for today. Promotion needs to happen, but I don't have to enjoy it. 

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 KC Kendricks
www.kckendricks.com
My home on the web- Between the Keys: 
http://kckendricks.blogspot.com
Visit my bookshelf at: 
https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.html

Social media links:

twitter.com/kckendricks

pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards

instagram.com/kc_kendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

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

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

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

KC Kendricks, Between the Keys, gay romance, m/m romance, kindle romance, social media promotion, book promo, spreadsheets, rural living, country lifestyle, a writer's life

We now communicate via the meme

August 10, 2023

Over the past several years, we the people have become uncomfortable with speaking our real and true opinions, and we certainly don't post them online. There is always someone lurking about who is delighted to tell you how wrong you are. I'm too exhausted to listen to them. I'm not about to change my mind on core issues. 

I enjoy a witty meme. I found the one pictured on Twitter...excuse me...X... and it took me down a musical memory lane. Those five words say a lot. In my youth, I loved the music of Simon & Garfunkel, and The Sound of Silence remains a favorite. The song has weathered well the test of time. Go listen to the Simon & Garfunkel version. No one else does it as well and they did write the song. 

And the people bowed and prayed to the neon god they made. And the sign flashed out its warning in the words that it was forming. And the sign said, "The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls and tenement halls and echoed the sound of silence."

It got me thinking about all the memes filling up my Twitter and Facebook feeds. I know someone who never posts any sort of update about her life. It's a political-themed meme or nothing. She gets flamed continually and I think she likes the abuse. Maybe she thinks any attention of whatever form is good. I disagree. Showing your ass and saying, "LOOK AT ME!" is never in good form. 

Freedom of speech is the first right given to us by our Constitution. Congress, that is to say, our government, is to make NO law prohibiting freedom of religion and speech. Cancel culture has made the exercise of that right so onerous, that we now communicate through the meme. 

You dislike a particular politician? Post a meme. 
You hate your job? Post a meme.
You like to drink alcohol? Post a meme. 
You want to bash the police? Post a meme.

You want to support abortion? Post a meme.
You want to bash fat/skinny/old people? Post a meme. 
You want to talk about heaven? Post a meme.
You want to tell everyone to rescue a dog or else? Post a meme. 

This is how we avoid having conversations. If we try to have a conversation, we get attacked, often unfairly. We are entitled to have an opinion. 

I'm as guilty as the next person of withholding my opinion. I get annoyed when I read things like "ALL conservatives/liberals [fill in the blank]." 

Not many of the memes I see are like the one pictured above. They don't take us back in time or remind us with melodic words we still have work to do to improve society. Today's memes more often than not based on an underlying hatred of someone or something. This is what disturbs me the most about them. 

You'll have to excuse me if I don't join you in your hatred. Have you ever considered keeping it to yourself? 

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 KC Kendricks
www.kckendricks.com
My home on the web- Between the Keys: 
http://kckendricks.blogspot.com
Visit my bookshelf at: 
https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.html

Social media links:

twitter.com/kckendricks

pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards

instagram.com/kc_kendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

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

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

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

KC Kendricks, Between the Keys, meme, contemporary gay romance, romance books for Kindle, Sound of Silence, Constitution, First Amendment, freedom of speech, counter-culture, a writer's life, rural living, m/m romance

July 2023: My version of a newsletter for the month

August 3, 2023

We made it through July! It was a hot month here, but July always is. Historically, in my location, it is the hottest month of the year. We're suddenly into August, and like flipping a switch, it's cooler and a lot less humid. This year, I'm missing the yellow leaves that always began to fall off the big poplar tree that was just outside my sunroom office window. I could mark the first of August by the first leaves dropping. I miss the tree, but not the threat it posed to the house.  

July was a big month tending the garden. Everything was growing and it was time to feed the plants, as well as water the plants every day. I was able to start harvesting tomatoes, but not the ones I'd hoped for. I planted seeds purporting to be Beefsteaks, but were cherry tomatoes instead. I wasn't pleased but I made use of them in pizza sauce. 

I made good use of our little pool, too. Deuce enjoyed splashing around in his little pool for a couple of days, but then he lost interest in it. Thankfully, he abandoned it before I purchased him a larger pool. 

The writing didn't go as well as I'd hoped, but it never does. It's a mystery how if I can type a solid 60 words per minute, I can't type 3600 words an hour. The math doesn't prove out! The upside is the current work-in-progress IS progressing and I did get the cover completed. I really need to expand my knowledge of the Photoshop program I have, but that takes time. I hope to have the "blurb" written soon and a book page posted. 

One of the storefronts I use is now offering a service for book covers. I won't pay upwards of $100 for one cover and not have it be significantly better than what I can make, which they are not. 

I spent waaaaay too much time on Twitter in July, so this month I'm on a bit of a Twitter... excuse me... X...holiday. I'll allow myself to check in once in the morning and once before I retire for the night. That should suffice. I didn't spend enough time on Facebook putting up promos. I doubt I'll do much better in August, but we'll see. 

I'm actually going back to work soon. My replacement is expecting a baby in mid-September, and I'll be filling in for her while she's on maternity leave. I agreed to help on the condition I could do the bulk of the work at home. That was approved. I hope I'm not too rusty to actually be a help! 

July flew by! I accomplished something every day even if I did jump from chore to chore and project to project like a squirrel. Life has taught me that sooner or later, it all gets done.

Here's to August! May we all stay safe and healthy!

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 KC Kendricks
www.kckendricks.com
My home on the web- Between the Keys: 
http://kckendricks.blogspot.com
Visit my bookshelf at: 
https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.html

Social media links:

twitter.com/kckendricks

pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards

instagram.com/kc_kendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

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

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

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

KC Kendricks, Between the Keys, newsletter July 2023, contemporary gay romance, LGBT, m/m romance, a writer's life, romance fiction, book covers, rural living, country lifestyle, romance books for Kindle