Vicki Keire's Blog
May 19, 2012
I wanted to show everyone the new cover for the third book in the Angel's Edge series! This is the first of three; eventually, the other two books will look like this, too. It comes as no surprise to some of you that I've decided to go ahead and do Blood Redemption as a serialization first, which you can read, for free, every Friday over on Curiosity Quills. I cannot say enough good things about serials. It gives the reader a chance to read for free and- here's my hope- offer opinions on a developing work. For me as a writer, it's been fantastic discipline, and a real exercise in constructing scenes and chapters. It forces me to be a better writer because every single chapter is under intense scrutiny- mine, the editor's, and the readers- every week. So I know doing it this way will produce the best possible writing, and ultimately, that's the most important thing to me. Of course, at the end of the serial, Blood Redemption will be out as an e-book and in paperback, so people can buy the whole thing if they want. Blood Redemption begins serialization at Curiosity Quills on May 25th.Even though Blood Redemption stands on its own, I am giving away free ecopies of the first two books, for anyone who wants the back story. Just leave a comment with your email, or shoot me an email at vickikeire (at) gmail (dot) com. 
March 26, 2012
Just a quick check-in before I spotlight What's On My Bookshelf: I've made good progress on DoG and will be wrapping up the serial within 2-3 chapters. Am strongly contemplating doing more serializations; it seems I can work on them and on a novel at the same time, and they're fantastic discipline.
Working also on the last part of the final book in The Chronicles of Nowhere series. If one ending is hard, two are twice that, of course. I find myself working harder and sometimes outright struggling with two completely different series at the same time. But somehow it's hanging together!
And, because this is such a brief update, here are some things on my bookshelf:
1. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo:
Wildly out of my usual comfort zone, this Swedish crime thriller failed to totally pull me in. I was entranced with the main female character, though: Lisbeth Salander is one of the most compelling heroines I've encountered in a long time. Have already started in on the second book.
2. Fairy Struck:
It's always a pleasure to edit excellent books in my favorite genre: YA paranormal. Fairy Struck is the third book in Jeff Bryan's Songs of Magic series, and it's a great read. The whole series is quirky and fun, but with that kick of Bryan's trademark edgy dark side. Plus I just love fairies and music, and the series has lots of both.
3. The Iron Witch:
It's hard to come across a genuinely original cast of enemies these days in YA, but Karen Mahoney manages when she writes of malicious, far from glamorous fairies at war with a cabbal of alchemists. Plenty of action and just plain good writing made this an enjoyable read.
Hope everyone is having an enjoyable week and a pretty beginning of spring!
Working also on the last part of the final book in The Chronicles of Nowhere series. If one ending is hard, two are twice that, of course. I find myself working harder and sometimes outright struggling with two completely different series at the same time. But somehow it's hanging together!
And, because this is such a brief update, here are some things on my bookshelf:1. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo:
Wildly out of my usual comfort zone, this Swedish crime thriller failed to totally pull me in. I was entranced with the main female character, though: Lisbeth Salander is one of the most compelling heroines I've encountered in a long time. Have already started in on the second book.
2. Fairy Struck:It's always a pleasure to edit excellent books in my favorite genre: YA paranormal. Fairy Struck is the third book in Jeff Bryan's Songs of Magic series, and it's a great read. The whole series is quirky and fun, but with that kick of Bryan's trademark edgy dark side. Plus I just love fairies and music, and the series has lots of both.
3. The Iron Witch:
It's hard to come across a genuinely original cast of enemies these days in YA, but Karen Mahoney manages when she writes of malicious, far from glamorous fairies at war with a cabbal of alchemists. Plenty of action and just plain good writing made this an enjoyable read.
Hope everyone is having an enjoyable week and a pretty beginning of spring!
March 13, 2012
Tomorrow kicks of a great event in which dozens of ebooks will be available for free through Amazon. My entire catalog will be available either for FREE, or for 99 cents. For those of you who haven't picked up my newest releases, now is the chance to do so for absolutely nothing! Both
Worlds Burn Through
and
Shadowed Ground
are FREE; there are dozens of other great ebooks, too. My publisher alone is giving away a total of seven books from their catalog. It's a really fun event, almost like a blog hop but for Amazon pages, linking free books together so you can download to your heart's content.It's actually a lot of fun to give away books, especially when a bunch of us authors get together to do it in party form. There will be some partying and craziness on this blog, and on my FB and Twitter stream, because it's just going to be that much fun. Please join me and my fellow authors! Here's an example of just some of the titles:
&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">lt</span>;A <span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">HREF</span>="http://<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">ws</span>.amazon.com/widgets/q?<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">ServiceVersion</span>=20070822&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">MarketPlace</span>=US&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;ID=V20070822%2FUS%2Fjth0e-20%2F8001%2F4f834655-f95d-4209-a195-8cb2889c30d9&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;Operation=<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">NoScript</span>"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Amazon.com Widgets&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">lt</span>;/A&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;
March 11, 2012
Update time! And, uh, Daylight Savings? I so forgot all about it and blew my noon cutoff time for coffee. Bad.
1. Word count- after the horrible "pulling teeth" day, things got a little better. Thanks to all who chimed in with encouragement and advice- it helped. I wound up doing a combination of focusing on other things and working on planning stuff for two series- one I'm writing and one I'm planning to write. So actually I wound up kind of juggling three different things this week- finished with a word count of somewhere around 4500, which finished off a difficult chapter in Daughter of Glass and made progress on another in the final Chronicles of Nowhere novella.
2. I'm settling into a nice little editing rhythm of writing first thing and during the day, and editing during the afternoon and at night. Sometimes one takes precedence over the other as I juggle deadlines, but on the whole it's a nice balance. Lots of editing to keep me busy this month, too.
3. Not a lot of time for reading- finished Parallel and bought Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus. Everyone raved at me when they found out I bought it, so I'm looking forward to reading it when I get the chance. Part of the not-reading thing has to do with my brain just not feeling up to it for some reason. This happens periodically when I'm writing. I think it must be word overload or something. At other times reading is really relaxing, but not lately. But when I do get my reading brain back, at least I have a book on hold I'll probably enjoy.
Hope everyone is having an excellent week!
1. Word count- after the horrible "pulling teeth" day, things got a little better. Thanks to all who chimed in with encouragement and advice- it helped. I wound up doing a combination of focusing on other things and working on planning stuff for two series- one I'm writing and one I'm planning to write. So actually I wound up kind of juggling three different things this week- finished with a word count of somewhere around 4500, which finished off a difficult chapter in Daughter of Glass and made progress on another in the final Chronicles of Nowhere novella.
2. I'm settling into a nice little editing rhythm of writing first thing and during the day, and editing during the afternoon and at night. Sometimes one takes precedence over the other as I juggle deadlines, but on the whole it's a nice balance. Lots of editing to keep me busy this month, too.
3. Not a lot of time for reading- finished Parallel and bought Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus. Everyone raved at me when they found out I bought it, so I'm looking forward to reading it when I get the chance. Part of the not-reading thing has to do with my brain just not feeling up to it for some reason. This happens periodically when I'm writing. I think it must be word overload or something. At other times reading is really relaxing, but not lately. But when I do get my reading brain back, at least I have a book on hold I'll probably enjoy.
Hope everyone is having an excellent week!
March 10, 2012
An exciting week for me! The second installment in The Chronicles of Nowhere series launched on the 8th! Shadowed Ground is live, baby! For those of you who are unfamiliar, this is the follow-up to Worlds Burn Through. Limited ARCs are still available, too. Otherwise it's currently available on Amazon. Here's a blurb and a pic of the cover:
About:Chloe Burke has only two choices left: run or fight.
As she wakes from a poisoned sleep with silver scars across her neck and back, her aunt's diary may provide the only clues about the creatures of fire that hunt her. Through it, she learns of her own awakening powers, as well as more about Annwyn, the world of her childhood, now burned to ash.
She also learns of the blood sacrifice that will be required of her when she arrives at Gray's Landing. It's a sacrifice not everyone survives. Trapped and hunted, separated from her last living relative and the only home she has ever known, Chloe must rely on the deadly Eliot Gray to guide her through the strange world she suddenly finds herself inhabiting. It's a world where the Abandoned wear human bodies like cheap suits, where the Landing finds itself threatened by its nearest neighbors, and Chloe and Eliot must watch their every move.
As the world around them becomes increasingly hostile, Chloe and Eliot turn more and more towards each other. As the bonds of trust grow, they must be careful not to tread upon time-honored boundaries: those forbidding Guardians to act on feelings for their Wards. To do so would break the bond, and would leave Chloe unprotected as the pair makes their way to Gray's Landing, and safety.
Members of the powerful Ravenwood family fall further and further under the Abandoned's influence until Alexander stands alone. Cass and Miranda must find a way to take legal possession of the Landing amidst corruption and danger in Savannah.
A dangerous road stretches on before them, and Chloe and Eliot must learn to work as a team against the deadly predators that threaten a whole new world. Determined not to let the only home she remembers suffer Annwyn's fate, Chloe finds herself in a race to reach Gray's Landing before it is too late.
About:Chloe Burke has only two choices left: run or fight.
As she wakes from a poisoned sleep with silver scars across her neck and back, her aunt's diary may provide the only clues about the creatures of fire that hunt her. Through it, she learns of her own awakening powers, as well as more about Annwyn, the world of her childhood, now burned to ash. She also learns of the blood sacrifice that will be required of her when she arrives at Gray's Landing. It's a sacrifice not everyone survives. Trapped and hunted, separated from her last living relative and the only home she has ever known, Chloe must rely on the deadly Eliot Gray to guide her through the strange world she suddenly finds herself inhabiting. It's a world where the Abandoned wear human bodies like cheap suits, where the Landing finds itself threatened by its nearest neighbors, and Chloe and Eliot must watch their every move.
As the world around them becomes increasingly hostile, Chloe and Eliot turn more and more towards each other. As the bonds of trust grow, they must be careful not to tread upon time-honored boundaries: those forbidding Guardians to act on feelings for their Wards. To do so would break the bond, and would leave Chloe unprotected as the pair makes their way to Gray's Landing, and safety.
Members of the powerful Ravenwood family fall further and further under the Abandoned's influence until Alexander stands alone. Cass and Miranda must find a way to take legal possession of the Landing amidst corruption and danger in Savannah.
A dangerous road stretches on before them, and Chloe and Eliot must learn to work as a team against the deadly predators that threaten a whole new world. Determined not to let the only home she remembers suffer Annwyn's fate, Chloe finds herself in a race to reach Gray's Landing before it is too late.
An exciting week for me! The second installment in The Chronicles of Nowhere series launched on the 8th! Shadowed Ground is live, baby! For those of you who are unfamiliar, this is the follow-up to Worlds Burn Through. Limited ARCs are still available, too. Otherwise it's currently available on Amazon. Here's a blurb, an excerpt, and a pic of the cover:
About:Chloe Burke has only two choices left: run or fight.
As she wakes from a poisoned sleep with silver scars across her neck and back, her aunt's diary may provide the only clues about the creatures of fire that hunt her. Through it, she learns of her own awakening powers, as well as more about Annwyn, the world of her childhood, now burned to ash.
She also learns of the blood sacrifice that will be required of her when she arrives at Gray's Landing. It's a sacrifice not everyone survives. Trapped and hunted, separated from her last living relative and the only home she has ever known, Chloe must rely on the deadly Eliot Gray to guide her through the strange world she suddenly finds herself inhabiting. It's a world where the Abandoned wear human bodies like cheap suits, where the Landing finds itself threatened by its nearest neighbors, and Chloe and Eliot must watch their every move.
As the world around them becomes increasingly hostile, Chloe and Eliot turn more and more towards each other. As the bonds of trust grow, they must be careful not to tread upon time-honored boundaries: those forbidding Guardians to act on feelings for their Wards. To do so would break the bond, and would leave Chloe unprotected as the pair makes their way to Gray's Landing, and safety.
Members of the powerful Ravenwood family fall further and further under the Abandoned's influence until Alexander stands alone. Cass and Miranda must find a way to take legal possession of the Landing amidst corruption and danger in Savannah.
A dangerous road stretches on before them, and Chloe and Eliot must learn to work as a team against the deadly predators that threaten a whole new world. Determined not to let the only home she remembers suffer Annwyn's fate, Chloe finds herself in a race to reach Gray's Landing before it is too late.
Excerpt:Behind him, in the distance, she could see the interstate. Traffic moved across I-10 in a steady pulse of color and noise. The asphalt ribbon, raised high above Highway 59 on huge concrete pillars, had never seemed so fragile. She'd traveled it many times without really seeing it, her nose always in a book or focused on the destination. Highway 59 was just a sign that meant home was hours behind or hours ahead of her. Signs, she realized, her eyes glazing as she looked past the boy against the lamppost. I've spent my life looking at the signs, but never the road.She bounced a little, in her boots. Her favorite boots with their square heels and bare inches of added height. "I thought these were lost or ruined, you know." She eyed a smoke-belching eighteen-wheeler. It swerved around a row of Diesel pumps and flowed onto the highway with the practiced jerky grace of a caterpillar. "Holly calls these my super hero boots, because they make me a little bit taller." Eliot waited. "I put them on in my own bedroom. The only bedroom I can ever remember having. And then I had the worst night of my life. I nearly… I mean, I almost… died. And… Griffin." He responded to her growl with a soft "Ah," as if he'd found her pulse. Maybe he had. She whipped her head up, squinting through halogen to find stars, but they were obscured by light pollution. "In a way, I did die. The life I had did, anyway. And then I woke up here. Well, not here, exactly. But close enough, in a little house, with you. I had a whole new history, mortal enemies, a dangerous future, and even brand new freak scars. But I was safe." His entire body relaxed when she said the word, connecting it to him. He leaned towards her as if "safe" from her lips was a deliciously scented liquid and he wanted to drink it. He was actually heavy-lidded, leaning towards her slightly like a purring cat. A very deadly, weapons-carrying cat.Maybe it was a Guardian thing. She shrugged and plunged ahead. "So, from my point of view, I've only been two places in over a week. A horrible nightmare death party, and your little house. Where I woke up an alien, able to do things I shouldn't be able to do, with weird scars." She stomped her heel for punctuation. "Of course I'm freaking out. What if people can tell I'm not normal?" He opened his mouth to speak, shut it, then opened it again. He turned to scan the parking lot one more time before closing the distance between them. He brushed her chin with thumb and index finger before pulling her face up to his. A pair of dragon flies tornadoed around them. They were skeletal and ugly in the harsh industrial light. "Do you like hot chocolate?" Eliot finally asked. He was deathly still and completely serious."What?""Hot chocolate. Milk, with chocolate in it, heated up..."She slapped his shoulder, the leather of his jacket stinging her palm. "I know what hot chocolate is. Don't you dare make fun of me when you've had your whole life to get used to this... this... thing called a future." He ignored the outburst. "It just seems to me that we're getting things backwards." When she continued to stare at him as if had lost his mind, he dropped her chin and leaned down until his forehead rested against hers. His skin was cool and slightly damp in the newborn southern night. Her nose was full of the smell of asphalt, leather, and Eliot. "I like hot chocolate, things that go fast, and the color blue," he whispered solemnly. "I like poetry more than novels because I have a short attention span. And graphic novels. I like too many of those to narrow down a favorite." He ran his fingers through his dark hair. As always, he managed to tousle it wildly with just one pass. She wondered if his hands carried an electrical charge she didn't know about, to do that to his hair every time he touched it. "What about you, Chloe? Do you have a favorite book? What's your favorite flower? Are you a cat or a dog person?" He gripped her shoulders, frustrated. She felt such a strange flickering inside that she briefly revisited her electrical charge hypothesis. "People should know these things about each other before they face death, apocalypse, and insanity together." She didn't know how to answer him, or if she even wanted to, so she stayed silent.
About:Chloe Burke has only two choices left: run or fight.
As she wakes from a poisoned sleep with silver scars across her neck and back, her aunt's diary may provide the only clues about the creatures of fire that hunt her. Through it, she learns of her own awakening powers, as well as more about Annwyn, the world of her childhood, now burned to ash. She also learns of the blood sacrifice that will be required of her when she arrives at Gray's Landing. It's a sacrifice not everyone survives. Trapped and hunted, separated from her last living relative and the only home she has ever known, Chloe must rely on the deadly Eliot Gray to guide her through the strange world she suddenly finds herself inhabiting. It's a world where the Abandoned wear human bodies like cheap suits, where the Landing finds itself threatened by its nearest neighbors, and Chloe and Eliot must watch their every move.
As the world around them becomes increasingly hostile, Chloe and Eliot turn more and more towards each other. As the bonds of trust grow, they must be careful not to tread upon time-honored boundaries: those forbidding Guardians to act on feelings for their Wards. To do so would break the bond, and would leave Chloe unprotected as the pair makes their way to Gray's Landing, and safety.
Members of the powerful Ravenwood family fall further and further under the Abandoned's influence until Alexander stands alone. Cass and Miranda must find a way to take legal possession of the Landing amidst corruption and danger in Savannah.
A dangerous road stretches on before them, and Chloe and Eliot must learn to work as a team against the deadly predators that threaten a whole new world. Determined not to let the only home she remembers suffer Annwyn's fate, Chloe finds herself in a race to reach Gray's Landing before it is too late.
Excerpt:Behind him, in the distance, she could see the interstate. Traffic moved across I-10 in a steady pulse of color and noise. The asphalt ribbon, raised high above Highway 59 on huge concrete pillars, had never seemed so fragile. She'd traveled it many times without really seeing it, her nose always in a book or focused on the destination. Highway 59 was just a sign that meant home was hours behind or hours ahead of her. Signs, she realized, her eyes glazing as she looked past the boy against the lamppost. I've spent my life looking at the signs, but never the road.She bounced a little, in her boots. Her favorite boots with their square heels and bare inches of added height. "I thought these were lost or ruined, you know." She eyed a smoke-belching eighteen-wheeler. It swerved around a row of Diesel pumps and flowed onto the highway with the practiced jerky grace of a caterpillar. "Holly calls these my super hero boots, because they make me a little bit taller." Eliot waited. "I put them on in my own bedroom. The only bedroom I can ever remember having. And then I had the worst night of my life. I nearly… I mean, I almost… died. And… Griffin." He responded to her growl with a soft "Ah," as if he'd found her pulse. Maybe he had. She whipped her head up, squinting through halogen to find stars, but they were obscured by light pollution. "In a way, I did die. The life I had did, anyway. And then I woke up here. Well, not here, exactly. But close enough, in a little house, with you. I had a whole new history, mortal enemies, a dangerous future, and even brand new freak scars. But I was safe." His entire body relaxed when she said the word, connecting it to him. He leaned towards her as if "safe" from her lips was a deliciously scented liquid and he wanted to drink it. He was actually heavy-lidded, leaning towards her slightly like a purring cat. A very deadly, weapons-carrying cat.Maybe it was a Guardian thing. She shrugged and plunged ahead. "So, from my point of view, I've only been two places in over a week. A horrible nightmare death party, and your little house. Where I woke up an alien, able to do things I shouldn't be able to do, with weird scars." She stomped her heel for punctuation. "Of course I'm freaking out. What if people can tell I'm not normal?" He opened his mouth to speak, shut it, then opened it again. He turned to scan the parking lot one more time before closing the distance between them. He brushed her chin with thumb and index finger before pulling her face up to his. A pair of dragon flies tornadoed around them. They were skeletal and ugly in the harsh industrial light. "Do you like hot chocolate?" Eliot finally asked. He was deathly still and completely serious."What?""Hot chocolate. Milk, with chocolate in it, heated up..."She slapped his shoulder, the leather of his jacket stinging her palm. "I know what hot chocolate is. Don't you dare make fun of me when you've had your whole life to get used to this... this... thing called a future." He ignored the outburst. "It just seems to me that we're getting things backwards." When she continued to stare at him as if had lost his mind, he dropped her chin and leaned down until his forehead rested against hers. His skin was cool and slightly damp in the newborn southern night. Her nose was full of the smell of asphalt, leather, and Eliot. "I like hot chocolate, things that go fast, and the color blue," he whispered solemnly. "I like poetry more than novels because I have a short attention span. And graphic novels. I like too many of those to narrow down a favorite." He ran his fingers through his dark hair. As always, he managed to tousle it wildly with just one pass. She wondered if his hands carried an electrical charge she didn't know about, to do that to his hair every time he touched it. "What about you, Chloe? Do you have a favorite book? What's your favorite flower? Are you a cat or a dog person?" He gripped her shoulders, frustrated. She felt such a strange flickering inside that she briefly revisited her electrical charge hypothesis. "People should know these things about each other before they face death, apocalypse, and insanity together." She didn't know how to answer him, or if she even wanted to, so she stayed silent.
March 7, 2012
I think I'll skip the illustration for this week, because it really has been like pulling teeth. It's a mystery to me why sometimes the words flow like water, and sometimes it's like working in a rock quarry.
Oh well. For this update I have 2,858 words to report towards my weekly goal of 4,000. I can't even claim those as polished words- nope, they're still in draft form. Usually when I go back over the draft my word count grows rather than shrinks, but with the way this week has been going who knows?
Still reading Parallel- I can't find the time to read as I would like this week. And also, I've had to find time to do some editing and take over the majority of household chores because my husband's working odd music biz hours. So all in all, a stressful week so far.
Also, a final appeal: for those of you who have days or even a string of them where writing feels really hard, what do you do to get over it? Advice and encouragement welcome!
Oh well. For this update I have 2,858 words to report towards my weekly goal of 4,000. I can't even claim those as polished words- nope, they're still in draft form. Usually when I go back over the draft my word count grows rather than shrinks, but with the way this week has been going who knows?
Still reading Parallel- I can't find the time to read as I would like this week. And also, I've had to find time to do some editing and take over the majority of household chores because my husband's working odd music biz hours. So all in all, a stressful week so far.
Also, a final appeal: for those of you who have days or even a string of them where writing feels really hard, what do you do to get over it? Advice and encouragement welcome!
March 5, 2012
A quickie update today since I realized I completely forgot to post yesterday.
1. Word count clocks in at 3700 for the first part of the week, and probably 700 for the last part. That last bit was handwritten, so the count is a little off maybe, but at least I hit my overall goal of 4000. I have to admit I was feeling a little stuck, working through some key scenes in the third Chronicles book, The Forgotten Fire, and so I just had to roll up my sleeves and go back to basics. Frequently when I'm feeling blocked a little pen to paper helps. I can't say I have the scene entirely ironed out, but I know things are going to go one of two ways, ultimately. I have faith at this point that my characters will show me the way when I finally get there- that's one of the things I love about being a combination pantser/ plotter. I work from an outline, and I do plan things, but sometimes you just have to leave a little wiggle room to let your characters breathe, otherwise they'll never surprise you.
2. I'm a really slow reader lately. I have a lot on my mind, plot-wise, including finishing up a series and a serial that will eventually turn into a book. When I get like this it takes forever to actually read anything, and it's even harder to find something that engages my mind. So I'm working through Claudia LaFeve's Parallel, her time traveler's series, and I have to say it's a good, engaging, well-constructed little book. I'm not done yet and already I'm looking forward to the next one, Paradox.
3. My newsletter is going out in the next day or two with offers of ARCs and general announcements. That's definitely on the top of my to-do list.
Ok, I promised this would be a brief one, and I'm on the verge of rambling about totally pointless things like how my entire household had cupcakes for breakfast or that the new trailers for HBO's Game of Thrones, coming out April 1, totally rock. Hopefully I'll have further interestingness next update.
And remember to be on time.
1. Word count clocks in at 3700 for the first part of the week, and probably 700 for the last part. That last bit was handwritten, so the count is a little off maybe, but at least I hit my overall goal of 4000. I have to admit I was feeling a little stuck, working through some key scenes in the third Chronicles book, The Forgotten Fire, and so I just had to roll up my sleeves and go back to basics. Frequently when I'm feeling blocked a little pen to paper helps. I can't say I have the scene entirely ironed out, but I know things are going to go one of two ways, ultimately. I have faith at this point that my characters will show me the way when I finally get there- that's one of the things I love about being a combination pantser/ plotter. I work from an outline, and I do plan things, but sometimes you just have to leave a little wiggle room to let your characters breathe, otherwise they'll never surprise you.
2. I'm a really slow reader lately. I have a lot on my mind, plot-wise, including finishing up a series and a serial that will eventually turn into a book. When I get like this it takes forever to actually read anything, and it's even harder to find something that engages my mind. So I'm working through Claudia LaFeve's Parallel, her time traveler's series, and I have to say it's a good, engaging, well-constructed little book. I'm not done yet and already I'm looking forward to the next one, Paradox.3. My newsletter is going out in the next day or two with offers of ARCs and general announcements. That's definitely on the top of my to-do list.
Ok, I promised this would be a brief one, and I'm on the verge of rambling about totally pointless things like how my entire household had cupcakes for breakfast or that the new trailers for HBO's Game of Thrones, coming out April 1, totally rock. Hopefully I'll have further interestingness next update.
And remember to be on time.
March 2, 2012
Hi all! I wanted to share a really nice surprise review from Paranormal Opinion- apparently she picked up both Gifts of the Blood books when they were free on Amazon and posted a lovely review over on her blog: http://paranormalopinion.blogspot.com/
Paranormal Opinion is one of my favorite review blogs, so I've been doing cartwheels all afternoon.
Proverbial cartwheels, that is. Anyone who knows me will tell you shocking Vicki secret #2: I am clumsier than a coma patient trying to walk while still asleep. I was clumsy back before Bella made it cool. Real cartwheels would result in damage to my self and environment on an epic scale.
Other mixed-review type news has to do with my current series, The Chronicles of Nowhere. The first volume has been out for a little while now, and if you follow my blog or just cast a glance at it now and then, you'll know the second volume is out soon.
(Omg my power just went totally out. I mean, wow. Plus I'm low on battery. Just great. Well, I'm going to keep blogging anyway because that's just how I roll.)
So what I'm writing are novellas- you know, not quite as long as a book, but longer than a short story? And the reviews have been positively glowing except for that fact. Which, if you're going to be criticized for something, "I want more" is always a good one. But sheesh- is it not clearly marked novella??? Plus the fact that the second one is due out in a week, and you can already get ARCs either through NetGalley or by asking me directly. So please, if you are one of these people who are all "I want more!" then I have more!!! Just for you! The plan with the series was always to release them pretty much back-to-back. I can't remember exactly, but I think it's been a month since the first one. That's a pretty ambitious release schedule, at least for me, and I have been working hard to get them to you in record time.
Here's my favorite so far, that comes to us via Dead Ink Books:
http://deadinkbooks.com/archives/900
And the final piece of news is that Shadowed Ground will see its official launch on March 8th!!! Woo hoo! More imaginary cartwheels! And the third one, The Forgotten Fire, will be released roughly a month to six weeks later, so that's not your average between sequels wait.
All in all, though, the reviews have been great, using words like "stunning", which is always good for the muse. So thanks to those of you who've taken the time to write a review of any of my books- I appreciate it ten thousand fold!
Other news (introduced almost as an aside last update, but which is now becoming a more serious possibility) is that I'm in a position to serialize the third book in the Gifts series, Blood Redemption. I figure this would be the fastest possible way to get the story in the hands of readers, even though it maybe isn't the smartest financial move. I know a lot of you want to know what happens next, and I really relate to that feeling. So the benefits there would be that it would be serialized, with a chunk of the story published every week, for free. Did I mention free? And then published in its entirety when finished serializing.
So I guess what I want to know is, how would you as readers react to something like that? Are you interested in free and immediate gratification via a serial, or would you rather wait for the whole thing?
(Omg the power is still out. This sucks. Royally.)
I appreciate feedback if you get the chance or inclination. I'm going to go fuss at the power company via my dangerously low-battery iphone. Thanks for dropping by, and if you get a chance, be sure to check out this week's installment of Daughter of Glass over at Curiosity Quills:
http://curiosityquills.com/published-authors/vicki-keire/daughter-of-glass/
Paranormal Opinion is one of my favorite review blogs, so I've been doing cartwheels all afternoon.
Proverbial cartwheels, that is. Anyone who knows me will tell you shocking Vicki secret #2: I am clumsier than a coma patient trying to walk while still asleep. I was clumsy back before Bella made it cool. Real cartwheels would result in damage to my self and environment on an epic scale.
Other mixed-review type news has to do with my current series, The Chronicles of Nowhere. The first volume has been out for a little while now, and if you follow my blog or just cast a glance at it now and then, you'll know the second volume is out soon.
(Omg my power just went totally out. I mean, wow. Plus I'm low on battery. Just great. Well, I'm going to keep blogging anyway because that's just how I roll.)
So what I'm writing are novellas- you know, not quite as long as a book, but longer than a short story? And the reviews have been positively glowing except for that fact. Which, if you're going to be criticized for something, "I want more" is always a good one. But sheesh- is it not clearly marked novella??? Plus the fact that the second one is due out in a week, and you can already get ARCs either through NetGalley or by asking me directly. So please, if you are one of these people who are all "I want more!" then I have more!!! Just for you! The plan with the series was always to release them pretty much back-to-back. I can't remember exactly, but I think it's been a month since the first one. That's a pretty ambitious release schedule, at least for me, and I have been working hard to get them to you in record time.
Here's my favorite so far, that comes to us via Dead Ink Books:
http://deadinkbooks.com/archives/900
And the final piece of news is that Shadowed Ground will see its official launch on March 8th!!! Woo hoo! More imaginary cartwheels! And the third one, The Forgotten Fire, will be released roughly a month to six weeks later, so that's not your average between sequels wait.
All in all, though, the reviews have been great, using words like "stunning", which is always good for the muse. So thanks to those of you who've taken the time to write a review of any of my books- I appreciate it ten thousand fold!
Other news (introduced almost as an aside last update, but which is now becoming a more serious possibility) is that I'm in a position to serialize the third book in the Gifts series, Blood Redemption. I figure this would be the fastest possible way to get the story in the hands of readers, even though it maybe isn't the smartest financial move. I know a lot of you want to know what happens next, and I really relate to that feeling. So the benefits there would be that it would be serialized, with a chunk of the story published every week, for free. Did I mention free? And then published in its entirety when finished serializing.
So I guess what I want to know is, how would you as readers react to something like that? Are you interested in free and immediate gratification via a serial, or would you rather wait for the whole thing?
(Omg the power is still out. This sucks. Royally.)
I appreciate feedback if you get the chance or inclination. I'm going to go fuss at the power company via my dangerously low-battery iphone. Thanks for dropping by, and if you get a chance, be sure to check out this week's installment of Daughter of Glass over at Curiosity Quills:
http://curiosityquills.com/published-authors/vicki-keire/daughter-of-glass/
February 29, 2012
Just a quick update- I've got a book launch coming up, along with another Free ParTay promotion this month, so there's a lot on my mind. Plus it's going to be my birthday! On the Ides of March, which is where this blog got its name. I'll have to do something to celebrate, maybe!1. Word count: I hit 3,700ish yesterday, and got one whole chapter written on my serial, Daughter of Glass, over at CQ. I am really happy with the progress I've made and where the story fits in Whitfield mythology. I imagine I just have 4-6 more chapters to go before it gets wrapped up! I'll be sad to see it go because I've really enjoyed writing a novel (or in this case, maybe a novella), in serialized form. I am very inclined to try it again- something abut the weekly deadlines, and the way you have to make sure it plugs into the overall plot, is fantastic discipline for me. The word count makes me happy, too, especially since I have decided to officially revise my expectations down from 6,000 to 4,000 words per week.
2. I spent today doing a good bit of character sketching. I don't mean actual artistic sketches, but rather those useful little character outline tools that Kait Noaln has available on her site. I'm sure they're available elsewhere, but I've gotten spoiled being able to pop over to Kait's and take advantage of all her meticulously gathered resources. It's like a writer's library over there. At any rate, one of my goals was to try and utilize more formal planning tools, and character sheets are both fun and useful. I'm sure I'll do more of them, and maybe even venture into the exciting world of plot outlines and more!
3. My second book in the Chronicles of Nowhere series, Shadowed Ground, is being converted to EPUB as we speak, so it should be out soon soon soon. I'm planning a grander unveiling at a later date, but here's a sneak peek at the cover, which I adore. If anyone is interested in an ARC please let me know and I'll be happy to oblige. The full profile should be going up on Goodreads today or tomorrow. It is very exciting to think that I'll have four publications out there, and by April, that number will grow to six! That's when the third Chronicles of Nowhere book will be available, The Forgotten Fire, and Daughter of Glass will be published in its entirety on Amazon. And then, o anxious Whitfield fans, Blood Redemption is next. I'm even thinking of serializing it so fans won't have to wait- each chapter will be available, for free, every week. But really that's at the thinking stage right now.
Hope everyone is having a good week so far, and that everyone's having an easy time meeting goals. And if not, the week is only half over, so there's still time!
