Ask the Author: Kaje Harper
Answered Questions (78)
Kaje Harper
Hi Ian, very best of luck with your story (and yay for trans rep and drag queens. Fingers also crossed for delicious justice.)
I'm not sure whether you're talking about the YA LGBT Books group newsletter or my personal author newsletter.
The YA group letter includes info about books nominated for Book of the Month in the group. Those books have to be under-age -18-appropriate, and have to be nominated by a member who is not the author, on the group. We then vote for a book of the month.
If your story is age-appropriate and you have an advocate who loved the book and nominates it on the correct thread on the group, then I will include it in the newsletter and poll.
My author newsletter includes a book rec and mini review at the end of each one. I love sharing favorite stories with my readers. Those are books that have appealed to me in my reading, that I bought for my own personal collection.
I'm an author, not a reviewer, despite the thousand-odd reviews I have here on GR. I never accept freebies for review even from friends. So that part of my author newsletter is personal recommendations only. Most of the authors whose work I recommend never hear about it, unless they happen to be readers.
For new-to-me authors, I generally look at what friends here on GR have thought of the story before buying and I sample some new to me every year. This year, I'm doing more comfort rereading, but some new mixed in. Perhaps I will pick up your book down the road and love it and recommend it, but that's an organic process, not something I deliberately steer.
I wish you all the best with your story, especially with that teaser info. If I have not answered your question, or can help in some other way, please message me here on my profile. Congrats on the upcoming release.
I'm not sure whether you're talking about the YA LGBT Books group newsletter or my personal author newsletter.
The YA group letter includes info about books nominated for Book of the Month in the group. Those books have to be under-age -18-appropriate, and have to be nominated by a member who is not the author, on the group. We then vote for a book of the month.
If your story is age-appropriate and you have an advocate who loved the book and nominates it on the correct thread on the group, then I will include it in the newsletter and poll.
My author newsletter includes a book rec and mini review at the end of each one. I love sharing favorite stories with my readers. Those are books that have appealed to me in my reading, that I bought for my own personal collection.
I'm an author, not a reviewer, despite the thousand-odd reviews I have here on GR. I never accept freebies for review even from friends. So that part of my author newsletter is personal recommendations only. Most of the authors whose work I recommend never hear about it, unless they happen to be readers.
For new-to-me authors, I generally look at what friends here on GR have thought of the story before buying and I sample some new to me every year. This year, I'm doing more comfort rereading, but some new mixed in. Perhaps I will pick up your book down the road and love it and recommend it, but that's an organic process, not something I deliberately steer.
I wish you all the best with your story, especially with that teaser info. If I have not answered your question, or can help in some other way, please message me here on my profile. Congrats on the upcoming release.
Kaje Harper
<3 I get a higher proportion of the purchase price from Smashwords - they take 15% commission, Amazon takes 30% plus a fee on books over $2.99, and a whopping 65% of the price on books under $2.99. (So for a .99 book, I get .84 on Smashwords, and .34 on Amazon.)
At the same time, I do recognize the huge benefit of buying all in one place, and being told "you already own this book" when something gets recommended three years down the line. So thank you for asking, and yes Smashwords gives authors significantly more money, especially on the cheaper books, but I'm grateful for any legit purchases from anywhere.
At the same time, I do recognize the huge benefit of buying all in one place, and being told "you already own this book" when something gets recommended three years down the line. So thank you for asking, and yes Smashwords gives authors significantly more money, especially on the cheaper books, but I'm grateful for any legit purchases from anywhere.
Kaje Harper
Hi Eve, so glad you enjoyed Fynn and Nolan. I have a couple of high fantasy stories published (Nor Iron Bars a Cage, and Gift of the Goddess), but not really fairytales (other than short fiction like the ones one my website - https://www.kajeharper.com/?p=3638 )
Some of my favorite M/M fairytale retellings include
Matthew J Metzger - Walking on Water
Amy Lane - Truth in the Dark
Bey Deckard - Beauty and His Beast
EJ Russell - Cutie and the Beast
Marie Sexton - Cinder
Aster Glenn Gray - The Sleeping Soldier
There's a listopia list - https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
Some of my favorite M/M fairytale retellings include
Matthew J Metzger - Walking on Water
Amy Lane - Truth in the Dark
Bey Deckard - Beauty and His Beast
EJ Russell - Cutie and the Beast
Marie Sexton - Cinder
Aster Glenn Gray - The Sleeping Soldier
There's a listopia list - https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
Kaje Harper
I am so sorry that's happening to her. I've had a couple of people who came after me online (eg. one-starring my books and sending nasty messages; one was a guy I'd chatted with but then had to ban from the YA group, which tipped him over the edge) but I've never had the devoted-follower-to-abusive-stalker pattern so I don't have great advice for her.
I definitely block everywhere possible, social media and emails if any, and report, but emotionally that's not difficult when someone is nasty from the start. Given that someone got shot just for flying the rainbow flag, there's hate from unstable people out there that has zero to do with either who we are or the actual books.
I don't know if it helps for her to think about it like domestic abuse - someone who starts out all loving and supportive but underneath is looking for ownership and control and gets nasty over time. That is never the victim's fault. But it sure takes an emotional toll.
Is she writing under a pen name? I definitely wish her all the best. Abusive stalkers are awful.
I definitely block everywhere possible, social media and emails if any, and report, but emotionally that's not difficult when someone is nasty from the start. Given that someone got shot just for flying the rainbow flag, there's hate from unstable people out there that has zero to do with either who we are or the actual books.
I don't know if it helps for her to think about it like domestic abuse - someone who starts out all loving and supportive but underneath is looking for ownership and control and gets nasty over time. That is never the victim's fault. But it sure takes an emotional toll.
Is she writing under a pen name? I definitely wish her all the best. Abusive stalkers are awful.
Kaje Harper
LOL - that is real Minnesotan (and my book "Fair Isn't Life" is set at the State Fair.) I have hockey in my "Changes" series, but I wanted a ranch so that wasn't a MN story - I stuck it into Kansas (and Toronto, and Portland). I'm not likely to do a YA novel - selling YA is a whole other ballgame than adult MM and so all the YA stuff I've done is freebies so I don't have to worry about that. An adult Minnesota hockey novel? Maybe, but the one I'm working on is a secondary MC from Changes, and their team is in Portland. So I have to say "I'll stick it into the plot bunny file and see what happens."
Kaje Harper
September nominations thread in YA LGBT Books is up - if you post the book there we can definitely get it on the list as long as it is YA- appropriate.
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Kaje Harper
I'm writing Jasper's book at the moment. Editing is set up for April, so hopefully a late May release.
Kaje Harper
I can, although I'm not sure there's any harm leaving it up - Eric directed you to the adult M/M group thread, which unfortunately is also not very active (although you could look back and maybe PM a couple of people there who said there that they were generally interested in reading, in the past.)
Having the request up both places might be your best bet at finding someone (although he's not wrong about the YA betas being inactive the last couple of years.)
You might also try the Write LGBTQ+ Beta Readers group - not sure how much traffic they get but worth a look - https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
My other suggestion would be to offer to trade. On the M/M group, there's an author (Ryder) who coincidentally posted just a few days before you looking for a beta. Trading beta reads with another author is often both a positive experience (you each have reasons to do it well, and at least some story-telling skills, and incentive to complete the job) and a way to actually find someone - betas can be hard to come by.
Good luck!
Having the request up both places might be your best bet at finding someone (although he's not wrong about the YA betas being inactive the last couple of years.)
You might also try the Write LGBTQ+ Beta Readers group - not sure how much traffic they get but worth a look - https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
My other suggestion would be to offer to trade. On the M/M group, there's an author (Ryder) who coincidentally posted just a few days before you looking for a beta. Trading beta reads with another author is often both a positive experience (you each have reasons to do it well, and at least some story-telling skills, and incentive to complete the job) and a way to actually find someone - betas can be hard to come by.
Good luck!
Kaje Harper
Ha. This assumes I plan things. I appreciate the interest and question though.
Necromancer began as flash fiction for my Facebook Group weekly story, and just grew. The recent sixth book - Consumed by Fire - was intended as at least a resting place for the series, with a fair bit of romance and plot arc completed. I have a bunch of unrelated stories - contemporary and paranormal and maybe a SciFi - in my writing queue right now, that will occupy me for quite a while. I may come back after a while, to do a book for Jasper, and I've thought about a "twenty years later" book for Darien and Silas after that, but I don't know if they will happen, or when.
I'm aware this is hard for readers who like to binge series. My best advice though, is to take these first 6 stories as a completed arc, for now.
Necromancer began as flash fiction for my Facebook Group weekly story, and just grew. The recent sixth book - Consumed by Fire - was intended as at least a resting place for the series, with a fair bit of romance and plot arc completed. I have a bunch of unrelated stories - contemporary and paranormal and maybe a SciFi - in my writing queue right now, that will occupy me for quite a while. I may come back after a while, to do a book for Jasper, and I've thought about a "twenty years later" book for Darien and Silas after that, but I don't know if they will happen, or when.
I'm aware this is hard for readers who like to binge series. My best advice though, is to take these first 6 stories as a completed arc, for now.
Kaje Harper
He just told me he's finished the narration of book 3 and it's going to be ready for proofing this week. And I just sent him book 4 script to do next. So both should be out in the next 2-3 months. (Audible willing.) I adore how he narrates the series - not just perfect character voices, but he catches all the emotional beats and emphasis in the narration too.
Kaje Harper
Absolutely - "Beset by Demons - Necromancer 5" is now back from editing and I hope to get it out in February. :) And book 6 is started (barely)
I'm so glad you're enjoying these. They were a bit slowed by getting Life Lessons back out and into audio, but I've been having fun with Grim, Pip, and the guys.
I'm so glad you're enjoying these. They were a bit slowed by getting Life Lessons back out and into audio, but I've been having fun with Grim, Pip, and the guys.
Kaje Harper
I have tentatively made an agreement with JF Harding for all 4 books (though not the novellas), but it's not set in stone on his end. I'm waiting now for him to give me a production date to start on book 2 - haven't heard back but he promised to look at his schedule now book 1 is done, so my impression is that he is moving forward on it. Can't tell you a time frame yet, unfortunately, but I have budgeted for the series.
Kaje Harper
If you have the original stories, you won't find much different here. I smoothed out the writing a bit (ten years of publishing having made me use fewer epithets and dialog tags) and occasionally added a couple of sentences for a little different emphasis, or took out a couple of unnecessary detail. But the essential story is unchanged (although yeah, the new covers are gorgeous.) Prices will be lower, and I hope to find some new readership. :)
I will be releasing a new last novel in the series - Undeniable Bonds - at the end of the sequence, taking two new wolves plus Zach and Aaron to a HEA. That's the only truly new content.
I will be releasing a new last novel in the series - Undeniable Bonds - at the end of the sequence, taking two new wolves plus Zach and Aaron to a HEA. That's the only truly new content.
Kaje Harper
I have 13 books back from my publisher, and at least 8 of them come before this one for rerelease. I hope to get "Unacceptable Risk" out Jan 30th, and the others every 3 weeks or so for at least the Hidden Wolves and Life Lessons series, but I'm also trying to get new books out. So I'm afraid I don't have a timeline for "Possibilities" yet. I messaged you about the details. I really appreciate your interest.
Kaje Harper
I have one book that takes place in Vancouver - "Possibilities", a Valentine's novella with an HIV+ main character. It's not currently available, though, because I got all my rights back from my publisher, and am in the process of rereleasing them this year.
I was born in Canada but have lived in Minnesota now for 35 years, so most of my work is set here in the US (mainly, I admit, because writing what's in front of me is easier.)
If you're looking specifically for stories set in Canada the M/M romance group does keep a list (though missing the nost recent releases ) - you can find it here - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
I was born in Canada but have lived in Minnesota now for 35 years, so most of my work is set here in the US (mainly, I admit, because writing what's in front of me is easier.)
If you're looking specifically for stories set in Canada the M/M romance group does keep a list (though missing the nost recent releases ) - you can find it here - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Kaje Harper
Great question and there are so many - I'm going to vote for KJ Charles's "The Magpie Lord" - I would love to see Crane's snark and Stephen's valiant courage and all the fun magic. But Rattlesnake would be good - with the right director. It's a quiet book, about inner strength and endurance and compassion, so the actors and director would have to really carry the story.
Of course there are historicals both lush and dramatic, and mysteries - Bitter Legacy by Dal MacLean would be a great mystery movie. So many...
Of course there are historicals both lush and dramatic, and mysteries - Bitter Legacy by Dal MacLean would be a great mystery movie. So many...
Kaje Harper
The request for YA LGBT Books creative writing prompts always goes up in a "nominations" thread at the top of the same folder as the story writing ("Tales told; aka free reads"), towards the end of each month (usually around the 23rd but sometimes quite close to the end, because I'm not always organized.) I usually also post a link in the "What's on your Mind?" thread but not always (because I forget :) ).
We talked sometime back about sending out group emails with the nomination links, but most group members didn't want more than one email a month from the group, so I only send the one monthly newsletter with the poll link.
If you like nominating pictures, your best bet is to check the "Tales Told" folder around the 27th of any month - by then the nomination thread should be up at the top and open. I close it the last day of each month, and set up the poll. (And I'd love more nominations - mine were the only two choices this month.)
I really appreciate your interest and the great stories you write for the group.
We talked sometime back about sending out group emails with the nomination links, but most group members didn't want more than one email a month from the group, so I only send the one monthly newsletter with the poll link.
If you like nominating pictures, your best bet is to check the "Tales Told" folder around the 27th of any month - by then the nomination thread should be up at the top and open. I close it the last day of each month, and set up the poll. (And I'd love more nominations - mine were the only two choices this month.)
I really appreciate your interest and the great stories you write for the group.
Kaje Harper
This is just a 2 book series - the guys get their HEA in "Changes Going On." So this is now a complete duo.
Kaje Harper
Greg is amazing - part of it will depend on who is available, of course, when/if I get the project off the ground (and my budget). Some of the top narrators are booked 8 months or more out. But there are so many good ones - Nick Russo, John Solo, several others whose voices I think would work for Mac and Tony.
Kaje Harper
Hi Karen, I'm so glad you enjoy spending time with Mac and Tony. Right now, MLR Press owns the audio rights for Life Lessons - I have asked about buying the rights from them, so I could do the audio independently (since they don't do much audio and what they do they contract out to a company that gives me no input at all.) I haven't yet heard what they would want for those rights - the economics of audio is such that I have a limit to what I can spend on it.
If I did get those rights, what narrator do you see as ideal for Mac and Tony?
If I did get those rights, what narrator do you see as ideal for Mac and Tony?
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