K.C. Dyer's Blog, page 4

Launch Party!

So, the novel is now in the hands of Amazon, thanks to the WONDERFUL Crystal Stranaghan of Crystal Clear Solutions [also responsible for the new FindingFraser.com website!]

And that means?

It's time for a party!

So, if you are in the neighbourhood of the City of Vancouver on June 11th, you might want to drop by...!

Here's the link:

FINDING FRASER Book Launch Extravaganza

Now, I have BIG plans for this party. Here's a bit of the blurb you'll find if you follow the link:

 

Expect an action-packed event with prizes for 'Best Legs in a Kilt", "Best Scottish Knit-Wear Worn in June" "Most Outrageous Use of Plaid" and "Best Fake-Scottish Brogue."

Books will be signed! Excerpts will be live-staged! Possible guest appearances by Persons Who May Have Inspired Bits of the Novel!

Jam-packed with local lettered illuminati, this extravaganza will be the literary event of the season. Come to sit and people-watch. Come to buy a book. Come one, come all to the Plaid Party of the decade!

Seating is limited, so get your tickets early. Let's fill the Wolf & Hound Pub with rollicking readers!

 

Me again. If you do want to come, please click the link and get your ticket early, as they are going FAST! The venue needs to know numbers, so a ticket is a MUST, plus it gets you a glass of wine or beer [or a soft drink] as you come in.

Questions? Email me or leave a note in the comments below.

Bring your family, friends and anyone who loves a good Plaid Party, and let's do this thing!!!

 

 

More soon...!

 

 

~kc

 

FindingFraser.com is now LIVE!

I promised some FINDING FRASER news today, so here it is.

 

 

 

When Emma Sheridan sets out on her journey to find her Fraser, she goes it alone. More for company than anything, she starts a blog with which to share her adventures. The actual veracity of the material that goes up on the blog is in some doubt [as Emma herself would be the first to tell you], but nevertheless, she develops a certain following of those eager to share in her story.

And now you can join in, too!  FindingFraser.com is live -- and a thing of beauty! Designed by Crystal Stranaghan of Crystal Clear Solutions, it's the embodiment of Emma's adventures online. You can find Emma's first blog post, links to buy the book in paperback or ebook form, pictures from her adventures, and more.

You can even send Emma an email!

Hop on over to FindingFraser.com and see for yourself.

In other news, pre-orders for the ebook continue to climb. If you'd like to see what everyone is getting so excited about, head over to Amazon.com or Amazon.ca and order your copy today!

 

More soon...

 

~kc

 

#Authors4Indies

Had a GREAT time in Kamloops with the Young Authors event, and then today spent a few lovely hours hanging out at Kidsbooks North Van with a bunch of great adult authors: Shelley Hrdlitshka, Ainslie Manson, Eileen Cook [who can wrap a mean book, I tell you], Owen Matthews, David Smith, Mary Novik, Victoria Miles and Lisa Voisin. Janie Chang even popped in for the picture!

Big thanks to the staff at Kidsbooks for the cookies and smiles, and special thanks to Helen for taking this picture!

Hope you got out and supported your local bookseller today -- we need each other!

 

Got some special FINDING FRASER news for you tomorrow. Stay tuned, because, as always...

 

 

More soon...

 

~kc

Young Authors in Kamloops...

Excited to be a part of the Kamloops/ Thompson School District Young Author's Conference again this year!

This is a picture of a [rare] foggy day we had last year. This year I am expecting brilliant sunshine to go with the astonishingly creative minds I look forward to working with.

See you soon, guys!

 

As a wee aside, FINDING FRASER has created a very exciting day for me -- pre-orders are going strong. THANK YOU so much for your support of this wee story!!!

I am so excited to share Emma's adventures with everyone -- and this weekend when I get back from Kamloops, I have another little FINDING FRASER Sekrit to unveil.

 

More soon...

 

~kc

 

 

 

 

 

Deep Breath...

Well.

I can't really believe it, but my new book, FINDING FRASER is here. Almost here, anyway, in that you can now pre-order it on Amazon. Really! Go look if you want -- I'll wait:

FINDING FRASER on amazon.ca       FINDING FRASER on amazon.com

See?

Can you believe it?

I can hardly believe it.

FINDING FRASER is my seventh published novel, but it's my first book for grown-ups. My first indie publication. First time I've ever taken on a project this big. A lot of firsts!

It will be available in trade paperback and ebook editions in mid-May. I'm going to officially launch it in June, with a big party. I'm pretty thrilled. I'll let you know when we have a firm date!

This book has been a labour of love in so many ways. It's a romantic comedy, and I'll talk about the story more in other posts, but here's a peek at the back cover blurb:

*

I met Jamie Fraser when I was nineteen years old. He was tall, red-headed, and at our first meeting at least, a virgin. I fell in love hard, fast and completely. He knew how to ride a horse, wield a sword and stitch a wound. He was, in fact, the perfect man.

That he was fictional hardly entered into it.

 At 29, Emma Sheridan’s life is a disaster and she’s tired of waiting for the perfect boyfriend to step from the pages of her favorite book. There’s only one place to look, and it means selling everything and leaving her world behind. With an unexpected collection of allies along the way, can Emma face down a naked fishmonger, a randy gnome, a perfidious thief, and even her own abdominal muscles on the journey to find her Fraser?

*

So. There it is. My big Super Sekrit Project, finally slipping out into the light.

As you might imagine, there is MUCH backstory to the production of this novel. Many sekrits, of course, and the wonderful interest and support of many friends. Here are a couple of early reviews...

 

   "Jamie Fraser would be Deeply Gratified at having inspired such a charmingly funny, poignant story

--and so am I."

         --Diana Gabaldon, author of the New York Times Bestselling OUTLANDER series

 

"I loved this book. It transported me to a Scotland I wished I’d grown up in. Everything about it is a delight, and it’s all authentic—the environment, the characters, the dialogue and the sheer enjoyment of it all.”

-- Jack Whyte, best-selling author of, most recently, THE GUARDIANS OF SCOTLAND series

 

“Finding Fraser is an absolute must-read for any Outlander fan. The story is both hilarious and romantic, as well as guaranteed to have readers turning the pages until the wee hours to discover if the heroine finds her very own Jamie Fraser.”  

-- Laura Bradbury, author of the best-selling MY GRAPE ESCAPE series

*

As you might imagine, I am beyond thrilled with the early reception to the story.

There's lots more cool stuff to come, but I think this is enough for today.

The time has come for me to  just pause a minute -- take a deep breath --  and SNOOPY DANCE!

Join me?

 

 

More soon...

 

~kc

Spilling the beans*... [aka FINDING FRASER update #4]

Short note here to say that everything is coming together for the new book. We are hoping to have everything in place for May 1st -- that's the current goal, anyway. Planning a BIG launch extravaganza for early June, too, so stay tuned for that. FINDING FRASER is my first book to be published in the grown-up realm, so expect a SERIOUS BLOW OUT of a launch! I am SO hoping you can come and celebrate with me.

And, since so many of you have been asking, here's a peek at the cover!

Okay, that was just mean.

But stay tuned -- the cover is coming...

As is a new website AND a few other surprises I can't wait to share.

 

More soon...!

 

~kc

We have a WINNER!

And for the final Indie Tuesday winner [for a while, anyway]...

FB friend Maggie Bothlio -- you've won your choice of either a copy of FOREIGN EXCHANGE, or WRITING WITH A HEAVY HEART from last week's featured writer, the lovely Denise Jaden.

You can contact Denise via her website at denisejaden.com.

Congratulations and thanks for playing!

 

More soon...

 

~kc

Walking Desk

We interrupt this book launch craziness to mark a kind of cool anniversary, of sorts. Treadmill desk. Messy bookshelves optional.

In 2010 I pretty thoroughly tore the miniscus in my left knee [which, up until then, had been my GOOD knee]. Unable to run at all and waiting for surgery, I bought a treadmill and a plastic surf-shelf and started walking for an hour here and there while I worked. The goal wasn't for exercise [I'd get back to running after the surgery scars healed up], but more or less to prevent as much 'writer's butt' as I could.

Well, I started walking on March 18th, 2010. I've kept a record of the mileage since then. I try to remember to add my runs in, and dog walks, too, but regular daily walking-around doesn't get figured in. I keep an Excel file of the distance and time and date, and any other stuff that I can fit in a few characters. I generally add up my totals on New Year's Eve, just to see how the year went.

My initial goal was to walk [virtually] across Canada, and I've done that. Five years on from the knee surgery, I've hit 8802 km walking.

I guess my point here is that the walk-working has become part of my life. I know standing desks are in these days, but I wouldn't trade mine in. I find standing for long periods makes my legs hurt [a throw-back to all those years working at The Bay while in university, maybe?]

I've found I can't really walk while in full writing mode, because I go to a place in my head that makes it not really safe to allow the body to perambulate unsupervised. But a lot of my work is answering email, catching up on reading, scanning stuff. At the moment, I'm doing the final read-through of the FINDING FRASER manuscript, and as I do this aloud, it's a good thing to do while walking. I'm typing this blog post while I walk, as a matter of fact.

Okay, I just got off to take this picture for you. Can you see the computer on the plastic surf-shelf?

So, to sum up -- I don't walk fast, and I don't walk very long [rarely more than an hour a day], but the miles add up. I feel better for it, and if it's an option for you -- I HIGHLY recommend a walking desk!

What do YOU do to avoid writer's butt? Share!

 

More soon...

 

~kc

Indie Tuesday - Writer Denise Jaden

Hiya!

Okay, first a quick update. This is likely going to be the last Indie Tuesday writer interview for a while. Lots more writer friends and colleagues to talk to, but FINDING FRASER is getting down to the wire, and there are going to be some BIG changes around here as a result. The entire site is getting an overhaul [no more white-on-black print -- Hooray!] and lots of exciting new book events are about to begin.

More details soon, I promise!

In the meantime, let's enjoy a chat with writer Denise Jaden, shall we? She's been published traditionally and has tried the self-pub model, and she's got lots to share. And stay tuned to the end for a special choice in our prize this week!

kc: So, Denise -- welcome! Let's begin by asking the eternal question: when it comes to writing your books do you outline or are you a pantser?

DJ:  I’ve tried everything from zero planning to a 38,000-word outline (yes, you read that correctly) when it comes to prepping to write a book. Every book continues to need its own strategy it seems, but I have come up with a Story Plan, or loose and changeable outline form, that generally is a good place to start, and I tend to write my first drafts quickly. Anyone interested in hearing more about this can check out my article on the Writer’s Digest blog.

kc:  Can you talk a bit about the way you foster community with other writers...what's your March Madness Challenge, for example?

 

DJ:  March Madness Writing Challenge is something I look forward to every year. It started with a feeling that I didn’t want to wait until November to set a lofty writing goal for myself, but I also wasn’t sure about my ability to complete my goals alone. I’ve been blown away by the camaraderie and support that March Madness has provided! We check in every day through the month of March on different writers’ blogs, and offer some fantastic prizes just for staying accountable throughout the month. Everyone is welcome, and if you don’t make it by during March, we also check in with each other throughout the year on Twitter under the hashtag #WIPMadness.

kc: Very cool! Can you tell me, do you have a favourite genre to read -- or write -- in? What draws you in that direction?

 

DJ:  I’m a YA contemporary gal at heart. I read a wide variety of genres, but I usually get most swept up in a realistic world I can picture myself in. Those are the worlds I usually get most of my own story ideas for as well.

kc:  You've done both Indie publishing and the traditional route. What helps you decide which direction to take?

 

DJ: With the book I Indie published (WRITING WITH A HEAVY HEART), I presented it to my agent and we chatted about which direction to take it. It was my first attempt at nonfiction, and while ultimately, my agent loved it, she felt like it could be part of a bigger book about writing on emotion to be marketable to traditional publishers. That wasn’t really part of my vision, so we didn’t pitch it to any publishers, and I kept it as a short book, taking a crash course in Indie Publishing.

kc: Huh. A good choice! So, tell us what your favourite part of the publishing process is.

 

DJ:  I love writing a first draft. I know many writers hate this part, but I love all of the surprises that come up along the way. Honestly, I don’t mind revising either. I love reading my books back after I’ve put them away for a good long while, and of course I love seeing my books in bookstores and libraries. I love so much of the process, it’s hard to pick just one!

kc:  What about a preferred format for your books? E-book vs paperback?

 

DJ:  I’m a paperback girl. I like to see how much of the book is left in my right hand, to give me a constant sense of where I am in the story.

kc: You're not alone there -- most of the writers I speak to agree with you! Do you have a favourite review one of your stories has received?

 

DJ:  One review favorably compared my writing to Laurie Halse Anderson’s. Made me feel like I’d died and gone to heaven!

kc: Wow -- that's fantastic! Can you name a favourite Indy author and recommend a book?

 

DJ:  I love all of Elena Aitkin’s books, and she has been a great help to me in navigating the Indie World. I would heartily recommend any of her books!

kc: Elena's lovely -- a Calgary writer! So to finish, I am hoping you will offer a piece of advice either to Indie writers or Indie readers, based on something you have learned from the process.

DJ:  I’m so new at this side of the business, I feel a little silly giving advice. But I guess one tidbit I could throw out would be to join some Indie author groups. There are several of them on Facebook, or if you chat with other writers on Twitter, Facebook, or in person, you’re sure to hear about some collaborative groups. What works in selling Indie books changes so quickly, and think writers have a much better chance of success when they are helping each other.

kc: Ha! Collaboration is the key. [Hey, have you been hanging out at SiWC or something?]

A huge thank you goes out to Denise Jaden who agreed to do this interview SMACK in the middle of her March Madness challenge [there's still time -- go check it out!] And as a special treat, one lucky reader will get to choose their prize e-book from either her Indie non-fiction book WRITING WITH A HEAVY HEART or her latest fiction FOREIGN EXCHANGE.

And since this is the last contest for a little while, let's open it up. If I find a link to this post ANYwhere on the web -- Twitter, FaceBook, Instagram, Pinterest -- anywhere! -- you'll be eligible to win one of Denise's books.

Info about winners always goes up first on twitter, and you can find me sweetly tweeting there @kcdyer.

If you don't want to wait, you can find FOREIGN EXCHANGE here and here, WRITING WITH A HEAVY HEART here and here, and Denise herself at her website right HERE.

Thank you again to Denise, and as always,

 

More soon...!

 

 

Film-maker Friday

Wanted to give a quick shout-out to my friend Martin Chung of Studio Impossible, who you might remember as the photographer behind the book cover for FINDING FRASER. Martin is also a film-maker, and he and his friends are taking part in a really cool contest with CineCoup.

The story is called HYDE AND SEEK, and is a SciFi twist on the Jekyll and Hyde tale.

Here's a message from Martin:

As you may know, I'm entered in the Cinecoup movie contest with a great local production cast and crew. The prize is $1M in funding to complete the movie, called Hyde+Seek, and and make its way to a theatre near you!

 

We would love your support to help take us through several voting rounds as we progress to the final stages for consideration. There will be many future challenges and hoops that the team have to jump through to prove we're worthy of the ultimate prize.

 

I think we have a really great science fiction Jekyll and Hyde concept that should be an intelligent and thrilling ride into the near future, where the lines between humanity and technology get blurred. What happens when always-on connectivity and implanted bio-technology get hacked?

 

You can watch our 60-second trailer here:  http://www.cinecoup.com/hyde-and-seek/trailer

How you can support us:

A) Fans... Please sign up as a Fan on Cinecoup if you can. Fan votes and ratings have more impact than non-Fans, but you have to review and comment on OTHER projects to validate your Fan status. Please ask any of your film critic/most supportive friends to take this step in support of us. Unlike Kickstarter or Indiegogo, we aren't asking for money, just support through likes, shares and referrals.

B) Non-Fans... as above mentions, sharing the video page even without the viewers’ ability to rate/review helps.

Thanks so much for the support, and please pass this on to others through email, Facebook, or Twitter. :)

Martin

FB: facebook.com/hydeseekmovie
Twitter:  @hydeseekmovie

Me again.

This is a very cool opportunity for Martin and his friends -- I hope you agree and will offer your own fan support where you can!

 

More soon...

 

~kc