Kate M. Colby's Blog, page 20
February 8, 2016
The 2016 2K Indie Book Tour: Kara Jorgensen
The 2016 2K Indie Book Tour has begun! Head over to Kate Evans’s website to read about our first author, Kara Jorgensen and her Ingenious Mechanical Devices series.
Author interview: Kara Jorgensen – http://wp.me/p3TkoH-b1
Filed under: The 2016 2K Indie Book Tour Tagged: author interview, books, indie author, indie books, science fiction, self-publishing, steampunk, victorian era
February 7, 2016
Meet my friend Thomas!
Thomas (my feline son) made his blogging debut on Sandy Says this weekend! Check out his perspective on what it’s like to be the cat of an author.
Read Thomas’ description of life as a lady author’s cat.
Hi Gals & Guys – Meet and welcome my feline friend, Thomas
The Five Best Things about Being the Cat of an Author
Hello, everyone! My name is Thomas, and my human, Kate, is an author. I’m sure Sandy has shared lots of stories about what it’s like to be the canine companion of one of these odd humans. However, I thought you all might like to know a bit more about the feline side. So, without any ado (I’ve got to catch my afternoon cat nap!), here are my favorite things about having an author for my human:
I get to help!
Sometimes, Kate sits down with her laptop to write and the words get stuck in her brain. Just when she thinks about giving up for the night, it’s Tommy to the rescue! I’m the perfect size to…
View original post 369 more words
Filed under: Uncategorized
February 5, 2016
Author Interview with Kate M. Colby
Today, I’m interviewed on fellow indie author Margarita Morris’s website. Check out my Q&A and while you’re there, download a FREE copy of her novel, The Sleeping Angel. I gave it 5 stars!
This week I’m delighted to have an interview with fellow indie author Kate M. Colby and I’d like to say a huge thank you to Kate for taking the time to answer my questions. Kate is the …
Source: Author Interview with Kate M. Colby
Filed under: Author Interviews Tagged: author interview, book, books, desertera, dystopian, indie author, indie books, kate m colby, science fiction, the cogsmith's daughter
February 4, 2016
Guest Post: Bourbon ‘n’ Books by Sandy
Hello everyone! Today, I’m excited to bring you a fun guest post from Sandy, canine companion of a fellow author, in response to my Classic Literature and Wine Pairings post. You can check out her blog HERE. Without further ado, take it away, Sandy!
I loved your post connecting wine and your favorite reads. When I asked the Geezer, my human, for his selections, he said, “Sandy, I’m not a wine connoisseur. I’m more just a sewer. I’ll give connecting bourbon to books a try. I know more about them.” Here’s his list giving the book, author, booze, and bottler. Yep, they’re all real.
Battle Cry by Leon Uris and Semper Fi Corn Whiskey (Ascendant Spirits)
How could you not select this bourbon to sip while reading this tale about Marines in WWII. Hell, I can see High-Pockets holding an aluminum cupful in a fox hole.
Deliverance by James Dickey and Midnight Moon Moonshine (Piedmont Distillers)
Crank up Earl Scruggs’ recording of “Dueling Banjos,” pour the booze from the bottle into a clay jug, tip it up, and turn the pages of a book that ended more than one person’s desire to canoe and camp in the mountains.
The Help by Kathyrn Stockett and Jack Daniels (Jack Daniel’s Distillery)
Quality bourbon for a quality book. Besides, this is the brand of bourbon I can see Skeeter drinking, sitting in a New York City apartment, wishing she was back in Mississippi.
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins and Mattingly & Moore (Heaven Hill Distillery)
Mattingly and Moore sounds like a London accounting house where this psychological thriller is set. With all the twists, turns, complications, and betrayals a few doubles will keep you relaxed.
City of Thieves by Daniel Benioff and Old Grand-Dad (Jim Beam Distillery)
This bourbon has been around a long time just like the protagonist chronicled in this tale of the misery that was the siege of Leningrad. It’s the fictionalized story of the author’s knife-fighting grand-dad. Three shots recommended, it has some tough emotional reading in it.
To Kill A Mocking Bird by Harper Lee and Rebel Yell (Heaven Hill Distillery)
One of my favorite books and bourbons. How more appropriate than drinking a glass of Rebel Yell when listening for the fading echo of a sound that provided the framework for this great novel’s time and place.
A River Runs Through It by Norman Maclean and Wild Turkey (Wild Turkey Distillery)
Smooth to the point of perfection. The book or the bourbon? Both! If you’ve not read Norman Maclean’s writing, do it. He defines the art!
Gone With The Wind by Margret Mitchell and Southern Comfort (Southern Comfort Company)
Well shut my mouth and call me Rhett. Visualize Scarlet sitting on Tara’s front porch pourin’ and a pourin’ and a pourin’ till, well, this smooth tastin’ bourbon is a good medicine for a guilty conscience and a sleeping pill.
Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain and Old Rip Van Winkle (Buffalo Trace Distillery)
Like Twain’s prose this whiskey flows smoothly but has a kick you can’t ignore. Besides, I love the brand Name … it sounds so literary.
Scandalous Behavior by Stuart Woods and Fighting Cock (Heaven Hill Distillery)
Ahhhhhh … the hero wants a peaceful rest in the English hinterlands. However, relations with the neighbors create a situation closer to converting him into this bourbon’s brand name. With neighbors like he has, a pint of the product in the morning and evening is recommended.
Message in a Bottle, The Choice, etc. by Nicholas Sparks and Four Roses (Four Roses Distillery)
Nickolas Sparks! You read his books and they all have two things in common. Their similarities produce déjà vu. And you fall in love with each one of them. Drinking Four Roses is the same, you never quite get enough.
The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd and Cougar, MGP Indiana /or/ Firefly Moonshine (Firefly Distillery)
This family tale wound around a woman’s mid-life crisis and fling takes place on the Carolinas coast. That’s where Firefly Moonshine is made and I couldn’t resist mentioning Cougar Bourbon even though it’s only sold in Australia and New Zealand. Cougar is so appropriate to describe the books heroine.
Once again, thank you to Sandy and her author for providing these great bourbon and book pairing recommendations! And remember, if you’d ever like to provide a guest post, all you have to do is send a request via my Contact page.
Filed under: Guest Posts, Musings and Fun Things Tagged: book, books, bookworm, bookworm problems, bourbon, literature, reading, whisky
February 1, 2016
Month-End Update: January 2016
Can you believe it’s already time for the first month-end update of 2016?! I hardly can. At least one thing has stayed consistent from 2015 to 2016 – I’m still rambling about the insanely fast passage of time like a broken record. For this year, I think I’m going to keep the format of my monthly recap basically the same. You may notice a few little tweaks, but overall, I’ll still be updating you about my writing progress, any editing/revising I’ve done, what I’ve been reading, and any special tasks relating to my author business as a whole. If you’re wondering where my Mid-Month Check-In went, I’ve decided to do those exclusively for my author newsletter. If you miss them, you can sign up for my newsletter here.
Now then, onto January 2016. Thus far, I’m happy with the progress I’ve made. While my writing streak did not last all month, I wrote for the majority of the days and have finally been able to establish a writing routine for myself. Moreover, I’ve been able to maintain my healthy reading schedule, as well as dive into the world of nonfiction. Overall, I think the year is off to a fantastic start, and I’m excited to build on my progress month-by-month!
Writing
Blog Posts Written — 8 (meeting my goal of 2 per week)
Fiction Words Written — 17,078
# of Days I Wrote Fiction — 19
Nonfiction Prompts Written — 50 prompts (plus front/back matter material)
# of Days I Wrote Non-Fiction — 6
Outlines Written — 1 (100 Romance Writing Prompts)
Days Without Writing — 6
Editing/Revising
Drafts Revised — 2 proofreads of 100 General Creative Writing Prompts
# of Days I Revised — 1
Reading
Books Finished
The Heroine’s Journey by Maureen Murdock
Shift (Silo #2) by Hugh Howey
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Long Way Home by Joss Whedon
Valley of the Shadow (The Desolate Empire #2) by Christina Ochs
Successful Self-Publishing by Joanna Penn
Books Begun/In-Progress
The Earl and the Artificer (The Ingenious Mechanical Devices #3) by Kara Jorgensen
Books Reviewed
Valley of the Shadow (The Desolate Empire #2) by Christina Ochs — read review
*Remember, I review every book I read on my Goodreads page.
Author Business Activities
Published 100 General Creative Writing Prompts
Booked first paid advertisement for The Cogsmith’s Daughter (to happen in February)
Redesigned author website
Organized The 2016 2K Indie Books Tour with Kate Evans
Attended a copywriting webinar hosted by Bryan Cohen
Updated all business spreadsheets/forms for the new year
Completed an author interview (to be posted later)
Completed a guest post (to be posted later)
Goals for February
Continue working on Desertera #2
Publish 100 Romance Writing Prompts (Fiction Ideas #2)
Co-host a successful blog tour
How was your start to 2016? What goals are you working toward in February? Share your triumphs in the comments!
Filed under: Writing Updates Tagged: Author Business, blogging, book review, books, creative writing prompts, dystopian, goals, independent publishing, indie author, manuscript, nonfiction, revising, self-publishing, steampunk, writing
January 29, 2016
Indie Book Review: Valley of the Shadow by Christina Ochs
Valley of the Shadow (The Desolate Empire #2) by Christina Ochs
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Disclaimer: I received a free electronic copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Valley of the Shadow by Christina Ochs is the second book in The Desolate Empire series. You can read my review of the first book, Rise of the Storm, here. In the spirit of avoiding spoilers, this review will use intentionally vague language and focus more heavily on my reactions to the novel as opposed to its content.
Picking right up where Rise of the Storm left off, Valley of the Shadow begins by following the aftermath of a large battle. Throughout the novel, the characters on either side of the empire’s opposing forces attempt to lobby for their side, as well as find a piece of happiness and respite from the misery of war.
Stylistically, Valley of the Shadow reads much like its predecessor – the chapters are short and the perspectives rotate, keeping the reader moving quickly, but smoothly, through the action. There is never a dull moment, and each chapter leaves the reader anxiously awaiting the next turn of events.
As for the characters, Ochs continues their development with steadiness and grace. More and more layers of their personalities are revealed as they are put through harrowing trials and given small victories. It’s probably evident from my language, but several of the characters face traumatizing events. The overall mood of Valley of the Shadow is rather bleak, and things seem to go from bad to worse for characters on both sides of the war. However, through it all, Ochs offers enough moments of comedy (and a few key victories) to balance out the heartache. And, as I already alluded, the resulting character development from these tragedies is inspiring and satisfying.
Overall, I enjoyed Valley of the Shadow just as much, if not more, than Rise of the Storm. The pace is quick, without being neck-snapping, the characters are complex and appropriately lovable or hate-able, and the conclusion wraps up enough plot lines to be satisfying, but leaves enough open to have the reader anxious for the next book. As always, Ochs’s writing style is eloquent enough to captivate the reader, but straight-forward enough as to not get in the way of the story. Her world is detailed and only becomes more interesting as she reveals more of it to the reader.
For those of you on the fence about reading Rise of the Storm or Valley of the Shadow, I’ll leave you with this final thought: This series is Game of Thrones without the literal magic (so far) and with tasteful fade-to-black that keeps it appropriate for all ages. I highly recommend it for anyone who enjoys fantasy, action, medieval-style tales, and good old-fashioned sword fighting.
If you are interested in reading Valley of the Shadow and would like to help sponsor my writing and research, you can purchase it through my Amazon Associates Store. By doing this, you will not pay a cent extra, nor will the author receive a cent less, but I will receive a small commission on the sale. Simply click the book’s title or the book’s image.
Filed under: Fiction Book Reviews Tagged: amreading, book, book review, books, epic fantasy, fantasy, fiction, reading, self-publishing
January 25, 2016
Last Day to Join the 2016 2K Indie Book Tour!
Happy Monday, everyone! This is just a quick reminder that this is the last day to sign up to have your book featured in the 2016 2K Indie Book Tour.
If you’re interested, you can see the full details in my original post HERE.
Thanks and happy writing!
Filed under: The 2016 2K Indie Book Tour, Uncategorized Tagged: book, book tour, independent publishing, indie author, indie books, self pub, self-publishing, writing
January 21, 2016
Get 100 General Creative Writing Prompts for FREE
Those who read my monthly update posts will know that I’ve been vaguely hinting at a nonfiction project for some time. Well, this is it! I’m happy to announce that I’ve released the first (of 10) fiction writing prompts booklets. 100 General Creative Writing Prompts is FREE on Amazon from now until Saturday, January 23rd. The regular price will be $0.99 USD.
Before you read the synopsis, I’d like to tell you a little about why I wrote this booklet. One of my favorite things about the self-publishing community is how indie authors give back to each other and are transparent in what they’ve learned and achieved. I’m not at a point in my career to dispense business or marketing advice. However, I’ve got a helluva lot of creativity and a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing — so inspiration and motivation, I can share.
My goal is to release one booklet per month from now until November. As with this first one, there will be some free promotions from time to time, but they will all be priced $0.99. Of course, as with all things, my newsletter subscribers will always get the first heads up on when they are free.
I’ll let you read the synopsis below. When you’re done, be sure to head to your “local” Amazon site and download your FREE copy before Saturday!
Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon AU | Amazon CA | Goodreads
Are you struggling with writer’s block? This booklet contains 100 writing prompts to help you take back control of your creativity.
Do you feel that novel burning inside you but are unsure where to begin?
Are you an established fiction author looking for a fresh new idea?
If you’re ready to stop staring at the blank page and start writing NOW, 100 General Creative Writing Prompts is the booklet for you. There’s no fluff and no wasted words – just 100 fiction prompts to get you back to what you do best: writing.
100 General Creative Writing Prompts is packed with character- and story-focused prompts to jumpstart your fiction writing. Each prompt has been carefully designed to help you boost your creativity, build new writing techniques, add descriptive flair to your narration, and bring greater depth to your characters.
Inside, you’ll find prompts on the following topics:
1. Childhood
2. Adolescence
3. Adulthood
4. Beauty
5. Emotions & Feelings
6. Everyday Encounters
7. Holidays
8. Seasons
9. The Other Three Senses
10. Outside-the-Box
Each section contains 10 thought-provoking prompts. Practice them in order, or dive right into to what inspires you most. You’ve already wasted enough energy on writer’s block. It’s time to get started on your next great fiction piece.
Take control of your creativity. Download your FREE copy of 100 General Creative Writing Prompts today.
Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon AU | Amazon CA
Filed under: Fiction Ideas Series Tagged: creative writing, creative writing prompts, fiction, fiction ideas, fiction writing, free book, free booklet, self pub, self-publishing, writing, writing prompts
January 18, 2016
Get Your Book Featured on the 2016 2K Indie Book Tour!
As long-time readers of my blog will remember, last year, crime author Kate Evans and I hosted the 2K International Writers’ Blog Tour, where we featured author interviews with up-and-coming writers. This year, we’re back — only this time, our focus is on great indie books!
The tour will run for approximately one month (depending on the number of accepted submissions), starting on February 8th. Selected books will be featured on my and Kate Evans’s respective author websites (we will alternate weeks). As participants learned last year, our tours are a great way to gain exposure, reach new readers, and make lasting industry connections.
All genres are welcome. To be featured, all you have to do is answer “YES” to the following questions and fill out the contact form at the bottom of this page.
Are you independently published?
Has the book you wish to promote been published within the last year?
Are you willing to help promote the tour for its entire length (not just your day!), either through reblogging the posts, sharing on your social media profiles, or both?
If the answers are yes, please fill out the contact form here or contact Kate Evans BY JANUARY 25TH. We’ll be in touch shortly after with the interview form and all other relevant information.
[contact-form]
Thanks for your interest and happy writing!
Filed under: The 2016 2K Indie Book Tour Tagged: blog tour, blogging, book, book tour, books, independent publishing, indie authors, indie books, indie publishing, self pub, self-publishing
January 14, 2016
Classic Literature and Wine Pairings
I feel cozy already!
To help us all get through the week, I thought we should have a little fun this Thursday. As you may or may not know, by day I am a copywriter for a wine marketing company that manages several wine clubs. One of these clubs matches wines with classic movies, which is really cool if you’re a movie buff. But what about us bookworms? Don’t we deserve to curl up with a classic novel and a delicious glass of wine after a long day?
Yes, we do.
So whether you’re a wine newbie, casual taster, or seasoned enthusiast, here are four classic novels and four classic wines to enjoy:
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen & Moscato
One of the most beloved romances of all time, Pride and Prejudice blends sweet moments between characters with sharp wit and the bitterness of pride. Its ideal complement? Moscato. When sweet, Moscato has a delicious “grapey” flavor. It’s a beautiful, easy gateway into the world of wine, much like Pride and Prejudice is a wonderful introduction to Austen and romance. When dry, Moscato carries all the zip and zing of Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy’s quips.
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald & Chardonnay
The Great Gatsby is the paragon of 1920s glitz and glamour – and of course, a tragic tale of unrequited love and self-sacrifice. The Queen of Whites, Chardonnay, is an elegant partner. Depending on the wine making technique, it can be light and tropical-fruited (like the quintessential flapper), or rich and buttery (like Gatsby himself).
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde & Red Bordeaux (Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon)
In The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde paints the tragic tale of a vain young man, hellbent on holding onto his youthfulness, no matter what the moral cost. Dorian expresses classic human desires and fears – much like red Bordeaux displays the hallmarks of classic French wine. And, like Dorian’s physique, Bordeaux’s ripe red fruit flavors and smooth character will age well for years to come.
The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway & Rioja (Tempranillo)
Written in Hemingway’s signature brief but powerful style, The Sun Also Rises follows a group of friends to Spain, as they grapple with issues of unrealized love and the brutality of the modern world. The perfect match is Rioja: arguably Spain’s most famous wine style. Its deep fruit flavors, hints of leather and spice, and gritty tannins will complement the heavy themes of the novel.
There you have it. The next time you sit down to read one of these old favorites, uncork a classic wine to enjoy along with it!
What glass of wine (or delicious non-alcoholic beverage!) will you be enjoying with your next read?
Filed under: Musings and Fun Things Tagged: book, books, bookworm, classic novels, fun, novels, wine, wine pairings
