K.N. Smith's Blog, page 3

Are You a Mapper or a Plotter?

Happy New Year! I hope 2016 brings you great blessings and new opportunities!

As you can see, I’ve been super busy with a variety of promotional activities to promote my new book. The wonderful YA blog tour company, YaReads, has been a great partner for The Urban Boys, and I’m so appreciative of their fantastic efforts. During our recent YaReads blog tour, I was recently asked about my writing process and if I’m a mapper or a plotter. You can find my answer on the Most Ardently blog, and then I hope you will share your own response with me to see how we compare. Thanks so much for all of your support, and let’s make 2016 a great year!

 

K.N. Smith’s Top 10 Favorite Things About Writing

“An energetic YA adventure debut with stellar action sequences. Smith’s writing is intelligent and often lyrical. Her exuberant prose never fails to dazzle.”- Kirkus Media

The wonderful YA blog Sleeps on Tables hosts K.N. Smith to discuss her “Top 10 Favorite Things About Being a Writer.” Here’s an excerpt: “As a writer, I feel that my job is to develop a book to the point where the reader actually feels that they are in the scene. Maybe this is because I am a visual person. I think the reader should have a memorable experience, and want more. Some readers do not like so much description, which is indeed literary, and I understand how they must feel, but my writing style will not be changing just to suit one or two people. I believe it’s best to stretch yourself, both as a reader and a writer. The majority really like how descriptive the scenes are, and when those scenes are infused with colorful prose that gets deep down and stirs emotions, then I feel I’ve done my job, and the reviews (including Kirkus) truly do say it best.” K.N. Smith

 

YA Bound Announces Blog Tour

YA Bound Book Tours is organizing a Blog Tour for: The Urban Boys: Discovery of the Five Senses. This tour will run from January 4th to January 15th. If you would like to participate in this blog tour, please fill out the form on their website. Blog tour posts must be up by 8am (ET) on the selected dates and must be the top post of the day. Please take this into consideration when choosing a date. e-Copies will be provided for review. Promo spots (interview, guest post, dream cast, etc.) are very limited, priority will be given to review spots. Please note that signing up will not guarantee you a spot on the blog tour. Selected bloggers will be notified by email directly from YA Bound. Thanks for your consideration in joining the tour!

 

Kirkus Media Praises the Lyrical Prose of “The Urban Boys”

“An energetic YA adventure debut with stellar action sequences. Smith’s writing is intelligent and often lyrical. Her exuberant prose never fails to dazzle.”- Kirkus Media

Kirkus Media gives two thumbs up and a great review to “The Urban Boys” by K.N. Smith. Being one of the most important industry reviews an author can receive, the Kirkus Media review futhers the ongoing praise for Smith’s detailed, lyrical writing style, which infuses energetic, cinematic action in a diverse narrative. Although it is a novel written for the YA crowd, the book is also loved by adults and action-adventure enthusiasts in general. It allows young readers to stretch their imaginations (and vocabularies) to great heights. All part of Smith’s efforts to advance literacy rates across the globe, “The Urban Boys” continues to make a splash with top reviewers and everyday readers alike. Thank you Kirkus Media!

 

5-Stars from Publishers Daily Reviews!

5-stars for “The Urban Boys” from Don Sloan of Publishers Daily Reviews! “Author K.N. Smith uses her mastery of the written word to weave an entrancing, yet powerful tale of adventure that keeps you turning pages in an unquenchable desire to find out what happens next. The author’s matchless prose details cinematic fight sequences and fully developed characterizations especially in a final, stupendous scene that will take your breath away and leave you limp with spent emotions. Five stars for this imaginative and inspiring story, sure to be as appealing to general audiences as it will be to the YA crowd.” Thank you, Don. Your beautifully written words are an inspiration to me and other YA authors!

 

The Urban Boys Excerpt – Thrilling!

I made a recent decision to update the main excerpt from The Urban Boys: Discovery of the Five Senses. Although the Prologue and the first several chapters are available for review through numerous sales channels, I thought Chapter 14 would provide the best overview of the theme, tension, and dramatic action of the story. It basically includes all of the relevant elements of the story in one chapter. If you decided to check it out, please share your thoughts at any time. Please also continue to check back for more book reviews. Cheers!

 

The U.S. Review of Books Recommends The Urban Boys!

The U.S. Review of Books recommends The Urban Boys! Here’s an edited version: “Five friends decide to do something considered taboo by the majority of the townsfolk and enter the mysterious, forest-like preserve. But something otherworldly awaits them among the trees. It’s a force that will give each of them an enhanced ability with one of the five senses. Yet just as the five can sense each other, so, too, can three others sense them, and one of the trio is a killer,” writes John E. Roper. “Smith’s book blends action and mystery with elements of the paranormal. Additionally, the novel overflows with positive thematic pointers relating to the importance of family, honesty, responsibility, etc. The presence of these moments of encouragement make her story worth reading. Read the full book review by John E. Roper. Get your print or Kindle copy on Amazon. Enjoy the read!

 

Masquerade Book Tours Review Opportunity!

Hello YA fans! Masquerade Tours is hosting a book review opportunity for The Urban Boys, and reviews must be posted by February 10, 2015. Review copies are available in ePub, PDF, and mobi (Kindle) formats and should also be posted to Amazon, Goodreads, BN.com, and any other sites that accept reviews. For more info, please click the link above or email deejay@masqueradetours.com. Sign up today!

 

USA Best Book Awards Competition

Great news! The Urban Boys has been entered for 4 awards in the USA Book News 2015 USA Best Book Awards competition for best young adult fiction, best new fiction, best cover design, and best thriller/adventure. Jeffrey Keen and his amazing team do a great job of reviewing thousands of entries to uncover the best titles of the year. This prestigious competition is perfect for an action-packed title such as The Urban Boys, which has 5-star reviews. What a great opportunity; fingers crossed! I’ll share the announcement mid-November 2015. In the meantime, be sure to visit me on Amazon and Goodreads for specials and giveaways. Thanks for reading!

 

Book Blitz Underway

With gracious assistance from YA Reads Blog Tours, The Urban Boys book blitz is underway all this week on various young adult and other blogs sweeping the internet. Promotional blog stops include: Adventures in Writing, My Book Addiction, Book Lovers Life, Cassandra M’s Place, Jody’s Book Reviews, Around the World in Books, and Comet Babes Books. Thank you Nicole for your excellent service and I look forward to the blog tour happening December 15 – January 4th!