Kay Bennson's Blog, page 8
May 12, 2017
April 30, 2017
Mom, Where Do Stories Come From?
I don't know where other writers get the most of their ideas, but I find that I get some of my best ideas from dreams. Just the other day I was listening to people discuss their fever dreams and they were simple, such as having something heavy on top of you, or being too large for a room that you're in. I don't think I get fever dreams, but my husband can attest that my dreams are not so black and white. Guys, I once had a dream that my mother won a contest to have lunch with Jesus and I remember it clear as day and that was years ago. I guess it's good that I love writing, because otherwise people would probably be worried for me.
Sometimes people ask me, "I want to write a book but I have no ideas. What do you recommend?" Use your dreams. If you can't remember them, write them down in a journal by your bed or on your phone. I did that for Enshrine and look at where that strange dream of being chased by a bad guy took me? I'm working on a Science Fiction story that I've been playing around with since my sophomore year of high school and you want to know how that started? I had a dream that wouldn't leave me after I woke up. I'm writing this post because I had an amazing dream last night that I have to write down and revisit because I think it could be a really neat New Adult Science Fiction Romance someday (Is there such thing as Science Fiction Romance...because I'm going to make it a thing if it's not.) Bottom line, I hope your dreams inspire you like mine do. I'm actually having the problem where I have too many ideas vying for space at the moment but I guess I'd rather have too many manuscripts going than none. I had someone tell me once that I get the "plot bunnies" where I can't commit to one idea because I want to write them all and lately I totally agree with them. Not counting possible Enshrine spin offs, the current number is four. Maybe I'll have a whole repertoire of books for BookCon next year!
In regards to the book that is actually getting published, I finally have a release date! Enshrine is coming out June 5th and I'm so excited! I've been reading the final PDF and as I said in a previous entry, I can't believe how far it's come since the rough draft I read to my class last year. Now it's time to up the ante with my promotional stuff. I'm going to start reaching out to libraries, do some blog interviews, maybe even call newspapers. So much of this is out of my comfort zone, but if I want to show the world what I can do and this world I've created, I've got to try. I'm also planning on having a release party so if you are local and want to come, stay tuned. I'm probably getting a head of myself, but I'm already looking at "sage" colored dresses. I doubt most people will get the reference but hey, I'll be happy. :)
Till next time,
Kay
Sometimes people ask me, "I want to write a book but I have no ideas. What do you recommend?" Use your dreams. If you can't remember them, write them down in a journal by your bed or on your phone. I did that for Enshrine and look at where that strange dream of being chased by a bad guy took me? I'm working on a Science Fiction story that I've been playing around with since my sophomore year of high school and you want to know how that started? I had a dream that wouldn't leave me after I woke up. I'm writing this post because I had an amazing dream last night that I have to write down and revisit because I think it could be a really neat New Adult Science Fiction Romance someday (Is there such thing as Science Fiction Romance...because I'm going to make it a thing if it's not.) Bottom line, I hope your dreams inspire you like mine do. I'm actually having the problem where I have too many ideas vying for space at the moment but I guess I'd rather have too many manuscripts going than none. I had someone tell me once that I get the "plot bunnies" where I can't commit to one idea because I want to write them all and lately I totally agree with them. Not counting possible Enshrine spin offs, the current number is four. Maybe I'll have a whole repertoire of books for BookCon next year!
In regards to the book that is actually getting published, I finally have a release date! Enshrine is coming out June 5th and I'm so excited! I've been reading the final PDF and as I said in a previous entry, I can't believe how far it's come since the rough draft I read to my class last year. Now it's time to up the ante with my promotional stuff. I'm going to start reaching out to libraries, do some blog interviews, maybe even call newspapers. So much of this is out of my comfort zone, but if I want to show the world what I can do and this world I've created, I've got to try. I'm also planning on having a release party so if you are local and want to come, stay tuned. I'm probably getting a head of myself, but I'm already looking at "sage" colored dresses. I doubt most people will get the reference but hey, I'll be happy. :)
Till next time,
Kay
March 31, 2017
When The "Real World" Makes Writing Difficult
I have these dreams where I wake up at my leisure, make a cup of coffee and eat my breakfast from the comfort of my kitchen table before I head into my upstairs office and write for hours. Maybe I do author interviews, maybe I work on promotional stuff. I want to be a career writer SO bad.
My life is not that simple. I get up way earlier than I would like, I commute forty minutes to my school where I do the before school program and then teach all day with not many breaks. I eat my breakfast at work, I try to write or work on book things in every spare moment that I have but sometimes during the week it gets pushed to the background. I also work a second job, teach preschoolers how to do Irish Dance, I actually take Irish Dance, and I freelance about twice a month. Its like a catch 22...I can't afford to write everyday for a living, but my crazy life also prevents me from writing everyday for a living...if that makes sense at all. Not sure if anyone else experiences this but I so wish I could clone myself or have on of those time turners like Hermione had.
Here's what's happened this week: I sent my first round of edits back to my amazing editor on last Friday and he had round two ready to go on Sunday. Truth be told, there are not too many to do this time around, but I'm still reading it all the way through again just to be sure. The real world has since taken over so I've got about a hundred pages to go. Then it's off to the proofreader! I can't believe what Enshrine started out and what it has become! I can't wait to share it with you!
Speaking of sharing...check out this book teaser!
Just a friendly reminder that I have bookmarks, pens, and gift cards that I want to give away! Please follow me on Tumblr, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram! We're getting close on Facebook! Check out the Find Kay Online page to be directed to all those fun places.
My life is not that simple. I get up way earlier than I would like, I commute forty minutes to my school where I do the before school program and then teach all day with not many breaks. I eat my breakfast at work, I try to write or work on book things in every spare moment that I have but sometimes during the week it gets pushed to the background. I also work a second job, teach preschoolers how to do Irish Dance, I actually take Irish Dance, and I freelance about twice a month. Its like a catch 22...I can't afford to write everyday for a living, but my crazy life also prevents me from writing everyday for a living...if that makes sense at all. Not sure if anyone else experiences this but I so wish I could clone myself or have on of those time turners like Hermione had.
Here's what's happened this week: I sent my first round of edits back to my amazing editor on last Friday and he had round two ready to go on Sunday. Truth be told, there are not too many to do this time around, but I'm still reading it all the way through again just to be sure. The real world has since taken over so I've got about a hundred pages to go. Then it's off to the proofreader! I can't believe what Enshrine started out and what it has become! I can't wait to share it with you!
Speaking of sharing...check out this book teaser!
Just a friendly reminder that I have bookmarks, pens, and gift cards that I want to give away! Please follow me on Tumblr, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram! We're getting close on Facebook! Check out the Find Kay Online page to be directed to all those fun places.March 25, 2017
An Update and a Giveaway!
I can't believe it's been two months since I started this website. I feel like I should be further a long in some regards to this whole getting a book published thing, but I am not a career author yet so sometimes other things must take priority, as much as it kills me.
Enshrine just went through its first round of edits and I already love what it has morphed into since I wrote the rough draft two years ago. I believe that I have one more round before it moves on to the proofreader but I'm hoping that I will have a release date for you soon!
I wanted to share something funny with all of you. About a year ago I began ghostwriting as a way to make some extra cash, and have done almost a dozen short stories in that time. Now where Enshrine is a romance, it is a very tame, slow burn kind of romance. These...not so much. I'm actually not sharing any of the titles on here because I do not to be judged before you read what I poured my heart and soul into. Anyway, I've recently found five of them on Amazon and Goodreads and it is a very odd feeling. One, the covers are so cheesy and full of shredded ab muscles I laughed out loud. Two, I'm very happy that Kay Bennson or my real name is not associated with them because they are riddled with typos. (It was like they published the story as I submitted it, I run them through a grammar checker but still.) Three, most people did not hate them. I find this bittersweet because I can confidently say that those smut filled romps are NOT my best work. The three that had reviews and ratings averaged nothing lower than a high three and one had five stars! One had a really great review while the other said "speechless". So I guess where I'm going with this is, if those were not perfect and were well received, what will people think of something I worked my hardest on?
Let me tell you about my giveaway. I am assuming that most of you came here from another website; probably my Facebook Page or Twitter. I want to get people excited about Enshrine's upcoming release so please follow me on all the sites that I have listed in my "Find Kay Online" tab. For every 100 followers I get in each of those platforms I'll raffle off a "swag bag". If you win you will get an Enshrine bookmark, pen, and a 5 dollar Amazon gift card. I'll keep doing it until I've got my own little fandom! I'd like to raffle off a copy of the book when it finally gets released, so why not increase your chances?
Cheers,
Kay Bennson
Enshrine just went through its first round of edits and I already love what it has morphed into since I wrote the rough draft two years ago. I believe that I have one more round before it moves on to the proofreader but I'm hoping that I will have a release date for you soon!
I wanted to share something funny with all of you. About a year ago I began ghostwriting as a way to make some extra cash, and have done almost a dozen short stories in that time. Now where Enshrine is a romance, it is a very tame, slow burn kind of romance. These...not so much. I'm actually not sharing any of the titles on here because I do not to be judged before you read what I poured my heart and soul into. Anyway, I've recently found five of them on Amazon and Goodreads and it is a very odd feeling. One, the covers are so cheesy and full of shredded ab muscles I laughed out loud. Two, I'm very happy that Kay Bennson or my real name is not associated with them because they are riddled with typos. (It was like they published the story as I submitted it, I run them through a grammar checker but still.) Three, most people did not hate them. I find this bittersweet because I can confidently say that those smut filled romps are NOT my best work. The three that had reviews and ratings averaged nothing lower than a high three and one had five stars! One had a really great review while the other said "speechless". So I guess where I'm going with this is, if those were not perfect and were well received, what will people think of something I worked my hardest on?
Let me tell you about my giveaway. I am assuming that most of you came here from another website; probably my Facebook Page or Twitter. I want to get people excited about Enshrine's upcoming release so please follow me on all the sites that I have listed in my "Find Kay Online" tab. For every 100 followers I get in each of those platforms I'll raffle off a "swag bag". If you win you will get an Enshrine bookmark, pen, and a 5 dollar Amazon gift card. I'll keep doing it until I've got my own little fandom! I'd like to raffle off a copy of the book when it finally gets released, so why not increase your chances?
Cheers,
Kay Bennson
January 13, 2017
Welcome!
Hello Everyone!
My name is Kay Bennson and I'm so excited to be starting this journey with all of you! My debut novel Enshrine is going to be published by Solstice Publishing and I feel like the luckiest girl in the world!
This will be your one stop spot to find out everything there is to know about Enshrine, the world of Rosementh, and all the people who live there. I'll have my music playlist and any other burning questions you might have about Sage and company on the extras page. I plan on doing give aways and once I know where I will be doing signings and other promotional events, I'll have those details for you too. I will also have various links to my social media pages.
I can not wait to have more things to share with you. At this point I am in the pre-publication stage of my journey. I sent in my dedication, aknowledgements, bio, and back of the book blurb in the morning and earlier in the week I sent the form for my cover design in to the powers that be. I am so excited to see what they decide to do!
Here's to an exciting future!
Kay Bennson
My name is Kay Bennson and I'm so excited to be starting this journey with all of you! My debut novel Enshrine is going to be published by Solstice Publishing and I feel like the luckiest girl in the world!
This will be your one stop spot to find out everything there is to know about Enshrine, the world of Rosementh, and all the people who live there. I'll have my music playlist and any other burning questions you might have about Sage and company on the extras page. I plan on doing give aways and once I know where I will be doing signings and other promotional events, I'll have those details for you too. I will also have various links to my social media pages.
I can not wait to have more things to share with you. At this point I am in the pre-publication stage of my journey. I sent in my dedication, aknowledgements, bio, and back of the book blurb in the morning and earlier in the week I sent the form for my cover design in to the powers that be. I am so excited to see what they decide to do!
Here's to an exciting future!
Kay Bennson
