K.A. Wiggins's Blog, page 11
May 22, 2020
March 26, 2020
COVID-19 Response
TBH it���s hard to know what to say or how best to respond. As a writer and freelancer, my lifestyle already looked a lot like self-isolation, except for creative writing workshops and speaking engagements, so for the moment, it���s (almost) business-as-usual. I���ll be working on sequel rewrites, keeping up newsletters and book marketing efforts, and priotizing freelancing a little more than I had been to make up shortfalls.
But I know a ton of people are going through a tough time financially or have lost their jobs entirely, at least during the regional lockdowns. I don���t have enough of a backlist built up to offer much for free, but here���s a list of libraries and subscription services where you can find ebooks of Blind the Eyes:
Vancouver Public Library
Scribd
24 Symbols
Overdrive/Libby
Kobo Plus (regional access)
I���m also dropping ebook prices to minimum ($0.99 or equivalent) across storefronts until the end of April at least to try to keep reading material accessible.
And, for those of you who���ve suddenly become homeschoolers (especially you BC parents without school support!), I���m open-sourcing some teaching materials from my creative writing workshops. They���re tested on ages 8-12, but you could easily scale up or down a few years for maybe a couple hours of edutainment. ;D
March 19, 2020
Learning Resources
Since school suddenly got cancelled this spring, I���ve reworked some materials from my creative writing workshops for home use.
Here���s what I���ve got so far!
Last Chance Island by Norma Charles Reading Questions
Last Chance Island by Norma Charles Craft Activity
Last Chance Island by Norma Charles Creative Writing Prompts
Last Chance Island by Norma Charles Facilitator���s Guide
If you���re looking for more free home learning resources, TeachBC is well stocked, and TeachersPayTeachers also has massive amounts of free (and paid) material.
February 13, 2020
Alternate Cover Launch
Field testing an alternate cover design for Blind the Eyes by Christian Bentulan with animation by Morgan Wright.
This is not at all Valentines-related, but hi! Blind the Eyes has a new cover & it's extra creepy:#CoverReveal #YA #horror #DarkFantasy #dystopian pic.twitter.com/ObNzfIaG3u
— K.A. Wiggins (@kaiespace) February 14, 2020
This will be an Amazon exclusive until I figure out which version performs better with readers.
January 16, 2020
Feb5 WRAD Burnaby Live Reading
Date: February 5, 2020
Time: 6:30-8:45 pm
Location: Bob Prittie Metrotown Branch Library (6100 Willingdon Avenue, Burnaby by Metrotown Stn.)
Type: Live Reading, Book Fair, Signing
CWILL BC authors and/or illustrators will take turns reading aloud from their recent works in support of World Read Aloud Day. Copies will be available on site for sale.
Full details to come.
January 15, 2020
Feb3 Writing and Illustrating Kids Books Vancouver
Date: February 3, 2020
Time: 7-8:30 pm (6:30 signing/bookfair)
Location: Central Library Branch, Montalbano Family Theatre, Level 8 (350 West Georgia St., Vancouver)
Type: Panel Discussion, Q&A, Book Fair, Signing
Interested in writing or illustrating books for young readers?
Join six professional children���s authors and illustrators to find out how they broke into this exciting and competitive field and built their careers.
Ask questions and get practical information on topics such as how to improve your writing, how to find a publisher and submit your work, what agents do, what to look for in a book contract, and what the financial rewards are.
Meet authors Glen Huser, Cynthia Nugent, Ellen Schwartz, Carol Watterson, K.A. Wiggins and Pam Withers and get a book signed starting at 6:30 P.M.
In partnership with CWILL BC.
Full details here.
January 8, 2020
Kicking Off 2020
SO MUCH going on as we head into a new year (could it because it���s been six months since I last updated you? Maybe? Who really knows??)
Anyway, here���s the rundown:
Sequel
The next installment of Threads of Dreams didn���t make it for 2019, but it did get written.
Look forward to more hauntings, more monsters, more revelations, and a bonus roadtrip to the BC interior.
Revisions, a lot of research as the adventure heads out of the city, and a few rounds of editing lie ahead, but I hope to keep things moving and work on book 3 when book 2���s off for editing this year because y���all are gonna hate me if I leave you hanging with its ending for another two years.
Events
I���ll be getting out of the house more in 2020, with several IRL events already on the book (I���d better start a page, come to think of it). Briefly:
Writing & Illustrating Kids Books: The Inside Story. Vancouver, Feb. 3, 2020. More details here.
World Read Aloud Day Live Readings. Burnaby, Feb. 5, 2020. More details to come.
Aaand speaking of getting out of the house:
Coaching
My head is still spinning, this got arranged so fast . . . but I���m officially the newest storytelling mentor with Creative Writing for Children Society!
They���re a local nonprofit that runs after-school/weekend creative writing workshops for ages 8 and up all around the Greater Vancouver/Lower Mainland region (and, occasionally, overseas.) Term-length workshops end with the kids self-publishing a short book or anthology.
I���ll be running a creativity-in-storytelling anthology workshop in White Rock starting next week (����) so that���s going to be busy for a bit until I get it sorted. If you have kids interested in doing more creative writing, definitely get in touch with them to see if there���s an upcoming workshop in your area!
Actual Publishing News (?)
You���ll see some familiar stories popping up later this year with a new look.
I did a little clean-up on both On the Edge and A Song of Dark Things and they���re pending consideration for a magazine and anthology project respectively.
A few other short stories, new and old, are under submission as well, and I got the news just last night that Castoffs is pending consideration for a magazine that does print/ebook/audio. Can���t wait for you guys to read it (hope it finally sells!) since it���s so utterly unlike anything I���ve put out before. Kind of weird horror, if that���s a genre? Or dark comedy-fantasy?
An alternate cover for Blind the Eyes is also underway. It���s an experiment to see what a less-creative-more-genre-aligned cover might do on digital storefronts (which are a bit of their own beast when it comes to such things), so look forward to a new/old cover reveal in the next edition!
Stores
Just added a new IRL retail location, if you���re into supporting indie bookstores and/or shopping local.
You can now find signed paperbacks of Blind the Eyes at Hemingway���s Books & Records** in Abbotsford, BC.
That seems like more than enough for now! As always, you���ll get news a little faster if you join me on social or sign up to the newsletter! :)
January 2, 2020
Books in the Wild
Looking for my books IRL? Here are known bookstores and libraries where you can find them:
Stores
33765 Essendene Ave, Abbotsford, BC
2 signed paperback copies of Blind the Eyes
45939 Wellington Ave, Chilliwack, BC
2 signed paperback copies of Blind the Eyes
3734 W. Broadway Street, Quincy, IL
1 paperback copy of Blind the Eyes
Libraries
Fraser Valley Regional Library
multiple locations in BC, Canada
2 paperback copies of Blind the Eyes
multiple locations in Vancouver, BC
2 paperback copies of Blind the Eyes
1 ebook copy of Blind the Eyes
346 Duquesne, Patagonia, AZ
1 paperback copy of Blind the Eyes
multiple locations in Cleveland, OH
2 paperback copies of Blind the Eyes
multiple locations in King County, WA
4 paperback copies of Blind the Eyes
Watch this space; I update as more locations get added! Also, I���d love it if you���d take a moment to let me know if you spot it in any other retail or library locations so I can add it to the list!)
If you want to request one of my books (or any book, really) at a local indie bookshop, chain bookstore, or library, all you have to do is give them the author, title, and, if you can, ISBN number.
For Blind the Eyes, the ISBNs are:
ISBN 978-1-7751627-3-5 (paperback)
ISBN 978-1-7751627-2-8 (ebook)
ISBN 978-1-7751627-0-4 (hardcover)
For the Unknown Realms paperback: ISBN 978-1-7323406-6-4
October 30, 2019
Books in the Wild
Looking for my books IRL? Here���s where you can find them:
Stores
Quincy Books
3734 W. Broadway Street, Quincy, IL (1 paperback copy Blind the Eyes in stock)
Libraries
Fraser Valley Regional Library
locations in BC, Canada (2 copies of Blind the Eyes, paperback)
Vancouver Public Library
multiple locations in Vancouver, BC (2 paperback copies of Blind the Eyes plus one ebook edition available for checkout)
Patagonia Public Library
346 Duquesne, Patagonia, AZ (1 copy of Blind the Eyes, paperback)
Cleveland Public Library
multiple locations in Cleveland, OH (2 paperback copies of Blind the Eyes available for checkout)
King County Library System
multiple locations in King County, WA (4 paperback copies of Blind the Eyes available for checkout)
Watch this space; I update as more locations get added! Also, I���d love it if you���d take a moment to let me know if you spot it in any other retail or library locations so I can add it to the list!)
If you want to request one of my books (or any book, really) at a local indie bookshop, chain bookstore, or library, all you have to do is give them the author, title, and, if you can, ISBN number.
For Blind the Eyes, the ISBNs are:
ISBN 978-1-7751627-3-5 (paperback)
ISBN 978-1-7751627-2-8 (ebook)
ISBN 978-1-7751627-0-4 (hardcover)
August 31, 2019
Sep29 WORD Vancouver Writing Fest
Date: September 29, 2019
Time: 10am-5pm
Location: Central Library Branch, Plaza (350 West Georgia St., Vancouver, BC)
Type: Book Fair, Writing Festival
I���ll be staffing the CWILL BC exhibitor���s table at this year���s WORD Vancouver festival all day, so drop by to learn more about what we offer for BC-based authors and illustrators of children���s books, or pick up a great new local picture book, chapter book, middle grade or YA novel and get it signed on the spot!
