K.M. Harrell's Blog
February 21, 2019
Tucson Festival of Books
I will be in residence at the Indie Authors Pavilion, 3 Mar 10-12. If you live in Tucson or are coming to the festival. I would love to meet you. Even if you haven't read my book. I will also be showing at the Bay Area Book Festival in Berkeley California May 4-5, and the Orange County Children's Book Festival October 6. So we will be meeting a lot of people very soon.
December 17, 2018
THE NEW NYIRA BOOK
I'm calling it: The Dark Princess. It's funny how this all changes when you put it on paper. Or type it into the computer. Because, initially I saw no conceivable way to remake the magic of the first book. It actually freaked me out a little when I tried to imagine it. But after a year, I now see that it doesn't have to be. Because she is not the same character she was in the first novel. She is no longer a seven year old child. She's a teenager. And she has a new family(Enriquillo's people). And a new mother-in-law. Higuamota is going to be a very interesting in-law. I'm only about a few thousand words in and she's...it's going to be fun. That's all I can say. If you want to see an outline or get periodic updates, subscribe to the newsletter. You can also sign up to be a beta reader. The first book took about four years to write. That's because it started out as a different story. Nyira just took the darn thing over. This one won't take that long. But I don't want to rush it. There's something about being inside the story that actually tells you where it wants to go. At least that's how it worked the first time. So sit back, we're headed back to the cave. So what do you guys thinks? Have a happy holiday.
December 15, 2018
A REALLY CRUSHING REVIEW ON NETGALLEY.COM
I got a really crushing review on Netgalley.com recently. And I had to think: what makes a person do do this? Not because it's brutal or even a little mean. Because I get that that happens sometimes. But frankly--and I don't know if I should say this or not--but if I don't like a book, I can't finish it. Simple as that. What I find most fascinating about this particular review, is that it's probably the longest one I've gotten. So this person sat down and spent some time to say that my book was not worth the money, and they wouldn't recommend it to children or death row inmates(okay, I added that part). This thing was longer than letters I write to my favorite aunts. I'm not kidding--I love my aunties. They still tell me stories about how cute I was as a baby. That's very important for an author. Okay, maybe just this author. Anyway, as an author, I have to sit down and really consider what I put out that will add to this weird thing called your persona. I'm not sure what my persona is. This is my first book, so there's no way I could've written something that made this person feel that it was important that I be stopped, before I cause further harm to second graders and teens. Oh, I forgot to mention. One of my reviewers actually read my book to her second grader every night before she went to bed. That is serious y'all. I have no words for that. And the little girl loved it. There seems to be a trend of mothers reading Nyira with their daughters. I'm trying to encourage that in the giveaway I'm running right now. Perhaps that's something this latest reviewer might consider. Perhaps getting the opinion of a second grader. I take solace in the fact that I might have a leg up in that market. So the next time someone tells me that my book sucks, I will say: OH, YEAH? Well have you discussed this with the second graders? Because I beg to differ! LITTLE GIRLS RULE! #BETTERWITHAGIRLINIT
October 22, 2018
PHOENIX PUBLIC LIBRARY LOCAL AUTHOR'S FAIR
November 3rd. https://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/...
If any of you are in Phoenix, you should come. It is an official appearance. I know, I am going to try to be really interesting. When I figure out how to do that. Also, I am looking for Beta reader for my next project that is titled: Zadea. I'm already half way into it. So hit up the website.
If any of you are in Phoenix, you should come. It is an official appearance. I know, I am going to try to be really interesting. When I figure out how to do that. Also, I am looking for Beta reader for my next project that is titled: Zadea. I'm already half way into it. So hit up the website.
October 1, 2018
NYIRA MADE THE BOOKLIFE PRIZE SEMI FINALS!
Okay. You can all breathe now. Gord and the little girl took care of business! But do some stretching, because it's going to get interesting now. They only picked five, out of I don't know how many. But check it: https://booklife.com/prize/3/category/6
Talk to y'all later.
Talk to y'all later.
September 24, 2018
The Booklife Prize
Great News! Nyira and the Invisible Boy, is now in the quarterfinals for Publisher's Weekly's Booklife Prize. Check it out here: https://booklife.com/prize/3/category/6
Keep your fingers, toes, eyes, everything crossed. Although she has done some pretty cool things that have surprised me. So we'll see.
We are also in the Writer's Digest Book Awards contest as well. So take some muscle relaxers. Wouldn't want y'all to get all cramped up. Much love.
KM
Keep your fingers, toes, eyes, everything crossed. Although she has done some pretty cool things that have surprised me. So we'll see.
We are also in the Writer's Digest Book Awards contest as well. So take some muscle relaxers. Wouldn't want y'all to get all cramped up. Much love.
KM
September 15, 2018
Author Strange and the Bookless Humans
You are not going to believe this. But I did not want to do this. You know…this! A…blog. But I think I will just have some fun with it.
I have found that as I have gotten more writerly in my old age. I should not talk to actual bookless humans. You guys have seen them. They have feet and walk, and fart and eat. But do not read. And I am a strange SOB anyway. When I am in a room full of people, I want to talk about wonderful things. Like me, for instance. Okay, that doesn’t always go well. But I did say I was strange okay!
But usually the easiest conversation you can have is about what you’ve read. Or, something you just saw on TV, that led you to something you’ve read. And I’m sorry all you TV heads, but Game of Thrones is a damn book! It is not a TV show! That’s why they turned the thing into something different from the BOOKS! Because, had he not written them, he would be some broke writer sitting in his room on Saturday ranting on a book…site. Okay, too close to home.
Now I know it takes some time, and you actually have to sit down and allow yourself some reflection, and then choose a book. But it helps with conversation. Where else will all those code heads find out about the opposite sex. Or sex! In a book! When I’m sitting in a room full of people, with nothing to do but just sit. I mean they don’t put f-ing magazines in waiting rooms hardly anymore. Now that is definitely not a good sign. And I want to tell someone about something incredible that happened to me. Say like…like Halle Berry asking me out on a date. (Shutup! I write fantasy. I make up what I want.) Well I happened to have a written a book. You want to get a strange look from people try this: Walk into a room topless, or with your pants down, or tell them you’ve written a novel. You’ll get a: that person is a lunatic and I need to ignore them and not let them touch me, look. You know the look. Yes. If you are around bookless humans, and tell them you are an author. You will get that look. And if you keep trying to broach the issue. They will say something like: Wow. I knew a guy who wrote a book once. And then the conversation sort of goes…nowhere! And I mean, like I don’t want to know what this asshole has got in his head, so I’m going back to my office, nowhere!
And other weird things have started happening to me. I used to go into my office like two hours early, and sit at my desk and write. I have a laptop, and I have a notepad. And when the time for work starts, I stop and get at it. But now there are rumors that I am up to something. That I am working on my book all during the day. Now I don’t know about most writers, but I need to be in a fairly quiet environment to write. For fiction, at least. I can do reports and other things. Even research an issue, or do some nonfiction paper with people gabbing around me. But for fiction, I cannot be around people. I know this because I have tried it. Apparently, when I get quiet, people get nervous. Like maybe I will turn into a dragon or something. If I am sitting somewhere and thinking, people stop to ask me if I’m okay. I am not making this up. “No. I’m fine,” I’ll say.
“You sure, bro? You just looked troubled there for a minute. What’s on you mine?”
And I’m like: “Trust me. You don’t want to know.” Then I go back to my office.
I have found that as I have gotten more writerly in my old age. I should not talk to actual bookless humans. You guys have seen them. They have feet and walk, and fart and eat. But do not read. And I am a strange SOB anyway. When I am in a room full of people, I want to talk about wonderful things. Like me, for instance. Okay, that doesn’t always go well. But I did say I was strange okay!
But usually the easiest conversation you can have is about what you’ve read. Or, something you just saw on TV, that led you to something you’ve read. And I’m sorry all you TV heads, but Game of Thrones is a damn book! It is not a TV show! That’s why they turned the thing into something different from the BOOKS! Because, had he not written them, he would be some broke writer sitting in his room on Saturday ranting on a book…site. Okay, too close to home.
Now I know it takes some time, and you actually have to sit down and allow yourself some reflection, and then choose a book. But it helps with conversation. Where else will all those code heads find out about the opposite sex. Or sex! In a book! When I’m sitting in a room full of people, with nothing to do but just sit. I mean they don’t put f-ing magazines in waiting rooms hardly anymore. Now that is definitely not a good sign. And I want to tell someone about something incredible that happened to me. Say like…like Halle Berry asking me out on a date. (Shutup! I write fantasy. I make up what I want.) Well I happened to have a written a book. You want to get a strange look from people try this: Walk into a room topless, or with your pants down, or tell them you’ve written a novel. You’ll get a: that person is a lunatic and I need to ignore them and not let them touch me, look. You know the look. Yes. If you are around bookless humans, and tell them you are an author. You will get that look. And if you keep trying to broach the issue. They will say something like: Wow. I knew a guy who wrote a book once. And then the conversation sort of goes…nowhere! And I mean, like I don’t want to know what this asshole has got in his head, so I’m going back to my office, nowhere!
And other weird things have started happening to me. I used to go into my office like two hours early, and sit at my desk and write. I have a laptop, and I have a notepad. And when the time for work starts, I stop and get at it. But now there are rumors that I am up to something. That I am working on my book all during the day. Now I don’t know about most writers, but I need to be in a fairly quiet environment to write. For fiction, at least. I can do reports and other things. Even research an issue, or do some nonfiction paper with people gabbing around me. But for fiction, I cannot be around people. I know this because I have tried it. Apparently, when I get quiet, people get nervous. Like maybe I will turn into a dragon or something. If I am sitting somewhere and thinking, people stop to ask me if I’m okay. I am not making this up. “No. I’m fine,” I’ll say.
“You sure, bro? You just looked troubled there for a minute. What’s on you mine?”
And I’m like: “Trust me. You don’t want to know.” Then I go back to my office.
