K.C. Kendricks's Blog, page 10
November 19, 2023
Sumner's Garden is now on sale
November 19, 2023
Sumner's Garden is now available! This is a story I wanted to write for a long time, but as they say, timing is everything. I finally had the time to pull all the bits and pieces together and tell Andy's story.
Sumner's Garden gets its start in Shine A Light, where our main character, Van, stars in a theater production of a play called Sumner's Garden. I knew when I wrote Shine A Light that some day I'd write the story.
I hope readers enjoy it, but even if they don't, my satisfaction was in writing it.
KC
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Runaway. Drifter. Andy Pulaski made choices.
Fate can rule with a gentle hand, and one bright summer dayshe deposited Andy Pulaski in Sumnerville. Needing to work to earn enoughmoney to get to the next stop in his journey, Andy hires on with Tom Sumner tohelp the older man on his homestead. Andy may be a drifter, but he’s frequentedpublic libraries and educated himself. He looks at every stop he makes as an opportunity to learn. Things are looking up and Andy may staylonger than the agreed two weeks.
Rafe Sumner isn’t too happy about his Uncle Tom hiring a scruffydrifter. He’s been Tom’s helper all his life even if he doesn’t always seeeye-to-eye with his uncle. He doesn’t get along with his mother, either. Heknows his father’s last name wasn’t Sumner and he knows the truth is out theresomewhere. He just can’t find it.
Andy and Rafe develop a grudging respect for each otherwhile working for Tom. It could be that what they’re seeking is right in frontof them. All they have to do is look beyond what happens between them at night.
AN EXCERPT FROM SUMNER'S GARDEN
Rafe settled his lips over mine inan almost chaste kiss. It registered in my stunned brain how warm and soft theywere before I fully processed what he’d done. He pulled back and smiled at me.
“I can get the tractor in prettyfar. Ground’s solid right now. We can do this.”
I blinked at him, brain fogged.“We, um, can do what?”
The little smile morphed into ahuge grin. “I’m talking about reclaiming the pond. Do you have some otheractivity in mind?”
I snapped out of the surprisedhaze I’d spiraled into. “Nope.” I held up my index finger and pointed itstraight at his nose. “Don’t ever do that again, Rafe. I’m not some amusementyou can play with for the summer.”
He grabbed my hand and held on,squeezing my finger tightly enough I couldn’t pull away. “I know you’re not sotake a chill pill.” He released my hand and walked past me. “C’mon. Let’s gosee what Tom thinks of your idea.”
Scurrying to catch up, I fell intostep with him. “Maybe we should wait until we get his garden situated. That’shis priority right now. Let’s slow down and think this through. Make a plan.”
Rafe stopped and met my gaze. Yeah,that man wanted to make a plan, but not the one I was talking about. His smokygaze traveled from my eyes to my knees and back up to my eyes. He didn’t needto speak for me to know exactly what he was thinking. Then he switched off thatman-on-the-prowl look and grinned at me.
“Okay. You’re on to somethingthere. He might get pissed if he thinks we’re going to slack off the importantstuff.” He checked his watch. “If we hustle, we can get the other three raisedbeds put together before supper. After supper, we can brainstorm.” He leaned inclose. “And maybe you’ll let me kiss you for real tonight.”
Privately, I might – might – givehim points for being a persistent fellow, but I’d never confess that to anyone.I took a long step back to put some distance between us. “No. I’m not available,Rafe. I’m asking you to respect that.”
“Tom’s watching us. Let’s go seewhat he needs.”
Oh, great. Had he seen Rafe kissme? I didn’t want to discuss it. If cornered, it might slip out that I wasn’toffended in the least and, truthfully, wouldn’t mind if it happened again.
What the hell was wrong with me? Iwas in a safe place here. I’d work hard, sure, but this was also a place for meto rest for the next little while. I didn’t want to screw it up with sex. Nordid I want Rafe to discover I found him…interesting.
Tom called out to us as he turnedto walk away. “Come up on breezeway, boys.”
“Where else were we going to go,old man?”
Jeez. Rafe’s mouth was going toget him in hot water. The next thing Tom did might be worse than the coffeecaper.
“You boys are fixing supper whileI rest a spell.” Tom paused. “Before you do, you two bring the old chair outhere for me.”
Rafe nodded, and I followed himinside to the living room. The room was comfortable, and decorated in warmtones of red, brown, and cream. A fieldstone fireplace dominated the room, butI thought it was great. Most of the furniture was in good shape but stashed inthe corner was a very old, very tattered navy blue recliner on wheels. Rafepointed at it.
“He puts that on the breezewayevery summer. I don’t know how old it is, but he won’t part with it. Says it’sfine for outside.”
I stepped behind it and started topush it while Rafe guided it around the other furniture. Tom snickered at uswhen we had to turn it onto its side to maneuver it through the door.
“Boys, I got that inside all by mylonesome last fall.”
We flipped it back up onto itswheels. Rafe dusted off his hands. “Sure, you did, old man. What are we cookingtonight?”
Tom dropped onto his chair with asatisfied sigh. “Cook’s choice, boys. Rafe, you go find something in thefreezer whilst I have a word with Andy. Go on, with you.” He waved Rafe away.
I was surprised Rafe turned andwalked meekly away, and not very happy he’d left me to face Tom alone. I fearedTom was going to tell me there was to be no hanky-panky with Rafe.
That thought should not havebothered me and it bothered me that it did.
Tom motioned at one of the deckchairs, so I sat and waited for him to speak. It didn’t take him long.
“Andy, I’ll get straight to it. Isaw my nephew kiss you and I saw you backed away from him. Now, you’re both allgrown up and what the two of you may or may not get up to at night in the barnis your business. Makes no difference to me if you do or don’t. What I want toknow is do I need to tell Rafe to let you alone?”
The sincerity in Tom’s voicetouched me deeply. We were virtual strangers and yet he cared enough to offerto advocate for me. It was a gift I didn’t feel worthy of receiving. I shook myhead.
“No, sir. I’ve handled men worse than Rafe.”
Available at
Amazon US https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CN3JK29LAmazon UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CN3JK29LAmazon CA https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0CN3JK29LAmazon AU https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0CN3JK29L
Barnes & Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sumners-garden-kc-kendricks/1144352876
iTunes/Apple https://books.apple.com/us/book/sumners-garden/id6471901783
Rakuten Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/sumner-s-garden
Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1478675
Universal link to additional booksellers https://books2read.com/u/4E8y6Y
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KC KendricksMy home on the web- Between the Keys: http://kckendricks.blogspot.com Visit my bookshelf at: https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.htmlSocial media links:Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com My country life at The Hideaway/Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: KC Kendricks Between the Keys
twitter.com/kckendricks facebook.com/kckendricks
KC Kendricks, Sumner's Garden, m/m gay romance, Shine A Light, glbt romance, contemporary gay romance, gay romance novels for Kindle
November 11, 2023
Sumner's Garden - in the process of going live!
November 11, 2023This morning I got my act together and finished uploading Sumner's Garden to the online vendors I use. I got Amazon taken care of yesterday, and to my surprise, a few copies have already moved with no promotion. I listed it at Barnes and Noble last night, but dang it. I spent most of yesterday outside in the rain burning brush. (Yes, I do that a lot. It's necessary when you live with over two hundred trees.)
Now we wait a bit for Sumner's Garden to go live at all the other places: iTunes, Kobo, Scribd (which will soon have a new name), Smashwords, Tolino, Vivlio, and Gardners. I'll get an email notice when it goes up with the link.
Writing Sumner's Gardner truly was for me. I'd wanted to write it for so many years I think I looked at it like it was just a dream. Now, thanks to retiring from the workplace in 2022, it's a reality.
I'll get additional links posted as they become available. Here's the cover blurb for Sumner's Garden.
Runaway. Drifter. Andy Pulaski made choices.
Fate can rule with a gentle hand, and one bright summer day she deposited Andy Pulaski in Sumnerville. Needing to work to earn enough money to get to the next stop in his journey, Andy hires on with Tom Sumner to help the older man on his homestead. Andy may be a drifter, but he’s frequented public libraries and educated himself. He looks at every stop he makes as an opportunity to learn. Things are looking up and Andy may stay longer than the agreed two weeks.
Rafe Sumner isn’t too happy about his Uncle Tom hiring a scruffy drifter. He’s been Tom’s helper all his life even if he doesn’t always see eye-to-eye with his uncle. He doesn’t get along with his mother, either. He knows his father’s last name wasn’t Sumner and he knows the truth is out there somewhere. He just can’t find it.
Andy and Rafe develop a grudging respect for each other while working for Tom. It could be that what they’re seeking is right in front of them. All they have to do is look beyond what happens between them at night.
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KC KendricksMy home on the web- Between the Keys:
http://kckendricks.blogspot.com
Visit my bookshelf at:
https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.html
Social media links: twitter.com/kckendricks pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards instagram.com/kc_kendricks facebook.com/kckendricks Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: KC Kendricks Between the KeysLife through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com My country life at The Hideaway/Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com
KC Kendricks, contemporary gay romance, kindle romance, M/M gay romance, Sumner's Garden, Shine A Light, mature readers, sexual situations in fiction
November 6, 2023
In the middle of the night - Sumner's Garden blurb
November 6, 2023
Generally speaking, I don't like it when I wake up in the middle of the night. I'm not one of those who can easily go back to sleep. Hindering that is Deuce, who knows if Mommy is awake he can get a pee-pee break. After getting up and letting him go out, I'm more likely to reach for my Kindle and read when I crawl under the covers again.
Last night was an exception. I woke around three-ish and had an epiphany. I don't know if I dreamed it or if my subconscious had been working on it these past weeks. Perhaps I had to let my brain settle down after working the last six weeks. I don't know and I don't much care. I woke and the cover blurb for Sumner's Garden was there.
Did I jump out of bed and run to the computer? Nope. Consequently, it was mid-afternoon before I remembered I had to sit down and commit it to paper. Author's brains work in mysterious ways.
I'm hopeful that now I can do the last read-through and finally get Sumner's Garden published. The cover blurb, and work, had me stalled. This story has been a long time coming, and I can't wait to get it on my Kindles for late-night reading.
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About Sumner's Garden:
Runaway. Drifter. Andy Pulaski made choices.
Fate can rule with a gentle hand, and one bright summer day she deposited Andy Pulaski in Sumnerville. Needing to work to earn enough money to get to the next stop in his journey, Andy hires on with Tom Sumner to help the older man on his homestead. Andy may be a drifter, but he’s frequented public libraries and educated himself. He looks at every stop he makes as an opportunity to learn. Things are looking up and Andy may stay longer than the agreed two weeks.
Rafe Sumner isn’t too happy about his Uncle Tom hiring a scruffy drifter. He’s been Tom’s helper all his life even if he doesn’t always see eye-to-eye with his uncle. He doesn’t get along with his mother, either. He knows his father’s last name wasn’t Sumner and he knows the truth is out there somewhere. He just can’t find it.
Andy and Rafe develop a grudging respect for each other while working for Tom. It could be that what they’re seeking is right in front of them. All they have to do is look beyond what happens between them at night.
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KC KendricksMy home on the web- Between the Keys: http://kckendricks.blogspot.com Visit my bookshelf at: https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.htmlSocial media links:Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com My country life at The Hideaway/Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: KC Kendricks Between the Keys twitter.com/kckendricks facebook.com/kckendricks
KC Kendricks, Between the Keys, Sumner's Garden, Shine A Light, contemporary gay romance, m/m romance, GLBT romance, Kindle romance, second chances, self-discovery, gay love
November 3, 2023
Sometimes we really can't go back
November 3, 2023Yesterday was it. Done. Finished. Completed. At least I hope so.
Yesterday, I finished a six-week stint filling in for the young woman who was hired to do the job I retired from. She was out on maternity leave, so when they asked me to cover for her, I said yes. The word I was really looking for was NO.
Doing the actual work was a piece of cake. I did it for twenty-two years, occasionally in my sleep. I stipulated I would work from home and only go to the office to pick up paperwork and run copies, etc. They set me up with remote access and away we went.
Personally, I think remote access sucks. The first day, I went to the office and slipped a 256GB USB into the computer, and copied the files I needed. Yesterday, I transferred those folders back with my additions and updates. The idea that someone could watch me work, and with their new software it was possible, was unnerving and I was not going to allow it.
As you may suspect, I gave an inch and they took a mile. I agreed to specific things and they pushed for me to do a lot more. One day, while I was in the office exchanging paperwork, I looked the CEO in the eye and said, "And that is one of the reasons I retired when I did. No. Not doing it." Talk about a shocked look - it was great! It felt good to get that out.
I like being retired. I worked for fifty years, starting with a part-time job while I was in high school. I've paid every cent of the taxes the law said I was required to pay. I've always included every penny earned from royalties, too. Now I'm getting some of that back, as promised, from our government. I don't try to scam my way into more, either.
I'm on the fence as to whether or not I should advise them that the next time our young lady needs to be off on leave, they'll need to look elsewhere. I will not be available. They did not change, but I did.
My priorities truly are hearth and home. I set them aside and I regret that I did. Oh, they paid me well enough, but money doesn't rule my life. I have enough to see me through, at least until our current government regime of stupidity plunges us into even more civil unrest.
Life should be about taking care of those things that matter to us. I worked long years to make money so I could have my home, debt-free. Today, I begin to enjoy it again. I've done my part.
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KC KendricksMy home on the web- Between the Keys:
http://kckendricks.blogspot.com
Visit my bookshelf at:
https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.html
Social media links: twitter.com/kckendricks pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards instagram.com/kc_kendricks facebook.com/kckendricks Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: KC Kendricks Between the KeysLife through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com My country life at The Hideaway/Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com
KC Kendricks, Between the Keys, contemporary gay romance, m/m romance, LGBT romance, kindle books, best selling author, retirement, a writer's life, duty, shapeshifter, paranormal, ebooks
October 28, 2023
Conversations with myself
October 28, 2023Muse: "Are you sure?"
Me: "I'm sure of nothing."
Muse: "You're allowing someone else's vision of who you should be and what you should do to make decisions for you. Ask yourself 'why' and discover those answers."
Me: "Well, what's the fucking question, bitch? You always come at me with riddles."(Am I allowing someone else's opinion/vision to sway me?)
Muse: "No, I don't. Sometimes you're so wrapped up in your responsibilities to understand what I'm trying to tell you. I know caring for a handicapped partner, cooking, cleaning, laundry, grocery shopping, taking the trash to the landfill, mowing the grass, cutting firewood, and now this gig while your girl is on maternity leave, is exhausting. Should you make decisions when you're this far underwater?"
Me: "I don't want your sympathy. I am woman, hear me roar, remember!"(I feel like I'm just squeaking at the moment.)
Muse: "You know I'm making sense. Can you admit that much?"
Me: "Sure. You think I don't hear you, and I do. Hearing you doesn't change MY question."
Muse: "The answer hinges on whether or not you're allowing someone else to sway your feelings. Why did you write the first story? Do you remember how ambivalent you were about publishing it? You weren't sure you wanted the aggravation, but you allowed someone to convince you, and here we are."
Me: "It was foolish of me to allow my mother to influence me. I knew it was for her so that she could tell all her friends HER daughter was published. She sucked the joy out of it."
Muse: "Yes. And now it's all up to you. Let me ask you this - why do you feel like your only validation comes from the number of copies you move?"
Me: "Maybe because I used to sell more when Amber Quill was in the picture. I'm not really sure. It would be nice for the royalties to buy me another vehicle, wouldn't it? Just don't tell me I need to write every day because that was never true for me."
Muse: "I've never said that to you! I gave you a new idea just last night. Do you want to move on that?"
Me: "I don't know. I have an awful lot to do. There is still a huge pile of firewood logs to get cut and split out there. I'm not feeling up to the task of starting a new project."
Muse: "You are. Just a few steps every day. Create the character bios and go from there. Three hundred words at a time is very doable."
Me: "That will take forever!"
Muse: "Who cares? Does it matter how long it takes? Write it for us. You and me. When you finish it, we can decide if anyone else gets to read it."
Me: "And if no one does?"
Muse: "Fuck 'em."
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KC KendricksMy home on the web- Between the Keys:
http://kckendricks.blogspot.com
Visit my bookshelf at:
https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.html
Social media links: twitter.com/kckendricks facebook.com/kckendricks Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: KC Kendricks Between the KeysLife through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com My country life at The Hideaway/Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com
KC Kendricks, contemporary gay romance, Rayne Forrest, romance fiction, writing, blogging, X Twitter, m/m romance, LGBT gay romance, author
October 22, 2023
Arriving at the dreaded crossroads
October 22, 2023
I've dreaded the coming of this day. I typed THE END in the Sumner's Garden manuscript. It's usually good to get one drafted, but this one is different. This may really be the end.
For years I had this rosy vision of my retirement years. I'd get to finally be The Lady of the Manor and a full-time writer. The Lady of the Manor I certainly am, but the writer part of me is despondent. Writing isn't what it used to be. It's changed, at least for me.
When I began my writing journey, e-publishing was in its infancy. I was happy to get in and be a part of that. And I was there when it was washed away by Amazon's quest to be the only game in town. Kindle Unlimited diminishes the author's worth so I don't subscribe to it. My work is worth more than pennies and I would rather end it than give it away.
Sour grapes, you say? No. I know my own worth. I know exploitation when I see it.
I've known this day was coming. I've thought about both sides of this personal decision and I'm no closer to knowing what's best for me than I was a year ago when I decided I had to write Sumner's Garden for ME.
Autumn is a time of change. I've been in my sunroom office all morning watching the leaves fall and drift on the wind. The lawn is carpeted in a coat of many colors. The camera doesn't do it justice but the naked eye drinks it in and adds it to memory.
It may happen that Sumner's Garden ends up on my Kindle and nowhere else. If that becomes my choice, I can live with it.
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KC KendricksMy home on the web- Between the Keys:
http://kckendricks.blogspot.com
Visit my bookshelf at:
https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.html
Social media links: twitter.com/kckendricks pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards instagram.com/kc_kendricks facebook.com/kckendricks Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: KC Kendricks Between the KeysLife through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com My country life at The Hideaway/Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com
KC Kendricks, life decisions, publishing industry, crossroads, a writer's life, m/m romance books for Kindle, exploitation of writers, long and winding road
October 13, 2023
Shared journeys
October 13, 2023Wisdom and sage words are often found in unexpected places. I don't generally think of X (formerly known as Twitter) as a fount of knowledge. All the shiny American muscle cars in my feed are just for fun, as are the funny memes. Along the way I've identified a few folks as being kindred spirits, and likely there for many of the same reasons as me. We're there for the interactions, not the evening news quotes, although I have found a few worthy quotes. I found one just the other day.
"We're all walking each other home."
I saw this on Ron Perry's feed and I hope he won't mind me using it for blog fodder. It struck a deep chord with me. The nuances in that statement are endless.
Much has been written about the joy being in the journey. We're told we all share the path. Much has been said about the brotherhood of man. We're all in this together! But somehow, the idea that we're all walking each other home is more profound.
Home is, or should be, our sanctuary, our safe place. Home is where we are at our most vulnerable in sleep. Home is where we nurture our spouse and our children. And at the end of our days, Home is where we will go.
Yes, it was the picture of those around me walking me to a home in heaven that made me stop and consider our walk. How am I treating those people who are walking me home? Am I a burden to them? They aren't a burden to me as I share their walk.
We're all walking each other home. We should do it with kindness, understanding, and forgiveness. If we can do that, the walk will be easier to bear.
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KC KendricksMy home on the web- Between the Keys:
http://kckendricks.blogspot.com
Visit my bookshelf at:
https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.html
Social media links: twitter.com/kckendricks pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards instagram.com/kc_kendricks facebook.com/kckendricks Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: KC Kendricks Between the KeysLife through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com My country life at The Hideaway/Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com
KC Kendricks, contemporary gay romance, m/m romance, Kindle romance, X, Twitter, quotes, journeys, a writer's life, kindness, together
October 8, 2023
Having a writing partner
October 8, 2023
I confess. I like the formerly known as Twitter social media. My feed is full of shiny muscle cars these days, and if you read my books, you know my guys always drive a certain type of car be it a cool muscle car or a muscle car wannabe. My feed is also full of people asking fun questions like what would you do if you found a bag of money? (That's a tough one.) But sometimes, a good question about writing pops up. Recently, one of those writing questions was about having a writing partner.
I'm not sure having a writing partner is something everyone should do. Writing is personal. Pulling words out of the air and bending them to your will to form a cohesive story isn't as easy as it seems. And doing it with someone? Well, it better be a special someone.
When I first published at the now-defunct Amber Quill Press, I was welcomed by the late Chris Grover, and we developed an enduring friendship. After a few YEARS, Chris proposed a joint venture and I said, "Let's talk." So we talked. And we set a few boundaries, the most important of which was our own work came first. If one of us was in edits, any joint project had to wait. The other big one was not to tell our joint publisher we'd have a project finished at a certain date. (She bent this one once.)
All-in-all it was a good experience for me. Chris and I had both been writing for years and had a good body of work. Our styles were very similar as was our work ethic. There were occasions when we asked which of us wrote a particular passage which was cause for some laughter.
The biggest drawback in our partnership usually occurred in the middle of a co-written story when our vision of where we were going diverged. We would discuss scenarios and reach a compromise. It wasn't always easy, but we stuck with it until we were both satisfied.
I think our partnership worked because we had taken the time to get to know each other first. Chris was twenty years older than me, and I'm sure she didn't want to waste time on an immature twit. I didn't want to waste my time on someone who wasn't as equally serious about the craft as I was. We were of an age to have lived through a lot of the same experiences in the same decades of change. Shared experiences do matter - a lot.
Teaming with another writer isn't for everyone. As much as I liked Chris, and as much as I still miss her, it wasn't all roses. But we were both mature enough to keep talking, to keep tossing out ideas, and we were both mature enough to recognize that divergent points of view about and within the story weren't a personal attack. If you can't separate a disagreement about a plot point from your emotions, you should not be a writing partner.
Try it, or not. It can be a wonderful experience or a journey through hell. It's up to you to make that choice. Will it cement a friendship, or end it? Your list of pros and cons will be different from mine. Chris's list was different from mine, but it hit enough of the same points that I knew we could work together.
Taking on a partner is a big step. It was a positive experience for me, and I hope it was for Chris. I wish I could ask her, but she passed in 2019. I don't think I would partner again. It might be good for me, but it just wouldn't be the same.
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KC KendricksMy home on the web- Between the Keys:
http://kckendricks.blogspot.com
Visit my bookshelf at:
https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.html
Social media links: twitter.com/kckendricks pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards instagram.com/kc_kendricks facebook.com/kckendricks Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: KC Kendricks Between the KeysLife through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com My country life at The Hideaway/Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com
KC Kendricks, writing partners, collaborative works, gay romance fiction, Kindle romance, LGBT gay romance, M/M romance, writers on writing, writing pros and cons
October 1, 2023
When you do something and then regret it
October 1, 2023This past week, I had the [dubious] joy of going back to work. Hell, yes, it's temporary! I'm not that crazy, you know. My protégé, the lovely Allyson, gave birth to her daughter last week and I'm filling in while she's on maternity leave.
Five more weeks, Allyson, and it's all yours.
I was pleased many months ago when they asked if I'd cover for her. The idea of spending a day a week in town didn't make me too happy, but I got an instant workaround - remote access. That was a huge surprise. It works sort of okay, but I get screen freezes which isn't good when one is now being paid by the hour.
And speaking of hours, I logged about twenty-five (25) of them last week. I'm not doing everything, just the job essentials. I felt a bit rusty, but it's coming back to me. I hope to spend a few less hours a week on the "work project."
I worked from home a lot during the 2020 Covid pandemic shutdown. I was fortunate that no one was there when I went to the office, so I could go check the mail and come home. Now there are people there. Retirement has made me even more anti-social. The remote access wasn't set up then so I kept everything updated on the computers via a flash drive.
The bottom line is I have a few regrets about agreeing to fill in. Life is better without deadlines. Life is better when the people you socialize with are the people you like best in the world. Life is better when I'm not waiting on the CEO to get her work done on time so I can process it. She NEVER gets anything done on time. I wonder if it's some sort of mind game. Five more weeks.
I've grown accustomed to a loose schedule. The spousal unit and I now have "coffee time" every morning. One cup, or two, depending on the weather. I don't like having to cut short my time with him to go do work that is not writing-based. And therein lies the biggest regret. The time I have to be about the business of writing is greatly reduced.
Will I live through it? Of course, I will. I'll do the best job I can so I can hold my head up and continue to behave like the mature adult I am. But at the end of week six, if she's not ready to come back to work, my price is going up.
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KC KendricksMy home on the web- Between the Keys:
http://kckendricks.blogspot.com
Visit my bookshelf at:
https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.html
Social media links: twitter.com/kckendricks facebook.com/kckendricks Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: KC Kendricks Between the KeysLife through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com My country life at The Hideaway/Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com
KC Kendricks, working remotely, work regrets, writers on writing, a writer's life, contemporary gay romance fiction, M/M romance, LGBT gay literature, retirement interrupted
September 26, 2023
That's what they told me
September 26, 2023The work on the manuscript for Sumner's Garden has picked up. This past weekend we were treated to two days of rain from a tropical depression. It gave me a break from transitioning my outside chores from the gardening season to the firewood season, and I took full advantage of it to write.
Writers talk about being a "plotter" or a "pantser," and I'm a bit of both. I get an idea for a book and look for names for my characters so I can create short character bios. Then I fill in a few blanks about where the story takes place, and you know it's a smaller town somewhere. It could be Marionville or Centerville or maybe the start of a new place if that is what speaks to me. After that, I plot out a rough storyline.
And it is rough. How are they going to meet? By chance? By introduction? Did they know each other from school or college? In the workplace? My original idea is subject to change.
Sometimes I have the first chapter all worked out in my mind before I start typing, and that's when the trouble starts. Sometimes the characters tell me I've got it all wrong. (I really hate it when they do that.) More often, I've passed the halfway point when the characters begin to behave like stubborn mules. They plant their imaginary feet and tell me, "It ain't gonna happen like THAT."
"It ain't gonna happen like THAT" is exactly what one of the characters told me in Sumner's Garden. So I did what I do in those instances. I fixed a cup of tea and started to read the story from the beginning to see if I needed to add bits and pieces to fit what I'd just learned. It turned out that the character was one hundred percent correct. I didn't need to add anything for it to flow perfectly.
Am I a plotter or a pantser? Yep. A bit of both.
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KC KendricksMy home on the web- Between the Keys:
http://kckendricks.blogspot.com
Visit my bookshelf at:
https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne_3.html
Social media links: twitter.com/kckendricks pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards instagram.com/kc_kendricks facebook.com/kckendricks Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: KC Kendricks Between the KeysLife through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com My country life at The Hideaway/Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com
KC Kendricks, Between the Keys, contemporary gay romance, M/M romance, LGBTQ romance books, Kindle romance ebooks, Sumner's Garden, gay literature, erotic romance ebooks
