K.C. Kendricks's Blog, page 113
April 23, 2011
Tiwanaku and the Tough Target Story
April 23, 2011
A to Z Blogging Challenge
Day 20 - T
I'm fascinated by ancient lost cities and civilizations. Machu Picchu, Teotihuacan, Easter Island, Angkor Wat, and Tiwanaku.
There's speculation about just how old Tiwanaku really is. There's speculation about just who actually built the city. The ruins of the city are near the shores of Lake Titicaca (think El Dorado's gold) and is generally recognized as important to the emergence of the Inca. And yet what we don't know is greater than what we do know.
I've long wanted to write a story that includes these marvelous ancient places, but I'm unsure of how to proceed. Oh sure, there's the archeologist, the adventurer, the hapless pilot, but I fear those characters have been around the block a few too many times.
The desire to write something that is likely unmarketable is something most authors will encounter sometime in their career. Our personal interests are not always shared by the masses, and it's never a good thing to expect our readers to fall into line and love our stories no matter what.
That's not to say we should allow ourselves to grow stale, writing the same thing over and over and over again. That also is a disservice to our readership. The reader/author relationship is deeply symbiotic, and we need to remain cognizant of that fact.
So perhaps, someday in a story, I will insert a moment like this one:
A lover comes home from a long day at work and flops on the sofa beside the object of his affection. He'll ask what's so interesting on the television. The reply, just before they kiss: A special about the ancient city of Tiwanaku.
Mission accomplished.
KC Kendricks
Visit my website at: http://www.kckendricks.com
Follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kckendricks
Join my mailing list at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/betweenthekeys
Read my personal blog: http://www.kckendricks.blogspot.com
Find me on facebook - KC with the little butterfly
Check out the MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/kckendricks
A to Z Blogging Challenge
Day 20 - T
I'm fascinated by ancient lost cities and civilizations. Machu Picchu, Teotihuacan, Easter Island, Angkor Wat, and Tiwanaku.
There's speculation about just how old Tiwanaku really is. There's speculation about just who actually built the city. The ruins of the city are near the shores of Lake Titicaca (think El Dorado's gold) and is generally recognized as important to the emergence of the Inca. And yet what we don't know is greater than what we do know.
I've long wanted to write a story that includes these marvelous ancient places, but I'm unsure of how to proceed. Oh sure, there's the archeologist, the adventurer, the hapless pilot, but I fear those characters have been around the block a few too many times.
The desire to write something that is likely unmarketable is something most authors will encounter sometime in their career. Our personal interests are not always shared by the masses, and it's never a good thing to expect our readers to fall into line and love our stories no matter what.
That's not to say we should allow ourselves to grow stale, writing the same thing over and over and over again. That also is a disservice to our readership. The reader/author relationship is deeply symbiotic, and we need to remain cognizant of that fact.
So perhaps, someday in a story, I will insert a moment like this one:
A lover comes home from a long day at work and flops on the sofa beside the object of his affection. He'll ask what's so interesting on the television. The reply, just before they kiss: A special about the ancient city of Tiwanaku.
Mission accomplished.
KC Kendricks
Visit my website at: http://www.kckendricks.com
Follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kckendricks
Join my mailing list at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/betweenthekeys
Read my personal blog: http://www.kckendricks.blogspot.com
Find me on facebook - KC with the little butterfly
Check out the MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/kckendricks
April 22, 2011
Shine A Light for the Earth
April 22, 2011
A to Z Blogging Challenge
Day 19 - S
For the Christian world, today is Good Friday. The faithful fast, recreate the walk of the cross, reflect on certain aspects of in their lives that need attention, and pray. It's a solemn day that prepares the Christian for the celebration of Easter.
Easter – the first Sunday after the first full moon after the spring equinox. That's why Easter falls on a different Sunday each year. Honest. It's a bit pagan, isn't it?
Today is also Earth Day 2011. Founded in 1970 on the premise that everyone, regardless of race, religion, location or income has a moral right to a healthy environment, Earth Day reminds us to take stock of how we live our lives, and what positive changes we may need to adopt.
There's something about Good Friday and Earth Day falling together that strikes me as very appropriate, although I don't think we need to give up our life(style) to make the world a better place. I think we need to pick one thing we can do better and consistently do it. From there, if you choose, you can build on your success and step up to the next thing. Lists of ideas abound on the Internet so I won't bore you with suggestions. Myself, I've taken steps that are both financially practical and environmentally friendly.
My home has an upgraded heat pump and compact fluorescent light bulbs throughout. Both my partner and myself us stainless steel reusable water bottles and coffee travel mugs that cost a small fortune, but are very good quality and will last forever. As a country girl, some of the things like composting are way old school stuff. It's all little things, and admittedly painless, but it's always a good thing when doing the right thing doesn't hurt.
Of course, I've got to give a plug to ebooks. Think of the trees you save by buying ebooks. After people, trees are the number one thing that can most benefit the environment.
So shine a light for the blue planet, metaphorically speaking. This is our home, the only one we have. We may or may not be all alone out here in the void. If we are indeed alone, we need to take care of us because we're worth it.
KC
April 21, 2011
Rewind, Relax, Renew
April 21, 2011
A to Z Blogging Challenge
Day 18 - R
When I signed up to do the A-Z Blogging Challenge, I'd just completed a very busy writing period. I'd lived through the holidays and completed a few manuscripts while doing so. One of the books had released, and the edits were finished on the other two. Two more stories are partially written at about 10K each. Not a bad six months.
Like every other super productive phase I've passed through, I felt the need to step back from writing. The Challenge seemed as though it would be just the ticket, and it has been. As I write this, some weeks before it will actually be posted at Between the Keys, I've been working on the daily articles for just a week, and I'm all the way to 'R'.
I confess I'm almost ready to get back to the writing. A week might not sound like long enough to relax, but down time from writing can't be measured in definable units like minutes. It's almost as if I can feel some wheel or dial inside me turn. Or maybe it's like the tumblers in a lock falling into place. I've got one last thing to do before I begin again – walk back to the pond.
When I was growing up, a walk to the pond was a family affair, and most of us came home with wet shoes and paws. You have to cross three different creeks to get there - and cross them again to get home. Being young and nimble, I usually managed to make the leaps. Dad never landed in the water, but being six- foot-two he had the advantage of longer legs than the rest of us.
The pond is a magical place for me, a place of renewal. You might look at the picture and shrug, but you can't smell the spicy tang of the woods, or hear the smallest twig snap as a deer comes in to drink. The picture doesn't let you see the flash of silver as one of the little sunnies swims into a too shallow spot and has to flap his way back to deeper water. The pond photographs best in autumn, when I generally go, but this year I want to see it poised on the edge spring, echoing what I feel inside.
Walks to the pond are almost solitary events these days. The dog goes with me, but the woods walkers in the family have been reduced to one – me. Mom can't do the distance now, which is worrisome in that it reminds me she's not so young anymore. My partner completed the walk once, by willpower alone, but while chemotherapy saved his life, it left him no longer strong enough to walk such a distance and we both know it. My grandparent's are gone, and my cousins married girls that practice mall walking. It's all part of a bigger wheel turning and it's okay.
Take time for yourself in all your endeavors. Discover what it is that gives you space to breathe and learn to use is as the life tool it is. Don't shortchange yourself by living with your nose unceasingly pressed to your personal grindstone. It will strip you away, layer-by-layer, and leave you wondering what the heck happened to the days of your life. Without downtime, it's easy to forget why you love doing what you do.
Rewind, relax, renew. You really are worth it.
April 20, 2011
Quetzal
April 20, 2011
A to Z Blogging Challenge
Day 17 - Q
Did I fool you on this one? Blogging for "Q" is not easy. Yeah, yeah, I know. I could have gone with queer or Queen (long may the music reign, Freddie), but that was too easy. I just shluffed off three days on promo for Netting Neptune, Open Roads, and Passion's Victory. I had to come up with something special for Q.
The quetzal is a bird that lives in Central America. I guess it needs the beautiful colored features to make up for a less than pretty face. I knew about this bird and its importance to Mayan and Aztec cultures (being a National Geographic devotee), but who knew I'd ever use it as blog fodder? Not me, that's for sure. But this is one of the more interesting aspects of writing – the pieces of information that become useful.
Curiousity about the obscure is something I hope I never lose. This little blue sphere we live on is full of magic and mystery. Imagine life one-hundred years ago, a time when virtually all of us would never know about the huge cave found in an Asian jungle, or Easter Island, or the Nazca Lines. I'll never be an expert on any of it, but I'm happily curious about it all.
The more serious writer would probably scoff at the time I waste clicking here and there about the Internet, wasting time on things like looking at pictures of a weird little bird. Heaven only knows what sort of infractions I've heaped on my own head by blogging about it, but I don't really care. I don't think it's time wasted.
I don't think it matters that I'll never write a story about a quetzal. Just knowing it's out there, that it's been out there in some stage of evolution for thousands of years, brings a sense of wonder into my life. And we could all use a little more of that.
KC Kendricks
Visit my website at: http://www.kckendricks.com
Follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kckendricks
Join my mailing list at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/betweenthekeys
Read my personal blog: http://www.kckendricks.blogspot.com
Find me on facebook - KC with the little butterfly
Check out the MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/kckendricks
A to Z Blogging Challenge
Day 17 - Q
Did I fool you on this one? Blogging for "Q" is not easy. Yeah, yeah, I know. I could have gone with queer or Queen (long may the music reign, Freddie), but that was too easy. I just shluffed off three days on promo for Netting Neptune, Open Roads, and Passion's Victory. I had to come up with something special for Q.
The quetzal is a bird that lives in Central America. I guess it needs the beautiful colored features to make up for a less than pretty face. I knew about this bird and its importance to Mayan and Aztec cultures (being a National Geographic devotee), but who knew I'd ever use it as blog fodder? Not me, that's for sure. But this is one of the more interesting aspects of writing – the pieces of information that become useful.
Curiousity about the obscure is something I hope I never lose. This little blue sphere we live on is full of magic and mystery. Imagine life one-hundred years ago, a time when virtually all of us would never know about the huge cave found in an Asian jungle, or Easter Island, or the Nazca Lines. I'll never be an expert on any of it, but I'm happily curious about it all.
The more serious writer would probably scoff at the time I waste clicking here and there about the Internet, wasting time on things like looking at pictures of a weird little bird. Heaven only knows what sort of infractions I've heaped on my own head by blogging about it, but I don't really care. I don't think it's time wasted.
I don't think it matters that I'll never write a story about a quetzal. Just knowing it's out there, that it's been out there in some stage of evolution for thousands of years, brings a sense of wonder into my life. And we could all use a little more of that.
KC Kendricks
Visit my website at: http://www.kckendricks.com
Follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kckendricks
Join my mailing list at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/betweenthekeys
Read my personal blog: http://www.kckendricks.blogspot.com
Find me on facebook - KC with the little butterfly
Check out the MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/kckendricks
April 19, 2011
Passion's Victory by KC Kendricks
April 19, 2011
A to Z Blogging Challenge
Day 16 - P
I don't know many authors who don't have at least one book that garnered some pretty awsome reviews. I don't put a lot of stock in reviews, but when one of the most acclaimed authors in the genre rates a story 5 out of 5, I take notice. When it's one of my books that received such a review, I say a very respectful 'thank you'.
We're through the promo patch, and entering the last third of the A to Z Blogging Challenge. So far, it's all good. - KC
PASSION'S VICTORY
2008 CAPA Nominee
http://amberquill.com/AmberAllure/PassionsVictory.html
When passion is the prize, it's time to change the rules….
Micah Souther is young, talented, and gay. As the junior owner of the family business, he knows better than to look for love "on the clock."
Jonas Chadwick is the new guy at the firm. Older, wiser, and a survivor of the school of hard knocks, he's not in the market for an office romance, even if he knows for certain his young boss is gay.
One kiss is all it takes to send Micah and Jonas on a collision course, and when bodies collide, the friction gets hot...
EXCERPT
...My pulse pounded loudly in my ears and my cock rose, anticipating something I knew wasn't a certainty. He'd come back, but for what? His warm lips found mine, seeking permission. I opened to him, inviting him to plunder at will. He did, thrusting his tongue into my mouth. I met him eagerly, hungrily. I wanted this, and more.
Jonas' strong fingers encircled my wrist and he lifted my arm above my head as his body pinned me, full length, against my front door. He pressed the hard ridge of his erection firmly to mine. I reached for him with my free hand, wanting to feel his length and girth, but he grabbed that wrist, too, and lifted it beside the other. I bucked against him, totally turned on by the aggression I sensed in him.
"Be still," he growled in my ear. He trailed kisses down my neck, even as his grip tightened. I struggled to break free of the vise grip he had on my wrists.
His pelvis ground against mine. I tilted my head and delved into the heat of his mouth. I moaned. He moaned. I wanted my hands free in the worst way. I needed to touch him, caress the sensitive, silky skin I knew sheathed his penis. I ached to feel his lips on my cock.
I threw my weight forward, desperate to force him to take a step back. It worked and I quickly spun him around and pinned him with my body. He grunted as he came in contact with the door and his lips bowed beneath mine. His strong fingers released my hands, and I reached for him, gathering him to me. His muscled thigh slipped between mine and applied upward pressure on my balls. Instead of worrying about injury I pressed down, reveling in the tingling sensation.
"Jonas," I murmured against his smiling lips. "Talk to…" His tongue flicked to mine, cutting off my request for a moment of conversation.
Any of my neighbors watching were getting quite a sideshow. I shoved my hand in my pocket, fumbling for my keys. They fell from my shaking fingers to the porch decking. Jonas pushed me back, breaking physical contact. I longed to see his eyes, to get some idea of what he thought, what he felt.
"Bend over and pick them up," he said cheerfully as he rubbed my nipple.
I stared at him and tried to catch my breath. "Not in front of you, Chadwick. I know all about men like you."
"Do you?" Something rough and dark in his voice gave me pause. What demon did he battle?
"I know enough." I pushed him back against the side of the house, not with some little force. "Why did you come back?"
"I don't know. Maybe to satisfy my curiosity."
"Bullshit." I fisted my hands in his shirt and gave him a shake. "We take this inside, make it private, or we're done here."
Jonas stared at me for the longest twenty seconds of my life, then he nodded. I released him and he bent over, snagged my keys, and dropped them into my outstretched palm. I unlocked the door and invited the devil into my home for the second time in one day.
"I need a drink. Do you want one, Jonas?" I needed to haul him into my bedroom and have my way with him, that's what I needed. My insides quivered. I shivered despite the warm evening.
But I knew, to my sorrow, that quickie sex now would be a mistake, and I bet he knew it, too.
"I'll take a brandy, if you have it."
"I hope you'll settle for bourbon."
I poured us each a generous shot and handed him one. He nodded and tossed it back like a pro. I followed suit, and we set out empties down on the counter in unison. Jonas reached for me again. I lifted my chin and stared him down. His hand dropped to his side.
I wanted him. God, how I wanted him. I ached with it. His gaze met mine before flicking down to the bulge in my pants and back up.
"Looks nice."
"It's a sock," I told him cheerily, in the same tone that he'd used to tell me to bend over.
"Hmm. Well, that's the risk we run, isn't it?"
I snorted. "Ya think?" I went to check his package, and he moved away.
"Shy?" I hardly thought shyness to be a problem for him given his examination of my tonsils with his tongue.
"Let's just say I'm cautious..."
PASSION'S VICTORY
2008 CAPA Nominee
http://amberquill.com/AmberAllure/PassionsVictory.html
ISBN-13: 978-1-60272-330-6
Also available:
SURRENDERED VICTORY
http://amberquill.com/AmberAllure/SurrenderedVictory.html2008 Amber Heat Wave Winner
ISBN 978-1-60272-283-5
SHINING VICTORY
One of the Top Ten Bestsellers at
Amber Allure November and December 2008
http://amberquill.com/AmberAllure/ShiningVictory.htmlISBN 978-1-60272-422-8
A TASTE OF VICTORY (PAPERBACK)
http://amberquill.com/AmberAllure/TasteVictory.html
KC Kendricks
Visit my website at: http://www.kckendricks.com
Follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kckendricks
Join my mailing list at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/betweenthekeys
Read my personal blog: http://www.kckendricks.blogspot.com
Find me on facebook - KC with the little butterfly
Check out the MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/kckendricks
A to Z Blogging Challenge
Day 16 - P
I don't know many authors who don't have at least one book that garnered some pretty awsome reviews. I don't put a lot of stock in reviews, but when one of the most acclaimed authors in the genre rates a story 5 out of 5, I take notice. When it's one of my books that received such a review, I say a very respectful 'thank you'.
We're through the promo patch, and entering the last third of the A to Z Blogging Challenge. So far, it's all good. - KC
PASSION'S VICTORY
2008 CAPA Nominee
http://amberquill.com/AmberAllure/PassionsVictory.html
When passion is the prize, it's time to change the rules….
Micah Souther is young, talented, and gay. As the junior owner of the family business, he knows better than to look for love "on the clock."
Jonas Chadwick is the new guy at the firm. Older, wiser, and a survivor of the school of hard knocks, he's not in the market for an office romance, even if he knows for certain his young boss is gay.
One kiss is all it takes to send Micah and Jonas on a collision course, and when bodies collide, the friction gets hot...
EXCERPT
...My pulse pounded loudly in my ears and my cock rose, anticipating something I knew wasn't a certainty. He'd come back, but for what? His warm lips found mine, seeking permission. I opened to him, inviting him to plunder at will. He did, thrusting his tongue into my mouth. I met him eagerly, hungrily. I wanted this, and more.
Jonas' strong fingers encircled my wrist and he lifted my arm above my head as his body pinned me, full length, against my front door. He pressed the hard ridge of his erection firmly to mine. I reached for him with my free hand, wanting to feel his length and girth, but he grabbed that wrist, too, and lifted it beside the other. I bucked against him, totally turned on by the aggression I sensed in him.
"Be still," he growled in my ear. He trailed kisses down my neck, even as his grip tightened. I struggled to break free of the vise grip he had on my wrists.
His pelvis ground against mine. I tilted my head and delved into the heat of his mouth. I moaned. He moaned. I wanted my hands free in the worst way. I needed to touch him, caress the sensitive, silky skin I knew sheathed his penis. I ached to feel his lips on my cock.
I threw my weight forward, desperate to force him to take a step back. It worked and I quickly spun him around and pinned him with my body. He grunted as he came in contact with the door and his lips bowed beneath mine. His strong fingers released my hands, and I reached for him, gathering him to me. His muscled thigh slipped between mine and applied upward pressure on my balls. Instead of worrying about injury I pressed down, reveling in the tingling sensation.
"Jonas," I murmured against his smiling lips. "Talk to…" His tongue flicked to mine, cutting off my request for a moment of conversation.
Any of my neighbors watching were getting quite a sideshow. I shoved my hand in my pocket, fumbling for my keys. They fell from my shaking fingers to the porch decking. Jonas pushed me back, breaking physical contact. I longed to see his eyes, to get some idea of what he thought, what he felt.
"Bend over and pick them up," he said cheerfully as he rubbed my nipple.
I stared at him and tried to catch my breath. "Not in front of you, Chadwick. I know all about men like you."
"Do you?" Something rough and dark in his voice gave me pause. What demon did he battle?
"I know enough." I pushed him back against the side of the house, not with some little force. "Why did you come back?"
"I don't know. Maybe to satisfy my curiosity."
"Bullshit." I fisted my hands in his shirt and gave him a shake. "We take this inside, make it private, or we're done here."
Jonas stared at me for the longest twenty seconds of my life, then he nodded. I released him and he bent over, snagged my keys, and dropped them into my outstretched palm. I unlocked the door and invited the devil into my home for the second time in one day.
"I need a drink. Do you want one, Jonas?" I needed to haul him into my bedroom and have my way with him, that's what I needed. My insides quivered. I shivered despite the warm evening.
But I knew, to my sorrow, that quickie sex now would be a mistake, and I bet he knew it, too.
"I'll take a brandy, if you have it."
"I hope you'll settle for bourbon."
I poured us each a generous shot and handed him one. He nodded and tossed it back like a pro. I followed suit, and we set out empties down on the counter in unison. Jonas reached for me again. I lifted my chin and stared him down. His hand dropped to his side.
I wanted him. God, how I wanted him. I ached with it. His gaze met mine before flicking down to the bulge in my pants and back up.
"Looks nice."
"It's a sock," I told him cheerily, in the same tone that he'd used to tell me to bend over.
"Hmm. Well, that's the risk we run, isn't it?"
I snorted. "Ya think?" I went to check his package, and he moved away.
"Shy?" I hardly thought shyness to be a problem for him given his examination of my tonsils with his tongue.
"Let's just say I'm cautious..."
PASSION'S VICTORY
2008 CAPA Nominee
http://amberquill.com/AmberAllure/PassionsVictory.html
ISBN-13: 978-1-60272-330-6
Also available:
SURRENDERED VICTORY
http://amberquill.com/AmberAllure/SurrenderedVictory.html2008 Amber Heat Wave Winner
ISBN 978-1-60272-283-5
SHINING VICTORY
One of the Top Ten Bestsellers at
Amber Allure November and December 2008
http://amberquill.com/AmberAllure/ShiningVictory.htmlISBN 978-1-60272-422-8
A TASTE OF VICTORY (PAPERBACK)
http://amberquill.com/AmberAllure/TasteVictory.html
KC Kendricks
Visit my website at: http://www.kckendricks.com
Follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kckendricks
Join my mailing list at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/betweenthekeys
Read my personal blog: http://www.kckendricks.blogspot.com
Find me on facebook - KC with the little butterfly
Check out the MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/kckendricks
April 18, 2011
4 Divas for The Back Stairs
Dark Divas Reviews has given The Back Stairs a 4-Diva review. My thanks to Lasha for her glowing words. I blushed when I read them. (Was she saying that about MY story???)
It's my first Dark Diva review, and I couldn't be happier. The reviewer used words like "original and intriguing," "unique," and "sizzle." Now there are words to make an author's heart go pitter-patter! AND THEN she said she may read Beneath Dark Stars!
Yes, I'll be over the rush by morning, sad but true. Real life will intrude like it always does, but tonight - I gloat!
Here's the scoop, but be a doll and go give the review site a click for their counter. It's good politics.
I loved the world-building in The Back Stairs as it brought a depth and texture to the plot. Although the novella is set in the present, it had an other-worldly feel and the backstory of Sundown was original and intriguing. Bring in Fallon and Sundown's unique love story and this book really begins to sizzle.
And since I enjoyed this first novel so much, I am looking forward to reading (and reviewing) the second book in this series, Beneath Dark Stars. Sundown and Fallon are quickly becoming my favorite human-shapeshifter pairing.
Rated 4 Delightful Divas by Lasha!
KC Kendricks
Visit my website at: http://www.kckendricks.com
Follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kckendricks
Join my mailing list at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/betweenthekeys
Read my personal blog: http://www.kckendricks.blogspot.com
Find me on facebook - KC with the little butterfly
Check out the MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/kckendricks
Open Roads by KC Kendricks
April 18, 2011
A to Z Blogging Challenge
Day 15 - O
Open Roads is one of those special
stories. Every author has a few.
The ones that just flow onto the
page without any apparent effort,
writing itself. Open Roads is
the kind of story a writer looks
back at and says,
"Wow. I wrote that...."
Open Roads
contemporary gay romance
now available at
http://amberquill.com/AmberAllure/OpenRoads.html
BLURB:
Tyler Phillips enjoys his small town life. He'll never get rich working the family business, but he knows there's more to a man than the size of his bank account. Easing into mid-life, Tyler's restless for something he can't find in the little borough of Easton – male companionship.
Noel Springs got caught up in the economic downturn. His job gone, and retirement a lot of years in the future, Noel decides to take a long drive and see some of the country before dedicating himself to finding new employment. The open road is just what he needs right now.
When his car overheats outside the little town of Easton, Noel discovers the local mechanic is hotter than his radiator, and just as eager to blow off some steam.
INTRO: (from Tyler's point of view)
"Nice car. How far back did the trouble start?"
He leaned inside and pulled the release lever. Little lines crinkled at the corners of his eyes as he smiled. "About forty-one years."
I grinned at him, already liking his sense of humor as I lifted the hood. A wave of steam engulfed us. I hastily closed my eyes and stepped back to keep the antifreeze-laden vapor from leaving a film on my contact lenses. "Come inside. We'll let that cool down so I can take a look at her."
"You're going to tell me it's the radiator, aren't you?" His clear tenor held just a trace of the west as he followed me into what passed as a reception area and office combined. I opened the soft drink case.
"What would you like, on the house? And don't panic yet." Based on the way the steam smelled, I suspected his radiator would be fine, but what was inside it was not.
"Too late. I panicked about five miles ago when the temperature gauge shot up.
You can't imagine how relieved I was to see your sign. I'll take coffee, if you have it."
I popped the cap and handed him a cola. "Sorry. It's a little late in the day for any to be left in the pot." I grinned at him. "And I hear that a lot about my strategically placed sign out there on the Interstate."
His grey gaze held my hazel one captive as I held out my hand to him. "Tyler Phillips, owner-operator."
Strong fingers closed around mine, holding my hand a moment too long for politeness. "Noel Springs, stranded motorist."
EXCERPT:
Our bodies brushed, hip against hip, as I leaned past him. I heard the sharp intake of breath as he jumped, and felt his heat when he seized the moment and pressed the long length of his muscled thigh to mine. My mouth went dry, but I didn't need to speak.
Hidden from public view by our bodies and the car, Noel's hand stroked across my ribs and came to a stop as his strong fingers gripped my waist. I had my hands full, carefully securing the pie for the ride home. His pelvis bumped my ass, a quick thrust that almost knocked my head against the doorframe. My cock hardened in a rush, straining within its denim prison.
"That's what you get for bending over in front of me, you little tease."
I wiggled my butt, and he smacked it, hard. I straightened and turned around, grinning at him.
I looked down. He looked down. Noel returned my grin. His grey eyes gleamed in the sunlight as his pink tongue licked his full, rosy lips.
"Seven-and-a-half, cut."
"Eight. Cut"
Noel narrowed his eyes. "Top or bottom?"
I grasped his hips, not caring if the whole town buzzed it up on the gossip chain by sundown. "You're too eager."
He glanced down at my bulging zipper a second time. "That's the pot calling the kettle black."
"You know, Noel, I don't want to get all stupid with you. I don't want you to think I'm taking advantage of your misfortune on the highway."
"I know, Tyler. And I don't want you to think I ever planned to abuse your hospitality. This is just one night. Maybe a little friendly companionship, provided…"
He moved to kiss me, and I jerked away. He looked surprised.
"Sorry, Noel." Kissing on Main Street might be a bit too much for the neighbors whose good will supported my standard of living. "I keep my private life low profile."
"Of course. I'm out, and I guess I thought you were, too."
"Hey, it's okay. I'm in sort of a limbo. I don't care if people know, but this is a small town. I don't flaunt it in public, but in truth, around here, neither do straight lovers."
"Got it. When in Rome." He backed away, his expression unreadable as he climbed into the car.
Maybe I'd tripped some trigger of his, or not, but I'd figure it out when we got to my place. Insides quivering with anticipation, I headed out of town.
Noel remained silent for the remainder of the drive to my home, at least until
I turned onto the long gravel lane that led to the two-story frame farmhouse. He shifted in his seat and fixed that clear grey gaze on me in an incredulous stare.
"Excuse me for asking, but what the hell is a good looking stud like you doing out here in bum-fuck middle America, working as a grease monkey, and living on a farm, for God's sake!"
The answer that filled my being came out of the still darkness of countless solitary nights.
Waiting for you.
OPEN ROADS
ISBN 978-1-60272-731-1
http://amberquill.com/AmberAllure/OpenRoads.html
KC Kendricks
Visit my website at: http://www.kckendricks.com
Follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kckendricks
Join my mailing list at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/betweenthekeys
Read my personal blog: http://www.kckendricks.blogspot.com
Check out the MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/kckendricks
A to Z Blogging Challenge
Day 15 - O
Open Roads is one of those special
stories. Every author has a few.
The ones that just flow onto the
page without any apparent effort,
writing itself. Open Roads is
the kind of story a writer looks
back at and says,
"Wow. I wrote that...."
Open Roads
contemporary gay romance
now available at
http://amberquill.com/AmberAllure/OpenRoads.html
BLURB:
Tyler Phillips enjoys his small town life. He'll never get rich working the family business, but he knows there's more to a man than the size of his bank account. Easing into mid-life, Tyler's restless for something he can't find in the little borough of Easton – male companionship.
Noel Springs got caught up in the economic downturn. His job gone, and retirement a lot of years in the future, Noel decides to take a long drive and see some of the country before dedicating himself to finding new employment. The open road is just what he needs right now.
When his car overheats outside the little town of Easton, Noel discovers the local mechanic is hotter than his radiator, and just as eager to blow off some steam.
INTRO: (from Tyler's point of view)
"Nice car. How far back did the trouble start?"
He leaned inside and pulled the release lever. Little lines crinkled at the corners of his eyes as he smiled. "About forty-one years."
I grinned at him, already liking his sense of humor as I lifted the hood. A wave of steam engulfed us. I hastily closed my eyes and stepped back to keep the antifreeze-laden vapor from leaving a film on my contact lenses. "Come inside. We'll let that cool down so I can take a look at her."
"You're going to tell me it's the radiator, aren't you?" His clear tenor held just a trace of the west as he followed me into what passed as a reception area and office combined. I opened the soft drink case.
"What would you like, on the house? And don't panic yet." Based on the way the steam smelled, I suspected his radiator would be fine, but what was inside it was not.
"Too late. I panicked about five miles ago when the temperature gauge shot up.
You can't imagine how relieved I was to see your sign. I'll take coffee, if you have it."
I popped the cap and handed him a cola. "Sorry. It's a little late in the day for any to be left in the pot." I grinned at him. "And I hear that a lot about my strategically placed sign out there on the Interstate."
His grey gaze held my hazel one captive as I held out my hand to him. "Tyler Phillips, owner-operator."
Strong fingers closed around mine, holding my hand a moment too long for politeness. "Noel Springs, stranded motorist."
EXCERPT:
Our bodies brushed, hip against hip, as I leaned past him. I heard the sharp intake of breath as he jumped, and felt his heat when he seized the moment and pressed the long length of his muscled thigh to mine. My mouth went dry, but I didn't need to speak.
Hidden from public view by our bodies and the car, Noel's hand stroked across my ribs and came to a stop as his strong fingers gripped my waist. I had my hands full, carefully securing the pie for the ride home. His pelvis bumped my ass, a quick thrust that almost knocked my head against the doorframe. My cock hardened in a rush, straining within its denim prison.
"That's what you get for bending over in front of me, you little tease."
I wiggled my butt, and he smacked it, hard. I straightened and turned around, grinning at him.
I looked down. He looked down. Noel returned my grin. His grey eyes gleamed in the sunlight as his pink tongue licked his full, rosy lips.
"Seven-and-a-half, cut."
"Eight. Cut"
Noel narrowed his eyes. "Top or bottom?"
I grasped his hips, not caring if the whole town buzzed it up on the gossip chain by sundown. "You're too eager."
He glanced down at my bulging zipper a second time. "That's the pot calling the kettle black."
"You know, Noel, I don't want to get all stupid with you. I don't want you to think I'm taking advantage of your misfortune on the highway."
"I know, Tyler. And I don't want you to think I ever planned to abuse your hospitality. This is just one night. Maybe a little friendly companionship, provided…"
He moved to kiss me, and I jerked away. He looked surprised.
"Sorry, Noel." Kissing on Main Street might be a bit too much for the neighbors whose good will supported my standard of living. "I keep my private life low profile."
"Of course. I'm out, and I guess I thought you were, too."
"Hey, it's okay. I'm in sort of a limbo. I don't care if people know, but this is a small town. I don't flaunt it in public, but in truth, around here, neither do straight lovers."
"Got it. When in Rome." He backed away, his expression unreadable as he climbed into the car.
Maybe I'd tripped some trigger of his, or not, but I'd figure it out when we got to my place. Insides quivering with anticipation, I headed out of town.
Noel remained silent for the remainder of the drive to my home, at least until
I turned onto the long gravel lane that led to the two-story frame farmhouse. He shifted in his seat and fixed that clear grey gaze on me in an incredulous stare.
"Excuse me for asking, but what the hell is a good looking stud like you doing out here in bum-fuck middle America, working as a grease monkey, and living on a farm, for God's sake!"
The answer that filled my being came out of the still darkness of countless solitary nights.
Waiting for you.
OPEN ROADS
ISBN 978-1-60272-731-1
http://amberquill.com/AmberAllure/OpenRoads.html
KC Kendricks
Visit my website at: http://www.kckendricks.com
Follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kckendricks
Join my mailing list at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/betweenthekeys
Read my personal blog: http://www.kckendricks.blogspot.com
Check out the MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/kckendricks
April 17, 2011
Are we having fun yet?
April 17, 2010
So it rained yesterday.
And rained. And rained some more.
I don't think I'm leaving home anytime soon.
Thank God the Internet connection has been restored.
So it rained yesterday.
And rained. And rained some more.
I don't think I'm leaving home anytime soon.
Thank God the Internet connection has been restored.
April 16, 2011
Netting Neptune by KC Kendricks
April 16, 2011
A to Z Blogging Challenge
Day 14 - N
When I planned out the A to Z month, I had a good idea of how to pace myself. I wanted to strike a balance between personal stuff, fun stuff, and promo stuff. We've hit the middle stretch, which happens to be the promo stretch. So here's a bit about Netting Neptune, the first of story in the At the Southern Cross series.
Netting Neptune
Contemporary gay romance
#6 Best Seller, Amber Allure, September 2009
http://www.amberallure.com/NettingNeptune.html
Theron Bowman is in the throes of a mid-life crisis. At forty, he needs to make some serious decisions about his future. He splurges on a two-week vacation in the Caribbean, and like everything else in his life, things go horribly awry and he ends up working to pay for his room.
Forced by his father to break ties with his family, Colby Denton came to rest on St. Lucia, and opened an exclusive resort. To celebrate his tenth year on the island, and his birthday, Colby arranges for a series of festive beachside parties. When a sexy sea god swims out of the ocean in front of him, Colby has a brand new plan – netting Neptune.
EXCERPT
I nibbled Theron's earlobe, aware a few of my staff surreptitiously watched our dance. I never hid the fact I was gay from them, but they'd never seen me openly courting anyone before. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the simple pleasure of swaying to the music with him.
As the music ended, soft applause rippled through the shadows. I pulled back and looked at him. "Ready to turn in for the night?"
The corner of his mouth twitched. "Yes. I'm ready, but there's something… Look, Colby, let's not get all caught up in tonight, okay? I'm going home as soon as I can."
I understood him all too well, but from the moment he'd risen from the sea, I'd been under his spell. It would be hard to let him go in the morning, but it was clear he'd already made that choice. I wondered, for a brief moment, about the man who'd betrayed him. Was there still involvement there? The heart was a strange ruler, forgiving what on the surface seemed unforgivable. It wasn't something I could ask and expect to share his passion tonight. His past was his own, and I wouldn't be the one to reopen old wounds.
"I hope you won't be upset when you get to my suite. I ordered a few things in case you said yes."
"It's okay. I suspected you would. Any man who lives on a tropical island has to be a bit of a romantic."
I kept my arm around his waist and propelled him off the dance floor. "It's not a bad thing, you know. Surf, sand, starlight."
"I didn't say it was." Theron pulled me off the path and into a dark shadow.
His fingers teased the wisps of hair on my collar as his arms snaked around my neck. I forgot how to breathe as his dark eyes watched me. The blood pooled in my groin; my cock lengthened. I ran my hands up his sides, feeling every ridge of his ribcage. He held his back stiffly, like he hadn't felt a connection to anyone in a while. My knees shook when he wet his lips.
I'd tried not to obsess over why he'd not kissed me earlier, but it had bothered me off and on all day. We'd come to the moment where he would, and I reached down for every ounce of self-control I had to remain still and let him kiss me, his way. Did he have any clue what he did to me?
I had to know if his dick was as hard as mine. Theron's eyes lit with anticipation as I cupped his ass cheeks and ground my pelvis to his. He was hard, the ridge of his cock pushing the length of his zipper.
I managed to croak a few words. "I had to know."
He ran his thumb over my lower lip. If he didn't kiss me soon, I'd faint from lack of oxygen.
"And now that you do, what happens?"
"You tell me, Theron. I don't want to push you."
"You're not." He cupped the back of my head and brushed his lips to mine, a whisper-soft touch that snapped through me, shattering my good intentions along with my control.
I backed him to the side of the restaurant where the shadows were deepest and kissed him, hard. His tongue licked into mine, eager and willing. Wanting. I tasted the faint trace of lemon from his drink as I nibbled the corner of his mouth. Theron scraped his teeth over my lower lip and heat coiled in my belly, like some spring awaiting release.
His strong arms held me as I massaged his ass. My balls drew up as he groaned and thrust his tongue into my mouth. Deep inside, a phantom memory ached for a new touch, his touch, and from that phantom came images of him pressing me down beneath him on clean, crisp sheets.
NETTING NEPTUNE
Book One of the Southern Cross series
#6 Best Seller, Amber Allure, September 2009
ISBN-13: 978-1-60272-573-7
http://www.amberquill.com/AmberAllure/NettingNeptune.html
Also available:
TAMING TRITON
Book Two of the Southern Cross series
ISBN-13: 978-1-60272-586-7
http://amberquill.com/AmberAllure/TamingTriton.html
POSEIDON'S PLEASURE
Book Three of the Southern Cross series
ISBN-13: 978-1-60272-599-7
http://www.amberquill.com/AmberAllure/PoseidonsPleasure.html
KC Kendricks
Visit my website at: http://www.kckendricks.com
Follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kckendricks
Join my mailing list at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/betweenthekeys
Read my personal blog: http://www.kckendricks.blogspot.com
Find me on facebook - KC with the little butterfly
Check out the MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/kckendricks
A to Z Blogging Challenge
Day 14 - N
When I planned out the A to Z month, I had a good idea of how to pace myself. I wanted to strike a balance between personal stuff, fun stuff, and promo stuff. We've hit the middle stretch, which happens to be the promo stretch. So here's a bit about Netting Neptune, the first of story in the At the Southern Cross series.
Netting Neptune
Contemporary gay romance
#6 Best Seller, Amber Allure, September 2009
http://www.amberallure.com/NettingNeptune.html
Theron Bowman is in the throes of a mid-life crisis. At forty, he needs to make some serious decisions about his future. He splurges on a two-week vacation in the Caribbean, and like everything else in his life, things go horribly awry and he ends up working to pay for his room.
Forced by his father to break ties with his family, Colby Denton came to rest on St. Lucia, and opened an exclusive resort. To celebrate his tenth year on the island, and his birthday, Colby arranges for a series of festive beachside parties. When a sexy sea god swims out of the ocean in front of him, Colby has a brand new plan – netting Neptune.
EXCERPT
I nibbled Theron's earlobe, aware a few of my staff surreptitiously watched our dance. I never hid the fact I was gay from them, but they'd never seen me openly courting anyone before. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the simple pleasure of swaying to the music with him.
As the music ended, soft applause rippled through the shadows. I pulled back and looked at him. "Ready to turn in for the night?"
The corner of his mouth twitched. "Yes. I'm ready, but there's something… Look, Colby, let's not get all caught up in tonight, okay? I'm going home as soon as I can."
I understood him all too well, but from the moment he'd risen from the sea, I'd been under his spell. It would be hard to let him go in the morning, but it was clear he'd already made that choice. I wondered, for a brief moment, about the man who'd betrayed him. Was there still involvement there? The heart was a strange ruler, forgiving what on the surface seemed unforgivable. It wasn't something I could ask and expect to share his passion tonight. His past was his own, and I wouldn't be the one to reopen old wounds.
"I hope you won't be upset when you get to my suite. I ordered a few things in case you said yes."
"It's okay. I suspected you would. Any man who lives on a tropical island has to be a bit of a romantic."
I kept my arm around his waist and propelled him off the dance floor. "It's not a bad thing, you know. Surf, sand, starlight."
"I didn't say it was." Theron pulled me off the path and into a dark shadow.
His fingers teased the wisps of hair on my collar as his arms snaked around my neck. I forgot how to breathe as his dark eyes watched me. The blood pooled in my groin; my cock lengthened. I ran my hands up his sides, feeling every ridge of his ribcage. He held his back stiffly, like he hadn't felt a connection to anyone in a while. My knees shook when he wet his lips.
I'd tried not to obsess over why he'd not kissed me earlier, but it had bothered me off and on all day. We'd come to the moment where he would, and I reached down for every ounce of self-control I had to remain still and let him kiss me, his way. Did he have any clue what he did to me?
I had to know if his dick was as hard as mine. Theron's eyes lit with anticipation as I cupped his ass cheeks and ground my pelvis to his. He was hard, the ridge of his cock pushing the length of his zipper.
I managed to croak a few words. "I had to know."
He ran his thumb over my lower lip. If he didn't kiss me soon, I'd faint from lack of oxygen.
"And now that you do, what happens?"
"You tell me, Theron. I don't want to push you."
"You're not." He cupped the back of my head and brushed his lips to mine, a whisper-soft touch that snapped through me, shattering my good intentions along with my control.
I backed him to the side of the restaurant where the shadows were deepest and kissed him, hard. His tongue licked into mine, eager and willing. Wanting. I tasted the faint trace of lemon from his drink as I nibbled the corner of his mouth. Theron scraped his teeth over my lower lip and heat coiled in my belly, like some spring awaiting release.
His strong arms held me as I massaged his ass. My balls drew up as he groaned and thrust his tongue into my mouth. Deep inside, a phantom memory ached for a new touch, his touch, and from that phantom came images of him pressing me down beneath him on clean, crisp sheets.
NETTING NEPTUNE
Book One of the Southern Cross series
#6 Best Seller, Amber Allure, September 2009
ISBN-13: 978-1-60272-573-7
http://www.amberquill.com/AmberAllure/NettingNeptune.html
Also available:
TAMING TRITON
Book Two of the Southern Cross series
ISBN-13: 978-1-60272-586-7
http://amberquill.com/AmberAllure/TamingTriton.html
POSEIDON'S PLEASURE
Book Three of the Southern Cross series
ISBN-13: 978-1-60272-599-7
http://www.amberquill.com/AmberAllure/PoseidonsPleasure.html
KC Kendricks
Visit my website at: http://www.kckendricks.com
Follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kckendricks
Join my mailing list at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/betweenthekeys
Read my personal blog: http://www.kckendricks.blogspot.com
Find me on facebook - KC with the little butterfly
Check out the MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/kckendricks
April 14, 2011
Monet Musings
April 15, 2011
A to Z Blogging Challenge
Day 13- M
I'll be the first person to admit I don't have a good eye for art. My niece and I went to the Corcoran Gallery in the District of Columbia this past summer, and most of the art on display left me cold. I had no true understanding or appreciation of the more modern pieces. But show me a Monet and I can stare at it for an hour.
Long ago and far away, in my high school days, I had an art teacher that expected her students to create a painting in oils on canvas. Yep. It was a scary concept for a room full of sixteen year old kids in a small town. I had to choose one of six paintings and copy it. I was drawn to the Monet.
Seriously. Now is that a get out of town moment, or not? Copy a Monet, for heaven's sake! What was that teacher thinking?
To my mother's credit, she forked over the cash for a small paint kit and off to class I went. She may still have the painting I did all those years ago. She keeps things that make me cringe. It's her job as a mother. Yet every once in a while I think it might be fun to get a canvas and paint something. I doubt that the intervening years have magically given me artistic talent, but a splash of my own colors on the wall might be great fun.
I can't say as I remember any masterpieces being generated out of that class. What I do remember is my art teacher's patient and glowing encouragements of everyone in the room. It took a little while, but I finally got it. Impressionist painting is about freedom of interpretation. It's about how you perceive the nuances of color and form. Right and wrong had no place, and everyone who gave it an honest try got an 'A'.
In some regards, an author's voice is like the brush of an impressionist artist. There is no right or wrong to the stories we write. While the painter uses oils to create cohesive colors and patterns to create a picture, we pull emotions and thoughts out of the air around us to bring our creations to life. The words are filtered by our experiences and perceptions and become unique to us, a painting of words. And like those artists of old, we frequently suffer the slings and arrows of the jealousy of those who cannot copy what we do, and in that jealousy seek to take away our freedom. I'm aware, and wary, of them.
And while those intervening years haven't given me painterly talents, what they have given me is knowledge of self, the ability to love, and an understanding that the more different people are, the more alike we become. We're all little dots of color on a universal canvas and together we create a complete picture, one even more beautiful than a Monet.
KC Kendricks
Visit my website at: http://www.kckendricks.com
Follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kckendricks
Join my mailing list at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/betweenthekeys
Read my personal blog: http://www.kckendricks.blogspot.com
Find me on facebook - KC with the little butterfly
Check out the MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/kckendricks
A to Z Blogging Challenge
Day 13- M
I'll be the first person to admit I don't have a good eye for art. My niece and I went to the Corcoran Gallery in the District of Columbia this past summer, and most of the art on display left me cold. I had no true understanding or appreciation of the more modern pieces. But show me a Monet and I can stare at it for an hour.
Long ago and far away, in my high school days, I had an art teacher that expected her students to create a painting in oils on canvas. Yep. It was a scary concept for a room full of sixteen year old kids in a small town. I had to choose one of six paintings and copy it. I was drawn to the Monet.
Seriously. Now is that a get out of town moment, or not? Copy a Monet, for heaven's sake! What was that teacher thinking?
To my mother's credit, she forked over the cash for a small paint kit and off to class I went. She may still have the painting I did all those years ago. She keeps things that make me cringe. It's her job as a mother. Yet every once in a while I think it might be fun to get a canvas and paint something. I doubt that the intervening years have magically given me artistic talent, but a splash of my own colors on the wall might be great fun.
I can't say as I remember any masterpieces being generated out of that class. What I do remember is my art teacher's patient and glowing encouragements of everyone in the room. It took a little while, but I finally got it. Impressionist painting is about freedom of interpretation. It's about how you perceive the nuances of color and form. Right and wrong had no place, and everyone who gave it an honest try got an 'A'.
In some regards, an author's voice is like the brush of an impressionist artist. There is no right or wrong to the stories we write. While the painter uses oils to create cohesive colors and patterns to create a picture, we pull emotions and thoughts out of the air around us to bring our creations to life. The words are filtered by our experiences and perceptions and become unique to us, a painting of words. And like those artists of old, we frequently suffer the slings and arrows of the jealousy of those who cannot copy what we do, and in that jealousy seek to take away our freedom. I'm aware, and wary, of them.
And while those intervening years haven't given me painterly talents, what they have given me is knowledge of self, the ability to love, and an understanding that the more different people are, the more alike we become. We're all little dots of color on a universal canvas and together we create a complete picture, one even more beautiful than a Monet.
KC Kendricks
Visit my website at: http://www.kckendricks.com
Follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kckendricks
Join my mailing list at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/betweenthekeys
Read my personal blog: http://www.kckendricks.blogspot.com
Find me on facebook - KC with the little butterfly
Check out the MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/kckendricks
