K.C. Kendricks's Blog, page 48

Will we remember her name?

June 13, 2017

I freely admit to being a woman of a certain age. Nothing can take the place of life experiences and decades-long friendships. I've seen a lot of change in my lifetime - some good and some not-so-good. I'm old enough to remember the year 1968. 

You don't remember 1968? The Tet offensive was launched. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated. Andy Warhol was shot. Robert Kennedy was assassinated. Nixon was elected president. The unemployment rate was 3%. Helen Gurley Brown was running Cosmopolitan magazine and was one of its editors until her death in 2012. 

You remember Helen Gurley Brown, right? In 1962 she wrote "Sex and the Single Girl." Gurley Brown is the one who said, "Good girls go to heaven. Bad girls go everywhere." She also conceded women face obstacles that are gender specific and declared- rightly so - a woman can rise above it. She was a role model for women for decades because she was correct. She struck a chord that rang true across many years - over fifty years. It still rings today albeit in more subtle tones.

And she famously got Burt Reynolds to pose nude in Cosmos. But did this icon to the success and freedom of women ever pose nude herself? I do not think so. 

The celebrity/social media news has been full of stories about a certain celebrity who posted an image of herself sans pants. It caused a ruckus, to be sure. 

I wonder at some of the "feminist" things I've seen in the last year. It seems to me feminism has become all about the flashbulbs and the headlines and who can shout obscenities the loudest. Today's version of feminism is not about continuing to lay firm foundations and embracing longevity, the bigger picture, and the future for our daughters. It's no longer about getting your message across while maintaining your dignity and self-respect. 

Do I think this celebrity has the right to behave the way she wants? Yes, I do, provided she harms only herself. 

So the question becomes did she only do damage to herself, or will her actions bring harm to other women? Will it harm our daughters? 

Maybe, in fifty years, if anyone remembers her name, we'll find out. 

KC Kendricks

WWW- Open Roads by KC Kendricks

June 11, 2017

I'm participating today in the Weekend Writing Warriors blog hop! I came across it through the My Sexy Saturday blog hop several months ago, but with one thing and another, never really got going with it. Life is like that. Sometimes you get ahead of yourself and need to wait until you catch up.

WWW is a weekly blog hop where authors post eight to ten sentences from a published work or a work in progress. Blog posts are to go live between noon Saturday and 9:00 AM Sunday. It's a great way to meet new authors and expand networks. Be sure to visit the linky list to check out all the Weekend Writing Warriors blogs here.  It's good stuff. Don't miss out.

Here are a few sentences from Open Roads, book two in the Men of Marionville series. 

*     *     *     *
  “Nice car. How far back did the trouble start?”
He leaned inside and pulled the hood 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. His gray 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.”

*    *   *

ABOUT Open Roads:


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.


OPEN ROADSAvailable at Amazon, iTunes, B&N/Nook, and Kobo
KC Kendrickswebsite: http://www.kckendricks.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kckendricks

The hurrier I go...

June 8, 2017

Have you ever heard the old expression, "The hurrier I go, the behinder I get."? It's been around awhile and some days pretty much sums it all up. It's been in my head for the last few days - as a reminder to pay attention to what I'm doing. It's easy to forget things or make a mistake if one is too hasty. I think it's important to keep both feet on the ground, in a manner of speaking.

I've been anxiously awaiting the return of My Sexy Saturday, but it doesn't appear that's going to happen any time soon. I fear that may mean there's bad news there. I hope not, though. 

So what to do if it doesn't come back? Should I contact other participants and see if I can organize something over at Saturday Evening Romance? I'm definitely on the fence about that. I'm not sure I'd want the same 7/7/7 format because some of the participants can't count. (Or simply refuse to abide by the "rules.") How difficult can it be to set up a linky? I've never tried.

 Then there is the Weekend Writing Warriors blog hop to consider. I did that once and got okay results. What should I do? 

Maybe I need to buckle down and get with my writing buddy about getting The Ghost at the B&B and The Escort launched. There's also work to do on a July newsletter if I want to keep that going. Let's not forget I now have two works-in-progress as well as the formatting to finish on No One But You and Shining Victory. I think that my subconscious knows how special the Levi and Stacy stories are to me and knows I'm having trouble with the notion of sharing them again. 

Yes, there is a lot to accomplish. I know that if I try and rush through my list just so I can launch a book on a certain date, I won't be happy with the result. And a happy me is a happy writer. 

Thanks for your patience. More books really are coming soon. 

KC Kendricks
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Vacation come, vacation go.

June 3, 2017

Vacation come, vacation go. Yes, it's now the second Saturday of my spring vacation. That means the vacation is over and we've moved on to a regular weekend. There's laundry and cooking to do. Ho-hum.

Last year I tempted fate in my end-of-vacation blog, and fate decided to bite me. I dared to say I wondered what vacation 2017 would bring. I guess I know now.

With all the life changes in the last year, I truly hoped for some quiet time. (Read that I wanted to hide from everyone.) Unfortunately, on Sunday, May 28, my stepfather found out I was on vacation and on Monday, May 29, he called me at daybreak to say he "thought" he needed to go to the hospital. I told him to call an ambulance. Instead, he drove himself to the emergency room. They kept him all of about an hour and gave him instructions to call his primary care physician. He was back home before I'd taken shower. I knew there was nothing wrong with him and he only wanted attention. He's been like this ever since my mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease. After two years of this attention-begging behavior, I'm mentally and emotionally exhausted with this man. My mother married him, I did not.

That's not to say the entire vacation was a bust. No, we didn't get to go anywhere, not even a day trip, but we had some good moments just relaxing on the patio and playing with Deuce. Deuce had his annual checkup with booster shots and the vet proclaimed him to be "great." Of course he's great. He's Deuce!

The spousal unit baked me a birthday cake which turned out very well. He can open a box and add eggs and water with the best of them. The trouble happened when he added peanut butter to a can of buttercream frosting. The end result was well worth the cleanup.  I may even have cake for breakfast today.

It's back to work on Monday. I'm trying to be philosophical about burning five vacation days that contained very little mental health rest, but it's not really working. My fear is this week is a harbinger of things to come. Early retirement isn't looking so good. I need the escape into the day job to breathe. Trust me when I say I NEVER thought I'd say that! I've been obsessing about the day I no longer need to go to work every day and now here we are. It's not the least bit amusing. (Well, maybe a little if  you're outside looking in.)

And I do know something else. Next year for my spring vacation, I'm going to leave home and I'm not taking my cell phone, just my laptop. Maybe next year. 

KC
www.kckendricks.com

The Ghost at the B&B - cover reveal

May 31, 2017

Author Christiane France and I collaborated on a couple of projects. We've each taken a project to call our own, and I'm pleased to say those projects are ready to be published. 

So coming soon - The Ghost at the B&B and The Escort. 

The Ghost at the B&B is set in Lightfoot, Virginia, which just outside of Williamsburg. I love the area and visited there yearly until my mother could no longer make the trip. 

The Escort has a metropolitan setting, which Chris is more familiar with. The Ghost speaks to my stronger points and The Escort to hers so that's the way we split them. 

Not to brag, but I made both covers. The house in the background of The Ghost's cover is the main house at Farmer's Delight Plantation. My niece did a large chunk of the archival work there and I was able to visit once. It's a lovely estate. 

We're uploading and preparing to publish our collaborations. Stay tuned for news of availability coming very soon!

KC Kendricks

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Passion's Victory - now available

May 24, 2017

Passion's Victory is now available! 


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 learns 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 VICTORYAvailable atAmazon: www.amazon.com/Passions-Victory-KC-Kendricks-ebook/dp/B071Z5YRB4Apple/iTunes: itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1236569692Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/passions-victory-kc-kendricks/1017484051Kobo: www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/passion-s-victory

KC Kendrickswebsite at: http://www.kckendricks.comblog: http://www.kckendricks.blogspot.comTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/kckendricksmailing list at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/betweenthekeys
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/KCKendricks

The last holder of a legacy

May 18, 2017

Do you ever wonder who will care for the things you love after you're gone? I suppose most folks naturally assume their offspring will. Maybe, but maybe not. Having no spawn of my own, I do wonder. 

I wonder about the younger generation of my own family on their good days. Let's not delve into my thoughts come a bad day. 

I clearly remember my great-grandmother, Mary Ellen. She was of the old Church of the Brethren in Christ that got sucked into the Evangelical United Brethren which in turn was consumed the Methodists to become the United Methodist we know today. She always wore the traditional small white head covering, even under her sun bonnet. I well remember those sun bonnets, too. She had quite a collection, some pieced from leftover quilting fabric. Those patchwork bonnets were worn out in the garden. 

Grandma had a large vegetable garden. She canned and froze everything. I was probably about six when I learned how to make jelly from wild elderberries I'd helped harvest. Every Saturday morning, my grandparents would take my great-grandparents to the city market where they had a booth, and she'd sell canned goods, jams, jellies, quilts, and sun bonnets to the "city folk." 

Interspersed through and around the vegetable garden were her flowers. My great-grandmother, grandmother, and mother traded roots, bulbs, and cuttings all the time. It's thought Mary Ellen brought the small yellow iris home from the city market, probably acquired in a trade with another merchant. 

Today, I'm the last member of the family standing to have these iris. I've offered starts to the younger generation with no takers. I suppose it's difficult to be thrilled about an old tiny iris with the abundance of large, fragrant varieties today. Never mind these heritage iris are mold, mildew and worm resistant when the newer ones are not. And I suppose it's hard to be enthused about a gift from the garden of a woman you didn't know. 

But a flower is all the legacy from Mary Ellen I have to offer. You'll have to excuse me if I cherish it. 

KC
www.kckend ricks.com
www.twitter.com/kckendricks

Cover reveal - Passion's Victory

May 12, 2017

Passion's Victory was written quite early in the part of my career where I write as KC Kendricks. It was actually nominated for a CAPA at The Romance Studio back in 2008. Needless to say, I was surprised. It will be re-released within the next few days. I've wanted to get it back out for a long time but it took a while to find the right guys for the cover. Jonas is a deep thinker and they're difficult to find at the cover stock sites. 

For more information, please visit www.kckendricks.com/PassionsVictory.html .

About Passion's Victory:


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 learns 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...

KC Kendricks 

A Change of Venue

May 5, 2017

Having a dedicated home office is a big perk of being a writer. What's not to love about having one's own space? Since the day we got our first PC, "the computer room" has been in a spare bedroom. When I was first published, I knew I needed a proper workspace.

For many years I worked with cobbled-together furniture. Years. From 2003 until 2014. Three years ago I splurged on decent office furniture and I still love it. It's Mission style, with clean lines that compliment a country chic decor. It turns out, that's a really good thing.

Being that I confess all here at Between the Keys, I suppose I can confess I snapped one evening about two weeks ago. The ballgame was on the tv and Himself was yelling. Deuce was under my desk looking unhappy and I certainly was not pleased with the noise. I'd had a stressful day at work and I wanted QUIET. 

I announced to the house and anyone listening, I was moving to the sunroom. That is to say that, in effect, I was leaving home. The sunroom is an addition to the house, you see. It started life as my private sitting room and I decided it would be my new office space. 

It took thirteen days for me to move all the furniture, install new cordless mini-blinds, and purchase a new daybed for what is once again a spare bedroom. This afternoon I put the finishing touch on the new office. I placed my late grandmother's favorite "hurricane" lamp on the credenza and plugged it in. I think it very appropriate my office has that lamp and my great-grandfather's desk. They remind me of where I came from. 

I've not written much while all the household upheaval took place, but the space is private, sunny, and especially quiet. Deuce has claimed his spot at the sliding glass doors where he can watch for deer and keep an eye on me. I have a Mason jar full of Griller treats in the drawer for him. Strangely enough, the square footage of the room is exactly the same as the room I just vacated. It feels bigger because it's windows on three sides. It's almost like I'm sitting outside. Very cool. 

It's difficult to say whether or not this move to a room of wood and glass will be a boost to my spirits. Perhaps I won't know for sure if this move was the right thing to do until I've weathered all the seasons in my new digs. It could be the long winter evenings will be too long, and too dark, to enjoy being one with the trees. We shall see. 

KC

www.kckendricks.com
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Chain Lightning - available today!

April 22, 2017


There is something a little peculiar about Eli Tate. Oh, he appears normal enough on the surface, but he’s spent years trying to remember what happened to him - and why he doesn’t age. Then there’s the way he can shift shape. He doesn’t know what kind of being he really is or if there are any others like him. What he does know he’s been in the same town for thirty years and he needs to move on.
Returning to the Big Apple, Eli takes up residence in his old apartment. An evening walk turns deadly when he’s attacked by pure evil. He barely escapes with his life - thanks to a stranger named Rio who is a shape shifter like him.
Rio says he knows Eli and that he’s been searching for him for many years. Rio confesses they were once lovers. Eli has no memory of such a time, and now he’s out of options. To remember his past, and destroy the creature pursuing them, Eli has no choice but to trust Rio - and maybe fall in love with him again.

INTRO
It was a good thing Eli wasn’t vain. He had the height people noticed. His dark hair showed no sign of graying, and his whiskey-brown eyes reflected his intelligence. He’d looked like this as far back as his memory stretched. It could be a lot worse.Being clean would be a lot better. He stepped into the master bath and opened the taps to fill the tub. A good hot soak was in order, and after that, some food.The agency had stocked the fridge and pantry when they opened and readied the apartment. Going back out tonight posed too great a risk and Eli wasn’t fool enough to take it.He sank down in the tub to submerge his aching shoulders. Flying was strenuous work. With Vihal hunting him he needed to condition his muscles. Sooner or later Vihal would come back to New York.The hot water surrounded his body with soothing heat. A wave of exhaustion rolled through him. He closed his eyes.Eli jerked awake. The water was cold and he wasn’t alone. He rolled to his feet in a shower of droplets, intent on getting to the Sig Saur he’d placed in the nightstand drawer. He skidded to a stop in the doorway, heart pounding at the sight of the man in his bedroom.Rio calmly sat in the wing chair beside the window. He smiled. “Eli. Coming here was a bit predictable, wasn’t it?”He had to keep his wits about him. Rio had helped him, but for what reason? “Apparently. Do you mind if I get dressed while we chat?”Rio’s interested gaze swept him from head to toe and settled on his groin, where it stopped. “Maybe I do.”
EXCERPT
This was getting him nowhere. He wanted to get dressed and make a run for his Wyoming hideout - without Rio being able to follow him. Playing the game might be the only way to accomplish that.“Okay, Rio. You’re sex on two feet. Is that what you wanted to hear?”The man rubbed his forehead. “You don’t have a clue. This is a problem for me. I don’t know what to tell you. I don’t want you to go into some sort of shock and vanish again. It’s taken me too long to find you.”“Why were you even looking for me? C’mon. Help me out here. Level with me.”“You’re a valuable prize, Elimian. Vihal would see you dead. I would see you live.”Another fucking riddle, but this one contained a clue.“You’re talking about two factions? Why would the other side want to kill me? Money? Glory? The thrill of the kill?”“Maybe all of the above. Get dressed. We should leave.”Eli raised an eyebrow. “We? There is no ‘we’. You’re going to get out of my apartment and I’m going to ponder my next move.”He shook his head. “No. Your safe houses have surely been discovered.”He’d sensed a presence just before he left Elizabethtowne. Had that been Rio and not Vihal? No. It had been Vihal. He was sure of it now. That worried Eli more than he dared to let show. It might have been pure luck on Vihal’s part he got that close to him in Elizabethtowne.“I disagree. This Vihal found me because I returned to the city. He’s had years to locate me, and he couldn’t.”“True. But since he did find you, he’ll be able to continue to track you. We need a plan. I can get you to a safe place and we can figure out what to do next.”“I don’t trust you.”Rio nodded. “Fair enough. But I’m begging you to come with me. Give me twenty-four hours to change your mind about me.”“And if at the end of the day I say adios, you’ll be good with that?” The look of anguish that flashed across Rio’s face made him blink. Had he really seen it?Rio’s voice gave nothing away. “If that’s your decision, I will abide by it.”“Very well. Now go in the kitchen and make it look like I was cooking. I’ll get dressed.”“Don’t bother with good clothes. We need to take on wolf skin and run.”“Right. We’ll step out onto the street, shift, and just trot down Broadway.”“I’ve always loved your sarcastic wit.”He froze, his gaze locked on Rio’s. His heart pounded in his chest as the black void in his memory rippled and his skin washed cold. “What the hell did you say? How do… Do you…Did you and I know each other in the past?”He watched Rio’s chest rise and fall. The muscles in the man’s throat moved convulsively. His voice was so low as to be tortured whispered.“You really don’t remember me?” He took a quick step forward. “Elimian? Eli? Please remember me.” He laid his palm on Eli’s chest.Eli shook his head, confused. What had he missed? What had he been forced to forget to survive? The memory of the taste of the man’s blood filled his senses. “I’m sorry. I don’t remember you. How do I know you?”Rio cupped the back of his neck and pulled him closer. “We knew each other like this.”Eli realized his intent a moment before their lips touched. He wanted to pull away but couldn’t. Rio held the key to his past...
CHAIN LIGHTNINGParanormal gay romance (shapeshifter)
Available at:
Amazon: www.amazon.com/dp/B072B6N2CY
iTunes/Apple: itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1229227603
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/chain-lightning-kc-kendricks/1126263582
KOBO: www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/chain-lightning-2

KC Kendricks www.kckendricks.com http://kckendricks.blogspot.com www.twitter.com/kckendricks www.facebook.com/kckendricks
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