K.C. Kendricks's Blog, page 66

A Conversation Between Writers - Different Connections

August 21, 2015

I didn't bowl a 300 but I did pretty good. 199-166-192. Don't know what happened that second game. Must have been that freaking 10 pin that scared the crap out of my ball so bad the ball wouldn't hit it. - KCKendricks~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~Haven't done any writing in a while. Signed up for ancestry.com again (6 mo) and so I've been researching family records again. Progressed quite far. It's terrific the way so many people connect. -Brenda Williamson

an excerpt from Circle of Steel by KC Kendricks

August 17, 2015


New yesterday! Circle of Steel, book IV in Ian Coulter's Amethyst Cover series. 
(I got the WIP finished just in time to get this promo up everywhere today.) 

*_*_*

CIRCLE OF STEELBook IV in Ian Coulter’s Amethyst Cove seriesAvailable at Amber Quill Press http://www.amberquill.com/store/p/2239-Circle-Of-Steel.aspx

Private investigator Ian Coulter and his FBI partner Rick Mohr work hard and play harder. Making their relationship a priority is a challenge they willingly embrace. Life is better together, and when their cases overlap, it also gets pretty interesting.
An evening stroll turns deadly when a sniper targets Rick. Needing to be with his lover, Ian has to trust Rick’s team with the hunt for the shooter. As Rick heals tensions between the men escalate and some uncomfortable truths are revealed.
Ian gets a break in the case but the sniper proves to be elusive.  With the FBI conducting a manhunt in Amethyst Cove, Ian has to deal with his own man. It’ll take patience and some tough love to heal recent fractures and secure the future he wants with Rick. 
EXCERPT:
My life with Rick was important to me. I never expected to fall in love and I had. It didn’t matter it blindsided me because it had Rick, too. Becoming “us” hadn’t been part of any original plan but we had become “us” in ways I couldn’t imagine ending. I picked up my cell phone. Rick answered before the first ring ended. “Ian. Darling, what’s really wrong? Are you going to be okay?”Was I? A tenuous connection opened between us, powered by wireless magic. “I’m better for hearing your voice. I feel like a real ass saying this to you, Rick, but it’s been a rough couple of weeks.” “Believe me, I know. Please come back so we can talk.”I downed the remainder of the bourbon in the glass. “Can’t. I shouldn’t drive. I’ve had more than a little to drink.”I heard him take a deep breath. “Okay. You’re right, of course. And you’re right about the other things. Listen, Ian. We need to stop being stupid with each other and I’ll start. I love you. I hurt bad enough I can’t rest, and I’m miserable being off my feet. I’m taking it out on you, and that’s not fair. I promise to stop being bitchy.”My throat tightened. “Rick. I almost lost you.” My voice broke. I couldn’t breathe. The city lights blurred in my vision. His voice was soft in my ear.“It’s okay, my darling. You’ve been my rock, Ian. I forgot even diamonds crack under enough pressure.”I managed a deep breath and swiped my fingertips across my eyes. “We’re still gonna talk, big guy.”“I know. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Ian, but I can’t promise it’s always going to be easy living with me.”“Well, I guess I can’t make that promise, either. We just have to remember life is better when we’re together.”“How about we have a safe word to tell each other to back off?”“What? Like ‘fuck you, Rick’?”He chuckled softly. “No, babe. That’s foreplay. I live to hear you say those words.”I laughed in spite of myself. “Yeah. I know what you mean. I need to go to bed. Get some sleep. I’ve got a bunch of installations to finish tomorrow and God only knows how big a job Sheldon’s going to sell next.”“Can I call you?”“Yeah. That would be great. I love you, Rick. I guess maybe I’m a little afraid you’ll leave me.”“Never, Ian. Not gonna happen. Are we good?”“We’re good. ‘Night, Rick.”“Goodnight, Ian.”The call disconnected and left me staring at my phone, exhausted. Were we really good? Sometimes when something cracked, it stayed that way,And sometimes, when mended, it was stronger than before. I twisted the wide silver band on my right ring finger around, then took it off and slipped it onto my left hand. It glittered, a circle of steel reflecting the city lights.

CIRCLE OF STEELBook IV in Ian Coulter’s Amethyst Cove seriesAvailable at Amber Quill Press http://www.amberquill.com/store/p/2239-Circle-Of-Steel.aspx
KC Kendricks http://www.kckendricks.com
http://kckendricks.blogspot.com

Circle of Steel by KC Kendricks

August 15, 2015

Welcome to Between the Keys! I'm covering a lot of ground today. It's a My Sexy Saturday Saturday for me, the cousin's picnic is today, AND Circle of Steel is to be released sometime this weekend. I don't even want to talk about tomorrow yet! 

Ian Coulter's Amethyst Cove series is a complete joy to write. I think Ian and Rick are the best couple I've created. They're human, and flawed, yet perfect for each other. They struggle to make things work but never fail to pull together when the going gets tough. 

Circle of Steel is book four for Ian and Rick. It's due out sometime this weekend (whenever the powers that be a Amber Quill press the button). You can put it on your Amber Quill wish list at http://www.amberquill.com/store/p/2239-Circle-Of-Steel.aspx .

Now on to seven sexy boyfriend paragraphs from 
Circle of Steel.

_*_*_*_*_

There was still a cool edge between us that demanded caution. We were two strong-willed guys and we both knew butting heads was inevitable. It was how we handled the aftermath that would keep us strong. Love, respect and forgiveness were watchwords for us, as was understanding that frequently the frustrations we felt, and the ones that spilled over, were not necessarily with each other, but outside forces.

“Oh, my God. My own bed! I really did die and go to heaven.”
“What a fucking drama queen.” I kicked off my running shoes and peeled out of my shirt before I turned to help him with his sling.
“Ian. What’s that bulge in your jeans?”
“A really big dick, unlike the fake sock in your pants.”
“Now he’s throwing insults—ouch!” He grimaced and cradled his bad arm. He’d let the arm drop to his side too fast.
“Let that be a lesson to you. Pay attention.”
CIRCLE OF STEEL
Book IV in Ian Coulter's Amethyst Cove series
Available August 16, 2015 at Amber Quill Press
http://www.amberquill.com/store/p/2239-Circle-Of-Steel.aspx 


More about Circle of Steel:


Private investigator Ian Coulter and his FBI partner Rick Mohr work hard and play harder. Making their relationship a priority is a challenge they willingly embrace. Life is better together, and when their cases overlap, it also gets pretty interesting.
An evening stroll turns deadly when a sniper targets Rick. Needing to be with his lover, Ian has to trust Rick’s team with the hunt for the shooter. As Rick heals tensions between the men escalate and some uncomfortable truths are revealed.
Ian gets a break in the case but the sniper proves to be elusive.  With the FBI conducting a manhunt in Amethyst Cove, Ian has to deal with his own man. It’ll take patience and some tough love to heal recent fractures and secure the future he wants with Rick.  

KC Kendricks
http://www.kckendricks.com



Check out all the My Sexy Saturday blogs for more great boyfriend excerpts. 

ACBW - A Conversation Between Writers - Donut Holes & Bowling Balls

August 14, 2015

Got no writing done today--wore myself out hunting for granny smith apple trees. Went a dozen places, found one. I tore out my other fruit trees close by the house as they were making too much of a mess. Now starting a new orchard by the barn. Only going to have apples. Peaches, cherries and other such trees never did well here.
Also stopped at Dunkin Donuts, told the guy I wanted two dozen, then thought about it and told him one more dozen. It's so far from home and they freeze well. By the time my son and I got home, we had polished off a half dozen. Not as quickly as you'd think--we were out for four hours. - BrendaWilliamson~ ~ ~ ~ ~We're quite found of doughnuts, too, or at least we used to be. The place to get doughnuts in this town is Krumpe's. It's a little hole in the wall down an alley but they built up a great business. Trouble is they deep fry the doughnuts and the last couple of times I could taste the grease. Very disappointing. I want to make my own. Ina Garten did baked doughnuts on her tv show. I'd like to give that recipe a try. Before you think, 'ack! baked!' the recipe uses over a stick of butter. What's not to like about any recipe that uses a stick of butter? Didn't we just talk about dieting and now we're talking doughnuts? Now I need to go buy a doughnut pan. 

PS. Bowled good Friday night. Had a 248 game. Yea, me!!!! - KC Kendricks

Seeing red

August 9, 2015

I firmly believe if you're going to indulge one of your flights of fancy, you should go big. That's advice for YOU, not for ME. I should keep a firm grip on myself and my wallet. I should stick to the plan and retire early. It's not necessary to drive by the local dealership and trade in a trusty car on a whim. 

But what if a bit of indulgence won't derail those long term plans? What if it will enhance them? What if we work hard and deserve a reward? Something like, oh, say, a 2011 Dodge Charger to replace 2006 Dodge Charger?

Oh, the justifications we give ourselves when we go a little crazy! 

The truth is, only one thing matters. IT'S MINE AND I LIKE IT! 



KC Kendricks http://www.kckendricks.com/KCKendricks_bookshelf.html

Circle of Steel cover reveal

August 8, 2015


It's time for a cover reveal here at Between the Keys. I know, I know. We authors are trained like Pavlov's dogs to yell "new cover" into every corner of the Internet. It gets old and that's why I don't do it all that much. BUT.... I like this cover.

That's only fair since I photoshopped the concept photo and sent it to the cover guru at Amber Quill Press. I think he did a good job of taking my idea and morphing it into the house style cover. 

We've got the sunset view off the hero's balcony. We've got the pair of wineglasses for him and his lover. But we've also got the high rise building that comes into play when a sniper targets the residents of Amethyst Cove. And of course we have Ian - our hero. 

(I won't mention how much I like my name above the title because that seems a bit, you know, shallow. True, but shallow.)

Yep. Good job.

Circle of Steel is due out next weekend. I'll do the full-blown promo then, probably as part of My Sexy Saturday.

Check back! 

KC
http://www.kckendricks.com/CircleofSteel.html

A Conversation Between Writers - Diet Fixes

August 7, 2015

Diet - what’s that? Someone gave us yet  another Bob Evans gift card. We need to set some folks straight. If they’re going to give us gift cards, make it for the Longhorn Steakhouse. Actually, we had a grilled chicken cut into strips on a salad last night with a homemade vinaigrette so that was pretty low fat. - KC Kendricks ~
I don’t think I’ve ever been to a Bob Evans, but I buy his Mac-n-cheese at the grocery store. Grilled chicken on salad sounds good. I like to use Greek dressing a lot, especially on diced tomatoes and cucumbers. - Brenda Williamson

IWSG - The Ruination That Is Multi-tasking

August 5, 2015
The Insecure Writer’s Support Group http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com    But there never seems to be enough time
To do the things you want to do,  once you find them
I’m going to date myself here. Those words are from the song “Time in a Bottle” by the late Jim Croce, circa 1973. The words are hauntingly prophetic considering Croce died at age thirty not long after the song was released.
If you do a search using the words 'time management for writers' you will find a plethora of information. Probably the most prevailing bit of wisdom says what you've already heard everywhere you've ever searched for tips for living the writing life - make time to write something every day. In my world, it’s more like make time to take care of the business of writing every day.
I used to try to do everything at once. I felt this incredible NEED to be able to write, to network, to do promotion, and cook dinner simultaneously. I tried, and I failed. Oh, boy did I fail. Miserably, too.
I’m not sure when it hit me that multi-tasking is not all it’s touted to be. I’m just grateful I realized it before it killed me. Why did I have to do all of it every day? Who said I needed to drive myself insane?
If there was ever a time I was riddled with writer’s insecurity it was when I let multi-tasking rule my life. I put so much effort into reading posts in Yahoo groups and wondering how in the world those people had time to make so many friends in the chat rooms AND write a book. They were doing it so I felt like I had to do it or I’d fall behind. Why did I need to compare myself to them? 
It wasn’t until I quit writing for about three months that I came to the conclusion some of that crappy so-called “writer’s wisdom” is very Darwin-esque. The truly insecure and wicked put it out there to weed out the weak and set them up to fail. People, that behavior will not help you be a better writer.
What will help is FOCUS.
If you need to improve your technical skills, FOCUS on that first for a while. If you need to finish a chapter, FOCUS on that and to heck with facebook for an evening or two. If your next new release is scheduled and you need to beef up your Twitter followers, FOCUS on that for a designated space of time.
Listen to the inner voice. It’ll tell you where your energy needs to be applied. Let it guide to the most important thing you have to do or learn today, and then give it your all. You might be surprised what you can accomplish if you scale the writing mountain one step at a time.
KC Kendricks http://www.kckendricks.com
http://www.twitter.com/kckendricks



To the writers of the IWSG - network with me on Twitter at @kckendricks. 

A Passionate Muse

August 1, 2015


People talk in different ways about writing. Some call it a craft, or an art. Others talk about skills and the need to keep them sharp, while yet another camp says it’s all about hard work and dedication. Personally, I believe in the muse, that magical thing that binds all of these things into the singular process.
My muse is an ethereal inspiration, a passion that drives me to pull pure thought from the air and trap it on the page. It is the muse that whispers to me it’s time to write, or time to seek knowledge and improvement. There are times it says go play, then rest, but I resist that. I’m like a junkie suffering withdrawal if I stay away from the stories for too long. The muse knows this, and compensates with the promise of renewed energy. So far, it hasn’t reneged. 
A few years back when I needed to abandon old roads for awhile, the muse whispered of private passions. My muse is a powerful ally, and I listened carefully. Three stories, the Victory collection, were born of that late night session, written in remembrance of a beloved friend who died during the years when AIDS had a face, but no name. I never planned to go farther than Surrendered Victory, Passion’s Victory, and Shining Victory.
Seven years on, I think it’s safe to say the muse held a differing and prevailing opinion.
As we step into August, I’m finishing up a story entitled September Morning. It occurred to me I might be at the beginning of another collection. First came December Promise and more recently, Hot August Comes.
The work of the subconscious? A trick of the muse? I don’t have the answer. I’ll just follow whatever instructions my passionate muse dictates and see where I end up. There's not much else I can do. 
KC Kendricks
http://www.kckendricks.com
http://www.twitter.com/kckendricks 

ACBW - Open Wide, Bite Down

July 31, 2015

 I have a toothache for the last five days, so I didn't make it past watching Sleepy Hollow last night. This morning I go to the dentist and find a miracle cure.  - Brenda Williamson                                             ~I went to the dentist for what I thought was the last small thing that needed done. Aye. Right. She started looking at an old silver filling and said she thought it was cracked, too. So she took an x-ray and it wasn't cracked. There was decay under the old filling. So she fixed the little one and then dug out the old silver and put in the white composite. Now that's all fine with me but dang it. My upper lip is so numb I can't drink from a water bottle without dripping and drooling like a 1-year old. - KC Kendricks