K.C. Kendricks's Blog, page 72

L is for Love (and Leather Jackets by KC Kendricks)

April 14, 2015 Day 12
The 2015 A to Z Blogging ChallengeMany Sundry Things
L is for Love
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Love. Who doesn’t appreciate the concept of “love?” We feel and express love in many different ways, which can be confusing to some. The ancient Greeks came up with different definitions for a very complex emotion: Agape, Philia, Philautia, Pragma, Storge, and Eros.
As someone who writes in the romance genre, Eros love is what comes front and center in my stories. Eros is emotional love that creates sexual arousal and passion. If you’re old enough to be reading this blog, you know where that love leads consenting adults. The ancient Greeks often feared the loss of control that can accompany Eros love.
Storge love is what we generally share with family. It’s an unconditional love that accepts the craziness of others and drives you to forgive them when they do stupid things. Where Storge love differs from Philia love is it can sometimes deepen into a romantic relationship while maintaining the deep friendship that brought you together.
Pragma love is the mature love and deep understanding of couples who’ve been together a long time and honor their commitment to each other no matter what happens. Pragma. Pragmatic.
Philia love is platonic love among equals. Platonic love is what you feel towards your friends. It allows for affection without sexual feelings. There’s also Philautia love which is the healthy love of self, not to be confused with narcissism which is the unhealthy version.
Agape love. Agape love is a committed, chosen and unconditional love that accepts another even if you don’t like the person. It’s the love of the 1960’s where pop songs urged us to “smile on your brother.” I first heard the word “agape” as a young girl in church so the word is very connected to Christianity for me. It’s the love Jesus urged upon his disciples when he instructed them to love one another. I think this is an easy love in concept and a difficult love in practice, but well worth learning how to practice. 
So that’s the [very] brief primer on love.  
KC Kendricks http://www.kckendricks.com
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Once again this year I have to do a little book promo along the way. You won’t know about my books if I don’t tell you about them, right?
L is for Leather Jackets 
Bonus blog content: I confess to having a bit of fun with Leather Jackets. You see, the word “that” is a hot button for my editor at Amber Quill. She goes through and flags every instance of the word. By choosing Thatcher as a last name for a character, and having Wynn call him Thatcher from time-to-time, I put a kink in her automatic software. Problem solved to this day…
Now for the blurb –

Jude Thatcher needs a life fix. He walked away from a serious love affair, lost the job he worked years to get, and his severance pay is dwindling. A little dancing is in order to help clear his head, so Jude takes a stroll to the local nightclub and gets a surprise.
Wynn DeRocher’s talent and ambition catapulted his band to the top of the charts, but he paid a steep price to achieve success. He needs a flesh and blood man, one who understands the demands of his music. He needs the man he let get away - Jude Thatcher.
Wynn pitches a proposal - a lucrative job modeling the band’s new line of logo’d clothing. Jude accepts but both men know it’ll take more than fancy dinners and limo rides to convince Jude to risk his heart again.
To covet might be a sin, but Jude needs a gesture of good faith. And he wants Wynn’s leather jacket as much as he wants Wynn. Almost.   Leather Jackets is available at the Amber Allure imprint of Amber Quill Press.  http://www.amberquill.com/store/p/1562-Leather-Jackets.aspx

K is for K-cups (and Kentucky 98 Proof by KC Kendricks)

April 13, 2015Day 11
The 2015 A to Z Blogging ChallengeMany Sundry Things
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K is for K-Cups
I remember the coffee from my youth, and I hated it. That’s right. The politically incorrect H-word. I hated coffee.
My parents were tea drinkers and I think I know why. It was better than the motor oil their parents drank. Think about it - back in the day the only way to make coffee was to put the grounds in top of the do-hickey and boil water through it on top of the stove.
AND THEN you let the coffee get cold and if you want another cup later in the day, you REHEATED it. OMG why are we not all dead???? Talk about something horrible!
Thank heavens the world has turned. Twenty or so years ago my partner moved into my place and he brought with him a Mr. Coffee coffee maker. I remember saying “whatever” to him and he pouted. He had this lovely little mental picture of us sitting at the table in the mornings drinking coffee.
Oops. Should have mentioned that before you moved in, hon.  
The world keeps turning and we occasionally share weekend mornings at the dining room table. And yes I do drink coffee now. The K-kup coffee brewer has changed my life. It makes one perfect cup at a time that is COFFEE, not 10W40 motor oil.
I can admit (since he won’t read this) that he was right. There is a sort of bonding that happens when we take the time to sit down by the dawn’s early light and enjoy a cup of coffee together. Sometimes we barely talk and that’s okay. After all these years together we communicate even in silence. Other mornings we chatter back and forth, sometimes with disharmony but that’s okay, too.
But most mornings we’re in agreement of what we’re going to do that day, or the next, or even far into the future. It no longer seems strange to me that such a small ritual can be so important to our day. I hope we’re able to continue well into the future.
Long live the K-cup.
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Once again this year I have to do a little book promo along the way. You won’t know about my books if I don’t tell you about them, right?
K is also for Kentucky 98 Proof  - a #1 Bestseller

Victor Carter knows his grandfather only from a handful of black and white photographs, so his surprise when the man’s will is read is genuine. What’s he going to do with seventy acres on the side of a Kentucky mountain? More importantly, how’s he going to survive living there for a year to satisfy the conditions of the will so he can sell the property? Even worse, it’s not like the hills of Kentucky are teeming with gay companionship.
Boone Mosely is Kentucky born and bred with a proud family heritage he can trace back to his home state’s founding. Following in his uncle’s footsteps, Boone’s in his second term as sheriff of Four Points. He takes the job seriously and doesn’t suffer fools - or crime - in his town.
When city slicker Victor Carter arrives on Shepherd Mountain, Boone knows he’s got a whole new brand of trouble to deal with. And this time, the badge isn’t going to help him at all.
Kentucky 98 Proof is available at the Amber Allure imprint of Amber Quill Press.
http://www.amberquill.com/store/p/1826-Kentucky-98-Proof.aspx
KC Kendricks http://www.kckendricks.com 

A Conversation Between Writers - Hearing Bells

April 12, 2015

This social media stuff is like a snowball rolling down a hill sucking up everything in it's path. I have a story to finish - I'm within 5K of being done - and all I want to do is go play online. Or sleep. 
~ KC Kendricks

~~~
I know. I keep getting stuck in the cyber world playing around with things. Yesterday I ended up finally shutting off the sound so incoming emails didn’t distract me. If a bell goes off, I have to listen. 
~ Brenda Williamson

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

J is for Journey's End

April 11, 2015Day 10
The 2015 A to Z Blogging ChallengeMany Sundry Things
J is for Journey’s End
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Writer’s need a break, too, you know.
It’s another Saturday so that means it’s straight promo time here at Between the Keys. It’s not often I highlight one of my paperbacks, so today is the day.
Journey’s End contains the previously released ebooks Station to Station and Dreams to Sell. Those stories are books seven and eight in the Men of Marionville series. I thought at the time the paperback title might be a bit prophetic - eight stories in a series feels like the maximum amount and that I should be spinning off in different directions. Here we are a few months on and I’m not so sure. One never knows for sure what the Muse will throw at me.
So here’s here’s my J for today: Journey’s End:
Station to Station: Book 7 of the Men of Marionville series 
Scott Thomas welcomes the assignment when he’s is tagged to oversee the new commuter rail line from Easton to Marionville, a high profile project that demands expertise. His love of trains makes him a natural for the job. When a friend invites him on a Mystery Train Dinner Adventure, Scott’s onboard for an evening of fun. Scott gets more than he ever dreamed about when he meets his ideal tall, dark haired stranger on the train.
Dakota Reece views the new commuter rail as the opening he’s needed for him and his brother to build their own firm and future. Planning a start-up company while working on the commuter rail project is hard work and Dakota takes an evening off to relax on the Mystery Train. When the train stops to serve dinner, Dakota is boldly cruised by a fellow passenger. He has to get to know this smart, sexy man and asks Scott to join him for a drink.  
Scott and Dakota hit it off and a quiet cup of coffee leads to unexpected possibilities - and consequences. Their budding relationship could cause a multi-million dollar conflict of interest charge. When Dakota makes a sudden decision to advance his timeline, Scott will do whatever is necessary to keep them together, on track, and avoiding derailment.
Dreams to Sell: Book 8 in the Men of Marionville series
Keith Mitchell needs a new challenge in his life. When an old friend pitches him a business proposition he agrees to pull up stakes and more to Marionville. Keith decides his new house will be in the style he’s always dreamed of having even if he will live in it alone.  
Realtor Terry Stattler has one goal in mind for his clients: find and sell them the house of their dreams. Recently widowed, Terry’s not in the market for companionship, or so he believes. His latest client is handsome, interesting and his age, but is he really ready to love again?
Keith becomes an eager suitor, waging a persistent siege until Terry gives into temptation. When Terry finds the right house for him, Keith redoubles his efforts to win Terry’s heart. After all, what good is the perfect house if the man of your dreams won’t share it with you?




Journey's End - a two-story paperback anthology available at
Amazon. 

KC Kendricks
http://www.kckendricks.com

I is for Illuminate (it's what writers do)

April 10, 2015Day 9
The 2015 A to Z Blogging ChallengeMany Sundry Things
I is for Illuminate
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What does it take to illuminate the way for us? I guess it depends if we’re discussing the physical or metaphysical.
The physical is easy. Give us a flashlight and we can switch it on and have light to see into dark corners. The path ahead becomes visible. It’s sort of a no-brainer. So what about the metaphysical?
Metaphysics deals with things we think exist but we can’t see. You know – the gremlin we know is hiding in the dark corner that runs and hides when we reach for the flashlight. Maybe I’m the only one with that particular tormentor. Count yourself lucky.
Writers dip into the metaphysical all the time. We know there are words out there, and the words create the story. All we have to do is pull them out of the air and get them on the page. Our innate creativity and passion for our muse illuminate our way to the words. We create the characters unseen. We know them. It’s up to us to illuminate them and breathe life into them for the reader.
Beyond that, the printed word has illuminated and shaped the very world we live in since Johannes Gutenberg set his press in motion around the year 1439.
Writers illuminate.

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Once again this year I have to do a little book promo along the way. You won’t know about my books if I don’t tell you about them, right?
I is for Ian Coutler’s Amethyst Cove series.
Free spirited Ian Coulter works hard and plays harder. An ex-cop turned private investigator, Ian enjoys meeting new men and making new friends. A night out ends up with one man on the floor at his feet, and another asking for his help. Big trouble’s brewing in little Amethyst Cove, and Ian’s a step behind. He’s quick to see Rick Mohr is the man holding the flare at the end a long, dark tunnel.
Undercover agent Rick Mohr walks a fine line, serving two masters. Insider trading, counterfeit printing plates, and a blown-up yacht have Rick stuck between two Federal agencies, one of which has been compromised. Rick has to discover the mole before it’s too late. When Ian Coulter walks into his life, Rick grabs the chance to salvage his assignment with both hands.
It doesn’t take Ian and Rick long to discover joining forces, and sharing resources, has definite perks, ones not found in any departmental manual.
Double Deuce, Deuce of Diamonds, and Ace, Deuce, Treyare available at the Amber Allure imprint of Amber Quill Press.

KC Kendricks
http://www.kckendricks.com

H is for Hero (2015 A to Z Blogging Challenge)

April 9, 2015
Day 8
The 2015 A to Z Blogging ChallengeMany Sundry Things
H is for Hero_*_*_*_
Opinions abound about what makes a good hero. Alpha this…alpha that… Sure the alpha male provides certain pleasures, but is he all that there is to the story? Doesn’t the stereotypical alpha male of the romance novel get boring after awhile?
Not so much………..
Then again, maybe we need a broader definition of the alpha male.
Must the alpha male ALWAYS have the physical attributes of being the proverbial tall, dark, handsome and strong hero?  Or is alpha a state of mind? Can it be in the way a man carries himself? Isn’t smart, disciplined and principled sexy? And what about self-aware? How about the man who knows who he is and what his path in life is to be? A guy with a plan?
Heroes come in a rainbow of shapes, sizes and skin tones. He can have any color of hair and eyes the writer imagines (or to match whatever photo inspiration the author has found). Our hero can be a chef or a construction worker – it’s his choice. He can be gay, straight, bi or just about anything in between because when he finds his soul mate, he’ll love them unconditionally and faithfully.
And that makes him a very sexy hero. 

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Once again this year I have to do a little book promo along the way. You won’t know about my books if I don’t tell you about them, right?
H is also for Hercules (New in town, Shiloh Rudy joins a group of civic-minded volunteers to better acquaint himself with his recently adopted community. It’s a good way to make friends, network, and help make a difference, not to mention perhaps meet someone interesting  - in a romantic sort of way. The one thing Shiloh didn’t expect was a love to rival all others to come with four white paws.
Gale Widmyer is on his feet and moving forward after piecing his life back together following a series of wrong choices. In his darkest moments, the one bright spot in his existence was the fulfillment of his dream to become a veterinarian. Gale’s making good on a promise to himself when an abandoned kitten leads him to Shiloh Rudy and a chance at the happiness he never hoped to have.
Laying the cornerstone for a developing relationship comes easy for Shiloh and Gale. But the wounds of the past often remain unhealed at their deepest point. A few careless words erects a wall of silence between the two men, one Shiloh has to breach if he hopes to win Gale back. It will take more than apologies to win Gale’s forgiveness and put old fears to rest. It’ll take a cat named Hercules.

PS. The little furry guy on the cover is my cat. He thinks he's famous now. 

KC Kendricks
http://www.kckendricks.com

G is for Ginger Snaps (and Give Me One Night by KC Kendricks)

April 8, 2015Day 7
The 2015 A to Z Blogging ChallengeMany Sundry Things
G is for Ginger Snaps* * *
Once upon a time an author I share a publisher with got snarky on a private author list that she never shared recipes when she could promo a book instead.
Well excuse me. My focus is not that narrow.
For many years I got together with my nearest and dearest friend before Christmas and we baked cookies. We each prepared five different varieties of cookie dough and then we split all ten batches down the middle. I had cookies in the freezer until almost summer! Somewhere along the twelfth or thirteenth year of baking we decided, by mutual agreement, we needed to scale back on some of our holiday revelries and the cookies got dropped in favor of our widening family engagements.
I miss those Sunday afternoons with her, baking and drinking wine…Oh? Didn’t I mention the concurrent wine tasting? My bad.
So for today’s A to Z, that being G-Day, here’s my best friend’s Ginger Snap Cookie recipe. Enjoy!
Ginger Snaps
¾ cup melted Crisco
1 cup white sugar¼ cup Brier Rabbit or dark molasses 1 egg2 tsp baking soda2 cups flour½ tsp ginger½ tsp clove½ tsp salt1 tsp cinnamon
Liquefy shortening and cool. Add sugar, syrup and egg. Beat well.Add remainder and chill dough over night. Form into small balls.Roll in sugar and place on cookie sheet, then flatten with fork.Bake on greased sheet at 350 for 8 minutes.   For best results, do not double this recipe. Make individual batches.  _*_*_*_
 Once again this year I have to do a little book promo along the way. You won’t know about my books if I don’t tell you about them, right?

G is also for Give Me One Night

Brody O’Connor joins the revelry of the yearly pub crawl hunting a like-minded man for night of fun and frolic with no strings attached. When a mystery man in an emerald shirt engages Brody’s interest, it doesn’t take long for the hunter to become the prey.

Well-matched with his mystery man, Brody regrets his ‘no strings’ approach to a night of shared passion that leaves him hungry for more. The morning after, Evan is gone as agreed. Brody knows it was a mistake to let him go, and vows to find him.

Evan never expected to meet someone like Brody. Now Brody wants to change the rules, and Evan agrees. He’ll give Brody one more night to convince him to stay.

Give Me One Night is available at Amber Allure.

KC Kendricks
http://www.kckendricks.com

F is for Frost, Robert

April 7, 201Day 6
The 2015 A to Z Blogging ChallengeMany Sundry Things
F is for Frost, Robert* * * * *
“Freedom lies in being bold.” – Robert Frost
I’m not sure the appreciation of poetry extends to the masses. A person either “gets” what the author is trying to say, or they don’t. And that’s not to imply those who don’t care for poetry are lacking in anything. We’re all wonderfully gifted with different interests.
Like many, my first encounter with Robert Frost was The Road Not Taken. I can go as far to say that bit of writing has had an influence on my life. Let the herd go where they may and I’ll take road less traveled to see what I may find. For the most part I’m quite happy with that decision.
But there’s another poem by Robert Frost I like entitled, The Freedom of the Moon. I’m certain those more scholarly than myself can attribute all sorts of metaphors to the prose, but I’m a country girl. I’ve walked home from a neighbor’s house by moonlight many times in my life and I take Frost’s words at face value – a man enjoying moonlight.
The Freedom of the Moon
I've tried the new moon tilted in the air Above a hazy tree-and-farmhouse cluster As you might try a jewel in your hair. I've tried it fine with little breadth of luster, Alone, or in one ornament combining With one first-water start almost shining.
I put it shining anywhere I please. By walking slowly on some evening later, I've pulled it from a crate of crooked trees, And brought it over glossy water, greater, And dropped it in, and seen the image wallow, The color run, all sorts of wonder follow.
-Robert Frost America's Poet Laureate 
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Once again this year I have to do a little book promo along the way. You won’t know about my books if I don’t tell you about them, right?
F is also for Fallon Roxbury of the Sundown saga. Book I is The Back Stairs, in which Fallon meets the shapeshifter.
The Back Stairs
Fallon Roxbury has a nose for trouble, and the uncanny ability for landing in the middle of it the moment he finds it. While investigating the gruesome murder of a young male prostitute in the red-light district, Fallon gets a whiff of something very strange. Forensics has unidentified hairs. Very unidentified hairs, like nothing in any of the textbooks. Following a tip from a person of interest, Fallon meets Sundown, an apparent hustler who knows a lot more than he will admit.
Getting personally involved with Sundown breaks every rule in the police manual, and in Fallon’s own personal code. Sundown is like a drug, and Fallon can’t stop at just one hit. When Sundown is forced to reveal the truth, Fallon’s world is turned upside down, and he’s left with only two options: check himself in for psychiatric evaluation, or accept a new reality with a strange shift.
Shapeshifters, that is.

The Back Stairs is available at the Amber Allure imprint of Amber Quill Press.
KC Kendrickshttp://www.kckendricks.com 

E is for Every Day (2015 A to Z Blogging Challenge)

April 6, 2015Day 5
The 2015 A to Z Blogging ChallengeMany Sundry Things
E is for Every Day* * * * * *
Sooooo today I have “E is for Every Day.” I’m not sure where that came from or where I should go with it. There’s the obvious platitude that one should live every day to the fullest and so on and so forth, but that doesn’t feel like a match to where the blog title came from. The prevailing writer’s wisdom of writing something every day feels like a better match, but not a perfect one.
Maybe, just maybe, I was thinking that every day brings me one step closer to that magical day when I become a full-time writer. I’ve reached the stage in my life where every move I make, every decision, is based on reaching that goal. The planning for it is exhaustive because I’ll be rather young to leave the work force and a paying job for a vocation that won’t make me rich, but that’s the plan every day.
I have daydreams about it every day.
Yeah, I think that’s my E post. Every day.
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Once again this year I have to do a little book promo along the way. You won’t know about my books if I don’t tell you about them, right?
E is for Ellis Banks of Tango in the Night, which is an “author pick” from me.
Jubal Graham is back on the job after a shooter took the life of his long-time partner, and sent him into a coma followed by months of rehab. Determined to have justice, Jubal is focused on finding a killer, not a new romantic entanglement. Ellis Banks, with his smoldering blue eyes and denim-clad swagger is a distraction Jubal can’t afford – or ignore.
Ellis Banks came to Philadelphia to bust a drug operation; one that connects to the same case agency legend Kentuckian Jubal Graham is working. Ellis finds himself drawn to Jubal, but Jubal holds him off. Sure that Jubal is interested, even though he wears his slain lover’s ring, Ellis mounts a determined siege.
Jubal’s surprise at having a suitor develops into a growing affection for Ellis, one clouded with old fears. Fate ripped one lover from his arms, and now Ellis is in the line of fire. Jubal’s courage can protect Ellis, but is it powerful enough to love him?
Tango in the Night is available at the Amber Allure imprint of Amber Quill Press. It's also available as part of the Night Moves paperback. 

KC Kendricks
http://www.kckendricks.com 

A Conversation Between Writers - TechNOphiles

April 5, 2015

I use Frontpage, an obsolete program they don't even make anymore. Soon it’s time to renew my yearly subscription to Freeservers.com for my website. I was looking into some of the free places like wordpress or wix, but that means learning something new and I don't have time. And they also have paid levels, so I wonder how long it would be before I figure out I need a higher level to do what I want without ads on my site. ~ Brenda Williamson

~~~~~I bet I'm going to have issues when I get a new computer. The old software isn’t compatible with newer operating systems since it’s no longer being updated. Damn these smart technie people. I'm going to have to switch to something else and you know I’m too tight to buy stuff. ~ KC Kendricks
KC Kendricks www.kckendricks.com