K.C. Kendricks's Blog, page 82

Ah, vacation

May 24, 2014

My annual spring vacation started two days ago and I'm only now sitting down at the computer to do some work. That includes checking to make sure I emailed my bi-monthly entry over to Brenda Williamson for her An Eclectic Author blog. I think I did it, but I'm second-guessing myself this morning. I'm also telling myself I'm going to do more work than that but we'll have to wait and see what I actually accomplish on the writing front today. The good news is I may get a lot done because my knees and back are really stiff after what I subjected them to over the course of the last two days. 

Even more good news is my hardwood floor looks fan-fucking- tastic. You'll have to pardon me that I don't have a photo. It's an oak hardwood floor. It looks like a floor. But after two coats of a finish restorer, it's a gleaming work of art and I did it myself. The spousal unit took off to spend a few days with his brother and with him out of the house it was the perfect time to tackle a project that big. The most difficult part was the drying time between applying two coats of the product. With furniture stacked willy-nilly and the wet floor, I couldn't get to either front door or kitchen door and had to go in and out of the house via the sunroom. Not a problem, though.

With the end of May comes the beginning of the blooming season. I've scaled back my garden considerably in recent years due to the local deer. Ever read that a plant is "deer resistant?" Ha! My deer can't read but they can eat. This year the Gillian Blades clematis is full and lovely again. I thought I'd killed it when I moved it a few years ago but it proved the old gardener rule of three when you plant something permanent like a clematis. First year sleep, second year creep, third year leap. 

I have a much better view out the window since I got the new desk. The backyard is full of shafts of sunlight that entice me to go outside and sit on the terrace instead of write but I will stand firm in my resolve to get the words on the page  - at least until the temperature makes it to seventy. The writer needs some fresh spring air to stay motivated. 

What's the current work-in-progress? We're going back to Ian Coulter's Amethyst Cove. Ian and Rick each have a case that overlaps the other and both seem to involve movie star Saylor Blackwood. And you know how happy (not) that will make Rick since he thinks Saylor is much too fond of Ian. 

I'd better get to work if I want to get a chapter finished today. I'll be blogging again in a day or two! 

KC
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A Cat Named Hercules and My Sexy Saturday

May 17, 2014

Thanks for stopping by Between the Keys for another week of My Sexy Saturday. MSS has been on hiatus but it's back and going strong! Be sure to check out all the participants by using the linky-list at the end of this post. Romance is for everyone!

Here's seven sexy paragraphs from A Cat Named Hercules. Oh - do you see the little fellow on the cover? No, no. THE CAT! That's my very own "Hercules" posing for his first  - and last - cover shot. Talk about a cat with a swelled head...

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I gulped the last bit of liquid in my glass and followed him all the way to his Jeep. With his head lowered, I couldn’t tell if he realized I was behind him or not. When we got to his vehicle, he must have seen my reflection in the darkened window glass. He turned, his eyes black and wild with a mix of fear and longing. I closed the distance between us. Galen’s arms snaked their way around my neck. We stumbled hard against the side of his ride. His hold tightened, and I seized the opportunity and covered his mouth with mine.
I felt the shock go through him, but I didn’t back off. I couldn’t. His lips slid over mine as he opened to me, a low moan rolling out of him and into me. He was alive under my hands as I caressed down his backside. His scent was in every rapid breath I managed to take. My cock filled in a few pounding beats. I gripped his hips and flexed my pelvis to his, eager to learn if he was equally hard. Galen sucked in a breath and tore his mouth from mine.
“Shiloh. Shiloh, I have to leave.”
Hot frustration burned inside me, but quickly cooled. He wasn’t playing with me. The man shook violently in my arms. An uneasy realization dawned. I cradled the back of his head and pulled him closer.
“Shh. Lean on me, Gale. Just let me hold you for a second. It’s okay.” I rubbed his back. “Talk to me.”
He eased away from me. “I have to go. I thought I was ready for this, but I’m not.”
“If you want me, know this. I definitely want you.” I reached for him, but he planted his hand in the middle of my chest and kept me at arm’s length.
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About the book:

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. 

A CAT NAMED HERCULES
Available now at
KC Kendricks
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The Kendricks 500

May 11, 2014
This is blog No. 500 here at Between the Keys. I wanted to mark the occasion with something special but several weeks of serious consideration hasn’t produced many suitable ideas. Between the Keys is where I lay it all out – all the personal stuff, all the opinions, all the gripes, all my hopes for those I love and for the future. I wanted blog #500 to be something profound.
I’ve concluded I should tell myself “Good luck with that” and move on, so I will. At least a wee bit. Bits and Pieces that is.
It’s Mother’s Day here in the US of A and I plan to go see Mom and take her a card. I generally search the racks for the perfect card but I never seem to find one that satisfies me. Mom loves every card I get for her just as I love (and keep) every card from her. I don’t think it’s a prerequisite for her to like them just because she’s my mother but maybe she thinks it is. This year it’s a Hallmark card, but some year’s it’s been Dollar Tree. If the message comes close, then I don’t care about anything else.
Changing gears, we’re now the proud? owners of a John Deere 1023 sub-compact tractor. I’ve bought cars with 15x more horsepower for a lot less. The spousal unit is happy. Me? I can see where it will make life on the mountain easier, but damn. There’s gold plating somewhere on that bitch. Has to be for the amount of money we shelled out on it.
A few years ago one of my sister-in-laws gifted us with a yellow lilac bush. It’s blooming and it’s purple. Go figure.
This is the year of expanding the KC Kendricks brand. That’s writer talk for picking up a new publisher. The first book is set to release in September 2014 so it’s a little early to burn up the Internet with promo about it. Plus I don’t have the cover yet. But it’s coming.
I just finished a story called Dreams to Sell that will be published sometime this year at Amber Allure in as part of a PAX. Which one you ask? If I tell you what the PAX is titled the powers that be will change it just like they’ve changed the titles of the last three PAXes I’ve been in. So I’m not tempting fate (but they are). Dreams to Sell is about finding your dream house and someone to share it with.
If you’ve followed along you know I like American muscle cars and NASCAR. I’ve watched Danica Patrick with interest and she’s doing pretty well this year. It’s tough to be a lady and like fast cars. People think you’re crazy. No. It’s the vibrations. (just kidding) Being backed by Tony Stewart is a plus for her, too.
The sun is shining and the front porch is calling to me to take a cup of coffee outside and watch the grass dry. So this is it for the Kendricks 500. Maybe by the time we reach 600, I’ll find something profound to share. 
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Moon Dances

May 3, 2014
If it's Saturday, it's time for a blog hop. This week it's the Seductive Studs and Sirens Blog Hop. Be sure to check out all the SS&S blogs. 

About Moon Dances:
For Lieutenant Fallon Roxbury, Special Police Consultant, reality has taken on a strange shift. Shapeshifters exist and a clan of them live under his protection. One is his lover, Sundown. Protecting the Chal is a full-time job, a task which would be easier if they weren’t so secretive - and scheming. When Fallon’s police force partner suggests a vacation, Fallon jumps at the chance to take Sundown someplace private. A resort near where he grew up seems like the prefect place for a get-away. Ten days filled with sex, sleep and sun is just what they both need, but more than fun lurks in the woods.
The ancient nemesis of the Chal is still out there and could one day return to earth to enslave both Chal and human alike. Secrets of the Chal past come to light when Fallon’s suppressed memories of his early years resurface. The shapeshifters have always had a plan defeat their enemy, one with Sundown at its core.
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Sundown’s easy laughter lifted my spirits as we fell into step together. I didn’t have a destination in mind, just the joy of walking along the edge of the woods hand-in-hand with my lover. Tomorrow would be time enough to venture among the trees and search for my old haunts.
The boat dock was about a mile beyond our cabin, and we ended up walking down to the water’s edge. As luck would have it, there was also a weathered bench, so we sat shoulder-to-shoulder and watched the crescent moon rise over the lake. I rested my arm on the back of the bench, and he leaned closer. Mingled with smell of the water and pines was a rich sandalwood— the scent my lover produced when he wanted sex.
“You could sit on my lap, babe.”
Sundown bumped against me. “Are there not laws to forbid such exhibitions?”
"I doubt the fish will take pictures.” I unzipped my jeans.
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Moon DancesBook IV of the Sundown sagaavaiable now from Amber Allure
Please visit http://www.kckendricks.com/MoonDances.html for a longer excerpt and purchase information.
Review info: Moon Dances received 4.5 Nymphs from Literary Nymphs
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I survived the 2014 A to Z Blogging Challenge

April 30, 2014

'Nuff said! 

Z is for Zest - 2014 A to Z Blogging Challenge

April 30, 2014
2014 A to Z Blogging Challenge A Rural LifeDay 26
Z is for Zest
Welcome to the last day of 2014 A to Z Blogging Challenge! It’s been great fun again this year, albeit hard work. I come to the last day of the challenge buoyed that I’ve completed it again, but also looking forward to a bit of a blogging break. 
I appreciate meeting so many new people. Each one brings something to my life even if it’s just a fleeting comment on the blog. It’s still a connection to someone else’s world and that’s the point of all. 
This year, 2014, I’ve been blogging about My Rural Life. It’s sort of like Walton’s Mountain meets the big city. It’s my life and the forces that come together to make my unique world. 
Yes, I’ve tossed in a little book promo each day because writing is a huge part of who I am. I can’t blog if I cut out part of my life.
I want to thank each and every one of you for spending this special month with me. I hope you’ve enjoyed the 2014 A to Z Blogging Challenge as much as I have. Thank you all so much! 
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Zest: a noun1. lively excitement : a feeling of enjoyment and enthusiasm2. a lively quality that increases enjoyment, excitement, or energy3. small pieces of the skin of a lemon, orange, or lime that are used to flavor food
A new acquaintance once asked me if my zest for life was sincere. My reply was that yes, considering the alternative, it was.  A deeper friendship with this person never developed, which is a shame. When we encounter each other she always asks if I’m still “so perky.” I doubt those who’ve known me for years ever refer to me as “perky.”
But I do enjoy my rural life. The small things around me are a source of enjoyment, and often of wonder. Every year I eagerly await the first green tips of the bulbs breaking ground. It’s a ‘wow’ moment when I realize the mountain has taken on a reddish blush as the maples prepare to bring forth their leaves. I feel the energy of the changing seasons on a molecular level. It’s who I am.
My grandfather died at age 95 and he lived every day until he was 94 ½ with a zest for life. He was born on the cusp of WWI and lived through WWII and the Great Depression. He buried his wife, his parents and all his siblings. And yet, until his eyesight failed, this man lived every day and looked forward to tomorrow. This was my shining example of having a zest for life. I hope I learned well the lessons he taught.
I wish for all of you reading this that you also may have a zest for life. I wish that you experience joy, no matter how small, no matter what source, in every day of your life. My hope for you is that you can nurture that joy and grow it into a zest that adds flavor to all your days and to all your endeavors.
Thanks for sharing the 2014 A to Z Blogging Challenge with me.

KC Kendricks 

Y is for Yard Sale

April 29, 2014
2014 A to Z Blogging Challenge A Rural LifeDay 25
Y is for Yard Sale
I’ve had a great time getting this far and must confess I’m quite pleased to be on the verge of completing my fourth year of doing the challenge.  This year, 2014, I’ve been blogging about My Rural Life. It’s sort of like Walton’s Mountain meets the big city. It’s my life and the forces that come together to make my unique world. 
I hope you’ve enjoyed the 2014 A to Z Blogging Challenge as much as I have. And remember - tomorrow is the last day, so check back!
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Step into the Way Back Machine with me for a moment. The year is 1977. Early summer. I’m driving my 1969 Camaro through town as a girlfriend and I head for the new shopping mall. We pass a large, hand-painted sign that declares YARD SALe for the world to see. Yes, that’s a small e since they ran out of room on the piece of plyboard. My friend and I agreed someone didn’t plan their sign very well and then we pondered the meaning - what the heck is a ‘yard sale’?  Being 1977, this was something new to us.
We rounded the next bend and there it was - the yard sale. These people had tables scattered all over their front yard. Clothing hung on ropes suspended between the pillars of their front porch. Naturally, we stopped and shopped. I remember getting no less than four cassettes of popular music for a dollar but not much else. I recall this because at that time 8-tracks were the thing and finding cassettes was difficult. No Amazon in those days.
Anyway, my friend and I decided we should have our own yard sale and her yard was in town and on a busy residential corner. We invited a third pal to join us, picked a Saturday, and prayed for good weather. I raided my belongings, my mother and grandmother tossed in a few things they wanted to get rid of, and off I went.
We had a blast. I made about $70, which in 1977 dollars was almost a week’s wages. I didn’t have a lot left to take home, either. None of us did. We agreed we’d love to do it again, but we lacked enough “stuff” to make it a success.
So we pocketed our money and met up the next weekend to search for more yard sales with bargains on things we might need or want. And what did we find? Some of the very items we’d sold were priced for sale a nickel or dime higher on someone else’s tables.
We still laugh about it.    _*_*_*_*_
You didn’t really think you’d get away without a brief book promo, did you?
Y is for YOUR WHISPER IN THE DARK

KC Kendricks
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X is for Xs and Os

 April 28, 2014

2014 A to Z Blogging Challenge A Rural LifeDay 24
X is for XXX and OOO
Only two days to go until the closing notes sound on the 2014 A to Z Blogging Challenge! It’s been a lot of work but I’m very pleased to complete the challenge for a fourth time. And I will complete it. Why would I quit now?
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Ah, the letter X. It’s a challenging entry for the A to Z blogger. I fear originality may suffer when almost two thousand bloggers take on the daunting X. I’m going with Xs and Os.
If your best friend sends you a birthday card signed with “XXX” and “OOO” you probably know it means she/he is sending you “hugs” and “kisses.” My BFF uses it and it always makes me smile. We’ve pals for a long time - since we were in elementary school! When she calls me, my cell phone plays “You’re My Best Friend” by Queen. Using X and O is a common custom today, but did you know its roots are in the Middle Ages?
In those days, Christians would draw a cross on a document to show their sincerity and honesty. They would then kiss the cross to show the document carried their sworn oath. This was quite common as a lot of people didn’t know how to write their name.
Since the O goes with the X we should note the O was used by Jewish immigrants who arrived in the New Country and only spoke Yiddish. Being Jewish, the cross didn’t have the meaning to them, but the sentiment of the O being their sworn promise was the same.
So there you have it. Xs and Os as sincere and honest hugs and kisses. Remember that the next time your best friend sends you a card. It’s a sign of sincerity, faith and honesty, and yes, abiding affection. 

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You didn’t really think you’d get away without a brief book promo, did you?
Newest release - MOON DANCES, book IV in the Sundown saga. 
Available now at Amber Allure and online bookstores. 

KC Kendricks
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W is for What You Don't Confess

April 26, 2014
2014 A to Z Blogging Challenge A Rural LifeDay 23
W is for What You Don’t Confess
Welcome to the last Saturday of the 2014 A to Z BloggingChallenge. 
This is the fourth year I’ve participated in the A-Z and this year it’s been all about My Rural Life. It’s sort of like Walton’s Mountain meets the big city. It’s my life and the forces that come together to make my unique world. 

Today, since it's a busy Saturday in my world, I'm doing straightforward promotion from a "W" book. What You Don't Confess is the "anchor" book in the Men of Marionville series. It's Dylan's story and Dylan is the character who connects all the characters in the series. 

Just a heads up - the excerpt gets a bit steamy so stop reading here if you think it will upset you. 


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The look on Cassidy’s face when I opened the door was worth the hour of dithering back and forth over what to wear. I’d insisted tonight was a casual dinner, and so finally settled on dark blue jeans, and a turquoise polo-style pullover to bring up the color in my eyes. Apparently I chose well. My suitor looked me up and down, then blinked - several times. I looked past him, gazing at the black  Camaro in my driveway. “Nice car, Cass. One of my friends drives that model, too.”

“Um, yeah. The Templeton fellow. He, um, parked beside me today at the luncheon. I did a double-take when I left the restaurant.” Cass’s left eyebrow drifted up as he gave my appearance a slower perusal.
I watched his eyes move down again, then pause midway, then his gaze flicked up to mine. Amused, I wiggled my hips. “The jeans are new, Cass. Do you like them?”
Cass licked his lips, then swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he croaked two syllables. “Uh-huh.”
“Well, come on in.” I stepped back, and motioned him inside. “Would you like something cold to sip until it’s time to go?” I closed the door behind him. He reached for me.
“No. I want this.”
I went into his arms willingly, opening my lips to him and letting him coax me into a long, lingering kiss. His tongue licked into mine, enticing me to move closer until our chests and thighs pressed tightly. Back and forth we tasted and tested, moving on the field of a mock battle where we both won. Blood pooled in my groin, and my cock swelled fuller with each rapid beat of my heart. My resolve not to jump into bed with him tonight wavered.   _*_*_*_*_
W is for WHAT YOU DON’T CONFESS, book three of the Men of Marionville series. For a longer excerpt and buy links please visit my website at http://www.kckendrick.com/WhatYouDontConfess.html . 

KC Kendricks

V is for Vintage

April 25, 2014
2014 A to Z Blogging Challenge A Rural LifeDay 22
V is for Vintage
We’ve reached the last few days of this year’s blogging challenge with only four days to go.  It’s been fun sharing little tidbits of my life and world, all part and parcel of what make me who I am even if the sum doesn’t create the whole. Thanks for visiting my corner of the 2014 A to Z Blogging Challenge.
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Say the word “vintage” and it will conjure a different image for the person you’re talking with, and, of course, to every individual reading this blog post. Vintage is a matter of age and perspective, not to mention geography. I love the ubiquitous quality of the word. 
For me, “vintage” brings to mind things of the early to mid 1900s and those day-to-day items I remember from my great-grandparent’s and grandparent’s homes.  Vintage can be an old black and white photo or a fringe dress from the Roaring Twenties. It can be a collectible Singer treadle sewing machine or your mother’s wedding dress from the 1950s.  Call something “vintage” and you add a layer of romance to its existence. 
Those things the individual views as vintage frequently improve with age. That’s not a bad thing at all. I think we all need fond memories, and we’re all allowed to chose those that grow more so over time.
I’ve decided vintage items have a definite place in my world. A one hundred year old table with a forty-year-old hand-crocheted doily on it has stories to tell if one just slows down to listen. The table belonged to a great-grandmother and her granddaughter made the doily. Old oak and delicate thread link me to those women.
And they somehow soften the blow of realizing the more years I live, the closer to vintage I become.
KC Kendrickswebsite: http://www.kckendricks.comtwitter: www.twitter.com/kckendricksfacebook: facebook.com/kckendricks
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You didn’t really think you’d get away without one more brief book promo, did you?
V is VICTORY! The Victory series, that is.