Kalayna Price's Blog, page 12

GRAVE DANCE cover revealed

Today is the day, and I am very pleased to reveal the cover for the second Alex Craft novel, GRAVE DANCE. I could build this up a bit, but I think I'll just splash the cover and not keep you waiting in further suspense.


So, what do you think?

Personally, I think it's absolutely striking. It retains the ethereal and contemplative aspect of the Grave Witch cover while the closer crop and forward angle of Alex's body adds an edge of power and assertiveness. The cityscape visible behind the cemetery is a gorgeous touch, and I love that they kept the subdued blue greys overall  with just a single splash of brilliant of color with Alex's shirt (green this time). In short, I love it and I absolutely cannot wait to see it on the shelf beside the first book!

Happy hump day everyone! -Kalayna Price

Nano Day 2 and Grave Witch in the Wild finalists

It's day two of NaNo. How are things going? I saw several of you knocked a nice chuck of your word count out last night. Congrats! If you find you're falling a little behind, no worries--you have plenty of time to catch up. If you find you're spending a lot of time staring at your screen and not writing, try setting a timer for short bursts of writing--try 10 to 15 minutes at a time and you might be surprised what you can accomplish when a timer is counting down. If you're having trouble carving time to write out of your busy day, remember that you don't need long periods of time. If you can jot down a sentence or two at a time while cooking dinner or waiting on the kids to get out of after school activities you'll find yourself a lot closer to your goal when you finally do reach your computer. (Also, thinking about your story throughout the day will keep it percolating in the back of your head.)  So, how are those word counts looking?

Switching gears, I want to say thank you to everyone who participated in the Grave Witch in the Wild contest! I received some great entries (as you'll soon see) and I have to say, I'm glad I don't have to pick the winner because it would be tough! It's up to you guys to vote on the winner (yes, I'm leaving the tough choices up to you. Also, remember that a second winner will be randomly selected using a random number generator.) Voting will be open until 11:59 pm EST Sunday, November 7th. You may cast your vote here in the comments (and if you do, please mention why you picked the entry you chose) or you may vote anonymously in the "Poll" box in the left hand column of the blog.

Okay, let's see the options, shall we? (Numbers are above the entry)

Option #1
Option #2

Option #3

Option #4


It's going to be tough, isn't it? I told you. ^_^ You may vote based on any criteria like, and feel free to try to rally support for your favorite here in the comments or elsewhere using this link ( http://3.ly/R7Kv ) back to the post. So, which has your vote?

Happy Tuesday!-Kalayna Price

Nano Day 1: What the heck is NaNoWriMo anyway?

Before I start talking about NaNo, let me first remind everyone that today is the very last day to enter the Grave Witch in the Wild contest. I'll be posting the finalists tomorrow, so make sure you get your entries in by midnight tonight!

Also, if you're a newsletter subscriber, I have a very special sneak peek of the GRAVE DANCE cover going out exclusively to subscribers tonight. Everyone else will have to wait until Wednesday for the big reveal. If you're not a subscriber but you would like to be, subscribe here:





Okay, now on to today's blog post.

It's November first, which means it is the first day of NaNoWriMo. All over the world thousands of people will be putting words to the page and starting novels today. Are you one of them?

As I mentioned briefly in an earlier post, I would like to once again run a mini community here on the blog. Participating is easy, if you are taking the challenge, simply stop by the blog a couple times a week and share your current word count. Also feel free to discuss any challenges or triumphs you encounter as you write. Fraternization with other commentors is highly encouraged--please cheer each other on!

Everyone who crosses the 50k word deadline by the end of the month (You'll need to send me a link to your NaNoWriMo profile with winner bar) will be mentioned in the acknowledgments of the upcoming Haven Novel, THIRD BLOOD. Also, out of all of those who finish, I will choose one grand prize winner who will receive his or her choice of one of the following craft books:
Break Into Fiction by Mary Buckham and Dianna LoveGoal Motivation Conflict by Debra Dixon
orSelf-Editing for Fiction Writers by Browne & KingThese some of my favorite writing craft books and books I think every writer should read at least once. The grand price winner will be chosen at random, but each comment will give you another entry in the drawing (max three entries per day).

Sound easy enough? Well then, let those fingers fly! Today's word goal is 1,667 words (50k divided by 30 days = 1,667 words per day). How has the first day treated you?-Kalayna Price

**IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT** Tomorrow's Signing CANCELED

Hey guys, I'm so sorry to cancel the signing scheduled for tomorrow (10/30/10) so close to the date. (Heck, I'm sorry I have to cancel it AT ALL.)

Due to circumstances completely out of my control, tomorrow's signing at the BAM in Sandhills has been canceled. I've been in contact with the manager this afternoon, and the books he ordered for the signing did not arrive, so they have only what was on the shelf--2 copies, apparently. The manager wants to reschedule for an as of yet undetermined date (we'll see) but the pertinent fact is that tomorrow's signing is canceled.

I'm so sorry about this guys. If I had any control of the situation, I'd still hold it.

Sorry!-Kalayna Price

A couple quick announcements

Hey, I have just a couple quick announcements to make today:

First up, tonight (Thursday, October, 28th) I will be in the Knight Agency Chatroom starting at 9pm EST chatting live with readers. I have no idea what I'll talk about for an hour if you guys don't show up and ask questions, so please log in and join in the discussion. I would love to chat with you guys. Also, I'll be giving away 3 signed copies of GRAVE WITCH and there will be several other paranormal books by other writers represented by my agency up for grabs, so please drop by. You can find out how to log in and all the other important details HERE.

Second item on the agenda is that my Halloween book signing is this Saturday, October 30th from 1-3pm at the Books-A-Million in Sandhills. (164 Forum Dr. Columbia, SC 29229) I'll have candy and swag, so if you are in or around the Columbia area and couldn't make it to the release party at the beginning of the month, I hope you'll try to make the signing on Saturday. I'd love to see you.

And last on the list, I wanted to talk a bit about NaNoWriMo. If you're not familiar with that weird little word, it's short for National Novel Writing Month, which is a challenge held every November to encourage people to write 50k words in 30 days. I'd planned on doing a complete post on NaNo, but this week hasn't gone as planned, so I'll condense here and expand tomorrow or over the weekend.
Last year I sponsored a mini writing community here on the blog with a chance to win prizes for those who participated and acknowledgment in TWICE DEAD of those who met the 50k word goal. For those of you who are writers or who are aspiring writers, I'd love to host the community once again. Participating is easy: I'll post daily blogs throughout November (or as near daily as I can manage)  and participants leave comments with their daily and total wordcount in the comments (no need to check in every day, but try to update everyone on your wordcount a couple  times a week.) Also feel free talk about any struggles, snags, or triumphs in the comments and to offer other participants suggestions, encouragements, and congratulations. If the timing works out (and I think it will) everyone who crosses the 50k word finish line will be in the acknowledgments of THIRD BLOOD. I will also put together a prize packet to give away to at least one random participant. (I'll let you know what it is once I decide. It will probably be one of my favorite craft or editing books.) How does that sound? Do you have a novel in you waiting to get out? Now is as good a time as any!

Happy Thursday everyone! I hope you'll drop by the live chat tonight.

P.S. one last thing: I just saw the cover for GRAVE DANCE. You guys are going to love it. More news as soon as I have permission to share.-Kalayna Price

In Loving Memory: Licorice (May 1999 - October, 27 2010)

Pets fill a number of different roles in peoples' lives. For me they are family, so today I lost a family member. Licorice was 11 1/2 years old and the sweetest guy you could meet. He was a lap kitty and purr box who often had the tip of his tongue peeking out. Monday we made an emergency appointment with the vet because one of his toes suddenly doubled in size. They put him on a steroid, an anti inflamatory drug, and an antibiotic as a first step, but there was a good chance it was cancer and that on the recheck next week we might have to consider amputation. Yesterday he was happy enough. This morning he was having trouble breathing. He died in transit to the vet. At least he died in someone's arms, knowing he was loved. And it was fairly fast, so I don't think he suffered much.
I do believe animals have souls and that he is in a better place, but that doesn't dampen the ache of saying goodbye. Here are some pictures of my baby so he is immortalized here on the blog.










I hope you're having a better Wednesday than me. Don't forget to hold your loved ones tight, everyone.-Kalayna Price

Your Questions Answered

Last week I asked for questions. Today I will be answering them. So let's see what you were curios about:

Edna asked:
Q. How many books will there be for the Alex Craft series?A. Currently there are three books contracted in the series, but I have ideas that go beyond the third book, so I hope Roc buys more of the series. The next book, GRAVE DANCE, will be released late next summer.

Q. Falin and Death both seem like fantastic love interests for Alex. I was wondering if you already have it set in mind who she will end up with, if anyone at all?A. I have a definite direction for Alex's love life, but as I'm writing sometimes surprise occur, so nothing is set in stone. 

Q. And this is a general sort of comment but I'm incredibly fascinated by Death. In a future book I hope Alex can learn more about him and maybe get a glimpse into his world. How about "A Day in the Life of a Soul Collector"? ;) Falin is quite interesting himself. I'm eagerly awaiting to read more of his history.A. Those aren't really questions, but I thought I'd just comment that you will definitely be seeing more of both and learning quite a bit more in the next two books. I'm glad you're enjoying the characters and the world! Thanks so much, and thanks for the questions!

The next set of questions are from Natalie via Facebook:
Q.How do you pronounce Falin? I have an acquaintance named Fallon (rhymes with Allen), and I've been pronouncing it the same way, but I've nev...er seen it spelled your way.A. Technically, the 'i' would make the 'a' long, so I pronounce it FA lin. That said, FAH lin isn't that far off so is probably an acceptable pronunciation.

Q.Why a Chinese Crested? I mean, I love cresties, but it seems like an odd match for Alex.
A. This is actually a question I answered in a recent interview over at Smexy Books. Instead of thinking up a different way to say the same thing, I'm just going to steal that answer. I hope you don't mind.

A Chinese Crested of the truly hairless variety is a small dog with patches of hair only on the head (the crest), feet, and tail. This hair is typically white or black, and their skin is usually pigmented any number of combinations of pink and grey. The first time I saw one, I couldn't decide if it was adorable or had some terrible disease. In my experience, most people either think they look like ugly hairless rats or are cute in a pathetic way. When I was creating Alex's character, I liked the idea that she'd be drawn to a dog who just didn't fit in. He's not a stray of unknown origin—let's face it, sadly, those are a dime a dozen. He's a pure breed that many people would be vaguely repulsed by. It worked for her.

Thanks for the questions, Natalie!

Christina asked:
Q. I've read your Haven books and love them. I was wondering if we were going to see more of Tatius in the next book. I really like him, he is such a fascinating character.(and I may have a teeny tiny crush on him) I was intrigued by his behavior towards Kita in the second book. What is he about?A. This question makes me smile. I'm so glad you like Tatius. He was one of those characters who was just a name and a small note in the outline of the first book. I mean, I knew his history and his agenda before I started writing, but he was just supposed to be a minor antagonist. Then I wrote his first scene in Once Bitten and he jumped right off the page. Sometimes characters surprise the writer. After the events in Twice Dead, Tatius wasn't supposed to reappear in the series until book four because Third Blood is very shifter and Firth centered, but that punk haired master vamp doesn't tend to care what my outline says. ^_^
Thanks for the question!

Happy Monday everyone. And don't forget, this is the last week for the Grave Witch in the Wild contest. So far I have only a couple entries, so odds of winning are really good. Please check it out!
-Kalayna Price

Do you have questions?

After the blog party and my month of blogging near daily, I'm a little unsure of what to talk about on the blog. Soon I'll start blogging on NaNoWriMo--very soon, I guess, as November isn't far off and I plan to invite others to take the challenge with me once again this year. November will likely be mostly craft and encouragement posts, but for the rest of October? I'm not sure (hence the silence the last couple days).

So, I thought I'd open the blog to questions.

Do you have something you'd love to ask me? It can be about either series I write, about writing in general, about hooping, heck, you can even ask me your homework questions, but I don't promise to know the answers.  If you leave questions in the comments of this post, I'll answer them in tomorrow's post. Sound good?

Happy Vampire Diaries day Thursday! (And don't forget, the Grave Witch in the Wild contest is currently open for submissions. Check it out!)

ETA: Oh, Please try to avoid spoilers about the books in your questions, or please clearly mark them with **SPOILERS** and space down a bit to give others who might not have read  the book fair warning. Thanks!-Kalayna Price

CONTEST: Grave Witch in the wild!

A week or so ago I inquired whether you guys would be interested in a photo contest with the prize being a custom made Grave Witch bookmark. The response was enthusiastic, so I went in search of the perfect charms. Considering it is nearly Halloween, I thought now would be the ideal time of year to find charms that would tie-in with Grave Witch. Apparently I was wrong. I scoured every craft store and Halloween shop I could find with absolutely no luck. I nearly gave up the search and considered making the charms myself (because I need yet another hobby and everyone wants me learning to carve soapstone instead of writing, right? yeah, no.) Luckily, in a shop I never would have guessed would carry charms, I found the cute little tombstone and ghost that are now on the bookmarks.

These were designed and hand beaded by me. I chose the black and silver with just a splash of red color scheme to mimic the cover of the book. Both bookmarks feature gauzy black ribbon, a silver toned charm, and Swarovski crystals. I'm currently working on the possibility of embroidering the book title on the ribbon, but I have to touch base with a friend to see if her machine could do it, so the final product may or may not feature that (but I really hope it will!) The ghost bookmark has a total of nine Swarovski crystals including a 10mm Siam heart. The tombstone bookmark includes magnetic hematite and a brilliant glass bead as well as a gunsmoke-colored chain and hand-shaped wire.

So, what do you think? Do you want to win one of these limited edition Grave Witch bookmarks?




Here are the contest details:
Contest name: Grave Witch in the wild!
How to enter: Take a picture of yourself, your friends, your children, your pets, your plants--whoever--reading GRAVE WITCH. (If you have an electric copy, just take a picture with your ereader displaying the cover or title page.) Upload the picture somewhere like facebook, twit pic, yfrog, flicker, photobucket, your blog, or anywhere else you can post a picture on the web, and then add a link to the comments of this thread. (Limit one entry per copy of the book, please)
How winners will be chosen: There will be two (2) winners. A panel of judges (aka friends and family I can rope into the job) will choose finalists out of the submitted photos. Those finalists will then be posted on the blog and a poll will be opened for the public to vote on their favorite picture. (Funny, cute, and/or clever pictures probably stand the highest chance in a public forum.) A second winner will be chosen at random from amongst all entries (not just finalists) by a random number generator.
Who can enter: Anyone who is willing to take a picture with the book. I'll ship anywhere that customs won't stop the bookmark from entering the country.
Entry Deadline: Monday, November, 1st at 11:59 pm. I'll announce finalist's later that week, and will announce both winners once voting has finished.

Sound easy? Sound fun? I hope so.

I can't wait to see the pictures!



(**by entering the contest you grant me the right to repost your submitted photo on the website and blog. The winner chosen on the public forum will have first choice between the two bookmarks.)-Kalayna Price

Hello mister tall, dark, and terrifying

(Blog X-posted)
October is moving right along which means creepy costumes and sugar highs are just around the corner. Or is that just my plan? Surely not.

Halloween is nearly here, and it's a good time for the things that go bump in the night. Many creatures which once would have been relegated to horror stories and movies are now featured as heroes and romantic leads, but let's forget them for a moment and talk of the terrifying.

What flavor do you prefer your horror stories/movies? Do you like an oppressive atmosphere that keeps your shoulders hitched as you wait for the worst? Do you like the monster you never quite see so he's worsened by your imagination? Perhaps your horror preference is the gore and the gritty details. Or maybe the psychological horror tale that worms itself into the back your mind and then begins to twist. Or perhaps your horror tastes lean toward the destruction of all hope in the face of insurmountable and unstoppable odds? (Zombie Apocalypse anyone?)

From the ghost story to the slasher film, horror is a genre with many faces and many elements. Which work for you? Do you laugh off a scary tale, or do you sleep with the lights on after a good horror flick?  It's the month for spooky stories and frightening monsters, so please share your favorite horror movies and books! (We could all use a good scare, right?)-Kalayna Price