Kristie Cook's Blog, page 33
October 6, 2011
Inspiration From a Visionary
On The Writer's Voice earlier this week, I wrote about what inspired me to write Genesis. Inspiration for new story ideas come to writers all the time, in various ways and forms, sometimes in the strangest place or from the tiniest little thought. But to turn those ideas into stories takes more than creative inspiration.
In fact, everyone comes up with ideas. It's what we do with those ideas - whether for a story, a painting or drawing, a new recipe, a business or anything else - that counts. And that inspiration comes from within.
The passing of Steve Jobs has hit me harder than most "celebrity" deaths. It's not that it just feels more personal - I learned about his death on my iPad, I write this right now on my MacBook - but because the world lost a true innovator and visionary at such a young age. He not only had the ideas, but he did something with them. To perfection.
What inspired him? How can he inspire you? Here are a few Steve Jobs quotes we can all live by when it comes to creating:
"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."
"Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn't matter to me … Going to bed at night saying we've done something wonderful… that's what matters to me."
"You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever."
"Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle."
"Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure — these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart."
"A lot of times, people don't know what they want until you show it to them."
So what will you do with your ideas? What are you going to do today?
In fact, everyone comes up with ideas. It's what we do with those ideas - whether for a story, a painting or drawing, a new recipe, a business or anything else - that counts. And that inspiration comes from within.
The passing of Steve Jobs has hit me harder than most "celebrity" deaths. It's not that it just feels more personal - I learned about his death on my iPad, I write this right now on my MacBook - but because the world lost a true innovator and visionary at such a young age. He not only had the ideas, but he did something with them. To perfection.
What inspired him? How can he inspire you? Here are a few Steve Jobs quotes we can all live by when it comes to creating:
"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."
"Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn't matter to me … Going to bed at night saying we've done something wonderful… that's what matters to me.""You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever."
"Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle."
"Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure — these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.""A lot of times, people don't know what they want until you show it to them."
So what will you do with your ideas? What are you going to do today? 
October 5, 2011
Writer Wednesday
My plans for this week's featured writer fell through, but I have some special announcements instead. Besides Genesis, there are some other books by author-friends releasing this month:
10/1 - Pre-release copies of Windchaser by Krissi Dallas (Krissi will be visiting us next Wednesday for her blog tour!)
10/31 - The Secret of the Keepers: Kailmeyra's Strength by Elizabeth Isaacs (sequel to The Light of Asteria: Kailmeyra's Last Hope )
10/31 - Darkspell by Elizabeth Mueller - Her festivities have begun and she's taking pre-orders for signed copies.
10/31 - Of Blood and Pulse by A Jacob Sweeney (sequel to Pulse of Heroes )
10/1 - Pre-release copies of Windchaser by Krissi Dallas (Krissi will be visiting us next Wednesday for her blog tour!)
10/31 - The Secret of the Keepers: Kailmeyra's Strength by Elizabeth Isaacs (sequel to The Light of Asteria: Kailmeyra's Last Hope )
10/31 - Darkspell by Elizabeth Mueller - Her festivities have begun and she's taking pre-orders for signed copies.
10/31 - Of Blood and Pulse by A Jacob Sweeney (sequel to Pulse of Heroes )
October 4, 2011
Teaser Tuesday
It's Genesis release month! Woohoo! To celebrate, Teaser Tuesday all month long will be a page from the Prologue to whet your appetite for what's to come. But first...
If you want a signed print book, we're now taking pre-orders! Click the image to order yours.
Prologue
The angelhovered near the veil between the Otherworld and the physical realm, closeenough to take a nearly solid form and near enough to the woman he guarded, hecould reach out and caress her cheek. But the distance between them may as wellhave been the distance of the entire universe. Although Andrew could see herclearly through the veil, she couldn't see him and she never would—a fact thatpierced his soul with more agony than a demon's blade. He had to ignore thatpain, however, as well as his feelings for her.Andrewcould not fathom his love toward this single human. Angels, even warrior angelssuch as himself, naturally loved all humans equally—a sacred love onlysurpassed by their Master. His many wards over the millennia had never made himfeel as this one did, this human woman known as Zoe from the part of Earthcalled Thessaly. He did not know what made her different, but from the day he becameher guardian, his soul ached to be more than an invisible entity in her life.It wanted to be a part of her physical world. But such desire was dangerous. Forbidden.Humanemotions such as these could cast Andrew out of Heaven, deliver him straightinto his enemies' hands and transform him into the very creatures he wascreated to conquer. The thought of becoming one of them—the fallen, the demons,Satan's followers—appalled him. He'd rather be extinguished, even if it nevermeant being a part of Zoe's physical life. He would destroy her as a demon, buthe could save her soul as an angel.For hersake, he must suppress his feelings and focus on his duties. He needed toremain alert, ready for battle.
If you want a signed print book, we're now taking pre-orders! Click the image to order yours.
Prologue
The angelhovered near the veil between the Otherworld and the physical realm, closeenough to take a nearly solid form and near enough to the woman he guarded, hecould reach out and caress her cheek. But the distance between them may as wellhave been the distance of the entire universe. Although Andrew could see herclearly through the veil, she couldn't see him and she never would—a fact thatpierced his soul with more agony than a demon's blade. He had to ignore thatpain, however, as well as his feelings for her.Andrewcould not fathom his love toward this single human. Angels, even warrior angelssuch as himself, naturally loved all humans equally—a sacred love onlysurpassed by their Master. His many wards over the millennia had never made himfeel as this one did, this human woman known as Zoe from the part of Earthcalled Thessaly. He did not know what made her different, but from the day he becameher guardian, his soul ached to be more than an invisible entity in her life.It wanted to be a part of her physical world. But such desire was dangerous. Forbidden.Humanemotions such as these could cast Andrew out of Heaven, deliver him straightinto his enemies' hands and transform him into the very creatures he wascreated to conquer. The thought of becoming one of them—the fallen, the demons,Satan's followers—appalled him. He'd rather be extinguished, even if it nevermeant being a part of Zoe's physical life. He would destroy her as a demon, buthe could save her soul as an angel.For hersake, he must suppress his feelings and focus on his duties. He needed toremain alert, ready for battle.
October 3, 2011
Gearing Up
O.M.G. It's October!
I love October. It's probably my favorite month of the year.
Have you practiced your scare tactics yet?I love the change of weather. Yes, we get it here in my part of Florida, although it's not very noticeable until you've lived here a couple years. But I do miss the northern Fall - that's about all I miss. That said, weather is pretty perfect here in October. The days are comfortably warm and the humidity has vanished.
I love seeing all the pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, especially on my son's high school football team (they use pink wrap on their wrists and ankles). Of course, it would be nice to not have to be reminded about this terrible disease because it's been eradicated. Some day, we can hope.
I love Halloween and the kick off to the holidays.
And this year, I love that it's release month!!!
I can't believe it's already here. Genesis will be out in just a few short weeks! I'm so flippin' excited for you guys to read this one. It's different than the main series in so many ways, but similar in others. Early readers are calling it my best work yet (which is good since, you know, I hope to continuously improve).
So I'm gearing up for the release, including planning the blog tour. It kinda sorta started yesterday with this post on The Writer's Voice . But the "real" tour starts in a couple weeks. I still have some slots open, if you're interested in being a tour stop. Just leave a comment or email me at kristie (at) kristiecook (dot) com.
Also to gear up for the release, I've been trying to spread the word about the two books that are already out. Thankfully, Amazon has finally cooperated. Sort of. They're running a special on Promise on the U.S. and UK sites - only 99 cents in the U.S. and FREE in the UK ! Best news: Both Promise and Purpose are back on the best-sellers lists.
Promise is #1 in several categories and hit #2 of ALL Kindle free in the U.K. Purpose has been sitting in the Top 500 of ALL Kindle paid in the U.K. and in the Top 10 slots in at least 3 major categories. Due to funky issues with Amazon (their engineers are working on it, they tell me), Promise isn't showing any rankings at all on the U.S. sites, but I found it by accident in the Top 100 of a couple major categories.
I'm so excited to see the new versions taking off! If you know anyone who still wants to read these, let them know about the specials. I don't know how long Amazon will run them, but probably not much longer. And peeps might want to read these two before they read Genesis (although it's not necessary).
October will be an exciting month all around. Now, I better get back to the final polish so Genesis will actually be ready for you.
What do you love about October? Have any beautiful Fall scenes to share? What are you doing for Halloween? Are you ready for Genesis?
I love October. It's probably my favorite month of the year.
Have you practiced your scare tactics yet?I love the change of weather. Yes, we get it here in my part of Florida, although it's not very noticeable until you've lived here a couple years. But I do miss the northern Fall - that's about all I miss. That said, weather is pretty perfect here in October. The days are comfortably warm and the humidity has vanished.I love seeing all the pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, especially on my son's high school football team (they use pink wrap on their wrists and ankles). Of course, it would be nice to not have to be reminded about this terrible disease because it's been eradicated. Some day, we can hope.
I love Halloween and the kick off to the holidays.
And this year, I love that it's release month!!!
I can't believe it's already here. Genesis will be out in just a few short weeks! I'm so flippin' excited for you guys to read this one. It's different than the main series in so many ways, but similar in others. Early readers are calling it my best work yet (which is good since, you know, I hope to continuously improve).
So I'm gearing up for the release, including planning the blog tour. It kinda sorta started yesterday with this post on The Writer's Voice . But the "real" tour starts in a couple weeks. I still have some slots open, if you're interested in being a tour stop. Just leave a comment or email me at kristie (at) kristiecook (dot) com.
Also to gear up for the release, I've been trying to spread the word about the two books that are already out. Thankfully, Amazon has finally cooperated. Sort of. They're running a special on Promise on the U.S. and UK sites - only 99 cents in the U.S. and FREE in the UK ! Best news: Both Promise and Purpose are back on the best-sellers lists.
Promise is #1 in several categories and hit #2 of ALL Kindle free in the U.K. Purpose has been sitting in the Top 500 of ALL Kindle paid in the U.K. and in the Top 10 slots in at least 3 major categories. Due to funky issues with Amazon (their engineers are working on it, they tell me), Promise isn't showing any rankings at all on the U.S. sites, but I found it by accident in the Top 100 of a couple major categories.
I'm so excited to see the new versions taking off! If you know anyone who still wants to read these, let them know about the specials. I don't know how long Amazon will run them, but probably not much longer. And peeps might want to read these two before they read Genesis (although it's not necessary).
October will be an exciting month all around. Now, I better get back to the final polish so Genesis will actually be ready for you.
What do you love about October? Have any beautiful Fall scenes to share? What are you doing for Halloween? Are you ready for Genesis?
September 30, 2011
Foodie Friday
To kick off the new Foodie Friday feature, we're starting with my absolute favorite ingredient. No, it's not garlic, although that might be a close second. Behold the power of...
Cheddar. Brie. Gouda. Muenster. Mozzarella. Provolone. Monterrey Jack. Pepperjack. Colby. Goat. Camembert. Soft. Hard. Pressed. Blue. Any and all, please. And now I'm drooling just as much as I did yesterday.
Is this what heaven looks like?If it weren't for chocolate and cheese, I swear I'd be at least 20 pounds thinner. I love cheese. All kinds of it. By itself or with just about anything. Isn't everything better with cheese?
That's one of the things I love best about it and why it's my favorite ingredient - just about anything can be improved with cheese. If a recipe doesn't turn out quite the way I expect, I can usually salvage it with the right kind of cheese. If I want to change up an old-but-tired favorite, I just use a different type of cheese than usual, changing the flavor just a tad or a lot, depending on the substitution. And anyone with kids knows the best way to get the rugrats to eat their veggies is by adding cheese.
While scrounging for something for lunch yesterday, I found a package of goat cheese I forgot I'd bought last week. Looking for something new to do with it, I found some cheese-worthy websites that I just have to share:
I Love Cheese - The official cheese site for the American Dairy Association. Cheese - Everything you could possibly want to know about this melty delishness.Ile de France - The most drool worthy site of them all! Check out their to-die-for recipes. This one is definitely bookmarked for future reference. Now you've been warned: expect to see some cheesy stuff here Fridays. But good cheese. Not B-rated-horror-romance-movie cheese. That's for the other days.
Are you a cheese freak? What's your favorite kind? If not cheese, what's your favorite ingredient?
Cheddar. Brie. Gouda. Muenster. Mozzarella. Provolone. Monterrey Jack. Pepperjack. Colby. Goat. Camembert. Soft. Hard. Pressed. Blue. Any and all, please. And now I'm drooling just as much as I did yesterday.
Is this what heaven looks like?If it weren't for chocolate and cheese, I swear I'd be at least 20 pounds thinner. I love cheese. All kinds of it. By itself or with just about anything. Isn't everything better with cheese?That's one of the things I love best about it and why it's my favorite ingredient - just about anything can be improved with cheese. If a recipe doesn't turn out quite the way I expect, I can usually salvage it with the right kind of cheese. If I want to change up an old-but-tired favorite, I just use a different type of cheese than usual, changing the flavor just a tad or a lot, depending on the substitution. And anyone with kids knows the best way to get the rugrats to eat their veggies is by adding cheese.
While scrounging for something for lunch yesterday, I found a package of goat cheese I forgot I'd bought last week. Looking for something new to do with it, I found some cheese-worthy websites that I just have to share:
I Love Cheese - The official cheese site for the American Dairy Association. Cheese - Everything you could possibly want to know about this melty delishness.Ile de France - The most drool worthy site of them all! Check out their to-die-for recipes. This one is definitely bookmarked for future reference. Now you've been warned: expect to see some cheesy stuff here Fridays. But good cheese. Not B-rated-horror-romance-movie cheese. That's for the other days.
Are you a cheese freak? What's your favorite kind? If not cheese, what's your favorite ingredient?
September 29, 2011
Why Do We Love the Bad Guys So Much?
Eric Northman. Damon Salvatore. Do I have your attention? Maybe these will help.
Aah. Okay, that is all.
No. Wait! Not really. I just got a little distracted for a moment there. *wipes drool from chin* This is why I should wait to insert pictures until after I've written the post.
Okay, really, I do have a reason for bringing your attention to these hawties and for the same reason I posted the passage I did for this week's Teaser Tuesday. Which I'll get to in a moment.
But first...why these two?
Because I have a new lust. Let me explain.
Since True Blood's season finale, I've felt a little void in my life, just as I do at the end of every season. Eric Northman is a very big part of that void. See, when I started writing, I'd given up pretty much all TV, realizing how much more I enjoy imagining and creating my own stories than mindlessly watching someone else's. But TB (and Eric) has me hooked and what's an hour a week, 13 weeks out of the year?
When the season ends, I realize just how much I enjoy that indulgence and wonder, with all the work I do, what's an hour or two a week every week of the year? With everyone switching their objects of affection from Eric the viking vampire to Damon the southern vampire, I've decided to allow myself that hour and give The Vampire Diaries another go.
We've seen the first season but it was so long ago, we had to watch it again. We just started the second season, so please don't give anything away. Anyway, I've found a new lust. I'm enjoying my time with Damon just as much as I enjoy my time with Eric. Even The Man and The Herd like Eric and Damon (almost) as much as I do.
Which got me to thinking. What is it about these two? They're arrogant, self-serving bastards. And they're bad. Very, very bad. They do horrible things. They have no (or at least little) regard for human life. So why do we love them so much?
I think it's because they're so bad. They say and do things we only wish we could do when someone ticks us off or does us wrong. We all have moments when we don't want to care about others' feelings. When we wish we could just mouth off something snarky that makes everyone's jaws drop. Or, even better, just push the a-hole off the roof. But we do care, so we suppress those feelings and handle our issues like responsible adults. And we chuckle when Eric or Damon do get to do those things.
We love their total disregard for others because we know it's just fiction. Of course we'd feel differently if they were all real. But that's what movies, shows and books do for us: provide an escape. They give us situations we can relate to but with characters who behave in ways we never would or could...but sometimes secretly want to.
So we love Eric and Damon, their fantastic lines and all their badness, as well as other similar characters. Such as my Jordan in Genesis: A Soul Savers Novella.
This week's Teaser Tuesday gave you a hint to what Jordan's like. I'm not saying he's as great as Eric and Damon because there might be one thing he lacks that they don't: if we look through their tough exteriors, Eric and Damon do have redeeming qualities. As for Jordan - that will be for you to decide.
What do you think makes us fall for Eric and Damon? Do you agree or do you have other ideas?
Aah. Okay, that is all.
No. Wait! Not really. I just got a little distracted for a moment there. *wipes drool from chin* This is why I should wait to insert pictures until after I've written the post.
Okay, really, I do have a reason for bringing your attention to these hawties and for the same reason I posted the passage I did for this week's Teaser Tuesday. Which I'll get to in a moment.
But first...why these two?
Because I have a new lust. Let me explain.
Since True Blood's season finale, I've felt a little void in my life, just as I do at the end of every season. Eric Northman is a very big part of that void. See, when I started writing, I'd given up pretty much all TV, realizing how much more I enjoy imagining and creating my own stories than mindlessly watching someone else's. But TB (and Eric) has me hooked and what's an hour a week, 13 weeks out of the year?
When the season ends, I realize just how much I enjoy that indulgence and wonder, with all the work I do, what's an hour or two a week every week of the year? With everyone switching their objects of affection from Eric the viking vampire to Damon the southern vampire, I've decided to allow myself that hour and give The Vampire Diaries another go.
We've seen the first season but it was so long ago, we had to watch it again. We just started the second season, so please don't give anything away. Anyway, I've found a new lust. I'm enjoying my time with Damon just as much as I enjoy my time with Eric. Even The Man and The Herd like Eric and Damon (almost) as much as I do.
Which got me to thinking. What is it about these two? They're arrogant, self-serving bastards. And they're bad. Very, very bad. They do horrible things. They have no (or at least little) regard for human life. So why do we love them so much?
I think it's because they're so bad. They say and do things we only wish we could do when someone ticks us off or does us wrong. We all have moments when we don't want to care about others' feelings. When we wish we could just mouth off something snarky that makes everyone's jaws drop. Or, even better, just push the a-hole off the roof. But we do care, so we suppress those feelings and handle our issues like responsible adults. And we chuckle when Eric or Damon do get to do those things.
We love their total disregard for others because we know it's just fiction. Of course we'd feel differently if they were all real. But that's what movies, shows and books do for us: provide an escape. They give us situations we can relate to but with characters who behave in ways we never would or could...but sometimes secretly want to.
So we love Eric and Damon, their fantastic lines and all their badness, as well as other similar characters. Such as my Jordan in Genesis: A Soul Savers Novella.
This week's Teaser Tuesday gave you a hint to what Jordan's like. I'm not saying he's as great as Eric and Damon because there might be one thing he lacks that they don't: if we look through their tough exteriors, Eric and Damon do have redeeming qualities. As for Jordan - that will be for you to decide.
What do you think makes us fall for Eric and Damon? Do you agree or do you have other ideas?
September 28, 2011
Writer Wednesday - Keary Taylor
Every Wednesday, I feature a writer to hopefully introduce you to some new authors and books that I know you'll love. Today I'm excited to introduce to you a fellow contributor of
The Writer's Voice
, a new multi-author blog where you get to know the voices behind the stories. Keary Taylor is one of those voices. I'm just getting to know her myself, but I think I love her already. Especially because she writes about a favorite subject of my own: fallen angels. Hehe.
Keary has several books out and lives in what sounds like a really cool place. I'm convinced I need to visit her.
About Keary:
Keary Taylor is the author of BRANDED, FORSAKEN, VINDICATED (Fall of Angels trilogy), and Eden. She lives on Orcas Island in Washington State with her husband and their two children.
About Branded, Keary's first book in her Fall of Angels series:
KC: Tell us about you in 10 words.
KT: Busy mom of two with a very overactive imagination!
KC: I can't wait to explore that imagination when I pick up my own copy of Branded (did I mention it's about angels???). Branded is your first book, of course, but you have a new one out. If you tweeted about your latest release, what would it say (140 characters or less)?
KT: Like Terminator and Resident Evil? Read Eden! Sometimes being human is not about what your insides are made of.
KC: Oooh. Love that! Very enticing. Now I have to decide whether to read Branded first or Eden. Okay, back to the interview. If you could spend the day with any of your characters, who would it be and what would you do?
KT: Right now I would probably say Emily, from Branded. I don't really get a whole lot of girl time and she just has such a bubbly personality, she would be a blast to go shopping with. Can you tell I live on an island and don't get to go shopping much? lol
KC: I hear ya. Girl time is always a necessity. So is shopping. Especially for shoes. Besides shopping, you obviously enjoy writing. What's your favorite part of being a writer?
KT: The freedom. You can totally do whatever you want as a writer and there is no limit to what you can do. I love coming up with new worlds, new characters. It's a great stress reliever for me!
KC: Agree! Especially when we write paranormal/fantasy - there really are no limits. What's the hardest part of being a writer?
KT: I'd have to say growing a tough skin. When you're a writer you open yourself to criticism. And it hurts to have people say they don't like your story. But you have to just remind yourself that YOU love your story.
KC: Yep. That's what's important. Besides, not everyone is going to like your story. Even the best sellers have their critics. What do you wish you would have known before you became a writer?
KT: Mostly I just wish I would have known that the writing bug would come back to me, lol. I used to write a LOT when I was in middle school and part way into high school and then nothing came to me for a long time. And I wish I could just tell myself to find the time to read more.
KC: You sound like me! It took longer for the writing bug to return (shh, don't tell anyone but I'm a little older than you), but I, too, wrote a lot when I was younger and then gave up for many years. So what made you decide to go indie?
KC: I tried the traditional route for a long while but nothing was happening. So I figured "why not" and things have worked out great! I have no regrets!
KC: With your awesome rankings (she's in the Top 100 of at least 3 Amazon categories!), you should have no regrets. You've obviously done quite well on your own. :) What do you like most about being indie?
KT: The control is so great. I got to pick (and make) my own covers, I got to set my own release dates, I don't have anyone but my fans breathing down my neck to release my next book, lol.
KC: Ha! Fans are great, aren't they? Even when they're breathing down our necks, because that just motivates us. If a writer came to you asking advice about going indie, what's the most important thing you would tell them?
KT: Do your homework and don't expect anything to happen immediately. It might, and probably will, take time. Do your research on how to properly format, how to get a good cover. This isn't an easy road, don't expect it to be. But it is so worth it!
KC: Yes on the homework thing! There are lots of companies out there preying on writers that are just out to scam. Good advice! Okay, let's talk about your nightstand. What's the last book you read and what's next?
KT: The last book would be Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins which was fantastic! Currently I am reading The Eleventh Plague by Jess Hirsch. I'm a bit undecided on it at this point… After that it's onto All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin.
KC: I haven't heard much about The Eleventh Plague, but the other two are supposed to be awesome. Speaking of awesome, what book or author can you read over and over again?
KT: Haha, this is totally going to sound immature of me, but Twilight and Harry Potter. I've read Harry Potter more times than I can count! And I just can't get enough of Twilight, lol!
KC: Oh, yeah, so immature. I'm sure none of us can relate. *hides HP7 under the desk* Ebooks or Dead Tree Books? Why?
KT: Dead Tree Books, lol, you're making me feel bad for owning paper books! Um, I do have an iPad filled with eBooks but I do prefer a physical book. I just love holding a book, I love the feel and smell of them. And I love the way they look on my bookshelf. Such a beautiful sight!
KC: Last but not least - where can we stalk connect with you?
KT:
Website: www.KearyTaylor.com
Blog: http://kearytaylor.blogspot.com
Twitter: @kearytaylor
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3420702.Keary_Taylor
Keary has several books out and lives in what sounds like a really cool place. I'm convinced I need to visit her.
About Keary:Keary Taylor is the author of BRANDED, FORSAKEN, VINDICATED (Fall of Angels trilogy), and Eden. She lives on Orcas Island in Washington State with her husband and their two children.
About Branded, Keary's first book in her Fall of Angels series: Jessica's had the nightmares for as long as she can remember. Nightmares of being judged for people who have died, of being branded by the angels. Her friends and family think she's a crazy because of it all. Yet she carries the mark of the condemned, seared into the back of her neck, and hides it and herself away from the world.The interview:
But when two men she can't ignore enter her life everything changes, including the nightmares. The two of them couldn't be more different. She will do anything to be with one of them. Even tell him the truth about angels, why she never sleeps, and the scar on the back of her neck. But one of the two has set events into motion what will puller her toward her own judgment and turn her into the object of her greatest fear.
KC: Tell us about you in 10 words.
KT: Busy mom of two with a very overactive imagination!
KC: I can't wait to explore that imagination when I pick up my own copy of Branded (did I mention it's about angels???). Branded is your first book, of course, but you have a new one out. If you tweeted about your latest release, what would it say (140 characters or less)?
KT: Like Terminator and Resident Evil? Read Eden! Sometimes being human is not about what your insides are made of.
KC: Oooh. Love that! Very enticing. Now I have to decide whether to read Branded first or Eden. Okay, back to the interview. If you could spend the day with any of your characters, who would it be and what would you do?
KT: Right now I would probably say Emily, from Branded. I don't really get a whole lot of girl time and she just has such a bubbly personality, she would be a blast to go shopping with. Can you tell I live on an island and don't get to go shopping much? lol
KC: I hear ya. Girl time is always a necessity. So is shopping. Especially for shoes. Besides shopping, you obviously enjoy writing. What's your favorite part of being a writer?
KT: The freedom. You can totally do whatever you want as a writer and there is no limit to what you can do. I love coming up with new worlds, new characters. It's a great stress reliever for me!
KC: Agree! Especially when we write paranormal/fantasy - there really are no limits. What's the hardest part of being a writer?
KT: I'd have to say growing a tough skin. When you're a writer you open yourself to criticism. And it hurts to have people say they don't like your story. But you have to just remind yourself that YOU love your story.
KC: Yep. That's what's important. Besides, not everyone is going to like your story. Even the best sellers have their critics. What do you wish you would have known before you became a writer?
KT: Mostly I just wish I would have known that the writing bug would come back to me, lol. I used to write a LOT when I was in middle school and part way into high school and then nothing came to me for a long time. And I wish I could just tell myself to find the time to read more.
KC: You sound like me! It took longer for the writing bug to return (shh, don't tell anyone but I'm a little older than you), but I, too, wrote a lot when I was younger and then gave up for many years. So what made you decide to go indie?
KC: I tried the traditional route for a long while but nothing was happening. So I figured "why not" and things have worked out great! I have no regrets!
KC: With your awesome rankings (she's in the Top 100 of at least 3 Amazon categories!), you should have no regrets. You've obviously done quite well on your own. :) What do you like most about being indie?
KT: The control is so great. I got to pick (and make) my own covers, I got to set my own release dates, I don't have anyone but my fans breathing down my neck to release my next book, lol.
KC: Ha! Fans are great, aren't they? Even when they're breathing down our necks, because that just motivates us. If a writer came to you asking advice about going indie, what's the most important thing you would tell them?
KT: Do your homework and don't expect anything to happen immediately. It might, and probably will, take time. Do your research on how to properly format, how to get a good cover. This isn't an easy road, don't expect it to be. But it is so worth it!
KC: Yes on the homework thing! There are lots of companies out there preying on writers that are just out to scam. Good advice! Okay, let's talk about your nightstand. What's the last book you read and what's next?
KT: The last book would be Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins which was fantastic! Currently I am reading The Eleventh Plague by Jess Hirsch. I'm a bit undecided on it at this point… After that it's onto All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin.
KC: I haven't heard much about The Eleventh Plague, but the other two are supposed to be awesome. Speaking of awesome, what book or author can you read over and over again?
KT: Haha, this is totally going to sound immature of me, but Twilight and Harry Potter. I've read Harry Potter more times than I can count! And I just can't get enough of Twilight, lol!
KC: Oh, yeah, so immature. I'm sure none of us can relate. *hides HP7 under the desk* Ebooks or Dead Tree Books? Why?
KT: Dead Tree Books, lol, you're making me feel bad for owning paper books! Um, I do have an iPad filled with eBooks but I do prefer a physical book. I just love holding a book, I love the feel and smell of them. And I love the way they look on my bookshelf. Such a beautiful sight!
KC: Last but not least - where can we stalk connect with you?
KT:
Website: www.KearyTaylor.com
Blog: http://kearytaylor.blogspot.com
Twitter: @kearytaylor
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3420702.Keary_Taylor
September 27, 2011
Teaser Tuesday
A tease from Genesis: A Soul Savers Novella (releasing next month! Eep!) There's a reason I'm sharing this - you'll find out Thursday. :)
A little set-up. The first "his" refers to Niko, a fallen soldier. The other male here is Jordan, one of the two main characters of the story, who's been carrying Niko across his shoulders. "Her" refers to Cassandra, Jordan's twin sister and the other main character. This part is told from Cassandra's point of view.
Hislids slowly lifted, revealing the familiar green-olive eyes. His entire facecontorted with pain but something sparked in his eyes as he seemed to recognizeher. Then Jordan dropped him on the ground with a thud. He grunted and passedout."Jordan!He's hurt.""He'sprobably dead," Jordan said, collapsing to the ground himself.Cassandradropped to her knees next to Niko. He still wore the torn chiton he'd worn yesterday,his muscular chest and torso exposed. Rather than the one superficial cut he'dhad before, rows of long gashes covered his chest now, as if long claws hadshredded his skin. Blood and pus gushed from the battle wound in his thigh. Shepushed his sweat- and blood-matted hair from his neck and felt for his lifesigns. A heartbeat pulsed beneath her fingers."No,he's still alive. We must get him inside.""Hewon't be for long. Why bother?""Jordan!"Cassandra admonished. "How can you be so cruel?""Cruel? I risked my life for him and hedoesn't even have the decency to live long enough to explain."
A little set-up. The first "his" refers to Niko, a fallen soldier. The other male here is Jordan, one of the two main characters of the story, who's been carrying Niko across his shoulders. "Her" refers to Cassandra, Jordan's twin sister and the other main character. This part is told from Cassandra's point of view.
Hislids slowly lifted, revealing the familiar green-olive eyes. His entire facecontorted with pain but something sparked in his eyes as he seemed to recognizeher. Then Jordan dropped him on the ground with a thud. He grunted and passedout."Jordan!He's hurt.""He'sprobably dead," Jordan said, collapsing to the ground himself.Cassandradropped to her knees next to Niko. He still wore the torn chiton he'd worn yesterday,his muscular chest and torso exposed. Rather than the one superficial cut he'dhad before, rows of long gashes covered his chest now, as if long claws hadshredded his skin. Blood and pus gushed from the battle wound in his thigh. Shepushed his sweat- and blood-matted hair from his neck and felt for his lifesigns. A heartbeat pulsed beneath her fingers."No,he's still alive. We must get him inside.""Hewon't be for long. Why bother?""Jordan!"Cassandra admonished. "How can you be so cruel?""Cruel? I risked my life for him and hedoesn't even have the decency to live long enough to explain."
September 26, 2011
Don't Believe What You Hear - They're Myths!
In case you didn't know, I write fantasy. Since you're here, you probably read it. We're all familiar with various mythological creatures and love to imagine that they truly exist. But we know, deep down, they're just legends.
There are two things, however, I've heard about for years and the majority of people seem to be convinced that they're real. They talk about them as if they're truths and there are even so-called experts who say they can teach you how to experience them yourself. Over the last few days, though, I've decided they're just as mythical as vampires and warlocks.
What are they? "Balance" and "Caught Up."
[image error]Like this but HUUUUGE! (Image from istockphoto)
"Balance" supposedly manifests itself as a gloriously beautiful, three-story, golden set of scales that brings true happiness to everyone who sees it. According to those experts, you must achieve "Balance" with all parts of your life and when you do, you sing with the angels and sigh yourself to sleep with the utmost contentment. Life is wonderful when you have "Balance."
Okay, first of all, I don't know anyone, especially women, who can call a scale beautiful. Second of all, said scales have two - TWO - platforms with weights that offset each other, creating "Balance." Anyone with any kind of life at all has more than two roles to play. Some of us have about 7. Or 20. Add all those platforms with their necessary beams and you end up with a many-armed monster that any normal person would run away from.
Getting all those platforms to hang equally? IMPOSSIBLE! Because just as we're removing the last piece from one side - that last to-do for one of our roles - another side gets piled. And this added weight makes all those beams bounce and sway and now the monster is waving its ugly arms and yelling at us that we're completely inept. RAWR!
Doesn't sound all happy and shiny to me. It's a myth, I tell you!
"Caught Up" is also supposed to conjure a wonderful, unearthly feeling down to your core that allows you to do anything you want without any guilt. It looks like a wadded up paper the size of a football stadium and its insides are covered in a list of tasks that are - gasp! - all. crossed. off. Can you imagine?!
Okay, maybe you can. Maybe you have had times when you've been able to check off everything on your to-do list, even when it was a mile long. But how long did that really last? Did you really get to bask in the warmth of freedom for more than a day, or an hour, or even five minutes, before another to-do reared its head?
"Caught Up" is more like that last to-do buzzing in your ear like a mosquito and you smack at it and clap your hands on it and everything goes quiet and you think, "Yes! I got it!" But before you can even breathe a sigh, another buzzing starts in your ear and you open your hands only to find them empty. You never really had "Caught Up" in your grasp.
Why? Because it's a myth, I tell you!
I thought I knew "Caught Up" Friday afternoon when I closed the laptop and set out to the senior-boy's football game. For the first time since...hmm...last Spring, maybe?...I actually felt like I had a handle on things. I felt like I could breathe more freely and could take on anything that popped up on my to-do list with a smile because it wasn't overdue. But somehow, by Sunday night, I was way behind again. How does that even happen? I even worked all weekend!
Of course, all those to-dos are heavily weighted in only a couple areas of life, causing all kinds of imbalance. But that's just how life is. We can strive for balance over the long run, but achievement of true "Balance" is a myth. We have to find what works for us and know we're doing our very best in all of our roles, including the role of Self. And when "Caught Up" only lasts for a fleeting moment, we just have to enjoy that sense of relief, regardless of how false it was.
After all, we love fantasy. We like to pretend myths are real at least for a little while. Until reality hits again.
Have you always believed in these myths? Have you ever actually experienced either one for more than a brief moment? What other life myths have we been made to believe are real?
September 23, 2011
New Feature: Foodie Friday
Did you know I'm a foodie? Well, I used to be and I want to be again. I've kind of been out of the loop since...well, since Alexis and Tristan invaded my brain...and my nights and weekends.
I stopped watching Food Network so I could write. I still love to cook, but it's mostly been dishes I can quickly throw together, either old reliables or something I make up on the fly that puts food on the table as fast as possible. I'm always on auto-pilot at the grocery story and I haven't drooled over the kitchen section of Bed, Bath and Beyond in ages. All so I can spend more time writing.
I had to buy a new bookshelf for all the new cookbooks!Yeah, writing - and everything that goes with it - has pretty much taken over my life. Recently, though, I've inherited some of my grandma's cookbooks (and she had tons!) and awesome pieces from her kitchen, supplementing my own with more pots and pans and cool gadgets. Bringing all of these into my home has made me realize how much I miss cooking. Real cooking, as in perusing cookbooks and trying at least one new recipe every week (something I didn't pull out of my bu--, I mean, out of the air).
I've decided that I'm taking back this part of my life.
I'm sure Alexis and Tristan won't mind too much, since they're foodies, too. Which got me to thinking - why not share all of our love for cooking with you? Alexis and Tristan can share some of their favorite recipes and so can some of the other characters. After all, Owen can make some pretty tasty bachelor food and Rina and Sophia would love to share their Italian and Greek recipes. Dorian can even throw in his favorite kid-friendly meals.
This new feature - which I've dubbed Foodie Friday because I apparently like alliterations (Teaser Tuesday and Writer Wednesday anyone?) - won't just be recipes. Sometimes I'll share new kitchen tools and gadgets I find, food-related news and pics from interesting restaurant visits. I hope to get some guest posts from other foodies and anything else I can find that has to do with food, cooking, eating, drinking, entertaining, etc.
We'll officially start next week. In the meantime, I'd love to know what you think. Are you a foodie? Do you enjoy cooking? What level of cook are you? Do you have any gadgets you love and think everyone needs to know about? Any ideas on what you'd like to see in this new feature? Hmm...maybe if we're lucky, we can get some shots of Tristan and Owen cooking shirtless. Talk about yum.
I stopped watching Food Network so I could write. I still love to cook, but it's mostly been dishes I can quickly throw together, either old reliables or something I make up on the fly that puts food on the table as fast as possible. I'm always on auto-pilot at the grocery story and I haven't drooled over the kitchen section of Bed, Bath and Beyond in ages. All so I can spend more time writing.
I had to buy a new bookshelf for all the new cookbooks!Yeah, writing - and everything that goes with it - has pretty much taken over my life. Recently, though, I've inherited some of my grandma's cookbooks (and she had tons!) and awesome pieces from her kitchen, supplementing my own with more pots and pans and cool gadgets. Bringing all of these into my home has made me realize how much I miss cooking. Real cooking, as in perusing cookbooks and trying at least one new recipe every week (something I didn't pull out of my bu--, I mean, out of the air).I've decided that I'm taking back this part of my life.
I'm sure Alexis and Tristan won't mind too much, since they're foodies, too. Which got me to thinking - why not share all of our love for cooking with you? Alexis and Tristan can share some of their favorite recipes and so can some of the other characters. After all, Owen can make some pretty tasty bachelor food and Rina and Sophia would love to share their Italian and Greek recipes. Dorian can even throw in his favorite kid-friendly meals.
This new feature - which I've dubbed Foodie Friday because I apparently like alliterations (Teaser Tuesday and Writer Wednesday anyone?) - won't just be recipes. Sometimes I'll share new kitchen tools and gadgets I find, food-related news and pics from interesting restaurant visits. I hope to get some guest posts from other foodies and anything else I can find that has to do with food, cooking, eating, drinking, entertaining, etc.
We'll officially start next week. In the meantime, I'd love to know what you think. Are you a foodie? Do you enjoy cooking? What level of cook are you? Do you have any gadgets you love and think everyone needs to know about? Any ideas on what you'd like to see in this new feature? Hmm...maybe if we're lucky, we can get some shots of Tristan and Owen cooking shirtless. Talk about yum.
