Kai Strand's Blog, page 10

January #InkRipples - Book Covers

Welcome to the New Year and a new year of #InkRipples. This month we are talking about book covers.
I have a thing for book covers. As a matter of fact, I have folders on my computer where I store the jpgs of each book I read. It makes me remarkably happy to open those folders and browse the images.
Have you ever wondered how the book covers come together? Each one happens a little differently, but some of the general rules are that the author gives the artist some basics about the book’s them...

Goal Time - My 2017 Finish Lines

This is the time of year I reflect and then look forward. Usually. Last year I purposefully avoided the big think. I was in such a bad place in my writing life. I didn’t want to look back because that was what opened the dark hole in my head. I didn’t want to look forward because I really didn’t care if I ever wrote another word. So I went into 2016 without any goals. Without a plan. Without guilt. It was AMAZING!
Now as we approach 2017, I’m excited to say that I’m writing again. I completed...

Spotlight on Enchantress, Sacrifice by Denice Hughes Lewis

I'd like to welcome a writer friend of mine, Denice Hughes Lewis. She is celebrating the release of her young adult novel, Enchantress, Sacrifice. 
Welcome Denice! Congrats on the release. (Throws confetti!) Tell us about the book.
An invisible barrier protects an uncharted island and its natives from the world. A Beast grows deep within the island ready to destroy it. Only a baby can save the island, if she survives her forbidden birth and gains the powers of an Enchantress.
Elandra, the n...

Three Times A Charm with Kama Falzoi Post and InHUMAN

You may remember that I participated in the cover reveal for InHuman by Kama Falzoi Post. And now I’m happy to host Kama herself as she celebrates the release of her book. Welcome to Three Times A Charm, Kama. Tell us a little about you.
I discovered a love of writing as a young girl and haven’t looked back since. My short stories have appeared in various online and print magazines, as well as an anthology of speculative fiction.  InHUMAN is my first young adult novel. When I’m not writin...

Five Authors. Five #Freebies.

Are you ready for some freebies? Jen Finelli is the mastermind behind this collaborative giveaway. You can receive free chapters, a short story, a novella, and an awesome book by the awesome authors Jen, James Beamon, Ray Anyasi, and Crystal Collier. Oh and me. I’m talking scifi, historical fantasy, romance, super heroes and my very own super villains. Meet new authors, test drive their writing and be entertained all in one link!
Click here to find out more: http://bit.ly/2hiU5V8
Be sure to tel...

#InkRipples 2017

Three years ago we started #InkRipples with the idea that if we tossed an idea into the inkwell, it would give fellow bloggers food for thought. We love to see how many different approaches there are to a single topic. We continue that tradition with our monthly 2017 #InkRipples topics. Each of these topics can be approached with a slant toward writers or readers, from the eyes of historians or researchers, with the idea of what has happened or what you’d like to see happen next.
For those of...

December #InkRipples – Cookies

Yesterday (December 4) was National Cookie Day. According to Punchbowl, the English word “cookie” is derived from the Dutch word “koekje,” which means little cake. Dutch bakers used to test oven temperatures on small amounts of batter so that they would not waste the entire cake mix if the temperature wasn’t right. It was not long before they discovered that these tiny pieces of cooked batter were actually quite tasty!
Funnily enough, I didn’t know about National Cookie day, but the day before...

Authors Meeting Authors (Fangirling Involved)

If you aren't an author yourself, you might think that we all hobnob with each other regularly. But the truth of it is, we almost all have our own holy grail of authors that when/if we meet we are reduced to squealing fans around.

Before I was published, I met Tamora Pierce. The reason I was at her reading was because I was a fan, not because I was an aspiring writer. So when I won a copy of her new book in a drawing, I was beyond happy. But I've always been painfully shy, and I couldn't even...

Cover Reveal #FadinIintotheShadows by Kelly Hashway

Cover Reveal time. I love participating in cover reveals. Covers are so much fun! First, let's find out what this book is all about.

Fading Into the Shadows by Kelly Hashway

When sixteen-year-old Ella Andrews’s best friend, Avery, goes missing, she’ll do anything to get him back—starting with punching the no-brain cop who couldn’t care less about the disappearance.
Ella’s convinced Avery’s been kidnapped, and she tries everything to find him—even following a strange shadow to another world where...

November #InkRipples - Heritage

Heritage:

Noun

1. something that is handed down from the past, as a tradition

2. something that comes or belongs to one by reason of birth; an inherited lot 
or portion

3. something reserved for one

Yeah...seriously. I got nothing to add to this topic. Is that sad, or what? My maiden name is SMITH, so that doesn't help. We have no family traditio...