K.C. Sprayberry's Blog, page 112

Storm Rider 1 Donovan Versus Cameron

Good morning and welcome to Sunday Blog Share. Today, we’re focusing on the Wild West, on some of the stranger stories to come out of this venture into untamed territory.
The Storm Rider series will soon have the second and third stories published. All of these books start in Europe, during the time when England was controlling their Scottish and Irish subjects with a rough boot. There wasn’t an option for they to flee the rough boot across their necks and those who objected to the English rule were often treated poorly or killed outright.
Blurb
Storm Rider—one called to stand between warring factions and bring about peace, no matter the consequences.
Phillip Wermeer receives this reward for defending the honor of a scullery maid, murdered by an earl in the eighteenth century. He’s given a gift, to protect those who have been attacked without provocation, because they have come upon individuals who believe they’re above all laws.
His duty is to stop two families, the Donovans originally from England and the Camerons a Scottish clan, from wreaking havoc on themselves and others. Throughout time, Phillip steps between these groups to prevent tragedy.            Will he ever stop the animus between these families?

Get Storm Rider 1 Donovan Versus Cameron on Amazon
Excerpt
Frost was far too light a description for what lay upon the ground this December morn. Phillip Wermeer cupped his hands in front of his mouth and blew on his cold flesh. This area was near to the Scottish border, close enough to where they could hear the rumblings of battle from King George II’s men pushing back the heathens to the Highlands.
“Get in here!” an angry male voice shouted.
With a sigh, Phillip turned away from the castle and headed toward his duties in the stables. Soon, the lords and ladies attending his earl would be wanting to go on a hunt. They’d be demanding that their horses be saddled after being fed. Slacking off this chill morning wasn’t in the cards.
“Please, sir, don’t do this,” a young female voice implored in terror. “Please, this is wrong.”
“Another scullery maid is about to lose her maidenhead.” He stopped, half turning toward the castle.



About K.C. Sprayberry
Born and raised in Southern California’s Los Angeles basin, K.C. Sprayberry spent years traveling the United States and Europe while in the Air Force before settling in northwest Georgia. A new empty nester with her husband of more than twenty years, she spends her days figuring out new ways to torment her characters and coming up with innovative tales from the South and beyond.                                                                                                  She’s a multi-genre author who comes up with ideas from the strangest sources. Those who know her best will tell you that nothing is safe or sacred when she is observing real life. In fact, she considers any situation she witnesses as fair game when plotting a new story.

Find out more about my books at these social media sites:

Facebook Twitter Website Goodreads Amazon Author Page Google + Pinterest 
Manic Readers AUTHORSdb Readers Gazette Instagram Authorgraph Email

Female Western Authors

The western novel has long been the purview of the male author. Women were thought to be too frilly, too genteel to write these tales of what it took to settle the Wild West when America was still a young country. How could a woman understand showing the reader a gun battle, a fight for a town to win out over evil, or the thinking of those men who would do wrong? It was simply inconceivable.
 One of the biggest myths that abounds in western fiction was that women and girls weren’t strong enough to tackle the frontier without a man protecting them. This can’t be further from the truth. The women who rode covered wagons west were among the strongest of the fair species. They were leaving home and hearth, often walking away from close family connections in order to break ground in an unsettled territory and get away from the crowded eastern cities. They had to ensure their family was fed along the journey that could take months to accomplish. If their man died, they didn’t curl up their toes and quit; they move forward, keeping the dream alive.
Women have been writing about the west since it was settled. Some used a male pseudonym, much like Andre Norton did, because their work wouldn’t have been accepted for publication. Among the most notable early western writers were Mary Austin, Willa Cather, and Mari Sandoz.
Still, until the twenty-first century, the myth that women couldn’t write westerns persisted. Then along came the internet and these female authors broke through a glass ceiling that had once proved impenetrable. Today, there are many, many women writing western tales and they aren’t about simpering women dependent on their men. These stories are as strong as the women who rode west with their men to build a new life.
The elements of a good western don’t rely on the gender of the author. They rely on having a darned good tale with lots of action, a bit of gunfire, and a satisfying ending. Women have proven themselves capable of doing that and winning prizes for their work.
The list of female western writers is far too long to mention here, but I’d like to give a shout out to two women who have encouraged me to pen my western tales and have them published. Elle Marlow with her wonderful westerns based on her Native American heritage and Donna Alice Patton with her stories for children who grew up on the tough frontier. May all of us see continued success in this wonderful genre.



About K.C. Sprayberry
Born and raised in Southern California’s Los Angeles basin, K.C. Sprayberry spent years traveling the United States and Europe while in the Air Force before settling in northwest Georgia. A new empty nester with her husband of more than twenty years, she spends her days figuring out new ways to torment her characters and coming up with innovative tales from the South and beyond.                                                                                                  She’s a multi-genre author who comes up with ideas from the strangest sources. Those who know her best will tell you that nothing is safe or sacred when she is observing real life. In fact, she considers any situation she witnesses as fair game when plotting a new story.

Find out more about my books at these social media sites:
Facebook Twitter Website Goodreads Amazon Author Page Google + Pinterest 
Manic Readers AUTHORSdb Readers Gazette Instagram Authorgraph Email

Nobody Laughed

One of the things authors concentrate on in their books is current social trends. Right at the top of this list are pranks and bullying. Many of us have experienced a badly played prank or have been bullied at some point in our lives. We have all lived with the humiliation, the inability to express our true feelings because that will only give the bully more ammunition to come after us.
Authors are well known for taking past experiences and putting them in their books. One of our favorite sayings is usually, “Go ahead. I’ve been looking for someone to kill off at the end of the book.” or something similar. Life doesn’t imitate art; art imitates our lives. This is so very true. I’ve been known to warn individuals about to pull a “hold my beer” moment that they are probably going to be featured in my next book with whatever prank they’re going to try.
Not once has anyone ever complained about that. They think it’s cute. But when it comes to bullying, those individuals will point out they’re only telling you what everyone else is afraid to, or that nobody will care you were made to look like an idiot and they sure won’t buy your book. There are even not so veiled threats of getting even if you do use them and their actions.
Pranksters and bullies can often be one and the same. They pick on those they see as weaker, insignificant. Yet, when people point out that they are bullies, they laugh off concerns and continue with their actions. Each prank, every time a bully goes after another person, someone is hurt emotionally. They crawl into a shell and think about retribution, but are often too scared to do anything.
This happens not just in school but in the workplace, at stores and malls, in churches, everywhere people gather. Those who witness such acts are often too uncomfortable to speak up to counter the bully’s actions. They justify their actions by saying, “It’s just a prank.” or “I don’t want this person coming after me.” Their implied consent of the bully/prankster’s actions and words make them as much a bully as the individual committing the act.
Once the bullied person takes a stand, often in a way that gets attention, but only the kind that shocks and stupefies people, we’re left wondering how we could have prevented what has happened. People talk about mental health issues, how this person needs help, or that they should have just walked away. No one ever addresses the elephant in the situation—the bully or prankster who caused the problem in the first place.
Remember this when you laugh at someone else being made uncomfortable. Think about your lack of action when a person reacts strongly against a bully/prankster. Mostly, don’t laugh or ignore these people. Stand up for not just the victim but yourself.



About the K.C. Sprayberry
Born and raised in Southern California’s Los Angeles basin, K.C. Sprayberry spent years traveling the United States and Europe while in the Air Force before settling in northwest Georgia. A new empty nester with her husband of more than twenty years, she spends her days figuring out new ways to torment her characters and coming up with innovative tales from the South and beyond.                                                                                                  She’s a multi-genre author who comes up with ideas from the strangest sources. Those who know her best will tell you that nothing is safe or sacred when she is observing real life. In fact, she considers any situation she witnesses as fair game when plotting a new story.

Find out more about my books at these social media sites:
Facebook Twitter Website Goodreads Amazon Author Page Google + Pinterest 
Manic Readers AUTHORSdb Readers Gazette Instagram Authorgraph Email 

Why I Write

I’ve run into a question ever since I decided to embark on the path of becoming an author.
Why do you write?
It’s not a simple answer. Nay, this is a very complicated response that harkens back to when I was in my teens with a diary my brothers were always taking to read and tease me about my crush of the week. It goes back to when I’d put ideas in my head on paper, in a notebook long consigned to the trash, in order to make sense of the thoughts I was having.
The simple response is that I have a vivid imagination. The more complicated answer is that I observe the human condition and imagine how things would be if this or that were to happen.
An author probably has the hardest time explaining to those who aren’t in their field why they do this lonely occupation. For it is just that, even in this era of social media connections. No one is with us except the characters coming to life in our heads as we immortalize their demands in electronic bytes. But let me try to explain to the uninitiated exactly what this process is…
I write because there are people with stories to be told. They aren’t real people. You won’t meet them on the street. They may live in a small town or a big city. Their lives might be in the present or the past, or even the future. What they’re facing may seem insurmountable or insignificant, depending on how you view them. But they all have one thing in common.
There is a story to be told; one that will interest someone else, touch a chord within them, or make them think about a situation.
These non-existent individuals are very much alive to me as I convey their story to readers. They have lives wherever they exist. There are families, friends, even enemies that have their own agenda that must come out in the tale being woven. While I’m staring at a computer monitor, letting my fingers reveal the tale, I’m seeing the place where they live in vivid color. I can sense their emotions, the depth of their feelings, smell the aromas of their world, hear the sounds of whatever incident has them captured in a difficult moment.
Some might say with all these characters bursting out of my head that I should seek assistance from a mental health professional. That’s the furthest thing from my thoughts because once I finish the story demanding to be told, my characters are mute, happy that they’ve sent their saga has been given to others experiencing the same thing in their lives.
Yes, that’s right. My characters are giving people a reason to cry, to laugh, to scream with joy, or release heart-wrenching sobs. They are meant to pull you, the reader, into a different world, allow you escape from whatever is dragging you into a morass of emotions, and give you an enjoyable experience for however long it takes you to digest their lives.
If, by some chance, you happen to discover that you’ve gone through exactly this same problem and find solace in how my characters worked out their difficulties, they are dancing for joy. Sometimes, they demand a return performance, but usually they are satisfied they managed to entertain you for the time you allowed these friends into your life.


About the K.C. Sprayberry
Born and raised in Southern California’s Los Angeles basin, K.C. Sprayberry spent years traveling the United States and Europe while in the Air Force before settling in northwest Georgia. A new empty nester with her husband of more than twenty years, she spends her days figuring out new ways to torment her characters and coming up with innovative tales from the South and beyond.
She’s a multi-genre author who comes up with ideas from the strangest sources. Those who know her best will tell you that nothing is safe or sacred when she is observing real life. In fact, she considers any situation she witnesses as fair game when plotting a new story.

Find out more about my books at these social media sites:
Facebook Twitter Website Goodreads Amazon Author Page Google + Pinterest 
Manic Readers AUTHORSdb Readers Gazette Instagram Authorgraph Email

Make It Your Book!

Good morning and welcome to wwwblogs. Today, we’re going to be discussing how to present your book to a publisher.
The first thing that comes to mind is that you have to have a fabulous opening statement on your cover letter. You need something that will really impress your potential publisher. Oh, you think, what better than letting this publisher know my book is similar to a few bestselling novels by big name authors? That will get their attention.
Happy you’ve found a way to express what you book is about, you open the letter with, Dear Publisher. Please find attached, Hero Academy, a tale about three teens who are working hard to be as normal as possible while learning to handle their abilities. This book has been likened to Sky High with a touch of The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter. Lynnette, Travon, and Tina find themselves in a barrel of trouble when they find their school has a secret so bad it could destroy the world. In addition to their studies, they must use their fledgling abilities to save the world.
As an editor in chief who reviews submissions, you lost me with the second sentence by comparing your book to a sci-fi movie and two fantasy series novels.  To make matters even worse, you decide before sending this submission to mention that your book also resembles Twilight and is a  mere 250,000 words.
At this point, I’m imagining a book that’s about a kids without real superhero abilities in school, going on a quest through the middle kingdom while riding a broom and playing a game on broomsticks. Oh, and there are vampires too along with a doomed romance. My response will probably be along the lines of While we liked your book, we feel it’s not a good fit for our publishing company.
Why did I reject this book after just reading the cover letter? The images running through my head are the strongest reason. Of all of the books and the movie mentioned, I’ve not read just one of the books, but I heard enough about it to know combining that plot line with the rest is a disaster.
Here’s a thought to everyone searching for current hit novels they think their book is like… Be original. Give me a quick synopsis of your storyline. In fact, in the cover letter, you should give me a tagline—five to six words that sum up your novel and make a memorable impression. Spend your energy ensuring your book is tightly plotted without extraneous words, repetitive phrases, and reads smoothly from one paragraph to the next.
We all dream of having that hot new bestseller with the potential for a movie deal at some time in the future. Very few new authors have that thrill in their lives. In reality, you need to ensure you have the best book possible and have a great deal of pride in your work. Don’t depend on the success of others as a measurement of your success.
About the K.C. Sprayberry
Born and raised in Southern California’s Los Angeles basin, K.C. Sprayberry spent years traveling the United States and Europe while in the Air Force before settling in northwest Georgia. A new empty nester with her husband of more than twenty years, she spends her days figuring out new ways to torment her characters and coming up with innovative tales from the South and beyond.
She’s a multi-genre author who comes up with ideas from the strangest sources. Those who know her best will tell you that nothing is safe or sacred when she is observing real life. In fact, she considers any situation she witnesses as fair game when plotting a new story.
Find out more about my books at these social media sites:
Facebook
Twitter
Website
Goodreads
Amazon Author Page
Google +
Pinterest
Manic Readers
AUTHORSdb
Readers Gazette
Instagram




 

Finding Love

Good morning and welcome to Tuesday Book Share. Today, we’re talking about finding love under the direst of circumstances.

Get Puff of Smoke on Amazon!
Sheila and Ben search the world for her missing daughter, kidnapped by her vengeful former spouse.


Blurb
Her child vanishes in a puff of smoke.
Multi-billionaire Mark Jannson has everything money can buy. If it has no financial value, he wants nothing to do with it. International best selling romance author Sheila Carson lives only for her child, Lanie. Ben Mason fell for the lovely yet reclusive Sheila when she divorced her husband and vows to help her find her child. Eleanor Jannson has questions her dad won’t answer.
An arson to cover up murder and kidnapping in Colorado’s Front Range near Denver begins with a puff of smoke. For almost eleven years, Sheila never gives up hope that she will find her daughter alive, even though officially the child was declared dead in the fire that consumed her ex-husband’s home. Mark lives in constant fear that his former wife will uncover his horrific secret and will do anything, including ordering another murder, to cover his tracks. Ben Mason has connections he’s loathe to disclose but uses them to assist Sheila in this international murder mystery.


Excerpt
A smile was on his face. Despite the fact that he was supposed to connect with the egg donor of this lovely child, he had no thoughts of doing that or returning the kid at the appointed time. His timing was perfect. The child—Lanie is such an idiotic name; I’ll have to come up with another one—would be five in a few days. In time, she would forget there had been his loser ex in her life. She—Sheila will regret divorcing me—had battered through his training, all he’d gone through to make her a compliant and complacent wife. She’d run away after he ordered her to get an abortion.
Good thing the bitch ignored me. I wouldn’t have this gorgeous child to raise to be like me.


About the K.C. Sprayberry
Born and raised in Southern California’s Los Angeles basin, K.C. Sprayberry spent years traveling the United States and Europe while in the Air Force before settling in northwest Georgia. A new empty nester with her husband of more than twenty years, she spends her days figuring out new ways to torment her characters and coming up with innovative tales from the South and beyond.
She’s a multi-genre author who comes up with ideas from the strangest sources. Those who know her best will tell you that nothing is safe or sacred when she is observing real life. In fact, she considers any situation she witnesses as fair game when plotting a new story.
Find out more about my books at these social media sites:


 Facebook
Twitter 
Website 
Goodreads 
Amazon Author Page 
Google + 
Pinterest 
Manic Readers 
AUTHORSdb 
Readers Gazette 
Instagram 

Edge of Despair

Good morning and welcome to Monday Blogs. Today, we’re going to be discussing the edge of despair for most authors, or learning how to promote without sounding desperate.
Most of the authors being published in the twenty-first century are with small online publishers or self-publish. They don’t have the luxury of a publicist assigned by their publisher. No one sets up their appearances, gets their books in the right brick and mortar stores, or arranges appearances on all of the top talk shows. Sounds rather depressing, doesn’t it?
Actually, as the author, you know your book far better than any publicist. You are the one with the background on your characters firmly embedded in your head. You know exactly how they feel and why they react the way they do. Who better to set up promotion, to arrange interviews with newspapers and television shows, or to plan events?
Now that you understand it’s not always necessary, but occasionally nice, to have an independent individual doing your promotion work, you need to master the art of promoting without seeming desperate.
First of all, don’t make all of your posts on social media about buying your book. Share memes and other cute pictures and/or sayings from your friends or followers. Find music videos of your favorite songs and share those. Stay away from religious or political posts, though. You are an author who will have fans on both sides of these issues. By having a strong opinion about these issues and expressing it, you will alienate at least half of your fan base. Coming back from that won’t happen.
You will also have to arrange interviews with newspapers and television shows. Yes, these can happen, if you do your research. On the day of the interview, be prepared. Have practice sessions with your significant other if necessary. Remember to smile, to look the interviewer in the eye, and remember to relax, but not too much. You don’t want to come off as disinterested in the interview but you also don’t want to look like a robot.
Through all of this, you also have to be plotting/writing your next book. And thinking about how to refresh your promotional tools. Maybe check out a writer’s conference that’s coming to your town in a few months.
In other words, you’ve not taken on the most difficult full time job in the world, but learning the tricks to promote and write at the same time is well worth developing. You’ll garner more attention for your work.


About the K.C. Sprayberry
Born and raised in Southern California’s Los Angeles basin, K.C. Sprayberry spent years traveling the United States and Europe while in the Air Force before settling in northwest Georgia. A new empty nester with her husband of more than twenty years, she spends her days figuring out new ways to torment her characters and coming up with innovative tales from the South and beyond.
She’s a multi-genre author who comes up with ideas from the strangest sources. Those who know her best will tell you that nothing is safe or sacred when she is observing real life. In fact, she considers any situation she witnesses as fair game when plotting a new story.
Find out more about my books at these social media sites:
Facebook 
Twitter 
Website 
Goodreads 
Amazon Author Page 
Google + 
Pinterest 
Manic Readers 
AUTHORSdb 
Readers Gazette 
Instagram 

A New Chance

Good morning and welcome to Sunday Blog Share. Today, we’re talking about finding love in a new home. Teens are seriously into their friendships, budding romances, and preparing for college.  Some teens also have to deal with the difficulties of families overcoming non-custodial kidnapping.

Get New Future on Amazon!

Blurb

Almost two months have passed since the nightmare of non-custodial abduction that Keri and Shane endured. She still suffers from nightmares and a deep-seated fear of repeating the experience. He can’t help trying to make her life easier, better in the hopes that she’ll relax.
Keri & Shane fought back in Lost & Scared. Can they now look forward to a New Futureon the most romantic night of the year?



Excerpt
The craziness that was the lives of my family is still long from over, but I’m trying to forget all that tonight. Today is Saturday. The date is February 14, the most romantic day of the year, and I’m more than ready to celebrate with my bestie and our boyfriends. Specifically, my bestie will show up at my house with my guy, to meet her guy and me for a romantic dinner. Oh, did I mention how her guy just happens to be my twin?
“Hey.” Shane darts in the back door, a dozen grocery bags dangling from one hand. “Smells fabulous. What is it?”



About the K.C. Sprayberry
Born and raised in Southern California’s Los Angeles basin, K.C. Sprayberry spent years traveling the United States and Europe while in the Air Force before settling in northwest Georgia. A new empty nester with her husband of more than twenty years, she spends her days figuring out new ways to torment her characters and coming up with innovative tales from the South and beyond.
She’s a multi-genre author who comes up with ideas from the strangest sources. Those who know her best will tell you that nothing is safe or sacred when she is observing real life. In fact, she considers any situation she witnesses as fair game when plotting a new story.
Find out more about my books at these social media sites:
Facebook
Twitter
Website
Goodreads
Amazon Author Page
Google +
Pinterest
Manic Readers
AUTHORSdb
Readers Gazette
Instagram

Do You Like My Books?

Good morning and welcome to wwwblogs. Today, we’re talking about those weird messages we all receive on our social media sites. I’m sure you know the messages I’m talking about. Some individual says they love our profile pic and they’re very interested in getting to know us better.
Your first reaction will be an eye roll. Followed by an “Are you kidding me?” Most people will be ready to slam this individual. Some will respond with an answer to the questions, which will only bring more questions or a comment that “you’re sexy” or “do you want to get together.”
How do you avoid this type of interaction, one that only frustrates you? As an author, you’ve been told countless times not to be crude or cruel to potential fans. Experienced authors have mentioned many times this can only hurt you, cause your fans to vanish in droves. Yet, there has to be a way to stop these individuals who feel they have the right to approach you in this manner.
Thanks to a good friend, I’ve discovered the perfect solution to these people. Instead of saying, “Go away,” I respond with something like this.
“Thank you for contacting me. Are you interested in my books? Which ones would you like to know about?”
Their response, anywhere from seconds to hours later, is usually, “HI. Hello. Can we talk?” That is usually exactly the same thing they said in their initial contact. Now, it’s time to smile and get down to some serious discussions.
Recently, I had the opportunity to do this by responding with, “Maybe you’ll like my Canoples Investigations books. Teens having a great time on a space station near Jupiter.”
Luckily, the person must have decided that I wasn’t worth the trouble of contacting again, because they didn’t respond. But I was ready if they did come back. As the author of more than eighty books, I could have kept this conversation going for days. Maybe the person would have bought one or two. Maybe they would have eventually have come back with a “Are you a dummy? I want to have a dirty conversation with you. Why don’t you get it?” At that point, I would have muted them and sent their message to the spam folder.
This isn’t a perfect solution to these individuals, but it does give you, the author, the opportunity to pitch your books without being cruel or mean.


About the K.C. Sprayberry
Born and raised in Southern California’s Los Angeles basin, K.C. Sprayberry spent years traveling the United States and Europe while in the Air Force before settling in northwest Georgia. A new empty nester with her husband of more than twenty years, she spends her days figuring out new ways to torment her characters and coming up with innovative tales from the South and beyond.
She’s a multi-genre author who comes up with ideas from the strangest sources. Those who know her best will tell you that nothing is safe or sacred when she is observing real life. In fact, she considers any situation she witnesses as fair game when plotting a new story.
Find out more about my books at these social media sites:
Facebook
Twitter
Website
Goodreads
Amazon Author Page
Google +
Pinterest
Manic Readers
AUTHORSdb
Readers Gazette
Instagram

Summer Love

Good morning and welcome to Tuesday Blog Share. Today, we’re talking about that wonder of wonders, a summer romance blossoming between teens.

Get Summer Breeze on Amazon!
Beth and Trane are all into catching rays and waves on the Summer Solstice of 1972…


Blurb
A special bikini puts courage into Beth to approach the guy of her dreams. Trane looks forward to the waves and talking to a girl who has caught his eye. The Summer of ’72 on the longest day of the year, two teens discover love on the beach, amid adventure and fun.


Excerpt
“Oh, that is so gorgeous!”
Beth Ramsey ignored the tiny, square bedroom lost in the sixties to admire her slim figure in a mirror hanging on her door. The orange bikini she now wore offset her dark tan so well. The tiny gold clasp holding the top on tight might cause problems later, if she didn’t lather up that area with a lot of Swedish Tanning Secret. But she was prepared with not one but three tubes of the lotion that had helped her achieve the healthy glow on her skin.
“I can’t wait until Trane sees me.” She blew a kiss at her reflection and yanked on a pair of short shorts that were nothing more than a pair of her old jeans she’d cut off. A flimsy, see through, white blouse would provide some protection against the wind later, when she returned home from what she planned to be a celebration of the summer solstice on Malibu beach tonight.


About the K.C. Sprayberry
Born and raised in Southern California’s Los Angeles basin, K.C. Sprayberry spent years traveling the United States and Europe while in the Air Force before settling in northwest Georgia. A new empty nester with her husband of more than twenty years, she spends her days figuring out new ways to torment her characters and coming up with innovative tales from the South and beyond.
She’s a multi-genre author who comes up with ideas from the strangest sources. Those who know her best will tell you that nothing is safe or sacred when she is observing real life. In fact, she considers any situation she witnesses as fair game when plotting a new story.
Find out more about my books at these social media sites:
Facebook 
Twitter 
Website 
Goodreads 
Amazon Author Page 
Google + 
Pinterest 
Manic Readers 
AUTHORSdb 
Readers Gazette 
Instagram