K.C. Sprayberry's Blog, page 142

The Anthology

You’re really interested in Publisher ABC. They have what looks like a growing stable of authors who have really great books. Yet, you don’t feel as if you can become part of this group because you’re not sure if you’re good enough. Well, look no more. There is another way to interest a publisher in your work.
An anthology is a collection of stories by various authors. There is usually a central theme, be it a holiday or certain genre. Your only task once you read the submission guidelines is to write an appropriate story and submit it. Then, instead of chewing your fingernails and haunting your inbox, get back to work on your novel.
It will take time to hear back from the publisher’s editor in chief regarding your story. Don’t fret and ignore the more important part of your life, writing your novel. Don’t peer at their Facebook or Twitter feeds, seeking information as to who is going to be featured in the anthology, in case they lost your email address. Specifically, don’t bombard the individual handling the anthology to find out if by chance your submission went astray. Learn patience.
If you do receive a contract for an anthology, please read it carefully. Some publishers offer no payment whatsoever to the authors, deeming either a free copy is more than enough for  being part of this anthology, as you’ll receive quite a bit of prestige. While I don’t think this is a good move, if you do, accept that won’t receive any financial recompense, even though you’ll be expected to promote as if you had.
Finally, the payment on the contract might be a division of the royalties with the other authors. This means, each sale is divided by the number of contributors. It makes for a smaller but more consistent monthly royalty.
If you do decide to go with the anthology contract, you will find you have admission to submit to this publisher your books. They like your work and are willing to look at other manuscripts you have. Some might say being in an anthology is a loss for an author, but I’ve found it to be a great way to introduce yourself.

The Food of Love

Food and romance have long been connected. The sweet, candlelit dinner, drinks and canapes under a romantic moon, that very special desert for the person you love. This anthology combines tales of romance with a single recipe from the story, proving once again that Valentine’s Day is perhaps the most romantic day of the year.





Get The Food Of Love on Amazon! 


Blurb
Food entices the senses just as love entices the soul. We take chances, we share new beginnings, in hopes of making that special someone part of our lives, now and forever. Solstice Publishing presents ten tales of love, each with a recipe our authors consider part of their love story. We hope they can be part of yours too.
Please enjoy these stories by Mya O’Malley, Rocky Rochford, Susanne Matthews, Rachael Stapleton, Elle Marlow, Vanayssa Somers, Margaret Egrot, Cynthia Ley, Rebecca L. Frencl, and K.C. Sprayberry




Excerpt
“Are you sure you have to go away on Valentine’s Day, of all days?” Sophia twirled her soft auburn hair through her fingers. “Why can’t you just tell Hank that you have other plans?’
“First of all, it’s Tom; Hank hasn’t been around in ages. Secondly, I really like him, so no; I’m going away that weekend.” Susan exhaled deeply.
Protruding her lower lip, Sophia batted her eyes and gazed at her sister. The little trick had earned her tons of attention as a child and usually resulted in Sophia getting her own way. Her “big sister” was six minutes older and took the role of older sister seriously, too seriously. Identical twins from the top of their auburn heads to the bottom of their size eight feet.
“Nope. Not this time. I’m sorry to leave you alone on Valentine’s Day, but it’s just another weekend; look at it that way.” 

Turning Edits

Probably one of the most irritating issues I’ve faced as an editor in chief is getting authors to return their edits in a timely manner. One might think that someone who had taken the time to write, revise, and edit a book prior to submitting it to a publisher would be literally bouncing up and down in their efforts to have that book prepared for publication.
Such is not the case in recent months. I’ve heard pretty much every excuse from “my computer updated and I can’t open files” to “I’m working on my next novel and am in the flow. I’ll get to those edits in a month or so.”
Okay, the first excuse I can’t do much about, except to remind you that an update to your computer will usually have a restore point. This means you can undo what has been done until you figure out just what went wrong. Yes, seriously, this does exist, but you need to be computer savvy to make this work. So, if you aren’t you have two options—learn or hire someone to do it for you. My frequent suggestion to those authors who aren’t rolling in cash is to find a local teen who is very good with computers to do the job. Make sure you let their parents why you’re talking to the child and ask said teen if they can show you what to do the next time. (a small payment for their efforts is always appreciated—the parents might even appreciate you showing their teen how important that child can be.)
The second excuse isn’t excusable. My response to authors using this one has been and will continue to be “You signed a contract. Did you not read this contract? Didn’t you notice you have a time frame to return these edits, not when it’s convenient to you?” This is generally followed with an exact date the author has to return their edits to their editor.
Think about this before you get on your high horse and start saying I don’t understand the creative process. I can assure you that I understand that process very well, as I’m an author when I’m not an editor in chief, and my writing time is far more restricted than yours is. My editor will attest to the fact that I turn my edits in probably the most timely manner of any author she’s worked with, and that’s even when my infamously lousy ISP connection is acting up.
Your editor is taking time from their busy day to look over your work and ensure it’s the best it can be, so you don’t get slammed by reviewers for having a poorly edited book. This work reflects on them as much as it does you. They don’t normally edit one book at a time. Some editors are talented enough to handle four to five books at a time. So, don’t insult them and ruin their work schedule, because this is work, and very hard at that, because you can’t be bothered to look at your edits until your next project is done.
Remember, the editor is a human with feelings, a life, and bills to pay, just like you are. They often don’t get paid until the job is done. If you drag your feet about returning your edits, they’re having to wait months and months for that paycheck.

Lone Survivor

Teens and drinking—it’s not a new problem. This isn’t a problem that will go away in a generation or two. Underage drinking is a very real, very prevalent problem, one that will destroy young lives, just as it has in the past. No matter how much education our teenagers get from us as parents, from schools, from communities, or from the police, they will still experiment with alcohol. The aftereffects can be as simple as a horrendous hangover the next day or they can be far worse.





 Get Lone Survivor on Amazon!

Carla got in a car with a drunk driver. Two other friends in that car were also drunk. She put on her seatbelt. They didn’t. The wreck on their way home left her the lone survivor. Even with a horrific injury, her memory won’t let her forget anything.








I turned down the beer. They didn’t. I ignored the scornful comments. They laughed. I buckled my seatbelt. They laughed louder and refused to use theirs.
“Get real, Carla,” Janie had shouted. “We’re teens. Nothing can hurt us.”
Her scornful words ripped through me now. Janie wasn’t around to tell me that I had been right and she’d been wrong. I wished she was. I wished the guys were with us too. Anything to stop the horrible feelings churning inside me.
They were my friends. Things like this don’t happen to friends.
Don’t they? Didn’t Daddy talk to me about drunk drivers? Didn’t he tell me never to get in a car with one? Oh, Daddy, I’m so sorry.

Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep Vol 4

Welcome to your worst nightmare. Sleep is highly overrated. You could be reading a book guaranteed to keep awake long after the kiddos are in bed and the Halloween candy is tempting you to grab some. Please enjoy these eight tales sure to send you to hiding under the bed!

Solstice Shadows and eight fabulous authors team up to bring you, our faithful readers, creepy tales from all around the world.

 Get Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep Vol 4 on Amazon!
Blurb


Sleep is impossible after reading these eight tales of things that go bump in the night…
Mysterious Warrior Battles Evil Coven…
Haunted wedding dress horror story…
Every secret has a cost…
Who am I and why am I here?
Long hidden secrets emerge from the pond…
Unexpected consequences from an interruption…
Don’t plan on the usual housewarming!
The perfect relationship from hell!
Sadie K. Frazier, Josie Montano, S.C. Alban, Johnny Gunn, K.C. Sprayberry, Debbie De Louise, Archimede Fusillo, and Alex Pilalis present eight stories of horror sure to have you screaming!

Meet our amazing authors!


While you’re out and about for these wonderfully terrifying stories, check out our Halloween cookbook, to prepare wonderfully themed meals!
Ghoulish meals!  


Have a scary time and don’t forget to leave the lights on!
 

I’m Offended…

This seems to be the watchword of so many people recently. Anything that goes against their specific belief system offends them. Is this normal? Have authors begun to develop characters who take offense at everything around them?
I certainly hope so. One things authors must learn early on. We have to watch societal trends and integrate them into our work. Does this mean our main character has to remain offended throughout the story? Or should we work to show this person changing, evolving, becoming someone who isn’t offended because someone doesn’t think like they do?
As authors, as masters of the written word, we have the perfect opportunity to show others how their actions look to others. Not that we should preach about a problem. What we need to do is easily slide information into a book in a way that is pleasing to our fans. Instead of pummeling them with constant reminders that the way they take offense at everything they don’t agree with, show them the consequences of those actions.
Far too many people say they can do without those who don’t think exactly like they do. We’re constantly reminded during these turbulent times that it’s not safe to express our true beliefs, if we want to keep our friends. That leads to tension or ignoring things our friends find important. Eventually, they’ll understand our feelings. The question then becomes will they change? Will they understand their far too sensitive feelings have alienated others and is driving them away?
Someone once told me they’d love to live in their version of utopia. Once they finished explaining everything that would be going on there, I remarked, “How boring.” The friend was not amused and demanded an explanation. My response was very simple.
We are all built differently. Our beliefs and desires are never the same. If everyone was exactly the same, if we didn’t feel passionately about different things, our lives would be incredibly boring. We’d have nothing to look forward to.
So, use societal trends to put forth a plot in your book, but remember to also show how those trends could hurt those around you, in a positive way.

Abuse

Abuse has many forms, and just as many survivors or abusers involved. Too many times, authors will ignore this subject, to avoid controversy. One must remember something, controversy is the least of the problems an abused person suffers. Often times, their abuser turns the tables on them, making them the wrong doer in the situation. Not so faintly veiled threats keeps an abused person silent, until they reach a breaking point.
Recognizing abuse and not mistaking an isolated incident is important. Standing up against an abuser instead of their target is the action you should take. Remaining strong despite opposition is hard, but it can be done if you have a good heart.





Mothers, fathers, children. Aunts, uncles, cousins. Grandparents on both sides of a family. Friends.
It doesn’t matter what your relationship is, to see someone you care about going through any kind of abuse breaks your heart, but you know you can’t do anything until that person is ready to break the cycle.
Physical, emotional, psychological, or verbal, abuse puts many people into the position of questioning who exactly is at fault. The answer to some may be simple—the abuser is the one guilty of creating the problem. But it’s not that simple. Those attempting to hide this horrific problem often blame themselves for not doing the right thing, whatever that may be.




I sit in the crowded waiting room, watching people rushing around behind a set of hydraulic doors. Hunching my shoulders, I stare at them, wishing for the doctor to come through and tell me everything will be all right. It has to have been my imagination that her leg looked funny after she fell downstairs.
Please, someone, come out and tell me that Mom will be taking us home.
Pulling my up legs, I half turn and stare. The windowpanes are frosting. It might snow. I hope it doesn’t. Snow means no school. I want to be in school. Turning back, I watch in terror as the doctor slowly approaches. He’s looking past me. I turn and see flashing blue lights. He’s called the police. I can’t talk to the police.
Where’s Mom?
Get Soarh High 1 Standing Strong on Amazon!

Friends Forever

Many think an author’s life is a lonely one. They don’t know the truth of the matter. Many of us have the best friend in the world, a partner who supports us in our endeavors.
Who are these partners? Our spouses, roommates, even the barista at our favorite coffee shop. Some of us find a loyal gathering of people on social media who will hug us when we’re down or celebrate when we achieve success.
Our friends don’t expect us to give them anything. They’re around for us, no matter what hour of the day or night we need a shoulder to cry on or someone to pop the champagne cork. We savor these friends, keep them very close. They often know more about our books than we do, from the hints we drop, or the questions we ask.
No one will ever realize the depth of friendship involved with a writer. We keep weird hours, often going without sleep while plotting out a certain section of a book. Those partners who live with us have grown used to waking around two or three in the morning, to discover the other side of the bed is empty and there’s a delectable aroma of coffee wafting through the home. The social media friends know to make their presence available during those off hours, only because that’s when they get the most attention from the author desperately seeking a certain word or the description of a far off location, in order to make the scene more believable.
If you are one of those partners or friends, you have a very lucky opportunity to be where the action is happening. If you’re not, wait. Your chance may come someday. But don’t push the author to know the details they share with a very few.
We don’t rock like that. Authors must trust those they seek advice from, so that our story doesn’t suffer early delivery.

Dumb Decisions

Happy “Everybody Reads YA” Sunday! Today I’m sharing an excerpt from my coming of age short story, Dumb Decision.





Blue and red lights flash furiously. Leslie shivers inside the rough blanket and stares at the devastation. Beyond the lights is her mother’s car, or what remains of it. Of all the stupid mistakes she’s ever made, this is the worst. She shivers again when a stretcher appears out of the darkness and is quickly loaded into an ambulance. Lights along the highway slow. She moans, causing the officer standing next to her to jerk and stare at her.
Inwardly, she rails against the drivers that are slowing to watch the spectacle that is in front of them. A squeal of tires, a slamming door, and the frantic pattering of sandals on the pavement makes her look up. Mom is here. Tears drip down her face. Leslie knows that she’s in for it now.


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.




Leslie’s friend dared her to run a yellow light. She did but never saw a drunk running the red light until it was too late. Now, her friend is hurt and she’s scared. Can she face the consequences of her decision?
Get Dumb Decisions on Amazon!

Don't Write A Novel

Oh yes, I did say that. Perhaps I should clarify. Don’t write a stultifying, stiff novel filled with paragraph of paragraph of stuffy, boring description. Show the story. Make the reader believe the tale. Give them the benefit of the doubt—readers are smart, they can figure out where we’re going. Even if we get lost along the way.
We are authors. Our first commandment is “Show, Don’t Tell.” We cannot break this rule. Our readers are smart. They’re savvy. If we show our story instead of telling it, they will have a wonderful image in their heads while going through our books. They’ll hear the voices of our characters. Readers will laugh, cry, shout for joy, or screech with rage.
Our biggest job is to entertain, to have our readers demanding more.
However, far too many authors now think their tale is too complicated for readers. They add in unnecessary information, telling the reader how to feel, what they must see, and generally act as if no one can possibly understand this story unless they have that information.
Most importantly, we as authors must give our characters emotions. They must cry, experience pain, loss. Moments of joy and happiness have to be greeted with exultation. Humans are emotional creatures. We want to cry when a beloved character suffers a loss. A happy dance follows a moment of winning.
Think of it this way…
You lose a close family member to a horrible disease. Do you accept that death and move on, without once shedding a tear? Or do you weep, wail, release a river of tears?
Your local high school’s football team wins the championship for the first time in thirty years, with a team everyone swore wouldn’t win a single game. You’re in the stands. Do you clap and say “Well done.” Or is your reaction more like you’re on your feet, screaming, hugging those around you, and celebrating a season you never expected?
This is how you need your characters to react. They have to be real, with emotions mirroring all of us. Don’t cheat your readers.
In other words, paint them a story they’ll return to forever. Don’t tell them the tale.