Kodilynn Calhoun's Blog, page 5

I Know It's Not A Monday, But…

I need to share this music with you I'm like super-obsessed with this guy right now; I plan on buying the CDs he has available on Amazon, but just haven't had the chance. I especially love the songs where it's just him and the piano…brilliant. Really wish this guy was bigger than he currently is :0 He's got raw talent…compared to people like Ke$ha who are rich and famous…for no apparent reason (I'm not bashing her! She's fun to dance to xD But if we're being honest here, talented isn't a word I'd use to describe her. My opinion )

 

As for me, I'm surviving. Fell off the 'healthy' lifestyle for a bit due to Evil Bronchitis, working my fitness level back up again now. I have noticed that while I was eating healthier/exercising daily, I had more energy and was more excitable and overall happy. So I want to get back to that level!

We had to have one of our elderly dogs put down earlier this month because she was doing really bad…worse than we realized after we took her in. Immy and I didn't see eye to eye, so I'm not that broken by it…but the fact that my girl, Lily, my heartdog, is Immy's littermate…and is gonna be eleven…kills. I wish I could breathe years back onto her life. I love her…but I hope she sticks around a long while Doxies can live to be 15+ so here's to hoping!

Writing wise, kind of all over the place, lol! TRYING to finish Souljacker (which totally has a summary now, go look ! ;D) but I'm just feeling rather…unsettled with it. Still hoping to finish up those 8 scenes in the next week or so! Still hoping for a May release

And in good news, my WIP from last year, Hunger, is telling me its a trilogy and the last book sounds totally badass in my head! Unfortunately, I probably won't get to that book until mid-2013. Too many ideas, too little time.

Now Available: Spellbound

This novel has come a long way from being completely pantsed one fateful NaNoWriMo when I'd been through three dead-end drafts of books I'll never go back to and couldn't figure out what to write. I sat down, ready to start one project…and then Spellbound ran away with me. I had my main character's name and the fact she was a dragon. The rest? Pfft. Who needs to know?

Of course, me being me, after about half the book spent floundering, going "What happens next?!" I decided to plot it. Well, about halfway. Then I hit 50k, shelved it, deciding I'd go back to it later. Two years later, I dusted it off, polished it up, plotted the end, and wrote the rest of it. It turned out to be slightly darker than I'd intended, but I love it.

Today, I'm happy to announce that Spellbound is now available for sale at Amazon, Amazon.co.uk Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords ($2.99). I will update Spellbound's page as more venues become available.

Until then:

Wylde Debraux is 16; sassy, fiercely independent—and the Wyvern princess of the desert tribe of Kiir'vanan. When her father demands she choose a suitor within a fortnight to become her mate, Wylde rebels…and finds herself face to face with her enemies.

Born without power, Kascien Trump is a slave to the Magi. He's as trapped as the bio-engineered dragonhounds he breeds and fights for his master. Then Wylde blazes into his life, offering him the possibility of freedom, and he knows she's probably his only ticket out of there. Alive, anyway.

But when Wylde's captured, the spellbound slave and the fiery dragon-shifter have to put aside their differences and work together to outwit the Magi and escape the clutches of Kascien's corrupt master…or lose themselves trying.

Happy reading! I hope you enjoy!

Wolfsong: Wattpad's Friday Find

Hey all! I'm busy kicking bronchitis's butt right about now, but I have something to share!

A few months ago, my friend sent me a link to this blog post about Wattpad's Writer Partnership Program. Already a member of Wattpad, I'd found so many good stories through the site already (I loveee their Android app and I've bought several books after finding them on WP) that this just seemed to be the right choice for me, a way to build a fan base and share with readers who love books like Wolfsong.

Today, Wolfsong went Featured on Wattpad and was also their Friday Find I'm so beyond excited for this turn of events.

So what're you waiting for? Go read it If you read it and like it, why not share the love? Comment or vote? FB/Tweet it to the world? Thanks guys, ILU

(Working on making Spellbound the best than it can be! Still planning on a March release )

Update :)

Whoo, been a long month…even though the month isn't over yet (nor is it very long, but OH WELL Long in my book).

Been really focused on eating healthier, exercising, and all that jazz. I've fallen off the wagon a few times, particularly with giving up pop (ugh, my Kryptonite!) but I'm doing good for the most part. Excited to see the changes in my body and mind as I go through this journey, and excited to what the future brings. I really want to go horseback riding by my birthday this summer, so that's my goal.

Another thing that has me working double-hard: I want to be independent. Not just, "Oh I'm making money!" independent, but a car, a house, a yard, a puppy, sort of independent. It's the puppy that's really driving this one I'll admit. I know myself too well: If I start looking up breeders now, I'll start wanting it badly. So I've decided I'll reassess my situation around Christmastime this year. And then look at breeders xD (I want an Australian shepherd, I've decided, btw! I'm so bad, I already have names picked out LOL)

On the writing front, after finishing Spellbound, things just went to hell in a hand basket. Had some family drama, which has resulted in my younger two siblings moving to our Dad's house early March. We may or may not be moving to a farmhouse this summer. It's all up in the air right now and just stressful. I hate change haha.

After deciding on a "game plan" for future releases this year, I picked up my 2011 NaNo, Souljacker, which I'd abandoned halfway through the month. Lucky for me, I'd outlined it 100% already, so I set up the outline in Sticky Notes on my desktop, made a mock-cover, and have been working on that. So far, all's going smoothly. I forgot how much I loved Lucy

Spellbound's still in editing stages, but I've gotten one round of critiques back and have implemented them. I'm hoping to have it out by mid-March, but we'll see what the future holds.

And an update on Wolfsong! My proof is on its way here. Should be here by the 4th. If all goes well formatting-wise, paperback should be available through Amazon, Createspace, and several other vendors in March!

Spellbound: Finished! Now With More Cover Reveal!

So. I started the beast that is Spellbound as a fun, seat-of-my-pants ride through NaNoWriMo 2010. I made it through 40k and crashed. I thought it was horrible and never wanted to look at it again. Earlier last year, I decided to put it on my Kindle and give it a read-through, to make sure I wasn't missing something.

And I loved it. Sure, it needed a few fixings, but I quickly went back to work, adding changes and freshening up the prose. I love Wylde's spunk and Kascien's stubborn spirit. I was determined to have it done in December…and that got moved to January. And now it's February. It's been a long three months…but as of today, February 8th, Spellbound is officially done. Well, first draft, anyway 71.6k total. This number will change come edits.

The next month and a half will be filled with read-throughs and critiques. Changes will be made, all for the better (I hope!) to make Spellbound as strong as it can be.

So, what better to celebrate the end of a novel…than to have a cover release? I've been working on this for the past three months and I'm finally happy with it! If all goes well, I aim to have Spellbound available in e-format by the end of March!

Spellbound:

Wylde Debraux is 16; sassy, fiercely independent—and the Wyvern princess of the desert tribe of Kiir'vanan. When her father demands she choose a suitor within a fortnight to become her mate, Wylde rebels…and finds herself face to face with her enemies.

Born without power, Kascien Trump is a slave to the Magi. He's as trapped as the bio-engineered dragonhounds he breeds and fights for his master. Then Wylde blazes into his life, offering him the possibility of freedom, and he knows she's probably his only ticket out of there. Alive, anyway.

But when Wylde's captured, the spellbound slave and the fiery dragon-shifter have to put aside their differences and work together to outwit the Magi and escape the clutches of Kascien's corrupt master…or lose themselves trying.

Music Monday: Forever Unstoppable

I recently got the Whatever CD from Hot Chelle Rae; for the most part the lyrics are kind of meh/not high on my OMGAWESOME list. But the beats are catchy and I find myself singing to the CD. It's definitely something I'll be walking/dancing to

But this song, I really love. It's my favorite on the CD and it's aptly fitting in a sense for me. I recently started a lifestyle change, to aim to get healthier, happier, and fit. I've always believed weight loss was impossible with Polycystic Ovarian syndrome…but I really think I just needed to find what was right for me. I'm very happy with my loss so far, proud of myself. I feel Forever Unstoppable right this minute

Saturday Snippet: Spellbound #2

Today's snippet comes from my dragon-shifter WIP, Spellbound:

Wylde sprang away, crouching next to the fallen deer, her wings receding into clawed hands which spread, splay-fingered, on the ground. The doe's brown eyes were wide, still hanging on. Wylde stroked her fingertips against the velvety nose as nostrils flared and unflared. The doe shuddered and then the last breath left her lungs and she was merely a shell of herself. Her soul ripped free with one final jerk. Wylde, graced, watched as the whisper of a ghost found her legs and took off into the woods, her spectral form blending in to the wisps of mist gathering around them before disappearing.

"Thank you, Free One." The Wyvern's voice was thick as she uttered a soft Vanlan prayer and sliced her claws across the doe's throat. Ribbons of crimson flooded free and Wylde bent down. Heat still pulsed off the corpse, the smell of the blood sickly sweet, making her mouth water.

With both hands, she lifted the deer's heavy head, bringing it close and licked the blood flowing from the wound. The taste of the doe's lingering energy made Wylde's stomach roar, a gargoyle statue brought to life by the pallid light of the moon.

And baring her fangs, she began to feed.

Book Review: Red by Kait Nolan

Last spring, upon pondering over the idea of going indie ourselves, my friend and CP, Sadie Hart, introduced me to a couple of indie authors: Kait Nolan and Susan Bischoff. I began to stalk follow their blogs. Both of them are awesome and write YA paranormal romances (so go check them out!)

So naturally, I had to read their stuff I've bought and read both Red by Kait Nolan and Hush Money by Susan Bishcoff, but it was earlier this year. Time for a refresher! Add in my kindle app for my Android phone and you've got a recipe for READING TIME! So I've decided to try my hand at a review!

Red is a YA paranormal romance, a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood…with werewolves. (My personal opinion: Both times I read it, I didn't feel that much of a 'fairy tale' vibe in this, vs. just an awesome werewolf romance. Just my two cents.)

It's written in first-person, alternating between the two Main Characters, Sawyer and Elodie. This was a bonus for me; I love this point of view and Kait did it awesomely. Each character had their own mannerisms and ways of talking, and I enjoyed being in both their heads!

For me, Elodie was a strong, stubborn heroine, and Sawyer's anger issues in the beginning of the book (and how he controls them/how Elodie calms his wolf) made him all the more sexy. I loved the story line and I didn't foresee the Big Bad until the scene was upon me. The pacing was a little slow in the beginning (again, this is my opinion; keep in mind that I'm ADD!) but she pulled it off with a wonderful ending and follow-up.

I loved the fact that despite this being a werewolf novel, it wasn't focused on packs/pack life, but instead on the characters and the hunter stalking Elodie. It just felt more unique to me this way.

Did I mention the romance? The kiss scenes in Red were one of my favorites in a YA book. The romance was sweet and sexy, without being over the top, or too adult. Kait Nolan knows how to write romance! (And I only wish I was that talented )

I finished Red in less than 48 hours and realized there were things I  MISSED when reading the first time. And it totally made my day to re-discover the book!

So the long and short of it? Four and a half weenies!

I loved this book and will read it again! If you love werewolves, strong heroes, and sexy YA romance, I have the feeling you'll love Red too! I'd recommend this to my little sister…if she wasn't so against e-books

Music Monday: Red Solo Cup

Okay, so I don't typically like country. I like maybe three artists…and the rest is like, "Eh. Nah." I'll admit, I'm into the more boyish/punk/pop sort of things, BUT my stepdad listens to country…and has it playing 24/7 on the radio in the garage. So. I listen. And I keep hearing this song.

And it drives me absolutely batty. LOL. It's catchy enough that I know all the lyrics after hearing it a few times, and I find myself humming it a lot. Why? I don't know. I don't -like- it…but it's definitely one of those songs that make you go: "Hey, I know this song… -whistles a few bars-" XD I don't even care for Toby Keith, not his newer stuff anyway.

But still, time after time, it gets lodged in my skull and rampages around like a bull in a china shop. So I figured I'd share. I never said Music Monday would be songs that I only loved, now did I?

Red Solo Cup: Toby Keith (has mild language)

Saturday Snippet: Spellbound #1

Subtitle: Wow, I Really Fail At Blogging.

Subtitle's Subtitle: And Coming Up With Creative Titles. FTW.

Haha, that said, I am going to have to start scheduling posts because Monday goes by and it's Wednesday and I'm like: "Whoo…I forgot to post!"…and then it's Friday and I'm like: "Oh, I forgot again -facepalm-". Just a matter of daily habits. Which I'm learning. Slowly. Blargh! ANYWAY. I've decided to start my Re-blogging on Saturday, instead of waiting until Monday.

I've decided that Saturday is a good day to share a snippet for the week. So weekly, I'll be taking a few sentences out of my current work-in-progress, to share with readers. They might be happy, they might be sad…they might just be what I consider 'pretty' words, or a piece that I really like. Who knows!

So. I'd like to start off with the first excerpt from Spellbound. Wylde is a Wyvern princess quickly coming upon the throne, and her father's making her choose a suitor in a fortnight to be her lifemate and future king, even if she doesn't love the man she chooses:

He wouldn't act like this if Mother was still alive. She blinked back the threat of tears and let the breeze carry her to the edge. Her gaze stole across the horizon, the light of the moon casting the sands of Vanla in a blue-violet hue. The stars dotted a black velvet sky, tiny pinpricks of light, and Wylde raised her arms.

He didn't own her. His blood might run deep within her body, but he had no control over her soul. She threw her head back and let loose another shriek, the sound piercing the silent night air like a siren. Not at all human, but then again, she wasn't one.

Before anyone could come up and stop her, Wylde threw herself forwards. Three steps and she was suddenly mid-air, careening towards the ruthless ground, hundreds of feet from the top of the Nest. Her silk dress fluttered in the wind as she fell: down, down, down.