S.R. Karfelt's Blog, page 22

The Covenant Keeper Novels - VLOG

S.R. Karfelt, Author

Last week I went on a quest and didn't return until yesterday. Okay, fine. It was a quest for fun, but a quest all the same. Tonight I return to my regularly scheduled all-night write, and that's why you get a vlog today. It's a synopsis about The Covenant Keeper Novels, Kahtar Warrior of the Ages, and Heartless A Shieldmaiden's Voice.

S.R. Karfelt, Author





Hope you enjoy it, and if you'd like me to answer any questions about Kahtar or Heartless feel free to leave them below. Also feel free to ask questions about my quest for fun, or better yet, tell me where you find your fun!

Reasons Why it Sucks to be the Evolutionary Superior Model (Female)

S.R. Karfelt/The Glitter Globe





Oh, come on now. This is not man-bashing. I don’t roll like that. Number One Man Fan right here! I’m basing this entire scientific conclusion that I just made up, on one glaringly obvious biological fact. Girl nads are on the inside. Isn’t that proof enough? It is for me. Now let’s get to the suckage of being the evolutionary superior model. Breasts. Breasts are like scoring that beach house in the Hamptons that you’ve always wanted. You never thought about taxes and upkeep when you were dreaming did you? Now you have to DECORATE and keep Mother Nature from wrecking everything as the years go by. Sooner or later you must accept that you are no longer Spring Break material—or spring for an expensive remodel.The evolutionary ability to do anything coupled with the societal expectation to look good while you do it. Give me a freaking break! These two things do not mesh!The bleed every month but don’t die club. Oh, sure we’re glad that we don’t have to die, but does it have to feel like it so often?Explaining to your boss why you’re missing a day of work due to cramps, if it’s a dude. He has cramps from Taco Bell last night and he’s at work. If you tell the truth, “My uterus has nail-gunned me to the floor and there’s a Manson-Murder blood trail through my house,” it just makes you sound like a drama queen.Hair. You may have all the hair you want on top of your head, but you must make it obey.Eyebrows. Eyebrow rules change more than hair rules. Get it right.Eyelashes. They are to be long and black and perfect forever. Thank you.All other hair is forbidden at this time. Get rid of it.Feet. Shove them into heels and STFU.Make-up. You shouldn’t need this, but you do, and if you get it wrong you will be judged.Nails. See above.Absolutely any of the life-skills that are often considered traditionally female-oriented, that you just happen to blow at. Like clothes, cooking, housework, and those other things that actually do not arrive with your V-Card.The supreme efficiency of the female calorie burning system in a world where thin is in. Surely this was a wonderfully epic thing eons before dark chocolate and Chipotle.Absolutely all gender expectation. This runs the gamut from love to birthing babies to life skills. Women are human beings first and even if we were born with an Expectation Memo in hand and the ability to read it; we’d just tear it up and be a person first—just like everybody else. What did I miss, Ladies? And Gentlemen, because this is an equal opportunity blog and your opinion counts too. State your suckage. 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

HEARTLESS Release Day Party!

S.R. Karfelt/The Glitter Globe


Today is Release Day for HEARTLESS A Shieldmaiden’s Voice! I’m throwing an impromptu party. We’ve got a Rafflecopter Giveaway, virtual Covenant Keeper approved cake, and one tough heroine.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And of course this is our guest of honor!
What do you think of Carole Blank now?
A new look...A new brand...The same awesome hero.
​Reintroducing HEARTLESS A Shieldmaiden's Voice.
by S.R. Karfelt 
Don't you just love a party? This is the real cake for this book release...
Mission Accomplished!
Do you think surrounding it with fruit and veggies makes it healthier? I think so too.

Today I'll be in Book Release Party position, but not for long because the next book is due any second! Hope you all enjoy the cake, Rafflecopter, AND most especially the book. 
If you have any to spare, leave some energy in the comments! 

New BHCAuthors Website—Connecting Readers to Authors

Blue Harvest Creative is excited to announce the next generation of independence has arrived!


Welcome to the BHC Authors website—a place dedicated to bringing readers and authors together. If you love to read, this is the place to be. Find a new favorite genre or author. Check out new releases and titles. Or enter a giveaway or promotion.
Here’s what you’ll find when you visit BHCAuthors.com
·        Author spotlights—Get up close and personal. Enter our monthly giveaway for a chance to win autographed print titles or eBooks from featured authors.·        Reader/ARC (advanced reader copy) Program—Love to read? Want to see new titles before they are released? Enjoy giving feedback and discovering new authors or genres? Be sure to sign up for our ARC program.




·        News and events—Check our calendar often. You never know where a BHC Author will turn up!·        Are you a reviewer, blogger, or journalist interested in review copies or scheduling an interview? Visit our media center, and we’ll be sure to get you everything you need.·        Librarians and booksellers can also contact us at the media center. We’re here to make your job easier.·        If you run a readers’ group, we offer book club reader’s guides for many of our titles and we’re always adding more.·        Purchases titles and other nifty products from our Amazon affiliate store—From books to writer’s tools of the trade, and more, you’ll find it all here, right at your fingertips.·        Meet the BHC Authors—many are multi-award winning and USA Today bestsellers—and get to know their work.





·        Subscribe to our newsletter and be the first to know about new titles, promotions, events, sales, and more. We hate spam as much as the next person, so we only send out about one email per month. Our intent is not to solicit services. Our newsletters only feature information about BHC Authors.
We’re just gearing up, and we’ll be adding more exciting features. Love our website? Have an idea to share or something you’d like to see featured? We’d love to hear from you, and we appreciate and value your ideas and suggestions. Please email us at:  Feedback@BHCAuthors.com
Thanks for stopping by and supporting independently published authors!

Click HERE to visit the BHC Authors website. 

HEARTLESS by S.R. Karfelt

HEARTLESS A Shieldmaiden's Voice/S.R. Karfelt

What do you think of Carole Blank now?
Carole Blank has been transformed...
A new look...A new brand...The same awesome hero.
​Reintroducing BLANK as HEARTLESS A Shieldmaiden's Voice



Some people have a hard time fitting into the world.
All of her life Carole Blank has been a little faster, a little stronger, and a little uncooperative. The voices in her head want her to follow their rules, and although they’re usually right, Carole doesn’t always listen.
From foster care to a veil hidden in the desert Carole searches for a place to belong. Her unnatural abilities and penchant for fighting are useful to the government. Unfortunately, her inability to follow orders over the demands of the voices gets her into trouble.
Enter Lieutenant Colonel Ted White, a man she is inexplicably drawn to. A man who sentences her to the life of an assassin, while denying her the only thing she’s ever wanted—him.
Follow the journey of a woman born in the wrong world, as she fights for a place to belong and sacrifices everything for those she loves.
Sometimes being heartless isn’t a choice, it’s a calling.

Available Now



Notice how great the Covenant Keeper Novels look together? What do you think of Carole Blank now?

HEARTLESS by S.R. Karfelt Cover Reveal

HEARTLESS A Shieldmaiden's Voice/S.R. Karfelt

What do you think of Carole Blank now?
Carole Blank has been transformed...
A new look...A new brand...The same awesome hero.
​Reintroducing BLANK as HEARTLESS A Shieldmaiden's Voice



Some people have a hard time fitting into the world.
All of her life Carole Blank has been a little faster, a little stronger, and a little uncooperative. The voices in her head want her to follow their rules, and although they’re usually right, Carole doesn’t always listen.
From foster care to a veil hidden in the desert Carole searches for a place to belong. Her unnatural abilities and penchant for fighting are useful to the government. Unfortunately, her inability to follow orders over the demands of the voices gets her into trouble.
Enter Lieutenant Colonel Ted White, a man she is inexplicably drawn to. A man who sentences her to the life of an assassin, while denying her the only thing she’s ever wanted—him.
Follow the journey of a woman born in the wrong world, as she fights for a place to belong and sacrifices everything for those she loves.
Sometimes being heartless isn’t a choice, it’s a calling.

Available March 31st



Notice how great the Covenant Keeper Novels look together? What do you think of Carole Blank now?

Soulless Avatars of Beauty

S. R. Karfelt/The Glitter Globe


Pretty much all of my life I've dismissed beautiful men. You know that old theory that if someone is truly beautiful they're simply TOO BUSY being beautiful to have any time to devote to being interesting? That. It's not true either. I have a DF who is drop dead gorgeous and a blast and a half. I used to tell her she must have been an ugly child and had spare time to develop a personality. She assures me she's always been killer-beautiful even in the womb as a zygote. Which just makes me LOL that much more. See what I mean though? A sense of humor is a definite sign of an interesting personality.  So my Dear Friend basically blows my theory out of the water. Yet a small part of me still believes it. But I try to temper my stereotype with a .005 second Glance of Assessment to check out the beautiful person's attitude before determining whether or not there is a likelihood of personality. If I find a personality AND beauty I am awed. If not, I drive on by. So, yeah. We all have our prejudices. This is mine. In my defense I'm unfailingly polite when I interact with beautiful people, even though I've likely completely dismissed them as being soulless avatars of beauty. How does one develop this prejudice? I would argue that one pays attention. The sun rises and sets every day you start to expect stuff. It’s partly our fault. We as a species spoil beautiful people instead of treating them as equals. You know it’s true. I know a beautiful woman who vomited on a guy at a rock concert. He ASKED HER OUT. Not to discount my own Effing Swan, but I’m pretty sure I’d have gotten punched out. Let’s not talk about the time she took her car in for an oil change and they pin-striped it for free.  Human beings are drawn to beauty and to beautiful Human Beings, I’m sure it’s an evolutionary trait. Ever notice how Olympians are always beautiful? It’s a sign of good health and genes I’m sure. You glance and some part of you bellows Hey, boy! Wanna share those beautiful healthy genes? That’s how I met my husband. I went after those swimmer abs like a high-powered magnet. Nah, I’m kidding. I like smart guys. Well, smart guys with swimmer abs. 
S. R. KarfeltDo you share this prejudice? Do you ever feel guilty about it? I have to admit that when I hang with my Super-Model-Looking-Dear-Friend that the way other women treat her gets old. But what I’d really like to know is, what do you think would happen to you if you barfed on some dude at a rock concert? And have you ever known someone who could get away with it?

My Life as an Effing Swan

S. R. Karfelt/The GlitterGlobe


The power of words does not surprise me; after all I wield them for a living. What does surprise me is how a damaging comment can cut and alter another’s psyche. It’s astonishing how we can accept someone else’s words and not only open our hearts to them, but allow those words to grow inside us and to shape our lives.You’re fat.You’re skinny.You’re ugly.You’re the funny one.You’re the weird one.
We swallow words and we make them real. Some part of us knows the truth and fights against lies. We’ll struggle to become what we yearn to be deep inside. But we won’t just claim the life we want as we are now because we believe the lies. We’re not good-looking enough. We’re not smart enough. We’re not rich enough. Yet.

Once we do whatever it takes to become good-looking enough, smart enough, or wealthy enough then we can have our dream life because then we'll deserve it.
BULLSHIT.
Yes. I’m calling bullshit on that.
You don’t have to change a damn thing to embrace your life and morph an Ugly Ducking attitude into an Effing Swan. How do I know this? Because I did it. I took my fat-legged, flat-bottomed, sub-par-educated-self and embraced a rock-star life.
I’ve enjoyed movie-star worthy kissing.And rode off into the sunset.Lived Happily Ever After.Danced like no one was watching when they were.Made huge mistakes and lived.Failed and Succeeded.Taken Risks.Eaten cake without apology.And Once Upon a Timed my Everyday.

Recently I read the post of a fellow writer, someone whose work I’ve enjoyed, and someone who is very involved in the writing world. She’s someone I’ve seen help other writers succeed, but I’ve watched her hesitate to take risks that would give her work wings. When I finally learned what’s been holding her back I also got to see her get past it, embrace her life and admit publicly that she now knows she’s an Effing Swan.
It made me want to shout the one thing I know to be true.
There is nothing you have to become or do before you can embrace your life and live it.
Because you too are an Effing Swan.

Do you believe me? 

Are you trapped in an Ugly Ducking place or can you embrace your Effing Swan? 

If you truly believe in your inner Swandom, will you help us reach other swans? Use the hashtag #EffingSwan on public media and help us spread the word. 

Now show me your Effing Swan, I showed you mine. Tell me a story about how you've embraced your Effing Swan? 

The Ragged Edge and Why It's a Great Place to Live

S. R. Karfelt/The Glitter Globe

What does it mean to live on the Ragged Edge? It means putting yourself out there and taking risks. It means not letting fear stop you from doing the things you want to do.


It means unspeakably good things can happen to you as you journey toward your dreams. 





Is living on the Ragged Edge dangerous? Being alive is dangerous. But I’m talking about pushing past fear when it holds you back, and doing things you never thought you could do. Living on the Ragged Edge means different things for everybody. My Ragged Edge might not look nearly as impressive as yours.





The idea is to put yourself out there and take some risks. You have to find your own Ragged Edge. 






It might be a bit scary, but just what if something wonderful happens?





Sometimes it hurts, and sometimes it's messy, and oftentimes nothing goes as planned. It can be scary. I suppose that's why not everyone wants to live there.




Somewhere along the way I've picked up the idea that dreams are achievable based on only one criteria--never, ever give up. Remember the Mel Gibson Braveheart quote? "Everyone dies but not everyone lives." 



Facing your fears and stepping outside your comfort zone is what life on the Ragged Edge is all about. I’ve learned that what doesn’t kill me makes me stronger, not to mention I'm having the time of my life with it.





How about you? Would you rather take risks and at least visit the Ragged Edge from time to time? Or are you staying happily ever after in The Shire? 

All Gifs Courtesy of Giphy

TSA Pre -- You Want it, But How Badly?

The Glitter Globe/S. R. Karfelt

TSA Pre is a screening process you can go through ($85) and if you pass the investigation process, (no refund if you don’t) in many airports you can get through security quicker, and without getting mostly naked.
If you’re approved, whenever you purchase an airline ticket it will have a coveted TSA Pre on it. That means you get to go through a separate security line where you will not have to take your shoes/belt/leg brace off, remove your laptop from the case, put all of your liquids into a regulation baggie, and the line will likely be much quicker to get through.
Why is this a big deal? Airport security is a modern day Russian Roulette when you get to security. Someone will be packing a jar of honey, a tube of toothpaste, a forgotten water bottle in a backpack, and you have a plane to catch.
That’s just too bad because everything must be investigated. There is no leeway and you’d better have mailed your sense of humor ahead because security won’t let it through, and if you put it in your checked luggage you may never see it again.
Most people try to go through security as fast as possible. The peer pressure not to hold up the line is huge. You and your hand sanitizer are standing between a hundred business people trying to make a flight. And a family of four headed for Disney World is stuffed to the gills with hidden juice boxes standing in front of you.
So how do you get TSA Pre and make one part of your journey easier?
First, you are a U.S. Citizen and you aren’t a felon. In fact the more uneventful your life has been between you, jail, and prison, probably the better. Second, you fill out the paperwork on-line. CLICK HERE. After filling out your information online, you’ll receive a notice and be able to make an appointment for the next step.
The Third step requires your presence at an enrollment center. You’ll need to bring your identification and your fingerprints. You’ll also need to find your enrollment center. Mine involved over two hours of travel in snow squalls to the Port of Oswego Authority building on Lake Ontario. So good luck with that part.
All you have to do for the fourth step is wait for it. Ideally you’ll know in two to three weeks (and you can check your status online). Your Known Traveler Number will be good for five years. You’ll also need to enter it online when you book your travel with the airlines.
By the way, if you’re going to Oswego for your TSA Pre, your GPS can’t help you but I can. After the bridge the street numbers repeat in Oswego. Ironically the facility is on the second Second street. It’s the building at land’s end, next to the ship, after the guard shack, on the second floor, in the closet with the really nice agent, and bring your parka because the Great Lakes aren’t kidding. They will ice you.
And you’ll want to have lunch at The Press Box on First Street. The secondFirst Street. They have a fireplace.
If you’re not traveling cross state in a deep freeze, your experience probably won’t be as much work. I like adventure, so I was cool with it. 

Are you interested in getting your TSA Pre? The links are right here for your convenience. If you’re not going to do it, I assume you just like standing in line. Am I right? And this is an excellent opportunity for us to exchange going through security stories. Did I ever tell you about the time I accidentally put my water bottle into someone else’s backpack just before we got in line for security?