Kelly Apple's Blog, page 34
August 11, 2017
The final Wicked Pride book is COMING SOON!
That’s right, kiddos! Laid Bear has been submitted to the various retailers for preorder and it will officially go live August 23rd!
*pulls out the confetti gun*
*fires it indiscriminately*
*moves on*
As often tends to happen, some retailers are slower at getting preorders up than others. So it might take a while before ALL the links are available, but HAVE NO FEAR! I’ll update the Laid Bear book page (which will automatically populate to this post) as they come in.
In other words, sit back, relax, and prepare to be dazzled by Ivan and Callie. You know, on the 23rd. When it goes live.
(Psst, as always, the preorder price is .99. NINETY-NINE PENNIES. It’s a bargain!)
In the meantime, catch up with the rest Wicked Pride series so you’ll be ready for the final installment.
Laid BearAmazon | Barnes and Noble | iTunes | KoboRelease Date: August 23, 2017
Pages: 129
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Being a bear in cat territory isn’t easy, but Ivan Hearne is determined to put his best foot forward and show the people of Oak Haven that bear shifters aren’t the rampaging beasts everyone believes them out to be. Scouting the perfect location for the restaurant his clan plans on opening gives him reason to wander around town and show everyone just how non-threatening his people can be.
And if he happens to meet a beautiful, tongue-tied hybrid who bakes the best salmon biscuits he’d ever tasted, that’s just one of the perks.
Convincing the shy beauty to give him a chance is Ivan’s new mission in life. Showing her she’s the treasure he believes her to be is a task he’s glad to focus on.
Introducing her to his clan? That’s when things start getting hairy.
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August 1, 2017
Looking back on July…
GOODBYE, JULY! I’ll miss how productive I was with you!
How productive was I? you wonder. DON’T WORRY! I’LL TOTALLY TELL YOU!
July being a Camp NaNo month, I committed to writing 30K words. Which is…pretty much what I write normally in a month. So I wasn’t really stretching myself or anything with that goal. Buuuuut…I ended up doubling that and hitting 60K. The 60K was divided between 3 books (Monstrous Revelations #1, a new adult paranormal romance, and an adult paranormal romance) and I’m *not* quite done with one of them. Still, 2 books completed and a big chunk of another one make me a very happy lady.
On the publishing front, White Collared hit shelves on the 26th. This is the 3rd book in the Wicked Pride series with the 4th and final book scheduled to come out at the end of August.
It’s been STUPID hot recently and I have to say I’m desperately looking forward to Fall already. Because the heat is gross and I’m totally over it. Totally. That said, the heat forces me to stay inside and staying inside keeps me writing. Still…Blech, heat.
Until next month!
The post Looking back on July… appeared first on Kelly Apple.
July 28, 2017
What I’m Reading…
Another week, another batch of books.
A couple weeks ago, I lamented my inability to get past the 6th book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series in a reread. I can say, LOUDLY, that is no longer an issue. At least for this reread. It is DONE. I’ve read the first six books. Now I have my absolute favorite vampire up next. *fluttery sigh* I’m going to attempt to savor Rehv’s book. Attempt.
On the contemporary romance side, I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of the next Winston Brothers book by Penny Reid. I loooooove those Winston bros something fierce, so I’m all fangirl crazy over this. The book that introduced the brothers and their odd, wonderful family, Beauty and the Mustache, is currently free. That link is for Amazon, but I’m 102% certain it’s free elsewhere, as well. ONE HUNDRED AND TWO PERCENT. Probably.
(While I enjoyed Ashley’s story in BatM, I’m going to STRONGLY recommend everyone read all the Winston Brothers books so you can get the deets on my favorite Winston of them all, Cletus. The mad genius. His diabolical schemes made me grin while simultaneously breaking my heart a little.)
Beard in Mind comes out on August 1st (sort of. If you want to pick it up at places other than Amazon, you need to preorder it now. Once the 1st rolls around, it’ll be pulled from all other vendors as it goes exclusive to Amazon. Confusing? Maybe. Just know this is a book you need to preorder if you’re not purchasing through the ‘zon.) and it was gooooood.
Now that I’ve gone all gushy fangirl over Penny Reid’s books, I’ve forgotten everything else I was going to talk about. Oops.
No worries. I’ll be back sooner or later with more books I’ve read.
Books. I just can’t quit them.
The post What I’m Reading… appeared first on Kelly Apple.
July 26, 2017
Wicked Pride 3 is HERE!
Kane and Carrie’s story is HERE! The alpha and the snarly human. I LIKED THESE TWO!
It’s sitting pretty at .99 through today. So now’s the time to grab it.
White CollaredAmazon | Barnes and Noble | iTunes | 24 Symbols | Kobo | InkteraRelease Date: July 26, 2017
Pages: 121
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Kane Mayhew, Alpha of the cat shifters and all around surly guy, has never been one to walk away from a challenge. So when a full-human walks into his business and asks for help, he gives it to her. He never expected to find himself in the middle of a possible inter-species war. Or trying to figure out how to keep the pretty human with him once he’d done as he said.
He was a cat, after all, and cats looked after themselves.
But Carrie Sato is intriguing. She calls to his beast and she’s fierce enough to stand up to him when he’s at his worst. When the help she asked for leads them into the territory of one of the meanest shifter breeds around, Kane knows he’s going to have to be as quick and deadly as his kind are known for.
Not only when it comes to keeping her safe, but also so he can stake a claim on her heart.
Because when a lion finds his mate, nobody better get between them.
Laid Bear will be here in August! Keep on eye out!
The post Wicked Pride 3 is HERE! appeared first on Kelly Apple.
July 21, 2017
White Collared is (mostly) available for pre-order!
Okay. So book vendors are weird. Sometimes things you submit go up immediately and some times they take a few days. There’s no rhyme or reason to it, it’s just something that happens.
Sooooo…the preorder for White Collared is up at a few places at this point, but not all. I’ll update the purchase links as they come in, so feel free to check back periodically if you buy from stores other than Apple or Amazon. Or follow my Facebook page since I’ll likely update it there even faster.
The book comes out on Wednesday the 26th which is SUPER SOON. As always, you can grab it at the .99 preorder price through release day. Then that price goes up.
In related news, Laid Bear is already in the editing phase so that should have a *slightly* longer preorder than this book. Slightly.
White CollaredAmazon | Barnes and Noble | iTunes | KoboRelease Date: July 26, 2017
Pages: 121
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Kane Mayhew, Alpha of the cat shifters and all around surly guy, has never been one to walk away from a challenge. So when a full-human walks into his business and asks for help, he gives it to her. He never expected to find himself in the middle of a possible inter-species war. Or trying to figure out how to keep the pretty human with him once he’d done as he said.
He was a cat, after all, and cats looked after themselves.
But Carrie Sato is intriguing. She calls to his beast and she’s fierce enough to stand up to him when he’s at his worst. When the help she asked for leads them into the territory of one of the meanest shifter breeds around, Kane knows he’s going to have to be as quick and deadly as his kind are known for.
Not only when it comes to keeping her safe, but also so he can stake a claim on her heart.
Because when a lion finds his mate, nobody better get between them.
Anywho. Back to the writing cave. I’m *thisclose* to finished my current WIP. I CAN FEEL IT.
The post White Collared is (mostly) available for pre-order! appeared first on Kelly Apple.
July 19, 2017
Blank pages are a new beginning
I’ve seen a lot of posts lately on Facebook…Hold up. I said that wrong. I’ve seen, like, three posts about this. Which isn’t really “a lot,” is it? I’ve seen a COUPLE posts on Facebook about how writers have a hard time getting started when that dreaded blank page is staring at them. Because beginnings are hard, right?
I remember when I first started writing as more than a hobby. That was a fear of mine. I worried I’d have a blank page in front of me and get stuck on how to start getting down the thoughts in my head. Never mind the reality that I’ve always loved opening lines. Never mind that the perfect opening scene would burst out of me like Athena from Zeus’s head or some other weird visual.
Beginnings are hard. Everybody says it’s something they struggle with. I should probably struggle with it to.
Except I didn’t. Not the opening scene. Not the first lines. I loved blank pages and the potential that was there for me to create a world. Or a scene. Or a snippet of time cut from the day in the life of one of my characters.
If we want to talk about endings, though…endings are my kryptonite. Saying goodbye, making sure the story is tied up neatly with the threads laid out for the next part of the tale…wait, actually I do like that last part. Because they’re their own sort of beginning, aren’t they? It’s the goodbye part I have a tough time with. Letting things go. Walking away from characters who have taken up some quality real estate in your head. It’s HARD!
Honestly, that’s probably why I write series books. A series gives me a chance to come back to the characters and revisit them. I might change up the H and h from book to book, but I *could* go back and play with previous characters if I ever wanted to.
(I guess that’s good news for people who like my books. I can’t seem to close the door on the idea of a follow-up series. Ever. You never know when a new set of issues might pop up for old favorites.)
The point in all this is that the things we *think* we should struggle with and the things we actually do can be vastly different. I love beginnings. Endings make me cry.
I’ve learned to embrace this about myself. Which means you never know when an old series will be revived. Or when previous characters will pop into a current series.
Yeah, I’m just going to run with it.
The post Blank pages are a new beginning appeared first on Kelly Apple.
Blanks pages are a new beginning
I’ve seen a lot of posts lately on Facebook…Hold up. I said that wrong. I’ve seen, like, three posts about this. Which isn’t really “a lot,” is it? I’ve seen a COUPLE posts on Facebook about how writers have a hard time getting started when that dreaded blank page is staring at them. Because beginnings are hard, right?
I remember when I first started writing as more than a hobby. That was a fear of mine. I worried I’d have a blank page in front of me and get stuck on how to start getting down the thoughts in my head. Never mind the reality that I’ve always loved opening lines. Never mind that the perfect opening scene would burst out of me like Athena from Zeus’s head or some other weird visual.
Beginnings are hard. Everybody says it’s something they struggle with. I should probably struggle with it to.
Except I didn’t. Not the opening scene. Not the first lines. I loved blank pages and the potential that was there for me to create a world. Or a scene. Or a snippet of time cut from the day in the life of one of my characters.
If we want to talk about endings, though…endings are my kryptonite. Saying goodbye, making sure the story is tied up neatly with the threads laid out for the next part of the tale…wait, actually I do like that last part. Because they’re their own sort of beginning, aren’t they? It’s the goodbye part I have a tough time with. Letting things go. Walking away from characters who have taken up some quality real estate in your head. It’s HARD!
Honestly, that’s probably why I write series books. A series gives me a chance to come back to the characters and revisit them. I might change up the H and h from book to book, but I *could* go back and play with previous characters if I ever wanted to.
(I guess that’s good news for people who like my books. I can’t seem to close the door on the idea of a follow-up series. Ever. You never know when a new set of issues might pop up for old favorites.)
The point in all this is that the things we *think* we should struggle with and the things we actually do can be vastly different. I love beginnings. Endings make me cry.
I’ve learned to embrace this about myself. Which means you never know when an old series will be revived. Or when previous characters will pop into a current series.
Yeah, I’m just going to run with it.
The post Blanks pages are a new beginning appeared first on Kelly Apple.
July 14, 2017
What I’m reading…
With all the insanely productive writing I’ve been doing this month, my reading has slacked off a bit. HOWEVER, I’ve still managed to read some outstanding books in a variety of genres. Most of them were advance copies of upcoming releases, so this list will give you a few books to look forward to.
Trust by Kylie Scott (release date 7/18). Contemporary New Adult and I looooooooved it. So hard. Not going to lie, I’m enamored of pretty much everything of Kylie Scott’s I’ve ever read (her Flesh series gets an annual reread whenever I’m in the mood for sexy times during a zombie apocalypse. And those rock stars of her? *fans self*), so I might be biased. This time, she gave us flawed, damaged high school characters dealing with PTSD after getting caught in the middle of a robbery gone wrong at a convenience store. SO GOOD.
Found at the Bookstore by Christi Snow (release date 7/19). Contemporary M/M romance with a side of suspense. Smokin’ cover *points* and a story line that worked for me on multiple levels. Ryder and Stig are both dealing with issues that could destroy their fledgling relationship and I ADORED watching them stumble their way through working them out.
The Star Guardians series by Ruby Lionsdrake (books 1-3 now available). Sci-Fi Romance which is, as you might know, my crack. DEAR GAWD, I LOVE ROMANCES SET IN SPACE. Bonus points when there are space pirates and (somewhat) uptight keepers of the peace who TRY to do the right thing. Guess what? The Star Guardians series has BOTH those things. Plus some really nasty aliens who get their kicks from hunting humans. When a bunch of human women get kidnapped (spacenapped?) from earth and wake up on the far side of the galaxy, things get complicated. Especially once the heroes swoop in and romance starts blossoming. Book 3 introduced a whole new set of obstacles the Star Guardians have to overcome and I’m EXCITED to see where this series goes.
I also have my reread of the Black Dagger Brotherhood on my plate. Because I AM doing that. Soon. Probably. Between writing my own books.
So that’s it. That’s what I’ve been delving into recently. Fun, sexy books with a side of danger!
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July 12, 2017
There’s always that *one* book in a series…
Okay, so there isn’t *always* that one book, but even the most beloved of series can have a book or two you just don’t connect to. Especially if the series is long-running enough.
For the record, I won’t ever look down on somebody for liking this particular book. Honestly, part of me can’t figure out why I dislike the one I’m about to talk about. While I have my suspicions, those suspicions are sort of blown out of the water by a later book in the series I LOVE. So…
Let’s talk about the Black Dagger Brotherhood.
First off, as a chronic rereader, I ADORE going back to the beginning and binge-reading my way through a beloved series. The BDB series works so freaking well for me. Sure, sure, I mostly skim the Lesser stuff after the first read-thru, but everything else works. The men are broody and hard (in more ways than one, AMIRITE?!?!) and the woman they fall for make them work for their love.
I have a soft spot for Wrath and Beth. I ADORE Zsadist and Bella. I liked Rehv’s book so much I own two copies of it. But, HOLY FREAKING BALLS, I get hung up on Phury’s book every time it comes up in a reread. EVERY.TIME.
Something about his story line makes me curl into a ball and whimper whenever I attempt to get through it. I just…can’t. Which means that the most recent releases in the series haven’t been read by yours truly even though I own them. (If I’m remembering correctly, I’ve read through Lover Reborn. Then I attempted a reread before the next book and things fell apart.)
Damn you, Phury. DAMN YOU AND YOUR ISSUES!
I think a big part of what I don’t like stems from………………….. *spoiler*………………….. his attempted death by overdose. I’m not a fan of drug use in books and that whole thing kinda turned me off on him as a character. BUT… I’m totally okay with Rehv being a pimp, drug dealer, and habitual user himself. DO YOU SEE WHY I’M CONFUSED. Rehvenge is pretty much my favorite character and he shares some of the not-so-great qualities that turn me off of Phury.
This leaves me feeling very conflicted. I feel like I *should* like Phury’s book better. But I don’t.
I just don’t.
So where does that leave me? Well, writing this has made me wonder if I can give it the old college try and attempt a full series reread again. Because, APPARENTLY, I’m not one to leave things alone.
Maybe I will. Maybe I’ll go back to the beginning and work my way through the series and see if this Phury-block is something I can get over. That would be kinda cool because than I could get caught up on the newest books.
I’m not holding my breath on a successful dismount, but I think I’m going to do it. HOLY BALLS, I’M GOING TO DO IT!
Wish me luck!
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July 7, 2017
Beginnings, endings, and other important things
The first week of July has been pretty stellar for me. I wrote. A lot. Which feels, you know, good. Because June ended up being a weird month where I took more time off than I thought I was going to and a bunch of real life STUFF happened (all good, but there was a lot of stuff), so getting back into that writing groove makes my muse happy.
Trust me, a happy muse is a good thing.
But being all productive and on top of things got me thinking. I’ve started the Monstrous Revelations series and…I just realized this is the final part of Ari’s story I have planned. And that’s weird.
Weird because I wrote her first book back at the end of 2013. Ari and her crazy, monster lovin’ ways had been in my head for almost four years. FOUR YEARS. Considering The Wicked Woods was supposed to be a one-off, smutty experiment in writing, I think that’s pretty incredible.
Then the idea that I’m closing out her story hits me and I get all squirrely.
Because I have a tough time with endings. A seriously tough time. My bookshelves are bulging with great trilogies of which I’ve only read the first two books. You know how it is, if I don’t read that last book, the series is still ongoing, right?
Yeah, okay. Maybe that’s not how it works outside my head, but there you go.
Writing the final series in a cycle I’ve been living with for so long is…tough. Don’t get me wrong, I’m excited to do it. I’ve had the idea for this series rattling around in my head for a while and I WANT to tell it.
But saying goodbye is hard. So I soothe the muse by reminding myself that just because I’m closing out a series, it doesn’t mean I can’t ever return to it. (Not going to lie, that’s something I tell myself EVERY series.)
And since I do better when I have accountability, I’m going to lay out my plans for this series. While these plans may change somewhat down the line, this is what I’m aiming for now.
Like Monstrous Tales and Monstrous Matchmaker, the Monstrous Revelations series will be serialized. At this point, I’m planning 8-10 installments of between 8-10K words each. For scale, MT was 10 books long and MM was 8, so this is in line with the others books in the cycle.
The working title for book 1 is Monstrous Connections. I’m REALLY liking how it ties in with what happens in the book, though, so I won’t be surprised if the working title becomes the actual title.
I’m planning on an end of 2017, beginning of 2018 release for the series. To be honest, I’m leaning more toward Jan of 2018 for book 1, but that all depends on if I can whip the two books I’m planning for Nov/Dec into shape for release (It’s probably just my anxiety, but they feel like they need a lot of work right now).
There you have it. Beginnings and endings and all those things that make up the middle.
Now I’m off to play in fictional worlds and make a wicked nymph do spectacularly naughty things.
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