Kate Willis's Blog, page 122

“Lost” in the Bookstore

I dream about bookstores. The shelves stretch from floor to ceiling and are literally crammed with books. Aisle after aisle after aisle.

Last weekend, when my mom, my partners [sisters] in the used book business, and I took our extra stock to Bookman’s, we quickly dropped our books off at the sorting counter and went to explore.

We entered the bookstore version of the beast’s castle–a maze of pages and brightly colored covers. The bookshelves weren’t floor to ceiling like I would have preferr...

The Beta-Reader’s Guide to the Galaxy

“Space is big. Really big. You just won’t believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is.”Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

I find the privilege of beta-reading/test-reading/reviewing nearly as big (and just as exciting!).Here are some of the tools I use to help me be the best beta-reader I possibly can!

My Goodreads account has not only been addictively fun but also great for sharing reviews and networking with other authors/readers.Most authors ask forreviews on th...

The Mystery of the Mansion

I am so excited about this short story collection by one of my writing friends! I’ve had the privilege of reading some of the stories and even doing some transcription for her. Congratulations on publishing, Susie!

Studio C: Author Style

My family and I love watching Studio C comedy sketches together, but the story-related ones are some of my favorites. Here are a few that make my author heart laugh.

Did you know that stories are so simple you can order plots, characters, and props from Teddy’s Story Joint? Just be sure no other authors are listening in because the plagiarism can get embarrassing.

The antics of fairytale royals can lead to some pretty disgruntled commoners! Who in his right mind would burn spinning wheels,...

Book Review: The Princess and Curdie

“Princess Irene’s great-grandmother has a testing task for Curdie. He will not go alone though, as she provides him with a companion — the oddest and ugliest creature Curdie has ever seen, but one who turns out to be the most loyal friend he could have hoped for.”(from Goodreads)

The first chapter of this book was very slow and boring, but it picked up soon after and swung into a clever adventure. I loved seeing Curdie grow up, and it was delightful when Irene and her king-papa came into the...

Favorite Books from Read-to-Win 2016

Do you see all the book covers crammed onto that graphic? For the remaining six weeks of summer, they are on sale for 99 cents each as part of Homeschooled Authors’ Read-to-Win event! Buy one of these books and review it on Goodreads this summer to get entered it the giveaway for an Amazon giftcard! The more you review, the more entries you get. (Read this article by Chautona Havig to discover no-brainer reviewing.)

Because my book is featured in this year’s event (see that pretty graphic wa...

I Write MG/YA Blog Tag

So far I’ve only published one book, but seven out of eight of my projects are geared towards MG and YA readers. I’m not much older than these age groups myself, so I still enjoy reading and writing a good adventure with a happy ending.

Through the magic of Goodreads, I ran across this blog tag one of my friends had liked. (Small world.) Here are my answers to the questions. I would love to hear yours!

Who are your favorite authors, and do they influence your writing? Some of my favorite au...

Master Storyteller

I’ve been thinking a lot about denouements lately.They’ve been cropping up in articles, workshops, and even everyday conversation as Mom helped us fix our French pronunciation.[image error] Everyone says this is one of the most important parts of your story. It’s the summation. The tied strings. The tinypuzzle piece that can make or break the whole picture. Never skip it.

Then the thought struck me:The story of Jonah hasno denouement. No resolution. Neither does the parable of the older brother!

Jo...

Story Excerpt: Bringing in the Plants

When I first started this story (currently titled “Kiera”), I had quite the love/hate relationship with it. Now that it’s over 15k words, I’m beginning to see some potential. I hope you enjoy this first scene!

The water trickled out of the spigot into the old watering can. Nearby a young woman rose to her feet and dusted her hands off on her denim skirt, turning to find another task while she waited. Giving the spigot one last glance, she left the porch to inspect her garden.

Two large, raise...

Book Review: The Princess and the Goblin

“Princess Irene’s discovery of a secret stair leads to a wonderful revelation. At the same time, Curdie overhears a fiendish plot by the goblins. Princess Irene & Curdie must make sense of their separate knowledge & foil the goblins’ schemes.” (from Goodreads)

I enjoyed this book by George MacDonald so much! The writing style was delightful; I felt almost as if I were a child having it told to me. I loved the parents. It’s rare to find wise, supportive, and loving parents that are so involved...