Kathy Cyr's Blog: Kathy Cyr- Author, page 107

Wednesday Wisdom

Good morning, my friends.

Today is Wednesday Wisdom. We can all use a bit of wisdom from those that have come before us, the more knowledgeable and experienced. Sometimes we just need a pick me up to get us going in the right direction. I know I do. So today, I share with you some of my favorite quotes and sayings.

#Writers

“Who wants to become a writer? And why? Because it’s the answer to everything. … It’s the streaming reason for living. To note, to pin down, to build up, to create, to be astonished at nothing, to cherish the oddities, to let nothing go down the drain, to make something, to make a great flower out of life, even if it’s a cactus.”
—Enid Bagnold

“When I sit down to write a book, I do not say to myself, ‘I am going to produce a work of art.’ I write it because there is some lie that I want to expose, some fact to which I want to draw attention, and my initial concern is to get a hearing.”
—George Orwel

“Making people believe the unbelievable is no trick; it’s work. … Belief and reader absorption come in the details: An overturned tricycle in the gutter of an abandoned neighborhood can stand for everything.”
—Stephen King


#Readers

Whenever you read a good book, somewhere in the world a door opens to allow in more light.
-Vera Nazarian

Anyone who says they have only one life to live must not know how to read a book.
 –Author Unknown

I think of life as a good book. The further you get into it, the more it begins to make sense.
 –Harold Kushner

Traveling Tuesday

Good Morning my friends! It's Traveling Tuesday!

#Writers, what would your characters do in such beautiful places?
#Readers, if you had a chance to explore, what would you do first?


Today we're off to the Isle of Skye and a village called Elgol
What would your character be doing in such a place? What is he or she looking for?
Or did your character grow up there? Is it really Elgol or some place far more mysterious?


This lovely photo belongs to Back East Photography - https://www.flickr.com/photos/backeastphoto/15146812148/ Next we're off to Hamburg, Germany.

What takes your character to Hamburg? A long, lost love? Perhaps family? Or maybe your character received an letter by an unknown?
This lovely photo belongs to - http://allthingseurope.tumblr.com/post/115571082637



Drop on by tomorrow for Wednesday Wisdom, quotes and sayings for #writers and #readers.

Monday Mentionables

Good morning!

It's time for Monday Mentionables. Links to websites & blogs worth mentioning for #writers & #readers.

The three links I've chosen for writers are three straight forward, intelligent and informative authors. You can subscribe to their blog to keep up to date, follow on Twitter or Facebook.

#Writers

Joe Konrath's blog - http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/
Chuck Wendig's blog - http://terribleminds.com/ramble/blog/
James Scott Bell's Kill Zone Blog - http://killzoneblog.com/

The three links I've chosen for readers are ones I think you'll enjoy. Great for book recommendations and easy on the eyes.

#Readers

BookRiot - http://bookriot.com/
BookLikes - http://booklikes.com/
LibraryThing - https://www.librarything.com


Have a great day! Look for tomorrow's blog post - Travelling Tuesday! :)

Happy Friday :)

Happy Friday, my friends. May your weekend be a great one for you. I will be immersed in book 2 all weekend. #writers #readers #coffee #book

Update

Hello my friends,

I hope all is well with you and yours. Work on book 2 of the Max Hamby series is coming along and I can't wait to share it with you.

I was thinking we could have a bit of fun with this blog. For every day of the week, I'll have a different theme or category. I've listed them below for you and we'll begin on Monday (April 13th).

I hope your muse/motivation/inspiration is being good to you.

Monday Mentionables
Links to websites, articles and news for writers and readers.

Tuesday Travelling
Inspiring photos for readers and writers from around the web.

Wednesday Wisdom
Inspiring quotes and sayings

Thursday Three
3 writing prompts

Friday Fun
Misc. for readers and writers. (ie: memes, jokes, stress relievers)

Saturday Series
Blogging about my favorite book series each week.

Sunday Singles
Blogging about my favorite single titles

Have a wonderful Thursday, my friends.

:)

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

It's Tuesday. Another shiny new day to move book 2 further along.

May it be a good one for you. Whatever you're doing, whether it's writing, painting, sculpting, music...whatever it is, don't stop. Push closer to making it a reality, even if it's a little every day. You will get there. Have faith and belief in yourself. Doesn't matter what anyone else thinks, says or does. They can't and won't make your dreams come true. So, get moving. ;)

Have a great one!

Mailing List

The mailing list has been fixed. You should be able to see it on the front page on the right.
If you have problems signing up, just let me know.
Have a great night! :)

Stepping out

Yes, stepping out of my comfort zone. That is what I did this past week.
I have done a long search for middle grade book reviewers. I researched and collected as many sites as I could find. There wasn't as much as I thought. Most of them do not accept self published books.
That was disappointing.

Been hanging on to the list for months and trying to figure out the best way to introduce myself and my book.
I am terrible at having to talk about myself and my projects. Anyway, I knew that if I didn't do it now, it would never get done.

I received a few replies. They were all very nice. Quite a few turned me down, because they were too busy.
Very understandable. A couple said they don't review self published anymore. But, on the bright side, a couple have put me in their queue.

Can I just tell you how nervous and anxiety filled I was? I was literally shaking with each email I sent out.
There are so many people and sites out there that dislike and refuse to touch self published books.

Being an introvert is a strangle hold when it comes to being social. Not always, though. I do try. I can have the most wonderful conversations, share jokes and laughter and discussions with other people about them and their projects, but fall short when it comes to me and mine.

I LOVE the writing and creative side of being an author. Hate the marketing and promotion. But, it's a necessary evil.

I received a paperback copy of my book, Max Hamby and the Blood Diamond, the other day. I love ebooks, but there is nothing like holding a book and flipping through its pages.

I use Createspace for the print version and they did a fantastic job. https://www.createspace.com/5008905

As for book 2? It's coming along nicely. I cannot tell you anymore than that, because a few unexpected surprises/characters have popped up and turned things (slightly) in a new direction. ;)

I hope you all are doing well and feeling fine. I don't know about you, but I have had my fill of winter and am eagerly awaiting spring.

K. :)

Character art

A bit of messing around with characters from Max Hamby and the Blood Diamond. Just finished this piece last night. I think it's a bit too busy for a book cover, but it makes for an interesting wallpaper on my desktop.

Contemplation

I've been contemplating changing the cover to my first book. I love the original, but I don't think it goes with the story and it's possible it's one of those covers that your eye just passes over because it's boring. I drew up a really great sketch with The Downs in the background and some of the characters. I really like it and am going to give it a go in PS.
Hope all is well with you and yours. Book 2 is moving along....slowly, bit still moving. Distractions abound.
Have a wonderful day! :)