Winter Melody

The snow crunches underfoot, studded tires rumble over ice, and the air seems to hold its breath, muffled by the snow and the dark.

Even tea pots whistle more often (in my home at least).

Winter is here. Arrived suddenly, frost on the cars, the windows, the road.

Arrived with its own melody in tow.

Am I happy? When I’m sipping hot tea and looking at the falling snow, yes. When I’m walking outside all bundled up and enjoying the crisp winter air, yes.

But when the car slides over a patch of ice? Not so much.

It’s then I remember the winter melody isn’t all sweet notes, there are some dour ones, too. Bitter cold, black ice, gloomy moods. Sometimes I can’t even get out of my parking lot! It’s an adventure for sure.

The good times always outweigh the bad, though, the upswings conquer the down. And sometimes the air even sparkles!

So be happy with this icy winter melody of ours, I know I will be…for the most part anyway.

Happy Friday!
Warm regards,
Kellie

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Publishing Timelines: Sunkissed Feathers & Severed Ties Update!

Publishing, like any creative field, is fluid. Things change all the time. Covers are tweaked, and novels are often ripped to shreds to build better versions. Change is expected.

Timelines change, too.

When I originally signed on with my publisher Desert Palm Press back in May we were shooting for a November pub date, which at the time seemed doable. (If you’re thinking even that’s fast…yeah, it is! DPP has a pretty quick turnaround time for publishing books.)

After I signed, we immediately launched into the editing phase of Sunkissed Feathers & Severed Ties and…it took longer than it was scheduled to take. Why? Well, I went on vacation mid-Round One so I took two extra weeks to get my book back to my editor, and then in Round Two my editor took an extra two weeks on their end for personal reasons. My book is now in the copyediting and formatting stage, so it’s a waiting game until I get to review it again. However, the dual delays in Round One and Round Two caused my book to be a month off schedule.

While working on the cover design phase, brainstorming ideas and such, my designer also had personal issue that cropped up AND we actually had a lot of ideas to pick from. So it turns out this design phase is taking a little bit longer, too. We’ve finally narrowed it down to two gorgeous covers but haven’t yet decided on a final. (Because it’s HARD, and I love them both.)

Anyway, we were getting a bit close to the original publication date so I spoke to my publisher last week about it. Because of these delays, the publication date has been pushed back a month…which brings me to the real reason for this Sunkissed Feathers & Severed Ties update blogpost:

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Sunkissed Feathers & Severed Ties
is now going to be published mid-December!

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Like I said in the beginning, publishing is a fluid process and timelines change, too. I hope you don’t mind the modification, and if you want to read a snippet of Sunkissed Feathers ahead of time, I’m going to post a sneak peek on my website in November!

Now time for me to update my social media profiles.

Happy Saturday!
Warm regards,
Kellie

P.S. – If you’d like more updates about my writings, check out my Twitter and Facebook pages!

 

 

Geeky Roundup

Writing is hard, so I’m distracting myself. Need some extra geeky stuff in your life? I got you covered.

• Rocks can be super cool, yo. Check out these glowing rocks found on the shores of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Hilariously called “yooperlites” these plain rocks can look kinda dreary under sunlight, but under UV light, they glow ORANGE. Pretty cool.
• Wanna laugh? Look at these Greek mythological jokes! (Spoiler: The first one is freaking adorable.)
• Becky Chambers, author of The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet, released a new book called Record of a Spaceborn Few and I am SO HERE FOR IT.
• V.E. Schwab did an amazing lecture on J.R.R. Tolkien’s work (and how she hasn’t read it!) and if you have time, you should read it.
• The Try Guys recently left Buzzfeed to start their own Try Guys channel and it’s hilarious. I’ve been thoroughly enjoying it, and you might, too!
• Need some more SFF chatter in your life (and seriously, who doesn’t?). This SFF Yeah podcast by BookRiot might be just what you need!
• Worldbuilding is really fun, but this Twitter thread gets super philosophical about it. (Shoutout to Book Riot for introducing me to this thread!)
• Ever want to know about some of the best hunters in the animal kingdom? SciShow chats about the Top Six! 

Now, have fun and be geeky!
Warm regards,
Kellie

Mega Lesfic Sale ~ Sept. 10-14

Hello fellow science fiction f/f lovers!

Have you ever wanted to read Finding Hekate or Losing Hold? Well, now you can, without breaking the bank! I’m participating in a Mega Lesfic Sale over at I Heart Lesfic THIS WEEK ONLY. The sale runs from September 10th through September 14th, and the I Heart Lesfic has some amazing deals on over 100 books from over 60 authors, including me!

My Cicatrix Duology is up for grabs. Here’s a bit about each:

FINDING HEKATE:
Mia Foley is running away from the attack that changed her life. She’s captain of a new spaceship when the Acedians find her and try blasting her peaceful crew from the black. She must sever her bonds in order to run, again. But she’s grown fond of this crew, particularly Cassidy Gates. Staying with them will jeopardize their safety, and they have much closer fears than the Acedian hunters. Mia’s time is running out. She’s becoming one of them.

LOSING HOLD:
In the sequel to Finding Hekate, after escaping Donavin’s grasp, Mia Foley and her crew crash on a prison planet and need to deal with its inhabitants, beast and criminals alike. Mia hears Donavin in her mind once again and knows the transformation into one of his drones isn’t far off. Trapped in her own body, lashing against Donavin each chance she gets, and fearful that she’ll lose it all, Mia has to rely on her crew—on Cassidy—to save her. But she’s not the only one transforming in her little group, and things never go as smoothly as they could out in the black.

So head on over to I Heart Lesfic today and get the Cicatrix Duology, yeah? Blast off into the stars with my crew, and maybe snatch up some other books, too!

Happy Monday!
Warm regards,
Kellie

How To Deal With A ~Very Long~ ToDo

Soooooo, I realized recently that I may have said “yes” to a bit too many things. I have a full-time job and three part-time jobs (freelance editing, AWG program designer, and author). For freelance editing, I have it broken down to two types—fiction and non-fiction—and I have ongoing clients in both. I do Tiger Oak editing every night, and this month I’m reading through a Desert Palm Press author’s first book in order to get ready to edit the second one. For the AWG program gig, I’m in the final stages of it, just tweaking things to make the program just right for the conference in September, but I’ve done a ton of work for it over the last month. For my author job, I’m currently in the middle of Round Two edits and trying to prep things for marketing, as well as writing random snippets in book two.

So my ToDo list is…long. Some might say ~Too Long.~ So what do I do when I’ve bitten off more than I can chew?

First of all, I prioritize my work. Week nights are for my freelance editing gig, plain and simple. If I get to work on the AWG program, that’s great! If I get to work on writing stuff, I’m freaking amazed at myself. During the weekend, I switch gears to work on the AWG program and being an author, but I don’t do a single thing freelance-editing wise just because it takes up a ton of my time during the week. I cherish my weekends, when I have more time to work on the program and work on Round Two of edits, as well as brainstorm marketing techniques and write some random snippets here and there.

Secondly, routine is key for me. Since I have a day-job, I already have a pretty solid week-day routine: get up, make breakfast, feed the cats, go to work, work, and then come home. Once I come home sometimes I’m super happy to edit and other times I really don’t want to. Either way, I say hi to my parents and my pets, I change out of my work clothes and into something more comfy…usually pajamas—Don’t judge; they’re fuzzy pants and a sweatshirt!—I make a cup of tea since it’s been raining lately, and then I sit down to edit. I sink into that world for an hour or two. Routine helps me! Plus, routine helps me shake that mindset of “I don’t wanna edit” and actually do the damn job.

Lastly, if I feel burnt out, I take a night off. Simple as that. I have a lot of work to do, but I know myself well enough that if I need a night off, I take a night off. (For me, taking the night off means I watch funny YouTube videos, play games with my family, read a book while sitting with my cats, chat with friends, etc. but it can ~ and should ~ look different for everyone.)

So that’s my remedy for having Too Long a ToDo. What’s yours?
Warm regards,
Kellie

P.S. – If you like my blogposts, go check out my Author Facebook Page where I chat about lots of random things like where I get my writing inspiration, share funny posts I find to ease your week days, and share pictures of my most recent ~life adventures~ and if you *really* want to know more, sign up for my Author Newsletter!

Freelancing FTW: A Whole Year

This weekend I renewed my freelance editing contract with Tiger Oak Media to edit for them for another year, signing and dating the contract TODAY and accomplishing one thing on my ToDo. (I accomplished other things, but signing the freelance contract was a big one.) I can’t believe it’s been a whole year since I first started working with them. So much has happened and so much has changed that I don’t even recognize my life anymore.

Last year at this time I was still hunting for a full-time job, I lived alone in Portland, and I was still drafting Sunkissed Feathers & Severed Ties. A friend of mine who works at Tiger Oak Media reached out to me because she knew I was looking for a job and they had some freelance positions at her company. I applied for the position and got it, landing a part-time freelancing editing gig with them for a whole year! (On top of my freelance editing I do for Desert Palm Press, a part-time job I’ve held for many years now.) I was, of course, thrilled to be editing more!

Now, a whole year after signing that first contract, my life is vastly different. I have a full-time job now too, I live with my sister in Eagle River, and Sunkissed Feathers & Severed Ties will be out in November…with a book contract for the following four books already signed. I still freelance edit, though, proving that some things never change.

It’s just crazy how much can happen in a year, so here’s to another year full of adventure and opportunities…and freelance editing, too!

Happy Saturday.
Warm regards,
Kellie

New Twitter Game – #AfterHoursWIP

Ever since I did my last Twitter hashtag game (#SciFiCircle for Losing Hold last year), I really wanted to do another one. It’s a fun way to meet other writers, chat about whatever you’re currently working on, and dig into some interesting topics. So, for the month of August I’m going to dip my feet into the Twitter hashtag game world once again with my newest endeavor: #AfterHoursWIP.

Here are some details:

• When: THIS MONDAY (8/6/18), 9pm Alaska Time
• How Often: Weekly on Mondays
• Where: Twitter
• Hashtag: #AfterHoursWIP
• Who Can Join?: All writers!
• Sneak Peek at the Questions: “Where does your MC work?”
• Possible Tagline: Worldbuilding after hours…

Eh? EH? Yeah, I’m excited about it and also kinda nervous. What if people don’t join in? I want to test it out for this month, just to see how it fares.

Fingers crossed it goes well, and if you’re on Twitter, join me Monday night!
Warm regards,
Kellie

D&D: You’re A Bard? I Play A Cleric!

“But you do see the way people look at you, devil’s child.”

Dungeons and Dragons. D&D. That nerdy thing some people play on weekends or watch on Geek & Sundry. Yes, it’s a thing. Yes, it does have a troubled past. Yes, it is having a resurgence of sorts now.

And yes, I do play D&D. Why? It’s fun! It’s a communal storytelling experience where the players get to weave together competing goals and motivations. I get to hang out with some old and new friends, AND I get to do some badass things!

Plus, it opened up a new community for me, too. Just the other day, I struck up a conversation with a stranger because of it. The woman was talking about boardgames, and I randomly mentioned D&D. Turns out, she played a bard! Instant connection! So we chatted for a bit about our campaign and characters. It was a lovely, geeky conversation.

In my campaign, we play nearly every Sunday. I play a cleric tiefling named Nevara. Clerics are healers of the group and tieflings have an infernal heritage so they have curved horns, red/blue/purple colored skin, and devil-like tails. My girl Nevara worships an evil goddess named Auril, so she tends to use cold and necrotic magic in Auril’s honor. And, of course, she has a troubled past and is looking for revenge. It’s a fun campaign, full of danger and adventure, cheese wheels and laughter.

If you’re at all interested in theater or roll-playing games, consider giving D&D a try! Those who have played D&D, what did you play?

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!
Warm regards,
Kellie

A Rush Edit: Musings of a Madwoman

Early last month Desert Palm Press contacted me asking if I could do a rush edit on Musings of a Madwoman. A rush edit means I have a shortened turnaround time. In this case since the pub date was insanely close, I gave myself five days to do the developmental edit and two days to do the copyediting. Seven days total to do two rounds of editing.

It was an exhilarating, tiring, amazing experience!

Why? Well, I also work full-time as an office assistant for the State of Alaska. It’s a hectic job with lots of moving parts. So after waking up at 6:30 a.m., going a mile a minute for my full-time job, and then getting back to the house at 5 p.m., settling down to do a rush edit was an interesting experience. I always do freelance magazine editing for Tiger Oak after work, though, so it wasn’t unusual for me to do some editing at night.

What was unusual was how long the editing took me per night. I normally edit for one-two hours for Tiger Oak, but this DPP edit took me four-five hours per night! So for that whole week, I edited until 11 p.m. trying to get the first round of edits complete by Friday. I did it, of course. Thankfully I had the weekend off while the author Jazzy Mitchell did her round. By the following Tuesday, I had completed my second round, sent the manuscript back to Jazzy, and my rush-edit was complete!

It was some seriously long nights. I got a small cold because of it. I was crazy tired. I didn’t work on any Tiger Oak editing that first week and very minimal the second week since I was kinda burnt-out. But I was also really happy with how both rounds of editing turned out.

​Musings just came out and though my part was a small one overall, I am so proud of its publication. Here’s a little bit about the book:

As if navigating life and love aren’t hard enough, throw in a meteorite, and watch what happens. Physical changes and mental abilities make it hard for Marcia to ignore the effects of an extraterrestrial rock. Kiernan has her own challenges when she hears voices and realizes they are not her own. Could the changes they experience be related to their close encounter with a meteorite?

Jazzy is a lovely writer, the plot is intense and twisted, and the characters are relatable. I had a great (if super tiring) time editing her story! You should definitely go check it out.

Hope you have a lovely week!
Warm regards,
Kellie

 

Social Media Tips: For Readers

Social media can be a scary place, a dark ocean just waiting to swallow you whole. But it can also be a connection, a connection to your friends, your family. A connection to your local writing groups, extended writing community, and your fans. It’s scary, but it doesn’t have to be! Here are some quick tips for the lovers of books.

If you’re just starting out and social media is a terrifying, churning sea:

• If you love a book, search for it on whatever social media site you want to use! Doing so will let you make instant connections through book chats, social media groups, and fellow lovers of the book you also love. You may also find some folks who have a differing opinion than you about said book, which can spark some interesting conversations.
• If you don’t see anyone talking about this book that you love, start up a conversation! It can even be a simple as a short tweet about what you like or a longer blogpost examining the pros/cons of it that you share in your social media circles. Chances are, other folks like the book, too, and if they haven’t started talking about it, they will now.

If you’ve waded into the social media depths before and are more confident:

• Join in on a few hashtags for readers: #FridayReads is a popular one. #WeNeedDiverseBooks is a good conversation starter.
• Create images with quotes from your favorite book or by your favorite author. Crafting these are fun and let your book-lover followers which books are near and dear to your heart.

If you wear a trident on your back and can swim in any social media waters, no matter how rough:

• Try creating a social media hashtag game about your preferred genre. It’s a lot of work and takes some foresight and a bunch of planning, but it’s pretty fun. Not only will you gain a lot of interesting insights to your favorite genre, you’ll also be able to start many different conversations, too, depending on what kinds of questions you ask in the hashtag game itself. Plus, hashtag games are simply a fun way to meet new people and chat about how books are awesome.

No matter your comfort level, social media is about having fun and making connections, so dive deep and have a good time!

Happy Sunday!
Warm regards,
Kellie