Tag Archives: fiction

Upcoming Release! KINETIC HISTORY (Book #3)

KINETICS, New Release Details, publishing, updates, , , , , , , , , , ,

So, I’ve been hinting at KINETICS news for the last several months, and that waiting is about to pay off, Vikans!

*ahem*

The third book in my KINETICS (KNU) saga, KINETIC HISTORY, will be published for your enjoyment on January 31st, 2020!!

KineticHistory_promo

(((Cover made once again by the ever-amazing Designed By Starla)))
(((You want a cover as cool as this one? Find her at her website [here])))

Summary::

Friendships can be complicated…

A month after the Hyndon excursion, Jaden is still rattled at meeting the infamous Faust, once a myth, now a horrible reality. When Jessi gets kidnapped by the demonic soldier, it’s up to her and Kiran to rescue her. Faust’s clues lead them to new information, self-realizations, and reunions with old friends.

However, playing his game can’t be their only option, if they want Jessi back in one piece. When the answer for turning the tables lands in her lap, Jaden doesn’t have faith that she can do it. But, she doesn’t want Faust to get under her skin either.

Faust wants to play a game?

Then he better be prepared to lose.

 

THIS. IS. NOT. A. DRILL!!!!

*squeals*

I’M SOOOOOO PUMPED!!! It’s been a full 2 years since KINETICS #2 came out (January 2018, yikers!), so I’m excited to finally get a new one out!

Oh, and coming back to the ever-awesomeness that is Designed By Starla, she has to be psychic, knowing things that I really didn’t fully tell her, and she delivers something better than anyone could’ve ever pictured.

Follow this with me, okay?

This is a cropped portion of the cover::

KineticHistory_promo_PSD_OG

As you read the book, you’ll understand why I point this out. This character in particular used to be pure and kindhearted, as seen from the right half of his face:

KineticHistory_promo_PSD_Theo

But, if you look at the left side on its own…

KineticHistory_promo_PSD_Faust

… You can see he might not be that kind any longer. And that devilish smirk (*swoons*)… Couldn’t see it when looking at the full face, could ya?

Again, Starla. Is. Magical.
Change my mind.
Come at me, Bro.

So, eBook for Kindle devices is already available for preorder on Amazon [here], if you are the digital, tablet reading-type. But, if the smell of the crisp pages of a new print book are thrilling to you, here’s a special option, just for those of you that find access to the below details and links…

Now, special deal for all you Vikans out there. I’ve created a form that puts you on a list for print copies of KINETIC HISTORY after the print is released. However, this isn’t any ordinary list. This is a special list. Those of you who like signed copies, this list is your shot! Fill it out, and once I get copies of the physical books, I will sign AND personalize copies based on the recipient’s details filled out on the form. Once I’ve got the supply, I will reach out to each of you, confirm you are still interested in your order, get your address to mail a copy / copies to you, and then purchase through PayPal. Copies are only $9 a piece (list price on Amazon starts at $10.99 for the print copy), with an additional shipping charge of $4.

Interested in this deal? The form will only be active until the evening of January 30th at 9 PM EST, after which the form will be locked. So this is a limited opportunity.

Also, I have decided to run this type of deal with the previous books as well. There’s a form for KINETIC REBIRTH (#1), a form for KINETIC MEMORY (#2), and a form for ALL THREE BOOKS!

Pre-Release SIGNED book deals
— Pricing details —

KINETIC REBIRTH (KINETICS #1)
> Each Copy: $8
> Shipping: $4
>> Form closes 2/16/2020
>>>>> [FORM]

KINETIC MEMORY (KINETICS #2)
> Each Copy: $8
> Shipping: $4
>> Form closes 2/16/2020
>>>>> [FORM]

KINETIC HISTORY (KINETICS #3)
> Each Copy: $9
> Shipping: $4
>> Form closes 2/16/2020
>>>>> [FORM]

All 3 Books (KINETICS #1-3)
> Each Order: $25
> Shipping: $5 per set
>> Form closes 3/1/2020
>>>>> [FORM]

 

So, guess that’s about it!

I’ll update the “Kinetics” tab to reflect the new release details in the next few days. If you’d like, look around the rest of my website.

I also have other series to explore, if they sound intriguing enough for you:
>>> [“Kinetics“]
>>> [“Terrara Vikos saga“]
>>> [“The Chaos Accounts“]

I’ve started offering Fiverr Gigs (see this [blog post] on starting a Fiverr business, as well as my [FIVERR] tab, also found at the top bar menu), so maybe I can help some more of you creatives out there do you. I’m on Fiverr [here]. My “FIVERR” tab has yet to be updated from recent changes in Gigs I offer, but should have that fixed soon. If you want to directly see my gig offerings, go to my [profile] and check ’em all out!

Anyway, Keep faith, guys.

Book Three makes you question the stakes even more.

And assume nothing.

Because this Kinetic adventure is just getting started.

– Chrissy

 

 

Oops, forgot I had this thing…

#ChaosAccounts, Affirmations, KINETICS, Ramblings, Writing, Writing Process, , , , , , , ,

So, I can’t believe I’ve spaced out so much lately. I thought about this blog this week, loaded it, and gasped when I saw my most recent post on here was from New Years this year.

JANUARY 2019.

OOPS.

I know I said I’d do better, so I’m going to be more diligent when it comes to anything author-related.

That being said, first step was getting into writing again because, unfortunately, haven’t written much since Smoky Writers back in February/March. During which, by the way, I finished the draft to Kinetics #5, the fifth and final book in my KINETICS saga. For the entire story behind my KINETICS saga from start to present day, check out this separate blog post [PENDING POST] for the whole history of it. It’s a long, emotional roller-coaster of a journey, so it deserves its own post.

Needless to say, when I was deciding which project to pick up again, I did what I always do, and review my spreadsheet. For those of you that are unaware, or just didn’t pick up on it, I am a very organized, task-oriented person. My messy room would have you fooled, but when it comes to computers and digital content, I am more OCD than out in the real world. I also work in IT for my day job, and I’ve even had managers in my career that say I am the most task-oriented person they’ve met, and applaud me for it, saying they could never have the persistence to record and organize my tasks and projects so detailed, so creative, and so flawlessly quick.

As example, I will go back to the original point: my writing spreadsheet.

Here’s a few photos of the many tabs that make up this spreadsheet::

Tabs1-As_of_2019-06-09

Tabs2-As_of_2019-06-09

Tabs3-As_of_2019-06-09

Didn’t think I’d be that digital OCD, did you?

I warned you.

Oh, and it gets WAY worse. Just keep going! (*insert laughing with tears emoji here*)

The un-colored tabs are for my productivity records, which I’ll cover in a bit. The highlighted tab colors signify their use/status. I’ll list them in order, skipping the purple one to cover later (and trust me, your brain will explode at what’s in that tab).

Here’s the color guide::

Light green = Current WIP (works in progress, for those of you unfamiliar with that term). These are projects I am currently working on. These could also be projects I’ve just started a bit, presently writing a few words here or there, while getting deep into nitty-gritty research and profiling and mental plotting for the story as a series and as a whole.(Spoiler alert: I can’t do one-off/single books. I’ve always been a series/serial kinda gal.)

Yellow = Projects I’ve started recently that are my backups for if I get writer’s block / LOI for my Light Green projects. (To learn the term LOI that I created, see [this blog post] to see if you agree with the differences). These ones are projects and/or series I’ve gotten a decent amount into, and can still feel a flame of inspiration in my heart; barely there, but waiting for that fuel to truly flame.

Red (both shades) = These are projects and/or series I’ve put on hold for now. Ones that have caused my lack of writing in recent months, or ones that tormented me months or even years back that I still want to attempt someday. Light red projects are hopeful ones to pick up; the dark red tab is the one currently in question on what format to output, due to reasons I will NOT be getting into.

Blue (both shades) = The blues are ones barely started, not touched in ages, and can’t be considered for the Red “Hold” highlight due to the length of time they’ve been on hold. I might revisit them someday, but those can wait a good amount longer without breaking my inner college writer. The darker blue one already has stories published, but there’s 1 or 2 more stories I want to write for it. However, those 1 to 2 stories haven’t been worked on since 2014, and still not urgent to feed my inner imagination and inspiration as an author.

Dark Green = These ones are series in which every book/story is completed. Could be all first drafts, could be all edited drafts, could be partially published works, or a combination of the three.

Now, to really make your heads spin.

This is what is on the purple tab, labelled “Overall Index”. Don’t hurt your eyes trying to read. (Again, *insert laughing with tears emoji here*)

Overal_Index_Tiny-As_of_2019-06-09

flail_kermit

Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

This tab lists every project I’ve worked on since Spring of 2011. As you can probably tell, there seems to be more projects than what the number of tabs suggest (Just kidding, your brains are already mush by this point; no one assumes that). But, if you are sane enough at this point to think that, you’d be correct. I do have projects on the Overall Index that do not have their own tabs. Yet, at least. Planning on adding them eventually, then hiding them until I might want to pick them up a few years from now. You know three years… five years… twenty years…. something like that.

Now, to cover the painful proof of my LOI (again, here’s my [blog post] for LOI comparison).

Here’s my current Word Counts for the year 2019 thus far, broken up by project and month:

WC-As_of_2019-06-09_14-40

I know, I know, 64k in less than six months is nothing to sneeze at. However, I made a goal for myself at the beginning of the New Year: a goal instead of a resolution, something to try your best to achieve and not give up when you mess up once. My goal was to write every day, no matter whether it was 5 words, 500 words, or 5,000 words. Wouldn’t matter, as long as I got something written down, some progress, however small, is still progress.

These next two photos show why I’m slightly disappointed in myself.

Here’s a screenshot of a table I made which shows my productivity by week, making an average that compares the number of days each week that I wrote (the “Y” column) verses the days I didn’t write anything at all (the “N” column)::

Yes_No_Comparison-As_of_2019-06-09_14-40

(This is as of today (6/9/2019), and I wrote today, which is why Week 24 shows 100% “Y”, because Sundays are the start of my week counting)

As you can see, some weeks are 100%, meaning I wrote something each day of that week. Some also have partial percentages, meaning only wrote a few times that week, less than 7 days, but at least 1 day of that week.

Then look at the 0.00% rows.

Nine weeks of 23 (still ignoring Week 24), I didn’t write ANYTHING at all.

ANYTHING.

And, here’s the comparison between “Y” days and “N” days for the full year::

Ttl-Yes_No_Comparison-23_Weeks-As_of_2019-06-09_14-40

Nope.

Not good enough.

Not gonna cut it.

So, after looking into all my older projects, I decided to pick up a series I’ve been working on since early 2017; a story saga which released its first 3 stories in 2017, 2 more in 2018, and the first collection of those 5 stories releasing March of this year (2019).

A series I hadn’t touched since mid-2018, when I finished the first draft of the fifth story.

A series I haven’t written new words for since this past April.

A series with an entire TWO more story arcs.

Figure it out yet?

Yes, Vikans, I have picked up THE CHAOS ACCOUNTS short story serial once more! [This Page Link] will take you to the links to all the published stories thus far in this hidden war between the MRC and ChaosBlaze.

The fifth story left off at a slight hangover, with Division 3 promising each other they would regain the friend they lost: a friend who gives himself up for the rest of the team’s lives.

Not spoiling any more than that, but trust me on this::

The story is just beginning.

I’ll be publishing my post on my KINETICS journey sometime soon, and once I do, I’ll link it in the appropriate locations on this post.

Until then, Vikans…

Keep Faith!

-C

 

Wow, New Year already?

Career, Dear Diary, KINETICS, Out in the World, Ramblings, , , , , , , , , ,

What happened? 2018, gone just like that? Where’d the year go?

When I realized what that meant, I felt like I’d barely accomplished anything of value in my life. Had I written stuff? Yes, I had.

However, the kicker for me was this…

I hadn’t published much of anything.

Granted, three works got published, but without really any noticeable success, either reader-wise or sales-wise. “Account of Secrets” and “KINETIC MEMORY” both were released in January 2018, with the 5th CHAOS ACCOUNTS story (“Account of Risks“) released in July 2018. Yes, these are published works, but my mind believes that even with those releases, there is a lack of accomplishment or fulfillment. Especially because the last two months, as 2018 started coming to a close, my inspiration and motivation to write weakened, due to anxiety of holidays, day job, and prepping for my wedding in Fall 2019. (Getting engaged was one of few high points in 2018, let me tell you.)

I feel a bit weird about all of that in general. Think about it for a second. 2017, after I lost JV, was my most productive and active year of my writing career thus far. I wrote the first 4 CHAOS ACCOUNTS stories and published 3 of them. I also published a prequel ebook (“KINETIC TRAGEDY“; only available on Instafreebie) and the first KINETICS book (“KINETIC REBIRTH“), as well as written that whole first book, its sequel, and the fifth CHAOS story, rounding out that series’s first Arc.

Move onto 2018. I wrote as much as I could, but the inspiration and motivation started to wane and weaken. I ended up transferring to a merger company that my day job joined with, a company that started business early 2018. Since I had to learn a completely new system and way of doing day-to-day activities, plus having to interact with people of lots of different personalities and work ethics. That was a HUGE learning curve, and I think that stress and elevated anxiety was probably a root cause for lack of activity.

Now, like I said above, I got a LOT of writing done in 2018, at least in the first half or so. Highlights:

— Finished writing AND personally editing first drafts to the third AND fourth KINETICS books, as well as written 1/3 of the fifth and final installment

— Wrote a couple thousand words for CHAOS ACCOUNTS #6, as well as began formatting for the first CHAOS ACCOUNTS collection, for Accounts #1-5 (Aiming for physical copies of this as well)

— Worked on editing old WIP projects

— Started writing new WIPs – one that I’m presently working on in hopes of traditional publishing (hopefully)

However, still hardly any publishing credits for most of 2018. I have a good amount of finished projects, as well as dozens of WIPs. You want proof?

Image may contain: screen and laptop

Yeah, looking at that makes my head spin too.

The above and below screenshots are a spreadsheet that catalogs progress on any projects I’ve written for as far back as New Year’s 2011. That means today marks eight years of consistent writing, and hopefully useful words and maybe eventually books / ebooks. I created this Spreadsheet around 2014/2015-ish, and any projects I’ve made progress on since then actually keeps track of my word count each day for whatever project I wrote for. I’m OCD to the max, I already know this. 😉 But, the above is almost all my projects, either WIPs, completed novels, or spin-offs/sequels to earlier projects in the first two categories. Any project since 2011. ANY.

Now, the top right of this spreadsheet made me feel at least slightly accomplished when I did my end of the year WC check:

No automatic alt text available.

Yes, you are seeing correctly. Eight years of monitoring my word counts, and in the year 2018, I reached over 1.1 million words written, either in completed works or the word counts in my present WIPs, since 2011.

Then, looking through my project tabs, I mentally remembered plot lines to the WIPs I hadn’t touched in years, smiled slightly. Those 1.1 million words created so many great ideas and so many happy memories. Hopefully one day, I’ll be able to share them with you.

I replacement of a New Year’s resolution (as no one keeps those anyway), I will be even more meticulous when it comes to my writing schedule. I’ve added tabs to that massive spreadsheet, where I will also record each day’s word counts. I’ve added a reference tab as well, where I outline the minimum word count I’d like to achieve each month, and even broke that minimum to how many words per day I’d need to reach the monthly goal. I chose different minimums for each month, varying depending on what activities I know will be going on that month, outside of author-dom existence. Hopefully I can stick to this OCD recording better than I have my blog in recent years.

I will also attempt to save money to eventually roll out KINETICS #3 and #4 in the coming years (as self-pubbing costs money, and I really don’t have a huge fanbase. Actually, to be honest, might only have a handful of them. Wish I was more visible…).

And, as always, I will write. I write for my readers. I write for myself. And, I write for my future, as well as the futures of anyone that cares to grab digital and / or print copies of my books and stories. As an author, the best part about getting your stories out there is to have people take a leap of faith and join your characters on their journeys. And, even with the minimal readers I have now, I will always write stories. Because, maybe one day, I’ll look back and be happy that I took a leap of faith too, hoping people might enjoy my stories. And, hopefully, that dream might become a reality.

Here’s to an exciting and unpredictable year!

2019, bring it on!

Have Faith,

– C.

 

 

Lightning Strikes!

Fiction, inspiration, KINETICS, New Release Details, Publishing & Writing Career, Ramblings, Writing, Writing Process, , , , , , , , ,

Hey there, Vikans!

So, a LOT has happened lately for me, both in terms of personal and professional plotlines. In addition, my eyes opened wide about three weeks ago, almost as if struck by lightning, in an instant, I had my entire writing and publishing career figured out. Well, in basic, general terms and only in my head, at least. Here’s how this happened, and what it means for my readers and me.

Three weeks ago, I was 25,000 words into KINETICS 3, 13k of them written during the previous 8 days of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month, for those that don’t know that acronym). I had decided to recycle characters from manuscripts that ended up in my “Manuscript Graveyard”, essentially, stories and novels that I didn’t think would ever see the light of day. By doing that, I make this ode to my best friend JV fully encompass my writing career from its very roots.

Two characters that will show up in Book 3 are named Chrissy and Ryan. They were the Hero and Antagonist from my first ever finished manuscript in high school. Over the course of middle and high school, I’d finished 2 full novel-length manuscripts, and started on the next three. Back then, I bounced between books in a single series, as it was a bit easier for my ADHD minded imagination at the time. Toward the latter half of high school senior year, I ditched this series for Terrara Vikos-related writing (aka-first book in that trilogy).

However, I dug it out again mid-college. Read through it. At the end, all I could think of is, “This is a piece of crap!” So, I decided to try a complete rewrite back in 2012. In fact, my first two short stories for my Creative Writing class critique in college were written with characters from my Chrissy and Ryan series, at the time named THE ENCOUNTER. I had hoped those stories would give me the boost to get that first book rewritten as similarly to the original as possible, just with better writing. And, hopefully, a domino effect would occur.

I stopped five chapters in.

And those five chapters went back into the Manuscript Graveyard.

Here we are in Fall of 2017, and Chrissy and Ryan decide to become a part of my KINETICS universe. When trying to figure out their back stories, my min wandered back to my original, action-packed story, with lies, secret identities, a heroine like Kim Possible, and magic that vaguely resembled Avatar: The Last Airbender.

I was a seventh grader coming up with this story. Get over it.

Anyway, I was trying to figure out their past that led up to their appearance in KINETICS 3. What would need to change? What would be different? That’s when I had a major, stray thought:

“What if I didn’t need to change a thing? What if, somehow, their story happened in some kind of relation to my KINETICS storyline?”

Then:

“What if ALL my series were interconnected like that? They’re basically the same type of magic system and abilities, after all…”

One thing led to another, and, one-by-one, connecting lines criss-crossed, and I had most of my major projects from the last decade of writing interlocked with each other. My adrenaline pumping again, I finally realized that this new universe would probably take my entire writing career to finish. Granted, a have a good chunk of those interlocked series either completely written or partially written, but I’d still need money for covers and editing and such, so I’ll have to space them out.

This universe I’ve created looks like a cork board with strings that a stalker or serial killer might have, just in my mind. I am tentatively named this universe the KNU, or “Kinetic Noveletic Universe”. Once I’ve got two more books or so out, I will put “(KNU)” at the end of each series title, making it easier on Amazon for my readers trying to find every story within this interlocked collection of worlds. Also, this might be fun for my readers, because there will be Easter eggs in each series that mirror or relate to something happening in a connected series. It’ll be fun, right?!

A few days after this revelation, I started working on Chrissy and Ryan’s story again from scratch. Remember when I said above that their backstory didn’t have to change?

Well it did.

A little.

…

OKAY, A LOT! GEEZ!

The story is completely different from the one I started with. The opening scene was salvaged from my 2013 rewrite, but the reasons and motivations were completely different. In fact, one of my main adult heroes becomes an antagonist, whereas my antagonist became my anti-hero, and the romance that was slow-paced and spanned three novels originally starts in Chapter Two.

Not digging any deeper than that, sorry. You’ll have to wait for it.

Oh, and next week’s blog post should have long-awaited details on KINETIC 2, as well as a few details on my above mentioned series with Chrissy and Ryan, tentative series title is “CASTERS”.

See ya on the flip side, Vikans!

Keep Faith!

PRINT NOW AVAILABLE!! // Kinetic Rebirth Release

KINETICS, New Release Details, Writing, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Link to Print: http://amzn.to/2fQQpO3

[Summaries and Links to KINETICS]

So, the day has finally come. KINETIC REBIRTH (KINETICS, BOOK ONE) is now available in paperback through Amazon!

*Insert squealing author here*

I am SO Excited to share this adventure with you! If you want more in-depth details on the process from finishing up the book to publication jitters, read previous blog posts I’ve made since May that talk about this journey I’m taking with Jaden and crew.

I’ve said this in a bunch of blog posts too, but it means so much to me that I have to keep sharing. If you’re new to this blog of mine, WELCOME! As for background, here’s a video with me and my best friend JV on my vlog channel (I will post new videos there again soon, I promise), discussing the start of our friendship.

It was from the base in this video that JV and I started writing roleplays over Google Docs together, just the two of us, creating dozens of character over five/six storylines and settings. It was a basis of our friendship, and led to the two of us working on a book series together. A book series that has reached a halt, as her notebooks were taken for a trial next year.

“Why a trial?” You may ask. Well, JV unfortunately was killed in a crash at the end of January this year. It still hasn’t really sunk in, even over seven months later. She was my closest companion for over 5 years, and just like that, she was gone. I’m glad it was quick, so she wouldn’t have to suffer, but I struggle with understanding why she had to go. She was so young, so full of life, and expecting a child with her husband of one year this past August. It’s heartbreaking that someone so gentle, so kind, and so giving had to die, but at least we know she didn’t suffer. She wouldn’t have wanted that, and to be honest, neither would we. It’s sad she’s gone, but at least she felt no pain going out of this world.

Here’s a video off my Youtube channel, talking about what I learned from losing her:

ANYWAY, back to KINETICS. All the characters in Book One of this series were ones that were created while interacting with JV. Two actually were characters that her other best friend, Ne, had created in a similar fashion to me and JV, roleplays and such, but the rest were between me and JV. I plucked them out of their stories, aged them a bit, and shoved them into this universe. It took a lot of brain power to make this a decent book while not completely altering the character’s personalities unrealistically. In short, I wanted their personalities to be accurate as to their old ages in our roleplays. Then, I had to figure out plausible events that would shape who they grew up to be, especially with characters who had a drastic change between RP and KINETICS. And, I’m actually proud of myself for figuring that out over the first few days of my annual Smoky Writers retreat.

Apparently, I did a goo job with my Jessica character too, based on my editor’s notes:

KatNotes-JV_Compliment-Cropped

If you have a Kindle, Kindle app, or are a Kindle Unlimited subscriber, the eBook of KINETIC REBIRTH has been available since September 19th. So, you should go download it off Amazon NOW!

But, as of last night, the print book went live on Amazon. You can go buy a copy [here]. http://amzn.to/2fQQpO3

If you’ve been a few of the amazing people that bought, downloaded, and read my book, I would REALLY appreciate a review on the product page! The idea behind letting eBook out first was to generate interest and possibly reviews. Even a sentence or two would be AMAZING!

Also, I have news concerning KINETICS real soon. And it involves a sequel.

*more author squealing*

*ahem* ANYWAY! If you want to read about the adventures that Jaden, Lukas, and the twins (one of which is a realistic reflection of JV in real life, aka, based off her) are going on, then go get a copy.

…

Why are you still here? GO GET A COPY!

Keep Faith, Vikans.

And, remember, “Assume Nothing”. Because you might not have a tomorrow.

THE DAY HAS COME! // “Kinetic Rebirth” Release Day

KINETICS, New Release Details, Publishing & Writing Career, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Greetings, Vikans!

I know, it isn’t Wednesday. But my regular blog posts are Wednesdays, right? Why would I switch up my schedule?

KineticRebirth_promo

BECAUSE KINETIC REBIRTH IS NOW AVAILABLE DIGITALLY ON KINDLE!!

Yes, that’s right, friends. September 19th, 2017 has finally arrived, and I am so excited and beyond terrified at the same time. To me, this book is my greatest accomplishment, and my ultimate dedication to JV (If you don’t know who she is, go read a few previous blog posts. Long story short, she was one of my best friends who was killed early this year, and I have inserted her as one of the heroes, being as true to who she was as I could manage). It’ll give me a little bit of closure, knowing she will be forever immortalized in my writing. She was my beta reader, my inspiration, my co-author (on another series), and my best friend. She was almost like a sister to me, so this is the least I can do to honor her life and memory.

KINETIC REBIRTH is also available for Kindle Unlimited (KU) subscribers as well. Also, for those of you that don’t have a Kindle, there’s a Kindle app for smartphones, tablets, and any other AppStore technologies.

Just for a brief update on projects, I finally beat a week-long writing slump and cranked out almost 2k on my KINETICS #2 WIP, bringing rough word count to over 42,000 words. Chaos Accounts #4 also got hit by that writing slump, so it won’t be out as soon as I had hoped. Also, I dabbled just a tad on me and JV’s series, but can’t work on it too much for a lock-up of JV’s notebooks. No worries; I’ll get them eventually, but it’ll be a while. I’m also considering an attempt to go the traditional route with our co-authored series. When the book nears completion in a year or two, I’ll decide for sure.

You can grab your digital copy of KINETIC REBIRTH off Amazon [here]. If you’re more of a print version, subscribe to my newsletter [here] to be reminded closer to Print release day and on actual print release day on October 19th, 2017.

Hope you all enjoy reading this adventure as much as I loved writing it.

As always, Keep Faith, everyone.

And… Remember this::

“Assume Nothing.”

 

Kindle/KU link:: http://amzn.to/2vFyZGA

Email Subscribers link:: http://www.subscribepage.com/a5h2b9

Wild News Wed – T-Minus 3 days until COVER REVEAL WITH A SURPRISE!

Fiction, KINETICS, New Release Details, Ramblings, Writing Process, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

So, Vikans, Guess what?

KINETIC REBIRTH’S COVER REVEAL IS THIS SATURDAY!

THIS.

SATURDAY.

*insert excited squealing here*
*deep breath*
Okay, I am calm. We’ll see how long that lasts.

Time has flown by this year. After losing JV in late January, I felt broken and lost. A part of my heart had been ripped out and torn into millions of pieces. She was my closest friend. I could tell her everything and anything, and she wouldn’t judge or criticize. She was the purest, kindest, most supportive friend I could’ve asked for, and was one of those people that you’re lucky if you meet one in your entire life. A diamond, a gem, an angel on earth that had to return to Heaven WAY too soon, life cut short in the blink of an eye.

The only grateful thought I have is that she went almost instantaneously, no pain whatsoever. That is at least a blessing. But, it’s still not coping, and it’s still not closure.

But, KINETICS is both.

I went on my Smoky retreat, only a mere three weeks or so after losing JV. My Smoky companions were supportive and gentle, which helped knowing what weight I’d put on my shoulders by starting KINETICS. If you want more details on this adventure, read my previous posts from this year. I should be updating my Index tab this weekend as well, just FYI. But, in a nutshell, almost every character in this KINETICS series is one that they two of us came up with while roleplaying online together. All but one. The only character we didn’t create together is JV herself. I have inserted her as one of the heroes of the series. I had hoped that I could write her as accurate and true to JV in real life, but wasn’t quite sure if I’d captured it. I got this from my editor when I got the edits back:

KatNotes-JV_Compliment-Cropped

… And my happiness shot through the roof. Still, as my editor had never actually met JV, I knew I’d written JV’s character well to be liked, but there still wasn’t substantial proof that I wrote her accurately. However, I sent the short story prequel, “KINETIC TRAGEDY”, to three of JV’s closest friends, as well as JV’s husband/widower. All four loved it, and told me, “Yup, that was perfectly Jess.”

Side note real quick. “KINETIC TRAGEDY”, as of this AM, had just reached 100 downloads! This free short is now more successful than “THE PROTEKTOR’S REALITY”, which has been out since November 2014! I am so excited about the response to this story, so download the e-story and share the link like crazy!!
Proof?

KineticTragedy_2017-08-16_midday

 

*ahem*
Okay, Back on topic.

However, it wasn’t until last weekend that I felt almost certain JV had been written exactly realistic and true to JV in real life. I talked to JV’s mother, who told me JV’s grandmother had read one of the ARCs I gave the family, loved it, said JV was so realistic and honestly her, and also that she guessed I was the main character. To which, I joked with JV’s mom, “Trust me, I wish I was half as cool as Jaden.”

As of hearing that, I knew I’d succeeded on preserving JV in print for all eternity. And I can’t wait to share her awesome bubbly-ness with the world.

If you want to see the cover reveal when it happens, go like my Facebook page, or follow my Twitter, where the news will drop early on Saturday, August 19th (THIS SATURDAY!). I WILL ALSO BE EMAILING MY Instafreebie subscribers, so if you download KINETIC TRAGEDY off there, you’ll get word that way too.

I am so excited to share this adventure with you. I can see JV smiling down on me, patting me on the back, telling me, “You got this.”

Keep Faith, everyone, and STAY TUNED!

THREE DAYS TO COVER REVEAL, BABY!

(Oh, and there’s a surprise announcement that will come out that day too. Hint: has something to do with “digital” books. 😉 lol)

 

Social Media Links:

Instafreebie (KINETIC TRAGEDY short + email list subscription) Link: https://www.instafreebie.com/free/N4Wnr

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/cmcdonnellauthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/discoverywritin

 

Wild News Wednesday (2017-06-21)

#ChaosAccounts, KINETICS, New Release Details, Publishing & Writing Career, Writing, Writing Process, , , , , , ,

So, my second #WildNewsWed now begins!

So, actually a lot has been going on since last Wednesday’s post. Unfortunately, most of it I can’t reveal yet. I will be able to soon, but that information is classified.

 

Classified_TomCruise

 

However, I can give you a few updates, that hopefully can tide ya’ll over a bit.

1) Kinetics, Book 1, titled “KINETIC REBIRTH”, is now nearing the end of post-production. Thanks to some swift money decisions and management techniques, I can now manage a longer pre-order gap! If you asked me a week or two ago, I would’ve said, “I *might* be able to start preorders three weeks before release day…”, and probably averted my gaze and bit my lip in nervous hesitance and disappointment.
NO MORE!!!
I now have the ability to have preorders ready before summer’s end (sometime in August or so). I’M SOOOOOO BEYOND EXCITED!!! This novel is my proudest accomplishment. It is my favorite out of the group of ten manuscripts I’ve finished since starting my writing journey back in March 2004. I am so excited to share this new world I’ve created with you guys! It came so naturally, thanks to the inspiration behind it: my best friend JV. The idea came to me a few weeks after her passing, and the manuscript was done within the next month and a half. So, edits are now done, covers are *underway* (*coughcough* details later *coughcough* I promise *coughcough*), and post-production nears its inevitable completion.

2) Just to tease ya’ll a bit, I’m going to have a short story releasing within the next few weeks, via Instafreebie and Wattpad. Somewhere along the way – not sure if before or after KINETIC REBIRTH’s release – I will be making it available all ebook platforms. Leaning more toward post-Book 1 release. But, keep your eyes peeled on my Facebook Author Page [here] for news in the coming weeks.

3) So, a brief notice about THE CHAOS ACCOUNTS. I know Account #3, “Account of Friendship”, left off at an unfortunate cliffhanger. I have a two-parter story for Account #4, which will resolve the cliffhanger I left before. However, I currently am wrapped up in KINETIC REBIRTH production and marketing, so THE CHAOS ACCOUNTS have taken a back seat. Just wanted you all to know I haven’t forgotten about Blaine, Luz, and Division 3, and that those next two stories will be written and released as soon as things die down a bit.

4) Oh, and Book #2 in the KINETICS series started a few weeks ago. Just FYI. 😀

And, to finish off, below is my #TeaserTuesday for the week.

Keep Faith, Vikans.

And October 19th is less than 4 months away. Just in case you didn’t realize that. : )

 

TT-Rebirth_2017-06-20

 

 

 

 

 

Critiques Aren’t Meant To Cause Pain

Fiction, Writing, Writing Process, , , , , , , , , , ,

021
As a writer, you’d think I’d be used to critiques by now. I’ve been in a writing fiction class, where they tore my fantasy to shreds, and I’m currently in my senior level English class, where our class is working on a publication that will be distributed to my entire town, and have been slammed by the harsh critiques I’ve been getting.

What does that do to me as a writer? In theory, as a writer, I need to analyze the critiques, edit accordingly, and brush it off like it’s a piece of fuzz on your shirt. It’s very nice in theory, but very difficult in practice. When you get copies of your work back, a story or manuscript that has been your precious word baby for a while, you get this feeling in the pit of your stomach and a feeling like someone torn your heart into tiny pieces.

Something important happens after that though. You read the edits, and eventually realize that some – if not most – are things that should be changed to make it better. That hole is still there, but starts getting smaller. Does that mean change everything they tell you to? No, it doesn’t. You have to use your discretion as the WIPs creator and figure out what is essential to the story and what can be changed. When you overcome that barrier, the hole is about the width of a pencil.

Finally, when you send that prec023ious word baby of yours back to the editors, and it comes back with a bazillion red markups, that hole expands again, but this time not as big as the first round. As you progress forward and get critique after critique sent back and forth, you start to catch things and habits in your writing that reoccur. Things like in-depth details, or grammatical errors, or maybe that you’re a comma-happy person.

That’s the point I’m trying to tell myself, and something I’m sharing with all of you. CRITIQUES MAKE YOU A BETTER WRITER! While seeing the red pen marks of death may crush you inside, you need to remember that the reason you even get those critiques back is because the editors (whether they are fellow peers, family, friends, or even just a distant connection of someone you know) are only marking those things to make your story the best it can be. Without those marks and notes, the story would go to publication with all the little mistakes and inconsistencies you missed in personal edits. Every good author or writer needs someone who won’t be careful when critiquing and sugarcoat it in sake of your relationship.

As I’ve learned recently, I still get a little pang of pain in my heart when someone tells me my story needs “a little work”. However, the fact still remains that my goal is to be the best author I can be, and that I can write stories that others will enjoy and that makes people feel something inside. If I have bad habits in my writing style, I want them broken before my stories go to publication to give my readers the best, because that’s what they deserve.

I remind myself of that every time a critiqued story comes back to me. I take a deep breath, open it up, and keep on writing.