More Likes, Please!

I'm babysitting my adorable niece today (and Thursday) so I didn't prepare a Top Ten list. I just want to encourage more people to like my Facebook page. I need 15 more by the end of Wednesday in order for me to do my special giveaway.

And more names for my Name Game, please!

Oh, and today is the release date for Lindsey Stirling's new CD! Yay!

New Project

I was looking at some of my book-inspired artwork the other day (you can see most of them here). It's only been recently that I've turned to the digital medium, mostly by way of my iPad, when I used to do more pencil and oils. I still do pencil once in a while, but oils are more of a commitment since it can take weeks to finish one piece. Well, as I looked at the picture I did of Zain from The Bride, I thought that he would be a marvelous subject for an oil painting. I'm not sure when I'll start this new endeavor, but I'm going to do it. And, perhaps, the finished product will be available on my etsy shop.

My Name Game list has grown a bit since last post. Keep them coming!

Winning Stuff

I've never won anything. I enter stuff all the time: sweepstakes (usually involving Disneyland), giveaways, contests, etc. It's fun to do, but would be much more fun if I won a little something. I'm waiting for the day when Publishers Clearing House knocks on my door...

The only thing that comes close is when my mom won a trip for four to Disneyland a couple of years ago and she and my dad invited my hubby and me! We got to stay in a DL resort hotel, got 3 day park hoppers, and $1,000 gift card for food and souvenirs. Way cool. And it was in December, so holiday decor. I'm curious about the coolest, or lamest, thing any of you have won. Post a comment!

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Sorry to keep harping about my Name Game, but my current list is kinda short. Could it be you keep forgetting to send your email of awesome names? If you did send something and haven't gotten a reply, maybe it didn't go through? (I always check my spam folder, just in case. Please try again!) Or you're having a hard time coming up with some names, or even one? No worries! It's all in good fun. Something I like to do is think of a name that already exists and then change a letter or two until it becomes something unique. I could easily come up with a name for the Soulless character, but I really would like it to come from you, the Readers! I've been trying to think of a super prize to offer the winner. Something liked signed paperbacks or a gift card of some sort. Any other thoughts? If you were the winner what would you want? (Within reason. I am poor.)

A reminder for the entry process: email to kacietaylorbooks@gmail.com, Name Game in the subject line, name ideas in the body. I will reply with a question to make sure you actually read the book (the question will be easy). If you're correct, your ideas go into the running. At some point I will post my top favorites here on my blog for everyone to vote on. Winner gets a prize. Easy peasy!

Top Ten Tuesday #45

Saw Captain Amercia over the weekend. Enjoyable. I've enjoyed all the recent Marvel movies, and other superhero renditions over the years. Others not so much (Spider-Man 3, X-Men 2&3, not huge on Batman). I'm sure everyone at some point in their life has wondered what it would be like to have super powers. Oh, yeah.

Today's Topic: If I Could Have Super Powers, I Would Choose...

10. Super speed
9. Invisibility
8. Telekinesis
7. Teleportation
6. Shape shifting
5. Super strength
4. Invincibility
3. Super Knowledge/Learning
2. Eat anything I want without getting fat or ill (that's a super power, right?)
1. Flying

I'm actually glad such powers don't really exist, because you just know that bad people would get them too and then we'd face catastrophes just like in the movies. We have it bad enough already with the bad people we've got. Of course, good would triumph, but the baddies don't need any extra advantages.

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Still looking for more likes for my Facebook page. The month is almost over and I need 15 more to reach 100, and the giveaway. Also would like to see more names for my Name Game. I'm probably going to extend the email entry period because the list isn't as long as I want it to be. I know some of you have read Soulless and the rest of you can get it for $.99 on amazon right now. Send me an email with your ideas! kacietaylorbooks@gmail.com

Happy Easter!

Since I don't post on Sundays, I thought I'd wish you all a happy Easter! If you don't celebrate this holiday, please take no offense. This is a special time for many, including myself, to remember the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, but more importantly His resurrection. I know He lives! And because of Him we all can live again.

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My request for more "likes" on my Facebook page is going pretty well. I'm up to 84 as of this morning. Only 16 more with 11 days to go. I hope this giveaway can happen. Just a reminder that the prize will be a signed paperback of one of my books and an hourglass pendant in honor of The Bride.

Hubby and I are planning to see the new Captain America movie this afternoon. Should be fun! Have a great weekend!

Get It Done!

My goals concerning Sources have wavered, even to the point of being wishy-washy. I have not pushed myself very hard. There are actual reasons for this, though I won't go into them. Nevertheless, I need to be done with this book. I want to get it out there, and I think if I spend much more time with it I might go insane! I'm working through the parts I'm not happy with, but, whether I meet my next goal or not, I will not publish something I'm not 100% proud of. It wouldn't be fair to myself or my readers. On the bright side, this will give more people a chance to be ready for Sources by reading Taela first! By the way, the prices have changed on barnesandnoble.com. The Bride is $.99 and Taela is free. But, I'm going to try directing you to lulu.com because you can get pretty much any format there now, including kindle and kobo. And it also has a slightly updated version of Taela, which matches the paperback. However you choose to proceed, please get a copy! It's free, for crying out loud!

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I actually started learning Japanese. It is one tough language! I'm slowly working through the alphabet (hiragana). It's definitely going to take some time. I'll keep you posted.

Top Ten Tuesday #44

Konnichiwa! My husband took Japanese in high school. (He watches a lot of anime. I also watch, but not as much as he does.) He told me yesterday that he'd like to brush up on his Japanese and I told him we should learn together. I've never really learned a foreign language, even though I took Spanish in Jr. High. I didn't retain much. I know trying to learn a new language as an adult is much harder than it is for children, but it will be fun to try. It will also help when we visit Japan sometime in the future.

Today's Topic: Foreign Languages I'd like to Learn (at least enough to survive in its respective country)

10. Russian
9. Mandarin
8. Korean
7. German
6. French
5. Spanish
4. Italian
3. ASL. I know it's not really a foreign language, but it's foreign to me.
2. Gaelic
1. Japanese

I thought about adding Tolkien elvish to the list, but since it wouldn't be applicable to everyday life, I left it off. It would still be cool to learn some.

I wanted to thank all of my new Facebook followers. I'm at 82 likes right now. There's plenty of time to reach 100. I'm pretty confident that the giveaway will happen. Also, for anyone new to the scene, my ebook prices have been lowered. You can check here for more info. Also, for anyone who has read Soulless, my Name Game is still happening. I had a concern about the email address I put up for the entries. If it isn't working for some reason, you can also use kaciestuff@outlook.com. Same rules for entry apply.

Like!

You may or may not know that I have an author Facebook page. I generally use it to announce blog posts and other tidbits of news. I think it's the easiest way for fans to get updates, because FB is used by so many people. I don't post excessively either, which could be annoying to some people. Just a few times a week. I'm at 71 likes at the moment. One hundred isn't that far off. If I can get to that sweet number soon, like the end of April, I will do a giveaway. I'm thinking a signed paperback of one of my books, winner's choice, as well as one of my elusive hourglass pendants, seen here. So, starting now, I hope to see more likes! If you're already one of my FB followers, great! Now spread the word!

The new prices for Taela(free) and The Bride($.99) are ready on iBookstore. Get Taela now so you'll be ready for Sources!

It Finally Feels Like Spring!

After a cold, harsh winter for most of the States, it's nice to finally have some warmer weather here in Utah. Spring is one of those seasons that likes to play peekaboo, showing up for a day or two and then hiding as winter bullies its way back here and there. And then suddenly summer shows up. Hubby and I are hoping for a continuation of the cooler days for a little while longer because our air conditioning is busted and we can't fix it just yet. This unfortunate situation started last summer and, let me tell you, it was miserable. I probably mentioned it in a previous post. But, we're expecting some extra money in the next week or so and some of it will go to blessed A/C.

My tweaking of Sources is going well, if a bit on the slow side. My goal is to hand it off to my editor by the end of next week. Once that step is reached, I'll be planning the cover reveal, free chapter samples, and a giveaway. If you haven't read Taela, the first book in the series, get going now! You can find info on the reduced prices in my last post. Please utilize lulu.com to get it for free. I'll gladly take a hit in royalties if it means more people will read it! And don't forget about the Name Game for Soulless. Oh, and reviews!

Top Ten Tuesday #43

I started watching a BBC series on Netflix called The Paradise and have really enjoyed it so far. Period piece dramas are one of my favorite genres to watch. And I've watched several.

Today's Topic: My Favorite Period Piece Dramas

10. Under the Greenwood Tree
9. Daniel Deronda
8. The Importance of Being Earnest
7. Emma (I like the Gwyneth Paltrow version, but others are just as good)
6. Jane Eyre
5. Little Dorrit
4. Much Ado About Nothing
3. Wives and Daughters
2. North and South
1. Pride and Prejudice (A&E 1995 version)


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I've changed the prices for my ebooks on their various sites. Some will not allow me to set Taela as free, so this is the best I could do. Here's the breakdown:

Amazon- all three are $.99

Lulu.com- The Bride is $.99; Taela is free

Barnesandnoble.com- The Bride $.99; Taela free

iBookstore- The Bride $.99; Taela free

Etsy- The Bride $.99; Taela $.50

I'm also still waiting for The Bride and Taela to go live on Kobo sites. When that happens, they will be the same as barnesandnoble.com and iBookstore.

Don't forget to email your name ideas for my Name Game!!

More Lindsey!

If you don't know who Lindsey Stirling is, you are missing out. She is a pop/techno violinist who is very popular on YouTube. She has one album out so far, entitled Lindsey Stirling, and will be releasing a second album at the end of the month. Seriously, she is amazing! You can find music videos for most of her current songs on the Tube. She is also going on tour this year, hitting several US cities and I think she's going international later on. I know she's coming to the Salt Lake City area in May. I'd love to see her live, so maybe I'll try to go, unless tickets are already sold out.

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I think I've come to a decision about pricing for my ebooks. Sometime in the next few days, I will be making some changes. The Bride and Soulless will be lowered to $.99 and Taela will be free. I want more people to download Taela in preparation for Sources. I'm hoping this strategy will help me gain more followers and fans as I build my stash of books. This is still a huge learning process and when something isn't working well, you just have to try something else! The same goes with pretty much anything in life. I'm so inspiring! :)

More Adventures with Sushi

Since writing about our first try here, I've made several more fun, delicious versions of non traditional sushi. This has included--clam chowder, ham and cheese, chicken taco, Italian sausage, cream cheese and chicken, and deli turkey. All have been yummy. Our favorites so far have been the Italian sausage, dipped in marinara, and the cream cheese and chicken, dipped in a light gravy. I have a nice list of other possibilities. Pretty much anything that goes well with rice will make a decent sushi. Tonight we will be sampling BBQ chicken.

My husband has given me some things to think about regarding the pricing of my ebooks for optimal sales. I haven't made a concrete decision yet, but let me just say things are going to change. I will probably have more to say on the matter next week, so stay tuned.

I Quit

It's not worth it anymore. I deleted all my writing projects. They're just not good enough. I don't know why I even tried.


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Okay, that was my attempt at an April Fool's Day joke. Pretty good, eh? No top ten list today, because I didn't plan one. But, you might be pleased to know I reached the end of Sources. I'm not sending it to my editor just yet. There's still a few parts that need tweaking. As soon as it's ready, I'll be planning my cover reveal :)