Merry Christmas!

With the Big Day nearly here, I decided to take another short break from blogging to concentrate on getting everything ready. I'll be back to announce the winner of my giveaway on Jan. 1. Until then, Merry Christmas!

Under the Tree

We've got an adequate stash of wrapped presents under our tree now and hubby and I are both getting excited to share what we got for each other, especially my husband. He confessed yesterday that one of his gifts to me has been in the planning stages for about 6 months. What a sweetie! He's so thoughtful! If I told him we could open presents early, he'd be all for it just so he could finally see the results of his long plan. I must admit my ideas for his gifts did not start six months ago, but they're no less thoughtful and I know he'll like them. That's the best part about gift-giving, isn't it? Seeing the joy on the faces of those you love.

Please remember to enter my giveaway :)

Traditions, Or Lack Thereof

Growing up, our family had several holiday traditions that I think back on fondly. We still do a few, but with all the kids married and living in various parts of Utah, it's harder to keep them up. My husband and I have not officially started any traditions yet. We've tried a couple of things, but not much has stuck. We've been married for five years and don't have children yet, so maybe we're waiting for the kiddos to come before settling on any traditions. We are, however, planning to make some Christmas sugar cookies next week. We'll give some to friends/neighbors and eat the rest. :) Do you have any fun ideas for a young-ish married couple to do during the Christmas season? Keep in mind that we are excessively poor, so things that cost little or no money would be best. Thanks!

Crafts and Craziness

As I expected, the first week of December has already been busy. First, though, I wanted to let you know that my husband is doing great. He's healing nicely and his doctor said an endoscopy is not necessary at this point. Back to the busyness. I've decided to make many of the gifts we're giving to family members (no spoilers) and it's been a lot of fun, but has required a majority of my time. I haven't been needed at work, which has been great, though that will likely change next week. This means I've neglected my writing. Again. I suppose I need to try and organize my time a little better, but it's hard when I'm trying to make sure gifts are done in time for Christmas. I also have a goal to add to my inventory of scenes for my webcomic, but haven't had much time for that either. Sigh. At least my Christmas tree is up.

Don't forget to enter my giveaway!

End of the Year Giveaway!

It's that time again! I've got a signed copy of Soulless for one lucky winner. US residents only. It ends on Dec. 31, so start entering! Please read the Rules on the entry thingy. :)

And don't forget to give a copy or two of my books as gifts to the bookworms in your life this holiday season!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanksgiving Troubles

I have fond memories of Thanksgiving, being with family, eating yummy food, but this year was a bit different. As we were finishing our meal, my husband suddenly left the table and went to the bathroom. I figured he had eaten too much. Unfortunately, it was much worse. Something he ate had suddenly caused him severe pain and he had vomited blood. I rushed him to the ER. After x-rays and careful monitoring, the doctors guessed it to be a tear in his esophagus. He was able to go home after a few hours, though the pain was still immense. He has a high tolerance for pain and I could tell he was really suffering. He's doing better now, especially with the help of pain meds. He will likely get an endoscopy next week to investigate further. Not a fun way to spend the holiday, but at least he's starting to feel better. On a happier note, I made mini chocolate cheesecakes in coconut macaroon crusts and they were delicious.

Make sure to come back on Tuesday. I'll be doing another giveaway :)

My Next Book

Thanks to all who helped me with my poll. I like to try and get some interaction with my readers, so may do something like this again in the future. Now, the results. With an overwhelming 62%, the most popular choice was New Stand-alone. This is great, because I have many outlines to choose from. I will take a look at my stash soon, but for now, I need to finish Foretold.

I hope you all have a fantastic Thanksgiving. We'll be spending the holiday with my husband's family. I will be bring chocolate cheesecake pie. Yum. If you don't celebrate this particular holiday, enjoy your week anyway! I'm thankful for my loyal fans and new fans alike. Keep reading!

Books, Polls, and Contests

I thought I'd remind you that I have four great books for sale. Any or all would be the perfect gift for the avid reader in your life this holiday season, including you!

On Tuesday, I'll announce the results of my poll, so if you haven't offered your opinion yet, do it soon.

I didn't win the art contest. I'm not a sore loser, but the picture that was chosen is... not very good. Many of the people who entered are just as disappointed. Oh well. On to the next contest. I'm thinking of holding an art contest of my own over on my Samurai Penguin blog. I'll let you know what I decide. Enjoy the weekend!

Quick Bit

Remember that picture of Dracula I did for an art contest a week or two ago? The winner was supposed to be announced yesterday, but the judges haven't reached a decision yet. It's likely I won't win, but it would be nice to know! I'll be entering more contests, so if you see me asking for more votes, please help a girl out! That's all for today. I gotta go grocery shopping now :)

Goings On

I've been able to spend some time working on Foretold (which is the title of The Vessel: Book Three if you missed the announcement) and am happy with how it's going. Lots of things will be happening in this book. It will have a more resolved ending as it leads to Book Four. That's all I'll say for now.

Not many people have voted in my recent "What should I work on next?" poll as of yet, so I'll keep it going a bit longer. So far, "New Stand-alone" is in the lead. I'm pretty much fine with whatever ends up being the favorite. If you haven't contributed, please do so!

I'm also formulating ideas for an end-of-the-year giveaway, so stay tuned. Initial plan is a signed paperback of Soulless and ... something else.

Name That Title!

I had a title for Book Three picked out years ago and I was fairly happy with it, but over the last several months, I started liking it less and less. I won't tell you what it was. I have to have some secrets, right? Since then, I've jotted down many other possibilities. The list has reached close to fifty choices. Some I liked more than others and will probably find a home as chapter titles. The one I decided on was actually going to be the name of Taela's magical persona, but I decided to go with Vessel instead. I guess I always knew I would use it for something else, but you'll have to wait for the book to find out what it now references. :)

Are you ready to find out what it is? Really? Would you be mad if I scrambled the letters and made you figure it out yourself? Okay, I won't be that mean.

The title for The Vessel: Book Three is...

Foretold

Let that sink in. I'll be sharing the blurb and cover pic in the near-ish future.

Have you cast your vote for my next writing project? Please help a girl out! You can find the poll here.

What's Next?

I'm trying to decide what to work on after I finish The Vessel: Book Three (the official title will be revealed on Nov. 11). I plan to put Book Four on hold for a bit. I have three ideas in mind and I thought I'd ask my wonderful fans for some input. Are you ready to cast a vote?

QuestionPro

I won't be specific about the storyline for any of them just yet, though I've previously stated that the sequel to The Bride will be inspired by another well-loved fairy tale. Feel free to leave a comment telling why you voted for the one you did. Thanks for the help!

Title Announcement Coming

I've been trying to think of a fun and exciting way to announce the title of book 3 in my Vessel series. Unfortunately, I haven't had any great ideas yet. However, I do know the announcement will be next Tuesday, Nov. 11th. Whether or not a brilliant idea comes to me, you will get the news. I'm also trying to think of another giveaway for the end of the year. It will probably involve another signed book, but I also want to include something else. I'll let you know when I know, ya know?

In the meantime, you can now vote for my Dracula Untold art submission on talenthouse.com Thanks in advance!

More Art

I've entered another art contest designing the cover for the upcoming soundtrack of Dracula Untold. The voting starts on Monday. I'd really appreciate some votes from you awesome people! Here's what I did:



I think it's cool.

Art is such fun!

Also, can you believe it's already November? 2014 is almost over! I foresee big things happening next year. This is me trying to be optimistic, which doesn't happen often nowadays. I'm making an attempt because being pessimistic isn't much fun.

All Work and No Play

Though I don't work full time, I feel like I've been busy working for the past month or so and not being very productive in other things, liking writing. This needs to change if I want to meet the goals I've set. Being self-published has many benefits, but one of the pitfalls is answering to no one but myself. And I'm not a very harsh taskmaster. If I don't feel like doing something, chances are I won't do it. This is true for all areas of my life. I don't cave into peer pressure, I don't let people walk all over me, but it also means I procrastinate and make every excuse in the book. Bad Kacie! So, I am going to focus harder and get some major writing done before all the holidays kick in. I can do it!!


If you've missed my Samurai Penguin webcomic, I posted Scene Four this morning. Check it out!

And the Winner Is...

First, thanks to all who participated in my birthday giveaway. I enjoy connecting with new, potential readers. The winner for a signed copy of The Bride is Katrina D.! Stay tuned for more giveaways in the future. Most likely around Christmas. :)

I will soon be announcing the title of The Vessel: Book Three. I hope to have it edited by the end of the year and published at the beginning of 2015! The editing schedule has a lot to do with my editor, so we'll see how it goes!

Be Back Soon!

I'm going to take another little hiatus from blogging. No particular reason. I'll be back on Oct. 25 to announce the winner for my birthday giveaway.

Book Brain

I haven't had a new book idea in a while, but I did a few days ago while I was at work. Luckily, I had my iPad with me, so I was able to write out a quick outline during lunch. I've mentioned before that I have tons of book ideas. It's likely a good portion of them won't go much farther than their outlines, but I'm itching to write some of them. That means I need to get busy! I plan to write till I'm old and senile, so hopefully I still have a lot of time. I tend to write slowly, but I can move quickly when the mood hits me. Both The Bride and Soulless took me about 6 months each. Taela and Sources, on the other hand, took years. Somehow I need to train myself to stay on task a bit better. I get distracted more easily than I realized. I will spend some time writing today. The faster I write, the more of my ideas I can bring to life. And that's what it's all about!

My giveaway ends in less than two weeks, so get entering!

Rut

Have you ever felt stuck? Like the harder you try the worse it gets? That's kinda how I feel about marketing. There has to be a better way, but I've yet to find it, unless I had a whole bunch of extra money. I've complained about this before, so I'm sorry for bringing it up again. My biggest beef is with facebook. It used to be such a helpful tool, but now it's pretty worthless to anyone they consider a business unless you fork out the money to connect with the people who ALREADY LIKE YOUR PAGE. I know of other people, not just authors, who feel the same way. I don't suupose there's much that can be done except to stop using it, which I've considered. *Sigh* 

I guess I'll just keep writing and hope things get better. The magical book fairies will find me someday, right?

Food

My husband and I enjoy eating out when we get a chance, which isn't often. We recently made a list of restaurants in our area that we'd like to try. One turned out to be a new Indian restaurant. I've never really eaten Indian before. I'm a bit wary of spicy foods. They offered a little lunch buffet that allowed me to try different things. My favorites were the tandoori chicken and the naan bread. I've made my own naan before, but the real stuff is infinitely better. My husband loved the chicken masala. Because of that, I decided to find a recipe so I could make it for him. I've since gathered most of the necessary ingredients and will be attempting it on Monday. I hope it will at least be as good as the restaurant's version.

Have you entered my giveaway yet? Here's the link to the entry thingy.

Signed and Delivered

In the next few months, I'm thinking of purchasing a bunch of my paperbacks so I can sign and sell them myself online. Right now I've only used signed copies for giveaways but I want to offer more. Curious if anyone would be interested in buying signed copies? I use etsy to sell other things right now, but I'd like to see if I can do it directly from my blog. We'll see.

I have a more definite schedule for work now, so I'll be able to spend actual time on writing again. Though I have quite a lot of  Book Three of The Vessel series written, it needs some fine tuning and fleshing out in areas. If you haven't read Taela or Sources yet, I hope you'll give them a try! If you have already, I'd love some reviews on amazon and Goodreads.

Work Overload

My work schedule recently exploded. The hours have been odd, sometimes early (5:00 am), sometimes late (till 2:00 am), which makes for a tired Kacie. I must confess I didn't plan a post. I'm winging it. I haven't been very productive where my writing is concerned, but I hope to find little bits of time to squeeze it in.

Have you checked out my webcomic, Samurai Penguin? It's been getting steady traffic for the past few weeks, which is awesome. Scene Two will be added on Sunday. I'm planning to include another, more simple comic to post between each SP Scene starting Oct 7th. Hope you'll take a look!

Still plenty of time to enter my giveaway, too.

What's On?

Fall TV has officially started! Anyone else excited? I always create a list of new shows I want to try (and returning favorites) New ones I'm planning to check out are:


Gracepoint- It stars David Tennant. He's my Doctor! (That's Doctor Who for you non-Whovians)
Forever- I've seen the pilot already. Pretty interesting.
The Flash- Though I prefer Marvel comics, I've enjoyed Arrow, and I think this spin-off looks fun.

Returning favorites:

The Good Wife
Modern Family
The Blacklist
SHIELD
Castle

There are many others. I'm a bit of a TV junkie.What's on your list?

Don't forget to enter my giveaway! Entry thingy can be found here.

Another Giveaway!

My birthday is coming up, so I thought I'd give something away to celebrate! You can enter to win a signed paperback of The Bride! This is for US residents only. Please read the Terms and Conditions. It ends Oct. 23 at 11:59 pm, MDT. Winner will be announced on Oct. 25, which is my birthday. Good Luck! a Rafflecopter giveaway

Another Schedule Change

Now that I'm working to keep my Samurai Penguin series going, (if you missed Scene One, click here) I need to cut out one of my regular blog-posting days. Instead of Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, I will now be posting here on Tuesday and Saturday, unless something important comes up. This will also help me while my work schedule is fluctuating, as it currently is.

If you read my previous post, you'll know I've entered an art contest and I'd LOVE some votes! You can go to talenthouse now. And be sure to check out Lindsey Stirling's music. She is awesome!!

I hope to get back on track with Book Three in my Vessel series soon. I've put it on hold for the last couple of weeks to focus on Samurai Penguin, which is a blast itself. Those of you who have read Sources are probably dying to know what happens next! :) Exciting things are coming for Taela and her friends...

First Art Contest

Did you notice I changed a few things here? I've moved some of my page links to the top. Pretty snazzy!

I mentioned earlier that I've entered some art contests and I'm hoping you will help me out. The first one is for a poster for Lindsey Stirling's upcoming show in London. The voting for this starts Monday. If you're a regular here, you know I love Lindsey Stirling's music. If you haven't heard any of her songs yet, I STRONGLY encourage you to do so. Here is the poster I created:

I would really appreciate the support. The voting will take place on talenthouse.com

Also, don't forget that the debut of Samurai Penguin is tomorrow! It will be awesome!

Have a fun weekend!

Ideas that Don't Work (At Least Not Yet)

**warning: this post contains mild complaining and an attitude leaning toward discouragement**

I hate to admit it, but I've become rather pessimistic in the last couple of years. Much of it has to do with hoping for or expecting things to happen and facing the disappointment when things go a different, and often disastrous, direction. I do my best to keep trying, but it gets frustrating after a while. One of the things I find discouraging is the ideas I come up with to engage readers, yet I can't seem to catch their attention. I'm not blaming any of you who read this blog. I know most of the problem is my lack of visibility to the masses. I don't have the money to aggressively promote myself yet. I've started a number of things to hopefully get some feedback or participation from anyone out there. My Name Game has had very few entries. Is that because not many people have read Soulless? Or is it just because the info hasn't gotten to the readers? I have no idea. My Quote Game on Facebook has been doing okay. (Don't get me started on the scam FB is pulling by withholding posts from people who have liked my page.) Now I have my Super Fan idea in action. I'm crossing my fingers that this will generate some great interaction. I guess what I'm trying to get across is, I don't really know what to do. What gets readers excited? What can I do to grab your attention or seek out new readers? Any ideas would be appreciated. Sorry for the doom and gloom attitude. I'm going to keep writing books no matter what, but it would certainly be nice to find people to read them and be involved along the way.

End of complaining.

Sunday is the first day of Samurai Penguin on my other blog. I hope you'll stop by and check it out. Yippie!

Samurai Penguin, Coming Soon!

I've created a temporary blog to host my web comic until my hubby and I can get our new website up and running. You can find it at www.samuraipenguincomics.blogspot.com. Right now, there's not much to see there. I plan to post the first "page" on the 14th of September and continue to add new ones on the 14th and 28th of each month. I've got the first six done (or almost done). I hope to get a bunch more done so I always have some ready. I'm really stoked about this. I've never been big on comics, but when I had this idea, I knew it would work best as a comic. I'm still learning a lot about creating this type of art and will continue to improve as I go along. I hope you'll give it a chance when it's ready!

FYI, I've entered some art contests on talenthouse.com and will be politely asking for your support (and by that, I mean votes) in the coming weeks to help me win! I'd really appreciate the help!

Here Come the Super Fans!

If you didn't read my previous post about this big idea I had, please take a moment to check it out first

Done? Okay. I've created a page on my blog with the details on how to join my Super Fan mailing list. You can find it on the right side of the blog. (Or you can click here.) Follow the simple instructions and we'll get this party started! The first fun thing will probably take place in Oct, allowing for some time for people to join. My birthday is on Oct 25, so it will most likely be around that time. I'm excited to try this out!

On Tuesday, I'll have some news about my web comic, Samurai Penguin. If you're interested in that, make sure you stop by then.

Where Did They Go?

I've been noticing a steady decrease in views to my blog and I'm not sure why. I'm guessing some of it has to do with the problems caused by Facebook in recent weeks. I've used FB to get the word out about new blog posts to those who follow both, but since FB no longer seems willing to share those posts with people who actually took the time to like my page, they probably aren't getting the updates. It's a frustrating thing when you're trying to stay in touch with readers and trying to find new ones. I'm always looking for new ways to accomplish this, especially if I can't rely on FB anymore. I hope you read my post about my Super Fan idea. I think it's a great idea, but it won't work if no one knows about it. I will have more details about it on Saturday, including a way to join. I really appreciate those of you who stick with me. Remember, I routinely write blog posts on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, so if you don't see a link on FB, please stop by on your own. And tell a friend. :)

I could also really use some more reviews on amazon and goodreads. They help snatch the attention of potential readers.

I've added some of my books to google play. They're available there now.

What If ...? Part Four

Let's finish off my movie cast list (for now) with a few characters from Sources. I'll include most previous characters, but only include links for the new ones. You'll have to go here for the other links. Here we go!

Taela- Dakota Blue Richards
Logan- Aidan Turner
Ravis- Nicholas Hoult
Lienda- Peyton List
Zeld- Cate Blanchett
Malcolm- Mark Addy
Tobin- Donald Sumpter
Ayriel- Mackenzie Foy
Lord Upton- Robert Hardy
Royden- Max Charles
Shiva (voice)- Kate Winslet
Claus- Michael Sheen
Joah- Minnie Driver
Hobbs- Anthony Hopkins
Diom Cum- Michael Gambon
Brun'don- Malcolm McDowell
Mort'sen- David Tennant
Fin'bog- Hugh Laurie
Ghant-sha- Patrick Stewart
Adusa- Helen Mirren
Re'ner- Jude Law
Saris- Gemma Arterton

Did I miss anyone? Hope you've enjoyed these. I'll do this again when more of my books are published.

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I've got five audio chapters of The Bride on soundcloud now. You can download them for free! I think they sound pretty good for an amateur.

My web comic is coming along nicely as well. I won't have my new website up this month like I thought, but I'll find another way to share it in the meantime, so stay tuned if you're interested.

Big Plans for Super Fans

I alluded to a big idea in my last post and it has to do with creating a special way to interact and reward those of you who actually read and like my books. I think there are at least a few of you out there. I shall refer to you as Super Fans, until someone comes up with something better. As such, you will be given unique privileges and incentives, including giveaways, sneak peaks, and online chats. I will soon be creating a page that will have all the details of how to join and what else to expect. I'm hoping for some great interaction and participation. I know I'm still relatively new and unknown, but I think this will be a good way to gage how I'm doing and to reach out to new readers. I think this could be lots of fun!

_________________
For those of you who have "liked" my Facebook page, I know some of you aren't seeing all of my posts. I apologize. Facebook has been changing how they deal with "business" type pages, and I guess mine falls under this category. A way to make sure you see more of my posts is to select "get notifications" from my page. If you don't know how to do this, you need to hover over my page name with your mouse (using a desktop or laptop) and then hover over the "like" tab, which will drop down, giving you the option to "get notifications". If you don't do this, you may be missing out on some opportunities (like my Quote Game) or other info.

Happy birthday to my awesome, handsome husband!!

What If...? Part Three

Who would I pick to be the perfect cast for the movie of Taela? Let's find out!

Taela- Dakota Blue Richards
Logan- Aidan Turner
Ravis- Nicholas Hoult
Lienda- Peyton List
Zeld- Cate Blanchett
Malcolm- Mark Addy
Tobin- Donald Sumpter
Ayriel- Mackenzie Foy
Lord Upton- Robert Hardy
Royden- Max Charles
Dirrah- Maggie Smith
Kerf- Bill Nighy
Shiva (voice)- Kate Winslet
Leshy chieftain- Benedict Cumberbatch

Lots of Brits this time, but I think they're great. What do you think?

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I have a big announcement on Saturday that I hope will get my fans excited. The plans are still being formulated, but it think it could be just what I need to liven things up. Want to know? Come back on Saturday!

What If...? Part Two

I had so much fun with the last cast list that I decided to do another right away. Next movie cast will be for Soulless.

Cress- William Moseley
Syndel- Emma Watson
Garreg- Johnny Depp
Mulogo- Max Von Sydow
Bronek- Emile Hirsche
Arem- Kyle Harrison Breitkopf
Thremas- Gary Oldman
Lenna- Christa Allen

I'd love to know what anyone thinks.
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The discount price for the ebook of Sources will end on Aug. 31, so get it soon. I'll be uploading another audio chapter of The Bride this week. Go to soundcloud.com to listen.

What If...? Part One

I often think about how cool it would be if one or more of my books were made into a movie. Then, I think about how a screenwriter or director would botch it. I would want more control over it than they would probably allow. Anyways, wouldn't it be fun to create the perfect cast for each of my books? Let's start with The Bride. (I don't want to infringe on any copyright laws, so I've provided links to pics instead of including the actual pics here.)

Callia- Vanessa Marano
Zain- Max Irons
Rafan- Aaron Tveit
Berns- Ben Kingsley
Mrs. Groy- Famke Janssen
Ven- Andrew Miller
Kerya- Abigail Breslin
Callia's parents- Emily Mortimer and Jeffrey Dean Morgan
Lord Newel- Rufus Sewell

What do you think? Who would you pick?

Too Busy!

I have a lot to get done today. There's so much to do in our condo and my bro-in-law is moving in on Saturday, so this is all you get. Sorry! I'm doing round 3 of my Quote Game on Friday on my Facebook page. Come play!

In Review

Summer is winding down. It went by fast, didn't it? A lot has happened in the past couple of months. I published my fourth book, which was supposed to be done earlier this year. Better late than never. I started working on a web comic. Lots of fun so far. I started a couple of games for my readers to participate in- Name Game and Quote Game. Both will result in a prize or prizes, so I hope you play along. I entered a contest on booktrack.com by adding a soundtrack to chapters of Hugh Howey's book Half Way Home. You can still listen to/read what I've done and give stars to help me out. (just sign up and type Kacie Taylor in the search bar to find my entries) And most recently, I started recording an audio version of The Bride. All this while moving to a new house and trying frantically to finish the kitchen in the old place before we rent it. Though it's been rather stressful at times, I'm happy with the things I've accomplished. I would love for all of you to check out these fun things. Also, I would LOVE some reviews on amazon and goodreads. Readers can be an author's greatest ally in helping us succeed. I have a few special things in mind for fans who go the extra mile, so stay tuned.

I added a "subscribe by email" thingy on the right hand side of the blog. If you want all my new posts to come directly to your email, join up!

Thank you for all you do!

The Audio Journey Begins

Since my last post, I was able to record and edit the first two chapters of The Bride. The process did get somewhat easier. The editing program I used was a life saver. They are available here for online listening or on soundcloud for downloading or playing on the app (iOS and googleplay). I'm thinking about uploading them onto iTunes as well, but, for now, this is what I've got.

Please remember that this is the first time I've done anything like this, so forgive the unprofessional quality. With time, and perhaps some different equipment, it will get better. Once the whole book is done, I'll have it available in its entirety somewhere, probably iTunes. I'll charge a bit of money for the final compilation, but it won't be much. A girl's gotta make money somehow. :) Let me know what you think about the chapters so far in the comments below.

P.S. It will sound better with headphones.

Harder Than I Thought

Remember a while ago when I said I wanted to try creating an audio version of my books all by my little self? (Here) Well, I decided to give it a whirl yesterday, starting with The Bride. Um... It's not easy. I know my books pretty well, but I messed up even the simplest words. I've also mentioned I'm not a pro orator. That's an understatement. I'm convinced there's something between my brain and my mouth that makes it hard for me to speak coherently at times, usually when I'm nervous or around people I don't know, or people in general. I'm no doctor person, but I wouldn't be surprised if my brain was somewhat abnormal. Anyhoo, I'll keep trying. I plan to upload one chapter at a time, so if I can make it through one chapter without blundering majorly, we'll be in business! I found some editing software that will help as well. Once the first one is ready, I'll post a link to the website I've created solely for these audio files. You'll be able to listen, download, and share them for free, as long as they're not altered in any way. Not sure how they'll work on mobile devices, but I'll worry about that later. Happy reading!

Don't forget that the first quote in my Quote Game will be on Facebook tomorrow at 6 pm Mountain time.

First Look at Sources Paperback

My proof copy arrived yesterday. There were a couple of things that needed adjusting on the cover, but they were an easy fix. It has since been reviewed (by createspace) and is now available on the createspace shop! I tried to set up a discount code, but it isn't working at the moment. I'll keep trying. Sources paperback will be on amazon later this week. I'll let you know when that happens.

**I figured out the discount code stuff for createspace. Use XVQSED3A at checkout and receive 10% off all my paperbacks. Click here. It's good till the end of August.




Here are some pics:

The background of the book is light gray, though these pics give it a reddish tint, probably because of the pillow it's lying on. I'm super happy with it! I'm still working on Book Three. I think I've finally picked a title for it, but we'll save that for later.

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I've rounded up some quotes for my Quote Game. I hope some of you are planning to participate. I won't include quotes from Sources just yet. I think I'll post the first one on Friday Aug. 15 at 6:00 pm US Mountain Time. Remember, the first person to guess the correct book, chapter, and speaker will be entered into a FABULOUS giveaway. All of this will take place on Facebook, so "like" my page if you want to play! There may be some additional rules and such, but I'll share those when I post the quote. It will be fun!!

Kitchen Redo

I've mentioned before that hubby and I are redoing the kitchen in our condo before we rent/sell it. Today will include painting of cabinets and touch-ups in other rooms. Hubby will soon be custom-making the cabinet doors and installing a modular granite countertop. Lots of work and a bunch of money, but we're excited about gettin' it done. I'll post pictures once things are starting to look more put together. Off to work!

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I've got a 10% off code for my hourglasses on etsy from now until Aug 31. There are four pendants available right now, so if you want one, you'd better hurry! Use BRIDE1 at checkout. (US residents only)

And today is National Book Lover's Day! I know of four awesome books you could read to celebrate. :)

Lemme Try This

I had a thought last night. It happens every once in a while. I posted a quote on twitter and facebook from Soulless for the fun of it, but then I wondered if I could create a game using quotes from my books. Now, my track record for audience participation isn't always superb, but I want to try it anyway. It will henceforth be known as the Quote Game. What I shall do is post a quote from one of my books on my Facebook page once or twice a week (if you haven't "liked" my page, please do so if you want to play along). The first person to comment (on Facebook) with the correct book title, chapter where the quote is found, and character who said it will be entered into a FABULOUS giveaway. This will go on for a while so lots of people will have a chance to be included. Now, you've probably figured out that the people who have the best chances of getting these right are people who have read my books. This is on purpose. Of course I want more people to read my books! I'll even wait a couple more weeks to start so you can read as much as possible. I will also post the quotes on the same day and at the same time each week so you'll be prepared with your answers like a boss. Sound fun?

(Since the FABULOUS giveaway prize will likely include some hefty shipping costs, and I am still poor, I will probably keep this game to US residents only. Sorry, international readers! You can enter my Name Game, though. Anyone can enter that.)

**As of Aug. 15, the game has begun! Keep checking my Facebook page for the next round.

The Big 200!

This is my 200th post! I thought it would be fun to make a little list of my most popular posts since the last time I made a list of my most popular posts (here).

The Dreaded Two Star-- this is when I got my first two star review. :(

The Name Game-- where I announced the contest to pick a name for the main character of Soulless. I'm still waiting for more name suggestions.

Anniversary Giveaway!-- I gave away two hourglass pendants to celebrate the one year anniversary of The Bride. You can buy an hourglass pendant on my etsy shop.

First Impressions-- this was a sneak peak at the main character for my upcoming web comic.

Top Ten Tuesday #49-- I made some complaints about Facebook.


Thanks so much for reading my blog! It makes it much more fun knowing at least a few people have an interest in my ramblings and nonsense.

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In case you're wondering, I started working on book 3 of my Vessel series. It doesn't have a title yet. There's a few options I'm considering. At least half of it is already written, but there's still a lot of work to do. If you haven't gotten your copy of Sources (or Taela) you should join the party! Book 3 should be ready by early 2015.

I'll be ordering a proof copy of paperback Sources today or tomorrow, which means it could be ready for purchase sometime next week!

Rhett and Link

I've recently come across a YouTube duo, Rhett and Link, that I greatly enjoy watching. Their little show is called Good Mythical Morning. They have a new show every weekday morning (except when they take holiday breaks) and the topics are anything from pop culture stuff to eating contests. These two are hilarious, but more importantly, in my opinion, they keep things CLEAN. This is a family friendly show. Here's a link to one of my favorite episodes: click I almost died laughing when I watched this. Anyway, if you're looking for something to watch, I highly recommend these guys.


I've been working on the paperback version of Sources. It's in the "processing" stage right now. I need to wait until I can order a proof copy to make sure it looks right, but it could be available within the next two weeks. When that happens, I just might do another little giveaway :)

Happy Sources Day!!

It's here, it's here! Sources! You can buy it on amazon and lulu.com RIGHT NOW! The price is set at a discount, which won't last forever, so get it while it's extra cheap! Expect the ebook to be available at barnesandnoble.com, iBookstore, and Kobo in the next month or so. It takes longer for it to show up on those sites. The paperback version should be ready in Aug.

Also, I'd love more reviews on amazon and goodreads for any of my books. Especially nice reviews. They make me smile.

Enjoy Sources!

Winner and An Idea

Congrats to the winner of my giveaway, Alena S.! You'll be receiving a signed copy of Taela soon. Thanks to everyone who entered. Another giveaway will be coming before you know it.

Okay, here's the idea I've been contemplating for a while now. I know some people enjoy audio versions of books. It allows them to "read" anytime, anywhere. I would like to do an official audiobook for each of my books someday, but for now, I think I want to try using a simple recording program and posting chapters here on my blog, read by yours truly. Now, I'm by no means a professional orator. In fact, talking in general is not one of my strong suits. That's one of the reasons I love writing so much. It allows me to convey my thoughts much more easily. With that said, I think I could do a decent job of reading my books out loud and recording the results. I would try making this available for download and mobile devices. I haven't figured out all the logistics, but the more I think about it, the more I want to give it a try. Thoughts?

I hope all of you who recently downloaded Taela have had a chance to read it, because Sources is coming in two days!! For now, it will just be the ebook, available on lulu.com and amazon, with barnesandnoble.com and iBookstore coming soon. A paperback version will also be coming sometime in Aug. Yay!

Better Late Than Never?

Sorry for my tardiness. Hubby and I went back to our old condo to start working on the kitchen renovation. Our internet over there is still active, but it wouldn't let me connect for some reason or else I would have posted while there. We got some things cleaned up, measured, and ready for new paint on the cabinets. We chose the paint colors and got some samples to test them out, but we'll do that later. I will be so happy when this project is done! Hubby started it about 3-4 years ago, but had to stop when we hit our financial crapfest (pardon the potty word). Things are still tight, but we see a meager light at the end of the tunnel.

I've started working on some more Samurai Penguin. Fourth set of frames is underway. I hope to have at least eight ready before I start posting them, which should be in September if we can get our new website up and going.

Only a couple more days to enter my giveaway! Don't miss the chance to win the first signed copy of Taela! My beta readers (mom and sister) are almost finished with Sources. They're mostly helping me catch any little mistakes my editor and I might have overlooked. Things are looking good!!

One More Week!

Yay! Next Thursday is Release Day for Sources! My Vessel series is really special to me, and so each time I get another portion finished, I get excited. These characters have been in my brain for almost half my life and I adore them. Some surprising twists will be seen in this next book as Taela and her friends... Wait. You haven't read Taela yet, have you? (Unless you're one of the handful who have.) I guess I can't say much more. If you enjoy a fun, exciting YA fantasy, you should read it! And it's still free on lulu.com, barnesandnoble.com, and iBookstore.

I've been trying to think of some merchandizing for my Vessel series. I have an idea, but I'm not sure if it will work yet. It will be something that incorporates the crystal you see on the cover of Taela, most likely a pendant like my hourglasses from The Bride. I haven't had a chance to test my idea yet, but I hope to soon.

Read Taela! :)

The Joys of Owning a Car

We have a GMC Jimmy. We bought it used about three years ago. In that time, it has consistently been a money monster. Whether it's gas or repairs, we've probably spent almost the same amount as we paid for it just to keep it running. (Okay, maybe not that much money, but it sure seems like it) Surprise, it's broken again. Husband is riding his bike to work (admittedly, I'm not thrilled about this) until we can scrape up some more money to fix it. We're expecting some money in the next couple of weeks, but we were hoping to use that to start finishing the kitchen in our condo before we rent/sell in the fall. Not sure how this is going to work out. Wish us luck!

Less than a week left to enter my awesome giveaway. You could be the first person to have a signed copy of Taela. I will even include a personal message, if the winner chooses. And it's almost Release Day for Sources! Hope you're ready for it!

Contest For Kacie!

I NEED YOUR HELP!!

I've entered a contest on booktrack.com, creating soundtracks for chapters of Hugh Howey's book Half Way Home. The more people who read/listen to my creations and rate it with lots of stars, the better chance I have of winning! If you like me even just a little, would you consider helping me out? You can download the booktrack reader app and read/listen from there, (go here for those links) or you can follow this link. (Second link might not work on phones and tablets, so you'll need to use a computer.) Just type "Kacie Taylor" in the search bar once you get there and check out what I've done! I plan to add more over the next week, so keep coming back. You can also read/listen to the first chapter of both The Bride and Taela. It's been fun to do and I hope to use booktrack for all my books.

Thanks for helping!!

A Little Change

Though I've finished Sources and there's a chance it could be ready on July 26, the date I planned to publish, I don't want to rush the home stretch. The new release date is July 31. I'm also going to be working on more Samurai Penguin in the coming weeks (that's my upcoming web comic, for those of you who don't know) which means I'm not going to jump right into my next book project. We'll see how the web comic comes along, and then I'll get started on book three of The Vessel :) Thanks to all who've entered my giveaway. If you haven't taken the opportunity yet, here's the entry thingy again. a Rafflecopter giveaway

New Digs

We're almost done with all the unpacking. Things are starting to look like a normal place of living. Here's a breakdown of our new home. We're in a basement. There are three large rooms. One is our living room/kitchen. The kitchen isn't really a kitchen. There is no sink, stove, dishwasher, etc. We do, however, have a fridge, microwave, hot plate, convection oven, shelves for dishes, and prep areas. It's not perfect, but usable. If we need an actual kitchen, we can use the one upstairs. (We're living with family, so it's all good) Living room area has two large couches, built in bookshelves, and entertainment center, which I've already posted a picture of. Bedroom is very spacious. Our king size bed and dressers fit at one end and the other end has bookshelves and a cushy chair. The third room is for exercise stuff, sewing machine, craft/art stuff, and where I will do most of my at-home job. We also have a large bathroom. Washer and dryer are upstairs. As of right now, we don't have a separate door in the basement to access the outside, but we hope to build one sometime in the future. Despite being a big change from our condo, we're pretty happy with how things are turning out. No more obnoxiously loud music from downstairs neighbors!

If you haven't entered my latest giveaway, get going! If you don't see the rafflecopter entry thingy, scroll down to the actual giveaway post. And read the first two chapters of Sources. The link is on the previous post.

Oh, and just so you know, I (finally) finished Sources! My editor will go through the last chapters and send it back to me for evaluation. Once my editor reviews everything a second time and I make whatever last changes I need to, we'll be ready for publishing!!

Sample Chapters of Sources!

Are you ready to read the first two chapters of Sources? I sure hope so! The link will take you to google docs. These are still in the editing phase, so there is a possibility of grammar/spelling error. Please remember that the chapters are copyrighted and should not be shared, copied, or otherwise used to violate copyright law.

Sources sample chapters

Things are progressing a lot more smoothly now that the move is over with. Still not 100% sure if Sources will be released on time. In the meantime, enter the giveaway, read Taela (and my other books, if you haven't already), submit names to my Name Game, eat some candy, see a movie, or whatever else you want to do.

Another Giveaway!

*this giveaway has ended*

To celebrate the soon-to-be release of Sources, book two in my Vessel series, I will be giving away a signed paperback of Taela! (book one) Let it be known that this will be the FIRST signed copy, so the winner should feel special. The giveaway has already started and will end 11:59 pm July 27. Winner will be chosen at random and notified via email. This is for US residents only. Please read the Terms and Conditions for all the rules. a Rafflecopter giveaway Feel free to spread the word! And make sure to come back on Saturday for sample chapters of Sources!

Boxes EVERYWHERE!

So, we're moved into our new place. The job of unpacking has mostly fallen to me, because my sporadic job is on one of its sporatics. I probably don't need to mention this, but I will anyway. Unpacking is lame. My back is already tired from the moving part of this adventure and now I must move the same boxes around until I find a place for their contents. I'd wager I'm about 1/3 of the way done. When I'm closer to completion, I will post pictures. In the meantime, here's our awesome built in entertainment center. (And, of course, I'm watching The Office. Again.)

Notice the space around the TV that could be filled by a larger TV, which we hope to purchase sometime in the future. The only thing I'm not crazy about are the visible wires/cables. I'll try to figure out a way to cover or disguise them. Any ideas?


I'm trying to get things ready for the release of Sources. Though my goal is still July 26, there is a chance it will need to be postponed. Moving has been more time consuming and stressful than I anticipated. I do know for certain that I'm going to start with just the ebook and then add the paperback later on. Have you read Taela yet? (It's still free on lulu.com, barnesandnoble.com, and iBookstore) Because when I post the sample chapters for Sources, it would be nice if you already know what has happened so far. If you've downloaded the Booktrack app (see here) you can now experience chapter one of Taela with a custom-made soundtrack. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.

America the Beautiful

I know the United States is not beloved by some people throughout the world. Even some who live here aren't happy about everything. But I must say I have a deep love for this country, despite its mistakes, past and present. With tomorrow being our Independence Day, I just wanted to give a huge Thank You to all the people who have worked and fought for the freedoms I enjoy. The United States certainly isn't perfect, but I'm proud to be an American.


(No post on Saturday, because I will be moving.)

Here We Go!

Moving Day is almost here. Our official Move All The Big Stuff day is on Saturday. I'm pretty excited, mostly because it will finally be over. I'm not super keen on moving. My family never moved around when I was growing up. I lived in the same house until I got married. Since then I've moved three times, if I count our little jaunt to Arizona last summer. My husband, on the other hand, has moved MANY times. In fact, he told me that living in our condo for the past 4 1/2 years is the longest he's lived in one place. That's a trend I hope to continue.

I'm going to miss many people in our neighborhood (not so much the string of noisy downstairs people) and hope we're lucky enough to meet more great people.

Because of the busyness I expect to encounter on Saturday, I will not have a post then, unless it's sometime in the evening and I'm still conscious. I'll be glad when this is over!

(Happy Birthday, Grandma!)

Cover Reveal for Sources!!

Here it is!! What do you think? I'm super happy with it. Though it doesn't reveal much about the plot, it will make sense when you read it. And there's plenty of time to catch up before Sources is published. Taela is free on lulu.com, barnesandnoble.com and iBookstore. Anyway, feel free to let me know what you think about the cover, with niceness of course. And don't forget that sample chapters will be posted in two weeks.

What Does a Book Sound Like?

Do you listen to music when you read? I do at times, though only if the music suits the book's genre and subject. Well, I've just discovered another option. There's an app called Booktrack Reader that has books--whether in part or as a whole--with background music, ambient sounds, and sound effects. These sounds can be added from their website and then published for anyone to check out. I decided to give it a try on chapter one of The Bride. I think it turned out pretty well. Now, there is one slight drawback. The sound effects are set at a certain pace, so the speed at which you read will determine if you are at the right spot at the right time. The app is free, available for iOS, Google play, and the chrome web store. You can read the books/sample chapters for free from those apps. If you want to see what I did for The Bride, download the app, register through Facebook or email, and then search for The Bride. You can then rate your experience. Even if you've already read The Bride, it might be fun to try it with sound! Here are links for the app:

iOS AppStore
Google play
Chrome web store

And if you want to try creating one yourself, go to their website booktrack.com (to create, you must be on an actual computer, not a tablet or phone)


Only a couple more days until you get to see the cover for Sources! I'm excited!

First Impressions

I'm back! Did you miss me? Better yet, did you realize I was gone? I was able to get a lot done last week during my hiatus, though I actually spent most of the time finishing up my latest order for work. Now it's time to get back to the moving business. We're about halfway through our small stuff. The big stuff will make the short journey next weekend. Since we're not selling our place right away, we're not in a huge rush to move EVERYTHING at this point. Once all the essentials are at the new place, we can come back and forth to finish the job over the next several weeks. We have a buyer lined up, but things won't happen until September, which is fine because there are still some renovations we need to finish up. Anyway....

If you're one of my loyal readers (I think there are a few of you) then you're aware of my plans to create a web comic. I've already completed three sizable pages-worth, one page per post, that will likely officially start sometime in September. The basic setting is an adventure/fantasy in an alternate earth-like world, centered on a country that is highly influenced by Japanese history, culture, language, etc. I want to make it clear that this is NOT Japan. I'm drawing a lot from the samurai culture, but there will be differences to accommodate my own style and plot ideas. And there will be magic, because magic is cool. Oh, and all the characters are animals. Talking animals, so you can see that the reality factor is pretty minimal. Not Japan.

Sorry about that. My hubby was a little concerned that some people might feel the need to complain about the obvious deviations from true Japanese history. Now that we're all aware that it isn't meant to be true Japanese history, we can move on. I've posted a sample of the main character, Kuroshiro, which has evolved from the pic I have on my T-shirt/accessory shop. I've hand drawn all my pictures thus far and then scanned them to my iPad, where I use my favorite art app to do the coloring. This particular sample has some additional arting for some flare. I would love some feedback, as long as it is constructive. If you hate it and just want to bad mouth it, I will delete your comment. We play nicely here. And I want to make you aware that this my first attempt at anything remotely close to a comic, so I'm still improving.

Oh, and don't forget that Cover Reveal Day for Sources is on Saturday!! I like this cover even more than the one for Taela. Here's hoping you do too!

Happy Father's Day!

I was totally going to add this to yesterday's post, but forgot. I don't normally post on Sundays, but I think this is worth the exception. I have a great father. He is smart and funny and always worked (works) hard for his family. The best part about him is that I was always aware of how much he loves my mom. What a great example of how a man should treat his wife! It set the standard for me to find someone for myself who is equally caring and devoted.

On that note, my husband is truly the best man I know. He is my best friend and I love him dearly. Even though he isn't a father yet, I already know how great he will be.

Happy Father's Day!

Short Hiatus

Hubby and I have been busy with prepping for the big move and such and I need to take a short break from blogging. As of right now, I only plan to be away next week. If I need more time, I'll let you know. Moving can be a stressful endeavor, but also an exciting one. We're looking forward to being able to save some money. We've had financial struggles since we got married. It's time to see a change! While I'm gone, please don't forget to prepare yourselves for Sources by reading Taela. It's free on lulu.com! And I'd love to see more names for my Name Game. I will return!

Trial Run

I just added my hourglass pendants to my etsy shop. There are only four available to start with, but if things go well during this trial period, I will certainly add more. The price is $10, which includes the shipping cost. I only ship to the United States right now, but that could change in the future. If you're interested in buying one, please read my policies on my etsy page. I'm excited about this step in my promoting. I have other ideas for book related-merchandise that I hope to add soon.

If you need another look at them--

Oooooooh, pretty!

Top Ten Tuesday #50

The big 5-0. Fifty lists. I've had some fun with these, but I have to admit it's getting harder to think of things to make lists about. And, according to my stats, my Tuesday lists are generally less visited than my other posts. Because of these reasons, I'm not going to continue with Top Ten Tuesdays on a regular basis. One might show up once in a while when the mood hits me, but today's list will be the last for now. Don't be sad. I'll still post on Tuesdays. It will just be some other sort of inane nonsense. :)

Today's Topic: Why I...

10. Blog: because it allows me to share thoughts with people I will probably never meet.
9. Read: because escaping to a fantasy world or traveling back in time is the ultimate thrill.
8. Search for new ways to connect with others: because my fate is in my own hands.
7. Create art: because the talent, however mediocre at times, was given to me for my own enjoyment and the enjoyment of others.
6. Try new things: because you never know when you'll find your next hobby or talent!
5. I will always stand up for my values and beliefs: because the world is falling apart around us and I deserve better. We all do.
4. Believe in myself: because good things come to those who don't give up.
3. Will love and be loyal to my family: because, in my belief, family is everything.
2. Write: because my head would explode if the places and characters in my imagination were not set free. That sounds so corny, but it's true!
1. Am grateful: because I could not do anything without the support of those around me, especially my Heavenly Father and Savior.

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If you haven't noticed, I put a reminder on the right hand side concerning the upcoming cover reveal for Sources. It will be June 28. I'm pretty excited about it.

Still taking name ideas for my Name Game. If you're new to my blog, you can learn more about it here.

I have to work this morning, so I may or may not have an actual post later this afternoon. Either way, have a great weekend!

Winners and Successes

Here are the winners for my Anniversary Giveaway: Katrina D. from Utah and Jennifer H. from Michigan. Your prizes will be sent soon, ladies. Thanks again to everyone who entered. Such participation makes it a lot more fun for me to do these giveaways. Another one will be coming soon! And to all those who would still like an hourglass pendant, I am planning to add them to my etsy shop sometime this century. I've mentioned before that we only have one car at the moment and hubby uses it for work. I only get it once in a while, which makes it difficult to know when I'll be able to make it to the post office. As soon as we figure out a more reliable system, the hourglasses will become available for purchase.

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Success is a hard word to define. It can mean different things to different people. When I first started writing, I had dreams of becoming a famous author with millions of fans and enough money to allow writing to be my full time job. I still have that dream, though I'd be happy with any number of fans. Even though I'm not even close to reaching that lofty goal, I don't consider it the only way to success. There was a time when I thought I would never get anything published! Now I have three books out with another coming soon. Sure, sales are mediocre at best at the moment, but at least I'm on the right road. There is always something more I can do to keep moving forward. The only failure would be to stop trying. I LOVE to write! All of you, in some way or another, are on this wonderful journey with me. Thanks for coming and enjoy the ride! Now, get reading! :)

Happy Anniversary to The Bride!

Top Ten Tuesday #49

Last list was about the good that comes with Facebook. This week's is about the bad. Most of these are common pet peeves concerning FB. We've probably all seen or experienced all of these, or perhaps we're guilty of committing them. If the latter is true, please don't take offense. I don't imagine any of them will change or go away, so it's best to ignore or avoid as best as we can.

Today's Topic: The Bad that Comes With Facebook (no particular order)

10. The game requests. I get a bunch of these every week. I DON'T want to play candy crush or FarmVille or whatever the latest fad is.
9. Excessive photos of who-cares-what. One or two is usually enough. Sometimes none is better.
8. The vague post of emotional mystery. Are we really supposed to drag the story out of you?
7. The sports updates. Either I'm not watching that particular game because I don't care or I'm unable to watch until later and you're spoiling it for me. Thanks.
6. The comments. This was on my other list, but this time it's for a different reason. Why the harshness and hate? If you disagree with someone, you don't have to ridicule or spew foulness at them. We have enough of that in our world already.
5. Friend request from someone I don't know. It has happened only a couple of times, so it's not a huge deal.
4. TMI. Please reconsider posting something most normal people in the world don't need or want to know. This includes personal info that should have been sent via private message instead of being posted on someone's wall.
3. Along with the negative comments, I don't particularly like the memes that make fun of people. How would I like it if someone took one of my pictures and plastered it with something cruel? No thanks.
2. The addiction. I check FB regularly throughout the day, but I don't think I do it excessively. I've heard of people that are so engrossed with it that they can't leave the house without knowing what so-and-so is doing or is posting. Most people are not that important. I know I'm not.
1. It's the Anti-social Social Network. Sure, it makes it easy to stay in touch with people across the country or on the other side of the world, but what about the friend who lives down the street? We send them a FB message instead of talking to them face-to-face. Or we ignore the person sitting right next us because we're reading someone else's posts. I'm totally guilty of this. I'm not big on being social. I'm a shy person by nature and it's much easier for me to write to someone rather than talk to them. I don't know if I'll ever be able to change this for myself. Something to think about.

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On another note, I'm soooooo pleased with the participation for my giveaway! I had hoped to at least double the four entries I've received in past giveaways. I never imagined it would reach 200+. Granted, I did advertise this one more, which brought in people who would otherwise have had no idea it was happening. I'm so pleased, in fact, that I've decided to pick TWO winners! That's right, two hourglass pendant prizes. Winners will be notified tomorrow and announced on Thursday if they have met the requirements. Time is almost up! Only a few more hours to go!

Summer Reading

School is out. Kids are free. Hopefully they will do smart, responsible things during their break. Like read books. If you are a "kid" or know one, I know of some great books to pick up for some fun summer reading. Of course I'm talking about my books. The prices are low ($.99 or less) and they're clean, so you don't have to worry about filling their heads with garbage.

I have a bunch of books on my iPad that I'm planning to read sometime during my life. Once I get going, I might start doing some book reviews. Probably not by request, though. I have too many things going on to go that route. I finished all the art for my first page of my web comic, Samurai Penguin. I still need to do the wording, but I'm very happy with how it turned out. I mentioned before that I will post some examples in the future. I'm pretty excited about it. Now I just need to finish Sources... Yes, I'm still working on the last chapters. I've been a bit distracted by my web comic, but now that I have some done, I will focus on Sources. My editor is more than half way done with the part she has, so I have to finish! Oh, and we're moving, so there's that can of worms too.

Busy busy!

A Few More Days

Quick reminder that the winner of my giveaway will be chosen and announced in one week. I've gotten more participation for this giveaway than any of my others, which is awesome. Enter now if you haven't already.

This time last year, hubby and I were melting in Arizona. Though we met some great people down there, I wouldn't want to be there during the summer again. A winter visit? No problem. I am amazed at the people who can tolerate the heat. I was also working hard on preparing The Bride for publishing. I was very new to the whole process and it took a few tries to get all the formatting right. I'm so glad that little nobodies like me have the opportunity and ability to share our writings with the world instead of waiting for a publisher to decide whether or not we're good enough. Sure, the big publishers have their good points, but I think it's important for people to have a hand in their own fate. I choose to be an author.

Top Ten Tuesday #48

Sorry this is later than usual. I had to work this morning, and then I got sidetracked by Facebook. Ah, Facebook. It is a double-edged sword. The good cometh with the bad, as in most things. Let's focus on the good for now, shall we?

Today's Topic: Why I Enjoy Facebook (no particular order)

10. Keeping in touch with friends. With friends and family living all over the country, it's a great way to remain a part of their lives.
9. Letting people know what's happening in my life. Sure, I'm not all that interesting, but there has to be a few people who read what I post.
8. The comments. Sometimes reading peoples' comments is like watching a movie, sometimes hilarious, sometimes dramatic, sometimes frightening.
7. News/updates. I "like" certain pages to keep up with what's happening, whether it's a TV show (Doctor Who) or a certain favorite vacation spot (Disneyland).
6. Contests/sweepstakes. I enter many.
5. Using it as a tool for promoting my books. I'm still trying to improve this aspect.
4. Pictures. Like #1, it's great to see pictures of friends and family. Some more than others :)
3. Real news. I don't watch news on TV, so I usually rely on the internet to learn about what's happening in the world. I follow some local news pages for this reason.
2. Some games. There are only a few I play that use my FB login info.
1. This might sound lame, but FB was one if the ways that hubby and I communicated while we were dating. I still have all our "conversations". It's fun to be able to back and read them.


I've been working on my web comic for the past few days. The artwork is going surprisingly well, so far. Though I don't plan to have it up and running until September or so, I'm determined to have a bunch of pages ready in advance, otherwise I won't be able to keep up. I'm not sure how often I'll post a page. There are many things that need to be figured out. I hope you'll come check it out, though. I might even share some teaser pics in the near future...

Summer Dates

I've been looking at Ye Olde Calendar and have chosen some dates for things. They are subject to change, so don't send out invitations for your parties just yet.

June 28- cover reveal for Sources 
July 12- free sample chapters for Sources
July 26- release of Sources in paperback and ebook

The first two are pretty much a guarantee, but the actual release date depends a lot on my editor's editing and my revisions. And not only are my hubby and I moving in the next month or so, my editor and her hubby are planning on moving too! Hopefully these super-fun transitions will not screw stuff up too much. It shall be a busy summer no matter what.

What else can you do in the meantime...?

Enter my giveaway
Play the Name Game
Read my books, write glowing reviews on amazon

Just a suggestion :)

Have a great weekend!

The Story Begins

Besides finishing up Sources, I've started developing the outline for my web comic, Samurai Penguin. It's going well so far. This will be a huge endeavor, though. Not necessarily the story part, but the art part. I'm a pretty good artist, but I have no experience with comics. The background stuff will definitely be the hardest. I've been trying to get inspiration and helpful tips from the internet. One person suggested a certain book that could be helpful. Hopefully it's at my local library. Mostly I just need to practice until I get better. I'll update you on this as I go along.

My hubby got me all three seasons of Avatar: The Last Airbender for Mother's Day. They just arrived yesterday. He used the slow, but free, shipping method, which is one of the reasons I love him. Anytime we save some money, I am happy. Anyway, ATLA is one of my most favoritest shows. I've mentioned it in a few posts. (Particularly this one) and recommend it to everyone. And I can't stress this enough-- the movie version by M. Night is AWFUL! Stay away!

Thanks to all who have entered my giveaway! It's probably the most participation I've ever gotten. There is still plenty of time to enter. Choose one or all of the entry methods. The more you use, the better your chances of winning.

Learn Something New

No top ten list today. I accidentally slept in a bit and am too lazy to think one up. Instead, I'll toot my own horn by telling you I figured out how to display my giveaway thingy on the text part of my blog! I'm not very tech savvy and certainly green when it comes to HTML stuff, but after some thought and a "duh" moment, I got it. See, I'll show you...

**this promo has ended**
a Rafflecopter giveaway


Yay! Now I'm certain more people will see it, even on their phones. If you missed it before, now's your chance to enter.

FYI, over the weekend I sent most of Sources to my editor. I'm still grappling with the last few chapters. I know what I want to happen, but I'm testing out different sequences and such. Now that things are actually moving forward, I'm looking at the end-ish of July for release. I also still plan to release one more book this year. Most likely December.

Anniversary Giveaway!

It has almost been one year since I started this blog AND published my first book, The Bride. It's been an exciting year of events and I can't wait to bring you more books! To celebrate, I'm doing a giveaway! The prize will be one of my very lovely hourglass pendants.

This giveaway is for residents of the contiguous 48 US states only. It will start tonight at midnight US mountain time (May 18) and go till 12:00 am of June 4. The winner will be selected and announced June 5, which is the anniversary date. There are many ways to enter, so get going! If you have questions, feel free to email me. 

**update: I've been so pleased with the participation that I've decided to choose two winners!

***this promo has ended***

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Something About a Website

Sometime in the near future, not sure exactly when, I will have a new website. Well, it will actually be for both me and my hubby, who also writes. We have some ideas on how to handle the distribution of our work that we hope will generate a growing audience. I will most likely be moving all my blog stuff there as well. Don't worry, I'll let you know more details in advance so you don't miss all my wonderful ramblings :)  I have an idea for a web comic that might be featured there as well. I've mentioned the main character in another post. (You can find him here) My hubby will be creating the website, so the timeframe depends a lot on the time he has to work on it. We're hoping to have it up and running before the end of the year.

In the meantime, I'm still accepting names for my Name Game. It's been such a slow process that I envision the email submission portion of the game will continue for awhile. In some ways this is good because more people will eventually read Soulless and be eligible to participate. Not so good because of my eagerness to move forward. I can wait, though. I waited nearly 13 years to publish my first book. I think I can wait a few more months for this.

Top Ten Tuesday #47

Last week's list was about summer. Today's will be as well. I don't usually make many plans during the summer, mostly because we don't have a lot money and because my hubby still works normal hours. However, there are things I'm going to do this summer and things I'd like to do. This list is in no particular order.

Today's Topic: Things I Will Do or Want to Do This Summer

10. Camping. My family used to go every year when I was growing up. I'm not a huge fan of it now because I have a hard time sleeping, but we're going in July!
9. Water park. This is a maybe. If you remember from my previous list, I can't swim.
8. Amusement park. We have one in Utah--Lagoon. I haven't been there in many years. We'll see...
7. Festival of some kind. There are several throughout the summer around where I live, so there's a good chance we'll hit at least one.
6. Be crafty. I love making stuff and I have a bunch of ideas from Pinterest just waiting for me.
5. Visit a garage sale, flea market, swap meet. It's fun to find unexpected treasures.
4. See some summer movies. Uh, what's coming out soon?
3. Not get sunburned!
2. Make improvements to our condo...
1. Because we're moving! That's right. There's a whole big story for this, so I'll try to be brief. Some family members need some extra help with day to day chores and yard work so hubby and I are moving into the basement to help out. We, in turn, will be able to live there at low cost so we can start saving more money. (Yay!) Long term plan is for us to eventually buy the place. We'll move this summer and fix up our condo real nice in the meantime and hopefully sell it around September. It's exciting and a little nerve wracking, but we think it will be good for everyone involved.

The Best of the Best

I'm not going to lie. I have the BEST mother in the world. With tomorrow being Mother's Day, I thought I would lavish her with well-deserved praise. She is smart, beautiful, caring, funny, supportive, talented, and my bestest friend. I couldn't have asked for anyone better. There are other great mothers in my life. My mother-in-law is a wonderful woman. My grandmothers and aunts are very important, as well as my sister and sisters-in-law. I also have many friends who great mothers. I know there are women out there who hate Mother's Day for various reasons, one being infertility. I know the feeling. Without going into detail, my hubby and I have been unable to start our family for unknown medical reasons. It has been a huge emotional trial. I have always wanted to be a mother and now I don't know when or if that will happen. I have religious beliefs that offer comfort, but it is still a hard thing to deal with. Anyway, even those women who are not mothers can still be grateful for their own. I know I am!

Love you, Mom!

If you are still trying to think of a gift for the mothers/women in your life, any of my books would be a great idea! (Hint hint)

Same Old Thing

Hubby and I are homebodies. We prefer to keep to ourselves most of the time. However, we've fallen into a bit of a rut. To entertain ourselves, we usually end up watching TV or a movie while our noses are pressed into our electronic devices. So yesterday, I suggested we think of some things to do that don't necessarily involve technology, or a lot of money. (We're still poor) We made a nice list of activities ranging from karaoke in the living room to making paper airplanes. Some are cheesy, but we are a bit cheesy ourselves. One thing I suggested is that we go to the dollar store and both of use buy a couple of food items without the other seeing. Then we go home and make dinner using the items ala Chopped. I think that sounds super fun, and potentially disgusting. Do any of you have fun activities you've tried or want to try? Please leave a comment!

Our a/c is in, though we haven't had to use it yet. Utah weather is predictable only in its unpredictability. Today's high in my area will be 61 degrees. Sunday is supposed to be in the 40's. Whatever, weather. I'm just glad we won't die of heat stroke in our own home this summer.

Top Ten Tuesday #46

I hurt myself. I was helping clear out some old food storage at my husband's grandparents' house on Saturday and while I was lifting a heavy box, my back gave out. I know, you're supposed to lift with your legs, but apparently I wasn't being careful enough. Pinched nerve = no fun. I've been taking it easy since and am feeling better now. My hubby has been taking good care of me.

Summer is nearly here. There are many things I like about summer, and some things I don't like. The heat, for example. Doubly so because our air conditioning has been broken for the past year. We finally have some money to get it replaced. Some cool dudes (get it? Cool?) came this morning to assess our needs and they will be installing a replacement in a few hours! It is cause for celebration. Back to summer . . .

Today's Topic: Things I Like/Don't Like About Summer (five for each)

Like
10. Sunshine
9. Vacations (if we could afford them)
8. Fourth of July parties with family (usually one at my grandma's and one at my parents')
7. Summer TV shows. Looking forward to more Rizzoli and Isles and Major Crimes.
6. Showing off my blindingly white skin. I don't tan. I burn. Sunscreen is a must.
Don't Like
5. Heat
4. Bugs
3. The sound of lawn mowers at 7:00 am
2. Sunburns. See #6. I've had some doozies.
1. Swimming. I can't swim. I have a mild fear of water. Hubby intends to remedy that. Well see.

When I worked at three different schools for 11 years, I longed for summer vacation. Now that I work from home, summer has lost some of its appeal. My work is part time, which means I usually have 2-3 months of downtime between "orders", so I shouldn't complain. You'd think I'd have all sorts of books written with that much time on my hands, but I find new and inventive ways to procrastinate. It's one of my many talents.

Speaking of procrastination, Name Game, anyone? :)