tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448884598843927202024-03-11T21:52:22.019-07:00One Writer, Two GenresThank you for visiting the blog of Kendal Ashby (YA and sweet adult writer) and Kendal Corbitt (steamy to erotica writer). One blog to cover many topics! I hope you enjoy what I have to say and leave comments. Please visit again soon. Cheers!Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1544888459884392720.post-22443524843822846842011-10-21T08:38:00.000-07:002011-10-21T08:44:07.591-07:00Thank you Author Rescue for the interview and blog tour!Are you a writer with a new release coming out soon? I highly, HIGHLY recommand that you consider visiitng www.authorrescue.com to discuss a book blog tour with Melanie! She is fantasic and was able to set me up on a blog tour to promote Melody's Song. <br /><br />I am at www.authorrescue.com today for an interview! Please pop by and comment :) <br /><a href="http://www.authorrescue.com/blog/">http://www.authorrescue.com/blog/</a><br /><br />Happy reading, <br />KendalUnknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1544888459884392720.post-32311105822009582322011-10-21T08:27:00.000-07:002011-10-21T08:38:07.915-07:00I was a guest blogger and was interviewed yesterday at The Magic Attic!I was thrilled to be able to visit The Magic Attic blog yesterday and give an interview for Melody's Song. Please visit the site and see what we discussed :) <br /><br />http://theawesomemagicattic.blogspot.com/2011/10/author-interview-kendal-ashby.html<br /><br />Happy Reading!<br />KendalUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1544888459884392720.post-23533599910902796012011-10-02T17:50:00.001-07:002011-10-02T17:56:54.999-07:00Free Giveaway of Melody's Song on October 4th!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIWaFzRa7xzp1qSsqOPPK_E-alPBGLHQYUokai1ON5qXbvvx9OlGSPEMG2sT-lx6-ZfTKYA1CVcY0ZtvDi_NGOLub3azuu1GuYtQ27zHDYuLsp_RHxocb4bD33he3DxhC1JUWQuocAE7IO/s1600/MelodysSong+COVER%255B1%255D.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIWaFzRa7xzp1qSsqOPPK_E-alPBGLHQYUokai1ON5qXbvvx9OlGSPEMG2sT-lx6-ZfTKYA1CVcY0ZtvDi_NGOLub3azuu1GuYtQ27zHDYuLsp_RHxocb4bD33he3DxhC1JUWQuocAE7IO/s200/MelodysSong+COVER%255B1%255D.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659063335500216882" /></a><br />Stop by <a href="http://www.excerptmonday.wordpress.com">www.excerptmonday.wordpress.com </a> and leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of Melody's Song ALONG WITH 11 other books being donated by some awesome authors! <br /><br />That's right! There are a total of 12 books being given away at Excerpt Monday on October 4th and all you have to do is leave a comment. <br /><br />Good luck!<br />KendalUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1544888459884392720.post-49638222873969998772011-09-11T09:02:00.000-07:002011-09-11T10:23:58.387-07:00Melody's Song is released!!!!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDoYm0zOpY8lI5Mr5CC71HrpIJqSuYx_BGFd8V_mk0IgP_5wLedcHc_qj6qT_aBUORVNPJGyJrFzvbEQk89rR4S9oJYauZ2PyFAqGLbw1PSmcK9BIhTk6nsRj74__NuM_X2HFdzFwHMOn5/s1600/MelodysSong+COVER%255B1%255D.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDoYm0zOpY8lI5Mr5CC71HrpIJqSuYx_BGFd8V_mk0IgP_5wLedcHc_qj6qT_aBUORVNPJGyJrFzvbEQk89rR4S9oJYauZ2PyFAqGLbw1PSmcK9BIhTk6nsRj74__NuM_X2HFdzFwHMOn5/s320/MelodysSong+COVER%255B1%255D.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5651153114659737810" /></a><br />I am thrilled to announce that Melody's Song has been released :) My first full lenght YA novel. Below the back cover blurb and the first chapter. Followed with the buy link should you want to snag a copy :) <br /><br />I *love* writing and I *love* new releases!<br /><br />All her life, Melody Cupid has accepted the fact she’ll be forced into the family business as a Love Muse. Then she’s given her first assignment. Instead of making her Charge’s heart flutter for someone, she finds she’s being sent to help Nathan Peterson discover his true career path as a writer. <br /><br />Even though she believes the Senate is making a mistake by sending her, she gives it her all and soon finds herself in danger of breaking the golden rule of being a Muse by falling in love with her Charge. With only two weeks to complete her assignment, Melody must choose between giving up the life she’s just beginning to build in the mortal world with Nathan or sacrificing her heart to live up to the family name. <br /><br /><br /><br /><em><strong>Chapter One of MELODY'S SONG by Kendal Ashby</strong></em><br />Drifting my pen over my homework, I drew swirling circles inside little boxes. I could feel Cassie staring at me as she waited for more details. My pen dug deep and pierced a hole in my Human Studies mid-term paper. Crap. For a split second I almost wished I was mortal so I could fake being sick and skip school. I didn’t want to be human, but sometimes living up to Grandpa’s reputation sucked. A twinge of shame made me shift in the uncomfortable plastic chair.<br /><br />“ Mel-o-dy”<br /><br />“ Shhh.” My gaze darted around the crowded cafeteria; I was hoping no one was eavesdropping. The fine tremor in my hand made the pen jump in jagged lines. I hated when Cassie pronounced my name that way. It usually meant she was up to something.<br /><br />“ You’re joking, right?”<br /><br />“ Nope. Sort of wish I was.” I watched the glob of green Jell-o jiggle off Cassie’s fork and plop back into the plastic bowl. She continued to gawk at me. “Stop staring, Cassie.”<br /><br />“ Sorry. Why aren’t you more excited?”<br /><br />Art Milo twirled around in his seat and faced us from across the aisle, one eyebrow raised in question. “Excited about what?”<br /><br />I wanted to groan in frustration. Great. Art was the class gossip. It’d be less than two minutes flat and everyone in school would know I’d been called to Mrs. Perkins’s office.<br /><br />“ Mel is excused from fourth period Culture to go see Mrs. Perkins.” A hint of triumph danced in Cassie’s voice. It wasn’t often people had news that Art the know-it-all didn’t already know.<br /><br />“ Shut up! Really?” Art’s voice pitched an octave higher.<br /><br />“ It’s no biggie, so let’s drop it.”<br /><br />“ No way, babe. Being called to the Placement Guide can only mean one thing: you’re being put into training!” Cassie shoveled a spoonful of Jell-o into her mouth, speaking between bites. “Not that it’s surprising.”<br /><br />Art moved to our table, leaning close. “Yeah, it’s not like you have to go through Placement or anything. You’re guaranteed to be a Love Muse.”<br /><br />“ Stop it, guys. It’s not like that.” Okay, I’m not blind to the oblivious eye roll shared between my two best friends. All my life I’d been groomed to step up and join the elite muses destined to help mortals find their soul mates. But knowing my luck, I’d end up being assigned to stand up comedy inspiration, or worse. Believe me there was always worse. “I mean it. Just cause Cupid’s my grandfather doesn’t mean I automatically get to be the Love Muse.”<br /><br />“ Whatever. You’re this year’s Love Muse. Even if you weren’t Cupid’s granddaughter, who else would it be? Cindy Stewart? Right. She only knows about lust, not love.” We all giggled. Looking over at Cindy’s table, we watched her usual flock of bees buzzing around their queen. The cheerleader had fiery red hair, cloverleaf green eyes, and breasts the size of honeydew melons. It was no wonder she got all the hottest guys in school. My focus drifted to the jocks’ table and zeroed in on Jimmy Jordan. Even the back of his head was freaking perfect. His trimmed brush cut spiked out into short points at the ends. Sometimes I wished when they were setting up our plain of existence that they’d leave out the clichéd popular clicks. I’d always wondered if making our culture the same as the mortals was a good choice or not. At least I was born into a North American “house” and got to grow up with shopping malls and MP3 players. I shuddered thinking about our sister houses across the globe hidden from the very mortals they existed to help. Our house was the testing grounds to see if, in a few more generations, we’d be able to fully integrate into North American society. Sometimes I felt like a mouse in a science experiment, but overall it was cool to think that my friends and I might be the turning point in the whole muse/mortal relationship.<br /><br />Maybe one day muses would live side-by-side with mortals in perfect little houses with white picket fences or some consumer driven B.S. dream like that. For now, we’d settle for our rural little village in northern Ontario that passed as a commuter town suburb. With a little magic it was easy to fool humans into accepting what they saw, even when their little brains didn’t understand. I all but rubbed my hands together in glee, thinking about learning that special trick of the trade in placement.<br /><br />“ Mel, you better go. It’s almost time to meet Mrs. Perkins.” Cassie poked my hand with the back of her plastic fork.<br /><br />“ Ouch. Crap. Yeah I don’t want to be late.” I rushed to gather up my bag and books. “Meet me at my locker after Cultures and I’ll fill you in.”<br /><br />“ You’d better.” Art gave me a wink before I dashed from the table.<br /><br />* * * *<br /><br />I sat in the Placement Guide’s office and stared around the overly cheerful room, waiting for the counselor to arrive. Various posters adorned the bright yellow walls. Commit to be the best. Aim to Inspire. You can make a difference one Charge at a time. Lame. Lame. Lame. I pulled some fruity lip-gloss from my oversized backpack and dabbed it on my lips. The sweet strawberry scent calmed me as I smacked my lips together to smear the gloss between them.<br /><br />The door flew open and Mrs. Perkins waddled into the room. The short round woman stared at me over the top of her thick-rimmed glasses. A wide, red lipstick painted grin made her entire face shine under the harsh fluorescent lighting. “Oh, my, my, my, Melody Cupid. I have been looking forward to this day since your father entered Placement.”<br /><br />I nodded my head, not sure if I was expected to answer. She hadn’t really asked a question.<br /><br />“ Early placement. Not that I am surprised.” The woman gave me a knowing wink. The same wink/nudge/pat on the shoulder I’d been getting my entire life. Again, I kept my mouth shut, unsure what to say.<br /><br />Mrs. Perkins gestured for me to stand. Her red face gleamed down at me, sweat glistening at the edge of her hairline. “Come, come, Melody, we can’t keep the Senate waiting, my dear.”<br /><br />“ The Senate?” The words almost caught in my throat.<br /><br />“ Oh my, didn’t I tell you? I have it here somewhere.” Mrs. Perkins rummaged through the mountain of files, paperwork, and junk food wrappers. I stared in disbelief when she pulled off a hard candy stuck to a pink piece of paper and popped it into her mouth. “Yes, here it is.”<br /><br />My fingers trembled as I took the pink paper she held out for me. The Senate? Oh. My. God. Cass and Art would have a freaking field day with this. “Why do they want to see me?”<br /><br />“ Now, Dear, I’m not going to spoil the surprise. Let’s get going.” Mrs. Perkins gestured to the door. She led me down a spacious corridor and I followed like a wide-eye puppy trailing after a bone. Hundreds of butterfly wings flew in circles in my gut, and I had to swallow to stop them from escaping.<br /><br />We entered the Principal’s office, and I stopped suddenly. Three people turned when the door opened, every eye in the room zeroing in on me. I didn’t recognize the lone woman standing rigidly behind the large desk chair. Principal Kessler stood on the opposite side of the chair and gave me a comforting smile.<br /><br />I focused my attention on the man seated in the plush leather desk chair. Swallowing past the rock-size lump lodged in my throat, I managed to choke out, “Hello, Grandpa.”<br /><br />* * * *<br /><br />I fumbled through the pages of the file folder, trying to understand what exactly I should be looking at. Not wanting to appear like a complete idiot, I studied the papers with as much interest as I could manage. They read like stereo instructions. I closed the folder and stared at the trio who sat watching me with intense interest.<br /><br />“ Melody, take your time. Read the file again.” The woman to Grandpa’s left spoke with a voice like melted chocolate. Her aqua eyes shimmered in the harsh lights. As I looked into them, a wave of serenity seeped into my bones, invading my mind. In that moment, I had clarity. My stomach stopped twitching; the acid threatening to spew from my throat disappeared. I tried to focus again on the pages in front of me. The words didn’t look like a foreign language anymore, and my eyes darted from page to page, processing the information.<br /><br />Nathan Peterson, nineteen years old, a student at Ohio State University, only child of Stephen and Margaret Peterson. Fourteen more pages followed. The list was extensive with information on everything from him being a Boy Scout leader, his first car, his favorite bands, and even his Grade Point Average. Smarty-pants had an impressive three point eight GPA.<br /><br />Nineteen? No one under twenty-one was ever assigned a love muse. Never. What was so special about this guy?<br /><br />I read through the thick file until I got to a glossy headshot on the last page. I sucked air between clenched teeth. My pulse hammered in my veins. Nathan Peterson was hot. A wide smile spread across his handsome tanned face, showing off straight, pearly white teeth and a dimple that pinched his left cheek. His liquid amber eyes nearly stopped my heart. Heat flooded through my body.<br /><br />Slamming the folder shut, I tried to compose myself before looking up at the Senate members. My gaze darted away from Grandpa.<br /><br />“ I don’t understand. Seems like a normal mortal to me.” I clasped my hands over the folder, not feeling like giving it back to them just yet. My fingers itched to open the file and take another peek at Nathan.<br /><br />Principal Kessler cleared his throat and spoke first. “Nathan Peterson is a Charge in need of intervention. Due to his age and the nature of the situation, we would like to send you.”<br /><br />Three sets of eyes watched for my reaction. Which, let’s face it, was shock. This had to be a mistake. I haven’t even been through Placement or training yet. Giving me a Charge at this age was, well, it was freaking unheard of.<br /><br />The woman with the soothing voice spoke again. “Melody, we feel you are the only one to assist Mr. Peterson. We will prepare you, but it’s your choice if you want this assignment.”<br /><br />Words caught in my throat. My thoughts waged war with my nerves. It wasn’t exactly an easy yes or no. Dangling a carrot like that in front of me made it hard for me not to bite. A million questions crammed into my brain at once, all jumbling together and making no sense. I closed my eyes, trying to focus. I knew somewhere in the confusion, there were questions I needed to ask, but I couldn’t get a coherent thought together. I flipped through the file again, my fingers leading me to his photo. His amber eyes pacified the shouting voice in my head so I could think. “Why does he need help?”<br /><br />“ He’s at school pursuing a career to help his family, but he is destined to be a great teacher. A mentor for the generation to come.”<br /><br />Vague. I’d always heard that the Senate had a way of answering questions with more questions. Dread squeezed my chest, stealing my breath away. This wasn’t a Love assignment. They were asking me to be a freaking guidance counselor. I held in a snort of impatience. Grandpa’s piercing eyes watched me with interest, but I couldn’t read his expression. Concern? Hope? Disappointment?<br /><br />Help a Charge change his career path. Not exactly something a Love Muse would be sent in for. My gut clenched like a tightened coil. Maybe I really wasn’t a Love Muse.<br /><br />“ Why me?”<br /><br />The woman and Principal Kessler shared a look, but Grandpa never took his eyes off me. He was the first to speak. “Nathan Peterson needs help. Is that not reason enough to accept our decision?”<br /><br />Ouch. Nathan’s smiling face stared up at me from the open file on my lap. The pools of golden amber clouded my thoughts. Little goose bumps exploded across my arms. My head bobbed up and down in response to Grandpa’s question. Yes, it was enough reason. Something deep inside me pulled me to this stranger. I needed to help him.<br /><br />“ Good. Good.”<br /><br />For the first time since I entered the room, the trio seemed to relax. A sort of tranquility filled the room, as if my answer actually had been unforeseen. Never, in our history, had a Muse ever refused to take a Charge. It just didn’t happen. Ever. Was there even a choice? I stared down at his photo again. What was the big deal? If I didn’t take the Charge they’d just assign his case to someone else, right? A flash of jealousy pierced deep in my gut. No, Nathan was mine. My cheeks flushed hot at the intensity of my thought.<br /><br />God, I didn’t want to look at the Senate members, especially my Grandpa. I controlled my movements, careful not to wipe away the sweat prickling at the edge of my hairline. Taking three deep breaths, I finally looked up, a knife wrenched into my stomach. All three adults across the table were grinning like fools, knowing smirks on their smug faces. What have I gotten myself into?<br /><br />Click <a href="http://www.whiskeycreekpress.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=922&zenid=70d77d7530c99266b6a7580a33151049"><strong>HERE</strong></a> to be directed to the publisher's website :) <br /><br />Happy Reading! <br />KendalUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1544888459884392720.post-48371504557346318952011-07-11T07:39:00.000-07:002011-07-11T07:47:10.294-07:00I'm at Romance Junkies today!Come by and see me. I am a guest blogger and talking about trying to read books outside my usual 'pickup' genre. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.romancejunkies.com/rjblog/">http://www.romancejunkies.com/rjblog/</a><br /><br />:) <br />KendalUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1544888459884392720.post-1587141476179594952011-06-10T17:26:00.000-07:002011-06-10T17:32:21.876-07:0050% off this weekend!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIQz_xfa1CXOzfrIk2uAZlTAgf4VPbuBvA6erpE79doWV9VF4Rb8cik-fqmy7k2H24-bOrpq9icwPwQuiyRO5anDb4EKYzu-V9-XZR83UEn-mcKdm9klKMzLQt1ydTwbJ9qTvVFBryPHGn/s1600/PH_CorbittKendal_FireOnTheWater_EB_Final_sm.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIQz_xfa1CXOzfrIk2uAZlTAgf4VPbuBvA6erpE79doWV9VF4Rb8cik-fqmy7k2H24-bOrpq9icwPwQuiyRO5anDb4EKYzu-V9-XZR83UEn-mcKdm9klKMzLQt1ydTwbJ9qTvVFBryPHGn/s200/PH_CorbittKendal_FireOnTheWater_EB_Final_sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616753122978246290" /></a><br />Fire on the Water, my new suspense erotica is 50% off this weekend (June 10, 11 and 12th). <br /><br />Here is the link: <a href="50 % off LINK">http://www.phaze.com/book.php?title=Fire+on+the+Water</a> <br /><br />Use the promo code: <strong>SCHOOLSOUT</strong><br /><br /><br />Here is an excerpt from Fire on the Water:<br /><br /><br />“Cole?” I called out across the water, still unable to spot him. I bent<br />low to turn the radio off.<br /><br />“Hey.” A deep, throaty voice said, only inches from my ears when I<br />stood back up.<br /><br />A scream ripped from my throat, startled at Cole’s sudden<br />appearance. I twirled on my toes to give him shit for scaring me, but my<br />legs were weakened from my intense run earlier and failed me. My body<br />fell backward in slow motion and instantly Cole grabbed for me, his ice<br />blue eyes large with surprise. His arm extended out, but he missed and I<br />fell backward into the bay with a tremendous splash.<br /><br />Cool water engulfed me, swallowing my body. I planted my feet on<br />the hard clay bottom and pushed up to the surface. Swiping away the<br />water running down my hair and over my face, I glared up at Cole. He<br />tossed his head back in a roar of laughter and I gritted my teeth until my<br />jaw ached.<br /><br />“Not funny, Karson.”<br /><br />“Depends if you’re dry or not, Rach.”<br /><br />“I prefer to swim in a bathing suit, not fully clothed, thank you very<br />much.”<br /><br />“Or naked.” Cole’s voice dipped low and the shiver that tingled<br />across my skin had nothing to do with the late summer temperature and<br />everything to do with the memory of Cole spying on my one and only<br />skinny-dipping adventure last summer. Apparently, wine has a tendency to<br />loosen my inhabitations a bit too much.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1544888459884392720.post-19988156118551192542011-05-30T11:15:00.001-07:002011-06-06T07:07:13.799-07:00Fire on the Water is coming soon<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLNrFu1w6qksRfiYnLyCgipVxk1dA6KbxhOSsfsS65wyAKXkyJFffv5K7YFyQzeqMJF4LKup7OGBd9kwIWnTZ-50W_I2l49QpaiSejFLf7yVRd0G6PywAaHLxaMKSNrEMSCu1hE8KdT8bX/s1600/PH_CorbittKendal_FireOnTheWater_EB_Final_sm.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLNrFu1w6qksRfiYnLyCgipVxk1dA6KbxhOSsfsS65wyAKXkyJFffv5K7YFyQzeqMJF4LKup7OGBd9kwIWnTZ-50W_I2l49QpaiSejFLf7yVRd0G6PywAaHLxaMKSNrEMSCu1hE8KdT8bX/s320/PH_CorbittKendal_FireOnTheWater_EB_Final_sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612583639468656706" /></a><br />I am thrilled to announce the release of FIRE ON THE WATER from Phaze release date is to be annoucned, but it will be soon! <a href="http://www.phaze.com">www.phaze.com</a><br />I love, love, love this story and am excited to see if in publication. Originally this story was loosely based on the fairy tale Three Little Pigs. There is a big bad wolf, homes destoried and three friends that must work together to save their home.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1544888459884392720.post-14564999130166148682011-05-30T10:56:00.000-07:002011-05-30T11:11:30.598-07:00Last day for 4 of my books at half price!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDP2Ytph4APhrzcoZEo4uG43tsHmhxITHvErU1ru6sDVadIkvUwAa6TtLFmNDGerrCiwvq3K8RxgwcGPhsPVWCI5Ib6pNqvbG4j19dYbdUB4fBNQByR-YWmKZmNfHHtZlFxNltJSB9Xgx-/s1600/Kissing+the+Sunrise.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 133px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDP2Ytph4APhrzcoZEo4uG43tsHmhxITHvErU1ru6sDVadIkvUwAa6TtLFmNDGerrCiwvq3K8RxgwcGPhsPVWCI5Ib6pNqvbG4j19dYbdUB4fBNQByR-YWmKZmNfHHtZlFxNltJSB9Xgx-/s200/Kissing+the+Sunrise.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612573296218748482" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTgg9wj-_DiQwl0cnQdzEpMHzHI59ZYiRdmlgLFBOOkVO54cfJOB8gN3PP54VGlBf-alDiJmYgyGjV9I04pp5NZiEmtddCPOY2VPHDBZf4hyUh909KnlM4q3hPLv9fmwsyIv0c5tL0lHts/s1600/CHASING_SUNRISErev12x3.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTgg9wj-_DiQwl0cnQdzEpMHzHI59ZYiRdmlgLFBOOkVO54cfJOB8gN3PP54VGlBf-alDiJmYgyGjV9I04pp5NZiEmtddCPOY2VPHDBZf4hyUh909KnlM4q3hPLv9fmwsyIv0c5tL0lHts/s200/CHASING_SUNRISErev12x3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612571978961129954" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJYSZDFjScs_lyn7Z1EWXgrn4E-MQMXqKRGUDQLGw7GwlVTKOp6PbFadJkq-zhJQaTTTPVdOwDMTqNpqYeD6ucMeiBXJrIV6Vt5pgTnnrcEJLR5tnupOlAzUEhQTIsCJ8cMsZInZ3KoGgy/s1600/Caught+in+the+Act.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 133px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJYSZDFjScs_lyn7Z1EWXgrn4E-MQMXqKRGUDQLGw7GwlVTKOp6PbFadJkq-zhJQaTTTPVdOwDMTqNpqYeD6ucMeiBXJrIV6Vt5pgTnnrcEJLR5tnupOlAzUEhQTIsCJ8cMsZInZ3KoGgy/s200/Caught+in+the+Act.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612571530720574898" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSfcoKDyYtgAzQpPVnB7NBA51JDims1TgXOE93GleWXGYwUpq2vDgKMDQ2Jmm4DSmpS3BnRWa2183Rexs-BqzbdJcYOPPmSSJwD4bRJ7G5lurjfk7dkBTGjOSR-wWAc55_dgxSl164UKDl/s1600/Room-With-A-View+cover.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSfcoKDyYtgAzQpPVnB7NBA51JDims1TgXOE93GleWXGYwUpq2vDgKMDQ2Jmm4DSmpS3BnRWa2183Rexs-BqzbdJcYOPPmSSJwD4bRJ7G5lurjfk7dkBTGjOSR-wWAc55_dgxSl164UKDl/s200/Room-With-A-View+cover.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612570414932028546" /></a><br />Looking for something spicy? Or how about a sweet romance? I have both and today is the last day to get any of my books at 50% off! <br /><br />Here are the links: <br /><a href="http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-aroomwithaview-82709-144.html">Room with a View </a>- EROTICA <br /><br /><a href="http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-caughtintheact-17607-149.html"><br />Caught in the Act</a> - EROTICA<br /><br /><a href="http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-chasingsunrise-183994-149.html">Chasing Sunrise</a> - SWEET ROMANCE<br /><br /><a href="http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-kissingthesunrise-365574-149.html">Kissing the Sunrise</a> - SWEET ROMANCEUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1544888459884392720.post-6123703745253524462011-02-22T08:20:00.000-08:002011-02-22T08:44:21.110-08:00I have a character crush!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYeISeGcece8r6kq9XHqoISuykpXz3YYwKd7NgoEUpqh_8na0RK-ju31eDUlZwE89GnDYTkWNAJ7fyLtUOUbWXaPlclUroDkoHPtcwJAE_e0gHwkKEC6_3NdgzKsYBSg67Q_dbroEWLuWL/s1600/Andrew+Lee+Potts.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 100px; height: 100px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYeISeGcece8r6kq9XHqoISuykpXz3YYwKd7NgoEUpqh_8na0RK-ju31eDUlZwE89GnDYTkWNAJ7fyLtUOUbWXaPlclUroDkoHPtcwJAE_e0gHwkKEC6_3NdgzKsYBSg67Q_dbroEWLuWL/s400/Andrew+Lee+Potts.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576553844293062018" /></a><br />I am mega-crushing on a fictional character! Who is this quirky guy who has me dreaming of writing a character similar to him? It is none other than The Hatter from the 2009 tv mini-series ALICE. (Click <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1461312/">HERE</a> is the IMDB details). Sorry Johnny Depp, Andrew Potts has won me over! <br /><br />Not only is the actor playing Hatter yummy, but the life he brings to the character has me weak in the knees. Have you ever seen a character that was so well acted, written, developed, played, that you can't help but swoon a little?<br /><br />If you haven't seen this mini-series I highly recommend you do! <br /><br />*sigh* this is the kind of movie and Hatter is the kind of character that keeps me awake at night dreaming of writing my next great character just like him.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1544888459884392720.post-62713288494471155962011-02-20T18:56:00.001-08:002011-02-20T19:04:14.000-08:00Excerpt Monday! Trouble at Trinity YA excerpt<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixPIQ9IsR2pI51NIZvmRGBJht-8ZQyPs7M2QL67Jmjd9sb0i5j0DvlXSQOIqwLrNUvpOu4UGl2t5Ll_bceNm8b3j-y0_qdutCgdukFiuUTlSVoVs37vljB78BzsOUZeg6AZRueap2d2rKv/s1600/EM+logo.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485031647029830706" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 208px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 82px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixPIQ9IsR2pI51NIZvmRGBJht-8ZQyPs7M2QL67Jmjd9sb0i5j0DvlXSQOIqwLrNUvpOu4UGl2t5Ll_bceNm8b3j-y0_qdutCgdukFiuUTlSVoVs37vljB78BzsOUZeg6AZRueap2d2rKv/s200/EM+logo.bmp" border="0" /></a> Once a month, a bunch of authors get together and post excerpts from published books, contracted work or works in progress, and link to each other. <br /><br />This is a scene from my current YA suspense, Trouble at Trinity. Enjoy!<br /><br />Getting out of the boys’ dorm wasn’t hard, but getting into mine was. <br />The front doors were locked, and I remembered reading that at nine o’clock every night the buildings were locked down for attendance call, house meeting and final study hour. No exceptions. God, they were strict. I knocked on the glass and waited patiently for the desk clerk to let me in. <br />The fluffy snowfall from earlier was gone and a wet, slushy mist replaced it. The temperature hovered near zero and I shivered, burrowing deeper into Sam’s jacket. This was perfect weather for black ice on the roads. Great. I’d have to wait until tomorrow to get Josh to bring me the key. <br />“You’re late.” The clerk handed me a pink carbon copy page. “Take this to your EA after the house meeting.” <br />I glanced from the tardy slip to her disapproving frown. “Whatever,” I muttered and headed for the common room. <br />Every pair of eyes turned and stared at me when I entered the room. My cheeks burned as I slid into an empty chair behind the semi-circle of couches crammed with girls. My eyes locked with Jan’s and she smirked. <br />What a bitch. <br />I sat and half listened to the meeting, but mainly I tuned everyone out and thought about Sam. What was in the locker? A small part of me realized it could be absolutely nothing. Just a key he forgot to turn in after being at the club. But I pushed that thought away. I had to believe we’d make some progress once we opened that locker. If it turned out nothing was there, we’d be back to a blank drawing board.<br />The room burst into chaos as girls started chatting and giggling, breaking into fifty different conversations at once. I realized the meeting had ended, so I got up and headed for my room. I wanted nothing more than a hot shower and my bed, but as long as I pretended to be a Trinity student, I knew I’d better play by the rules. That meant taking the pink slip to Lancy. <br />The door to Lancy’s room was ajar, and I saw her sitting at her desk, already hunched over a stack of text books. I knocked and she glanced up, a smile parting her lips. “Hey, Emma. Come in.”<br />Her room was smaller than the double Jan and I shared, but she didn’t have a roommate. Lucky Lancy. I’d live in a closet if I could get rid of little Miss Perfect. <br />“I have to give you this.” I handed her the tardy slip. <br />“No worries. They usually don’t have us crack down until the second offense.” She gestured for me to enter the room. “I’ve been meaning to talk with you, though. Do you have a sec?” <br />“Sure.” The shower and bed would have to wait. I sat down on her bed. <br />“How are you liking Trinity Prep so far? Finding your way around? Fitting in?” <br />I nodded, realizing this must be part of her job. I wondered what would happen if I told her the truth. Some part of this girl radiated trust to me and made me want to open up, but I bit my tongue to keep from saying anything else. The fewer people who knew, the better. “Things are great.” <br />“There is nothing bothering you? Nothing you want to discuss?” Lancy tilted her head and studied me like I was hiding something. Crap. I had a feeling she wasn’t going to let me off the hook that easy. <br />“I, uhm, the homework is a bit much, but I’m handling it,” I rushed on. “But I mean, it is kind of a lot, you know?” <br />Lancy’s golden blonde ponytail bobbed up and down as she nodded, a look of relief washing across her face. What did she think I was going to say? “We can arrange a tutor if you think it’ll help.” <br />A tutor? With any luck, I would be out of here before exams. We’d get inside that locker tomorrow and I’d know who killed Sam. Mission accomplished. “No, I’ll be fine. Mr. Jenkins has been helping me set up a ‘game plan.’” I used air quotes and smiled, thinking of the heavy man’s enthusiasm for helping me get on track for a prestigious university. Maybe if I’d had someone watching out for me when I was in high school I wouldn’t be a coffee pusher at Tim Hortons. Nineteen years old with no future. How freaking pathetic was I?<br /> Worry lines appeared in Lancy’s perfect complexion. “Mr. Jenkins is helping you? With what?”<br />“Placement stuff. I want in at University of Guelph, but he thinks I should aim for something Stateside.” I mentally slapped my forehead, trying to remind myself none of this was real. Even my transcript was forged. I wouldn’t be going to any university, let alone a posh Ivy League school in the States. Heck, I didn’t even want to be a vet. But I could understand the empty anger pooling in my gut when I thought of my future. My real one, not the one I pretended to want for Mr. Jenkins. “I have a lot of homework. Can I go?” <br />“Yes,” Lancy said, but her mind seemed to be a million miles away. When I got up, I noticed a poster for Yale University behind me. <br />“Good night, Lancy.” <br />She nodded, keeping her focus on the poster. A glassy expression filled her large doe-like eyes. Wherever she was in her thoughts, it wasn’t a happy place.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1544888459884392720.post-79448086015864276232011-02-07T12:48:00.000-08:002011-02-07T12:56:02.503-08:00First line contest!It was a dark and stormy blogfest…<br /><br />Brenda Lake is running a great first line contest at her <a href="http://brenleedrake.blogspot.com/2011/02/its-on-it-was-dark-and-stormy-blogfest.html#comments">blog</a>, and I'm signed up. The winners receive critiques by the wonderful agent, Weronika Janczuk<br /><br />For more information on this awesome contest first Brenda's blog and read through some of the lines being posted there. Ms. Janczuk will have a hard time choosing from some of the talented lines I saw! <br /><br />Here is my first line from Trouble at Trinity, a young adult novel. <br /><br />I didn’t wear mascara to my brother’s funeral.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1544888459884392720.post-70247840661643817382010-10-29T05:17:00.000-07:002010-10-29T05:35:39.911-07:00Nano journey - Kick off PartyLife is busy. Between life, work, family and having just a tiny little bit of you time, when do you write? <br /><br />I kook forward to November and the approaching NANOWRIMO with the anticipation of a kid starting a new school year. There is excitement, but also that underlining fear of failure. <br /><br />But then my husband pointed out something. If I write and write and write and only get 40,000 done, have I really 'failed'? Part of me wants to jump up and down and shut 'Yes you fool! My goal was 50k, not 40K!', but maybe he's right. <br /><br />I have always wanted to write a story with a theme/journey that it is not about winning, it is about finishing. Maybe that will be my 2011 Nano story!<br /><br />Happy writing!<br /><strong><em>Kendal</em></strong>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1544888459884392720.post-56147335325248958222010-09-14T18:07:00.001-07:002010-09-14T18:13:24.228-07:00Looking ahead - NanowrimoIt is hard to believe September is half over already! Wow the time is flying by this year. I am looking ahead, realizing November is only 1 1/2 months away! Ekk. I wanted to finish my current first draft of Scavenger Hunt (YA contemp) and I am only about 25% done. I'd better get moving. <br /><br />Why the big rush? What is the deadline I am working toward? I'm an going to be one of those people chained to my laptop in the month of November while I hammer out a new YA novel. Have you heard of Nanowrimo? If not, check it out! www.nanowrimo.org <br /><br />My game plan this year is to have a fully plotted story before I sit down on November 1st. <br /><br />If you are taking part in this month of dreams and torture, you'll find me there too! <br />Cheers,<br /><em><strong>Kendal</strong></em>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1544888459884392720.post-90532686342426113162010-07-18T15:04:00.000-07:002010-07-18T15:05:36.466-07:00Excerpt Monday July 2010<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixPIQ9IsR2pI51NIZvmRGBJht-8ZQyPs7M2QL67Jmjd9sb0i5j0DvlXSQOIqwLrNUvpOu4UGl2t5Ll_bceNm8b3j-y0_qdutCgdukFiuUTlSVoVs37vljB78BzsOUZeg6AZRueap2d2rKv/s1600/EM+logo.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485031647029830706" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 208px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 82px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixPIQ9IsR2pI51NIZvmRGBJht-8ZQyPs7M2QL67Jmjd9sb0i5j0DvlXSQOIqwLrNUvpOu4UGl2t5Ll_bceNm8b3j-y0_qdutCgdukFiuUTlSVoVs37vljB78BzsOUZeg6AZRueap2d2rKv/s200/EM+logo.bmp" border="0" /></a> Once a month, a bunch of authors get together and post excerpts from published books, contracted work or works in progress, and link to each other. <br /><br />SETUP: This is a scene from my Young Adult novel, Melody's Song. Melody has a run in with Nate - literally. <br /><br /><br />The cool night air slapped me in the face when I opened the side door to escape and it took me a second to realize it was drizzling. The misty rain pattered down against my hot skin. The chill felt good. It might not be that long before we got snow. It snowed in Ohio, right? A tinge of excitement coursed though me. My first snowfall! My eyes widened as I strained to look at the misty rain, searching for that alluring first white flake. <br />A low chuckle came from the semi-darkness behind me. I pivoted to search for the source, my balance tittering on an unsupported ankle and I crashed to the ground. <br />Two hands reached out to grab my arm, but my rear hit the cold pavement before they could get to me. Nate knelt down, concern etched on his handsome face. Well, concern and amusement. My heart skipped three beats, forgetting for a moment how to work.<br />“Are you okay?” I could hear him straining to keep from laughing. Smart guy. <br />“Yeah, I’m fine.” I tried to brush off splatters of mud clinging to my jeans, but like day old grease in a grease trap, it fused to my pants.<br />“Let me help you up.”<br />“No thanks, I got it.” An edge of annoyance crept into my voice. Did he purposely wait in the dark to scare me? The rain started to pick up, fat droplets plunging to the ground around us, sounding like fingers tapping on a desk. I ignored his outstretched hand and struggled to my feet. <br />Pain shot through my ankle and rippled up my leg. Hot tears prickled at the edges of my eyes, but I swiped them away. Nate’s arm encircled me before I tumbled back to the wet pavement. <br />“Whoa. Steady. Your ankle?”<br />“No my ear. Idiot,” I snapped. It felt like a smoking red hot poker straight from a blacksmith's forge was searing straight through the skin and skewering the bone. I desperately wanted to stop the tears threatening to overflow. But it hurt. I mean it really hurt. Like the kind of pain I imagine a guy would feel if his dick got caught in a zipper. A zipper with razor sharp teeth. <br />“Can you walk on it?” <br />I clung to Nate’s strength, his warmth seeping through my shirt and into my chilled skin. Our eyes locked and for one blissful second I forgot about my ankle. His chest rubbed against my side, my hands gripping his taunt biceps. Our faces were only inches from each other and his breath a wisp of vapour. <br />“Can I take a look?” <br />I nodded as he assisted me over to a bench near the store’s front door. The rain pelted off the tin roof above us making a musical hymn. I concentrated on the sound, trying to keep my mind off the pain. He knelt on the ground in front of me and held out his hand, palm up. Our eyes met and I hesitated. Was I doing something wrong? Could I screw up my assignment anymore? I’m pretty freaking sure falling for your Charge was a big no-no. What would the Senate think? What if they reassigned Nate’s file? What if…wow he smelled amazing. I filled my lungs with the earthy scent making me light headed. I lifted my leg and let his warm hands examine it. My stomach did a nosedive when he touched my skin. A jolt shot through my blood and tingled from the tip of my toes to the top of my ears.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Links to other Excerpt Monday writers<br />Note: I have not personally screened these excerpts. Please heed the ratings and be aware that the links may contain material that is not typical of my site.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1544888459884392720.post-4861085702126304522010-07-14T05:36:00.000-07:002010-07-14T05:49:40.267-07:00HIW - Finishing a story<a href="http://www.anshakotyk.com/blog/?page_id=224"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7BddvmA1WKT02sM-j6COlg6X3cLMRC87EGBN50HUukfw6ZbuB850_cvg0PiRiiUJXWTCoB3HrKDsNCecfQGuZsj8IXLfe5AIfIVSUmCw4IrTVqe5uNmClBNe7Cw4o3q35BnkCkqHNQOSu/s1600/How-I-Write2-banner.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 89px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7BddvmA1WKT02sM-j6COlg6X3cLMRC87EGBN50HUukfw6ZbuB850_cvg0PiRiiUJXWTCoB3HrKDsNCecfQGuZsj8IXLfe5AIfIVSUmCw4IrTVqe5uNmClBNe7Cw4o3q35BnkCkqHNQOSu/s320/How-I-Write2-banner.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485718712771076786" /></a></a><br />HOW I WRITE is a blog series where writers of different genres discuss how they go about the business of writing a book. Like snowflakes, writers are unique and we have unique ways to produce our creative product, our books. So walk with us, learn from us, and help us become better writers in the process. Click <a href="http://www.anshakotyk.com/blog/?page_id=224">HERE</a> to visit the other authors in this series!<br /><br />There is a quote I read last week that went something like this: True happiness in life is having my beginnings than ends. <br /><br />I really took that quote to heart for my personal life, but not so much for my writing career. This topic had me reviewing what I have on the go and I have at this moment (drum roll please) 5 wips - 2 of which are full novels. <br /><br />What is the negative to having all this on the go? <br />1) In theory I should never hit a wall. If I have more than one story to focus on, I can keep my plot bunnies working all the time. <br />2) When I decide to refocus on one story, I have to reread what I have written to get back into the voice and groove of the story. This will either excite me and prove that I am on the right track, or I will start edits to fix what wasn't working anyways. <br />3) If I hear of a submission call...hey, I might just have something tucked away. <br /><br />But what are the negatives?<br />1) Sometimes (mind you it is rare) I have the desire to work on two stories at the exact time.<br />2) It takes longer to finish a WIP if I am jumping too it. <br />3) I look at the amount of open stuff I have on my plate and want a nap. The pressure and self-induced stress can feel overwhelming not having enough time in the day to get to the deadlines I want too. <br />4) Heaven forbid I have a major writing sprint and finish everything - I'll have to edit everything at the same time and I hate to edit!<br /><br />Having more than one WIP on the go doesn't work for everyone and to be truthful I wish I didn't work that way myself. I rather focus and get one writing, edited and out first, but where the fun in that? And that's really what it comes down to for me - writing is a passion for me at this point before it is a money making career, so at this point in my career I am letting my imagination, heart and plot bunnies led the way. :)<br /><br />Has having more than one WIP on the go been a good or bad experience for you?<br /><br />Happy writing, <br />KendalUnknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1544888459884392720.post-63527442315450692942010-07-06T13:00:00.000-07:002010-07-06T13:27:06.976-07:00HIW - Starting a new WIP and tools to get the job done<a href="http://www.anshakotyk.com/blog/?page_id=224"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7BddvmA1WKT02sM-j6COlg6X3cLMRC87EGBN50HUukfw6ZbuB850_cvg0PiRiiUJXWTCoB3HrKDsNCecfQGuZsj8IXLfe5AIfIVSUmCw4IrTVqe5uNmClBNe7Cw4o3q35BnkCkqHNQOSu/s1600/How-I-Write2-banner.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 89px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7BddvmA1WKT02sM-j6COlg6X3cLMRC87EGBN50HUukfw6ZbuB850_cvg0PiRiiUJXWTCoB3HrKDsNCecfQGuZsj8IXLfe5AIfIVSUmCw4IrTVqe5uNmClBNe7Cw4o3q35BnkCkqHNQOSu/s320/How-I-Write2-banner.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485718712771076786" /></a></a><br />HOW I WRITE is a blog series where writers of different genres discuss how they go about the business of writing a book. Like snowflakes, writers are unique and we have unique ways to produce our creative product, our books. So walk with us, learn from us, and help us become better writers in the process. Click <a href="http://www.anshakotyk.com/blog/?page_id=224">HERE</a> to visit the other authors in this series!<br /><br /><strong>Starting a new story and tools I use</strong><br /><br />I was giddy to see this topic! Something I have knowledge on! Is it a problem that at any given time I have 6 WIPs? What can I say, I don't like writer's block. The more pans in the fire the more I can jump around. <br /><br />I just started a new WIP - a sweet, adult short aimmed for a submission call of 20-25K. Since the story has such defined word count guidelines, I wanted to do things a bit different with this story (isn't there wisdom in the old truth that when we stop learning we die?) So in the spirit of that, I wanted to try something new. For this story I used character graphs *gasp* and I plotted the story from start to end, chapter by chapter. I am very excited to sink my teeth into it because there is zero chance I will run into a wall - I seriously hope I am not going to have to eat these words. <br /><br />Here's the odd thing: The ending came to me before anything else. I had a vague idea of the story, but was unsure how to make it work. Then out of nowhere, boom, I actually visualized the ending. So I wrote that down in point form in a Word doc. Then I bugged my CPs, my husband, my dog - I'd say even my cats, but nothing bothers them - until the rest of the story fell into place. <br /><br />I am attaching a copy of a character chart below, but in summary, I think this is a new way for me. I can't foresee any roadblocks or reasons why I can't work through things. I feel I can easily wrap up the story within the 20-25K guidelines. And I think I have a pretty great little story here! <br /><br />Okay, off I go to write! Good luck everyone! If anyone would like a blank copy of the character chart (the pretty one in Word) send me an email at kendalashby@gmail.com or leave your email in a comment here and I will make sure I send it to you. <br /><br />Cheers!<br /><br /><strong>Kendal</strong><br /><br /><br /><br />Here is the chart I used for the heroine, Amber Sinclair. (it has pretty colours and is divided into boxes, but I am not techincal enough to get it to appear that way here)<br /> <br />Character: Amber Sinclair <br />Role: Heroine<br />Height: 5'5"<br />Hair: Blond<br />Eyes: Brown<br />Body Type: Slim<br />Age during Story: 32<br />Profession: Runs the animal shelter in small town.<br />Background/childhood: Normal family life. Parents still together and live in the same small town she grew up in. Her husband left her last year, cheated on her with more than one person from town. She threw herself into the animal shelter and the animals, giving up on love. <br />Archetype: The Nurturer<br /><br />Goal (physical need, what they THINK they need) To raise $8,000 to pay back taxes, insurance and repairs on the shelter – otherwise she will have to close it since government funding has dried up. <br /><br />Motive (emotional need, what they really need) Her entire life is the shelter and the animals. She will be heartbroken and lose the purpose of her life if she can’t raise the money. <br /><br />External Conflict (physical): The auction is a lot of work and she is determined to make it a success. When Em (bff) suggests they add a bachelor date-off part, she is hesitant but agrees. She is also worried about money, and with old Dr. Morgan retiring as the town vet, she is afraid the ‘new guy’ won’t give her a break on the outstanding vet bill or a discount on future services. <br /><br />Internal Conflict (emotional): Worried about the attraction she is feeling for the new vet, Dr. Rick Barron. But since he’s so secretive and hot, she is determined to get him in the auction. <br /><br />Positive Traits: Optimistic (not about love), Determination <br /><br />Negative Traits:Unrealistic, poor book management, self-sacrificing<br /><br />Fatal Flaw (Achilles heel, the one thing designed to bring them to a standstill in their present way of being): If she loses the shelter, her world, which has only been holding together since her ex husband left her, will fall apart. <br /><br />Secret (the lie they tell themselves to get by): Her animals are all that she needs to feel love.<br /><br />Epiphany: If she opens her heart to Rick, she might find love.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1544888459884392720.post-50398430002177848032010-06-27T19:13:00.000-07:002010-06-27T19:27:05.631-07:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIbX9usT5AFrkzq3zjQd8-C0Ds-DRuirLUGqZ31XR_v6FAC4MJT8XAdjHnUhKJKp5UhJeY4gV928vKYFCKNL_0juOhfhUipFNcYc5fq64ogsfvsP3Ws8c6aaxyzw02AZd2-LAJ1bR2tW5o/s1600/Wedding+Disaster+header.gif"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 1px; height: 1px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIbX9usT5AFrkzq3zjQd8-C0Ds-DRuirLUGqZ31XR_v6FAC4MJT8XAdjHnUhKJKp5UhJeY4gV928vKYFCKNL_0juOhfhUipFNcYc5fq64ogsfvsP3Ws8c6aaxyzw02AZd2-LAJ1bR2tW5o/s320/Wedding+Disaster+header.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487645216478270402" /></a><br /><a href="http://excerptmonday.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><img title="Excerpt Monday Home Page" src="http://excerptmonday.wordpress.com/files/2009/08/inverted-em-sig.jpg" alt="Excerpt Monday Logo" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Once a month, a bunch of authors get together and post excerpts from published books, contracted work or works in progress, and link to each other. Four times a year, some of us get write and offer a full free read (the next one will be Halloween themed in October!)For more info on how to participate, head over to the <a href="http://excerptmonday.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Excerpt Monday site!</a> or click on the banner above.<br /><br /><br />Please note that this is from my alter ego Kendal Corbitt so fair warning it is of the Erotica nature. I will leave it on the blog until August and then move to www.kendalcorbitt.com as a free read and focus more PG stuff on the blog. <br /><br /><em><strong>Wedding Disaster by Kendal Corbitt</strong></em><br /><br />My fingers brushed over April’s rigid nipple. It flushed deep pink, begging for attention. I lowered my head, my lips suckling the bumpy edges while my tongue flicked back and forth over the raised peek. April writhed underneath me, her long, warm fingers scratching down my bare back. That’d leave a mark, I mused, trying not to wince. <br /><br />My penis throbbed, on the edge of coming, but I held back. Taking April to bed had been a priority since the moment I met her, and I had zero interest in rushing through the motions. She was nothing like the quiet, shy woman Kate had introduced me to. I’d seen through her facade, sensing the feisty wildcat dormant within her.<br /><br />“Grant.” She half shouted, half hissed between clenched teeth. Her back arched off the mattress, pushing more of her breast into my eager mouth. I sucked harder, trying to fulfill her needs. <br /><br />“More,” she panted. <br /><br />“Soon,” I promised. Pleasure at watching her enjoy how I touched her body, sent a shiver down my spine. <br /><br />“Now.”<br /><br />A throaty chuckle rumbled from my chest. She wasn’t a one-night stand kind of girl, and I could respect that. We both had a big day tomorrow, important roles and obligations to fulfill, and I didn’t want to have any awkwardness between us. I might have the worse timing known to man, but I had something to say. <br /><br />“Tomorrow—”<br /><br />“No.” April stiffened under me, and a shiver ran through her body, leaving a wake of goose pimples. Her voice was sharp, and I pulled back to look down at her passion-flushed face. A mixture of emotions flashed across her face; anger, confusion, until finally hope settled into her deep blue eyes. “Let’s not talk about tomorrow, Grant. Let’s just enjoy tonight.”<br /><br />I wanted to argue with her and push the subject, but when she reached her hand between us and her fingers encircled my stiff penis, all thoughts melted. Her warm hand began to stroke up and down my shaft. I tried to focus, tried to remember what I’d wanted to say, but words failed me, and I couldn’t form a sentence -- couldn’t remember what had been so important to say just a minute ago. My lips crushed into hers, and our tongues danced while our bodies rubbed together. Friction sparked between us as we both panted with desire. <br />Tomorrow. We’d talk tomorrow. <br /><br />****<br /><br />I switched my weight uncomfortably from one foot to the other. Staring at the door, <br />I cleared my throat. “Katie, do you need help?”<br /><br />Silence came from the bathroom stall. <br /><br />“Katie?”<br /><br />“Grant, you’re my best friend, and I’m thrilled you are standing up for me today, but come on, helping me pee? Step to far, hon.” <br /><br />“But this is part of my Maid of Honor duties, right?” Okay, my main duty consisted of preventing Katie from crying on her wedding day. I thought assisting her to pee was part of the kit and caboodle. <br /><br />“Friend of Honor.”<br /><br /> I could hear the humor in her voice. I’d been insisting on the traditional title she kept correcting me since the moment she asked me to stand up for her when she married Jeff. <br /><br />Regardless of what I was called -- let’s just call me Katie’s best friend with a penis -- we still had a problem. In the bulky white dress, she couldn’t go to the bathroom without help. Jeff wasn’t allowed to see her. Her Moms where waiting outside the door, but they’d be no help. Jill had a video camera glued to her hand and she itched to capture the perfect video. My bet wagered that the woman hoped she’d capture the next grand prize video for America’s Funniest People. <br /><br />Jill’s relaxed attitude completely contrasted of her partner’s. Dot had wept non-stop since we arrived at the church, anxiously waiting to walk her daughter down the aisle. As a guy, I didn’t really get the crying at a wedding thing, but when Jill and Dot corned me at the engagement party last month, the message had been absolutely clear - don’t screw up. Neither woman was too thrilled that Katie had picked a guy to be her Friend of Honor, and Jeff had a girl as his Best Man. You’d think a married lesbian couple would have a bit more liberated view on the whole thing. I personally thought their priorities were a bit off. Their daughter was getting married to a guy she’d meet five weeks ago in a bar, and they weren’t happy with me being her Friend of Honor?<br /><br />“Grant. Let us in.” Speak of the devils. <br /><br />Katie hissed behind the closed door, “Don’t you dare let my Moms in here.”<br /><br />“Should I get April?”<br /><br />“Yes! Oh, Grant, please go get April.” <br /><br />“Sure babe, whatever you need. Be back in a minute.” I unlocked the bathroom door. Jill and Dot descended on me like vultures to a fresh road kill. I held up my hands, stopping them mid pounce. “Ladies. All is fine. Katie has asked that you check on the arriving guests.”<br /><br />Jill nodded an understanding while pulling a misty eye Dot out of the small dressing room at the front of the church. “Come on, Dot, I bet there’s something good out here to get on film.<br /><br />I followed, shaking my head. My mind geared for the new task at hand. I had to find April before Katie’s bladder exploded. Besides I’d been trying to find a reason to see her before the ceremony began. I felt bad about leaving her at my hotel room this morning. At least I’d left a note. She’d been sleeping so soundly, no doubt after I’d worn her out with my incredible love making skills. Three orgasms baby. I knew I was grinning like a fool, but we were good together, and my body reacted just thinking about it. Two bottles of wine between us, one not so innocent dance at the rehearsal dinner, and wham-bam -- we ended back at my hotel room.<br /><br />Okay, so I wasn’t all that proud that we were a bit drunk, but I couldn’t get straight-laced April to even glance in my direction without slipping a bit of liquid courage into the girl. When she put her inhabitations aside, the girl could party. It’d taken every ounce of charm I had to finally catch her eye, but it’d been worth it. Since I met her at Jeff and Katie’s engagement party, I hadn’t been able to get her off my mind, or out of my fantasies. She was simply gorgeous. Everything about her was adorable from her pixie shaped face to the whimsical dance in her walk and the way her voice sounded like a laughing melody. <br /><br />Glancing out the stain glass window, I caught a glimpse of Jeff pacing back and forth down the side of the Church. Wherever Jeff was, April had to be close by.<br /><br />“Yo, Jeff, where’s April?” I called from the side entrance. <br /><br />Jeff ignored me and continued to walk in a four-foot circle, around and round over the same stretch on the concrete sidewalk. April was nowhere to be seen. <br /><br />“Jeff.”<br /><br />No response. <br /><br />“Jeff Reynolds.” I raised my voice higher. Huffing out a frustrated breath, I took the steps two at a time and landed in Jeff’s path. <br /><br />He looked up at me, a blank expression in his dark eyes. “Grant?”<br /><br />“Yah, buddy. You ok?” <br /><br />“Sure. Sure. I’m great. Besides the fact that my estranged and utterly insane father is here. He’s claiming he’s married to Katie. He’s declared he will stand up in front of our friends and family and discredit our marriage when Pastor Daniel asks if anyone objects. Oh, yeah, I’m fine. Peachy.” Jeff’s eyes darted back and forth like a rabbit escaping a predator. “How’s Katie?”<br /><br />“She has to pee.” My mind worked a mile a minute. My goal to prevent Katie from crying was unravelling, and this new Mr. Reynolds glitch looked like a big issue. “We’ll take care of everything, man. I promise. Where’s April?”<br /><br />Jeff gestured to a side entrance of the church and then continued his pacing. I left him, trying to prioritize the growing number of disasters threatening to ruin the wedding. and a startled gasp passed her lips. Her cell phone tumbled from her hand, and she fell backward to the floor.<br /><br />I reached out and grabbed her around the waist, just inches from the ground. We locked eyes, her baby blues wide in surprise. Her breath came in short pants, and I could feel her breasts rising with each breath against my chest. A vivid memory from last night flashed in my mind. I could almost hear her throaty need beckoning me to take her tight nipples between my teeth. I shifted my weigh, trying to hide my body’s reaction to her closeness. I couldn’t wait to get this crazy ceremony over with and onto the reception. I needed time alone with her. “April, I—”<br /><br />“Hello?” A distant voice from April’s open cell phone called out. <br /><br />We stood up, and she grabbed her phone off the floor. April fixed a cold stare at me, her eyes void of emotion, unlike the feisty heat that poured from them mere hours ago. “I don’t have time for any of your games, Grant. Not now.”<br />Without a backward glance, she pulled the outside door open and disappeared.<br />Games? What freaking games? Confusion fogged my mind as I tried to connect the angry, frustrated woman I’d just collided with to the loving and passionate woman who’d shared my bed. What’d I do wrong? <br /><br />Crap! Katie. I grabbed the door before it latched shut. By the time I caught up with April, she was at Jeff’s side and snapping her phone shut. “Okay Jeff, Harmony is sending someone over to collect your dad. I put him in the back room until they arrive.”<br /><br />“Your father is from Harmony Institute?” I couldn’t help but blurt out the words, unable to mask the shock in my voice. Okay, so that wasn’t exactly one of my more tackful moments in recent days. Hey, my mom always said I was a work in progress. “Katie never said anything to me.” <br /><br />April shot me a dangerous look, kind of a mixture of “shut up” and “back off”. <br /><br />“She doesn’t know,” April said between clenched teeth. <br /><br />“Why the heck not?” I fired back. If Jeff’s father was a member of the town’s loony bin -- oops, Mental Health Facility, much more PC -- Katie had a right too know. Why would he keep his father a secret from his soon to be wife? <br /><br />April shook her head. Her blond ringlets swayed from side to side. Her sapphire eyes looked up at me, pleading through a curtain of thick lashes, tears threatened to over flow her eyelids and slip down her pink cheeks. I wrestled with the decision to argue on my best friend’s behalf or drop the issue to stop the woman I might love from crying. Whoa. Love? Hell, I hardly knew her. One night, no matter how good, had never thrown me through a loop like this. <br /><br />“Can I talk to you? Now.” April firmly grasped my elbow and turned me around. She half dragged me, half-lead me around the corner of the church out of ear shot of Jeff. I was mildly disappointed when she released her grip. <br /><br />“About last night—”<br /><br />“Last night was fun. One night, yup I get it. It was nothing. I was warned you aren’t a commitment kind of guy, so no biggie, okay? Drop it, and let’s focus on what’s really important.”<br /><br />Shards of ice jabbed at me with each word. It was nothing? Drop it? Okay, so I’m the first to admit that a one-night stand was how I usually preferred my dates to end, but I really thought April and I had something special going on. I studied her. She worked her bottom lip between her teeth, pushing and pulling the tender flesh back and forth. It was an erotica gesture, and my body jumped to attention. <br /><br />“It was something to me.” Even I couldn’t believe the words that just came out of my mouth.<br /><br />She stared straight at me, her eyes wide and unblinking for a full minute. I could practically see the ticking of her brain analysing my words, weighing them against that internal lie detector most woman seemed to have. Did she believe me? How could I convince her?<br /><br />“April, I enjoyed--” I sounded lame. How the heck do I say that I wanted more? Maybe I didn’t need a line or some corny cliché. “Hell, I want more than just last night.”<br />I waited for a reaction from her, hoping she’d take my words at face value and believe me. There was a minuscule twitch at the corner of her mouth. It was so quick I might have missed it if I wasn’t so obsessed with staring at her kissable lips. There it was again; a tiny smile. <br /><br />“Grant, we do not have time to go into this. Later. I promise. Right now I need to calm Jeff down, get his dad out of here, and make sure things go smoothly. Understood?”<br /><br />I grinned like a kid with a new toy. She’d smiled. That had to be good, right? “Katie needs to pee.” <br /><br />Seriously, where the heck did my filter between my brain and mouth go when I was near April? I tried to explain. “It’s a dress issue. She needs a woman’s help.”<br /><br />Thank God, at this revelation she seemed to understand without me having to go into detail. <br /><br />“Okay, lead the way. But first I want to check that Mr. Reynolds is staying put in the back room.” <br /><br />We pushed are way through the side entrance, and the first person we ran into was the pastor performing the ceremony. “Hello, Pastor Daniel.” <br /><br />The Pastor looked up, taking a stumble towards me. His reaction was more than a fraction too slow, and I reached out to prevent him from falling to the floor. A strong whiff of whiskey burned my nostrils.<br /><br />“Call me Pastor Dan. No, I like Danny Boy better. Oh, how about Master P Danny Boy? I’d like to be introduced like that.” The husky man rumbled with laughter. April rolled her eyes as I wrestled with the desire to slug the holy man. <br /><br />“Go,” I said to April. She gave one curt nod and disappeared down the hall, leaving me to deal with Master P.<br /><br />I dragged the portly man behind me toward the church basement steps and the glorious coffee I smelled brewing. At the bottom of the steps, I saw a small group of the ladies from the choir, and a flood of relief swam through me. “Ladies, can I get a little help here?” <br /><br />“Oh, my honeys! Master P is in da’house. Can I get a woot-woot?” <br /><br />An elderly lady pushing at least eighty gave me a kind, understanding nod. “I’ll pour the coffee, dear. He’ll be right as rain in twenty minutes. You go on. We know how to deal with him.”<br /><br />I didn’t have time to consider how weird things were. I needed to get April to Katie. Jogging up the basement steps, I was starting to get winded. Who knew that getting married was so strenuous? <br /><br />Rounding a corner and down the hall to me, bumping into my chest. She clung to my tux jacket, steadying herself. My arms circled around her and instinctively pulled her close. “We have to stop meeting this way.”<br /><br />“Grant! He’s gone.” Panic seeped into her voice. Her eyes were wide, and her skin clammy where my hands touched her. <br /><br />She didn’t need to say anymore. We had to find Mr. Reynolds -- now. I smoothed a strand of hair that’d fallen from her fancy hairstyle and tucked it behind her ear. “We’ll find him, April. You take the left, and I’ll take the right. Meet at the front doors.”<br /><br />One curt nod of understanding, and she dashed from my embrace down the hall. I entered the main area of the church. A hundred or so guests where already starting to fill the white wooden pews. Darting down the right aisle, I kept my attention peeled for a man who didn’t look like he fit in. <br /><br />I found April waiting for me when I reached the front doors. She practically vibrated with nerves like a wobbling plate of jelly. “Grant--”<br /><br />“I know. I didn’t find him either.” My brain snapped into gear, suddenly remembering Katie. “We have to get you to Katie.” <br /><br />My fingers linked with April’s. Warmth seeped from her slender fingers to mine. Opening the door to the bridal room, I stopped short. April bumped into my back, and I tried to make sense of the scene. <br /><br />“Mr. Reynolds!” April voice seemed three octaves too high, bordering on something only dogs in the neighboring town could hear. <br /><br />Katie’s eyes shot up to mine. Fat tears brimmed over the edge of her smokey eyes, cutting a damp trail through her makeup. Anger boiled in the pity of my stomach. “Get away from her.”<br /><br />April pushed forward and came between me, Katie and Mr. Reynolds. “Stop. Stay back.”<br /><br />It took me a second to realize she was talking to me. I clenched and unclenched my fists, trying to figure out why I shouldn’t clobber the man that was ruining Katie’s wedding day. <br /><br />April put one hand on my chest, pulling my attention to her. Two warm eyes glowed up at me. Concern and understanding etched on her face. “Grant, can you go get Jeff?” <br /><br />I looked over at Katie, another tear slipped down her cheek. Mr. Reynolds stood tightly pressed against the corner wall. He resembled a petrified mouse trapped by a cat. I didn’t understand the situation or the vibes in the room. My head tried to make sense of April’s protective posture, Mr Reynolds’ scared cower, and Katie’s tortured face. <br /><br />“Please, Grant, trust me.” April’s voice poured over me like a sip from an expensive twenty year old scotch. She leaned in close, pressing herself against my chest; a look of pleading crested her cute face, her mouth pinched. <br /><br />I lowered my head and captured her lips. In that second, this crazy day melted away and only April and I existed. Without hesitation, she kissed me back. Her lips welcomed mine, and encouraged me to deepen our embrace. Electricity melted us together, and I mustered all my self-control to finally pull away. Her chest raised and fell like my own, trying to catch our breath. I couldn’t think of anything to say, so I gave her a wink-- a promise to continue later-- and rushed from the room. <br /><br />I returned with Jeff on my heels, and Katie ran into Jeff’s arms immediately. She moved with the speed of an Olympic racer, nothing but a ball of white lace sprinting across the room. <br /><br />“Why didn’t you tell me about your father?” She asked.<br /><br />He hugged his beautiful bride to be, tears threatening in his own eyes. Jeff’s attention focused on the man, still pressed against the wall. <br />His voice was low and strained. “I didn’t know how to tell you.”<br /><br />April came to stand beside me, and I sensed she felt as awkward as I did. I was unsure how to help the situation, but didn’t dare to leave. <br /><br />“Your dad would like to stay and attend the ceremony. I’d like that too.” Katie grasped Jeff’s hands. <br /><br />“You would? Be he’s…sensitive. He thinks he’s married to you.” <br /><br />Katie nodded, her pretty face shining up at her groom. “It was a misunderstanding. Isn’t that right, Douglas?”<br /><br />For the first time, the man in the corner spoke; his aged voice had a childish pitch to it. “She looks so much like your mother.”<br /><br />“Yes, Douglas. I look like your late-wife, but I’m not, right? I’m your soon to be daughter-in-law.”<br /><br />Douglas nodded eagerly at Jeff. His entire face lit up with excitement. “Yes. There’s a wedding today. Yes. Yes.”<br /><br />Katie turned her attention back to Jeff. “I think today would be even better if our parents, all of our parents, were here to celebrate with us.”<br /><br />Jeff’s eyes misted over a little, not that I could blame him; I was fighting to swallow the lump in my own throat. Talk about Soap Opera family reunions. I stood back, my arms wrapped around April. She leaned into my chest and sniffled. The magic of this special day filled the room. <br /><br />I’d failed at not letting Katie cry, but what wedding didn’t come with a few hiccups? In the end it was a stellar success. Jeff and Katie would have a beautiful wedding. Douglas Reynolds had a new daughter-in-law, and I had April. Yes, destiny promised a great day.<br /> <br /> <br /><em><strong>The End</strong></em>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1544888459884392720.post-343378323476557062010-06-22T14:45:00.000-07:002010-06-30T05:14:43.308-07:00HIW - Research<a href="http://www.anshakotyk.com/blog/?page_id=224"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7BddvmA1WKT02sM-j6COlg6X3cLMRC87EGBN50HUukfw6ZbuB850_cvg0PiRiiUJXWTCoB3HrKDsNCecfQGuZsj8IXLfe5AIfIVSUmCw4IrTVqe5uNmClBNe7Cw4o3q35BnkCkqHNQOSu/s1600/How-I-Write2-banner.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 89px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7BddvmA1WKT02sM-j6COlg6X3cLMRC87EGBN50HUukfw6ZbuB850_cvg0PiRiiUJXWTCoB3HrKDsNCecfQGuZsj8IXLfe5AIfIVSUmCw4IrTVqe5uNmClBNe7Cw4o3q35BnkCkqHNQOSu/s320/How-I-Write2-banner.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485718712771076786" /></a></a><br />HOW I WRITE is a blog series where writers of different genres discuss how they go about the business of writing a book. Like snowflakes, writers are unique and we have unique ways to produce our creative product, our books. So walk with us, learn from us, and help us become better writers in the process. Click <a href="http://www.anshakotyk.com/blog/?page_id=224">HERE</a> to visit the other authors in this series!<br /><br /><strong>Research</strong><br /><br />I'm a big believer in writing what you know. However, you can't always do that. Not when the plot bunnied grab hold demand you explore new direction. I'm not big on research. There I said it. I look up whatever details I need, but that's about it. For example I wrote a short involving a cruise ship so I went and got some of those glossy booklets (day dreamed about going myself for 'research' purposes) and used them to help with description etc. <br /><br />I recently picked up a great book to help me get to know different citys and towns. Since I am Canadian and most of my stories are based somewhere in the States, I find this book very handy. Writer's Guide to Places by Don Prues and Jack Heffron may be worth checking out. Some of the things it anwsers are: In what New Orleans neighborhood would your villian commit a crime? What kind of food is your Vancouver native most fond of? What slang does your Ohio character use? <br /><br />Happy writing!<br /><br /><em><strong>Cheers!<br />Kendal </strong></em>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1544888459884392720.post-81505350411862819612010-06-20T18:14:00.000-07:002010-07-18T15:03:09.323-07:00Excerpt Monday<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixPIQ9IsR2pI51NIZvmRGBJht-8ZQyPs7M2QL67Jmjd9sb0i5j0DvlXSQOIqwLrNUvpOu4UGl2t5Ll_bceNm8b3j-y0_qdutCgdukFiuUTlSVoVs37vljB78BzsOUZeg6AZRueap2d2rKv/s1600/EM+logo.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485031647029830706" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 208px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 82px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixPIQ9IsR2pI51NIZvmRGBJht-8ZQyPs7M2QL67Jmjd9sb0i5j0DvlXSQOIqwLrNUvpOu4UGl2t5Ll_bceNm8b3j-y0_qdutCgdukFiuUTlSVoVs37vljB78BzsOUZeg6AZRueap2d2rKv/s200/EM+logo.bmp" border="0" /></a> Once a month, a bunch of authors get together and post excerpts from published books, contracted work or works in progress, and link to each other. <br /><br />SETUP: This is a scene from my Young Adult novel, Melody's Song. Melody has a run in with Nate - literally. <br /><br /><br />The cool night air slapped me in the face when I opened the side door to escape and it took me a second to realize it was drizzling. The misty rain pattered down against my hot skin. The chill felt good. It might not be that long before we got snow. It snowed in Ohio, right? A tinge of excitement coursed though me. My first snowfall! My eyes widened as I strained to look at the misty rain, searching for that alluring first white flake. <br />A low chuckle came from the semi-darkness behind me. I pivoted to search for the source, my balance tittering on an unsupported ankle and I crashed to the ground. <br />Two hands reached out to grab my arm, but my rear hit the cold pavement before they could get to me. Nate knelt down, concern etched on his handsome face. Well, concern and amusement. My heart skipped three beats, forgetting for a moment how to work.<br />“Are you okay?” I could hear him straining to keep from laughing. Smart guy. <br />“Yeah, I’m fine.” I tried to brush off splatters of mud clinging to my jeans, but like day old grease in a grease trap, it fused to my pants.<br />“Let me help you up.”<br />“No thanks, I got it.” An edge of annoyance crept into my voice. Did he purposely wait in the dark to scare me? The rain started to pick up, fat droplets plunging to the ground around us, sounding like fingers tapping on a desk. I ignored his outstretched hand and struggled to my feet. <br />Pain shot through my ankle and rippled up my leg. Hot tears prickled at the edges of my eyes, but I swiped them away. Nate’s arm encircled me before I tumbled back to the wet pavement. <br />“Whoa. Steady. Your ankle?”<br />“No my ear. Idiot,” I snapped. It felt like a smoking red hot poker straight from a blacksmith's forge was searing straight through the skin and skewering the bone. I desperately wanted to stop the tears threatening to overflow. But it hurt. I mean it really hurt. Like the kind of pain I imagine a guy would feel if his dick got caught in a zipper. A zipper with razor sharp teeth. <br />“Can you walk on it?” <br />I clung to Nate’s strength, his warmth seeping through my shirt and into my chilled skin. Our eyes locked and for one blissful second I forgot about my ankle. His chest rubbed against my side, my hands gripping his taunt biceps. Our faces were only inches from each other and his breath a wisp of vapour. <br />“Can I take a look?” <br />I nodded as he assisted me over to a bench near the store’s front door. The rain pelted off the tin roof above us making a musical hymn. I concentrated on the sound, trying to keep my mind off the pain. He knelt on the ground in front of me and held out his hand, palm up. Our eyes met and I hesitated. Was I doing something wrong? Could I screw up my assignment anymore? I’m pretty freaking sure falling for your Charge was a big no-no. What would the Senate think? What if they reassigned Nate’s file? What if…wow he smelled amazing. I filled my lungs with the earthy scent making me light headed. I lifted my leg and let his warm hands examine it. My stomach did a nosedive when he touched my skin. A jolt shot through my blood and tingled from the tip of my toes to the top of my ears.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Links to other Excerpt Monday writers<br />Note: I have not personally screened these excerpts. Please heed the ratings and be aware that the links may contain material that is not typical of my site.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1544888459884392720.post-78429667814321449372010-06-14T18:38:00.000-07:002010-06-15T16:04:54.504-07:00How I Write - Ideas<a href="http://www.anshakotyk.com/blog/?page_id=224"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483139196419034850" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 89px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGowFMX2EMuXbpFnMBiY4wa-usjq3ulYe9S2iIXFDw6ulqh4alyHolINF0SXY06yn4o60kULZltoa60qlQ1US6tmDwAoOXe7cwMRKI9AHxcAs0Hzs1lqqSFiXjzudgseL-i99pASnzzB73/s320/How-I-Write2-banner.gif" border="0" /></a> <div></div><div></div><div>Welcome! Click a picture above and link to the HOW I WRITE! home page so you can visit all of the writers involved in this week's blog series! I big thank you to Ansha Kotyk for being the organizer of this blog series!</div><div> </div><div>I am very excited to get out and read how other writers come up with their story ideas because I really struggled with this topic. </div><div></div><br /><div>I'm not really sure how I come up with my ideas - but interestingly enough, earlier today I did plot out a new short! I got my newest idea from watching tv and seeing a character trait I wanted to write. So I got out my pen and paper, put a gender twist on a classic idea and wrote out a few things things that could happen. At this point in my "Idea" stage, I don't have names (these come much later and after much time wasted on <a href="http://www.babynames.com/">http://www.babynames.com/</a>). </div><br /><div></div><div>Truth be told, the notes I wrote today most likely won't get another look or thought on for about 6 months. Later tonight, I will add it to my word doc called "Plot bunnies" with point form bullets. Once I am looking for something fresh to write, I will consult that file, see what outline grabs my attention, and start working on it. </div><br /><div></div><div>So, back to the key question, where do I get my ideas from? Mainly they just hit me over the head like little pebbles pinging off a second floor bedroom window of a teenager. The stories come in pieces - usually the key conflict first, the scene/plot next and lastly the characters. </div><br /><div></div><div>It is worth noting that for the passed 3 years...the same amount of time I have been writing...I had a long commute to work (1 1/2 hour drive each way) and my plotting, story creation and ideas came to me while driving and listening to the radio. Now that I am working from home, I have been tempted to just get in my car and drive when I am blocked, but I can be a bit scattered brain and am worried I'll end up a day's drive away from home before I realize I should turn around. </div><br /><div></div><div>I am thrilled to be part of the HIW (How I Write) blog series and look forward to next week's topic : Character/World Building.</div><br /><div></div><div>Thank you for reading! </div><br /><div><span style="color:#cc33cc;"><strong><em>Cheers,</em></strong></span></div><div><span style="color:#cc33cc;"><strong><em>Kendal</em></strong></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1544888459884392720.post-32372285711299532562010-06-14T18:28:00.000-07:002010-06-14T18:37:56.685-07:00Lost count of days - Writing Goals<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_aZk-3tzi3OodF51hs2qqLkQGB8R-CjUO4MSWR9u3lEwJeS3DHhtukFecNsGpXyLzS9WdIUeLSvNHAQWv3s7qsZrTnQrxC0FIutgY0kCe263M4Lv9O8redph5689vwLid7LF0NW171YS7/s1600/4+Weeks+of+Accountability+header.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482806562728514210" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 116px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_aZk-3tzi3OodF51hs2qqLkQGB8R-CjUO4MSWR9u3lEwJeS3DHhtukFecNsGpXyLzS9WdIUeLSvNHAQWv3s7qsZrTnQrxC0FIutgY0kCe263M4Lv9O8redph5689vwLid7LF0NW171YS7/s200/4+Weeks+of+Accountability+header.bmp" border="0" /></a><br /><div>I had a great weekend! The wedding we went to was beautiful. Now I am back and ready to get back on the ball. Today I've had my wip open most of the day but haven't gotten a lot done. In total I have 300 words in a scene I was dreading writing so that is exciting.</div><div></div><div>Tomorrow I plan to pre-write a special post for Wednesday (so come back on Wednesday!) and get 1,000 words in. </div><div></div><div>I had a lot of time today to think about time management. I use to be so good with my time but these days it seems to slip away from me too quickly. My goal for this month is to get a better handle on my time and how I spend it. </div><div></div><div>I hope to break 500 words tonight! Back to writing. </div><div></div><div><span style="color:#cc33cc;"><strong>Cheers,</strong></span></div><div><span style="color:#cc33cc;"><strong>Kendal</strong></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1544888459884392720.post-44597769332694098212010-06-10T19:15:00.000-07:002010-06-10T19:29:23.481-07:00Day 4 of 29<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCEbjO4DsM1a9rfIdzJEiUK2LlSCy3V5q_WxP5O1aGgF-WQH9xS6yjBlz7eyW2nPCRcbxQXSydqWkpEA_oBfNxpAA0ITudmczrf1HByil7Dt6OTyFRPNbxeL7ACO1WGQ-AxI4pexVMy8ZA/s1600/4+Weeks+of+Accountability+header.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481337378232081906" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 116px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCEbjO4DsM1a9rfIdzJEiUK2LlSCy3V5q_WxP5O1aGgF-WQH9xS6yjBlz7eyW2nPCRcbxQXSydqWkpEA_oBfNxpAA0ITudmczrf1HByil7Dt6OTyFRPNbxeL7ACO1WGQ-AxI4pexVMy8ZA/s200/4+Weeks+of+Accountability+header.bmp" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Ugh. Another zero word count day. But surprisingly I am okay with it. Here is why: I did a lot of research on a contest/conference I want to attend (New Jersey's Put Your Heart Into a Book - late October) and committed to entering the contest! As a result I polished my first chapter, inserted two crit changes I had on it and sent it to a friend to get her feelings for it. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>The contest also calls for a dreaded synopsis so I started one for the book. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>So even though the word count actually dropped 50 words with the edits, I still feel like I had a productive day. It just goes to show that it is not only about writing, there are a variety of other important parts to being a writer. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Friday to Sunday I am away at a wedding. At this moment I am hoping to get up in the morning and work on the synopsis I have to have first draft done by Sunday night (that is my goal) but the truth is we already have to be on the road at 7:30 a.m. so the chances of actually writing are slim lol. At least I am being honest with myself and my goals. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Have a great weekend! I'll be posting against starting Monday. Also starting Monday is the first day of my goal to July 26th to get Scavenger Hunt completed (1st draft done). </div><br /><div></div><br /><div><span style="color:#993399;"><strong><em>Cheers,</em></strong></span></div><br /><div><span style="color:#993399;"><strong><em>Kendal</em></strong></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1544888459884392720.post-42696302396221834642010-06-09T18:32:00.000-07:002010-06-09T18:58:42.882-07:00Day 3 of 29 Writing Journal<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyG8M4zNODj-QwS9L2fx7dwUhVak4NDDR6iP9841iJCMQ9HLbVJTQdsM3nMYvOKdoiklb0XwEtLa-tSleqRCss81gEUbbDDhWRn0NzRx6CaUvoA2Muvk67-Sh0Vw6aCKv7PJg0s-ecAr3e/s1600/4+Weeks+of+Accountability+header.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480958452556861698" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 116px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyG8M4zNODj-QwS9L2fx7dwUhVak4NDDR6iP9841iJCMQ9HLbVJTQdsM3nMYvOKdoiklb0XwEtLa-tSleqRCss81gEUbbDDhWRn0NzRx6CaUvoA2Muvk67-Sh0Vw6aCKv7PJg0s-ecAr3e/s200/4+Weeks+of+Accountability+header.bmp" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div>Today was almost a complete bust and for no reason! I had the day planned to just write. As always, other things cropped up. I did manage to crit 11 pages for a CP and we are meeting tonight to discuss the pages we have exchanged. </div><br /><br /><div></div><div>But seriously, where did the time go? I didn't surf as my internet was acting up, and yes I did work for my 'other' job...but 7 hours worth? </div><br /><div><br />Finding a balance is going to be a challenge for me. Now that I am home full time with two careers on the go, I need to dedicate time for each. By the end of these 29 days I was hoping to have a near complete MS, but maybe I will have something of equal importance - an understanding on how I best work and how to time manage two at home careers. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>I just looked at my break down of when I want things do be done. On July 26th I am going on a family vacation. So my goal is to take Scavenger Hunt and have first draft (35,000 K away) done by that day. That gives me 43 writing days to write 35,000 - given a buffer of 7 days for non-writing in those 43 days, that means I have to write 1,000 words a day starting this Monday (June 14th) to Sunday, July 25th. I always find breaking things down makes it seem more achievable!</div><br /><div></div><div>Off I go to plot out the scene for tomorrow. </div><br /><div><span style="color:#993399;"><em><strong>Cheers!</strong></em></span></div><br /><div><span style="color:#993399;"><em><strong>Kendal</strong></em></span></div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1544888459884392720.post-70245673896838255182010-06-08T19:20:00.000-07:002010-06-08T19:31:31.997-07:00Day 2 of 29<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVjgDvlwvplrci3umsjR9iPunNsqxtVJgQRZRvY8SJLsmbAGiqW_LlQGcvDt4F4u-_TpVEZqmxBc7qOimzJ_el_SdF3WGauaBG4VTvOOY05yO6tTz5civK1KtpfPXUBbJZs3fAE3uUwhev/s1600/4+Weeks+of+Accountability+header.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480595680261533090" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 116px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVjgDvlwvplrci3umsjR9iPunNsqxtVJgQRZRvY8SJLsmbAGiqW_LlQGcvDt4F4u-_TpVEZqmxBc7qOimzJ_el_SdF3WGauaBG4VTvOOY05yO6tTz5civK1KtpfPXUBbJZs3fAE3uUwhev/s200/4+Weeks+of+Accountability+header.bmp" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Day 2 and I am disappointed to say I didn't get any writing in yet. Due to personal family stuff, I spent the day with my family out of town. I am looking forward to tomorrow when I have almost all day to write. My goal is 1,000 words or more. Maybe I'll really push and aim for 2,000! I'll post an update at the end of the day. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Tomorrow is Wednesday and I am meeting with my CP in the evening to go over the pages we exchanged. I love this online meeting time to talk about our wips and bounce new ideas off each other. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Tomorrow my many focus is finally to write a major scene I skipped before because I am worried about doing it justice. But enough time has passed and I have to bite the bullet and just do it. As a writer, I find it easy to move forward but more challenging to go back and actually fill in what is missing, but if I don't go back, I'll never reach the true end. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div><em><span style="color:#993399;">Happy Writing!</span></em></div><br /><div><em><span style="color:#993399;">Kendal</span></em></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1544888459884392720.post-22505955230320567922010-06-07T15:43:00.000-07:002010-06-08T19:20:17.324-07:00Day 1 of 29 Writing Journal<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYquxvyGiKP1btjcYZspni-Y_O2OAUF7N0KI4owfhh4yJ2ZgaDhEN-BfzSomU6ZWvH53dWvAxOqkIyqMapvkjwa091zDr-K5GBA500gcvz4mZ4EjEzbMv9ZzPJknWAMx7JKgiIRuRGb_3i/s1600/4+Weeks+of+Accountability+header.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480592928401274578" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 116px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYquxvyGiKP1btjcYZspni-Y_O2OAUF7N0KI4owfhh4yJ2ZgaDhEN-BfzSomU6ZWvH53dWvAxOqkIyqMapvkjwa091zDr-K5GBA500gcvz4mZ4EjEzbMv9ZzPJknWAMx7JKgiIRuRGb_3i/s200/4+Weeks+of+Accountability+header.bmp" border="0" /></a><br /><div>First day of my 4 week writing journal goal has gotten off to a bit of a rockie start. I left early this morning and traveled to my family's home for a visit. I love the long drive as I find I plot the best in that time. I set the cruise control, turn up the radio and let the wheels turn in my head while I plot.<br /><br />The story I am working of for the month of June is called Scavenger Hunt. It is my contemporary YA and even though I am only at 16,000 so far with a goal of 50,000, I'm loving it! I hope to post excerpts throughout the month and if my plan stays solid, I might even get a synopsis put together. At the very least I'd like to have my tag line for the book ready :)<br /><br />Tonight I had an assignment for my personal life. I am in a wedding party this weekend (hense why out of my 29 writing days I will be away for 3 of them and not able to write) and have been asked to write the centre piece giveaway game using the words LEFT, RIGHT and ACROSS. Everytime I say one of those words the prize is passed to the next person until the story is done and the last person holding the prize wins it!<br /><br />This was a great way to get the juices flowing! I thought I'd post the story here for kicks. Now that my duties as a bridesmaid have been completed, I'm off to do some writing on Scavenger Hunt.<br /><span style="color:#993399;"><strong><em>Cheers!</em></strong></span><br /><span style="color:#993399;"><strong><em>Kendal<br /></em></strong></span><br />Everyone understands the rules, RIGHT? I said, everyone understands the rules, RIGHT?<br />Kelly and John meet at Camp Khalanie RIGHT before Labour Day in 2005. RIGHT from the start they had a chemistry no one could deny. From that weekend on, wherever Kelly was, John was RIGHT beside her.<br />Their relationship and passion grew quickly, and if LEFT no doubt to anyone that they were meant for each other. Within the first year, Kelly and John went ACROSS the ocean for a wedding and to spend a romantic week in Paris.<br />Something must have gone very RIGHT well halfway ACROSS the world because shortly after they returned they decided to move in together. Kelly LEFT Tottenham and John LEFT Pickering for their new home in Burlington.<br />Even though they were moving halfway ACROSS Ontario, it LEFT all of us wondering what would happen next.<br />The following year LEFT them with lots of happy memories and before we knew it, it was time for our annual camping trip back to Camp Khalanie. John had a huge surprise planned. John made the RIGHT decision and got down on his RIGHT knee and asked Kelly to marry him RIGHT where it all started.<br />Kelly jumping on the bridal train and started her search for the RIGHT dress, she LEFT no store unsearched and travelled ACROSS Toronto until she found the perfect one. Next they confirmed the RIGHT location and the RIGHT date.<br />All their hard work has paid off with this beautiful wedding we are so fortunate to be part of.<br />Just for fun though, pass once more to the LEFT. Now see, that was fun! RIGHT?<br />There really isn’t anything LEFT to say, so let’s enjoy the evening and celebrate the love between two people who are so RIGHT for each other. To Kelly and John (ring bell).</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0