New Blog for Teens and Tweens

I have started a new blog for the younger generation.  It's called Twilight Teen List Reviews and will be featuring reviews of books, music, television, movies aimed at teens and tweens.  The first post is all about Taylor Swift.  You can find it here:  http://twilightteenlistreviews.blogspot.com/2012/12/taylor-swift.html

What gave me the idea was an interview with Ms. Swift a few nights ago.  She's an interesting girl and an awesome singer.  So if you're interested in her, check the article out.  I put a lot of research into it.  My next target will be Justin.

UPDATE

Thought I'd put an update on some stuff concerning the blog, my writing, etc. on here.  First of all, I am going to add more book reviews.  I know it seems like I got started and then stopped doing it.  It's just been very busy lately.  I'm sure you know what I mean.  I love to read, but I have a hard time doing it.  Where do the days go?  Anyway, I am at the end of City of Bones for the second time.  Then I'll be moving on to the next in the series.  I also have a few already read I would like to add to the Reviews page.

Secondly, I would like to put up some links for anyone wanting to Like, Follow, or Friend me.

Here is my Goodreads Author Page

Vampires Rule Fan Page

K.C. Blake Author Page

On Twitter I am KasiBlake (no spaces)

And as always you can find links to the books on the Buy Page.

Thank you and MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

James Patterson's Interview

Did anyone else see the interview with James Patterson last night?  I can't even remember what show it was on because I was flipping channels at the time.  He is the highest paid writer and made 94 million last year.  They showed his office and the tons of projects he is simultaneously working on.  Apparently he has co-authors on his books.  Hmm.  I missed part of the interview, but I think he puts together the outline (or whatever) and then farms at least some of the actual writing out to other authors.  The interviewer said something about it being like an assembly line for books.  What do you think about this?

The guy makes tons of money, is famous, and has a huge mansion in Florida.  On the other hand, can these books really be considered his if someone else is writing them?

Have you read any of his books?  If so, what did you think?

Writer's Block

Why do they call it writer's block?  It feels more like my brain fell out of my head and I can't put together a decent paragraph to save my life.  In case you don't know, I am in the middle of writing my NaNo novel.  It's up to 77,000 words now without an end in site.  I go through the love it/hate it stage every time I write a book, and write now I am thoroughly hating it.  Don't know why.  Guess I'm just sick of working on it. 

Even though I have an extensive outline (thirteen pages) the plot isn't going where I wanted it to go.  If an outline is supposed to be like a map, I am lost.  During this phase I usually set the book aside and work on something else for a while, but I can't do that here.  People are actually waiting for this book.  A lot of people have downloaded the first six chapters from Smashwords.  As it is it is going to take me months to write, rewrite, get Beta Reader feedback, and edit it.  My goal is to have it finished by the end of this month.

I've tried taking long walks, talking it out, re-reading it from chapter one, and daydreaming about it.  I've tried watching movies and shows in the same genre.  What now?  How I can find the missing pieces?  I know they're out there.  Any ideas?

YA Indie Carnival: Build a Following Giveaway

This Friday - Building a Following

It's that time of year again, when the YA Author Sponsors host a giveaway meant to build a following. Anyone interested in participating will have from 12/14 to 12/21 to visit our blogs, read/respond to our questions, AND join any or all of our sites in order to be entered for the giveaway.  The winner will receive seventeen wonderfully, exciting books (plus a few other prizes) by some amazing authors. The grand prize winner will be announced on December 24th right here on this blog.   You must be a follower of this blog and also follow the YA Author Club.  Also, visit the other Carnie's websites for extra chances to win.  Don't delay.  Visit and join the YA Author Club website here:  http://yaauthorclub.blogspot.com

Then enter through the rafflecopter posted on the above site.

Here is what you could win...

 

Giveaway Package Includes: 
Transfer Student by Laura A.H. Elliott 

Shadow Slayer (Shadow Series, #2) by Laura A.H. Elliott

Vampires Rule (The Rule #1) by K.C. Blake

Werewolves Rule by K.C. Blake

Raven (The Raven Saga, #1) by Suzy Turner

December Moon (The Raven Saga, #2) by Suzy Turner

The Lost Soul (The Raven Saga, #3) by Suzy Turner

The Ghost of Josiah Grimshaw by Suzy Turner

Golden Blood (Time Spirit Trilogy, #1) by Melissa Pearl

Black Blood (Time Spirit Trilogy, #2) by Melissa Pearl

Pure Blood (Time Spirit Trilogy, #3) by Melissa Pearl

Of Sun & Moon (Midnight Guardian, #1) by Bryna Butler

Warriors of the Cross (Warrior, #1) by T.R. Graves 
Guardians of the Cross (Warrior #2) by T.R. Graves 

Enemies of the Cross (Warrior, #3) by T.R. Graves
Red Madrassa (Algardis #1) by Terah Edun 
Pazuzu's Girl by Rachel Cole

Cover Reveal: TEMPTING FATE

When I started writing the Witch-Game Series, I wanted the covers to all have girls with fingers to their lips as if saying, "I have a secret."  But I haven't been able to find any more good pictures of girls doing this, so I've decided to change my covers.  I want to use pictures of the games they're playing.  My next Witch-Game novel is going to be TEMPTING FATE.  Here is the cover I think I will go with:

What do you think?

My NaNo Experience

Since I told everyone I was going to participate in NaNoWriMo this year, I decided to talk about the experience.  This was my first time.  Am I glad I did it?  Yes.  Was it what I expected it to be?  No.

I was super excited about joining NaNo because writing is a lonely job.  To me it sounded awesome that I would be writing at the same time as thousands of other writers, all working towards the same goal: 50,000 words in a month.  I met some new people, added some writing buddies, and used the forums.  But when it came down to the actual writing, things got quiet.  I didn't have time for forums or communicating with my writing buddies.  It was time to dig in and write.  So not much changed for me. 

I did, however, discover that having an extensive outline, bios, etc. helps.  I'm going to try to be just as organized in the future for other books.  BAIT is not finished yet.  I have about 65,000 words now, but it is just a little over halfway done.  Still a lot of writing to do.  Then comes revising, editing, and so on.  This book won't be available at least until March, probably not till April or May. 

Will I do this again next November?  I think so.  It was a positive experience for the most part, and I do have a halfway finished book now. 

Happy writing.

YA Indie Carnival: Personal Ads of Characters

This week at the Carnival we are going to write personal ads for famous characters from books.  What would their personal ads say if they were to put some out?  I'm going to do mine like a guessing game.  I will put up a personal ad without a name.  See if you can figure out who the character is and what book they are from.  Answers will be in the Comments section.  Check to see how many you got right.

1.  Single white female seeking goodlooking boy who sparkles.  I am ordinary looking and a bit of a klutz.  New in town, I need someone to show me around.  Since I don't have any hobbies or interests of my own, I need someone who will take over every aspect of my life.  I'm also a bit of a danger magnet, so you may need to rescue me now and then.  Age doesn't matter.  I can appreciate an older man.  Unusual colored eyes are a plus.  You don't have to worry about me cheating on you, unless you disappear for months at a time, then all bets are off.

2.  Single white male seeking companion for a dangerous adventure.  I work in the shadows and have a mystery to solve.  I'm extremely good looking, charming, and possess mad skills.  Only a special girl can see me.  Are you that girl?  I have a fondness for redheads with freckles and love to argue.  Can you keep up with me?  I live in an old church with my stepfamily and travel to exotic locations few humans know about.  No screamers please.  I prefer a girl who can hold her own in a fight.

3.  Single white male seeking sweet girl who doesn't mind all the baggage.  You can confide anything in me.  I'm good at keeping secrets.  I wear glasses and love to read.  When I can I find jobs in bookstores and libraries.  It's hard because I move around a lot.  My mother lives with me, but don't worry about her.  She rarely comes out of her room.  My younger brother also lives with me.  He's a bit strange and scares the crap out of most people, but I'm hoping he's just kidding when he claims not to feel anything for anyone.  Oh yes, and he carries a sword.  You don't need to worry about that.  He's never used it on a human, at least not yet.  If I haven't scared you away, give me a call and we'll meet for coffee. 

4.  Single white female seeking former vampire with unusual powers.  I know you're out there somewhere.  The faerie's journal says I'll find you soon.  The two of us are destined to kill the head werewolf and save the world.  I've seen you in my dreams.  Now I can't love anyone but you.  It doesn't matter to me if you have fangs and a taste for human blood.  I can take care of myself.  I'm THE werewolf hunter.  My father will threaten you with his shotgun once you're mortal again, but I won't let him kill you.  We are destiny.  No one can stop us from being together.

Check out the other Carnies to see what they put up.

1.	Laura A. H. Elliott	2.	Bryna Butler, author Midnight Guardian series
3.	T. R. Graves, Author of The Warrior Series	4.	Suzy Turner, author of The Raven Saga
5.	Rachel Coles, author of Into The Ruins, geek mom blog	6.	K. C. Blake, author of Vampires Rule and Crushed
7.	Gwenn Wright, author of Filter	8.	Liz Long | Just another writer on the loose.
9.	Ella James	10.	Maureen Murrish
11.	YA Sci Fi Author's Ramblings	12.	A Little Bit of R&R
13.	Melissa Pearl	14.	Terah Edun - YA Fantasy

YA Indie Carnival: Indie Writer Opportunities

This week we're talking about opportunities afforded us by becoming Indie writers.  I've published both ways (through Harlequin) and on my own.  I've seen being published from two viewpoints, and let me tell you the view from here (Indie) is a hell of a lot better.  Why?

1.  Plot:  Most people don't realize this.  I know I didn't.  But writers do not just write what they want and have it published.  Editors don't just edit for mistakes.  Editors (also agents) put their two cents in about the story.  If you're a beginner, you either say yes and rewrite it or forget about getting published.  My editor changed the title of my first book to something I absolutely hate, and she changed EVERYTHING about the second book.  Seriously, I think the only thing she liked was the general one-line hook I wrote on the book.  She hated the mc's name, wanted her to live in the country, changed the guy's occupation, and basically everything about it.  She did, however, love my title for that one.

Now, as an Indie writer, I do the books I want to do.  No one changes them.  If the majority of my beta readers hate something, I will change it.  Otherwise, the books stay the way I want them.  Of course, if people hate something then, it's all on me.  :)

2.  Cover:  I get to make up my own covers now.  It's been a blast.  Although a lot of people would disagree with my choices, I'm fairly happy.  It's fun and addictive to create your own covers.  In the past I had to wait to open the box of books shipped by my publisher to get my first idea of the cover.  By that time it's too late to do anything about them.  If you have a good agent and really hate the cover, Nathan Bransford says the agent can do a 'freak out' on the publisher and sometimes get it changed.

3.  Number of Books:  Publishers don't want to flood the market with author's books, so they like to release them maybe a year apart.  Stephen King used a pen name for a while just so he could publish more often.  Indie authors can put out as many books as they can write.  Of course this also has a down side.  Some writers are putting out a book practically every month that they supposedly just wrote in a few weeks time.  Makes me wonder how good they can be.  It takes me several months to write, rewrite, revise, and edit my books.  Not to mention I have to give beta readers time to read them and get back to me.

4.  Time:  It takes publishers usually two years to release a book once they've found one they want.  Indie writers can turn them out in a shorter period of time.

Well, that's all I've got to say on the subject.  Check out the other Carnies.  Some of them aren't putting a post up this week.  You can find them and other information on the Carnival here:

YA Author Club

Black Friday Sale!!!!

On Friday (only) you can download CRUSHED for .99 with coupon code at Smashwords.

Here is the link:  https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/73251

Coupon code is:  NY37A


 The Noah sisters rule Titan High with their beauty, brains, and magical powers. 

Each year they play a secret game: Crushed. The girls pick their targets carefully and blow enchanted dust into the boy’s faces, charming them, but this year Kristen makes a grave mistake. She chooses the wrong boy and almost dies that same day. Coincidence? Maybe.

But something isn’t quite right about Zach Bevian. He doesn’t behave like a boy who’s been Crushed. He goes from hot to cold, from looking at her with contempt to asking her out on a date. She doesn’t know what to think. Does he hate her or is he truly falling for her? Is he trying to kill her, or is he trying to save her? 

How to Write a Love Triangle

This week's topic at the Carnival is all about Love Triangles.  I haven't written one of these yet, so I'm going to have to bow to other people with experience.  The most famous triangle I can think of at the moment is in Twilight.  Meyer got rid of the main love interest (Edward) for a while in book 2 and put Bella with Jacob.  I guess it worked because it started the whole Team Edward/Team Jacob debate.  Personally, I don't like love triangles.  If your main character has to wonder if they should pick this guy or that guy, they obviously don't love either one.  Maybe they should find a third choice.

To make a love triangle really interesting I think both choices (male or female) need to be equally good.  If one is a complete ass, why bother?  The main character should see through it and grab onto the good one with both hands.  While writing for Harlequin I didn't have these problems, because Harlequin wants there to be a clear choice from the beginning.

My current WIP, the one I am writing for NaNo, Bait, is going to eventually have a love triangle, sort of, but not until the second or third book.  First I want to have two awesome main characters, drawn to each other even though their love is forbidden.  Then later, after things have come between them, I can add a potential mate for her.  There is actually another guy in Bait, a potential, but she doesn't have feelings for him.  He isn't even on her radar.

Anyway, check out what the other Carnies have to say.

1.	Laura A. H. Elliott	2.	Bryna Butler, author Midnight Guardian series
3.	T. R. Graves, Author of The Warrior Series	4.	Suzy Turner, author of The Raven Saga
5.	Rachel Coles, author of Into The Ruins, geek mom blog	6.	K. C. Blake, author of Vampires Rule and Crushed
7.	Gwenn Wright, author of Filter	8.	Liz Long | Just another writer on the loose.
9.	Ella James	10.	Maureen Murrish
11.	YA Sci Fi Author's Ramblings	12.	A Little Bit of R&R
13.	Melissa Pearl	14.	Terah Edun - YA Fantasy
15.	translation agency

YA Indie Carnival: VOTE

This week at the Carnival we are putting up polls for you to vote on.  Come on, share your thoughts with us. Here is my poll:

1.  Sam or Dean (for those who watch Supernatural)?  Which is your favorite?

2. Rowling or Meyer?  Which is your favorite of these two?

3. Contemporary or Fantasy?  How do you like your YA?  Modern and real or a fantastical journey that takes you away from your everyday life?

4.  What is Your Favorite YA of All Time?  Do you remember the first one you read?  Is it your favorite or do you have a newer book you can't get enough of?

5.  Series or Single Title?   Are you sick of series or do you want more of them?  How hard is it to say goodbye to a favorite character?

Please answer the poll in the comments section beneath my answers and check out the other Carnies.

1.	Laura A. H. Elliott	2.	Bryna Butler, author Midnight Guardian series
3.	T. R. Graves, Author of The Warrior Series	4.	Suzy Turner, author of The Raven Saga
5.	Rachel Coles, author of Into The Ruins, geek mom blog	6.	K. C. Blake, author of Vampires Rule and Crushed
7.	Gwenn Wright, author of Filter	8.	Liz Long | Just another writer on the loose.
9.	Ella James	10.	Maureen Murrish
11.	YA Sci Fi Author's Ramblings	12.	A Little Bit of R&R
13.	Melissa Pearl	14.	Terah Edun - YA Fantasy

AWESOME Offer from Smashwords

Smashwords has joined the NaNo craze with a special offer.  You can download and read works-in-progress including mine for FREE.  Of course you have to keep in mind these books are rough and have not been edited that well yet.  If you don't care, you can read some books as they are being written.  Be the first of your friends to find out why Bay-Lee doesn't want to fall in love and why Nick Gallos doesn't have a family.  https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/252449

As I add more chapters to the book, you can download more.  Then, when the book is finished and I upload the entire thing you will still be able to get it for free.  Sound good?

I would also love to hear what you think.  This is an important stage in the book's development.  You could have a hand in how it plays out.  :)

NaNo Writing

NaNoWriMo started five days ago.  It's been hard writing every day.  I'm not used to it.  If I'm going to be honest (and I am), I do not write every day in a typical week.  Life gets in the way.  That's one reason I was so hyped about doing this.  I am hoping to make it a habit.  As of now I have a little over fourteen thousand words.  I'm still optimistic about finishing my novel this month.  The only thing that could possibly stop me... distractions.

1.  Family and Friends:  I am constantly interrupted by family and friends.  They want to ask me a question or tell me something.  If someone comes into the room and sees me writing, they don't seem to have a problem with talking to me.  To them writing is a hobby, something I am doing for fun.  They wouldn't like it if they were at work and I was constantly bugging them.  I've tried pointing out that I'm busy.  They either get mad or act like I hurt their feelings.

2.  Social Media:  This has been one of my biggest distractions.  I play a couple of games on Facebook and don't feel like I can put them aside for a whole month.  People are relying on me to send them gifts, click on their posts, and be a good neighbor to them.  Then I have Twitter to keep up with and Goodreads and, of course, this blog.  It's hard to go cold turkey.  Even if my online friends understood why I can't do these things, I don't want to give them up.

3.  Life:  As I said above, life gets in the way of writing sometimes.  There are things I have to do in an average week, places I need to go.

Anyway, those are some of the things distracting me from working on my NaNo book.  It's still great fun to try to write each day.  I'm getting closer to being done, closer every day.  I'll keep you informed.  :)

YA Indie Carnival: Work in Progress

This week at the Carnival we are offering you a sneak peek at our newest published book or a work-in-progress.  I've chosen to go with the WIP because I am working on a book for NaNoWriMo.  Smashwords is allowing NaNo's to upload their currents works in progress on their site so you can read along as we write.  Most, if not all of them should be free.  Mine will be free.  So here it is, your first look at Bait.

Summary:  Monsters in the closet are real.
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When a Reaper crosses over using Bay-Lee's closet to issue her a warning, she knows she's in trouble.  She's spent her life moving from town to town, a new idenity in each, fleeing from the monsters determined to kill her.  Now one gives her a warning?  Something is not right here.  The next day she's given early admission to Van Helsing's school for hunters.  This is it.  Her plan is set in motion.  Soon, she will have her revenge... if she lives long enough.
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Someone with power is using wraiths to kill hunters on their birthdays and hers is coming up.
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Excerpt:  At some point during the night a stranger crawled into Bay-Lee’s bed while she snored softly, unaware.  The mattress springs squeaked.  He reclined on his side and stared down at her face in the moonlight.  It bothered him that she continued to sleep.  After all the stories he’d heard about this girl, he had expected more from her.  Shouldn’t she be able to sense danger by now?
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This was Van Helsing’s daughter?  She looked insignificant, vulnerable beneath the green sheet.  He could snap her neck so easily—and maybe he should.  The world would continue on, undisturbed, but the dark cloud hanging over his life would finally dissipate.
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Only a fraction of moonlight filtered through partially open curtains.  It didn’t matter.  Although he couldn’t see her clearly now, he’d seen pictures of the girl in Van’s office.  Her features were burned into his retinas.  Every time he went into the office he tried not to look at the photographs, but his gaze inadvertently drifted to them.  He tried to tell himself it was done out of curiosity, that it was because she was Van Helsing’s daughter, but there was more to it. 
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There was something about her, something unsettling that inevitably pulled him back to stare at her reproduced image.  She looked like an average girl.  A pretty face was framed by dark hair, parted in the middle and layered.  Her eyes, the darkest of browns, nearly black, hid a mountain of secrets.  The girl had attitude to spare, and the camera caught it, freezing it for all to see.  She wore a ‘bite me’ expression that would drive any vampire crazy.
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Fortunately, he wasn’t a vampire.
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Her mouth bothered him the most.  The full lips haunted his dreams with a secretive smile curving at the ends.  Her bottom lip begged to be nibbled on.  Sometimes, when he wasn’t carefully controlling his thoughts, he wondered what she would taste like.  In his dreams he kissed her again and again.  He wondered what would happen if he kissed her in real life.  Would it stir something in his soul?  Would the prophecy come true?  Would the world end?
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Something huge lodged in his throat.  He tried to swallow.  It was a near miss, so he swallowed again.  Kissing her shouldn’t even be a blip on the radar.  This girl was the reason he didn’t have a home or a family.  It was her fault he’d grown up on the outside looking in, her fault people whispered about him, and her fault he was destined to die young.  
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Bay-Lee stirred in her sleep.  Mumbling, she pushed against his chest with one hand.  “Go ‘way.”
Cute, like a box of kittens, for a second he forgot to hate her.  His heart momentarily softened—not for long.  The new sensation was enough to wipe the smile from his face.  Delivering a mental kick to his brain, he reminded himself this girl was the last person in the world he could let his guard down around.  She was worse than trouble.  If he wasn’t careful, this seemingly harmless meeting would lead to total destruction.
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Ready to wake her, he leaned in close to her face and whispered her name, her fake name.  Like him, she was forced to live under an alias.  Michelle.
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Check out the other Carnies:

1.	Laura A. H. Elliott	2.	Bryna Butler, author Midnight Guardian series
3.	T. R. Graves, Author of The Warrior Series	4.	Suzy Turner, author of The Raven Saga
5.	Rachel Coles, author of Into The Ruins, geek mom blog	6.	K. C. Blake, author of Vampires Rule and Crushed
7.	Gwenn Wright, author of Filter	8.	Liz Long | Just another writer on the loose.
9.	Ella James	10.	Maureen Murrish
11.	YA Sci Fi Author's Ramblings	12.	A Little Bit of R&R
13.	Melissa Pearl	14.	Terah Edun - YA Fantasy

SCAVENGER HUNT/Release of Shifters Rule

I had to use two different covers.  The top one is at Smashwords (and will probably be the one used for the print copies) and the second is at Amazon.  Once you read the book, PLEASE remember to review it on the site where you got it, Goodreads, your blog, etc.  Thank you.  

Available at Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009SFWWN6

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Amazon UK:  https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B009SFWWN6

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Smashwords:  https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/246117

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Scavenger Hunt:  Are you a good hunter? Let's find out.

How to play: Read 'my' version of The Three Bears and find the eight Halloween words embedded in the story. For instance, witch. Write these words down and email them to me at authorkcblake@blogspot.com 
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If you are one of the first ten to do this, you will win free digital copies of Vampires Rule and Werewolves Rule. Now, to be fair, Vampires Rule is already free at Smashwords. So even if you don't win both books, you can download that one for free. Go ahead and tell all your book-loving friends.
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Download Vampires Rule for Free here:  https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/54214
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What is Vampires Rule about? Jack has always beat the odds... at least until now. When he was attacked by a werewolf, vampires saved him. When he got tired of living the vampire life, another werewolf attack freed him, making him human again. Now Jack just wants to live a normal life, but what's normal about a hunter girlfriend, a brother who wants to stake him to be on the safe side, and a head werewolf building an army to rule the world?

Are you sick of vampires? Don't worry. This book has a new hook and a new mythology for the creatures.

Why am I doing this? Shifters Rule (the third book) is being released today, October 31rst, 2012. Don't miss out on a cool series filled with vampires, werewolves, wraiths, and hunters.
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Now, let the hunt begin:

Once upon a time there were bears.  There was a mama bear, a papa bear, and a baby bear.  Mama bear made porridge for breakfast, and they all sat down to eat.  Papa Bear said, “My porridge is too hot.”  Mama Bear said, “My pumpkin is too cold.”  Baby Bear didn’t even try his because he wanted pancakes.  Papa Bear thought they should take a walk while his porridge cooled.  So they did.

While they were gone, a young girl named Goldilocks stumbled upon their cabin.  The door was open so she went inside.  She tried the porridge.  One was too hot.  One was too cold.  But the third was just right.  She ate until it was gone. 

Next, she went to the living room to watch some television.  She sat in one chair after another.  One was too big.  One was too narrow.  The last one was just creepy, but it broke when she tried to sit on it.

She was tired, so she went upstairs to find a bed.  There were three skeletons in the bedroom.  The first bed was too hard.  The second was too soft.  But the last one was just right.  She fell asleep.

That’s when the three black cats came home.  Papa Bear stared at his porridge.  “Someone took a bite of my porridge.”  Mama Bear said, “Someone took a bite of my witch.”  Baby Bear laughed.  “Someone ate my porridge all up so now I get pancakes, right?”

Papa Spider decided they needed to check the other rooms for the intruder.  They went into the living room first.  Papa Bear checked his chair.  “Someone sat in my chair.”  Mama Bear repeated, “Someone sat in my chair.”  Baby Bear said, “Someone broke my chair.  Can I have a bean bag now?”

Papa dragged them up the stairs to the bedroom.  When they walked in, they stared at the bed closest to the door.  Papa Bear said, “Someone has been sleeping in my bed.”  Mama Bear said, “Someone has been sleeping in my grave.”  Baby Bear pointed.  “Look, someone is sleeping in my bed right now!  Can I keep her?”

Goldilocks woke up then.  She saw the three ghosts and jumped out the nearest window.  The scare taught her a lesson, and she never again went into a home without an invitation.
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Thank you to all the blogs participating in the Scavenger Hunt:

http://suzyturner.com

http://adiaryofabookaddict.blogspot.com

http://cubicleblindness.blogspot.com

http://imaddicted2yabooks.blogspot.com

Goodreads 2012 Awards

If you have enjoyed any of my books or think you might enjoy them, please vote for CRUSHED as the best Young Adult Fantasy/Science Fiction Book of 2012.  In order to do this, you have to go here.

http://www.goodreads.com/choiceawards/best-young-adult-fiction-books-2012?utm_campaign=goodreads_choice&utm_medium=user_sharing&utm_source=facebook.com#73867-Young-Adult-Fantasy-&-Science-Fiction

Then scroll down past the covers and Write In your vote in the space provided.  If you write in CRUSHED, books should pop up with mine near the top.  Click on it and it will appear in the Write In space.  Then click on VOTE.  I've never won anything before.  This would be so AWESOME!!!  Of course, I don't expect to totally win, but it would be nice if my book makes it on the list at least.  Thank you!!!

YA Indie Carnival: Spooky, Eerie, Scary

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It's the time of year when the YA Author Club sponsors pull out and share some hair-raising and spine-tingling excerpts. Take a few minutes to visit their sites, read their posts, and tell them about your own scary stories. It should make for some good Halloween fun!

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1.	Laura A. H. Elliott	2.	Bryna Butler, author Midnight Guardian series
3.	T. R. Graves, Author of The Warrior Series	4.	Suzy Turner, author of The Raven Saga
5.	Rachel Coles, author of Into The Ruins, geek mom blog	6.	K. C. Blake, author of Vampires Rule and Crushed
7.	Gwenn Wright, author of Filter	8.	Liz Long | Just another writer on the loose.
9.	Ella James	10.	Maureen Murrish
11.	YA Sci Fi Author's Ramblings	12.	A Little Bit of R&R
13.	Melissa Pearl	14.	Terah Edun - YA Fantasy

 Nothing is scarier than the truth, so I want to share some true stories with you.  Try not to think about them as you climb into bed tonight.  Bwa-ha-ha.

The first story is something I heard.  I'm glad I wasn't there for this.  It scared me straight.  I never play around with witchboards and this is why.

Three women sat at the same table in the break room at work, sharing lunch and stories.  One woman said, "Don't play around with those Ouiji (sp) boards."

Another woman asked why.

The first woman said, "Last month I had a few friends over to my house.  My husband was gone so we drank some wine and talked for a while.  Then I showed them the board I had just bought.  We all agreed it would be fun to try out.

"We started with simple questions, nothing big.  The wooden triangle moved, but I'm sure one of my friends was pushing it.  I made them start over, triangle in the center of the board.  That's when we heard a weird noise outside.

"Just for fun I asked the board if my husband had come home.  It answered: No.  So I asked if there was an animal outside.  It replied: No.  My friends were starting to get annoyed.  I asked, 'What is making the noise outside?'  The board spelled out Maybe Me.

"We burned the board in the fireplace."

That story got my creative juices going.  Now, let's talk about nightmares.  This was my worst.  I still remember it VIVIDLY.

My parents had to take my brother to the airport at two in the morning.  I was tired and didn't want to get out of bed so I stayed home.  This was my first time alone in the house at night.  (I was twelve).  It never occurred to me that staying home would be worse than dragging my butt out of bed and going to the city.  Before she left, I asked my mom to leave the hallway light on.  So she did.

I went to sleep.

When I woke up, the light was off and I could hear footsteps coming down the hallway in my direction.  I tried to scream.  Nothing came out.  I tried to get out of bed to race for my own light switch, but my legs wouldn't move.  Terror clogged my throat.

Then I woke up.  It was just a dream, and I was relieved to find the light still on.  While I was looking at the light, feeling grateful for it, it exploded.  I was plunged into sudden darkness.  Once again terror had me by the throat.

But I woke up.  Everything was fine.  The light was still on.  It had just been a dream within a dream within a dream.  My body was stiff with tension.  I knew I wouldn't be able to go to sleep again.  The light in the hallway snapped off.  I heard the footsteps.  It was coming for me... again.

This went on and on.  I don't remember how many times I dreamed about the light going off.  Sometimes it was off when I woke.  Sometimes it exploded and turned off by itself.  By the time I woke up I didn't believe I was actually awake.  It took hours for me to calm down.

Hope you enjoyed this nightmarish post.  :)

Countdown to Shifters Rule: 6 Days

I have been suffering from Internet woes.  This is the first time I have been able to get on in days.  Hopefully it won't cut me off until I'm finished.  I may put the Scavenger Hunt up early, but you won't be able to participate until Halloween.

6 DAYS

Tomorrow we at the Carnival are talking about eerie, scary reads for Halloween.  I will try to put my post up on time.  If I don't make it tomorrow, you might see it Saturday or Sunday.  Have a great weekend!!!  See you soon, hopefully.

Countdown to Shifters Rule: 8 Days

Fact #5:  A major player dies in the first half of Shifters Rule.  Who is it?  How will their death impact the fight between Jack and Jersey?

8 Days

Vampires Rule came to me in a dream.

Only the dream didn't belong to me.  A friend living in Boston had the dream, a dream about a girl with a silver bullet necklace.  She wasn't very happy with me when I made the silver bullet in to a silver dagger charm, but I just couldn't

picture a girl wearing a bullet around her neck.  I wasn't the one who had the dream, after all.  While she was dreaming

about this fearless Buffy-type girl, a voice from above said, "Tell Kasi this is the book I want her to write."

Awesome!!!  When she told me about this dream, I ran with it.  We stayed up until past midnight talking about possible

events and characters for the book.  

Countdown to Shifters Rule: 9 Days

Fact #4:  There is going to be a wedding!!!  Who is getting married?  Read the book and find out.

9 Days

Vampires Rule is FREE on Smashwords.

*SPOILER ALERT*

Werewolves Rule (spoiler):  Jack's brother goes missing.  When he finally finds Billy, Jack is stunned to see his brother has been changed into a werewolf.  He failed to look out for his little brother.  Now what?  Is there a way to change Billy back?  Will Jack have to kill his brother?  And who turned Billy into a werewolf in the first place. 



YA Indie Carnival: Serial Novels, In or Out

This week at the Carnival we are talking about serial novels.  Amazon has announced they are bringing the serial novel back.  Stephen King will be happy to hear this.  Years ago he wrote The Green Mile in serial novel form with a new installment every other month (if memory serves).  How do I feel about this?

Well, it's an interesting concept.  Stephen King did an awesome job with The Green Mile.  On the other hand, when John Saul tried it (sorry, can't remember the name of his series), he had to apologize in the last book for mistakes.  For most of us, our novels change as we write them.  Unless you are a great Plotter and have every detail worked out ahead of time and you're sticking to it, writing Serial Novels probably would not work out for you.  I know I'm not doing it.

Although, it would be a challenge.  I'm afraid there are going to be some disappointed readers out there.  Of course, there are writers who can pull it off.  Those readers will be over the moon.  I guess it just depends on luck.  So, do you fee lucky?  Do you?  (nod to Clint Eastwood)

Here is the Amazon article if you want to read it:
(http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57507647-93/amazon-delves-into-book-subscriptions-with-kindle-serials/)

Let's see what my fellow Carnies think:

1.	Laura A. H. Elliott	2.	Bryna Butler, author Midnight Guardian series
3.	T. R. Graves, Author of The Warrior Series	4.	Suzy Turner, author of The Raven Saga
5.	Rachel Coles, author of Into The Ruins, geek mom blog	6.	K. C. Blake, author of Vampires Rule and Crushed
7.	Gwenn Wright, author of Filter	8.	Liz Long | Just another writer on the loose.
9.	Ella James	10.	Maureen Murrish
11.	YA Sci Fi Author's Ramblings	12.	A Little Bit of R&R
13.	Melissa Pearl

Countdown to Shifters Rule: 11 Days

It's getting close.  I can practically smell it.  Shifters Rule will be officially available.  Can't wait to see them fly off those virtual shelves.

Fact #3:  The character Ian Carver shares his secrets.  This man is hiding something major, and he has a scary power.  Will he use the power to help Jack win the war, or will he use the power against Jack?

11 Days

 

After you read Shifters Rule, please share your thoughts in reviews on Goodreads, Amazon, etc.  I enjoy (for the most part) hearing what people think about this series. 

 

Someone on Goodreads listed several books, saying I must have read them and taken ideas from each of them.  That is funny to me because out of the entire list I hadn't read any of them.  She was right on two of the shows I watch, Supernatural and Buffy. 

 

Still, it's helpful to hear what people are thinking as they read my books.  It always amazes me, the different opinions.  But when everyone agrees on a certain problem in the book, I listen.  Thank you all.  You are amazing!

Countdown to Shifters Rule: 12 Days

About Shifters Rule-  Fact #2:  Cowboy is back!  Several people talked about him in reviews, complaining he wasn't a bigger part of the story.  Well, he's back for Shifters Rule-- and in a surprising new role!

12 Days

 



About Vampires Rule:  I am often asked who my favorite character is in this series.  Sorry.  That is impossible to answer.  I love Jack for his tough talk and sensitive heart.  I love the villain for his mysterious air and dramatic flare.  I love Billy because he was the kid brother and now he has to play the older brother, look after Jack.  I love Silver for standing up to everyone around her and dealing with a tough situation.  I love Cowboy for his smart-alec attitude and his lazy drawl (okay, I hear it in my head even if you don't.).  I love them all.

Check back tomorrow for more.

BAD NEWS from Amazon

I tried uploading my cover for Shifters Rule, the one everyone voted for, and it doesn't work.  The cool rectangles with the title and my name are splotchy white dots on there.  You can't even see there are words.  So I had to change the cover to one I am not real happy with.  Good news though is that I can use my cool cover for the print copies, I hope.  I am still going to try to upload the good cover onto Smashwords and see if that works out.  Here is the cover I had to use:

Countdown to SHIFTERS RULE: 14 Days

Shifters Rule will be released in fourteen days.  I'm getting excited.  Hope you are too.  I decided to start a countdown.  Every day (as long as my Internet connection works) I will post something about the books.  Maybe a little teaser on Shifters Rule and something from the first two in the series.  If you haven't read them yet, it's not too late.  Vampires Rule is free right now on Smashwords.  Plus, I am doing a Scavenger Hunt on Halloween here at the blog for some lucky people to win free digital copies of both Vampires Rule and Werewolves Rule.

 

14 DAYS

 

Here is something from Goodreads on Vampires Rule, a glimpse of a scene that someone loved so much they put it up on the site and five others Liked it.

 

“Stop!” she screamed. “Don’t hurt him.”

“Back off!” Billy shouted.

She yanked harder on Billy’s arm.

“He isn’t a vampire anymore, idiot. Look! Do you see that big, yellow thing up in the sky? That’s called the sun. It’s shining down on him, and he isn’t exploding. His fangs are gone. He’s as human as we are. Case closed.”

Billy stared up at the sky, his jaw slack. “Not possible.”

Jack mumbled, “They don’t call me Jackpot for nothing.”

“What?” Billy blinked at him.

“Private joke.” —          

 

 

Now for something from Shifters Rule.  I will give you a fact each day about the book to whet your appetite.

 

 

Fact #1:  Jack and Jersey are finally going to battle each other to the death.  How will it end?

 

It's war.  At least one major player will be killed.

Free Ebook: Vampires Rule

I just wrote this whole long thing out and Blogger wouldn't save it.  I don't want to do it again.

Anyone interested in reading Vampires Rule for free can find it here: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/54214

This might be a limited thing.  I may raise the price back up in a month or two.

They don't call him Jackpot for nothing.

Seventeen-year-old Jack always beats the odds... at least until now. When a werewolf tried to kill him ten years ago, vampires saved his life. At first he was grateful. Then he realized he couldn't go home to his brother, couldn't return to his old life. Humans can become vampires; vampires can't become mortal again, but somehow Jack gets lucky. Like a cat, he always lands on his feet. He wakes up one morning without fangs, and the sunlight doesn't set him on fire. This is it, his dream, only it's real this time. What could possibly go wrong?

Enter a pretty hunter with dark secrets, a brother who wants to stake him just to be on the safe side, and a psychotic werewolf. Now we have a party.               

YA Indie Carnival: Being an Indie

This week at the Carnival we are discussing what opportunities, advantages, etc. being an Indie Author has given us.  My mind is swimming with chaotic visions.  Usually, I don't have any problem writing on a topic.  But there is so much to say on this one.  Let's begin.

What opportunities has becoming an Indie given me?

1.  More Books:  Publishers will not allow you to put out very many books at once.  That's why Stephen King published under an alias for a while.  People knew it was him.  No one writes like King.  After a while he dropped the charade.  In an article, he complained about the publisher, saying his agent told him the publisher didn't want him to flood the market with his books.  So what do you do if you can write five books in a year and the publisher will only put out two? 

You can put them out yourself as ebooks or print-on-demand books.  Even King has some books out as Indie works now.  Awesome!

2.  Cover Control:  Back when I was writing with Harlequin, I was not thrilled with how they did some of their covers.  I heard a few writers complain, saying they hated their covers.  Even though we (as authors) were asked to fill out paperwork for the art department, we didn't have any real input on the covers.  You just had to cross your fingers and wait to see your books.  When the box arrived, you held your breath as you opened it.  Sometimes you were over the moon.  Sometimes you were depressed.  A great cover can be the difference between lots of sales and limited sales.

Now when someone tells me they don't like my cover, it's on me.  I do have control over it.  In fact, I produce my own covers.  A lot of work goes into them.  Someday, when I run out of ideas, I will probably hire a professional.  But, at the moment, I am enjoying the control.

3.  An Eye on Sales:  When you publish in the traditional way, you have no idea how your books are doing.  An agent might be able to tell you something, but they don't have immeditate facts.  Being an Indie Author means I can check the sales myself.  If sales drop, I am the first one to know.

Recently, Harlequin re-published two of my books as ebooks.  It drives me crazy, not knowing how they are doing.  I have no idea.  It will be almost a year after the first one went up before I get a sales report.  Until then, your guess is as good as mine.

That's it for me today.  Check out the other Carnies below to see what they have to say.

1.	Laura A. H. Elliott	2.	Bryna Butler, author Midnight Guardian series
3.	T. R. Graves, Author of The Warrior Series	4.	Suzy Turner, author of The Raven Saga
5.	Rachel Coles, author of Into The Ruins, geek mom blog	6.	K. C. Blake, author of Vampires Rule and Crushed
7.	Gwenn Wright, author of Filter	8.	Liz Long | Just another writer on the loose.
9.	Ella James	10.	Maureen Murrish
11.	YA Sci Fi Author's Ramblings	12.	A Little Bit of R&R
13.	Melissa Pearl