The re-release of ENCHANTING THE BEAST is in bookstores, and I've got a contest to celebrate!

That's right! Since all the books in the RELICS OF MERLIN series take place in a magical Victorian London, I'm giving away a gorgeous blue cameo pendant on my website contest for ENCHANTING THE BEAST. It's easy to enter, and you can check out all the details here: http://www.kathrynekennedy.com/contest.html

In case you missed my post on why ENCHANTING THE BEAST is one of my favorite books, I'm posting it below...along with all the release information of this magical book!

1. The hero, Nico, holds such an element of mystery and danger that he's suspected of murdering the local girls. Of course, my heroine, Philomena, sees his true heart and knows he's innocent...

2. A heroine much older than my hero. It was fun. And a bit hard...holding complexities to their relationship that I had to work through.

3. There's a haunted castle. I adore castles. Making them haunted was an added bonus. Having them haunted by a handsome blue knight only made it better.

4. There's a major mystery. Although all my books hold some sort of mystery, a reason for my reader to keep turning the pages in curiosity, there's a major element of it in Enchanting the Beast. Skulking in the bowels of the castle looking for a treasure map. Hints and clues about who might be killing the local girls...and how it could be all tangled up in another search for one of Merlin's relics. It was such fun, and probably one of the most difficult books I ever wrote, giving enough clues so that it's logical who the killer is, but holding back just enough that we can't ever be quite sure who it is until we get to the end.

5. Sarah. Pluckett. She's my heroine's assistant. And she's a were-snake. I guess she's kinda scary in a way, but there's a scene where she starts to shed her skin that had me laughing. An example of my sometimes rather odd sense of humor.

6. Tup. He's Philomena's spirit guide. But he's haunting her for deeper reasons, and those touched my heart.

7. The romance. The passion. Again, all my books are filled with it. But it was a lot of fun dealing with a younger man and older woman in the bedroom. Let's just say, I hope it's as good for you as it was for me.

8. Which brings me right back around to my hero again. A moonless night watching fairylights flicker in the distance. A kiss as gentle as it is frightening. Sliding down a haystack. Perspiration gleaming off a naked chest. A secluded grotto with rain pounding from above, and below...

Yes, there are many reasons why I adore this book, and these are just a few. I hope you can add your own to my list as well.

ENCHANTING THE BEAST BY KATHRYNE KENNEDY--IN STORES APRIL 2014

DARK THINGS LURK IN GRIMSPELL CASTLE

Sir Nicodemus Wulfson is haunted by memories of murder--and ghosts. He brings in a ghost-hunter in the form of celebrated spiritualist Lady Philomena Radcliff, and promptly, all hell breaks loose. Is Phil a threat to his already suffering family? Or can Nico trust his burgeoning attraction to her?

IS IT HIM SHE SHOULD FEAR?

Lady Philomena has resigned herself to a life of spinsterhood performing seances for the aristocracy--until she meets sexy young were-wolf Sir Nico. She agrees to try ridding his castle of its increasingly restless spirits. But there are more mysteries within Grimspell Castle than even Nico is aware of, and when a local girl turns up dead, Phil wonders if she's risking her life as well as her heart.


"Kennedy brilliantly and seamlessly lures readers into a realm where magic exists and Merlin's legacy continues."
Romantic Times BOOKreviews 4.5 STARS/TOP PICK/2009 Historical Paranormal Nominee


"The heartfelt and well-rounded characters will easily become some of your favorites."
Night Owl Romance, REVIEWER TOP PICK

"Once again Ms. Kennedy weaves her magic and pulls the reader in from the first page."
The Good, The Bad & The Unread, A+
 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kathryne Kennedy is a multipublished, award-winning author of magical romances. She’s lived in Guam, Okinawa, and several states in the U.S., and currently lives in Arizona with her wonderful family—which includes three very tiny dogs. She welcomes readers to visit her website where she has ongoing contests at: www.KathryneKennedy.com.

Amazon

Barnesand Noble

BooksAMillion

Chapters/Indigo

Kathryne’s Bookseller Directory

Sourcebooks 

Introducing Donna Hatch

It is my pleasure to introduce Donna Hatch and her newest Regency romance, A Perfect Secret.

Genevieve must break off her engagement with Christian and marry a blackmailer but after a year, she flees his violent domination. Just when she thinks she's started a new life, her husband tracks her down and stalks her. Though brokenhearted when Genevieve called off their engagement to marry another man, Christian will do anything to protect her from the madman--except risk his heart.

You can buy her book at Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Secret-Rogue-Hearts/dp/1494496992/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1397681237&sr=1-1&keywords=a+perfect+secret+by+donna+hatch

or at Barnes and Noble:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-perfect-secret-donna-hatch/1117316613?ean=9781494496999

Author Platforms - Part 1

I spoke last week at the Desert Dreams conference in Tempe about Author Platforms. Everyone seems to have their own opinion about what an 'author platform' is and exactly how important it is. It also seems to be the latest buzz word right now. An agent might think an author with 100,000 active followers might have a great platform while another agent might consider taking on an author with no platform at all because they have a great book.

The best definition I could find for an author platform is:

Any media outlet you are visible and appealing to your future, potential, or actual readership through your personal and professional connections.

In other words: Your current audience reach. 

An author platform is NOT:

• Self-promotion
• Agressive selling
• Annoying potential readers
• Being an extrovert

I know a number of authors who are introverts and don't go out and aggressively sell their book, but they also have a huge following on a number of social networks.

Getting an author platform doesn't take weeks or months. Building a large social media presence through Facebook, Twitter, Google+, YouTube, Pinterest and Instagram doesn't happen overnight. It takes years. I like to think of it as a marathon and you can't get to the finish line doing a sprint. Slow and steady is the best way to build your author platform.

There are far too many networks out on the Internet to do all of them at once. Focus on one or two. Take your time. If one isn't working for you, don’t panic. You haven't failed. Just try another until you find something that works for you.

Some factors to ask yourself when looking into a specific social network are is it:

• Practical
• Feasible with your time constraints 
• Within your budget 

It’s better to have an impressive influence in one area than little in all.

Increasing Your Productivity

If you ask my writing friends what they would like to improve in their writing, many would say the number of books they complete each year. We all want to be like Jennifer Ashley, who writes more than most of us combined. We know it takes determination, and although the mind is willing, the body is weak. What can we do change this?

At our last Valley of the Sun Romance Writer's meeting, Lexi Post spoke on this issue. She had us write down what our writing style included. Mine varies. I am more productive if I leave the house and go to Barnes and Noble. Being around books while I sip on my white chocolate mocha inspires me. A location away from home also removes distractions like the TV and dirty dishes in the sink. After a few hours, I can no longer function and need to get away. I also need to walk around. I usually go home, feeling like I accomplished a great deal, but still have more to do. At this point, I may edit while watching TV. This is not going to increase my productivity. Next time, I'll walk the mall and then try writing either at the food court or another eating establishment. Jennifer writes at one location in the morning and another in the afternoon.

My other obstacle is weeknight exhaustion. I have a full-time, high-stress job. Once I'm home, I'm beat. If I sit down at the dining room table with a bottle of Starbucks mocha and a snack, I can write for about an hour. Then I can follow up later with edits in front of the TV. You might have caught onto my major flaw: relaxing in front of the TV. I need to save it as a reward for a successful writing day.

I have a lot to work on this year, so I will continue to try various methods of improving my productivity and let you know how it went.

Until next week,
happy reading and writing.
Tina Swayzee McCright

Upcoming Workshop on Villains

Hi all,

I've been asked by Melanie at the Dog-Earred Pages Used Bookstore to give a workshop on Villains, titled Facing Off: Creating an adversary worthy of your hero.  Apparently, she really loved Trent:D.

Date: April 18th

Time: 05:30 PM

Anyway, the series is part of the Friday Night Writes, she hosts at her store. I believe this is a small fee to attend, but that fee will be applied to a book purchase. FMI, you can visit her website http://www.dogearedpagesusedbooks.com/

Don't Miss the Desert Dreams Gala 55-Author Booksigning!

To Register for Conference