Support Your Fav Author and Save Your Computer by Not Illegally Downloading Books! Why? Read on...

THE WIZARD'S VIRUS

     “Aw, crud no.” The wizard banged his hand on his keyboard and then frantically clicked around with his mouse checking all his spell files: Text documents of magic words, pictures of runes, spreadsheets of magical creature species. He looked through his entire computer and almost all his data was ruined and hacked. Files missing and damaged.
     “What happened?” He muttered.

      His Internet browser was still open from the night before. Looking at that, he realized what had happened. He downloaded pirated enchantment data for school. When he downloaded it he thought, “What's one stolen spell gonna cost me?”

     But apparently whoever uploaded the data for the enchantment file, hid a virus inside. All the magically formed programs and files loaded into the mystic gems on his hard drive (wizards favored gems over disks and other data storage means) had all been ruined. And maybe even some of his spells had been stolen from him.

      A creepy voice then filled the room, “Youuuuu...I'veeeee comeee tooo tormmeennnttt youuuu forrr the ressssttt of yourrrr dayyyssss...” 

     The wizard put his hand to his head and moaned. He knew that was a ghost. The illegal enchantment he downloaded was not only a virus, but a curse, which also gave him a ghost haunting his computer. 

     Maybe he should have just downloaded the enchantment legally.

Posted with permission from Langdon's Flash Fictions

Hot Prospect Contest for Romance Writers

2016 Hot Prospects Contest

Sponsor: Valley of the Sun Romance Writers

**Permission to forward**

Looking to sign your first book contract, switch from a small press to a large publisher or simply explore another genre of romantic fiction? Turn up the heat on your writing career with the Hot Prospects Contest.

PRIZES

Grand Prize Winner

• The grand prize winner of the contest will have their entire Romance manuscript (400 pages, Courier, 12pt, Double spaced) reviewed by two professional editors at Novel Needs http://novelneeds.com

ENTRY FEE

Valley of the Sun RW Members

• $25

Non-Chapter Members

• $30

DEADLINE INFORMATION

Postmark Deadline: September 1st, 2016

E-Submit Deadline: September 1st, 2016

ELIGIBILITY

The Hot Prospects Contest is open to any Romance work uncontracted and unpublished at the time of entry.

CATEGORIES / JUDGES

Trained judges for preliminary round, Editors for final round.

Single Title Contemporary-

Romantic novels released as individual titles, not usually part of a series. Projected word count: over 70,000 words.

• Johanna Raisanen - Harlequin

• TBA

Romantic Suspense-

A suspense/mystery/thriller plot is integrated within a romantic novel. Projected word count: over 70,000 words.

• Kate Seaver—Berkley

• Melissa Jeglinski—The Knight Agency

Historical Romance

Romantic novels set in a time period prior to 1945.  Projected word count: over 70,000 words.

• Rhonda Penders—Wild Rose Press

• TBA

Fantasy/Futuristic/Paranormal-

Futuristic, fantasy, or paranormal elements are integrated within the love story. Projected word count: over 70,000 words.

• Melissa Singer - TOR

• Michelle Klayman—Boroughs Publishing

Young Adult/New Adult Romance:

Romance novels in which young adult life is an integral part of the plot. Projected word count: over 50,000 words.

• Editor – TBA
• Michelle Grajkowski—3 Seas Literary Agency

Inspirational Romance:

Romance novels in which religious or spiritual beliefs (in the context of any religious or spiritual belief system) are an integral part of the plot. Projected word count: over 50,000 words.

• Victoria Curnan—Heartwarming
• Agent - Raela Schoenherr—Revell/Bethany House

Erotic Romance: Novels in which strong, often explicit, sexual interaction is an inherent part of the love story, character growth and relationship development and could not be removed without damaging the storyline. These novels may contain elements of other romance subgenres (such as paranormal, historical, etc.).

• Brenda Chin - Entangled
• Agent - TBA

Those entries that do not final will be returned approximately October 30th, 2016 to help those who plan to enter RWA’s Golden Heart.

ENTRY CONTENTS

Synopsis

• Your synopsis should be between 3-5 pages.

Manuscript

• Up to 25 pages of your manuscript.

For more information visit: http://valleyofthesunrw.com/2015-contest-guidelines-and-entry-form/

Book Review: 5,000 words per hour

 For those of you who've done NaWriMo, there are some old tips that are a good refresher. There are also some new tips, including a means to track your writing progress and compete with yourself.

I am trying a new technique using dictation. While the author recommends Dragon Dictation, I'm using my iPhone and pages app. This allows me to write and save my writings. The time out is a bit irritating and I don't know what this technique will do to my data usage, but I can now write while walking the dog and driving to work.

But you may wish to check it out yourself.

Coming Soon: MOON DANCER, a novelette within the world of BENEATH THE THIRTEEN MOONS, By Kathryne Kennedy

As I’ve mentioned before, I have been writing short novelettes as I recover my health enough to eventually write a new series. I also recently went through short stories I have written that I never pursued for publication (or were published in print magazines) because I started to write full length novels. You may have seen some of the story titles and a brief description on the SHORT STORY page of my website. Since the stories are no longer available, I have decided to publish some of them for my readers through the magical land of ebook publishing.

Today I am happy to announce that I finished the cover for MOON DANCER, a story I actually wrote before the novel, BENEATH THE THIRTEEN MOONS. I hope to have the cover up on my website for pre-order as I revise and edit the story. This is one that I did not pursue for publication since I started the book shortly after, so I’m happy to say it’s an original story that has not been in print before. However, it needs a bit of editing.

  

A Moon Dancer (or Bone Dancer) is mentioned in BENEATH THE THIRTEEN MOONS, but only a paragraph during Mahri and Korl’s lifemate ceremony. MOON DANCER gives the reader a more detailed look into the world of a dancer of Sea Forest. They use one or more bones, depending on the skill of the dancer, carved of the great Narwhal horn, the strongest and most rare substance on Sea Forest. The bones have natural spirals that are raised and sharp as knives, and half the allure of watching a Moon Dancer is the threat of peril to the dancer. Many of them carry scars from previous dances, and if the dancer is unskilled, or not attuned to her ‘ka (dancing bones), they often die a bloody death by the cuts they receive during the dance. But if skilled, and given the proper amount of the magical zabba root, the ‘ka produce a melody unlike any other, creating a song that enchants any who are lucky enough to hear it. You will read a bit more about how the ‘ka are created in MOON DANCER. But, the story is primarily about rivalry disguised as friendship, and the struggle between two women over the same man.

And love that can only blossom from tragedy.

I’m looking forward to getting started on the revisions, and hope to finish within a few months. In the meantime, what do you think of the cover? Does it portray the movement and mystery of a Moon Dancer? I kept it similar in design to the cover of BENEATH THE THIRTEEN MOONS, so readers can readily identify it with the novel. I’d love to hear your thoughts!

My Magical Best,

Kathryne

http://www.kathrynekennedy.com 

Mailchimp for Beginners

Newsletters are the key to discoverability and building a writing career. The information is great for those just beginning to set up a MailChimp account, and it provides links to immediately put into practice what he explains. I enjoyed the tips on building your lists. I would have liked a bit more information on the benefits of the paid versions and he glossed over some things which I would have liked to know more about. Perhaps there'll be a second book.

Desert Dreams Conference in Arizona

In my last post I gave some tips on how to have a successful conference, especially if you're a published author. I am happy to follow with a post of our Arizona Desert Dreams conference http://desertroserwa.org/desertdreams .

I had a wonderful time! We even had a bit of rain, which here in the desert is something to celebrate, as it cools off the weather and clears up to a cool day of sunshine. I have posted some pictures below. We had a nice turn-out for the book signing, and a dear friend of mine helped me set out all my books, so I have a few pictures of the signing below. I also included some pictures of baskets I made, which might help give you some ideas when you put together some of your own. It was a smaller conference this year, which made it more intimate, which I also enjoyed. And I couldn't resist a few pictures of the hotel grounds, it's a lovely place. So enjoy!

My Magical Best,
Kathryne
http://www.kathrynekennedy.com

AZ Mystery Con

"DEATH & DECEPTION IN THE DESERT​"

Arizona's Mystery Con

Booksiging open to the public June 3rd  from 6:30-8:00PM.

If you are interested in Saturday's events, which include lunch, goody bags, prizes, and mystery authors telling all about their books, tickets are still available at azmysterycon.com

Free on amazon until 5/13/16 a new historical romance from Linda Andrews

I’m happy to say A Kiss and a Dream is free on kindle until 5/13. I hope you will download the story and leave a review!

She escapes with a dead woman’s name and finds sanctuary with a widower reeling from his wife’s betrayal. Can a love built on lies survive the truth?

Gretchen Foltz honors her late father’s request and ends up locked in the workhouse by her greedy brother. Dreaming of a home and freedom, she embarks on a dangerous winter journey. She awakes in a stranger’s home. Hiding behind a lie, she discovers a man worthy of her trust.
Kian Bryne is struggling to feed his four children. The last thing he needs is to rescue a woman stranded on the ice and running from her own demons. With his rich in-laws threatening to take custody his children, he’ll make a desperate alliance to keep his family together. When a simple kiss shatters their agreement, he’s left yearning for more.
Can they untangle the lies before someone separates them forever?
“I loved this story! It is a very quick read because you won’t want to put it down!” Review, Christy’s Cozy Corners

“It’s a quick book, simple but very addictive. It is an entertaining and relaxing read. If you enjoy reading sweet romance, then definitely pick this up!”- Review, LibriAmoriMiei blog

Amazon 

Conference Tips for Published Authors

I am finally able to attend a conference, and I am really looking forward to my chapter’s Desert Dreams http://desertroserwa.org/desertdreams event from April 7-10^th in Scottsdale, Arizona. I miss seeing friends, and look forward to catching up doing my favorite thing: talking about writing with other writers. But there’s so much more to be gained from a conference, so I’d like to suggest a few tips for those of you attending any conference, but especially one held by your own chapter.

If you can, support your chapter with more than just your registration fee. Invest in some swag for the goodie bags. Bookmarks are great, but unfortunately, there’s so many of them that I often see them discarded. So try for something a little more substantial (I give out nail files with a plastic case that has my website address on it.) Get creative with something that attendees will actually keep, at least for a while. If you do a bookmark, why not have a ruler on the other side? At least you have a better chance of having someone pop it in his or her desk at work. I’ve seen pens, chapstick, even a lint brush! (And have looked up the author’s website long after the conference, when I have the time and I’m looking for a new read.)

My chapter also will make posters of our books and hang them in the conference rooms. I will have six around the place this year. Also, a ¼ page ad in the program, with yet another photo of another of my book covers (total cost, $100. If this is out of your budget, hook up with a friend to do an ad, or a two book poster, as I did below at my last conference with fellow author Erin Quinn.) I may not be able to meet everyone, but they will know I was there! (Is it seven times someone has to see your name to remember it? Something like that.) Regardless, I will also be supporting my chapter to make a profit, so we can do another conference in future.

I also donate a large basket for the literacy drawing, and another smaller one for a give-a-way to attendees. I love making baskets, and prepare for them all year long. The best time is to hit Michael’s after Christmas! I can pick up some lovely boxes and baskets, and many gifts for the out-of-towners that they may appreciate, all at a discount. And if one of my chapter mates wins one, they are always so grateful. It astounds me how many of our authors don’t read each other’s books. One year I did a basket give-a-way, and the winner blogged about it, and how wonderful my books were (almost as if it was surprising, lol.)

If you’re published or seeking to be published, this is an important tip for any conference: Be kind to everyone, even in the bathroom. I love to meet new people, so this isn’t hard for me. But if you’re the kind of person who gets overwhelmed sometimes, take a break. Go to your room and rest to get back your energy. Since I am still not quite 100% well, I may have to resort to plenty of breaks this year. And listen, if a mistake or two is made at the conference, please don’t take it personally. No one is targeting you. A conference is accomplished by volunteers who have a million details to juggle, and mistakes will happen. Take it graciously. Don’t scream and yell that you have been mistreated (yes, I’ve had this happen to me at the Editor/Agent appointment desk. Then the gal realized she had made the mistake, and well, you get the idea.) Keep it professional (including what you’re wearing. With that said, remember, the gal standing next to you in blue jeans and flip flops in the food line just might be the editor of your dreams.) For after all, the impression you make can enhance or damage your career.

I’m sure I’ve forgotten many tips, so feel free to share. Maybe something you learned from attending a conference? Please feel free to add to this!

As Always,

My Magical Best,

Kathryne

New book review: The Art of Social Media

Authors need to learn  how to promote their brand/books like never before. And frankly, this is the part where I wander aimlessly trying to figure out what I'm supposed to do. I bought this book for my daughter for Christmas as she plans to design websites and needs to understand social media. She kindly lent it to me, and all I can say is wow. So much has become clearer.


And there are actual steps to follow to achieve your ends. Amazing. There are even links to aggregators to find and post content. Ways to streamline your connection with readers and reflect your own interests.

So cool.

Now, the bad part is that the book has underlined bits that in the ebook link to actual pages for new information and enlightenment. I highly recommend purchasing the ebook and skipping the print copy. The print copy is extremely irritating without those links and they're not anywhere else in the book that I've been able to find.

Even though the book is a little pricey at 12.99, I think it's worth it.

Until next month.

Book Review Corner

I'm starting up a new monthly post on books that focus on helping authors sell their books. Here's the first one. Enjoy!




Although a little dated, the basic information on promoting your book is sound and is a good basis to begin you marketing plan. The ideas are geared toward mass market or hard cover books through NY publishers. There is a dearth of information on electronic promotions, even the newsletter section is about printed and snail mailed items.

What it will help you with is:
What to include in your press kit.
Items to include in your newsletter.
Aggregators to get your website high in the rankings.
Hints for book signings (and etiquette, too).
Niche marketing.


I was disappointed that there wasn't more for indie writers and electronic marketing, but the above items are a solid foundation to begin your marketing plan.

Until next month!

Historical Research and World Building, By Kathryne Kennedy

It often surprises me how my historical research will add to or completely jell with the fantasy aspects of my novels. In THE ELVEN LORDS series, the stories are based in the eighteenth century, so I spent over a month researching the Georgian era, including the political environment, with special emphasis on daily life and--since my books are first and foremost romances--the clothing and housing of the aristocracy.

                       

When I read that white wigs were prevalent in the era, it made perfect sense that the true reasons for wearing the wigs were to imitate the ivory-haired elven lords of my fantasy world. All I needed to do was to add a crushed silver stone to the wigs, which the aristocracy uses to imitate the silver sparkle of my lords. For my readers to identify with the history of the era, I felt that it was important to keep a king on the throne, but since the elven broke through the barrier between worlds and conquered England, dividing it into seven sovereignties that each ruled, I couldn’t be sure of the role he would play.

Then I read that the true power behind the throne at that time lay with Sir Robert Walpole, the Prime Minister of England. So, with an apology to King George, I made him nothing more than a trophy for the elven lords to wage their wars--wars that used humans as chess pieces in games of entertainment similar to the Roman gladiatorial games, but on a much broader scale. Sir Robert (and following Prime Ministers) became the leaders of the Rebellion, the underground movement of humans and half-elven who fight for England’s freedom and the restoration of their king to true power. As with actual history, the court set the precedence for clothing and style, but since the king of my fantasy world held influence only in that limited aspect, it became an obsession with him and his court.

My seven mad elven lords each had possession of a scepter, and the master of a particular power. As I researched the landscape and the development of England’s resources, I used that knowledge to divide the sovereignties. Since Bath and its famous healing waters were located in the southwest, it fell naturally into place that the elven lord Breden, master of the blue scepter of sea and sky, controlled that area, becoming the sovereignty of Dewhame, revealed in the novel THE LADY OF THE STORM. South central England, where London is located, is a politically important part of England and became Firehame, the sovereignty of Lord Mor'ded and his black scepter over the mastery of fire, a powerful realm that is explored in THE FIRE LORD’S LOVER. Agricultural eastern England became Verdanthame, with Mi'cal ruling with the green scepter of forest and plant. Northeastern England, extending upward into York and known for its roadways, became the sovereignty of Terrahame, and the elven lady Annanor and her brown scepter of earth. North central England, dominated by mining and hilly country, became the sovereignty of Bladehame and the silver scepter of Lan'dor, who masters metal. The northwest became Stonehame, where the elven lady La'laylia called up quartz from the depths to enchant with her violet scepter. And the west became Dreamhame, butting up against the craggy mountains of Wales, the sovereignty of Roden of the golden scepter, with his spells of glamour and illusion, fully revealed in the novel THE LORD OF ILLUSION.

Arranged marriages were common in the era, often devised for political gain, and it fell naturally into place that the elven lords would use them to their own advantage. My hero in THE FIRE LORD’S LOVER, General Dominic Raikes, is a half-breed who has inherited his father’s magical gift of fire, and because of it, is a General of Firehame’s army. My heroine, Lady Cassandra Brydges, has the bloodlines to produce a new champion for the elven lord’s war games…and is secretly trained as an assassin by the Rebellion.

In my novelette, The ASSASSIN’S LOVER, we get a glimpse of the sovereignty of Stonehame, and the capital city that glows with jewel-fire even in starlight. We meet a lady of that city, Minerva Overon, whose home falls within the shadow of Stonehame Palace, which is crafted by the elven lady from one large piece of amethyst. But my heroine lives in one of the few mansions created of black jet, which aids the young assassin (another of history’s ruthless characters) sent to kill her…although he gets more than he bargained for.

And so did I, as I researched eighteen-century England, and found some surprising developments for my stories along the way.

My Magical Best,
Kathryne
http://www.KathryneKennedy.com