Katie Wood Ruffin

What's on the Nightstand?

2012-02-21T19:13:00.000-08:00

    Hey guys! Hope everyone is having a great week :) The boys and I just got home from a nice long visit with the Fam down south. Around here mother nature is confused and Spring is even more evident down there. I think mother nature forgot it's winter or something. The grass is starting to turn green and the neighbors are trimming their bushes back. Me, yeah I'm watching them from my office because I dont' have time to do yard work these days.
    With several deadlines pressing down pretty hard, such beautiful weather, the boys starting up soccer and a writing schedule that's steadily filling up, all those things mean I'm behind on my reading. I do have some great titles to share though not a lot of them.

21. Destined by P.C. and Kristen Cast

22. The Mermaid's Mirror by L.K. Maidgan

23. A Need So Beautiful by Suzanne Young

24. Every Other Day by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

25. Everneath by Brodi Ashton

26. The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

27. Delirium by Lauren Oliver

28. Dust & Decay by Jonathan Maberry

29. A Perfect Blood by Kim Harrison

Hope you guys get a chance to get out and enjoy the nice weather while it lasts. Before I jump back into the writers cave, I need to send a big blog welcome out to our newest visitors from Jamaica and the United Arab Emirates. Your visit brings us to 54 countries on the blog. Woot! Woot! Thanks for visiting and I hope you all come back real soon.

Till Then,

Katie

YA Day at Books A Million in Southaven, MS

2012-02-08T15:37:00.000-08:00

You're gonna do what???

Yeah, after I came up with the idea for YA Day I seemed to get that question more often than not. LOL! First I’ll say sorry for blowing up your twitter and Facebook news feeds on Saturday guys. The good news though is that YA Day was a total success! Books A Million provided the opportunity for lots of lonely books to find good homes, I met lots of amazing book lovers and made some new friends. Best of all, I got the opportunity to tell readers about some really wonderful writers whose work has touched my imagination.
Stars of the day were:
Suzanne Collins for the Hunger Games Trilogy,
Fav YA Vampire series - The Morganville Vampires by Rachel Caine
Best Zombie - Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry,
Fav paranormal romance - Tiger Curse, Quest and Voyage by Colleen Houck, Mermaids - Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs,
Hunky Hero's and Lovely Heroines - The Mortal Instruments and Infernal Devices series by Cassandra Clare,
Fav Ghost - Shade by Jeri Smith Ready,
Fav Fairy - Wings by Aprilynn Pike,
Best Werewolves - Raised By Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes,
Southern Paranormal Romance - Beautiful Creatures series by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl,
Just because they're awesome - When Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley and Unwind by Neal Shusterman
Angels - Hush Hush by Becka Fitzpatrick.
Most Anticipated of 2012 - EVERNEATH by Brodi Ashton

Here's a rundown of the day:
I arrived at Books A Million in Southaven, MS a few minutes before 9 a.m., set up my balloons and treat baskets and met the morning shift employees. Manager Tim Jackson and the staff really made me feel welcome and eased some of the nerves I'd been fighting over night.

A little after 9a.m customers started to dribble in and I took up a position in the Teen Fiction aisle. Lots of nice folks came by and got a big kick out of the treat bags.

<><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><>

By 11 a.m. The traffic had really started to kick up and we gave away our first door prize to a another lovely lady. She won a copy of Neal Shusterman's UNWIND.

One sweet lady and I enjoyed a big laugh when she asked where the diet books were after I gave her a treat bag. She was lots of fun to talk to and didn't scare me half as much as the guy looking for an encyclopedia of serial killers.

<><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><>

Kendal, an aspiring writer and book loving friend Beverly.

After a bit of lunch, the afternoon crowd started to show up. Some of their questions really challenged my brain. But what fun! Talking about all the books I've fallen in love with over the years plus lots of new discoveries.

It was really fascinating to watch the other customers start to interact after the conversation got started. There were several times I just sat back and listened to them talk to each other. It made me wish the store's teen section was arranged more like the children's section so the teens could discuss the books they love at length.
<><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><>

These lovely ladies are giving a copy of BEAUTIFUL DARKNESS a new home, even better they won the copy of Jonathan Maberry's ROT & RUIN

<><> <><> <><> <><> <><> <><>

Book marks from YA author's Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl and John Corey Whaley. THANKS GUYS!!

Ten folks packed into the Teen Fiction aisle became crowded quickly. I was amazed at how the kids really made it work though. They kindly made room for movement but continued to chat each other up about their favorite books. I still have chills about that part, so exciting!

By seven, my treat baskets were empty, my feet were convinced I'd lost my marbles for standing on them for 12 hours straight and my voice had taken on a slight rasp. But what an amazing day!

The last door prize went to a lovely young lady from Hernando, MS who I spoke to at length about the books she enjoys. We agreed on several great books. She has exceptional taste.

Close to 9 p.m. YA Day came to a quiet but satisfying end. Lots of great book lovers made an impact on me and many great books found homes. On an extra special note, I want to thank Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl and John Corey Whaley for sending bookmarks. It really made a difference to the kids to see your support of YA Day and the stories they love by sending things.

Looking forward to the next YA Day real soon! I could be coming to YOUR local bookstore so keep a sharp eye out for upcoming dates.

Till Then,

Katie

2012-02-01T12:45:00.000-08:00

*Door prizes at 11:00 a.m., 3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.*

Easing into 2012

2012-01-18T01:26:00.000-08:00

So here we are folks, right smack-dab in the middle of January. Boy where does the time go? Are you making the most of your 2012 blog friends? I don’t do resolutions so I won’t put the thumbscrews on and ask you about yours. Life is hard enough without putting unrealistic pressure on myself. I thoroughly enjoy goals though. A great goal will take a girl far. I say down with resolutions and up with doing the really cool stuff you want to do! LOL! Life is too dang short for any less.

For me, 2012 has started off beautifully and I’m super thankful for that. I know I’ve told you guys about how I decided to take some time off after finishing my latest version of Unwilling. What I haven’t told you though is what I’ve been doing in the down time. Of course, those first few weeks saddled the Christmas holidays and there was the necessary visiting and family fun. In addition to that, I spent the time decompressing from the pressure of finishing a manuscript.

    But I thought you lurved writing?

    Don't get me wrong, I DO love writing! But that's not really what a revision is. For those who write, you know exactly the kind of skull-cramping pressure the editing process creates. For everyone, else let me explain this experience. For me personally, the mental burden of ripping a manuscript apart and sticking it back together again is something I don’t notice until it leaves. The drive to finish is so strong it overshadows the pressure. That doesn't mean it ain't there though.
    Sort of like a kidney stone. That sucker hurts like an alien trying to claw its way out, shredding your urethra the whole way. When actually, you aren’t aware of just how much pain it’s producing until it disappears. To be under a self-inflicted deadline to revise a manuscript creates an intense, single-minded pressure that only increases until I type the last word. And ding-bat that I am, I forget about that feeling of pressure in the midst of writing everytime.

Just in case you don't have
a personal relationship with
a demon from the pits
of hell...I mean...
kidney stone.

The December morning after I finished Unwilling (or early afternoon if you’re getting picky about it) was a mix of want- to-cry-relief and want-to-dance-excitement. See, I'd forgotten about that dang pressure again. Oddly enough, leaving the routine of "book-brain" throws a little kink in the down time too. Took me a few days, but I worked out all the snags.

So back to the vaca stuff. Since the first week of December I’ve read over twenty novels. Don’t get all blustery at me now; they were some of my old favorites I’ve read at least twice. Nothing new. I watched several movies I’d been dying to see, caught up on all the episodes of Big Bang Theory and hung out with the Hubs and kids in a sedate state of chill I hadn’t experienced since summer.

It been a wonderful mini vacation indeed. After about two weeks though, the idea factory (read: blood curdling nightmares) got cranked up again. I zoned out on plot ideas while Son#2 rattled on about Skylanders for the fiftieth time in a day and found myself waking up at odd hours to jot down notes. All clear indications it's time to get back on the horse. In preparation I cleaned my office, cooked lots of meals to freeze and organized the house. Let's hear it for being prepared! LOL :)
With 2012 well on its way and Uwilling out to readers, a new deadline looms large in the distance. Book Two in the series (tentatively named Unloved) has a revision scheduled to be finished by the end of May. Already there are the beginnings of that feeling of pressure, like a ghost shivering in my gut. At least I hope that’s what the feeling is and not a kidney stone.

Have a great weeks folks! Welcome to all our new friends from Sri Lanka and Armenia. I hope you read something you like and visit again real soon. There are lots of book details on the blog so feel free to explore older posts if you’re new. The blog is around 10 views away from reaching the new high number of 4000. By the next time the blog posts I expect the stat numbers to have crossed the mark and I sincerely thank you guys for your support. Catch you later, and don’t forget to treat a book real nice this week.

Till then,

Katie

Interview with Neely, Hayden and Andrew from UNWILLING

2012-01-09T04:39:00.000-08:00

Welcome back folks! This is a continuation of the interviews I started with Neely McIntire, Hayden Nelson and Andrew Huckley in 2011. (main characters in Katie Wood Ruffin’s UNWILLING series) I had the opportunity last week to sit down for a chat with all three characters at the same time. I’d like to be able to say they gave me some clue as to which of the two guys played opposite to Neely in the scene Katie posted last week. Unfortunately, none of the three ever gave a single thing away. This reporter is still stumped folks. We’ll just have to wait to read the book to know for sure *wink*

-Caroline Irvine

C: So good to see you all again. It’s nice to have the chance to sit down with all three of you for a chat.

Bright blue eyes, copper
streaked hair, introducing
how Hayden Nelson
appears in the book.

Neely: It’s good to see you again *elbows Hayden*

Hayden: Hey

Andrew: Cece, how wonderful to see you again. *A lovely shoulder hug and dazzling smile* (I admit I blushed a bit)

Hayden *rolls his eyes* Dude, you’re laying it on a little thick sort a early.

Neely: Be nice.

C: I remember this isn’t your favorite thing Hayden, I promise to be gentle.

Hayden *frowns*

Neely: *snickers* He’s just grouchy about the blog post from last week. He‘s chomping at the bit to *finger quotes* set the record straight and we can’t. Plus, Andrew hasn’t helped by picking on him every chance he gets. *gives Andrew the stink eye* Katie laid down the law before we met with you. *makes a swirly motion next to her ear* ‘Member, I told you she’s sort of nutty about us slipping up and telling things we shouldn’t.

Hayden: *mumbles* Naw…it’s more like a chapped as…

Neely: Language Hayden *punches him in the arm* She’s writing this stuff down you know. You want your mom to read that?

Andrew: Funny, Katie has never been anything but pleasant to me about interviews. I guess she trusts me.

Hayden: *glares at Andrew* You’re so full of it Huckley. See…see I told you he’d act like a jerk.

C: Maybe I can ease some of the tension by moving on then.

Neely: Yes ... Please.

C: Alrighty moving on then … so how have things been for you guys? Anything new and exciting happened since we last spoke?

Andrew: We’ve spent quite a lot of time meeting new people, following Katie around to writers meetings, retreats, conventions, workshops and such. And of course, we’ve helped promote the series. Katie just finished a third re-write. It’s being read this month and we’re waiting for the verdict to come in.

C: Anxious?

Neely: A little…there were some real tense moments in this one and lots of changes.

Andrew: I personally think Neely was spectacular throughout the manuscript. I was completely enthralled.

Hayden: aw man… *pretends to gag*

C: What about you Hayden? How have things changed for you this go round?

Hayden: Well … not much I guess. Except … that deal with the blog last week is the first time I’ve really been…irritated… by the whole process. If that’s what you mean.

Neely: Irritated? Is that what all the cool kids are calling it these days?

Hayden: *blushes*

A smile to melt anyone's heart, a
pair of crystal green eyes that
make you want to fall into. Introducing
how Andrew appears in the book.

C: I have to say the scene was quite interesting. Can you tell me which of you guys had the honor of being it the scene with Neely?

Neely: No way! Katie is libel to shoot us then let us bleed forever in the bowels of her computer files, never finishing us off. That girl is real harsh that way about spoilers. I think she’s been hanging out with Jeannie Holmes too much. *shivers*

Andrew: I must agree with Neely on this one. We’d all be in an enormous amount of trouble if that piece of information came out in this interview.

C: I understand and I promise to be discreet. Can you at least tell me why it upset you so much Hayden?

Hayden: Um…well…I guess it’s because it was so physically and emotionally intense. It caught me off guard having folks read that kind of thing about us without knowing the whole story. *glares at Andrew*

Andrew: Hmmm…sounds like someone doesn’t know how to share.

Neely: Don’t you start aggravating Hayden. *bumps Andrew with her shoulder* You know his fuse is shorter than usual these days.

Andrew: Neely’s right…my apologies Hayden

Hayden: Whatever dude, and would you quit being such a suck up to Neely. I’ve about had my fill of you already.

C: *clears throat nervously* Moving on then. So what are you guys looking forward to this year with the series? Any big plans you can share?

Neely: Well…Katie is about to start a revision on Book Two. If the new version is anything like how the rough draft went, I’m going to be really …busy. But I’m looking forward to it. There’s lots of action and traveling to cool places. I’m excited about that. Plus query letters are being prepared to send out for Book One. We’re all crossing our fingers that a wonderful agent will want our series soon. That would be so awesome!

C: What about you Hayden? Are you looking forward to the second book?

Hayden: Sort of. Book Two is pretty rough in a few places but there are also lots unexpected things ahead for my character. I’m anxious for them though. I like a solid resolution. The second book resolves lots of things but creates a few more situations that even I never expected. Lots to look forward to … I guess.

C: Do you feel that way too Andrew? Are you looking forward to the changes in Book Two?

Andrew: I can’t say I’m anxious for everything in Book Two. I do agree with Hayden that there are several unexpected developments that appeal to me but others…I could do without. That’s the price we characters pay though. We’re at the mercy of our creator. Thankfully, Katie genuinely cares for her characters. The really hard decisions cause her much more anguish than they do us.

C: This has been really great guys. I’m so looking forward to the story becoming a reality for you and for Katie. Maybe we can talk again when there is a development? Any chance you could get me an interview with Katie too? Maybe put in a good word?

*they all laugh*

Neely: Sure

Andrew: Of course, always a pleasure.

Hayden: I guess so.

Neely: *rolls her eyes* Oh Hayden…

A Little Dab of Steam from UNWILLING

2012-01-04T06:33:00.000-08:00

I hope you all had a fun New Year! Today on the blog I thought I'd give you guys a little "Happy 2012" gift to start the year off right. Welcome to all who are visiting for the first time, especially new friends in Romania. Your visit brings the count to 50 countries! Thanks for dropping by and come back again real soon.
This is a scene from around the midway point of UNWILLING. Facebook friends voted between a whole chapter and a steamy scene. I wasn't really surprised the steam won LOL! So here you go and feel free to leave a comment I'd love to know what you think.
p.s. This has been carefully edited to retain some of the story's secrets so don't be weirded out by the use of "He" and "His". Trust me, the scene is even better in it's true form :) ENJOY!

*Imagine a more strawberry blond color to her
hair and this is exactly what Neely looks like*.

He yanked me forward then crushed his mouth against mine. His lips moved furiously as one of his hands slowly slid down from my arm and pressed into the small of my back. Even struggling, I noticed His lips tasted like cinnamon gum. Our bodies molded against one another from the force he’d used to pull me closer. I thought for a second the sun had raised sweat on my skin but this heat surrounded and radiated into me.

“stmmmmp,” I tried to say around his lips, pushing against his chest.

The grip on my neck squeezed tighter, his palm burning my skin. A deep rumbling sound came from his chest.

My knees wobbled as he wound his fingers into the curls at my neck, holding my face firmly to his.

“Lemme go,” I managed to gasp when he kissed the corner of my mouth.

“No,” he whispered. The sound, nothing more than a yielding puff of smoke in my brain, coaxed something familiar up from the depths.

The fight drained out of me. This wisp of recollection warmed me, relaxed the muscles that had tensed for a fight and tightened other places. My fists uncurled and gripped his shoulders.

He wrapped an arm around my waist and bent me backwards without ever breaking the kiss. His knee touched the grass before we tumbled to the ground. He pressed his body against mine while caressing my face and neck with fiery lips.

“Please stop,” my breath started coming in gasps. I couldn’t ignore the real brawl that had started inside me any longer.“I can’t do this,” the words died in a strangled cry of pain as I struggle for breath.

“Can,” he said against my mouth. His hold on me increased significantly as he mistook my pain for passion. He pinned my wrists to the grass and kissed me harder.

Not one muscle fiber in my body wanted to fight him off. He couldn’t hold me tight enough and when he tried I wanted him to squeeze me harder.

“I shouldn't have kept that from you." Heat flashed in his eyes. "I never meant to hurt you, I’m sorry … so sorry,” His breath rasped out quick against my lips.

I balled his shirt up in my fists and held on. Heat bloomed in my stomach and settled low, deep and grew.

Before I wanted him to, he paused. "I ... I just couldn't," the words ended in a choking sound. Angst-ridden tears dripped onto my cheeks. The months of hurt and loss concentrated in the liquid soaked into my skin. “Stand it …” he whispered as a tear splashed on my lips.

A red haze clouded my vision. Suddenly, His passion morphed into my passion. Twisting my fingers into his hair, I pulled his face back to mine. My tongue traced his trembling lips. They still tasted sweet but now like tears too.

A low moan escaped his throat as my mouth molded to his. Time seemed to stop ticking and the world went quiet except for the sounds of our hearts pounding out a furious rhythm.

A sharp stab of fire jabbed under my ribs. I screamed into His mouth and he froze under me.

Pushing up on my hands, I stared down into his face in horror.

“What the hell am I doing?” The shock felt like waking up from a really good but very wrong dream.

“Neely?” His voice quivered.

Pressing a hand to my mouth, I scrambled off him and huddled in the grass.

“Can’t … can’t do this,” the fire in my belly roared into an inferno. I pressed a fist to my mouth to keep from screaming again. My brain had felt jam-packed with all of the pictures. But now, things flickered and flashed behind my eyes, things I didn’t recognize. A sandy beach shimmered in the sun beside brown water; loud music inside a warm car, a white cotton dress tied with satin ribbons, a boy holding something that glittered in the light and … His smile. Pictures raced through my mind at a blinding speed. Trying to see them clearly made my head feel like it might explode.

He touched my hand and I jumped.

“Don’t touch me.” I pressed my fists to the sides of my head.

But He held on and the pain ebbed some. More images flashed in but none if them formed a memory, just one burst of random information after another.

“What’s wrong … let me help.” He kissed my fingers. “Please.”

A sultry breeze ruffled the grass around us. I became hyper aware of His lips on my knuckles and how much I liked it. His tongue flicked out and pulled my pinkie into his mouth.

“Stop,” my voice trembled. “I gotta go home.”

He raised an eyebrow and sucked harder, biting a little. “No.”

The soft look in his eyes pulled at my insides, drawing me closer.

He pulled me against his chest. Our arms and legs tangled together in the grass.

“I’ve missed you so much,” his lips curled into a smile against mine. A sob stopped his breath as I clung to him. Holding my face between his hands he kissed me again. Softer now and less furious; he savored each kiss before moving onto a new one. The sun blazed down adding to the heat pulsing between us. Each press of his lips tattooed a word on my heart … loss, pain, loneliness … hope.

This manuscript is the sole property of Katie Wood Ruffin and is prohibited from being displayed, copied, electronically discussed or electronically distributed without the expressed written permission of the author.

Hope you guys enjoyed that scene and are looking forward to reading more! Here's the song that goes with the scene too. "Kiss Me Slowly" by Parachute Check back often, I'll be posting more character info and stuff in the coming weeks.

Till then,

Katie

Interview with John Rakestraw on THE BOOK PLATFORM

2011-12-20T01:17:00.000-08:00

Interview on THE BOOK PLATFORM with John Rakestraw

HERE IT IS!!

This is the link to the interview I did on Sunday with John Rakestraw! He's a wonderful host and I had a blast. John is a true friend of writers and this experience was incredible. Please leave him a comment about the show after you listen. John and Toni are doing great work helping writers out with building their platforms and they would love your feedback. Thanks so much to everyone who passed the information about the interview on for me, hung posters and told others about the interview. I really appreciate all your help!
ENJOY!
Katie

Update

2011-12-19T14:37:00.000-08:00

Monday, 4:30 p.m.
The interview with Mr. Rakestraw is complete and am excited to hear the finished product. We struggled with lost connections, static interference and such for a bit so fingers crossed for how it turns out. I haven't received any information about when the link will be posted yet but I'll put it on the blog as soon as it comes in :)
Till then,
Katie

Interview with John Rakestraw on THE BOOK PLATFORM

2011-12-18T05:27:00.000-08:00

The day has finally arrived!! Join me at 10:30 a.m. (PST) on THE BOOK PLATFORM with John Rakestraw We'll be talking books.

What's on the Nightstand?

2011-12-15T13:01:00.000-08:00

Hello and welcome to our most recent visitors from Bangladesh! For 2011 the totals stand at 3619 and 46 different countries. Woohoo! This marks the final installment of “What’s on the Nightstand” for 2011 just in time for those last minute gifts you might be struggling with. I’ve discovered some wonderful writers this year. Some of my past finds I’ll be keeping my eye on for future installments and others I’m sad to see come to their enviable end. Most of all, I hope I’ve given you lots of books to be curious about over the last twelve months.

I’ve come across some amazing reads this year so you have lots to choose from. All total for 2011 I’m at 138 books read. To see all of them, click on the different months listed on the right side of the page and look for the posts titled WHAT’S ON THE NIGHTSTAND. Those posts are exclusively about books I’ve read and enjoyed.

As the year winds down, I want all of you to know how much I appreciate each and every visit you made to the blog. Thank you so much! Your interest and notes left behind about things that strike your fancy or tickle your funny bone have meant so much.

Come January 1^st a new post will be up so be on the lookout for it. As of yesterday, I’m officially on a rest cycle until after the holidays. My poor eyes are screaming for a break even though I don’t really want to give them one. Big things are planned for the coming year and I want to be prepared. So until 2012 be safe, have fun and don’t forget to read a good book before the year is over. Now I’ll shut it and get to the books. J * throws Christmas tinsel at you*

Till Then,

Katie

First I’m gonna tell you about the new finds then about books I’ll (or most likely already have) add to my personal library.

(122.) Insatiable and (123.) Overbite both by Meg Cabot – Meg’s spin on the vampire crazy is different but refreshing. She takes these characters to places you don’t expect and back again.

(124.) Darkest Mercies by Melissa Marr – Melissa did not disappoint with this final installment of the Darkest Mercies books. It gave me everything I’d hoped for with these characters and then some. If you love fairy stories these are excellent.
(125.) Bitten by Kelley Armstrong – Kelley does an excellent job with this book. It sucked me into loving these characters quickly and held me there. If you love paranormal reads Kelley’s Otherworld series is a great one to dive into.

(126.) Spells (127.) Illusions both by Aprilynn Pike – This is another series that surprised me at how much I became invested in the characters. I had no introduction to the story, just snatched the first book (WINGS) off the library shelf one day. Gone, hook, line and sinker after that. It’s having to wait on great series like this that makes me irritated at myself for reading so fast.

(128.) Mercy and (129.) The Devil Don’t Knock by Susan Sims Moody – Susan and I have swapped a few notes on twitter and I’m happy to call her writer bud. She’s a awesome home town gal, a great writer and her Jennifer Martin mysteries are excellent reads and I enjoyed them very much. FLATLANDS is first then MERCY and THE DEVIL DON’T KNOCK. If you’re looking for a new mystery set in the south to fall into, look no further than these three.

(130.) If I Stay and (131.) Where She Went both by Gayle Foreman An really great story about loss and the process of not being able to let go then having to face the consequences. A awesome read.

(132.) Beautiful Chaos by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl – I LOVE these books! There’s just no other way to describe them without letting a spoiler out. If you haven’t read this series YOU NEED TO. Beautiful Chaos was an excellent read and kept me guessing right up until the very end.

(133.) Shift by Jeri Smith Ready – This is the second book in Jeri’s #SHADEboys books. Jeri now holds the title of being the other author besides Colleen Houck who has emotionally wrung me out with smiles and sobs while reading her books. Well played J, well played indeed. I anxiously await my copy of SHINE with tissues in hand. J

(134.) Everlasting by Alyson Noell - This series has a total of six books with Everlasting being the final installment. A lovely series to check out if you haven’t already.

(135.) Hush Hush by Becka Fitzpatrick – I told myself a few weeks ago I wouldn’t get hooked into any new series until I finished all the ones I’ve started. Well…this one blew all that out of the water. I await the next book anxiously from the Hernando Library. An excellent read and very colorful characters.

(136.) Raised by Wolves and (137.) Trial by Fire both by Jennifer Lynn Barnes – An excellent series. Jennifer has a real knack for humanizing the animals all the while staying true to their nature. It’s the best balance of the two things in a werewolf book I’ve read this year. Wonderful series and I’m VERY anxious for the next book.

(137.) Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley – This book was my favorite odd find of 2011. The unusual cover art is what first struck my interest while I browsed the YA section with writer bud Michelle Ladner in Books a Million a couple of weeks ago. The story though, the STORY is wonderful. After I started reading, I couldn’t not find out what happened to these characters. I read the whole book in one afternoon because I literally couldn’t put it down.

(138.) Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare – This book is one I’ve been waiting anxiously for. I’m not the first to say it but I’m still pleased anyway to congratulate Cassie on her spot on the New York Times Best Sellers List this week. Both her series have been some of my most favorite books for the past two years after stumbling across City of Bones in my local Books a Million. I highly recommend all Cassie’s books as one of my favorite series of 2011.

OVERALL FAVORITE SERIES 2011

Hunger Games, Catching Fire and Mockingjay all by Suzanne Collins

The Mortal Instruments series (City of Bones, Co Ashes, Co Glass, Co Fallen Angels) The Infernal Devices (Clockwork Angel and Clockwork Prince) all by Cassandra Clare

SEXIEST ADULT PARANORMAL SERIES

Dragon Bound, Storms Heart and Serpents Kiss by Thea Harrison

BOOK THAT KEPT ME GUESSING AND LAUGHING UNTIL THE LAST PAGE

Going Bovine by LIbba Bray

BOOKS THAT MADE ME CRY LIKE A BABY AND LIKE IT

Tigers Curse, Tigers Quest and Tigers Voyage by Colleen Houck

Shade and Shift by Jeri Smith Ready.

FAVORITE VAMPIRE BOOK 2011

Blood Secrets by Jeannie Holmes

FAVORITE ZOMBIE BOOK 2011

Rot and Ruin by Jonathan Maberry

FAVORITE MYSTERY

Penhumbra by Carolyn Haines

Katie's MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF 2012

EVERNEATH by Brodi Ashton

Scattered, Smothered, Covered...

2011-12-06T08:11:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the blog! For our new friends in Qatar and Ukraine, I hope you see something that makes you giggle and want to visit again. The blog now hosts 45 different countries, can you BELIEVE that! I know I can't :)

    Did you think for a second after reading the name of this post that it was about hash browns from Waffle house? LOL! Gotcha! Hash browns would be nice right about now though...

Anyway.

    I picked that title because that's about how I'm feeling today. Scatter brained, smothered in laundry and covered up with piles of receipts and filing to do.
    I've devoted every free moment since August to finishing UNWILLING and boy can you tell it by looking around this joint. Last week I got held up by a nice case of Strep throat and my original deadline of Dec. 1st came and went. Disappointing, but it couldn't be helped. I did continue to work while sick but the pace was snail-ish at best. Heavens be praised though, I finished the polish last night and it goes in the mail Tuesday morning. I'm nervous but really anxious all at the same time to hear what readers think about the story. Keep your fingers crossed for me!
    Now it's time to take a day or so to just breathe and maybe dig out from under the gigantic pile of neglected paperwork taking up space in my office chair. Best of all, I'm free to reacquaint myself with the rough draft for the second book and plan out it's next move. FUN! Since finishing last spring, it's been patiently waiting in a binder. Now we can get down to business :)

It's nearly two in the morning as I write this so I'll leave you with one more thing. I want to say a big thank you to everyone who sent notes and messages of encouragement. They meant the world to me on those lonely nights when I thought the task might defeat me. Thank you all so much!

Have a great week everybody and don't forget to join me on The Book Platform with John Rakestraw on December 18th.

Till then,

Katie

Ze Deadline ... She approaches

2011-11-26T21:41:00.000-08:00

    Hey guys! Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!
    What's that? You want to know where the heck I've been? I know, I know ... I've neglected the blogging over the last two weeks. Sorry :( It's been for a good cause I swear!
    I'm prepping Unwilling for beta reads starting December first so I've been wicked busy. Good news is I'm anticipating being done exactly on time. (if not before, which my OCD prefers.) *cheers, pompoms, and Valium all around! woohoo!
    Seriously, I didn't forget about you guys I swear. Here's a quick run down of what's coming up in December:
December 1st - Those doing beta reads, check your mail boxes the first week of December. Unwilling is coming to you with brand new bells and whistles. I'm really pleased with how it turned out, yet nauseous for being please. Huh, I guess I can't be pleased. Confused yet? Good because I know I am.

December 18th - Interview with John Rakestraw on http://thebookplatform.com/show-schedule/ @ 10:30 a.m. Now for all those who will be in Sunday services, no worries. Of course it would be ideal to have everyone connect to the show at the same time but it being Sunday I understand completely. If you won't be available at 10:30 a.m. you can always listen to the interview on John's website later in the day. I'll be posting the links multiple times so it shouldn't be hard to find. My goal is to be John's most viewed new writer! I'll appreciate all the help I can get with that goal too :)

    The publishing industry is changing faster and faster everyday. One of the ways it's changing is that writers are largely responsible for promotion and advertising now. That's where folks who love writers like John Rakestraw come in. His cares about writers and is doing a great job helping them get the word out about their work. So please drop by his program on the 18th and give me a listen. Going for the goal!! MOST VIEWED GUEST!!!!

   My upcoming blog will be "what's on the nightstand". Unwilling has caused my TBR pile to collect a bit of dust but I plan on rectifying that asap. I'd love to hear about what you're reading too so leave a comment. Now it's back to the rock pile so mark your calendars blog buddies! Katie wants to be the MOST VIEWED GUEST! MOST VIEWED GUEST! Shout it out now! MOST VIEWED GUEST!!!
Till then,
Katie

P.s. There's also John's interview with my writer bud's Jeannie Holmes and Carolyn Haines from back during the summer if you missed them. Check out his past guest list on the website :)

The Idea Fairy

2011-11-14T11:36:00.000-08:00

“How do you come up with these weird ideas?” Since I started telling folks about my manuscripts, I get this question a lot. Don’t get me wrong, I totally don’t mind answering it. In fact, I LOVE talking about my own stories and other writers books. But at the same time, it’s a hard question to answer efficiently. The smart-aleck in me wants to say, “How do you NOT have constant ideas? My freaking brain never turns off! And who said my ideas are weird?” *paranoid much* That would be a rude answer and I’m southern so I most likely wouldn’t do that. Plus, my answers never seem to satisfy the person whose asking the question. So we both end up becoming awkward and uncomfortable before switching the subject to something else. Anyway, I thought I’d take a moment and try to explain how ideas come to me.

At the moment, I’m attempting to write this dang post around my husband’s incessant babbling about how his gym session went and what’s on ID TV at the moment. Lord help… So of course the story idea of a woman who beats her husband in the head with his gym notebook and buries his body under the trampoline is buzzing about my noodle. But I digress. Seeeeee, ideas can come from the simplest things.

I’ve learned though that the problem with random ideas is most of the time they lack the proper elements for a complete story. More specifically, goal, motivation and conflict which help form a well rounded plot line. Simply said, the poor haggard wife needs more meat to her story before it can be completely plotted. As writers, our elf needs ogres to fight in search of his prize, our vampire needs more than a beautiful neck to slurp on and our zombies need to eat brains because … well … that’s what zombies do. The folks running from the zombies though, they’re the ones who need to have GMC. The plight of our homicidal wife, though interesting and poignant, just doesn’t contain the proper elements to fill a plot line. Therefore, her story tromps dejectedly back to the drawing board to await more inspiration. And there you go … a story idea in waiting.

So the next time you wonder how your favorite authors come up with such out-of-this-world things to write about, just look around you. Ideas are everywhere! From the creepy checkout lady in the grocery story who I’m sure is a goblin in disguise to the monsters in our dreams. We draw inspiration from the world around us and from the inspiration boogie-boo’s lurking in our imaginations. The difference between a great idea and a completed story is whether or not the writer can take it from shiny new idea to a sparkling yet solid reality.

Got to run, I just got another idea! And in case you're wondering, that's exactly what my idea fairy looks like. :) LOL!

Till then,

Katie

What's on the Nightstand?

2011-11-01T15:23:00.000-07:00

Happy Tuesday everyone! Hope you’ve all recovered from the Halloween festivities. A big welcome to our newest visitors Nigeria and Malaysia, hope you enjoy the blog and please visit again soon! To date, the blog has had visits from 43 different countries. I’m very proud and humbled by this and want to say thank you all so much.

I’m afraid my writing might come out a bit scattered today so bear with me. You’re wondering why I bet. Well, it’s because there’s entirely too much candy in my house. I’m contemplating how to throw all of it away without my boys freaking out. Every time I walk by the bag, the voice in my head yells, “Don’t you dare touch that!” and sounds like Jillian Michaels.

Hopefully writing this blog will take my mind off the candy. It’s been a while since I did a “What’s on the Nightstand” so it’s about time to catch up on that. Since finishing my last draft, I took a few days to smother myself in reading and rest my brain. From August to October 19th I focused so hard on finishing my manuscript I didn’t read much but boy have I made up for that now.

I’ve discovered come wonderful new authors and stories in these books. Each one has been a needed break from my own work too. Hopefully, you’ll see something among this list that you want to check out. So get to reading folks! And think of me often, now that I’m entering the editing phase, and send me some positive editing vibes. I’m slaving away so that my own work will shine up nice and pretty and I can join these writers sooner rather than later. There are quite a few great titles to talk about so I’ll shut up and get to the candy … I mean … books.

Till Then,
Katie

BEAUTIFUL CREATURES and BEAUTIFUL DARKNESS by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. - These books were wonderful reads. I love the fact that it’s told from the male point of view too. The setting being based in a southern town, I could identify with the characters and language on a personal level which made it easy to connect with the story. The next book, BEAUTIFUL CHAOS, just hit shelves and is on the top of my TBR pile. If you haven’t already, you can click the link and read how I met one of the author's, Kami Garcia, when her Smart Chicks Tour came to Memphis.

SERPENT’S KISS by Thea Harrison - This is the third book of Thea’s in the ELDER RACES series. DRAGON BOUND and STORMS HEART are the previous titles. This is a wonderful series! I couldn’t put them down once I started reading. The world Thea has created is expertly crafted and kept me hooked in start to finish.

WINGS by Aprilynne Pike - A friend and I discussed this book before I started reading. He guessed angels by the title but after finishing, I explained it as more fairies with a smidgen of troll thrown in for good measure. J Aprilynne has created a wonderful setting and some pretty colorful characters with this story. I enjoyed the read and look forward to the next title in this series.

THE NAME OF THE STAR by Maureen Johnson – My mother-in-law gifted me this book for my birthday and oh boy was I anxious to read it! I read it over two days and am happy to report it’s a great read. The story is part of Maureen’s new series and I’m twitchy waiting for the next book it’s so good.

GRAVEMINDER by Melissa Marr – Another member of the Smart Chicks Tour, Melissa writes a great scary story with GRAVEMINDER. This was my chosen Halloween read and it was perfect. Plenty of spooky mixed with mystery. Also by this author:

WICKED LOVELY, INK EXCHANGE and RADIANT SHADOWS - These are all part of the Wicked Lovely series along with the final title Darkest Mercies which is resting comfortably in my TBR pile. I really love this series. Melissa has created a beautiful yet sometimes heart-poundly complex world with these books. I’ve fallen in love with the characters and Melissa’s writing. If you’re looking for a new series to fall into this is a good place to start.

FLATLANDS by Susan Sims Moody – A Jennifer Martin Mystery (set in the area that I actually live in LOL). This was a really fun read, first for the story, and second for all the bits of familiar geography that snuck up and tickled my brain as I read. I have the next Jennifer Martin books requested at the Hernando Library so I’m anxious to see what else she gets into around the Delta.

Speaking of the Delta … DELTA BLUES (an anthology featuring LOTS of my favorite folks) is next. Writer bud Carolyn Haines and friends have put together something really special with this book. Contributors include: Alice Jackson, Carolyn Haines, Charlaine Harris, James Lee Burke, John Grisham, Ace Atkins, Tom Franklin and Beth Ann Fennelly, Suzanne Hudson, Lynne Barrett, Bill Fitzhugh, David Sheffield, Dean James. Nathan Singer, Suzann Ellingsworth, Michael Lister, Toni L.P. Kelner, Daniel Martine, Mary Saums and Les Standiford. The line up speaks for itself with this book. I loved it!

More from Carolyn Haines, PENUMBRA. – I love her Bones books of course. This stand alone title was one of my favorite ones from Carolyn. It has just enough heat and seedy mystery to hook you in and refuse to let go. Visit Tyrus Books for all of Carolyn’s re-released stand alone titles.

FORGIVE MY FINS and FINS ARE FOREVER by Tera Lynn Childs – These two books have some really great stuff! I laughed out loud at many of Tera’s fishy phrases. “Son of a swordfish” that one still makes me giggle every time I think about it. The characters are fun and the story is inspired. If you’re looking for a fun series to dive into this one is perfect.

New Page Info

2011-10-22T00:16:00.000-07:00

Hey guys :) Just a quick update. I have a new page on Facebook. I'd love for you to visit and give it a "like". Just click on the link below and it should take you straight to it. Have a wonderful weekend and check back often for more updates.
Till then,
Katie

https://www.facebook.com/writerKatieWoodRuffin#!/writerKatieWoodRuffin?v=wall

Interview with John Rakestraw on December 18th 2011

2011-10-17T20:18:00.000-07:00

Big news to share! I have an interview with John Rakestraw on December 18th 2011 to chat about the UNWILLING series :) This is very exciting and terrifying all at the same time. Grab the widget on the right side of the page and tune into THE PLATFORM with John Rakestraw on December 18, 2011 at 10:30 a.m. We'll be talking books! http://thebookplatform.com/

Till Then,
Katie

Congrats!

2011-10-15T21:02:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who left messages for Sherri. I really appreciate you visiting the blog and please come back again real soon. A huge shout out to CARRIE ANN RYAN. She won a copy of GODDESS COTTAGE. Enjoy Carrie! Thanks to author Sherri Dub for taking a moment to chat with me on the blog, hope we can do it again real soon.
Till Then,
Katie

A Visit From The Smart Chicks Tour

2011-10-10T11:22:00.000-07:00

Hey folks! Hope your week is chugging along peacefully. Little tid bit of news for y'all. The blog has officially topped 3000! *confetti, cheers, balloons and cake all around!* I would've never imagined a number like that last November when I wrote that first rambling post. LOL! And the cherry on top is the added bonus of new friends from Cyprus, Lithuania and Ireland. Thanks for visiting guys and please come back again real soon ;)
In addition to all that excitement, it’s been a very interesting couple of weeks around here. I turned a year older, wrote a few more words, but best of all, I attended the first stop on the Smart Chicks Tour at Hutchison School in Memphis, TN on September 27th.

What a fun evening! The ladies were hilarious and interacted constantly with the crowd, telling stories about their books and jokes galore. Thanks to my new friends at River City Romance Writers, Justine magazine and The Booksellers at Laurelwood, I got the email announcing these writers would be in Memphis. More importantly, the sun and moon aligned, the hubs happened to be off work and bada-bing-bada-boom, instant babysitter and I scored the chance to have an evening I’ll never forget.

My friend Carolyn Haines http://southernauthors.blogspot.com/2011/09/carolyn-haines-many-hats-of-writer.html wrote a blog last month about how writers need to get out there, experience other writers, hang with folks who are doing the writing, but most of all, to learn everything you can about the industry. That as professionals it's our job to really study our industry inside and out as soon as that first decision to seek publication is solid in your mind.
For my part, I've done my very best to follow Carolyn's advice even though at times it makes me feel squidgy inside. Don't even get me started on how horrible I can screw up a solid moment with a honest-to-God agent because of a bad case of nerves. I pray the DGW2011 Incident stays locked away in the minds of those few who had to witness it for-e-ver Smalls. (sorry if that Sandlot reference went over your head) Don't ask me about my shame either cause I won't tell you. *shivers*For those of us who struggle with crowds, feeling shy and such, getting out there and "networking" isn't the easiest thing to do. But the reality is if you want to publish, getting to know your readers and writing community is a must. Notice I didn’t say “if you want to write”. Anyone can sit in their little spot and write to their hearts content. But the decision to seek publication, that’s a whole other animal indeed. With all that in mind, this was my first experience with a tour stop. Never mind how they were all writer’s I really had to work not to “Fan Girl” all over. Overriding my urge to squeal, I took away several nuggets of info from those couple of hours.

The Smart Chicks present were:

Kami Garcia, (on left) co-author with Margaret Stohl (on right) the Beautiful Creatures novels. Kami is a absolutely lovely lady who I think adores Black Sabbath according to most of her answers. I also have a suspicion Black Sabbath is her version of potato.http://beautifulcreaturesnovels.com/

Simone Ekeles, author of the Perfect Chemistry novels. Simone is a really quick wit and her answers had everyone rolling despite the fact that she answered with "the Fuentes brothers" more than once. The horde of teen girls in attendance didn't mind one bit.http://www.simoneelkeles.net/ woohoo for super hot bad boys! LOL!

Melissa Marr, author of the Wicked Lovely books. Melissa held court and the microphone out in the audience fielding questions for the Hutchinson ladies and guests like me. She kept the funny rolling and was a treat to finally meet in person. http://www.melissa-marr.com/

Kelley Armstrong, author of the Otherworld series and the young adult trilogy Darkest Powers and other titles. She served as moderator for the evening. It was a real pleasure to have the chance to meet her. http://www.kelleyarmstrong.com/

Jennifer Lynn Barnes author of the Raised by Wolves novels. Jennifer took all the newbie ribbing the ladies dished out with nothing but good humor. Her monkey impressions were hilarious too. Don't ask me how old she is either because they used one of those Men in Black thingies to wipe that from our memories at the end of the night. *Wink* http://www.jenniferlynnbarnes.com/

and last but most certainly not least, Rachel Caine. author of more than thirty novels which also includes the Morganville Vampire books. This was my test, not freaking out when I met Rachel. I'm proud to say I held it together but only just barely. She even gave me my very own membership card to Morganville LOL.
http://www.rachelcaine.com/Rachel_Caine_-_Writer/Home.html

Now you want to squeal with me don’t you? The ladies graciously signed everyone’s books, talked themselves nearly hoarse and even posed for a photo with me at the end. Oh yeah, I’m stalkery that way. So take Carolyn's advice and get busy learning all you can. If you get the chance to attend an event like this as a fan or as a future professional writer DO IT! It was great fun and I learned so much from just watching how the ladies worked the crowd.

And march on Smart Chicks! I really hope you guys have loads of fun on tour :) To see if the ladies are coming to your city, check out the tour link here. http://www.smartchickskickit.com/index.html

Till then,
Katie

Welcome Author Sherri A. Dub to the Blog

2011-10-03T20:40:00.000-07:00

We have a extra special guest on the blog today! Author Sherri A. Dub is dropping in to share some information about her experiences in e-publishing. She's the author of Goddess Cottage and The Witch Ball. Sherri and I "met" on twitter a few months ago and I've enjoyed following her progress since the launch of Goddess Cottage. She's kindly agreed to drop in for a chat so here goes.

Katie: Welcome Sherri, it’s an honor to have you visit the blog. Tell us a little bit about yourself and about your two books, Goddess Cottage and The Witch Ball.

Sherri: Thank you, Katie for inviting me. First off, I’m an avid reader and writer of Paranormal Romance. I have a BA in Anthropology from the University of Alaska Anchorage and I’m a happily married Grandmother.

I wrote my first book, Goddess Cottage approximately 3 years ago. Then, this year I finished my second book, The Witch Ball. Both are Para/Rom’s and only available on Ebook formats. I chose to self-publish because it left me in control of my work, and gave me the freedom to start my career, without wading through the slush piles.

However, I don’t believe self-publishing is for everyone. I believe I have a lot of writing experience, a great track record with RWA and FF&P memberships and meetings, and my peer group has been very persuasive. If you feel you are ready after you’ve submitted to agents, publishers and contests; and been told that your work is publishable, then I say go for it.

Katie: What inspired you to write these stories?

Sherri: My inspiration always comes from a mixture of my childhood memories and my passion for archaeology. When I grew up, with four other siblings in California, we were entranced by the magic of Disneyland, camping and horror movies. I read Nancy Drew books early on, but quickly grew complacent with her “goody-two shoes” outlook and became engrossed in Steven King, John Saul and Alfred Hitchcock.

I was the kid that wanted to dig up the backyard looking for treasures, or try to stay up past bedtime to catch ghosts in the house. I think I was just born with a natural sense of adventure and curiosity for the promise of something supernatural to come into my life.

Katie: We’re seeing the e-publishing market exploding with new books. What influenced your decision to use e-publishing instead of traditional publishing to bring your stories to readers?

Sherri: Again, I chose to E-publish because the time was right for me. After having been requested in full and encouraged by Kensington Publishing, having two years of good Golden Heart scores and 4 years on the college newspaper, my husband and I made the decision together.

He jokes that he’s my publisher, but without him, I don’t think I’d have been as comfortable with my choice. He has helped me set up my website, sell my books and choose my covers. He’s the best support system a writer could ask for, and don’t even get me started on how wonderful he is as a husband.

Katie: How has your experience using this technology been?

Sherri: I read a lot about the industry and different venues for Ebooks before I chose to go with Bookbaby. It’s easy to use, and they can do your cover art, which has been the case for me on both of my books. The cost is reasonable, and they compensate you 100%, after the four main distributors: Amazon, B&N, Sony and Apple have paid them. Each time your balance is $20 or more, you can have your money direct deposited into your account every Monday of the month.

What I didn’t know, that I wish I would have read in the fine print, is that any book that is priced at $1.99 or less only receives a minimal percentage of the retail price. If you want to increase your earnings, you have to earmark your books at $2.99 or higher. However, as a side note, I have found that the readers in the UK will not pay over $1.99 for a book unless it is on the NYT Best Seller list.

My debut novel, Goddess Cottage is priced at $1.99 and it has outsold my second novel three times over, because I priced The Witch Ball at $2.99. So, you have to feel out your readers, the economy and practicality issues before setting a price.

The largest piece of advice I would give to people about self-publishing, is to have your work edited. And to be prepared to put in the face time on your PC with the various outlets, such as: Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads.com and so on. Also, you have to do many giveaways, radio shows and blog visits to conjure an audience when you’re starting out as an unknown. It can be costly, so be prepared.

I have not begun to produce revenue in the black, as my costs for monthly websites, giveaways and such has been greater than the intake of profit. But, I am meeting new people, getting my name and my work out there, and I am continuing to build up a published list of my works.

Katie: Any new works in progress or upcoming releases you can tell us about?

Sherri: Currently, my 3^rd book is set in Alaska and it is a very anthropological, paranormal romance. I can only say that it is about shape-shifters and the Tlingit natives of SE Alaska. It has been a true labor of love for me, as I’ve spent nearly 20 years in Alaska and have been adopted by this group, personally. So, I am walking a fine line with my version of their mythology and my own imagination.

THE WITCH BALL

A paranormal romance, with a twist~

When antique shop owner, Charlie Chase is given the lead on a fine pick at a Victorian mansion in Placerville, CA, she can't resist heading up there in the middle of a February snow storm.

Finding a place to stay until the weather dies down is one thing. Renting the only cabin, complete with a hunky landlord, is another.

Buying a cursed trunk and its mysterious contents won't be the end of her strange adventures, either.

Together, she and the hot landlord are forced to solve the mystery of THE WITCH BALL, or she'll become its next victim.

ISBN# 9781617929700

http://amzn.com/B005GL8VUO

GODDESS COTTAGE

A paranormal romance novel set in Alaska, where witches and werewolves depend on one another to survive. Keeping their world veiled from outsiders is one thing, but falling love with each other is another.

ISBN# 9781617924675

http://amzn.com/B004YX9RYE

Hope you guys enjoyed hearing about the e-publishing experience from someone who is making wonderful waves in this ever expanding market. Sherri, I wish you loads of continued success and I’d like to say a HUGE thank you for taking a moment to visit with us here on the blog. For more information on all her work you can visit Sherri's website: http://www.sheropatra.com , follow her on twitter and Goodreads.com @Sheropatra and for sure drop in and “like” her Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/sheropatra/114153548669270.

If you like a chance to win either of Sherri's novels in Kindle format, just leave your name and email information in the blog comments box. A winner will be chosen on October 15th, 2011. The ebook of your choice will be sent to the winner of the random drawing.
Till then,
Katie

"100 Books a Year" ... DONE! :)

2011-09-21T20:12:00.000-07:00

Happy Wednesday evening everyone, I hope you all are having a great week. Let's give a giant blog welcome to our newest country Latvia. WELCOME! and please visit the blog again soon :)

Now for the big news of the day, I’ve done it folks! The 100 Books a Year goal has been met! *cheers* And what an amazing pile of reading it was. J It’s been a really long time since I listed these so I’ll shut up and get to it:

#76 - #86 The Lunatic Café, The Killing Dance, Burnt Offerings, Obsidian Butterfly, Cerulean Sins, Narcissus in Chains, Incubus Dreams, Micah, Danse Macabre, The Harlequin, Flirt by Laurell K. Hamilton

*I re-read LK’s books as my treat on vacation. An even bigger treat, I had the chance to help her fact check a few weeks ago because I’d just read the book she need a tidbit from. *squee!*

#87 - #90 Succubus on Top, Succubus Heat, Succubus Shadows, Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

*Richelle is a new find for me and I enjoyed these books quite a bit. I’m still working my way through all the series.

#91 & #92 Linger, Forever by Maggie Stiefvater

Maggie wrapped this series with Forever. It ended well and I enjoyed the read very much.

#93 Glass House by Rachel Caine

Rachel and her Morganville Vampires are high on my hot list right now. I’m itchy for the next in the series to come into the library.

#94 Fever Moon by Carolyn Haines

Carolyn is one of my personal favs and this book is no exception. Great characters, mystery and all the right kind of heat made for a wonderful read.

#95 & #96 Dragon Bound, Storms Heart by Thea Harrison

I’ve fallen in love with Thea’s characters. If you haven’t read The Elder Races books you’re really missing out. Her third book Serpent’s Kiss is due out October 2011

#97 Beauty Queens Libba Bray

Libba Bray = no words … love her. Awesome read and I expected no less .

#98 The Dead Girls Dance by Rachel Caine

#99 Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

This is a brand new branch to Richelle’s Vampire Academy books. Great read and looking forward to the next one.

#100 & #101 Tiger’s Quest & Tiger’s Curse by Colleen Houck

Colleen Houck’s Tiger’s melted my heart. November, and the next book in this series can’t get here fast enough for me.

#102 - #104 Midnight Alley, Feast of Fools, Lord of Misrule by Rachel Caine

#105 The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

Recommended by my bud Michelle and she has excellent book taste as always. A very good read, heartbreaking, funny and full of all the right things.

So there you have it. One hundred books devoured by yours truly. Am I stopping? Heck no J My reading is going to be at a much slower pace until the end of the year though. My goal to be finished with this re-write on Unwilling is coming up fast (October 31^st). So send me some creative energy in the coming weeks because I assure you I’ll need it.

Till then,

Katie

2011 The September Note

2011-09-11T02:32:00.000-07:00

In my second desk drawer, there’s a folded piece of notebook paper. It’s wrinkled, creased from one too many times where I missed the old fold line and there’s even a stain on the lower left corner where I smeared blood from a hang nail once. Anybody want to guess what number two on my “No-Good-Very-Bad-Things” list is?

Bullies ….

On Friday I flipped over to one of the few news feeds I still read and caught this headline:

“The Twitter account for NBC News was hacked Friday evening, and a series of alarmist tweets about a fake terrorist attack at Ground Zero were posted. The breach came just days before the tenth anniversary of Sept. 11th, at a time of heightened concern about the possibility of another attack.” (Huffingtonpost.com)

The story goes on to list what these morons posted. Best of all, the hackers even added the convenience of a hash tag to these made up bits of fear mongering. #groundzeroattacked. I swear I’m not making this crap up. Click the link and read it for yourself if you need to be extra angry today. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/09/nbc-news-twitter-hacked-t_n_956308.html

Thankfully someone got on the ball with this because the response to shut it down came in ten minutes later. Here’s what they did:

“The response from NBC was quick. Less than ten minutes after the first fake tweet, Vivian Schiller, Chief Digital Officer for NBC News and MSNBC tweeted "Ignore tweets from @nbcnews till further notice. We've been hacked. Do not retweet." (Huffingtonpost.com)

For those of you familiar with how twitter works, you understand that ten minutes to shut this down did some extreme damage in the raising folks fear levels department. For those not doing the twitter, let’s break it down.

NBCNEWS on twitter is listed as having 129,170 followers. Now let’s consider if all those folks decided to retweet that false message in the 9 minutes before they shut it down and what that might mean for the survivors of September 11^th.

The average time it takes for most people on twitter to retweet something is around 30 seconds. So, if every one of their followers retweeted these fake messages at 30 seconds, the message would’ve been delivered to 258,340 twitter accounts, at 1 minute 516,680. By a minute and 30 seconds, the retweet numbers would’ve hit 1,033,360.

Guess what folks, even if NBC culled it at 9 minutes and 30 seconds of retweeting, that’s a heck of a lot of crazy blasting its way to every cell phone and laptop in America. I’m not even figuring in other countries here. Now I know what you might be thinking, Katie, you ain’t good with math so stick with the writing thing. You’d be right about the math part, but that’s not the point.

Afterwards, the group "~~The Script Kiddies~~" took responsibility for the hack. Always the responsible news organization, NBC issued this statement:

"The NBC News twitter account was hacked late this afternoon and as a result, false reports of a plane attack on ground zero were sent to @NBCNews followers. We are working with Twitter to correct the situation and sincerely apologize for the scare that could have been caused by such a reckless and irresponsible act."

p.s. that’s the real name of the group but I marked them out because on my list they’re a big smelly pile of number two. For this bit of childish, idiotic, hateful, need-a-smack-upside-the-head bit of stupidity; I genuinely hope these people get a front row seat to a smack down real soon. Want to know why, other than the obvious reasons? They’re BULLIES, trying to scare folks that have been living in fear for ten years now.

And I already told you how I feel about a bully.

Maybe I should explain why bullies are number two on my list. I have two boys, my oldest is twelve and he’s had to deal with bullies every school year since he turned six years old. He handled them pretty well year after year, or so I thought. Finally he reached fifth grade and something in the bullying structure changed.

Just before Christmas vacation of fifth grade my son began to come home with red whelps on his arms. This is after he’d had every pencil I’d bought him stolen multiple times, items stolen out of his back pack, been called horrible names etc. etc. Real bully stuff you know.

I held his arm. “Did you tell your teacher?”

“Yes mom.”

“What did she do?”

He frowned, “nothing.”

*volcano exploded inside Katie’s brain*

We had this same discussion two more times that week. All the while, I’m calling the school, visiting principals etc. Yet, it keeps happening … in the classroom … and nothing is done about it.

I lay in bed several nights in a row seething, stewing and at times so furious I couldn’t breathe. During that semester, my son’s grades had dropped. He’d become despondent and listless. Now, I knew why. I felt powerless, angry and full of fear for my child.

Two days before Christmas vacation I picked him up from school and he held his arm out to me as soon as he shut the door. Angry red marks and purple hematomas had blossomed on his forearms.

I slammed on brakes and nearly dismantled the entire exit line strategy that afternoon. The closest teacher knocked on my window and waved frantically for me to move forward as I stared at the marks. I’m not sure what saved her from me shooting the bird; I did give her a murderous glare though.

“Did you tell your teacher?” I asked and pressed the gas pedal harder than I really should have.

“No because she won’t do anything about it.”

Something inside me finally broke. The camel with a straw on his back, whatever you want to call it, all my desire to follow the same old rules disintegrated.

My kid sat silent in his seat all the way home while I plotted and burned inside.

“I think we need to try something different,” I told him.

Bright blue eyes appraised me from across the car. “What do you mean?”

“Ignoring the situation isn’t working.” I opened the door and got out of the car at home. “Maybe it’s time we tried to fix this a different way.”

He only stared, said nothing and wore a wrinkled frown between his eyes.

I really looked at him and finally got it. My kid had given up on everyone, including ME, sticking up for him. The realization made me sick.

We sat down at the kitchen table to start homework and I watched him. My heart hurt. At last, I decided what we’d do to fix the bully situation.

Squaring my shoulders, I stared him in the eyes. “We’re gonna do something about this bully. The pinching junk isn’t going to happen another day. Do you believe me?”

He shook his head no. “I’ve tried. Nobody will make him stop.”

“You’ll make him,” I said.

“How?”

“I think I’ve been wrong about the way I’ve told you to handle problem kids for years.” Pausing, I waited for him to process that. “I should’ve never told you to not get in a fight at school. So here’s the plan. Tomorrow, if this kid lays one pinkie finger on you, pushes you, hits you, pokes you … basically, if his flesh touches yours for any other reason than an accidental bump in line or something, I want you to beat the living shit out of him.”

And yes, I said it just that way.

His eyes bugged out for a second … but then … he gave me that look. The one that said he still didn’t believe me. It broke my heart.

“Are you serious?” He sounded just like his dad when he said it.

“I’m as serious as a heart attack. If he touches you, I want you to grab him by the front of his shirt, throw him to the ground, sit on him and punch him right in his nose. Then I want you to punch him in both his eyes and in the mouth and bust his lip. Knock his teeth out. Then I want you to keep punching him until someone pulls you off. Till the day he dies, I want him to remember the last day he picked on you because you beat him so badly.”

“I’ll get expelled.”

“I don’t care. I’ll home school you if that’s what it takes.”

“So you want me to get in a fight at school?” He looked very confused.

“Nope,” I answered. “I want you to fight back. Tomorrow morning, I’ll get dressed and sit by the phone. If you get in a fight, you have the principal call me. After that, I’m going to get my notebook with all the dates and information about this situation, get in the car and drive straight to the Hernando police station to find a cop to bring with me to the school.”

His eyes got big as marbles.

“The cop won’t be for you.”

“Oh,” he said. Then, he smiled. Something changed then, I don’t have a name for it to this day. A flicker of something swam back up to the surface of his eyes as we sat there.

“So I have your permission to beat up a kid at school. And, you won’t care if I get kicked out of school for fighting.”

“Not if you’re sticking up for yourself to the kid who’s been terrorizing you for weeks. I’ll be up at that school as soon as you call to ream every teacher and principal who has something to say about it a new one for letting it go on.” Touching his arm, I held his gaze to be sure he heard me say the most important part. “I’m sorry, this is my fault. I took your power away by telling you the most important thing was to stay out of trouble. It’s not. The most important thing is that you go to school and aren’t afraid. You have the right to sit in your desk and concentrate on your work without fear of being physically hurt by a classmate. I told you not to fight because I felt like the system tied my hands with rules. I’m responsible for not fixing this sooner and I’m sorry.”

And that was the God’s truth.

He sat there doodling on his paper for a long time. Then he looked up at me, “Well okay.”

Later that night, I told my husband about our new strategy. Like a true male redneck, he was all for the ass kicking part.

Right about now, I bet you’re wondering what in the world this has to do with remembering what happened on this day ten years ago. I guess the main reason is I loathe bullies and any instance of unfair treatment with a burning passion, always have. But my personal situation, taught me another piece of why I won’t tolerate bullies. I’m big on not being under someone else’s control. All we Wood kids are resistant to that and we get it honest.

This hack into the NBCNEWS account is a perfect example of how the survivors haven’t been allowed to regain their control. Fear still rules New York City, Washington and anyone who has to fly on 9/11 every September. TSA agents are swiping grandmother’s butt cracks for bombs and nekked x-raying people for the love of God. If that’s not propagating fear I don’t know what is.

Bullies aren’t about anything but stealing power from others. And has there EVER been a bigger example of that than the attacks on September 11^th? An extremist group crashes planes and kills innocents for a cause so old and convoluted they can’t actually explain why they did it where anyone can understand it. That’s the actions of humans who’ve lost all control. Terrorist live in a waste land, under dictators … no control. They see American’s living free, both girls and boys going to school then to college when their own children can’t … they’ve no control. Fear is an ever-present monster at the door over there and they want Americans to feel the same way every September. Thanks to idiot groups like kiddies-who-need-to-have-the-sense-knocked-back-into-them, September 11^th still has the power to bully survivors ten years later.

I dropped my kid off at school that following Monday morning then went home, sat on the couch and held my cell phone on my lap. Around 11:30 a.m. the phone rang. Big cleansing breath first, I answered.

The assistant principal on the other end of the line was all in a flitter. He proceeded to tell me what a strange morning he’d had, like I frickin’ cared. Two minutes into the conversation, I wanted to beat him up.

After leaving me at the car, my kid had marched himself into the main office and plopped himself into a leather chair. He then explained to the assistant principal that he’d been bullied by a kid in his class for weeks and demanded that the principal make it stop. That’s an exact quote to, my kid demanded.

After the bully visited the office that morning, he never bothered my son again. To this day, we haven’t had another instance of bullies.

My son did something that morning which surprised even me. He made the choice to take his control back in a non-violent way. His parents had given him permission to crack heads, but at 11 years old, he made a decision most adults can’t. He marched into that school and took back all the control he’d lost in six years of bullies with a grin.

As I reflect on the beautiful blue sky I remember from September 11^th ten years ago, and how nothing in America has been the same since. I’ll hang my flag up. Watch the specials on television and cry and say a prayer for the families who lost someone they love to nothing more than a group of bullies. But, for this year most of all, my wish for the survivors is that they’ve found a way to take back control and let go of some of the lingering fear that it might happen again.

For my part, I'll never forget the people who were lost, never forget the untold number of hero’s from that day and what they did, but most of all, never forget the courage it takes for those left behind to face their fears every day wearing 9/11 scars on their hearts.

Till then,

Katie

EVERNEATH!! Happy Book Birthday Brodi Ashton!!

2011-09-07T09:57:00.000-07:00

*This is a post featuring Brodi when she visited my blog a while back. Since today is
EVERNEATH's book birthday
I thought I'd repost it for everyone. Today is a HUGE day for Brodi along a very long road from idea in her computer files to finally a book that can now be held in the hand. I'm sure she'd appreciate hearing how and where you picked up your copy of EVERNEATH. Give Brodi a big ol' book birthday shout out on her web page( http://brodiashton.blogspot.com/), twitter (@Brodiashton) or facebook page*

Today on the blog I’m proud to announce a special guest. A while back, I had the pleasure of “meeting” some new writer pals through a twitter game aptly named #wordwar. One of those lovely ladies is Brodi Ashton.

Aside from winning the #wordwar burrito, consuming more diet Coke than the law allows and entirely too many cinnamon bears, Brodi is the author of EVERNEATH. The first in a planned trilogy, EVERNEATH is scheduled for release January 24, 2012 from Balzet + Bray/HarperCollins.

Because she’s cool like that, Brodi has agreed to address a few questions for the blog J So let’s give her a huge blog cheer! *whistles and cheering ensues*

Katie: Thanks for visiting Brodi. I’m so honored to have you on the blog.

Brodi: Thank you so much for having me!

Katie: First, tell us a bit about EVERNEATH.

Brodi: Everneath is the story of a girl, who returns to her high school after a long mysterious absence. As the book goes on, we learn where she’s really been, and what’s coming for her in six months. All she wants to do is reconnect with the boy she left behind, but an immortal has followed her home, and he has other plans for her…

Okay, I just wrote that on the fly, and I don’t know if I’m very good at summaries. So please check out the Goodreads page. J

Katie: What inspired you to write EVERNEATH?

Brodi: The very first scene in the book shows a girl on her first day back at high school. She is trying to get her life back, in the face of rumors and tough questions. This scene was inspired a little bit by a couple of girls I knew in school, who went through rough times and reached a point where they tried to recover the life they had before.

So, that first scene was inspired by a real situation. But the rest is purely fictional.

Katie: One of the questions I wanted to address in our conversation is the importance of reaching out to others in the writing community. From my own experience, writing can feel isolating at times. What are some things you do to combat that closed in feeling?

Brodi: One of the biggest pieces of advice I can give is to surround yourself by like-minded people! Find a good critique group. Go to conferences. Even blogging can help you not feel so alone. Because in the end, writing is a solitary endeavor. We all end up alone with our thoughts, in a room somewhere, trying put story to paper. Sort of like your own insane asylum.

Katie: How influential has your group of writer buds and Critique group been in helping you through the process of writing, submissions and now being published?

Brodi: My own critique group, The Six, has been invaluable. They give me ideas, support when things aren’t going so well, laughter when all I feel like doing is crying, and they celebrate every step with me.

Katie: I know you’ve been very busy working on a second book. How has that process differed from the experience of writing EVERNEATH?

Brodi: A deadline. A DEADLINE! The first book I wrote completely on my own terms, and I could often wait long periods of time for inspiration to hit. But with a deadline, sometimes I can’t afford to wait. Sometimes I have to write, even though my “muse” is nowhere to be found. And then I have to write some more. It has definitely been a learning experience.

Katie: I appreciate you allowing the blog into this tiny piece of your world. I know you’re covered up with work so I won’t keep you any longer. Thanks so much for taking a moment to visit. Any advice you can pass along to new writers about finding friends in the industry?

Brodi: Like I said before, conferences. Online forums. Don’t be afraid to reach out. Don’t be afraid to try on a few critique groups till you find the right fit. Don’t give up.

*Brodi Ashton received her Bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Utah and a Master’s degree in International Relations from London School of Economics. She and her husband live in Utah with their two sons. For more information on her work visit her website follow her on (Twitter @Brodiashton). Everneath can be found on (Goodreads.com), (Amazon.com). and (BarnesandNoble.com).

The Whole Line Up UPDATED

2011-08-18T19:40:00.000-07:00

Is this not the most adorable dog evah?? LOL! Happy Wednesday folks! What an amazing week of rest it’s been. J This is a sort of update on my writing progress. Plus, I’m going to give you a peek at all the books I’m working on.
Stepping outside my regular blog topics of what’s on the nightstand and such, this is more of an informational post than the normal musings for those just joining us here on the blog. To our new visitors from Cyprus, Lithuania, Ireland, Hong Kong and Japan, WELCOME! Thanks for dropping by and I hope you come back to visit again real soon.

As of October 19, 2011 at 1:46 a.m. the third draft of Unwilling is now complete! *cheers, confetti, balloons and nerve pills all around*The entire UNWILLING series is now taking a much more solid shape. Book number one, UNWILLING, is a complete third draft. The first draft of UNWILLING added up to 169,643 words and trust me I bled every word on the keyboard. Then, after my first edit, the second version of the manuscript rang in at 132,000-ish. This most recent draft now sits in at 99,000 and some change. I thought there for a while the re-writing might make me yank myself bald headed. But heavens be praised, since correcting a major kink I’d missed, the story works much better. To help move the story closer to becoming a reality I can share, I started the editing process. Totally not my favorite thing about writing unfortunately. Hubs is helping out with typo checks this time and sniffing out all the "dudes don't do this" spots. LOL! My male characters should be exceptionally well rounded and packed with testosterone once he's done. I'm really looking forward to sharing this story with everyone really soon so keep your fingers crossed that progress is swift and productive.

Book Two, tentatively known as UNLOVED, sits tucked away in its completed rough draft form in a binder on my desk. This first draft is 126,855 words and 19 chapters respectively. Why is it just sitting there you ask? Because it’s patiently wiling away the hours until I finish working on Unwilling. There’s even a nice taut rubber band around it to deter me from messing with it.
I promised myself that I’d leave it alone until Unwilling's re-write is complete, hence the rubber band. Now that the draft for Unwilling is done, Unloved will be my go-to break from the editing process which saps my juices considerably.

Book Three, the last in this series, is as yet unnamed. I’ll tell you what; this puppy has put me in a pickle more than a few times during the plotting process. Right now it comes up to only 7,522 words and 4 chapters. Considering the work still before me on the first two, this is pretty good.

*Now for a few things you haven’t heard about*

Book Four

(Are you sensing an organization theme yet?) This book stands right now at 32,730 words and 11 chapters. The story is classified as a mystery. It’s been a great learning experience to try my hand at traditional mystery since the previous series is Paranormal Romance with only elements of mystery. I’m enjoying the research and creation of these characters because they’re all very complex. Lots of seedy history and disaster in the pasts of these folks is giving birth to a juicy, twisty story line.

Book Five

A Dystopian, this story only sits at 728 words and one chapter so far. The reason you ask? Because of the friggin’ research involved in this booger, that’s why. World building, fact checking, historical research… good grief, you name it and this story has it. I love the characters and the setting but they are incredibly complex and deserve a complete focus to be done right. The fact that they’re all both beautiful and horrible in a million ways is one of my favorite things. At this point, I consider this manuscript something I use to tickle my creative funny bone when it goes limp. My crazy dreams are often the elements that end up it Book Five’s plot chart. Needless to say, I don’t expect to finish this manuscript in 2011.

Book Six

A YA thriller, Book Six stands at 7,561 words and 4 chapters. There’s a “little” convention I plan on taking Book Six to in 2012 called Thriller Fest so I’m focusing on tight plot lines for it instead of cramming in a bunch of words that will have to be weeded later. There’s a time constraint on this story with Thriller Fest being July 2012 so I want the drafts to be few and near perfect in the structure department. On the up side, I literally itch to work on it! I’m so in love with its particularly dark elements. Give me a story that yanks me along with thrills and chills and I’m heaven. J

Book Seven

This manuscript has become my go-to writing place to relieve stress and find a laugh. I’m overjoyed with its progress so far. With a word count of 16, 989 and 15 chapters I can easily tell you the story is the most relaxing and fun one I’ve worked on yet. The characters have high drama but the laughs are also prolific. If I had to stick it with a tag pin, right now I’d call it Chick-lit. I expect it to become a complete draft before Christmas and be sent on its way to editing. I’d tell you more but its top secret!

So there you have it. Those are all the projects I’m working on right now. I hope this makes you curious and excited to read them all. I’m off to cram some words on the page so I’ll catch you folks later. *Lets go of rope and drops into the writer’s cave*

Till Then,
Katie

Number Two's Big Day

2011-08-06T11:35:00.000-07:00

Hey y'all! Betcha thought I'd abandoned you again right? Nope. Not me. I'm here for the duration. I have to say though that this summer’s activity agenda proved daunting for even an over-planner like me. 47 hours behind the wheel in June and July had me raising the white flag very quickly. Throw in two active boys and there just aren't enough hours in the day to get everything done. What that all means is my writing schedule and blogging went the way of the Dodo for the summer. Good news though, school started Thursday!! Woohoo!!

A little bit of business first of course. A big ole blog welcome to new followers and the two most recent countries collected on the blog, #34 Ghana and #35 Pakistan. Thanks so much for visiting and please drop by again soon.

Most of our activities this summer were focused on fun but on July 23^rd I had the privilege of attending Number Two's wedding. For those of you new to the blog, Number Two is the second half of the two coolest nieces in the world. And what a gorgeous affair it was! The Sister in Law did a spectacular planning job and the finished product was a scene straight out of Southern Living.

Most people when they go to a wedding, or really any event, focus on the action, the decorations, the music and yada, yada, yada. For me, I couldn't take my eyes off The New Mr. and Mrs. Number Two. I swear it looked like that boy could eat her up with just his eyes. And what a banquet it would've been because Number Two was a satin swathed vision of beauty, as you can see from the photos.

As a proud Auntie, sitting on my little white chair with the salty air blowing in my face, I did my best to absorb every expression, every smile and each flick of the eyes that passed between them. But since I’m also a writer, I made a study of their expressions and stored that information away. Vows of love and commitment, words full of promise passed between them all while tears of joy flowed. Both their faces seemed back lit with a soft humming light of love. You might think it's weird to watch people that way. As a writer, witnessing such pure and radiant emotions is better than winning the manuscript lottery.

Writers dig around in their own brains for new ways to express love, passion, pain etc. You wouldn't believe how hard it is to come up with a new way to express my characters feelings over and over again and keep it fresh. To bear witness to such a bounty of different emotions filled my creative tank to overflowing and my heart with happiness for Number Two.

Most of all, because Number Two holds such a special place in my heart I couldn't be more overjoyed that she's found a love like that. It's rare these days. So if you have someone who drinks you in with his/her eyes, savor it. Roll that feeling around on your tongue like a sweet candy then let the love soak into your soul. More importantly, treasure it. Hold your love close and thank the person who holds your heart for that gift.

To quote one of my favorite movies:

"Love is a many splendid thing, love lifts you up, all you need is love." Moulin Rouge

This afternoon I’ll be sitting in my office with a big fan blowing on me and writing a very inspired love scene thanks to the newlyweds. It’s too hot in the south to go outside. So take inspiration from the new Mr. and Mrs. Number Two. Turn the AC down and snuggle with the one you love.

Till Then,

Katie

What's on the Nightstand? #74 and #75

2011-07-08T22:01:00.000-07:00

First let me say a big welcome to our new visitors from around the world, The Netherlands, Switzerland, France and Turkey. Your visits bring the number of countries collected on the blog up to 33. I hope you enjoyed visiting and please return often.

What’s on the nightstand? Well, since I just got home from vacation, surprisingly, not much. My poor mistreated blog …. *pets its wittle head* What can I say, it was an chaotic two week vacation with lots of fun sprinkled in. Some parts I wouldn’t mind doing again, others, I could definitely do without.

Good news though, I’m now the proud Aunt and Great Aunt to two healthy babies. It was iffy all the way around at first because they’re hardheaded and didn’t want to stay in long enough to bake properly. But now they’re both growing and thriving, safely tucked away in their bitty incubators for a few more weeks. My family has truly been blessed.

Once we finally arrived home Monday, I dove back into my new additions to the TBR pile. Besides my joy of a new read, it’s been an exciting week in the world of books for some special friends! My writer buds Carolyn Haines and Jeannie Holmes new titles, BONES OF A FEATHER and BLOOD SECRETS, both hit the shelves in the last two weeks. I had the pleasure of spending time with both lovely ladies last Saturday at a signing held by Page and Palette in Fairhope, AL. Additionally, fellow DG2010 alum An’gel Molpus of the SASSY GIRLS BOOK CLUB on facebook and I hung out while the ladies put their John Hancock on lots of books. She and I had a wonderful chat over some interesting and delish coffee concoctions. An’gel is a total doll and completely hilarious. If you aren’t a sassy girl, you’re missing out, especially on Friday.

I hope these two titles are ones you’ll check out because these two ladies are very special. I'm in love with their work, but most of all I'm honored to call them friends. So get to reading folks and I promise not to neglect you anymore. Go on now, scoot! (Mom, I’m talking to you).

Till then,

Katie

BONES OF A FEATHER by Carolyn Haines

Sarah Booth and Tinkie are at it again. Even though they’ve been put on notice by both Oscar and Graf to guard the hearts they hold by staying away from dangerous cases and to not get into anymore trouble or the hospital. A simple insurance case and one little white lie of omission never hurt anybody… right…?

I adore Carolyn’s Sarah Booth Delaney mysteries and this one is no exception. Bones of a Feather is a great read and I’m already dancing a jig waiting on the next book.

BLOOD SECRETS by Jeannie Holmes

Still on suspension after allowing a previous case to get personal, Enforcer for the FBPI Alexandra Sabian is facing an official inquiry. In addition, Alex has a prospect of redemption through a new case concerning a missing Jefferson girl. Of course, those hopes hinge on Alex’s ability to work alongside her former mentor and ex-fiancé Varik. Unfortunately for Alex and Varik, they can’t see until it’s too late that the killer known as The Dollmaker is dead set on keeping Alex in his collection forever.

Jeannie’s first title BLOOD LAW was a wonderful read and BLOOD SECRETS is even better! I’m doing the antsy dance in anticipation of the next installment. If you haven’t already picked up this series, I can’t imagine what you’re waiting for! From what I hear, there’s a lot more adventures ahead for Alex, Varik and the people of Jefferson, Mississippi so don’t get left out.

What's on the Nightstand? #59-#73

2011-06-14T23:07:00.000-07:00

To quote that guy in that movie with that other guy and a fish girl, “What a week I’m having!” HA! In my case though, my week is actually going really well compared to this guy. Hey I’ll give you a Yankee dime if you can guess what movie I’m talking about. *wink, wink*

What’s on the nightstand already! Okay there’s no reason to yell. I know, I know it’s been a while since I blogged so stop giving me the stink eye. Vacation with the family in Laurel last week was so jam-packed I decided to let the blog ride until we returned home. But I’m back now and boy did I have some reading fun while we were gone! Six, count ‘em six, books finished in one week toward my goal of 100 per year. I think six is actually a personal record for me. We water parked, VBS’d, ATV’d, visited with friends, played and swam ourselves silly everyday then collapsed every night. It. Was. Awesome!

I hope y'all are enjoying your summer as much as we are. In the next few weeks we have so many fun things coming up my blog fodder folder will be full for a while. LOL! On Saturday we leave for another two weeks of beach and family visiting which will include a trip to the highly anticipated book launch of BONES OF A FEATHER for my writer bud CAROLYN HAINES in Natchez, MS on 6-25-11. VERY EXCITED!! LSW is making the trip with me so the drive is going to be jam packed with laughs and manuscript ideas.

Now because there are so many books on this nightstand post I’ll shut up and get to the books.

Till then,

Katie

MARKED, BETRAYED, CHOSEN, UNTAMED, HUNTED, TEMPTED, BURNED and AWAKENED

November 8, 2011 DESTINED

All these titles are by P.C. and Kristen Cast

These are part of the House of Night series. Zoey Redbird and the gang are exellent characters and I enjoyed each book quite a bit. I’ve completed all the available books so far and anticipate the next book this fall. Of the huge cast, Aphrodite has taken me over with her constant dose of snarky funny. If you enjoy paranormal romance, this is a great vampire series to dive into. (pictured left, P.C. and Kristen Cast) For more information on their work, visit their website. http://www.pccast.net/

SHADOWLAND by Alyson Noël

This is the third installment of Alyson’s Immortal’s series. They are all listed on a previous blog but I haven’t had much luck acquiring them. They are in high demand at Hernando Public Library LOL! This series is another really good paranormal romance. No vamps though. For more info visit Alyson's website. http://www.alysonnoel.com/

ROT AND RUIN by Jonathan Maberry

This is an excellent zombie read! I loved the characters and the story. I’m greatly anticipating the next book from Jonathan with these characters. For more information on Jonathan's work visit his website. http://jonathanmaberry.com/

A GREAT AND TERRIBLE BEAUTY, REBEL ANGELS and THE FAR SWEET THING

All three titles by LIbba Bray.

How much do I love thee Libba Bray??? I’d lose count if I tried to count the ways. All three of these books I read in one weekend and cried when I finished. They are that good! Once you see them in person you’ll understand what an accomplishment that was. They are HUGE! This was a new thing for me since the setting is post war England at a finishing school for young girls. WONDERFUL READS all around!! I can't begin to imagine the amount of research that went into this books. Check out Libba’s newest title BEAUTY QUEENS in stores now, follow her on twitter @LibbaBray or see her upcoming info on her website. http://www.libbabray.com/

HIT LIST by Laurell K. Hamilton

Anita is back and kicking some serious butt. It was good to see her return to her hard-core roots in this 20^th Anita Blake book. She’s a different Anita now because she’s in love so she’s got a blossoming soft edge to the character that I’ve always enjoyed in Laurell’s writing. She’s one of my favorite authors. I own all this series J YAY! I think I read that a Merry book will be next for Laurell but don’t quote me on that. For more information check her website http://www.laurellkhamilton.org/ and you can follow her on twitter @LKHamilton.

DEVILISH by Maureen Johnson

Maureen is a new discovery for me and I’m loving her! Devilish is a sharp read and I enjoyed it immensely. Check out her most recent title THE NAME OF THE STAR, follow her on twitter @maureenjohnson and for more info see her website. http://www.maureenjohnsonbooks.com/index1.html

Cutting Right Down the Middle of the Cheese.

2011-05-31T11:04:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone had a delightful Memorial Day weekend and took the time to thank those who made it possible for you to scarf down all that grilled flesh and homemade ice cream. To my great-grand and grandfathers' I say thank you for serving, to my great-uncle Curly I raise a thank you prayer for making the ultimate sacrifice and to The Brother-In-Law and all my school chums who are still serving I say a huge thank you! America wouldn’t be the place we know today without your willingness to stand up for it.

I posed the question today to my Facebook friends for a blog topic. Can you tell my creative tank is running on fumes? Trust me it is. Surprisingly, my school chum Scott presented me with a question which turned into a full blown idea the more I thought about it.

“Yeah why do they say cut the cheese when anytime I have ever actually cut a block of cheese it doesn't make that sound or stink? Just throwing an idea.” -Scott

My next thought after reading this was, “Cripes, how did I get myself into discussing farts?” Anyway, the question is out there so here we go.

Colorful slang and old sayings … where do they really come from?

Now if you live in the south, you know our language patterns are full of these things. They’re as much a part of us as sweet tea and pecan pie. But where exactly did most of them originate? I know for my family, some are passed down from grandparent, parent to child then some have evolved over time. My family has some doozy’s and the stories to go along with them. Don’t think we in the south are the only ones with these elaborate sentence enhancers though.

I learned living in Minnesota for a year they’re eat up with oddities in their speech patterns, not counting the obvious ones concerning the accent. Where we tend to fill our sentences with color and texture, Minnesotans clip and cut necessary pieces. It's a heat conservation thing I think. They can't waste the heat and energy filling their sentences with extra words. An example, for the first six months we lived there folks kept asking me if I wanted to “go with” but never would tell me where the hell they wanted to go! It drove me nuts until I figured out the pattern. As you can imagine, we bumpkins were quite the funhouse freaks in Hermantown, MN.

Now to answer Scott’s question.

CUT THE CHEESE - Vulgar Slang To expel (a discharge of intestinal gas). (www.thefreedictionary.com)

According to my research, this slang originated in the 1965-1970’s because there're actually some kinds of cheese that are quite odoriferous when sliced. The slang took hold due to an increase in the marketing industry's need to draw in more consumers through shocking photos, jingles and vulgar phrasing. This also proves you can research ANYTHING on the internet.

Scott, I hope that answered your question on the subject. *face to palm*

Thanks to my cheeky friend, I also wondered just where a lot of my own favorite slang originated. Here's a few so you can see what I mean.

“A hit dog hollers” for those times when no one will own up to an especially awful bit of methane. Can also be related to the more modern “he who smelt it delt it”.

“You look like a Vardell Manassco” *one of my grandmother’s originals* Used when your clothes or appearance is unacceptable.

“She needs to be smacked upside her head” This one is self explanatory.

Mulling these and some others over, I came up with three definite sources: family, environment and my love of reading. You’d only have to attend one Sunday dinner at my grandmother’s house to know that’s the truth. We’re a loud, long-winded bunch, but southern to the core and slam-full of more of these colorful sentence fillers than you can imagine.

I’ve said this before, to write you must read. On the flip side though, to write about life you must live it, gas bubbles and all. If you want to write about it, well then after you’re done experiencing it, you have to research your ideas to make them viable. It's a delicate balancing act of learning we must perform don't you think?

Reading is one of the best things you can do for your brain besides math, which I can’t in good conscience recommend. Reading expands your vocabulary, your knowledge base and opens you up to things you may never actually see or touch in real life. Will I ever go to Sweden? Doubt it, but I can read about it. Will I ever understand intestinal gas and why all male humans think it’s so dang funny? Sheesh, I sincerely hope not. But I can research its causes, compare my own experiences to others and expand my mind with new knowledge. Who knows, I might need to write about it someday.

In closing, never be afraid to find out more about a subject, no matter how embarrassing or disgusting. There's always the possiblty that one bit of grossness will pull you out of a sticky part of life later on. Thank you Scott for tickling my brain with this bit of ick. Your question gave me quite a few giggles and helped produce a nearly 800 word discussion on toots. May all males that read this be joyful--but not too joyful. Otherwise, please keep THAT to yourself. *pinches off nose and runs away*

Till Then,

Katie

A wedding, A Really Long Drive and Character Building...

2011-05-22T17:07:00.000-07:00

The two weeks of single parenting, while The Hubs jetted off to Topeka and Fort Worth, came to an end finally. *YAY* I survived unscathed but my work schedule suffered tremendously, couldn’t be helped though. I made a few attempts at writing but finally threw up my hands after the one hundredth time Nick interrupted my thought with a “Hey Mom…I forgot what I was gonna say”. Trying to work with kids in the house and no help is similar to sticking your head in a tiger’s mouth. You can do it, but it rarely turns out well.

So now The Hubs is home and things can resume (I hope!). To start the weekend off, Saturday we traveled to Newton, MS to see The Cousin get hitched. The wedding was beautiful and the bride and groom made a gorgeous couple. Seeing all the attention to details and care The Cousin and his bride put into the ceremony and reception, I realized what an amazing bunch of guys my family and I’ve been blessed with.

Being the oldest sister, Aunt and cousin of this gnarly bunch, I’ve had the chance to watch all the boys in my family, and in my husbands, grow up, find girls to marry. They’re each one handsome, caring men who’ve turned out to be amazing husbands and, now for some, fathers. The Cousin is no exception. After hearing about the surprise honeymoon and fun activities he’d planned for his new bride, I was completely thrilled for his bride. (Pictured: the brand new Mr. and Mrs. The Cousin)

The four hour drive home last night gave me a chance to think on this … a lot … it was four hours after all. Think on what you ask? Well, since you asked, on how I create my male characters of course. I’ve told you all before that I never pattern a character after one certain person. That’s still true. BUT, I do pull bits and pieces from people to build a character. Not the same thing. I swear.

I’ve found in my writing that I enjoy creating both good and bad-to-the-bone male characters. Both are fun in different ways and can be very challenging at times. The reason for this lies in the men of my family. I know a good man’s ways after having so many wonderful examples to chose from. And on the flip side, I also know exactly how to build a dweeb of a man in a manuscript. I know, I know. I hear your question. “With all these good men, how can you possibly create a believable evil one?” Uh … well duh … because I had some real asshats for boyfriends that’s how. Cheaters, liars, weirdoes and at least one who I’m sure spits on puppies when no one is looking. True story, one time I had this date with a guy someone set me up with. First mistake, he drove up to my house and honked the horn for me to come out. Bad move. I made him take me to Chesterfields and ordered the most expensive thing on the menu then didn’t eat it. Then, take me to the movies, popcorn, drink, candy, the works, and I wouldn’t even hold his grubby hand. Finally, he drove me home and I slammed the car door in his puckered-up face without so much as a bu-bye. My friend obviously forgot to tell him Wood girls don’t play that way.

So to all the wonderful men in my family, I salute you. My life is better with you in it and my characters are more wonderful and loveable because of your influence. I feel blessed to have you for my boys to look up to. And of course to all those who fall into the asshat category, raise your own boys to treat girls better than you did. Because you never know, that little girl from the county you treat badly might grow up and use you as the booger-eating, psychotic nerd who gets run over by a train in her book.

Till then,

Katie

What's on the Nightstand? #44 - #58

2011-05-15T19:43:00.000-07:00

What’s on the nightstand this week? Well technically, nothing since I returned them all to the Hernando library. LOL! Sorry, I couldn’t resist. Never fear fellow readers, the “to be read” pile in my office is calling to me in a loud and unrelenting voice even as I type. There’re quite a few titles I’ve been saving to help build up the anticipation before I dive into them. What can I say; I have to get my jollies in the little things.

A bit of news to pass along, the blog topped 2000 last week and collected another country, Russia, which brings the total to 29 different countries that have visited. WOOOOHOOOO! Thanks to everyone who helped the blog reach this milestone. I really appreciate it and hope you’ve enjoyed reading.

With a bit of luck, everyone had a wonderful weekend because I know I did. My family, Mom, Dad, The Sister, The Pups and The Nephew came up for a little visit. Saturday, we treated the boys to a trip to Memphis Zoo and couldn’t have asked for more perfect weather. No sun, temperature stayed around 70-ish and the wind kept up a nice breeze. Crowds weren’t heavy and we enjoyed a nice picnic just outside the farm animal exhibit with the music of a bubbling creek in the background. We saw all the lions, tigers and bears of course and even a few other things. My personal favorite is the panda house. I could sit and watch those buggers eat bamboo for hours, it’s fascinating! Before the day was done, all three boys nearly walked their little legs off, even The Nephew who insisted on pushing his stroller instead of riding in it. Once we loaded them in the car, they were asleep before we reached the highway.

On the way back, I drove over the flooded Mississippi River. If you’ve seen the photos of the river the last week or so, trust me, it’s nothing compared to seeing it in real life. The landscape is unrecognizable under all that muddy water. I couldn’t help but be heartsick for all the lives I know will be forever changed by the mighty Mississippi, who from what I saw, lives up to its name. Worst of all, it's not over as these same waters keep rolling south to the ocean.

Now on to the books! We’re at numbers #44 - #58 in the quest for a hundred and I’m totally pleased with this progress. There's some really great stories on this list. If you’re looking for new things to tickle your noodle, this is a nice mix to dive in to. In this round of reading, I discovered a new personal favorite, Ms. Libba Bray. It’s been a while since I laughed that hard at an author’s acknowledgement page. That's before I even read the story! Her work is phenomenal!! Her wit is razor sharp and I rolled laughing which is odd considering the subject matter. Also, I finished out Kim Harrison’s series and I’m quite anxious to see what happens to Rachel, Ivy and Jenks in the next one. Fellow members of WJH Choir will find a point of interest in Nancy Werlin’s book as it’s centered on a very lovely song we sang during the Mr. Johnson years called Scarborough Fair. Most exciting read goes to Charlaine Harris’s book which I’ve been anxiously awaiting. Loved it! Loved it! Loved it!

So without anymore yammering on by me, here’s the list. If there’s nothing here to interest you, I highly recommend Fantastic Fiction’s web page.http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/ Search your favorite author’s and scroll to see what they recommend. It’s a wonderful way to discover new reading treasures. So get to reading people!

Till Then,

Katie

#44 The Scorch Trials by James Dashner
This is the third Maze Runner story and coming October 11th is the final installment, The Death Cure. For more information visit his blog http://jamesdashner.blogspot.com/ and follow him on Twitter.

#45 Impossible by Nancy Werlin.
Nancy's next work, Extraordinary was named A Teens Top 10 Book for 2010. For more information on Nancy's work visit http://www.nancywerlin.com/impossible.htm

#46 Going Bovine by Libba Bray
http://www.libbabray.com/ Okay, so this stupid blog took me an extra hour to finish because I found Libba's home page and journal. This chick rocks so hard! Still laughing! Anyho, For more information on the many titles she's penned visit her website. But enter at your own risk and only if you can spare an extra hour to roll on the floor.

#47 Every Which Way but Dead by Kim Harrison

I'm not going to try and post all the photo's for Kim because she has so many, so I'm only going to include the most recent. For more information or to view each cover, visit her website. http://www.kimharrison.net/index.html

#48 Fist Full of Charms by Kim Harrison

#49 For a Few Demons More by Kim Harrison

#50 The Outlaw Demon Wails by Kim Harrison

#51 White Witch, Black Curse by Kim Harrison

#52 Black Magic Sanction by Kim Harrison

#53 Pale Demon by Kim Harrison

#54 Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris
Sookie's adventures never disappoint! For more information on Charlaine and her projects visit her website. http://charlaineharris.com/index.html

#55 Alabama Moon by Watt Key
This story was actually made into a movie by the same title staring in 2009. You can view the movie trailer here http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1300155/ Watt's continuation of this story is Dirt Road Home. For more information on this author visit his web site http://www.wattkey.com/Home.aspx

#56 The Orange Houses by Paul Griffin
Very interesting story and a good read. Paul does have social sites from what I can tell from my research but no website.

#57Evermore and #58 Blue Moon by Alyson Noël
Alyson is on Twitter and for more information on all her books, visit her website. http://www.alysonnoel.com/

There are several more books in Alyson's Immortals series: those titles are pictures below.

Last Sneak Peek

2011-04-29T15:54:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the final sneak peek! What's that? Is that an collective anticipatory sigh I hear from you followers? Good grief, I hope so! *just kidding*

I honestly do hope you all enjoyed this tiny bit of Neely's story and are now more anxious than ever to read the whole thing. Things are progressing well with the manuscript these days so cross your fingers that I have a nice copy to offer you all very soon :)

I decided to keep my spiel short today because hopefully you all have as much sunshine calling to you as I do. So I'll shut up and let you go get your D on cause that's exactly what I'll be doing for the next couple of hours. I love feedback! So let me know what you guys think about each excerpt or all four.

Till Then,

Katie

p.s. curious about what the characters look like yet?? Well, if you drop me a facebook comment, message or twitter, I'll send you a picture of the one character you most want to ogle *wink *wink

*Thanks once again to Number Two for modeling :)

This sneak peek is rated G

Andrew approached cautiously then cupped my hand in both of his before I could object.

“My people, the Māori, are very talented bone carvers. This is a fairly simple piece, but I’ve seen others that are true masterpieces.”

His breath fanned the curls resting against my cheek as he spoke. Using only his index finger, he traced the outline of the design around the entire surface.

I stood frozen in place, watching his finger sensuously move over the thing in my palm.

The rest of his fingers caressed my fingertips as he completed the revolution. The contact tingled and left behind a heat between us, that burned so intensely, it numbed the skin and left it cold.

Moving away from him would’ve been my natural reaction, but everything inside me had gotten mixed up and scattered.

“What do these markings mean?” My throat felt dry as I whispered the words.

Andrew looked up to meet my gaze. His green eyes flashed with an emerald flame that seemed to slowly bleed to Citrine.

“This design represents the unfurling native fern frond of my home. The symbol is given to someone who is experiencing personal growth or … an awakening.”

This manuscript is the sole property of Katie Wood and is prohibited from being displayed, copied, electronically discussed or electronically distributed without the expressed written permission of the author.

Beach in New Zealand (AWESOME)!!

If you'd like your very own necklace, visit my friends at http://www.shopenzed.com/ in New Zealand, Lesley will hook you up with one!

Sneak peek #3

2011-04-22T23:37:00.000-07:00

Welcome to week three! Sharing Neely's story has been such a blast! But as with all good things, unfortunately, the sneak peeks are coming to an end soon. I hope y'all have enjoyed them. Once number four is posted next week, it'll be a little while before anymore show up. That's not necessary a bad thing though. Everyone keep your fingers crossed that a nice bossy agent and publisher tells me I can't share pieces from the book very, VERY soon. :)

In the meantime, I'll do my best to slip you all a dab here and there. The blog is growing fast and thanks to everyone who has supported the series by passing the link on to their friends. I really appreciate it. In less than eighty hits the blog will pass that next notch of 2000. Every little bit helps and for every mile stone reached I promise I'll post some pieces, so keep those follows and views coming!

Till Then,

Katie

This Sneak Peek is rated

“Doesn’t matter I guess,” I mumbled. I’d promised myself I would not cry in front of him and began to untangle my arms from around his waist.

Hayden grabbed hold of my biceps but I kept my face turned away.

“Neely,” The music roared up again and almost drowned him out. “What’s the ….?”

The sound of Camilla Nelson’s voice cut in on my right side but barely registered in my brain. Her words fluttered through my mind and back out again as I tried to wiggle free.

“Can’t somebody else go?” I heard Hayden hiss loudly. His fingers clutched at my arms at little tighter as I struggled.

“Damn, I’ve got to run to the store for Mom.” He yelled down at me, just as I freed myself.

“Whatever.” I threw the word over my shoulder as the first tear landed on my cheek. Walking as fast as possible away from him, I heard him say, “I’ll be right back.”

But that didn’t matter one way or the other now.

What's on the Nightstand? #39-#43

2011-04-20T18:05:00.000-07:00

Hey folks! And huge welcome goes out to our new #28 country Iran. Thanks for visiting the blog and I hope you enjoyed it so much you'll stop by again soon. As of Wednesday, the blog is only 100 away from reaching that next goal of 2000 so spread the word and forward the link to your friends. Most exciting of all, the end of the week will bring on the third sneak peek so be on the lookout for it.

If you live in the south, then I have to say hope you're dry because we haven't been in days. *Bleh* Every time I stick my head out the door it's raining. Last night, the storms blew in with a vengeance and made a huge mess for us and our Alabama neighbors. Good old tornado season, you got to love how it keeps you on your toes.

Speaking of perching on one's toes, that's exactly what I've been doing this work week. I can't help but beam every time I walk into my office and see that beautiful wall of plot all nice and arranged for my Unwilling series. Previously, I thought pinning myself down to such a specific outline would smother me. But after playing with it a little, I really began to see its usefulness and enjoyed the process.

In addition to all this writing productiveness, I continued the journey to my 100 books a year goal with a few random selections. The five books staring on the blog today aren't new releases but they're quite good. Several I picked up for genre research along with a dab of guilty pleasure reading thrown in for fun.

Now for a tiny PSA before we get to the books. Last week Mississippi native and author, John Grisham spoke on stephenslighthouse.com about the importance of preserving our libraries. Mr. Grisham was chosen as an honorary chair of 2011 during ALA National Library Week. Libraries are very close to my heart so anything to help promote the preservation of our local library I’m on it like a duck on a June bug! In the video interview, Mr. Grisham speaks about the influence of his local library on his childhood and about his work post-Katrina with the Gulf Coast libraries. I've included the link so please check it out. For my writer buds, he also stresses the point of how libraries and independent booksellers influenced the success of his early work. It’s like my yoga teacher says, “If you enjoy your class, show up so the bosses won’t take it away.” The same goes for libraries and bookstores, support them. It’s not always about money either. Word of mouth to promote your favorite books, volunteering in your library and teaching your children what a wonderful resource the library represents are all free things you can do to help out in your community.

There are lots and lots of new books out now and eBooks are burning up the world so there's no shortage of reading options. A great resource if you aren't sure what's out is Sassy Girls Book Club on Facebook. There are TONS of titles posted every day. If you're not reading something you like, heaven help, pitch it back from whence it came and find another that you do. Happy reading!

Till Then,

Katie

http://stephenslighthouse.com/2011/03/30/john-grisham-and-national-library-week/

#39 The Everafter by Amy Huntly

#40 A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb

#41 The Society of S by Susan Hubbard

#42 Sunshine by Robin McKinley

#43 Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison

Second Sneak Peek

2011-04-13T14:32:00.000-07:00

Second Sneak Peek for Unwilling

Welcome to week two! Hope everyone enjoyed that first teeny bit of the story and you're ready for more. I know it wasn't much, but hopefully you get the picture of how Neely's life is suddenly getting very complicated.

In this next scene, you'll get a glimpse of another mismatched piece of the puzzle. Let me know what you guys think. I love feedback, it really helps me work on the stories.

Till then,

Katie

This sneak peek is rated

“May I join you?” Andrew asked politely. His thick accent and much more formal verbiage always made it hard for me to talk to him. I usually spend more time listening to the way he said things than exactly what he was saying.

“Uh …” I glanced around to scan the crowd quickly hoping Hayden had gotten back. No such luck. “Sure.” I scooted over on the step.

“Great party,” he said as he sat down slowly, folding long legs and a muscled torso onto the narrow board.

I imagine it was pretty uncomfortable for him. That actually worked for me since I wanted him to go away sooner rather than later.

“I’m glad you’re having a good time.”

My voice sounded remote and bored even to me but he grinned.

“I hoped we might get a chance to talk tonight,” pausing, Andrew cleared his throat nervously. “There never seemed to be an opportunity for real conversation at school.”

I only gave him another distant nod of agreement. Andrew has always been the king of not taking a girl’s hint.

You have been warned...

2011-04-10T21:52:00.000-07:00

As the title suggests, I’m warning you ahead of time that this ain't gonna be the normal kind of blog because it's heavy on the internal side of a writer's mind. That’s not always the most "normal" place to hang out, if you’re wondering. We creative folk tend to have conversations with our fictional characters and spend a lot of time daydreaming on a regular basis.

A couple of weeks ago my story really started to twist me into a knot. My characters began telling me things I totally did not want to hear and generally irritating the crap out of me night and day. I started doing more housework to avoid the problem, which pleased The Hubs but did nothing for my progress. The Red Ninja suggested that I shoot a character just to remind them all who the dang boss is around this manuscript. In reality, that’s exactly the problem.

To kill or not to kill a character, that dear friend has been the question. For my writer buds, I know you understand this line of nuttiness. For everyone else, just hang with me and I’ll explain. By the way, I can hear you over there calling me a certified fruit loop under your breath smarty-pants.

Sometimes characters must die. It’s a sad part of writing, unless they happen to be evil, but also quite necessary. I’ve knocked off characters in the two previous books of this series and each time it was awful. Necessary, but that didn’t lessen the emotional part of it. In the case of this third manuscript, I walled myself up and couldn't continue because I wouldn't face the fact that the character was telling me it was possibly time for him/her to go.

To help you understand, I’ll give you an example of one of the many conversations we had.

ME: No, I won’t do it, you can’t make me!

C: (huffs) Would you trust me on this, it’s time for me to go.

ME: Hey, I’m the writer here, not you. *turns off computer and stomps off in a snit* Maybe after I do some laundry and bore you into submission you’ll believe me. Otherwise, I’ll just shoot you but won’t finish what happens and you’ll just bleed forever. We’ll see how much you like them apples.

C: Not the damn laundry again, there are only four humans in this house how much laundry can they generate? *Stares at piles* Are strangers coming to your house to change their clothes or something?

ME: Don’t you start too.

C: Come on you know that won’t work. You’re just avoiding what needs to be done. If you don’t face this the book won’t ever be finished.

ME: Oh yes I WILL finish this book. Stop being such a Debbie downer already. You know killing characters depresses me and makes me cry which makes me mad! Its spring and my sinuses…

C: *rudely interrupts my whining* Stop it already! These excuses aren’t putting words on the page.

ME: Don’t you throw author-isms at me Mister/Miss. It’s just…I don’t want to lose you…and…what if the story falls apart without you? Ever riddle on that smart-aleck?

C: Fictional character here, remember.

ME: Oh so now you don’t know anything. Gah! *Slams dryer*

C: What I know is you’ve been avoiding the issue for weeks now. Just write it and see how it sounds or...ask the Green Ninja...see what she thinks. If you don’t like it there’s always the delete button.

ME: Ah ha! I think you're crushing on her! Besides, she’s busy writing her people who I bet are cooperating. NONE of this is something I can work with by the way and what if she agrees with you?

C: Chicken *sidestepping my accusation*

ME: There’s no reason to start name-calling.

C: Truth hurts sometimes.

ME: You’re just mean, that’s what you are. I love you and don’t want to lose you.

C: *exhales loudly* I’m sorry I called you a chicken, that wasn’t nice.

ME: It’s alright, I know you meant well.

C: You know I still gotta die right.

ME: Oh shut up.

This photo sits right in front of my computer so I can keep asking myself this question over and over while trying to hash this out. The question is "if you kill him, what's the redemption?" Now that's not correct grammer but I understand it.

I finally bit the bullet last week and sent the text, crossing my fingers that I wasn’t interrupting a visit to south Mississippi by the muse. *Bows* That Green Ninja, she is as wise and feisty as ever. Thanks for that one thing that has pointed me in the right direction. Hopefully the rest of you have a better picture of the things we writers deal with. As my Aunt the RN would say, “Katie honey, they make pills everyday for that kind of crazy.”

Till then,

Katie

What's on the Nightstand #28-#38

2011-04-06T16:40:00.000-07:00

Wow, I just realized it's been a long time since I blogged about my poor overloaded nightstand and the random piles of books I'm making my way through. Time to catch up! Little bit of business first, a shout out to new country, the Philippines for visiting the blog! That makes 27 countries so far and we're more than halfway to the next goal of 2000! Keep it coming folks we're almost there. :)

Now back to the books. I've read 11 books since my last post so I won't attempt to blurb each one because that would be one monster of a blog post. I will tell you this, I don't tell anyone about books I don't like. If you see a book on my blog it's because I enjoyed it.

Alright, here are the next eleven goodies:

28. Hallowed Bones by Carolyn Haines
29. The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
30. The Dead Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan
31. The Dark and Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan
32. Blood Noir by Laurell K Hamilton
33. Skin Trade by Laurell K Hamilton
34. Bones to Pick by Carolyn Haines
35. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
36. The Maze Runner by James Dashner
37. Blood Law by Jeannie Holmes
38. City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare


    Each of these books is a great read. For some, it was my second time to read them and they were even better. Each story is very different, well written and I highly recommend them. I'd been on the edge of excitement waiting for City of Fallen Angels and read it yesterday, and I do mean the whole thing. I finished it last night about 2 a.m.
    The weather here in north Mississippi is really becoming full of blooms and beautiful skies. One might think my reading slacks off in nice weather. Are you kidding? That just means I get to sit in the sun and read.
    There's also some more just released and upcoming titles for these authors so check them out. Most of all, get to reading!
Till Then,
Katie

  James Dashner's second Maze Runner book became available for purchase on October 12, 2010.
http://www.jamesdashner.com/

Carrie Ryan's Dark and Hollow Places (shown above) just became available for purchase a few weeks ago.
http://carrieryan.com/index.php

Cassandra Clare's City of Fallen Angels (shown above) became available for purchase 4-5-2011
http://www.cassandraclare.com/cms/home

Laurel K. Hamilton's Hit List is coming up June 7, 2011
http://www.laurellkhamilton.org/index.php

Maggie's new Mercy Falls book, Forever, is coming July 12, 2011 *weird side note for you, these books are based in the town where I lived in Minnesota in 2007* I've been to several places mentioned in the story. Made the read even better for me :)
http://www.maggiestiefvater.com/novels.php

All around super cool lady, Carolyn Haines has her next Sarah Booth Delaney mystery Bones of a Feather coming June 25, 2011
http://www.carolynhaines.com/

Writer bud and secret ninja, Jeannie Holmes, has her second Alex Sabian novel Blood Secrets coming June 28, 2011

http://www.jeannieholmes.com/

First Sneak Peek

2011-04-01T06:15:00.000-07:00

April 1st, 2011

Welcome y'all! Thanks for visiting the blog today. To the most recent of the 26 countries present on the blog, Hungary and Indonesia, thanks so much for visiting and I hope you enjoy the experience. Guess what, you got here just in time for the excitement! :)

The big day has finally arrived. Nervous? Who me? That would be a yes if you didn't know the answer already.

Why am I shaking in my house slippers you ask? I’m nearing the point where my stress level will incite hives because today marks the first public introduction to my novel Unwilling. *cheers erupt all around*

Honestly, creating this series has been one of the best things to ever happen to me. At times, the writing became an escape, therapy, all consuming terror and totally wonderful balls of joy rolled along by hours and hours of my fingers flying across the keys. Even after writing the first two, these characters continue to whisper to me as I prepare to begin the third book. Not surprising, I've become extremely attached to them. When I go to Laurel, I half expect to run into one of them at Wal-mart they’re so vividly present in my life now.

Before you get your hopes up about reading something significant like a whole chapter I’ll have to warn you that I’m not nearly that brave yet. Sneak peeks are exactly what their name describes, tiny snippets of the manuscript. Even though it's short, I sincerely hope it tickles your curiosity about Neely and the gang.

And now the time has come for me to shut up and let you read! I truly hope you enjoy this small piece of Chapter one. Most of all, I look forward to the time when Neely's fire for life and love touch your heart on a grand scale, preferably bound and sold at all the fine chain and independent book stores and on Amazon.com.

Till then,

Katie

*crosses fingers and squeezes eyes tight*

p.s. There will be a sneak peek every week in April so visit the blog often J

this sneak peek is rated

“Second chances huh?” Hayden mumbled. His voice slipped into a slightly cooler tone than a minute ago. Turning away, he stared out into the night.

Distractedly, I glanced in the same direction.

This is so stupid. I'd already put this conversation off long enough. Now is as good a time as any to tell Hayden I'm in love with him.

Several kids passed by the jeep at that moment. As they laughed their way to the back yard, their images reflected in a car sitting just to the left of the house. This sent an unwelcome bolt of recognition into my brain.

“Yep,” I answered in a choked voice. Leaning down to pick up my bag, I hoped to stifle the internal groan trying to creep up my throat. “Everyone needs a second chance sometimes.”

“We better go on in,” Hayden said suddenly. His fingers twitched on the steering wheel. He suddenly seemed anxious to get away from me. This new, pricklier mood of his stung me worse than a swarm of no-see-ums.

“There are lots of people here already.” He added as his fingers started to dance along the steering wheel.

“What’s the big hurry?” I asked.

“Looks like your stalker decided his ‘second chance’ is tonight.” He said, totally ignoring my question.

”What are you talking about?” I snapped.

Hayden jabbed his finger furiously at the black car.

“Ain’t that your little weirdo’s fancy-shmansy BMW?” Hayden’s face squished up in an ugly scowl when he turned to face me.

Now his bad attitude made more sense and gave me one of my own.

“Andrew Huckley isn’t my anything. For your information, we invited the entire senior class to this party and he’s a senior. What’d you expect?” I grouched as I jerked the door open. Before sliding out, I turned back to face him. “And by the way, you’re being a jerk.”

Celebrating Cassie Clare! - on the Nightstand #25 City of Bones, #26 City of Ashes and #27 City of Glass

2011-03-27T12:44:00.000-07:00

City of Fallen Angels is almost here!!

Pins and needles, that's what I'm on as I wait for 4-5-11 to roll around. I just completed a re-read for all Cassie's books in anticipation of this new one then Son #1 took them over, I like to keep it in the family cause that's how I roll. After reading that juicy yet angsty and bitter tid-bit from the Seelie Court last night in Jace's POV the waiting is getting even worse! Thanks Cassie :)

What an great series this is! Each installment has been a true experience of escapism for me and that's the highest compliment I can ever give any book. Even better, I'm blown away on a personal level by Cassie Clare's generosity to her fans daily so hopefully this blog will honor her tireless efforts to answer, answer again and then re-answer all those questions in some small way.

The web is an amazing thing. Twitter, Facebook and all the others have opened the world up in a way I never thought I'd see in my lifetime and reading this series has expanded my horizons in more ways than I ever expected. Best of all, since reading the MI and TID books I've been introduced to some other wonderful authors through Cassie's web and twitter, Holly Black and Carrie Ryan just to name a few. Their work is wonderful and I've enjoyed each one immensely. So if for some reason you've been living under a rock and haven't read all of Cassie's books, Holly's or Carrie's, well first of all get out from under your rock, that ain't natural. Then go pick these up and get to reading!
Till then,
Katie

You can follow Cassie and what's happening with the series on her twitter @cassieclare or visit her website http://www.mortalinstruments.com/index.php

Flavors of Love

2011-03-23T19:14:00.000-07:00

Yeah, yeah I thieved that title from a reality show. My creativity is a bit distracted this week so sue me. Wait a minute, I was just kidding please don't anyone sue me. You wouldn't be successful anyway unless you've miraculously become the inventor of a machine that extracts blood from turnips.

As you can see, I've been in a weird mood post-vaca and there's a couple of different things that have struck me in odd ways during my writing that wouldn't normally pick at my curiosity. For example, can you name all the different types of affection? At first I couldn't. Now I'm not talking about physical love although that one has it's place for sure (bow-chicka-wow-wow). More specifically, I'm thinking of the different flavors of love one might feel, and as a writer, put on paper.

True to form, I started to make a list. So far I have twenty different types of affection on my list. While working on said list, I found there were a few surprises. For example, let's ponder on the complexities of unconditional love. There is the unconditional love of a spouse. This is a very special and powerful kind of love. Then, there's the unconditional parental love or love for a child. While both are unconditional, they're very different too. Both are capable of destroying someone if they are lost. Both are a gift if freely given but one can be completely lost while the other cannot. It's exactly this kind of thing that challenges me as a writer. How to convey the power in these two types of love with words when in life there's so many other things a person uses to show this type of love. Touch, actions, words, facial expressions, it's all these things that convey that affection we feel for the people we love the most. Trust me, even sixteen years later my hubs has an expression that melts my socks every single time. Which, now that I think about it, is oddly the same one that allows me to tolerate some of his more idiotic crap on a daily basis. See what I mean? So many flavors!

In writing, conveying all these levels of emotion with words is supremely difficult! M has told me multiple times I spend too much time telling, hanging out in my characters heads and not showing with the words. Bad Katie, no cookie. But hey it ain't easy! (I whine to myself) What in life worth having ever is though? And it's that one thought that propels me forward.

At the other end of the spectrum there's hate. Strangely enough, hate is easier to write for me. Yikes, what does that say about my brain? Well, since you asked I'll tell you. It just means that I have a firm gasp on how the two things work. In my life, I try very hard not to say that word simply because I don't want my children to use it flippantly. There's so much potential for nasty things attached to it. If you ever read something I've written and see that word know the ca-ca has hit the fan because I don't use it lightly. But I digress.

Unfortunately for love, hate is quite necessary because they're the yin and yang of life. How can that be you ask? Well, let's think it through. Say you live in a bubble and never know anything but swimming in rainbows of gooshy love and ride unicorns that poo sunshine. If that's all you know, how would you ever be able to appreciate all that mush and reciprocate it? That's my point, you wouldn't because you couldn't. That right there dear friends is the whole enchilada.

As I create love and loss for my characters tonight, I'll reflect on this one thought which sums all this up for me as a writer.

You have to love something before you can hate it.

- Nicholas Sparks

So spread the love people! But remember what's lurking just on the other side of it.

Till Then,

Katie

Daddy's Girls Weekend with the lovely Ms. Carolyn Haines

2011-03-16T15:10:00.000-07:00

While driving down to Ocean Springs Mississippi on Friday to participate in DGW's foolishness, I realized something very interesting. I'm thirty ... ish, (the actual number isn't important) and I ain't never been no where.
Now, I don't mean I've never traveled, because I have. Some times to places I didn't like so much then to others that were totally cool. The story associated with this redneck thought is told for the truth by "the two sexiest fat men alive" Rick and Bubba from Birmingham, AL and is so funny it's illegal. Several years ago two listeners named Willie and Wanda won a trip with Rick and Bubba to California. Upon arriving to pick them up and go to the airport, Willie informed Rick and Bubba, "I ain't never been nowhere." For poor Rick and Bubba, the trip steadily went into the pooper from there.

For me, this phrase means I realized it was my first traveling experience where I was totally alone, staying in a hotel and had only met a couple of the people attending online, never in person.

For other people, that might not seem like such a huge deal but for some one like me it can be quite paralyzing. I'm almost positive that in my twenties I'd have been too chicken to make the trip but instead I was giddy with anticipation. Isn't it strange how a few years can make you different?

First, if you ever get the chance to visit Gulf Hills Resort and Ocean Springs, MS DO IT! The resort, the staff and surrounding area is gorgeous! I was so impressed that I'm planning another visit very soon. I could feel my debt card quivering with fear while we walked past all the tempting shops lining the downtown streets.

Ms. Sarah Bewley and our illustrious host the divine Ms. Carolyn Haines, created three days of meeting-greeting and foolishness that was simply awesome. Arriving Friday, I met Ms. Sara, who organized the event, along with Ms. Carolyn and snagged my first photo (left). They are both just as beautiful and gracious as I'd imagined.
Before long, the DG's began to pour in and slap on name tags. I found out very quickly just how small a world it is by meeting ladies from my own stomping grounds of Laurel and Hattiesburg. Heck, there were folks from all over! I'm ashamed to say I didn't put nearly enough efforts into my outfits and several ladies put me to shame with their creativity.

My most exciting moment came when Michelle and Jeannie arrived. It was so wonderful to finally meet them! (on right and middle) Then Ms. Alexis joined us later (on left). They are all amazing young women and writers. I'm honored to have had the chance to spend time with them.
Our first session of the afternoon was with Mr. Dean James, a mystery writer from Texas. His session was a great opener because he's such a welcoming and warm person. This being my first experience with writer's and such I was of course nervous and truly unable to put a thought into a coherent sentence when someone asked me a question. Dean helped ease some of that beginning fear for me with his humor and kindness.

Of course the foolishness came later. After a nice afternoon chat and coffee with Michelle and Jeannie, we all piled into The Carlise House and began the hilarious task of choosing a candidate for DGW's 2011 Big Daddy. The competition was quite fierce. Politicking, limericks, costumes and lots of laughter ensued.

Saturday morning started with a bang! While preparing to go downstairs for the morning sessions, I slipped in the bathroom and mutilated my pinkie toe. In honor of the mystery writer's theme, my bathroom should have been roped off with yellow crime scene tape. I had to warn the maids ahead of time that there hadn't actually been a murder in there. Now you would think my first thought would've been to seek first aid for my bleeding toe but it wasn't. All I could think was how I wasn't going to be able to wear the damn cutesy shoes I'd picked out to go with my outfit. They were adorable!
After patching myself up, I headed downstairs to sit in session with agent Marian Young and Ben LeRoy of Tyrus Books. Michelle, Jeannie and I along with several other lovely ladies enjoyed a very informative session learning about their side of the industry. Everything they told us was so refreshing to hear!

As we were coming out to meet up for lunch, Mark Holmes drove up in what is by far the cutest car EVER. Jeannie Holmes is the author of BLOOD LAW. She and her husband Mark decided to advertise her work with their car. Snaps go to Jeannie for such a original idea! I can personally attest to its influence because I spotted Mark in traffic on my way to Mobile.

    Next, we got our turn with Ms. Carolyn. It was a great talk and I learned so much. I think one of the most interesting aspects of this weekend was that it wasn't just for writers. There were ladies there who were just fans of Carolyn's books. The mix made for an unforgettable experience!
    Last but not least, we sat in session with Mr. David Sheffield, screen writer. This was the only session I wasn't brave enough to speak up in because I was a bit star struck. David is lovely and so funny! He wrote for Saturday Night Live, one of my all time favorite shows, the movie Coming to America and Nutty Professor among other things. Hearing about that side of writing was something I enjoyed because I knew nothing about it before hand. Plus, as you can see he's an extremely snazzy dresser LOL!
    This photo was actually taken at the Crowning of DGW's 2011 Big Daddy. We all dressed up in our fancy duds and enjoyed more laughing than is probably legal. Carolyn gave away copies of her new book coming out this summer Bones of Feather, video and photographic evidence was taken of our silliness and mass quantities of pizza was consumed by all. Finally, Mr. Dean James was crowned Big Daddy. It was an evening I'll never forget.

Sunday morning brunch marked the end of our weekend together. Even though it was time to go home, great friends were made over those three days so the foolishness can continue. I had a lovely time swaping stories over mimosa's and bloody mary's with the wonderful ladies. Even saying our farewells, I felt energized by the time I'd had the privilege to spend with them all. Lastly, I asked Ms. Carolyn to sign my copies of her Sarah Booth Delaney series and we took a photo together. Because when it's all said and done, I'm most of all a lover of books and the people who create them.

Till Then,

Katie

Katie Wood Ruffin

What's on the Nightstand?

YA Day at Books A Million in Southaven, MS

Easing into 2012

Interview with Neely, Hayden and Andrew from UNWILLING

A Little Dab of Steam from UNWILLING

Interview with John Rakestraw on THE BOOK PLATFORM

*Update*

Interview with John Rakestraw on THE BOOK PLATFORM

What's on the Nightstand?

Scattered, Smothered, Covered...

Ze Deadline ... She approaches

The Idea Fairy

What's on the Nightstand?

New Page Info

Interview with John Rakestraw on December 18th 2011

Congrats!

A Visit From The Smart Chicks Tour

Welcome Author Sherri A. Dub to the Blog

"100 Books a Year" ... DONE! :)

2011 The September Note

EVERNEATH!! Happy Book Birthday Brodi Ashton!!

The Whole Line Up *UPDATED*

Number Two's Big Day

What's on the Nightstand? #74 and #75

What's on the Nightstand? #59-#73

Cutting Right Down the Middle of the Cheese.

A wedding, A Really Long Drive and Character Building...

What's on the Nightstand? #44 - #58

Last Sneak Peek

Sneak peek #3

What's on the Nightstand? #39-#43

Second Sneak Peek

You have been warned...

What's on the Nightstand #28-#38

First Sneak Peek

Celebrating Cassie Clare! - on the Nightstand #25 City of Bones, #26 City of Ashes and #27 City of Glass

Flavors of Love

Daddy's Girls Weekend with the lovely Ms. Carolyn Haines

Update

The Whole Line Up UPDATED