A ripple of noise

April 16, 2015Leave a comment

The firing had become more general, and without warning the mortars started up. They were pulverizing the wood, raining down so fast that the scream of one merged into the scream of the next, each explosion merely part of a ripple of noise. -War 2.2

I’ve just finished reading War 2.2 by Jim Webster, and…wow. It’s been a while since I’ve had a book hangover like this. I’ve been spending my evenings in various parts of Tsarina for a good month now, and I’m a little sad to have finished my time there, to be honest.

I started with Justice 4.1. It was an excellent book, with plenty of twists and turns, and a fair bit of action as well. By the time I finished the book, I was thirsty for more.

War 2.2 definitely delivered on that front. Of course, with a war going on, I’d expect nothing less. I was a little disappointed that there wasn’t more connection between the two books, but they were both very well done (and now I’m hoping for a third book). If I didn’t have a reading list constantly clamoring for attention, I’d be tempted to start War 2.2 over again right away. 🙂

You can pick up your own copies of Justice 4.1 and War 2.2 on Amazon and Amazon UK. I hope you’ll enjoy them as much as I did. 🙂

I’m a guest!

April 15, 20152 Comments

Chris Graham, aka the Story Reading Ape, was kind enough to feature me on his blog today, where I talk a little bit about my writing goals. I hope you’ll stop by and check it out, and don’t forget to check out some of the other things he’s got posted! His site is a virtual treasure trove for writers. 🙂

I’m a guest!

April 12, 2015Leave a comment

Today I’m hanging out over at my good friend A.F.E. Smith‘s blog, talking about fantasy and poetry and the similarities between the two. I hope you’ll stop by and check it out – she’s got worlds of other great things there, and I know you’ll enjoy your visit. 🙂

I’m a guest!

April 9, 2015Leave a comment

I hope you’re not getting tired of these, because I’m having lots of fun writing them. Tonight I’ve got a guest post up on Dick Hannah’s awesome blog, Publish or Perish, all about procrastination (with a little advice thrown in for good measure).

I hope you’ll check it out, and while you’re there, have a look at some of his other posts. He’s got some great posts on first and last lines in books, as well as a nice collection of quotes about mornings. You won’t want to miss them!

I’m a guest!

April 8, 2015April 8, 2015Leave a comment

That’s right, I’m a guest on someone’s blog again. This time, I’m being interviewed by Aurora Jean Alexander over at the Writer’s Treasure Chest. She’s got lots of great stuff up there, so I hope you’ll stop by and check it out. Toodles!

I’m a guest!

April 5, 20157 Comments

I’m guest posting today over at the Avid Reader Blog. I’m there talking about blogging and books, so stop by and check it out! 🙂

Getting to know Vatren Martoka

March 29, 2015March 27, 20152 Comments

Back in January, my friend and fellow author, Sam Dogra, tagged me in a character development challenge. I started working on my answers before her post went live, but it’s taken me till now to finally finish them. I’ve spent ten years getting to know this character, yet there were things I didn’t know about him till I filled out this questionnaire. It was quite a lot of fun, and I’m thinking about turning this into a series of posts about each of my main characters.

I’ve done this as an interview. I hope you enjoy learning about Vatren as much as I did! 🙂

Vatren
Artwork by Hazel Butler

What position do you sleep in? ( i.e; stomach, side, back, etc.) Why?

I sleep on my back, propped up a bit so that I appear awake from a distance. I used to sleep flat on my back, but these are dangerous times.

Do you have any noteworthy features? Freckles? Dimples? A scar somewhere unusual?

I’m afraid not. I’m perfectly ordinary, except for the prince bit.

Do you have an accent? What does it sound like?

An accent? Of course not. I speak normally. Well, as normally as any other noble Lokani citizen. Accents belong to the poor and uneducated. But not to me.

Do you have any verbal tics? Do you have trouble pronouncing certain words or getting your thoughts across clearly?

Verbal what? Well…

Photo 365 #234

March 29, 2015March 27, 20156 Comments

One of the things I love to read in the spring (yes, there are a couple of them) is my collection of Shakespearean sonnets. I don’t know why, but poetry and spring are inextricably linked for me (which works out well, since April is National Poetry Month).

Though I love the plays, the sonnets are the thing for me. I’m terrible at writing them, but Shakespeare was a master wordsmith and every time I open this book, I marvel at his ability. I actually have two collections of his sonnets – the volume pictured is a complete collection, while the one it replaced contained only selected poems – and I treasure them both.

If you like Shakespeare’s poetry, might I recommend this site? I found it the other afternoon and it’s got loads of neat stuff. Spend a day getting lost in it, or perhaps another book. Have a great day! 🙂

Getting acquainted with Harriet Goodchild

March 28, 2015March 27, 20155 Comments

I know I’ve mentioned that I love being part of the writing community and helping out fellow authors before, but I have to say it again: The writing community rocks. It rocks so hard. Know why?

This is why:

Hey @kaysiewrites I was wondering whether you’d be interested in hosting my friend @HMGoodchild or reviewing her book http://t.co/9Wh5ogVswG

— Irene Soldatos (@I_Soldatos) March 17, 2015

If you haven’t heard of Harriet Goodchild yet, you should have. And you’re in luck! Because today, she’s going to chat with me about writing, fantasy, and her latest book, After the Ruin.

KK: Hi, Harriet. Tell us about yourself.

HG: I live in Edinburgh now but I was born in the west of Scotland and go back there whenever I can. Lest that sound a narrow life, I’ll say I’ve lived in a few other places as well, including the United States and Australia, and spent twelve years in Oxford. Life in Oxford is rather like living in a fantasy novel: pretty soon you start meeting seneschals or quaffing from an aurochs horn after dinner.

I share my flat with two pets: a Bengal cat called Talisker and a very large goldfish called, imaginatively, Big Fish. Big Fish is outgrowing her third tank and soon I’m going to have to find a safe pond in which to rehome her. Until then, Talisker enjoys sitting nearby her tank to keep her company. Or at least I think that’s her reason. Never assume nefarious intent, even in cats!

KK: Have you always written?

HG: In my teens I wrote a lot. Short stories and poetry, mostly, and a novel that rambled on and on through several college notebooks, acquiring characters along the way. It wasn’t good – and I hope it never surfaces – but I enjoyed writing it hugely and that’s all that matters. Some of the ideas in those stories, in fact, laid the groundwork for all that I’ve written since, although I think my writing has improved since my teenage years. After that, reading a lot and writing a bit was enough, although I published some non-fiction along the way. Then, about five years ago…

It’s a sale!

March 26, 20157 Comments

Hey, everybody! It’s a beautiful Thursday afternoon and I woke up to some amazing news this morning, so I’ve decided to put my books on sale. From now until April 1, 2015, you can pick up Tuesday Daydreams and A Song for All Seasons for just $1.99! Find them on Smashwords and enter coupon code WN73K for Tuesday Daydreams or coupon code JR38E for A Song for All Seasons.