Monday, January 13, 2014

Monday Mishmash 1/13/14


Happy Monday! Here's my mishmash of thoughts:
  1. The Monster Within  The release date for The Monster Within is being pushed back until June 17. I'm actually really happy about this because it allows me to get the Touch of Death series out first, including the novella from Alex's POV, and I'll get to sign The Monster Within at BEA! Yay!
  2. Blurbing books  I was asked to blurb a really awesome book called Losing Logan by Sherry Ficklin. It's SOOOOO good, guys. I couldn't put it down. Seriously. Just awesome.
  3. School Visits  I'm heading back to my daughter's school today to work with a fourth grade class on the stories they are writing. How cool is that? I'm excited.
  4. Editing  I'll be editing for a new client this week, but in order to stay true to my 2014 goals, I'll also be working on the plot of a new book of my own.
  5. Zombie Prom at Arisia  I'll be heading to Boston on Sunday for another zombie prom at Arisia to celebrate the upcoming launch of Face of Death. Can I just tell you how much Face of Death makes me cry every time I read it? I really love those characters and wrapping up their series was tough.
That's it for me. What's on your mind today?

53 comments:

  1. I'm happy to hear all your good news!. I bet you'll have a fabulous time at BEA. I hope you take pics and come back and tell us all the interesting gossip! :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Enjoy your school trip. Lots of excitement this weekend as a friend asked me to write a new murder mystery play for the am dram group she's part of. They needed act one within a week so this weekend was full of brainstorming and writing. Act One is written, redrafted and ready to send off. I just need to work out a list of motives now before writing anymore.

    ReplyDelete
  3. School visits are the absolute best! I'm sure your daughter is excited to have you come to her school=)
    I'm glad to see you are keeping up with your goals for 2014!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love school visits. I think it's the former teacher in me that just loves to be working with kids.

      Delete
  4. This week i am working on my workshop schedule and making my new website something to balk about!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Enjoy your school visits! Wrapping up a series can be difficult. I'm writing the third book in my series now, and having a rough time making everything work. It is complicated because there's an option for a fourth and fifth book, but I won't know until after I write the third book whether the option will be picked up or not. So -- is it the last or not? I'm sure I'll be very emotional when I get to the final scenes.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I cried at every round of edits. I'm such a baby.

      Delete
  6. Zombie Prom sounds like a real. Hoot!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Have fun. You must have one happy daughter

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Even though it's not her class I'm visiting, she loves when I'm there. I'm enjoying that while it lasts. ;)

      Delete
  8. Yay for heading to Boston! I love hearing your voice in those last sentences. I'm sure it's hard to wrap up a series, especially when it's been so successful.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aw, thank you. It was so tough. I get very attached to my characters.

      Delete
  9. I can't wait to read Face of death, although it's sad that the series ends. Enjoy your school trip! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There will be a novella though, and I'm excited about that. :)

      Delete
  10. School visits must be awesome! My favorite year ever was when I was a substitute teacher in Iwakuni Japan. Loved grades K-3rd. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'll never get tired of school visits. :) Kids are great.

      Delete
  11. How do you do it to get so much writing done? I guess I still have to learn a lot :-) Have a lovely Monday.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. To be honest, I've been revising several of my books. I'm dying to write something new. I'm jotting down bits of dialogue for now. Can't wait to draft again.

      Delete
  12. Have fun at the school visit! And Zombie Proms and BEA sound like a blast :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. Good job keeping those goals Kelly. My kids are all grown up, but I was always working with their class. Now I get to work with my grand girls. Today we're working on the 9 year old's Mud Falls short story- her vision of what happens when bugs are flooded out of their homes. Too fun

    ReplyDelete
  14. I always enjoy reading your Monday posts, Kelly because you have such exciting stuff going on! BEA signing, zombie prom, school visit, author blurb? It doesn't get better than that. It's fun being friends with an author who is so well-rounded :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aw, thanks. I like to be busy and to do a lot of different things.

      Delete
  15. I'm glad The Monster Within push back until June 17th works out well for you. And working with the fourth graders on their writing sounds like so much fun! Have a good time with all of the wonderful things you have going on =)

    ReplyDelete
  16. I'm always amazed at how much you have going on. I have no doubt you are having a good time too.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Congrats on our books and your Zombie Prom!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Boy! You have a lot of good news. A great way to start the new year. Have fun at the school too.

    ReplyDelete
  19. You must of course blog on the zombie prom!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Sounds like you are busy, busy, busy.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Augh, plz get pics of the zombie prom, that sounds awesome! And, oh, BEA! Someday I will get to visit your beautiful shores- I'll only pack one outfit and wear it every day so I can have plenty of room for books in my suitcase. =)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. lol I got way too many books from BEA last year. I'm still reading them.

      Delete
  22. I just announced T.A.A. FM: A podcasting network I'm launching later this year-

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiZkLkBvfAE

    I've really been getting into video, and this one teases one of the podcasts I'm working on is part of this network-

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pUqVKqVZSM

    They'll be other programs I'm working on. I hope to launch in the summer.

    Until then, I've upped my social media presence, in as direct and sincere a way I can. I'm still waiting for work on Gabriel to pick up again, and like Kelly said regarding a book being pushed back a bit in release, I'm trying to use this "Rest Period" to do other things before work on Gabriel slows other things down.

    I'm also finally jumping into the world of digital publishing with a project I'll talk more about soon.

    Last, but FAR from least, I'm reading "The Bear Come Home" by Rafi Zabor. This isn't for the little kids, but proof that what I write does not die after preschool! (LOL!)

    This is a solid example of animal fantasy that doesn't have to be tasteless and how sophisticated the genre is. It avoids a lot of the conventions, and even makes fun of them without belittling its own plot and central character (A bear), I can get really annoyed with parody when overdone, or poorly done, this book so far avoids that.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's great, Taurean! Sounds like your "rest period" is going to keep you busy. ;)

      Delete
  23. Congrats on BEA! Can't wait to read The Monster Within. School visits sound so fun! I imagine that it is difficult to finish a series. My characters are with me all the time. Zombie prom - sounds exciting.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Dawn. I'm excited about all of it. The Monster Within holds a special place in my heart. It has a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde feel to it. :)

      Delete
  24. Fantastic news. I look forward to your new releases.

    Zombie prom sounds interesting.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Medeia! And congrats on your new book deal. :)

      Delete
  25. What do you wear to a zombie prom? Lots of cool stuff going on for you. Congrats.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well, I attend as my MC, but everyone else dresses as zombies, in prom attire of course. ;)

      Delete
  26. Another zombie prom? Awesome! Can't wait to see pictures!

    I am sure your daughter's school loved having you! The students must have been excited. :)
    ~Jess

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes! I'm excited for it.

      The school visit was great. My daughter loves when I come to her school. (I'm there quite a bit because I help out with the PTO.) The class asked me to come back a third time to read their stories once they're written. :)

      Delete

All anonymous comments will be marked as spam and not published.