Learning and growing

 Hello again!

This last week I’ve been working on historical research… hard research. I don’t want to go into too much detail on what exactly I have been researching, (lest I give anything away about my book) but I can say that I’ve been looking into some of the histories which were not really covered in my whitewashed history books… and it makes for some very hard reading. 

My small group has been reading The Color of Compromise by Jamar Tisby for the last couple of months now, and that too makes for some very hard reading, despite being well-written. I have recently come to the difficult realization that the history in my books was not entirely true, and that which was true was very far from the whole truth. Before this last year, I would never have thought to physically type the words, “Native American history”, or “African American history”, as I thought that history was history, but now I can see that this is exactly what I need to do.

Do I have a point to this? Yes, I do. If, like me, you have a kilted, whitewashed knowledge of history, (chances are, if you are relying on what you learned in school, and didn’t take any intentionally inclusive lessons, then you probably do) then it is high time for you, and I, to start looking into the other sides of history… and I urge you to fight the urge to look away.  

2020 Has been a hard, strange year for all of us… but I believe that it is also a chance to grow. I have learned a lot already, but that does not mean that it’s time to stop, nor does it mean that all I have to do is learn. Learning is one of the first steps in growth, but you don’t stop there. We need to grow, to do better, and to try our best to help the world continue to grow, from the tiny corners where we have the chance to serve. 

Thanks for the read!

How are you coping with this year? What are you doing to make a change in your heart, life, or circle?

Write life

 Hi there!

Today, I think I’ll talk about one of the unexpected twists in my life as a writer, specifically, in regards to finishing off the 3rd and final novel in my “A Spy’s Memory” series.

I’m almost at the half-way point of my third book, and my second is patiently waiting for me to finish writing the third, and for my betas to finish reading it. You’d expect that I’m utterly delighted to be so near finishing my first ever trilogy right? Well… that is true in part, but the other part of me is actually dreading it. 

Have you ever watched a long-standing tv show, or read a book series and got so attached to the characters that you were upset by the idea that it may end, that you would no longer be able to visit that world, those characters who feel so much like old friends? Well, it turns out that it’s no easier when you’re the writer. My characters are real to me, and I’ve visited with them and watched them grow for so long now… that the idea of saying goodbye to them is difficult to face.

I do have plenty of ideas for other books, one for a series, and many for standalone novels. And it is true, that it will be wonderful to write about, and experience new people, and new worlds, with new rules. But saying goodbye to my old friends, to the friends from my first ever novel, from the first book I actually finished writing since I was maybe 12 years old? It’s going to be very hard.

Thanks for the read!

Monster movie madness

Now for a newsflash no one needed, 2020 has been a heck of a ride, plans have been canceled, mental health has gone down the drain, and many businesses have been irrevocably damaged. It’s no secret that my Etsy has been one of those things that didn’t survive this year, or ever get off the ground, and many other things have happened in my family, in particular, to make this a heck of a year… but we’ve decided to take one small thing, and have some fun with it.

We always watch old, corny movies in the fall, mostly noir or schlock, it’s just one of our things. Like everyone else, we had some plans that needed to be canceled, so we’re having an old (approx 1940-1970s) horror movie marathon! We’re going to watch an old horror movie every day, through Halloween, with far too much popcorn. My brother’s birthday happens to fall shortly before Halloween, so this is partially for him, and partial to break up the “2020ness”. 

This year has been unlike any before, at least for the vast majority of people alive today, and we’re going to try and make our own rainbows in this unending rainstorm. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to pull on my red cloak and howl at the moon.

Thanks for the read!
What are you doing to make something go right this year?

Etsy closing notice

Hey everyone, just a quick heads-up, today’s post isn’t going to be very long, or upbeat.

I’m closing StorybookgemsbyKat. It’s been almost eight months, and I’ve racked up an astoundingly pathetic zero sales. I’m tired of trying to make this work, especially considering I could be spending my promotion time on something more worthwhile, such as watching paint dry. 

All of my items are now discounted by 25%, and if you wanted to make any purchases, you’d better do so before January 1st, because that’s when my “doors” close for the last time.

Back again!

 Hello again!

Once again, I’m afraid that I took an unplanned hiatus without any warning, I’m sorry about that. During the last few weeks I’ve needed to make a few hard decisions, which I will post about here soon, and I’ve been struggling to get back into the swing of things with the 3rd and final book in the “A Spy’s Memory” series.

For this week, I thought it’d be fun to talk about a few “author preconceptions” I’ve seen online, some true, and some… otherwise. As always I can only speak for myself, but these are my feelings on the matter.

1. Authors enjoy torturing their readers. Honestly? This is true. I take an unhealthy amount of enjoyment out of confusing, and confounding the readers in my head, but that is not to say that I am not equally shaken up when plot twists smack me in the brain.

2. Authors enjoy torturing/killing their characters. NOT TRUE!!! I’ve cried more over my books, and the stuff I put my characters through then you could imagine. But when the story goes that way, there is nothing else to do… more on that below.

3. Authors have ultimate control over what happens in their books/to their characters. This isn’t really true, but it’s also not untrue… it’s far more complex than that. Yes, I am physically the one who types out the things that happen in my books, but writing for me, (I am what is known as a “pantser” meaning that I don’t really draft or plot for the most part.) is equal parts coming up with what happens next, and watching the story happen in my head like a movie, with the characters doing whatever they wish. Sometimes I try to write something other then what is right for the story, but trust me, my books would be a LOT worse if I wrote everything according to my own whims.

That’s it for me today. I hope ya’ll found it enlightening, or at least entertaining. If you have any questions about author life, in general, or in regards to me specifically, feel free to share them below!

Thanks for the read!

Writing with a dog

 Hi there!

Remember when I promised to write a post about writing with a dog? Well, here it is.

Now, having pets is incredible, but sometimes there are a few struggles that come with actually writing with pets around; and I thought it’d be fun to take a light-hearted look at some of the pluses and minuses today. Specifically, I’ll be talking about dogs, today, as I already wrote one on cats!

1. They will check on you… especially at mealtimes. Have you ever unknowingly worked through dinner? Don’t worry, with a dog, that is impossible, they will make sure that everyone is well-fed.

2. They will make sure you get fresh air, even if it’s just so they can use the bathroom. I mean come on, who doesn’t want to walk circles in the yard and watch someone else pee?!

3. They will help you edit. Did you know that reading out loud can help you catch those tiny errors? Yet if you read to yourself out loud people may give you sideways glances, so just read to your dog! And don’t worry, I’m sure that the regular yawning and walking away to stare out the window are not meant personally.

All joking aside, having a furry friend to pet and play with when you can’t come up with the next plot-point is massively helpful, if only to your mental health. I can’t imagine not having a pet, as the only time in my entire life when there were no pets in the house was before I turned 2.

Thanks for the read!

History!

 Hi there!

As you probably know by now, I love history; and for that reason, I predominantly write historical fiction. But do you know how interesting history itself can be?

I’ve read more historical articles, books, and watched more documentaries than I can count. But there are still a few things that stand out in my thoughts. Did you know That Victorian ladies regularly carried pins with them, to keep their napkins from slipping onto the floor? Pretty savvy right? That a murder case was once partially solved by a ghost? Look up the Greenbrier ghost. For a twist greater then any drama you’ll see on TV, Napoleon divorced his wife because she couldn’t have kids, but left her with a house, huge garden, and a very healthy allowance for the rest of her life. And Woodrow Willson, president during WWI, predicted (more or less) WWII.

All of this is to say that history is an interesting place to take a walk through, I’ve given you a few jumping-off points here, but it’s up to you to dive in!

Thanks for the read!

What’s your favorite historical fact/event/person?