What's new?
What are you working on?
When's the next book coming out?
These were all questions I encountered over the last week as I traveled around. And though most of you are dissatisfied with my answer of:
"Three manuscripts in the works. Not sure when they will exactly be coming out."
The reality is, I do have a timeline in mind and it will be in 2017. I just do not have a pinpointed date as of yet, because none of the above manuscripts are completely finished.
And as we all know, once they are finally written on my end, they then go through the editing process which takes even more time, more rewrites, more editing, and repeat.
Then Beta-Readers receive them. Then the process happens again.
THEN... THEN I will have a clear idea on when to nail down a release date.
I am also contemplating which to release first... what time of year, etc.
Time of year is important. Book releases tend to launch better during certain seasons, months, and even weeks. So trying to wrap everything up close to one of those time frames is also important.
But I haven't forgotten about you guys.
In fact, one of your fellow readers cornered me and said, "How could you do this to me? I have finished The Unfading Lands Series and need something else to read!"
I was flattered that she wanted more of my work to read, but if she took a look at what I had to offer right now, she'd be horrified. Unpolished work is not good for anyone. Haha! So with a little patience, I assure you guys I will have something for you to read in the near future. :)
And hopefully, I will pad the arsenal so you will not have to wait long between book releases.
Until then, I'm going to get back to writing now. :) I've got a killer on the loose. ;p
Katharine

This is me. This is me sitting in front of my computer with one of my current works in progress open and up on the screen. This is me sitting here. And sitting here. And sitting here...
You get the picture.
And while I'm sitting trying to think of what to write, my mind wanders to my other works in progress or WIPs and I cannot seem to think of anything for the current open document, but I have excellent ideas for the others. So I close out one window, open another... and then blank. Where did my ideas go? Let me check my notes...
I've been struggling with balancing my current projects. You would think that being a new mom had mostly to do with it, but that is not true. My son is great. He naps like most kiddos, so I am able to factor in a bit of work time while he sleeps for a few hours out of the day. The only excuse for me is that once I sit down, I cannot seem to focus on one work at a time.
And I think I have finally realized that I've had a brain shift. I used to be able to jump from one work to the next without thought. Hopping from manuscript to manuscript was easy. Brain adjustment was easy, but lately, for some reason, I am finding that task a bit more difficult. I have absolutely no idea why. So as I am trying to get crackin' on my next novel, two novellas, a writer's competition, and a new marketing format, and planning for the Texas Book Festival, I seem to be zapping all my creative energy. (This is where I blow an exasperated breath and pull my hair over my face.)

I'm a list taker. I always have a list for the day. Things I want to accomplish. Things that need to be done. My chores. Then I have my writing list, next to my chores list. Then those lists sit next to my list of things I would like to do 'some time in the future.' So many lists.
So today, I threw away the lists. All but my future goals list, because I like to remind myself of what I'm working towards... but my chores and my writing lists are gone.
After tossing out the balls and chains, I sat down at my computer and typed out 3,000 words for my novel. I finished my next chapter in the writer's competition. And I settled for another 2,000 words in one of my novellas.
How liberating it is not to have the burden of a list. Sitting down and feeling relaxed seemed to do the trick. I think I overwhelm myself with structure that I do not leave room for creative flow. Why? I should know better, right?
But by trying to factor in so many different projects, being a mom and wife, and other aspects of my life, I began to overwhelm myself to the point of stalling my craft. I've felt the itch to write, and the uncomfortable squirm of unwritten words, but had the hardest time actually getting them out.
The lists are gone. The freedom to write is here. And may I say, great things are happening on these pages. Fingers crossed I am able to keep this up. And yes, I did have to make a grocery list earlier... but does that one really count???
Here's to an uninterrupted nap time of writing! :)
Take care!
Katharine

Hey Everyone!
No, I have not disappeared. No, I have not forgotten about you guys! I have just been learning how to balance being a new mom and my writer life! I think I've semi gotten the hang of it now, so you will be seeing more of me from now on. :)

Let me fill you on what's been happenin'!
- Redemption Rising released and you guys turned out in volume to snatch it up! Thank you!
- The entire series was nominated for the Summer Indie Book Awards by Metamorph Publishing! Though we did not snag an award, the fact we were nominated is SUPER COOL!
- The Unfading Lands has been nominated for the Best Indie Book Award!! WooHoo! We should find out in November if we bring home the bacon on that one. :)
- I have booked a booth for the Texas Book Festival in Austin, Texas, November 5-6th! I will be in a different pavilion this year in a BIGGER booth! WooHoo! So be sure to come check me out and snag an awesome goodie bag! :)
- I am currently competing in an Author vs. Author competition! So I've been testing my storytelling skills by a write off of sorts. I'm currently still in round one. I will let you know if I advance! :)
- I am also working on two NEW manuscripts! Yay! I am working on a new collection of stories that will contain several books along the way. And I am also working on my next novel! I would love to give you guys an ETA for those, but all I can say is 2017 at this point. Hopefully, in early Spring you will see one of those pop up for release. :)

Again, thank ya'll for such an exciting year, and for allowing me to do what I love... WRITE! It's been a blast and I hope you guys continue to follow along with me as I travel through this publishing world. :)

Take care!
Katharine

Yep. It's here. The last book in The Unfading Lands Series is complete. Finished. Finito. Done.
And it will be launched THIS FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2016!!!!! 
And now that this is happening, can we all take a collective deep breath and say, "Phew!" 
What a rush it has been trying to wrap things up for this series. I have had so much fun writing this book. I loved writing the entire series, but this book was actually REALLY fun to write. I had no idea how some of the characters would evolve, and I have to say I am quite pleased with how they all turned out. :) I hope you like them too!

Also, on that note... I am already starting work on my next Work in Progress... Well, it's been underway for a while, but I had to place it on the back burner in order to finish up this series first. However, it is happening next and I aim to release that one in January 2017... so you guys have plenty of time to enjoy The Unfading Lands ENTIRE series. :) 

I want to thank you all for following along in this series with me. I have had such a great time reading your feedback, and you guys make me a stronger writer day by day. 
I appreciate the support and encouragement more than you know. 
Now, once Redemption Rising hits the market, I am going to give you guys a while to read it, and then I am going to post some of my inside information on the series. 
Who my favorite characters were.
Where did I come up with some of the characters.
What made me think of certain scenes.
How did some of the events mirror my "real" life.
Those sorts of tidbits that people ask me all the time and I NEVER answer. haha. 
So until then... Happy Reading, my Friends!

Are you guys ready for Part Three? The finale? The End? The Conclusion? The Adios of The Unfading Lands?! 
I will admit I am rather torn. Part of me is ready to wrap it all up in a tidy bow and move on... but the other half of me wants to dive into it more and more. There has to be a line though, and how am I to focus upon other projects when I am constantly wanting to write for The Unfading Lands? It's a dilemma. One I face daily as I try to wrap up the work on Redemption Rising. I love, love, LOVE writing this series. It makes my heart happy. :) 
That being said, I am also beating my head against the desk as I try to wrap up everything in the series to where it all makes sense. You never realize how complicated that is until you sit down to do it. 

This is my first mappings of Book 3. (Purposely blurred so you can't peek too much) :) I spider web it all out and then I tape it to my window above my desk so that I can look at it constantly as I write. Then I break down each individual character and write where they were at in the ending of Darkness Divided, what I expect from them in Redemption Rising, and then key scene ideas that I wish to use for them so that I don't forget. And those character profiles are also a checklist for me as well. I mark off the items as I go, making sure I touch upon everything I hoped to. So where does all the extra writing come in??? That is the beauty of writing. I just sit down and let the words flow. I do not have a plan from how to get from point A to point B until I actually sit down and start typing. So I know how Redemption Rising starts. I know how I want it to end. I know key scenes for some of the characters, but the flow from one scene to another... added scenes... extra snippets of information, that all comes just whenever I sit down and start typing. It's pretty neat to see the progression. Right now in the manuscript, I have only written two of the pre-planned scenes, and eight unplanned scenes that help navigate the story forward. It's an interesting process, but one that will hopefully wrap up our time in The Realm of Queen Alayna quite neatly. 

(Please disregard the messiness of the desk) See there it is... on the window... just waiting for me to sit down and write it out. :) 

One thing that has been interesting writing this series is the feedback from the readers. You guys have no idea how much I take your input into consideration. Throughout Darkness Divided, I purposely wrote a certain character the way I did thinking I would kill/dispose of him in Book 3... however, majority of the readers LOVE his character! What?!?! So now I am left to decide whether or not I want to dispose of him or keep him. For the sake of not ticking off ALL my readers, I will probably keep him and work an angle to rid ourselves of a different character. I mean, someone has to go, right? ;p 
All I can say is that I was super surprised at the feedback you guys gave on Darkness Divided and it made mapping out Redemption Rising SUPER difficult! haha. But fun. So I thank you for that. 

On that note, I STILL want to hear from you. Redemption Rising is not completely finished yet. A lot can happen in this phase. Rewrites, edits, additions... you name it, this book is not set in stone yet. So let me know your thoughts on what you would like to see.
Who are your favorite characters and why?
What are you most excited about finding out?
And what do you think will actually happen?
​I love hearing your theories. They make me smile and sometimes laugh because you guys are deep thinkers... and I like that. I like that you read into the text and interpret multiple/different meanings. :) That's the point for me. I want to leave you guys thinkin'. :) 

Now that we are already in March of this year, I intend to be posting updates regularly for you guys to check the status of Redemption Rising. There will be giveaways, much like the last two book releases. There will be a cover reveal that will knock your socks off. And there will be character quotes as we count down the days until release day! 

Thank you all so much for following the series and for the support you have all shown me. 
If you haven't already, and you have read the first two books, please, go to Amazon and leave a book review. Reviews help authors out SO MUCH, and it will also set the stage for an incredible release week for Redemption Rising when the time comes. Thank you, thank you, and thank you.

​Katharine

Happy New Year Everyone!
Yes, I know I am a few days behind, but it's been pretty hectic the last couple of weeks. :) 
However, I am ready to kick into gear the new year by wrapping up some writing projects, reviewing projects, editing projects, and the like. :) 

So I thought I would update you guys on what is going on with The Unfading Land Series and other projects that are in the works. :)

The month of October was AWESOME and HOPPIN'! 

Darkness Divided, Part Two in The Unfading Lands Series launched on October 10th and then I immediately packed up my goodies and headed to Austin, Texas, for the Texas Book Festival at the State Capitol of Texas. 
I have to first say, I could not have pulled off such a trip without my friend, Erin. 

She helped this preggo girl out SO MUCH. 
I don't know if you guys know this... but boxes full of books are HEAVY, and she never let me lift one! I took a lot of books to this gig too. She also drove and navigated the city for me since I am unfamiliar with Austin. I'm telling you... good friends are hard to come by, but a GREAT friend is such a gift. And she was awesome and GREAT all weekend helping me out. 

That being said... we kicked off Saturday, October 17th early to set up and explore the massive set up around the capitol and surrounding blocks. There were TONS of vendors/authors/publishers, etc. This was the largest festival I have ever been a part of, and it was so fun! I will definitely do it again. :)
We also had an incredible view of the capitol right behind us. :)
​Then we were able to meet and greet and talk literature for two days straight! It was a book nerd's paradise! :)

During my release week for Darkness Divided, I cannot thank you all enough for supporting the launch of the book AND the amazing feedback you gave and are still giving. 

It has been incredible to hear what you all have to say about the series now that the characters have developed further and the plot has thickened. The biggest compliment I have received is when people tell me their favorite character and why...
This opens a whole new door of interaction to me as the author, because it shows me a glimpse into my readers and their personalities as well. It also shows how invested you guys are into the story, and I love that!  It's very cool to see. :) 

So as I plug away on the FINAL book in the series, I hope you guys continue sharing Darkness Divided  with family and friends.

Be sure to check out the Store Tab above! The Unfading Lands and Darkness Divided are both now in the store! So perfect for holiday shopping. :) Autographed books make a great gift. :)

Love you guys.
​Katharine

It's crazy. It's insane. It's scary. It's fun. It's happening.
I can't stop it. 
Darkness Divided releases NEXT WEEK! 
What the what?!
Already?!
But I'm not ready!
Are you?!
It seems like I just finished writing it!
Oh wait... because I did. :)

That's okay though... though it is crunch time and Release Date is looming, everything will fall into place just fine I'm sure. :) It always does.
Remember how The Unfading Lands ended up releasing two days early last time? 
Well, that ended up working out just fine. :) So no need to freak out now... at least, that's what I keep telling myself. 
I have cut it close this time. A little too close for my own personal comfort. But that's what I get for pushing my deadline up one month. Technically, Darkness Divided was scheduled for November... So my being nice is what has placed me in my current dilemma. Oh well. :) I'll survive. And hopefully you guys will all receive beautiful copies of the book and think, "Katharine is so awesome."
Or perhaps, "That girl Katharine.... she's so nice."

Either way, I hope you guys enjoy the book. :) 
It was fun to write. It is fun to read your reviews and feedback. And it is fun to get lost in a world of adventure and actually make a living at it. :) I'm blessed to be able to do what I do. And I have you all to thank for that. 

So......

On OCTOBER 10th....

Log onto AMAZON.COM and snag your copy of 
DARKNESS DIVIDED
​I promise you won't regret it. :)

So the last couple of months have flown by! And I mean... if time could literally fly, I would believe it has the last couple of months. I made the over zealous decision to push publication on Part Two in The Unfading Land Series up a month. Now some people are like, "one month? That is not that big of deal."
But it is a difficult task. Especially since I had already decided to space my books out with six months between each of them. Six months between publication is a short time frame to begin with, but to shorten that even further is a lot of pressure. So why did I do it? 
Well I was as eager as all of you. I was ready for the second book to be written as well. And once I wrote it, I was eager to get it out there. And quickly. PLUS, I have received enormous amounts of feedback since releasing Book 1, that you guys were hounding me. ;p Just kidding.... sort of. 
I will gladly accept it though. It has been so fun to read your reviews, comments, emails, and messages. I have had the privilege of setting up at several book festivals this year, and to see people waiting to speak to me has been the coolest thing. Most of you wanted to pick my brain about book two, sneaky sneaky.... but the majority of you were just encouraging me and telling me what you liked about book 1.... which I love hearing. I also love hearing your theories on what you think is going to happen. :) 

That all being said: here's what all is going on right now.
I finally submitted my barcode information to my cover designer. The blurb for the back of the book cover is currently underway, and the finishing touches are being done on the manuscript. My editor and beta readers are hard at work pouring over the manuscript and should be finished in the next few days. We are on the home stretch! Woo Hoo!!! 
And it has been a whirlwind. :) 

So get ready for upcoming giveaways leading up to the release on OCTOBER 10th!

Yesterday, Twitter had a trending hashtag for writers all over the world. The hashtag was simply, "Ten Things Not To Say To A Writer."
Famous authors, Indie Authors, Self Pubs, and even journalists flooded the Twitter airwaves to add their comments. Some were hilarious. Some were so awful it was horrifying to think people actually said this to them. But to be honest, I never quite understood the big deal about some of these questions or comments until I myself began being asked. So I thought I would toss out a few insulting comments/questions that myself and other writers are faced with periodically. Some of these are from the Twitter responses yesterday, and some of them are actually my own. :) 
I also recommend searching the hashtag on Twitter and reading others' responses as well. It's a vent fest worth reading. haha.
And if you are ever faced with a writer, please be respectful of your questions and how you word them. We are rather sensitive folks sometimes. :)

10. Daniel Dalton @wordsbydan 
      "Oh you're a writer? My aunt's friend's gardener's plumber is a writer. You should ask them for some advice." #TenThingsNotToSayToAWriter

9. Jennifer Estep @Jennifer_Estep
     "I don't read fantasy books. Only nonfiction. You know, "REAL" books." Newsflash-- they are all "REAL" books." #TenThingsNotToSayToAWriter

8. Colleen Hoover @colleenhoover
    "You're a writer? Oh, I have a GREAT book idea!" (And then proceed to tell us your entire life story.) 
     #TenThingsNotToSayToAWriter

7. Shirley Mccann @ shirleymccann
    "I don't read fiction. I only read important things. (Actually happened). #TenThingsNotToSayToAWriter

6. Lily Bailey @LilyBaileyUK
    "It must be so nice to have time to write. I'd love to give up work too." #TenThingsNotToSayToAWriter

5. Kathy Reinhart @KathyReinhart
    "People can buy it? Seriously? In a real bookstore?" #TenThingsNotToSayToAWriter

4. Marti Leimbach @MartiLeimbach
    "I wish I had time to write." #TenThingsNotToSayToAWriter

3. Joanne Harris @joannechocolat
    "So, what's your REAL job?" #TenThingsNotToSayToAWriter

2. Shay Ray Stevens @shayraystevens
 "OMG! Fifty Shades of Grey is like... the best book EVER!" #TenThingsNotToSayToAWriter

1. J.S. Morin @authorjsmorin
    "I don't read." (*shudder*) #TenThingsNotToSayToAWriter

I hope you enjoyed some of these as much as I did. I relate with them. And though some people may not see them as rude or insulting, sometimes it comes across as cringe worthy. But hey, now people know, and hopefully future comments will be better. haha. I seriously laughed out loud at some of these though. There are so many great ones. And unfortunately, writers have heard them ALL! haha.

Here are a few personal ones that have been said to me.

"I'll just wait until you give it away for free on Kindle." (Ummm.... thanks for the support and confidence.)

"I've always wanted to write a book. It's obviously not rocket science. I mean if you can do it..." 
(Gee... thanks. You're right, I don't work hard. It's cool. You think i'm dumb. I get it. Thanks.) 

"$2.99 is kind of expensive for an ebook isn't it? I mean, it didn't cost anything to make right?"
(Um. False. It does cost money. Quite a bit actually. And please, toss out the $7 Starbucks drink before you say this to me.) 

"It must be nice to have a husband that pays for you to just sit at home and write." 
(Um. No. Brad does not pay for any of my publishing/book stuff. My sales do. He hasn't even read my book for crying out loud.) 

"Can I be in your next book?"
(No. The answer will always be no. Sorry.)

"So how many books have you sold?"
(Strangers: This is the equivalent to asking a heart surgeon how much he makes in a year... some questions are better left unasked.)

"You should really try to advertise more, because I haven't heard of you."
(Um... I do advertise. Perhaps you aren't my target audience.... hmmmm....) 


These are just a few of the awesome comments I've received over the last few months. I love hearing from my readers, and I love talking with my readers. For the most part, these type of comments or questions do not come from my actual readers but by passersby at festivals or book signings. Though a few have come from friends as well. However, as a writer, we smile and nod and in our heads are thinking, "They just don't understand all the work involved. It's okay."
And it is okay. We get it. A.) Not everyone is going to like what we write. B.) Not everyone knows the intense amount of money or work involved in writing a book. And C.) Not everyone knows how to talk to someone who can create mystical worlds and random people inside their head. haha. 

So with a little insight now, hopefully, you know what questions to ask vs. those that might be better left in your brain. :) 

And I am thankful that we can make the task of writing a book look easy for you. If you are one of the few people who are seriously considering writing a book of your own, we welcome your questions and comments. I personally love helping new writers and authors learn the business. And that's what it is: A business. Just like any other profession you have to learn the ins and outs. So please reach out to me if you are needing some guidance or just want some advice or just want someone to talk to about taking that final leap. We fellow writers suffered through comments and questions like those listed above so that perhaps we will have the advice for newbies like yourself. :) 

Thanks everyone. :)
Hope you laughed a little bit today. :)
Katharine