New regular features

Far be it from me to claim that I’m regular… but I thought it would be fun to run some scheduled features here. I’ll still chat about my family, my travels, and my books, and I’ll still have guests. But I’ll also have some scheduled things for you to (I hope) look forward to.

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Mondays will be What’s Kim Reading Now? I’ll give you brief recommendations for books I think you might enjoy, in a variety of genres.

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Wednesdays are for Ooh! That’s Interesting! I’ll discuss some bit of trivia that’s caught my attention.

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And Fridays we’ll have a Blast from the Past. Guests and I will highlight books from our backlists–treasures a year or more old that you might have missed.

 

I hope you enjoy these new features. I’d love it if you comment on them, and feel free to suggest topics as we go.

Bent-Con report, part 1

Well, I had a fun weekend at Bent-Con!

One of the highlights was getting to hang out with a great group of authors:

bentcon

From left to right: Venona Keyes, Morticia Knight, Rhys Ford (in the back), Piper Vaughn, Marilin (whose name I’m spelling wrong–sorry!!), Poppe Daniels, me, ZA Maxfield, Jordan Hawk, Rafe Haze, Gin Hale, Marshall Thornton, LE Franks, James Buchanan. Also there, but not pictured were Belinda McBride, Jet Mykles, Lou Harper, and Lou Sylvre.

Another highlight was the cosplay:

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I met some great people, too:

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That’s Merman Jax on the left (out of costume, but still very cute). And on the right, Jon Macy, author of Fearful Hunter, doing an awesome drawing when he signed my book.

I’ll post more pics later this week.

 

Goodreads nominations

I’m off to Bent-Con. I will post pics and a report. But first I have to survive a really boring 300-mile drive. I have audiobooks. If you’ll be at Bent-Con, please stop by to say hello. I’ll be at the Inkslingers booth (along with some fantastic authors).

Some of you wonderful people have nominated me for several things at the Goodreads M/M Romance group’s Member’s Choice awards. Thank you so much!! If you’re a member (it’s free to join) you can continue to nominate your favorite authors and stories through November 22. Voting begins November 28.

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Oh, and be sure and check out Amber Kell’s birthday bash on Nov. 8 for a tiny little story with Drew and Travis from Speechless!

Please welcome Katherine Halle!

Hi! *waves*

A big shout out to Kim for hosting me today! I’m really excited because this is my first release through Dreamspinner and only my second blog tour! Kim said she didn’t mind what I talked about so I figured I would talk about contemporary versus paranormal.

Fixing the Hole is my first novella-length contemporary. I’ve had a few short stories in various anthologies, but this is definitely the longest thing I’ve written without even the hint of something paranormal. I almost feel like contemporary is harder then paranormal. There are so many more rules you have to adhere to. Places have to at least feel real. I actually researched menu items for the one lunch Riley brings in. And the shrimp dish Steve cooks? Mine.

I also did (thanks to my pre-reader Button) a bunch of research on tree removal and how all that works. I even did a trial call to our insurance company to see how I would go about reporting something like that. The lady on the phone was very friendly and happy to help. Once I reassured her that we really didn’t have a tree in our living room.

It’s funny what you learn through research. Where my in-laws live? The city comes and removes damaged trees. Where my parents live? (Same state mind you) they have to call a service to have a downed tree removed. (Unless it’s affecting a wire of some sort). Same thing where we live. You have to call a landscaping/tree removal service. They can either mulch it up for you or cut it up and leave it by the street. If you leave it by the street, you have to arrange for a special trash pick up. See? So many rules!

But the benefit of contemporary? Not as much world building. The laws of physics still apply, I don’t have to figure out how to fuel my spacecraft, and I don’t have to worry about stepping on any vampire/werewolf lore toes anywhere. That made it fun. I was able to concentrate on the characters and turn this into more of a character driven piece – explore just what made these two men tick.

And I enjoyed the heck out of that and I hope you do too!

Thanks again to Kim for hosting me!

<333

Katherine

 

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Blurb:

Heavy rains and strong winds slammed an uprooted tree through Steve Crowell’s roof, leaving a gaping hole to match the one in his heart. After his ex left him for a younger man, Steve’s not sure he’s ready to handle another disaster. His best friend highly recommended the contractor, but the man’s already late, and when he shows up with his music thumping, Steve isn’t impressed—until Riley steps out of his pickup truck. Personable, gorgeous Riley talks a mile a minute, which Steve finds both ridiculously endearing and terrifying. Piecing together a heart isn’t as easy as fixing a roof, but Riley might just be the right man for the job.

Buy Links:

Dreamspinner: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5646

Amazon:

ARE:

Bio:

Katherine Halle is known as the “Queen of Happy Endings.” She firmly believes that no matter what the obstacles, what the struggles, or how much angst is involved in the journey, that the ending should always be a happy one.

Katherine’s love of the written word started at a very early age with repeated demands of “read to me” to any who would listen. It was only natural that writing would follow. As a child, she could often be found daydreaming, thinking up fanciful stories and writing them down. Now she does it on a laptop. Much faster.

Katherine’s favorite animal is her dog. She likes books, movies, and quirky television shows, such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Hart of Dixie. She loves cooking and watching cooking shows. She has lived in both Europe and the United States and loved both. When she’s not writing or plotting, Katherine enjoys spending her time listening to music, reading books written by other people, and being with her family.

You can find Katherine here:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KatherineHalle

Blog: http://katherinehalle.wordpress.com/  or http://thraceadams.dreamwidth.org/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5761673.Katherine_Halle

Email: katherinehalle@yahoo.com

 

 

 

Flight

Stranded is a new anthology that just came out from Wayward Ink Publishing. Here’s the book blurb:

STRANDED

DEFINITION:
adjective

• (of a boat, sailor, or sea creature) left aground on a shore.
“a stranded whale”

• left without the means to move from somewhere.
“he offers a lift to a stranded commuter”

###

The boys in this collection of short stories have most definitely been left STRANDED!

They’ve been shipwrecked and abandoned.

Marooned and cast away.

And left helpless and high and dry.

But you should never underestimate the tenacity of the human heart…

 

My story is called “Standby,” and poor Tom is stranded in an airport when he misses his connection. I travel frequently, so I’ve been in his shoes. But here’s a photo from a happier trip I took last year:

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I was the only passenger on this flight. It was a small plane and a short flight, but I was the sole passenger. It was so fun! The flight attendant and I had a great chat. She still had to do the safety stuff over the PA system–FAA regulations–and this time I had to listen.

I’m flying tomorrow. Let’s hope for no mishaps–or at least good outcomes if mishaps occur!

You can buy Stranded:

at Amazon

at Wayward Ink Publishing